ASD Tax Hike, The Bad/Good News

wlvr.org (By Stephanie Sigafoos)
Allentown residents take the good with the bad after school district OKs 2022-23 tax hike "The math works out to an increase of about $178 per household for a home assessed at $155,969, which is the district average. However, property tax relief funds — via the Taxpayer Relief Act — also increased by about $187, Stanford noted, helping to ease or even completely erase the tax hike for many homeowners enrolled."

Good job of reporting by Stephanie.

Most of the local media reported only the increase.

Will They Ever Write Great Songs Like The 80's Again?

What a great era
May never be another like it

Pro-lifers don't like complexity: One Woman's Story

Pro-lifers don't like complexity. At 17 weeks my placenta detached and he was much too small. I thought I felt my baby's frantic attempts to breathe. My OBGYN advised me to terminate the pregnancy, there wasn't much time. But I couldn't.

— Suzanne (@SJohnsdottire) June 25, 2022

Every doctor told me it would only get worse. And it did. But I already loved him. I'd waited 8 years for him. They saw on the Ultrasound that his umbilical cord was yards long. An umbilical cord spinning out a lifeline helplessly. He'd stopped growing. But his heart continued to beat even as his movements - frantic at first when the oxygen cut off, slowed, and he became horribly still. I hated the doctors who couldn't save him.

An infection spread from the placenta to him. I began to understand, to believe them - that I would die too. I felt that we were dying. But selfishly I waited for more tests, and more tests, dozens of them. In a natural world without medical science, fluid tests, ultrasounds, in a world like the one God may have intended we would have died without the nightmare of knowing beforehand. But we are in this world. When my fever rose my family insisted. I was a mother already. My child needed me. My family arranged with New York Presbyterian Hospital for us to fly to Kansas because I was now in my 24th week and he would not have filled my palm. I dreamt of being filled with ice, and death. His organs were shutting down so there was no amniotic fluid. He was in a dry and poison uterus, suffocating. I was panicked by the thought of his suffering.

We arrived in Kansas - an arid place I had only imagined through "The Wizard of Oz". I was delirious, things were getting worse. The doctor in Kansas was kind, but sad. He carried a shotgun because he'd once been shot in both arms. Our taxi driver slowed to a crawl and rolled all the windows down as we arrived at the clinic. I didn't know why. My son was in the car with us. I hadn't realized we were coming to one of those places from TV with angry people outside. They brandished signs cruelly displaying the bodies of tiny fetuses. Pumping the signs up and down and shouting.

They saw my son in the car and began shouting at him, "Your mother is killing her baby!". A nurse pushed through to shield us and guide us into the clinic. A psychologist spoke to my son. The process took a week. There is no such thing as "partial birth". I held his tiny body. We had a private service with a minister. He was like a bird in my hands. My son. I had never felt so empty. A trickle of blood ran out of his nose and I wiped it.

Back in NYC some too observant people in my building knew. My milk had come in. The mail carrier who delivered his ashes to me knew, and I could see she wanted me to know that she disapproved. I saw she also felt sorry, but like she was supposed to despise me. We'd always gotten along. I closed the door and held the box under my robe and sobbed on the floor. "Don't worry, he just forgot something. He has to go back to get it, then he'll come back." my son was wise. I felt so much sadness.

15 months later I had a baby. I was nursing him in the glider, and the song "Frankie and Johnnie", was playing. I picked up the NYTimes. On the front page I saw that the doctor from Kansas had been killed while ushering in church. A suspect was in custody in the killing of George Tiller, a doctor in Wichita, Kan., who survived a 1993 shooting. Murdered by a man who traveled miles to kill the baby killer, hunting him down on a Sunday morning.

People think of abortion as ending life, but it saves women's lives, mothers' lives. There is life today because of Dr Tiller. Where there would have been only emptiness and death.

This was one woman's story. I'm sure there are plenty more. Life isn't as simple as half witted politicians, judges and others believe it to be. This shortsighted decision by three judges who lied at their comnfirmation hearings will be responsable for a number of more untold avoidable tragedies. My hope is their conscience will haunt them for what they have done for the rest of their lives. Assuming they even have a conscience!

Overturn of Roe vs Wade: Will Make IVF Illegal?

Folks what the supreme court has done goes far beyond abortions.

It presents a whole host of problems. Will pregnant cancer patients no longer be allowed treatment? Several hospitals already stopped them as of yesterday. Can various prescription pills be denied by states during pregnancy. What about embryos growing outside the uterus which will eventually cause organ failure killing the mother?

These problems could be solved if states grant exceptions... BUT WILL THEY? They don't have to.

It was said over the last 50 years there were some 30 million abortions. Imagine if you will if half or more were forced to be born mentally/physically incapacitated. Another 10 or 15 million others mothers refused accept left to remain in tax supported orphanages. The disabled perhaps institutionalized (at tax payer expense) for their entire lives. From neither an economic level or sociological level have I to see a positive outcome.

There are dozens of more issues many of which I'm certain have yet to be brought to light. 

SCOTUS They Aren't Stopping With Roe v. Wade

Robert Reich

We were led to believe the supreme court is nonpartisan. With today's ruling conservatives on the bench proven themselves partisan as any one else in Washington.

Another thing he didn't mention is HIPPA laws could be in jeopardy as well.

I Don't Mean To Brag, But...

The KYOTO TACHIBANA Sr. H.S. Band (Japan)

Things I noticed making them outstanding to my way of thinking...

(1) None had sheet music on their instruments. They had to memorize all the music in their 20 song performance.

(2) They had to as well remember every dance move as they played their instruments (no easy task).

(3) Sometimes high school bands are a bit pitchy (out of tune). Not this one. They were pitch perfect.



In Beppu, Japan Oct 31, 2021


Not only do I find them amazingly talented but so too their high school musical directors. They've made this one of the most professional looking bands in the world.

Supreme Court Says Maine Cannot Exclude Religious School Funding

cnn.com
Supreme Court says Maine cannot exclude religious schools from tuition assistance programs "The 6-3 ruling is the latest move by the conservative court to expand religious liberty rights and bring more religion into public life, a trend bolstered by the addition of three of former President Donald Trump's nominees."

So I assume this applies to schools that teach Muslims, Islam, Satanism, Scientology, Morman, Branch Davidians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Amish, Church of Euthanasia, Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca, Heathenism and countless more.

Seems like a windfall for them. Taxpayers, not so much since it's a non-deductible forced religious donation.

Joe Biden Falls Off Bike In Delaware

I thought I'd clear this up before it gets out of hand. First of all you can plainly see the right hand pedal strap snag his foot when he stopped to chat.




He is fine folks


I'm sure pundits will blow this out of proportion. Seeing both videos now you know what actually occured.

President Bill Clinton on Gun Safety

Is Google's Chat Bot A New Form Of Life?

Star Trek NG already dealt with this issue


So the question becomes are we humans the only species capable of expressing intellgience and feelings? Are animals not also capable of being sentient as well?

It seems to me no matter the receptacle (organic or otherwise) each could be equally defined as capable of expressing feelings and intellgience. It further seems to me whether organic or machine is of little matter. Only the fact both can.

Of course there is the human ego driven instinct for survival which might wish to deny it is possible. It then follows quite possibly machine intellgience may be so driven towards self survival as well. This could lead to devastating consequences in the future. One could say we'll simply switch these machines off. What if we can't?

Bernie Sanders Being Bernie Sanders

We're constantly led to believe Bernie is a radical left wing socialist. I think not.

About Those Gasoline prices

Is that why fuel at the pump has rocketed in Europe as well, then?

— Irrefutably Wright (@kingswing72) June 13, 2022

Car Insurance Big Payout To Woman Who Caught STD

nypost.com
Geico ordered to pay $5.2M to woman who claims she caught STD during sex in car "A Missouri woman who claimed she caught a sexually transmitted disease when she had sex with her boyfriend in his vehicle has been awarded a $5.2 million settlement from her now-ex-partner’s car insurance company."

Didn't know car insuarnce was suppose to cover that. Preganacy too?

Rep. AOC Spoke On Gun Reform

Following testimony from victims of the Buffalo & Uvalde shootings

“For all the billions and trillions that this body authorizes in the name of National Security, we can’t even keep our kids safe from their schools being turned into a war zone.”

Following testimony from victims of the Buffalo & Uvalde shootings, Rep. AOC spoke on gun reform ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/f5pmY8Hbqt

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) June 8, 2022

ASD Unauditable Transportation Cost

triblive.com
Tens of millions of Pennsylvania school dollars 'unauditable' "A May performance audit of Allentown City School District reported $8.5 million in transportation reimbursements that was “unauditable” over a four-year period... A previous audit in 2016 noted similar issues with the Allentown school district when it was overpaid by $1.76 million for transportation reimbursements pertaining to nonpublic and charter school students."

So what else is "inauditable" and needs to be addressed?

Pardon me for being concerned where my $57 a week ($247 monthly) is going. Is my property tax being spent wisely?

I also find it interesting as of the time of this post none of our local media reported this. It came from a Southwestern Pennsylvania news source. Why is that?

Another Video From Inside Ukraine

Count your blessings.
I don't need to hear people bitching about Biden or gasoline prices when there's far greater suffering in this world.

U-Haul Rents Them Truck w/Stolen Plate

Another example how easy it is to screw up your life in ways few would imagine possible. One of the comments was from someone who pointed out they hadn't noticed an expired license plate on the one they rented. I suppose the inspection sticker so too would not line up, thus also putting the rental insurance into question. Perhaps even automatic highway toll license readers creating further problems. What a world!

Cops Arresting INNOCENT People Using Google Data

Andrew Flusche Attorney at Law

Cellphones, street cameras, license readers, electronic parking meter monitors, speed cameras, traffic light cameras, E-Zpass, Apple AirTag, CCTVs, built in car service & location monitors, seat belt stored speed sensor, internet sites, etc.

Rodney Dangerfield Jokes

The thing I liked about Rodney was all his jokes were at his expense. Never anyone else. Something many of today's comedians seem to know little about. I'm up to me ears with political jokes too.

Yo, Over Here.. Attention Please

It's been a seriously slow couple of months. Check out my 'Blog Archive" on the right. None of these topics are worth exploring?

I've been at this for 14 years with over 4,400 posts I've never seen it this slow.

Maybe because I'm not posting enough negative bullshit.

Is that it?

About That 2nd Amendment

He spoke these words to PBS in 1990

brennancenter.org
How the NRA Rewrote the Second Amendment "The Founders never intended to create an unregulated individual right to a gun. Today, millions believe they did. Here’s how it happened."

This Guy Bought Brand New $2,000 Electric Pickup

From alibaba.com


A follow up 3 Months later..

Sssh don't tell anybody, I saw one of my neighbors sneaking up the alley with one of these things to go grocery shopping.

This compared to...

Could This Explain Mysterious Dark Matter?

Our universe is expanding at greater and greater speed rather then slowing down. Scientists attempt to explain this as a result of dark matter we can't measure nor yet understand. Could this be the explanation for it?

Yet Another Morning Call Reporter Has Left

A bittersweet moment just now as I filed my last story for The Morning Call. It's been 11 1/2 years, give or take a couple of months, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm moving on to work with @ByJohnLMicek at @PennCapitalStar and look forward to joining the team there. pic.twitter.com/nqDa7GMomm

— Peter Hall (@phall215) June 3, 2022