Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Pride Month

As Americans, it is our birthright that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since our earliest days of independence, our Nation has striven to fulfill that promise. An important chapter in our great, unfinished story is the movement for fairness and equality on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This month, as we recognize the immeasurable contributions of LGBT Americans, we renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and to ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.

LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.

My Administration has advanced our journey by signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which strengthens Federal protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We renewed the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides life saving medical services and support to Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and finally eliminated the HIV entry ban. I also signed a Presidential Memorandum directing hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds to give LGBT patients the compassion and security they deserve in their time of need, including the ability to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions.

In other areas, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of proposals to ensure core housing programs are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD also announced the first ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a National Resource Center for LGBT Elders.

Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.

As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity, with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

GO HERE to see the official White House proclamation.

Laurel Man Arrested For DUI After He Was Stopped With Two Children In His Car

Location: US 13, south of Brickyard Road, Seaford, DE
Date of Occurrence: Monday May 31, 2010 at approximately 6:45 p.m.
Suspect: Luis E. Amaya, 40, Laurel, DE

Resume:
Delaware State Police have arrested a Laurel man and charged him with DUI and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

An off-duty trooper was following a white Ford Expedition east on Elks Road near Seaford last evening. The trooper called for assistance after he saw that the Ford was driving erratically. Seaford Police and state police stopped the Ford on US 13 south of Brickyard Road. Police made contact with Amaya who was driving and found an 8 year-old female and 3 year-old female in the car. Both children were unrestrained. Amaya appeared to be under the influence and was taken back to Troop 3.

Amaya was charged with DUI, 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and other traffic charges. Amaya was arraigned and committed to the Department of Correction in default of $820.00.

The children were turned over to a family member.

Released Tuesday June 1, 2010 at 1950 hours

Pedestrian Arrested For Possessing Drug Paraphernalia

Location: US 13, North of Gordy Road, Laurel, DE
Date of Occurrence: Tuesday June 1, 2010 at 1:25 a.m.
Suspect: Michael L. Blackburn, 21, Delmar, DE

Resume:
Delaware State Police have arrested a Delmar man after he was stopped and found in possession of drug paraphernalia and a prescription drug.

Early this morning a state trooper saw Blackburn walking along an unlit portion of the highway. The trooper stopped Blackburn to check on his welfare. He found that Blackburn’s eyes were glassy and he[Blackburn] appeared to be under the influence. The trooper located two syringes and a controlled substance in his possession.

Blackburn was transported to the Laurel Police Department where he was charged with Possession of a Syringe, Possession of Non Controlled Prescription Drug, Failing to Carry a Light on a Public Roadway and Drunk on the Highway. He was arraigned at J P Court 3 and was released on $202 unsecured bail.

Rehoboth Residents Soon To Learn From Salisbury Politics

Two Red Light Cameras were installed on Coastal Hwy near Rehoboth Beach, DE a few weeks ago. What makes it so bad is that the Red Light cameras are installed at back-to-back intersections -(Coastal Hwy & Munchy Branch Road and Coastal Hwy & Old Landing Road).

Today I just returned from Rehoboth and decided to avoid the 'traps' by navigating the 'back-way' in - a trick I learned in Salisbury. It was interesting to note that the Route along Airport Road was bumper-to-bumper through the residential neighborhood which is considered to be the 'back way' into Rehoboth Beach. I've navigated this roadway before and have never witnessed the volume of traffic that I experienced today.

Maybe Delaware officials should have consulted with Salisbury's politicos before they decided to deploy these expensive contraptions. I've been told that the offense carries a penalty of $112.00 which is not cheap especially in light of the current recession. And as soon as word reaches the street to organizations like the - Cruisers and Motor Bikers - I'm sure that Rehoboth officials will in the end wish they had never deployed these devices.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 31 May 2010
Location: 35000 block of Old Ocean City Road, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: Lester C. Sadberry, 49, Pittsville, MD

Narrative: On 31 May 2010 at 6:55 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported altercation at a residence in the 35000 block of Old Ocean City Road in Pittsville. Upon arrival, they met with a male victim who advised that his son came at him with a knife, threatening to stab him. The deputies also learned that Sadberry knocked over a portable toilet and went into a profanity laced tirade during the altercation. Deputies managed to locate Sadberry inside a trailer at the rear of the property where he was then taken into custody. The deputies observed that Sadberry appeared heavily intoxicated.

Upon arrest, Sadberry was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Sadberry was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center without bond.

Charges:
Assault 1st degree
Assault 2nd degree
Disorderly Conduct
Malicious Destruction of Property

America’s Complicity In Evil

As I write at 5pm on Monday, May 31, all day has passed since the early morning reports of the Israeli commando attack on the unarmed ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, and there has been no response from President Obama except to say that he needed to learn “all the facts about this morning’s tragic events” and that Israeli prime minister Netanyahu had canceled his plans to meet with him at the White House. Thus has Obama made America complicit once again in Israel’s barbaric war crimes. Just as the US Congress voted to deep-six Judge Goldstone’s report on Israel’s war crimes committed in Israel’s January 2009 invasion of Gaza, Obama has deep-sixed Israel’s latest act of barbarism by pretending that he doesn’t know what has happened.

Israeli forces approach one of six ships bound for Gaza in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, 2010

No one in the world will believe that Israel attacked ships in international waters carrying Israeli citizens, a Nobel Laureate, elected politicians, and noted humanitarians bringing medicines and building materials to Palestinians in Gaza, who have been living in the rubble of their homes without repairs or medicines since January 2009, without first clearing the crime with its American protector. Without America’s protection, Israel, a totally artificial state, could not exist. No one in the world will believe that America’s spy apparatus did not detect the movement of the Israeli attack force toward the aid ships in international waters in an act of piracy, killing 20, wounding 50, and kidnapping the rest. Obama’s pretense at ignorance confirms his complicity.

Once again the US government has permitted the Israeli state to murder good people known for their moral conscience. The Israeli state has declared that anyone with a moral conscience is an enemy of Israel, and every American president except Eisenhower and Carter has agreed.

Obama’s 12-hour silence in the face of extreme barbarity is his signal to the controlled corporate media to remain on the sidelines until Israeli propaganda sets the story.

The Israeli story, preposterous as always, is that the humanitarians on one of the ships took two pistols from Israeli commandos, highly trained troops armed with automatic weapons, and fired on the attack force. The Israeli government claims that the commandos’ response (70 casualties at last reporting) was justified self-defense. Israel was innocent. Israel did not do anything except drop commandos aboard from helicopters in order to intercept an arms shipment to Gazans being brought in by ships manned by terrorists.

Many Christian evangelicals, brainwashed by their pastors that it is God’s will for Americans to protect Israel, will believe the Israeli story, especially when it is unlikely they will ever hear any other. Conservative Americans, especially on Memorial Day when they are celebrating feats of American arms, will admire Israel for its toughness. Here in north Georgia where I am at the moment, I have heard several say, admiringly, “Them, Israelis, they don’t put up with nuthin.”

GO HERE to read more.

We Get Cuts And Furloughs, Government Employees Get Raises

The House on Friday essentially killed Republican efforts to freeze the salaries of federal workers next fiscal year, voting 227 to 183 to table a proposal introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

The Minnesota Republican introduced the measure after it won the week's Republican YouCut contest that is identifying potential government spending cuts popular with GOP voters.

Friday's vote means federal workers survived two Republican attempts to cut their pay this week. Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday introduced amendments to the war supplemental that would have trimmed 2011 federal pay increases and instructed federal agencies to sell excess equipment and land. The amendments failed to pass on Thursday.

Read more here

Al And Tipper Gore, Married 40 Years, To Separate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, are separating after 40 years of marriage that included a White House run when their sunny relationship offered a counterpoint to President Bill Clinton's philandering.

According to an e-mail circulated among the couple's associates on Tuesday, the Gores said it was "a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration."

Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider confirmed the statement came from the Gores, but declined to comment further.

The Gores were telling friends they "grew apart" after 40 years of marriage and there was no affair involved, according to two longtime close associates and family friends, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was a personal matter.

The associates said the Gores, over time, had carved out separate lives, with the former vice president on the road frequently. One of the associates said: "Their lives had gotten more and more separated."

Al Gore lost the 2000 presidential election to Republican George W. Bush. He has since campaigned worldwide to draw attention to climate change, which in 2007 led to a Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar for the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

GO HERE to read more.

Burglary At Comcast

INCIDENT: Burglary/Theft
DATE: June 1, 2010
LOCATION: Comcast Inc. Hobbs Road, Salisbury, MD

NARRATIVE: On June 1, 2010 at 0838 hours the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack received a call from the local Comcast Office indicating they had suffered a burglary over the weekend. Troopers and Detectives from the WBI responded and took over the investigation. At this point in time WBI is asking for anyone with information to contact WBI. The investigation is continuing and further details may be forth coming.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation at 410-548-4898 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776

Wicomico Bureau Of Investigation

Obama's Mideast Strategy Implodes

Another misstep by Bibi—bringing Gaza back into focus—has tanked Washington’s plan to stop Iran, advance peace talks, and heal the region.

It seems an especially hopeless task to declare that conditions in the Mideast have reached a new low of hopelessness, but that is where we are, and the first step toward any future hope must be to acknowledge its present absence. The deadly Mavi Marmara confrontation is a particular blow to President Barack Obama, the would-be grand strategist of the Mideast. Eighteen months ago, Obama had wanted to get all the cylinders of change working in his favor. He had sought a regional strategy that would alter the underlying dynamic by winning back the favor of the Arab and Muslim nations, bringing everyone on board against Iran and its nuclear program, and forging ahead on peace between the Israelis and Palestinians as a way of making it all come together. In other words, turning a negative spiral into a positive one.

In recent weeks Obama had seemed to be making some progress, however meager. Months of painstaking diplomacy had achieved a measure of consensus over new U.N. sanctions against Iran, with Russia’s and China’s grudging compliance. “Proximity talks,” employing former senator George Mitchell as middleman, were about to begin. But once again, an unforeseen incident—unforeseen, that is, except by those who planned it—has overturned all those calculations. The Mavi Marmara debacle has done more than further aggravate the mistrust between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (recall their blowup half a year ago over the abrupt announcement of new settlements during Vice President Biden’s visit) and distracted everyone once again from Iran. It has reminded all these would-be strategists that the issue they most wanted to go away—Gaza, and all that it means politically and morally—is back again, and it may be here to stay for a long while.

GO HERE to read more.

Here We Go Again! Who Else Didn't Take Bailouts?????

Feds investigate stuck gas pedals in Fords

Floor mat problem is similar to one that led to Toyota recall

WASHINGTON - Federal safety regulators are investigating a few reports of gas pedals becoming trapped by floor mats in 2010 Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation Friday after receiving three such complaints involving unsecured all-weather floor mats. There are no reports of crashes or injuries.

A Ford spokesman, Said Deep, said the problem was due to drivers stacking all-weather mats on top of floor mats that come with the vehicle. Ford's all-weather mats have warnings advising customers not to pile them and to secure them properly to the floor, he said.

GO HERE to read more.

Cancer Deaths To Double By The Year 2030

U.N. report: 13 million around world will die each year, twice those in 2008

LONDON - Cancer will kill more than 13.2 million people a year by 2030, almost double the number who died from the disease in 2008, the United Nations' cancer research agency said on Tuesday.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also said that almost 21.4 million new cases of the disease will be diagnosed annually in 2030.

Launching a new database on global incidence of cancer in 2008, the latest year for which figures are available, the IARC said the burden of cancer was shifting from wealthier to poorer nations.

GO HERE to read more.

Motorcycle Operator Racks Up Violations

Location: Route 7 southbound at Delaware Park Boulevard, Wilmington, Delaware
Date and Time: Sunday, May 31st, 2010, at 11:21 a.m.
Suspect(s): Nicholas J. Deleo, 29, of Newark, Delaware

Resume: One of the more common complaints public safety officials hear this time of year, in regards to traffic matters, concerns aggressive motorcycle driving. As the weather warms, cyclist make to the highways and byways. Unfortunately, a select few riders also make their way out; however, they fail to operate their bikes in a lawful and prudent manner.

On Monday morning, May 31st, a Troop 6 patrol officer was working an extra duty detail targeting speed violations for the Memorial Day Holiday. While sitting stationary in the area of Route 7 southbound, at Delaware Park Boulevard, this officer observed a motorcycle traveling southbound on Route 7- on only its back wheel (riding a wheelie). The operator was not wearing a helmet or eye protection.

The bike accelerated quickly and began to weave in and out of traffic. The officer, who was in an unmarked patrol car, then witnessed the operator of the bike riding without his hands on the handlebars. As the bike approached Route 4, a traffic stop ensued and the operator, Nicholas J. Deleo, pulled over.

A computer check revealed Mr. Deleo was not an endorsed motorcycle operator. The bike, a 2007 Suzuki SX7, was also not registered properly. The Trooper issued the following traffic citations: No Motorcycle License, Inattentive Driving, Failure to Keep Hands on Grip, Operating a Motorcycle without a Helmet or Eye Protection, Unreasonable Speed, Improper Lane Change, Fail to Signal, Fail to Transfer Title, Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Cancelled Registration, Speed Exhibition and Aggressive Driving.

The court date is pending.

Why Code & Compliance Needs More Money, It's Not What You Think!

It's Because They Need New Glasses!

'Peace Activists' Pick Another Fight With Israel

Pro-Palestinian activists sent another boat to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday and Egypt declared it was temporarily opening a crossing into the Palestinian territory after a botched raid on an aid flotilla that ended with Israeli soldiers killing nine activists.

The raid provoked ferocious international condemnation of Israel, raised questions at home, and appeared likely to increase pressure to end the blockade that has deepened the poverty of the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the strip. Turkey, which unofficially supported the flotilla, has led the criticism, calling the Israeli raid a "bloody massacre."

The pro-Palestinian flotilla had been headed to Gaza with tens of thousands of tons of aid that Israel bans from Gaza. After days of warnings, Israel intercepted the flotilla under the cover of darkness early Monday, setting off a violent melee that left nine activists dead and dozens of people, including seven soldiers, wounded. Most of the dead were believed to be Turks.

Israel said 679 people were arrested, and about 50 of those had left the country voluntarily. Hundreds who refused to cooperate remained jailed and subject to deportation.

Israel says the Gaza blockade is needed to prevent the Iranian-backed Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets into the Jewish state, from building up its arsenal. It also wants to pressure Hamas to free an Israeli soldier it has held for four years.

More

One Year Ago Today

While Urban Salisbury presented their Master Plan to the City Council, many criticized, (especially me) on this simply putting lipstick on a pig.

Mr. Hope seemed to be holding on to his job and many still question today, why is this man telling the Board what to do, when the Board should be setting goals for him instead.

I have spoken to numerous people Downtown who are absolutely not satisfied with his performance and while Urban Salisbury has been able to achieve some grants for some Downtown organizations, I know of several others who did not receive such support to boot.

The City Council did approve funding for Urban Salisbury in next years budget, they did reduce it somewhat. How much, I really don't know.

So the big question remains, is Urban Salisbury doing enough for the City of Salisbury or should they be cut off, as Mr. Comegys hoped would happen a year ago?

Today's Survey Question

Do You Think President Obama Has Done Enough With The BP Oil Disaster?

Click It Or Ticket Enforcement

Click It or Ticket Enforcement Yields Wanted DUI Suspect and a Stash of Pot in Children’s Toy Bag

Location: Route 2 and Saint James Church Road, Wilmington, Delaware
Date and Time: Saturday, May 29th, 2010, at 12:20 a.m.
Suspect(s): Alice VanDyke, 38, of Newark, Delaware

Resume: On Saturday, May 29th, a Trooper participating in the national Click it or Ticket Campaign initiated a traffic stop on a green Dodge Avenger for failing to maintain its lane on Route 2, Kirkwood Highway, in the area of Saint James Church Road.

The vehicle came to a stop in a parking lot adjacent to Saint James Church Road. The operator was identified as Alice VanDyke, 38, of Newark. Upon contacting the driver, the officer observed empty beer cans on the front seat and two children, girls ages 6 and 4, also in the car.

A DUI investigation ensued and Ms. VanDyke was eventually taken into custody. A routine computer check revealed she was wanted on two outstanding capiases from New Castle County Courts and that her driver’s license was currently suspended. She was also unable to provide any proof of insurance.

Ms. VanDyke was transported back to Troop 6 for processing. The children, who proved to be her nieces, were transported back to the Troop in another patrol car.

Once at the Troop, the children were placed in the care of the desk officer while the girls’ parents responded to the barracks. The girls had a toy bag with them and were playing while waiting for mom and dad. The desk officer noticed a clear plastic baggie amongst the toys in the bag. The officer inspected the baggie- which contained over 30 grams of suspected marijuana.

Officers learned Ms. VanDyke stuffed the baggie of suspected marijuana in the toy bag prior to being placed into custody.

Alice Van Dyke was formally charged with the following offenses: two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child Involving DUI (misdemeanor), Possession of Marijuana (misdemeanor), DUI, Driving While Suspended, Failure to Provide Insurance and Improper Lane Change.

After a sobering period, Ms. VanDyke was released on a $3,000.00 unsecured bond.

Kudo's To Malibu's Surf Shop

Aloha,

I believe very much in giving credit to where credit is due. That being said, I want to give a kudos publicly to let a local Surf Shop owner know that what he did yesterday for my friend will not be forgotten.

I'll start off with a little history.... my friend (unnamed due to security reasons) has always grown up around ocean city and been an avid surfer his whole life. He took a job as a career firefighter in hopes to make a living off helping others.

That not being good enough, he decided to go even further to become one of the Army's greatest honors... a Green Beret (Special Forces). He left us a few short years ago to protect and serve our country in Afghanistan and other locations in the middle east.

While serving our country, he was injured by an IED. After rehabbing, he returned to the fields and continued risking his life. He was then hit again weeks later by another IED in October. He is now here back in the states rehabbing at Walter Reed Medical Center.

In the last few months, he has not chosen to sit around and sob, however he did chose to get back on his feet. He's been blessed with a new leg designed not only for walking, but also for snowboarding and surfing.

This being said, I went in yesterday morning to purchase a new wetsuit from Lee over at Malibu's Surf Shop. Lee has been a local legend for years. Super nice guy, super nice family and always positive. I mentioned to Lee about my friend who was hoping to get back into the water. However, riding your typical fiberglass board does not agree with a prosthetic leg. It chips away every time the metal hits the fiberglass.

Lee being the great person he is quickly replied. "Gettem' in here and I'll take care of him." So I thought that's great Lee is gonna help him find something... that's just not the case. Lee is actually taking measurements and notes to self to call a shaper (Ricky Carrol) in order to have him custom design a new surf board for my friend in order to get him back in the water.

A board that would usually cost over a thousand dollars most likely to custom make for this particular rider, Lee took care of it himself and paid for it with respect.

So, in closing where I am getting to is, if you need anything at all such as clothes, boards, sandals or anything at all, take your business to Malibu's. Local guys, local business, and one hell of a heart to go to this extent with no hesitation.

So to Lee and the bruddahs at Malibu's, Mahalo for your kindness and we will be forever grateful. You can find Malibu's down on the Boardwalk & Surf Ave (8th) street. Ocean City MD. God Bless you, your boyz and your shop.

Aloha,

Zak A. Keenan
Island Wonderz Inc.

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS CONFERENCE

Announces InvestMaryland Proposal to Revitalize Early-Stage Venture Capital Competitiveness


ROCKVILLE, MD (June 1, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley today announced InvestMaryland, an administrative and legislative proposal designed to support the growth of the state’s knowledge based industries by stimulating investment in the Maryland Venture Fund. The Governor unveiled his proposal during a key note speech to 350 business, academic and government leaders at the 2010 State of Tech in the I-270 Corridor conference at the Universities at Shady Grove Conference Center.

Held for the first time last year, this annual conference sponsored by Bisnow, a national interactive media and events company, convenes business, government and academic leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities to strengthen the state’s significant number of life science, bio tech and pharmaceutical companies along the I-270 corridor. More than 11,000 people work in life sciences and approximately 35,000 people work in high tech sectors like IT, telecom and cybersecurity in the hundreds of businesses in the corridor known as DNA Alley.

“Today we’re announcing an administrative and legislative initiative we call InvestMaryland, aimed at creating a public-private partnership to fuel venture capital investment in our Innovation Economy, such as Maryland bioscience companies,” said Governor O’Malley. “We believe this initiative can spur the creation of thousands of jobs and secure $100 million in venture capital to unlock hundreds of millions and perhaps billions in economic activity.”

Governor O’Malley continued, “One of the many effects of the national recession is the drying up of venture capital – and that’s something we are determined to counter. It will come as a shock to no one in this room our life sciences sector saw a 26% decrease in venture dollars during the first quarter of this year. Our State ranks first among states in federal research and development dollars per capita, and second in the total amount we receive annually. It must be our goal to convert more of these dollars into jobs and economic opportunity. Venture capital, as we all know, is a key ingredient.”

Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development Secretary Christian Johansson said, “This program will make insurance companies eligible for state issued tax credits and in turn they would invest dollars today in Maryland’s venture infrastructure. A minimum of half these investments will flow into the Maryland Venture Fund and the balance will flow into Maryland based venture capital firms for the purposes of getting critical capital to businesses so they can create jobs and advance innovation in fields like biosciences and nanotechnology.” The Department will work with legislators, businesses and universities to draft a bill on behalf of the Governor for the 2011 Maryland Legislative Session.

Created in 1997, the Maryland Venture Fund has invested $51 million in more than 200 Maryland companies and these investments have yielded $61 million in returns. Life science companies experienced a 26% decrease in venture capital dollars in the first quarter of 2010; InvestMaryland could spur the creation of thousands of jobs and secure $100 million in venture capital to unlock hundreds of millions in economic activity.

“Having participated in the management of two early-stage Venture Capital firms located in Maryland (both invested on a regional basis) and two venture-backed companies headquartered in Maryland over the past twenty-seven years, I have experienced first hand the beneficial impact that having early-stage funds available at the right time can have on growing successful companies and jobs in Maryland,” Steve Dubin, CEO of Martek and co-chair of MEDC stated. “I have personally witnessed and participated in the funding of such Maryland-based companies as the Discovery Channel, Martek Biosciences, Digene, Cylex and Chesapeake PEARL. Maryland is a fertile area for venture funding of early-stage companies. We have more and more experienced entrepreneurs and a number of high-quality business incubators around the state.”

In the past year, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has implemented an aggressive agenda of new and expanded programs to create jobs, retain jobs and improve the conditions that allow businesses large and small to create and save jobs. During his remarks, the Governor provided an update on his administration’s efforts including: Increasing the biotech tax credit to $8 million in fiscal year 2011; pioneering the Jobs Creation and Recovery Tax Credit; and expanding the Small Business Loan Guaranty program to increase access to credit.

Maryland’s economy continues to emerge from the national recession faster and stronger than other states. In April, the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.5 percent, 24 percent below that national rate of 9.9 percent. The addition of 8,200 jobs last month and approximately 36,000 jobs over the last 3 months marks the highest jobs gain for Maryland in at least 20 years.

Weather KO's Obama's Memorial Day Remarks

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dozens Dead In Central America Tropical Storms

Massive sinkhole in Guatemala City swallows up a 3-story building

Luis Echeverria / AP
A massive sinkhole covers a street intersection in downtown Guatemala City. Officials blamed the heavy rains for the crater, which swallowed a three-story building. Last April 2007, another giant sinkhole in the same area killed 3 people.

GUATEMALA CITY - Flooding and landslides from the season's first tropical storm have killed at least 150 people and made thousands homeless in Central America, officials said.

Dozens of people were missing and emergency crews struggled to reach isolated communities cut off by washed-out roads and collapsed bridges caused by Tropical Storm Agatha.

The hardest-hit country was Guatemala, where officials reported 123 dead and at least 90 missing.

GO HERE to read more.

A BAD WEEK FOR OBAMA, BUT MUCH WORSE FOR JIM IRETON

There’s no need to recount details of the debacle that last week was for Barack Obama because the mainstream media has lost its rapture over this sorry imitation of a leader and begun to report facts not fiction about him. The military conflict that was his weapon during the campaign is now his nemesis, not to mention his performance in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

It was likewise a week of woe for Jim Ireton in his role as part-time mayor of Salisbury, beginning with the City Council meeting on Monday, May 24. The members flatly rejected his plea to restore certain items that they had decided to cut from his proposed budget, which they sliced and diced. Items that were cut include substantial pay raises for certain employees. But the battle of the budget was just the opener for the week’s main event.

During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, two landlords confronted Ireton, pointing out that he has not responded to attempts by SAPOA to have a working relationship with the City, and instead has attacked with his “Slum Property of the Week” feature on the City’s website. Stu Leer said that many of the citations attributed to his property and tenants are bogus. During the comment by SAPOA’s president she was rudely interrupted by Ireton, whereupon Louise Smith pointedly told him to (in effect) shut up. We reported that episode the next day:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/ireton-loses-self-control-at-salisbury.html

Ireton then launched a massive retaliation against Mr. Leer by posting lists of hundreds of alleged code violations and police calls (and other matters) that Ireton referred to in his press release as “Leer’s violations.” Almost immediately it was pointed out that Ireton’s lists include numerous items that are not pertinent to his claim about Mr. Leer, who has responded with an analysis that largely refutes Ireton’s claim. We covered this sequence of events as they occurred with several posts and also ran posts that pointed out that the City owned property could be cited for numerous code violations:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/iretons-overt-hostility-to-landlords-is_28.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-practice-what-you-preach.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/stu-leer-responds-to-mayor-ireton.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/salisburys-next-slum-property-of-week.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-says-properties-draining-city.html

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/iretons-overt-hostility-to-landlords-is.html

And we have urged Ireton to at least meet and discuss matters with landlords, as has former City Council member Bob Caldwell. We posted his letter offering advice to Mr. Ireton:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-now-hear-this.html

And other matters occurred to beset Ireton. As soon as the budget had been passed, the fire department announced a major administrative shake-up in staffing and crew assignments as a result of having to furlough personnel. This move, which may be modified, together with Ireton’s failure to select a permanent fire chief, continues to devastate morale among fire personnel. We will be following this rapidly deteriorating situation:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/sfd-shift-changes.html

After the Council adopted the budget, Ireton again asked for various items to be added, and his request was flatly rejected by the Council, as we reported:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/council-rejects-iretons-requests-to.html

At a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, Ireton refused to answer questions by SBYnews, and that may have been his biggest mistake since taking office last year:

http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/05/mayor-ireton-meets-with-camden.html

Since becoming Salisbury’s mayor Mr. Ireton has managed to create or compound a growing number of concerns and problems. That and his attitude when questioned or criticized, which is much the same as that of Barrie Tilghman, is making many folks wonder if they made a major mistake in the last City election.

Show Your Support For BP By Filling Up At ARCO, AM/PM

Since BP is doing such a great job cleaning up that oil spill, it's only right that consumers show their support for the quicker, thicker picker-uppers by bringing their business to subsidiaries ARCO and AM/PM, and greasing the wheels with BP's Castrol Motor Oil.

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All Three Kittens Have Been Adopted

"Your blog really is well read. Usually if I hear a rumor something is happening and I log on you have the story first.

All 3 kittens are adopted to good homes. Thanks again for your help."

Unconditional Brotherhood

As several of us watched an elderly Veteran slowly walk with a cane towards yesterday's ceremony, our very own "Historical Comments By George Chevallier" didn't hesitate for a second, offering his own seat to one of his Brothers. Thank You George.

Honoring Those Who Protect America

First of all, I want to thank Mr. Tony Sarbanes for taking the time, (once again) to put this Memorial Day Event together each year as well as the many service men and women who also take the time to gather and allow us to give thanks for all that they do and or have done.

Hundreds of people gathered yesterday to thank our men and women who serve our country allowing us the freedoms we so enjoy. Not to get political but I think Andy Harris said it best. "America is still the best country in the world."

Thanks to the many local Bikers who came to this event again this year. Some served in our Armed Forces, some did not. While this event seemed to have far more people in attendance this year than last year, while it was extremely hot, it's always worth the one hour out of every Memorial Day to take the time to give back and thank our Troops, some giving the ultimate sacrifice.

Yard Sales Anyone?

I will be heading out of town for an extended weekend, therefore all yard sale requests must be in by thursday morning to make friday morning's post. There will be no late additions.

Please email your requests to me, SunnyInOC, at atlanticjw@aol.com. Please type "yard sale" in the subject of your email.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Businesses Hit Back Against Internet Venting

Companies criticized online are increasingly turning to the courts

After a towing company hauled Justin Kurtz’s car from his apartment complex parking lot, despite his permit to park there, Mr. Kurtz, 21, a college student in Kalamazoo, Mich., went to the Internet for revenge.

Outraged at having to pay $118 to get his car back, Mr. Kurtz created a Facebook page called “Kalamazoo Residents against T&J Towing.” Within two days, 800 people had joined the group, some posting comments about their own maddening experiences with the company.

T&J filed a defamation suit against Mr. Kurtz, claiming the site was hurting business and seeking $750,000 in damages.

GO HERE to read more.

Soaring Costs Force Canada To Reassess Health Model

Pressured by an aging population and the need to rein in budget deficits, Canada's provinces are taking tough measures to curb healthcare costs, a trend that could erode the principles of the popular state-funded system.

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, kicked off a fierce battle with drug companies and pharmacies when it said earlier this year it would halve generic drug prices and eliminate "incentive fees" to generic drug manufacturers.

British Columbia is replacing block grants to hospitals with fee-for-procedure payments and Quebec has a new flat health tax and a proposal for payments on each medical visit -- an idea that critics say is an illegal user fee.

And a few provinces are also experimenting with private funding for procedures such as hip, knee and cataract surgery.

It's likely just a start as the provinces, responsible for delivering healthcare, cope with the demands of a retiring baby-boom generation. Official figures show that senior citizens will make up 25 percent of the population by 2036.

"There's got to be some change to the status quo whether it happens in three years or 10 years," said Derek Burleton, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank.

"We can't continually see health spending growing above and beyond the growth rate in the economy because, at some point, it means crowding out of all the other government services.

"At some stage we're going to hit a breaking point."

Here is more

Objection From A Former Sailor

As Harvard Law Dean, Kagan Required Study Of International And Foreign Law, But Not Constitutional Law

Elena Kagan, President Barack Obama’s choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court, is best known for moving Harvard Law School away from the 100-year old “case-law method” of legal study.

But in the process, critics say, she moved the nation’s premier law school away from requiring the study of U.S. constitutional law towards the study of the laws of foreign nations and international law.

As dean, Kagan won approval from the faculty in 2006 to make major changes to the Harvard Law's curriculum.

“My understanding is that she instituted three new courses to the required curriculum and, in so doing, got rid of a requirement to take constitutional law,” Robert Alt, senior legal fellow and deputy director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, told CNSNews.com.

“Currently, at Harvard, constitutional law is not required for first-year law students, or even for graduation,” Alt added.

Indeed, according to Harvard documents, constitutional law is not listed among the law school’s academic requirements, though the catalogue for 2010-2011 does list more than a dozen elective courses dealing with some form of constitutional law.

But in a 2006 Harvard news release explaining the changes, Kagan explained the move away from constitutional law was deliberate: “From the beginning of law school, students should learn to locate what they are learning about public and private law in the United States within the context of a larger universe -- global networks of economic regulation and private ordering, public systems created through multilateral relations among states, and different and widely varying legal cultures and systems.

Read more at CNSNews

Tea Partiers Aren't The Only Angry Outsiders

Heads up, tea partiers. You're not the only angry outsiders making waves.

In state after state, voters are taking out their frustrations on the political establishment — and no place reflects the depth and diversity of their ire better than Arkansas. Unions, corporate interests and insurgent candidates all are hoping to ride high here on the mad-as-heck tide.

In the home state of former President Bill Clinton, as elsewhere, party leaders and structures are being bypassed — undermined, in some cases — by free-agent candidates who declare their independence from the establishment, even as they align themselves with special interests.

"This is an election like no other," says Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, a union-backed candidate who has forced Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a June 8 runoff. "The game is changing."

He should know.

Halter defied Arkansas' wait-your-turn tradition and jumped into the primary against Lincoln, a 16-year veteran of Congress who is backed by President Barack Obama, Clinton and much of the state's political establishment. That left Halter with one ally inside the Democratic family (and, even then, from outside Arkansas): organized labor.

Looking to punish Lincoln for her less-than-perfect labor record — and put other moderate Democrats on notice — unions pumped a staggering $5 million into a campaign against her.

While prohibited by law from coordinating with Halter, unions bought anti-Lincoln ads and used mail and phone banks to boost his candidacy. Labor officials suggest they may spend an additional $5 million on the runoff.

[The unions are blowing $10 million on this campaign alone, even while they're lobbying in Washington to get a taxpayer bailout of their grossly-underfunded pensions -- Editor]

More on this here

JENNY CRAIG FOR MEN

A guy calls a company and orders their 5-day, 10 lb. weight loss program..

The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a voluptuous, athletic, 21-year old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck reading 'If you can catch me, you can have me.'

Without a second thought, he takes off after her. A few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gives up.

The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens.

On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10 lbs. as promised.

He calls the company and orders their 5-day/20 pound program.

The next day there's a knock at the door and there stands the most stunning, beautiful, sexy woman he has ever seen in his life.. She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes and a sign around her neck that reads, 'If you catch me you can have me'.

Well, he's out the door after her like a shot. This girl is in excellent shape and he does his best, but no such luck. So for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better and better shape.

Much to his delight on the fifth day when he weighs himself, he discovers that he has lost another 20 lbs. as promised. He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order the 7-day/50 pound program

'Are you sure?' asks the representative on the phone... 'This is our most rigorous program.'

'Absolutely,' he replies, 'I haven't felt this good in years.'

The next day there's a knock at the door; and when he opens it he finds a huge muscular guy standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads, 'If I catch you, you're mine.'

He lost 63 pounds that week.

Netanyahu, Obama's Newest Prop

The Democratic Party is feeling the heat for US President Barack Obama's hostility towards Israel. In an interview with Israel's Channel 10 earlier this month, Democratic Party mega-donor Haim Saban characterized the Obama administration as ideologically aligned with the radical Left and harshly criticized its treatment of Israel.

Both Ma'ariv and Yediot Ahronot reported this week that Democratic congressmen and senators are deeply concerned that the administration's harsh treatment of Israel has convinced many American Jews not to contribute to their reelection campaigns or to the Democratic Party in the upcoming mid-term elections. They also fear that American Jews will vote for Republican challengers in large numbers.

It is these concerns, rather than a decision to alter his positions on Israel specifically and the Middle East generally, that now drive Obama's relentless courtship of the American Jewish community. His latest move in this sphere was his sudden invitation to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to visit him at the White House for a "warm reception" in front of television cameras next Tuesday.

It is clear that electoral worries rather than policy concerns are behind what the White House has described as a "charm offensive," because since launching this offensive a few weeks ago, Obama has not changed any of his policies towards Israel and the wider Middle East. In fact, he has ratcheted up these policies to Israel's detriment.

More here

Some Homeowners Just Stop Paying Mortgages

And they use the money they save to get back on their feet

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For Alex Pemberton and Susan Reboyras, foreclosure is becoming a way of life — something they did not want but are in no hurry to get out of.

Foreclosure has allowed them to stabilize the family business. Go to Outback occasionally for a steak. Take their gas-guzzling airboat out for the weekend. Visit the Hard Rock Casino.

“Instead of the house dragging us down, it’s become a life raft,” said Mr. Pemberton, who stopped paying the mortgage on their house here last summer. “It’s really been a blessing.”

GO HERE to read more.

A 'Careful Balance' Between Laws And Political Correctness

The Obama administration on Friday urged the Supreme Court to review and set aside an Arizona law that sanctions employers who hire illegal immigrants, saying it would disrupt the "careful balance" that Congress struck in federal immigration law.

The act in question is not the strict new Arizona law that President Obama and other members of his administration have criticized. That measure authorizes police to question the immigration status anyone who appears to be in the country illegally.

The law being challenged, the Legal Arizona Workers Act, imposes tougher sanctions than federal law for hiring illegal workers. If the court chooses to hear the case, its ruling could show how receptive the justices would be to arguments that enforcing immigration laws is a federal responsibility that cannot be usurped by the states.

The Arizona act is being challenged by a coalition of organizations that include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic groups and civil libertarians. Business groups want to head off a proliferation of conflicting state laws on employer sanctions, while others worry that the penalties would discourage companies from hiring even those legally in the country.

The administration, in a brief submitted by Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, said federal law should preempt state efforts.

The Arizona law would "disrupt a careful balance that Congress struck nearly 25 years ago between two interests of the highest importance: ensuring that employers do not undermine enforcement of immigration laws by hiring unauthorized workers, while also ensuring that employers not discriminate against racial and ethnic minorities legally in the country," Katyal wrote.

The rest is here

Koppel's Son Found Dead In Apartment

Report: 40-year-old had been drinking for hours before he died

NEW YORK - The 40-year-old son of former ABC anchor Ted Koppel has been found dead in an Upper Manhattan apartment, police said Tuesday.

Andrew Koppel was declared dead at around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the Washington Heights apartment, Detective John Sweeney said. A medical examiner would determine the cause of death.

Koppel worked for the law department at the city Housing Authority, the agency said Tuesday. They would make no other comment.

GO HERE to read more.

Report: Israel To Deploy Nuclear-Armed Submarines Off Iran Coast

Israel is to deploy three submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles in the Persian Gulf, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.

According to the Times report, one submarine had been sent over Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, and in the possession of Syria and Hezbollah, could be used to hit strategic sites within Israel, such as air bases and missile launchers.

Dolphin, Tekuma, and Leviathan, all German-made Dolphin class submarines of the 7th navy Flotilla, have been reported as frequenting the Gulf in the past, however, according to the Sunday Times report, this new deployment is meant to ensure a permanent naval presence near the Iranian coastline.

A flotilla officer told the Times that the deployed submarines were meant to act as a deterrent, gather intelligence and potentially to land Mossad agents.

"We're a solid base for collecting sensitive information, as we can stay for a long time in one place," the officer said.

The flotilla's commander, identified only as "Colonel O," was quoted by the Times as saying that the submarine force was "an underwater assault force. We’re operating deep and far, very far, from our borders."

The submarines could be used if Iran continues its program to produce a nuclear bomb. "The 1,500km range of the submarines’ cruise missiles can reach any target in Iran," a navy officer told the Times.

Here is more

The Bluff Is Over

Even though Mayor Ireton spoke to the Press last week threatening a veto on the Council's Budget, Ireton signed the Council's Budget Ordinance on Friday, very quietly, mind you.

Five heads are better than one and I'm pleased to see the Mayor recognizing the hard work all five Council Members put into next years budget.

Mrs. Clarence Thomas: Democrats Imposing Tyranny

The Democrats’ control of the White House and Capitol Hill has resulted in tyranny, says Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, founder of LibertyCentral.org.

Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has harsh words for President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress.

“I’ve never seen in my 30 years in Washington an agenda that’s so far left,” Thomas tells Newsmax.TV. “It grabs a lot of power so that Washington elites can pick winners and losers.”

Washington has turned away from our Founding Fathers, says Thomas, a former consultant to The Heritage Foundation.

They gave us a government that’s supposed to make us “citizens, not subjects; to be self-governed, not to be ruled by a tyranny in Washington,” Thomas says.

“Whether it’s a soft tyranny or a hard tyranny, it’s time to put our foot down. If we don’t stop this train that’s headed for a cliff right now, we won’t have the country we grew up in.”

With Democrats in control, there are no checks and balances in Washington now, says Thomas a native Nebraskan who founded her website in November to promote grass-roots political activism.

The Democrats aren’t listening to the people, she says, adding, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The Bush administration did a much better job of listening, Thomas believes. When it proposed immigration and Social Security reform that the public resisted, the White House backed off.

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Issa: Sestak Affair Is An Impeachable Offense

The Obama administration’s offer of a job to Rep. Joe Sestak in exchange for his quitting a Senate bid is a crime and an impeachable offense, a leading Republican told Fox News Sunday.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California also said that, as with most crimes, the cover-up may actually be worse.

The explanation for the Sestak affair -- that former President Bill Clinton offered the Democratic congressman an unpaid position on an advisory board if he would drop his challenge against party-switching Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter -- is simply not plausible, Issa added. As a sitting congressman Sestak couldn't have served on a presidential commission, Issa sad.

"It's a crime because they've admitted that they offered this position ... So that begs the real question. Do we believe this is a further cover-up because he's -- they're now talking about a job that President Clinton himself should have known Sestak couldn't take? " he said.

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Netanyahu 'Furious' With Obama Over Iran Policy

Washington's unprecedented backing for a UN resolution for a nuclear-free Middle East that singles out Israel has both angered and deeply worried the Jewish state although officials are cagey about openly criticising their biggest ally.

The resolution adopted by the United Nations on Friday calls on Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urges it to open its facilities to inspection.

It also calls for a regional conference in 2012 to advance the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East.

Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, with around 200 warheads, but has maintained a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its capabilities since the mid-1960s.

The document, which singles out Israel but makes no mention of Iran's controversial nuclear programme, drew a furious reaction from the Jewish state who decried it as "deeply flawed and hypocritical."

But it was US backing for the resolution which has caused the most consternation among Israeli officials and commentators, who interpreted the move as "a resounding slap around the face" which has dealt a very public blow to Israel's long-accepted policy of nuclear ambiguity.

Publicly, the Israel government has not criticised the US position but privately, officials expressed deep disappointment over the resolution, which Washington backed despite intensive Israeli efforts to block it.

According to the top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "furious with the Obama administration for having failed to prevent the resolution from passing... and for choosing to support it."

"The American support for the resolution, after decades in which it supported Israel on this issue, came as a complete surprise," the paper said.

"In the secret talks that Netanyahu held with Obama's men... Israel was promised that the resolution would not focus on Israel and that if it did, the Americans would vote against."

The left-leaning Haaretz daily said Israel had been "sacrificed by the US on the altar of a successful conference" in what constituted "a diplomatic victory for Egypt" which has campaigned against Israel's nuclear arsenal.

here

End HealthCare Mandate

End the HealthCare Mandate
Repeal ObamaCare
Install Free Market Solutions More Americans are realizing that the Obama administration’s version of “change” differs from the mainstream concept of 'change'.

Change we can ALL support is legitimate reform based on the principles found in two new bills introduced by Ron Paul.H.R. 4995, the End the Mandate Act, repeals the recently-passed federal mandate requiring Americans to carry government-approved health insurance.This past Thursday, Congressman Paul introduced H.R. 5444, the “Private Option Health Care Act,” which would completely repeal ObamaCare and replace it with free market solutions. In sharp contrast to mandates and force, H.R. 5444 would:

Provide all Americans with a tax credit for 100% of health care expenses. The tax credit is fully refundable against both income and payroll taxes;

Allow individuals to roll over unused amounts in cafeteria plans and Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA);

Provide a tax credit for premiums for high-deductible insurance policies connected with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and allow seniors to use funds in HSAs to pay for medigap policies;
Repeal the 7.5% threshold for the deduction of medical expenses, thus making all medical expenses tax deductible;

Guarantee individuals can purchase health insurance across state lines;

Permit a tax credit for negative outcomes insurance purchased before medical treatment, reducing expensive malpractice suits;

Reduce barriers to importing FDA-approved prescription drugs.

As Congressman Paul said in his speech introducing H.R. 5444, “the Private Option Health Care Act allows Congress to correct the mistake it made last month by replacing the new health care law with health care measures that give control over health care to individuals, instead of the federal government and politically-influential corporations.”Let's urge Congressman Kratovil to strengthen our health care system by co-sponsoring and fighting for a standalone, up or down vote on H.R. 5444, the Private Option Health Care Act, and H.R. 4995, the End the Mandate Act.

Since Rep Kratovil voted against the Health Care Bill, but failed to vote for further study, he should applaud the corrective measures contained in Congressman Paul's leglislation.

P.S. Demand that Kratovil stand up for your freedom, the Constitution, and your right to make your own health care decisions by supporting H.R. 5444 and H.R. 4995.

Congressman Kratovil in D.C.(202) 225-5311
in Salisbury (410) 334-3072
in Centerville (443)262-9136

Today's Wildlife Photo By Scott Phoebus

Today's Wildlife Photos

Thanks Obama

Caption This Photo

Taken on 5-30-10 At Sam's Club

The Advantages Of Being Colorblind

A Friendly Reminder

Homeland Security

Ask the Indians what happens when you don't control immigration

Eve's Side Of The Story

After three weeks in the Garden of Eden, God came to visit Eve. 'So, how is everything going?' inquired God.

'It is all so beautiful, God,' she replied. 'The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking, the smells, the sights, everything is wonderful, but I have just one problem.

It's these breasts you have given me. The middle one pushes the other two out and I am constantly knocking them with my arms, catching them on branches and snagging them on bushes. They're a real pain.'

And Eve went on to tell God that since many other parts of her body came in pairs, such as her limbs, eyes, ears, etc She felt that having only two breasts might leave her body more 'symmetrically balanced'.

'That's a fair point,' replied God, 'But it was my first shot at this, you know. I gave the animals six breasts, so I figured that you needed only half of those, but I see that you are right. I will fix it up right away.'

And God reached down, removed the middle breast and tossed it into the bushes.

Three weeks passed and God once again visited Eve in the Garden of Eden.

'Well, Eve, how is my favorite creation?'

'Just fantastic,' she replied, 'But for one oversight. You see, all the animals are paired off. The ewe has a ram and the cow has her bull. All the animals have a mate except me. I feel so alone.'

God thought for a moment and said, 'You know, Eve, you are right. How could I have overlooked this? You do need a mate and I will immediately create a man from a part of you. Let's see....where did I put that useless boob?'

Now doesn't THAT make more sense than all that nonsense about the rib?

LAKEWOOD CRUISES TO 14-3 VICTORY IN FINALE

BlueClaws Record Season High 21 Hits

SALISBURY, Md. –The Lakewood BlueClaws scored six runs in the sixth and five more in the eighth, pulling away from the Delmarva Shorebirds for a 14-3 win at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium Monday.

Lakewood (28-23) blasted three home runs on the day and right-hander Julio Rodriguez (1-0) allowed three hits and a run in five innings for the win. The BlueClaws outhit Delmarva (22-30), 21-10, on their way to a second straight win of the series.

Five Lakewood players tallied two hits apiece led by catcher Sebastian Valle. Valle was 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored.

Michael Ohlman hit a home run for the Shorebirds. Ty Kelly was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles for Delmarva.

Valle gave Lakewood a 2-0 lead in the second with a mammoth home run off the scoreboard in left-center field with one out. Jeremy Barnes led off with a double to right field and scored on Valle’s third homer on the season and second of the season.

Shorebirds’ catcher Ohlman hit a solo homer to left center to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth. The blast was Ohlman’s second of the year.

Lakewood sent nine men to the plate in the top of the sixth inning and scored six runs with the help of home runs by Leandro Castro and Domingo Santana to take an 8-1 edge and knock starter Kenny Moreland out of the game in favor of Jake Smith. Castro began the frame with a shot over the left-field fence to make it 3-1 before Santana stroked a two-run shot to cap the scoring in the inning with one out.

Ty Kelly singled up the middle with two outs in the seventh to score Mychal Givens and make it 8-2. Givens was hit by a pitch by reliever Jacob Diekman to get on base.

Three straight RBI hits in the eighth gave the BlueClaws five runs to put the game away.

Delmarva starter Kenny Moreland (0-2) took the loss, going five innings and surrendering six runs on nine hits and one walks. He struck out three.

The Shorebirds open a four-game set with Greensboro Grasshoppers Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C., at 7 p.m. Right-hander Bobby Bundy (0-2, 5.16) will start for Delmarva while lefty Jose Alverez (3-1, 3.86) goes for Greensboro.

BLUECLAWS STEAL GAME THREE, 4-3

Beal Stellar in Seven Innings

SALISBURY, Md. – The Lakewood BlueClaws scored twice in the top of the eighth inning to erase a one-run Delmarva lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Shorebirds at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Sunday.

Consecutive two-out doubles from Jonathan Villar and Leandro Castro made it 3-3 before Jonathan Singleton knocked a base hit to right to score Castro for the game-winning run off reliever Nick Haughian (3-1).

Pinch hitter T.J. Baxter started the ninth with a bunt single and reached second on a sacrifice bunt but Lakewood’s Jordan Ellis got Gary Helmick and Ty Kelly to go down in order to end the game and earn his second save.

The BlueClaws’ rally spoiled an impressive outing by Shorebirds’ righty Jesse Beal, who surrendered four hits and one earned run over seven innings.

Luke Wertz (1-1) picked up the win in relief for Lakewood with two innings of two-hit ball.

Three BlueClaws had two hits apiece, led by Jiwan James who was 2-for-5 with a homer and two runs scored. Tyler Stampone, Steve Bumbry and Garabez Rosa each had two hits for the ‘Birds in the loss.

Lakewood took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Jiwan James leadoff the game with a base hit to left field and Jonathan Villar followed with a single up the middle, advancing to second when Mikey Planeta bobbled it in center.

A bouncing ball to shortstop scored James and moved Villar to third but Beal averted further trouble, getting back-to-back groundouts to end the inning.

The Shorebirds took a 2-1 lead in the second. Stampone doubled down the right-field line to begin the rally prior to perfectly placed bunt single from Planeta. A passed ball charged to Lakewood catcher Torre Langley moved the runners to second and third with no one out. Steve Bumbry knotted the game, pulling a groundball through the right side.

Mychal Givens gave Delmarva the lead when he lined a ball to center for a sacrifice fly, plating Planeta.

James launched his second home run of the season to right to even the score, 2-2, in the top of the third.

The ‘Birds regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning when Helmick scored on Planeta’s run-scoring fly to center with one out. Helmick singled to left and was sacrificed to second and was held up at third on a Stampone rocket up the middle.

The Shorebirds and BlueClaws close the series Monday at 2:05 p.m. For tickets and information, contact the Shorebirds’ box office at (410) 219-3112. On the mound will be right-hander Kenny Moreland for Delmarva (0-1, 4.26). Righty Julio Rodriguez (0-0, 4.91) will pitch for Lakewood.