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

Question for today… “‘It’s physics. A body at rest stays at rest. But it’s also entropy. Everything tends towards chaos.” – David Patti, lobbyist, commenting on the effects of special interests groups losses in the new state budget, in this Harrisburg Patriot-News column: “Lobbyists lick their wounds and dream of another day.”

• Entropy: “a doctrine of inevitable social decline and degeneration.” – Dictionary.com‘s fourth definition

• ” … Frick resented the critics who claimed that burning the bridge was unnecessary.” – Millersville University’s Friends of Ganser Library’s “Friends Folio” account in the 140th anniversary of the burning of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.”

• “Once across, I intended to mount my men, if practicable, so as to pass rapidly through Lancaster in the direction of Philadelphia, and thus compel General Meade to send a portion of his army to the defence of that city. This programme was defeated, first, by the burning of the bridge, and second, by the imminent prospect of battle near Gettysburg.” – General John Brown Gordon’s “Reminiscences of the Civil War: Electronic Edition.”

• Fireworks injuries sent more than 5,000 people to U.S. emergency departments in the 30 days surrounding the Fourth of July last year, with firecrackers, aerial explosives and homemade devices causing most of the harm, consumer safety experts said.” – NBCNews

• Here’s more from the National Fire Protection Association – NFPA

• Corbett signs state’s budget; what’s in it? – The Morning Call, Allentown

• It might be crude, tasteless, and vulgar, but it’s not illegal. But don’t you just wonder “Why?”  (Above) Window stickers on a vehicle at River Park for all the families with kids, visitors and guests to see. Not the best advertisement for QRS either.

• “A newspaper published the following statement: The burning of the bridge has given rise to a rumor that its loss would have the effect of impairing the credit of the Columbia Bank.” – PA Civil War Trails

• “A Tribute to Wrightsville: Our little town of Wrightsville has played a pivotal role twice in our country’s history.” – Wrightsville Borough Website

• “Thousands gather to remember the burning of the Wrightsville bridge, role in history” – 21 News

• “Another militia unit had withdrawn hastily across the Susquehanna at Wrightsville, burning the bridge there behind it. The town caught fire, and Brig. Gen. John G. Gordon’s men helped to save it from the flames.” – Two officers barely mention the bridge burning in this 2010 Gettysburg Staff Ride.