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Musings of this paper's editor
One day I was a writer, the next day I was the editor of the nation's first successful, widespread community journalism newspaper--The Northwest Voice. Writing has always been my passion, and I had contributed upwards of 60 submissions before I became editor. Now, I'm basking in my good fortune and loving every minute of compiling what I believe are masterpieces of unpracticed, non-professional, straight-from-the-heart journalism.

A blog about News, Neighborhoods, and Family & Home.
About sunnica


Real Name:
Dana Martin
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Previous Posts
The fabulous Jordyn
My pride is on the "lane"
Former UT law grad Berg sues Obama, questions citizenship
Did you name your GPS?
Wacky web site - sorry!
Sarah Palin stops at Wal-Mart to buy diapers!
Chad Vegas & Bob Hampton!
Non-partisan chit-chat
Volkslaluf training: MAN DOWN!
Goodbye, Yankee Stadium
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You asked for it, and I found it!  Here's what I could find on Barack Obama's citizenship question:

Here's the new stuff: 

Philip J. Berg, a former University of Toledo School of Law graduate, has filed a lawsuit against Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. He's claiming the Illinois senator is not a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to run for president.

If elected, his selection to the presidency would cause a crisis within the U.S. Constitution.

"If we can't enforce our constitution, especially a candidate for president, we're in real trouble in this country, more trouble than you really want to believe and it's frightening," said Berg from his offices in Lafayette Hill, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia.

Berg, a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of Pennsylvania, filed the lawsuit in federal court Aug. 21 (Berg vs. Obama, Civil Action No. 08-cv-4083), "seeking a Declaratory Judgment and an Injunction that Obama does not meet the qualifications to be President of the United States."

Three qualifications must be met for someone to become president under the Constitution. You must be at least 35 years of age, a resident of the United States for at least 14 years, and a natural-born citizen. 

Berg believes the 47-year-old senator from Illinois does not meet the last qualification. Although the Obama campaign states he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Berg believes Obama was born in Kenya. Further investigation reveals he may still be a citizen of Indonesia.

 A school registration Berg has obtained lists Obama's name as Barry Soetoro, after his Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, and lists his citizenship as Indonesia.

Berg said Obama's mother sent him back to the U.S. when he was 10, and one of two things would have happened then. If he went through immigration, he would be a naturalized citizen, not a natural-born citizen.

"He today could still be a citizen of Indonesia and could be an illegal alien, which would mean he could not even hold his Senate seat from Illinois," Berg said in a cell phone call from Pennsylvania. "So, it's really important that we all look at his records."

Factcheck.org claims it has proof of Obama's U.S. citizenship. Berg has questioned that proof because the Web site is owned by Annenberg.

According to the site, the "Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels."

"That is a group where Obama sat on the board a number of years dispersing funds, so I would think there's a little conflict of interest there." 

The proof, Berg said, needs to be in the hands of a judge.

"Senator Obama, if I'm wrong, prove me wrong, produce the documentation," he said. "If you have nothing to hide, stop hiding behind legalisms, lets avoid a constitutional crisis in this country."

Lucas County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Rothenbuhler, who didn't know of the lawsuit, questioned Berg's intentions.

"If it's not a vendetta, then it must be somebody challenging somebody's right to either privacy or questioning the information they've already received," Rothenbuhler said.

Posted in the Politics interest group.
Topics: Berg vs. Obama, Philadelphia, citizenship, lawsuit, DNC, Pennsylvania
posted by sunnica on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 02:10 PM
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So ... let's hear it.  Did you name your GPS?  You know you did!  Some are made by Garmin, some are Magellen, TomTom, but you undoubtedly have a name for your system.

Ok, so let's hear her (or his!) name, and the story behind why you chose that name.

Mine's name is Judy.

My son and I were in Cape Cod in line for our rental car, late to an event, and sweating the fact that were in an unfamiliar state and had no idea where we were going.  When the rental car agency asked if we would like to rent a GPS, I said YES and we left.

We set the address and were on our way, and when the pleasant female voice told us we were heading in the right direction, Jarret said, "Thank youuuuu, JUDY!" -- exactly the way Tim Allen said it to the waitress in "The Santa Clause" movie.  I laughed so hard that from that moment on, all GPS units were called Judys.

Your turn!

Posted in these Groups: Northwest, Technology
Topics: Global positioning
posted by sunnica on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 04:12 PM
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From randomly locked posts to the inability to log hit counts, I apologize for how our Web site has been behaving lately.  The builders (of our community of sites) are aware of and working on the problems.

I know it's irritating, but thanks for your patience during this time.

~Dana

Posted in the Northwest interest group.
Topics:
posted by sunnica on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 12:46 PM
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Palin surprises local shoppers with visit (Wal-Mart)
Daily Sentinal ^ | Oct. 15, 2008 | Kevin Kelly

GALLIPOLIS — Gallipolis Wal-Mart shoppers were at first surprised and then excited on Sunday to find a national political figure in their midst who was, just as they were, picking up a few things she needed.

Accompanied by her youngest son Trig, security, staffers and a small pool of news media, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stepped off the “Straight Talk Express” bus to enter the store around 1:30 p.m., where she purchased a bag of Parents’ Choice brand disposable diapers and a toy.

But it was also an opportunity for the first-term Alaska governor to meet the public at large and win some votes for the ticket on which she’s running with the GOP White House nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Palin did not have time to answer questions from the media following her trip through southeastern Ohio, but left some folks exhilirated at meeting her.

“It was so exciting,” said Pat Miller of Patriot, accompanied by her daughter Amber, a student at South Gallia High School. “She seemed to be very sweet, and if she could stop and take the time to buy some diapers for her son, it tells you that for her, family is first.”

Palin was to speak at a rally in St. Clairsville later in the day. After arriving at Tri-State Airport near Huntington, W.Va., Palin boarded the bus for the what would be her single stop for Gallipolis.

“I told the governor when she arrived at the airport she would see the most beautiful part of Ohio when she traveled up this way through Lawrence and Gallia counties,” said former Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio, who with his wife Fran traveled with the Palin entourage.

The other announced stop was for Marietta, and reports Palin would make a stop at the last day of the Bob Evans Farm Festival proved incorrect as the entourage was seen traveling north on Ohio 7 after leaving Gallipolis.

“I think it’s a great thing for us,” said Andy Fisher of Gallipolis, present with his wife Jo Ellen and daughter Ashley when Palin stopped. “She has a good Christian heart and will make a fine vice president.

“She really cares about people with special needs and she’s not afraid to stand up to big business,” he added.

“She was really down to earth,” Ashley Fisher said. “There was no ego and she treated us with respect, which sometimes you don’t get from political people.”

 

 

Posted in these Groups: Family & Home, News, Politics
Topics: Sarah Palin, Politics, Walmart
posted by sunnica on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 12:44 PM
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The Bakersfield Californian threw its hat in the political ring Sunday and endorsed (surprisingly!) Chad Vegas and Bob Hampton, the encumbants, for KHSD Board of Trustees!  I don't know about anyone else, but I about fell out of my chair this morning as I was reading the paper!

Any comments?

Read the article here.

Posted in these Groups: Northwest, Politics
Topics:
posted by sunnica on Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 01:55 PM
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Did anyone watch the debate tonight?  Care to weigh-in?  It's on right now, and I have to say... I like them both. 

The only thing I've laughed at so far is when Joe Biden referred to himself in the 3rd person.  I was just sitting down to write this, and I heard him say from the other room, "No one in the United Staes Senate has been as much a friend to Isreal as Joe Biden."

LOL  I never thought in a million years that I'd hear a candidate speak about himself in 3rd person.

I love the political process. No matter on which side of the fence you sit, you have to at least appreciate that we live in a country where we are allowed to vote on our leaders.

So... what did you think of the debate?  Does it matter what a vice presidential candidate says?  Does anyone think that we should kick out the two presidential candidates and vote on the VPs instead?  :)

 

Posted in these Groups: Neighborhoods/Regions, Northwest, Politics
Topics: Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, debate, Politics, Election
posted by sunnica on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 07:04 PM
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Rob and I joined a Sunday bowling league, which is a great source of amusement to our three children. They hadn't stopped laughing over our new Saturday ritual of enjoying our coffee and reading the newspaper in the spa before we pulled this new shenanigan.

"You're turning into grandparents!" they said.

Was it true? I had to mull it over, which itself is an act that mainly older people do. They mull.  I didn't have my answer yet, but I would soon.

**********

Volkslauf training, Days 9 through ... who knows.  The last time I went to official mud run training with my group on Truxtun extension, I thought I did very well.  Some issues, though, began to arise, lingering issues that had originated on Day 1. 

Day 1, ah yes.. fresh with possibilty.  I hadn't exercised with any regularity since January, but that didn't stop me from the superstar, cross country, decathlete-type pace I maintained on Day 1. As you'll recall from previous entries, I paid dearly for my over-achieving enthusiasm.  I injured my hip.

Besides injuring my hip, it became increasingly more difficult to make my 6:00 practices because Jaisyn is on Centennial's volleyball team.  Her games were on 2 of the 4 training nights.

So, I couldn't go to official training, but that didn't stop me! I began running my neighborhood and hitting my gym in the mornings, increasing my pace and my miles, intent on keeping up with my Truxtun counterparts.

**********

On our second night of bowling (we're in a 24-week league that, ahem, culminates in Las Vegas), my already terrible bowling form took a turn for the even worse when I strained a muscle in my back.  Who DOES that, you might be asking.  Evidently, it's people who have a cross-arm bowling throw style that lends itself well to left-side gutterballs.

**********

I am not making excuses, I am still hoping to run the Volkslauf.  I heal pretty quickly.  I've been throwing a lighter bowling ball and trying to stay upright more when I throw.  Maybe I could get a hip replacement and be in the mud in 10 days.  The fact that I mention hip replacement, and that Rob keeps insinuating that if I continue to run on asphalt I will need my knee replaced, I'm beginning to wonder if the kids aren't right.

One day you challenge your kid to foot race, and the next thing you know, you've joined a bowling league and are chatting about hip replacements.  What's next? Prescriptions and canasta?  Is this how it begins?  This...  getting old thing?

Look out!  Next thing is that I'll be getting tickets to old Motown groups and looking forward to seeing them at the Fox Theater.  ;)  If THAT ever happens, book me a room at Rosewood.

 

 

 

Posted in these Groups: Health & Wellness, Northwest
Topics:
posted by sunnica on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 12:20 AM
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