Why Did Obama Win a Second Term

Election night a commentator was drawing circles around all the areas in Ohio that Obama had to win big. It dawned on me that every Obama area was the area where there were jobs. I started checking and comparing other areas and it holds out. Richer areas with a positive job market vote Blue. Poorer areas where it is much tougher to find a job vote red.

Here in the DC Area we are at nearly full employment and this area voted overwhelmingly for Obama Recently a boss moved my seat over my protest. Two weeks later I was sitting in a new office for a different company for $20,000.00 per year more. To say the job market is Hot Hot Hot is an understatement. But back home in Williamsport Pa. the situation is very different. If you have a job you thank God and you can live well for half of what it costs in the Baltimore Washington area. But if you lose your job you may be in very deep trouble. Needless to say Romney won big in Williamsport.

People who call themselves Conservative often suggest that poor people and welfare mooches elect Obama. That is not really the case. Look at the election map. Working people confidant that the system works elected Obama. The Red voters are less sure of their future and realize just how tenuous is their grasp of financial security. If this is not true then tell me why 30 years ago Philadelphia voted heavily Democratic and the wealthy white suburbs Bucks, Delaware, Chester and Montco voted solidly Republican. But now Philadelphia and all its suburbs are in the Blue camp. Are college Professors mostly Dems because they are God-Hating Pinko Comies or is it because they have tenure they feel financially secure. Now I will grant that some of them are God-Hating Pinko Comies but it is bigger than the stereotypes can account for.

I am a Christian a Conservative and a Democrat with a wife and children that I love. I am slightly to the right of Barry Goldwater who if he were alive today would be derided as a RINO and would be driven from the Republican Party like Arlen Spector was. 

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Oriental Rug calendar from Jozan.net

Rug calendar

Coming International Rug & Carpet Auctions

• Grogan: The February Auction including carpets 13 February 2011 in Dedham, Massachusetts – read more
• Bonhams: Fine Oriental Rugs, Carpets and Tapestries 28 February 2011 in New York – read more
• Bruun Rasmussen: International Auction including carpets 2 March 2011 in Copenhagen – read more
• Nagel Auctions: Rugs & Carpets, Islamic Art 22 March 2011 in Stuttgart
• Rippon Boswell: The Kossow Collection 26 March 2011 in Wiesbaden
• Koller Auctions: Including Carpets 31 March 2011 in Zurich
• Bonhams: Oriental and European Rugs & Carpets 5 April 2011 in London
• Christies: Oriental Rugs & Carpets 5 April 2011 in London
• Skinner: Fine Oriental Carpets & Rugs 7 May 2011 in Boston
• Rippon Boswell: Collector’s Carpets 28 May 2011 in Wiesbaden
• Koller Auctions: Including Carpets 23 June 2011 in Zurich
• Nagel Auctions: Rugs & Carpets, Islamic Art 13 September 2011 in Stuttgart
• Koller Auctions: Including Carpets 22 September 2011 in Zurich
• Rippon Boswell: General Carpet Auction 24 Sepetember 2011 in Wiesbaden
• Rippon Boswell: Collector’s Carpets 26 November 2011 in Wiesbaden
• Koller Auctions: Including Carpets 8 December 2011 in Zurich

Oriental rug & textile exhibitions, fairs and conferences 2011

• To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color: until 9 January 2011, de Young Museum, San Francisco – read more
• Domotex Hannover (Carpet Design Awards), 15-18 January 2011, Hannover – read more
• Coptic & Islamic Textiles 19 January – 20 February 2011 at Dumortier Textiles, 37 rue des Minimes, Brussels – read more
• Art Deco Carpets, 21 – 30 January 2011 exhibited in Brussels and Antwerp by N. Vrouyr – read more
• Kaitag - Art for Life, until 31 January 2011 at Museum of Natural History, Pordenone, Italy – read more
• Unravelling the Yarns, War Rugs and Soldiers, until 31 January 2011, The Military Museums in Calgary, Canada – read more
• Arts of Pacific Asia Show, 4-6 February 2011 in San Francisco
• Textiles and Costumes in Early Central Asian Photography, 11 February 2011 at de Young Museum in San Francisco - read more
• San Francisco Tribal & Textile Arts Show, 11-13 February 2011 in San Francisco – read more
• Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, until 13 March 2011, The Textile Museum, Washington DC – read more
• Rugs and Ritual in Tibetan Buddhism until 27 March 2011, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – read more
• The London Antique Rug and Textile Art Fair, 31 March – 3 April 2011 in London – read more
• Karma 2011, 1-4 April 2011, London – read more
• ICOC 12th, 16 – 19 June 2011, Stockholm, Sweden – read more

Constructive Engagement with Iran

Taking exception

POSTED: October 25, 2009

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I must take exception to your editorial "Sanctions may not be the answer with Iran." In August of 2005 I met with senior Iranian administration officials in Tehran in connection with my Human Rights and specifically with my Women's Rights work in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. I was challenged by a deputy minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran as to what it would take to have peace with the U.S. I explained that we would never go against out great friend and ally Israel. The Iranians had several important concessions which would help Israel including a solution to Israel's critical need for potable water, oil, and defense. Iran was willing to back the effort to pipe fresh water from Turkey through Syria and Lebanon which would allow Israel to grow and prosper. They were willing to support the reopening of the oil pipeline through Iraq and Jordan to supply Israel's energy needs. They would also create a demilitarized zone around Israel which would remove the Hezbollah threat on Israel's northern border and work to stabilize the situation in the Gaza. In addition Iran would work with us to stop the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In exchange for these considerations Iran sought two items of its own. They required Human Rights for all Jews, Christians and Muslims in Israel and the occupied territories and a normalization of trade with the US.
To prove their bona fides I spoke with Hassan Rouhani the National Security Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader the actual ruler of their country and with his brother the deputy Ambassador to the United Nations. Both men assured me of the sincerity of the offer.
Our efforts with Iran fail because instead of the "carrot and the stick" approach all we offer is the stick. Our success in Iraq is due in great part to the cooperation of Iran but we give nothing in return. It is time to entertain a policy of constructive engagement.
Barry O'Connell
Montoursville
Submitted by Virtual Newsroom

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Liz Miele for Williamsport City Council?

Have you met Liz Miele, candidate for Williamsport City Council?

Roots in Williamsport

Born and raised in Williamsport, I'm the third generation of my family to live in the city. After graduating from Williamsport Area High School, I attended Brown University in Providence, RI where I received my B.A. in Italian Studies. I traveled and lived around the country, but my strong family ties to the Williamsport area, the pleasures of small city life, and my love of the beautiful Susquehanna River Valley made me choose to move back to Williamsport. I hope to make that decision even easier for other young residents of Williamsport by making this an even better city, full of opportunities (and jobs!) for our kids.

Working for Williamsport

I have worked at my family’s restaurant, the Peter Herdic House in Williamsport Historic District, since I was 14 years old. Now that I’m the executive chef, my kitchen sources from more than 30 different local farms and businesses helping to support the local economy. When I was 25, I founded the all-volunteer Williamsport Guardian newspaper to provide a voice for Williamsport’s younger generation. At 27, I helped to found the Williamsport Community Garden Project, to open up gardening spaces to city center residents by establishing community gardens throughout Williamsport. These ventures demonstrate my passion and enthusiasm for Williamsport, which I will take to the next level when I join the ranks of Williamsport City Council.

The Future of Williamsport
When I’m elected to Williamsport City Council in November, I will work cooperatively with all members of city government to put the people of Williamsport first and to make city government open and accessible to everyone. I will work diligently to bring higher paying jobs to our city. I will work to make downtown Williamsport even more vital and to focus on Williamsport’s many other neighborhoods. I will work to expand the tourism potential of our city and our region, with an eye toward sustainable economic and environmental development. I will work to protect our historic heritage, but also encourage new avenues to better our quality of life, such as public art initiatives, park renovation and biking and walking routes. I will work to better city infrastructure, so that all of our citizens can walk, ride, and drive safely on city streets and sidewalks. I’ll do this because I know that Williamsport is a great city and I pledge to make it even better city during my council tenure.

Can you help me write the recipe for an even better Williamsport?

Contact me via email, blog or phone to let me know what issues you think are important in Williamsport. Volunteer to spread the word.

And most importantly...Vote Liz Miele on November 3 to move our city forward!

Sincerely,

Liz Miele

Phone 570.326.0411

Email lizmielecouncil@yahoo.com

Visit lizmielecooks.com

Sun Gazette: Pompous decision Letter

Pompous decision

POSTED: October 20, 2009

The sad irony of the votes by City Council members Fausnaught, Whaley, Hall and Williamson against obtaining a federal grant for more police officers is that these very same council members recently voted against a $4 million retail development on Mulberry Street. That very development would have produced nearly $100,000 per year in annual taxes, more than enough to cover the "shortfall" that prevented these members from accepting the grant.

How pompous it is for the four of them argue about the rising costs of city government while they are the very ones responsible for this loss of revenue.

John Albarano II

President

Albarano Construction

Williamsport

Marcellus Shale drilling activity robust despite low natural gas prices

Buzz up!

By Rick Stouffer, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, September 1, 2009

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The number of natural gas wells permitted and drilled in the Marcellus Shale formation, including Western Pennsylvania, continues to climb despite the lowest natural gas prices in seven years, officials said.

Companies and industry experts say the close proximity of the Marcellus region to the huge East Coast natural gas market and lower drilling costs due to a recession-caused slowdown nationwide combine to keep activity humming here.

"We anticipated we would issue 700 Marcellus Shale drilling permits for the year, but we surpassed that figure before midyear," said state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Rathbun.

Through Aug. 21, the DEP issued 1,067 Marcellus Shale drilling permits. That compares to 476 drilling permits issued for all of last year. The number of Marcellus Shale wells drilled through Aug. 21 totaled 283, up 45 percent from 2008's 195 total.

Low natural gas prices have yet to slow Marcellus drilling activity, though some companies working here are retrenching in other areas of the country. Even a possible shortage of natural gas storage may not slow Marcellus activity, experts said.

"The production costs for shale plays in the Rocky Mountains probably are $1 or $2 more per thousand cubic feet of natural gas compared to the Marcellus," said Mary Novak, managing director of Energy Services for IHS Energy Insight, of Lexington, Mass.

"The market right now is bad in terms of prices, but operators in the Marcellus have an advantage in that they garner high prices due to their location in relation to the East markets," said Rick Gordon, an independent oil and natural gas consultant based in Overland Park, Kan.

The Marcellus is a level of shale deep under about 65,000 square miles of territory in portions of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Virginia. Latest estimates indicate it may hold enough natural gas to meet the country's needs for more than a decade.

Today, about 51 companies have staked a claim in the formation, including 20 of the country's top 100 operators and two of the top three.

Independent exploration-production companies such as Range Resources Corp. of Fort Worth, EOG Resources Inc. of Houston, Anadarko Exploration & Production Co. LP, of The Woodlands, Texas, and Ultra Resources Inc. of Englewood, Colo., are paying $3 million to $4 million per well to tap the Marcellus.

The Energy Information Administration reported last week that the amount of natural gas in storage hit 3.26 trillion cubic feet, the highest amount on record for August, enough to meet the country's natural gas needs for 54 days.

Storage capacity nationwide is thought to be about 4 trillion cubic feet, but that's an estimate because the industry never has reached that figure.