MONDAY'S HUM (04-02-07)

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
EAGLE COUNTRY 97.5, THAT IS!
There's a new radio station in northern Vermont, one that promises to give WOKO a run for its money.
OKO, considered by some to be rusting on its laurels and as stale as a two dollar bill, plays new and old country at 98.9 FM.
The new station will feature MATT on mornings and former Star 92.9 luminary Jenny Foxx doing mid-days.
It will offer crisp liners, cutting edge country tunes, live jocks, and extensive marketing support. Watch out!

GENTLEMAN JIM
GOVERNOR TOYS WITH OPPONENTS
It's almost a hobby watching Jim Douglas not only fend off his Dem detractors, but turn the tables, putting most of 'em on the defensive. The Democratic majority in the legislature is putting forth an anemic showing, alternately quibbling amongst themselves or sponsoring legislation that has either zero chance of going anywhere or becoming bills that are not pleasing to many. On Friday, even the Vermont This Week crew seemed to be expressing mild amazement at how the Douglas mastery continues despite a minority party presence.
It is humorous watching the Gov's press conferences; the embarrasing buffoon, Peter "Nastyboy" Freyne, keeps trying to viciously nab Douglas on one subject or another, and Douglas just slips out of the verbal chains, like an intellectual Houdini. Wonder how the nasty Freyne sleeps at night.

Speaking of Peter Freyne, Snarky Boy points out that Nastyboy's boss's boyfriend is none other than Tim Ashe, a prog who's running for Burlington city council prez, and whom Freyne has been giving a lot of ink to, while conveniently not mentioning the conflict of interest. Hmmm.
God love Snarky Boy for the truth. Lookie here at the Snark's stuff:

Finally, let me end this episode of snark with a bit of pure media gossip. Peter Freyne of Seven Days gave more ink to Burlington City Councilor Tim Ashe (P-Ward 3) in his column this week. And while I hear he’s a great guy from most, I read it and wondered why he’s so frequently getting mentioned by Freyne but so infrequently by anyone else in the media. Even Freyne seems to be questioning his own decision to give him ink when, after announcing that Ashe may run for council president, he concludes: “…it doesn’t look like he’s got a chance at council presidency.”

Well, yeah, we all know that. So why the ink, Peter? Hmm, could it be that Tim Ashe is the boyfriend and housemate to one of Peter’s bosses, Paula Routly? And while there’s clearly nothing wrong with the connection, it would seem more than a bit appropriate to disclose this little fact while writing about his political aspirations in the paper his lover publishes and edits, no? Imagine the field day Peter would have if the Free Press pulled this kind of stunt….

FRIDAY'S HUM (03-30-07)

"AN INCONVENIENT ELECTRIC BILL"
GORE MANSION USES 20 TIMES MORE JUICE THAN AVERAGE HOUSE IN VERMONT

WILLISTON DEMS SCREEN GORE FLICK

On Tuesday, the Williston Democratic Party held a benefit showing of "An Inconvenient Truth", with The Alliance for Climate Protection being on the receiving end of the raised dough.

We didn't hear of any protest action, but there is a considerable amount of Hum being generated by the findings of the TCPR (Tennessee Center for Policy Research) regarding Mr. Gore's energy use at his Nashville mansion. For example:

• Average monthly electric usage at the Gore mansion is about 18,400 kwh; a family of five in Essex averages 600 kwh, give or take.
• Gore's energy consumption has gone UP since he released the movie.
• He's been buying 'green energy' - since 2007!
  

HERE IS THE KILLER, FOLKS. IN HIS DOCUMENTARY, SAINT ALBERT URGES EVERYONE TO CURB THEIR...YEP,YOU GOT IT!...ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION AT HOME!

Don't believe us? Click here for the nonpartisan TCPR report.

Also, the Canada Free Press had the best story on Gore's stumblings before the House and Senate committees. Here's a gem of a passage:

Sen. Craig Thomas asked Gore the pivotal question of whether atmospheric carbon dioxide increases have historically preceded or followed increases in global temperature.

If temperature increases come before carbon dioxide increases, the notion that manmade greenhouse gas emissions are changing global temperatures would have the cause-and-effect relationship exactly backward.

Gore responded by describing how, depending on the Earth's tilt and wobble as it revolves around the sun, sometimes carbon dioxide increases precede temperature increases and other times temperature increases precede carbon dioxide increases.

That led attentive listeners to wonder, well, why worry about manmade global warming if it's the Earth's tilt and wobble that define the carbon dioxide-temperature relationship?

Apparently realizing his self-defeating statement, Gore then tried to backtrack by saying that currently, carbon dioxide increases are preceding temperature increases. It was a desperate and revealing effort to get back on message.

Fortunately for Gore, Thomas failed to pick up on the sleight of hand, his time for questioning ran out and the frustrating hearing essentially ended at that point.

FIVE CORNERS UPDATE

I was sitting at the Essex Junction Five Corners waiting for the light to change.
I decided to count the number of idling cars and got to 53 before the light changed and I had to move on. 53 cars with shit spewing out of their tailpipes.
What would Al Gore do?

WEDNESDAY'S HUM (03-28-07)

WORLD'S TALLEST MAN MARRIES
Bao, a 7'9" Mongolian sheepherder, weds a hot looking 5'6" Mongolian saleswoman. Bao is a tad taller than Sun Ming Ming, who was in Burlington this winter to play hoop against the Vermont Frost Heavcs.

Who better than the Glens Falls PostStar to bring you the rest of this story!

ESSEX ALLIANCE REDUCES SIZE OF PROPOSED FACILITY
CHURCH SLIMS DOWN STRUCTURE TO A MEASLY 141,500 SQUARE FEET
Williston Observer with the inside stuff.

MONDAY'S HUM (03-26-07)

IT'S MILLER TIME AT WVMT 620 AM
TALK STATION ADDS THE DENNIS MILLER SHOW
Dennis Miller, who has a conservative streak, will take the 10am to noon spot, with Laura Ingraham moved to 2pm. O'Reilly will air from 12:30-2.
Miller supports Rudy G. for prez, and will have the G-Man on the show this week.

JERICHO MAN BLASTS SENATOR LEAHY
"Where was Leahy when President Clinton fired every single U.S attorney?"
In a letter published in today's Free Press, Jim Barrett of Jericho is hopping mad, openly wondering if Patrick is "grandstanding" in his pursuit of the Bushies.

FIVE STORY HOTEL PLANNED NEAR FIVE CORNERS
LA QUINTA PROPOSED FOR ESSEX VILLAGE
Great news! The new hotel will give motorists a place to crash while they're waiting for the LIGHT TO CHANGE!!!!!!!!
Read the Essex Reporter coverage now.

SATURDAY'S HUM (03-24-07)

WELCH SELLS OUT; VOTES FOR WAR FUNDS
HUM PREDICTION RIGHT ON !
PETER PRATER'S CAMPAIGN BABBLE MEANT NOTHING
Man, I would not want to be Peter Welch just about now.
The left hates him 'cuz they feel he let 'em down.
The right hates him because...well, just because.
The middle hates him because most of the middle just don't trust them lawyer types.
So - it sucks to be PW. Welcome to Washington, Pratemeister. Well done.
Even Mark Johnson admitted, on Vermont This Week, that Welch is playing with fire, or something like that. Yeah, maybe!

The Kirby Mountain blog says about Welch: " Tell him how sorry you are that he won't be re-elected in 2008."

Wow. So there.

FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
Fell asleep at the Essex Junction Five Corners light and dreamed that Peter Welch had promised to bring me a giant yummy caramel sundae.
In the dream I waited and waited but still no sundae. Finally Peter came to my car window (still in the dream) and said the ice cream shop was out of caramel, out of nuts, out of cherries and...out of ice cream!
I remember saying to him, "I don't believe you", and then I woke up, feeling weird.
It was a creepy dream and I'm glad the light changed so I could get out of there.

SPECIAL THURSDAY HUM - WELCH EDITION

HUM PREDICTS PETER WELCH WILL SELL OUT SUPPORTERS AND HELP FUND WAR

PROTESTERS SQUELCH WELCH
PETER PRATER KEEPS 'EM GUESSING; BLOGS ABUZZ
Vermont Guardian with the best Welch protest story
Will congressman Peter Welch oppose an Iraq war spending bill ? That's what everyone wants to know! Mr Anti-War is hedging, he's not as crisp as he was on the campaign trail.
Here's a spin through the Vermont blogosphere, spotlighting stories that have to do with the Welch waffling.

The mysterious Welch Watch thinks Peter Prater is focusing on the VA hospital problem to divert attention from his Iraq war funding indecisiveness.

Snarky Boy was at the protest, says She's Right, and BurlingtonPol has a frame of Welch searching for Snarky Boy.

Sam Hemingway from Vermont Buzz has inside stuff that wasn't in the Free Press, and it's funny when he calls Michael "Snarky Boy" Colby an "agitator type". Oh, and make sure to read the comments after Hemingway's piece.

Green Mountain Daily nonplussed; throws the story in it's Thursday Linkdump, which just sends the reader to the BFP article.

DID TIMES/ARGUS COVER THE STORY ONLINE ?
By the way - go to the Rutland Herald/Times Argus web sites and try to find a story about the Welch protesters. Maybe we just had something in our eye and couldn't find it.

WEDNESDAY'S HUM (03-21-07)

BUMPER SNICKERS SEEN IN VERMONT
SEEN A GOOD ONE LATELY ? LET US KNOW.

If The World Didn't Suck, We'd All Fall Off!

Gardeners Do It In The Dirt

A Day Without Sunshine Is Like, Well, Night

Atheism Is A Non-prophet Organization

Get Off My Ass Before I Start To Like It

Tarrant

Don't Jersey Vermont

Don't Make Me Come Down There - God

Vermont: Yep

MONDAY'S HUM (03-19-07)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUM !
POPULAR VERMONT BLOG TURNS 1
"Vermont Hum, after just one year, is one of the top ten Vermont blogs." Anonymous

Scores of cards, flowers and e-mails flooded the offices of Vermont Hum, celebrating the quirky blog's first year on the Vermont media landscape. After hundreds of posts and tens of thousands of unique hits, the blog is ready and willing for year 2, and has some surprises in store, to be revealed in due time. Until then, see ya at the Five Corners.

VERMONT HUM REMINISCES. HERE'S THE VERY FIRST POST, DATED MARCH 18, 2006.

MAPLE SYRUP HOT FLASH
Please don't be scared away,beloved, by all the chatter regarding an iffy crop of maple syrup this year. We just purchased a half gallon from Palmer's Sugarhouse in Shelburne and it was extra yummy on our blueberry pancakes.

ELLIEFLOP
Word on the street has Decelles winning tomorrow's runoff in Ward 7, Burlington. Our prediction is Descelles by 65 votes. Incumbent Ellie Blaise has done good work for Burlington but will narrowly miss being in the winner's circle.

PANTHERPOOP
The Middlebury men's hockey team won the NCAA Division III championship yesterday against St. Norbert. Who the blank is St. Norbert, you might ask. No, St Norbert is not an obscure cult from 'The DaVinci Code,' it's a great bunch of hockey players from Wisconsin. Unfortunately, they were the poor souls who had to face the mighty shutout brigade from Middlebury and gosh, they were shut out. Helmets off anyway to the game St. Norbert squad and BIG congrats to the Panther hockey teams, men and women.

VERNAL JOURNAL
Spring is here, folks. It's hard to get excited about spring when it's 19 degrees with blowing snow and slippery roads.But despair not because there is a hum about Vermont having a warm spring and an delightfully sunny summer.

20060318

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FRIDAY'S HUM (03-16-07)

RAINVILLE SLATED FOR FEMA POST
BOSTON GLOBE HOPS ON WCAX NEWSBREAKER
Looks like congressional candidate Martha Rainville will work from Washington for two years.
Who knows what will happen after that.
Perhaps she'll come back and, remember this, run for Governor! Don't laugh!


100% CHANCE OF SNOW ON SATURDAY
STORM EXPECTED TO PUMMEL CENTRAL VERMONT
2 FEET OF SNOW IN BARRE ?
Weather Underground is all over this story.


HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY, LADS AND LASSIES
Seamus and Paddy were getting ready to go on a camping trip.
Seamus says," I'm taking along a gallon of whiskey, just in case of rattlesnake bites. What are you taking?"
Paddy says,"Two rattlesnakes!"


FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
Got to the Essex Junction Five Corners light just as a train was blowing through town. Oh, great! Twice the wait. Four hours instead of two.
So I left the van boxed in at the intersection, walked home and fired up my second car, an old beaut I've named Betty. She's an old Buick, tough as nails with a tender soul. Just my type.
Betty and I tooled around town, did errands, even caught lunch at Joyce's Noodle House at the Essex Outlet Fair. I think it was Joyce herself who took my order. Nice smile.
After a few hours, Betty looked tired so I guided her back to the homestead. She seemed grateful to have been able to stretch her legs, er, ball joints. I kissed her hood, and walked off quietly, feeling at peace with the Junction.
I walked back to the Five Corners, got in the van, and only had to wait about 20 minutes for the light to finally change. It was a nice day.

The lesson here is this: If you're stuck at the Five Corners with no end in sight, simply leave your car and go get another one. Do what you have to do and then go back to the light and retrieve your first car. It's really not so bad!

WEDNESDAY'S HUM (03-14-07)

ISLE LA MOTTE TOWN CLERK 'MISAPPROPRIATES' CASH
IS THAT ANOTHER WORD FOR STEALING?
When town officials say that Suzanne LaBombard misappropriated 100k, does that mean she stole it, lost it or misspent it? Did she go on a wild spending junket to Bali? Did she accidentally leave the suitcase of money somewhere and forgot where she put it? Hmmm. And her dad is on the selectboard. Nice.
We found WCAX to have the best story.


HAIL, BHS ? HAIL, NO!
Rice shows Burlington the door at packed Patrick.
See the lame coverage the game received on the Times-Argus website.
It's THE state final Division 1 game, for chrissakes!


SPEAKING OF HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS...
Great wrap of possibly the best high school game ever played in Vermont, featuring Montpelier and Otter Valley. Shayne "Sugar" Morrissey of the Solons wins it big in the 4th OT.
From the News and Sports Desk ably comments on the terrific tilt.


FIVE COLLEGES LEFT BEHIND
Funding Fodder at Vermont State Colleges.
Interesting stuff from a new-to-us Vermont blog, Vermont Scrap Wood.

MONDAY'S HUM (03-012-07)

OUR "SOMEBODY'S ALWAYS MAD AT SOMEBODY" EDITION. READ BELOW.

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CALEDONIA-RECORD BASHES EDUCATION CHAIR
Calais Dem Janet Ancel taken to task for missing Lyndonville forum.
Editorial seethes: "Her indifference to the cries of pain from the voters is especially callous..."


ST. ALBANS MESSENGER READER SLAMS CINDY SHEEHAN
"YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE..."
Georgia man not happy with activist.


SNARKY BOY BATTERS FREYNE
Says Peter Freyne's column is "...getting as tired as a fat man running a marathon."
Controversial blogger questions "nasty pot-shots."


DWINELL REPORT SLICES UP SHUMLIN
BLOGOSPHERE ABUZZ REGARDING SHUMLIN'S "WANDERING EYE"
New political column implies Shummy's up to something.

FRIDAY'S HUM (03-09-07)

YOU ASKED FOR IT ! HERE IT IS ! A NEW SEASON OF FIVE CORNER UPDATES !


FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
It was so cold at the Essex Junction Five Corners this morning, the lights malfunctioned and were all stuck on green. It was great.

Imagine a giant version of bumper cars.

Soon frenzied motorists were going after other frenzied motorists, or going to assist less fortunate participants in the impromptu Five Corners Derby.
We saw a pack of Hondas going after a Hummer, finally locking it in a death embrace while a hybrid screamed over and flattened the evil gas guzzler's tires.
Also noticed a Chevy pickup chasing a Ford, catching it and ripping off the 'Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Chevys' bumper sticker. Things were chaotic !
We sat stunned as a sidewalk plow and a old Fiesta tangled, with the sidewalk plow getting the best of it.
An SUV and a Dodge Caravan mixed it up, with the crusty old Caravan holding its own.

It was so cold in our car, words froze in the air! If you wanted to hear what someone said, you had to grab a handful of sentences and take them in by the fire.

Oh, how we long for warmer days at the Five Corners; we're getting sick of having to warm our toes on the exhaust pipe of the vehicle directly in front of us.
Ah, summer at the intersection. The smell of warm exhaust, picnicking on the hood of our car, playing hackysack with some of the younger idlers.

Shoot, we can dream, can't we?

WEDNESDAY'S HUM (03-07-07)

ELECTION DAY TIDBITS

A WIN FOR THE WRIGHT
The ubiquitous Kurt Wright piles up another win in Burlington's Ward 4. Congrats, Kurt. Stop by the HUM offices and we'll treat you to a delicious beverage of your choice. A few people in the ward thought Holway might have a chance but Kuddly Kurt is just too tough. Holway did steal over 500 votes, though.

78 VOTES FOR DICKIE BOVE ? WHAT THE FRANK IS UP WITH THAT ?
Dick Bove, who has been involved in city affairs for about 150 years, was smoked by Ed Adrian in Burlington's Ward 1. We think it's 'cuz Eddy Accessible won over the folks by giving out his cell phone number. But, anyway - the next time Eddy goes into Bove's, maybe Dick will give him extra sauce - in his lap !

GUTCH HAS THE TOUCH IN BURLINGTON'S WARD 7
Republican Craig Gutchell, who wore out 9 pair of shoes going door-to-door in the North End(it wasn't the New North End back in the glory days!), upended the pesky Ellie Blais by 100 or so votes. The seat was previously held by Dem Carmen George.

LOURAS BEATS 116 CANDIDATES TO BECOME RUTLAND MAYOR
Okay. It was only five other candidates. But Chris Louras took the cake in a race which was closely followed by local newshounds. Everyone was wondering - why do some many people want to be mayor of Rutland ! Dunno.

TOMMY JAMES SINGIN' THE BLUES
In a mild shocker, Essex Selectboard Chair Tom James was booted off the stage thanks to the merger flap. It was one of those "let's get some new faces in here" deals. Irene Wrenner and Max Levy will take the microphone instead. No word on the Shondells.

COLCHESTER LOVES MCNEIL
Brian McNeil easily wins Colchester Select seat. And he did it without a consultant.

"I FEEL LIKE GETTING THE HELL OUT OF THIS TOWN..." VERGENNES MAYOR BOOTED !
Vergennes Mayor April Jin was defeated by Mike Daniels by almost a hundred votes. She told the Burlington Free Press: "I feel like getting out of this town and out of this state. I'm digusted. I've served on a lot of organizations. Somehow it doesn't seem to matter."

MONDAY'S HUM (03-05-07)

420 POUND WOMAN HAS BABY -- DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT

• Californian April Barnum, 39, never had morning sickness and was unable to feel baby kick.
• She and her fiancee met in a karaoke bar.
• Wondering how much the baby weighed in at? Click here.

WELCH DEFENDS WALTER REED'S WEIGHTMAN
Congressman Peter Welch said, "Common sense would indicate that problems at Walter Reed predated Weightman's arrival."
WCAX and the Rutland Herald follow up.


-20 WIND CHILL EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT
Arctic blast will invade Vermont; global warming naysayers seen smirking
See the chart on AccuWeather.


NASCAR "JUST ONE BIG LEFT-HAND TURN"
St. Albans Messenger columnist tries to understand racing.
Great lines from Leon Thompson:

"NASCAR means 'Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks.' "
"Nascar is the only sport that starts its season with the Super Bowl."
"Why do you have to go 500 miles around a track to prove you have the fastest car?"

We're just wondering. Why hasn't Al Gore slammed the Nascar folks yet? Seems like a giant, silly waste of gas, eh?

FRIDAY'S HUM (03-02-07)

INCREDIBLE ! BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE GIVES OUT CELL PHONE #
ED ADRIAN TAKING ACCESSIBILITY TO A NEW LEVEL !
Nice coverage of the Ward One debate on BurlingtonPol.com - in fact - it's the best coverage around.
Oh, by the way - if you wanna reach "Mr Accessible", Ed Adrian, here's his page - AND HIS CELL PHONE # !


WHY ARE GAS STATIONS ON SHELBURNE ROAD 10 CENTS HIGHER A GALLON THAN STATIONS ON ROUTE 15 ?! SOMEBODY IS GETTING RIPPED OFF !!!
PLEASE! DON'T BE MANNEQUINS! SPEAK OUT !
We're not kidding ! Yesterday, A HUM correspondent was on Shelburne Road and, generally, the prices were around 2.49 a gallon. An hour later the correspondent was on Route 15 in Essex and the prices averaged 2.39 ! For example, the Simon's on Shelburne Road was 2.49 and the Simon's in Essex was 2.39 ! What is up with that ?


FIRED WALTER REED GENERAL UVM GRAD
Native Vermonter Weightman received M.D. from Groovy Uvy.

HUM DINGER - A HUM EDITORIAL
From most accounts, General George Weightman is a decent man and loyal patriot. West Point grad and all that. Unfortunately, the less-than-acceptable conditions at Walter Reed demand a fall guy - and Weightman is the top dog at the hospital, hence, the dude who's accountable. With the embarrassing news accounts of the past week, shedding very bright light on the problems at Reed, Weightman was an easy target, the easiest. But remember two things when someone mentions this story to you:

• Weightman was only Walter Reed chief for six months - barely enough time to figure out where the vending machines were. The problems at the Medical Center originated long before Weightman took over.
• All VA hospitals are presently experiencing difficulties with bureaucracy and operations. How 'bout taking some of the Homeland Security monies we're presently spending on "stupid stuff" (little-used security cameras in remote Alaska, etc. ) and bolster the facilities at Walter Reed and beyond.
  

Read My Way News for more.