tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49395282993269248492024-03-13T17:16:43.812-04:00JOURNAL OF IDEAS TODAYJITODAY.COM,
Copyright JC Leahy and Co., LLC
Silver Spring, Maryland, JC Leahy, EditorJC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-33045270485134235762018-07-27T20:24:00.004-04:002018-08-11T11:57:59.411-04:00REPORT CARD, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST YEAR AND A HALF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Liberals and never-Trumpers have gone insane lately. My liberal friend Sue is a close relative. I normally hold my tongue when she makes some ridiculous political statement. After all, why should I provoke an important relative? But today I must speak up. Sue asserts that PresidentTrump has been a horrid president during his first year in office because of this list of metrics.:<br />
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• Most days of vacation<br />
• Most games of golf<br />
• Most lies told<br />
• Lowest approval rating<br />
• Most cabinet resignations<br />
• Most criminal convictions<br />
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The above list reminds me of Socrates’ famous quote to the effect that when one has lost an argument, he resorts to slander. The most lies told? I think that one person’s lie is another person’s statement of obvious common sense. How would you verify such a metric? Most days of vacation? First, how do you define vacation? If one is playing golf with the Prime Minister of Japan, is that a day of vacation? If one is working out of a vacation destination facility because he happens to own it and feels more comfortable there than in the White House, does that count as vacation? And why should I even care? Does Sue think that we voted for President Trump to taker fewer days of vacation than Obama? Does she think we are that vapid, or is she that vapid herself? Most games of golf? Well, first of all, again, why should I care? Did I vote for this President to play less golf? I think not. President Obama apparently played 306 rounds of golf during his presidency. Woodrow Wilson played 1200 rounds. So what? Statistics that you read compare Obama’s rounds of golf to Trump’s “visits to golf courses.” That sounds misleading to me. After all, Trump owns golf courses everywhere and certainly is entitled to visit them. As far as I can tell, Trump visited a golf course that he didn’t own exactly one time in his first year, and that was to play with the Japanese Prime Minister. Again, who cares? These metrics are frivolous. They don’t matter. They are a resort to slander by liberals who have lost the argument. Liberals are fanatically fixated on metrics that simply do not matter because they can not deny metrics that greatly matter.<br />
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I have a different perspective about Donald Trump than my fanatic liberal friends. I voted for Donald Trump by absentee ballot from my deathbed. I expected to be dead by election day. I was physically unable to fill out the absentee ballot and had to dictate it to my wife. But I took the trouble. Then I had my end-of-life family conference and took my last spontaneous breath. Little did I expect what would follow. I was drugged and placed on a ventilator machine. When that didn’t work, and the family consented to withdraw ventilatory life support, I was placed on a lung bypass machine. This made breathing unnecessary. Then they woke me up for another family conference. Unable to speak or write, I nevertheless communicated to my family that I did not agree to die and wished to fight on. By some miracle, although I technically didn’t qualify, someone else died and a pair of matching lungs became available. My transplant was performed as an emergency procedure (which is unheard of) and left me a complete invalid physically and mentally. Over the next year, I recovered a little, learning to feed myself, to get into a wheelchair, eventually learning to dress myself, to not need diapering, and basic things like that. About a year after my transplant, my mental faculties suddenly returned. After this Rip van Winkle awakening, I was able to see how President Trump’s performance had measured against my hopes. He has done well by the metrics that matter.. <br />
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These metrics fall into 2 categories. First, there are metrics that definitely happened and Trump is definitely responsible. . Second, there are metrics that definitely happened but liberals may argue that President Trump does not deserve credit. Everything in this list of first-year metrics definitely happened and definitely matters.<br />
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Trump Accomplishments, Year 1<br />
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CATEGORY 1 - DEFINITELY HAPPENED, BUT LIBERALS MIGHT NOT LIKE<br />
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• Eliminated Obamacare’s individual mandate, as promised during the election. <br />
• Nominated Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme court, from his as-promised list of 25 possible nominees.<br />
• Showed a strong and mature balance between strength and restraint in dealing with the Syrian nerve gas massacre episode.<br />
• Advocated and signed the most expansive income tax reform since 1986.<br />
• Opened Federal lands to liberalized oil exploration and drilling after a 40-year ban, as promised<br />
• Moved the US Embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, as promised during the election (and as also promised by most recent presidents)<br />
• Obtained Senate approval of 12 Federal appeals court justices, more than any other president his US history<br />
• Eliminated 22 Federal regulations for every new regulation created, far exceeding his campaign promise<br />
• Re-established the National Space Council and gave NASA the goal of exploring the solar system <br />
• Advocated and signed the VA Accountability and Whistleblowers Protection Act, which helps protect whistleblowers and makes it easier to fire incompetent VA employees, as promised<br />
• Advocated and signed the Veterans Affairs Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, making it easier for vets to get the quality medical care of their choice, as promised<br />
• Signed 81 pieces of legislation, the most since Harry Truman<br />
• Achieved appointment of 23 Federal judges, 12 appellate judges, and 10 district court judges, as well as 1 Supreme Court judge<br />
• Pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership, as promised<br />
• Obtained China’s agreement to help with the North Korean nuclear problem<br />
• Made measurable progress on building his promised border wall, including construction of prototypes <br />
• Repealed Obama’s extreme expansion of net neutrality rules<br />
• Pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, at promised during the election<br />
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CATEGORY 2: DEFINITELY HAPPENED BUT LIBERALS MAY ARGUE THAT TRUMP DESERVES NO CREDIT:<br />
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• Achieved the lowest level of illegal border crossings in American history<br />
• Captured the ISIS capital of Raga.<br />
• Recaptured 98% of ISIS territory, as promised<br />
• Reduced the number of ISIS fighters from 45,000 under President Obama to 1,000 Deported 31% more criminal gang members from the US compared to 2016<br />
• Arrested 800 illegal immigrant MS13 members, an 81% increase<br />
• Achieved GDP growth of >3% for 3 or more months in a row for the first time in decades<br />
• Between deregulation and tax reform, the economy boomed, with overall unemployment at a 16 year low, and value of the stock market (and your 401k, on average) up 31%<br />
• Achieved the lowest level of black unemployment and Latino unemployment in American history, and the lowest women’s unemployment and overall unemployment rate in many, many years, with more jobs available than people to apply for them. What a blessing!!<br />
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Now in year 2, Trump a few of Trump’s accomplishments include. <br />
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• Got the 2 Korean presidents to actually meet and talk, wish is astonishing<br />
• Got North Korea to release several US hostages as a show of good will, which is astonishing<br />
• Nominated another Supreme Court justice from the list of 25 that he published during the election<br />
• Got North Korea to return the remains of US soldiers killed in the Korean war, again astohishing<br />
• Achieved the highest labor participation rate in American history<br />
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I originally voted for Trump to build a border wall and get the Mexican border under control, to make rational Supreme Court nominations, to safeguard the Second Amendment, to stimulate the economy with a combination of intelligent deregulation, tax reform and increasing energy production especially with liberalized oil exploration. By my priorities, President Trump has done a splendid job in his first year and a half of service.<br />
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You may or may not like everything President Trump has accomplished, but he has been AMAZINGLY effective during his first year and a half in office. Furthermore, his bluntness and sometimes lack of artificial polish is both refreshing and entertaining. The craziness of his opponents even more entertaining, but also sad because so much of it is so ill informed, ugly, and destructive to civil conversation. In his firsst year and a half of office, Donald Trump has been the most effective president in my lifetime.JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-25138881234239998422018-03-26T00:59:00.003-04:002018-03-26T01:13:04.375-04:00On Gun Control, School Shootings, Etc.<div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="eo1ts-2-0"><span data-text="true">I don't know about you, but it just makes me sad to see folks with big hearts and sterling intentions, wanting to DO SOMETHING about school killings, but not really having a clue about effective, socially beneficial things to do. Folks should be able to establish context, then consider the societal benefits of gun ownership, compared to costs, and then consider the specific problem of school massacres and likely solutions. I’ll share my own first-hand experience with you. I made my first firearm purchase when my wife and I purchased a townhouse in Washington, DC. I was 30 years old. After talking to my new neighbors, I realized that nearly 100 percent of townhouses like mine on my street had been burglarized within the prior two years. Therefore, before I moved my family, I bought a small 5-shot, snub nosed revolver – what gun control advocates used to derisively call a “Saturday Night Special.” Since that time, I have needed a gun three times. My home has been targeted by home invaders twice. On one occasion, intruders kicked down the front door by surprise. They were met by 2 very enthusiastic German Shepherd dogs. They fled. No gun was required. We had a carpenter repair the door and went on with life. On another occasion, however, no dogs were present and I met a pair of home invaders with my Saturday Night Special. I asked them politely to leave. When they surmised that I had a gun, they were ever so glad to leave politely. No shots were fired. No police report was filed because I did not want to get into trouble: I wasn’t even supposed to have a gun in Washington, DC. On third occasion, my wife woke me at night in our bedroom and said she heard noise downstairs. I got my Saturday Night Special, and went down to investigate. Sure enough, someone was breaking into our sliding glass door. They didn’t notice me. I thought hard about just sitting there in the dark, waiting, and teaching them a good lesson when they breached the door, like that homeowner in Prince Georges County did a couple of weeks ago. It was tempting. I was, however, in DC, but I decided against violence, so I made myself known to the burglars, and let them know I had a gun. They fled. No shots were fired. No police report was filed. On yet another occasion, my wife and I were out in Virginia visiting my parents, who lived on a dead end road. We stayed visiting until 11PM. When we said goodbye to my parents and went out to our car, I scarcely noticed the pickup truck staked out 30 yards behind us in a dark section of road where there were no houses. We packed out infant daughter into her car-seat and climbed into our little Honda hatchback with DC tags. We were faced downhill towards the dead end of the road. My plan was to drive to the dead end and turn around there so that we could leave. I scarcely noticed that when my headlights came on, so also did the headlights of the dark truck 30 yards behind. When we moved out, the truck moved out, too. As we approached the dead end, the truck came up close to tailgate us with high beams blazing. Although it was pitch dark, I could see in the reflection of the high beams that there were two men in the truck. I was surprised that when I came to the dead end, the truck maneuvered so that I could not complete my turn-around. We were trapped. By WILD coincidence, I had in the car an old hand-me-down .22 rifle that my parents had given me when I was 13. I wanted to have its rear sight upgraded to be adjustable, and I had been planning to bring it to the Davis Gun Shop in Arlington for the repair. I had put it in the back of the hatchback for that purpose. Without hesitation, I reclined my drivers seat, skooched back far enough so I could reach over the rear passenger seat, and retrieved the rifle from the rear compartment. It was non-functional because I had left the bolt at home, but I held it up in the rear hatchback window, in the glare of the high beams, for the guys in the pickup truck to see. The pickup truck backed up, turned around, and fled the scene. My family was safe; no shots were fired; and no police report was filed. That makes 3 occasions when I have prevented violence to my family by having a gun, not to mention an additional time that the force of large dogs saved the day. I eventually got a big NRA sticker and put it on the front window of my townhouse. I never had another problem. Additionally, I have used guns for socialization: going with friends target shooting, or trap shooting, or making my annual trip with a group of friends to Farmville, Virginia for deer hunting. I’ve put a fair amount of venison on the table with my K-Mart special 30-30, which is a humorous story for another day. Guns have DEFINITELY had a positive influence on my family’s life.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="7kb86-0-0"><span data-text="true">I don’t think my experience is unique. My old college classmate, Joe, had a similar experience. He was with his family on an isolated rural dirt road with only one way to exit. He noticed a truck a small distance away manoeuver and park so as to completely block the road. They were trapped, and the intention of the guys blocking the road was questionable. Joe’s family didn’t notice. Joe reacted by calmly stopping his car, getting a .22 rifle out of the trunk, and conducting an innocent target-practice lesson for the children. When the first shots sounded, the guys watching from the truck blocking the road got into their truck and left the scene. Again, there was no violence and the family was safe. Another old friend of mine, Jim, and I recently took our concealed carry classes together. Subsequently, Jim was traveling with his wife in Ohio. In the middle of the night, someone kicked their hotel room door in. Jim was happy to be carrying his .45 semiautomatic pistol. Again, no shots were fired, and the family was safe. My friend Loring and I took rifle shooting instruction together from NRA certified instructors at Boy Scout Camp Wilson. Loring later got a job as a hotel desk clerk in Washington, DC. On the night when the bad guy entered the lobby, the hotel security guard promptly confronted him. DC of course is a gun free zone, so the security guard was unarmed. He was promptly shot. The bad guy found Loring hiding in a dark closet (which is what we drill children in school to do). He had Loring kneel, right there in the closet, and put a bullet right between his eyes. I was devastated. To this day, I keep newspaper clippings about Loring’s death tucked here under my laptop computer.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2n6ag-0-0"><span data-text="true">In summary, guns have been a VERY positive factor in preventing violence to my family, as well a providing entertainment, socialization, and meat on the table. Most of the incidents that I directly know about resulted with no police reports or other statistics generated. Anecdotal reading suggests that my experience is not unique, and that across America, the presence of guns helps to prevent violence and deter crime. The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victims Survey indicates that 550 rapes and 1,100 murders are prevented per DAY just by showing a gun. This dovetails with my own experience of just showing a gun. The National Institute of Justice estimates that there are two MILLION defensive gun uses per year by law abiding citizens. The societal benefits to responsible gun ownership are certainly massive.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3hh2u-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now, to consider the societal costs.. Richard Peters recently surveyed the societal costs of gun ownership as follows:</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4eev9-0-0"><span data-text="true"> “There are 30,000 gun related deaths per year by firearms, and this number is not disputed. The U.S. population is 324,059,091 as of June 22, 2016. Do the Math: 0.0009% of the population dies from gun related actions each year. Statistically speaking, this is insignificant. What is never told, however, is a breakdown of those 30,000 deaths. To put them in perspective when compared to other causes of death:</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8j2lc-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 65% of those deaths are by suicide, which would never be prevented by gun laws</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="47mgv-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 17% are through criminal activity, gang and drug related or mentally ill persons—better known as gun violence.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1ll7g-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 3% are accidental gun discharge deaths.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="esdje-0-0"><span data-text="true">So, technically, “gun violence” is not 30,000 annually, but drops to 5,100. Still too many.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8gh6g-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now, let’s look at how those death spanned across the nation:</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5s581-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 480 homicides (9.4%) were in Chicago.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="fo5a2-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 344 homicides (6.7%) were in Baltimore.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4saq8-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 333 homicides (6.5%) were in Detroit.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9d9c2-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 119 homicides (2.3%) were in Washington D.C. (indecently, a 54% increase over the prior year).</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ckigv-0-0"><span data-text="true">So basically, 25% of all gun crime happens in just four cities. All four of these cities have strict gun laws, so it is not the lack of law that is the root cause. This basically leaves 3,825 for the entire rest of the nation, or about 75 deaths per state. That is an average because some State have much higher rates than others. For example, California had 1,169 and Alabama had 1. Now, who has the strictest gun laws by far? California, of course. But, understand, it’s not guns causing this. It is a crime rate spawned by the number of criminal persons residing in those cities and states. So, if all cities and states are not created equal, then there must be something other than the tool causing the gun deaths.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5e3rg-0-0"><span data-text="true">All deaths are horrific. And 5,100 deaths per year is sad—and, especially so when it is in the commission of a crime. But, that is the nature of crime. Robbery, death, rape, assault are all done by criminals. It is ludicrous to think that criminals will obey laws. That is why they are criminals.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a80ep-0-0"><span data-text="true">But, what about other deaths each year?</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d7prn-0-0"><span data-text="true">• More than 40,000 die from drug overdose.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="fherb-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 36,000 people die from the flu.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eqg8f-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 34,000 people die in traffic related fatalities</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="avm67-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 250,000 die each year from preventable medical errors (Number 3 cause of death per Johns Hopkins Univ).</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2c7vf-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 652,639 die from abortions (12.1 per 1000 live births)</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="jl6l-0-0"><span data-text="true">• 710,000 people die per year from heart disease.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a0o3c-0-0"><span data-text="true">Just a 10% reduction in cardiac deaths would save twice the number of lives annually of all gun related deaths. A 10% reduction in medical errors would be 66% of the total number of gun deaths or 4 times the number of criminal homicides. Usually, a 10% reduction in any statistics is an easily achievable figure.” [End of Richard Peters quote]</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="dt6bh-0-0"><span data-text="true">So the costs of gun ownership are outweighed by the benefits, by far. That is BEFORE you even argue about the proposition that an armed populace is a counterweight to governmental overreach, and the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to the God-given right to defend one’s life, liberty, and property. That’s a pretty important argument. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="de11b-0-0"><span data-text="true">There is, however, the fairly-recent, heart wrenching problem of school mass killings, especially killings at schools. Some mass killings have been carried out with bombs (like the school bomb a couple of weeks ago) and motor vehicles, but let’s focus on the heart-wrenching school killings with guns. How do you fix that problem? Outlawing certain “mean looking” rifles will, sadly, not solve this problem. Despite all the media hype, the AR-15 is NOT a military grade rifle, and the difference between it and many standard hunting rifles is PURELY cosmetic. In point of fact, Nikolas de Jesus Cruz could have done equal damage with a standard pump-action shotgun loaded with standard 00 buckshot and a pocketful of extra shells. (Just feed shells from your pocket a few at a time as you go, and your gun is NEVER empty.) The Benton, Kentucky school shooting, in which 20 people were shot was, after all, carried out with an ordinary handgun. The unavoidable truth is that other effective weapons are available, so banning mean-looking rifles won’t solve the school massacre problem. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="66fv1-0-0"><span data-text="true">There are deeper social issues at work. When I was in high school, many of us young men had guns (at home mostly) but there were no problems with school shootings. There were even shooting clubs at some schools, but not at my particular high school. We need to understand what has changed to truly solve this problem. Consider that 100% of school massacre shooters come from households with reduced or absent father participation. When I was in high school, my best friend committed suicide (by hanging) when his father left. It’s a big deal, especially for boys. I believe that a lack of a stable mother-and-father family, especially when bringing up boys is involved. . One third of Americans know parents who refused to marry because they did not want to lose qualification for some government benefit(s), I definitely do! I can tell you, as a licensed tax expert, that there are MANY tax incentives for parents not marry, especially at lower income levels! When you consider that 100% of school mass shooters have come from fatherless households, you have to suspect that our wacky government regulations are a part of the problem. Another thing that needs looking into is the drastically increased use of behavior altering medications. As a licensed registered nurse, I can tell you that there are behavior altering drug for which “homicidal ideation” is a documented side effect of some behavioral altering medications. I have read that most school killers have taken behavioral altering drugs. This is certainly an under-discussed factor that needs more study ASAP.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bjdi2-0-0"><span data-text="true">The NRA? The NRA does great work in gun safety training. As I noted above, my Boy Scout rifle instructors were NRA-certified. It's been around for a long time, is an absolute expert on safety matters, has wholesome intentions, pretty decent members as far as I have seen, and is not the problem. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="dtco0-0-0"><span data-text="true">For, for do-able actual solutions, I say (1) ban the sale and possession of firearms for persons under the age of 25 and make parents or guardians responsible if they get a gun from home, and (2) have some sort of armed guardian presence in schools. I THINK THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS SOLVING THE PROBLEM. I know that banning the sale of guns to a whole age category is a drastic gun control proposal, but I think it might help I hate seeing armed guards everywhere. I hated it when the Alexandria high schools hired “bouncers” in the early 1970's to control unruly students after racial integration, but the situation was dire and required it. They do arm some teachers in Israel, and it certainly seems to work for them. In America, it might have to be police officers because a lot of teachers would be uncomfortable with the guardian role. As a registered nurse, I understand perfectly. I have been asked by hospitals more than once, because I’m male, to eject unruly visitors. My response has always been that dealing with violent persons is not my job; that is for hospital security to handle. So I can understand a teacher not wanting to take on the role of actually protecting children. However, the situation is dire, and SOMEONE has to do it. Police are expensive, but police may be the way to go. Some teachers might be willing to be trained to carry concealed weapons. I have a concealed carry permit, myself, and it’s not that big a deal. I don't know about you,</span></span><span data-offset-key="dtco0-2-0"><span data-text="true"> but I've been a parent and I've actually been a school teacher. I wouldn't mind carrying a concealed gun in school as long as I were compensated a little extra for it and the school would provide all necessary insurance coverage. A few armed teachers could save the day in a situation like the Florida massacre, and their presence would probably be a deterrent. Our experience right here in a Maryland school last week shows that a good guy with a gun is VERY effective for preventing school killings. If not teachers, then we need to assign police. Also, the psychiatric drug angle needs serious looking into. We have to do SOMETHING, and it really must be something that will likely SOLVE the problem of school killings,</span></span></div>
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JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-48387442648103288722018-02-23T23:45:00.002-05:002018-02-24T00:02:13.238-05:00ON ARMED GUARDIANS IN SCHOOLS - A FACEBOOK COMMENT<span data-offset-key="3k2cb-1-0"><span data-text="true"> JC Leahy</span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="3k2cb-1-0"><span data-text="true">The following reply to a comment was rejected by Facebook, so I publish it here to link back to Facebook. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="3k2cb-1-0"><span data-text="true">Hi Alicia. Sorry to be tardy in responding. I was celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary (Yay!! 40 years!!!), then dealing with a health issue, and then dealing with a bit of a family tragedy. Life! There is good and there is bad!</span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="8cssf-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now, where were we? Oh, yes, we were focused on the bad. Thank you for joining the conversation. It is wonderful to hear from you! Ellen had just asserted that there were 19 school massacres thus far in 2018. I had responded by pointing out, among other things, <u><b>that statement was grossly bogus</b></u> – which is to say inaccurate and misleading. You came to Ellen’s defense on that point and gave your perspective on the school massacre problem as a teacher.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8nak0-0-0"><span data-text="true">On the 19 massacres statistic, I am reluctant to spend many words on this. There simply have <b>NOT</b> been anywhere near 19 school massacres in 2018. The statistic that Ellen referred to came from an organization called Everytown for Gun Safety, and was popularized by tweets from Bernie Sanders, Bill de Blasio, a guy named Jeff Greenfield, and several actors and musicians. Unfortunately – or fortunately – the statistic is bogus. The Washington Post’s Fact Checker gave some sort of Pinocchio award for Everytown for Gun Safety’s figures, meaning that the figures are a lie.. For example, on January 3, a 31 year old man in his car parked in a school lot phoned police and said he was armed and suicidal. He then killed himself. There were no teachers or students in the elementary school. In fact, the school had been closed for 7 months. In late January, someone reportedly fired a gun in the parking lot at a high school basketball game. No one was hurt, it was 8pm, and classes had long before ended for the day. Another incident involved a police officer. Apparently a 3rd grader crept up on him and pulled the trigger of his holstered handgun. Naturally, everyone was startled, but no on was hurt. Another involved a licensed peace officer who ran a college justice club of some sort. A club member accidentally pulled the trigger of a real gun rather than a training gun. Again, everyone was startled by no one hurt. <u><b>These are NOT the kinds of incidents that qualify as “school massacres.” </b></u>Indeed, all in all, it is my understanding that only 5 of the 18 (not 19) incidents occurred during school hours and resulted in any physical injury.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4vj49-0-0"><span data-text="true">It makes me sad to see statistics like that so distorted because it draws us into focusing on (arguing about) the terms of the debate rather than actually solving the problem, which is school massacres. Criminal violence in schools is a big enough problem that it requires no dishonest exaggeration.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="531p3-0-0"><span data-text="true">You also recounted emotionally how you have hidden in dark closets with children during active shooter drills. I agree that this is not good for the emotional well being of children. I, myself, remember participating in such drills when I was in elementary school. We were hiding from a nuclear attack, crouched down in the hallways in neat little rows of children, kneeling with our hands clasped over the backs of our necks. I doubt that this would have helped us in the event of a nuclear attack. I heartily agree with you that such drills may not be helpful, and probably are not good for the happiness of the children involved.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="bqit8-0-0"><span data-text="true">I also agree that children should have more support, food, and lots of other things at home. I myself grew up in a ramshackle, rodent infested old house with only-sometimes running well water, in a dangerous neighborhood, a long walk on a dusty road away from the nearest food store. That’s life. I was happy anyway. The lack of things didn't, however, make me go out and shoot kill anyone. It would, however, have been nicer to have more support, food, and lots of other things. So we agree.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8lvfl-0-0"><span data-text="true">I agree also that it is distasteful to see armed guards everywhere. My wife and I visited her native Philippines in 2006. The main thing I didn’t like about the Philippines was that there were armed guards EVERYWHERE. Every little shopping center had a uniformed guard with a machine gun. The bank had neatly uniformed guards armed with shotguns, inside and outside the bank, and to get into the bank you had to talk to the guard outside, who talked to the guard inside, who opened a big security gate to let you and only you in. At the grocery store, similar to a Giant Food or Safeway, I counted no fewer than five armed guards posted near the checkout counters. We went to a hotel at one point, and the porter who carried our luggage carried a shotgun in his other hand. There were armed guards everywhere, and it made me uneasy. So, I agree with you again.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8sg9u-0-0"><span data-text="true">Now that we agree on so many things, let’s focus on the problem at hand: which is, school massacres. Columbine was the first, and <u><b>since Columbine we have made absolutely no changes in the way schools are patrolled and guarded!!! </b></u>We know that virtually all school shooters are under 25 years old. We know that the perps use a variety of weapons, including handguns and military-looking semiautomatic rifles. In the Florida instance, the 19-year-old perp actually bought the weapon legally himself. Your proposal is that what we need is more counselors, nurses, psychologists, etc. in schools. You also want to ban military-looking semiautomatic weapons. I simply think that so many counselors, nurses, psychologists, etc for every school in America would cost so much that it is very unlikely to happen at all. If it DID happen, it is doubtful that the extra resources would solve the problem, although they might help. The main consideration is that this solution is SO expensive that it is very unlikely to happen. The other part of what you want, banning military-looking semiautomatic weapons is unlikely to solve the problem. Other weapons are available to killers. For example, the Benton, Kentucky shooting which you cited, in which 20 people were shot and 2 killed, was carried out with an ordinary handgun. Banning certain “mean looking” rifles will simply not solve this problem.. Which leaves the terrible problem unsolved.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="evlhi-0-0"><span data-text="true">So, what to do? We do know that most of these young perps come from dysfunctional (fatherless) homes. There is no easy solution for that. We also know that all or nearly all of the school massacre perps are under the age of 25. It seems obvious that it would be helpful to keep firearms out of the hands of persons under the age of 25. I know from experience that there are just too many hormones powerfully at work prior to that age to make gun unsupervised gun possession safe. The Florida perp had no criminal record and purchased his gun legally at the age of 18, for crying out loud! We also know that a number of these perps were taking psychiatric drugs. Some psychiatric drugs have documented behavioral side effects, including “homicidal ideation.” I think that bears serious looking into.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1dsoh-0-0"><span data-text="true">For, for do-able actual solutions, I say (1) ban the sale and possession of firearms for persons under the age of 25 and make parents or guardians responsible if they get a gun from home, and (2) have some sort of armed guardian presence in schools. I THINK <b>THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS SOLVING THE PROBLEM.</b> I hate seeing armed guards everywhere. I even hated it when the Alexandria high schools hired “bouncers” in the early 1970's to control unruly students after racial integration, but the situation was dire and required bouncers. They do arm some teachers in Israel, and that seems to work for them. In America, it might have to be police officers because a lot of teachers would be uncomfortable with the guardian role. I understand that perfectly. I’m a registered nurse. I have been asked by hospitals more than once to eject unruly visitors, and my response has always been that dealing with violent persons is not my job; that is for hospital security to handle. So I can understand a teacher not wanting to take on the role of protecting children. However, the situation is dire, and SOMEONE has to do it. Police are expensive, but police may be the way to go. Some teachers might be willing to be trained to carry concealed weapons. I have a concealed carry permit, myself, and it’s not that big a deal. A few armed teachers could save the day in a situation like the Florida massacre, and their presence would probably be a deterrent. If not teachers, then we need to assign police. Also, the psychiatric drug angle needs serious looking into. We have to do SOMETHING, and it must be something that will likely solve the problem of school killings, rather than something that just makes us feel good or accomplishes some pre-existing aim</span></span></div>
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JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-61895404338857303302018-02-16T20:11:00.000-05:002018-02-16T20:11:37.336-05:00ON THE FLORIDA SCHOOL MASSACREJC Leahy<br />
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<span data-offset-key="61l2f-0-0"><span data-text="true">My own humble opinion goes like this: </span></span><span class="_247o" data-offset-key="61l2f-1-0" spellcheck="false" start="38"><span data-offset-key="61l2f-1-0"><span data-text="true">Donald J. Trump</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="61l2f-2-0"><span data-text="true"> did not cause the Florida school massacre. The Florida shooting is very upsetting, heartbreaking. I am eager to learn more about the shooter so I can form more of an opinion about what caused this. I do agree with those who suggest that posting a reasonable number of armed personnel, police, in schools is, at this point, a no-brainer, and would go a long way towards solving this terrible problem. The Israelis have armed personnel (teachers in the Israeli case) in each school and there are no school killings. Police would be more do-able in America. However, I think that there must be deeper social issues at work in America. When I was in high school, many of us young men had guns (at home mostly) but there were no problems with school shootings. There were even shooting clubs at some schools, but not at my particular high school. We need to understand what has changed to truly solve this problem. My money is on the lack of a stable mother-and-father family, especially when bringing up boys is involved. The NRA? It's been around for a long time, is an absolute expert on safety matters, has wholesome intentions, pretty decent members as far as I can see, and is not the problem. The National Rifle Association actually offered to train school security personnel nationwide. Also, let's be too focused on the type of weapon. Without going into excessive detail, the AR-15 is not a military grade rifle, and the difference between it and many standard hunting rifles is PURELY cosmetic. In point of fact, Nikolas de Jesus Cruz could have done equal damage with a standard pump-action shotgun loaded with standard 00 buckshot and a pocketful of extra shells. (Just feed shells from your pocket a few at a time as you go, and your gun is NEVER empty.) I say (1) place a reasonable number of armed police in each school, and (2) do not allow anyone younger than 25 years old to buy any gun or possess any gun except possession with direct and immediate parental supervision. Hormones are running too high and maturity too low before the age of 25. THOSE 2 MEASURES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED VIRTUALLY ALL PAST SCHOOL KILLINGS!!! STOP with all the acrimony and foul language!! Those 2 measures could be accomplished more easily and with less political anguish and foul language than draconian gun control measures! But you still have to take a hard look at underlying social issues. Just a constructive suggestion.</span></span></div>
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JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-63288691788815620142018-02-16T19:50:00.000-05:002018-02-16T19:52:57.255-05:00ON ASSAULT RIFLES -- THE LEAHY SOLUTION<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true">JC Leahy</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true"> </span></span>"Assault rifles" that are legal to buy are not military grade rifles, and the difference between them and many standard hunting rifles is PURELY cosmetic. In point of fact, Nikolas de Jesus Cruz could have done equal damage with a plain, old-fashioned pump-action shotgun loaded with standard 00 buckshot and a pocketful of extra shells. (Just feed shells from your pocket a few at a time as you go, and your gun is NEVER empty.) The problem, or one of the problems, is that Nikolas de Jesus Cruz had ANY gun at all!! </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true">I do agree with those who suggest that posting a reasonable number of armed personnel, police, in schools is, at this point, a no-brainer. It would go a long way towards solving the terrible problem of school massacres. The Israelis have armed personnel (teachers in the Israeli case) in each school and there are no school killings. Police would be more do-able in America. However, I think that there must be deeper social issues at work in America. When I was in high school, many of us young men had guns (at home mostly) but there were no problems with school shootings. There were even shooting clubs at some schools, but not at my particular high school. We need to understand what has changed to truly solve this problem. My money is on the lack of a stable mother-and-father family, especially when bringing up boys is involved. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true">The NRA? It's been around for a long time, is an absolute expert on safety matters, has wholesome intentions, pretty decent members as far as I can see, and is not the school massacre problem. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true">My own humble solution: (1) place a reasonable number of armed police in each school, and (2) do not allow anyone younger than 25 years old to buy any gun or possess any gun except possession with direct and immediate parental supervision. Hormones are running too high and maturity too low before the age of 25. THOSE 2 MEASURES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED VIRTUALLY ALL PAST SCHOOL KILLINGS!!! </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true">I have been told that restricting gun purchases for those under the age of 25 would unfairly discriminatory. </span></span><span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">First of all, the school killings situation calls for some do-able solutions and personal-liberty/discrimination argument seems to call for inaction. After all, if
states can forbid the sale of alcohol to adults under the age of
21, SURELY they can restrict the sale of guns to adults under the age
of 25. This wouldn't discriminate against anyone because everyone who is
under 25 will be 25 in due time. If the actual situation is that a 19 year old cannot buy a bottle of whiskey because of his lack of maturity, but he can buy a firearm, there's something wrong with that picture. In the spirit of being serious about a do-able solution , I advocate to not allow anyone younger than 25 years
old to buy any gun or possess any gun except possession with direct and
immediate parental supervision. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="a2fbk-0-0"><span data-text="true"> The NRA actually offered to train school security personnel nationwide, and was rejected. It seems to me that the NRA could be part of the do-able solution! Just my opinion, of course, but it does seem like a no-brainer, given the gravity of the situation and the need for an ACTUAL SOLUTION. Time to get serious!</span></span>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-17799490112380046692018-02-16T18:06:00.003-05:002018-02-16T18:06:40.166-05:00RESPONSE TO BERNIE SANDERS ON CANADIAN HEALTH CARE:JC Leahy<br />
<br />
Bernie Sanders has apparently been asserting that Canadians do not wait long times for needed health care. I can only say that my wife's relatives in Canada are very pleased with their Canadian health care system. In fact, a certain E.C. and his wife visited us here in Silver Spring, Maryland a while back and mentioned that he had recently had cardiac bypass surgery. He said he only had to wait 7 days and his total cost was only $7. Wow! I was impressed, and I told him so. I said that I had read that there was a BIG business in the US providing cardiac surgery for Canadians who couldn't get timely surgery in Canada. So I was really impressed to hear about E's short wait time. <br />E said, "Well, I went standby."<br />"Standby?? What do you mean 'stand<br />by'?" I asked.<br />
"You have to know the system,” said E with a sly look. “ I was lucky that my doctor knew the system well. It's like flying standby on an airline. You sign up to take a surgical slot in case someone else cancels."<br />I was amazed, and asked, "Sooo....somebody else cancelled, and you got to take his spot, and you only had to wait 7 days for this to happen?" <br />"Yes."<br />"Well, why did he cancel?" <br />"Oh, he died." <br />"How long was he waiting?" <br />"Oh, he was waiting for a long time."<br />
"So he died waiting for a long time for cardiac surgery, and you snapped up his spot in line, and you only had to wait 7 days? Do you see anything wrong with that picture, E ?"<br /> "No. I only had to wait 7 days. It worked out for me."<br />
<br /> Footnote: to get medical treatment on a "standby" basis, you pretty much have to be in the immediate vicinity of Toronto or one of the other big cities. If you live elsewhere, this administrative trick won't work for you because you have to be at the hospital STAT when your standby slot “opens.”. Although I’m happy that my relative E got his cardiac surgery so quickly in Toronto, the system strikes me as unfair to the guy who had to die waiting, as well as for those who don’t live in Toronto or some other big city.<br />JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-71254752518694162882018-02-13T16:59:00.002-05:002018-02-13T17:00:51.028-05:00POLITICAL QUIZIf you want a tough question here's one: Let's just say for the sake of
consideration that some American presidential candidate went through his
or her lawyer to hire a firm to hire a British ex-spy to collect fake
dirty facts from a hostile foreign power, say Russia, and other
nefarious sources, and disguised those fake facts as intelligence
reports, combined the fake reports into a dossier, leaked the fake
dossier to the press, and fed it to the FBI and Justice Department. <span class="text_exposed_show">who
in turn KNOWINGLY used the fake dossier, along with news reports about
the fake dossier, to defraud the FISA courts 4 times to obtain 360 days
of wiretapping and surveillance of the opposing presidential candidate
at the height of a close presidential election, then hatched a plan to
fix that US presidential election and undermine the dis-favored
candidate if he should win. I mean, I know it sounds like unlikely fiction,
but let's just say....In that case would you agree that the responsible
folks in the Justice Department, FBI, and the offending presidential
campaign would NEED to be prosecuted for the sake of the integrity
democracy in America? Leave a comment to let me know your opinion. -- JC Leahy</span>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-10755714605780715142018-01-04T18:21:00.000-05:002018-01-04T18:23:01.834-05:00MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARAYLAND -- A SANCTUARY COUNTYIn these times, just remember: In a statement dated January 11, and released by e-mail Saturday,
January 13, Montgomery County's Ike Leggitt and the County Council
<u><b>declared that Montgomery County police will play no role in enforcing
immigration law!!! </b></u> That makes Montgomery County,
Maryland a Sanctuary County. The announcement came within a day or so of an illegal alien causing a multiple-car accident on the Capital Beltway, through drunken driving. The news media never made the connection between Mg. Leggett's announcement and the tragic deaths. Very sad.<br />
<br />
<h1 class="page-header">
Statement by Montgomery County Executive Ike
Leggett: The Montgomery County Council on Deportation Threats
Against County Residents</h1>
<b>For Immediate Release: Monday, January 11, 2016</b>
<br />
Our nation faces a significant
humanitarian challenge in how we deal with the thousands of children and
families fleeing violence in Central America. Current conditions in El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras merit granting special temporary
protection to these children and parents who have legitimate reason to
fear for their lives if returned to their countries. <br />
<br />
<b>We
recognize that the recently announced federal policy is narrowly crafted
to apply only to those who have been issued final orders of removal by
an immigration court. But the obvious truth is that many of these
children and parents have not had adequate legal representation in these
proceedings. No deportations should take place without ensuring that
the person to be deported received adequate representation and due
process of law under our Constitution. </b><br />
Imagine being a
teenager in a formal process in a forbidding setting in a strange land
where they speak a language you do not understand. What chance would you
have? <br />
<br />
These children and parents deserve an opportunity to have
their cases presented properly as they seek refuge in our nation. And
for those ordered to be deported after receiving due process, no
deportations should take place unless the federal government guarantees
legally required family reunification and support to help them live in
their own countries safely. Failure to guarantee these essential
protections is unthinkable as it will deliver them back to the very
violence and human trafficking that caused many of them to flee to the
United States. <br />
<br />
<b>We in Montgomery County, especially our
public safety officers, have worked extremely hard to build trust with
our immigrant population. We are convinced this is the key to reducing
crime and building a thriving, welcoming community where all can live in
peace. <br /><br />We are very concerned that any federal enforcement
actions in our county not undermine this trust and threaten public
safety in our community. </b>We want all of our community
members to know that they are free to go about their daily life, to go
to schools and work, social service agencies, hospitals and medical
clinics, community organizations and public buildings, as well as
grocery stores and other commercial areas. <br />
<br />
<b>We
respectfully recommend that federal authorities proceed with great
caution and respect for the values of our country and requirements of
our Constitution. Please take the time necessary to ensure that any
deportation is based on a court action only after due process and, if
the deportation is ruled to be appropriate, carried out with the
protections required by law. </b>Please assure us that our
residents are free to go to school and work, attend services at their
faith congregations, seek needed medical attention, and ask for help
from our police without fear. A warrant to arrest one person must not be
used to round up many. <br />
<br />
We applaud the recent federal budget
commitment to spend $750 million to address the root causes that have
led people to flee Central America. We ask that the federal government
dramatically step up the pace of the existing Central American Minors
Program to provide a legal in-country path for children with parents
lawfully in the United States. And we ask that local governments here in
the United States be given adequate federal support for receiving these
children and helping them reunite with their parents. <br />
<br />
<b>To
the members of our Montgomery County community who are justifiably
concerned about the federal government’s most recent deportation
actions, we encourage you to go about your daily activities free of
fear. </b><br />
Go to your schools, work, and faith
congregations, social service agencies, hospitals and medical clinics,
community organizations and public buildings, as well as grocery stores
and other commercial areas. <br />
<br />
Continue helping us work hard every
day to make Montgomery County one of the very best places to live, work,
play, and age with dignity in the nation. <br />
<br />
<b>Please know
that our county police will play no role in enforcing federal
immigration law. If you have reason to need help from our police, do not
be afraid to call on them. </b><br />
We will continue to work
closely with our community-based nonprofit and faith based partners to
develop ongoing “know your rights” training around the county, increase
pro bono legal support, and develop and distribute educational materials
as part of a bilingual public information campaign. <br />
<br />
<b>We
are proud of the people who have come to Montgomery County from every
corner of the globe. You have enriched our community, and you will
always be welcome here.</b> Some of us have had the privilege of
traveling to our Sister City in Morazán, El Salvador where we
experienced the beauty of Central America and the graciousness of its
people. We know that if we all act with calm and dignity and work
together, we have the capacity to get through these difficult times and
improve the lives of those who have come to our country and those who
remain in their native lands. <br />
<div align="center">
# # # </div>
<div align="left">
<br /></div>
<i>Release ID: 16-007</i>
<br />
<i>Media Contact: Patrick Lacefield 240-777-6507 </i><br />
<br />
<i>Juan Sanchez Jailed 1/14 after causing a 9 car crash on the beltway 1/11 which killed</i><br />
<br />
<i> http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/4-Injured-in-Serious-Accident-in-Upper-Marlboro-365276591.html</i>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-27321322761756871482016-01-25T18:09:00.004-05:002016-01-25T18:09:51.611-05:00$5,000 REWARD / BOUNTY -- STOLEN LOG SPLITTER<h2>
For the Arrest and Conviction of Thief</h2>
<br />
JC Leahy will pay $5,000 cash bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever stole a Craftsman Log Splittter from the Leahy home in Silver Spring, Maryland. The log splitter, pictured below, is Craftsman model # 247.77661, possible serial number 3776508. There may be a small lock on the trailer hitch. If you have information, contact Officer E. Glass, Montgomery County Police regarding case #16004152, at telephone 240-773-5500.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw9lybeFO_39R1AKJKkSD_20SJsbkwgHfyARP1XT938msGeB4S4sPFa7AMJn1_-0YCdmKW740HBO7R3mAps1u8_DO9AIe2orKfcQNqgcrbVDpQH3OVbKwwe6b0Cg6KS5rXHdnGJdneGYN/s1600/spin_prod_666237701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLw9lybeFO_39R1AKJKkSD_20SJsbkwgHfyARP1XT938msGeB4S4sPFa7AMJn1_-0YCdmKW740HBO7R3mAps1u8_DO9AIe2orKfcQNqgcrbVDpQH3OVbKwwe6b0Cg6KS5rXHdnGJdneGYN/s400/spin_prod_666237701.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-8291040118281552015-08-25T05:45:00.000-04:002015-08-25T05:46:18.414-04:00FLOWER TALK: THE MEANING OF FLOWERSJC Leahy<br />
<br />
Whether at Valentines Day, or Easter, or at any time of the year, the giving and receiving of flowers has traditionally carried hidden meanings. Many of the meanings of flowers which are recognized today seem to date from the Victorian Era. I have compiled the following list of flower meanings from a number of different sources. Enjoy it, and bookmark it for future reference!<br />
<br />
Acacia - Concealed love, beauty in retirement, chaste love<br />
Amaryllis - Pride, pastoral poetry<br />
Ambrosia - Your love is reciipocated<br />
Anemone - Forsaken<br />
Apple blossom - Hope, good fortune, better things to come<br />
Arbitus - Thee only do I love.<br />
Aster - Symbol of love, daintiness<br />
Azalia - Take care of yourself for me, temperance, fragile passion. Chinese symbol of womanhood.<br />
Bachelor button - Single blessedness<br />
Begonia - Beware, a fanciful nature<br />
Bellflower - Gratitude<br />
Bells of Ireland - Good luck<br />
Bittersweet - Truth<br />
Bluebell - Humility<br />
Blue periwinkle - Friendship<br />
Blue Violet - Modesty, faithfulness<br />
Bluebells - Constancy<br />
Cactus - Endurance<br />
Cala lily - Splendid Beauty<br />
Camellia (in general) - Loveliness, gratitude<br />
Camellia (pink) - Longing for you<br />
Camellia (red) - You're a flame in my heart<br />
Camellia (white) - You're adorable<br />
Carnation (in general) - Distinction, fascination, woman love<br />
Carnation (pink) - I'll never forget you<br />
Carnation (red) - My heart aches for you, admiration<br />
Carnation (purple) - Capriciousness<br />
Carnation (solid color) - Yes<br />
Carnation (striped) - No, refusal, sorry I can't be with you, wish I could be with you<br />
Carnation (white) - Sweet & lovely, innocence, pure and ardent love, woman's good luck gift<br />
Carnation (yellow) - You have disappointed me, rejection<br />
Cattail - Peace, prosperity<br />
Chrysanthemum (general) - You're a wonderful friend, cheerfulness & rest<br />
Chrysanthemum (red) - I love you<br />
Chrysanthemum (white) - Truth<br />
Chrysanthemum (yellow) - Slighted love<br />
Crocus - Cheerfulness<br />
Cyclamen - Modesty, shyness, or resignation & goodbye<br />
Daffodil - Regard, unrequited love, you're the only one, The sun is always shining when I'm with you<br />
Daisy - Beauty & innocence, loyal love, purity, I'll never tell<br />
Dandelion - Faithfulness, happiness<br />
Fern - Fascination & sincerity, magic, confidence & shelter<br />
Fir - Time<br />
Flax - Domestic symbol<br />
Flowering almond - Hope<br />
Forget-me-not - True love and memories<br />
Forsythia - Anticipation<br />
Gardenia - Secret untold love, you are lovely<br />
Geranium - Stupidity, folly<br />
Gladiola - Give me a break, I'm really sincere, Flower of the Gladiators<br />
Globe amaranth - Unfading love<br />
Gloxinia - Love at first sight<br />
Heather (lavender) - Admiration, solitude<br />
Heather (white) - Protection, whishes will come true<br />
Hibiscus - Delicate beauty<br />
Honeysuckle - Devoted affection, generosity<br />
Holly - Defense, domestic happiness<br />
Hyacinth (in general) - Loveliness, rashness, games & sports, flower dedicated to Apollo<br />
Hyacinth (blue) - Constancy<br />
Hyacinth (pink or red) - Play<br />
Hyacinth (purple) - I am sorry, please forgive me<br />
Hyacinth (white) - Loveliness, I'll pray for you<br />
Hyacinth (yellow) - Jealosy<br />
Hydrangea - Boastfulness, thank you for your understanding, frigidity, heartlessness<br />
Iris - Warmth & affection, my compliments, Fleur-de-lis, Emblem of France; Your friendship means so much to me; faith, hope wisdom, and valor<br />
Ivy - Eternal Fidelity, wedded love, fidelity, friendship, affection<br />
Jasmine (white) - Amiability<br />
Jasmine (yellow) - Modesty<br />
Jonquil - Love me, affection returned, desire, sympathy, desire for affection returned<br />
Larkspur (in general) - Laughter, an open heart<br />
Larkspur (pink) - Fickleness<br />
Lemon blossom - Fidelity in love<br />
Lilac - First love<br />
Lilac (white) Youthful innocence<br />
Lily (in general) - Majesty<br />
Lily (white) - Virginity, purity, majesty: It's heavenly to be with you.<br />
Lily (yellow) - I'm walking on air; False and gay<br />
Lily (Calla) - Beauty<br />
Lily (Day) - Coquetry, Chinese emblem of mother<br />
Lily (Eucharis) - Maiden charms<br />
Lily (Tiger) - Wealth, pride<br />
Lily-of-the-valley - Return of happiness, sweetness, tears of the Virgin Mary; You're made my life complete.<br />
Magnolia - Perseverance; nobility<br />
Marigold - Affection; cruelty, grief, jealousy<br />
Mimosa - Secret love<br />
Mistletoe - Kiss me, affection, to surmount difficulties; Sacred plant of India<br />
Monkshood - Beware, A deadly foe is near<br />
Moss - Maternal love, charity.<br />
Myrtle - Love and remembrance; Hebrew emblem of marriage<br />
Narcissus - Egotism; Formality; Stay as sweet as you are<br />
Nasturtium - Conquest, victory in battle<br />
Oleander - Caution<br />
Orange blossoms - Purity, innocence, eternal love, marriage and fertility<br />
Orange mock - Deceit<br />
Orchid - Rare beauty, love, refinement, beautiful lady; Chinese symbol for many children<br />
Orchid (Cattleya) - Mature charm<br />
Palm leaves - Victory and success<br />
Pansy - Thoughtful recollection<br />
Peach blossom - Captive<br />
Peony - Bashfulness, shame; happy life; happy marriage<br />
Petunia - Resentment, anger; Your presence sooths me<br />
Pine - Hope, pity<br />
Poppy (in general) - Eternal sleep, obivion, imagination<br />
Poppy (red) - Pleasure<br />
Poppy (white) - Consolation<br />
Poppy (yellow) Wealth, success<br />
Primrose - I can't live without you, young love<br />
Primrose (Evening) - Inconstancy <br />
Rose (bridal) - Happy Love<br />
Rose (Bouquest of mature blooms) - Gratitude<br />
Rose (Single rose in full bloom) - I love you, I still love you<br />
Rosebud - Beauty and youth, a heart innocent of love<br />
Rosebud (Moss) - Confession of love<br />
Rose (tea) - I'll always remember<br />
Rose (thornless) - Love at first sight<br />
Rose (hibiscus) - Delicate beauty<br />
Rose (leaf) - You may hope<br />
Rose -- All colors say, "I love you," but each color has a specail meaning.<br />
Rose (burgundy) - Unconscious beauty<br />
Rose (dark crimson) - Mourning<br />
Rose (orange or coral) - Desire<br />
Rose (pink) grace and gentility, perfect happiness, please believe me<br />
Rose (red) - Passion, I love you<br />
Rose (red rosebud) - Pure and lovely<br />
Rose (red & white together) - Unity; Flower emblem of England<br />
Rose (sweetheart roses) - Darling, Dear, or Honey<br />
Rose (white) - I am worthy of you; innocence and purity, charm and innocence<br />
Rose (white,dried) - Death is preferable to loss of virtue<br />
Rose (white rosebud) - Girlhood<br />
Rose (white rosebuds) - You're too young for love<br />
Rose (yellow) - Joy; Decrease of love, jealosy, try to care<br />
Rosemary - Remembrance<br />
Smilax - Loveliness<br />
Snapdragon - Deception; gracious lady<br />
Spider flower - Elope with me<br />
Stephanotis - Happiness in marriage; desire to travel<br />
Stock - Bonds of affection; promptness; You'll always be beautiful to me.<br />
Sweet Pea - Delicate pleasures, blissful pleasure, departure, good-bye, thank you for a lovely time<br />
Tuberose - Dangerous pleasure<br />
Tulip (in general) - Love, you are the perfect lover; Flower emblem of Holland<br />
Tulip (red) - Believe me, declaration of love<br />
Tulip (yellow) - Hopeless love; there's sunshine in your smile<br />
Tulip (variegated) - Beautiful eyes<br />
Verbena - You may get your wish<br />
Violet (in general) - Modesty, affection, faithfulness<br />
Violet (blue) - Watchfulness, faithfulness, I'll always be true<br />
Violet (white) - Let's take a chance<br />
Zinnia (magenta) - Lasting affection<br />
Zinnia (mixed) - Thinking of an absent friend<br />
Zinnia (scarlet) - Constancy<br />
Zinnia (white) - Goodness<br />
Zinnia (yellow) - Daily remembrance<br />
<br />
The following sources are recognized: gifts.com, perfumia.com, and Phillip's FloralJC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-55865216747682912772015-08-14T15:42:00.000-04:002015-08-14T15:42:05.739-04:00Changing Your Thinking - E-Mail Forwarded to Me By My Wife - Food for Thought
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Makes you appreciate the good things in<br />
> life:<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change Your Thinking <br />
<br />
> It will take just 37 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>seconds to
read this and change your thinking..<br />
> Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.<br />
> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One man was allowed to sit up in
his bed for an hour each<br />
> afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the
room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. <br />
> <br />
> The men talked for hours on end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs,<br />
> their involvement in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the military
service, where they had been on vacation..<br />
> <br />
> Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could<br />
> sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the<br />
> things he could see outside the window. <br />
> <br />
> The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour<br />
> periods <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>where his world would be
broadened and enlivened by all the<br />
> activity and colour of the world outside. <br />
> <br />
> <br />
> The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ducks<br />
> and swans played on the water while children sailed their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>model boats. Young<br />
> lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and<br />
> a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. <br />
><br />
> As the man by the window described all this in exquisite<br />
> details, the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>man on the other side
of the room would close his eyes and<br />
> imagine this picturesque scene.<br />
> <br />
> One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade<br />
> passing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the other man could not hear the
band - he could<br />
> see it in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his mind's eye as the
gentleman by the window portrayed<br />
> it with descriptive <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>words. <br />
> <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Days, weeks and months passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their<br />
> baths <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>only to find the lifeless
body of the man by the window, who<br />
> had died peacefully in his sleep. <br />
> <br />
> She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take<br />
> the body away. <br />
> <br />
> As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he<br />
> could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the<br />
> switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.<br />
> <br />
> Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to<br />
> take his first look at the real world outside.<br />
> He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">> It faced a blank wall. <br />
> <br />
> The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his<br />
> deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside<br />
> this window. <br />
> <br />
> The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not<br />
> even see the wall. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, 'Perhaps he
just wanted to encourage you.'<br />
<br />
> Epilogue: <br />
> <br />
> There is tremendous happiness in making others happy,<br />
> despite our own situations. <br />
> <br />
> <br />
> Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared,<br />
> is doubled.<br />
><br />
> If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have<br />
> that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>money can't buy. <br />
> <br />
> 'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present<br />
<br />
<br />
> The origin of this letter is unknown, but it brings good<br />
> luck to everyone who passes it on. .</span></div>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-90652964681209064372015-06-10T08:38:00.002-04:002015-06-11T10:51:10.784-04:00Deal Breaker --- The Mower Man JC Leahy<br />
<br />
<br />
I tried The Mower Man because of good online reviews. I phoned The Mower Man and specified to Pat EXACTLY what was wrong with my lawn tractor; namely, an oil leak at the crankcase gasket. She gave me a price of $265 plus parts. My wife stayed home to be there for the repair. When the Mower Man mechanic showed up,, he said (surprise!) I had an oil leak at the crankcase gasket. That was a big job and he'd have to charge me over "at least four-hundred-something" dollars plus parts. He admitted that the repair was exactly what I had agreed with Pat, but Pat just hadn't charged me enough money. Neither he nor Pat would listen when I protested that a deal was a deal and that's why they got the job. My wife had stayed home to be there. The mechanic left without doing any work and I had to call Sears Home Services. What colossal a waste of time!!!!!!!!
<br />
<br /><br />
<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1433271962028&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&node=11553730011&tag=jouofameideto-20&linkId=AM4WG245H3Q6ODBC" target="_blank">Shop Amazon Kitchen - Spend $100, get $10 off Chicago Cutlery</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=jouofameideto-20&l=pf4&o=1" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-77748162797503445812015-06-05T15:49:00.001-04:002015-06-05T15:54:17.592-04:00A Decent Video to Flatten Your TummyThis looks do-able:<br />
<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7u_sdYNS_k" target="_blank">Decent video to flatten your stomach</a>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-66301168974875226232015-06-03T00:16:00.001-04:002015-06-03T00:16:08.531-04:00Insulin OverviewOverview, types of insulin, from my clinical notes:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 366px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 4022; mso-width-source: userset; width: 83pt;" width="110"></col>
<col span="4" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 83pt;" width="110"><br /></td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"><br /></td>
<td style="width: 48pt;" width="64"><br /></td>
<td colspan="2" style="mso-ignore: colspan; width: 96pt;" width="128">INSULIN
OVERVIEW</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">TYPE</td>
<td>ONSET</td>
<td>PEAK</td>
<td colspan="2" style="mso-ignore: colspan;">DURATION</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">-------------</td>
<td>-------------</td>
<td>-------------</td>
<td>-------------</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Regular</td>
<td>30-60 min</td>
<td>2.5-5 hr</td>
<td>6-8 Hr</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Lispro</td>
<td>10-15 min</td>
<td>30-60 min</td>
<td>2-4 hr</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">NPH</td>
<td>2-4 hr</td>
<td>4-10 hr</td>
<td>10-16 hr</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td colspan="5" height="17" style="height: 12.75pt; mso-ignore: colspan;">Lente -
Slightly longer than NPH - D/C'd in US, 2006</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Ultralente</td>
<td>6-10 hr</td>
<td>NONE</td>
<td colspan="2" style="mso-ignore: colspan;">18-24 hr - D/C'd in US</td>
</tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">
<td height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;">Aspart (Novalog)</td>
<td>5-10 min</td>
<td>1-3 hr</td>
<td>3/5 hr</td>
<td><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-50323078286704952632015-05-13T09:20:00.003-04:002015-05-13T09:26:47.322-04:00Practical Instructions About How to Measure Orthostatic Blood PressureThis link provides succinct, practical advice about how to measure orthostatic blood pressure and how to interpret the results for orthostatic hypotension:<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="https://www.dads.state.tx.us/qualitymatters/qcp/fall/measuringorthostatichypotension.pdf" target="_blank">PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO MEASURE ORTHOSTATIC BLOOD PRESSURE / ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION</a></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Emergency Nurses Association also has a good link because it provides background about possible causes of orthostatic hypotension:<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://enw.org/Research-Orthostatic.htm" target="_blank">EMERGENCY NURSES ASSOCIATION ABOUT HOW TO MEASURE ORTHOSTATIC BLOOD PRESSURE</a></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
That's the topic in a nutshell.<br />
<br />
<br />
JC Leahy<br />
<br />JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-12052481770020262282015-05-08T09:38:00.000-04:002015-05-10T01:07:15.231-04:00The Difference Between Ounce and Troy Ounce<h3>
</h3>
It should be noted that gold and silver prices quoted as “per ounce” are generally referring to troy ounces. There is a meaningful difference between the two and many sites, this one included, do not state that difference frequently enough. Here is the basic difference in a nutshell:<br />
<table cellspacing="10" id="silverprice_troyounce"><thead>
<tr><th>Ounce (oz)</th><th>Troy Ounce (ozt)</th></tr>
</thead><tbody>
<tr><td>28.3495231 Grams of Silver </td><td>31.1034768 Grams of Silver</td></tr>
<tr><td>437.5 Grains of Silver</td><td>480.0 Grains of Silver </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://lynncoins.com/troy_ounce.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b>Click Here to Learn More About the Troy Ounce</b></span></a></h3>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-22347741015317912232014-09-06T07:47:00.002-04:002014-11-26T14:27:28.440-05:00Sprint Customer Support Hours of Operation<div class="m30b">
<div class="m15b">
II got up early this Saturday morning to take care of my to-do list. I called Sprint about my mobile phone, and learned that Sprint Customer Support hours of operation don't start until 9:AM on Saturday. You might find it useful to know that their hours of operation are 6 AM to 11:30 PM weekdays, and 9 AM to 11 PM weekends. That's Central Standard Time. Their phone number is 800-480-4727; or you can dial *2 on your Sprint handset.</div>
</div>
<div class="alignleft">
<script type="text/javascript">
amzn_assoc_ad_type = 'banner';
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = 'jouofameideto-20';
amzn_assoc_marketplace = 'amazon';
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amzn_assoc_linkid = 'KAG2IRVAJJNI3YAQ';
amzn_assoc_campaigns = 'countbf';
amzn_assoc_banner_type = 'category';
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</script>
<script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetScript&ID=OneJS&WS=1"></script>
</div>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-66041838127601781172014-07-07T10:12:00.000-04:002014-07-07T10:12:00.568-04:00BOYCOTT MEXICO !!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86RNuhkHZRAdBL1EHwg3KzrXk9wNkejexaChISg9WdJYRhqbflJaplO9BnsV8NOtTAa2dTBWvPpMSry7xOhEVny3SoMR0x2qgwj0RBfSrR61yt2eEhdTErA3fER0WtjByHSS01Hh9LMDH/s1600/BC+Mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86RNuhkHZRAdBL1EHwg3KzrXk9wNkejexaChISg9WdJYRhqbflJaplO9BnsV8NOtTAa2dTBWvPpMSry7xOhEVny3SoMR0x2qgwj0RBfSrR61yt2eEhdTErA3fER0WtjByHSS01Hh9LMDH/s1600/BC+Mexico.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-58315355619103115312014-03-02T20:54:00.001-05:002014-03-02T20:56:05.251-05:00Space Heater Safety: Never Leave a Space Heater Unattended !!!!<b>By JC Leahy</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Here's collection of links for reading. Bottom Line: Never leave a space heater unattended.</b><br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/24823150/unattended-space-heater-likely-cause-of-colfax-ave-duplex-fire" target="_blank"><b>News Report: Unattended Space Heater Probably Caused Fire, Minneapolis</b></a></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/springfield_fire_department_un_2.html" target="_blank"><b>Springfield Fire Department: Unattended space heater with inadequate extension cord cause of Indian Orchard blaze</b></a></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://www.healthandsafety.gov.yk.ca/safe-work-practices/space-heater-use" target="_blank"><b>Never Leave Space Heaters Unattended – Government of Yukon</b></a></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://davescorner.ca/improper-space-heaters-leading-fires-carbon-monoxide-exposure-homes-cottages/" target="_blank"><b>Space Heater Safety Tips: Never Leave Unattended</b></a></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://www.nyseg.com/YourHome/heatingwithnaturalgaselectricity/electricspaceheaters.html" target="_blank"><b>Space Heater Info and Safety Tips – NYSEG (New York State Electric and Gas)</b></a></h3>
<h3>
<b> </b></h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgviFoEdix7Kg1TkyjzXSLGqJVFeHdZCg6iaIhw5IXw4tO6XvBKwHruv-tmBDdLAAortSB8QPEpK_iRg_SJEptEtAUzstL_STwSCs0vrAhJ9OS-0uis3GVU54cH_ghUvg16a0orLk-7o4/s1600/IMG_3206_edited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgviFoEdix7Kg1TkyjzXSLGqJVFeHdZCg6iaIhw5IXw4tO6XvBKwHruv-tmBDdLAAortSB8QPEpK_iRg_SJEptEtAUzstL_STwSCs0vrAhJ9OS-0uis3GVU54cH_ghUvg16a0orLk-7o4/s1600/IMG_3206_edited.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JC Leahy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span style="color: red;"><b>NSEG Space Heater Safety Tips</b></span></h3>
<ul>
<li>Choose models that have automatic safety switches that turn off the heater if it is tipped over accidentally. </li>
<li>Do not overload circuits. </li>
<li><span style="color: red;">Never leave the heater unattended </span>and never leave the house or go to bed without turning off the heater. Always turn off and unplug the heater when it's not being used. </li>
<li>Keep the cord and heater away from high traffic areas. </li>
<li>Never use electric space heaters with an extension cord. </li>
<li>Read and follow all manufacturer's instructions. </li>
</ul>
<br />JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-20341625980935016752014-03-02T08:53:00.002-05:002014-03-02T08:53:34.129-05:00Getting it Right with Your Income Tax Return !!!!<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">by JC Leahy, MA Accounting</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">twiter@taxhelpwhenneed</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm7A8u5GOD_9UsVrbCHH15IXc-5ioOUNVaZC22aVyoSRWJnZydQlUsbvauEwgPtPBgu9udb-f_eUtd3ZBuAiPPvq_4dHkAxkyEt45E9LYNqTXTXdqw53nxAbiAJOPrqTh7OCmXiWflbc/s1600/TaxHelp_20x12_V2-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm7A8u5GOD_9UsVrbCHH15IXc-5ioOUNVaZC22aVyoSRWJnZydQlUsbvauEwgPtPBgu9udb-f_eUtd3ZBuAiPPvq_4dHkAxkyEt45E9LYNqTXTXdqw53nxAbiAJOPrqTh7OCmXiWflbc/s1600/TaxHelp_20x12_V2-5.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just got IRS to reduce client's tax bill from $393,000 to zero. She is a Mexican immigrant single mother working at near minimum wage. She cried in my office for half an hour when she found out, and brought me a nice gift two weeks later. I love it when I can help someone like that!!!<br /><br />Taxpayers who filed their income tax returns last year without professional assistance left a billion dollars behind in unclaimed refunds and overpaid taxes!! Do yourself a BIG favor this year and get it right when dealing with the IRS!!!!! JC Leahy has a Masters Degree in Accounting, 35 years' accounting experience. He has been focusing on income taxes for 23 years. He has a dedicated office in his home in Silver Spring/Colesville, Maryland. In this private and confidential setting, he will spend as much time as needed to "get it right" when filing your income tax returns. Unlike certain tax-prep chain operations and franchises, when tax season has ended, if you have any questions or problems throughout the year, JC Leahy will be readily available to help you. <br /><br />Make an appointment: Phone JC Leahy at 301-537-5365.</span></span>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-44756469945987941972014-02-05T19:49:00.000-05:002014-02-05T20:37:03.994-05:00Income Tax Relief for Struggling Single Mother Immigrant<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">JC Leahy, MA Accounting</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">February 5, 2014</span></b><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Black","sans-serif";">I'm so happy! I just got IRS to
reduce client's tax bill from $393,000 to zero. She is a Mexican immigrant,
struggling single mother working at near minimum wage. She cried in my office
for half an hour when she found out. I love it when I can help someone like
that.<br />
<br />
Taxpayers who filled out their own income tax returns last year without
professional assistance left a billion dollars behind in unclaimed refunds and
overpaid taxes!! Do yourself a BIG favor this year and get it right when
dealing with the IRS!!!!! JC Leahy has a Masters Degree in Accounting, 35
years' accounting experience. He has been focusing on income taxes for 23
years. He has a dedicated office in his home in Silver Spring/Colesville,
Maryland. In this private and confidential setting, he will spend as much time
as needed to "get it right" when filing your income tax returns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can also work with clients long-distance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike certain tax-prep chain operations and
franchises, when tax season has ended, if you have any questions or problems
throughout the year, JC Leahy will be readily available to help you. <br />
<br />
Make an appointment: Phone JC Leahy at 301-537-5365.</span></div>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-63207329980789275202014-01-31T16:10:00.001-05:002014-01-31T16:10:47.220-05:00Income Tax Dependency Rules for Children of Divorced Parents<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xS_2rK8-v6dqCboKwcCUwYV9q14H59ArecA95COSkVA0qEpCGoDNzuMBtU02_vsi4lyr7wVH3GkX2t0w3M-gbE2DJmw55NUTybE_OYL-HK3XW8kpZbCThTXSuea8SqadRokZ151zVuQ/s1600/IMG_3615_edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xS_2rK8-v6dqCboKwcCUwYV9q14H59ArecA95COSkVA0qEpCGoDNzuMBtU02_vsi4lyr7wVH3GkX2t0w3M-gbE2DJmw55NUTybE_OYL-HK3XW8kpZbCThTXSuea8SqadRokZ151zVuQ/s1600/IMG_3615_edited+small.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JC Leahy, MA Accounting</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For parents who are divorced (and also legally separated, or have lived apart for the last six months of the calendar year) these are the rules to determine who gets to claim the children as dependents..<br /><br />Generally, the dependency exemption for children of divorced taxpayers will<br />go to the parent who has custody of the child for the greater part of the calendar year. Periods of custody are measured by the number of nights in which the child resided with the parent. When the child spends an equal number of nights with each parent, the parent with the higher adjusted gross income receives dependency exemption. <br /><br />In addition, the child must have been in the custody of one or both parents for more than one half of the calendar year.<br /><br />There are three exceptions to the rule that a custodial parent is entitled to the dependency exemption. <br /> </span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If there is a multiple support agreement that allows the child to be claimed as a dependent by a taxpayer other than the custodial parent, the multiple support agreement governs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When the custodial parent agrees to let the other parent claim the child as a dependent for income tax purposes, the IRS accepts that. The agreement must be in writing and attached to the non custodial parent's tax return for each year the exemption is released.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When a pre-1985 divorce decree or separation agreement grants the exemption to the non custodial parent and the non custodial parent provides at least $600 for the support of the child for the year</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />A word to the wise: When there is confusion about who gets to claim the child as a dependent, the parent who filed his or her tax return FIRST has the "high ground" in that argument. :)</span>JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-80148578584021238272014-01-26T18:54:00.002-05:002014-01-30T21:39:40.879-05:00Do Yourself A BIG Favor !!! Get Help With Your Income Taxes !!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWrHnDU9xQO48i6J0U-7d5eIOVDjYRSKgJoKUpAaTyWFl1uYzZ4gVgtKHd9q9rN3WWz4ql0hxDaJZfARmnqhvzfjn2XR-jqQLYELsJuz7NknKjaXrHTbXxOs_nZdfiP3oUJjJ1Lbw8Ac/s1600/IMG_3615_edited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWrHnDU9xQO48i6J0U-7d5eIOVDjYRSKgJoKUpAaTyWFl1uYzZ4gVgtKHd9q9rN3WWz4ql0hxDaJZfARmnqhvzfjn2XR-jqQLYELsJuz7NknKjaXrHTbXxOs_nZdfiP3oUJjJ1Lbw8Ac/s1600/IMG_3615_edited.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JC Leahy, MA Accounting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to H and R Block, taxpayers who filled out their own income tax returns last year without professional assistance left a billion dollars behind in unclaimed refunds and overpaid taxes!! Do yourself a BIG favor this year and get it right when dealing with the IRS!!!!! JC Leahy has a Masters Degree in Accounting, 35 years' accounting experience. He has been focusing on income taxes for 23 years. He has a dedicated office in his home in Silver Spring/Colesville, Maryland. In this private and confidential setting, he will spend as much time as needed to "get it right" when filing your income tax returns. Unlike certain tax-prep chain operations and franchises, when tax season has ended, if you have any questions or problems, JC Leahy will be readily available to help you throughout the year.<br />
<br />
Make an appointment: Phone JC Leahy and Company LLC at 301-537-5365.
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-73516877170072016702014-01-26T18:36:00.003-05:002014-01-26T18:36:55.404-05:00Get Your Annual Free Credit Report -- Check for Signs of Identity TheftFed law entitles you to one free copy of your credit report each year.<br />
<br />
The government approved website for getting your free credit report is:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action" target="_blank"><b>FREE CREDIT REPORT</b></a><br />
<br />
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939528299326924849.post-13219502672144423762014-01-17T23:34:00.003-05:002014-01-17T23:34:46.620-05:00Humor: Failure to Plan<h3>
<a href="http://fullcontrol.org.uk/index.php/component/k2/item/147-workmen-installing-cast-iron-bollards-to-stop-nurses-from-parking?tmpl=component&print=1" target="_blank"><b> </b></a></h3>
<h3>
<a href="http://fullcontrol.org.uk/index.php/component/k2/item/147-workmen-installing-cast-iron-bollards-to-stop-nurses-from-parking?tmpl=component&print=1" target="_blank"><b>You will certainly laugh! Failure to plan !!!!!!! </b></a></h3>
JC Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04086260417108124996noreply@blogger.com0