Jumping in Pools

We're Moving...Mostly

2012-09-15T20:43:00.000-04:00

The Jumping in Pools you know and love will be kind of moving, sort of, a little bit... okay maybe a lot. While the humor and occasional satire will stay right here, we're taking our political writings and opinion and starting fresh over at a new website. Please check us out there. Remember to follow and subscribe over there!

Oh, and Kirsten Gillibrand may have said she got the most votes, but I call it fraud. There is no way in bloody hell that she defeated my strategy. I spoke at Mills twice! Someone even offered to buy me a loaf of bread, you know, before I punched them in the face. So, for all extents and purposes, I'm still running for Senate. Joe will not be defeated!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

The (Positive) Accomplishments of George W. Bush-- Part 1

2011-06-29T12:00:00.001-04:00

Seeing our 43rd President's term about to expire, we need to take a look at some of the things that he accomplished that will benefit the world (especially the United States) in the years to come.

So this is post number one:
Strengthening of Our Alliances

Much, far too much, has been made about President Bush straining or destroying our alliances. However, if one actually looks at what has happened, you can tell that the opposite has happened.

First, one of the main considerations is that Bush strained relations with Germany and France. True, for a while, the more anti-American leaders of those nations took a firm stand to support Saddam Hussein in 2002-2003. However, since then, pro-American leaders have been elected in both of those nations and France is even upping their military spending.

Next, Bush has built relations with Latin America, even during the rise of Chavez. Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and El Salvador all sent troops to Iraq. El Salvador still has troops there. The biggest accomplishments for Bush in the region deal with Colombia and Brazil. Bush opened up a deal to import Brazilian ethanol, which can lessen our dependence on oil. Colombia benefited from increasing military and financial aid and is leading to the death of FARC. In fact, Colombia is sending 100 troops to Afghanistan next year.

Bush has opened up relations with Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In addition, the Bush Administration has chastised repressive dictatorships like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (even though the latter has natural gas).

Still, perhaps the most impressive feats have been in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa. Every nation in Eastern Europe except Serbia and Belarus has supported or sent troops to Iraq. NATO has been expanded, which Obama will not see as a top priority. No one has to look farther to Bush's trip to Albania (which is a Muslim nation) to see what people in Eastern Europe think of us. In Africa, America has stood up for democracy and has built relations with nations like Liberia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Rwanda.

In Georgia, we have fostered a deep friendship with a greatly challenged yet greatly decent democracy. In the Middle East, Iraqi Kurdistan will be our ally for the next 100 years and America's relations with nations like Jordan, Israel, and Kuwait have been improved.

So, thanks, President Bush. You've done a good job in this respect.

Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

Why Albania is So Great, Part One

2011-06-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

I've decided to write a serial about one of my favorite countries in the whole wide world.

So this is Part One:
Albania Sheltered Jews in the Holocaust

Albania, a Muslim nation, was perhaps the most prolific people in all of Europe when it came to saving the Jewish people from Hitler's genocide. Keep in mind, they weren't a neutral country able to let people in on their own. Albania was occupied by Italy. Italy--one of Hitler's allies. Still, the Albanian people put themselves in mortal danger to save innocent Jews.

By the end of World War Two there were more Jews in Albania than beforehand, perhaps the only occupied country to have this honor. For example:

“Why did my father save a stranger at the risk of his life and the entire village?” asked Enver Alia Sheqer, son of Righteous Among the Nations Ali Sheqer Pashkaj, who is featured in the exhibition. “My father was a devout Muslim. He believed that to save one life is to enter paradise.”

At the end of the war there were 2,000 Jews in Albania. There were only 200 in the nation at the beginning. While other nations (France) willingly gave up the Jews, Albania saved them. Albania is also pro-Israel, as well (perhaps the only Muslim nation except Kosovo or Kurdistan).

So God Bless Albania and Kosovo, the greatest nations in Europe.

Thoughts on Calapari

2011-06-29T11:59:00.000-04:00

Several sourceshave John Calapari, teh coach of the Memphis

Consider advertising on our site!
Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

The Alzheimer's Association Does Good Work

2011-04-27T22:34:00.001-04:00

To all of our readers who are looking to help the medical situation in this country, I want to direct you to a group that has been doing good work.

The Alzheimer's Association is helping seniors in their fight against this terrible ailment. As the Baby Boom generation ages, we will face more people with geriatric issues. Love helping people? Learn about becoming a medical assistant.

So please check them out and help in any way possible.

http://alz-news.org
Facebook.com/actionalz
twitter.com/alzassociation

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Schoharie County and the Civil War

2011-04-16T17:22:00.006-04:00

The distaste of war was once again on American soil in 1861, the Civil War. A person from Schoharie County was actually at Fort Sumpter when the South bombarded it.

The country rested their hands on their rapier, preparing for war, whether to preserve the union or destroy it. Even people in Schoharie County prepared. The first person, when the Civil War occurred, in the county to volunteer for the army was Hiram A. Blodgett, of Cherry Valley. People in our county who joined the services made up the Third New York cavalry, the 134^th New York regiment, and the 76^th N. Y. S. V.

The 134^th regiment was involved in the actions at Atlanta, Knoxville, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Missionary Ridge, Lost Mountain, Pine Knob, Resaca, Goldsborough, Peachtree Creek, and Savannah. Needless to say that the regiment got around a lot. Some died in battle, and many of them were killed by Typhoid fever.

Love history? Learn more at online college classes.

The book lists, what seems to be, over a thousand people from around here, who were in the armed services, mainly the 134^th regiment.

The book also gives tribute to those who perished in the war. It’s astounding to think of Gettysburg, or a battle of that magnitude, and think of people from Schoharie County fighting in it.

The History of Broome

2011-04-16T17:22:00.005-04:00

Broome was one of the original six towns that formed the county in 1797, and at that time it was called Bristol. On April 6, 1808, Bristol was renamed Broome, in honor of the current Lieutenant Governor, John Broome.

The Catskill Creek passes through the town, and used to be fed by a swamp, called the “vlaie”. The Indians had created a path that followed the Catskill, which, in fact, the first German settlers of the Schoharie County traveled. People also traversed the trail to get to good hunting lands.

During the Revolutionary War, people were scarcely found within the town, and, according to the book, we have only knowledge of one person actually staying in their house during the war. This man, whose name was Derick Van Dyck, stayed in his home until it was burned in 1781. Upon the close of the war, people began to emigrate to Broome, and the book lists the names of people who moved to the town after the Revolution, and were still there when the text was written.

Daniel Shays, a man you’re sure to find in any American History book, actually took residence in Preston Hollow. He, in fact, died in Preston Hollow, and was buried beneath an unmarked headstone. Also mentioned is David Williams, a man of great importance during the War for Independence. He chose Broome as a place to live and die. He died August 2^nd, 1831, and was buried in Livingstonville. The book also puts forth an account of David Williams’ life.

Livingstonville also lies upon the Catskill Creek, and is surrounded by large hills. The original inhabitants of Livingstonville were “Yankees”. In 1812, there was only one house in the village, but became “a center of business” around 1820.

The book tells of other people, towns, and churches, including a story about a man, named Julius Dutton, who settled in Broome, by himself, at age eleven. Also listed are names of people drafted in 1813, and supervisors in Broome. One name is Barent Stryker, who was the supervisor in 1831, who was mentioned a lot last chapter. Another name mentioned is George A. Dutton, who I must assume was related to Julius Dutton. The book also lists Broome’s boundaries.

It’s interesting to notice that people who were important in the early stages of the county, that their relatives were important in the later stages of the county.

Southern Schoharie County

2011-04-16T17:22:00.004-04:00

Before 1848, Blenheim and Broome were two large towns. This posed problems for the citizens and politicians, therefore people petitioned the Seventy-first Legislature to divide the towns and form a new one. A bill, passed on March 16, 1848, created the town of Gilboa. The 20^th of the next month, the citizens of Gilboa held their first meeting, and elected their first officials.

During the “anti-rent” troubles of the 1840s, Gilboa was involved, yet there was no violence, except an incident where men dressed as “Injuns” threatened to tar-and-feather a deputy in he would not destroy rent papers. He did so. Nearly all people in Gilboa were Antis, actually, but they did not want to harm anyone, just scare landlords.

It is supposed that the first settlers of Gilboa was the Dise family. John Dise built a

grist-mill around the 1790s. The town’s prosperity attracted people to it. A man by the name of Archibald Croswell settled in Gilboa, having moved there from Connecticut. Mr. Croswell purchased the Dise mill property, and rebuilt a stone grist-mill. The wall cracked and fell after several years, and another mill was built. After a few years, business in Gilboa expanded, and in little time, Gilboa had a tannery, fulling mill, a hemlock-bark extraction factory, a sawmill, and a pottery factory. It even had a cotton factory, called the “Gilboa Cotton Mill Co.”, but it was subsequently destroyed in the flood of 1869.

In 1797, Gilboa built it’s first tavern. It also had three churches, the Reformed Church of Gilboa, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Gilboa, and the Flat Creek Baptist Church. Job Tibbetts founded the Broome Centre, notice the British influence in spelling. Interestingly, since Tibbetts founded the Centre, the hamlet was called “Tibbetts” by people, and, in fact, was the only name known, by some, of the Hamlet.

David Elerson was a soldier alongside with Timothy Murphy, settled in Schoharie after the battle of Monmouth. He was considered a hero, and is known mostly because of a pamphlet, written by an unknown person.

Also included in the chapter is the transcript by which Gilboa was created, and a picture of Thomas Colby’s home and farm.

The times and dates of these events, big and small, make you feel, pardon me for being generic, but you feel so insignificant. Yes, these events are not worldly important, but their age alone makes you think.

Southern Schoharie County

2011-04-16T17:22:00.002-04:00

It is supposed that the first settlers of Gilboa was the Dise family. John Dise built a

Also included in the chapter is the transcript by which Gilboa was created, and a picture of Thomas Colby’s home and farm.

The Times-Journal

2011-04-16T17:22:00.001-04:00

The first issue of the Cobleskill Times appeared April 14, 1877, but was known as the Cobleskill Herald. The first owners were Johnson and Roberts of Oneonta, who saw an opportunity to establish a new paper in a rapidly growing county. The Herald championed the Republican cause and the venture succeeded despite Cobleskill and Schoharie County were heavily Democrat.

The original paper was four pages and eight columns in width. 1200 people resided in Cobleskill at the time. Miles G. Graham purchased the paper a few years later. As stated previously, the paper was pro-Republican, but it was noted as mild until 1883, by which time it represented a more vigorous political policy. In 1883 Charles T Conover bought the paper. Mr. Conover was a native of Esperance.

Mr. Conover put the paper on firmer grounds thanks to his ability to write fluently and well. He improved the paper fiscally. A year later, though, Conover left the paper, and moved to Seattle to invest in real estate. R. S. Keyser was the next owner of the paper, but after some time he became the principle of the Middleburgh High School, and he place his brother, Lynn, in charge. Things went terribly, and in 1885 Erwin B. Hard bought the paper.

Mr. Hard was a newspaperman. He was well trained, energetic, and a hard worker. Soon after he bought the newspaper he changed it’s name to the Cobleskill Times. In 1892 new equipment was bought for the paper. Hard lead the paper to prosperous times. The next publisher was Frank A. Linster, who became such in 1905. Linster purchased the first linotype machine for the paper, marking a great step forward-1908. The old way was setting the type by hand and typewriter.

Soon after, a group of fifteen people bought the paper, hoping to voice a strong pro-prohibition statement. But they soon realized that they couldn’t run a paper on sentiments alone, which lead to the sale of the paper to George W. Jones in 1915. But Jones found the paper too much trouble and sold it to Joseph R. Browne. Under Mr. Browne’s leadership, the paper did well, even during the hard days of WWI.

On August 4, 1919, Charles L. Ryder purchased the paper. Mr. Ryder, who had also published the Cherry Valley Gazette and the Sharon Springs Record, merged these papers with the Cobleskill Times. A paper, called the Schoharie County Journal, merged with the Times in 1946, to form the Times-Journal. The Ryders owned the paper until, well, at least 1976.

The Colonists and the Indians

2011-04-16T17:22:00.000-04:00

Much of Chapter 2 talks about the Palatines in New York, Indians of Schoharie County, and Adam Vroman. It begins with Palatines in New York.

As stated previously, the Palatines were not immediately moved to Schoharie County. The excuse given was that the cost of creating a garrison, to protect the Palatines from the French and Indians, would be too great, but the camps in which they stayed in cost eight to twelve hundred pounds a month. Also, once the Palatines moved to Schoharie County, it didn’t cost the English government “a single farthing”.

The true fact of the matter is that the Governor of New York, a man by the name of Hunter, believed stigmatizations. He believed that Germans were ignorant and willfully obstinate. The Palatines finally settled Schoharie County around the fall of 1711.

Upon the infiltration of white men into Schoharie County, there were Indians. Numbers about these Indians are indefinite because much about the Indians is unknown.

The “Schoharie Tribe” was a “mongrel one”, meaning that it was made up of different tribes. The number of warriors in this tribe was estimated at 300. Mohegans of Connecticut were found to be in considerable numbers near Middleburgh. In fact, this tribe once consisted of thousands of people, but through warfare, this number was reduced to a few hundreds.

The Schoharie Tribe was ruled by Karee-a-dunka, here spelled Ka-rig-hon-don-tee, who was sent to the Schoharie County by his father-in-law, who feared Karee-a-dunka’s death at the hand of the Mohegans. These Indians were normally friendly towards the settlers, but sometimes the settlers didn’t return the favor.

This chapter also tells of the purchase of land by Adam Vroman, near Vroman’s nose. Vroman purchased “400 acres” of land from Indians, which turned out to be around 1100 acres. It is not clear, however, whether or not this was intentional. Later on, Vroman complained to the governor that the Palatines were trespassing, and destroying, his land. This lead to the issue of an arrest warrant for Conrad Weiser, who was thought to be the ring leader. Later on, Weiser was imprisoned in the tower of London.

By 1730, the Palatines had seven towns around the area, including Weiser’s dorf, where Middleburgh now is. By this time, a third wave of Palatines had come to

America

, settling in Schoharie and other locations. Through Indian grain pounding, the Palatines raised the efficiency of farming in the county.

The Vromans introduced slavery to the county, but the evils of slavery do not deeply stain this county. In fact, comparably, slaves were treated very well. They were even trusted enough to be sent to local markets by their owner. Another interesting fact is that, when slavery was abolished in New York in 1818, many slaves of our county refused to be freed.

During local trading, many trades between the whites and the Indians were one sided. Many times, blankets, trinkets, and rum were traded for land and furs. This fact is most evident in the Dutch trade for Manhattan.

It’s amazing to look at Vroman’s Nose and see the same thing that the Palatines saw 300 years ago. What we think when we see Vroman’s nose could be the same thing they thought.

Quote of the Day

2011-04-16T17:21:00.004-04:00

There will be peace in our time.

-- Neville Chamberlain

Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

Ted Nugent for Congress.

2011-04-16T17:21:00.001-04:00

"To: Ted Nugent
We the people of the United States, declare and encourage Ted Nugent to run for Congress, in the 17th Congressional district in Texas. Ted Nugent (Conservative Republican) is the candidate we support to finally defeat liberal hack Congressman Chet Edwards in the 17th congressional district in Texas.

Sincerely,

http://www.petitiononline.com/Nugent10/petition.html

I ask that all Conservative Republicans sign this petition, to urge Ted Nugent to run for Congress in the 17th Congressional seat in Texas, thankyou.

Consider advertising on our site!
Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

The Room- "I Did NAAAAT"

2011-04-16T17:21:00.000-04:00

Consider advertising on our site!
Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

Did the Groundhog See his Shadow?

2011-02-02T00:26:00.000-05:00

From a year ago:

It's a cherished tradition on February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A groundhog named Phil pops his furry little head out of the ground and tells us whether or not we'll have six more weeks of winter or if spring will come early.

Well, that's come to an end this year. Punxsutawney Phil did appear out of his little hole this morning, only to keel over dead, grasping his little rodent chest.

"I don't know what happened." said Hannah Jerome, 11, "We were here with the entire elementary school when the funny-looking cat shrieked and fell into the dirt. When our teacher went to go look, she started to cry and shouted that it was 'one of the signs.'"

While Biblical scholars may be divided about a lot of things, one of the clear signals of the Apocalypse, as written by St. John of Lemnos was that a small groundhog would die, portending the rise of Satan.

"I done know who done did this!" shouted local preacher Kenneth Lambeau, "It was that Obama! I done told you that he's them anti-Christ!"

The death of Punxsutawney Phil was a tragedy for the small Pennsylvania town, otherwise known for an offensive sulfur smell. Phil was a mainstay of the community. When asked if the town could get a new groundhog, spokeswoman Kay Rainwater said, "Punxsutawney Phil was born of magic and happiness and has been alive for thousands of years. We can't just replace him."

The death of the groundhog appears to be one of the many appearing signs of the End Times. Among these include the removal of the Baconator from Wendy's menu, the rise of reality television, and the appearance of Jack Black.

"We need to take the biggest shovel we done got and build us a whole fifty cubits deep!" shouted Lambeau, "Repent, the end is at hand!"

Bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Game Review: Rulers of Nations

2011-01-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

A little more than a year ago, I was fortunate enough to review the game Geopolitical Simulator. Today, I am writing a review for its sequel, Rulers of Nations, also made by Eversim. Like its predecessor, it attempts to show both broad and limited trends within and and among the different countries of the world.

The good:
Like its predecessor, Rulers of Nations does a far more elaborate, and a far better job than anything else on the market. Compared to other games in the genre, none are so detailed and realistic. Even more so than even Geopolitical Simulator, this game shows how the world works and how the player can manipulate it.

The game also runs more smoothly than GS, being streamlined. It is easier to find many of the new features and input new figures for a budget or government plan. There are also easier ways to manage energy supplies and production. The game also seems to run quicker, which is an advantage when playing a long-term game-- especially on an older computer. This was something I was glad to see improved from the last game.

Again, using one of the strengths of GS, there are scenarios for the player to embark on. These are expanded from the last game. That being said, the regular, world as it is scenario is the most fulfilling.

Diplomatic options are slightly expanded, which the lack thereof was one thing that irked me about its predecessor. RoN still retains the UN and other international organizations.

The Bad

Fortunately, with an improved game, Rulers of Nations deals with less bad issues. The game is reformed in several ways and appears to be bringing more to the table. Still, it's not perfect.

Shifts in public opinion are still too dramatic. While playing as the Prime Minister of Iraq, I attempted to balance the budget using relatively simple moves. I kept getting thrown out of office. The actions I tried seem to be less than the actual government of Iraq's options, so that confused and annoyed me.

Diplomatic ties were improved, but still not stellar. Movement of military forces were awkward at best, and still unwieldy. Moving to a province-to-army format, like in the Europa Universalis games, would probably prevent this. Again, with a few more diplomatic options, I was pleased, but I would still like to see more ties between countries. Basically, they are still limited to trade deals and alliances-- which are far too few for a game as complex as this.

Final Rating:
8.0/10.0
Good

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Schoharie County's Witches

2010-12-31T05:25:00.000-05:00

We all have heard of witches, old women in Europe who cast spells on the innocent. Witches are not solely a European peculiarity. Even our Schoharie County has had witches, or rather, people who were believed to be witches. In reality, actuality, and factuality, Schoharie County has had a few.

Deadman’s Creek, now called Swart Hollow, is about three miles south of West Fulton. In the mid 1800s, there lived a woman by the name of Margaret Hemstreet, who people believed was a witch. Of course, the people had stories to back up their clams.

Mrs. Hemstreet wished to buy a pig from a man named William Swart. Now this pig was his best, being that it was his fattest, so he refused to sell it to her. A few nights later, Mr. Swart was awakened by noises in his pig-pen. When he got there, the pig was having a “fit”. Swart figured that Mrs. Hemstreet put a spell on the pig. Apparently he knew a way to calm down a pig with a spell on it, so he wrestled the pig to the ground, cut of it’s ear, and burned it. According to Mr. Swart, the pig instantly grew calm, although it’s hard to believe that a pig, whose ear had just been cut off, would be calm.

Another story surrounding Mrs. Hemstreet involves the Swart family again. William Swart was visiting the Swart household, when Mrs. Hemstreet walked up to him. “You’ll have company on your way home”, she said to his. As he walked home across a moonlit, snow laden field, a black cat came up to him. The cat played with him, and gave him company on his way home, but when he got home, the cat disappeared. The next day, he saw his tracks in the snow, but no cat prints.

One time Mrs. Hemstreet asked a woman, named Jerusha Chase for thread. Mrs. Chase, who had just left her house, didn’t want to go back inside, so she didn’t give Mrs. Hemstreet the thread she asked for. That night, Mr. Chase was awakened by Mrs. Chase turning in bed. While asleep, Mrs. Chase began shouting that Mrs. Hemstreet was dragging her to a creek, and her husband discovered that she was soaking wet. Then Jerusha began shouting, “She’s poking needles under my finger nails.” Sure enough, blood sprouted from her fingers.

Mrs. Hemstreet would never be seen outside without her trusty white cap that covered her head and ears. When she eventually did die, her neighbors found that she was still wearing her hat. As curiosity is always a factor, they wanted to remove the hat, but Mrs. Hemstreet’s husband prevented them from doing so.

A woman named Eva Boeke, who lived in Huntersville, was believed to be a witch until her death in 1870. A woman called Aunt Jane Buell, who lived in Conesville, was believed to be a “white witch”, or healer. Actually, many would consider a healer a good thing.

All the accounts that I have related have been given the benefit of the doubt, although maybe such luxuries should be bestowed upon them. Although I don’t know people’s feeling towards Mrs. Hemstreet, it is possible that people lied about being a witch simply because they didn’t like her. Also, I believe this report is appropriate with Halloween on the horizon. Happy Halloween.

Bibliography

County Historical Review. Schoharie County Historical Society. Schoharie, N.Y. 1992.

The History of Jefferson

2010-12-25T05:27:00.000-05:00

The town of Jefferson was first inhabited in 1793, by people from New England. The spirit of then inhabited the town, still, when the text was written. This spirit put forth an interest in education, and the use of “advantages derived”.

In January of 1803, people petitioned the Legislature to officially declare Jefferson a town. On February 12, the Legislature did just that. On March 1^st, the town elected it’s first officials, with Stephen Judd being included in five of them, them being, Assessor, Overseer of the Poor, Commissioner of the Highways, Fence Viewer, and Path Master.

Several years later, another village named Jefferson in New York, made an effort to change it’s name because of mailing problems. Afterwards, the town’s name was changed to Watkins.

The first school teacher in Jefferson was Herman Hickok. He founded the Jefferson Academy in 1812. Shares of the school were sold at $25 a piece, with Stephen Judd owning the most at 12. Those who owned shares had a vote in electing a board of directors. He also gave land for the academy to be built on. While construction continued, there was not enough revenue to complete the structure. To raise the money, Jefferson asked the town of Schoharie for the money. Schoharie obliged, and 44 people gave money, at a total of $216.50. People who donated were future Governor William Bouck, Peter Vroman, Adam Vroman and Heman Hickok, if I may assume to have some relation to Herman. Also, the list given spells Adam and Peter Vroman, “Vrooman”.

The building was finally erected in 1822, at forty-five square feet, with a height of three stories. It cost approximately four thousand dollars to build. Although started under firm footing, the building had troubles. Long times would elapse between school sessions, and it did not get needed repairs.

In the will of Stephen Judd, who died on June 8, 1821, it stated that the property was to be used as a school, so long as the academy was used for “school purposes”. Joshua H. Judd, Stephen’s great-nephew, demanded the property be returned to the Judds, on the grounds that the agreement of the continuation of “school purposes” was broken. He won the case. In it’s stead was a “Union School”, formed in 1878.

Two tanneries were in existence in Jefferson, both of which were founded in 1816, and both of which faded from existence in about 1846. There was a Presbyterian Church in Jefferson, which was founded in about 1809, but the book does not give an exact date.

The Judd family had a huge impact on Jefferson. As previously mentioned, the Judds helped raise, and, eventually, tear down the Jefferson Academy. Stephen Judd held huge lots of land, and had an inn, and his brother, Freeman, was a preacher. Also mentioned is a story that states that Daniel Judd was beheaded by Indians in the Revolution, and his was carried to Canada on a pole.

There were another three churches in Jefferson, all of which were Methodist. The Methodist Episcopal Church of West Jefferson was organized first, and services were held at private houses until 1816. The First Methodist Village Episcopal Church of Jefferson Village was organized in 1819, and was included in a circuit of 13 towns. The West Kill Methodist Church was organized in 1816, but became the First Methodist Village Episcopal Church of Jefferson Village, in 1819.

A skirmish was held upon Jefferson, and was a loss to patriots. As the book states, “This skirmish was the only one which occurred during the war that was disgraceful...within the borders of our County.” Jefferson also sent men to fight in the Civil War.

The book also lists justices of Jefferson, from 1803 to 1882. Mentioned are Stephen Judd, in 1804, and Heman Hickok, who served eight years in a row.

I don’t understand why Jefferson was founded in the very late 1700s, when Schoharie was founded so long before. I mean, can you imagine Jefferson was settled ten years after the Revolution.

Western Schoharie County History

2010-12-23T05:31:00.000-05:00

One can easily derive Summit’s name by looking around the county, for the county has many summits. Mount Wharton stands a little to the west of the town, where the clouds embrace it, given it’s height. Mt. Wharton got it’s name from it’s owner, J. B. Wharton. Upon this mountain presides a “sheet of water”. The book goes out of it’s way to note the beauty of this entity.

Seymour Boughton was a resident of Summit, who moved there from Charlotteville. Boughton was the youngest of nineteen, yes nineteen, children, and, at about the turn of the 18^th century, he moved with his father to Charlotteville. In Charlotteville, he built the Van Buren house, which was used as a tavern. Boughton framed and painted his house by himself, to which his neighbors thought that he was “bent on wasting his property”. The tavern was the first framed house in town. Mr. Boughton died on June 11, 1872.

According to legend, the lake in Summit was named Utasayantho. A story that surrounds the lake concerns an unwed Indian squaw. This squaw gave birth to a child upon the bank of the lake. Chiefs of the tribe consulted with each other, then threw the child into the lake. For a long time, the lake was called “Jack’s lake”, but as time progressed, it was given the appropriate name of “Summit Lake”. Interestingly, it is said that Johnson and Brant stopped at the lake in 1780, relaxed, and even did some fishing.

Summit was settled after the Revolution. People who settled here were mainly from the Hudson river counties, and the “eastern States”. A man by the name of Levi Ives owned a distillery in Summit. This establishment was nationally famous, for many people from around the country ordered liquor from Ives.

To the west of Summit is a valley by the name of Charlotte. In the valley flows the Charlotte river. Along the stream there was an ancient Indian path. Along this path, POWs of the Revolution walked, on their way to Canada. Four miles south of the valley lived a man named Service. Although being neutral, in many cases, he was accused of being disloyal to the Whig cause. An order for his arrest was given, and a patriot party went to get him. Upon arriving, they put forth a letter, which they said proved his “disloyalty to the Continental cause”. He refused to go, and threw an ax at the patriots and ran. He was shot whilst he ran. One of the men who killed Service was Tim Murphy.

The book says “nothing of importance occurred in this part” until a school was built in 1850. The school was built for 300 children. In 1852, additions were built, and the school was then able to hold over 500 students. In 1867, the school burned down.

The first church in the valley was the First Baptist Church. The book lists church officials of the First Baptist. Other churches in the area were: the Second Baptist Church, the Reformed Church of Eminence, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Summit, the Free Methodist Church of Charlotteville, the Lutheran Church of Summit, and the Lutheran Church of Beard’s Hollow.

Lying in what is now Richmondville, was Beard’s Hollow. It was founded in 1794 by Killian Ritter. In 1800 there was a business which revolved around the manufacture of grindstones. Another hamlet was Lutheranville, which was called also “Tar Hollow”. During the Anti-rent wars, it is believed, that a deputy sheriff was “treated to a good coat of tar and feathers”. Another little hamlet that existed was “Dutch Hill”, which received it’s name because of the nationality of people who resided there. In 1851, it was renamed Eminence. The first town meeting of Summit was held in March of 1820.

Can you imagine a mountain named after you, like Mr. Wharton’s? Imagine three hundred years from now, a mother points and tells her son with an air of excitement, “Look, there’s Mount Laraway.”

The History of Fulton and West Middleburgh

2010-12-21T05:33:00.000-05:00

A portion of Fulton was once owned by the Vromans, called Vromansland, and was purchased for one hundred gallons of rum and a few blankets. Adam Vroman’s father, Hendrick, was killed in the Schenectady massacre of 1690. Adam was born in Holland, in 1649, and had three wives, who begat 13 children. The book lists the children.

The Palatines and Vromans did not trust each other. When the Palatines saw the land that Vroman had bought, they realized that Vroman had cheated the Indians out of almost one thousand acres. The Palatines, Indians, and Vromans argued over the land until Adam Vroman repurchased it in 1726.

In 1753, a “fort” was built in Vromansland. This action was taken in preparation of a conflict with the French, and the order to build the fort was given by Sir William Johnson.

In the Revolution, Peter Vroman fought alongside the patriots as a Colonel. He also represented the Schoharie district at the “Provincial Convention”, which elected delegates to the Continental Congress. He also served as a delegate to the Council of Safety.

The Swart family were decedents of people from Holland. The first Swarts in the country were Frederick and Teunis Cornelius. One Swart became a judge.

The Cryslers settled in our county around the year 1750. When the Revolution erupted, they sided with the Crown, and the book states many times that they are a “stain upon our history”. During the Revolution, Crysler fled to Canada with other Tories.

In 1777, upper, middle, and lower forts were built. The strongest of these was the upper fort, which stood near Fultonham.

The book tells of the Vroman massacre in which many Vromans and servants were either killed or brought to Canada. This rendition includes the story of the Indians sparing the Vroman baby because of it’s laughter. Also, many of those killed had their scalps hung near those captured. These prisoners were traded for other prisoners in Canada and walked home from Saratoga after being gone for a year.

The Bouck family came to Fulton via the Palatine immigration, the first Bouck being William Bouck. In 1780, William was taken prisoner by Indians. He and other servants were rescued by patriots. William C. Bouck was born in 1786, and started school in 1795. Bouck was in the state legislature and was Governor for two years, and is the only Governor from our county. Bouck also attended the state constitutional convention and died in 1859, at 73.

The book gives a list of inhabitants of Fulton in 1788. Among the names are Bouck, Crysler, Vroman, and Swart.

This chapter also states that Tim Murphy was nothing but a kind-hearted person and a patriot. Murphy’s family moved here from Ireland. At 16, Murphy joined the patriots as a rifleman. It was Tim Murphy that killed General Fraser in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. Murphy was dispatched to the Schoharie valley to help turn back expected invasions.

Mr. Murphy had many great feats, including defending the Middle Fort. His first wife was Marganet Feek. Murphy died in 1818 and was buried at his farm.

In the hills of Fulton was Petersburgh. Once having timber covering the land, hemlock took it’s stead when the timber was depleted. The hemlock was used as normal timber would be used.

Breakabeen’s “correct” name is “Brakabeen”, which was named by the Germans. One of the early settlers of Breakabeen was the Keysers. During the Revolution, three houses stood in Breakabeen, one of which was the Keyser residence. A man named Michael Borst came to Fulton in 1815 and built a tannery near the bridge; the tannery was later replaced by a foundry around 1850.

Fultonham was the place of a Palatine dorf and the Upper Fort. One of the first families were the Laraways. The book also mentions a man by the name of Charles Watson, which begs the question, is this who Watsonville is named after?

West Fulton was, for a long time, known as Byrneville, or Sapbush Hollow. The name was changed to West Fulton thanks to the post office. Michael Byrne built a church in the town for the Dutch Reformed.

Polly Hollow, or West Middleburgh, is also talked about. During the Civil War, two soldiers deserted and Union troops came to get them. The Polly Hollow militia fired on the Union force until they retreated.

Under the Supervisors of Fulton, names of interest that came up are Vroman, Watson, and Bouck. Fulton’s boundaries were formed in 1828.

The book tells of Crysler’s despicable actions. One must wonder what was going on in his mind.

One thing Obama got right so far

2010-12-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

As you might know, gluten is bad. Obama doesn't like gluten. I rest my case.

Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

History of Sharon Springs

2010-12-15T13:48:00.001-05:00

Sharon was part of Tryon County from 1772-1784. Tryon was renamed Montgomery on April 2, 1784. On February 16, 1791, part of Carlisle, Seward, and Sharon formed the town of “New Dorlach”. When our county was formed, Sharon was annexed, and it’s boundaries were defined in 1797.

All the immigration stopped during the Revolution, but afterwards people started to go to Sharon. Peter Sommers kept the first store in the town, but went to

Canada

during the Revolution, and never returned. William Beekman was the first judge in the Court of Common Pleas, which he held until 1833. Beekman was also elected to the Senate in 1799, 1800, 1801, and 1802. He also built a mansion west of Beekman’s Corners, and died on November 26, 1845.

Many of the Indians and Germans remained loyal to the Crown during the Revolution. In 1777, some people answered the call of the Crown. On July 10, 1781, the battle of Sharon took place, in which Colonel Willett of Fort Stanwix battled a man named Dockstader, a Mohawk Tory. Although Dockstader commanded over 400 Indians and Tories, and Willett commanded under 300, the patriots took only five losses, while Dockstader took over 70. After the war, a few people petitioned the legislature to be compensated for things lost during the war.

At Moak’s Hollow, the Mynderts and other people were captured by a band of Indians and Tories. Mrs. Myndert was allowed to go, but the rest were taken to Niagara. They were still held after the war, but escaped by digging under their prison’s wall. William Kneiskern, who was taken to Rebel Island, escaped by binding three brandy casks together, and floating to

America

Previous to the Revolution, many of the settlers were well-to-do people, but the Revolution left them in poverty. By 1800, most, if not all, of the town was occupied. In 1793, the “Great Western Turnpike” ran through Sharon, and the thoroughfares that ran through the town gave a major business boost.

Beekman’s Corners was a booming town in the first quarter of the 1800s. This is where Judge Beekman lived. Dr. Sylvanus Palmer, whose pen-name was Peter Paradox, called Governor Bouck, soon after he was elected, a “Sour Kraut”. Peter A. Hilton built a brick mansion and storehouse in Beekman’s Corners.

Peter, Martin, Mathias, and Jacob Engle settled in Sharon in 1798. Peter built a grist-mill in 1810. Inside Sharon was the hamlet of Leesville, where it’s post office was located, and was where the town’s main business took place. Located in Leesville were three hotels, two stores, a tannery, and a blacksmith.

The springs of Sharon were highly acclaimed, for they were believed to hold disease curing abilities. Indians used them, in fact, long before the whites came. Provisions for accommodating settlers were started around 1825, by David Eldredge, who started to take in boarders, and added rooms upon his home to provide room for extra travelers. A major boarding home was constructed by a company from New York City, and afterwards, many more hotels were built by various people and companies. The book lists the minerals found in the springs.

Christian Myndert was the first to settle in Sharon, whose farm was purchased by Tinas Pynneo. Another name for Sharon is Moak’s Hollow. Some of the first settlers in Sharon were the Loucks, the Davenports, and the Klings, who still remain in the county. It’s amazing that the book devotes a big section to local graves.

It’s too bad that Sharon never became a big city. People have their theories why this never happened, but mine is that it didn’t happen because of the smells.

Intrigue in the Tennessee State House

2010-12-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

It was bad.

Also, if you need to search anything on Google, please use the bar below:

Our Local Government

2010-12-15T05:16:00.000-05:00

The Court of “Common Pleas” was used from the colonial period, as time progressed. Under our state’s first Constitution, the number of judges, and “assistant” judges, was allowed to greatly vary from county to county. Also, assistant judges were appointed. In 1818, an act was passed which abolished assistant judges and limited the number of judges per county to five.

The New York Constitution of 1846 made it so that nearly all offices were elected by the people. In place of assistant judges, two justices of the peace were associated with the county’s judges. Among other offices elected by the public are: county clerks, county treasurers, sheriff, in their second term and on, attorneys, and most public service positions. The book gives a list of those who occupied different offices.

And amazingly, people from our county have held high and prestigious positions. Among this exclusive club is William C. Bouck, the only person from our county to become Governor, Abraham Keyser, who became the state’s treasurer, and fourteen senators. Peter S. Danforth was a Supreme Court Justice, and John F. Hazleton was consular to

Italy

The book also tells of people who practiced law in Schoharie County, some of which were alive when the text was written, but are presumably dead now. The book lists 39 people. Amazingly, one of those who practiced law professionally was Ralph Brewster, whose descendants landed at Plymouth from the Mayflower. Also, Peter Danforth is named. Right after that, his son, George, was also named. Apparently the elder Danforth had much influence on George.

It’s amazing that our county, our little county, has had a Governor, a Supreme Court Judge, and a consular to

Italy

. Our county has had immense political power, but hopefully it will soon be over-shadowed when someone from our county becomes President.

Fallout New Vegas Review

2010-11-12T23:34:00.000-05:00

First off, I wanted to say that I've played all of the Fallout Games (not counting Tactics or Brotherhood of Steel) and I've enjoyed each one of them. Probably my favorite has been Fallout 2 and that's part of the reason I was so excited to play New Vegas.

The game starts fairly simply in an unmarked grave until you're found by a doctor who patches you up and has you determine your SPECIAL and other traits. The main storyline is compelling but short, just like Fallout 3. While it appears that there are a similar amount of side quests between Fallout 3 and NV, the world is significantly smaller in New Vegas. This hurts the playability of the overall game and significantly reduces just what you can do.

There are bugs galore. Targeting, camera, scripts... it's a lot. And it's distracting and takes away from the gameplay. There's even a bug in opening the game!

Also, loads take a tremendously long time and are a pain in the butt. You could wait upwards of a half minute just leaving a building. One review described them as "demoralizing" and I agree.

A few observations:

The radio stations in NV are inferior to 3. Mr. New Vegas is a nice touch, but with far fewer lines than Three Dog. Besides, two of the stations share the same music, which is pretty good but are far fewer than the number in 3.

There are bugs galore-- I know I already said that, but I have to again.
The ending is far improved over 3, however you still can't play after that.
Some parts are far deeper into the lore and use characters from Fallout 2. Other parts are shorter and rushed.
It feels like there's a genuine war between the Legion and the New California Republic. However, there's far less Legion territory and interaction (unless you actively side with them).

Overall, this game is both satisfying and frustrating. It feels like the game was rushed and if given another six months it could have far outstripped Fallout 3. It's still worth buying but make sure to download the patch.

Overall:

8.75/10.0

Very good, would have been a 9.0 without the bugs.

Did you play it? What do you think?

Special thanks to multiple sites for the pictures.

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Joe Writes Book Slamming Gluten Industry

2010-11-12T23:21:00.000-05:00

Doctor Joseph H. Chicoine, fresh off of contesting the stolen Senate election in New York is back on the trail, this time touting his new book: Toast: How Big Gluten is Destroying America. Chicoine's book slams the Gluten industry, which willfully advertises the narcotic substance on children's televisions shows and in sports magazines.

"I'm sick and tired of it," Chicoine said, sipping a glass of 1889 Merlot, "They advertise the 'benefits' of a balanced diet-- of a nice big sandwich or a slice of pizza. They should know that any of those could place a person with Celiac's disease, like Kanye West, in a apoplectic seizure."

Chicoine is planning to try and get the Congress to pass new regulations banning gluten or at least placing warning labels on loaves of bread and cracker packages.

"I was thinking 'you will die if you eat this,' on pita bread," he said, "It's the least we can do for an organized and civil society."

He was still bitter over last Tuesday's election results.

"Gillibrand should take the lead on this," he said of his former primary opponent. "It's the least the bitch could do."

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Indonesia's smoking toddler kicks the habit

2010-10-01T01:50:00.004-04:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia's smoking toddler has kicked the habit. Footage of 2-year-old Aldi Rizal — who smoked up to two packs a day — puffing away circulated the Internet in May and sparked an international outcry. His parents said he'd throw tantrums every time they tried to stop him from lighting up.

Psychologist Seto Mulyadi, who took the child into his own home as part of rehabilitation efforts, said Friday the boy has stopped asking for cigarettes.

He said Aldi picked up the habit because virtually every man in his fishing village in South Sumatra province smokes.

When removed from that environment, and offered a wide range of activities, including playing and drawing, he no longer had the urge, the psychologist said.

Aldi's father gave him his first cigarette when he was just 18-months-old, relatives have said.

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Pennsylvania woman zaps self, brother with stun gun

2010-09-30T01:49:00.003-04:00

NORTH EAST, Pa. – Police said an Erie-area woman somehow managed to zap both herself and her brother with a stun gun during a drunken dispute. Darlene Newara, 45, will have a hearing Oct. 18 on charges including driving under the influence, disorderly conduct for fighting, and public drunkenness in the Aug. 8 incident.

State police said they responded to a disturbance outside an Erie-area store about 6 p.m. to find that Newara had been arguing with her brother and stunned him with the device, then accidentally shocked herself with it.

Police said she was intoxicated and had several unopened bottles of liquor in the vehicle with her three sons, who were not hurt.

The Associated Press could not immediately locate a listed phone for Newara.

___

Information from: Erie Times-News, http://www.goerie.com

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Montana teen accidentally texts sheriff to buy pot

2010-09-29T01:48:00.002-04:00

HELENA, Mont. – General rule of thumb: when looking to buy marijuana, don't text the sheriff. Authorities said a Helena teen hit a wrong number and inadvertently sent a message to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton, saying "Hey Dawg, do you have a $20 I can buy right now?"

A detective pretending to be the dealer organized a meeting at a time when the boy knew he and another teen would be at a particular store.

The detective spotted two teenage boys and one of the boy's fathers — who was unaware of what was going on — at the store. He called the phone number three times to make sure he had the right person. Dutton said when the detective showed the teens his badge, one of the boys fainted.

No citations were issued after the parents of the boys, who were 15 and 16, got involved.

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Malaysia uncovers nearly 100 live reptiles in bag

2010-09-28T01:47:00.003-04:00

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian airport security arrested a convicted wildlife smuggler after finding almost 100 live reptiles in his luggage, the country's Wildlife and National Parks Department said.

Anson Wong, already convicted of trafficking in wildlife in the United States, was in transit from the Malaysian island state of Penang to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday when Malaysia Airlines staff at Kuala Lumpur airport were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt.

The department, in a statement issued late on Saturday, said itsenforcement officers found 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a matamata turtle inside the luggage.

Boa constrictors are subject to regulations or a complete ban in international commercial trade as they are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

The statement said Wong would remain in detention for two days. Under Malaysian law, if found guilty, he could face seven years in jail and fines of up to 100,000 ringgit ($32,000) for each animal or both.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Wong had previously pleaded guilty to a trafficking in the United States in 2001 and was sentenced to 71 months in jail.

TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring organization, said Malaysia must "rise to the challenge" of confronting new evidence of its role as an hub for those engaged in wildlife smuggling.

"Their attempt at mocking Malaysia's legal system must be dealt with head-on," said Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Senior Programme Officer.

On Friday, Thai customs officials found a two-month-old tiger stashed in a bag filled with tiger toys which had been checked in for an international passenger flight.

(Reporting by Royce Cheah; Editing by Ron Popeski)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Older people enjoy reading negative stories about young

2010-09-27T01:46:00.002-04:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Older people like reading negative news stories about their younger counterparts because it boosts their own self-esteem, according to a new study.

German researchers said older people tend to be portrayed negatively in society. Although they are often described as wise, they are also be shown as being slow and forgetful.

"Living in a youth centered culture, they may appreciate a boost in self-esteem. That's why they prefer the negative stories about younger people, who are seen as having a higher status in our society," said Dr. Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, of Ohio State University.

Knoblock-Westerwick and her co-author Matthias Hastall, of Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany, studied 276 German adults, including 178 aged 18 to 30 and 98 between 55 and 60. Their findings are published in the Journal of Communication.

All the adults in the study were shown what they were led to believe was a test version of a new online news magazine. They were also given a limited time to look over either a negative and positive version of 10 pre-selected articles.

Each story was also paired with a photograph depicting someone of either the younger or the older age group.

The researchers found that older people were more likely to choose to read negative articles about those younger than themselves. They also tended to show less interest in articles about older people, whether negative or positive.

But younger people preferred to read positive articles about other young people.

According to Knobloch-Westerwick, older people's preference for negative news about their younger counterparts can be explained by their place in society.

"Everybody likes a self-esteem boost. For young people though, it's almost automatic. Youth is considered important in society," she said.

After perusing the articles, the participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure levels of self-esteem. Unlike their younger counterparts, the self-esteem of older people rose after they read a negative article about younger people.

Although the study was done in Germany, Knobloch-Westerwick believe nationality and the national characteristics are not important.

"I believe that much the same would hold true for Americans" if a similar study were undertaken in the US," she said in an interview.

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Man arrested for trying to dazzle pilots with laser

2010-09-26T01:45:00.003-04:00

PARIS (Reuters) – A man appeared in court on Tuesday accused of trying to dazzle pilots with a laser beam as they were landing at France's second-busiest airport Paris Orly, aviation authorities said.

"Several pilots complained and the man was arrested near the runway," a spokesman for the civil aviation authority said.

Airport security officials said three pilots, including crew of Air France and EasyJet flights, warned the control tower on Sunday, which alerted the police and the man was caught in the act.

A spokeswoman for Air France said its pilot was never in any difficulty but there had been a growing number of such incidents.

(Reporting by Bate Felix; editing by Andrew Roche)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Cup of tea forces jet to make emergency landing

2010-09-25T01:44:00.002-04:00

BERLIN (Reuters) – A British airplane en route to Poland was forced to make an emergency landing in Germany after a 56-year-old woman spilled a hot cup of tea on herself, German police said on Wednesday.

The Ryanair flight from Liverpool to Poznan made the unscheduled landing in the northwestern city of Bremen on Tuesday, local police said.

The British woman was treated for scalding at the airport and released -- but not before the plane resumed its journey without her. She later took a train to Poland, police said.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin; editing by Paul Casciato)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Canadian parents more lenient than Italians and French

2010-09-24T01:44:00.001-04:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Canadian parents are more lenient with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Montreal, the University of Rennes in France and the University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy discovered that Canadians are tolerant, Italians are demanding and the French are somewhere between the two.

"Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others." said Professor Michel Claes, of the University of Montreal.

"Canadians focus on independence and negotiation. On the other hand, Italians, for example, have more constraining practices and exercise more control. We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in the case of conflict," he added.

Claes said Canada, France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors.

"We chose French-Canadians because they share the same language as France, and originally came from France and share certain values. Italy was included because it was considered to have similar, strong, important family values," he explained.

The researchers, who published the findings in the Journal of Adolescence, examined the emotional bond between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old.

Canadian students reported less control and more permissive disciplinary actions, according to the study. Italian parents were constraining, stricter and more demanding and French parents were somewhere in the middle.

Claes attributes Canadian parents' perceived leniency to differences in education in France and Italy.

"North America has its own democratic and educational values, which promote individualization. Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged, and we exclude systems of coercive control. Italy, on the other hand, promotes respect of authority, control, and the need for permission," he said.

Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative. Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers and reported high levels of emotional bonding. But French fathers were generally perceived by their children as being more distant and confrontational.

"We were surprised by this," Claes admitted. "It seems as though the relationships of French mothers with their children were becoming closer over time, while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness that is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries."

The study also found that boys faced considerably more discipline from parents, who were also less tolerant of their sons' friend-related activities.

Claes suggests that male children were perceived by their parents as being more likely to engage in bad behavior.

"It's a universal observation that boys are often hyperactive, especially at a young age and have more troubles in adolescence. Girls are more internalized, and have more problems such as depression and anxiety. Boys are externalized. You would find this holds true even in Japan and China. It's universal," he added.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Man bites police over a pet peeve

2010-09-23T01:43:00.003-04:00

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Police arrested an 82-year-old man after he bit and kicked officers who had arrived to mediate in a dispute with a neighbor over a domestic pet.

The officers arrived at his house in the central Dutch village of Nijkerk to talk to the neighbor when the man was leaving on his bicycle, police said.

Asked to identify himself, the man got off his bike and started to kick and bite the officers, police said Thursday. The man was taken to thepolice station and was released after questioning.

(Reporting by Marcel Michelson, editing by Paul Casciato)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Chinese pilots who faked resumes back in the air

2010-09-22T01:42:00.003-04:00

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese pilots who had lied about their flying experience have been allowed to return to work after they took remedial action to make up their hours, according to the country's aviation watchdog.

Chinese media reported this month that a probe in 2008 had found about 200 pilots had falsified elements of their resumes.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said they had found 192 pilots whose "flying experience to different degrees did not accord with reality."

Some had their licenses revoked, but others were given the chance to retrain and had been allowed to fly once more, the regulator said in a statement on its website (www.caac.gov.cn) late Wednesday.

"Those pilots given compulsory retraining were, after a thorough inspection of their qualifications, allowed to resume their posts," it said, without naming the airlines involved or how many pilots had been allowed back to work.

Following the incident, the regulator said it had tightened procedures to ensure the problem would not happen again, and that it would not tolerate such falsification.

The official Xinhua news agency said that with the rapid expansion of the aviation sector in China, "airlines turn a blind eye to fake records since they are happy to see more pilots certified by the administrative agency."

China's aviation industry was jolted by an accident in the northeast of the country last month in which 42 people died when a Henan Airlines jet crashed short of the runway.

Until that crash, there had been no other major accident as a result of stricter safety rules and relatively young fleets of mainly Western-made aircraft.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Chris Lewis and Sanjeev Miglani)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Fines of $7 in "tough" new China anti-smoking rules

2010-09-21T01:41:00.001-04:00

BEIJING (Reuters) – China's "toughest" ever smoking ban which aims to stop people lighting up during November's Asian Games will carry fines of $7 (£4.5), state media said on Wednesday, a limited deterrent to smokers in one of China's richest cities.

People found smoking in offices, conference halls, elevators and certain other public spaces will be fined 50 yuan ($7.36), though "businesses not meeting their obligations" will be fined up to 30,000 yuan, the official Xinhua news agency said, calling it "the nation's toughest smoking ban."

Guangzhou is one of China's wealthiest cities, with a per capita GDP of more than $10,000, so individual 50 yuan fines are unlikely to have much impact on most residents unless there are armies of enforcers combing the city.

The fines may be raised in the future though, Xinhua added.

Smoking is a national pastime in China, with more than half of men indulging in the habit.

A million people die each year from smoking-related illnesses, yet China's Ministry of Health only banned smoking in hospitals this May. No-smoking signs are routinely ignored throughout the country.

Less smoking could reduce smoking-related health costs, but would also hurt government revenues, as thetobacco industry still provides nearly one-tenth of China's tax revenues.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Florida race drops Che Guevara image after outcry

2010-09-20T01:40:00.002-04:00

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Organizers of an irreverent Florida auto race that used Che Guevara's image in its logo have dropped the Cuban revolutionary from promotional materials after public outcry.

They're also changing the title from the previous "24 Hours of Cuba of the North."

The December event at Palm Beach International Raceway is part of a national, tongue-in-cheek racing circuit whose entries cost less than $500. Most have zany names and emblems — like the "Southern Discomfort 2010" in South Carolina, whose logo features a cartoon hillbilly.

For many in Florida's native Cuban community, the image of Guevara with racing goggles around his neck crossed the boundary of good taste.

Officials tell The Palm Beach Post they're working on a new name and emblem.

___

Information from: The Palm Beach Post, http://www.pbpost.com

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Mystery eye problem at dairy show caused by cow urine

2010-09-19T01:39:00.003-04:00

SYDNEY (Reuters) – The cause of a mystery eye ailment that struck about 50 visitors to a dairy pavilion at an agricultural show in Australia has been traced -- to cow urine.

The Royal Adelaide Show had to close its dairy cattle pavilion after an rising number of people reported sore eyes when visiting the judging marquee.

Officials from the South Australia (SA) Health Department were called in to investigate and found the cause of the outbreak was stagnant cow urine.

Show spokeswoman Michelle Hocking told local reporters that a recent spell of wet weather may have created conditions within the pavilion where ammonia from cow urine was released.

About 30 people were treated on site by volunteers from the first aid group St. John Ambulance but about 20 went to the emergency department of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

"From our institutional memory we can't recall an incident of this nature before," Peter Jackson from the St. John Ambulance told Reuters.

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Farmer's 24 hour milk filling station a hit

2010-09-18T01:39:00.001-04:00

BERLIN (Reuters) – A German dairy farmer has come up with a novel way to drum up new business -- he opened a "milk filling station."

The "Milchtankstelle" near Cologne in the town of Neunkirchen-Seelscheid dispenses the output of 78 cows from a stainless steel vending machine. Customers can either bring their own empty containers or buy milk bottles to fill up.

"I only had a few customers before I opened the station because they had to come at set milking times, which was a problem," dairy farmer Bruno Stauf told Reuters. "Now they can buy my milk whenever they want."

The milk filling station is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customers can select the amount of milk they want to purchase at a price of 70 cents per liter. They insert the money, put their container under the nozzle and press a button.

"We were no longer getting very much for our milk from the local dairy," Stauf said, who like many dairy farmers in Germany has felt the squeeze of downward pressure on prices at discount supermarkets.

"For half a year were only getting 20 cents per liter and when it's like that, you have to do something else," Stauf said.

At 70 cents a liter, the milk from the filling station is more expensive than at some supermarkets, but Stauf, 55, points out the advantages of tapping a machine for fresh milk.

"There's a lot more protein and fat in it because it is not treated like the milk you get in normal supermarkets," he said.

Stauf said he invested 12,000 euros on his "milk filling station" but was confident it would pay off in the long run. His station is about 30 km outside of Cologne, one of Germany's biggest cities.

"Customers say that the milk on sale in supermarkets doesn't taste good any more," he said. "Supermarkets work on improving the shelf life, but people just want fresher milk. People come from as far away as Cologne to buy milk from my station."

(Writing by Michelle Martin, editing by Paul Casciato)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Black bear breaks into MT van, gets stuck inside

2010-09-17T01:38:00.003-04:00

GARDINER, Mont. – Montana wildlife officials say a black bear that broke into a dozen unlocked vehicles over the past two weeks was trapped, at least temporarily, when a van door slid shut with the animal inside.

The van was parked near a home north of Gardiner, which is north ofYellowstone National Park. The van's owner discovered the bear in the vehicle at about 11 p.m. Saturday.

The Livingston Enterprise reported a Park County sheriff's deputy and a Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden tied a rope to the door handle, took cover and pulled the door open. The bear ran off.

The interior of the van was damaged.

Officials say the van is used to haul garbage and odors likely attracted the bear.

___

Information from: Livingston Enterprise, http://www.livingstonenterprise.com

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

'Get Money' haircut identifies Seattle suspect

2010-09-16T01:37:00.002-04:00

SEATTLE – A woman who was robbed of $310 while sitting at a Seattle traffic light gave police a detailed description of the man who stuck a gun in her open window.

He had "GET MONEY" shaved into the hair on one side of his head. He also had "GET" tattooed on his right hand and "MONEY" on his left hand.

The Seattle pi.com reports a detective searched records using the tattoo information and identified a suspect who was later pulled over by a patrol officer in the Lake City neighborhood.

His "GET MONEY" haircut and tattoos matched, and 18-year-old Larry Shawn Taylor was identified by the victim in the Aug. 23 robbery.

Now, he's held in the King County Jail for investigation of robbery.

___

Information from: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, http://www.seattle-pi.com/

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Koranic teachers arrested over child begging

2010-09-15T01:36:00.001-04:00

DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegalese security forces have arrested seven Koranic teachers for forcing children to panhandle, a police official said on Friday, days after the West African state announced a crack down on public begging.

The predominately Muslim country is under mounting international pressure to end the use of children by Koranic teachers to collect money, rice and sugar after a prominent rights group said the practice was similar to slavery.

"We have arrested seven Koranic teachers who have sent children to the streets to beg," police spokesman Mbaye Sady Diop said. "They were handed over to the prosecutor to do his job."

Parents in Senegal have been entrusting their children to traditional Muslim schools, called daaras, for centuries, expecting them to receive food, shelter and teachings from the Koran, and to work on communal farms.

But forced begging began to emerge in the 1970s when crop failures led schools to move into cities and boarding students were called upon to panhandle to cover costs.

Human Rights Watch said in April at least 50,000 children in the country of 12 million were living in conditions "akin to slavery," facing severe beatings from unscrupulous teachers if they did not collect enough money.

Some of the religious leaders -- known as marabouts -- make as much as $100,000 per year on the proceeds while cutting back hours in the classroom, according to the report.

Senegal announced last week it would enforce an existing ban on public begging, "under threat from partners."

But opponents of the crackdown say with little formal employment and a virtually non-existent welfare system, many adults and children in the impoverished country have little choice but to beg.

(Reporting by Diadie Ba; editing by Richard Valdmanis and Ralph Boulton)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Firm can't fire man for 1.8 cent theft

2010-09-14T01:36:00.003-04:00

BERLIN (Reuters) – A German company that fired a man for the theft of 1.8 euro cents (two U.S. cents) worth of electricity had no grounds for sacking him, a court ruled, dismissing the firm's appeal against his reinstatement.

Network administrator Oliver Beel lost his job after charging his Segway, a two-wheeled electric vehicle, at work in May 2009. After he connected the vehicle to the firm's power source for 1-1/2 hours, his boss asked him to remove it.

Twelve days later Beel found himself without a job.

The court ruled that dismissal was disproportionate to the offence, especially given the "minimal electricity cost involved, the plaintiff's 19-year employment by the company and the fact other employees charged mobile phones and digital photo frames at the firm's expense without punishment."

(Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Peter Graff)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Inauguration

2010-09-13T21:02:00.003-04:00

A 20 year old man with left upper extremity cellulitis and an overlying bullous forming skin rash. An 82 year old female with diffusely metastatic colon cancer and an intra-abdominal abscess who refuses surgery and is not a candidate for chemotherapy. A 76 year old female with endstage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who was admitted for shortness of breath and subsequently developed acute pancreatitis, a particularly painful inflammation, whose only treatment is supportive. Luckily, morphine eases her pain and soothes her breathing.

Predicted mortality for all patients, 100%.

Two will likely die within 6 months. The twenty year old, who knows. But in the end, we will all die. The truth is, medicine cures very little. With the exception of some infectious diseases and disease and a few malignancies, there is little else. What we do is treat symptoms and hope they go away or that we find some excuse for them.

When did your doctor discuss a cure for your hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes? The truth is they didn't. There is no cure. When did your oncologist or nephrologist offer an atidote? At best you get remission and treatment.

It is common knowledge on the medical service that you can learn something from every patient. I believe that is true and say it at least once to every intern, resident and student I work with. What is learned is a purely unique experience. I would argue that the good physicians learn as much about themselves as they do about the case before them. It is a noble profession of which I am proud to be a part. That having been said, "Crazy people get sick too." You must keep an open mind.

For what it's worth, I am also a husband, father, and son.

I am a conservative republican who believes that gay marriage isn't a fight worth picking and that embryology will change the political landscape of abortion rights.

I am a hospitalist working in a rural upstate New York hospital. I am on the front lines of the coming healthcare catastrophe.

Over a year was spent on how best to insure an additional 30 million americans with no thought as to how best to care for them. There are not enough doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, aides, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers or home care companies to care for the coming increase in demand of medical services. This is a disaster waiting to happen and all we here about is bending the cost curve down.

I am a voter!

I am mad as hell, Joe DioGuardi and I am speaking my mind.

Thanks Matt and Mr. K.

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

German Communist party mistakenly hands out porn pens to kids

2010-09-13T01:35:00.003-04:00

BERLIN (Reuters Life!) – To sweeten their first day at primary school German children are normally given a cardboard cone filled with sweets, but schoolchildren in Essen this year opened their cones to find pens which project erotic images.

Children attending the Adolf Reichwein School in the northwestern German city were handed cones containing the pens by members of the German Communist Party, according to the school's headmaster.

Angry parents who discovered that the pens given to their six-year-old children could project erotic images of women informed the headmaster.

In a press release the German Communist Party stated that it had purchased the pens from a discount store, which had said the pens lit up at the push of a button.

"The German Communist Party deeply regrets what has happened and is outraged that this kind of thing, which borders on pornography, can be purchased in normal shops," it said, adding that its lawyers were now investigating whether the vendors could be prosecuted.

The party has offered to exchange the pens for something more suitable for children.

(Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Paul Casciato)

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

A class to die for: Zombies 101 at U. Baltimore

2010-09-12T01:34:00.001-04:00

BALTIMORE – Call it Zombies 101.

The University of Baltimore is offering a new class on the undead.

The course is being taught by Arnold Blumberg, the author of a book on zombie movies, "Zombiemania," and the curator of Geppi's Entertainment Museum, which focuses on American pop culture.

Students taking English 333 will watch 16 classic zombie films and read zombie comics. As an alternative to a final research paper they may write scripts or draw storyboards for their ideal zombie flicks.

The university isn't the first to have a class on the undead. Columbia College in Chicago has offered a course on Zombies in popular media for years, and at Simpson College in Iowa students spent the spring semester writing a book on "The History of the Great Zombie War."

From Yahoo!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

The Star Spangled Banner

2010-09-11T23:59:00.001-04:00

While this rendition of our national anthem took place after the beginning of the Gulf War, it is a beautiful rendition. God Bless America:

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: The Who Perform at the "Concert for New York City"

2010-09-11T21:31:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure you know, soon after 9/11 the media disallowed the showing of the tragic events of that day. Many have forgotten the horrors of that day, the shock that ran down your spine as you first learned that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. Many have forgotten what we are fighting against and why a War on Terror, which this President refuses to even say, was and is so necessary. But we remember. We remember the brave men and women who died when cowards attacked us that early September morning. We remember the tears we shed, we remember the love we held for every American that day.

From now until midnight, we will be featuring videos of that horrific day, lest we forget. This is The Who performing in honor of New York City:

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: Mike Piazza Brings Joy to New York the First Day that Baseball Returns

2010-09-11T18:38:00.002-04:00

One of my proudest moments of being a Mets fan. God Bless America and God Bless Mike Piazza:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3218879

Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video here, but it is amazing.

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: Photos

2010-09-11T16:33:00.000-04:00

How many of us have forgotten the sights and sounds of that horrible day? The cowards that attacked us, the heroes that died going up the Twin Towers, the heroes going down on Flight 93. To remember that day, here are pictures taken on September 11, 2001:

The Very Moment the First Plane Hits

The Second Plane Hits the World Trade Center

Our Pentagon is Hit

The San Fransisco Examiner

The New York Times

Mayor Giuliani Donald Rumsfeld

Our Flag Rises Above the Ashes

President Bush Speaks at Ground Zero

What a Real President Looks Like

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: Congress Sings "God Bless America"

2010-09-11T15:33:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure you know, soon after 9/11 the media disallowed the showing of the tragic events of that day. Many have forgotten the horrors of that day, the shock that ran down your spine as you first learned that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. Many have forgotten what we are fighting against and why a War on Terror, which this President refuses to even say, was and is so necessary. But we remember. We remember the brave men and women who died when cowards attacked us that early September morning. We remember the tears we shed, we remember the love we held for every American that day.

From now until midnight, we will be featuring videos of that horrific day, lest we forget:

Where has this unity gone?

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: President Bush's Speech on the Night of September 11

2010-09-11T12:28:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure you know, soon after 9/11 the media disallowed the showing of the tragic events of that day. Many have forgotten the horrors of that day, the shock that ran down your spine as you first learned that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. Many have forgotten what we are fighting against and why a War on Terror, which this President refuses to even say, was and is so necessary. But we remember. We remember the brave men and women who died when cowards attacked us that early September morning. We remember the tears we shed, we remember the love we held for every American that day.

From now until midnight, we will be featuring videos of that horrific day, lest we forget. Now this is a President:

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

We Should be Ashamed

2010-09-11T12:02:00.000-04:00

Exactly nine years ago to the minute, hundreds of people were dying. Many died of burns, trauma, or smoke inhalation. Just minutes later would almost 3,000 in total be murdered by an imperialist attack by the forces of Islamist terrorism. People jumped from the Towers in order to not suffer burns any longer-- people walked stunned over the Brooklyn Bridge-- over 200 firefighters did not return home.

And few remember.

We should be ashamed of ourselves. In the days following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, some of the most parroted lines were "Lest we forget" and "Never forget." By the end of 2005 it was apparent that the majority of Americans had forgotten, or just did not care.

Think about the resolve of the 90% of Americans who stood up to call for a blistering attack on the center of Islamist terrorism. That not only meant the Taliban, but state sponsors, like Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Time had come to finally destroy those who had funded this type of murder for decades.

Do you remember how idiotic the 10% of the rest of the country looked when they opposed attacking Osama? Those people formed the core of the anti-Iraq War detractors and the Kerry '04 and Obama '08 campaigns. They are just as stupid now as they were while Ground Zero was still smoldering.

President Bush made a roaring and strong speech just nine days after the attack, showing just what we had to do. Americans were supportive of it then, when we actually remembered the attack:

We're really so concerned that three terrorists were waterboarded? We're so concerned that Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the planner of the deaths of 3,000 Americans and the decapitator of Daniel Pearl, had a gunshot fired near him to scare him? I don't care. He murdered thousands of innocent people. I just don't care about him getting waterboarded, and neither should you.

We whine so much about the tools which prevented the next attack. We are disgusted by the lessons learned from the attacks.

Say what you want about George W. Bush, but he kept his promises. He promised that he wouldn't forget. He promised that he would make sure to avenge September 11th, 2001, and make sure that it would not reoccur on his watch.

He kept his word-- that is his legacy.

Originally posted September 11, 2009

Bookmark our site!

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Quote of the Day

2010-09-11T11:51:00.002-04:00

We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

-- President George W. Bush to Congress, September 20, 2001

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

9/11: President Bush's Bull Horn Speech

2010-09-11T09:27:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure you know, soon after 9/11 the media disallowed the showing of the tragic events of that day. Many have forgotten the horrors of that day, the shock that ran down your spine as you first learned that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. Many have forgotten what we are fighting against and why a War on Terror, which this President refuses to even say, was and is so necessary. But we remember. We remember the brave men and women who died when cowards attacked us that early September morning. We remember the tears we shed, we remember the love we held for every American that day.

Now this is how a President should act and speak:

I miss that man, I really do.

Don't forget to comment and to bookmark our site!

Consider advertising on our site!

Naming Our Enemies.

2010-09-11T08:14:00.005-04:00

2,977 American Citizens died nine years ago. Someone is responsible, yet no one wants to admit who the enemy is. We're always afraid to say it in public, private, or even to ourselves. A unique situation in America - we openly called the British, Confederacy, Mexicans, Spaniards, Germans, Japanese, North Koreans and Vietnamese, and the Russians our enemies.

So who are our enemies?

Easy:

Osama bin Laden.
al-Qaeda/Taliban.
Islamists/Jihadists.
Religion of Islam.

The War on Terror is not a war against any one Nation in the Middle East, but against any one Nation that supports, harbours, condones, or assists our enemies. And by condone, I'm talking about those who hold the same Islamist worldview as our enemies, those who follow the actual writings of the Koran. Unlike one modern Muslim who suggests certain passages from the "peaceful" holy book need to be burned and done away with.

Stop kidding ourselves - Islamists our are enemies. Islam is their religion.

Consider advertising on our site!