I recently got off the phone with States Attorney Matt Maciarello to confirm the changes we spoke of earlier today.
Liz Ireland and Fran Starsky have been dismissed of their positions. Joel Todd and Karen Dean have been hired to replace them.
Ella Disharoon has been promoted to Deputy States Attorney and has been, (shall we say) Davis Ruark's right hand person during the Leggs Trial.
Abby Marsh went from part time to full time.
I may have some names spelled wrong. If I have, I'm sorry.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, January 03, 2011
Big Shakeup At Wicomico County States Attorney's Office This AM
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
December 31, 2010 at approximately 4:43 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the six hundred (600) block of Lakeside Drive for the report of an assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been assaulted while walking on Lakeside Drive. The victim advised that while walking by herself, she was approached by suspect # 1 who was operating a black, compact style pick up truck. The suspect attempted contact with the victim, who refused to communicate with the suspect and refused a ride. The first suspect then left the area. The victim was then approached by suspect # 2 who was operating a dark in color Ford Explorer or Ford Expedition SUV. Suspect # 2 made a comment to the victim regarding her response to the first suspect then struck the victim in the facial area with his fist. The suspect then fled from the area. The victim was not seriously injured and refused medical attention. The investigation is continuing and the suspects are described as:
Suspect # 1: white male, mid 40’s in age, short hair, wearing unknown clothing.
Suspect #2: white male, late 50’s in age, unknown hair or clothing. CC # 201000050822
On January 2, 2011 at approximately 11:33 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the two hundred (200) block of Maryland Avenue for the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult male who advised that he had been robbed at gunpoint. The victim continued that while walking on Maryland Avenue he observed a vehicle occupied by four (4) suspects move close to his walking path. The victim advised that three (3) male occupants exited the vehicle and approached him, with the driver (suspect #1) producing a handgun. The fourth suspect did not leave the vehicle. The suspects took the victim’s wallet and watch then punched the victim in the facial area before re-entering the vehicle and leaving the area. The handgun was described as a black, revolver style handgun with wood handgrips and the vehicle was described as a light green Ford Taurus. The victim was not seriously injured and the suspects are described as follows:
Suspect # 1: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, goatee, wearing dark clothing.
Suspect #2: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, wearing dark clothing.
Suspect #3: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, wearing dark clothing with a red sweatshirt.
Suspect # 4: white female, 17-20 years of age, medium build, wearing a white jacket with a fur collar. CC # 201100000233
If anyone has any information concerning either of these two (2) incidents, they are asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165, or to contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776 . Information may be left anonymously.
On December 29, 2010 at approximately 6:48 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Best Budget Inn for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival the officers met with witnesses who advised that during an altercation, the below listed suspect had stabbed an adult male victim in the upper back with a pocketknife. The male victim was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment and was listed in critical condition. The suspect was located and was found to be in possession of a smoking device containing suspected “crack”/cocaine, resulting in his arrest. Detectives of the Salisbury Police investigated the assault and received an arrest warrant for the suspect charging him with the attempted second degree murder of the victim and related charges.
ARRESTED: Winston Craig Williams, Jr., 31 years of age Millsboro, Delaware
CHARGES: Arrest Warrant –
Attempted second degree murder
Second degree assault
Possession of a deadly weapon
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050471
On December 30, 2010 at approximately 9:10 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Hardee’s Restaurant on South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of counterfeit currency. Upon arrival the officers met with restaurant management who advised that a male suspect had attempted to pass a counterfeit Fifty (50) dollar bill at the drive through window. The employees were able to identify the suspect who was still located in the restaurant parking lot. The suspect was taken into custody and was found to be in possession of additional counterfeit fifty (50) dollar bills. The suspect was also found to have receipts indicating possible use of the counterfeit currency at other restaurants in the area. These restaurants were checked and resulted in the recovery of additional counterfeit currency. Detectives of the Salisbury Police executed a search and seizure warrant on the suspect’s residence in Easton, Maryland and recovered computers and printing equipment utilized to copy and print the currency. Additional counterfeit currency was recovered at the residence. This investigation is continuing and additional charges are forthcoming.
ARRESTED: Taj Alexander Jacobs, 24 years of age Easton, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of counterfeit U.S. Currency
Issuing counterfeit U.S. Currency (4 counts)
Counterfeiting U.S. Currency to defraud
Theft (2 counts)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050694
On December 31, 2010 at approximately 11:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the six hundred (600) block of Light Street for the report of a domestic assault and threat of arson. Upon arrival the officers met with the adult female victim who advised the officers that during a domestic type argument, the below listed suspect struck her in the facial area then threatened to burn down her residence. The officers met with the suspect who became disorderly and fought with the officers.
ARRESTED: Omar (nmn) Serrano, 22 years of age Delmar, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault (2 counts)
Threat of arson
Disorderly conduct (2 counts)
Obstructing and hinder an investigation
Resisting arrest
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050898
On January 2, 2011 at approximately 3:58 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Catherine Street and observed the below listed suspect operating a bicycle without a light. The suspect was stopped and checked, and found to be in possession of a smoking device containing suspected “crack”/cocaine. The suspect was also found to be in possession of a quantity of “fake” “crack”/cocaine.
ARRESTED: Janice Louise Oney, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
Possession of fake CDS with intent to distribute
Possession of fake CDS
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100000151
Suspect # 1: white male, mid 40’s in age, short hair, wearing unknown clothing.
Suspect #2: white male, late 50’s in age, unknown hair or clothing. CC # 201000050822
On January 2, 2011 at approximately 11:33 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the two hundred (200) block of Maryland Avenue for the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult male who advised that he had been robbed at gunpoint. The victim continued that while walking on Maryland Avenue he observed a vehicle occupied by four (4) suspects move close to his walking path. The victim advised that three (3) male occupants exited the vehicle and approached him, with the driver (suspect #1) producing a handgun. The fourth suspect did not leave the vehicle. The suspects took the victim’s wallet and watch then punched the victim in the facial area before re-entering the vehicle and leaving the area. The handgun was described as a black, revolver style handgun with wood handgrips and the vehicle was described as a light green Ford Taurus. The victim was not seriously injured and the suspects are described as follows:
Suspect # 1: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, goatee, wearing dark clothing.
Suspect #2: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, wearing dark clothing.
Suspect #3: black male, 17-20 years of age, 6’ tall, thin build, weight of approximately 200 lbs, wearing dark clothing with a red sweatshirt.
Suspect # 4: white female, 17-20 years of age, medium build, wearing a white jacket with a fur collar. CC # 201100000233
If anyone has any information concerning either of these two (2) incidents, they are asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165, or to contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776 . Information may be left anonymously.
On December 29, 2010 at approximately 6:48 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Best Budget Inn for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival the officers met with witnesses who advised that during an altercation, the below listed suspect had stabbed an adult male victim in the upper back with a pocketknife. The male victim was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment and was listed in critical condition. The suspect was located and was found to be in possession of a smoking device containing suspected “crack”/cocaine, resulting in his arrest. Detectives of the Salisbury Police investigated the assault and received an arrest warrant for the suspect charging him with the attempted second degree murder of the victim and related charges.
ARRESTED: Winston Craig Williams, Jr., 31 years of age Millsboro, Delaware
CHARGES: Arrest Warrant –
Attempted second degree murder
Second degree assault
Possession of a deadly weapon
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050471
On December 30, 2010 at approximately 9:10 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Hardee’s Restaurant on South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of counterfeit currency. Upon arrival the officers met with restaurant management who advised that a male suspect had attempted to pass a counterfeit Fifty (50) dollar bill at the drive through window. The employees were able to identify the suspect who was still located in the restaurant parking lot. The suspect was taken into custody and was found to be in possession of additional counterfeit fifty (50) dollar bills. The suspect was also found to have receipts indicating possible use of the counterfeit currency at other restaurants in the area. These restaurants were checked and resulted in the recovery of additional counterfeit currency. Detectives of the Salisbury Police executed a search and seizure warrant on the suspect’s residence in Easton, Maryland and recovered computers and printing equipment utilized to copy and print the currency. Additional counterfeit currency was recovered at the residence. This investigation is continuing and additional charges are forthcoming.
ARRESTED: Taj Alexander Jacobs, 24 years of age Easton, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of counterfeit U.S. Currency
Issuing counterfeit U.S. Currency (4 counts)
Counterfeiting U.S. Currency to defraud
Theft (2 counts)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050694
On December 31, 2010 at approximately 11:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the six hundred (600) block of Light Street for the report of a domestic assault and threat of arson. Upon arrival the officers met with the adult female victim who advised the officers that during a domestic type argument, the below listed suspect struck her in the facial area then threatened to burn down her residence. The officers met with the suspect who became disorderly and fought with the officers.
ARRESTED: Omar (nmn) Serrano, 22 years of age Delmar, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault (2 counts)
Threat of arson
Disorderly conduct (2 counts)
Obstructing and hinder an investigation
Resisting arrest
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 201000050898
On January 2, 2011 at approximately 3:58 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Catherine Street and observed the below listed suspect operating a bicycle without a light. The suspect was stopped and checked, and found to be in possession of a smoking device containing suspected “crack”/cocaine. The suspect was also found to be in possession of a quantity of “fake” “crack”/cocaine.
ARRESTED: Janice Louise Oney, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
Possession of fake CDS with intent to distribute
Possession of fake CDS
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100000151
Sheriff: Son, 10, Is Suspect In Mom's Death
Neighbor reports boy told her he had shot and killed his mother, sheriff says
HOLMESVILLE, Ohio — A 10-year-old boy is in juvenile custody after telling a neighbor that he had shot and killed his mother, an Ohio sheriff said Monday.
Deborah McVay, 46, was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head Sunday night in Big Prairie, located about midway between Cleveland and Columbus, said Holmes County Sheriff Tim Zimmerly. Paramedics found McVay lying facedown on her living room floor, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, Zimmerly said.
Authorities went to the home after a neighbor called a sheriff's dispatcher to say McVay's son had come to her home and said he had just shot his mother.
McVay's body was transported to the Stark County Coroner's office for an autopsy. The sheriff said McVay's 15-year-old daughter is currently staying with relatives. It is unclear whether she witnessed the shooting.
The 10-year-old boy is being held in Richland County Juvenile Detention and will appear in court Monday afternoon. A woman who answered the phone at McVay's home said she had no comment and hung up.
Authorities are investigating what may have caused the shooting.
Orioles' Simon Surrenders To Dominican Police
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Baltimore Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon surrendered to police Monday to face an involuntary manslaughter charge in a fatal shooting New Year's Eve. His lawyer said he was firing celebratory shots in the air.
The Dominican pitcher is suspected of killing 25-year-old Michel Castillo Almonte and wounding his 17-year-old brother in the northeast coastal town of Luperon. The dead man is Simon's cousin, according to the player's lawyer.
Police initially said a murder charge would be filed against Simon, but Public Prosecutor Victor Mueses told The Associated Press on Monday that witness accounts and evidence support an involuntary manslaughter charge instead.
"The version that we have is that there was a dispute between two women and he tried to dissolve it, fired a shot that ended up wounding a young person in the arm and that same bullet lodged in the chest of the deceased," Mueses said by phone.
GO HERE to read more.
The Dominican pitcher is suspected of killing 25-year-old Michel Castillo Almonte and wounding his 17-year-old brother in the northeast coastal town of Luperon. The dead man is Simon's cousin, according to the player's lawyer.
Police initially said a murder charge would be filed against Simon, but Public Prosecutor Victor Mueses told The Associated Press on Monday that witness accounts and evidence support an involuntary manslaughter charge instead.
"The version that we have is that there was a dispute between two women and he tried to dissolve it, fired a shot that ended up wounding a young person in the arm and that same bullet lodged in the chest of the deceased," Mueses said by phone.
GO HERE to read more.
Rep.-Elect Harris Names District Leadership Team
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep.-Elect Andy Harris (MD-01) announced his District Leadership Team, which includes his Constituent Services Director, District Office Managers/Community Liaisons and Constituent Liaison for the Eastern Shore.
Elizabeth Lynskey (Special Assistant/Constituent Services Director) – Lynskey recently served as Harris’ Legislative Assistant in the Maryland State Senate after 11 years working in former Rep. Connie Morella’s (MD-08) Congressional office as Field Representative. She currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Deale, Md.
Dick Sossi (Kent Island District Office Manager/Community Liaison) – Sossi, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 – 2011 representing the Upper Shore, was a small business owner for over 20 years. While in the legislature he served on the Environmental Matters Committee and received one of the highest pro-business ratings in the General Assembly. He is a Vietnam Veteran and lives with his wife, daughter and grandson in Stevensville, Md. (Effective January 13th)
Heather Molnar (Eastern Shore Constituent Liaison) – Molnar most recently served as Legislative Assistant to Sen. Richard Colburn in the Maryland State Senate where she performed constituent casework where she specialized in environmental issues. She was born and raised in Parsonsburg and graduated from University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Heather currently resides in Salisbury and is working on her Master’s Degree in digital and political communications.
Mark McIver (Salisbury District Office Manager/Community Liaison) – McIver, a local small business owner, serves on the board of Crime Solvers of the Lower Shore. He is a member of the Greater Salisbury Committee, the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce, Wicomico County Farm Bureau, and the Sunrise Rotary Club. Mark is also a member of St. Frances de Sales Church and has lived with his wife and four children in Salisbury for over three decades.
“While I don’t take office until Wednesday, I am ready to serve my constituents from day one,” said Representative-Elect Harris. “My district team has a great record of public service that will help make sure every individual who needs my assistance receives the highest quality care.”
Representative-Elect Andy Harris will represent Maryland’s 1st Congressional District which includes: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties and parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford Counties. He will be officially sworn into office Wednesday at Noon.
Sheriff's Deputy, A Mom Of Two, Gunned Down In Ohio
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
WICOMICO COUNTY OFFICIALS TO ATTEND MACo ANNUALWINTER CONFERENCE
Representatives of Wicomico County will join their counterparts from throughout the State at the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Annual Winter Conference January 5-7, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, Maryland. The conference theme is “Building a Solid Foundation,” with major emphasis on county government service delivery, especially during difficult fiscal times.
Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., will moderate a General Session seminar entitled, “Maryland’s Economic Forecast for Local Government and Its Effect on the County Budget.” Mr. Pollitt will also be a presenter for an orientation session for newly-elected officials entitled, “What to Expect Now That You Are a County Elected Official.” Executive Pollitt will also be inducted as MACo’s 2nd Vice-President for the new year.
Among the topics scheduled for discussion are laws regarding public ethics and open meetings, and requirements under Maryland State law that apply to business conducted by county officials.
Session topics include Maryland’s Economic Forecast for Local Government and Its Effects on the County Budget; Local Land Use Challenges: Past, Present, and Future; Managing Fiscal Realities and the Tough Times Ahead; Local Corrections: Keeping Citizens Safe and Secure; Providing Services for the Young, Old, and Those in Between; Future of Transportation Funding in Maryland; Making the Grade: County/School Board Roles and Relationships; and Surviving the TMDL Flood.
Scheduled State elected official participants include Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Senators George C. Edwards, Thomas M. Middleton, and James N. Robey; Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch, Delegates Pamela G. Beidle, Norman H. Conway, Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Stephen W. Lafferty, and Anthony J. O’Donnell.
Governor Martin O’Malley will install the 2011 MACo Officers and Board of Directors (including Mr. Pollitt) at the Thursday evening Inaugural Ceremony and Awards Banquet.
Established in 1951, The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that serves Maryland county government by articulating their needs and ideas to the Maryland General Assembly. The Association’s membership is composed of county elected officials and representatives from Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. Through MACo’s advocacy, training, education programs, and annual conferences, the Association’s members are provided with endless opportunities to improve their capacity to serve their residents.
Charley The Wal-Mart Greeter
Charley, a new retiree-greeter at Wal-Mart, just couldn't seem to get to work on time.
Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late.
Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late.
But he was a good worker, really tidy, clean-shaven,
sharp-minded and a real credit to the company
and obviously demonstrating their
"Older Person Friendly" policies.
One day the boss called him into the office for a talk. "Charley, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic,
One day the boss called him into the office for a talk. "Charley, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic,
you do a bang-up job, but your being late
so often is quite bothersome." "Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it." "Well good, you are a team player.
That's what I like to hear. It's odd though your coming in late.
I know you're retired from the Armed Forces.
What did they say if you came in late there?"
"They said,
"They said,
"Good morning, Admiral, can I get you some coffee, Sir?"
Insurance Companies Taking Advantage Of You!
Joe...I recently came to learn that our insurance company was taking advantage of us in a big way. As a result, I learned that there are many, many people being taken advantage of in the same way and the Insurance companies are making millions from it statewide.
We removed one of our children (18 year old) from our policy because she was able to find a less expensive one with another company. When we contacted our insurance company to have our childs vehicle removed, our agent asked us "OK what vehicle do you want us to list her with as a secondary driver?" I said "none - she has her own vehicle and she doesn't drive any of ours." Our agent told us that our daughter has to be listed on our policy as well because she still lived in our house. I told the agent that when our insurance company pays my mortgage, they can determine who I have living at my house that I wish to have operating my cars. The insurance agent told me that the company believes that since someone lives at my house they would possibly operate my vehicle so they must be listed as an operator of at least one of my vehicles. I told the agent that either my daughter would be completely removed from my policy or I would be insuring my vehicles with someone else. Then I spoke with a supervisor who informed me that insurance companies can require this as a matter of law....but she would see what she could do to have my daughter removed completely from the policy. This was an option. At that point I went back to look at another policy from which we had removed another daughter and a son (both under 22 years old) some months previously for the same reason and learned that they too were listed on our policy even though they now had their own.
This is a big deal. We have now had two drivers completely removed from our policy who have their own with another company and have saved almost $1000 a year on premiums - in addition to the cost of the vehicles removed from the policy. The Agent was Avery Hall Insurance. The Company was Peninsula Insurance. Anyone in a similar situation would do well to check into this as they will NOT tell you about this law and you will meet resistance when you try to have people removed from your policy who live in the same house.
We removed one of our children (18 year old) from our policy because she was able to find a less expensive one with another company. When we contacted our insurance company to have our childs vehicle removed, our agent asked us "OK what vehicle do you want us to list her with as a secondary driver?" I said "none - she has her own vehicle and she doesn't drive any of ours." Our agent told us that our daughter has to be listed on our policy as well because she still lived in our house. I told the agent that when our insurance company pays my mortgage, they can determine who I have living at my house that I wish to have operating my cars. The insurance agent told me that the company believes that since someone lives at my house they would possibly operate my vehicle so they must be listed as an operator of at least one of my vehicles. I told the agent that either my daughter would be completely removed from my policy or I would be insuring my vehicles with someone else. Then I spoke with a supervisor who informed me that insurance companies can require this as a matter of law....but she would see what she could do to have my daughter removed completely from the policy. This was an option. At that point I went back to look at another policy from which we had removed another daughter and a son (both under 22 years old) some months previously for the same reason and learned that they too were listed on our policy even though they now had their own.
This is a big deal. We have now had two drivers completely removed from our policy who have their own with another company and have saved almost $1000 a year on premiums - in addition to the cost of the vehicles removed from the policy. The Agent was Avery Hall Insurance. The Company was Peninsula Insurance. Anyone in a similar situation would do well to check into this as they will NOT tell you about this law and you will meet resistance when you try to have people removed from your policy who live in the same house.
Hebron Update
Hebron dismissed its earlier appeal of the Wicomico County Circuit Court case (in which the ruling was against Hebron's actions approving the mega-project of Waller Landing).
The Town now, however, is poised to vote again on Waller Landing--possibly as early as at its meeting on Wednesday night.
From all appearances, Hebron has not learned from the spanking it got by the Circuit Court on the first go-round. Hebron, we're watching
you!
The Town now, however, is poised to vote again on Waller Landing--possibly as early as at its meeting on Wednesday night.
From all appearances, Hebron has not learned from the spanking it got by the Circuit Court on the first go-round. Hebron, we're watching
you!
Zsa Zsa Gabor To Have Part Of Leg Amputated
LOS ANGELES -- Zsa Zsa Gabor was hospitalized Sunday to undergo surgery to have part of her right leg amputated because gangrene was setting in, a representative said.
Doctors examined a lesion on Gabor's leg that had gone from just over an inch to about a foot and was growing gangrenous, publicist John Blanchette said.
"They're going to have to amputate part of her leg," Blanchette said. "They said if they didn't, she could lose her life." He said the amputation would be just above the knee.
She was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for surgery, and husband Prince Frederic von Anhalt was with her, Blanchette said.
There was no immediate word on when the surgery would occur.
GO HERE to read more.
Home Price Is Down, So Why Not Insurance?
The cost of your home, and the cost to rebuild it, are two different things
If you’re a homeowner, chances are your house is worth less than it was five years ago. But you could still be paying more to insure it.
Despite the deep housing bust of the last few years, the cost of rebuilding a damaged home — in other words, what you pay insurance for — has not changed much, according to industry experts.
That means that unless you have reduced coverage or increased your deductible, chances are you are paying as much or more to insure your home as before the housing bust.
“The price of homeowners’ insurance is based on the cost to repair or rebuild your home. The price of a home is based on the market value of that home and the land upon which it sits,” said Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute.
Although the recession has been particularly brutal for the construction industry, Hartwig said that hasn’t necessarily meant the overall cost of labor and materials needed to rebuild a home has gone down.
After rising nearly 62 percent between 2000 and 2007, the average premium for homeowners insurance did dip by nearly 4 percent in 2008, to $791, according to the most recent data available from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
But Hartwig said that dip was not due to a drop in the cost to insure a home. Instead, he said many homeowners did things like increase their minimum deductible or drop extra coverage options in order to save a little bit of money on their premium.
GO HERE to read more.
Facebook Deal Values Firm At $50 Billion
Website now worth more than eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner, NYT says
Social networking behemoth Facebook has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investment firm in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, The New York Times reported.
Goldman invested $450 million and Digital Sky Technologies invested $50 million, the newspaper reported Sunday in its online edition, citing people involved in the transaction that it did not name. Goldman has the right to sell part of its stake, up to $75 million, to the Russian firm.
The report said representatives for Facebook, Goldman and Digital Sky Technologies declined to comment.
The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies including eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner, the newspaper said.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly looking into the booming trade in privately held shares of popular social networking sites. A big reason the SEC may be curious about the trading of these popular private startups' shares is because once a company hits 500 shareholders, it must disclose certain financial information to the public, even if it hasn't filed for an initial public offering.
GO HERE to read more.
America Needs A New National Debate On The Constitution
It might seem unlikely that a lone law professor could spark a national discussion about the kind of government Americans want in the 21st century, but that's exactly what Georgetown Law School's Randy E. Barnett hopes to do with his modest proposal known as the Repeal Amendment.
Under the plan, measures approved by Washington could be repealed if both houses in two-thirds of the state legislatures vote to do so.
Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is among the proposal's most significant supporters, which means it will receive serious attention during the 112th Congress convening this week.
Whatever one's view of the propriety of amending the U.S. Constitution in the manner proposed by Barnett -- and for the record, we think the Repeal Amendment is a dandy way to restore the proper balance to our federal system -- the professor's idea could not be more appropriately timed. For the last decade, presidents and Congresses representing both major political parties have caused federal spending, regulation, and debt to explode as never before, with a result that the central government is in truly dire financial shape even as its power to control the most minute details of American daily life has never been greater.
This fact is central to understanding why the vast majority of Americans -- 64 percent, according to Rasmussen Reports' Dec. 29 survey -- think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Read more at the Washington Examiner
Under the plan, measures approved by Washington could be repealed if both houses in two-thirds of the state legislatures vote to do so.
Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is among the proposal's most significant supporters, which means it will receive serious attention during the 112th Congress convening this week.
Whatever one's view of the propriety of amending the U.S. Constitution in the manner proposed by Barnett -- and for the record, we think the Repeal Amendment is a dandy way to restore the proper balance to our federal system -- the professor's idea could not be more appropriately timed. For the last decade, presidents and Congresses representing both major political parties have caused federal spending, regulation, and debt to explode as never before, with a result that the central government is in truly dire financial shape even as its power to control the most minute details of American daily life has never been greater.
This fact is central to understanding why the vast majority of Americans -- 64 percent, according to Rasmussen Reports' Dec. 29 survey -- think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Read more at the Washington Examiner
Dramatic Spike In Gas Prices Forecasted
Oil and gasoline prices have risen to their highest levels in two years, and analysts say prices could shoot up dramatically this year as the thirst for fuel grows in the U.S. and around the world.
The former head of Shell Oil has warned that gas prices could hit $5 a gallon by 2012 because of fast-growing demand in emerging countries such as China and India, where more and more people are buying cars, combined with restraints on drilling in the U.S. in the wake of last year's disastrous Gulf oil spill.
Less-worrisome forecasts are calling for a rise in gas prices to $3.75 a gallon by spring from today's $3.07 average level, with premium crude prices easily exceeding $100 a barrel this year as demand for oil around the world returns to pre-recession levels last seen in 2007.
"We'll definitely see $100 oil," Carl Larry, president of Oil Outlook and Opinions, told Platts Energy Week TV last week. "The way things are going — the cold weather, supply issues — $100 oil is inevitable and it's on its way." Higher gas prices will follow the lead of oil, as they usually do, he said.
Premium crude prices surged to nearly $92 in New York trading last week before falling back to end at $89.18 at the close of trading Thursday.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was mistaken in blaming the uptick in prices on "speculators" rather than an unexpectedly strong increase in demand in the developing world last year, and that led the oil ministers to put off any increase in production at a meeting last month, Mr. Larry said.
He said that was reminiscent of mistakes the oil cartel made in 2007 that led to a run-up in prices to $147 per barrel in mid-2008 — a record high that helped throw the world economy into recession.
More here
The former head of Shell Oil has warned that gas prices could hit $5 a gallon by 2012 because of fast-growing demand in emerging countries such as China and India, where more and more people are buying cars, combined with restraints on drilling in the U.S. in the wake of last year's disastrous Gulf oil spill.
Less-worrisome forecasts are calling for a rise in gas prices to $3.75 a gallon by spring from today's $3.07 average level, with premium crude prices easily exceeding $100 a barrel this year as demand for oil around the world returns to pre-recession levels last seen in 2007.
"We'll definitely see $100 oil," Carl Larry, president of Oil Outlook and Opinions, told Platts Energy Week TV last week. "The way things are going — the cold weather, supply issues — $100 oil is inevitable and it's on its way." Higher gas prices will follow the lead of oil, as they usually do, he said.
Premium crude prices surged to nearly $92 in New York trading last week before falling back to end at $89.18 at the close of trading Thursday.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was mistaken in blaming the uptick in prices on "speculators" rather than an unexpectedly strong increase in demand in the developing world last year, and that led the oil ministers to put off any increase in production at a meeting last month, Mr. Larry said.
He said that was reminiscent of mistakes the oil cartel made in 2007 that led to a run-up in prices to $147 per barrel in mid-2008 — a record high that helped throw the world economy into recession.
More here
Change In Election Becomes Black-And-White Controversy
The U.S. Justice Department has demanded – and a federal judge has agreed – that residents of a North Carolina city cannot make their municipal elections nonpartisan because the Obama administration representatives don't like the possible outcomes that could result.
The result comes in a recent case involving Kinston, where voters overwhelmingly – the victory margin was about 2-1 – decided they wanted to leave the political affiliations off of candidates' names in their city elections.
Not so fast, said Barack Obama's Justice Department. If the affiliations are left off, a few white voters might not know who was the Democrat, and they might vote for a member of another party, the federal officials warned, and that can't be allowed.
After city officials waffled before the demand, several citizens challenged the order in court, and now a judge has turned them back without ruling on the issue itself. The judge said the citizens – taxpayers and voters in the city – had no "standing" to challenge how their own elections are run.
Kinston's plan was simple: make the elections nonpartisan so that voters would choose a name, not a political party.
However, the U.S. attorney general ordered the election results voided because "removing the partisan cue in municipal elections will, in all likelihood, eliminate the single factor that allows black candidates to be elected to office."
The federal government argued that "a majority of white Democrats support white Republicans over black Democrats in Kinston city elections," except for "a small group of white Democrats [who] maintain strong party allegiance and [who] will continue to vote along party lines, regardless of the race of the candidate.”
"This small, but critical, amount of white crossover votes," the federal government said, "results from the party affiliation of black-preferred candidates, most if not all of whom have been black."
It was in 2008 when a citizens' initiative in Kinston to make the elections nonpartisan passed with a near supermajority of 2-1.
But the Justice Department immediately intervened, explaining the election had to be voided because it would have altered the elections and the federal department's own statistical analysis revealed the change could "diminish" the ability of black voters in the city to elect their preferred candidates.
Read more
The result comes in a recent case involving Kinston, where voters overwhelmingly – the victory margin was about 2-1 – decided they wanted to leave the political affiliations off of candidates' names in their city elections.
Not so fast, said Barack Obama's Justice Department. If the affiliations are left off, a few white voters might not know who was the Democrat, and they might vote for a member of another party, the federal officials warned, and that can't be allowed.
After city officials waffled before the demand, several citizens challenged the order in court, and now a judge has turned them back without ruling on the issue itself. The judge said the citizens – taxpayers and voters in the city – had no "standing" to challenge how their own elections are run.
Kinston's plan was simple: make the elections nonpartisan so that voters would choose a name, not a political party.
However, the U.S. attorney general ordered the election results voided because "removing the partisan cue in municipal elections will, in all likelihood, eliminate the single factor that allows black candidates to be elected to office."
The federal government argued that "a majority of white Democrats support white Republicans over black Democrats in Kinston city elections," except for "a small group of white Democrats [who] maintain strong party allegiance and [who] will continue to vote along party lines, regardless of the race of the candidate.”
"This small, but critical, amount of white crossover votes," the federal government said, "results from the party affiliation of black-preferred candidates, most if not all of whom have been black."
It was in 2008 when a citizens' initiative in Kinston to make the elections nonpartisan passed with a near supermajority of 2-1.
But the Justice Department immediately intervened, explaining the election had to be voided because it would have altered the elections and the federal department's own statistical analysis revealed the change could "diminish" the ability of black voters in the city to elect their preferred candidates.
Read more
Dems' 'Rising Star' Trained Illegals For Jobs
Kamala Harris, California's next attorney general, ran a program that trained illegal alien felons for jobs, kept them out of jail and even helped to clear their criminal records.
After those aspects of the program received local news media attention, Harris corrected the system but still allowed for illegal aliens already using the program to finish her program.
In the run-up to November's elections – where Harris won the slimmest victory in the Democratic statewide sweep – the news media released a slew of glowing profiles of the aspiring politician, casting her as a rising national star, comparing her to Obama or even labeling her as the "anti-Palin," as one Politico article put it.
She's California's first African-American attorney general and the first woman to hold the office.
A program entitled, "Back on Track," became a centerpiece of Harris' campaign for attorney general. It works with offenders to help provide them jobs in the place of jail time.
The Los Angeles Times, however, first reported last year the system was training illegal immigrants for jobs they could not legally hold. It cited the case of Alexander Izaguirre, an illegal alien who pled guilty for selling cocaine but did not receive jail time under Harris's program. Izaguirre later assaulted a woman and was rearrested.
After the Times exposed the program as coordinating work for illegal aliens in lieu of jail time, Harris's office offered inconsistent explanations.
Read more
After those aspects of the program received local news media attention, Harris corrected the system but still allowed for illegal aliens already using the program to finish her program.
In the run-up to November's elections – where Harris won the slimmest victory in the Democratic statewide sweep – the news media released a slew of glowing profiles of the aspiring politician, casting her as a rising national star, comparing her to Obama or even labeling her as the "anti-Palin," as one Politico article put it.
She's California's first African-American attorney general and the first woman to hold the office.
A program entitled, "Back on Track," became a centerpiece of Harris' campaign for attorney general. It works with offenders to help provide them jobs in the place of jail time.
The Los Angeles Times, however, first reported last year the system was training illegal immigrants for jobs they could not legally hold. It cited the case of Alexander Izaguirre, an illegal alien who pled guilty for selling cocaine but did not receive jail time under Harris's program. Izaguirre later assaulted a woman and was rearrested.
After the Times exposed the program as coordinating work for illegal aliens in lieu of jail time, Harris's office offered inconsistent explanations.
Read more
Legislation To Finance Business Grants Through Tax Credits Coming This Year
Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Christian Johansson hopes to help businesses grow this year through a model that sells tax credits and uses the funds generated as grants to growing companies.
The program, called Invest Maryland, leads the list of DBED’s initiatives for the new year, Johansson told a group of reporters last month. It will be proposed in legislation to set up the program in this year’s General Assembly. Johansson said that this program will help Maryland grow economically from the inside – something that Maryland is in a unique position to be able to do, but has not been doing effectively enough.
“The states who do better are the ones who do organic growth better,” he said. “We are trying to be as creative as we can.”
GO HERE to read more.
The program, called Invest Maryland, leads the list of DBED’s initiatives for the new year, Johansson told a group of reporters last month. It will be proposed in legislation to set up the program in this year’s General Assembly. Johansson said that this program will help Maryland grow economically from the inside – something that Maryland is in a unique position to be able to do, but has not been doing effectively enough.
“The states who do better are the ones who do organic growth better,” he said. “We are trying to be as creative as we can.”
GO HERE to read more.
Md. Residents Have New Options For Car Registration
WASHINGTON - Starting Monday, Maryland drivers have new options for registering their vehicles.
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is now telling drivers to renew their registrations online, over the phone or at a self-service kiosk.
For an additional processing fee, drivers also can renew at a licensed Tag & Title service.
The changes are aimed at allowing drivers to avoid a trip to an MVA branch office and making the agency more efficient.
However, if there's a flag or an insurance violation on a car's record, the driver will still have to register face-to-face at an administration office.
Meanwhile, there are no registration changes this year for drivers living in Virginia or D.C.
For more information, visit the MVA website.
Source
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is now telling drivers to renew their registrations online, over the phone or at a self-service kiosk.
For an additional processing fee, drivers also can renew at a licensed Tag & Title service.
The changes are aimed at allowing drivers to avoid a trip to an MVA branch office and making the agency more efficient.
However, if there's a flag or an insurance violation on a car's record, the driver will still have to register face-to-face at an administration office.
Meanwhile, there are no registration changes this year for drivers living in Virginia or D.C.
For more information, visit the MVA website.
Source
Navy Probes Lewd Videos
A former Top Gun pilot told his aircraft carrier crew that he had heard complaints about his past homemade videos, but went on to broadcast one aboard the ship that included gay slurs, mimicked masturbation and opened a shower curtain on women pretending to bathe together.
GO HERE to read more.
GO HERE to read more.
Barbara Mikulski Breaks Senate Record
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) becomes the Senates longest-serving female member. The senator recounts 24 years of making history.Thousands of Dead Birds Fall From Sky
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Just before New Years in Beebe, Arkansas thousands of dead birds fell from the sky, covering a small sub-division in carcasses.N. Korea Calls For Peace, Warns Of "Nuclear Holocaust"
Beijing - North Korea on Saturday called for dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula in a state-issued New Year’s Day editorial, warning that a breakout of war with the South “will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust.”
While the statement also characterized South Korea’s government as a “minion of war” beholden to “pro-U.S. war hawks,” the document’s repeated calls for more cooperation suggest that the North might be moving, for now, away from a pattern of attacks against the South.
“Active efforts should be made to create an atmosphere of dialogue and cooperation between North and South by placing the common interests of the nation above anything else,” said the official message, which was carried by state media.
After a year of some of the worst tensions on the Korean Peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War, the past week has brought signs of calming. On Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said that he saw no choice but to resume six-party talks with the North that also include Russia, China, Japan and the United States.
Russian and Chinese officials have repeatedly called for those negotiations to begin anew _ they lapsed after the North quit them last year _ and many observers expect that a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Washington this month could push the process further along.
In a New Year’s address to his nation on Saturday, Lee said he was “confident that we will be able to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
GO HERE to read more.
The Year Of The Big Lie: Six Outrageous Falsehoods That Took Flight In 2010
In a political year dominated by tales of polarization, a flurry of themes emerged as I contemplated the year just past -- the year of the Tea Party, the year that psycho became the new normal (Glenn Beck), the year in which info leaks rocked the world (WikiLeaks), the year that saw accomplishments defying conventional wisdom (Obama). But at the root of all of these themes lies the Lie; all other themes speak to either its advancement or in its defiance.
In the politics of 2010, the Big Lie, in both its gigantic and more attenuated forms, was almost always deployed in the service of corporations. It may not be so obvious at the surface, especially when the Lie dubs the nation's first black president a racist, or labels a Jewish holocaust survivor an anti-Semite, but the ultimate aim of the Lie in these contexts is to discredit purveyors of ideas and policies that certain corporate leaders and shills find threatening to their quest for all the world's riches.
What follows is a mere sampling of some of the defining lies of 2010, not presented in any particular order of importance, for they're all of a piece.
The Big Lie
The Big Lie theory goes like this: A gigantic, audacious lie is more likely to be believed by the masses than a small one if it is repeated often enough. First articulated in the pages of Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (who attributed the practice, of course, to Jews) and deployed as a tactic by Nazi master propagandist Joseph Goebbels, the Big Lie went mainstream in 2010, as its propagators on the Right were accepted by big media as respectable articulators of a legitimate point of view. These include Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and numerous other Republican officials and Tea Party leaders who, in our first Big Lie, refer to the 2010 passage of health-care reform legislation as "a government takeover of health care." The non-partisan PolitiFact.com named this assertion the lie of the year -- an award that will likely have no impact on the issue's framing, since media figures generally fail to challenge the assertion when it's made.
Sometimes Big Lies are personal, targeting a figure whose appearance or background plays to the prejudices of a particular constituency. An attempt to lay just one such Big Lie to rest finds Neil Abercrombie, the newly elected Democratic governor of Hawaii, seeking to release data on the birth of President Barack Obama in his state 49 years ago in an effort to appease birthers -- those who have bought into the lie that Obama was born in Africa, not America, which would make him ineligible for the presidency. Really, Abercrombie needn't bother: the Tea Partiers who doubt the president's birthright will never be satisfied with any level of proof. They're far too invested in the lie.
Perhaps that's why Andrew Breitbart, the right-wing Web site impresario, author of our second Big Lie of the year, thought he could get away with targeting an unknown U.S. Department of Agriculture official, Shirley Sherrod, through the creative editing of a video taken of Sherrod's remarks to a local NAACP gathering.
Brietbart was ripping mad when the NAACP passed a resolution at its national convention that called on Tea Party leaders to repudiate racism within its ranks. The clip was edited to convey the opposite message of Sherrod's remarks, which addressed how she overcame her own prejudice against a white farmer she assisted in the course of her job duties. But before Breitbart's lie was exposed, the Obama administration fired Sherrod (who was later offered another job at USDA). The story immediately became about the video clip as Breitbart presented it, and Sherrod's firing. It wasn’t until the next day that the Lie was exposed.
GO HERE to read more.
2011 Looks Grim For Progress On Women's Rights In Iraq
Baghdad — When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki introduced what he called a national partnership government two weeks ago, he included allies and adversaries, Arabs and Kurds, Shiite Muslims and Sunnis. One group, however, was woefully underrepresented.
Only one woman was named to Maliki's 42-member cabinet, sparking an outcry in a country that once was a beacon for women's rights in the Arab world and adding to an ongoing struggle over the identity of the new Iraq.
Whether this fledgling nation becomes a liberal democracy or an Islamist-led patriarchy might well be judged by the place it affords its women.
Nearly eight years after American-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, Iraq's record is decidedly mixed.
Maliki's last cabinet included four women, and since 2005 the Iraqi constitution has set aside one-quarter of legislative seats for females. Of 325 lawmakers elected in March, 82 were women, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Yet analysts said their political contributions so far have been limited, and activists and female lawmakers seized on their exclusion from the new cabinet as a sign of women's continued struggle to find a place in Iraqi public life.
"It's a mockery," said Hanaa Edwar, a founder of the Iraqi al Amal Association, a leading women's rights group.
"Especially when you take into consideration that this is a retreat from the previous cabinet…it's really a slap in the face for all of us."
GO HERE to read more.
Chief Justice Roberts Urges Approval Of Judicial Nominees
Washington — Without naming names or casting blame, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. called on Republicans and Democrats Friday to put aside their differences and move more quickly to approve qualified nominees to be federal judges.
Currently, about 110 judgeships — about one in eight in the federal judiciary — are vacant, and the Senate approved only 60 of President Barack Obama's court nominees in the past two years. That was the lowest total for a new president in four decades.
In Roberts' year-end report on the federal courts, he said this "persistent problem has developed ... over many years," and both parties have played a role.
"Each political party has found it easy to turn on a dime from decrying to defending the blocking of judicial nominations, depending on their changing political fortunes," he said. "This has created acute difficulties for some judicial districts."
Although the Senate confirmed 19 judicial nominees in December's lame-duck session, it let another 19 nominations die, even though most of them had been approved overwhelmingly by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
More than a decade ago, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist drew wide attention when he faulted Senate Republicans for blocking President Bill Clinton's court nominees. Roberts, however, made no mention of Obama and did not blame Republicans for the recent delays.
"The judiciary relies on the president's nominations and the Senate's confirmation process to fill judicial vacancies; we do not comment on the merits of individual nominees. That is as it should be," Roberts wrote. "There remains, however, an urgent need for the political branches to find a long-term solution to this recurring problem."
GO HERE to read more.
MILITARY QUOTE OF THE DAY
"When I joined the military it was illegal to be homosexual; then it became optional. I'm getting out before Obama makes it mandatory."
2010 Statistics On Airport
2010 statistics on Airport screening from the Department of Homeland Security
Terrorist Plots Discovered 0
Transvestites 133
Hernias 1,485
Hemorrhoid Cases 3,172
Enlarged Prostates 8,249
Breast Implants 59,350
Natural Blondes 3
Aftermath Of The Snow Storm
Dear Joe,
Just to let you know, that once again, for the 4th time during 2010, Lee Richardson, a local farmer came to my rescue, along with many others out in Pittsville/Willards way with his plow. I had drifts of over 3 feet in my driveway and I couldn't get out to work. My husband is disabled and I'm no spring chicken.
The drifts were "walking" from the field next door, across my yard, through my driveways and across the road. Once again, Lee showed up like a guardian angel and cleared a path for me to get to work the next day. He shows up with a broad smile on his face, won't accept any money, and I know we are so glad to see him when he arrives.
I didn't have my camera with me to send you a clip for this last snowstorm, but I wanted him to know my heartfelt thanks along with so many others in this area.
Carol Remsburg
Just to let you know, that once again, for the 4th time during 2010, Lee Richardson, a local farmer came to my rescue, along with many others out in Pittsville/Willards way with his plow. I had drifts of over 3 feet in my driveway and I couldn't get out to work. My husband is disabled and I'm no spring chicken.
The drifts were "walking" from the field next door, across my yard, through my driveways and across the road. Once again, Lee showed up like a guardian angel and cleared a path for me to get to work the next day. He shows up with a broad smile on his face, won't accept any money, and I know we are so glad to see him when he arrives.
I didn't have my camera with me to send you a clip for this last snowstorm, but I wanted him to know my heartfelt thanks along with so many others in this area.
Carol Remsburg
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO HOST MARYLAND FORWARD FORUM ON SKILLS & EDUCATION
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will convene the second in a series of five forums tomorrow to shape policy as Maryland transitions into a new economy. Today’s forum will focus on skills and education, bringing together stakeholders and industry experts, generating concrete actions and recommendations that support the Administration’s strategic goals.
Today’s Maryland Forward forum on skills and education will be held at Bowie State University. Governor O’Malley will provide opening remarks, and later facilitate a discussion surrounding the major recommendations from the day’s work sessions.
As Governor O’Malley prepares for a second term, the “Maryland Forward” forum series includes stakeholders and experts in five broad areas that have served as priority areas for the O’Malley-Brown Administration. The forums gather the input of various stakeholders, including recommendations for legislative in areas including jobs and the economy; skills and education; sustainability; children and health; and public safety and security.
WHAT: Governor O’Malley to host Maryland Forward forum on skills and education
WHEN: TODAY, Monday, January 3, 2010
Governor O’Malley’s opening remarks: 9:00 a.m.
Stakeholder breakout sessions: 10:00 a.m.
Presentation and Discussion with Governor O’Malley: 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Bowie State University
Center for Learning and Technology Building (opening session)
Martin Luther King Jr. Communications Art Center (closing session)
14000 Jericho Park Road
Bowie, MD
GROUNDHOG DAY 2011
Next year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address occur on the same day, February 2nd.
As Air America Radio pointed out, "It is an ironic juxtaposition of events: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication while the other involves a groundhog."
What Do Military Heroes Think Of Sex Experiments?
'The mission is fight and win wars. President's job is to protect nation'
Their biographies read like the script for an action movie, except perhaps the movie wouldn't have quite so much action: Flying military missions over enemy territory, sending coded messages while captured, firefights in exotic locales from Vietnam to Iran to Mogadishu, Oval Office briefings and faceoffs with communists in Nicaragua.These three retired military giants, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Eugene B. McDaniel, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin and Adm. Jeremiah Denton, have scoured their experiences and come to the conclusion that using the military services for social experiments regarding homosexuality poses a huge danger to America's future.
"My outlook tells me we should pray the words 'God bless America' and immediately after that prayer offer another, 'God help America,'" Denton told WND regarding the plan by Congress and Barack Obama that is intended to allow openly homosexual behaviorial choices inside the ranks of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines.
Join thousands telling Obama and Congress to stop forcing open homosexuality on the U.S. military.
Denton's extravagant heroics remain unchallenged to this day. Flying missions over Vietnam, he was shot down and spent years as a POW, famously blinking Morse code with his eyes during a staged "interview" to reveal that the communist regime was using torture.
GO HERE to read more.
Psych Studies Ordered For Jailed Homeschooling Dad
Just wanted to spend time with state-napped son
Unspecified psychological studies or evaluations have been ordered for a jailed father who, in violation of the procedures of the government-run social services that instructed police officers to abduct his then-7-year-old son because he was being homeschooled, took him home for a visit.Details are sketchy about the local court hearing, held just before Christmas, in the Gotland, Sweden, case involving Christer Johansson, but a Swedish broadcast station website reveals that Johansson is accused of kidnapping or unlawful detention for the Thanksgiving week incident in which he took his son, now 9, with him following a social services-supervised visit.
The government took custody of Domenic in mid-2009 when police officers stormed a jetliner which the family had boarded en route to a move to India, the home country for Domenic's mother, Annie Johansson.
"You've Decided to Homeschool, Now What?"
Government authorities then awarded custody of Domenic to social services because he was being homeschooled, and he has been allowed visits with his parents only about once every five weeks since.
According to reports from a blog that has been monitoring the family's case, officials in Gotland decided there should be a "larger study" of the father and he has been ordered to be held in custody while those studies are completed.
GO HERE to read more.