The Assembly Line - Checking the Political Pulse in Annapolis
January 11, 2008
For political junkies, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The 188 state representatives - 47 senators and 141 delegates - comprising the Maryland General Assembly convened Wednesday for the start of the state’s 425th legislative session - a 90-day affair that is set to adjourn on April 7.
To ring in the new legislative year, The Dagger brings you The Assembly Line - a unique feature that collects locally-sponsored legislation and presents it in a way that lets readers easily access and digest the information. Thanks to the work of our resident wizard Steve, The Assembly Line conveniently scrolls across the The Dagger’s front page and offers a place for supporters, critics and other interested readers to comment and discuss the bills and resolutions with one another.
The Assembly Line is updated several times a day with the newest legislation and the latest information on the status of the bills and resolutions. This is a chance to keep tabs on the local delegates and senators you sent to Annapolis and make sure they are working for you. Have fun while letting them have it!
Now back to Annapolis. Continue reading The Assembly Line - Checking the Political Pulse in Annapolis
Taking One for the Team: Can Axing a Chief Save a Sinking Ship?
January 8, 2008
We’ve all heard the old adage about a captain going down with his ship - a symbol of his being ultimately responsible for whatever the hell happened on the vessel to make it start sinking in the first place.
But there’s another nautically-themed response to save a sinking ship, literal or otherwise, that has become more fashionable in modern times - mutiny.
At issue is the tenuous position of Randy Rudy, chief of the Aberdeen Police Department for the last 8 years, who was strongly aligned with former mayor Fred Simmons. With Simmons out and new mayor Mike Bennett in, Rudy’s future is in question. Even though both come from a background of service with the Maryland State Police, Bennett may see Rudy as one of the last remaining reminders of Simmons’ two years as mayor. It wasn’t Simmons who hired Rudy, but it was Simmons, himself a gun-carrying pilot, who empowered the chief and gave him the funding and support to kick Aberdeen crime-fighting into high gear. Continue reading Taking One for the Team: Can Axing a Chief Save a Sinking Ship?
The Liberal Press: More myth than fact
January 7, 2008
The MoBseen: Observations as seen through the eyes of Mark
The Liberal Press. A moniker used to describe America’s media. Media of all sorts; radio, print media, and TV and the Internet. For years I’ve wondered how this term came to describe the media and reporting in the United States.
In my mind, it flew in the face of what I saw and heard and read on a daily basis. The likes of Rush Limbaugh, Anne Coulter, Imus, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Martha Zoller, Pat Buchanan, Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck and a laundry list of other talk show hosts are widely syndicated, very popular and all very conservative.
Many, such as Limbaugh, Imus and Coulter, to name a few, have become media icons. Very recognizable, syndicated in dozens of cities and consequently very rich. Many of these conservative talk show hosts also write columns in major market newspapers, are guests on TV news shows, are active in the world of blogging and all have their own web sites devoted to their point of view. They all have access to worldwide media that allows them to state their point of view. Continue reading The Liberal Press: More myth than fact
“A Republic, If You Can Keep It” - Part I
January 3, 2008
In a self-serving act of eyebrow-raising proportions, the Harford County Board of Education is seeking to thwart school board elections as part of its legislative platform for the upcoming General Assembly session.
Despite the fact that most school board members in Maryland and 95% of boards across the country are elected, the Harford school board is fighting to remain one of the few appointed by the governor and thus insulated from the public it serves. The board contends that elections would inject politics into the process. So elections are political, but political appointments are not political? Please.
Then what do you call it when unknown supporters give a quiet nod to select individuals who are granted power to set public policy and dispense public funds without the approval of the public? Continue reading “A Republic, If You Can Keep It” - Part I
Walk Hard…right on out of the movie theater
January 3, 2008
These days most actors seem to be jumping at the chance to work with Judd Apatow.
Apatow, who has been credited with some of the best comedies to come out lately, has written The 40 Year Old Virgin, Fun With Dick And Jane and Knocked Up, and now seems to be the new “it” film guy of the moment.
In addition to attaching his name to comedy gems like those, he also boasts an even more impressive resume by having produced Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby and Superbad. As his new film, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, hit theaters, the magnitude of support from recognizable names is easily realized.
Too bad this time around Apatow missed the mark completely, despite having probably one of the strongest and most expansive cast of actors in Hollywood. This film also marked the first time John C. Reilly took to the big screen in a lead role. Continue reading Walk Hard…right on out of the movie theater
Citizen Reports - Welcome to the future of Journalism
January 2, 2008
We are happy to announce a new feature to our site, a forum we are calling Citizen Reports. This newest extension of The Dagger aims to bring more relevant news, information and discussion to you by opening up the reporting to those who are most interested and impacted directly by the issues - you.
The future of journalism is on the Internet and will involve the integration of multimedia elements (words, photographs, audio and video), reported and relayed in real time around the clock - 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
New Journalism will also rely heavily on the participation of citizen reporters. These are the everyday men and women who are armed with cameras, cell phones and laptops, but more importantly their eyes and ears and minds, as they go about their daily lives. Turn on the television news any night of the week and look at how many of the pictures and videos are taken by passing observers. These are the new journalists. Unpaid citizens volunteering to pass on information relevant to themselves and their neighbors.
Continue reading Citizen Reports - Welcome to the future of Journalism
