Online headline/story: " The Islamic State leader on top of the US kill list is...  * Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi may be the face of ISIS, but Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the terror group's director of external operations, is the man most likely to cause harm in the West. The U.S. wants al-Adnani dead because he's considered the author of the strategy of wanton murder that has left more than 500 dead in attacks around the world since October 10 — and apparently helped inspire last week's massacre in San Bernardino. * "He is at the top of the list," confirmed a senior intelligence official.
"We are tracking him," said a senior U.S. military official. "We believe he is in Iraq." -- Good grief.. if the (_*_) was in the US.. yeah put him on the wall of "Most Wanteds" at the Post Office, but why does the White House antagonize and alert the (_*_) so he's more careful, and, unfortunately, more inclined to create more dastardly crimes in the US?

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Online headline/story: "Coveted slugger signs with World Series contender 8 Free-agent outfielder Jason Heyward will reportedly leave the St. Louis Cardinals and sign a whopping eight-year, $184 million contract with a rival. *  Free-agent outfielder Jason Heyward will sign an eight-year, $184 million deal with the Chicago Cubs  *  Heyward, 26, chose the Cubs over returning to the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he hit .293 with 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 2015" -- Good grief..this is why I'm no longer a baseball fan.. a .293 batter/13 homer/60 RBI player is not a star and certainly not an $184,000,000.00 man. Ted Williams, Willie Mays.. I miss y'all!

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Online story: "The website for Trump Towers, Donald Trump's glitzy signature skyscraper in Manhattan, went offline for about an hour on Friday after activist hacking group Anonymous denounced the real-estate mogul and Republican presidential front-runner for his anti-Muslim comments." -- Good grief.. isn't this the same group that announced it was going after ISIS a couple of weeks ago? Maybe "Anonymous" is not so anonymous to Islamic jihadists and fears another Charlie Hebdo moment..

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"Black Lives Matter"? What we need is for black organizers to swarm the neighborhoods of Chicago and other major cities, and Planned Parenthood Clinics with the message of "Life Matters...PERIOD!"

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Online headline/story: "Officials fear ISIS has ability to print passports  * An intelligence report obtained by ABC warned ISIS might have technology that allows them to print passports.  * The report also says individuals from Syria may have traveled to the U.S. on fake passports. When ISIS took over Raqqa and parts of Deir ez-Zor last year, it gained access to the cities' passport printing offices." -- Good grief.. I wondered whether any of our government officials were reading my comments, but now we know. ISIS is a government and has access to all the components to print "legal" passports for it's jihadists to pose as refugees and enter into most countries that are "feeling" they are compassionately "helping".

 

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To my way of thinking, a "refugee" is a person seeking temporary safety until it's safe to return home. That said, how do Syrians qualify as "refugees"? Think about it....none will ever be able to go back to Syria. The fake ones are here on "missions", so trying to return means they failed and will be put to death, and as for the ones that left for actual safety reasons, if they get to try to repatriate, the Syrian government will consider them "westernized" and will be put to death.

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From the liberals' "conflicted glee" department - Online headline/story: "Houston-based Hilcorp Gave Every One of Its Employees a $100k Christmas Bonus  *  The company told us earlier this year that if employees meet certain goals, that every one of them would receive a generous $100,000 bonus." -- Heh heh heh.. wow a company that fulfills all liberaldom's expectations for corporate wealth distribution... and it's a "big oil and gas" company.. whatta dilemma for Hollywood, the Sierra Club, Bernie and JILLary.

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Online headline: "Mark 6uckerberg Voices Support for Muslims" -- Anyone know of a FB alternative we can support?

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Online headline: "THROUGH THE ROOF Calif. gun sales soar after San Bernardino massacre" -- Wow.. maybe there is "hope" that Californian voters will "change" their Congressional representatives that have made buying a protective weapon so difficult for law abiding Califormia citizens. Pelosi and Feinstein are on the chopping block in 2016.

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After reading the L-E posted lies Mayor TomLYINGson tried to pawn off in her forum by claiming that her proposed high speed rail would be profitable in its first year, I wish the L-E wish would get a profitability chart from AMTRAK, and a statement from Warren Buffett about why he moves only freight on his railways, and present it to Mayor TomLYINGson for rebuttal.

 

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L-E headline/story: "Swim team president asks city not to cut natatorium hours  *  Proposed cutbacks on hours of operation at the Columbus Aquatic Center would put a damper on a burgeoning swimming community and could impact young swimmers’ chances at college scholarships, according to the president of the Hurricanes": --  Ok.. Yeah...why not keep it open 24/7 but raise the fees on the users/swimmers so it's profitable rather than a burden on the taxpayers!

 

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On the above site is a support message from a  Facebook user named "William Ashley". "Ashley" wrote, "Google the NAIA swimming and diving championships website. It has some great links to Columbus. For what the private contractors are charging, one would think that Parks and Rec could hire a few more folks dedicated to the aquatic center. Also, what about incorporating some volunteers from the community?. The 2016 & 2017 NAIA Championships here are a real opportunity to showcase this fine facility, and generate more exposure and usage." .. In response, I wrote: "The NAIA is small potatoes... the taxpayers will have to lose over $1,000,000.00 over the 2-year period to keep the natatorium open for a competition that might bring in a few thousand "tourist" dollars..

 

BTW "William Ashley" is basically a ghost on Facebook - no work, no schoools, no hometown, no relationships nor any friends - .. for all we know "Ashley" could be a staffer for the L-E or our  Mayor.. heck, "Ashley" may be an alter-ego of the Mayor."

 

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I'm tired if hearing career Republican pundits and officials saying that Donald Trump is an embarrassment to the Republican Party when it's been the traditional career Republican politicos that have embarrassed the party since regaining the majority of both chambers of Congress..McCain, Graham, Boehner, McConnell and a couple of Supreme Court appointees have embarrassed this country way more than Trump ever could.

 

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At the place I won my case against a speeding tictket, the CPD is back running a speed trap on Mobley Rd today. My wife saw a motorcycle cop aimed westward at motorist entering the 30 MPH zone from a 45 MPH stretch. It sems the CPD is more inclined to write revenue producing tickets than to simply put up better... clearer speed limit signs. After all, wouldn't it benefit Columbus more if people voluntarily kept the law?

 

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Online story: "Securing transit funding will be a top priority for the Metro Atlanta Chamber during the General Assembly session that begins next month, 2015 chamber Chairman Larry Gellerstedt said Thursday." -- Good grief.. was the Metro Atlanta Chamber chairman asleep when the new gas tax was put into place July 1st? What is about taxpayer funded groups like this, and our own Chamber of Commerce that they believe higher taxes is a draw for new commerce? Don't they realize that companies check what the taxes are and whether their employees can enjoy life on their take-home pay?

 

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Oh, and speaking of transit projects,, how about the lack of efficiency in two major widening projects here in Columbus.. the near completed Moon Road widening is a joke, and the Whittlesey Road widening is not only 40 days past the 6-month/$1,000,000.00 extension it was granted, but it looks more and more like it;s going to be worse than the Moon Road project.

 

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Online story: " Marietta (GA) City Schools officials urged local legislators on Thursday to address the millions of dollars in cuts their school system has endured when the lawmakers return to the Capitol next month." -- Hmmm... let's see proof from the Marietta School officials that this years test scores were worse because of their money "cutbacks", because the scores certainly weren't improving during the years BEFORE last year.

 

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Remember just before Thanksgiving when I posted pictures of a MCSD truck with a North Carolina boat hooked up to the trailer hitch? Well, I got an immediate response for Superintendent Lewis, but since than, I have not heard one bit of response.  There has been one MCB meeting since then and another is scheduled for this Monday. I've requested time to ask about it but I haven't even been acknowledged for my request. I have but 4 words to say about this at this time... "Total System Forensic Audit"!

 

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L-E headline: "JURY: MOTHER GUILTY OF MURDER, CHILD CRUELTY" -- Wait.. don't dismiss this jury without getting all their names so they can be reassembled in cases involving intanicide at Planned Parent hood Clinics!

 

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L-E story: "The design and testing phases are over for Goldens’ Foundry in Columbus. Now, the company that dates to 1882 is ready to roll out a new outdoor cooking product — a cast iron cooker — that it thinks ultimately will be a sizzling heirloom passed down from one generation to another. * “Goldens’ is thrilled to bring cast iron durability to the cooker market,” said Ed Boyd Sr., vice president of operations at the foundry located at 600 12th St. in Columbus, where the cookers are being manufactured. “Everyone knows that cast iron is a superior cookware material. Now, that strength and quality, made here in America, are available for outdoor chefs.”

 

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/article49276115.html#storylink=cpy

 

Disclosure: The owners are kinfolk, and proud of making these , not only in Columbus, but America!

 

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L-E guest commentary headline: "Dems toppling a major pillar of Obamacare" -- Good grief.. after 6 years, it's about time the Democrats read their bill. Unfortunately,, in this case, it's just to appease the unions and their Cadillac plans.

 

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You know.. after a steady diet of whacko John Tures (associate professor of political science at Lagrange College) commentaries, it's becoming quite obviously apparent that the powers that be at Lagrange College must not read the newspaper.. otherwise, it would demand that the "first team" of the PolySci department be its spokesperson.

 

 

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L-E story: "   One local school is among the 243 in the state to be honored this year as a Title I Reward School for academic achievement or progress while teaching students from a significant percentage of low-income families. *  " -- Common Crap Math must be how this was computed!  Even Jordan High has a better Mean Score Average, and only two of our MCSD high schools scored above the state average (Columbus High and Northside High). Rewarding failing schools is paramount to awarding participation trophies to the last place teams as well as the champions.. and it's obvious there needs to be a shake-up in the last place teams administrative line-up. The only thing sadder than this is that three other local high schools, Carver, Spencer, and Kendrick, had lower test scores than the Early College Academy,, as Shakespeare wrote "what's a name"...

 

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L-E story: " A Foxy Lady dancer was placed behind bars Thursday for allegedly dancing topless, according to an arrest report. *  Police said they apprehended her and later learned that she had several out-of-state warrants." -- Wait a minute.. I thought all employees at places serving alcohol had to apply and get an "ABC" card to work.. Two things here.. why weren't her priors noted at that time, or if she didn't have one, why weren't the club owners/manager arrested at the same time?

 

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L-E story: " A 14-year-old Columbus boy was punched and kicked Thursday night during a robbery at Shirley Winston Park, according to a police report.  * Columbus Police said they were called to the victim’s Hitchitee Street home around 9:45 p.m. Thursday to speak with the boy’s family about the robbery. Officials were told that the incident happened at the 5025 Steam Mill Road park earlier that night between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.  *  The suspect or suspects punched and kicked the boy before fleeing the scene with his school books, $500 Galaxy S5 cellphone and $28 in cash, according to police." -- "$500.00 cellphone.. $28.00 cash..wanna bet this teen is on a free or reduced meal program at a Title 1  school? Oh, and will the MCSD get retribution for the school books or do the taxpayers get stuck... again?