Category: Uncategorized

photo By Boyd Loving 

Mandatory ‘Big Brother’ Black Boxes In All New Cars From 2015

Provision is part of controversial MAP-21 bill expected to pass House
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A bill already passed by the Senate and set to be rubber stamped by the House would make it mandatory for all new cars in the United States to be fitted with black box data recorders from 2015 onwards.

Section 31406 of Senate Bill 1813 (known as MAP-21), calls for “Mandatory Event Data Recorders” to be installed in all new automobiles and legislates for civil penalties to be imposed against individuals for failing to do so.

https://www.infowars.com/mandatory-big-brother-black-boxes-in-all-new-cars-from-2015/

Photo by Boyd Loving 

Ridgewood Fire Department – 2011 Annual Report

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I hate it when people use sports and club mailing lists for politics 

I hate it when people use sports and club mailing lists for politics or as a business contact. I give my email address so that I can get updates on team activities. I don’t care who the other parents support.

If I went to a candidate fundraiser and gave my email address then I would expect political emails. Before the fields went in, the lax coach would send emails to the parents for fundraising and BOE support.

The only thing that I have in common with many of the parents is the team. Why would they assume that our common sport team affiliation means that I would want to vote with them? Some of those people are not too bright, but they think very highly of themselves.

>Special Report: Tax time pushes some Americans to take a hike

By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:34pm EDT

(Reuters) – A year ago, in Action Comics, Superman declared plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship.

“‘Truth, justice, and the American way’ – it’s not enough anymore,” the comic book superhero said, after both the Iranian and American governments criticized him for joining a peaceful anti-government protest in Tehran.

Last year, almost 1,800 people followed Superman’s lead, renouncing their U.S. citizenship or handing in their Green Cards. That’s a record number since the Internal Revenue Service began publishing a list of those who renounced in 1998. It’s also almost eight times more than the number of citizens who renounced in 2008, and more than the total for 2007, 2008 and 2009 combined.

But not everyone’s motivations are as lofty as Superman’s. Many say they parted ways with America for tax reasons.

https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-usa-citizen-renounce-idUSBRE83F0UF20120416

>Readers debate the context of candidate Jim Morgan ‘s controversial field comment

Jim sorry but it is a matter of public record, as per the minutes of the Village Council meeting on 10/27/10 which are available online (all-caps emphasis added to jog your memory):

“Mr. Morgan stated that if nothing is done by the Village Council, the neighbors WILL be forced to pursue legal action against the Village to recoup monetary damages as a result of the decreased value of their properties. He added that property owners WILL also seek property tax reductions due to the unilateral changes occurring in the use of these fields in over 100 years, which will result in lost revenues for the Village and additional litigation expenses.”

This threat or apparent promise of legal action by you is clear evidence of the conflict of interest you would experience as a BOE member.

The rest of your essay is just snake oil salesmanship.

answer:

It is always messy and disingenuous to highlight one line from many paragraphs. I went back to read the minutes and you are correct Mr. Morgan made the threat. After reading the entire statement, the quote in context, makes sense and helps understand the much larger appeal and issue. The minutes are an interesting read which Ridgewood taxpayers should review before heading out and supporting the BOE budget today.

Where is the money coming from and was the process for the lights legal, fair and transparent? For the record I like the lights and the fields but wonder if it was the best approach given the inherent drainage issues.Next time remember citations and add the link.

PERHAPS YOU OMITTED THE LINK FOR A REASON!

https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/WORK10.2710.htm

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 Photo by Boyd Loving

Readers concerned for people who don’t know enough to come in out of the rain

The Ridgewood News article says it will allow coaches to receive emails of impending lightning.

Coaches (etc) can receive alerts for free via many things like weather bug.

You can also go to weather.gov and get frequently updated “pointcasts” specific to any zip code. The information is usually updated very often when there are weather events affecting the area you select to monitor.

You can also look up in the sky and get people off fields or close a pool based on common sense observations.

Of course with those approaches you don’t get rotating lights and horns though.

Don’t we have a big staff of police, emergency services people, fire fighters and other officials who can assist with closing fields etc. if no one else will when there’s danger from impending storms?

And what about the unintended consequences?
What happens after you spend a pile of money for such a system and it malfunctions? People will say “well, I relied on the system and it failed” and then sue.

In Summit NJ, though they decided to seek bids for such a system, their own muni attorney advised that municipal liability could result from implementing it

.https://www.nj.com/independentpress/index.ssf/2011/12/summit_goes_to_bid_for_lightni.html

Relying on your brain and common sense skills seems a better idea and more cost-effective, perhaps augmented by the free warnings you can get as noted above.

I suppose next someone will want taxpayers to provide smart phones and plans for them to all coaches and other officials so they can receive those emails at taxpayer expense.

More info at the link below from the mfr of one such system– which says it’s a lightning PREDICTION system and not just a DETECTION system.

Wonder which type they want for here– detection or prediction?
Or which one they’ve already bought components for with tax dollars?

Read the FAQs at the mfrs. web site too, and to hear what the thing sounds like, there’s a recording in the “downloads” section (on the “products” page) there too.

https://www.thorguard.com/

Lastly, from reading the owner manuals for that system from its mfr, a certain amount of maintenance is required especially for the sensors both in cleaning and also moisture removal – the manuals seem to say without that, it won’t work right.

Things like spider webs, nearby trees and several others (per this partic. system’s manual) will also adversely affect its operation and claimed capabilities.

The mfrs documentation also cautions that although their system is designed to provide reliable lightning prediction, if you ever feel uncomfortable with incoming weather and the system has not issued a “red alert” you should not wait. It advises to either sound the horns manually or issue a warning to cease activities in your area.

That kinda says a lot too .. doesn’t it?

>Twitter users ‘thought Titanic disaster was just a film plot’

It may have been one of the most iconic disasters of the twentieth century but it appears that some Twitter users are only now waking up to the fact that the sinking of the Titanic was not just the plot of a blockbuster film.

While subscribers to the microblogging site may be kept constantly up to date with the latest news and gossip, it is appears that some are less than familiar with the major events of the more distant past.

The sinking of the White Star liner with the loss of 1,500 lives in 1912 stunned the world and became a byword for tragedy.

But it appears that it has become so enmeshed in popular culture – particularly with the recently re-released film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet – that some were not aware of the historical reality.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/titanic-anniversary/9199970/Twitter-users-thought-Titanic-disaster-was-just-a-film-plot.html

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George Washington named Britain’s greatest ever foe

George Washington has been named as the greatest foe ever faced by the British.

The American was voted the winner in a contest run by the National Army Museum to identify the country’s most outstanding military opponent.
He was one of a shortlist of five leaders who topped a public poll and on Saturday was selected as the ultimate winner by an audience of around 70 guests at a special event at the museum, in Chelsea, west London.

In second place was Michael Collins, the Irish leader, ahead of Napoleon Bonaparte, Erwin Rommel and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
At the event, each contender had their case made by a historian giving a 40 minute presentation. The audience, who had paid to attend the day, then voted in a secret ballot after all five presentations had been made.

Dr Stephen Brumwell, who had championed Washington, said: “As British officers conceded, he was a worthy opponent.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9204961/George-Washington-named-Britains-greatest-ever-foe.html

>Former Dem. Congressman Kennedy Alleges ‘Quid Pro Quo’ for Access to White House
8:42 AM, APR 15, 2012 • BY DANIEL HALPER

Access to the Obama White House is in direct correlation to the amount of money donated to the president’s reelection effort and the Democratic party, the New York Times reports today.

The Times reports: “those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party since he started running for president were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent. Approximately two-thirds of the president’s top fund-raisers in the 2008 campaign visited the White House at least once, some of them numerous times.”

https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/former-dem-congressman-kennedy-alleges-quid-pro-quo-access-white-house_637051.html

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Home prices close to bottoming, to rise in 2013
By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON | Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:03am EDT

(Reuters) – The relentless decline in home prices is nearing an end and prices should rise for the first time in seven years in 2013, but a possible new wave of foreclosures could threaten the recovery, according a Reuters poll of economists.

The median forecast of 24 economists polled by Reuters was for the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index to end the year unchanged. That was the same finding back in January for this house price gauge, which covers 20 cities.

“We are expecting a gradual improvement, but if we get a big wave of new foreclosures coming to the market, price declines could be even greater,” said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/12/us-usa-economy-housing-idUSBRE83B0U920120412

>Valley Renewal : What are the mechanics needed to reverse the H:Zone

I’d also like to know what kind of legislation is needed to enable the only govt we elect here — the VC – to have the power to override an appointed Board’s decision and revert Master Plan changes if the elected govt decides that an appointed board has adopted something which is not in the best interest of the Village as a whole.

Can that be done via a new ordinance? Or is something else needed?

The Planning Board is not elected and I think it’s impt that elected government have the ultimate power to decide what will or will not be adopted in a Master Plan or anything else which affects the entire Village.

I realize the VC has the power to not introduce something as indeed they used following the Valley hearings.

But they should also have the power to revert changes made by any appointed board to a Master Plan or anything else which affects the Village at large.

Fine to have an appointed (not elected) board study, consider and PROPOSE amendments to a master plan, but actually ADOPTING such changes should be the duty of elected – not appointed- government.

So, either let the VC have that power as our only elected government locally, or put such proposed changes to a Village wide referendum vote when they affect the Village as a whole.

WHY? When an appointed board can just adopt amendments to a Master Plan or anything similar- we are stuck with that outcome with no recourse to revert it unless that same appointed board decides to do so.

The public then has no oversight, since neither did we appoint them nor do we have the power to recall them or vote them out if we wish to.

After all, didn’t we all read somewhere it’s SUPPOSED to be government of, by and for the people?

What are the mechanics needed to get that done- anyone know?

>Last-minute tax tips for procrastinators
Associated Press
Posted:   04/13/2012 06:03:11 PM PDT
Updated:   04/13/2012 06:03:11 PM PDT

CHICAGO — Getting an extra two days to file taxes beyond the usual April 15 tax filing deadline isn’t likely to cure a nation of procrastinators this year.

Tens of millions of us routinely wait until just before the deadline to file returns. More than 30 percent of taxpayers filed the week before Tax Day or later via extensions in 2011, and Internal Revenue Service statistics show the pace is similar this year.

Perhaps working under deadline pressure helps you focus better on the task at hand. But procrastinating may come at a price.

“The amount of work that’s going to need to be done at the last minute is no less just because you’ve waited, and the potential for errors is greater,” says Suzanne Shier, a tax strategist at Northern Trust Bank in Chicago. “There’s not really an upside to waiting.”
So you probably should dive into your tax return without waiting any longer.

Either way, there’s little time left to round up records and research the details of any tax code changes from last year.

Here are some points for end-of-season tax filers to keep in mind:

https://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_20393180/last-minute-tax-tips-procrastinators

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H-Zone: Aren’t both the VC and the Planning Board supposed to represent all of us? 

Also, given that the whole Planning Board process seemed to not fully consider many of the effects of allowing something like these amendments would permit (water, traffic, foundation damage nearby, and all the rest) — why not reverse those amendments? 

The VC asked questions of the same experts the Planning Board utilized and a lot of new info and answers came to light as a result of that. 

So the Planning Board part of the process seems to have been flawed.

That also argues strongly that the amendments should be reversed in light of the consequences and likely side effects that came to light during the VC hearings. 

Anyone looking to build something there like the amendments the Planning Board approved would permit would clearly risk the same side effects to the community, would they not? 

Whichever body is empowered to revert them doesn’t really matter as much as the need to change the Master Plan back to how it was. 

But it seems logical for the same Board which approved those changes to simply rescind that approval based on new information that came out from the same experts they consulted during their process subsequent to their having approved them in the first place.

>Readers Comment on alleged Drug use at Schools :Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.

The institution claims to have a zero-tolerance policy because people like to hear that. It’s good politics. I doubt they actually care, because, let’s face it – this “drug problem” is not that much of a problem. Drug testing costs money, and this money could be put to better use.

First of all, I wonder why you even care so much about what other people do in their free time.

As for the money, teenagers can get jobs after 16 and unreported jobs even younger. Drug testing kids randomly on a regular basis? That’s absurd. You have to weigh your kids safety against a certain level of trust and freedom. If you don’t trust your kid, whose going to take care of them when they get into the real world?

Next, your scenario is ridiculous, and it sounds like you’ve been a victim of DARE brainwashing. There are plenty of kids using pot that get into great schools. I guess you’ll see when you grow up more.

As far as I’m aware, cocaine use is not rampant in Ridgewood, so unless you buy into that BS Gateway Drug theory, that’s not really relevant.

Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.

>Readers comment  on alleged drug use in Schools : Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged

I think that it’s great that he posted what is impt to him and said what he felt from his heart and based on his observations.

Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged and besides isn’t that what blogs like this are supposed to be for?

I think people need to see and listen to stuff like this… from the perspective of someone who is there and seeing what goes on with his/her peers.

Too often, many things here get ignored and/or are spun or swept under the rug by others who have a vested interest in doing so. I don’t think this kid is one of those people.

And participation in the process of trying to make changes for the better is something we should encourage and not diss someone for expressing their views.

I very much agree with his points about parental responsibility by the way. I’d say keep posting and thx for this one, too!