Legalizing Gay Marriage in Pennsylvania

First, I must preference this blog post with a confesion. I am an ardenent fan of Bill White. I enjoy his many diverse columns and his bog post on many different but interesting subjects.

on Sunday, August 18, 2013, Bill White did a follow-up on a previous blog post that appeared on his blog on August 16, 2013. In this blog Bill quotes a small town Mayor of a community in Kentucky:

"If GOD is against it, Why does he make em' born that way?" Bill thens gors on to to quote the Mayor; "I don't understand that. I've tried and tried and tried to understand that, but I cain't"

Bill White went on to indicate that, not surprisingly, he got mixed reaction to his column. Some even questioned how he could claim to be a Christian if he supported same-sex marriage.

Bill White responded; "The bottom line for me is that Jesus told us through word and deed, that the most important commandments are to love our God and to love ourneighbor. He specicitically urged us to reach out to the stranger, as he did with some of his society's most downtrodden and reviled."

Bill Whilte went on to stipulate that excluding homosexuality doesn't square with the idea of excluding so many of God's children from God's embrace because of a trait they were born with.

Bill White goes on to state; "Homosexuality is not a choice. The scientific evidence tells us that it emerges in early adolescence through the interaction of biological, physchological and social factors. The only choice invloved is the choice to hide your true self, forever."

Bill White in the article goers on to state: "Why would anyone choose to be gay if he or she really had a choice? The mockery, the discrimination, even in some cases the violence all make it far more difficult than being straight."

Later in the article Bill Whiten states: "It is easy to be smug about this if you're part of the overwhelming majority of people who are heterosexual. But try to imagine what life would be like if you had been born "that way," "If you were the one being treated asd a second-class citizen whose committed relationship is considered less legitimate, less worthy of sacred vows and legal protection."

Bill White went on to declare; "I don't care if you consider me to be a true Christian or not. That's between me and my God. What's important is that our religious views or personal prejudices, whatever they are, should hold no weight when it comes to determining which Americans have 'equal right under the law.'"

I wholeharily agree with Bill White's sentiments and I endorse the idea that Gay's deserve equal protection "under the law."

And so it goes...

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Budweiser Clydesdales Highlight Pre-Game Festivities

Budweiser Clydesdales Highlight Pre-Game Festivities at Gildan National Championship Game

July 11, 2013 - International League (IL) Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Allentown, Pa. - The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales strut into the Lehigh Valley for a special appearance during The Ultimate Tailgate Party presented by 99.9 The Hawk prior to the 2013 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game on September 17 at Coca-Cola Park. All fans arriving for the Ultimate Tailgate Party prior to 4 p.m. can enjoy free parking. The tailgate festivities - which include discounted food and beverages along with family-oriented games and activities - will last from 2-6 p.m. with a first-pitch time marked for 7:08 p.m.

The Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game is a one-game, winner-take-all contest featuring the champions of the International League and Pacific Coast League and will be televised live to a national audience on the NBC Sports Network.

Tickets for the Triple-A National Championship Game start at just $11 and can be purchased by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447), by visiting ironpigsbaseball.com or by stopping by the Coca-Cola Park ticket office during normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

The Ultimate Tailgate Party presented by 99.9 The Hawk features a wide array of activities and promotions, including:

- Free parking until 4 p.m.

- $1 hot dogs, $3 hamburgers and $3 domestic drafts.

- An appearance by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales.

- Appearances by IronPigs mascots, including FeRROUS, FeFe, Chris P. Bacon, Barbie Q., Diggity and Hambone.

- Free tailgate-style games and activities for fans young and old.

- An opportunity to win signed IronPigs and National Championship Game related memorabilia.

A covered tent encompasses the Ultimate Tailgate Party which will take place in the Cherry Coke preferred parking lot located near the AT&T Plaza and Coca-Cola Park's main entrance. The tailgate is a rain or shine event.

The Budweiser Clydesdales have been the symbol of Anheuser-Busch for more than 75 years. Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands - or six feet - at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white legs, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.

A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon when the driver went inside to make deliveries.

Coca-Cola Park will serve as a perfect backdrop for the 2013 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game as the IronPigs currently lead Minor League Baseball in average attendance for a fourth consecutive season and are on pace to surpass the elusive 600,000 fan barrier for a sixth consecutive campaign. The IronPigs are the only Minor League club to eclipse 600,000 fans during every season since 2008.

Coca-Cola Park and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs have received numerous honors and distinctions since 2008, including Ballpark Digest's "Ballpark of the Year" award and "Best Game Operations and Presentation" award as chosen by gameops.com.

Local support for the 2013 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game is provided by Air Products, Allentown Beverage, BSI Corporate Benefits, Discover Lehigh Valley, Lehigh County, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Sanofi Pasteur, Service Electric Cable TV & Communication, ServiceMaster Cleaning and 99.9 The Hawk. Additionally, Service Electric's Emmy-award winning television crew will handle the production of NBC Sports Network's national broadcast.

Single-game tickets, mini-plan packages and group tickets for all IronPigs home games presented by Capital BlueCross, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Coca-Cola Park Ticket Office, online at www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS (7447).

Sounds like a fun event!

And so it goes...

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Two Friends Meet a Tragic End

The greatest aviator of his time was lost. Wiley Post was the first pilot to fly around the world twice, and the first to fly solo. He helped create the pressure suit (because the cabin of his Lockheed plane, Winnie Mae, could not be pressurized) and discovered the jet stream. But not long after departing Fairbanks, Alaska, on this day in 1935, Post, due to bad weather, could not find his way to Point Barrow, so he landed in a river near a village to ask a group of Eskimo seal hunters for directions.

With him was good friend Will Rogers, a humorist, syndicated columnist and veteran of over 70 films who in 1934 had been voted the most popular actor in Hollywood. Both Oklahomans, the two men were at the beginning of a casual sightseeing trip over the Pacific through Asia. They were flying a hybrid aircraft Post built using parts from two Lockheeds—an Orion and an Explorer—fitted with floats to be able to land on water. While Post flew, Rogers, seated behind him, wrote his columns on a typewriter.

Some have speculated that the floats may have been too heavy for the craft. Others say the two men may have been distracted and forgot to switch fuel tanks to a fresh one. Whatever happened, the plane, flying low but climbing, suddenly stalled, careened to the right and crashed inverted into the river. Both men died instantly.

Their deaths are commemorated with two monuments at the crash sight, both of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

And so it goes...

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The tooth brush salesman

The kids filed into class Monday morning. They were all very excited.

Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on salesmanship.

Little Sally led off. "I sold Girl Scout cookies and I made $30" she said proudly, "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit and I credit that approach for my obvious success."

"Very good", said the teacher.

Little Debbie was next. "I sold magazines" she said, "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would keep them up on current events."

"Very good, Debbie", said the teacher.

Eventually, it was Little Johnny's turn. The teacher held her breath. Little Johnny walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. $2,467, he said.

$2,467! cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?"

"Toothbrushes", said Little Johnny.

"Toothbrushes", echoed the teacher, "How could you possibly sell enough tooth brushes to make that much money?"

"I found the busiest corner in town", said Little Johnny, "I set up a Dip & Chip stand and I gave everybody who walked by a free sample."

They all said the same thing, "Hey, this tastes like dog poop!"

Then I would say, "It is dog poop. Wanna buy a toothbrush?

I used the President Obama method of giving you some crap, dressing it up so it looks good, telling you it's free and then making you pay to get the bad taste out of your mouth."

Little Johnny got five stars for his assignment. Bless his heart.

Bobby Lea's New Love

Bobby Lea Two time Olympian, Fifteen time Elite National Champion, Professional cyclist with Team Smart Stop.

"Beauty that isn't just skin deep. Friction coatings and bearing and chain treatments by @AtomicHighPerf. @WilierUSA." (This is Tweet-Speak)

Yes Bobby, you are obviously passionate about your bike, but do you sleep with it at night?

Bobby, I Love You Man!

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Hell and Back, A Book Signing

Book Signing: Steven Walker

Hell and Back
Saturday, July 13th, 1-3pm

You may purchase the book, Hell and Back, at the Moravin Book Store or online. Former Morning Call journalist and photographer Steven Walker has departed from his journalistic endeavors to return to his original love of fiction, suspense, and horror. Not for the timid at heart, Hell and Back explores an existence that extends beyond life as we know it, following Wendy, a headstrong, independent woman from Chicago, and Stephen, a single father from Philadelphia, into the afterlife. They soon discover that death is not the end but a doorway to a plane of existence that is much larger than anyone could ever imagine.

About the Author

Steven Walker was born in Heidelberg, Germany, and he has been a wandering vagabond ever since. He currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He studied art in Europe and worked as a journalist and photographer for the Tribune Company in North America. With approximately 1,500 published credits, Walker initially established himself as a writer in the horror fiction genre, which ultimately climaxed with his novel, Desmodus. He utilized his journalistic skills and combined them with his fancy for horrific stories in order to explore the true-crime market with several well-received books that explored the life and crimes of serial killers including, Blood Trail and Predator. He has also received acclaim for his poetry and short stories which are soon to be culminated into an anthology that is tentatively titled, Castle Alabaster.

This is a close, personal friend, with close, direct family ties and I hope that all my friends will consider attending this Book Signing. Everette Carr

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Primary Voter Turnout Pathectic

Following the Primary election in Lehigh County I was disappointed in some of the results but incensed at the poor voter turnout in what is termed an off year election. No, We weren't electing a President to a four year term, but none the less, there were a number of elections that had an impact on the lives of local residence living in the Lehigh Valley in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Today, Saturday, May 25, 2013, I was surprised and delighted that Columnist Bill White for the Morning Call, had a front page article, with information and comments on the low turnout during this primary election. I am an admire of Bill White and follow his varied daily articles on life and times in the Lehigh Valley as an ardent fan.

In the front page article on Saturday, Bill White stated; "How bad was it? Only 13.7 percent of Lehigh County voters cast ballots Tuesday. In Northampton County, it was 14.4 percent." White went on to lament the fact that under Pennsylvania law, those registered as independents are not eligible to vote in primary elections. He stated: "I do sympathize with people who are registered Independent and not allowed to votein primary elections. Turnouts probably would improve if we had open primary elections so more people were eligible to vote and more voters had choices." "But we don't—would suggest that being an Independent in Pennsyvania makes no sense unless you're planning to run for something as an Independent. Why disenfranchise yourself every spring?"

I am in total agreement with Bill White on the issue of registering as an Indepedent. It is an ideological choice; a statement that you are not beholden to any party. I have no problem with this attitude, in fact I endorse the freedom that being an Independent carries with it except when it makes no logical sense. As Pennsylvania law is currently (requiring that one be registered as a Democrat or Republican to participate in Primary elections; it absolutely makes no sense to register as an Independent.

Bill White went on to stipulate that; "wherever you live, the bottom line is that our form of democracy gives you a part to play every two years in the direction of your county, municipality and school district."

"If you can't be bothered, that's your priviledge. But when you decide you don't like the government that you ended up with, don't complain. You had your chance. Sit down and shut up."

On the day before the Primary Election I sent the following e-mail message to friends and family members living in Lehigh County:

"Friends and Family,

Tomorrow is an important primary election for everyone that lives in Lehigh County. We cannot afford to allow the “Crash and Burn" Tea Party Candidates to take over. Your standard of living will suffer.

Please vote for Percy Dougherty for County Commissioner if you are a registered Republican living in District 2.

Also, cast your ballot for Dean Browning for County Executive.

If you are a Democrat, please go to the polls and vote!

If you are registered as an Independent, you can’t vote in the Primary, Sorry!

If you are of age and are not a registered voter or simply choose not to go to the polls on election day; then Shame on You!

Percy Dougherty’s 2013 Platform can be found on his web site at: http://www.votefordougherty.org/

Whatever you do and whomever you vote for; please4 vote!

Everette"

I want to thank Bill White for publishing his thoughts with respect to the recent Primary Election and I want to congratulate him for making the front page.

If you are a registered Independent, I understand and emphatize with your choice but I beg you to reconcider. Unless Pennsylvania legislature members chance the law as it now stands, you need to register either as a Democrat or a Republican (whichever party is closest to your beliefs), so that you can participate in primaries and in selecting the candidates that appear on the ballot in the all-important November elections. Keep in mind that, with some time restrictions, you can change your party affiliation at any time.

Thanks Bill White for an excellent and timely article.

I am in total agree with Bill White; "You had your chance. Sit down and shut up!"

And so it goes...

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