RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TUESDAY, JANUARY 27
Due to the severity of the winter storm forecast, the Ridgewood Public Schools will be CLOSED on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. All after-school activities are also canceled.
Daniel Fishbein, Superintendent
NJ Transit to shut down system Monday night at 10pm
UPDATE: The last service for NJ TRANSIT’s rail, bus and light rail will depart from its point of origin at 8 p.m. tonight and scheduled to arrive at their final destinations by/at 10 p.m. due to worsening weather conditions.
Effective 10 p.m. Monday, January 26, NJ TRANSIT service will shut down service due to Winter Storm Juno. At this time, commuter service on NJ TRANSIT for Bus, Light Rail and Rail departing all major stations and terminals will end by 8 p.m. reaching their final destination by/at 10 p.m.
Rail: Service will remain shut down until Thursday morning January 29, depending on track/equipment and infrastructure conditions. The last train will make all local stops.
Bus and Light Rail: Service may resume Wednesday, January 28 depending on road and track conditions as well as snow-removal operations.
Saudi cleric condemns snowmen as anti-Islamic
Supporter of decree against snowmen: “It is imitating the infidels, it promotes lustiness and eroticism.”
DUBAI – A prominent Saudi Arabian cleric has whipped up controversy by issuing a religious ruling forbidding the building of snowmen, described them as anti-Islamic.
Asked on a religious website if it was permissible for fathers to build snowmen for their children after a snowstorm in the country’s north, Sheikh Mohammed Saleh al-Munajjid replied: “It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun.”
Quoting from Muslim scholars, Sheikh Munajjid argued that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful under the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.
“God has given people space to make whatever they want which does not have a soul, including trees, ships, fruits, buildings and so on,” he wrote in his ruling.
That provoked swift responses from Twitter users writing in Arabic and identifying themselves with Arab names.
“They are afraid for their faith of everything … sick minds,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another posted a photo of a man in formal Arab garb holding the arm of a “snow bride” wearing a bra and lipstick. “The reason for the ban is fear of sedition,” he wrote.
A third said the country was plagued by two types of people:
“A people looking for a fatwa (religious ruling) for everything in their lives, and a cleric who wants to interfere in everything in the lives of others through a fatwa,” the user wrote.
Sheikh Munajjid had some supporters, however. “It (building snowmen) is imitating the infidels, it promotes lustiness and eroticism,” one wrote.
“May God preserve the scholars, for they enjoy sharp vision and recognise matters that even Satan does not think about.” Snow has covered upland areas of Tabuk province near Saudi Arabia’s border with Jordan for the third consecutive year as cold weather swept across the Middle East.
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudi-cleric-condemns-snowmen-as-anti-Islamic-387479
Jimmy Hoffa
Union Membership Rate Falls to 100-Year Low
Melissa Quinn / @MelissaQuinn97 / January 23, 2015
New information from the federal government suggests workers’ interest in unions continues to fall, with union membership reaching its lowest rate in 100 years.
According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the union membership rate fell to 11.1 percent, with just 14.6 million wage and salaried workers maintaining membership.
In 2013, the union membership rate was 0.2 percentage points higher, at 11.3 percent.
The rate of union membership has been on a steady decline over the past three decades. It grew slightly from 12.1 percent in 2007 to 12.4 percent in 2008. During President Obama’s first year in office, however, it fell once more.
Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, said in a statement today that though there has been job growth over the past 58 months, many of the jobs created do not provide fair wages.
“A strong recovery must be built on family-sustaining, not poverty-level jobs,” he said. “Today’s news confirms what most of us already knew: workers are finding good union jobs despite political ideologues—and jobs are coming back as the economy slowly rebounds, but neither are nearly enough.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of union membership for public-sector workers last year was 35.7 percent, compared to just 6.6 percent for the private sector.
Of those working in the public sector, government had the highest union membership rate.
James Sherk, a labor economics policy economist at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal that the drop in the rate of union membership can likely be attributed to the antiquated union model.
“They’re selling a product that hasn’t changed that much since the 1930s when America’s labor laws were founded,” he said. “Today’s workers simply aren’t that interested in purchasing what unions have to sell.”
Sherk said that unions have failed to modernize over time and noted that workers are moving away from joining because their contracts are no longer relevant.
Trumka disagreed.
“Today’s release of the annual union membership numbers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in this economic recovery, people are either seeking out good union jobs or taking matters into their own hands by forming unions to raise wages and ensure that new jobs are good jobs,” he said in his statement.
Governor Chris Christie Declares State of Emergency As Winter Storm Hits New Jersey
Monday, January 26, 2015
Trenton, NJ – With Winter Storm Juno expected to impede transportation and travel throughout New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie today declared a State of Emergency, authorizing the State Director of Emergency Management to activate and coordinate the preparation, response and recovery efforts for the storm with all county and municipal emergency operations and governmental agencies. Commuters are asked to use extreme caution while traveling across the state. Governor Christie has authorized a staggered dismissal at 1:00 PM today as well as the closing of state offices on Tuesday, January 27th for all non-essential employees.
“The impending weather conditions over the course of the afternoon will produce a variety of dangerous travel conditions throughout the state,” said Governor Christie. “I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary action in advance of the storm, and my Administration will continue monitoring conditions throughout the remainder of the storm. I encourage all New Jerseyans to use every caution as they travel today and to remain off the roads whenever possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”
Already affecting parts of the state, Winter Storm Juno is expected to continue into the evening, bringing heavy snow accumulations, mixed precipitation, strong winds and freezing temperatures.
file photo by Boyd Loving
PSE&G Prepares for Heavy Snow and Near Blizzard Conditions
January 25,2015
Additional crews and equipment on hand
(NEWARK, N.J. – Jan. 25, 2015) Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is preparing for the approaching storm that could bring more than a foot of snow and near blizzard conditions for parts of its service territory Monday night and into Tuesday.
In anticipation of the storm, PSE&G is taking the following steps to ensure that the utility is ready to respond to resulting power outages:
Scheduling all available personnel so they are ready to respond beginning Monday.
Arranging for contractors, including tree crews, to assist the utility’s own skilled workforce.
Reaching out for 100 additional mutual aid assistance linemen.
Ensuring that additional supplies, such as poles, transformers and other pole-top equipment, are on hand.
Refueling all vehicles.
Testing generators at utility locations.
Coordinating with county and municipal emergency management personnel to inform them of outages and expedite restoration efforts.
“While snow by itself doesn’t normally pose a serious problem, heavy snow and strong winds can increase the possibility of downed wires and power outages,” said John Latka, PSE&G senior vice president for electric and gas operations. “These conditions will also make it difficult for our crews to get around and safely respond to any outages. We ask for our customers’ patience and cooperation as we work to restore service as quickly as possible.”
PSE&G urges its customers to be cautious if they see downed lines. Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that the wire is contacting.
To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. Customers can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account on www.pseg.com, PSE&G’s mobile-friendly website.
PSE&G offers the following tips to customers to prepare:
Charge your cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Fill up your car’s fuel tank.
Ensure you have a battery-powered radio and a supply of fresh batteries.
Check your supply of flashlights, blankets, nonperishable food and bottled water.
Have matches and candles with holders on-hand.
If electricity is interrupted, keep refrigerator doors closed as much as possible.
Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG. Call this number to report power outages or downed wires.
BLIZZARD WARNING
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE…CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
339 PM EST SUN JAN 25 2015
…CRIPPLING AND POTENTIALLY HISTORIC BLIZZARD TO IMPACT THE AREA
FROM LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY…
…BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM MONDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST
TUESDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM MONDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* LOCATIONS..NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY WEST OF THE GARDEN STATE
PARKWAY…ROCKLAND AND NORTHERN WESTCHESTER COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…AND NORTHERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST
CONNECTICUT.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW…WITH BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 20 TO 30 INCHES. SNOWFALL
RATES OF 2 TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR EXPECTED LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY MORNING.
* WINDS…NORTH 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* TEMPERATURES…MID TEENS TO MID 20S.
* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN MONDAY MORNING…WITH
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE BY THE EVENING RUSH.
SNOW WILL PICK UP IN INTENSITY MONDAY EVENING…WITH THE
HEAVIEST SNOW AND STRONGEST WINDS FROM ABOUT MIDNIGHT
MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS…LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
TRAVEL DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL AND STRONG WINDS…WITH WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS. SECONDARY AND TERTIARY ROADS MAY BECOME IMPASSABLE.
STRONG WINDS MAY DOWN POWER LINES AND TREE LIMBS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS…MAKING
TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST
TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
ALL UNNECESSARY TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED BEGINNING MONDAY
AFTERNOON…TO ALLOW PEOPLE ALREADY ON THE ROAD TO SAFELY REACH
THEIR DESTINATIONS BEFORE THE HEAVY SNOW BEGINS…AND TO ALLOW
SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT TO BEGIN TO CLEAR ROADS.
200,000 March for Life – Networks Give Them 15 Seconds
By Katie Yoder | January 23, 2015 | 11:37 AM EST
On Jan 22, 200,000 people descended on Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life, commemorating the 57 million babies destroyed since 1973’s Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
Of the three broadcast networks, only CBS mentioned the 2015 March for Life, allotting it just 15 seconds. That’s one second for every 13,000 people who put work and school aside and traveled from as far away as the West Coast. It’s one second for every 3.8 million babies aborted in the last 42 years.
What’s more, CBS’s coverage was part of a 2-minute, 11-second report on “moderate” GOP opposition to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
“Evening News” host Scott Pelley noted “[t]he 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade which gave women the right to have an abortion.” But he then bridged into the bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
While Nancy Cordes, CBS News’ congressional correspondent, interviewed one of the marchers, she asked about the bill, not the march.
Instead, CBS found other stories more important – spending 21 seconds on a prehistoric shark, 2 minutes, 49 seconds on the New England Patriots allegedly cheating their way to the Super Bowl, and 3 minutes and 2 seconds on a measles outbreak.
ABC and NBC said nothing on the 200,000 marching for the 57 million babies lost to abortion. Even the eight arrests of “abortion on demand” protesters in front of the Supreme Court weren’t worth their time.
Like CBS, ABC and NBC focused on other stories. ABC’s World News dedicated 1 minute, 41 seconds to Prince Andrew’s “sex scandal” while NBC’s “Nightly News” spent 2 minutes, 16 seconds on a documentary about “side car dogs in America.”
Spanish-speaking TV news viewers weren’t any better informed about the March. Neither Univision nor Telemundo covered the March for Life or congressional action on anti-abortion legislation.
But Univision and Telemundo dedicated 2:36 and 2:32 segments, respectively, to Deflategate developments. Telemundo included a 3:07 feature story on this weekend’s Miss Universe contest.
For last year’s march, the networks devoted 46 seconds to the hundreds of thousands marching in Washington, D.C. (that’s six times less than they spent on the National Zoo’s baby panda cub and four-and-a-half times less than the Climate March).
In 2013, the networks spent a total of 17 seconds on the March for Life (in comparison, they spent 521 times more on the Manti Te’o football scandal).
As with this year, when the nets do cover the march, they refuse to use the word “life.” Instead, CBS’ Cordes used terms like “anti-abortion demonstrators” to describe the marchers.
The New Thought Police
Obama’s New Psychiatric Diagnosis Targets “Internet Users” and “Internet Conspiracy Theorists” for Gun Ineligibility
Anyone who gets his or her news outside of the enemedia and the alphabets (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC) will be disarmed by the Democrat thought police.
This is serious. The era of the totalitarians is upon us — with a smiley, winking emoticon of course.
New Psychiatric Diagnosis Targets “Internet Conspiracy Theorists” Posted on January 24, 2015 by Dave Hodges, DC Clothesline
The Obama administration has a new partner in crime and it is the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The APA created the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (5th Edition) which was recently adopted. DSM 5 is highly controversial and has sparked outrage from the mental health practitioners.
As many of these practitioners point out, the new DSM-V makes a pathology out of simple and normal behaviors such as grieving for the loss of a loved one.
Israeli’s ‘magic’ yarmulke made to protect Jews from attacks
By AUDREY HOROWITZ January 23, 2015 4:52 AM
REHOVOT, Israel (AP) — An Israeli barber has fashioned what he calls “magic” yarmulkes out of hair, designed to allow religious Jews to cover their heads without attracting unwanted attention from anti-Semites.
Shalom Koresh said his skullcap, known as a yarmulke in Yiddish and a kippa in Hebrew, was inspired by rising anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere. He said he has seen particular interest from buyers in France and Belgium.
“This skullcap is washable, you can brush it, you can dye it,” Koresh said in his salon in central Israel. “It was created so people could feel comfortable going to places where they are afraid to go, or places where they can’t wear it, and feel secure.”France has seen a spike in anti-Semitic attacks in recent years. The killing of four French Jews in a hostage standoff at a Paris kosher market earlier this month has deepened fears among European Jews”
https://news.yahoo.com/magic-yarmulke-aims-protect-european-jews-attacks-093001219.html
The ‘black lives matter’ slogan excludes the unborn
By J. Kenneth Blackwell – – Wednesday, January 21, 2015
“Black lives matter” has become the slogan of anti-police protests across the nation, but the target of the protests is so misplaced that the motives of the so-called civil rights leaders behind the movement must be questioned. Do they really care about black lives? Or are they cynically exploiting isolated incidents, such as the death of Michael Brown, to inflame the black population and advance their own political interests?
Today, on the somber anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, it’s time for black leaders to face up to the real danger threatening black lives in America. It isn’t the police. According to an anti-police brutality organization, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, 313 blacks were killed by “police, security guards and vigilantes” in 2013. It isn’t even black criminals, who, as Rudy Giuliani famously pointed out on “Meet the Press,” are responsible for 93 percent of violent deaths among blacks. Sources estimate that between 6,000 and 8,000 blacks are murdered each year.
Scott Walker WOWS them in Iowa
By Cameron Joseph
DES MOINES, Iowa — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) delivered a fiery speech in Iowa on Saturday, wowing the conservative crowd with a passionate argument for small government and his own lengthy resume.
The Wisconsin governor, in rolled-up shirtsleeves, paced the stage as he blasted big government and touted a long list of conservative reforms he’s pushed through in blue Wisconsin.
The governor also showed a rhetorical flourish that’s largely been absent from his previous campaigns, drawing the crowd to its feet multiple times.
“There’s a reason we take a day off to celebrate the 4th of July and not the 15th of April,” he said, almost yelling as his voice grew hoarse. “Because in America we value our independence from the government, not our dependence on it.”
Walker’s speech had something for every element of the activist crowd. The governor touted his three victories over Democrats and recall win as well as his state-level education reforms. Each new policy he helped pass drew cheers: Voter ID laws, education reforms, tax cuts and defunding Planned Parenthood.
The biggest question for Walker as he ramps up for a race is whether he has the fire in the belly and political skills to stand onstage against the other candidates. And in his first major Iowa address, he may have done a lot to dispel notions that he lacks charisma.
When he said he won reelection as Milwaukee County Executive in an area where President Obama won by a two-to-one margin, some in the audience gasped.
“If you get the job done the voters will actually stand up with you,” he said before contrasting his record with Washington’s deadlock.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/230636-walker-shows-fire-in-iowa
route 17 630am 1/24/14
Who are the snow warriors in the snow ?
January 24,2014
Dom the Mayor of Robert Street
My selections are those that that job — no matter the weather:
Newspaper deliverers, Mail, Oil deliverers, Junk mail, Rock salt providers, Box deliverers, Snow Plow drivers, School bus drivers, and of course those Florist flower deliverers — All done while I watch the snow come down and plan my Spring garden.
your favorite blogger
Perhaps, you are doing the same thing.
Billionaire Greene, Who Bet Against Subprime, Goes Long on U.S. While Bemoaning Jobs Crisis
By Matthew G. Miller Jan 21, 2015 11:39 AM ET
Billionaire Jeff Greene, who amassed a multibillion dollar fortune betting against subprime mortgage securities, says the U.S. faces a jobs crisis that will cause social unrest and radical politics.
“America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence,” Greene said in an interview today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We need to reinvent our whole system of life.”
The 60-year-old founder of Coral Gables, Florida-based Florida Sunshine Investments said his biggest fund was up more than 20 percent last year with bets on Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG), bank stocks and mortgage-backed securities.
“I’m remarkably long for my level of pessimism,” he said. “Our economy is in deep trouble. We need to be honest with ourselves. We’ve had a realistic level of job destruction, and those jobs aren’t coming back.”
Greene, who flew his wife, children and two nannies on a private jet plane to Davos for the week, said he’s planning a conference in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Tideline Hotel called “Closing the Gap.” The event, which he said is scheduled for December, will feature speakers such as economist Nouriel Roubini.
The NFL issued the following statement on “Deflategate
The NFL issued the following statement on Friday afternoon in response to inquiries about “Deflategate”:
“Our office has been conducting an investigation as to whether the footballs used in last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game complied with the specifications that are set forth in the playing rules. The investigation began based on information that suggested that the game balls used by the New England Patriots were not properly inflated to levels required by the playing rules, specifically Playing Rule 2, Section 1, which requires that the ball be inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch. Prior to the game, the game officials inspect the footballs to be used by each team and confirm that this standard is satisfied, which was done before last Sunday’s game.
“The investigation is being led jointly by NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash and Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul Weiss. Mr. Wells and his firm bring additional expertise and a valuable independent perspective. The investigation began promptly on Sunday night. Over the past several days, nearly 40 interviews have been conducted, including of Patriots personnel, game officials, and third parties with relevant information and expertise. We have obtained and are continuing to obtain additional information, including video and other electronic information and physical evidence. We have retained Renaissance Associates, an investigatory firm with sophisticated forensic expertise to assist in reviewing electronic and video information.
“The playing rules are intended to protect the fairness and integrity of our games. We take seriously claims that those rules have been violated and will fully investigate this matter without compromise or delay. The investigation is ongoing, will be thorough and objective, and is being pursued expeditiously. In the coming days, we expect to conduct numerous additional interviews, examine video and other forensic evidence, as well as relevant physical evidence. While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were under-inflated were used by the Patriots in the first half, the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated. The goals of the investigation will be to determine the explanation for why footballs used in the game were not in compliance with the playing rules and specifically whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action. We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence.
“Upon being advised of the investigation, the Patriots promptly pledged their full cooperation and have made their personnel and other information available to us upon request. Our investigation will seek information from any and all relevant sources and we expect full cooperation from other clubs as well. As we develop more information and are in a position to reach conclusions, we will share them publicly.”
