2 Free Fernando Guerrero Ticket Giveaway Starts NOW

The first person that answers the following question correctly will win 2 FREE tickets to the Fernando Guerrero Fight on Feb. 18, 2010.

As of December 31, 2010 Pohanka has given to over 600 different causes, donating $257,983.00 within the last twenty months.

WHAT ORGANIZATION RECEIVED THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WHAT WAS THEIR TOTAL AS OF DEC. 31, 2010?

Remember, you must give your full name with your answer as seen on your driver's license.

Editors Notes: I think this community should take a good hard look at what Pohanka has created with their Pay It Forward Program. I'll be the first to admit that we have copied this program because WE believe in it. My hat is tipped to Pohanka for creating such a program and helping those in need.

Maryland & California Suspend 'Scared Straight' Programs

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Maryland and California prison officials said Friday they have suspended youthful offender diversion programs featured on the television show "Beyond Scared Straight" after the U.S. Justice Department warned they could lose federal funding.

The A&E series, which started Jan. 13, is produced by Arnold Shapiro, maker of the Emmy- and Oscar-winning 1979 television special, "Scared Straight." Like that show, it documents visits by troubled teenagers to prisons where intimidating inmates deliver in-your-face lectures about the harshness of life behind bars.

A prison agency spokesman in South Carolina, the only other state featured on the A&E Network series, said the diversion program will be reviewed by the state's incoming corrections chief.

GO HERE to read more.

A $7,500 Electric Car Discount Scares Dealers

Buyers of plug-in cars like the Nissan Leaf qualify for a $7,500 tax credit. A White House proposal would give consumers that money when they buy, rather than at tax time.


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In an effort to put 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015, the Obama administration has proposed a plan that would put up to $7,500 directly in the hands of car buyers without having them jump through any tax hoops.

Plug-in car advocates love the idea but dealers aren't so sure about it.

GO HERE to read more.

TSA Workers Win Collective Bargaining Rights

The nation's 40,000 airport screeners to be allowed union protections

WASHINGTON — The government will grant collective bargaining rights to the nation's 40,000 airport screeners, the head of the largest federal workers union said Friday.

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, told The Associated Press he was informed of the decision at a meeting with John Pistole, head of the Transportation Security Administration.

GO HERE to read more.

Ocean City Police Need Your Help - $2,500 Reward Offered

The Ocean City Police Department is asking for your immediate help to protect the public. A cash reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) believed to be responsible for the pharmacy burglary that occurred between December 31 and January 3 at Bailey’s Pharmacy in Ocean City. The reward is donated by pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma L.P., which operates RxPATROL®, a collaborative effort between industry, pharmacists and law enforcement to collect, collate, analyze and disseminate information on pharmacy theft. 

For additional details regarding the incident, please call Jessica Waters with the Ocean City Police Department at (410) 520-5395.

For more information about the reward donation and RxPATROL, please call Shirley Johnson at (203) 588-7681.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release

Incident: Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute
Date of Incident: 3 Feb 2011
Location: U.S. Rt 13 S/B, Salisbury, MD
Suspects: 1. David C. Clower, 20, Virginia Beach, VA
2. Geoffrey N. Rivera, 19, Virginia Beach, VA
3. Alex Bailey, 19, Virginia Beach, VA


Narrative: On 3 February 2010 at 11:52 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation travelling southbound on the U.S. 13 bypass. Upon approaching the vehicle that was operated by Geoffrey Rivera and also occupied by David Clower and Alex Bailey, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana emanating from within the vehicle. The deputy initiated a search and soon recovered marijuana from Rivera. Further searching revealed a "Bob Marley" marijuana grinder along with marijuana in the possession of Clower and also marijuana in the possession of Bailey. When the deputy searched the trunk, the deputy located a trash bag containing large sealed bags of what the deputy saw was marijuana.

The amount of marijuana recovered from the trunk was over two pounds.

The deputy arrested all three individuals and transported them to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained all three in the Detention Center in lieu of $200,000.00 bond.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute

Man Wanted For Domestic Related Kidnapping Arrested

On Thursday, February 3, 2011 Joseph B. Callahan turned himself in at Delaware State Police Troop 9 in Odessa, DE. Callahan was then arrested on the below list of charges. He was arraigned at JP Court 2 and released after posting $15,150.00 secured bail.

 

Released Friday, February 04, 2011 at 1:40 p.m.

 

DSP News Release: Dover Man Wanted After Domestic Related Kidnapping

 

Location:  1900 Block of Clayton-Delaney Road, Clayton, DE

 

Date of Occurrence:  Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 12:30 a.m.

 

Victims: 

 

-21 year old Clayton, DE woman

-23 year old Clayton, DE woman

 

Suspect:

 

-Joseph B. Callahan, 40, Dover, DE

 

Charges:

 

-Robbery 2^nd degree, Burglary 2^nd Degree, Offensive Touching, Criminal Mischief

 

Resume:  

Clayton- The Delaware State Police are currently searching for a Dover man after he entered a home and forced a female into his car early Tuesday morning.

 

The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. as Joseph B. Callahan of Dover, DE entered a home in the 1900 block of Clayton-Delaney Road without permission. Once inside, Callahan grabbed his ex-girlfriend, a 21 year old woman, and forced her out of the home and into his vehicle which was parked in the driveway. As this was occurring the homeowner, a 23 year old female, called police. Callahan then fled the area with the 21 year old still in the car, driving along Clayton-Delaney Road. While in the car, the suspect demanded money from the victim, however, after she advised that she did not have any, the suspect returned her to the home and allowed her to exit the car. Callahan also exited the vehicle and then broke a window out of the 21 year old female’s car before fleeing the scene.  Responding troopers searched the area for Callahan but were unable to locate him. Neither victim was injured in this incident. Joseph Callahan is described as a white male, 5’07” tall and 144 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Press Release

On January 31, 2011, Members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement team, assisted by the Ocean City and Ocean Pines Police Department, made contact with a Mr. Mark Erbe 52  and Angel Chang 31 of the Berlin area, in the West Ocean City area. Mr. Erbe and Ms. Chang sold a large amount of Oxycodone to the detectives.

Detectives approached Mr. Erbe and Ms. Chang, who were sitting in their vehicle, in an attempt to arrest them for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. Mr. Erbe pulled away and attempted to flee the area. Mr. Erbe was blocked in by other responding officers and taken into custody.

Below is the list of charges for both subjects. 

Mark Erbe:

Poss. of OxyCodone – Schedule II

Distribution of OxyCodone.

Conspiracy to Distribute OxyCodone

Bench Warrant – FTA (CDS)

Angel Chang:

Poss. Of Cocaine

Poss. of OxyCodone – Schedule II

Distribution of OxyCodone.

Conspiracy to Distribute OxyCodone

Both subjects were held at the Worcester County Jail on bond.

Stolen Jet Ski's - Ocean City Area

Worcester County Bureau of Investigation
DATE & TIME:  Between the evening of January 27, 2011 and the morning of January
31, 2011       
Case #  11-023
        
LOCATION: 12961 Harbor Road, West Ocean City, Worcester County
CRIME:   Theft of jet skis and trailer
       
NARRATIVE:     
Between the evening hours of Thursday, January 27, 2011 and the morning hours of Monday, January 31, 2011 unknown suspect(s) entered the property of 12961 Harbor Road in West Ocean City and stole a 2010 Yamaha FXHO jet ski, Described as having a black hull with tan trim and a tan seat. The second jet
ski, described as a 2007 Kawasaki JT1500 jet ski, Described as having a white hull with a blue top and silver seat.

Also stolen was a 2010 Load Rite double Jet Ski trailer.  The trailer was not displaying any registration plate.   The jet skis were secured on the trailer and wrapped in blue plastic shrink wrap for the winter season.  The suspect(s) cut a chain and lock and drove away towing the trailer with skis.
 
Anyone with information about this crime are urged to contact Cpl. J. Johnson at the Worcester County Bureau of investigation 410-352-3476.

Sobo's Weekend Special

Click on image to enlarge.

Fernando Guerrero Fight Ticket Give Away

You may want to register with Google today,as I hear Salisbury News may have another free ticket give away contest today. To learn how to register with Google please see the post below this one.

INCOMING!

Now pending in the Maryland Legislature:

SENATE BILL 316 -- "TAX CAP KILLER"

Entitled: Property Tax - Charter Counties - Education Funding

Synopsis:

Authorizing the county council of a charter county to set a property tax rate higher or to collect more property tax revenues than authorized under the county charter under specified circumstances for the sole purpose of funding education; requiring a charter county to appropriate to the local board of education specified revenues and prohibiting a charter county from reducing specified funding to the local board of education under specified circumstances; etc.

Motorist In Disabled Vehicle Arrested, Money Seized

Location:  Interstate 95 southbound south of DE Rt. 141, Newport, DE

 

Date of Occurrence:  Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 3:15 p.m.

 

Defendant: Hazem Alasad, 24, Bronx, NY

 

Charges: 

 

-Possession of Marijuana (Released on Summons)

 

Resume:  

Newport- The Delaware State Police have arrested a New York man and seized nearly $42,000.00 in cash after his vehicle became disabled on I-95 Wednesday afternoon.

 

The incident occurred at approximately 3:15 p.m. as a trooper on routine patrol observed a 2010 Dodge Nitro on the shoulder of southbound I-95 just south of Rt. 141 in Newport. The vehicle appeared to have a flat tire.  The trooper stopped to assist the operator of the vehicle, later identified as Hazem Alasad, 24, of New York. As the trooper was speaking with Alasad, he observed a marijuana cigarette on the floorboard of the car. The trooper also observed an envelope in the glove box of the car as Alasad was looking for the rental agreement for the vehicle which he was never able to produce. Upon questioning, Alasad admitted that the envelope in the glove box contained approximately $10,000.00 in cash and that he was currently operating the vehicle in violation of his restricted New York driver’s license.

 

Troopers arrested Alasad and towed the vehicle to Troop 6 where a further search of the vehicle was conducted. During the search, troopers located an additional $32,000 in cash in a paper bag under the driver’s seat. 

 

Hazem Alasad was charged with one count of Possession of Marijuana. He issued a summons and released. The $42,000.00 cash was seized for forfeiture.

 

www.tipsubmit.com

 

Text Keyword “DSP” and your message to 274637 (CRIMES)

AFP-Maryland’s Statement On Gov. O’Malley’s State Of The State – Maryland Is Stuck In A Financial Hole

Americans for Prosperity Maryland’s Political Director Nick Loffer issued the following statement.

Annapolis – “Commonsense policy decisions and help for small businesses is once again ignored by Governor O’Malley’s and Annapolis leaving Maryland in a financial hole that they are digging deeper.

Freezing spending is not a solution that moves Maryland forward when you have been stuck in an ever deepening financial hole. Sneaky tax hikes buried in the state budget and borrowing money claiming to “balance” Maryland’s budget is dishonest to the Free State.

Well intentioned programs like invest Maryland ignore the needs of small businesses and the necessary conditions that all businesses must have. No matter how much upfront money businesses receive, if the business climate continues to add more job killing taxes and maintains stifling regulations, businesses will not stay in Maryland.

Gov. O’Malley and this General Assembly should choose fair policies that help all businesses and families equally, rather than benefiting certain sections of the economy that they deem “new” and “emerging.”

Cutting taxes will benefit all businesses and give families relief that they desperately need. Spending cuts, not spending freezes, will bring us out of the financial hole that we are in.

Adhering to these two critical policies, with a firm commitment to no new taxes, will allow Gov. O’Malley truthfully to say the State of Maryland is becoming strong. Until then, continuing with the same fiscally irresponsible policies of taxing, spending, and borrowing will place an unfair, yet avoidable, burden on taxpayers that forces Maryland to stay in the hole.”

Fruitland Little League Registrations

Joe,

It's that time of year again--would you be willing to inform your readers that Fruitland Little League will start registration for the upcoming season this Saturday February 5th from 9 am to noon at our fieldhouse in Fruitland.  Registrations will be every Saturday in February from 9 am to noon.  More details can be found at our website http://www.fruitlandlittleleague.org/ where parents can also download the forms needed to register their child.

I understand this is late notice and you may not be able to help for this week, but any help you can provide is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike Murphy
Treasurer, Fruitland Little League

Best Hangover CCure? Plain Old Coffee And Water, Study Says

Some people swear by bacon. Or Red Bull. Or a big bacon cheeseburger with fries — the greasier the better. Thanks to new research out of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, though, we now know the exact cause of the hangover headache and the Absolut … er … absolute best way to get rid of them.

GO HERE to read more.

Verizon Halts iPhone Sales After Best 'First Day'

In first 2 hours, company sold more phones than any first-day launch in its history

NEW YORK — Verizon Wireless ended online sales of Apple Inc's iPhone on Thursday evening after what it said was "the most successful first day sales in the history of the company."

The No. 1 U.S. mobile operator said it ceased pre-orders at 8:10 p.m. EST after opening limited pre-orders for the device to its existing customers at 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

Verizon Wireless Chief Executive, Dan Mead said in a statement that in its first two hours of iPhone sales the company "had already sold more phones than any first-day launch" in its history.

GO HERE to read more.

Trip To Egypt Goes Downhill From Bucket List

The State Department continues to help Americans leave Egypt. More than 1,900 people have been evacuated since Monday. Fern Krauss, a strategic communications consultant with clients in the federal IT market, was in Egypt when the unrest started to swell. She managed to get out on her own -- without the State Department. She joins us with a glimpse of what things were like.

Source

I Confess: God Might Be A Libertarian

"God isn't a Republican or a Democrat," a friend in my men's prayer group said to me a while ago after temporarily posting his Republican political preference on his Facebook profile. This young friend uses Facebook primarily to evangelize on behalf of Christ, and was annoyed by a bunch of complaints from Democratic friends about how the Republicans opposed Christian principles such as favoring war and social justice.

"You're right," I jokingly replied. "God's not a Republican or a Democrat. But He might be a libertarian," But then I corrected myself and added, "Of course, I'm only half kidding about that."

GO HERE to read more.

Man Wanted for Domestic Assault Arrested

On Thursday February 11, 2011 at approximately 6:30 p.m., Michael Manning turned himself in at Delaware State Police Troop 9 in Odessa, DE. Manning was then arrested on the below list of charges. He was arraigned at JP Court 2 and then committed to the Howard Young Correctional Facility in Wilmington for lack of $32,500.00 bail.

 

Released Friday, February 04, 2011 at 9:55 p.m.

       

 

DSP News Release: Troopers Searching for Smyrna Man after Domestic Assault

 

Location:  300 block of Blackbird Forest Road, Smyrna, DE

 

Date of Occurrence:  Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.

 

Victims: 

 

-51 year old Smyrna woman

-34 year old Wilmington woman

 

Suspect: Michael L. Manning, 43, Smyrna, DE

 

Charges:

 

-Possession of a Deadly Weapon during the Commission of a Felony

-Strangulation

-Aggravated Menacing

-Terroristic Threatening (2 counts)

-Assault 3^rd Degree (2 counts)

-Interference with Emergency Communications

 

Resume:

Smyrna- The Delaware State Police are currently looking for a 43 year old Smyrna man after he threatened his girlfriend with a knife on Saturday afternoon.

 

The incident occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. as Michael L. Manning, 43, of the 300 block of Blackbird Forest Road, Smyrna, became involved in a verbal domestic altercation with his 51 year old girlfriend. The altercation then turned physical as Manning slapped, kicked, and choked the victim. At one point Manning armed himself with a large butcher knife and threatened to kill the victim. The victim’s 34 year old daughter arrived at the residence in order to visit the victim and attempted to intervene after realizing what was occurring. Manning however also threatened to kill the daughter. He then threw her to the ground and assaulted her. Both victims were able to flee from the residence and contact police. Both victims suffered minor injuries but refused medical assistance. Troopers obtained an arrest warrant on Manning who had also fled from the residence prior to their arrival. He is described as a white male, 6’00” tall and 221 lbs. He has hazel eyes and brown hair and was last seen operating a Chevrolet Silverado pick up truck.

 

If anyone knows the location of Michael Manning, they are asked to contact Troop 9 at 302-378-5218 or 911. Information may also be provided through phone lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO CONTINUE “MARYLAND FORWARD” SERIES WITH LOCAL POLICY FORUMS

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 4, 2010) – A day after Governor Martin O’Malley delivered his 2011 State of the State address, which focused on the choices necessary for Maryland to be a winner in the new economy, Governor Martin O’Malley announced a series of “Maryland Forward” local policy forums to advance many of those initiatives. 

Prior to his inauguration for a second term, Governor O’Malley convened a series of five “Maryland Forward” forums designed to 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.  These day-long summits brought together stakeholders to generate concrete actions and recommendations that support the Administration’s strategic goals.

Following that series, Governor O’Malley will convene smaller groups of local stakeholders throughout the 2011 legislative session focused on specific policy areas that will help Maryland be a winner in the new economy, protect our neighborhoods, and create jobs.

“Maryland Forward” Policy Forums

Exact locations to be announced

Maryland Forward forum on Early Childhood Development and Education

February 15, 2011

12 noon – 2:00 p.m.

Anne Arundel Community Health Department

3 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Maryland Forward forum on the Watershed Implementation Plan

February 24, 2011

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Calhoon MEBA Engineering School
27050 St. Michaels Road
Easton, MD 21601

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Maryland Forward forum on Guns and Gang Violence

March 3, 2011

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Baltimore City, MD

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Maryland Forward forum on Jobs and the Economy

March 14, 2011

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Western Maryland, MD

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Maryland Forward forum on Supporting our Veterans

March 28, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Southern Maryland

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Maryland Forward forum on Smart Growth

April 4, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Prince George’s County, MD

To RSVP for this event, click here.

Obama Administration Covering Up Abortion Data

"Let’s be clear: promoting science isn’t just about providing resources – it is also about protecting free and open inquiry. It is about letting scientists … do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient – especially when it’s inconvenient. It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda – and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology."  -President Obama, March 9, 2009.

RedState has uncovered evidence - confirmed by the CDC’s own press office - that the Obama administration is deliberately playing “hide the ball” on nationwide abortion statistics. For apparently the first time in 40 years, the CDC’s annual “Abortion Surveillance Report” was not published, and there are “no plans” for the data to be produced at this time.

Whatever you feel about abortion and its legality, virtually all people agree that transparency and factual accuracy are important in the abortion debate. That is why even Planned Parenthood spends a substantial amount of money each year funding the Guttmacher Institute’s studies on abortion statistics. While pro-life groups have long contended that Guttmacher’s methods systematically undercount abortions, that is beside the point; the Guttmacher studies have long provided a consistent source for studying abortion trends over time. Which aggregate data, we re-emphasize, is important not only for both sides of the ideological debate, but is also important medical information.

Yet, in the wake of numerous damaging disclosures about unscrupulous practices by abortionists (from Kermit Gosnell to Planned Parenthood clinics across the country), the Obama Administration has apparently ordered that the only Federal government report on abortion statistics – again, a report that has run continuously for 40 years – be deep-sixed. The immediate question this raises is: what is the Obama administration trying to hide?

More here

Today's Survey Question

Do You Think Astronaut Mark Kelly Should Fly Into Space

Or

Stay Home With His Wife?

Thank God Its Friday

What will you be doing this weekend?

Does ADHD Come From Foods?

It's still a mystery, and parents and scientists alike are looking for answers about why some 5 million children in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition marked by impulsive behavior and a lack of focus. There have been genetic links shown, and plenty of accusations of misdiagnosis, but now the attention turns to a different explanation: Diet.

A team of scientists from the Netherlands set out to demonstrate in a study, published in the Lancet, that there could be a connection between what children eat and their ADHD-like behaviors. They go as far as to say that the standard of care for ADHD should include a restricted diet.

But the researchers did not pinpoint any specific foods that appear to induce ADHD symptoms, and their ideas must be explored further in other studies before being considered definitive, experts say.

"At this time it is very difficult to tell parents which foods to avoid," said Dr. Jaswinder Kaur Ghurman of the department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Arizona in Tucson, who was not involved in the study. It may vary by child, she said.

GO HERE to read more.

Minneapolis Lesbian Teens Win Fight To Walk Together In Royalty Court

Two lesbian high school students who fought for the right to walk together as part of a royalty court made their entrances Monday to the cheers of hundreds of classmates.

Sarah Lindstrom and Desiree Shelton wore matching black suits with pink ties and held hands as they entered the Snow Days Pep Fest at Champlin Park High School in Minneapolis' northwest suburbs.

GO HERE to read more.

Will Giffords' Husband Return To Space? All Signs Are Go

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will announce Friday whether he'll fly on space shuttle Endeavour's final voyage -- and all signs are go.

Mark Kelly will take part in a press conference Friday afternoon at Johnson Space Center in Houston, NASA said late Thursday. The astronaut who has been substituting for Kelly during training, however, is not among the three participants, suggesting that Kelly has decided to fly in April.

GO HERE to read more.

Undercover 'Sex Work' Videos Fuel Congressional Campaign Against Planned Parenthood

Undercover videos similar to the ones that brought down ACORN are causing big problems for Planned Parenthood, fueling an effort in Congress to defund the nation's largest abortion provider.

Two sting videos have so far been released allegedly showing local Planned Parenthood managers giving advice to a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute on how to obtain services for underage sex workers.

GO HERE to read more.

10 Ways To Live Large In Cramped Quarters

Even if you don't have a lot of real estate you can go big by investing in these 10 extreme 21st-century space-saving solutions for the home, from the sofa/bunk bed to the 3-in-1 breakfast maker to the toilet lid sink.

GO HERE to read more.

10 Career Paths That Will Be Washed Away Soon

Secretaries, postal sorters, carpenters will all suffer from march of progress

Economists believe that many of the jobs lost in the “great recession” will be coming back. Construction and high finance positions that were temporarily slashed, for example, are expected to steadily return. Regardless of the economic dip, however, several career paths have been declining for years due to larger structural changes in the economy. These dying occupations are headed for the trash pile.

“The kinds of jobs that are disappearing are the jobs that pay really well (for) relatively unskilled workers,” says Harry Holzer, Ph.D., Georgetown University economist and co-author of "Where Are All The Good Jobs Going." He lists manufacturing jobs as a leading example, saying that well-paid assembly jobs that require modest training and only a high school diploma or less are a thing of the past.

GO HERE to read more.

BREAKING NEWS: Employment Gain Much Smaller Than Expected In January

Employers added just 36,000 jobs; unemployment rate falls to 9 percent

WASHINGTON — U.S. employment posted a fourth straight month of gains in January, but the pace of job creation last month was much smaller than expected.

The government’s employment snapshot for January, released Friday morning, showed U.S. employers added 36,000 jobs in January, as the unemployment rate ticked down from 9.4 percent in December to 9 percent last month — the lowest level since April 2009.

Employers were expected to add a net total of 146,000 new jobs in January. That's barely enough to keep up with population growth. Monthly job-creation figures need to be twice as fast each month to make a noticeable dent in unemployment.

GO HERE to read more.

Some Girl Scouts To Sit Out Cookie Sale In Protest

Troop members upset by the council's decision to sell some camps

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota Girl Scout council's decision to sell some of its camps has so upset one Scout that she and others in her troop plan to sit out the big annual cookie sale that starts Saturday.

Kim Zaiman, who leads a troop of 12 girls in the St. Paul suburb of Maplewood, said Thursday her 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, will sit out the sale along with some other troop members. The idea also is catching on among other members of the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys council, Zaiman said, although she didn't know how many girls would end up refusing to sell Thin Mints, Samosas and similar treats. The situation was "changing by the hour," she said.

GO HERE to read more.

Mary Had A Little Lamb

I've never read Mary Had a Little Lamb poem written that way before and I agree!

 

Are House Republicans Keeping Pledge?

In a post just a few minutes ago we read that the newly minted House majority is going to cut $32 billion.  Remember the Pledge to America?  Remember being told during the election that my Republican brethren were going to cut $100 billion out of the federal budget?  As Erick Erickson points out, promises seem to be just for elections.

I know, the world can’t be fixed overnight.  I also know that even if the House passed these cuts, AND even if the Senate did as well, President Obama would probably veto them.  So what?  At least they would have kept their promise.

Are the Republicans going to learn?  Do we have to suffer ANOTHER disastrous Democrat majority in Congress before the GOP learns that if they don’t do what they promised then they don’t deserve to hold a majority?

Pogrom In Cairo - Where Was Obama?

Contrary to what we were led to believe - that the US-backed and US-financed Egyptian military would protect the right to peaceful protest - on Wednesday, February 2, in Cairo, the Egyptian military permitted "Mubarak supporters" - who, according to press reports, were clearly organized by the government, and many of whom were police or other government employees - to physically attack peaceful antigovernment protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

The lede paragraph of the main New York Times article summarized what happened:

The Egyptian government struck back at its opponents on Wednesday, unleashing waves of pro-government provocateurs armed with clubs, stones, rocks and knives in and around Tahrir Square in a concerted effort to rout the protesters who have called for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's near-30-year rule.

Crucially, the US-backed and US-financed Egyptian military did not block the violence. The chronology on The Guardian's liveblog from Wednesday shows that the first report of government complicity in the violence at Tahrir Square came almost immediately:

12.19pm: "There is a fight of some kind of going on right in front of me. I'm assuming that it's pro and anti Mubarak supporters," Peter Beaumont reports from Tahrir Square.

The security services are just sitting on their tanks watching, he says. "You can't help feeling that it has all been heavily coordinated," he says. [Emphasis added.] 

GO HERE to read more.

U.S. To Buy Chinese Aviation?

You may remember the California company that tried to get the Air Force to consider a Russian-made refueling tanker. Now U.S. Aerospace is at it again. The Wall Street Journal reports the company is teaming with China Aviation Industry Corporation, or AVIC. It wants to offer the new Chinese-made stealth fighter to the U.S. military. It also would like the White House to consider the Chinese A-313 helicopter to replace the aging presidential fleet. That's not all. AVIC also makes a training plane. U.S. Aerospace may bid that plane as the Air Force replaces the venerable T-38 trainer.

House Republicans Slice Budget

House Republicans are proposing to cut $32 billion dollars from agency budgets over the next few months. Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan says the plan would cap total appropriations at just over one trillion dollars -- which is $74 billion less than what the president requested for 2011. The measure would bring non-security discretionary spending back to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, as House Republicans called for in their Pledge to America. The White House says the GOP effort could cause widespread furloughs of federal employees, force vulnerable people off subsidized housing, reduce services in national parks and mean less aid to schools and police and fire departments. Ryan plans to file the budget resolution next Tuesday.

Toll Increases Possible In Md.

Tolls are expected to increase later this year at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Fort McHenry Tunnel and the Harry Nice Bridge.

GO HERE to read more.

CBS Won't Air NFL Players Union Ad

The NFL Players Association tried to buy some airtime the day before the Super Bowl on CBS's College Sports Network, but CBS is refusing to air their minute-long commercial. Intended to stir fans' emotions before the impending owners' lockout, the ad shows an empty stadium and asks the NFL to "let them play." The union says CBS, which airs NFL games, is kowtowing to the will of the league.

More »

NYC Bans Smoking At Parks, Beaches

The smokers of New York City will soon have even fewer places to light up this summer after the Big Apple's city council voted to expand the existing ban on smoking in restaurants and bars to include, beaches, parks, boardwalks and other public spaces.

More »

Walmart Staffer Charged With Faking Kidnapping To Rob Store Of $160,000

An employee at a Walmart near Rochester, NY, stands accused of trying to get away with robbing the store of $160,000 in cash by saying she'd been kidnapped and forced into pulling off the heist.

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Documents Show Chase Doubted Madoff But Did Business With Him Anyway

Newly released documents reveal that executives at JPMorgan Chase were aware of the possible Ponzi-ness of Bernie Madoff's investment business more than 18 months before it was revealed to be a mammoth scam.

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Buy Gas From Shell On Sat Jan 29? Check Your Card For Double Billing

If you filled up with gas from Shell on Saturday, January 29 2011, and paid with plastic, you should check your card statement to see if you got double-billed. StorefrontBacktalk got hold of a confidential memo which said that a telco outage resulted in 401,120 double-billed transactions having to be reversed for a total of $12,135,608.19 in refunds. While the reversals should be automatic, some people with low balances did get charged overdraft and other fees because of the mistake, fees they should not have to pay.

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Chinese TV Uses 'Fake Missile Footage' From 'Top Gun'

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

The state-owned TV channel CCTV might be in trouble after accusations it faked a military training drill video with scenes from the 1986 movie.

TOUGH TIMES AHEAD FOR COUNTY

Fiscal year 2012 not so bad, but 2013 could be a real bummer for Worcester
(Feb. 4, 2011) Preliminary estimates for the county’s revenue for fiscal year 2011/12 are $219,229 less than the current year. Not that bad, say county officials, but in the next fiscal year, watch out.

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Anne Arundel Officials Say No To Open Doors At Market House

City still plans to go forward with renovations

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has rejected a proposal for renovations to the Annapolis Market House because the proposed open-air entrances in a facility serving food could cause potential health hazards, city officials announced Thursday.

David Jarrell, director of the city's Department of Public Works, said that open doors would require all food preparation areas to be fully enclosed, a configuration that would further hinder design plans. He briefed members of the City Council's Economic Matters Committee after meeting with Health Department officials Thursday.

As part of a $600,000 plan to renovate Market House in the pending lease agreement by the city and developer Lehr Jackson, city officials had planned to install glass bi-fold doors that would be opened during warm weather. Jackson has agreed to go forward with the lease without the new doors.
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EXTRA DRUNK DRIVING PATROLS SCHEDULED FOR SUPER SUNDAY

(PIKESVILLE, MD) – Maryland state troopers have important traffic safety advice for drivers this weekend which includes:

-Do not wear large pieces of cheese on your head while driving;

-Do not wave terrible towels while driving; and the most important of all advice which is-

-DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

For those who fail to heed the advice not to drink and drive, Maryland State Police will have special DUI saturation patrols on duty this Sunday. Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Terrence B. Sheridan has directed each of the 22 barracks to deploy additional patrols to specifically target drunk driving. Troopers on regular patrol duty have also been instructed to focus on drunk driving enforcement when not handling other calls for service.

“Events associated with the biggest game of the year unfortunately result in an increased potential for people drinking and driving,” Colonel Sheridan said. “I hope those planning to drive this Sunday will heed our warning and refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages. The goal of our extra drunk driving patrols is to locate and arrest those who ignore our warning and endanger the lives of others before their careless disregard for the safety of others results in tragedy.”

Troopers are reminding motorists of the usual tips to avoid drinking and driving:

-Choose a designated driver who remains sober;

-Stay at a nearby hotel or at the event location until you are sober; or

-Call a cab or use public transportation.

Event hosts are urged to serve food along with alcoholic beverages, which will help slow the absorption of alcohol in the digestive systems of those drinking.

Drivers are reminded that even their first DUI offense can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail, as well as a license suspension of six months. Experts estimate that the total of costs associated with a DUI arrest can range from $5,000 to $20,000. Driving with a blood alcohol content of .07 (driving while impaired) is illegal in Maryland and .08 (driving under the influence) or higher is illegal in every state. A driver under the age of 21 with any measurable alcohol in their system is in violation alcohol laws in Maryland.