Photo of the Day - A Reminder of Spring

A bed of spring flowers behind the State Capitol Building, Hartford CT

If you have a great photo from anywhere in the south central Ohio vicinity (or elsewhere) that you would like to share, please forward it for consideration for the Photo of the Day to SouthCentalBulldog@gmail.com.
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by the editor.)

Quote of the Day - Jeremiah 1:5

Photo from Shoebat.com

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 

It is impossible for us to know what plans God had for any of those who's lives were ended before they could be born.  Editor

The White House - 1600 Daily: Special edition: The state of our union

President Donald J. Trump delivers the State of the Union address | January 30, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
 
The state of our union
“Less than one year has passed since I first stood at this podium, in this majestic chamber, to speak on behalf of the American People,” President Donald J. Trump began his address last night. “Each day since, we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission—to make America great again for all Americans.”

The President’s speech is available in full here. He spoke from the heart about a core set of issues that unite Americans of all stripes in both their values and their patriotism:

• Tax reform and the economy: “Just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history. . . . Roughly 3 million workers have already gotten tax cut bonuses.”
• Reshaping Washington: “In our drive to make Washington accountable, we have eliminated more regulations in our first year than any administration in the history of our country.”
• Immigration reform: “Struggling communities, especially immigrant communities, will also be helped by immigration policies that focus on the best interests of American workers and American families.”
• Getting trade right: “America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs, and our wealth.”
• Rebuilding our infrastructure: “America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year – isn’t it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?”
• Keeping America safe: “I am proud to report that the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated very close to 100 percent of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and in Syria.”

“As long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve,” the President said. “As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will never fail.”

“Together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.”
Read more: “The state of our Union is strong because our people are strong.”
 
Bonus: See what people are saying on Twitter about the speech.

The White House - 1600 Daily: State of the Union

President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with newly sworn-in U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and members of his family | January 29, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Previewing tonight’s State of the Union
Tonight at 9 p.m. ET, President Donald J. Trump will deliver his first State of the Union Address before Congress. The speech will outline the record-setting accomplishments of his first year and lay out the Administration’s vision for the next 12 months: building a safe, strong, and proud America.
A few important issues that you’ll certainly hear about tonight:

• Tax cuts and the economy: The biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in at least three decades is already fueling an economic boom.
• Infrastructure: President Trump will outline a $1 trillion investment for a large-scale, fast rebuild of America’s depleted infrastructure.
• Immigration: The President will explain his framework on immigration reform, including border security, DACA legalization, protecting the nuclear family, and replacing the visa lottery with a skills-based approach.
• Trade: Building on the President’s address at Davos last week, America will insist on trade deals that are fair and reciprocal.
• National security: America is returning to “peace through strength” in world affairs, making our stances clear to friends and enemies alike.

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Irrupt

WORD OF THE DAY January 31, 2018

irrupt    verb | ih-RUPT     Definition   1 : to rush in forcibly or violently   2 : (of a natural population) to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed   3 : to become active or violent especially suddenly : erupt   Scroll down for more about irrupt       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   January 2018 Words of the Day Quiz   Word of the day quiz. January-style.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   Irrupt and erupt have existed side-by-side since the former entered the English language in the 1800s (erupt had been a part of the language for over two centuries at that point). Both are descendants of the Latin verb rumpere, which means "to break," but irrupt has affixed to it the prefix ir- (in the sense "into") while erupt begins with the prefix e- (meaning "out"). So "to irrupt" was

Red Notes From a Blue State - Abortion And The Senator From Planned Parenthood

by Don Pesci

“It is shameful and disgraceful that this measure should be before Congress” – U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal

Even on a contentious issue such as abortion, it may be possible for people to drawn proper distinctions between health care and abortion. Those who confuse the two ought to be asked to furnish four instances in which an abortion not performed to save the physical life of a mother improves the “health care” of the mother.

Abortions performed after 20 weeks of a pregnancy -- the point at which, scientists tell us, the fetus feels pain -- certainly do nothing to improve the heath care of an aborted baby.

Some argue that the fetus is not a person until it emerges from the womb and is wanted by the mother. But personhood is a legal not a scientific term, and legal terms are decided by legislators and lawyers and judges. In 1857, the highest court in the land decided that Dred Scott, a slave who had resided in a Free State and territory where slavery was prohibited, was not a person in the eyes of the law but the property of his owner. There are only two kinds of law: those affecting persons and those affecting property. The question whether a slave was a person, Blumenthal might agree, was by no means settled in 1857. The question the court decided in 1857 was definitively settled, oceans of split blood later, by the sword.

The Solution To The Skills Gap May Lie In Creating Apprenticeships.

GWEN MORAN, writing for Fast Company, published a great article on January 25 2018.

She writes,

“In spite of shrinking unemployment numbers, many companies say they’re still having trouble finding workers with the skills necessary to fill specific roles. An April 2017 survey from CareerBuilder found that 60% of U.S. employers across a wide range of industries have job openings that stay open for 12 weeks or longer. The average cost of extended vacancies is more than $800,000 annually, and this inability to find candidates takes a toll on productivity, morale, and revenue, to name a few areas.

Apprenticeships have long been used by manufacturing and the trades to give workers the skills, knowledge, and on-the-job training they need to transition seamlessly into specific roles. Now, in an effort to bridge the skills gap and tap new talent pools, more companies are using the apprenticeship model, partnering with community colleges and four-year higher education institutions as well as nonprofit community organizations, to find workers and ensure they have the precise skills they need to do the job.” Read the full article here.

Ms. Moran makes a great point, the skills gap is real and it will take work and creativity to fill it.


We are doing just that, and invite you to join us.
Brave Enough To Fail Inc, is a 501 ( C ) 3 nonprofit. Our mission is to raise student achievement by providing free motivational presentations and scholarships to schools nationwide, and then point those inspired and motivated young people toward rewarding careers at great companies like yours.

Contact me, Wayne Winsley, Executive Director of Brave Enough To Fail inc. to learn how your company can help develop tomorrow’s workforce today by sponsoring scholarships, materials, and school presentations.

wayne@BraveEnoughToFail.org

Seventeen firearms and more than a half-million dollars seized as 13 people indicted for trafficking hundreds of pounds of cocaine

"Salazar, Silva and Quezada were also charged with being aliens in possession of firearms and/or ammunition."

Thirteen people, most from Stark County, were charged in an 80-count federal indictment for bringing hundreds of pounds of cocaine into Northern Ohio and selling it in Massillon, Canton and throughout the region, as well as additional firearms and drug charges, law enforcement officials said.

Law enforcement agents seized 17 firearms, nearly 1,500 rounds of ammunition, approximately $592,579 in cash, more than 13 kilograms of cocaine, more than 22 kilograms of marijuana as well as heroin and crystal methamphetamine as part of the investigation.

Named in the indictment are: Apolinar Meraz-Magana, 55, of Massillon; Ignacio Cuevas-Gutierrez, 33, of Massillon; Jose Luis Martinez-Maldonado, 26, of Canton; Manuel Sarmiento Ibarra, 40, of Canton; Jonathan Quezada, 22, of Sterling; Juan Ramon Mora-Hurtado, 29, of Massillon; Karla Hernandez-Salazar, 30, of Massillon; Juan Benito Caro-Silva, 23, of Massillon; Phillip Blough, 28, of Smithville; Stamontae Sanders, 25, of Canton; Mark Momie, 51, of Canton; Celestino Penalosa, 30, of Orrville, and Dave McClellan. 43, of Massillon.

Salazar, Silva, Sanders, Maldonado, Quezada, Penalosa, Momie, McClellan and Blough conspired to possesses approximately 550 pounds of cocaine from October through November 2017. Salazar and Silva obtained the cocaine and distributed it to Sanders, Maldonado, Quezada, Penalosa, Momie, McClellan and Blough, who in turn sold the cocaine to customers throughout Ohio, according to the indictment.

Blough was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Salazar, Silva and Quezada were also charged with being aliens in possession of firearms and/or ammunition.

The White House - 1600 Daily: The year in speeches

Marine One | January 25, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

The year in speeches
Tomorrow night, President Donald J. Trump will address Americans in the first State of the Union address of his presidency. He’ll lay out the biggest milestones from his first year in office—tax reform, a budget that rebuilds the U.S. military, and so on—before explaining his priorities for year two.
Before turning to the next chapter, today we revisit a few of the President’s most important addresses from his first year. There are plenty to choose from, but a few quotes stand out:

• “Now we are calling for a great reawakening of nations, for the revival of their spirits, their pride, their people, and their patriotism.”
• “I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail, our people will thrive, and our civilization will triumph.”
• “I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

See the Facebook album of President Trump’s “Speeches of Year One.”

POLL: Majority of Americans agree with the President on immigration

Quote of the Day - John Kilian

"In a world where people often die for no reason, it is even more important to appreciate the causes we all live for."  John Kilian

From the introduction to his book, Downtown Drive-Thru, a hilarious parody of life and politics in Middletown CT.

John is a National Guardsman, resident of Middletown CT and all around good guy.

Photo of the Day - Before and After

In 2006, the Glastonbury CT VFW burned to the ground. (photo source unknown)

Three years later, dozens of local volunteers teamed up with Purple Heart Homes, and now the site bears the home of disabled veteran, Cpl Manny Jimenez, USMC.

If you have a great photo from anywhere in the south central Ohio vicinity (or elsewhere) that you would like to share, please forward it for consideration for the Photo of the Day to SouthCentalBulldog@gmail.com.
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by the editor.)

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Tincture

WORD OF THE DAY January 30, 2018

tincture    noun | TINK-cher     Definition   1 : a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent   2 a : a characteristic quality : cast   b : a slight admixture : trace   3 : color, tint   4 : a heraldic metal, color, or fur   Scroll down for more about tincture       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   January 2018 Words of the Day Quiz   Word of the day quiz. January-style.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   Tincture derives from the same root as tint and tinge—the Latin verb tingere, meaning "to moisten or dip." Tincture specifically derives via Middle English from the Latin tinctus, the past participle of tingere. When the word first appeared in English in the 14th century, tincture referred to a coloring matter or dye, but by the 17th century the word had acquired a number of additional

FBI Washington Field Office Recognizes Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Image from Crown of Hope Texas

Human trafficking, a form of human slavery, is a multi-billion dollar industry and is not a thing of the past.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office’s (WFO) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force actively investigates matters involving child exploitation, juvenile sex trafficking, and adult sex/labor trafficking. The task force is composed of federal, state and local law enforcement with Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia and works closely with the Department of Justice to pursue sex trafficking prosecutions. In 2017, WFO’s task force recovered approximately 50 juveniles from human/sex traffickers that have traveled through the DC Metro Region.

“Human traffickers have no limits and will find victims anywhere,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify human trafficking operations, prosecute offenders and help bring justice on behalf victims. We need the public’s assistance to help identify suspicious behavior and signs of potential human sex trafficking.”

Human trafficking includes forced labor, domestic servitude, and commercial sex trafficking. Anyone can become a victim, regardless of their race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or citizenship status.

As recently as January 19, 2018, Michael Edward Gunn, 41, of Dumfries was sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $648,000 in restitution for sex trafficking two minor victims from July 2013 to July 2015. Gunn, along with three others, forced, threatened, and coerced young women to engage in prostitution.
Recognizing potential red flags and knowing the indicators of human trafficking is a key step in identifying victims and helping them find the assistance they need. Signs that may indicate someone is being held against her or his will and trafficked for sex include:

• They do not hold their own identity or travel documents
• They appear to suffer from verbal or psychological abuse which intimidates, degrades, and frightens
• They are not permitted to speak for themselves
• They appear nervous, especially if presence of their trafficker
• They are not allowed to move about by themselves and seem to have little understanding of where they are.

The FBI has trained victim specialists who are responsible for the victim’s well-being, keeping victims informed about the status of their case, and helping victims reclaim their freedom.

If you believe you have observed indicators of human trafficking operations or are a victim contact law enforcement, the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.

Roots in Ripon - My Time in Japan

Photo from My Dream Vacation

Roots in Ripon

Chuck Roots

29 January 2018

www.chuckroots.com

The Ripon Bulletin

The island nation of Japan and its colorful and often violent history was shrouded in mystery to the rest of the world for centuries. By their own standards, the Japanese historically maintained an isolationistic philosophy toward any other nation or people group.

I readily admit to having had a growing interest in all things Japanese while growing up in the 1950s. The only thing about Japan I remember then was we defeated them in WWII, and products made in Japan were junk. By the time I actually set foot on Japanese soil in 1971, a lot had changed. Their economy had grown significantly, and their manufacturing had done a complete one-eighty. Japan had become a major force in the world, economically. They showed great vision and foresight in the development and manufacturing of everything from digital watches (remember Swiss watches?), to computers, to automobiles.

In 1960 our family moved to Paris, France. My brother John, wound up attending a college prep school in Saint Gallen, Switzerland. As a twelve-year-old, I was given my first watch that Christmas of ’60. It was a Swiss watch. Knowing it was the land where the best watches were made, I was feeling very proud of my new timepiece. A decade later, I was buying a digital watch in Japan. You see, when the idea of digital watches was first introduced, the Swiss watchmakers passed on it. After all, they had the watch market all sown up. Boy, did that ever change. And the Swiss are still trying to figure out what happened.

Police Chief of village in Mahoning County indicted on child pornography charges

The police chief of a village in Mahoning County was indicted on child pornography charges, law enforcement officials said.

Andrew M. Soloman, 36, was indicted on two counts of receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Soloman is the police chief of Craig Beach Village.

Soloman knowingly received files which contained visual depictions of a real minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This took place from Oct. 24 through Dec. 7, 2017. Soloman also possessed on Dec. 7, 2017, an Apple Iphone 7 smartphone which contained child pornography, according to the indictment.

Soloman met the juvenile victim when responding to her residence for calls about harassment and a juvenile runaway. During their interactions, the victim said in Soloman’s cruiser for several hours and talked. He provided her with his work email address, according to court documents.

The two continued to communicate via text and email through 2017. The victim sent Soloman sexually explicit photographs of herself and Soloman responded by sending sexually explicit photographs via his work email account, according to court documents.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and the Austintown Police Department.

Photo of the Day - Ali, Parks and Trump

As reported in the NY Times in 1968, Trump receives the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Photo from a Twitter post by Jack Posobiek

If you have a great photo from anywhere in the south central Ohio vicinity (or elsewhere) that you would like to share, please forward it for consideration for the Photo of the Day to SouthCentalBulldog@gmail.com.
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by the editor.)

Quote of the Day - George Mason on the Militia

Image from Wiki

"I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."  George Mason, in Debates in Virginia Convention on Ratification of the Constitution, Elliot, Vol. 3, June 16, 1788.  (gmu.edu)

George Mason, after whom George Mason University was named, was a Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.  Because of his work on The Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, which is the basis for the U.S. Bill of Rights, he is considered by many to be the father of the Bill of Rights.

GMU is the home of Eminent Scholar Walter E. Williams, Professor of Economics.

Recipe of the Week - Dry Aged Dutch Oven Pot Roast

"I thought this was a political bog?"  Well, it is.  But it is more than that; it is a blog of life.  Life is a many faceted gem, each facet reflecting its share of light, some flawed, some more perfect, to form the sum of this experience on earth we call "Life".

One such facet reflects the world's oldest art form: Cooking.  Yes, cooking is an art, one all of us are capable of learning.  All that is required is the desire to do so,  the willingness to fail and learn from our failures and to try again.

While complex recipes, fancy kitchens and equipment are fine in their own right, they are not essential to good cooking.  Good cooking can be accomplished in the most basic of kitchens (even outdoors), with simple ingredients, techniques and equipment.

High-end restaurants age their beef in large pieces and under strict temperature and humidity control, sometimes for more than a month.  Dry aging beef at home is not at all difficult or complex.  Beef can be aged in your own refrigerator from a few hours, up to 10 days.  Keep in mind, the longer something sets in your fridge, the more likely it is to pick up flavors from other things, in there.  Keep your leftovers sealed in tupperware or zip locks to prevent this.

Dry aging removes moisture from the meat, concentrating the flavor and when aged for longer periods of time, helps to tenderize it.  Tenderizing isn't a concern when cooking in a Dutch oven; the cooking process will do that.