The Hayseeds blog, No. 264 for the week starting June 30, 2008.
Monday
Joe Mondello Pulls RNC Convention Seat from Pataki
Paterson Sets 'different Tone' in Albany
Senator Has Left Mark On Area With Name On Numerous Sites
Area Churches Taking Their Services Outside
Village Looks to Sue Over Loss of Plant
Looking at the Future of 'E-Politics'
Higher Costs and Delays Expected at Ground Zero
Vandals in Fla Tag 60 Cars With Anti-Obama Messages.
Times Union Grants Buyouts to Workers
Bush Signs $162 Billion Bill for Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Until Next President Takes Over
Hersh: Congress Agreed to Bush Request to Fund Major Escalation in Secret Operations Against Iran
Tuesday
Con Ed Workers Fear the Loss of High Pay and Solid Benefits
Golisano to Pour Millions Into Senate Shake-Up PAC
McHugh Courted for Senate Race Against Aubertine
Barber Aims to Cut Off Seward’s Time in Senate
Wednesday
State to Consider 10 Hour Work Days, 4 Day Work Weeks
Demonstrators Sue Kingston Over Park Expulsion
Chemical Weapons Transport Plan Draws Fire
Most State Workers in Utah Shifting to 4-day Week
Thursday
New York Governor Signs Flex-Rating and NYPIUA Bill
Unemployment Claims Threaten Unemployment Insurance
Bruno's Exit Opens Door to Opportunity
Eyes On Inflation, European Bank Raises Rate
On Campus, the ’60s Begin to Fade As Liberal Professors Retire
Boondocks is about farms, rural life, and power toys.
Energy looks at high energy prices and our future.
Enviroman looks at man and the environment.
Individual looks at myself and how I'm changing
Outblog is all about my outdoor experiences.
Transit looks at the changing ways we get around.
Truck gives you stories and trips in my Ford Ranger.
Joe Mondello Pulls RNC Convention Seat from Pataki. Apparently Joe Mondello has had a falling out with George Pataki, and as such our former governor will not be going out to Minneapolis-Saint Paul to attend the convention. P'Link
Paterson Sets 'different Tone' in Albany. Joe Spector looks at the changing nature of relationships in the Albany political arena. P'Link
Senator Has Left Mark On Area With Name On Numerous Sites. Joe Bruno has gotten his name on buildings far beyond the HVCC sports arena. P'Link
Area Churches Taking Their Services Outside. Rather then be in sticky sweltering churches, some places are taking their services outside so they can enjoy the natural world. P'Link
Village Looks to Sue Over Loss of Plant. Canajohorie is looking to sue the state over the lost of BeechNut and it's associated revenues.
BeechNut consumed 60% of the water and sewage resources of the village, which means with their loss, a massive drop in user fees for water and sewage. They still have outstanding bonds on the water treatment plant, which is real problem as operating the plant is mostly fixed costs. P'Link
Looking at the Future of 'E-Politics'. NPR looks at the role of politics in our society. P'Link
Higher Costs and Delays Expected at Ground Zero. Apparently the Port Authority reports that more difficult decisions must be made about proceeding. P'Link
Vandals in Fla. Tag 60 Cars With Anti-Obama Messages. Apparently some people in Florida are unhappy with Obama being the presidential candidate. P'Link
Times Union Grants Buyouts to Workers. Apparently, Albany's paper is downsizing. P'Link
Bush Signs $162 Billion Bill for Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Until Next President Takes Over. It looks like the wars will continue on through the election and on to become the next presidents problem now that Congress approved enough funding to keep the war going until sometime in 2009.
Disappointing for sure. This means that hundreds more Americans will die and hundreds of billions will continue to be spent on autopilot. This current Congress has been unable to end the war, with an uncooperative President and minority Republicans doing all in their power to keep it that way. P'Link
Hersh: Congress Agreed to Bush Request to Fund Major Escalation in Secret Operations Against Iran. Today's Democracy Now is quite alarming to those of us concerned about world peace.
Con Ed Workers Fear the Loss of High Pay and Solid Benefits. They are threatening to strike as the union is only promising 0.5% wage increases in a proposed contract, while inflation is close to 4.2% a year. P'Link
Golisano to Pour Millions Into Senate Shake-Up PAC. Apparently he is hoping to give the Senate Majority tot the Democrats. P'Link
McHugh Courted for Senate Race Against Aubertine. The House's snazziest dresser, may be no longer a member of the house, if he decides to run for Senator Aubertines' seat this year. I certainly doubt he will. P'Link
Barber Aims to Cut Off Seward’s Time in Senate. Some are calling his race now a second tier race with real potential. P'Link
State to Consider 10 Hour Work Days, 4 Day Work Weeks. To cut commuting costs and save energy in times of such high oil prices, the state is promoting compressed work weeks that would give people 3-day weekends, and longer days. P'Link
Take That, Mr. Pataki. This Times Union editorial has an interesting take on factious politics of the Republicans in our state these days. P'Link
Demonstrators Sue Kingston Over Park Expulsion. Apparently a pro-Palestian group was kicked out of Gallo Park by the police over fears that they would disrupt an celebration of Israel's creation, begging important first amendment questions. P'Link
Chemical Weapons Transport Plan Draws Fire. In a rush to destroy all chemical weapons before 2017, as required by treaty, the US is proposing some dangerous plans to transport chemical weapons including nerve agents across the country via truck and train. P'Link
Orwell Rolls In His Grave. Tommorow night, Thursday at 7 PM, Orwell Rolls In His Grave will be shown by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace at the Bethlehem Library.
It looks like an interesting film. You can watch it above or come to the showing tomorrow night. P'Link
Most State Workers in Utah Shifting to 4-day Week. That is the first state to have a mandatory 4-day work week consisting of days from 7 AM to 6 PM. P'Link
New York Governor Signs Flex-Rating and NYPIUA Bill. Insurers will now be able to change rates up or down 5% without regulatory approval. P'Link
Unemployment Claims Threaten Unemployment Insurance. The state may have to raise unemployment insurance taxes to ensure the system is sufficient to cover the increased claims. P'Link
Yassin Aref Appeal Denied. 
The Albany pizza man convicted of supporting terrorism by offering a loan to buy missiles supposedly for use in a terrorist attack's conviction has been upheld by the US Court of Appeals.
Yassin from his book seems like a really nice guy, as does his graceful communications to people who regularly write him. But we really do not know. He could either be a really dangerous evil person, lurking under cover, or maybe just part of a government roundup of Muslim people they don't like. P'Link
Bruno's Exit Opens Door to Opportunity. Everybody wants to run for Bruno's old seat. P'Link
GOP Backs Attorney for 112th. Tony Jordan will go up against Ian McGaughey, according to the Times Union. P'Link
Clinton Back at Work Upstate. She's back playing our Senator and working to help out the people of our state. P'Link
Eyes On Inflation, European Bank Raises Rate. They've increased the Euro Bank rate by 1/4 of a point to fight inflation. P'Link
A Very Dark Look at America. The Telegraph in a multi-part series looks at the desperation that grasps our inner cities and poor rural countryside, where the young and old alike are left with few options except living in decrepit buildings with little opporunity except what joining the military will bring in.
Those articles are dark, but they are a lengthy exploration in some of the major problems our nation faces, and our slow and steady decline from greatness. P'Link
On Campus, the ’60s Begin to Fade As Liberal Professors Retire. Many of the great liberal professors from the 1960s that educated my generation are now retiring and being replaced by more moderate professors.
My experience can confirm that point. Many of the great professors I had in college during the past few years, retired shortly after I took their classes. It's sad, but the world goes on, and hopefully the next generation of professors will instill strong values in their students, like the old 1960s generation of professors.
Copyright ©1999-2008 Andy Arthur.
All mistakes are intentional or otherwise.
Mind where you step in a cow pasture or legal mindfield.