THE BIG PHONE CALL HAS ARRIVED

While Jennifer and I are the proud Grandparents of two Grandchildren, (boys) moments ago I received the "BIG" phone call from my eldest Son telling me that they are on their way to the Hospital in Annapolis to deliver our first Granddaughter.

So why am I telling you all of this. Well, because THIS is important to me and I want everyone to be aware that I will be busy for the next few days. If I do find the time to publish articles I will do so. However, if I don't, well, you now know why.

When my Son asked me for ideas for a name I strongly suggested "Joprah". LOL He didn't laugh. More to come.......

Salisbury Police Department Press Release

Pharmacy Burglary

March 21, 2011

On March 20, 2011 at approximately 8:09 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Riverside Pharmacy on Riverside Drive for the report of a burglary. Upon arrival the officers observed that unknown suspects had broken the glass out of a window making entry into the pharmacy. Once inside the pharmacy, the suspect(s) removed a quantity of prescription medication before fleeing from the scene on foot. A witness to the burglary advised that there were two (2) suspects involved. With the assistance of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, a K-9 track was completed and led to the rear parking lot of the adjacent condominium. The suspects were described as:

Suspect #1: African American male, wearing a black hooded jacket with white writing on the front and the hood up and a black baseball type hat.

Suspect #2: Male subject, wearing a dark blue coat with a dark colored baseball hat.

The Salisbury Police are asking anyone that may have witnessed the burglary, or has any information pertaining to the burglary to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 410-548-3165 or to contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776. Information may be left at both locations anonymously.

Salisbury News Exclusive: Delegate Mike McDermott Speaks Out About Offshore Energy

Sowing to the Wind

by Delegate Mike McDermott

Where is the legendary Don Quixote when you need him? The fabled slayer of wind mills may soon find ample targets off the coast of Maryland if Governor O’Malley gets his way and the House approves the Maryland Offshore Energy Act.

So, what is wrong with harnessing the winds off our coast and converting it to energy to power our homes?...absolutely nothing. The use of wind for power is certainly nothing new. We have used it to conquer ocean travel and draw water on the prairie. As our technology has advanced, we now convert it to electricity with which we power our homes. All of this is good news. In fact, many rural folks who live in decent wind prone areas are installing wind turbines which ultimately pay for themselves, the energy usage of the owner, and provide an economic return from the sale of excess energy to the power company.

If it is so lucrative, why does Maryland need to pay millions of tax dollars to subsidize the industry, or, better yet, one particular company? If it is such a great technology, why do we need to demand that our energy companies purchase 20% of their required energy from Off Shore Wind? Why is our government meddling in our free market economy?

Looters like to pick the winners. They enjoy providing government handouts to one business to which they have held out the scepter, while denying any tax breaks to other companies. Why cut taxes across the board when there are so many friends to be gained through exclusivity? It is their way of controlling the future, and, thereby, the flow of money. Those who feed at the government trough tend to throw money in the direction of those who do the feeding.

In America, if a product or technology is good and affordable, it will produce consumers. If somebody can build a better, more affordable mouse trap, we buy it. We now live in a country controlled by those who:

1. Will not allow us to develop our own vast oil reserves,
2. Put roadblocks up for tapping our incredibly rich natural gas reserves,
3. Block the development of new coal reserves, perhaps our greatest asset, and
4. Have not allowed a nuclear plant to be constructed since 1979.

The economic engine that fuels our economy needs cheap energy costs. The response from the governor and our president is to block access to cheap, readily available resources with proven technology in favor of subsidizing a technology that cannot make it in the free market. It is ethanol all over again.

Entire markets are built around government subsidies. The free market demands that products or technology be competitive if they are to make it in America. Private investors put money at risk when they believe the outcome will pay off. This creates, by design, a push for that which is better and less expensive to produce. Competition always drives down cost.

What incentive is there in Maryland to produce energy from wind turbines at a competitive rate if the government is willing to subsidize your current efforts? I guess it is “OK” if you work for the wind turbine company, or you make parts for the industry; but what of the thousands of companies who receive no such subsidy for their brand of widget? How about the thousands of business owners and Maryland residents who will pay the cost of building up these companies through higher electric rates and surcharges? What about Maryland governmental entities themselves? The fiscal note shows that Baltimore City alone will face increased energy costs in the millions annually. We all know these costs must be borne by the tax payer. So now we will pay for the turbines through higher electric bills, and then pay higher taxes to cover the government’s electric bill. You can’t make this stuff up.

The market has shown that wind turbines work best when located on land as close to the power grid as possible. Used appropriately on the Eastern Shore by individual farm operations, home owners, and many of our municipal governments, the return to the power grid could be tremendous without the need to subsidize anybody.

When I add to this debacle, the governor’s former Chief of Staff, Michael Enright, being a principle involved with Beowulf Energy directly benefiting from this $1.5 billion dollar deal, the stench is unbearable.

The practical application of off-shore wind turbines will never be known so long as tax payer dollars are being used to prop up the industry. Currently, the winds blowing in Annapolis are moving our state in the wrong direction.

Missing Cat

Joe:

I hope you will post this, as I have seen posts of a similar nature on Sby News in the past. 

Our cat, Gavin, has been missing since Saturday night and we are looking for help either getting him back or finding out where he is and what happened to him. 

He was last seen Saturday night at around 9:00PM when he was let out to do his business, chase a squirrel, or do whatever it was that he wanted to go out for. 

Gavin is a male domestic short hair cat, just shy of being a year old, and is entirely jet black in color.  He has a pinkish/reddish collar with rhinestones and a small jingle bell but no tag.  There is a patch of white fur on his chest roughly the size of a quarter and on his left ear is a small spot (no bigger than the eraser on the end of a pencil) with no hair.  He has not yet been de-clawed or neutered, as he spends most of his time indoors. 

He was last seen at our home in the wooded section at the far end of Mar-Lynn Drive, off of Conelly Mill Road, so we hope someone in the Driftwood Estates, Breckenridge, Wood Creek, Shell Road, Wood Creek Parkway/Lynch Drive, Archid Drive, or Greenway areas of Delmar, MD will have seen him and be able to help. 

Anyone with any information or otherwise able to help can contact me at 443-497-0878 any time of any day. 

Thank you for helping spread the word.

Home Sales Dive, Prices Near 9-Year Low

WASHINGTON — Sales of previously owned U.S. homes fell unexpectedly sharply in February and prices fell to their lowest in nearly nine years, an industry group said Monday.

The National Association of Realtors said sales fell 9.6 percent month over month to an annual rate of 4.88 million units, snapping three straight months of gains. The percentage decline was the largest since July.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected February sales to fall 4.0 percent to a 5.15 million-unit pace from the previously reported 5.36 million unit rate in January, which was revised slightly up to 5.40 million.

Compared with February last year, sales were down 2.8 percent.

The median home price dropped 5.2 percent in February from a year earlier to $156,100, the lowest since April 2002.

More

Outside Opinions–Smart Legislation

Governor O’Malley’s legislative agenda will create jobs, strengthen our Innovation Economy and build Maryland’s sustainable future. But don’t take our word for it.

Read the Baltimore Sun’s take on the Offshore wind legislation, The Capital’s explanation of the electric vehicle legislation, the Washington Post’s description of InvestMaryland, and an oped by Jim Strong of the United Steelworkers of Maryland and Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network on the Offshore Wind initiative.

Here are a few excerpts:

From the Baltimore Sun: “The wind farm envisioned by the legislation would represent too great a benefit to the residents of this state to be ignored.”

From the Capital: “For Maryland to look at this issue (electric vehicles) and set the right incentives and policies is critical”

From the Washington Post,” InvestMaryland seeks to pioneer a stronger economy by injecting a larger degree of capital into forecasted growth industries at no immediate cost to Maryland taxpayers.”

From the Gazette: “By making Maryland a leader in the construction and deployment of offshore wind turbines, the O’Malley bill would create thousands of jobs, help stabilize electricity rates, and — oh, yeah — help solve a big part of the global-warming problem.”

Smarter Than A Curator Quiz

There is no doubt that Smithsonian curators are experts in their field. But how much do people know about the work they do? Well now the public has a chance to test its knowledge and match wits with a Smithsonian curator and see who comes out on top.

How? Take the on-line Are You Smarter Than A Curator quiz.

This month you can go head-to-head with Heidi Hellmuth, curator of Enrichment and Training at The National Zoo.

The quiz is more than just a fun way for participants to gauge their expertise—it is also a great way to support the National Zoo.

Correct answers earn 10 cents for the Zoo’s animal care program. Each individual has the potential to generate 50 cents for the Zoo. Multiply that by 100,000, and the Zoo could get $50,000! The Zoo’s quiz will remain live until April 8.

There is one catch- by taking the quiz, you are agreeing to receive future e-mails from Friends of the Smithsonian.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

The quiz website is http://www.smarterthanacurator.org/.    

Controversy Pushes Out Volunteer Firefighters

BURTONSVILLE, Md (WUSA) - A raging controversy between volunteers and county officials may result in the end of an era for some firefighters.

Volunteers in Burtonsville say they're closing up after a decision made by Montgomery County officials. They say the decision is making it impossible for them to do their jobs.

"They've made it practically impossible to continue to volunteer in Montgomery County. So tonight is the last night that we guarantee staffing from the Burtonsville volunteer fire department," said Burtonsville VFD Captain Bill Rector on Saturday night.

The controversy stems over misconduct allegations by the part of the firefighters. Earlier this year, officials at the county level stepped in and mandated the volunteers at Station 15 report to the paid or career firefighters at the same firehouse.

The new guidelines were in reaction to among other things, claims that members on the volunteer side of the operation were drunk at the firehouse, and they were urinating on paid firefighters.

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Union Actors Plead For Public Broadcasting Funding

The stars of Sesame Street -- the real people -- are on Capitol Hill helping unions and activist groups protest proposed federal spending cuts to public broadcasting.

Emilio Delgado (Luis), Roscoe Orman (Gordon) and Bob McGrath (Bob) lamented the effect the cuts could have on educational television like Sesame Street. The actors, along with fellow Sesame Street stars Alan Muraoka (Alan) and Alison Bartlett O'Reilly (Gina) appeared as members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 

The actors were helping to deliver petitions asking the Senate to fully fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for Sesame Street and other programming.

More from CNS News

Assistant Attorney General Loretta King Guided More By Racial Politics Than The Law?

Attorney General Eric Holder may be the face of the Justice Department, but behind the scenes, a little-known assistant attorney general named Loretta King (no relation to Martin Luther King, Jr.) has been the driving force behind the DOJ’s recent, most questionable racially motivated decisions.

Neck-deep in the more divisive civil rights cases of the past several years — most notably the New Black Panther voter intimidation case and the recent Dayton, Ohio police department’s testing standards issue — the Obama-appointed assistant attorney general has many wondering whether her guide is the law or racial politics.

“Some of the most outlandish policies of the Holder Justice Department over the last two years flow directly from Loretta King’s worldview,” J. Christian Adams, who worked with King while serving as a voting rights attorney at the Justice Department, told The Daily Caller.

According to Adams, race-based decision making has been a consistent staple of King’s actions and resume.

In testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about the New Black Panther case, former DOJ Voting Rights Section chief Christopher Coates explained that King ordered him to stop asking trial attorney applicants whether they would have a problem dealing with cases involving white victims.

“In the spring of 2009, Ms. King, who had by then been appointed Acting AAG [assistant attorney general] for Civil Rights by the Obama Administration, called me to her office and specifically instructed me that I was not to ask any other applicants whether they would be willing to, in effect, race-neutrally enforce the VRA [Voting Rights Act],” he testified. “Ms. King took offense that I was asking such a question of job applicants and directed me not to ask it because she does not support equal enforcement of the provisions of the VRA.”

Coates’ question was the centerpiece of the much publicized New Black Panther voter intimidation case, which centered around an incident in which members of the New Black Panther Party stood outside a Philadelphia voting precinct dressed in militia style garb, one wielding a nightstick, and shouting racial epithets at the potential white voters during the 2008 presidential election.

According to testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, King, in consultation with Steve Rosenbaum, chief of DOJ’s Housing and Civil Enforcement section, was the attorney who ordered the dismissal of the case.

Read more

Welfare Reform Plan Aims To Cap Spending

When former President Bill Clinton signed the landmark 1996 welfare reform law, it was supposed to “end welfare as we know it.” Despite that pledge, spending on the 77 welfare programs administered by the federal government and the states has skyrocketed over the past 15 years.

But legislation introduced by Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, along with Republican Reps. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Scott Garrett of New Jersey, would cap welfare spending at 2007 levels once the unemployment rate reaches around 6.5 percent and would also introduce work requirements for many of these programs.

To put it in perspective, federal and state welfare spending on these 77 programs currently totals approximately $953 billion — larger than the $668 billion defense budget — according to a Heritage Foundation estimate. The Obama administration plans in the current fiscal year to increase welfare spending 42 percent above where it was when George W. Bush submitted his last budget in 2008.

The 2009 stimulus removed work requirements from the food stamp program and increased eligibility requirements, which has contributed to this increase.

As a result, the Obama administration has almost doubled spending on food stamps since taking office, increasing spending from $39 billion when he took office to approximately $75 billion this year.

“What Jordan is trying to do is bring welfare spending at least to where it was during the Bush years where it was still growing at 3 to 7 percent a year, but it wasn’t growing nearly at the rate that Obama has in place,” said Heritage Foundation welfare expert Katherine “Kiki” Bradley.

Estimates put forward by Bradley and Heritage Foundation fellow Robert Rector, who worked with the legislators to craft the bill, suggest the cap could save the federal government $1.4 trillion over the next decade. By contrast, the Obama budget projects total welfare spending to cost approximately $10.3 trillion over the next decade.

Read more

The Fukushima 50 And The White House Cipher

[Last week] was a week of enormous contrasts, in which we saw colossal courage and integrity and bravery on the part of U.S. troops and ordinary Japanese, and cowardice and childishness in the White House.

Battered by a devastating earthquake followed by a tsunami which has destroyed cities and apparently taken the lives of untold thousands of its people, Japan faced the possibility of even worse news -- a crisis in its Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which if uncontrolled would wreak enormous additional damage, and which in any case will result in substantial energy constraints in a country with few energy resources of its own. One could only watch the horror and be stunned by the brave and civilized response of the Japanese nuclear technicians -- dubbed the Fukushima 50 -- who willingly risked their health and lives to save their countrymen.  As this column goes to press it appears the Fukushima heroes may have succeeded in preventing the meltdown of the fuel rods under extraordinarily difficult conditions.

But the Fukushima 50 were not alone in bringing great honor to their people.  So many people were displaced from their homes by the three events that shelters were inadequate to hold them all.  Yet picture after picture of them revealed the slots had been given to the youngest and the most elderly and infirm, and the shelters looked clean and orderly, even if short of amenities. Everywhere in the areas involved food, clothing, water and, transport and medical supplies are inadequate.  Even in Tokyo, supplies are dwindling, and as the weather is cold the lack of energy to heat homes coupled with frequent aftershocks most certainly be dispiriting.  And yet...shops REDUCED prices of food and water when they had them; people waited in orderly lines to get what was needed; there are no reports of looting or mayhem, It is a moment every one of us who witnesses it from our distant, safe havens shall never forget.

Keep reading.. this is good.

Kuhner: Radical Islam Rising In U.S. But Multicultural Elites Say It's No One's Business

Radical Islam threatens American democracy. It is slowly subverting America from within and without. If it is not stopped, U.S. civilization is doomed.

For decades, Europe has been in the grip of an Islamist assault. Largely ghettoized Muslim populations have become dangerously alienated from the European mainstream. From Paris to Hamburg, Germany, radicalized imams preach the virtues of global jihad. Subway systems in London and Madrid have been bombed; hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered. Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered.

These atrocities were committed largely by homegrown terrorists — people who were either born or raised in European countries. They felt no loyalty to their homelands. Instead, they considered themselves part of the Muslim ummah, the international Islamic political community. Their religious identity supersedes their national one.

America faces the same kind of threat. Yet when anyone tries to put a spotlight on the growth of domestic Muslim extremism, liberals, Islamic lobby groups and their fellow travelers cry “Islamophobia” and “racism.”

The latest example was the congressional hearing held by Rep. Peter King, New York Republican, who dared to examine how some U.S. Muslim youth are being radicalized and recruited by terror networks. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Democratic Party all claimed the hearing was not only unjustified and deeply discriminatory, but could spark an intense backlash among many in the U.S. Muslim community. The critics even argued that this could provide fodder for Al Qaida and other jihadists to commit more terrorist acts.

In other words, Islam is a “religion of peace” unless you investigate some Islamic extremists who may be plotting to kill or maim Americans; then that will compel peaceful, law-abiding Muslims to wage jihad.

This is the twisted — and perverse — logic of the multicultural left.

The price for speaking out against creeping Islamism is very high. Just ask talk-radio host Michael Savage. The populist conservative is one of the most listened to and influential voices in the media landscape. Mr. Savage is a rare breed: a nationalist who opposes the socialist New World Order. He is a vocal critic of Western society’s gradual surrender to political correctness and growing Islamic extremism.

CAIR has been seeking to muzzle him for years. His criticisms of Shariah law and Islamist barbarism have landed him in hot water. Under the previous Labor government, Britain banned Mr. Savage from entering the country. He has been put on a blacklist alongside Hamas killers, murderous Russian skinheads and neo-Nazis. He has never advocated or committed violence. In fact, he is a champion of democracy and human freedom. Prime Minister David Cameron has refused to lift the ban. The goal is clear: Mr. Savage is to be sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism.

More here

One Year Ago Today

Two Years Ago Today

Hundreds gathered in Sharptown for the Annual Farm Bureau Dinner.

Five Years Ago Today

It was five years ago today when the Salisbury Zoo posted their new Rules at the Zoo trying to keep Joe Albero from coming in there to take pictures of dead animals on a daily basis.

Fortunately, (since then) the old Zoo Director was forced out and hopefully things have changed. My guess is, it has.

Brooke Mulford Update

Once again it has been months since updating!  I want to start this update with an urgent prayer request for Trey Love.  Trey is a beautiful , 4  year old boy that we met at CHOP along with his awesome parents Missy and Mike.  Trey was diagnosed with NB about 6 months before Brooke.  I just got word tonight that he has relapsed in his brain.  He has spent a good part of today in surgery having the tumor removed however they have been told that even after the tumor is removed there is likely no further treatment they can do and the cancer will continue to return.  They will be doing testing once he has stabilized to see if it is anywhere else.  There is not much else doctors can do for him but we know that God is the Great Healer so I am asking for everyone to please pray for Trey and his family.  Trey is their only child and their world.  I ran into them at Brooke’s last set of scans and everything seemed to be going so well and he looked so good and just 4 months later he is fighting for his life…

Brooke and I will be heading up to CHOP this week for her quarterly scans/tests (which now I am even more terrified than usual).  She was supposed to get these scans last month but woke up the morning of the scans with the chicken pox so everything had to be cancelled and rescheduled.  She will be having a CT scan on Tues morning around 10am followed by her MIBG injection at 1:00pm.  Tuesday she will have her audiology appt at 8:00am, MIBG scan at 10:30, and I should get the results around 1:30pm at her oncology clinic appt.

Had planned on writing all about the fun and wonderful things we’ve been doing the past 3 months but having a hard time focusing on anything but Trey now. 

Quickly, here are some of the fun times and memories we created so far this new year and will treasure:

January:  Brooke and I spent a week in Orlando, FL with 3 families that are very dear to us.  Brooke had such a great time being able to go to Disney with so many good friends. 

February:  I had a wonderful Girls Weekend with my best buds from college.  Brooke and I spent almost 2 weeks home from school/work while Brooke had the chicken pox.  As with everything else, Brooke was a trooper through it all and rarely complained or even itched!

March:  For spring break, Brooke and I went to visit family in California and had such a wonderful time. 

Brooke started back playing soccer a few months ago for the first time since she was diagnosed and is having so much fun with it.  She may not be the best player out there but she is so filled with joy while playing and has the biggest smile on the field which is all that really matters to me.  She has come so far and it is such a blessing to us that she is able to participate in the things that she loves again.  She will also be starting lacrosse next week and is really looking forward to that.  She continues to dance on Thursday nights and will hopefully get back into swim lessons once the summer is here.

So many other great times and memories but as I said I’m not really feeling up to writing about it all at the moment.  I’m still in a state of shock and deep sadness.  Please also pray for our friend Hannah who relapsed in December and sweet little Chelsea who also relapsed recently and is recovering from stem cell transplant.  We’ve also recently found out about a local girl here (also named Brooke, age 13) that has been diagnosed with Osteosarcoma and is starting her first round of chemo this week at Hopkins.  Please pray for her and her family as they begin their journey. 

Thank you so much for your prayers for these young warriors and for Brooke with her upcoming scans.  I will update with the results as soon as I am able.  I am starting to realize that no matter how many days/months/years we get from Brooke’s end of treatment we will never really be able to be free of the fear of relapse. Pediatric cancer and its aftermath, unfortunately will always be a part of our lives and raising money for a cure will always be our mission.  Appreciate every moment with your children…I’m going to head up now to climb in bed with Brooke and hold her tight…

God Bless,

Amy

Today's Survey Question

Do You Support U.S. Participation In Libya?

E.J. Pipkin Tries To Push Purple Line Cost Onto Counties

Maryland's leading Republican senator is urging lawmakers to saddle Maryland's Washington suburbs with the billion-dollar cost of the region's planned Purple Line rail, while letting rural counties off the hook.

"[This bill] comes out of the frustration of representing a rural area and watching highway user revenues draw down to the point where we can't repair our roads," said Senate Minority Whip E.J. Pipkin, of the Eastern Shore. "And yet we're watching news conferences where the governor says we're moving forward with the Red Line and Purple Line."

Gov. Martin O'Malley has cut state funding for local roads and bridges -- called highway user revenues -- by more than 95 percent in the last three years, and his fiscal 2012 budget includes additional cuts.

The planned 16-mile Purple Line, a light rail connecting New Carrollton to Bethesda, would cost the state roughly $1.6 billion. A $1.8 billion high-speed rail -- the "Red Line" -- is planned for Baltimore.

Pipkin's legislation would create an independent taxing authority to collect revenues for the rails from Montgomery, Prince George's and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City.

"If they want it, let them pay for it," Pipkin told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which is considering his bill.

The state is planning to use roughly $32 million in fiscal 2012 transportation dollars slated for local roads to help fund the planning stages of the light rail systems in fiscal 2012.

More at the Washington Examiner

Libya And The Left's Sickening Hypocrisy On The Use Of Military Force

An evil Arab dictator has been in power for decades. He personally controls his country's vast oil wealth. A sponsor of terrorism, he has provoked the West to take military action against him in the past. Islamic fundamentalists despise him as much as the West does. When his people rise up against him, he murders them ruthlessly. The United Nations Security Council has passed resolutions condemning him. An American president, intent on promoting democracy in the Middle East, demands that the dictator abdicate. When the dictator fails to leave, the American president authorizes the use of military force. Our "allies," including Great Britain, are asked to help. The endgame for the use of force is unclear.

Sound familiar? No, we're not talking about Moammar Qaddafi and Barack Obama. We're talking about Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush.

The difference is this: in almost the exact same set of circumstances, Bush was called "Hitler" by the Left. Leftists wrote plays and stories and movies about killing him. Democratic Party politicians, like Sen. Dick Durbin, likened our troops to "Nazis." Democratic Senators like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, who voted for the military action, accused the president of lying. Mass demonstrations and protests, sponsored by the communist and socialist Left, broke out in the U.S. and Great Britain. Antiwar groups like Code Pink staged demonstrations at military recruiting stations, and had to be dragged shrieking from the halls of Congress. Opponents of the war shouted that Saddam's Iraq never attacked us, and that our military action was a violation of international law. The Left cried for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

President Obama has just committed American forces to engage in acts of war against Moammar Qaddafi. Where are the protesters? Where are the accusations that Obama is a liar and a Nazi? Where are the groups of "artists" wishing death upon the "warmonger" Obama? Where are the cries for Obama's impeachment?

There aren't any, and there won't be any, either. Obama - who made a fetish out of his opposition to the "surge" in Iraq, yet ordered a "surge" of his own in Afghanistan - has just committed American forces to combat action against a third Muslim country. No matter. He won the Nobel Peace Prize a priori. The Left regards him as a man of peace in its own mind; the facts are irrelevant.

The Left's hypocrisy on matters of war and peace is sickening. When the Democratic Party is in power, it routinely commits America to war. When Republicans are in power, Democrats engage in shameless demagoguery and paint the Republicans as bloodthirsty warmongers.

More here

Egyptians Vote For Reform

Egyptians took another step toward political change Sunday, voting overwhelmingly in favor of electoral reforms. More than 77% voted to limit presidents to two four-year terms.

The reforms will also eliminate restrictions on the creation of new political parties, and would subject the continuation of the emergency law beyond six months to approval in a national referendum. Future elections will be subject to judicial review.

Eighteen million people – 41% of voters – turned out to vote on the new reforms, compared to just six million who voted in the parliamentary elections held prior to the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Opponents of the reforms argued that the changes were being made too quickly, in a process that will leave fledgling political parties unprepared for national elections. If new parties are not giving a chance to gain a footing, the elections will go to established groups such as the National Democratic Party or the Muslim Brotherhood, they argued.

Among those who wanted to wait longer for elections was opposition leader Mohammed El Baradei, who came under attack by stone throwers as he made his way to a polling station.

INN

Gun Control Advocates Express Strong Support For 2nd Amendment While Calling For New Restrictions

President Obama, congressional Democrats and the nation's mayors appear to be working in tandem to "fix the nation's broken background check system." They also want to "close the loophole" that allows private sales of guns between individuals.

In their latest comments on the subject, these gun control advocates are using similar arguments and similar language – including statements to the effect that they “strongly support the Second Amendment.”

On Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, both of New York, announced the introduction of a House bill that would penalize states that fail to submit  records on criminals, drug abusers, domestic violence offenders and the "seriously mentally ill" to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

The bill was announced two days after an op-ed by President Barack Obama appeared in a Tucson newspaper. In the op-ed on Sunday, Obama called for “common sense” ways to keep guns out of criminals’ hands. He singled out “porous background checks” as a problem. But first he assured Americans, “I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms.”

On Monday, a White House spokesman said the Obama Justice Department was beginning a dialogue this week with “stakeholders” on both sides of the gun issue.

Meanwhile, the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns – led by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- is running a truck-mounted billboard across the country to spread the message that “guns kill.” The mayors’ group is urging Congress to “fix” the gun background check system.

In fact, the bill introduced by Rep. McCarthy is based on the mayors’ proposal, as is the bill that Schumer introduced earlier in the Senate.

Mayor Bloomberg joined Schumer and McCarthy and other lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday to generate publicity for the Democrats’ latest “commonsense” gun bill.

More

Workers Pulled Temporarily At Fukushima As Smoke Rises

Operators evacuated workers from Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant Monday after gray smoke rose from one of its reactor units, the latest of persistent troubles in stabilizing the radiation-leaking complex.

The evacuation brought to a standstill some of the work on restoring the plant's electrical lines and restarting the water pumping systems needed to keep nuclear fuel from overheating and releasing even greater amounts of radiation.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Hiroshi Aizawa said the evacuation was prompted by smoke rising from the area of the spent fuel storage pool at the plant's Unit 3 reactor building. However, nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama later told reporters in Tokyo he didn't think the smoke was linked to the fuel pool.

"We are checking the cause of the smoke," nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said in Tokyo.

There had been no explosion, and no immediate spike in radiation at the plant, Nishiyama said.

Japanese officials had reported some progress over the weekend in their battle to bring the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant under control after it was damaged during the massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan and likely left more than 18,400 people dead. But there also were hitches, including an unexpected surge in pressure in the reactor core at the troubled Unit 3.

And the nuclear crisis was far from over, with the discovery of more radiation-tainted vegetables and tap water adding to public fears about contaminated food and drink.

More here

New York Times Reporters Freed In Libya

DEVELOPING:  TRIPOLI, Libya -- The four New York Times reporters held captive in Libya were freed early Monday, following intervention by Turkish negotiators, the Turkish ambassador to the U.S. said on his Twitter feed.

Namik Tan added that the reporters were heading to the Libyan border to be handed over to U.S. officials.

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U.S. Wants Limited Role In Libya

The administration wants to maintain a limited U.S. role in the offensive against Libya. Defense Secretary Robert Gates cites the fact that U.S. ground forces are stretched thin by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He says the U.S. hopes to turn control of the Libya mission over to a French and British coalition, or to NATO this week. Ships and aircraft pounded Libya over the weekend, taking out radar, communications and surface-to-air missile sites along its Mediterranean coast.

Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Use, Ignition Locking For Drunk Drivers And Deadline For Governor’s Commutations

In a marathon voting session on almost 50 bills to meet a Tuesday deadline for action , the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Thursday approved: ● the use of medical marijuana overseen by a new commission; ● mandatory ignition locking devices for almost all people convicted of drunk driving; ● a new 180-day deadline for the governor to act on parole board recommendations commuting the sentences for prisoners who had served more than 25 years of their life terms.

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Committee Approves Big Pensions Changes, Higher Contribution Rates, Longer Service Requirements And COLA Caps

The protest by more than 10,000 state teachers and employees last Monday was not enough to keep two dozen members of the House Appropriations Committee from approving major changes to their pensions Friday. The committee voted to increase contributions for all employees, reduce the amount of benefits for new hires, raise retirement ages and length of service, cap cost-of-living adjustments, and add a pension fee for local governments.

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House Majority Leader Kumar Barve Says Tax Hikes Unlikely, Exept On Alcohol

House Majority Leader Kumar Barve says tax increases are unlikely, except alcohol taxes, which haven't been raised since the days of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. A member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and its revenues subcommittee, Barve says all the other tax hikes proposed, including the gasoline tax, are not likely to pass.

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Law School Applications Drop To Lowest Level Since 2001

It used to be that getting a real estate license was the fallback career change du jour, then after the housing market collapsed it seemed everyone was going to law school.

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Insurers Dodge Payouts By Claiming Accidental Deaths As Suicides

Thanks to loopholes, some insurers are erroneously denying insurance claims for accidental deaths by claiming they're suicides, reports Bloomberg Markets Magazine in a new in-depth investigation.

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MVA To Overhaul Voter Registration Process

By Annie Linskey, The Sun (Baltimore)
The Motor Vehicle Administration is planning to overhaul its voter registration procedures after an analysis showed that one in four motorists who tried to sign up at an MVA office never made it to the voter rolls.

 

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Md. Lawmakers Want To Limit Credit Checks On Job Seekers

By Julie Bykowicz, The Sun (Baltimore)
Robert Robinson wanted to be a security guard. Easter Morris tried becoming a cleaning lady. Kyla Whiting sought work at a handbag outlet store. All say they were denied jobs because their would-be employers learned that they had low credit scores.

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STOLEN VEHICLE SUSPECT SHOT DURING ARREST AFTER PURSUIT

(CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD) – A New Jersey man who fled from police in a stolen vehicle is under police guard at a Baltimore hospital after he was wounded in the hand by a state trooper while he was being arrested when the pursuit ended in Prince George’s County last night.

The suspect is identified as Thorne A. Wright, 23, who has addresses in Woodside and Lakehurst, New Jersey. Criminal and traffic charges against him in Maryland are pending. He is wanted on a warrant from New Jersey for violation of probation. Wright is currently under State Police guard at a Baltimore hospital where he is undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound to his hand.

The trooper involved in the shooting is identified as Trooper First Class Gabriel Lamptey, who is assigned to the Waterloo Barrack in Howard County. TFC Lamptey has been a trooper with the Maryland State Police for three and one-half years.

The preliminary investigation indicates that at about 9:10 p.m. yesterday, Maryland Transportation Authority Police identified a stolen vehicle traveling through the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. The vehicle was a GMC Envoy sport utility vehicle with New Jersey tags that had been reported stolen on March 19, 2011.

Four Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers attempted to stop the car on I-95 south of the tunnel. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Wright, refused to stop and accelerated. Wright fled south on I-95 and a pursuit ensued.

As the suspect vehicle entered Howard County, troopers from the Waterloo Barrack, including TFC Lamptey, joined the pursuit, which reached speeds of more than 90 mph. The pursuit continued south on the inner loop of I-95/I495, where a state trooper from the College Park Barrack deployed stop sticks at Rt. 450.

The stop sticks deflated the left front tire of the GMC Envoy. This caused Wright to slow down and ultimately the vehicle was riding on the rim. Wright apparently pulled the vehicle to the right shoulder just north of Exit 13, Ritchie Marlboro Road.

Officers and troopers approached the stopped vehicle. The preliminary investigation indicates that as police attempted to arrest Wright, one shot was fired by TFC Lamptey, which struck Wright in the hand. No law enforcement officers on the scene were injured.

Wright was given emergency care and emergency medical services were summoned. Wright was transported by ambulance to Prince George’s Hospital. He was later transferred to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.

The stolen vehicle was brought to the Forestville Barrack, where forensic investigators will continue to examine it. No weapons or other contraband have been found at this time.

Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit are conducting the investigation, which is procedure in police-involved shootings. An investigation is also being conducted by the Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Unit. TFC Lamptey has been placed on routine administrative leave while the investigation continues.

Belated But Good

The Golden Telephone... 

While on vacation in Rome , I noticed a marble column in St. Peter's with a golden telephone on it. As a young priest passed by, I asked who the telephone was for. The priest told me it was a direct line to heaven, and if I'd like to call, it would be a thousand dollars. I was amazed, but declined the offer.  Throughout Italy , I kept seeing the same golden telephone on a marble column. At each, I asked about it and the answer was always the same: It was a direct line to heaven and I could call for a thousand dollars. Then -  I finished my tour in Ireland .. I decided to attend Mass at a local village church. When I walked in the door I noticed the golden telephone. Underneath it there was a sign stating: "DIRECT LINE TO HEAVEN: 25 cents." "Father," I said, "I have been all over Italy and in all the cathedrals I visited, I've seen telephones exactly like this one. But the price is always a thousand dollars. Why is it that this one is only 25 cents?"  The priest smiled and said, " Darlin', you're in Ireland now. It's a local call." Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

BIG BASH

Blind Industries & Services of

Rehabilitation Division

Featuring Country/Folk Music

Dinner, Games & Auctions

Saturday, March 26, 2011

at the Mardela Springs Fire Hall

Tickets $25 in advance

$30 at the door

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Gift Wheel, Blackjack, Dice Game

Live, Silent, and Chinese Auctions

Live Music

Included in ticket: Dinner, Beverages and Dessert

For Tickets and Information Call

410.749.1366

All proceeds benefit Blind Industries and Services of Maryland

Eastern Shore Senior Service Programs for blind men and women.

BISM is a not-for-profit organization that provides free rehabilitation services to blind and low vision individuals.

Car Seat Check

OCPD Mini Golf Fundraiser

Salisbury Fire Dept Station 1 25th Anniversary And Open House

"Funds For Friends"

SALISBURY, MD---The Salisbury Jaycees host a day of special events at The Greene Turtle in Salisbury on Tuesday, March 22. Ten percent of the restaurant’s sales for the day benefit the Jaycees’ Treat Street safe Halloween trick-or-treating initiative.

    

At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the chapter begins family activities with story time with Saul the Jaycees Bear. From 5-8 p.m., children ages 12 and under may have “Dinner with the Easter Bunny” as he greets kids, poses for photos and hands out Easter eggs filled with a special surprise.

    

The evening turns competitive at 9 p.m., as the Jaycees host the chapter’s inaugural hot wing challenge. Participants compete to see who can finish an order of the restaurant’s “We Mean Hot” wings the fastest—without drinking even a sip of water! Registration for the competition is $10 per person. Prizes include Greene Turtle gift certificates and Shorebirds tickets.

    

Throughout the day, individuals ages 21-40 will have the opportunity to sign up to be a part of the chapter. Members have the opportunity to attend social functions including the chapter’s annual Murder Mystery Night, Super Bowl party and others, as well as help plan upcoming events.

    

For more information e-mail http://www.blogger.com/ or visit the Salisbury Jaycees’ website at www.salisburyjc.com.

Criminal Press Release

DATE & TIME: March 20th, 2011 @ 0019 hrs

LOCATION: Cemetary St Ext, Sharptown, Wicomico Co., MD.

CASE NUMBER: 11-54-002001

CHARGES: 1. Burglary 1st Degree
2. MDOP under 500


Suspect: James Martin Smith, W/M age 21 of Hampton, V.A.

BRIEF RESUME: On 03/20/11 Troopers of the Maryland State Police were dispatched to 809 Cemetary St Ext, Sharptown, Wicomico County, MD in reference to a reported burglary in progress. Upon arrival, contact was made with the victim at the residence. The victim indicated that an unknown suspect unlawfully attempted to gain forced entry into his residence, through several windows and doors, even climbing on top of his mobile home. Upon the suspect fleeing the property, he was subsequently located one block away by Troopers and Wicomico County Deputies. The Suspect was then detained and positively identified by the victim. Further investigation revealed, the above suspect/Smith was extremely intoxicated at the time of the incident. Suspect/Smith was placed under arrest and transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center for an initial appearance before the District Court Commissioner in reference to the above charges. All events occurred in Wicomico County, MD

MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION

DATE & TIME: 03/20/2011 HRS.
C C. CARD NUMBER: 11-54-002016
LOCATION: Old Ocean City Rd @ Main St. Willards, Maryland 21874

Driver Veh. #1 : Benjamin Christopher Hobgood, 33 year old male Ocean Pines, MD
2003 Jeep Cherokee
Unknown injuries
Alcohol and CDS charges pending

Driver Veh. #2: Joseph Henry Pieroschek 51 year old male Pittsville, MD
2001 Chevy Pickup
No apparent injuries

BRIEF RESUME:

On 03-20-2011 @ 2235 Hours, Troopers responded to a head on Motor Vehicle Collision involving two vehicles, on Old Ocean City Road in the area of Main St. Willards, Wicomico County MD.

Preliminary investigation revealed that vehicle 1, a 2003 Jeep Cherokee crossed the center line and struck vehicle 2, a 2001 Chevy pickup at that location. The driver of vehicle 1, was injured and transported to PRMC. The driver of vehicle 2 had no known injuries. Alcohol and CDS were determined to be a factor in the accident.