The Faker Forces D Game

According to The Morning Call,  Lehigh County Commissioners are being forced to play defense against Cedarbrook's new union. Prior to Don Cunningham taking office in 2006, Cedarbrook was not unionized. Cunningham's predecessors, to insure the continuation of a historic vital service, passively resisted attempts to unionize Cedarbrook for twenty years, by thoughtful management-labor communications. Cunningham's first act as County Executive was to encourage and accept a CardCheck, dooming Cedarbrook to Gracedale's fate. Now, only five years after Cunningham's first election, County Commissioners must deal with the consequences of The Faker. With a wink to the union, Cunningham has said that neither side will get everything they want.

related post by Bernie O'Hare

Prescription for Doctor

Abraham Twerski was a Chief Rabbi of a Hasidic branch of Judaism, and an world renowned Torah Scholar. He is also a medical doctor specializing in Psychiatry. He was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, and founder of the famed Gateway Rehabilitation Center. He is author of over 60 books. In one book he writes about his own low self esteem. If the good doctor had only taken the time to run for Allentown City Council, not only would it have improved his self-esteem, he might instead have delusions of grandeur.

A Man for the Times

Recently, a king maker in New Hampshire looked over Rick Santorum, and said that he had the right look to run for President. Nobody is saying that about John Bolton, but he has the right stuff. Bolton, in addition to being a former United Nations Ambassador, was involved in national security positions with both Bush Administrations. He may well be the most informed candidate, on national security issues, the Republicans could hope to find. He believes that Obama's foreign policy emboldens our enemies, and the recent North Korean aggression seems to bear that out. Domestically, he favors repealing old laws, not passing new ones. Although Bolton feels that Obama has put world interests ahead of that of United States, he realizes that after three and half years in office, Obama will be very articulate about world affairs. Nobody would have more international expertise, to go toe to toe with the smooth talking Obama, than John Bolton.

The News

It's not easy to find the news anymore. MSNBC hosts the condescending Olberman and Maddow from the far left, while Fox has it's right wing showmen. CNN has decided that comedians are qualified to analyze the state of the nation. Viewers looking for insight, are instead given a performance by Bill Maher or Jon Stewart. As a guest on a national news hour, young viewers must assume that these clowns are informed. This weekend, Bill Maher explained away the shift in independent voters from Democrat to Republican, as people who "don't pay attention." I'm glad that Bill and Jon are now pundits, because they were never that funny as comedians.

The Trees of Israel

Northern Israel is in a state of emergency as the worst ever fire in the country's history incinerated a bus carrying dozens of young cadets of the Israel Prisons Service on their way to evacuate inmates, killing everyone on board, destroying thousands upon thousands of dunams of forests on the Carmel Mountain ridge and injuring dozens.
                                                                  The Jewish Federation

The photograph above, taken in 1937, shows the hills of Ephraim being prepared to plant trees. The trees of Israel were planted by hand, one by one. The fire, which is still burning, has destroyed half the forest on the Carmel Mountain, over five million trees.
Please consider planting a tree in Israel, either through the Jewish National Fund or the non-denominational   Trees for the Holy Land.

The Train of Lehigh Parkway

This holiday season, as people drive over Schreibers stone arch bridge to get in line for Lights in the Parkway, few will be aware of the industrial past surrounding them. The Barber Quarry railroad branch line crossed the road, just beyond the bridge. On the left was the Union Carbine's Linde plant, the concrete loading dock is still visible. Although the last train ran in the early 1980's, the wooden railroad trestle is still there, to the west and south of the bridge. The area is now used as part of the disc golf course. The photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in 1976, and is part of the Mark Rabenold Collection.