Excused From Jury Duty

Several weeks ago, I received a summons for jury duty, requiring me to show up at the county court house tomorrow (July 2nd) if the "call-in" number on my summons fell within a range of such numbers that would be revealed today.  According to the court house's website, my number is outside the range, which results in my being excused for two years, without even having to show up.

My only previous experience with the jury system came during the late 1990's, when I was summoned and required to show up, the practice of revealing "call-in" numbers the previous evening not yet being established.  I remember that we jurors were initially told that eight trials had been scheduled for that week, but later on were informed that three of them had been cancelled because of one or two plea bargains and one or two out-of-court civil settlements.  (I don't remember which kind of deal there were two of, and which there was one of.)  Another trial was put on hold because the defendant did not show up.  As a result of all this, the courthouse had about twice as many prospective jurors as they needed, so before noontime had even rolled around, a large number of us including myself were excused.  I grabbed a quick lunch and soon afterwards showed up at work, and told my boss how things had gone.

Tomorrow, some of my co-workers might learn that there had been a possibility that I would not be at work,  but otherwise, everything will be normal.

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A Wedding Of "Epic Porkportions"

Vista, California residents Adrienne Dunvan and Eddie Quinones, who spent their first date eating a Puerto Rican pork shoulder dish called pernil, tied the knot this past Sunday at the Big Bacon Bite Fest at the San Diego County Fair.  The couple had won a contest to be wed at the Fest.  They had dated for six years before becoming engaged in 2011, and also have adopted four children, all of whom participated in the ceremony.  They will honeymoon this coming October around Baltimore ("the bacon capitol of the world") attending the 12th annual Pigtown Festival, which includes Squeakness, the Running of the Pigs.

Naturally, I hope they enjoy their visit to in Maryland, and will pig out (pun intended) to their hearts' content.

Read the story at San Diego County Fair, Yahoo! Shine and ABC 10 News.

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Train Derails Near Baltimore

This afternoon, a CSX freight train derailed in the Rosedale area of Baltimore County after striking a truck.  The derailment caused a loud explosion, closed down U.S. highway 40, and damaged several buildings near the tracks.  A total of 15 railcars were derailed.  The only casualty has been the driver of the truck, who was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma center.  Rosedale is east of the city of Baltimore, about a mile from the city line.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun, WJLA, WBAL, CBS Baltimore and ABC News.

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Maryland To Get Mega-Mosque

The government of Turkey is building a mosque estimated to cost $100 million on 15 acres of land in Lanham, Maryland.  The complex will include five buildings and an underground parking garage.  On May 15th, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan visited the site and gave a speech, in which he expressed his desire to return in 2014 for the opening ceremonies.

Read more at the Clarion Project, Last Resistance and Muslim Link.

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Thursday News And Links

A few stories out there:

From ABC News, the IRS official in charge of the division that deals with tax-exempt organizations when Tea Party groups were targeted for extra scrutiny now runs their Affordable Care Act office.

From the American Thinker, a lawsuit against the IRS accuses it of seizing the medical records of 10 million people.

From the Associated Press, an arrest warrant has been issued for former NFL player Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson.

From The Corner at National Review, the Speaker accuses President Obama and his administration of "remarkable arrogance".

From Fox News, the manager of the Fort Campbell sexual assault prevention program has been arrested for allegedly violating an order of protection against his ex-wife.

From the Washington Post, an investigation finds that terrorists who had entered the witness protection program and were given new identities were allowed to board airplanes in the United States.

From the Washington Examiner, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has signed legislation passed by the state legislature that has "some of the toughest new gun restrictions in the nation".

The Daily Caller asks if the IRS gave presidential candidate Mitt Romney's tax returns to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

From Newsmax, Catholic League director Bill Donohue claims that his organization was targeted by the IRS.

From Gateway Pundit, the IRS granted applications for tax-exempt status much more quickly for Muslim groups than for Christian or Jewish groups.

From Politico, a second federal court has ruled that President Obama's NLRB appointments were unconstitutional.

From The Guardian, Venezuela has been experiencing a shortage of toilet paper.

Continuing with the British media, a study reported by the Mail Online claims that strong men tend to have rightwing political views.

And from the International Business Times, Canada appears to be the place to watch for UFOs.

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Loys Station Covered Bridge

One of only six covered bridges still in use in Maryland, the Loys Station bridge was named for a nearby railroad station.  Originally constructed in 1848, the bridge may have been used by Union General George Meade pursuing Confederate troops retreating from Gettysburg.  In 1991, the bridge was damaged when a pickup truck was parked inside it and set on fire.  After undergoing repairs, the bridge was reopened in 1994.  The bridge's namesake railroad station is long gone, but the tracks are still in place.

Here's a view of the bridge from near its north end, with its east side in sunlight.

Looking directly through the bridge from its south end.

For more information on Loys Station Bridge, go here, and browse around the site to learn about the other five covered bridges in Maryland.

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Maryland To Tax Rain

When George Harrison wrote his 1966 song Taxman, he did not come up with anything as outlandish as what my state has enacted.  As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction.  Here in Maryland, starting this July, we will tax the runoff from rain, to pay for a project intended to decrease the amount of runoff that ends up in the Chesapeake Bay.  (H/T a12iggymom)

Read the story at the Daily Finance (including video below), the Gazette and Intellihub.

UPDATE:  Sorry to say, but the video is no longer available.

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Wednesday Links

Some stories in the news from earlier today:

From Human Events, a crook invades the home of a Colorado prosecutor and meets the Second Amendment.

From Investors Business Daily, as Obamacare crumbles, its namesake goes back to fundraising.

From CNN Money, most individual health insurance plans don't cover everything required by Obamacare.

From the New York Post, basketball player Kobe Bryant praises Magic Johnson's son EJ for coming out.

Also from the New York Post, and from the "you can't make this up" department, five schools in Norway have rescheduled their mid-term exams to allow students to attend a Justin Bieber concert.

From My Fox NY, a school in Ohio has taken down a portrait of Jesus which had been displayed since 1947.

From World Net Daily, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad goes on trial (in absentia) for crimes against humanity.

From the Washington Times, an Islamic cleric has given permission for Syrian rebels to rape non-Sunni women.

From the Jerusalem Post, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu promises a strong response if rockets are fired into Israel from Gaza.

From the Military Times, North Korea has stopped workers from South Korea from entering an industrial complex in the north, but used by both countries.

From Fox News, the U.S. Military will deploy a missile defense system in Guam, in response to threats from North Korea.

From WKRG, the Carnival Triumph has broken away from her dock.

From the Daily Currant, Egypt has issued an arrest warrant for American comedian Jon Stewart.

And from the Canada Free Press and my neck of the woods, at a hearing by the Maryland legislature, a 15-year-old witness testifies in favor of gun rights.

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Gun Makers Threaten To Leave

Gun manufacturers in Maryland and Colorado, in response to efforts in each state to pass strict gun control measures, have announced plans to relocate if those bills become law.  Both Virginia and West Virginia would welcome Beretta's possible relocation from their facility in Accokeek, MD.  Based in Italy, Beretta already has a place in Fredericksburg, VA.  Meanwhile in Erie, CO, locally-based Magpul has already told the state government that if the bill is passed, they will leave.  The company's founder and president, Richard Fitzpatrick, has stated, "It's not really a threat.  It's a promise."

Both stories come from Fox News.  Read about Maryland here and about Colorado here.

Note to lawmakers in both states:  The law of unintended consequences is a bitch.

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Monday News And Links

Featuring the impending Sequester and other topics:

From Reason, a report from the Office of Management and Budget includes a section about sequestration's effect on an agency that no longer exists.  (A federal agency was discontinued?  Merged into another one, maybe?)

From the Daily Caller, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy says that the Sequester amounts to less than what the federal government borrows in a month.

CNS News reports that some government personnel will not be effected by the Sequester - Barry and his predecessors.

From the American Clarion, the Republicans in the Virginia legislature have voted to implement a 3.5% sales tax and to expand Medicaid in accordance with Obamacare. Looks like Virginia now has two tax-and-spend parties.

From Operation Rescue, over on my side of the Potomac, the Maryland Board of Physicians has placed an abortionist on probation after complaints of "substandard care and verbal abuse".

From Slate, the story of a cholera epidemic in Haiti that has claimed over 8,000 lives, and was caused by the UN.

From Rightwing News, 20 of the best pictures from last weekend's "Day Of Resistance" rallies.

From the Washington Times, Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls for New York State to adopt the same ban on large-container sodas now in effect in New York City.

From Weasel Zippers, Vice President Joe Biden says that Americans are "no longer worried" about the economy.  He may be right.  Many of us might either be angry as hell, or just scared out of our minds.

From Business Insider, Secretary of State John Kerry talks about an Asian country that does not exist.

From the Guardian, when First Lady Michelle Obama presented the Oscar for Best Picture to the movie Argo, about a rescue of hostages from Iran, the Iranian media photoshopped her image.

And from SFGate, a man in Portland Maine, charged with disorderly conduct for loud whistling, has reached an agreement with city officials.

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MD Teacher's Union Wants "Fee" From Non-Members

The Maryland State Education Association wants school employees who are not members to pay a "fair share fee" equivalent to about 68% of the local union dues.  Under current Maryland law, union-negotiated contracts cover all teachers, member or not, and the union must represent non-union teachers in grievances.  Such fees are already required in nine counties and the city of Baltimore.

Delegate Sheila Hixson (D-Montgomery Co.) has introduced a bill that would make the fee requirement the law throughout the state.  The law would not require anyone to join the union, and would not introduce any additional fee for those already paying one.  The money collected via the fee would not go into political activities.

Read more at the Washington Examiner.

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Maryland Goes To The Big Ten

The University of Maryland, a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, has accepted an invitation of join the Big Ten in 2014.  Rutgers, a.k.a. the State University of New Jersey, is also expected to join, giving the Big Ten 14 teams.  Rutgers would be leaving the Big East.  Here's the story and some reaction:

From ESPN, Maryland accepts the Big Ten invite.

From the NY Daily News, Maryland leaves the ACC, Rutgers expected to follow.

In Yahoo Sports, Pat Forde writes that the two schools will "cash in on their incompetence".

In the Washington Post, Johnny Holliday calls Maryland's move a "no brainer".

In Forbes, Patrick Riche says it's "Win-win-win" as they all "cash in".

In the Baltimore Sun, Kevin Cowherd thinks that Maryland has been blinded by dollar signs, and former ACC Commissioner Gene Corrigan is "flabbergasted" about Maryland and the Big Ten.

From the Baltimore Business Journal, University of Maryland president Wallace D. Loh says that the move will boost the school's academics and athletics.

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It's Almost Time

Tomorrow, tens of millions of Americans will go to the polls to decide whether to give Barack Obama a second term as President, or to turn the job over to Willard Mitt Romney, formerly the governor of Massachusetts, but also known for his work at Bain Capital and with the 2002 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.  If Obama wins and then serves out his full second term, it will be the second time in our history that there have been three consecutive 8-year presidencies.  The first time this occurred was in the early 1800's with Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe.  If Romney wins, he will become the first challenger to unseat an incumbent president since Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush in 1992, and the first Republican to do so since Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in 1980.  It seems that Romney is doing well in the polls, but the only poll that counts is the one we have tomorrow.

Strictly speaking, we don't really choose the president.  In each state, we choose a set of Electors that will be sent to the Electoral College, where they will elect the president.  Each state gets a number of Electors equal to its total representation in Congress.  The smallest (by population) states have three, equal to its two Senators plus its single Representative in the House.  Due to a Constitutional Amendment, the District of Columbia is given the number of Electors it would have, if it were a state.  With two notable exceptions, a state's set of Electors is determined by the total popular vote in the state, with the winner taking all.  Maine and Nebraska each determine two Electors, corresponding to their Senators, according to the statewide popular vote, with their other Electors determined by the popular vote within each Congressional District.  I have even heard some prognosticators say that Obama will carry Maine, but one of its Districts and thus one Elector could go for Romney.

There are several states that could go either way, but Maryland is a virtually certain Obama carry.  Although we did elect a Republican governor (Bob Ehrlich) a few years back, the state is overall very "blue".  My presidential vote will presumably be overruled by my state's pro-Obama voters.  Even so, there are still many "down-ticket" races and referendum questions that deserve my attention, such as in-state tuition for illegal aliens (known under the politically correct euphemism "undocumented immigrants"), granting civil marriage licenses for gay couples, and an expansion of legalized gambling.  I thus have ample reason to get my big feet down to the polling place.  Like the right in general, I will be pulling for Romney to unseat Obama, even though my own vote may have little consequence.  But whether you're in a narrowly contested "swing" state, or one that is solidly in one camp or the other, voting is still one of the most important things a citizen of this republic is allowed to do.  So whether or not you agree with my choices, if you're eligible, get out there and cast your vote.  After all, in some parts of the world, voting as we know it doesn't exist.

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Fall Foliage

Now that fall has arrived, the trees here in Maryland are undergoing their annual change of color.  These are a few that I've seen in the general vicinity.  This one has turned bright red-orange:

Here are a few that are changing at different times - the green one on the left, the reddish one on the right, and the yellow-green one in the background.

This one has partially changed, with some leaves having turned orange and the rest still green.

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Roll Out The Bridge

Later this month, the Maryland State Highway Administration will replace two bridges that span the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  This operation will not involve the costly, time-consuming and traffic-clogging process of tearing them down and then building the new ones.  Instead, the old bridges will be rolled away and the new ones rolled in.  This will be Maryland's first "bridge on wheels" swap, but it has been done in other states.

Read the story at the Baltimore Sun.

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This Date In History

On 17 September 1787, 42 of the 55 delegates to the Philadelphia convention held their final meeting, to sign the document which the convention had produced, the United States Constitution.

and

On 17 September 1862, Union forces under General George McClellan and Confederate troops under General Robert E. Lee fought the Battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg, Maryland.  (The south would call it the Battle of Sharpsburg.)  This date is still the bloodiest single day in American military history.  Although the Battle of Gettysburg took more lives, it was spread out over three days, none of which equalled the single-day total at Antietam.

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Fort Frederick

In 1756, during the early days of the French and Indian War, the Colony of Maryland built Fort Frederick to protect its western frontier.  The outer walls of the fort were built of stone instead of wood, which was more commonly used at the time.  During the Revolutionary War, Fort Frederick was used to house British prisoners.  It was auctioned off in 1791, and the surrounding land became a farm.  Although Union soldiers were often in the area during the Civil War, as they were trying to protect the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the fort remained in private hands until it was purchased by the State of Maryland in 1922.  During the 1930s, with the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps, Maryland converted Fort Frederick into a state park.

Today, two barracks remain, each with two levels.  This is the westside barracks.  The upper level of the eastside barracks houses a small museum.

This is the one entrance to the fort, a gap in its southern wall, with top of the southern end of the eastside barracks seen behind it.

Outside of the fort is the gift shop and a few other small buildings.

After leaving Fort Frederick (and stopping by Cumberland, as stated in today's earlier post), I drove up into Pennsylvania, where I saw a lot of these contraptions:

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Along The C&O Canal

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal once connected the Georgetown section of Washington, DC with Cumberland, Maryland.  It was intended to go all the way to Pittsburgh, where it would have ended at the Ohio River, but construction was discontinued after it reached Cumberland.  Today, what remains of it, including its towpath, is a National Historical Park.  During the 1990s, I explored all of it by bicycle, except for a small region that was closed off due to its own deterioration.  Every once in a while, I go down to the canal and take a hike, or maybe just see a few sights.  One place along the canal I recently visited is the Cushwa Basin in Williamsport, Maryland.  Very close to the parking lot, which is just off US 11, is the Conococheague Aqueduct, named for the creek it spans.  The aqueduct appears to have stopped some flotsam from reaching the nearby Potomac River.

This is the top of the aqueduct, showing the modern walkway.

A few hundred yards east of the aqueduct is an old railroad drawbridge.  A system of cables and pulleys lifted the bridge straight up to allow canal boats to pass under it.  Today, the bridge and its rail line are no longer in use.  Boards nailed to the railroad ties allow pedestrians to walk across it.  In this picture, the modern bridge behind the drawbridge is US 11.

I also took a swing by Cumberland, to see where the Chesapeake and Ohio towpath met the much more recently constructed Great Alleghany Passage, which will allow hikers and bikers to reach Pittsburgh, the original intended western terminus of the C&O.  This is the Western Maryland railroad station, with a statue of a canal-boat-towing mule and his human handler.

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Obama's Latest Beer Summit

From the Des Moines Register via the Washington Examiner:

While campaigning in Iowa yesterday, President Obama bought beer for 10 supporters at the State Fair.  This caused some people to change their "Four more years!" cheer into "Four more beers!"  He also ate a cold pork chop.

The only problem is that, as reported in USA Today, the presidential visit may have cost the owner of the beer tent about $25,000 in sales.

Meanwhile, back here in Maryland, a recently passed law allows farmers to brew up to 15,000 barrels of beer in a calendar year, if they meet certain requirements.  From the Baltimore Sun:

The law, which took effect July 1, allows Maryland farmers to produce up to 15,000 barrels of beer in a calendar year. Farm-based brewers must feature home-grown barley, hops or fruits in their beer. The brewers may sell their beer for consumption both on and off the farm, offering a boost not only to the farmers but to the state's burgeoning craft beer industry.

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Cal Ripken's Mother Found Safe After Abduction

Victoria Ripken, the mother of baseball Hall of Fame member Cal Ripken Jr. was kidnapped from her home in Aberdeen, Maryland yesterday between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., by a gunman who forced her into her own car and drove off, but found safe this morning at around 6:15 a.m. in her car not far from her house.  Her hands were bound, but she was otherwise not physically harmed.  There was no known ransom demand or any relationship between the kidnapper and the Ripken family.

Mrs. Ripken's late husband Cal Ripken Sr. was a manager, coach and scout for the Orioles organization.  Another son Billy Ripken also played major league baseball, including some time with the Orioles.

Read the story at CNN and the Washington Post.

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