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Archive for December, 2011|Monthly archive page

today’s news … Saturday, December 31

In Uncategorized on December 31, 2011 at 5:30 am

today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

Quote for today… “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?” – attributed to poet Robert Burns 

  • “A Columbia woman will likely spend the holiday behind bars after she tried to take a police officer’s Taser during a Friday night fight at a Lancaster city bar.” - LancasterOnLine
  • At the Wednesday evening Special Council a citizen asked “What is the story about New Year’s Eve in Columbia?” An updated answer to is at the end of this post.
  • A bunch of area residents included in this sheriff’s holiday round-up – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  • LEGAL NOTICE, published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era, December 31, 2011 – “LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Columbia Borough Council will hold its organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 7 p.m. and its regular meeting on Monday, January 9, 2012 at 7 pm in the Borough Municipal Building, 308 Locust St., Columbia, PA. If you are a person with a disability wishing to attend and require an accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact the Borough Office at 684-2467. Norman B. Meiskey III Borough Manager.”
  • End-of-year lists are everywhere; here’s one we find interesting. “10 head-turning quotes from 2011” or I can’t believe he/she would say that! – Project on Government Oversight
  • Water company to get bigger? – “Columbia Water Co. is offering to buy its small neighbor, Marietta Gravity Water Co., for $3.5 million.” – My Columbia News
  • C’mon down to Florida! – “Sinkhole Swallows Two SUVs at Florida Rest Area” – Firehouse.com
  • Worth reading column on today’s Lancaster New Era Commentary page: “Baby boomers lament: welcome to age warfare.”
  • “dumass move” retracted – “After a customer backlash, Verizon Wireless on Friday dropped a plan to start charging Read the rest of this entry »

the history, traditions and factoids about New Year’s

In Everyday Living, History and Heritage on December 31, 2011 at 5:12 am

“Happy New Year!” That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year’s Day in modern America was not always January 1.

ANCIENT NEW YEARS

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year’s Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

THE CHURCH’S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, Read the rest of this entry »

“The world of free energy” could be … if not for the 1%

In Everyday Living, Opinions, Opportunities on December 31, 2011 at 5:09 am

(SOURCE: photo, Free Energy & the Open Source Energy Movement)

by Peter Lindemann, Global Research

“In the late 1880′s, trade journals in the electrical sciences were predicting free electricity and free energy in the near future. Incredible discoveries about the nature of electricity were becoming common place. Nikola Tesla was demonstrating “wireless lighting” and other wonders associated with high frequency currents. There was an excitement about the future like never before.

“Within 20 years, there would be automobiles, airplanes, movies, recorded music, telephones, radio, and practical cameras. The Victorian Age was giving way to something totally new. For the first time in history, common people were encouraged to envision a utopian future filled with abundant modern transportation and communication, as well as jobs, housing and food for everyone. Disease would be conquered, and so would poverty. Life was getting better, and this time, everyone was going to get a piece of the pie.

“So, what happened? In the midst of this technological explosion, where did the energy breakthroughs go? Was all of this excitement about free energy, which happened just before the beginning of the last century, just wishful thinking that “real science” eventually disproved?

“Current State of Technology

“Actually, the answer to that question is no. In fact, the opposite is true. Spectacular energy technologies were developed right along with the other breakthroughs. Since that time, multiple methods for producing vast amounts of energy at extremely low cost have been developed. None of these technologies have made it to the consumer Read the rest of this entry »

today’s news … Friday, December 30

In Uncategorized on December 30, 2011 at 5:25 am

today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

Quote for today… “Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.” – Paul Valery

  • Firefighter claim: Truth or Fiction? – Middletown (PA) Press and Journal
  • “Family-friendly” New Year’s Eve celebrations in Lancaster County communities: Lancaster, Manheim, Elizabethtown, Akron, Marietta – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  • FOLLOW UP: A month or so ago, Columbia news, views & reviews carried a movie review about “Margin Call.” Then the independent film was not playing locally; noticed in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era it is now showing at the Point of View Theatre in Millersville.
  • Image aware Florida sheriff declares “No ink!” – NBCMiami
  • Full transparency – the way it’s supposed to be. “York County DA’s son charged with DUI” – York Dispatch [NOTE: The DA knows what conflict of interest is; kudos to the DA.]
  • “David Hill of Columbia was awarded scholarships to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  • Kwanzaa candlelight ceremony promotes African heritage – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  • Verizon wants to charge you to be a Customer – Denver Post
  • Some local and topical “letters to the editor” in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era
  • More PR for THE – KidFriendlyDC
  • POLICE LOG: “EAST DRUMORE TWP.: David S. Gwinn, no age given, of Columbia, was arrested early Wednesday on Route 222 and Park Avenue. – MANOR TWP.: Cole Eshbach, 25, of Franklin Street, Columbia, has been charged as the result of a traffic stop Nov. 26 in the 2600 block of Columbia Avenue.” – Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era Read the rest of this entry »

an article just for backhoe and heavy-equipment operators

In Everyday Living, Government on December 30, 2011 at 5:08 am

A friend sent this video clip (below) along to us. If you’ve got nine minutes to watch this clip, you’ll see a backhoe doing a handstand atop a tower!

You’ll also see:

  • It takes an inordinate amount of skill to be a backhoe operator!
  • There are not as many government regulations in Germany; note the backhoe operator is not wearing a helmet! It’s likely that OSHA might have stipulated the wearing of a hard hat for the operator in this video!
  • While the audio is mostly German, you will get the gist of the dialogue. And for our readers who speak German, enjoy!
  • Love the game show: Wetten, dass …? According to wikipedia.org, “Wetten, dass..? (German for “Wanna bet that..?”) is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe.Its format was the basis for the British show You Bet! and the American show Wanna Bet?.”
  • Germany has some awesome companies; one of them is Liebherr. Here’s more about the company from wikipedia.org: “The Liebherr Group is a large German-based equipment manufacturer specializing in cranes, aircraft parts, and mining, with 8.4 billion euros in revenue for 2008. It has a workforce of 32,091 and comprises more than 100 companies. It was the world’s largest crane company as of 2007.

The Liebherr Group is a German manufacturing complex established in 1949 by Hans Liebherr. The Liebherr Group’s holding company is Liebherr-International AG in Bulle, Switzerland, which is entirely owned by members of the Liebherr family. Read the rest of this entry »

Lights and sirens and what to do

In Everyday Living, Government, Opinions, Opportunities on December 30, 2011 at 5:05 am

In case you missed it, there was a letter to the editors chastising a fire-truck driver’s actions in yesterday’s Intelligencer Journal/New Era. The writer took issue with the driver’s actions on a four-lane, divided highway – US Route 30 on the east side of Lancaster near the state police barracks and Wal-mart.

The editors assigned this title to the letter: “Fire-truck driver’s arrogance.”

The letter writer’s letter continued:

“Saturday morning, Dec. 10, around 8:30, as I waited for the light at the police barracks on Route 30 East, I could hear sirens. At that point, I did not know where they were.

“I proceeded west on Route 30 and saw that a fire truck from the Lafayette Fire Company on Lincoln Highway was entering also going west. I was in the right lane with no one behind me. The left lane was empty, as far as I could see.

“As I looked in my rear-view mirror, I saw that the fire engine was straddling the center line. I was forced on to the shoulder, as I did not want to play “chicken” with a large vehicle.

“The fire engine continued straddling the center line, under Route 340, and forced the car in front of me into the entrance lane. After that, there were numerous cars in the right lane — still no one in the left lane, as far as I could see — and the fire engine finally began traveling in the left lane.

“I arrived at my destination and told a friend about this. She said that I needed to notify Read the rest of this entry »

today’s news … Thursday, December 29

In Uncategorized on December 29, 2011 at 6:24 am

today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

Quote for today… “The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts.” – Benedict Baruch Spinoza, “Ethics” (1677)

Special Council meeting held Wednesday evening

In Everyday Living, Government, In Columbia, People on December 29, 2011 at 6:19 am

Last evening, the Columbia Borough Council held a special meeting in the Borough Office. Council president Mary Wickenheiser convened the meeting at 7:00 pm in the council chambers. The complete council was present along with the mayor and borough manager. Only four citizens were present.

The primary agenda topic of budget line item reconciliation was the primary topic on the agenda. The transfer of funds from selected budgeted line items to another required council approval. Borough manager Norman B. Meiskey III assured those attending that the transfers were necessary in order to assure that the borough would complete the year “in the black.” Council approved the changes to the budget. These other items were also introduced, approved and discussed:

  1. The council approved the extension of the market manager’s contract. Carmen Swinehart’s contract was extended until June 30, 2012. Councilor Kelly Murphy, chair of the Market House committee, stated this was necessary so that when the borough “hands over” control of the Market House to the newly organized Columbia Market House Trust, the Trust would not have the issue of market manager to deal with. The borough is paying all Market House expenses for the first six months of 2012.
  2. Council approved the hiring of an alternate part-time crossing guard, Jaye Read the rest of this entry »

“Marietta marks 200th anniversary with New Year’s Eve bash”

In Everyday Living, Opportunities, Treasures on December 29, 2011 at 5:08 am

“Marietta Borough will celebrate 2012 by turning the clock back 200 years.

“That might seem odd, but the residents of the river town, which was incorporated in 1812, plan to commemorate the 200th anniversary in 19th-century style.

“The Marietta Bicentennial Committee has been busy coordinating various events to mark the occasion. The group will sponsor a beard-growing contest, bicentennial ball, tours and other fun activities throughout 2012.

“But it all starts New Year’s Eve at the Susquehanna Waldorf School, where the school and Marietta Lions Club will host a chili tasting from 8 to 10 p.m.

“Guests of all ages are invited, and shouldn’t come on an empty stomach.

“‘You’re only getting a taste — not a full dinner,’ said Maria Wherley, director of school admissions and the committee’s public relations coordinator.

“Guests can cut out paper dolls and make their own pinwheels. They can play traditional games like jacks, dominoes and checkers.

“Linguistically-gifted folks might try some challenging old tongue twisters that put Sally and her seashells to shame.

“Try this one for practice:  ‘The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.’  (If that was tricky, take heed that some tongue twisters will be as long as 13 lines.)

“To conclude the night of old-fashioned fun, an iron pig replica will drop from the clock Read the rest of this entry »

today’s news … Wednesday, December 28

In Uncategorized on December 28, 2011 at 6:00 am

today’s news and information gleanings from here and there! 

Quote for today… “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be … The People cannot be safe without information. When the press is free, and every man is able to read, all is safe.” – Thomas Jefferson

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