Will East Grand Get Money For Closing Schools?

Here's one that should get the hackles in Grand Lake to come up:

"The U.S. Department of Education today said Colorado has been awarded $6 million for school turnaround work.

Districts must apply for a share of the School Improvement Grant money, which will be distributed by the state.

The four intervention plans to pick from are: a transformation model; school closure;[Check] turnaround model that replaces principal and large portion of staff;[Is that the 'financial' reason for the departure of three principals in Granby?] or a restart model that allows schools to close and begin again as charters."

Did the administration already have this money in mind when they persuaded the board to shut Grand Lake down? I would think so, since the money has been available since 2009. Is this behind the recent removal of the two primary and one assistant principle in Granby? Wouldn't this have been a material disclosure for the district to have made when discussing school closures? With administration officials referring to well informed members of the public as liars, this just brings up more questions.

There's a bit of a silver lining here in that Grand Lake could apply for grant money to transform their elementary into a charter school.

Sky Hi News | Censoring You One Comment At A Time

Are you perplexed by why the Sky Hi News and its sister sites turned off their comment systems, effectively censoring the public discourse occurring under their online articles?

For an answer, look no further then the Summit Daily News, where they sum up their total lack of understanding of the online space:

"...online comments have been a vexing feature of our website for years. On the one hand, they do provide a wonderful forum for discussion of news and opinion. On the other, they can provide a platform for an awful lot of unsavory and insulting language[Perish the thought!], both from regular readers and from “trolls” from all over who bounce from site to site commenting on topics of interest to them (and these folks tend to be the nastiest of the nasties). Because our commenting software did not require a “real name” convention, most folks appeared under anonymous screen names — a situation that often facilitated what many might consider to be the polar opposite of civil discourse[What, exactly, is the definition of civil discourse?].

Summit County Real Estate 'Professionals' Reveal Stupidity

Boy oh boy, it just keeps getting better and better. I like to read up on the goings-on in other mountain communities here in Colorado, and the Summit Daily News is always a good place to go for a laugh or two.

Tonight, I happened upon an article titled 20 percent downpayment idea worries Summit County real estate experts. This precious piece quotes three types of 'experts;' realtors, mortgage brokers and the Summit County Housing Authority.

High Speed Video | Orion Launch Abort Live Fire Test

This goes along with my earlier story on the Ares I and Orion programs at NASA:

To Jesse Lee: Bite Me

Obama has appointed a new czar to oversee his online image.

Titled Director of Progressive Media and Online Response, Jesse Lee will be monitoring the online buzz about his boss in order to quickly help prevent any truthful or unedited content leaked to the web from harming the President's image.

In this age of smart phones and high speed Internet, the ability of the establishment to manipulate their messages before public consumption has been greatly diminished.

In order to show he means business, and that his boss approves of a 1984 future, Jesse took to twitter to post this:

Meet Reggie | He's A Smart Guy

But no relation:

Grand Lake Elementary To Close

According to the Sky Hi News, the East Grand School District board voted to close the Grand Lake Elementary school in a 4-2 vote.

And just like that, the ad hoc committee made up of representatives of the towns, county, Grand Foundation and school board, looks like a group of fools.

I wonder if The Denver Post or Channel 7 will be covering this event with the same fanfare as the $500,000 bailout?

Grand Lake has been granted a unique opportunity if they'd still like to use that building for education.

Have You Hired A Social Media Expert For Your Company?

In a blog post titled Why I Will Never, Ever Hire A "Social Media Expert," Peter Shankman points out what the hype is really about:

Hate The Patriot Act? Think The TSA Should Be Disbanded? You Can Stop It

A four-year extension of the Patriot Act is set to expire this Friday unless the Senate debates, passes and gets it signed by President Obama by Friday.


It only takes one Senator to stall this legislation, and we have two at our disposal: Udall and Bennett.


Why should Congress scrap this legislation? Because it is in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, and does NOT enhance your or my safety. As Benjamin Franklin said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

The Beauty Of Decline | Detroit

Michigan Central Train Station, Detroit

The above photo tour is reminiscent of many former civilizations: Egypt, Greece, Rome... It's quite striking to actually be alive during the decline of an empire...

James Delingpole | Genius In One Paragraph

It's a rare thing to find someone who can succinctly describe the problems of a society in one paragraph, but British subject James Delingpole does so with aplomb in this missive about Obama's visit to Ireland:

"I’ve argued before that Tony Blair and Barack Obama have an awful lot in common. Both are lawyers; both are snake-oil-salesman; both claim to be post-partisan, and Third Way and consensual; both play the acceptable, moderate-seeming public face of a regime chock full of Communists, class warriors, single issue rabble rousers, malcontents, communitarians and eco-loons hell bent on destroying every last vestige of what once made their country great. And both do (or did) the things dodgy political leaders always do when the going gets tough at home and their domestic audience finally wises up to how totally useless they are: they hop on the plane and pose as international statesman instead."

UPDATE | Winter Park Pizza Hut Closed Due To Economy

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It's official; Pizza Hut is out of business due to the economy. I had a nice conversation with owner Randy Barrett, and he said they just couldn't keep bleeding the way they were any longer.

Pizza Hut has been in business for 32 years--23 of which he's been the owner. If Mr. Barrett can't make it, after having gone through some tough times before, that calls into question many of the other businesses in Winter Park and the rest of the county. 

Pizza Hut is a canary in the coal mine. It's time for people to wake up and realize that things have changed permanently, and we should stop being in denial about it.

Illegal Alien Begs President For More Free Money

In a story titled Undocumented Student Writes The President, Channel 7 describes how an illegal alien who just graduated high school has written President Obama asking for an exception:

"I'm the first to graduate from my family but being an undocumented student, I'm not able to get grants and scholarships because they're very limited and competitive," said Vasquez. "We don't get state or financial aid at all, because we don't qualify for it."

From Each According To His Ability, To Each According To His Need

Wouldn't it be great if every person in our society contributed to it to the best of their ability? And wouldn't it be wonderful if they only consumed from the rest of society in proportion to their own need?

This is what the healthcare bill has set out to do... Newt Gingrich says this about it: "People must be forced to buy or simply be given health insurance so they don’t free-ride on society." 

Sheriffs Out Of Control | Shoot First Make Excuses Later

Here are some headlines to get your juices flowing on this fine Sunday morning:

Attorney: SWAT raid found guns, body armor

Tucson SWAT team defends shooting Iraqi vet 60 times

Ind. Sheriff: If we need to conduct RANDOM HOUSE TO HOUSE searches, we will

The first two articles are regarding an early morning SWAT raid on a home of a suspected  drug dealer in Arizona. The homeowner, a two time Iraqi war veteran, was sleeping when he was alerted by his wife to an armed person outside her window. The neighborhood they lived in had recently been victim to a deadly home invasion, so he rightfully grabbed his gun and went to confront the intruder.

Spain? Isn't That In Europe?

For those of you who think that Grand County and Spain have nothing in common, think again.

Spain is currently sitting on a 22 percent unemployment rate because of--get this--the bursting of their housing bubble. Of all the European countries, Spain's real estate boom--and ensuing bust--was the biggest. European banking exposure to Spanish debt is probably the worst out of all of the PIIGS.

You Are The Only One Who Can Stop This

Sometimes You Just Need A Change In Perspective

Obama | Killing People In Sovereign Nations With Unmanned Drones Not War

war

noun /wôr/  wars, plural A state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state - Japan declared war on Germany - the two countries had been at war for six years A particular armed conflict - after the war, they emigrated to America A state of competition, conflict, or hostility between different people or groups - she was at war with her parents - a price war among discount retailers A sustained effort to deal with or end a particular unpleasant or undesirable situation or condition - the authorities are waging war against all forms of smuggling - a war on drugs

Winter Park Pizza Hut Out Of Business

Ever since I was a little kid, I've been going to the Pizza Hut in Winter Park. When I was about five years old, I use to be allowed to go behind the counter to grab handfuls of their signature peppermint candies after we'd eaten there. I've occasionally taken my own children in there to pass on the tradition. Those days are now over.

As of May 15th, owners Randy and Toni Barrett have shut its doors forever:

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I don't know if I can recall a time when I drove through Winter Park during normal business hours and didn't see the 'Open' sign lit up in the window.

I went to school with the Barrett's son, and have tried to contact them to see why they're going out of business. I'll let you know what I find out as soon as I can. I have a feeling the economy is beginning to take a real toll on many of the businesses in Grand County, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 8.9 percent tax imposed in the town of Winter Park didn't have a part to play here.

Good bye Pizza Hut and good luck to the Barretts--we'll miss you!

Ah The Hopes Of Dreamers | Or Where'd The Billion Dollars Go?

The year 2002 was something... We'd narrowly avoided a total collapse of the economy after the events on 9/11 after then Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan lowered short term rates to historical lows and set off inflating what would become the housing bubble. Over the next five years ensued a speculative mania in real estate that would dwarf any mania in human history; its bust initiating in the fall of 2007.

For anyone with a little bit of money, the year 2002 was ripe with possibilities. One of those visionaries was Jerry Jones, who's dream would turn into the now notorious Grand Elk development. Back then, the loose money policies of the Fed made it possible for anyone who could fog a mirror to sign on the dotted line for loans of just about any size.

Grand Lake Town Manager Calls Out District Leadership

Boy what a difference a couple of months makes. In February, when I penned How To Piss Off A County, I said this about what I saw coming to fruition:

 "If I were asked to develop a plan that would most effectively alienate and aggravate the largest number of people in Grand County, I'd be hard pressed to devise a better alternative to what has happened over the last couple of months.

Divide and conquer is a powerful weapon... one which is inadvertently being used to great effect by the leadership of both the East Grand School district, and representatives of the towns and county.

Prepare for school closures, and get ready for the fallout folks."

Do My Eyes Deceive Me? Jimmy Lahrman Speaks Up

I've always felt keeping silent can do far more damage than speaking out. Only by stating where we stand may others know where to find us. Today, I know where to find Winter Park Town Councilman Jimmy Lahrman. He's standing in nearly the same spot I am.

In a letter to the Sky Hi News, Mr. Lahrman says this about the current leadership at the East Grand School District:

Paging Senators Bennet And Udall | War Powers Act

Today officially marks the 60th day since the United States went to war with Libya--yet President Obama has not asked for or received approval from Congress as required by the 1973 War Powers Act.

Unless the White House asks for, and receives, approval from Congress, the President must cease operations within 30 days from today. Period.

I've put in a phone call to the offices of both Senator Bennet and Udall to ask about their stance on the matter, and if they plan to query the White House about this pressing issue. The assistant in Bennet's office offered to query the Senator and get back with me. Udall's office offered to pass on my comments.

If you'd like to do the same, you may call Senator Bennet's office in Grand Junction at (970) 241-6631. Senator Udall may be contacted in his Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-5941

Real ID | As Unconstitutional As TSA

Florida Libertarian Party Chair Adrian Wyllie approaches his argument from a rational, mature standpoint. He will not submit to the requirements of the Real ID act because it violates his 4th Amendment prohibition against unusual search and seizure.

Colorado, rightly, has already refused to implement this blatantly illegal act. Florida has not done so, and it is up to citizens to exercise their right by refusing to submit to its requirements.

Recession Back In The Headlines

We've most likely entered another recession, but it will be a while before it is recognized as such by the mainstream news media. Here are some headlines foretelling of the slowdown:

ECRI Says Global Slowdown Will Hit This Summer (Mish)

Bring Out QE3: Philly Fed Plummets: Prints at 3.9 On Expectations Of 20 (Zero Hedge)

Here It Comes... RECESSION WARNING (Market Ticker)

Weekly Claims See Fall, But Jobs Picture Remains Weak (CNBC)

You Got To Keep Your Taxes | Now Come Pick Up Your Trash

Today on Cranmer in Meadow Ridge:

This must not be your neighborhood since you never came and picked up your trash.

Setting Things Right | How To Fix The Problems In Our World

From the Google Dictionary:

mor·al

noun /ˈmôrəl/  /ˈmär-/  morals, plural A lesson, esp. one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience - the moral of this story was that one must see the beauty in what one has A person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do - the corruption of public morals Standards of behavior that are considered good or acceptable - they believe addicts have no morals and cannot be trusted adjective /ˈmôrəl/  /ˈmär-/  Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character - the moral dimensions of medical intervention - a moral judgment Concerned with or adhering to the code of interpersonal behavior that is considered right or acceptable in a particular society - an individual's ambitions may get out of step with the general moral code Holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct - he is a caring, efficient, moral man Derived from or based on ethical principles or a sense of these - the moral obligation of society to do something about the inner city's problems Examining the nature of ethics and the foundations of good and bad character and conduct - moral philosophers

in·teg·ri·ty

noun /inˈtegritē/  The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness - he is known to be a man of integrity The state of being whole and undivided - upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty The condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction - the structural integrity of the novel Internal consistency or lack of corruption in electronic data - integrity checking

Moral integrity is the bedrock upon which all human societies rest. Each society has stories that define its collective morals, and from them the integrity of each individual can be gauged. A society who's citizens and leaders routinely stray from these principles as a matter of course is a society in jeopardy.

Where, honestly, do you stand relative to our societal moral compass?

Response From Senator Bennet | Free Hot Air For Your Balloon

I'm Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator

Yesterday, I made a post titled Senator Bennet | Tossing The Political Football, and discussed the political theatre he created by asking tax evading Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner what would happen if the debt ceiling were not raised. Today, his office answered. It couldn't be a personal answer because he's SO busy introducing legislation, giving meaningless speeches on the Senate floor and such.

His highlighted response, with my commentary throughout, is below.

Dear Reggie:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the national debt.  I appreciate hearing from you.

I'm an intern and could give a rats ass who you are. These form responses are so annoying, and so are you!

Our national debt, which exceeds $14 trillion, is one of the greatest challenges that our nation faces.  As the father of three young daughters, I fear that not addressing this issue soon will prevent our kids and grandkids from having the same opportunities that our generation has enjoyed. 

Commissioners Have To Sign It To Know What's In It...

I have a point here, so humor me by seeing the parallels:

Do you recall when Nancy Pelosi made this statement about the healthcare bill:




She signed it, but apparently some of her wealthier constituents didn't like what was in it. That's no problem, because the Obama administration just granted them some waivers:

"Of the 204 new Obamacare waivers President Barack Obama’s administration approved in April, 38 are for fancy eateries, hip nightclubs and decadent hotels in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Northern California district."

Time To Wake Up

How many steps does a nation take before it goes from this:

Six year old girl being given 'enhanced' pat down by TSA agent at U.S. airport.

To this: (Warning Graphic)

60 Minutes | Former U.S. Comptroller General Warning Of Calamity

This video is from 2007, but is even more relevant and pressing given today's economic climate. Click the photo below to be taken to the video on 60 Minute's own website:

David Walker

Senator Bennet | Tossing The Political Football

Mike Shedlock (Mish) gets about 1.4 million visitors a month to his financial blog.

Remember a couple days ago, when I posted about our illustrious Senator Bennet and the fact that he'd vote to raise the debt ceiling because he's stupid? Well, Mish seems to think the same thing:

Enjoy Grand County | Kremmling, Colorado

With gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, it makes sense to stay closer to home when thinking about traveling around. On Friday, I called the Kremmling Chamber of Commerce to ask where to go for the best eats in town.

I was given a variety of choices by the nice lady on the other end, and eventually settled on the Moose Cafe because they were said to have good burgers.

The drive from Fraser to Kremmling takes about 50 minutes, but the scenery--especially this time of year--is spectacular. As you drive by the Windy Gap reservoir, you see the now swollen waters of the Colorado River as it winds its way through ranch country on its way to Hot Sulphur Springs and Byers Canyon just beyond:

Byers Canyon From: route40.net

Did Mayor Hickenlooper Commit Treason?

In a recent post, I pointed out how the Texas House had passed a bill making it a crime for a public servant to touch, “the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person” including through clothing.


This is a law that clearly does not need to exist--we already have the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution that implicitly states the need for probable cause:


"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

IMF Head Forced Sodomy...

...There's really no other way to put this news piece. I can't make this stuff up.

Strauss-Khan

From Zero Hedge:

"If there was any threat that the IMF would launch an SDR[Special Drawing Right] alternative to the USD[U.S. Dollar], it is all over now. According to the NYPost, IMF head Dominique Strauss-Khan (no Bob Pisani, it is not a she) was just arrested on board the first class cabin (thank you taxpayers) of a New York-Paris flight as it was about to take off. And here is where the story gets surreal: "Around noon today, a maid at the hotel [the Sofitel by Times Square] knocked on the door of Strauss-Khan’s room. After letting the maid in, Strauss-Khan allegedly threw the maid on the room’s bed and forced her to perform oral sex on him, said police sources. Strauss-Khan let the maid leave — and soon

Senator Bennet | Stupid Enough To Believe Tax Evading Tim

Tax Evading Tim

Clairvoyance implies some sort of extra normal ability to detect events in the future. I claim no such skill, but I have to wonder sometimes...

Just this morning, an article in the Denver Post boldly proclaims the assured destruction of the entire U.S. should Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling.

Tax evading Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner wrote a note to our illustrious Senator Michael Bennet declaring:

"If Congress fails to raise the nation's debt ceiling, it would spark "catastrophic and far-reaching damage" to the economy with the federal government likely defaulting on its current obligations, which could affect everything from the housing market to people's 401k accounts to credit card interest rates."

Photo | Crazy Moose

Click For Larger Photo By: Reggie Paulk

These moose were behind the Fraser Safeway on the way to Meadow Ridge. It was a mother and her two yearling calves. One of the calves is on his knees eating grass. The other twin was out of the frame.

Moose look really goofy, but they are probably the most dangerous wild animal in Grand County--especially a cow with her calves. I was in my car with the window rolled down for this photo. I won't approach these animals on foot, and if I see them while hiking, I head the opposite direction.

Your Congressional Representatives Are Morons | Or They Believe You Are

The U.S. will reach its borrowing limit this Monday. Phew!

Of course, many members of Congress, the White House and tax evading Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner  are playing the mutual assured destruction card if Congress doesn't raise the debt limit. "If the U.S. defaults on its obligations, all hell will break loose!" they say.

Stagflation At A Store Near You

Know why this cow is so happy?

It's because her milk is now a full 35 percent more expensive than it was just a few short weeks ago.

Today my wife purchased our usual half-gallon of half & half. We use to pay $3.69... today? $4.99! If you'd like to know why this is occurring, just peruse this blog's archives. It's all right here, and the blame lies squarely with the Federal Reserve, Congress, the President and the big banks.

We live in interesting times. Its rather annoying that so few people can directly harm so many with such impunity.

In The Interest Of Full Disclosure...

I've opened up my stats so everyone can see what I can see. If you'd like to view them, just click here. You can't tell who is looking at the blog posts, but you can quickly see that this blog gets a lot of local views daily.

Every website you visit keeps this level of data, including your local online newspaper.

GPS Can't Guide The Stupid

When I started flight training in the early '90's, GPS was a classified figment of the imagination. We used charts, a plotter, pencil, compass and common sense. Our time/speed/distance calculations were referred to as deduced reckoning. You had to compensate for wind drift using data gathered by sounding balloons sent out each day by the National Weather Service. You had to account for the difference between magnetic north and 'true' north. You had to use common sense. Then came GPS.

All of a sudden, your neighbor's golden retriever could find any location on the planet's surface within 10

Headed To Japan? Take Your Lead Jacket With You...

Arnie updates us on Fukushima. Pieces of plutionium found over 2km away were traveling faster than the speed of sound when Unit 3 detonated.

$147,906 Tab For Alcohol? I Got That!

And the $29,581.29 gratuity? I got that too! There are some people in this country, mostly located in high level positions at insolvent, government-sponsored banks, who can afford a tab like this:

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Your tax dollars at work folks: I'd bet money on that. UPDATE: Not your tax dollars, but your grand children and great grandchildren's tax dollars.

No More Government Sponsored Sexual Assaults In Texas!

You've just gotta love Texas:


"The Texas House passed a bill that would make it a criminal offense for public servants to inappropriately touch travelers during airport security pat-downs.

Approved late Thursday night, the measure makes it illegal for anyone conducting searches to touch “the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person” including through clothing.

It also prohibits searches “that would be offensive to a reasonable person.”

That's It! I Want To Be A Lifeguard

I don't need my degree; don't have to wear shoes to work and I'll retire at 50 with 90 percent of my $200,000 salary...

Full Disclosure | February E-mail To Commissioner Regarding Schools

Originally Posted: 11 May 2011 09:37 PM PDT From: Reggie Paulk Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 5:53 PM Subject: Re: East Grand Schools To: Gary Bumgarner Gary, If you'll be at the town hall meeting, I can talk to you there if you have a couple of minutes. I don't know if you've had a chance to sit down with the district budget, but I contend they don't have a money problem--they have a management problem. The schools receive their funding on a per-student basis, but the money is spent on a departmental basis. This introduces large distortions into the model that then become difficult to isolate.

After The Space Shuttle | What's Next?

Posted: 11 May 2011 06:37 PM PDT Orion Command Module Approaches International Space Station Courtesy Lockheed Martin The following article was originally printed in the March 2008 issue of Colorado Country Life Magazine, and it's interesting to see where we are along the timeline now that nearly four years have passed since I interviewed Lockheed Martin's chief engineer for the project. Enjoy the story!