Category Archive for ‘National’

FTR Radio Partners with Smart Girl Politics for Operation Helping Hand

FTR Radio to partner with Smart Girl Politics for Operation Helping Hand, a three hour radiothon to benefit the Mercury One Charity 2013 Midwest Tornado Relief Fund.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2013 – Indianapolis, IN – FTR Radio is teaming up with Smart Girl Politics for a three hour radiothon to benefit the Mercury One Charity 2013 Midwest Tornado Relief Fund. One hundred percent of the money raised will go directly to relief efforts in Oklahoma.

The three hour radiothon will air live on FTRRadio.com Thursday at 8pm EDT.

“In the past we have asked our listeners to donate to various charities and have been overwhelmed by their generosity” said Thomas LaDuke, Executive Director of FTR Radio. LaDuke added that “FTR Radio and SGP have done other radiothons in the past and we hope to top our 2012 ‘Cancer Sucks Radiothon’ that raised nearly $6000 for the American Cancer Society.”

Jedediah Bila, Monica Crowley, S.E. Cupp, Erick Erickson and Dana Loesch are just a handful of the cable news contributors and talk radio personalities who have agreed to take part in Operation Helping Hand.

For more information on the radiothon and to donate, visit http://mercuryone.fundly.com/operation-helping-hand-for-midwest-tornado-victims.

Posted on May 22, 2013 :: Categories: Inspirational, National :: Tags: Oklahoma, Smart Girl Politics, The Snark Factor
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Prayers and Blankets not Politicizing Needed in Oklahoma

May 20th, Moore, Oklahoma:

Note the last few seconds of this video where the narrator notes that a school/daycare has been leveled. The video is chilling to watch and the death toll most likely will rise in the coming days.

New York Times reports:

Amy Elliott, the spokeswoman for the Oklahoma City medical examiner, said at least 51 people had died, and officials said that toll was likely to climb. Local hospitals reported at least 145 people injured, 70 of them children.

A spokeswoman for the mayor’s office in Moore said emergency workers were struggling to assess the damage.

“Please send us your prayers,” she said.

In the land that reality forgot and showing all the humanity of a modern day Eva Braun, Liz Winston, producer and co-creator of the Daily Show, uses this tragedy to score political points on the backs of the victims:

This tornado is in Oklahoma so clearly it has been ordered to only target conservatives.

— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) May 20, 2013

H/T: Warner Todd Huston

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this horrific tornado. For those not interested in politicizing this tragedy, your help and support is greatly needed in Oklahoma. Please click on this LINK for information on ways in which you can help the victims of this disaster.

Posted on May 20, 2013 :: Categories: Memorial, National :: Tags: Oklahoma, Tornado
143 views :: 2 Comments

2013 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler Recap

Three weeks after the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, myself and fellow Team Philly runners traveled to Washington DC for the annual Cherry Blossom 10 mile run. We all were excited about the possibility of running along the tidal basin surrounded by blooming Cherry Trees as the National Park Service predicted peak bloom time would be race day.

They predicted wrong.

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Posted on May 19, 2013 :: Categories: National :: Tags: Cherry Blossom, DC, Running, Washington
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2013 Shamrock Anthem Half Marathon Recap

The weekend of March 16 & 17th brought together 28,000 runners to Virginia Beach to participate in the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon and Anthem Half Marathon. A very flat (check out the elevation profile) and fast course that winds along woodland, beachfront and finishing up on the boardwalk. The Marathon is a Boston Qualifier and with such flat terrain this race would be a good choice for those taking on the challenge of qualifying for Boston.

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Posted on May 19, 2013 :: Categories: National :: Tags: Half Marathon, Race Recap, Running
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Blogging and Running Update

April is fast coming to a close and I want to share a few updates and a rather interesting photo walk.

I had the opportunity to document the 24th annual Civil War reenactment held at Neshaminy Park in Bensalem, Pa. I brought two lenses, a 40mm f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/4. Let me tell you that there is a lot to love with both lenses. This year the battle of Mine Run 1863 was chosen for reenactment. Sorry, I’ve not as yet Googled the information on this battle. If you happen to know, feel free to leave a history lesson in the comment section. I chatted with two women representing the widows of the Civil War and spent time checking out the medical tent discussing triage strategies with a civil war battlefield physician. Also took a long look at a photo collage of soldiers who survived the war with amputations or disfiguring facial injuries and wondered how they managed with their disabilities post war. I’ve a love/hate opinion of reenactments. They are an amazing source of quality information about a time or event in history, yet I can’t help but think reenactments over romanticize brutal events in our history. Just my 0.2 cents on the matter.

Now it is time to look at pretty pictures:

The full set of photos:

I run here, I run there…

This weekend I am heading to Washington DC to participate in the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday April 28th. The following Sunday, May 5th, I am running the 2013 Broad Street 10 miler – a race I am so looking forward to completing. A few weeks later, on June 15th I’m registered to run the 2013 Half Sauer Half Kraut Half Marathon in Pennypack Park. I sometimes wonder how I manage to keep smiling with all the training miles needed to maintain a fitness level to complete these distance runs. In addition, I’ve been dealing with a sudden case of foot numbness which will require orthotic inserts to (hopefully) correct this annoying issue.

On the blogging front – I still need to post race recaps for 2013 Yeungling Anthem Half Marathon, Virginia Beach and Cherry Blossom 10 miler in Washington, DC. I have all the photos and information read to go, I just need to finish the darn posts.

So, it is a bit busy at chez Tania at the moment; but I will work on keeping you all in the loop

Happy running, y’all!

Posted on April 23, 2013 :: Categories: Bloggers, National, Pennsylvania, Photography :: Tags: DC, Half Marathon, Photography, Running, Washington
721 views :: 3 Comments

THANK YOU BOSTON PD!

Terrorist #2 – what’s his name – is now in custody due to the dogged tenacity of the Boston PD. Well Done!

Posted on April 19, 2013 :: Categories: National :: Tags: Boston Marathon, Running
669 views :: 3 Comments

A Marathon Miracle

Many have seen this shocking video and wondered if the runner in the orange jersey was able to get help after he fell from the shockwave caused by the explosion.

The runner is Bill Iffrig, 78, from Lake Stevens and only feet away from completing his third Boston Marathon when the bomb exploded, knocking him to the ground. He was helped up by a BAA official and walked the few short feet to the finish line completing the marathon with only a gash on his knee. Of all the stories of the heroic actions that are pouring out; this one really shows the stuff runners are made of and why the bomber(s) have already lost.

Why does this story stand out among all the others?

Consider the following facts:

- This 78 year old man qualified and completed THREE Boston Marathons.
- He survived a bomb blast that happened feet away from him.
- After being knocked down from the blast, with help from a BAA official, he crossed the finish line.
- Not only did he finish this marathon, his finish time placed him 2nd in his age group.

Let these facts simmer in your mind while reading what Bill Iffrig had to say about his finish:

“I ended up second in my division,” he said. “After you’ve run 26 miles you’re not going to stop there.” His timing chip marked his finish at 4 hours, 3 minutes, 47 seconds.”

And that is the stuff runners are made of – we are stronger than any adversity that comes our way and are always moving forward.

The terrorist cowards who detonated the bombs yesterday thought they could break us with fear. Clearly they knew nothing about the heart and soul of the running community; yesterday’s violent act will only make us stronger. Game over, cowards, you lost.

Posted on April 16, 2013 :: Categories: Memorial, National :: Tags: Boston Marathon, Marathon, Running
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Boston Marathon Bombing

Statement from the Boston Athletic Association
Monday, April 15, 2013
8:00 p.m. ET

The Boston Athletic Association extends its deepest sympathies to all those who were affected in any way by today’s events.

Today is a sad day for the City of Boston, for the running community, and for all those who were here to enjoy the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. What was intended to be a day of joy and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance.

We can confirm that all of the remaining runners who were out on the course when the tragic events unfolded have been returned to a community meeting area.

At this time, runners’ bags in Boston which remain unclaimed may be picked up by runners presenting their bib number or proof of race participation on Berkeley Street, between St. James and Boylston. There are no bags at 101 Arlington Street.

At this time, we are cooperating with the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and all federal law enforcement officials.

We would like to thank the countless people from around the world who have reached out to support us today.

Please go to the B.A.A. Facebook page –
http://facebook.com/thebostonmarathon — for information.
We post new information as we are able.

Today three people, including an 8 year-old child, lost their lives and hundreds more wounded when two bombs detonated at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon. My entire heart goes out to the victims and their families. I cannot pretend to understand their loss. I would like to acknowledge the bravery of average Americans who ran toward the bomb aftermath to help rescue those wounded and potentially reduced the number of casualties.

I’m going to hold off on speculation of what person or group is responsible for this vile attack while the story is still evolving. Also, I’m not going to post graphic images showing bloody people and missing limbs that are floating around the internet.

My good blogging buddy, John Ruberry, has run the Boston Marathon three times and has posted his reflection on the attack today in Boston. The Boston Marathon is the premier running event of the year. It is a marathon in which runners are required to have run a previous marathon within a certain time frame set forth by Boston Marathon organizers. You do not buy a bib for Boston, you earn it. It sometimes takes years to achieve a BQ (Boston Qualifying) time in a marathon making the Boston Marathon even more irresistible to runners. As of today, I’m no where near BQ times, however, I have a plan to incrementally bring my half marathon and full marathon times within BQ striking distance this year. Step by step I will get to Boston.

Whoever is responsible for this bloody attack picked the wrong group of people – runners are masters of perseverance and battling adversities; challenges only make us stronger. The fools who support this tragedy can laugh and cheer all they want, they don’t know that they have already lost.

In two weeks time, I’ll be in Washington, DC to run the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon. The following Sunday I’m scheduled for Philly’s Broad Street 10 mile run where I hope to PR.

I am a runner, I will not let fear dictate my life and will continue to train and run distance runs until I can no longer run. Bombers be damned.

Posted on April 16, 2013 :: Categories: National :: Tags: Marathon, Running
837 views :: 7 Comments

Inaugural Memories

Photos from when I last covered a Presidential Inauguration:

Sadly, a dark cloud hovers over this inauguration with the report of 23 BP Oil employees who were taken hostage have been killed in a botched rescue attempt. Clearly times have changed since the 1980 hostage crisis. One would hope a moment of silence to remember these victims of islamic terrorists will be included in today’s events.

Inaugural Memories:

Posted on January 21, 2013 :: Categories: Inspirational, National :: Tags: Photography, Presidential Inauguration
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This is NOT What Democracy Looks Like

This is what a thuggish regime looks like.

Whether you agree with Right To Work legislation or not, violence and the incitement of violence is the debate tactic of cowards. I love a good spirited debate, our country has rich tradition of publicly airing diverse opinions. Bring your facts, I’ll have mine and when the dust settles we will live to debate another day. As a blogger, I am fiercely protective of the right to express opinions, not only for myself but for any blogger regardless of their political stripe. The actions today in outside Michigan’s state capitol building by disgruntled union members does more than damage a tent, it threatens our wonderful heritage of free expression of diverse opinions. I don’t care where you stand on this issue but I do care that everyone can freely express their thoughts without the specter of violence.

It drives me to distraction that politicians or progressive grass root organizers so easily slip into violent rhetoric to push their agenda. Words have power and it is so easy to use this power to push a divisive agenda. I’m fully aware of the impact of my words on this blog and within my social media ecosystem. My intent is to provide useful content and build a network of open minded, intelligent dreamers. I thoroughly enjoy helping people find their inner voice and share their wit, wisdom and talent on the web. Ultimately, I want my online presence to encourage people to speak their truth without fear of violence.

The politicians and activists today who pushed violence today need to be held accountable for their actions. Below the cut are videos from today’s mele on Michigan.

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