It always cracks me up whenever I get that anonymous comment that comes through saying they'll never be back.
I'd guess that their purpose is supposed to make me stop in my tracks and perhaps pull that one Post that seems to have pissed someone off enough to send that bold, yet anonymous comment.
However, instead of my even taking a split second to get scared that I might just lose that ONE visitor, I laugh and think, if they only knew.
Salisbury News never loses traffic. We continue to grow each and every day. So if you really feel the need to make the comment you'll never be back, know that they never see the light of day and go right into the spam bin.
Speaking of spam, today we noticed something really cool. We looked in our spam file and couldn't believe just how large it was. It turns out Blogger is recognizing the IP Addresses of those anonymous comments we spammed and it is doing it automatically on their own now.
I'd say for every one person that says they'll never come back there's probably a thousand new people that come to this Site that had never been here before. Yeah, its out of control, isn't it. If you want more proof, Pohanka has a Midnight Madness Sale advertised right here on Salisbury News and they deliver 58 cars in one night. Its no wonder why we have so many advertisers while the nay sayers have nothing.
Here's an old saying I came up with several years ago. If you don't like what you're seeing here on Salisbury News there's a big red "X" in the top right hand corner of this screen that takes you directly to our complaint department. Because people like YOU are so important to us, we want to hear your complaint immediately.
Have a wonderful evening.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A Comment Worthy Of A Post
Joe,
Big fan of your site and was sorry to hear about losing your father in law. This isn't the correct post for this but want to fill you in on a big story. City Council candidate Laura Mitchell is living in subsidized housing in moss hill. My sons ex gf long story knows Laura as she has lived there quite a long while. Her husband the black gentleman is a professor and makes good money but yet Laura is still living in subsidized housing as he moved into her apartment so they could keep her cheap rent. This is something I feel the public should know about and nobody has more readers than you. Keep up the great work I'm sorry I can't sign my name for fear of retribution but this is real stuff.
Editors Notes: Laura Mitchell lives in Brookridge, NOT Moss Hill. This is NOT Section 8 Housing.
The Muslim Brotherhood In America: Part I: Understanding The Threat
By John Guandolo
It is now March of 2011. That jihadi attack on the United States is over nine years behind us. The declaration of a global jihad from Iran in 1979 is over 30 years in our rear view mirror. The national security apparatus of the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to “make America safer,” yet we still have not defined our enemy – or even tried.
There is no place in the national security structure which has objectively evaluated the threat doctrine of our enemy, and then created a strategic plan for victory for the United States – per U.S. warfighting doctrine. This lack of strategic understanding of the nature of the threat we face is not only costing us lives on the battlefield in wars with no realistically stated objectives, but so long as we drift aimlessly, we cannot win and we allow the enemy to move our boat as he sees fit.
That is the enemy’s strategy. And he is executing with great success.
Does anyone wonder how it is the U.S. military is crushing the enemy on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) daily, yet not winning the strategic war?
The United States continues to view the wars (the establishment sees this as several conflicts, not as one global conflict) as kinetic engagements where guns, air power, drones, bombs, and other weapon of war are brought to bear on “Al Qaeda terrorists” and others with whom we are engaged on the many battlefields around the world.
At the FBI, the focus is on preventing the next attack. While this is important, “attacks” are not the main focus of effort for this enemy. Local and State Police are also focused on preventing attacks, the physical security of office buildings, critical infrastructure, and the safety of important public figures. When the subject of an investigation is found NOT to be involved in a plot to cause “violence” that case is closed and the investigator goes on to the next one in the stack.
This is where we are losing the war. While preventing a school bus bombing or the take-over of a bank by Jihadis should be taken seriously by our law enforcement officers, from the enemy’s perspective, these are tactical engagements, not strategic.
Every brand new intelligence officer in the United States military knows that when the United States evaluates a threat, our doctrine drives us to begin our process with WHO the enemy says he is and with WHAT the enemy says are HIS reasons for acting. That is where the U.S. analytical process begins – per our own doctrine. If we had done this after 9/11, we would not have so much confusion about the enemy we are engaging.
Keep reading..
[Mr. Guandolo is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former active duty Infantry/Reconnaissance Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and a former Special Agent of the FBI in Washington, D.C. for over 12 years. --Editor]
It is now March of 2011. That jihadi attack on the United States is over nine years behind us. The declaration of a global jihad from Iran in 1979 is over 30 years in our rear view mirror. The national security apparatus of the United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to “make America safer,” yet we still have not defined our enemy – or even tried.
There is no place in the national security structure which has objectively evaluated the threat doctrine of our enemy, and then created a strategic plan for victory for the United States – per U.S. warfighting doctrine. This lack of strategic understanding of the nature of the threat we face is not only costing us lives on the battlefield in wars with no realistically stated objectives, but so long as we drift aimlessly, we cannot win and we allow the enemy to move our boat as he sees fit.
That is the enemy’s strategy. And he is executing with great success.
Does anyone wonder how it is the U.S. military is crushing the enemy on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan (and elsewhere) daily, yet not winning the strategic war?
The United States continues to view the wars (the establishment sees this as several conflicts, not as one global conflict) as kinetic engagements where guns, air power, drones, bombs, and other weapon of war are brought to bear on “Al Qaeda terrorists” and others with whom we are engaged on the many battlefields around the world.
At the FBI, the focus is on preventing the next attack. While this is important, “attacks” are not the main focus of effort for this enemy. Local and State Police are also focused on preventing attacks, the physical security of office buildings, critical infrastructure, and the safety of important public figures. When the subject of an investigation is found NOT to be involved in a plot to cause “violence” that case is closed and the investigator goes on to the next one in the stack.
This is where we are losing the war. While preventing a school bus bombing or the take-over of a bank by Jihadis should be taken seriously by our law enforcement officers, from the enemy’s perspective, these are tactical engagements, not strategic.
Every brand new intelligence officer in the United States military knows that when the United States evaluates a threat, our doctrine drives us to begin our process with WHO the enemy says he is and with WHAT the enemy says are HIS reasons for acting. That is where the U.S. analytical process begins – per our own doctrine. If we had done this after 9/11, we would not have so much confusion about the enemy we are engaging.
Keep reading..
[Mr. Guandolo is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former active duty Infantry/Reconnaissance Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and a former Special Agent of the FBI in Washington, D.C. for over 12 years. --Editor]
Heading For The Exits: Walker Inspires Exodus Of Public Workers
Limnologist Dick Lathrop might know more about Devil’s Lake than anybody else in the world.
For nearly 20 years, Lathrop has headed efforts to improve water quality in Wisconsin’s best-known state park. One unique project, which involves using a nearly mile-long pipeline to suck weed-boosting phosphorus from the lake bottom, has been followed by water researchers nationwide.
But Lathrop, 62, recently left state service after 33 years with the Department of Natural Resources. He says he started thinking seriously about retirement after the November election of Gov. Scott Walker. Rumors about more cuts at the DNR and Walker’s vow to make the state “open for business” by easing environmental regulations were weighing on his mind, he says.
“I was going to bed at night worrying too much about things,” says Lathrop, whose wife, Kathy Nieber-Lathrop, is a counselor with the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. The couple has two teenage daughters.
So shortly before Christmas, Lathrop made the decision to leave state employment. He’d put in more than 30 years, making him qualified for a full pension. His final day was Dec. 30.
The numbers of public employees who have retired or who have requested information on retiring are up this year in a big way.
In just the first two months of 2011, through Feb. 25, retirements jumped 31 percent compared to the same period last year, from 1,215 in 2010 to 1,595, according to the state Department of Employee Trust Funds, which oversees the Wisconsin Retirement System.
And the number of people requesting estimates on their retirement benefits during the same period increased 69 percent, from 3,462 in the first two months of 2010 to 5,866 in 2011. Staff with the ETF plug an employee’s estimated date of retirement into a formula to determine what the person’s benefit package would look like if he or she were to retire on that date.
The retirement system includes roughly 265,000 employees: 73 percent are public employees at the local level and 27 percent are state employees. The system administers benefits to union and nonunion workers. City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County public workers are not included in the state retirement system.
The number of retirements and the interest in retirement among state employees only intensified after Walker introduced his bombshell budget repair bill on Feb. 11. On March 9, Senate Republicans, in a surprise move, approved passage of an amended version of the bill. The Assembly followed suit last Thursday and Walker signed the measure a day later.
The bill, among other things, eliminates nearly all collective bargaining rights for most public employees and requires a 5.8 percent salary contribution to pensions and a 12.6 percent health insurance contribution. It also sets the stage for the state Department of Health Services to revamp Medicaid services without legislative input.
During the week following the governor’s introduction of the bill, ETF received 1,427 requests for retirement estimates and 240 retirement applications, three times more than the amount received in the same week in 2010. The next week the agency received 1,282 requests for retirement estimates and 324 employees turned in their retirement applications.
More here
For nearly 20 years, Lathrop has headed efforts to improve water quality in Wisconsin’s best-known state park. One unique project, which involves using a nearly mile-long pipeline to suck weed-boosting phosphorus from the lake bottom, has been followed by water researchers nationwide.
But Lathrop, 62, recently left state service after 33 years with the Department of Natural Resources. He says he started thinking seriously about retirement after the November election of Gov. Scott Walker. Rumors about more cuts at the DNR and Walker’s vow to make the state “open for business” by easing environmental regulations were weighing on his mind, he says.
“I was going to bed at night worrying too much about things,” says Lathrop, whose wife, Kathy Nieber-Lathrop, is a counselor with the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. The couple has two teenage daughters.
So shortly before Christmas, Lathrop made the decision to leave state employment. He’d put in more than 30 years, making him qualified for a full pension. His final day was Dec. 30.
The numbers of public employees who have retired or who have requested information on retiring are up this year in a big way.
In just the first two months of 2011, through Feb. 25, retirements jumped 31 percent compared to the same period last year, from 1,215 in 2010 to 1,595, according to the state Department of Employee Trust Funds, which oversees the Wisconsin Retirement System.
And the number of people requesting estimates on their retirement benefits during the same period increased 69 percent, from 3,462 in the first two months of 2010 to 5,866 in 2011. Staff with the ETF plug an employee’s estimated date of retirement into a formula to determine what the person’s benefit package would look like if he or she were to retire on that date.
The retirement system includes roughly 265,000 employees: 73 percent are public employees at the local level and 27 percent are state employees. The system administers benefits to union and nonunion workers. City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County public workers are not included in the state retirement system.
The number of retirements and the interest in retirement among state employees only intensified after Walker introduced his bombshell budget repair bill on Feb. 11. On March 9, Senate Republicans, in a surprise move, approved passage of an amended version of the bill. The Assembly followed suit last Thursday and Walker signed the measure a day later.
The bill, among other things, eliminates nearly all collective bargaining rights for most public employees and requires a 5.8 percent salary contribution to pensions and a 12.6 percent health insurance contribution. It also sets the stage for the state Department of Health Services to revamp Medicaid services without legislative input.
During the week following the governor’s introduction of the bill, ETF received 1,427 requests for retirement estimates and 240 retirement applications, three times more than the amount received in the same week in 2010. The next week the agency received 1,282 requests for retirement estimates and 324 employees turned in their retirement applications.
More here
Japan's Nuclear Efforts Hit A Setback
An unexpected spike in pressure inside a troubled reactor set back efforts to bring Japan's overheating, leaking nuclear complex under control Sunday as concerns grew that so far minor contamination of food and water is spreading.
The pressure increase raised the possibility that plant operators may need to deliberately release radioactive gas, erasing some progress in a nuclear crisis as the government continued its halting response to a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that savaged northeast Japan on March 11.
A teenage boy's cries for help led police to rescue an 80-year-old woman from a wrecked house in a rare rescue after so many days.
Troubles at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex threatened to spread more radiation. While all six reactors saw trouble after the disasters knocked out cooling systems, officials reported progress in reconnecting two units to the electric grid and pumping seawater to cool overheating reactors and replenish bubbling and depleted pools for spent nuclear fuel.
But pressure inside the vessel holding the reactor of Unit 3 rose again Sunday, forcing officials to consider the dangerous venting. The tactic produced explosions during the early days of the crisis. Nuclear safety officials said one of the options could release a cloud dense with iodine as well as the radioactive elements krypton and xenon.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., temporarily suspended the plans Sunday after it said the pressure inside the reactor stopped climbing, though at a high level.
"It has stabilized," Tokyo Electric manager Hikaru Kuroda told reporters. Kuroda said temperatures inside the reactor reached 572 Fahrenheit (300 degrees Centrigrade), and the company wants to minimize radiation releases. The option to release the highly radioactive gas inside is still under consideration if pressure rises, he said.
The higher reactor pressure may have been caused by a tactic meant to reduce temperatures — the pumping of seawater into the vessel, Kuroda said.
Using seawater to douse Unit 3 and the plant's other reactors or storage pools — Unit 4 was sprayed again Sunday — was a desperate measure. Seawater is corrosive, and so is damaging the finely milled machine parts of the plant, rendering it ultimately unusable.
The government acknowledged Sunday that the entire complex would be scrapped once the emergency is resolved. "It is obviously clear that Fukushima Dai-ichi in no way will be in a condition to be restarted," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters.
Read more
The pressure increase raised the possibility that plant operators may need to deliberately release radioactive gas, erasing some progress in a nuclear crisis as the government continued its halting response to a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that savaged northeast Japan on March 11.
A teenage boy's cries for help led police to rescue an 80-year-old woman from a wrecked house in a rare rescue after so many days.
Troubles at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex threatened to spread more radiation. While all six reactors saw trouble after the disasters knocked out cooling systems, officials reported progress in reconnecting two units to the electric grid and pumping seawater to cool overheating reactors and replenish bubbling and depleted pools for spent nuclear fuel.
But pressure inside the vessel holding the reactor of Unit 3 rose again Sunday, forcing officials to consider the dangerous venting. The tactic produced explosions during the early days of the crisis. Nuclear safety officials said one of the options could release a cloud dense with iodine as well as the radioactive elements krypton and xenon.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., temporarily suspended the plans Sunday after it said the pressure inside the reactor stopped climbing, though at a high level.
"It has stabilized," Tokyo Electric manager Hikaru Kuroda told reporters. Kuroda said temperatures inside the reactor reached 572 Fahrenheit (300 degrees Centrigrade), and the company wants to minimize radiation releases. The option to release the highly radioactive gas inside is still under consideration if pressure rises, he said.
The higher reactor pressure may have been caused by a tactic meant to reduce temperatures — the pumping of seawater into the vessel, Kuroda said.
Using seawater to douse Unit 3 and the plant's other reactors or storage pools — Unit 4 was sprayed again Sunday — was a desperate measure. Seawater is corrosive, and so is damaging the finely milled machine parts of the plant, rendering it ultimately unusable.
The government acknowledged Sunday that the entire complex would be scrapped once the emergency is resolved. "It is obviously clear that Fukushima Dai-ichi in no way will be in a condition to be restarted," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters.
Read more
'Radical Feminism Hurts Women'
Israeli Member Of the Knesset Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich (Kadima) stirred up a storm at week's end with her comments in favor of the Familists, a movement dedicated to protecting the traditional family unit. In numerous interviews and news articles, angry feminist media personalities berated her and unsuccessfully tried to get her to take back her statements. She spoke to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service Sunday and defended her statements, saying that while she is in favor of equal rights, radical feminism hurts women and families.
“I respect whatever way people choose to live, but the Knesset passes gender legislation that's generally in favor of women, that ultimately does not help women. Sometimes it hurts women,” she said.
The idea of feminism is often used “as a means of control,” she continued. Her ideal is “real equality,” she said, adding, “that's what led to all the commotion.”
As an example of “pro-woman” legislation that causes harm, she mentioned the law that calls for men to be removed from their homes if their spouse alleges abuse, even if there is no evidence and the charges have not been proven. The law gives women the power to hold the threat of removal from his home and from his children's lives over their husband's heads, she said.
“Removing the man immediately [in this fashion] hurts the children. Children are held hostages,” she stated.
As for radical feminism, she said, “I hope that radical feminism will disappear forever.” Radical feminism, she explained, undermines the family unit. She quoted an article by gender-feminist spokeswoman and organizer Dorit Abramovich, who attacked the traditional family unit, calling it a patriarchal establishment used by men to control and exploit women. The article was titled "The Scourge Called 'Family.'"
Radical thinking can seep into society's subconscious, the lawmaker explained, leading to a subtle discrimination against men and families. For instance, she said, it is considered acceptable to say that a man who reaches power owes his success to his wife, but not to credit a man for his wife's success. Shamalov-Berkovich was reacting to the scorn heaped upon her for saying - at a recent Familists conference - that she would not have succeeded as she had if it were not for her husband's support.
INN
“I respect whatever way people choose to live, but the Knesset passes gender legislation that's generally in favor of women, that ultimately does not help women. Sometimes it hurts women,” she said.
The idea of feminism is often used “as a means of control,” she continued. Her ideal is “real equality,” she said, adding, “that's what led to all the commotion.”
As an example of “pro-woman” legislation that causes harm, she mentioned the law that calls for men to be removed from their homes if their spouse alleges abuse, even if there is no evidence and the charges have not been proven. The law gives women the power to hold the threat of removal from his home and from his children's lives over their husband's heads, she said.
“Removing the man immediately [in this fashion] hurts the children. Children are held hostages,” she stated.
As for radical feminism, she said, “I hope that radical feminism will disappear forever.” Radical feminism, she explained, undermines the family unit. She quoted an article by gender-feminist spokeswoman and organizer Dorit Abramovich, who attacked the traditional family unit, calling it a patriarchal establishment used by men to control and exploit women. The article was titled "The Scourge Called 'Family.'"
Radical thinking can seep into society's subconscious, the lawmaker explained, leading to a subtle discrimination against men and families. For instance, she said, it is considered acceptable to say that a man who reaches power owes his success to his wife, but not to credit a man for his wife's success. Shamalov-Berkovich was reacting to the scorn heaped upon her for saying - at a recent Familists conference - that she would not have succeeded as she had if it were not for her husband's support.
INN
IDF: Assassination Of Hamas Leaders Possible
The latest escalation in Gaza rocket attacks on southern Israel may lead to assassinations of Hamas military wing leaders, the IDF warns, with army officials saying they cannot discount this possibility.
Military officials made it clear that Saturday's barrage of some 50 mortar shells at the western Negev will not be ignored, adding that the army's aerial attacks Saturday afternoon were merely "the first bullets" in Israel's response.
The IDF's initial response included massive tank and aerial fire directed at some 10 Hamas targets, including outposts and observation posts. The army's strike lasted 45 minutes and the IDF says Hamas men who manned various positions were hurt.
The Gaza Health Ministry spokesman said earlier that at least one senior Hamas man was killed and four civilians were wounded in the IDF strikes.
The army struck across the Strip after Hamas and other terror groups fired dozens of mortar shells at southern Israel earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz visited southern communities targeted by the mortar attacks. The army chief entered homes damaged in the strikes, spoke with residents and also discussed the situation with the head of the Eshkol Regional Council.
"We know what we're doing, and as far as we're concerned the situation is under control," Gantz said at the conclusion of the visit.
However, unlike previous cases, where rockets were fired by various Islamic factions, Saturday's barrages were fired by Hamas men. As result, IDF officials are seeing "potential for escalation" in and around the Strip.
Southern residents received warning of the incoming mortar shells via text messages and phone calls, quickly rushing to bomb shelters. As result of the quick action, only two residents sustained light wounds in the major barrages. Following the unusual scope of the Palestinian attack, the IDF decided to activate its multifaceted radar system in order to improve the alert given to residents.
Following the mortar attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will respond firmly to any Gaza attack, and that every such incident will be met with a response.
More from YNet
Military officials made it clear that Saturday's barrage of some 50 mortar shells at the western Negev will not be ignored, adding that the army's aerial attacks Saturday afternoon were merely "the first bullets" in Israel's response.
The IDF's initial response included massive tank and aerial fire directed at some 10 Hamas targets, including outposts and observation posts. The army's strike lasted 45 minutes and the IDF says Hamas men who manned various positions were hurt.
The Gaza Health Ministry spokesman said earlier that at least one senior Hamas man was killed and four civilians were wounded in the IDF strikes.
The army struck across the Strip after Hamas and other terror groups fired dozens of mortar shells at southern Israel earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz visited southern communities targeted by the mortar attacks. The army chief entered homes damaged in the strikes, spoke with residents and also discussed the situation with the head of the Eshkol Regional Council.
"We know what we're doing, and as far as we're concerned the situation is under control," Gantz said at the conclusion of the visit.
However, unlike previous cases, where rockets were fired by various Islamic factions, Saturday's barrages were fired by Hamas men. As result, IDF officials are seeing "potential for escalation" in and around the Strip.
Southern residents received warning of the incoming mortar shells via text messages and phone calls, quickly rushing to bomb shelters. As result of the quick action, only two residents sustained light wounds in the major barrages. Following the unusual scope of the Palestinian attack, the IDF decided to activate its multifaceted radar system in order to improve the alert given to residents.
Following the mortar attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will respond firmly to any Gaza attack, and that every such incident will be met with a response.
More from YNet
SALISBURY NEWS EXCLUSIVE: ALEX GUERRERO REMAINS UNDEFEATED
The Main Event was Alex Guerrero, as it should have been. Mind you, there were plenty of fantastic fights right out of the gate and throughout the evening. However, the Main Event ended the evening with a TKO and Alex Guerrero proved to the world that this guy has not only trained very hard, his power overwhelmed his opponent and body shots punished him so badly he went down three times in the fight because of them. Finally, the Referee had seen enough and made a good call ending the fight.
I was fortunate enough to sit next to Renee "Boxing Diva" Aiken from New Jersey. Renee saw Alex in his very first fight and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Throughout the fight she kept saying how much Alex has improved and proven himself as a professional.
I happen to personally know just how hard Alex has trained over the past few years and while I have watched his dedication, Alex is always a leader with other boxers encouraging them to push to their maximum limits. A lot of credit has to go to Hal Chernoff at the Main Street Gym. There are definitely two sides to this man. The man you meet on the street is kind, gentle and most of all very caring. However, when it comes down to boxing business, Hal is a bull dog who WILL get every ounce of your potential out of you and this is why he delivers champions.
If you happen to enjoy boxing, know this. Harrington Raceway and Casino took a chance by allowing this event last night to take place. When all was said and done, (after seeing the event was 100% sold out) they immediately announced their support for another event in the near future. I strongly suggest the next go around that boxiing fans from Wicomico County make the trip to Harrington. However, make sure you buy tickets early because one thing is for sure, it will sell out fast as they had fans coming all the way in from Up State New York, PA, Baltimore and Washington, DC.
I'll close with this. Remember back in the day when you watched the very first Rocky movie. Everyone walked out of the theater feeling like they could do the same. Last night Alex Guerrero was Rocky Balboa. Oh, and Hal Chernoff was Micky! Thanks for a great time and congratulations Alex Guerrero.
Maryland House Of Delegates Approves Kennel Licensing Bill
The Humane Society of the United States applauds the Maryland House of Delegates for passing legislation to take a first step towards addressing the issue of puppy mills in Maryland. House Bill 940, sponsored by Del. Tom Hucker, D-Montgomery, would require commercial dog breeders to be licensed by the counties and require the counties to report licensing information once a year to the state. This measure passed overwhelmingly in the house. Similar legislation, S.B. 839, was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lisa Gladden, D-Baltimore City.
“House Bill 940 is especially important in Maryland, because it is one of few states that currently have no statewide licensing and inspection regulations for commercial dog breeders,” said Melanie Kahn, director of the Puppy Mills campaign for The HSUS. “This bill will provide critical information to the state and help track the puppy mill problem here in Maryland.”
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial dog breeding operations that mass-produce puppies for sale in pet stores and over the Internet. Focused solely on making a profit, these facilities keep dogs in crowded, filthy conditions where they receive little or no socialization, affection or exercise. Because Maryland has no statewide laws regulating puppy mills—and because puppy mills often operate under the radar—there has been no way to understand the scope of this problem in Maryland. A recent fire on a property in Calvert County that reportedly housed more than 100 animals indicates that such large-scale breeding facilities do exist in Maryland.
"Finally, the House of Delegates has taken action to monitor puppy mills and large commercial dog breeders in Maryland,” said Del. Hucker. “Too often, puppy mills go untaxed and unregistered—and, if allowed to deteriorate—can cost localities hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up. Hopefully, the Senate will pass this bill quickly as well."
Girl Scout Troop 6811, from Sandy Spring, Md., also lobbied in support of the bill, testifying before House and Senate committees to speak out against puppy mills. The scouts also presented their testimony to Governor O’Malley, who praised them for their efforts. The fourth and fifth grade girls undertook a project on shelter pets and related issues for their Bronze Award project. Photos of the girl scouts testifying are available upon request.
H.B. 940 and S.B. 839 now await action in the Maryland Senate. The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee gave S.B. 839 a favorable vote yesterday.
“House Bill 940 is especially important in Maryland, because it is one of few states that currently have no statewide licensing and inspection regulations for commercial dog breeders,” said Melanie Kahn, director of the Puppy Mills campaign for The HSUS. “This bill will provide critical information to the state and help track the puppy mill problem here in Maryland.”
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial dog breeding operations that mass-produce puppies for sale in pet stores and over the Internet. Focused solely on making a profit, these facilities keep dogs in crowded, filthy conditions where they receive little or no socialization, affection or exercise. Because Maryland has no statewide laws regulating puppy mills—and because puppy mills often operate under the radar—there has been no way to understand the scope of this problem in Maryland. A recent fire on a property in Calvert County that reportedly housed more than 100 animals indicates that such large-scale breeding facilities do exist in Maryland.
"Finally, the House of Delegates has taken action to monitor puppy mills and large commercial dog breeders in Maryland,” said Del. Hucker. “Too often, puppy mills go untaxed and unregistered—and, if allowed to deteriorate—can cost localities hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up. Hopefully, the Senate will pass this bill quickly as well."
Girl Scout Troop 6811, from Sandy Spring, Md., also lobbied in support of the bill, testifying before House and Senate committees to speak out against puppy mills. The scouts also presented their testimony to Governor O’Malley, who praised them for their efforts. The fourth and fifth grade girls undertook a project on shelter pets and related issues for their Bronze Award project. Photos of the girl scouts testifying are available upon request.
H.B. 940 and S.B. 839 now await action in the Maryland Senate. The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee gave S.B. 839 a favorable vote yesterday.
US Missiles Strike Libyan Air Defense Targets
Paris - American and European forces began a broad campaign of strikes against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Saturday, unleashing warplanes and missiles in the first round of the largest international military intervention in the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon said.
Pentagon and NATO officials detailed a mission designed to impose a United Nations-sanctioned no-fly zone and keep Mr. Qaddafi from using airpower against beleaguered rebel forces in the east. While the overall effort was portrayed as mostly being led by France and Britain, the Pentagon said that American forces dominated an effort to knock out Libya’s air-defense systems.
In a briefing Saturday afternoon, Vice Adm. William Gortney told reporters that about 110 Tomahawk missiles, fired from American warships and submarines and one British submarine struck 20 air-defense targets around Tripoli, the capital, and the western city of Misurata. He said the strikes were against longer-range air defense missiles as well as early warning radar sites and main command-and-control communication centers.
President Obama, speaking during a visit to Brazil, reiterated promises that no American ground forces would be used. “I am deeply aware of the risks of any military action, no matter what limits we place on it,” he said. “I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it’s not a choice that I make lightly. But we can’t stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy.”
Survivors Found Under Rubble
An 80-year-old woman and her teenage grandson are rescued nine days after massive earthquake.
Gadhafi Vows 'Long War' After US, Allies Strike
Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" against the international military force that struck at his forces with airstrikes and dozens of cruise missiles that shook the Libyan capital early Sunday. In the capital of the rebel-held east, the Libyan leader's guns appeared to go silent.
More Civility: Bill Maher Calls Sarah Palin A ‘Dumb Twat’
One might think paying for HBO as a premium cable channel would entitle subscribers to high-quality entertainment selections. But for an hour Friday night, viewers were treated to a little misogynistic locker room humor with the channel’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
On Friday night’s airing of the show, host Bill Maher took a shot at one of the left’s favorite targets, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, by contemplating her reaction to the tragic events that have unfolded in Japan over the past nine days. (h/t Real Clear Politics Video)
“Did you hear this – Sarah Palin finally heard what happened in Japan and she’s demanding that we invade ‘Tsunami,’” Maher said. “I mean she said, ‘These ‘Tsunamians’ will not get away with this.’ Oh speaking of dumb twats, did you –”
Maher isn’t one to avoid crossing those lines and was rewarded with approval from his audience.
“I let the cat out the bag on that one, huh folks,” Maher said.
(video)
On Friday night’s airing of the show, host Bill Maher took a shot at one of the left’s favorite targets, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, by contemplating her reaction to the tragic events that have unfolded in Japan over the past nine days. (h/t Real Clear Politics Video)
“Did you hear this – Sarah Palin finally heard what happened in Japan and she’s demanding that we invade ‘Tsunami,’” Maher said. “I mean she said, ‘These ‘Tsunamians’ will not get away with this.’ Oh speaking of dumb twats, did you –”
Maher isn’t one to avoid crossing those lines and was rewarded with approval from his audience.
“I let the cat out the bag on that one, huh folks,” Maher said.
(video)
'Slow Joe' Biden Compares Republican Economic Policies To Blaming Rape Victims
At a Friday fundraiser in Philadelphia, Vice President Joe Biden said that Republicans are employing a “blame the victim” strategy in addressing falling government revenue by cutting taxes and reducing spending.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Biden compared Republicans’ economic policies to insensitivity toward rape victims. “When a woman got raped, blame her because she was wearing a skirt too short,” Biden said, drawing a parallel.
“We’ve gotten by that,” Biden continued. “It’s amazing how these Republicans, the right wing of this party – whose philosophy threw us into this god-awful hole we’re in, gave us the tremendous deficit we’ve inherited – that they’re now using . . . the very economic condition they have created to blame the victim, whether it’s organized labor or ordinary middle-class working men and women. It’s bizarre.”
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According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Biden compared Republicans’ economic policies to insensitivity toward rape victims. “When a woman got raped, blame her because she was wearing a skirt too short,” Biden said, drawing a parallel.
“We’ve gotten by that,” Biden continued. “It’s amazing how these Republicans, the right wing of this party – whose philosophy threw us into this god-awful hole we’re in, gave us the tremendous deficit we’ve inherited – that they’re now using . . . the very economic condition they have created to blame the victim, whether it’s organized labor or ordinary middle-class working men and women. It’s bizarre.”
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Go To Congress First
Conservative infighting over whether the United States should intervene militarily in Libya is sign of good health. To remain vital, an ideological movement needs to have its basic assumptions challenged occasionally. We need to correct our wayward courses rather than allow mistakes based on faulty strategy to serve as precedents for the next missteps.
Many conservatives (particularly neoconservatives) are strong supporters of intervention, out of a deep conviction that the global advance of freedom promotes American security. I happen to disagree, at least insofar as the “freedom agenda” relies on the U.S. military as its agent.
Regardless of where one comes out on the policy, though, we all ought to agree on at least one thing: The Constitution must control the implementation of whatever policy wins the day. Yet it has become necessary to ask whether even this principle, so fundamental to a free, self-determining people, is still unanimously honored.
On Thursday evening, the U.N. Security Council voted 10–0 (with five abstentions, including China, Russia, and Germany) to authorize the use of military force (i.e., “all necessary measures”) against Libya. Ostensibly, the resolution is designed to protect the Libyan people. But not to mince words, it is a license for war against the regime of Moammar Qaddafi. It would kick hostilities off with a no-fly zone over Libya. As a practical matter, American armed forces must do the heavy lifting if the strategy is to have a prayer, and indications are that President Obama intends to oblige.
There is a catch: The Security Council is powerless to “authorize” the U.S. military to do a damned thing. The validity of American combat operations is a matter of American law, and that means Congress must authorize them.
Our Constitution vests Congress with the power to declare war. That authority cannot be delegated to an international tribunal that lacks political accountability to the American people.
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Many conservatives (particularly neoconservatives) are strong supporters of intervention, out of a deep conviction that the global advance of freedom promotes American security. I happen to disagree, at least insofar as the “freedom agenda” relies on the U.S. military as its agent.
Regardless of where one comes out on the policy, though, we all ought to agree on at least one thing: The Constitution must control the implementation of whatever policy wins the day. Yet it has become necessary to ask whether even this principle, so fundamental to a free, self-determining people, is still unanimously honored.
On Thursday evening, the U.N. Security Council voted 10–0 (with five abstentions, including China, Russia, and Germany) to authorize the use of military force (i.e., “all necessary measures”) against Libya. Ostensibly, the resolution is designed to protect the Libyan people. But not to mince words, it is a license for war against the regime of Moammar Qaddafi. It would kick hostilities off with a no-fly zone over Libya. As a practical matter, American armed forces must do the heavy lifting if the strategy is to have a prayer, and indications are that President Obama intends to oblige.
There is a catch: The Security Council is powerless to “authorize” the U.S. military to do a damned thing. The validity of American combat operations is a matter of American law, and that means Congress must authorize them.
Our Constitution vests Congress with the power to declare war. That authority cannot be delegated to an international tribunal that lacks political accountability to the American people.
Read more
Richard Trumka Is No Martin Luther King
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka likes to brag about the access he has to the Obama White House. The White House visitor logs suggest that he almost lives there.
Perhaps this is what emboldened him to make an outrageous and self-serving statement last week that The Examiner's Byron York highlighted in his column on Friday. "April 4 [is] the day on which Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for the cause of public collective bargaining," Trumka said, invoking King's legacy in the fight to preserve perks for well-compensated government workers in Wisconsin.
The comparison could not be any less appropriate. If King had been president of the United Mine Workers in 1993, he not would have made excuses for his union members' violence or for the murder of Eddie York, a strikebreaking mining contractor, in July of that year.
Trumka, on the other hand, has no qualms about strong-arm tactics, telling the Associated Press: "[I]if you strike a match and you put your finger in it, you're likely to get burned." This was a barely veiled threat toward any worker who in the future fails to cooperate in his union's often-violent work stoppages.
Read more at the Washington Examiner
Perhaps this is what emboldened him to make an outrageous and self-serving statement last week that The Examiner's Byron York highlighted in his column on Friday. "April 4 [is] the day on which Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life for the cause of public collective bargaining," Trumka said, invoking King's legacy in the fight to preserve perks for well-compensated government workers in Wisconsin.
The comparison could not be any less appropriate. If King had been president of the United Mine Workers in 1993, he not would have made excuses for his union members' violence or for the murder of Eddie York, a strikebreaking mining contractor, in July of that year.
Trumka, on the other hand, has no qualms about strong-arm tactics, telling the Associated Press: "[I]if you strike a match and you put your finger in it, you're likely to get burned." This was a barely veiled threat toward any worker who in the future fails to cooperate in his union's often-violent work stoppages.
Read more at the Washington Examiner
Want To Buy A Public TV Station?
With state looking for budget cuts, maybe it should sell the struggling MPT. That's what New Jersey is doing
With the state of Maryland looking hard for budget cuts, and Maryland Public Television looking for new leadership as it loses audience, membership and funding, the time seems right to seriously consider whether Annapolis should be in the television business.It might seem like an unconventional idea. But if Maryland can't do better than it has in recent years, it should sell the license or lease operational control of MPT to a local nonprofit group. That is not as bold and unprecedented a move as it might seem; New Jersey is trying to do just that with NJN, its public broadcasting operation.
Closer to home, in 2002, the Johns Hopkins University sold the license of WJHU (88.1 FM) to a nonprofit local group headed by Anthony Brandon. WYPR, as the station is now named, is thriving as the primary provider of National Public Radio programming in Baltimore — and just last week concluded its most successful fundraising drive in history. The model is in place, and it appears to be successful.
From a viewer's point of view, think about the problems some are having with MPT reception since the switch to digital, or the lack of a daily on-the-street news presence by the broadcaster. Or consider the conflict of interest in a state-run TV channel trying to cover state government — and all of those prime-time fundraisers with famous-long-ago doo-wop groups. It costs money to make and buy top programs, and that's getting harder and harder to come by, especially for state-run, cash-strapped public TV stations.
Sale or lease of the station would give the state (and its taxpayers) a break of about $8.5 million a year in budget relief — the amount of money Annapolis is providing this fiscal year to keep MPT running. Plus, with a sale, Maryland's coffers would enjoy a major infusion of cash — at a time when headlines are telling us day in and day out how much such revenue is needed.
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Blonde Joke
Back in the old Wild West, there were two blond cowpokes, Jeff and Dave. One day, the two were enjoying a strong drink in the local saloon, when a man walked into the bar with an Indian's head under his arm. The barman shakes his hand and says, "I hate Indians, last week they burnt my barn to the ground, assaulted my wife and killed my children." He then says, "If any man brings me the head of an Indian, I'll give him one thousand dollars.
"
The two blonds looked at each other and walked out of the bar to go hunting for an Indian. They were walking around for a while when suddenly they saw one; Jeff threw a rock which hit the Indian right on the head. The Indian fell off his horse, but landed seventy feet down a ravine
.
The two blonds made their way down the ravine where Dave pulled out a knife to claim their trophy.
Suddenly, Jeff said, "Dave, take a look at this."
Dave replied, "Not now, I'm busy."
Jeff tugged him on the shoulder and says, "I really think you should look at this."
Dave said, "Look, you can see I'm busy. There's a thousand dollars in my hand."
But Jeff was adamant. "Please, Dave, take a look at this."
So Dave looked up and saw that standing at the top of the ravine were five thousand red Indians. Dave just shook his head and said, "Oh my God, we're going to be millionaires!"
"
The two blonds looked at each other and walked out of the bar to go hunting for an Indian. They were walking around for a while when suddenly they saw one; Jeff threw a rock which hit the Indian right on the head. The Indian fell off his horse, but landed seventy feet down a ravine
.
The two blonds made their way down the ravine where Dave pulled out a knife to claim their trophy.
Suddenly, Jeff said, "Dave, take a look at this."
Dave replied, "Not now, I'm busy."
Jeff tugged him on the shoulder and says, "I really think you should look at this."
Dave said, "Look, you can see I'm busy. There's a thousand dollars in my hand."
But Jeff was adamant. "Please, Dave, take a look at this."
So Dave looked up and saw that standing at the top of the ravine were five thousand red Indians. Dave just shook his head and said, "Oh my God, we're going to be millionaires!"
A Reporter's Firsthand Account Of The Crisis In Japan
SOMA, Japan - I was supposed to be flying over the Pacific that day, back to a world of stable ground and familiar comforts. Instead, I was crammed into the back of a taxi heading toward a nuclear meltdown and fretting about how much radiation I would ingest.
The cab driver, Yoskiko, left her window open as we hugged the curves of a winding mountain road leading to Soma, a coastal city in northeastern Japan first rocked by a 9.0 earthquake, then ransacked by a tsunami and now near the epicenter of a possible nuclear disaster. The cabbie chatted in Japanese about why the people here politely wait in lines, how the government understates the death toll and how she thinks it will be three weeks before Fukushima City gets water again.
As the translator relayed this, I scribbled it all down in case it might help my husband, Washington Post reporter Rick Maese, write an article for his newspaper.
The car radio announced the death toll had reached 4,000 with another 10,000 missing. Traffic had cleared on the roads to the disaster area since there was no gasoline to be found for 100 miles. The cab driver also was running low on gas, having spent the previous day ferrying tsunami victims from shelters deep in the devastated areas.
"It's difficult to say that it's a good thing their lives are saved because their houses are gone," she said.
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