| Unaffordable housing and barns
Look, our local government at work, spending your money. Seemingly the cost does not matter, it is just OPM -- Other People's Money. The Bill Clinton campaign motto was "It's the economy, stupid." For this, the appropriate motto is "It's Our Tax Money, Stupid." At 527 N. Market St., Frederick spent $600,000 on a building they sold as "affordable housing" for $300,000 -- $150k cash plus a $150k second mortgage. The lucky buyers of this bargain were Benjamin and Jasmine Snede. Frederick paid $32,000 for the property in 2002, spent $568,000 remodeling, and sold it for $300,000. You taxpayers eat the remaining $300,000 cost not recovered from the sale. By comparison, the News-Post reported that the 10 priciest "MacMansions" sold in Frederick County during the week the remodeling story appeared ranged from $480,000 to $810,000, averaging $609,468.
Small mercies
They told us to live well," Mr Ma, 36, recalled. "We said we always did. They told us to build a beautiful family. We said we already had that. They drove us to the local bus station. We bought tickets and went home. I rang from the station and my wife and two kids were so excited. It was an incredibly happy homecoming." Twelve days later, three female pastors arrested with the men and sentenced to one year in Wuhan women's labour camp were also released. In all, at least seven people were pardoned and released - a rare move in the mainland's notorious labour camp system. (The fate of two other women serving sentences outside camp due to family circumstances could not be confirmed, but Mr Ma believed they were pardoned, bringing the total perhaps to nine.) After almost six decades of severe repression by the officially atheist state, speculation is growing in Christian circles that the government may want to seek accommodation with the mainland's large and rapidly growing underground "house church" movement.
Bryant's fans' memories, Part Two
Alabama vs. Mississippi State Alabama had only suffered one defeat and was headed toward a national championship when the two teams met on the gridiron on a clear, windy fall day. With only a few minutes left in the close game, the score was tied at 3-3. Mississippi State had the ball and launched a drive down the field to near the red zone. On the fourth down, a field-goal attempt appeared wide when it turned and split the up-rights. Final score: Mississippi State 6, Alabama 3. You can imagine the celebratory excitement in the State dressing room. Quote from a November, 1980 newspaper article: "A Mississippi State staffer tells me that their football players probably will remember Bear Bryant's visit to their dressing room after their 6-3 upset of Alabama longer than their actual victory.
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