“We are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to
th[e] foundation of the family. They are mentors and role models…
But if we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what many
fathers also are is missing – missing from too many lives and too
many homes…. We know the statistics – that children who grow up
without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and
commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and
twenty times more likely to end up in prison… We need [fathers] to

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Fox is reporting a 5.8 earthquake in Mexico City...no further details...

General Motors Corp. announced plans to phase out its Pontiac brand and cut 21,000 U.S. factory jobs by next year as part of a major restructuring effort.

There are numerous news links on the story, so any search will confirm the news.

I had two Pontiacs and thoroughly enjoyed them. But that was back in the 1970s.

Yet today we have judges who would be kings. They're not satisfied to just referee; that's too small a role for them. They want to be agents of activism, molders of men, shapers of society -- and they want the ego satisfaction attending such status. They want to be respected by their peers around the world, fellow members of the global judicial class.

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"''That speech was phenomenal, Barack,' I told him,'' Reid writes. "And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: 'I have a gift, Harry."'

Source: The Swamp

Lynx and logging share interests
Natural habitat is at risk as clear-cutting fades
By Murray Carpenter, Globe Correspondent | April 27, 2009

[Maine’s Canada lynx] population is heading for a crash...

[I]t's a lack of clear-cutting.

Biologists say [Maine] lynx are thriving Maine because...industrial clear-cuts following a spruce budworm epidemic 30 years ago have grown into hare-rich thickets. [R]egulations reducing the size of clear-cuts...are eliminating...thickets and...hares...

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In case you folks have missed it, there is a diary at Daily Kos about how the GOP, and in particular Susan Collins, cut funding for pandemic preparedness from the stimulus bill.

Just for grins I "googled" my nick here and the phrase "asmainegoes" together, and I couldn't believe the number of media outlets that it popped up on. From USA Today to the most obscure blogs, AsMaineGoes is used as an information source, nationwide.

Nice job Scott. This should also be a reminder that "words mean something" and if you say something here it may be read by many more than the few you intend to arouse here at Scott's house. It just goes back to the old addage that you shouldn't say something online that you wouldn't say in person, or in public........ ;-)

David Frum: The earth, the moon and the stars — all for a mere US$6.5-trillion
Posted: April 25, 2009, 9:00 AM by NP Editor
David Frum, Full Comment, U.S.politics

Barack Obama’s hundred days have not gone as badly as Napoleon’s. But they’ve been more expensive

Hey — anybody remember the origin of the phrase, “the hundred days”?

If you guessed Franklin Roosevelt’s burst of New Deal activism in 1933 — you guessed wrong.

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...from about 10:30 this morning till about 2:00 this afternoon. I use time warner for cable and internet and I'm located in Arundel. Tried calling their 800# and got a message stating "Service is unavailable at this time." Tried calling a couple of friends from my cell (land line numbers) and got the same message and became concerned. Come to find out both use time warner for their phone service as I assume time warner does too. Oh well, back up and running.

Does make one appreciate AT&T cellular though.

Anyone know what caused the outage?

thanks

charlie

U.S. president, senators eat rat infested food

They try to find solutions and fix problems in places afar like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Tibet and where not. But the hundred most powerful men and women called U.S. senators continue to eat food infested by rats as they do not seem to know what is happening in their own kitchen.

As soon as the guests leave and dusk sets in, the rats take over the kitchen at the impressive, colonial-style and almost imperial Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington DC.

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South Portland official settles embezzlement case, claims no impact on city job
Published: Apr 24, 2009 12:00 am - By Randy Billings

SOUTH PORTLAND — Dana Anderson, the director of the city's largest municipal department, has settled a lawsuit that accused him of embezzling more than $37,500 from a local nonprofit association of basketball officials.

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Dispatch center blasted by Maine sheriff's office

By Associated Press
April 26, 2009 8:51 AM

AUGUSTA, Maine - Officials of the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office are sharply criticizing a state-operated dispatch center in Augusta, saying officers and the public are endangered by lapses there.

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Courier Connection
http://blog.biddefordsacooobcourier.com

Friday, April 17, 2009
Mainely Media names new editor (April 17, 2009)

Andrea Nemitz has joined Mainely Media, LLC as managing editor for its six weekly newspapers.

Nemitz has worked in Maine journalism since 1983. She was news editor at the Sun Journal Sunday newspaper in Lewiston and a senior editor at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram from 1986-2008.

Nemitz and her husband, Bill, live in Bar Mills.

http://blog.biddefordsacooobcourier.com/2009/04/17/mainely-media-names-n...

Even from Great Britain, it's clear that Obama is destroying the country.
If al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the rest of the Looney Tunes brigade want to kick America to death, they had better move in quickly and grab a piece of the action before Barack Obama finishes the job himself. Never in the history of the United States has a president worked so actively against the interests of his own people - not even Jimmy Carter.'Twas the pantywaists what elected him...

To commemorate her birthday , actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was 'My Favorite Things' from the legendary movie 'Sound Of Music'. Here are the lyrics she used:

(Sing It! - If you sing it, its especially hysterical!!!)

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

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NOTE: This item’s also posted for discussion on page 4 of this ongoing thread here:
http://asmainegoes.com/content/listen-civic-center-same-sex-marriage-hea...

Action likely to be quick in Maine's Legislature on gay-marriage bill
BY SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer
April 25, 2009

Action likely to be quick in Maine's Legislature on gay-marriage bill

AUGUSTA -- Lawmakers are expected to take swift action on a bill that would allow gay marriage in Maine... [I]t's a sensitive issue and...they need to make way for votes on the budget/bonds.

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Elderly Pasco County man accused of shooting and killing neighbor, 29, whose pit bull killed his goats.

Authorities say his next-door neighbor, 81-year-old John Croft, shot Sigmon multiple times with a .22 revolver.

Croft is a registered Republican. Sigmon is a Democrat.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article995441.ece

Check out the response Michelle gave the child who asked what will happen if something bad happened to the country?". Her response was, "Well, first of all, I'd wake my husband up if it were at night, and I'll tell him, hey buddy you're the President, get down to the Oval office and, and call some leaders."

Can you believe that? Nothing in that answer about him being the leader! Very telling. She obviously doesn't see him as one, and she knows him better than we do.

Starts around 18 seconds