FEATURED JOBS
Comments (0)Watching Baltimore suffer a heart-breaking 17-15 loss to the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts Sunday and drop to 5-5, an observer could draw a strong parallel between the primary needs of the Ravens and the Orioles, their hometown baseball “”cousins.’ Like the Orioles, the Ravens are hoping to find players who will provide a significant upgrade at the corner positions. Both teams will also be looking to secure a “deep’’ threat, be it a home-run hitter or a wide receiver who can outrun the secondary for a long reception. And both the Birds and Ravens are searching for a legitimate “closer.’’ In the Orioles’ case, Jim Johnson failed to prove he could do the job. The same might be said for second-year quarterback Joe Flacco. Despite the immense popularity he gained here as a rookie after the Ravens made… read more
BLOGS
A penetrating style and unique perspective which emanates from the baby boomer DNA, allowing you to contemplate your past, present, and future with intelligence.
It’s Time To Start Questioning & Doubting Ravens’ Coaches
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/23/09 at 05:20 PM
POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS ERUPTS AT THE ORGAN AND WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THOSE DUMB BITCHES?
I am declaring that from now on, political correctness is hereby forever kyboshed on the Organ. No more Mister Nice Guy and wussy writing in these weekly diatribes. After deep thought and with an intense look at myself, I’ve decided to come out and expose the ugly side of my persona. I’m going rogue. Now this decision didn’t come easy. I came to this catharsis after watching two of my new political soul mates, Newt Gingrich and Ron Smith, expounding on the causes of the Fort Hood Massacre and claiming that political correctness caused the killings. Gingrich rendered his opinion on Fox News’ On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, and Smith took aim and hit the bull’s-eye with his weekly column last Friday in the Baltimore Sun. The Army wasn’t at fault, according to these wise individuals. The… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 11/18/09 at 03:42 PM
Can Donaghy’s Banned Book On NBA Refs Be Canseco Redux?
Back in the late Eighties, we enjoyed a trustful reporter-athlete relationship with the Washington Bullets Darrell Walker, a rugged defensive guard and effective playmaker. He was always forthright and incisive in analyzing a game, attributes that would serve him well in future years when he became an NBA coach. But Walker was always one to openly dispute a referee’s call if he felt it was unjust. One referee, in particular, did not enjoy Walker questioning his decisions. During pre-game warm-ups, Walker would amble over to the press table and inquire, “Is Steve Javie working tonight?’ When the answer was affirmative, Walker would shake his head and say, “Then I’ll be gone by halftime.’’ His prediction invariably proved true. The first two times Walker opened his mouth or gave his tormentor a dirty look, Javie would hit him… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/16/09 at 10:52 AM
GOD HELP US
In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both sides may be, and one side must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. President Abraham Lincoln–late September 1862 after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation What a week we’ve had since I last wrote. First the tragedy at Ft. Hood, where an Army psychiatrist grabbed his gun and opened fire on his fellow soldiers killing 13 innocent men and women. Details are beginning to emerge—he is a Muslim, he was days away from being deployed to Afghanistan and there seem to have been red flags aplenty that he was unbalanced. Among the many warnings that were either ignored or at least passed around the military command like a hot potato included that the shooter was emailing… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/12/09 at 04:32 PM
Ravens Roasted, Time To Sing ADirge
Watching the Ravens lose for the second time to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday was mindful of an 18th century British nursery rhyme: “Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie…..’ Taking a few liberties, it was 38 Ravens who were baked, basted and battered by the Bengals. In their first encounter three weeks ago the Ravens fully utilized their crying towels after committing three costly penalties to give Carson Palmer enough chances to find wide receiver Andre Caldwell open in the end zone for the winning touchdown. But this second encounter was devoid of any real drama. It was decided in the first 23 minutes when Cincinnati scored on its first three possessions to take a 17-0 lead. Baltimore played a futile… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/09/09 at 06:09 AM
GETTING SCREWED AND A FEW OTHER NUTS AND BOLTS ADDED IN
Not a great week in the old hometown, starting with the announcement of a merger that will see the corporate demise of the stalwart and much revered Black and Decker. The company, headquartered in the local environs, is going to be absorbed into its chief rival and competitor Stanley, and the loss of jobs and other ancillary benefits by harboring a Fortune 500 company will be terminated and long gone. Another hit for the Baltimore corporate climate. Along with BG&E (or Constellation Energy, whatever they call themselves these days) going into oblivion by being taken over by foreign operatives, this added news is distressing. Capitalism is not thriving here, or in the good old U.S.A., for that matter. For example, while I was watching the very disappointing and less than thrilling World Series, I noticed that Budweiser was a… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 11/06/09 at 06:15 AM
All Seven Dwarfs should Be Like Rice
A carefree driver busy texting slams into the back of a car stopped at a light. A dwarf-like man steps out of the damaged car, examines the extensive damage to his bumper and says, “I’m not happy.’’ And the instigator replies, “Then you must be “Sleepy’ or ‘Sneezy.’” Now, the Ravens’ Ray Rice is not a dwarf, but he is a midget by NFL standards. Wikipedia lists him at 5-8, while the Ravens’ guide adds an extra inch to a compact 195-pound frame. If you believe Rice is 5-9, than I’m Wilt Chamberlain. It’s mindful of how Baltimore Bullets’ Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld was forever listed in the NBA Guide as being 6-8, the same height from his All-American days at Louisville. But, as Unseld would later reveal, he was barely 6-5 (minus… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/04/09 at 02:36 PM
REALITY BITES
We have just suffered through the deadliest month in Afghanistan since that war started eight years ago. Afghan President Karzai and at least one of his brothers have been accused of throwing the recent elections (at least 30 percent of the votes appear to be tainted), participating in the extremely lucrative Afghan poppy/heroin trade, and allegedly being on the CIA payroll. Can anyone say Diem? President Obama is weighing the option of sending 40,000 more U.S. troops, i.e., a surge, per the request of General McChrystal. Just to add to the abundant white noise, the Penguin, a.k.a. former Vice-President Dick Cheney, has squawked that Obama is dithering and needs to act decisively. Let’s start with Cheney. Blame may be too strong a word, but if any one man is responsible for the absolute mess we find ourselves in with… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 11/01/09 at 04:23 PM
TRICK OR TREAT
The general consensus concerning the financial markets bailout is that not only was it a good idea, but also that it was necessary. The financial system, for myriad reasons, was at the brink of collapse, probably closer to disaster than most of us realized, and the infusion of taxpayer money saved the day. Granted, this is a counter-factual argument, since it is difficult to ascertain where we would be if the bailout didn’t happen. I for one will agree the bailout was a good idea. The stock market (Dow Jones) has crossed the 10,000 mark, although no one seems to know exactly why or whether that level is sustainable, and the banks in such dire straits a year ago are now reporting record profits and rewarding themselves accordingly. So what’s changed? Unfortunately nothing has—except for the free money, of… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/30/09 at 10:06 AM
THE PHILLIES AND YANKEES 59 YEARS AGO IN THE SERIES.
When the Yankees and Phillies begin the 2009 World Series in the Bronx tonight, it will have baseball historians reminding fans of the last time these two teams played for a championship 59 years ago when Philadelphia’s surprising 1950 “Whiz Kids’’ captured the heart of the country. But there will be no “first-hand’’ accounts of how these young upstarts gave the “City of Brotherly Love’’ its first National League pennant in 35 years, dating back to Woodrow Wilson’s days in the White House. The sportswriters who actually covered the ’50 Series are long gone, as are all but a handful of the players on that historic team. But a little background on the long suffering Philadelphia franchise is needed to put things in perspective. After replacing Worcester (Mass.) in 1883, Philadelphia could lay claim to being… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/28/09 at 05:58 AM
A LITTLE OF THIS AND A LITTLE OF THAT, SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
Since I began this exercise last year, I have written extensively about a couple of topics that I thought would keep your interest. One was the slots issue, which is still totally screwed up, and local politics, which is never dull. As events have been unfolding lately, my musings about Governor O’Malley’s poor leadership resonates. I sometimes feel like the boy who cried wolf. All I can do is put it out there for your edification. The same, old, same old keeps happening. First I want to talk about O’Malley, who showed up a couple of weeks ago on Bill Maher’s show on HBO. He was terrible, and made no discernable impression, but some of it was not his fault. He was on a panel with Chris Matthews and Alec Baldwin, and the show never had any chemistry. If… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 10/26/09 at 10:23 AM
Kicker
After Steve Hauschka’s 44-yard attempt to complete a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback against the unbeaten Vikings in Minnesota’s domed stadium sailed wide left with two seconds remaining, the Ravens head coach and a number of leading figures in the heart-breaking 33-31 loss took a positive stand. To a man, they insisted that quarterback Joe Flacco’s extreme poise under pressure would serve as a “character builder’ and unify the team for the tough schedule it faces in its remaining 10 games. “We can build on this,’ said coach John Harbaugh. “We went down swinging. We can definitely build on this,’’ said mighty mite Ray Rice, who accounted for 194 yards running and receiving on only 20 touches and scored two touchdowns on spectacular runs in the second half to keep the Ravens’ hopes alive. “The way we… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/22/09 at 08:53 AM
MEDIA OVERLOADED—RUSH LIMBAUGH, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND THE GHOST OF BOB IRSAY
That Rush Limbaugh was in the middle of a shitstorm hardly counts as news, but the subject matter and those making the arguments were most interesting and revealing. Limbaugh, wannabe NFL owner, got trashed by some of the usual suspects—namely Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson—but a couple of other notables hit their target with accurately fired shots and brought him down. Rush Limbaugh and the NFL will not be bonding anytime soon. Coincidentally this week, Barry Levinson’s ode to the Baltimore Colts band aired on ESPN. Titled The Band That Wouldn’t Die, the documentary chronicled the Baltimore Colts Marching Band. In relating the story, Levinson goes all out in detailing the origins of Baltimore’s history with the Colts. No Diner quizzes with this one, just a tale of endurance by the fans and the band that helped define Baltimore… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 10/19/09 at 06:36 PM
NOBEL EXPECTATIONS
Probably like most of you I woke up to the news last week that our president had won the Nobel Peace Prize and responded with “Really?” To his credit, it appears that President Obama had the same reaction. Since then, debate has ensued as to whether he deserved it—“SNL” even weighed in—although I found Liz Cheney’s recommendation that the president send the mother of a fallen soldier to accept the award in his stead the funniest response. Not the suggestion itself—I just found the idea of anybody with the last name of Cheney giving advice on international protocol, let alone on proper etiquette, for accepting the Nobel Peace Prize a little like Roseanne Barr giving out singing lessons. But I digress. The general consensus is that Obama won the Nobel because he isn’t George W. Bush, but more importantly… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/14/09 at 05:27 AM
Flawed Ravens Will Be Lucky To Make Playoffs
Our recent vacation trip to San Diego coincided with the Ravens playing the Chargers, who failed to sell out the game. So we were not surprised to see a number of Raven-maniacs, proudly sporting their team paraphernalia, visiting such lush sites as La Jolla and the classic Coronado Hotel where “Some Like It Hot’’ was filmed despite claims it was taking place in Miami Beach. It was a chance for the home folks to get a sun tan, enjoy the scenery and also savor the Ravens victory thanks to some highly questionable play-calling by Chargers’ coach Norv Turner in the final minute But these same fanatics will not be making early reservations for the Super Bowl in Detroit next year for two basic reasons: (1) It will be frigid outside the domed stadium and (2) really No.1,… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/14/09 at 05:26 AM
MICHAEL MOORE, BACK AT IT AGAIN AND WITH BALTIMORE IN THE MIX
This past week, documentarian and auteur Michael Moore unveiled his newest polemic entitled Capitalism, A Love Story. He brings it close to home with a couple of scenes and situations that pertain to our home town. During the movie, he has several discussions with Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sitting on a park bench outside the U.S. Capitol, and in one of his comedic trades, he attempts to speak to former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, who is ensconced in an office building that is home to the Paul Nitze School of International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Moore is standing outside the building, calling Paulson on the phone to no avail. If you’re a fan of Moore, like I am, you’ll eat this one up. The movie opens with an old, grainy Hollywood-era film documenting the fall of the Roman… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 10/12/09 at 10:19 AM
NIXONLAND – Part Two – The Ascent to the Presidency.
After JFK’s assassination and the 1964 election, with LBJ defeating conservative Barry Goldwater in a landslide, President Johnson viewed his popularity as a mandate in both domestic and foreign policy. Public backlash began almost immediately against his civil rights legislation, specifically any type of integration, be it in schools, housing, public places and the workplace. Violent racial eruptions across the country became commonplace. The riots, looting, police actions—and the politicians involved—are covered in great detail in Nixonland. If you were too young at the time to truly understand what was happening or need a refresher—this book provides a harrowing narrative. Coinciding with Johnson’s domestic policies was his administration’s escalation of America’s involvement in Vietnam. Although interesting, trying to “what if?” historical decisions is not always productive, but it is hard to imagine anyone else other than Johnson following the… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/08/09 at 06:39 AM
MacPhail, Trembley Share Blame For Embarrassing O’s
When the Orioles made their last visit to Cleveland, September 25, former major league outfielder Rick Manning, who now serves as the color man on the Indians’ TV broadcasts, asked his Oriole counterpart, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, “Do the Orioles do anything?’’ That seemingly simple question carried more weight than any other theory offered as to why MacPhail should not have retained Dave Trembley as manager of the Orioles, who barely averted a 100-loss decision and finished 39 games behind the runaway Yankees in the top-heavy AL East. What Manning meant was that the Orioles he observed were glaringly lacking in such basic fundamentals as bunting, playing hit-and-run, running the bases with a sense of awareness and making the correct decisions on defense. He also labeled Brian Roberts as the Birds’ only base-stealing threat. From… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 10/06/09 at 03:26 PM
THE RAVENS AND A LITTLE DIG AT PAUL TAGLIABUE
The football season has arrived with a monstrous amount of interest after last year’s surprise run in the playoffs. Expectations are rampant that this could be our year, and that the team could be headed for Miami in a return engagement to the Super Bowl. The dismal summer of suffering that has been pervasive and incessant with the Orioles is now over, and the good vibes of winning and anticipation for success is exhilarating. Since we’re most definitely in a gloating mood, I thought it was an opportune time to bring you back to the mid-‘90s when this town was without a professional football team, and was sucking ass to get one through the expansion process orchestrated by then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. When the NFL decided to expand in the early ‘90s, they sent out the word and Baltimore was… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 10/02/09 at 02:46 PM
PARADOX
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. F. Scott Fitzgerald I have a confession to make – actually a few of them. I’m a free market guy until said markets spin so completely out of control that the situation calls for government intervention. I have faith that the insurance companies are not inherently evil but need to be regulated when they’re getting away with - for lack of a better term and to keep this discourse civil – highway robbery. I believed Saddam Hussein needed to be removed from power and that U.S military efforts could make Iraq a better place for Iraqis and make for a safer world. I believe it’s worth the effort to bring the 30,000… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/28/09 at 05:33 AM
GOOD OLD DAYS AT THE SUN
Old farts are always being criticized by the next generation for harking back to the “good ol’ days’’ and yearning for that “”old gang of mine.’’ Well, I happen to be one of those greybeards who can attest that things were definitely better back in the Sixties and Seventies, particularly in the now near-moribund newspaper business. Certainly, the salaries earned by the survivors far exceeds what we earned in those days (if you don’t take inflation into account), but that hardly compensates for the drastic change in today’s newsroom environment where copyreaders resemble zombies slumped over their computers and reporters enjoy about as much camaraderie as the Sunnis and Shiites..So when people ask me why I elected to take a buyout after 40 years on the sport staff of The Baltimore Sun in 1999 at age 66, I… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/24/09 at 05:37 AM
DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, JIMMY CARTER AND THE IRANIAN SITUATION
One of the great albums of the Sixties was the Moody Blues classic “Days of Future Past,” which I listened to many times and even enjoy to this day. It was an unprecedented collaboration between the harmonic group of excellent musicians singing and playing with the London Symphony Orchestra. It produced such classics as “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin” and was an attempt to take you places in your mind, not only with the music, but also with the words and themes that were inherent with the times. It remains applicable to events that have occurred recently. The emergence of former president Jimmy Carter into the fray and the continuing outlandish and brazen conduct of Iran , creates a symbiosis that combined the biggest and sorriest reminders of American failure and frustration. Both Carter and Iran will… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 09/22/09 at 05:07 AM
BAU-CUS BACKWARDS
Thank God for Senator Max Baucus. With the country on the verge of splitting apart across party lines and ideology the Senator in one fell swoop has united us. For it does not matter if you are a Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, a libertarian or a progressive, everyone agrees that the health care reform bill introduced by the Senator from Montana, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is one steaming, stinking mess that no one wants to step in. Some of the highlights of the bill include a mandatory 13% “contribution” directly out of our paycheck to pay for the privilege of having health insurance. If one attempts to opt out of this, you’ll be fined half that amount. (This money all funnels directly to the insurance companies under the caveat that this will help keep the… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/18/09 at 05:30 AM
THE ORGAN GETS HACKED AND OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY HAS TRACKED
Well sports fans, here I was all aglow with bragging on you that we are now one year old and that we are in fine form with some hard core and radical messages coming your way. But when I got to my office yesterday, there was a message from my compatriot Joe in Chicago that our site had been hacked, and the blog looked like a promo for the flick “The Eyes of Laura Mars.” If you happened to see it, you know what I mean. Apparently, some assholes got into our server in South Carolina and hacked quite a few sites besides ours. The brazen pricks even named themselves and left two email contacts behind. I, of course wanted to immediately seek revenge and locate these scofflaws and string them up by the balls. Then, I got the… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 09/16/09 at 04:59 AM
Only Claude Rains Missing from Shocking Weekend
Anyone who has seen the film classic “Casablanca’’ remembers Claude Rains’ classic portrayal of the corrupt French policemen Capt. Renault. He had numerous memorable quotes in the war melodrama, but the one that presently comes to mind was:”I’m shocked, shocked to find there is gambling in here,’’ as a croupier in the backroom of Rick’s Café hands him a pile of money. Certainly, Capt. Renault would have been shocked this past weekend by the bizarre happenings at the U.S. Open tennis championships, the Orioles’ final series with the Yankees in New York and the Ravens season opener at home against underdog Kansas City, cast as a perfect foil. Perhaps the most shocking event was watching Serena Williams’ implosion in her semifinal match with unseeded Kim Clijsters when she threatened a line judge (actually a small Oriental… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/15/09 at 01:52 PM
WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD
I judge the effectiveness of a speech, any speech, by how quickly my mind wanders. And I understand I have a short attention span. My past is full of being caught tuning out by my parents, teachers, friends and even a few bosses. (Hey Joe – next time you leave you have to take your body.) It took 45 minutes Wednesday night before I checked the clock and realized I had been sitting glued to my television watching President Obama’s Health Care speech. (This was a good 30 minutes better than South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. The camera caught him instinctively beginning to clap – at a Democrat applause moment – about 10 minutes in. Self consciously he took a quick glance around the chamber and then began rubbing his hands together as if he was in front a… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/11/09 at 12:41 PM
Mixed Martial Arts Just Too Extreme
Some 45 years ago, I received an offer from public relations man Phil Zacko to attend a professional wrestling show promoted by Vince McMahon, Sr. at the then fairly-new Baltimore Civic Center. With a chance to write an off-beat column, I readily accepted. I wandered into a dressing room an hour before the first match was scheduled to find villains like Killer Kowalski and heroes like Haystacks Calhoun engaging in a friendly game of pinochle or hearts. For me, that was the story. Needless to say, it was the last invitation I received from McMahon and Co. I had grown up watching Antonino Rocca and Gorgeous George, who served as a role model for Muhammad Ali, and even financially-strapped former heavyweight boxing champion Primo Carnera wrestle when television was first becoming popular. Putting two fighters or wrestlers… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/09/09 at 05:39 PM
’09 - THE SUMMER OF BUFFOONERY
In a summer filled with political machinations, shenanigans and hypocrisy I thought nothing more could surprise me—let alone take my breath away. I was wrong. The latest act of political defiance finds parents boycotting President Obama’s webcast to school children because of its message—or, as they label it, propaganda—which is “Stay in school and study.” It is beyond my comprehension. Let’s recap this summer of disbelief. First, there were the “tea- parties.” It was unclear as to what their purpose was, but it was clear that the limited number of attendees were angry and not very good spellers, as evidenced by their protest signs. Fox News sent correspondents around the country to witness this “growing political unrest,” but that fizzled—especially when the free food at the events ran out. Texas governor Rick Perry stepped into the vacuum and explained… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/08/09 at 04:56 PM
Bumbling On Bases Overshadows O’s Bigger Problems
Playing a game called “Running Bases’’ with a pink Spaldeen was a popular pastime among street urchins back in the Forties. The rules were simple. The runner would try to advance to the next base without getting tagged out. But the present day Orioles have refined this game, renaming it “Base Blunders,’ with Felix Pie as the chief practitioner. Pie has perfected the art of running the bases backwards, and several of his teammates have followed his comic example by forgetting how many outs in the inning or attempting to advance a base against all odds. The Keystone Kops did a better job pursuing bank robbers At first, manager Dave Trembling (my preferred spelling) and third base coach Ron Samuel put the entire blame on the players, accusing them of running with their heads on… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 09/08/09 at 04:55 PM
BUDGET CUTS AND SLOTS, YOUR STATE GOVERNMENT AT WORK FOR YOU
For several years now , I have been making very modest donations to various candidates that I felt worthy of my limited financial support. I gave donations to mostly state candidates , all Democrats . Most of them were local or statewide races, with some national candidates thrown in when I thought they were worthy [Al Franken] . One of the by-products that you receive from your donation is that your email gets forwarded to the campaign committee and you are then listed on the candidates list serve and you receive all the campaign info and it makes you engrossed and vested to the campaign. Good idea and it certainly beats those goddamn pain in the ass robo calls that do nothing but turn you off. Last week , I got a campaign missive via email from none other… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 09/02/09 at 04:18 AM
UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU ….. REALLY
Someone, let’s say a journalist, has taken a red pen and the Obama Administration Organizational Chart and calculated that 47 percent of the positions have yet to be filled—for whatever reason, such as finding qualified candidates, the onerous nomination/confirmation process or simply the availability of time to go out and hire people. I started thinking—always a dangerous thing—about the country’s unemployment rate and every political discussion I’ve had over the last 6 to 9 months and I had an idea (told you this would be dangerous): How about two years of mandatory public service for all of us? At some point in our lives we’d all work for Uncle Sam. Now before you get hung up in the details and logistics—and I fully understand there are many—just see if the concept makes sense. A disconnect has developed in this… read more
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 08/28/09 at 05:08 AM
PRAYING, PACKING HEAT, AND PRACTICAL POLITICAL THEORY
I am about to admit that it is time I begin to keep up with the Jones’, the Smiths, or anyone else who has exercised their First and Second Amendment rights while attending a town hall meeting. I’m going to synagogue for the High Holy Days in a couple of weeks and since it is the start of a new year, I’m copping a whole new attitude. I have been an usher at my temple for the High Holiday services for close to ten years now. This is considered an honor, and is a very important task. We greet the worshippers as they arrive at temple, assist them to their seats, and provide any help when needed. We are stationed at the doors and inside the sanctuary as well, and we make sure that no one can enter the… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/26/09 at 05:31 AM
Can Michael Vick Ever Be “Top Dog’’ Again?
Article By Alan Goldstein. Okay, first let’s get all the “dog jokes’’ out of the way. Q: Why did Michael Vick spurn offers from the Cleveland Browns? A: He was afraid to perform in front of “The Dog Pound.’’ Q: Why hasn’t Vick looked effective in training camp? A: It’s the Dog Days of Summer. Q: What will be Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid’s toughest job? A: Keeping Vick on a tight leash. Q: How will highly-critical Eagle fans view a sub-par Vick effort? A: He’ll be accused of “dogging it.’’ … read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/24/09 at 08:53 AM
RESHUFFLING THE DECK IN BALTIMORE COUNTY
Article By Jay Liner With August half way over and the schools soon to reopen, the fall kickoff to the next political cycle is about to begin . The primary is set for September 14, 2010, 13 months from now, and the general election is November 2, 2010. There will be a myriad of races to watch and monitor , and in Baltimore County not only will we have a new County Executive , in addition, a majority of the County Council most likely be composed of some much needed new members . The race is on . The battle for County Executive has two incumbent council members ready to go at it . Second District Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, has a war chest of close to three -quarters of a million dollars , and although he hasn’t officially announced… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/20/09 at 05:17 AM
A TRIP DOWN HEALTH CARE LANE
Story By Joseph Velisek. My mother made an emergency trip to the hospital last week—she’s fine, thanks for asking—and I thought a quick recap of the excursion might be in order. The following is not a knock against the doctors, nurses and other very helpful health care professionals we dealt with, but it does raise a few questions concerning the efficiency of the system they work under and under which my mother was treated. Two things to keep in mind as you read this. First, the hospital in which she stayed is state of the art and second, the Part B of dealing with the insurance coverage has yet to occur. Several weeks ago, after nursing a tennis injury that wasn’t improving, my mother, a senior citizen of the 21st century, visited her doctor and was prescribed an anti-inflammatory… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/18/09 at 04:02 AM
Stan Love & The Beach Boys Made “All-Flake’’ Team
Story By Alan Goldstein. “They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either but the memories will’’—Dennis Wilson, 1963. Mike Love, the older brother of former Baltimore Bullets forward Stan Love, was the founder of The Beach Boys, one of the most popular and successful of the bands that spouted up in the tumultuous 60’s epitomizing the Woodstock era of free love and drugs. The band was also one of the most dysfunctional. The Loves were first cousins to Dennis Wilson, and Brian Wilson, the most creative of the band members. Dennis was forever linked to Charles Manson groupie Karen Valentine who took part in the Helter-Skelter murders. Wilson, a heavy drug user, was the leading… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/17/09 at 10:42 AM
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT THE DEATH OF EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER
Story By Jay Liner Eunice Kennedy Shriver died this week. She was 88 years old, a resident of Maryland and a citizen of the world. She was an inspiration to those of her generation—a bygone era of people who believed in sacrifice—and to those later generations for whom sacrifice was a foreign concept. She epitomized the kind of person who believed in true selflessness and practiced the tenets of dedicated and unyielding commitment to public service. Today, cynics would describe her as a do-gooder and shower scorn and derision upon her and her great deeds. With her death, it is appropriate to take a closer look at the concept of public service. Here are my announcements on the subject at hand. If you think I am engaged in hyperbole, check out a few of the recent examples of what… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/14/09 at 02:10 PM
GRASSROOTS VS. ASTROTURF
Story By Joseph Velisek With the latest mutation of the lunatic fringe—after the Tea Partiers and Birthers now monopolizing our news space—I thought I’d do some investigative reporting into whom the Town Hall Turfers represent and speak for. As of right now, the answer is no one I know or anyone I’ve talked to in the last 10 days. My data may not be significant, but my collection of it is as scientific as the news channels is. The Turfer phenomenon, in case you’ve missed it, is fairly consistent nationwide although it’s being described as spontaneous and unscripted. During town hall meetings, usually with congressmen and women attempting to explain health care reform or answering questions from citizens on the subject, outbursts occur. Not discussions or even protests, just incoherent yelling and a lot of poorly drawn home-made signs.… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/14/09 at 02:09 PM
NIXON RESIGNATION – 35 YEARS LATER
Story By Joseph Velisek Thirty-five years after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, the one word Watergate is still synonymous with the scandal that forced him to that decision, as well as being the yardstick used to measure the seriousness of any new and future political scandal. Is it worse than Watergate? The persistent fascination is that two years of a White House cover-up over a “third rate” burglary led to the downfall of the leader of the free world—who happened to be a man that many Americans loathed. The investigation also gave the American public—and the world—a glimpse inside the Nixon White House and into the psyche of Richard Nixon, his pettiness, his thin skin and need for secrecy, as well as the inadequacies of the men who surrounded him. At times, the Watergate saga was much like watching… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/14/09 at 02:05 PM
Sugar Ray
story by Alan Goldstein Holding the title “”boxing editor’’ of the Baltimore Sun for 40 years created a lot more baggage than simply covering fights. All calls to the sports department concerning the ancient sport were quickly transferred to my desk. We were instantly cast in the role of final arbiter to settle all barroom debates, even if the fight in question took place some 50 years earlier. We soon prepared ourselves for the trick questions: “”Who was the last man to box John L. Sullivan? A: The undertaker. More often, however, we were asked to use our “expertise’’ to decide the eternal argument over who deserved to be called “the greatest fighter of all time,’’ (as Ali regularly boasted), or simply the best “”pound-for-pound.. After our friends at the neighborhood saloon had downed a few beers,… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/14/09 at 01:52 PM
THE ORGAN EXPOSE ON ORGAN DONATIONS THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE VERY UGLY
Story By Jay Liner The story you are about to read is true. There are no names changed to protect the innocent, because nobody involved in this gruesome tale is innocent. The picture you are looking at is that of Rabbi Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn, New York. He’s the big kahuna. The story broke over this past weekend, amidst the Gates-Obama melodrama and the final sendoff of the governor of Alaska from her office. It was immediately implanted on the radar screen of every Jew who saw it both in this country and in Israel. This one, following in the wake of the Madoff fiasco, has shocked us and stunned our senses even more, if that’s possible. Arrested were 44 people, including prominent politicians in New Jersey and five rabbis. The conspiracy traveled from Brooklyn, to Israel, to… read more
Posted by Jay Liner on 08/10/09 at 01:01 PM
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