Galaxies gone wild

For years artist and performers have been singing and writing songs about world’s colliding, but now NASA has released images from the aging Hubble Telescope that confirm just that.

Scientists say the new pictures are solid evidence that galaxies in the universe do collide with each other, providing a variety of intricate structures.

Experts note that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is no more that 2.5 million light years away from the Andromeda Galaxy. The close proximity makes them twins.

“As the galaxies interact, the large reservoir of gas in their discs is compressed into stars,” said Lars Lindberg Christensen, a scientist with the European Space Agency in Garching, Germany.

Scientists speculate when both the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies ultimately collide, it will be the demise of Earth.

Now that you know this… have a great weekend.

Bill Maher attacks Pope, Catholic Church

The American Life League, a Stafford-based catholic defense organization wants comedian Bill Maher off the air.

On the April 11 episode of Maher’s highly rated HBO talk show, “Real Time with Bill Maher,” he accused the Pope of being a Nazi and of promoting sexual abuse of young boys in the Catholic Church.

“If you have a few hundred followers and they let you molest a few hundred children, they call you a ‘cult leader.’ If you have a few thousand, they call you Pope,” said Maher.

Drawing a correlation between recent government raids of a polygamist cult in Texas, Maher said the Catholic Priests should be held in the same regard any other child molester would.

The comedian, who is admittedly against all forms of religion, went on to say that “cults get raided, religions get parades.”

“If he had said anything about the Jews, Muslims or blacks he would have already been fired by now,” said Michael Hichborn, media advisor with ALL. “They expect Catholics just to turn the other cheek.”

The following week after Maher made the comments, he apologized for calling the Pope a Nazi, but said his protest of organized religion would continue.

More this week in the Stafford County Sun and online at staffordcountysun.com.

Saving the planet with green soup

Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22. Each year since the late 1960’s, the day has been used to draw attention to conservation, recycling, and many other means of reducing waste and prolonging the life of the earth. Though it’s not an official holiday, according to the United States Government, the day is internationally recognized.

Companies like Campbell’s Soup are jumping onto the Earth Day bandwagon, letting you know they are earth-friendly people too. This is a photo that I took while shopping at local retail store. Stacked high on a shelf were tiers of green-labeled chicken noodle soup cans. This is the first change to the Andy Warhol-designed label that I can remember.

So whether you bike or take the bus to work tomorrow, turn off the television or wash your clothes in cold water to save energy, Campbell’s wants to make sure you eat a can of chicken noodle while you are saving the planet.

"Drunk goggles" at Stafford High School

Each of Stafford County’s High Schools sent five of their best student drivers to an annual skills rodeo on Friday.

The students were tested on their ability to demonstrate safe driving tactics, and were treated to many demonstrations such as a roll-over simulator, and a “drunk goggle” test to simulate the effects of alcohol on the driver.

I was fortunate enough to take the test with a sheriff’s deputy safely by my side. I have to say even with the goggles designed to impair my vision, I think I did pretty well. I only knocked one cone over, I think.

Sups vote to keep raises

The Stafford County Cord of Supervisors voted 4-3 Tuesday night to keep their pay raises that went into effect last December. They did however decide to freeze another pay increase that was slated to take affect in 2009. With the increase still in place, Stafford Supervisors salaries increased from $20 - $25,000 per year, with the chairman of the board making $25,900.

“We are charting new ground in the tax rate…we are telling people to work harder and we are not offering more compensation for it,” said Mark Dudenhefer, R-Garrisonville. “I think that this is an issue that the supervisors should have shown leadership on.”

Cord Sterling, R-Rockhill took some time to speak with me today. He says that he will put a resolution to the board at the April 29 meeting, requiring 25 percent of any raise in salary be tied to performance. He says the supervisors should get raises only if they are actually solving problems with traffic, education, and parks

A politician who doesn't want more money?

One of the major things we will be covering this week is a motion by Stafford County Supervisor Mark Dedenhefer, R – Garrisonville, and his proposal to freeze the pay-raises members of the board sucessfully voted on in December. The raises are set to be in full in January of next year, according to Dudenhefer.

"The thought of possibly laying employees off and not giving raises to the rest while board members pad their wallets is repulsive to me. Some may say this is ‘grand standing,' but I for one have been consistent and vocal in my position,” said Dedenhefer in a released statement.

It’s no secret the county governments are strapped for cash these days. Spotsylvania County is looking to take similar measures. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out in Tuesday’s board meeting. Look for coverage of this story this week in the Stafford County Sun.

A radio legend says goodbye

At three-o'clock Friday the airwaves signaled the end of an era as Michael Source, better known as Don Geronimo, ended his 23-year run as the head of the top rated Don and Mike Show.

Don says he will be moving on to spend more time with his family, and focus on his relationship with his fiancée, Janet.

Geronimo lost his long-time wife, Frieda, in a fatal 2005 car accident. Geronimo said doing his radio show on a daily basis was too much a constant reminder of his late wife, who for years was a regular caller on the show.

When Geronimo was paired to work with Mike Omera in the mid-eighties to do a morning show, the two formed a partnership that spanned 23 years.

Omera will continue the show under his own name beginning Monday on WJFK in Fairfax, Va.

On a personal note I would like to say thank you to Don Geronimo.

Listening to his morning show as a child, and following his career through today, it was always apparent that Geronimo strived to be real.

He openly talked about his life and his relationship with is family on the air everyday, as if he was welcoming us into his home. He was the only disc-jockey that talked openly about the inside workings of the broadcasting industry, sharing his knowledge about how to connect with the listeners. He always strived for better radio.

As he moves on with his career, and I prepare to move into mine, he should know that over the last 20 years I have had one of the greatest teachers a student of this profession could ever ask for.

Good luck you Radio God.

Not even the Weather Channel is safe

Family-owned and operated media companies are quickly becoming a thing of the past here in the commonwealth.

A Richmond Times-Dispatch article today discusses some of the perils of two of Virginia’s largest family -owned media companies.

Richmond-based Media General, the parent company of the Times-Dispatch and Stafford County Sun, currently has an activist investor firm looking to replace three members of its board of directors with it’s own handpicked people . Due to a major devalue in the company’s stock, the firm is looking to revamp some of the companies underperforming markets.

Norfolk-based Landmark Communications announced in January that it planned to sell it’s properties, which include The Weather Channel, Virginian Pilot and The Roanoke Times.

Both media companies are struggling with lower advertising revenue, mostly attributed to the slowed economy nationwide.

Hello Governor

Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine came to Northern Virginia this afternoon to address issues he felt was important around the state. Kaine then held a public question and answer session for the remaining hour of the meeting.

After the Q and A, Kaine took direct questions from members of the press, where he answered three of mine. After fielding the usual questions about transportation, education, and immigration fixes, the governor answered my final question and said he would be taking his family to Douthat State Park over the Memorial Day weekend. The governor says he takes his family to a Virginia State Park each year.

Kaine was a very approachable guy and very easy to talk to. When it comes to many of the people I have interviewed, he was one of the better ones. And though I do not agree with the governor on every issue, he easily knows how to connect with people.

An interesting side note: Virginia is the only state that extends to it's governor the title of "His Excellency", according to Kaine. Virginia is also the only state to remove it just as quickly by allowing its governors to serve only one term.