What Will You Be Doing This Weekend?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, September 25, 2009
I Just Love The Attention From The Competition
Latest headlines
SALISBURY NEWS: Police calls for Sept. 24
Fruitland Police Department Press Release
REBECCA LYNN MEIKLEJOHN
Female 22 years of Bethany Beach, Delaware
Charges: Theft under 500 value
Disposition: Arrested and released on personal recognizance
Resume’ On September 23rd the accused was observed by WalMart asset protection personnel placing numerous items into her purse and walking out of the store without paying for them.
Accused: TONYA REGINA MITCHELL – CONWAY
Female 40 years of Salisbury, Md.
Charges: Theft over 500 value
Disposition: Criminal Summons issued
Resume’ An investigation was instituted reference packets of scratch off Lottery tickets being missing from Eagle Express Mart located in Fruitland, Md. The accused, an employee of the establishment, is charged with taking the missing packets of tickets without paying for them, and cashing the winning tickets in at numerous locations.
Children Who Are Spanked Have Lower IQs
In THIS STORY by Jeanna Bryner she says:
"All parents want smart children," said study researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire. "This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen."
One might ask, however, whether children who are spanked tend to come from backgrounds in which education opportunities are less or inherited intelligence lower.
OK, this lady needs to stay at home and make samiches. I mean, first of all, how many parents are scared to death to hit their child these days anyway! Verbal beatings are just as bad as physical beatings, yet there's no mention of that.
Anyhow, if you're anywhere near my age you experienced beatings like there's no tomorrow. Today, if a kid calls his Mother a biotch, Jonathan, you stop that now, shame on you. Back in the 1960's, WHACK! Bet you never called your Mother a biotch again! Oh, how stupid of us. See Mom, it's all your fault.
What was crime like back in the 1960's versus today? I guess if you live a pampered life you're sure to have a much higher IQ. See what happens when you give a voice to a bunch of liberals.
All I can tell you is, the Eastern Shore must have had a TON of registered voters who had the crap beat out of them because they sure did vote for a bunch of winners as their elected officials.
Signed,
Dee, Dee, Deeee
"All parents want smart children," said study researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire. "This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen."
One might ask, however, whether children who are spanked tend to come from backgrounds in which education opportunities are less or inherited intelligence lower.
OK, this lady needs to stay at home and make samiches. I mean, first of all, how many parents are scared to death to hit their child these days anyway! Verbal beatings are just as bad as physical beatings, yet there's no mention of that.
Anyhow, if you're anywhere near my age you experienced beatings like there's no tomorrow. Today, if a kid calls his Mother a biotch, Jonathan, you stop that now, shame on you. Back in the 1960's, WHACK! Bet you never called your Mother a biotch again! Oh, how stupid of us. See Mom, it's all your fault.
What was crime like back in the 1960's versus today? I guess if you live a pampered life you're sure to have a much higher IQ. See what happens when you give a voice to a bunch of liberals.
All I can tell you is, the Eastern Shore must have had a TON of registered voters who had the crap beat out of them because they sure did vote for a bunch of winners as their elected officials.
Signed,
Dee, Dee, Deeee
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY HOSTS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH NATION’S ‘DRUG CZAR’
ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 25, 2009) – Governor Martin O’Malley today hosted a roundtable discussion with the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, traditionally known as the nation’s “Drug Czar,” along with House Speaker Michael Busch, members of law enforcement, youth, and community leader stakeholders to discuss the current drug control strategy and its effectiveness at every level of government, including what can be done to improve it. The roundtable is part of a six city tour by Kerlikowske around the nation to assess the drug control program and ways to make it more effective for the American people.
“One of the most solemn obligations we have as public servants is to protect and enhance the safety and security of the people we serve, and with federal partners like the Office of National Drug Control Policy, we’re making real progress,” said Governor O’Malley. “It’s my honor to welcome Director Kerlikowske to Annapolis as we speak frankly with those on the front lines of our efforts to combat the harmful impact of drugs on our families and neighborhoods.”
“My 37 years of law enforcement, including nine as Seattle Police Chief, tell me that substance abuse is an issue of public health and safety, as well as one of law enforcement,” said Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske. “This meeting with Governor O’Malley and representatives from the public health and safety communities in Maryland is a positive sign that we are building partnerships needed to develop sound policy that will ultimately reduce drug abuse in Maryland and across the nation.”
Today’s meeting marks the eighth roundtable in the Director’s “listening tour” as he solicits advice and discusses state and local anti-drug programs with treatment providers, law enforcement officials, local elected officials, doctors, researchers and social workers. Other roundtables have been held in Seattle, Washington; El Paso, Texas; Denver, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois. These efforts are part of the fact-finding that will help inform the drafting of the Obama Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, scheduled to be issued in early 2010.
“Governor O’Malley has brought his public safety experience as a big city mayor to state government,” said Speaker Busch. “In Annapolis, because of cooperation at the federal, state and local levels, we have been able to cut violent crime 35 percent. Drug treatment and public safety are inextricably linked and we hope to continue this progress, with our partners in the federal government.”
As Mayor of Baltimore, Governor O’Malley successfully sought a substantial increase of drug treatment funding as part of his commitment to establishing Baltimore as the safest big city in the nation. By the time Governor O’Malley left the City to serve as Governor, the City had received an over 100 percent increase in funding for drug treatment, leading to a drop in drug induced deaths in the City of 32 percent in four years.
As Governor, O’Malley signed an Executive Order that establishes the Maryland Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, tasked with the identification, development and recommendation of comprehensive systemic improvements in the organization and delivery of drug and alcohol abuse prevention, intervention and treatment services in Maryland.
Governor O’Malley has set an ambitious goal to expand access to substance abuse services in Maryland by 25 percent by 2012. Even during this severe national economic recession, Maryland has committed 11 percent more in funding for drug treatment than four years ago, including an expansion of primary adult care to include substance abuse treatment, expanding buprenorphine treatment for heroine addiction, and expanding utilization of pharmacotherapy including mobile treatment.
Maryland currently has 40 operational drug courts serving approximately 5,000 people and last year, there were over 6,100 methadone treatment slots available in the State. Under the O’Malley-Brown Administration, the State has also increased treatment capacity inside state prisons by nearly 300 percent.
“One of the most solemn obligations we have as public servants is to protect and enhance the safety and security of the people we serve, and with federal partners like the Office of National Drug Control Policy, we’re making real progress,” said Governor O’Malley. “It’s my honor to welcome Director Kerlikowske to Annapolis as we speak frankly with those on the front lines of our efforts to combat the harmful impact of drugs on our families and neighborhoods.”
“My 37 years of law enforcement, including nine as Seattle Police Chief, tell me that substance abuse is an issue of public health and safety, as well as one of law enforcement,” said Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske. “This meeting with Governor O’Malley and representatives from the public health and safety communities in Maryland is a positive sign that we are building partnerships needed to develop sound policy that will ultimately reduce drug abuse in Maryland and across the nation.”
Today’s meeting marks the eighth roundtable in the Director’s “listening tour” as he solicits advice and discusses state and local anti-drug programs with treatment providers, law enforcement officials, local elected officials, doctors, researchers and social workers. Other roundtables have been held in Seattle, Washington; El Paso, Texas; Denver, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois. These efforts are part of the fact-finding that will help inform the drafting of the Obama Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, scheduled to be issued in early 2010.
“Governor O’Malley has brought his public safety experience as a big city mayor to state government,” said Speaker Busch. “In Annapolis, because of cooperation at the federal, state and local levels, we have been able to cut violent crime 35 percent. Drug treatment and public safety are inextricably linked and we hope to continue this progress, with our partners in the federal government.”
As Mayor of Baltimore, Governor O’Malley successfully sought a substantial increase of drug treatment funding as part of his commitment to establishing Baltimore as the safest big city in the nation. By the time Governor O’Malley left the City to serve as Governor, the City had received an over 100 percent increase in funding for drug treatment, leading to a drop in drug induced deaths in the City of 32 percent in four years.
As Governor, O’Malley signed an Executive Order that establishes the Maryland Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, tasked with the identification, development and recommendation of comprehensive systemic improvements in the organization and delivery of drug and alcohol abuse prevention, intervention and treatment services in Maryland.
Governor O’Malley has set an ambitious goal to expand access to substance abuse services in Maryland by 25 percent by 2012. Even during this severe national economic recession, Maryland has committed 11 percent more in funding for drug treatment than four years ago, including an expansion of primary adult care to include substance abuse treatment, expanding buprenorphine treatment for heroine addiction, and expanding utilization of pharmacotherapy including mobile treatment.
Maryland currently has 40 operational drug courts serving approximately 5,000 people and last year, there were over 6,100 methadone treatment slots available in the State. Under the O’Malley-Brown Administration, the State has also increased treatment capacity inside state prisons by nearly 300 percent.
Yard Sales 9/25/9
CLICK HERE for the latest yard sales for this weekend.
If you have a yard sale that you would like to share, please send your request to SunnyInOC at atlanticjw@aol.com. Please type "yard sale" in the subject of your email.
Remember, your listing is FREE, so the more details you include, the better turnout you will have.
Have a great weekend.
If you have a yard sale that you would like to share, please send your request to SunnyInOC at atlanticjw@aol.com. Please type "yard sale" in the subject of your email.
Remember, your listing is FREE, so the more details you include, the better turnout you will have.
Have a great weekend.
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On September 23, 2009 at approximately 7:23 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the nine hundred (900) block of Vincent Street for the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival the officers met with two (2) victims who advised that they had been robbed at gunpoint. The victims advised the officers that they had been located on the front porch of the residence when they were approached by three (3) suspects. One of the suspects produced what was believed to be a short barreled shotgun and demanded the victim’s U.S. currency. The suspects took the currency from the victims then fled the area on foot. This investigation is continuing and all of the suspects were described as black males, approximately 16 years of age and wearing all black clothing.
If anyone has any information regarding this incident they are asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165, or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.
CC # 200900033892
On September 23, 2009 at approximately 7:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding arrest warrant for a domestic type assault that occurred on September 22, 2009 in a residence on Moss Hill Lane in Salisbury. On that date the suspect became involved in a domestic argument that escalated into a physical altercation. During the altercation, the suspect held down the male victim and struck the victim in the facial area. The victim did not require medical treatment.
ARRESTED: Troy Dean Livingston, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Second degree assault
Reckless endangerment
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 200900033788
WANTED
On September 20, 2009 at approximately 2:39 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Rise Up Coffee shop on Riverside Drive for the report of the theft of a pocketbook. Upon arrival the officers met with the victim who advised that while sitting outside of the restaurant a single suspect had taken her pocketbook from a chair and had fled on foot from the area.
On the same date at approximately 7:20 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Long Parish Center at St. Frances DeSales on Riverside Drive for the report of an assault. The two victims advised that while cleaning the center following an event the victims observed a single suspect enter the center and grab one of the victim’s pocketbooks. The victims confronted the suspect and were both assaulted.
As a result of these investigations, the following suspect has been charged with these crimes and is currently wanted:
John Carnell Holley, 47 years of age
LKA: Camden Court, Salisbury, MD
5’07”, 150 lbs.
Charges: 2nd Degree assault & theft
If anyone has any information regarding these incidents they are asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165 or contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.
Capt. Mark Tyler
No Tax Increase Said Somerset Commissioners, Yet Property Taxes See Increase
The County Commissioners of Somerset County this year were teetering on whether or not to reduce the property tax rate. This was coming on the heels of a .10 property tax increase by the city of Princess Anne. Area citizens decided not to take a chance and rallied outside of the County Commissioners meeting. The Commissioners promptly, without discussion, voted for the .02 reduction in the property tax rate.
During the public comments exchange we had a verbal promise by the Commissioners that they would be seeking constant yield for Somerset. Constant yield is the concept that the tax rate adjusts with assessments such that the total amount of money received to the County (or whatever level of govt.) stays the same. If property assessments go up, the tax rate should decrease. As assessments decrease, tax rates should go up.
Unfortunately the State of Maryland controls the assessment rates. There lies the problem of local and county municipalities having the opportunity to take advantage of tax payers as they don’t adjust the tax rate. They claim they are not raising taxes. It’s a back door tax and elected officials are wrong for using a smokescreen.
This is nothing more than the typical tax and spend by local “big government”. With the status of the economy, both nationally and locally, people cannot afford these increased loads on their backs. Tax payers have bills upon bills to pay and are many are trying just to get by.
Remedying the situation requires all taxpayers watch carefully what your local elected officials do and to let the State know that property assessments need to be fair. It does not help anyone when the State gives out unfair assessments to increase revenue. Appealing your assessment is a process that most often results in little or no change to your assessed property value.
Americans for Prosperity Maryland applauds the Somerset Commissioners for helping to stop the bleeding and pledging their support to work towards a fair constant yield rate. Our local chapter in Somerset looks forward to working with the Commissioners to improve Somerset County.
Property Tax Assessment information can be found -http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxassess.html
Nick Loffer
Nick is the Field Director for Maryland and a current resident of Princess Anne and can be reached at nick@afpmaryland.com www.afpmaryland.com
Americans for Prosperity Maryland is a non partisan and non-profit free market and limited government advocacy group.
During the public comments exchange we had a verbal promise by the Commissioners that they would be seeking constant yield for Somerset. Constant yield is the concept that the tax rate adjusts with assessments such that the total amount of money received to the County (or whatever level of govt.) stays the same. If property assessments go up, the tax rate should decrease. As assessments decrease, tax rates should go up.
Unfortunately the State of Maryland controls the assessment rates. There lies the problem of local and county municipalities having the opportunity to take advantage of tax payers as they don’t adjust the tax rate. They claim they are not raising taxes. It’s a back door tax and elected officials are wrong for using a smokescreen.
This is nothing more than the typical tax and spend by local “big government”. With the status of the economy, both nationally and locally, people cannot afford these increased loads on their backs. Tax payers have bills upon bills to pay and are many are trying just to get by.
Remedying the situation requires all taxpayers watch carefully what your local elected officials do and to let the State know that property assessments need to be fair. It does not help anyone when the State gives out unfair assessments to increase revenue. Appealing your assessment is a process that most often results in little or no change to your assessed property value.
Americans for Prosperity Maryland applauds the Somerset Commissioners for helping to stop the bleeding and pledging their support to work towards a fair constant yield rate. Our local chapter in Somerset looks forward to working with the Commissioners to improve Somerset County.
Property Tax Assessment information can be found -http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxassess.html
Nick Loffer
Nick is the Field Director for Maryland and a current resident of Princess Anne and can be reached at nick@afpmaryland.com www.afpmaryland.com
Americans for Prosperity Maryland is a non partisan and non-profit free market and limited government advocacy group.
Barack As Christ: Obama Worship Song Adapted From “Jesus Loves The Little Children”
A shocking caveat to the Obama worship video now doing the rounds on the TV news talk shows, first reported by Prison Planet nearly a month ago, is the fact that the lyrics to the song that children of a New Jersey school are forced to sing are clearly adapted from a religious hymn called “Jesus Loves The Little Children,” which is one of the first songs that small children learn in church.
The idea of kids being forced to worship Obama in schools across America is no longer just a chilling example of Maoist style political brainwashing – children are literally being trained to religiously worship Obama via adapted versions of Christian hymns!
GO HERE to see and read much mmore.
The idea of kids being forced to worship Obama in schools across America is no longer just a chilling example of Maoist style political brainwashing – children are literally being trained to religiously worship Obama via adapted versions of Christian hymns!
GO HERE to see and read much mmore.
Remember What I Said Months Ago About Ghost Towns?
All it takes is a simple drive from here to Annapolis and opening your eyes and you cannot miss the multiple Boat and Auto Dealerships closing their doors as a reality check to America.
All I want you to think about is ALL of the tax revenue these dealerships brought into each community. Now, that being said, while they continue to disappear, where do YOU think all that lost money is going to come from to keep these municipalities afloat?
That's right, it's going to come out of YOUR pocket! So when you have someone as greedy as Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, Lynn Cathcart, Shanie Shields and others, THINK very hard the next time you want to watch your community grow. "Growth pays for Growth" is a crock of crap! When "Growth" ends, YOU pay for Growth.
IF any of these big box stores close, Car Dealerships, you name it, once they, (the City, County & State) get used to all that tax money and it disappears, where do they turn to keep up the services? YOU, that's where.
Come to Delmar, DE. where life is so much better! Maryland is like throwing good money after bad money!
Obama's New Clunkers Lane
Say what you want about the Clunkers Program, the used car market has left those who cannot afford a good used car to desperate extremes.
All over the Eastern Show you're seeing individuals using the new "Obama Shoulder Lane"
aka, (OSL).So do share with Salisbury News what make and model you have your eye on because we hear after the appliance event is over riding lawnmowers will be next on the Clunkers Program.
Obama, no longer a pain in your grass.
Salisbury Zoo Bear Gets Dental Work After 6 Years Of Being In Pain
Several years ago when my Wife worked at the Salisbury Zoo she was confronted with the new Spectacle Bear having a tooth issue. She consulted with Dr. Tragle about the problem and ultimately made contact with a Dentist in Ocean City who was willing to do the root canal at no cost to the City/Zoo.
They started making final arrangements and then all hell broke loose at the Zoo and ultimately my Wife and Dr. Tragle left and the painful problem rested in the hands of former Zoo Director Jim Rapp.
Now, several years later, the Zoo finally flew in some specialists to do exactly what my Wife had arranged to be done for FREE to the Taxpayers and paid a pretty penny to have this work done. The financial impact from Rapp continues to plague the City as Joel Hamelton, (new Zoo Director) tries to clean up the mess.
One can only imagine just how much pain this Bear experienced for so many years. I'm sure Ron Alessi would scream, but we don't have the facility to do the work. Excuse me Ron but spending $3,000,000.00 on a facility to do a root canal or other surgeries is inexcusable. The ONLY reason the Zoo wants this facility is because the AZA is demanding they do so or they lose their accreditation. BIG DEAL! Besides, I was there when they did the surgery on the Jag years ago. Make shift, yes. Successful, absolutely.
Yeah, you may not want to see a human lying there on a table outdoors getting a root canal done but they had other options, like bringing it to the current animal services building. However, the photo op wouldn't have been the same or the sky is falling impact wouldn't have been so dramatic.
In the mean time, one can only wonder just how many thousands of dollars were spent doing this procedure. If Rapp hadn't had it out so bad for my Wife and Dr. Tragle, how many thousands of dollars would the City have saved? Well, at least, (after 6 years) the Bear is finally out of pain. Isn't it just wonderful how well these people treat the animals at the Zoo! Think about it. Would YOU have left your pet in such pain for so many years?
Proofreading Is A Dying Art
Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
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Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No crap, really? Ya think?
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Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
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Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
----------------------------------------------------------
War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
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If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
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Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
----------------------------------------------------------
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
----------------------------------------------
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!
-----------------------------------------------
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
---------------- ---------------------------------
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
***************************************************
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
*******************************************
And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No crap, really? Ya think?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
------------------------------------------------------
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
----------------------------------------------------------
War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
----------------------------------------------------------------
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
----------------------------------------------------------
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
----------------------------------------------
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!
-----------------------------------------------
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
---------------- ---------------------------------
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
***************************************************
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
*******************************************
And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?
Democrats Jarred By Drop In Fundraising
WASHINGTON - Democratic political committees have seen a decline in their fundraising fortunes this year, a result of complacency among their rank-and-file donors and a de facto boycott by many of their wealthiest givers, who have been put off by the party's harsh rhetoric about big business.
The trend is a marked reversal from recent history, in which Democrats have erased the GOP's long-standing fundraising advantage. In the first six months of 2009, Democratic campaign committees' receipts have dropped compared with the same period two years earlier.
The vast majority of those declines were accounted for by the absence of large donors who, strategists say, have shut their checkbooks in part because Democrats have heightened their attacks on the conduct of major financial firms and set their sights on rewriting the laws that regulate their behavior.
GO HERE to read more.
Drinking Age Law
Do You Believe The Legal Drinking Age (21) Is Proper, Or Should It Be (18) Years Of Age?
Baptist Toy Ministery
Joe: We work with the Baptist Toy Ministery who collect toys for children at Christmas time. He has had to move from his location here is Salisbury to Delmar, Md. He is in need of tables used for sorting and storing donated toys for the needy children of our area. We saw an increase in needy families from 6000 to 8000 needy children for the year of 2009. This year we are expecting to exceed that number. We are looking for large tables like banquet tables or plywood and 2 x 4's to make tables with. We can pick up items if there is anything available...If people have toys suiteable they would like to donate we can pick them up also. We can always use wrapping paper, bags and tape. The person to call is Mr. Ayres (Santa) and his phone number is 410 251-7127. Any help would be appreciated. The organization is a 501C3. This man does wonderful work and we try to help him. Thank you for your time.
Barbara
Concerned parents for kids
Clothing Ministery 501C3
Keep up all the good work you do. Cant wait to see how great the Kettle Drive will be!
Barbara
Concerned parents for kids
Clothing Ministery 501C3
Keep up all the good work you do. Cant wait to see how great the Kettle Drive will be!
Border
Administration Will Cut Border Patrol Deployed on U.S-Mexico Border
Even though the Border Patrol now reports that almost 1,300 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border is not under effective control, and the Department of Justice says that vast stretches of the border are “easily breached,” and the Government Accountability Office has revealed that three persons “linked to terrorism” and 530 aliens from “special interest countries” were intercepted at Border Patrol checkpoints last year, the administration is nonetheless now planning to decrease the number of Border Patrol agents deployed on the U.S.-Mexico border.
A Department of Homeland Security annual performance review updated by the Obama administration on May 7 said the Border Patrol “plans to move several hundred Agents from the Southwest Border to the Northern Border to meet the FY 2010 staffing requirements, with only a small increase in new agents for the Southwest Border in the same year.”
More here...
Dashboard Obama
You can now make Obama your co-pilot with this miniature bobblehead version of our great leader! Put dashboard Obama in front of a teleprompter and it will make just as many inexplicable decisions as the real thing.
ONLY $12.95
Size: Overall Height (including the spring): 5 inches
Usually ships within 7-10 business days
GO HERE to place your official order.
MY FATHER NEVER DROVE A CAR!
This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and president of NBC News. In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.
It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed. Here goes...
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My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car.
He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet.
"In those days," he told me when he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it."
At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in: "Oh, bull----!" she said. "He hit a horse."
"Well," my father said, "there was that, too."
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth , the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none.
My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , wou ld take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home.. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.
My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that.
But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.
It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother.
So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.
Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage.
(Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home.
If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."
If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?"
"I guess so," I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.
"No left turns," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"No left turns," he repeated. "Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn."
"What?" I said again.
"No left turns," he said. "Think about it.. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights."
"You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support. "No," she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she added: "Except when your father loses count."
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.
"Loses count?" I asked.
"Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again."
I couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked.
"No," he said " If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week." My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.
She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.
They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer."
"You're probably right," I said.
"Why would you say that?" He countered, somewhat irritated.
"Because you're 102 years old," I said.
"Yes," he said, "you're right." He stayed in bed all the next day.
That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.
He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said: "I would like to make an announcement.. No one in this room is dead yet"
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:
"I want you to know," he said, clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have."
A short time later, he died.
I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.
I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns. "
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance,take it & if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it."
It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed. Here goes...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car.
He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet.
"In those days," he told me when he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it."
At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in: "Oh, bull----!" she said. "He hit a horse."
"Well," my father said, "there was that, too."
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth , the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none.
My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , wou ld take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home.. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.
My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that.
But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.
It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother.
So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.
Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage.
(Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home.
If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."
If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?"
"I guess so," I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.
"No left turns," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"No left turns," he repeated. "Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn."
"What?" I said again.
"No left turns," he said. "Think about it.. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights."
"You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support. "No," she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she added: "Except when your father loses count."
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.
"Loses count?" I asked.
"Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again."
I couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked.
"No," he said " If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week." My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.
She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.
They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer."
"You're probably right," I said.
"Why would you say that?" He countered, somewhat irritated.
"Because you're 102 years old," I said.
"Yes," he said, "you're right." He stayed in bed all the next day.
That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.
He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said: "I would like to make an announcement.. No one in this room is dead yet"
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:
"I want you to know," he said, clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have."
A short time later, he died.
I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.
I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns. "
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance,take it & if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it."
Secret White House Letter To G-20
I still get a thrill whenever I get my hands on a confidential memo with “The White House, Washington” on the letterhead. Even when–like the one I’m looking at now–it’s about a snoozy topic: This week’s G-20 summit.
But the letter’s content shook me awake and may keep me up the rest of the night.
The 6-page letter from the White House, dated September 3, was sent to the 20 heads of state that will meet this Thursday in Pittsburgh. After some initial diplo-blather, our President’s “sherpa” for the summit, Michael Froman, does a little victory dance, announcing that the recession has been defeated. “Global equity markets have risen 35 percent since the end of March,” writes Froman. In other words, the stock market is up and all’s well.
While acknowledging that this year’s economy has gone to hell in a handbag, Obama’s aide and ambassador to the G-20 seems to be parroting the irrational exuberance of Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke who declared last week that, “The recession is very likely over.” All that was missing from Bernanke’s statement was a banner, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.”
And the French are furious. The White House letter to the G-20 leaders was a response to a confidential diplomatic missive from the chief of the European Union Fredrik Reinfeldt written a day earlier to “Monsieur le Président” Obama.
GO HERE to read more.
But the letter’s content shook me awake and may keep me up the rest of the night.
The 6-page letter from the White House, dated September 3, was sent to the 20 heads of state that will meet this Thursday in Pittsburgh. After some initial diplo-blather, our President’s “sherpa” for the summit, Michael Froman, does a little victory dance, announcing that the recession has been defeated. “Global equity markets have risen 35 percent since the end of March,” writes Froman. In other words, the stock market is up and all’s well.
While acknowledging that this year’s economy has gone to hell in a handbag, Obama’s aide and ambassador to the G-20 seems to be parroting the irrational exuberance of Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke who declared last week that, “The recession is very likely over.” All that was missing from Bernanke’s statement was a banner, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.”
And the French are furious. The White House letter to the G-20 leaders was a response to a confidential diplomatic missive from the chief of the European Union Fredrik Reinfeldt written a day earlier to “Monsieur le Président” Obama.
GO HERE to read more.
Obama Likes Tyrants and Dislikes America . . . And Here's More Proof
Michael hits the nail on the head . . . and then comes this: The Obama administration has notified Congress of the State Department's intention to contribute $400,000 to foundations run by Muammar Qaddafi's two children — $200,000 each for daughter Aisha and son Saif. Saif, you may recall, is the son who escorted the Lockerbie terrorist Abdel Baset al-Megrahi home to a hero's welcome in Libya after President Obama sternly "warned" Qaddafi that there was to be no hero's welcome.
Illinois Republican congressman Mark Steven Kirk (House Appropriations Subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations) has sent Obama a letter asking him to rescind the funding.
Could somebody please tell this president that this is not just Annenberg Foundation cash he's passing out to his personal terrorist pals like Bill Ayers but American taxpayer dollars he's doling out to the terrorist tyrant behind the murder — in just that one incident — of 270 people, including 189 Americans.
Just 40 months to go. God help us.
Mandatory Swine Flu Shots For Firefighters?
Firefighters could be added to the list of those mandated to take the dangerous and untested H1N1 vaccine if Parkersburg Fire Department Chief Eric Chichester gets his way, while health workers in Ontario Canada have been told they will not be forced to take the shot.
Firefighters do not work in hospitals, but because they are trained EMT’s, Chichester believes they should get both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
“I plan on getting vaccinated as soon as it’s available,” Chichester said. “Our guys have the choice of getting the regular flu shot, but I’m looking into ways I can make it mandatory for them to receive the H1N1 vaccine,” he told the News and Sentinel.
Capt. Rick Woodyard with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department is quoted in the same article as saying that police will follow the orders of FEMA if there is a widespread H1N1 outbreak.
GO HERE to read more.
Firefighters do not work in hospitals, but because they are trained EMT’s, Chichester believes they should get both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.
“I plan on getting vaccinated as soon as it’s available,” Chichester said. “Our guys have the choice of getting the regular flu shot, but I’m looking into ways I can make it mandatory for them to receive the H1N1 vaccine,” he told the News and Sentinel.
Capt. Rick Woodyard with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department is quoted in the same article as saying that police will follow the orders of FEMA if there is a widespread H1N1 outbreak.
GO HERE to read more.
Kratovil Votes To Protect Seniors From Higher Medicare Premiums
Deficit-neutral legislation protects the income 11 million seniors.
Washington, DC – Rep. Frank Kratovil voted to protect seniors from unfair increases in their 2010 Medicare Part B premiums. Kratovil joined a bipartisan majority (406-18) in supporting H.R. 3631, the Medicare Premium Fairness Act, which will protect seniors in Maryland and across the country from seeing their Social Security checks shrink at a time when many are already facing economic hardships.
“To me, it is a moral imperative that seniors have access to affordable quality healthcare and prescription medicine,” said Rep. Kratovil. “Many seniors rely on a fixed income for both their daily and long-term medical needs, any change to their premium could be mean missing a meal, skipping a payment, or forgoing a necessary prescription – that is not acceptable.”
Without Congressional action, premiums for unprotected enrollees would have been disproportionately increased to $110-$120 per month. This bill would extend the protection to all Medicare enrollees, meaning that no seniors will see a decrease in their Social Security checks due to Medicare Part B premiums.
According to CBO estimates, the Medicare Premium Fairness Act will not add to the deficit. CBO estimates the bill's cost at $2.8 billion for 2010; it is fully paid for and meets PAY-GO requirements using financing from the Medicare Improvement Fund - established a few years ago to make improvements to Part A and B benefits.
“It is possible to make sure seniors have the income they rely on without adding to our crippling deficit and this legislation is proof,” said Rep. Kratovil. “It ensures seniors will be protected and that young Americans will not be punished.
The bill is endorsed by AARP, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA), Alliance for Retired Americans, National Association of State Medicaid Directors, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association.
Tee Off For The Tomorrow Fund At The Friends Of Recreation Annual Golf Tournament
(Salisbury, MD) Enjoy a day on the greens at the Friends of Recreation and Parks annual golf tournament. The full scramble tournament is slated for 9:00am on Wednesday, October 14 at the Nutters Crossing Golf Club (30282 Dixon Road) in Salisbury, MD.
Registration is open to teams of four. Each participant will receive 18 holes of golf, golf cart use, beverages on the course, a goodie bag and lunch. Following play, lunch will be provided at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, located at 500 Glen Avenue. The tournament entry fee is $75 per person/$300 per team. Hole sponsorships are also available for $125.
Download a registration/hole sponsorship form from the Recreation & Parks web site www.wicomicorecandparks.org/adult_sports.htm. Completed forms will be accepted at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center box office, open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Forms can also be mailed, along with payment to Friends of Recreation Golf Tournament, 500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, MD 21804. Registration must be completed in advance of the tournament.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit the Friends of Recreation and Parks Tomorrow Fund. This fund provides need-based scholarships to local children so they may participate in after-school, summer camp and other community recreation programs. These programs offer children a safe and friendly environment. To date, the Friends of Recreation & Parks has awarded more than $33,000 in scholarships to area youth.
Registration is open to teams of four. Each participant will receive 18 holes of golf, golf cart use, beverages on the course, a goodie bag and lunch. Following play, lunch will be provided at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, located at 500 Glen Avenue. The tournament entry fee is $75 per person/$300 per team. Hole sponsorships are also available for $125.
Download a registration/hole sponsorship form from the Recreation & Parks web site www.wicomicorecandparks.org/adult_sports.htm. Completed forms will be accepted at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center box office, open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Forms can also be mailed, along with payment to Friends of Recreation Golf Tournament, 500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, MD 21804. Registration must be completed in advance of the tournament.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit the Friends of Recreation and Parks Tomorrow Fund. This fund provides need-based scholarships to local children so they may participate in after-school, summer camp and other community recreation programs. These programs offer children a safe and friendly environment. To date, the Friends of Recreation & Parks has awarded more than $33,000 in scholarships to area youth.
Thought For The Day
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
- Alex Levine
- Alex Levine
TELL ME WHY
A city builds a stadium for a sports team. One of the athletes is paid $20 million a year. No Problem.
Another city blocks streets and provides security to make a movie. The actor is paid $30 million for a few months work. No problem
An average person goes into politics and soon becomes a multi millionaire. Again, no problem.
If any of these people would have worked for a bank, an insurance company or any for profit industry, Liberals get their shorts in a knot.
Another city blocks streets and provides security to make a movie. The actor is paid $30 million for a few months work. No problem
An average person goes into politics and soon becomes a multi millionaire. Again, no problem.
If any of these people would have worked for a bank, an insurance company or any for profit industry, Liberals get their shorts in a knot.
Republic? Democracy? What's The Difference?
It has become annoyingly commonplace for republics, whether they are the United States or the State of Nevada, to be referred to as democracies, without regard to the meaning of the word or the implications it brings with it.
What is a republic? What is a democracy? And why am I so angered that people use the words interchangeably? I'll answer the last question first. It is illogical to use two words that mean two different things to mean the same thing. This would be like me using the words orange and apple to mean the same physical object. I would be derided as an idiot and rightly so. This situation is the same in principle to the republic/democracy problem, but the importance of the orange and apple comparison is infinitely smaller.
A republic is a government in which a restricted group of citizens form a political unit, usually under the auspice of a charter, which directs them to elect representatives who will govern the state. Republics, by their very nature, tend to be free polities, not because they are elected by the citizens of the polity, but because they are bound by charters, which limit the responsibilities and powers of the state. The fact that people vote for representatives has nothing to do with making anything free. The logical consistency and rationality of the charter, as well as the willingness of the people to live by it, is what keeps people free.
A democracy is government by the majority. There is still a restricted group of citizens in a democracy, but this group rules directly and personally runs the state. The group may delegate specific tasks to individuals, such as generalships and governorships, but there is no question that the ruling force in a democracy is not a charter (if there even is a charter), but the vote of the majority. Democracies are free only if the people know what freedom is and are consistent in their application of it. If they don't know this, or more appropriately, if a majority of the people don't know this, then a democracy could be just as tyrannical as the worst dictator (see Socrates' forced suicide by the Athenian democracy.)
GO HERE to read more.
What is a republic? What is a democracy? And why am I so angered that people use the words interchangeably? I'll answer the last question first. It is illogical to use two words that mean two different things to mean the same thing. This would be like me using the words orange and apple to mean the same physical object. I would be derided as an idiot and rightly so. This situation is the same in principle to the republic/democracy problem, but the importance of the orange and apple comparison is infinitely smaller.
A republic is a government in which a restricted group of citizens form a political unit, usually under the auspice of a charter, which directs them to elect representatives who will govern the state. Republics, by their very nature, tend to be free polities, not because they are elected by the citizens of the polity, but because they are bound by charters, which limit the responsibilities and powers of the state. The fact that people vote for representatives has nothing to do with making anything free. The logical consistency and rationality of the charter, as well as the willingness of the people to live by it, is what keeps people free.
A democracy is government by the majority. There is still a restricted group of citizens in a democracy, but this group rules directly and personally runs the state. The group may delegate specific tasks to individuals, such as generalships and governorships, but there is no question that the ruling force in a democracy is not a charter (if there even is a charter), but the vote of the majority. Democracies are free only if the people know what freedom is and are consistent in their application of it. If they don't know this, or more appropriately, if a majority of the people don't know this, then a democracy could be just as tyrannical as the worst dictator (see Socrates' forced suicide by the Athenian democracy.)
GO HERE to read more.
STATE POLICE ARREST MAN FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(Pasadena, MD) – The Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit arrested an Anne Arundel County man with the possession and distribution of child pornography today.
The accused is identified as Kevin Scott Ferguson, 30, of the 8000-block of Corkberry Lane in Pasadena. Ferguson is charged with six counts of distributing child pornography, six counts of possessing child pornography, and one count of possession of marijuana. If convicted, Ferguson could be sentenced up to 73 years in prison and/or $166,000 in fines.
A state trooper assigned to the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began the investigation after locating a computer on a peer-to-peer network offering pornographic videos of children for others to download. Troopers were able to trace the computer back to Ferguson. Investigators executed a search warrant at Ferguson’s Pasadena residence and confiscated multiple computers, hard drives, and miscellaneous storage media.
A complete forensic analysis of the confiscated equipment was conducted by the Maryland State Police Computer Forensics Laboratory. Examiners recovered dozens of videos and images of children engaged in various stages of sexual activity.
Earlier this morning, Ferguson turned himself in to a state police investigator from the Computer Crimes Unit. Ferguson was processed and taken before a District Court Commissioner where he was released with no bond, pending a future trial date.
The primary mission of the Computer Crimes Unit is to protect children from computer facilitated, sexual exploitation. The unit works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. The unit is also charged with helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education and community awareness.
Bands Will Take The Field Saturday, Oct. 17 For 2009 Delmarvacade Of Bands
Lights. Music. Marching. One of the most exciting and uplifting nights of the marching band season is coming up Saturday, Oct. 17, when Parkside High School and the Parkside Band Boosters present the 2009 Delmarvacade of Bands at Wicomico County Stadium.
High school marching bands from throughout the region will fill Wicomico County Stadium that night with the exciting sights and sounds of their field show as bands tune up for the impending championship events.
Between bands, parents, and spectators, the Delmarvacade is expected to draw thousands of people to the stadium. Bands will compete starting at 6:30 p.m., with each band performing the kind of field show people are accustomed to seeing at halftime of football games. Each performance will last seven to 12 minutes, and a new band will take the field about every 15 minutes.
The event is sponsored by Parkside High School and its Band Boosters, with professional judges provided by the National Judges Association. Bands will be judged on every element of their field show, including both musical and visual elements, as well as the overall general effect of the show and its blending of music, marching, flags and rifles. Each band will receive a score based on a 100-point scale, and a trophy.
Bands will compete in four categories, depending on the number of instrumentalists in the band. James M. Bennett High is in Group 3. Parkside High and Wicomico High School are in Group 2 although Parkside, as host, will perform but will not be judged for placement. There will be an awards ceremony at the end of the night.
Marching bands often stay all evening, even after they have competed. "They support each other, even though they are rivals," says Gary Beauchamp, supervisor of fine and performing arts for Wicomico schools and the founder of the event in 1977. Students know they are competing not just against each other, but against their own previous performances, trying to make this one just a little bit better.
Admission to Delmarvacade of Bands is $5. A program detailing the participants, with a score sheet to keep track of how the bands are doing, is $5.
For information call Kevin Zaczkiewicz, Parkside High School band director, at (410) 677-5161.
High school marching bands from throughout the region will fill Wicomico County Stadium that night with the exciting sights and sounds of their field show as bands tune up for the impending championship events.
Between bands, parents, and spectators, the Delmarvacade is expected to draw thousands of people to the stadium. Bands will compete starting at 6:30 p.m., with each band performing the kind of field show people are accustomed to seeing at halftime of football games. Each performance will last seven to 12 minutes, and a new band will take the field about every 15 minutes.
The event is sponsored by Parkside High School and its Band Boosters, with professional judges provided by the National Judges Association. Bands will be judged on every element of their field show, including both musical and visual elements, as well as the overall general effect of the show and its blending of music, marching, flags and rifles. Each band will receive a score based on a 100-point scale, and a trophy.
Bands will compete in four categories, depending on the number of instrumentalists in the band. James M. Bennett High is in Group 3. Parkside High and Wicomico High School are in Group 2 although Parkside, as host, will perform but will not be judged for placement. There will be an awards ceremony at the end of the night.
Marching bands often stay all evening, even after they have competed. "They support each other, even though they are rivals," says Gary Beauchamp, supervisor of fine and performing arts for Wicomico schools and the founder of the event in 1977. Students know they are competing not just against each other, but against their own previous performances, trying to make this one just a little bit better.
Admission to Delmarvacade of Bands is $5. A program detailing the participants, with a score sheet to keep track of how the bands are doing, is $5.
For information call Kevin Zaczkiewicz, Parkside High School band director, at (410) 677-5161.
Hubris, Weakness, And Naivete At The U.N.
The United States elected 43 presidents before the current occupant graced the office with his presence. We fought, and won, two world wars, liberated millions of people worldwide from tyranny, and worked cooperatively with other sovereign nations to rebuild entire continents. Some might even say the character of our nation is well established considering we have been a democracy for just over 230 years now.
Not President Barack Obama, who told the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, “For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months.” 230 years versus just nine months. No wonder, the New York Times reports, were UN delegates not only applauding Obama, but snapping photos of their hero like tourists.
But the audacity of self-promotion was not the most troubling part of Obama’s speech. No, what most threatens America’s security is what Obama didn’t say. On March 27th of this year, while announcing his “New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan”, President Barack Obama said:
Al Qaeda and its allies — the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks — are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the United States homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban — or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged — that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.
GO HERE to read more. http://paracom.paramountcommunication.com/hostedemail/email.htm?h=c4c3891e691746591d81ed39492504d6&CID=4850092924&ch=15647655CACE05463A5D75BCC595CE09
One Woman Michelle Obama Will Not Mention
By Michelle Malkin
Yes, First Lady Michelle Obama is now aggressively crusading for her husband’s health care takeover under the guise of championing woman who have been “crushed” by the system.
One woman Mrs. Obama won’t be spotlighting?
The mother of Dontae Adams.
***
I’m re-printing my June 19, 2009 blog post and column again here in its entirety to get the message out about Michelle Obama’s role in creating a health care horror story she won’t be publicizing. I repeat: What have you done for Dontae Adams, lately, Mr. and Mrs. O?
***
June 19, 2009
I blogged about Michelle Obama’s role in creating a patient-dumping scheme for the University of Chicago Medical Center back in March. With her husband and the Democrats unleashing health care horror story anecdotes to gin up public fear and build support for the beleaguered Obamacare plan, my syndicated column today revisits the kind of “reform” the Obamas and their Chicago cronies champion — and who benefits.
Here’s a challenge to the ABC News Obamacare infomercial producers. I dare you to ask President Obama this question: What have you done for Dontae Adams, lately?
The White House, Democrats, and MoveOn liberals are spreading health care sob stories to sell a government takeover. But there’s one health care policy nightmare you won’t hear the Obamas hyping. It’s a tale of poor, minority patient-dumping in Chicago — with First Lady Michelle Obama’s fingerprints all over it.
Both Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago have raised red flags about the outsourcing program, run by the University of Chicago Medical Center. The hospital has non-profit status and receives lucrative tax breaks in exchange for providing charity care. Yet, it spent a measly $10 million on charity care for the poor in fiscal 2007 when Mrs. Obama was employed there—1.3 percent of its total hospital expenses, according to an analysis performed for The Washington Post by the non-partisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. The figure is below the 2.1 percent average for nonprofit hospitals in surrounding Cook County.
Rep. Rush called for a House investigation last week in response to months of patient-dumping complaints, noting: “Congress has a duty to expend its power to mitigate and prevent this despicable practice from continuing in centers that receive federal funds.”
Don’t expect the president to support a probe. While a top executive at the hospital, Mrs. Obama helped engineer the plan to offload low-income patients with non-urgent health needs. Under the Orwellian banner of an “Urban Health Initiative,” Mrs. Obama sold the scheme to outsource low-income care to other facilities as a way to “dramatically improve health care for thousands of South Side residents.” The program guaranteed “free” shuttle rides to and from the outside clinics.
In truth, it was old-fashioned cost-cutting and favor-trading repackaged as minority aid. Clearing out the poor freed up room for insured (i.e., more lucrative) patients. If a Republican had proposed the very same program and recruited black civic leaders to front it, Michelle Obama and her grievance-mongering friends would be screaming “RAAAAAAAAACISM!” at the top of their lungs.
Joe Stephens of the Washington Post wrote: “To ensure community support, Michelle Obama and others in late 2006 recommended that the hospital hire the firm of David Axelrod, who a few months later became the chief strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
Axelrod’s firm recommended an aggressive promotional effort modeled on a political campaign—appoint a campaign manager, conduct focus groups, target messages to specific constituencies, then recruit religious leaders and other third-party ‘validators.’ They, in turn, would write and submit opinion pieces to Chicago publications.”
Some health care experts saw through Mrs. Obama and her public relations man, David Axelrod—yes, the same David Axelrod who is now Mr. Obama’s senior adviser at the White House. The University of Chicago Medical Center hired Axelrod’s public relations firm, ASK Public Strategies, to promote Mrs. Obama’s Urban Health Initiative. Axelrod had the blessing of Chicago political guru Valerie Jarrett – now White House senior adviser.
Axelrod’s great contribution: Re-branding! His firm recommended re-naming the initiative after “[i]nternal and external respondents expressed the opinion that the word ‘urban’ is code for ‘black’ or ‘black and poor’….Based on the research, consideration should be given to re-branding the initiative.” Axelrod and the Obama campaign refused to disclose how much his firm received for its genius re-branding services.
In February 2009, outrage in the Obamas’ community exploded after a young boy covered by Medicaid was turned away from the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dontae Adams’ mother, Angela, had sought emergency treatment for him after a pit bull tore off his upper lip.
Mrs. Obama’s hospital gave the boy a tetanus shot, antibiotics, and Tylenol and shoved him out the door. The mother and son took an hour-long bus ride to another hospital for surgery.
I’ll guarantee you this: You’ll never see the Adams family featured at an Obama policy summit or seated next to the First Lady at a joint session of Congress to illustrate the failures of the health care system.
Following the Adams incident, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) blasted Mrs. Obama and Mr. Axelrod’s grand plan. The group released a statement expressing “grave concerns that the University of Chicago’s policy toward emergency patients is dangerously close to ‘patient dumping,’ a practice made illegal by the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act (EMTALA)” – signed by President Reagan, by the way – “and reflected an effort to ‘cherry pick’ wealthy patients over poor.”
Rewarding political cronies at the expense of the poor while posing as guardians of the downtrodden? Welcome to Obamacare.
Yes, First Lady Michelle Obama is now aggressively crusading for her husband’s health care takeover under the guise of championing woman who have been “crushed” by the system.
One woman Mrs. Obama won’t be spotlighting?
The mother of Dontae Adams.
***
I’m re-printing my June 19, 2009 blog post and column again here in its entirety to get the message out about Michelle Obama’s role in creating a health care horror story she won’t be publicizing. I repeat: What have you done for Dontae Adams, lately, Mr. and Mrs. O?
***
June 19, 2009
I blogged about Michelle Obama’s role in creating a patient-dumping scheme for the University of Chicago Medical Center back in March. With her husband and the Democrats unleashing health care horror story anecdotes to gin up public fear and build support for the beleaguered Obamacare plan, my syndicated column today revisits the kind of “reform” the Obamas and their Chicago cronies champion — and who benefits.
Here’s a challenge to the ABC News Obamacare infomercial producers. I dare you to ask President Obama this question: What have you done for Dontae Adams, lately?
The White House, Democrats, and MoveOn liberals are spreading health care sob stories to sell a government takeover. But there’s one health care policy nightmare you won’t hear the Obamas hyping. It’s a tale of poor, minority patient-dumping in Chicago — with First Lady Michelle Obama’s fingerprints all over it.
Both Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago have raised red flags about the outsourcing program, run by the University of Chicago Medical Center. The hospital has non-profit status and receives lucrative tax breaks in exchange for providing charity care. Yet, it spent a measly $10 million on charity care for the poor in fiscal 2007 when Mrs. Obama was employed there—1.3 percent of its total hospital expenses, according to an analysis performed for The Washington Post by the non-partisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. The figure is below the 2.1 percent average for nonprofit hospitals in surrounding Cook County.
Rep. Rush called for a House investigation last week in response to months of patient-dumping complaints, noting: “Congress has a duty to expend its power to mitigate and prevent this despicable practice from continuing in centers that receive federal funds.”
Don’t expect the president to support a probe. While a top executive at the hospital, Mrs. Obama helped engineer the plan to offload low-income patients with non-urgent health needs. Under the Orwellian banner of an “Urban Health Initiative,” Mrs. Obama sold the scheme to outsource low-income care to other facilities as a way to “dramatically improve health care for thousands of South Side residents.” The program guaranteed “free” shuttle rides to and from the outside clinics.
In truth, it was old-fashioned cost-cutting and favor-trading repackaged as minority aid. Clearing out the poor freed up room for insured (i.e., more lucrative) patients. If a Republican had proposed the very same program and recruited black civic leaders to front it, Michelle Obama and her grievance-mongering friends would be screaming “RAAAAAAAAACISM!” at the top of their lungs.
Joe Stephens of the Washington Post wrote: “To ensure community support, Michelle Obama and others in late 2006 recommended that the hospital hire the firm of David Axelrod, who a few months later became the chief strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
Axelrod’s firm recommended an aggressive promotional effort modeled on a political campaign—appoint a campaign manager, conduct focus groups, target messages to specific constituencies, then recruit religious leaders and other third-party ‘validators.’ They, in turn, would write and submit opinion pieces to Chicago publications.”
Some health care experts saw through Mrs. Obama and her public relations man, David Axelrod—yes, the same David Axelrod who is now Mr. Obama’s senior adviser at the White House. The University of Chicago Medical Center hired Axelrod’s public relations firm, ASK Public Strategies, to promote Mrs. Obama’s Urban Health Initiative. Axelrod had the blessing of Chicago political guru Valerie Jarrett – now White House senior adviser.
Axelrod’s great contribution: Re-branding! His firm recommended re-naming the initiative after “[i]nternal and external respondents expressed the opinion that the word ‘urban’ is code for ‘black’ or ‘black and poor’….Based on the research, consideration should be given to re-branding the initiative.” Axelrod and the Obama campaign refused to disclose how much his firm received for its genius re-branding services.
In February 2009, outrage in the Obamas’ community exploded after a young boy covered by Medicaid was turned away from the University of Chicago Medical Center. Dontae Adams’ mother, Angela, had sought emergency treatment for him after a pit bull tore off his upper lip.
Mrs. Obama’s hospital gave the boy a tetanus shot, antibiotics, and Tylenol and shoved him out the door. The mother and son took an hour-long bus ride to another hospital for surgery.
I’ll guarantee you this: You’ll never see the Adams family featured at an Obama policy summit or seated next to the First Lady at a joint session of Congress to illustrate the failures of the health care system.
Following the Adams incident, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) blasted Mrs. Obama and Mr. Axelrod’s grand plan. The group released a statement expressing “grave concerns that the University of Chicago’s policy toward emergency patients is dangerously close to ‘patient dumping,’ a practice made illegal by the Emergency Medical Labor and Treatment Act (EMTALA)” – signed by President Reagan, by the way – “and reflected an effort to ‘cherry pick’ wealthy patients over poor.”
Rewarding political cronies at the expense of the poor while posing as guardians of the downtrodden? Welcome to Obamacare.
“Mmm mmm mmm:” New Details About The Dear Leader Song Video; Update: School Responds
In case you were wondering which school taught kids that “Barack Hussein Obama mmm mmm mmm” rap that I posted yesterday afternoon, here are some new details.The video was originally posted in June 2009 here by YouTube user “brandnuwords.” Update: She has now removed the video sometime this morning. Here is the screenshot above:
GO HERE to read more.
The Coming American Dictatorship, Part XI The Tenth Amendement Movement
By John Silveira
O.E. MacDougal, Dave Duffy's poker-playing buddy from Southern California, had come to town to fish the Rogue, a river that runs 215 miles from the heels of Crater Lake through forest and rapids until it reaches the small town of Gold Beach, Oregon, a turbulent outlet to the Pacific but a major inlet for king salmon.
This morning Mac didn't look like he was in a hurry to get out to the river. He sat drinking his third cup of coffee, chatting with us about the state of the economy, what makes women beautiful, and the best recipes for salmon. He's passionate about the last.
When there was a major lull in the conversation, Dave commented, "We've gotten some mail about the Tenth Amendment Movement. But, other than the letters, I haven't heard much about it. Are you familiar with it, Mac?"
"Sure," Mac said. "It's an attempt by the states to stop the expansion of the powers of the federal government and to reassert the original intent of the clauses in Article I, Section 8, and the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution."
"What do you mean by ‘original intent?'" Dave asked.
"The Constitution allows certain powers to the federal government, but leaves all other governmental authority with the states. And for about the first 150 years that's pretty much the way things were. But that's not what's happening now.
"Today, many people feel as though the federal government has assumed too much power. The Tenth Amendment Movement is simply an attempt by the states to restore the balance of power they feel the Founding Fathers intended when they wrote the Constitution. Sometimes it's called the State Sovereignty Movement."
"Restoring the balance of power? That's all it's about?" I asked.
"Pretty much."
"Why is there no discussion in the mainstream media?" Dave asked. "Especially in the news."
"Because it's the mainstream media!" Mac said. "It's easier to ignore an issue you don't like; the alternative media, especially on the Internet, is abuzz with Tenth Amendment Movement discussion."
GO HERE to read more.
O.E. MacDougal, Dave Duffy's poker-playing buddy from Southern California, had come to town to fish the Rogue, a river that runs 215 miles from the heels of Crater Lake through forest and rapids until it reaches the small town of Gold Beach, Oregon, a turbulent outlet to the Pacific but a major inlet for king salmon.
This morning Mac didn't look like he was in a hurry to get out to the river. He sat drinking his third cup of coffee, chatting with us about the state of the economy, what makes women beautiful, and the best recipes for salmon. He's passionate about the last.
When there was a major lull in the conversation, Dave commented, "We've gotten some mail about the Tenth Amendment Movement. But, other than the letters, I haven't heard much about it. Are you familiar with it, Mac?"
"Sure," Mac said. "It's an attempt by the states to stop the expansion of the powers of the federal government and to reassert the original intent of the clauses in Article I, Section 8, and the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution."
"What do you mean by ‘original intent?'" Dave asked.
"The Constitution allows certain powers to the federal government, but leaves all other governmental authority with the states. And for about the first 150 years that's pretty much the way things were. But that's not what's happening now.
"Today, many people feel as though the federal government has assumed too much power. The Tenth Amendment Movement is simply an attempt by the states to restore the balance of power they feel the Founding Fathers intended when they wrote the Constitution. Sometimes it's called the State Sovereignty Movement."
"Restoring the balance of power? That's all it's about?" I asked.
"Pretty much."
"Why is there no discussion in the mainstream media?" Dave asked. "Especially in the news."
"Because it's the mainstream media!" Mac said. "It's easier to ignore an issue you don't like; the alternative media, especially on the Internet, is abuzz with Tenth Amendment Movement discussion."
GO HERE to read more.