Many of you might recall the controversy last month over Easter decorations. Many people were saying that Indian River School District superintendent Susan Bunting had told the teachers to take down all the Easter decorations, including ones that weren’t considered religious symbols. WGMD was then able to obtain comments from District spokesman Dave Maull saying, that at no time did she tell them to take down the Easter decorations, but rather “There would be no school-sponsored activities.” WGMD also received a statement from Dr. Susan Bunting about the celebration parties on March 20th, but made no mention of the Easter decorations. To hear report # 1 click here. To hear report # 2 click here.

Last night, a board member got up and spoke to the other members, but was mainly speaking to Dr. Bunting. Here are the exact quotes of what Board member Nina Lou Bunting said: She said that the issue regarding the Easter decorations was

“…Misconstrued by the talk show circuit, and in the confusion, there were several days of innuendoes, false statements, nasty, rude, and crude remarks, and other verbal assaults aimed against our superintendent, Susan Bunting. I was present when the board was apprised of the concerns of these holiday celebrations—these parties which might be interpreted as non-compliant with our new religion policy–a policy that was recently revised to meet state and federal law. Dr. Bunting was not an advocate of the necessary decisions. She merely relayed the concerns that have been raised, and the recommended resolution. Susan Bunting in this case was the messenger, and as sometimes happens, the messenger was shot. Susan, I want you to know how very sorry I am that you bore the brunt of this thing, and became a scapegoat for this district. It certainly wasn’t fair to you after all the time and energy you give, making this district one of the finest in the state. I consider it a travesty that you were treated as you were. I extend my apology for all you personally endured.”

WGMD tried to get Nina Lou Bunting to comment, but she refused, saying she wants nothing to do with WGMD. She said “They shouldn’t go on the air and talk about things they don’t know anything about,” and that, “They get everything all screwed up.”

WGMD was able to receive these comments from Indian River School District Board President, Charles Bireley who like District Spokesman Dave Maull, said that no—-she did not say for the teachers to remove all the Easter decorations. Here is what Charles Bireley told WGMD:  He also clarified exactly what the attorney had her pass on to the teachers: You can listen to that here. He basically says the attorney told Susan to tell them to exercise caution in handling the holiday parties and activities because of the recent decision on the lawsuit.

There was obviously a misunderstanding somewhere. On which side, I don’t know. You can listen to WGMD News report # 1 here and # 2 here.

A conservative friend has grown tired of John McCain and the current occupant of The White House.   He sent me this..

Dear Sir or Madam;

My name is George Bush.

I am seeking employment with your firm, for the position of Chief Executive Officer.

I have held the position of President of the United States of America for the past eight years.

During that time, I note my achievements as follows:

• Successfully transferred responsibility for border security to other entities (the states).
• Created unprecedented demand for a food stamp dependency program for over 28,000,000 citizens.
• Successfully implemented the seamless integration of 2,000,000 uneducated illegal immigrants per year into our economy.
• Demonstrated ability for increasing financing for operations in the amount of $9,000,000,000,000, despite revenues of under $690,000,000,000.
• Creatively navigated through a major debt crisis by deferring responsibility until 2040 or later.
• Caused a transfer of private assets into government control, in the amount of $1,500,000,000,000, during what has been referred to as the “sub-prime mortgage crisisâ€.
• Created several new, complex departments: The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Agency, which increased employee count by over 150,000 and 90,000, respectively.
• Made more free programs available to the growing illiterate class, to foster domestic tranquility.
• Implemented an unprecedented transfer of public facilities to private, foreign owners, without the reduction of tax revenue.

As you can see, my career has been tremendously successful and robust.

I look forward to discussing the position of Chief Executive Officer with you soon.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

George W. Bush

So this Jeremiah Wright fellow stood before his flock and shouted. “God damn America” is the part of his sermon most unsettling. That he also blamed white devils for the plague of aids and drug infestation was also a bit shocking as he can cite no evidence. Did you notice the mostly white-liberal media soft shoed around his remarks? Then witness the coverage of Pope Benedict. The same man who came to the United States and intoned that we could all be doing better in our efforts to follow God. Milder remarks yet I still keep reading stories about how many Americans raised Roman Catholic have abandoned their faith. Could I ask the mainstream media a simple question? How many people raised Baptist, Methodist and Seventh Day left those churches? Any comparisons? Because if there are people leaving other churches then we might draw a conclusion that Americans change faiths as often as they change jobs and marriages and that little of the change can be blamed on onerous policies reiterated by kindly old men in Rome. The other media narrative is that the church is run by a ring of pedophiles using cassocks as cover while molesting every child in sight. Look, I know child-abuse victims. I’ve also reported on stories about police officers, schoolteachers and Baptist ministers molesting kids. This isn’t to say that all police officers, schoolteachers and Baptists are child rapists. So I wouldn’t mind seeing the media put this in context. After meeting Thursday with a small fraction of abuse victims the Pope was suddenly portrayed by the likes of CNN and MSNBC as a liberation theologian. The mostly un-churched folks doing the reporting haven’t bothered to inform you that the loudest voice at the Vatican decrying the response of his church the last quarter century was a man named Josef Cardinal Ratzinger. I would also like the folks at the major media outlets to remind us that apologies ease suffering but won’t wash away all the pain. From what I can see the Pope’s meeting with the group of victims has wholly changed media coverage. Two nights ago it was all “Pope bad”. Last night it was “Pope good”. Are the major newsrooms all staffed by simpletons? Maybe they could spend more time telling us about the man’s other actions while visiting this country. I’m a Roman Catholic and I very much like going to church. When I return to me seat after swallowing the bread I have a physiological reaction. It’s a feeling of joy and it lasts long after I leave. Even while struggling to leave the parking area of the church I don’t lose the glow. In my ever longer growing life I’ve experienced prejudice, which I know of, just twice. A “Christian” radio station wouldn’t hire me because I was “Catholic”. The job was reading the news and I guess there was fear that I would lock myself in the broadcast booth and begin reciting The Rosary. My second experience came from a large Christian radio network. Again I was being considered for a job in news and the deal was almost complete. It’s when I decided to volunteer I was a Roman Catholic. The personnel director was silent. The next day my telephone rang and I was told I really didn’t have the right “sound”. Thank you, K-Hate. Or how about the protestant pastor endorsing John McCain? The man of God was asked if he was anti-Catholic. He insisted he wasn’t but intoned Catholics don’t know The Bible. Which Bible? Mine has a few different books but I’m guessing he means Roman Catholics don’t read? I should point out I most certainly have so I’m left with the conclusion that he means many people from my church can’t cite chapter and verse. Let me get this straight, if you read the book but can’t be specific about a citation you aren’t Christian? Doesn’t matter if you try and live by the book. I’ve got news for him, my brain isn’t wired that way and I’ve never been able to grasp rote. He should also know that every Roman church I know of has frequent and regularly scheduled Bible study. A woman once living as my neighbor worked for an agency called Family Planning. She used to tell me that the Roman church had ruined the lives of many, many women. Her family was nominally Methodist. In other words they had presents under a tree once every year. Later she moved to Hawaii with a friend of mine. Shortly thereafter she abandoned him and had a baby from another man. Not that she’s all sure how this came about. She had been strung out on crack and the like for a few months. Then one day the crack headed guy was gone and she had a burgeoning tummy. Years later I learned this same woman had been a victim of child sex abuse. Her assailant was her nominally Methodist dad. I can say with faith and even a good degree of certainty this woman would’ve found great solace in most of the Roman Catholic Churches I’ve attended. Along with kindly understanding from this man called Benedict.

Lauren Marie Richardson is a 23 year old woman who suffered an anoxic brain injury after an accident on August 28th, 2006. Lauren’s life is endangered by a recent court decision that could allow the removal of a feeding tube and end her life.  This is very similar to the Terry Schiavo case. To learn more about the story of Lauren Richardson, go to http://www.lifeforlauren.org/. The facts of the case can be read at this link: http://lifeforlauren.org/aboutlauren.html. The interview with Christine O’Donnell on the story can be heard here.  Because the court process is underway, the story has not been in the media as much lately, but Lauren’s father, Randy Richardson of Delaware has reached out to Christine to help spread the word. And although Christine was not able to go into every detail because of the ongoing court hearings, she is very passionate about this case. To hear the interview from Hannity & Colmes, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5i8mLlgLsk. To check out this recent article in the News Journal, go to: http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801310382

Also as mentioned in WGMD News, Christine O’Donnell is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2008 U.S. Senate race. Because of the results from the 2006 election, the support she received in Sussex County, and all the support she has gotten from Party leaders, Christine thought it would be a good idea to seek the nomination. WGMD spoke with her about the issues she is focused on in 2008, such as the economy, taxes, and the war in Iraq. You can hear the full audio of that interview here. While I have not been able to confirm this, I heard that Christine has gotten the endorsement of Gov. DuPont. The official report is expected out sometime within the next week. Meanwhile, Christine says that according to the tally of votes, “It looks like I will definitely be securing the nomination on May 3rd, and then I am very excited about hitting the ground running on May 4th.”

Don’t call me a football fan.  A better description would be football historian.  The old stories about Paul Brown, Art Donovan and Don Hutson are what I really enjoy.  It’s character development.  Everything else about football is just a chess game.  So it was with some surprise the other day I found myself struggling with the name “Buzz” Nutter.

Madison Monroe “Buzz” Nutter died a few days ago.  He was approaching what would be 80 years old.  The obituary mentioned Nutter had played on two championship teams with the old Baltimore Colts.  Those ’58 and ’59 clubs are among the ten best teams likely ever assembled.  Nutter was a center, a position which doesn’t get much mention in the broadcast booth.  It’s the position played at Michigan by a young Gerald Ford.  It was a position I nearly played while in high school.  A coach told me when I snapped the ball it was probably the best technique he’d ever witnessed.  Then I was moved to right guard because the quarterbacks complained I snapped the ball so hard it made their hands hurt.  Quarterback is called the glamour position.  Their hands hurt.

“Buzz” Nutter almost didn’t play professional football.  A West Virginia native who graduated from Virginia Tech and drafted by the Washington Redskins, he was cut by the team in 1953.  He went home and took a job in a coal mine.  A college degree was a rare thing in the early 50s.  You would think Nutter would’ve been hired on in the local insurance office or trained in local bank management.  Instead he picked up a shovel and went into the mine.

This is what “Buzz” Nutter’s people did.  Yet he had a few wrinkles ahead.  The Washington Redskins of that era were the laughing stocks of football.  Edward Bennett Williams may have been a titan on the social circuit but his franchise was poorly operated.  Meanwhile Baltimore sort of had a franchise.  It came out of the defunct All-America League with San Francisco and Cleveland but bounced between Miami, Dallas and Baltimore.  Management was willing to take chances on players others discarded.  The Colts picked up Nutter.  Later “Fuzzy” Thurston joined the team and before being traded to Green Bay helped anchor the line along with Nutter.  And the Colts took a chance on a castoff quarterback, one whom would never complain about sore hands, John Unitas. 

Unitas and Alan Ameche were the heroes of the ’58 title game, some still call it football’s greatest moment, but Art Donovan insists “Buzz” Nutter did the heavy lifting.  Unitas rallied the Colts through the passing game.  Donovan says game film shows Nutter made his initial pass blocks and then raced downfield clearing paths for receivers. 

When Ameche crossed the goal line in overtime he spiked the ball.  Nutter wrestled it away from fans and carried it to the locker room. 

Nutter’s obituary was published with a photograph.  The retired ballplayer was astride a forklift.  After football he owned a beer distributorship.  Considering the gallons of cold beer his old teammates guzzled it isn’t a shocker.  Today’s recently retired professional athletes invest in these businesses and hire managers.  Old timers often got into the beer business, think Roger Maris, and they worked alongside everyone else.  It’s that picture of Nutter that says so much about the man.  No glamour at his position.  A coal miner.  A forklift operator. 

He’s smiling in the photograph.  A man happy to be on the team.

Some folks from Jersey are asking if any First Staters would like to join them in Washington next week as they seek relief from Nanny State…

Children are welcome to participate!

…….after all, its their future that’s at stake!”

JOIN US IN DC: Monday, April 21st

Come help us launch our nationwide hot air balloon tour, which will expose the unaffordable costs of global warming hysteria for average Americans.

Americans for Prosperity will kick-off the Hot Air Tour in Washington, DC, on April 21, just one day before Earth Day. We need your help to make sure this rally sends a powerful message to Capitol Hill — the climate change shakedown must stop! CLICK HERE to REGISTER ONLINE.

What will the Hot Air in the debate cost you? Fewer jobs, less freedom, and ballooning energy prices. If these extremists have their way we’ll be facing a future where gas tops $8.00 per gallon, where electric bills double, and where the government controls your home thermostat remotely.

WHAT: Rally against unaffordable liberal climate change schemes (Popcorn. T-Shirts. Lunch. Ice Cream. It’s all on us!)

WHEN: Starts 11:30 AM; Monday, April 21, 2008 (Note: Traveling Buses Will Depart Earlier)

WHERE: Upper Senate Park (next to Russell Senate Office Bldg)

Make a field trip out of your visit to the nation’s capital!

“Families & Children are welcome to participate!”

Americans for Prosperity will provide BUS TRANSPORTATION AT NO COST TO YOU to Washington, DC that will depart from, and return to Atlantic and Gloucester Counties.  Further Information on these departure locations will follow in the days to come, once you’ve registered to attend.   Currently we have plans for 2 Buses, but increased interest may warrant the addition of extra buses. Please stay tuned!

Light breakfast on the bus will be provided.

• Press conference begins at 11:30 a.m. at Union Station Plaza
• Lunch will be provided following the press conference
• We are working to arrange tours of the Capitol as well as meetings with our Senators and members of Congress from New Jersey, after the rally/press conference.

Participation in our nation’s great democracy is vital to our future. This is a great opportunity to bring families and students to the nation’s capital for a one-of-a-kind educational experience. AFP is happy to arrange a Capitol Hill Tour and assist with arranging a meeting with your Senator(s) and/or Congressional member(s).

This event will also be a great prelude to our upcoming, statewide “Defending the American Dream Summit” to be held in Trenton, New Jersey in late May.   Find out more by clicking here.

NOTE: Please Share With Friends & Family.  If They Do Not Have Internet Access To Register, They Can Secure Their Bus Seat By Calling Me At 856-885-3968.

                                                                                                            

Best Regards, David B. Burnett - AFP-NJ

An academic examines the career of the great actor and perhaps silences some of the folks tearing Heston down in death.  Perhaps because these little people, these wall flowers, these venal beings just need to attack that they may deflect from personal appearances…

http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/larger-than-life-charlton-heston/

Friday night I went shopping for pizza.  Nothing extraordinary but just an inexpensive pie for dinner and a later warm up.  Since moving to southern Delaware I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of pizza I find in many local restaurants.  While there are some certainly not pleased by the inward migration into a once sparsely populated county you can thank the émigrés from Jersey and Philadelphia for raising the bar for quality pizza.

 

Then there are the fellows like me who appreciate a good pie but will eat just about anything marked “pizza”.  The day will come when surgeons will open my chest and saw through my sternum and tobacco won’t be the culprit.  Nor too many steaks or a lack of vegetables but the goo from atop thousands of pizzas is surely my downfall. 

 

It started when I was a kid.  It was probably just one night of every week but my dad would come home from work with a frozen disc.  Mom would bake it and that would be dinner before TV or bed.  Usually Chef Boyardee was the brand and while I’m not looking to offend any large brand names it had the consistency of cardboard smeared with a coat of tomato sauce.  I was probably a teenager before I finally had my first taste of serious pizza.  There must be a genetic weakness because ever since I’ve been eating pizza more than one night a week.  My last link with any Italian ancestry is probably several thousand years past so I’m not sure how this addiction is flamed.

 

Friday night I settled for something called Tombstone.  It had a garlic bread crust, which I’m not at all certain what that means aside from a thicker pizza.  These were 3 for ten dollars at my local Food Lion.  Tombstone may be just a notch better than Chef Boyardee but in these inflationary times the price is right.

 

A Canadian newspaper recently interviewed a retired U.S. Army Ranger about surviving tough times (apparently there are no longer any available tough guys in Canada).  The Ranger advised that when the chips are down you don’t eat for taste.  My cupboards are filled with dried beans on his advice.  I’ve been eating beans almost daily for a few weeks and confess I feel great but when Tombstone brand pizza suddenly is appetizing I can’t guarantee I’ll hold out for long. 

 

What worries me about the current worldwide mess isn’t that it’s the end.  I’ve already survived the end of the age several times since the 1970s.  What worries me is that some of the fine alternatives to frozen pizza won’t survive.  The result being increased homogenization of taste and quality. 

 

There was a fictional race, I believe called the Kelvans, from an old Star Trek episode.  These beings didn’t savor food.  They gulped nutrition pills once or twice daily and also had homogenized personalities, which were a bit too malevolent for even Captain Kirk and Spock.  That is until Mr. Scott got the Kelvans slopped up on Scotch.  Then they became typically human, filled with jealousy and curiosity.  A strange twist on apples and Eden the writers may not even have recognized.

 

Well time to run.  I’m planning on warming some pizza for breakfast. 

From Jim Lanard, Director of Strategic Planning and Communications for Bluewater Wind:

Bluewater Wind’s offshore wind park is an investment in Delaware’s future by improving Delaware’s environment, providing much needed electric generation reliability and creating hundreds of “green collar” jobs for Delawareans.  While it may be that the out-of-state wind bids Delmarva Power has solicited cost less, they will not provide these same benefits for Delaware.  Replacing Bluewater Wind’s instate wind park with wind generated in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, western Pennsylvania and Maryland will not create jobs for Delaware, will not enhance reliability and will not have the same environmental benefits for Delaware.

For months now, Delmarva Power has promised to reveal out-of-state wind bids by the end of March, but they now say the new release date won’t be before June 1st.  Delmarva has used the ever-lengthening release date as an effective way to prevent a decision from being made. Bluewater Wind offers the following facts to put Delmarva Power’s apples to oranges comparison into proper perspective.

Delmarva Power’s out-of-state wind energy plan will result in: 

• Lost Jobs.  Bluewater Wind’s instate wind park will generate 400 – 500 construction jobs and 80 – 100 operations and maintenance jobs for the life of the 25 year contract.  Delmarva Power’s plan will not generate any jobs for Delaware.

• Lost Economic Hub.  Bluewater Wind will establish Delaware as the economic hub to support the construction of offshore wind parks in the region, if Delaware becomes the first state to approve an offshore wind park.  This economic hub will position Delaware as a national leader in the new clean energy economy attracting other “green collar” jobs — purchasing wind energy from out-of-state will not.
• Lost Teaching and Training Facility.  Bluewater Wind has committed to supporting a teaching and training program in Delaware, to be launched with a $150,000 grant, so that Delaware can be the training center for workers learning how to build, operate and maintain wind parks.
• Lost Environmental Benefits.  Bluewater Wind’s offshore wind park will reduce polluting fossil fuel emissions in the Delmarva Peninsula; out-of-state wind won’t.  The National Renewable Energy Labs reports that, “according to the chief operating officer of the PJM  Regional Transmission Organization, wind energy displaced coal-fired generation about 70% of the time in this power market in 2006.”  In addition, offshore turbine foundations become artificial reefs and will benefit coastal aquatic life.
• Lost reliability.  According to experts hired by the State, the offshore wind park, coupled with the proposed backup facility, will enhance electric reliability in Delaware.  This will help avoid future “brownouts” of the type Delaware endured a few summers ago. Purchasing out-of-state wind energy will not enhance reliability.
• Hidden costs.  Delmarva Power’s out-of-state wind bid allows bidders to enter the PJM grid at any point on the system, which will likely expose ratepayers to transmission risks and higher costs than advertised due to inefficiency.  In addition, the contract Bluewater Wind negotiated with Delmarva Power guarantees liquidated damages and termination fees if Bluewater Wind does not perform its contractual obligations; the RFP for the out-of-state wind bidders does not require these protections.

From WGMD News:

The kitchen manager at the state’s Webb Correctional facility claims he’s being persecuted because he is a Christian. William Parker says his supervisor ordered him to remove his Bible from his desk and from the prison. Parker says he has removed the Bible, but says he will seek legal advice. He adds that Muslim co-workers are allowed to pray during their shifts. Acting Warden Elizabeth Neal says no worker has been disciplined for reading a Bible but she says she doesn’t want any employee reading anything while on duty. Correction Commissioner Carl Danberg says the issue is not the reading material but the matter of reading while on duty. He says Parker will be allowed to bring his Bible back to work, provided he does not read on the job.

Couple of things: First—praying is different than reading. If Muslim co-workers are allowed to pray during their shifts, Parker should be allowed to pray too. If not, then I would say it is a form of persecution. If it is persecution, it should be expected, as Jesus made it clear that there would be persecution. Also if Muslims are allowed to pray AND read the Koran, then Parker should be allowed to pray and read the Bible. In general I don’t see why inmates are kept from reading, although while on duty, it is understandable. Correction Commissioner Carl Danberg says Parker will be allowed to bring his Bible back to work, provided he does not read on the job. So it’s not like he is prohibited from bringing a Bible.

 Any thoughts on this? Would you say this guy is being persecuted because his supervisor ordered him to remove his Bible from his desk and from the prison?