Top

Dallas City Hall

March 2, 2013 by · Comments Off on Dallas City Hall 

Dallas City Hall, On and off this week I tried to find out who was responsible for the bike-safety flier you see below, which was posted to the Dallas Police Department’s website at some point last week. City Hall said, “Not us”; the DPD echoed, “Not us.” (We never did hear from Max Kalhammer the city’s bike coordinator, for whom many messages have been left.) No matter: It was removed from the site in the last couple of days.

The reason: “DPD took it down at the request of City Hall,” says Lt. Paul Stokes, a Dallas police spokesperson. “We are redesigning the flier and will repost when it’s completed.”

Dallas City Hall spokesman Frank Librio confirms that he was the one who asked for it to be removed.

“Despite the best efforts of the Dallas Police Department to provide the community with education about bike safety, there were some facts that weren’t updated,” he says. “We asked them to take it down until we could provide them with the correct information.”

Among the stats in need of updating, says Librio: the bit about there being 90 miles’ worth of “shared bike lanes.” Not even close.

At some point, the city council is supposed to be briefed about how the Dallas police will enforce the city’s new bicycle ordinance. No one seems to know when, though.

First Female U.S. Supreme Court

March 12, 2012 by · Comments Off on First Female U.S. Supreme Court 

First Female U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O’Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. In the latter years of her tenure, she was regarded as having the swing opinion in many cases.

Prior to O’Connor’s appointment to the Court, she was an elected official and judge in Arizona. On July 1, 2005, she announced her intention to retire effective upon the confirmation of a successor. President George W. Bush first unsuccessfully nominated Harriet Miers to replace O’Connor, then nominated Justice Samuel Alito to take her seat in October 2005. Alito joined the Court on January 31, 2006.

O’Connor was Chancellor of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and currently serves on the board of trustees of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 2001, the Ladies’ Home Journal ranked her as the second-most-powerful woman in America. In 2004 and 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the sixth- and thirty-sixth-most-powerful woman in the world, respectively; the only American women preceding her on the 2004 list were then-National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, then-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and then-First Lady Laura Bush. On August 12, 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States, by President Barack Obama.

Former First Lady

March 12, 2012 by · Comments Off on Former First Lady 

Former First Lady, Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in education and soon took a job as a second grade teacher. After attaining her Master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Texas at Austin, she was employed as a librarian. She met George Walker Bush in 1977, and they were married later that year. The couple had twin daughters in 1981.

Bush’s political involvement began with her marriage. She campaigned during her husband’s unsuccessful 1978 run for the United States Congress and later his successful Texas gubernatorial campaign. As First Lady of Texas, Bush implemented many initiatives focused on health, education, and literacy. In 1999, she aided her husband in campaigning for the presidency in a number of ways, most notably delivering a keynote address at the 2000 Republican National Convention, which gained her national attention. She became first lady after her husband defeated Democrat Al Gore in the 2000 election.

Polled by Gallup as one of the most popular first ladies, Laura Bush was involved in both national and global concerns during her tenure. She continued to advance her trademark interests of education and literacy by establishing the semi-annual National Book Festival in 2001 and encouraged education on a worldwide scale. She also advanced women’s causes through The Heart Truth and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She represented the United States during her foreign trips, which tended to focus on HIV/AIDS and malaria awareness. In May 2010, Bush released her memoir, Spoken from the Heart, in conjunction with a national tour.

Yo-Yo Ma 2011 Presidential Medal Of Freedom

March 10, 2012 by · Comments Off on Yo-Yo Ma 2011 Presidential Medal Of Freedom 

Yo-Yo Ma 2011 Presidential Medal Of Freedom, February 15, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — “Recognized as one of the world’s greatest musicians, Yo-Yo Ma’s talents know no boundaries of genre or culture,” said President Barack Obama today as he presented Ma with the Medal of Freedom. A total of 15 individuals were honored at the White House ceremony, including America’s 41st President George H.W. Bush, sports legends Bill Russell and Stan Musial, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and investor Warren Buffett.

As announced last month, Yo-Yo Ma will be the featured artist of “DePauw Discourse 2011: Empowering Society Through the Arts,” scheduled to take place September 29 – October 1.

“Since performing at the White House for President Kennedy at the age of seven, he has recorded more than 75 albums, won more than a dozen Grammy awards and established himself as one of our nation’s most acclaimed and respected artists,” President Obama said. “His music has bound us together and captured our imagination, and the United States proudly honors this prolific cellist and ambassador for the arts.”

Ron Paul’s Wife

March 8, 2012 by · Comments Off on Ron Paul’s Wife 

Ron Paul’s Wife, Whether he wins or loses the Republican presidential nomination, Ron Paul is celebrating a milestone. He and his wife, Carol, have been married 55 years on Wednesday.

The Texas congressman ended a press conference by presenting his bride with a bouquet of flowers. The couple shared a kiss and hug.

The Pauls were in Las Vegas, where Ron Paul is campaigning ahead of Saturday’s caucuses.

Paul said he had let his wife sleep in late Wednesday morning and had ordered a room service breakfast to be delivered when she woke up.

The couple planned to go out to dinner and attend a performance of “Phantom of the Opera”.

The Pauls were married on Feb. 1, 1957, in Pittsburgh. They have five children and 18 grandchildren.

Next Page »

Bottom