Happy New Year... let's just make it a good one.. especially in November!

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Paris joined Brussels on cutting out its NYE celebration. Instead, I guess, Paris raised its traditional "white flag" at midnight.

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L-E story: "Billionaire George Soros, a major donor to liberal causes, confided to a former Clinton aide that he made the wrong choice in supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries over Clinton. * Soros told Neera Tanden during a dinner sponsored by Democracy Alliance, a liberal group, that he "regretted his decision in the primary — he likes to admit mistakes when he makes them and that was one of them," --  Hmmm.. so Soros admits NERO-bamageddon was a mistake... and now he's wishing  to make amends to G.I. JILLary... hmmm what I read into this is Soros actually thinks JILLary was/is a bigger mistake than NERO-bamageddon in 2008, but doesn't have any other  choice for 2016.

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Online headline: "Stocks Sputter: Close Out Worst Year Since 2008" -- It's amazing what you learn when you get your news from somewhere other than the mainscream media...or NERO-bamageddon.

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Online story: " An inmate mistakenly released from a Washington state prison three months early has been charged with killing a teenager when the inmate should have been locked up, officials said Thursday" -- Good grief.. the "crime" wasn't releasing him by error 3 months earlt.. the "crime" was obviously a too short sentence to begin with! The (_*_)  had been convicted of robbery, burglary and assault, which pretty much implies a weapon was used, so since the (_*_) wasn't rehabbed with only 3 months "to go", then the original sentence was totally inadequate. Oh, by the way, the (_*_) was black and he killed a 17 year-old Latino kid... where was "No Other Lives Matter"?

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Online headline: "Jeb Bush blames Obama for rise of Trump" -- Good grief.. the rise of Trump has been caused by the Republican trend away from Republican voters'  views.

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Alabama manhandled Michigan State.. manhandled! Alabama didn't skunk any SEC teams all year.. Michigan State probably couldn't have won the SEC East this past year. At least the Chan]mpionship game will feature the Best of the South...

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HuffPOOPOO headline: "Turkey's President Calls Hitler's Germany Example Of Effective Government" -- Hmmm.. sort like Sharia Law on steroids...

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HuffPOOPOO headline/story: "Saudi Arabia Ends A Brutal Year Of Executions By Beheading A Filipino National  *  The country hasn't carried out this many annual executions in twenty years.  *  The country hasn't carried out this many annual executions in twenty years. *  More than 70 people executed this year have been foreign nationals like Zapanta," -- Hmmm... looks like the Muslims know how to handle immigration issues.... Happy SLEW Year!, and why Saudi Arabia hasn't jump into the ISIS fray...and why Syrian refugees aren't flocking to Saudi Arabia..

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L-E story: "The Nov. 8 Georgia ballot will include a statewide referendum on Gov. Nathan Deal's proposed "Opportunity School District" law that would let the state take over 20 chronically failing schools each year and control as many as 100 schools at a time. * Based on scoring less than 60 out of 100 points on the College and Career Readiness Performance Index the past three years, Muscogee County had 10 of the 141 Georgia public schools on the failing list when Deal proposed the law. They were Baker Middle School and nine elementary schools -- Davis, Dawson, Forrest Road, Fox, Georgetown, Lonnie Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., Rigdon Road and South Columbus." -- I knew and loved Lonnie Jackson....Lonnie Jackson's family should file a suit against the MCSD to have his name removed from the previously named Eastway Elementary School building.. For years. Lonnie Jackson spent his own time and money creating a year round weekend tutoring program and a 4-week "summer camp" for at risk students to get help to get ahead, and now the MCSD has basically besmirched his good name and efforts.

 

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L-E story: "Meanwhile, Columbus faces a tough budget year as council since the Great Recession has relied heavily on the city's reserve funds to balance the city budget. Since 2008, council has carved the fund balance from 135 days during which the city could operate without additional cash flow to just under 60 days currently. After those 60 days, the city's bond rating could suffer as the reserve runs out. When budget season hits for fiscal year 2017, council will have no wiggle room left.  * One budget challenge council will face is operating the city's aquatic center at full capacity. Council the past two years has budgeted about $825,000 to operate it, but has learned more than $1.2 million a year is needed to keep the facility running the 89 hours a week it has been." --  Good grief.. how does the L-E report on a spending crisis and not point a finger at the spendthrift.. Mayor TomLYINGson!  Her incessant projects.. like the Aquacenter, the non-taxable Whitewater course, the Dog Run, the bicycle trails, and the Queen TT Lounge which are all revenue negative  are albatrosses on the taxpayers of Columbus now, and will be forever.

 

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L-E story: "Local business leaders anticipate much-awaited prognostication when the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business Economic Outlook Luncheon comes to Columbus Jan. 29, one of 10 stops on the annual caravan.  * The forecasts typically have been on target for this area." == "typically have been on target"? I don't remember any forecasts that included spending money from the "fund balance" to make up for improper planning... and if the "forecast" is accurate, it will mention emphatically that the soldier reduction, and the continued selling of taxable properties to CSU will reduce revenues even more.