Saturday, May 07, 2011

Bin Laden Home Videos Offer Glimpse Into His Daily Life

WASHINGTON -- A detailed portrait of Usama bin Laden's daily life emerged Saturday from the single largest intelligence collection ever, including a disclosure of home videos that show him watching news coverage of himself on television.

The videos were shown to the news media Saturday by intelligence officials. The five movies offer the first public glimpse at bin Laden's life behind the walls of his compound in suburban Pakistan.

The government-selected clips also provide an opportunity for the U.S. to paint bin Laden in an unflattering light to his supporters. The videos include outtakes of his propaganda films and, taken together, portray him as someone obsessed with his own image and how he is portrayed to the world

One of the movies shows bin Laden, his unkempt beard streaked in gray, sitting on the floor, wrapped in a brown blanket and holding a remote control. He flipped back and forth between what appears to be live news coverage of himself. The old, small television was perched on top of a desk with a large tangle of electrical wires running to a nearby control box.

In another, he has apparently dyed and neatly trimmed his beard for the filming of a propaganda video. The video, which the U.S. released without sound, was titled ""Message to the American People" and was believed to be made sometime last fall, a senior intelligence official said during a briefing for reporters, on condition that his name not be used.

What Happens If They Don’t Raise The Debt Limit?

Sometime before August, Congress will have to hold its collective breath and vote on whether to raise the limit on the federal debt, which now stands at a record $1.6 trillion.

In the past, that debt limit has always been raised before the debt ever hit it. But this year, there are growing doubts over whether this will happen. In large part, this is because a growing number of the 87 freshman Republicans who comprise more than one-third of the GOP’s House majority are voicing a willingness to vote “no” on lifting the ceiling.

“I do not want to raise the debt ceiling, but I also realize the debt is just the symptom, and the disease is out-of-control spending,” freshman Rep. Bill Johnson (R.-Ohio) told HUMAN EVENTS two weeks ago. “There is a difference between raising the debt ceiling the way the Democrats did in 2010—just to continue spending at the federal level—and raising the debt ceiling now to continue our obligations, but with serious, serious cuts.”

Johnson’s view was seconded by fellow freshman Rep. Dan Webster (R.-Fla), who told us he does not believe that “Armageddon will come if the debt ceiling is not raised immediately. Look, the administration is already starting to take steps to deal with situations if Congress refuses to raise the ceiling. As I see it, we will operate on a cash basis for a while, the government won’t be able to borrow, and the revenue that comes in will go immediately to pay for critical necessities—national defense and Social Security for starters."

Coming as the “no” votes from Republican House freshmen mounted during four successive Continuing Resolutions to keep the government running this year, such talk has fueled “gloom and doom” predictions from the White House. Last month, Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at the White House that “the consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling would be Armageddon-like.”

(Interestingly, in 2006, then-Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) voted against raising the debt ceiling. Spokesman Carney said the President now “regrets” that vote.)

So what will happen if it appears Congress will say no to raising the debt limit in May?

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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Shoe Stores

The history of shoe stores in Salisbury goes back to at least 1878. In those days, the shoemaker was an accomplished leather worker. He probably worked on many of the leather accessories associated with horses. There are three listed for Salisbury in the 1878 Maryland Directory. In the 1891 Peninsula Directory, there are four establishments listed under “Boot and Shoemakers and Dealers” in Salisbury and neither of them are one of the three that were in business in 1878.

1899 saw seven stores selling boots and shoes, one of them being R. E. Powell Co. which many of us recall as still being in business through the 1960’s. How many remember the contraption they had where you put your feet in a large wooden box on a stand and it would show a green outline of your foot in the shoe you were contemplating purchasing to see if the fit was correct. There were also six businesses calling themselves “Shoemakers”, two of which were owned by African-Americans.

The E. Homer White Shoe Co. first appeared in the 1907 Salisbury Directory. The “Big Shoe” in front of the store was a Main St. icon. E. Homer White purchased a half interest in the shoe business of Homer Dickerson in 1896 and bought him out in 1898. The shoe store was in business until 1964 when E. Homer White, Jr. died.

Lacy Thoroughgood had a clothing store on Main St, and the button puller was an advertising give-away. The early high button shoes were easier to get on if you had one of these button pullers. This is from around 1910.

Another full line clothing and shoe store was Harvey Whitely, who advertised himself on the shoe horn as “the shoe man”. He was in business on S. Division St. from at least 1907 to 1921.

A shoe repair business that survived at least from 1916 to 1961 was the Arcade Shoe Repair Co., owned by Christus G. Chames I remember the business as being on E. Main St. near the Hubert R. White Hardware Store. He also had a hat blocking service which is unheard of these days. Another shoe repair business that many remember was the Ace Shoe Service near Watson’s Smoke House on W. Main St. Mr. Phillips opened the business in at least 1940 and was still in business in 1961.

Other shoe stores that have been a large part of the Salisbury business community were Edward’s (run by Eddie Shilkret at least from 1940) and the Vernon H. Powell Shoe Co. (still operating as VP Shoes and the Athlete). Vernon Powell started this business at least as far back as 1940. I remember my grandmother always shopped from Vernon Powell. Being deaf, there was no conversation between her and Mr. Powell. She would just walk in and tap him on the shoulder. He would just drop whatever he was doing and get her the two pairs of shoes she wanted. The style was always the same and she always bought a size 7 and a size 7 ½. She would start the day with the 7’s and after lunch she would put on the 7 ½’s, claiming her feet had swelled during the day. Makes sense to me.

Federal Regulators Sue Arizona Over Union Law

Federal labor regulators have sued the state of Arizona over a state constitutional amendment that limits how workers can choose whether they want union representation.

The amendment passed by voters last year requires workers to hold secret ballot elections before a company can be unionized.

The National Labor Relations Board says the amendment interferes with federal law. Current law gives employers the choice of recognizing a union if a majority of workers sign cards, a process known as card check.

Arizona's attorney general has vowed to fight the lawsuit. Business groups that pushed the ballot measure say they fear Congress will require all businesses to recognize card check.

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Sen. Sessions Unloads On Conrad’s ’Secret Budget’

Days before a likely markup of Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad’s budget blueprint, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee is unloading on the North Dakota chairman, blasting his plan to release the budget only minutes before it is marked up in committee.

Conrad “indicated to me he was not going to comply with the request of all the Republican members that there be 72 hours …. that a short time before the hearing, maybe the morning of the hearing that we’d get some sort of briefing, I would, maybe not the rest of the members, then we’d start the markup of the bill,” said Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, the top GOP lawmaker on the Budget Committee, in an interview with The Daily Caller.

In protesting the cloaked process by which Conrad has deliberated over the budget – including meetings with a “gang of six” in cloistered Capitol hideaways – Republicans appear to have diverted Democrats from skipping the Budget Committee altogether, Sessions said.

“Apparently it was discussed. That was not just a rumor,” Sessions said, “I think we would have had a real brouhaha over that.” A spokesman for Conrad did not reply to a request for comment.

Sessions, who has taken an increasingly high-profile role representing the GOP on high-stakes spending battles in the upper chamber, decried in general the idea of small, clubby “gangs” of senators laboring to strike bipartisan spending deals out of the public eye.

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Hatch: ‘We’re Going To Win’ Against NLRB In South Carolina

Sen. Orrin Hatch, Utah Republican, expressed confidence that Republicans will win the fight against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) power grab in South Carolina. “We’re going to win that one,” Hatch told The Daily Caller, referring to the NLRB’s recent charge against The Boeing Company for plans to open a non-union factory in the southern state.

In remarks to the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) at the National Press Club on Friday, Hatch compared what the NLRB is doing to judicial activism.

Hatch is one of several Republican senators who signed onto a letter Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, wrote to President Obama on Thursday demanding he immediately rescind nominations for the NLRB’s Acting General Counsel, Lafe Solomon, and board member Craig Becker.

“The NLRB, at the behest of Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon, has taken unprecedented legal action against The Boeing Company to prevent it from expanding productions into South Carolina, a state that assures workers the freedom not to join a union as a condition of employment,” the letter reads. “We consider this an attack on millions of workers in 22 right-to-work states, as well as a government-led act of intimidation against American companies that should have the freedom to choose to build plants in right-to-work states.”

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Top Official From Obama-Backed Black Chamber Faces Criminal Charges

A top official from the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. – the Obama-backed, rival upstart to Harry Alford’s National Black Chamber of Commerce – has a checkered past and faces criminal charges from allegations he exploited a Hurricane Katrina victim.

According to Raleigh, N.C.-based WRAL, which broke the story, Brandon Trainer, who led the North Carolina Regional Black Chamber of Commerce and served as treasurer for the U.S. Black Chamber, skipped town in 2006 when he was charged with defrauding a Hurricane Katrina victim out of $1500.

Trainer also boasted of his Ivy League education at Harvard University, but records show he never even enrolled there as an undergraduate. He did attend classes in a career development program for one semester.

The revelations have left the North Carolina chamber in shambles, but Alford, head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, said his group would step into the void.

“We knew this was going to happen. We have contacted people in Raleigh and will go down there and assist them in starting a bona fide chamber. We are actually going to Wilmington, N.C., next week to do the same (cleaning up his trail of ‘blood’). How does the White House feel about their little project now?” Alford said in an email.

Trainer was treasurer for the U.S. Black Chamber and on its board of directors. His biography page on the U.S. Black Chamber’s website has been taken down. Officials from the U.S. Black Chamber did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Trainer was charged in Missouri in 2006 for felony theft. He was accused of pretending to be a mortgage broker and taking $1500 from Claymiko Mays under false pretenses. After posting bond, Trainer skipped town. The charges are pending.

More here

Arizona Sheriff: Feds Order Release Of Illegals To Fluff Numbers

The U.S. Border Patrol has told its agents to stop arresting illegal aliens crossing the border from Mexico to keep the illegal immigration numbers down, Arizona Sheriff Larry Dever tells Newsmax.

He also charges that Attorney General Eric Holder is “holding hands with the ACLU” to protect illegal aliens from prosecution, says illegals are committing “heinous crimes” across America every day, and calls claims that the federal government should be solely responsible for controlling illegal immigration “balderdash.”

Dever is sheriff of Cochise County, which shares an 83-mile border with Mexico, and he says his Border Patrol sector is responsible for half of all illegal aliens caught trying to enter the country and halt the narcotics entering the United States.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, he was asked about the Obama administration’s bragging that the border is more secure than ever.

“For the secretary of homeland security to say the border is more secure than ever, well, I’ve been there forever and there was a happier time than what it is today. We have a long, long way to go.

“Don’t drink the Kool-Aid and buy into 'this border is secure' nonsense.

“There’s a bad element in the mix of the aliens that are crossing that border and they don’t stay there, they move into communities throughout the country. And every day there are travesties and heinous crimes being committed by those people. If we don’t stop it at the border, it’s just going to continue to grow.”

Dever recently told Congress that in one district in Texas, illegals are allowed to be caught crossing the border 14 times before being charged with a felony, and federal smuggling charges are not considered unless at least six illegal aliens are being smuggled into the country.

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Farmers Market Starts Today

US: All Kids, Legal Or Not, Entitled To Education

The U.S. Department of Education has sent a letter to districts around the country reminding them that all students are entitled to a public education, whether they are legal or not.

The letter was sent to districts Friday. It tells districts that under federal law elementary and secondary students cannot be barred from enrolling on the basis of citizenship status.

Newsmax

Mother's Day Brunch

Hispanics Want To Halt Immigration Enforcement Tactic

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is adding its voice to those who want the federal government to stop checking fingerprints of people booked at local and state jails to find immigrants who can be deported.

The caucus has written a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to freeze the fingerprint searching program known as Secure Communities. The letter was sent Thursday.

Through Secure Communities, the FBI shares with the Homeland Security Department fingerprints that local and state law enforcement have sent to the FBI to get criminal histories. The Homeland Security Department checks the prints against its immigration records to identify people illegally in the country or who can be forced to leave the U.S.

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SALISBURY POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION

On May 07, 2011 at approximately 0200 hrs, the Salisbury Police Department responded to Gully’s, 733 Roland Street for a report of a shooting. It was originally reported as a fight, but further investigation indicated that there were two victims that had been shot. Each victim was shot a single time. The injuries to each victim are considered to be non-life threatening and the victims were treated at Peninsula Regional Medical Center for their injuries.

Victim #1 28 year old male, from Salisbury, Maryland

Victim #2 26 year old female, from Laurel, Delaware

After the shooting, detectives from the Salisbury Police Department were able to interview both victims and several witnesses. Detectives were also able to review the video surveillance from the time of the shooting at Gully’s. The video depicts a small to midsized passenger vehicle, dark colored (possibly blue, purple or black) exiting the parking lot at the same time the shooting took place. The front seat passenger appears to be wearing an orange shirt or jacket. Detectives are requesting assistance in identifying this particular vehicle, operator and passenger for purposes of this investigation. Attached you will find a still picture of this particular vehicle and occupant.

Please contact the Salisbury Police Department at (410)548-3165 or crime solvers at (410)548-1776. When you call, you may remain anonymous.

Case # 201100017430

Mother's Day At Sobo's

Springfest 2011

Not very busy in the early afternoon. Traffic through the tents was light. Traffic picked up later for the sold out show at 8PM but, overall, the turnout of shoppers was light. Maybe today will be better.

Hit Telemarketers for $500

If you can't get rid of annoying telemarketers, you can at least make a profit off them. Under Federal law, they have to give you a written copy of their "Do Not Call" policy for free if you ask them to. If they don't, you can take them to court and sue them for a cool statutory $500. Here's a sample script for doing this from a guy who has sued several telemarketers over this violation and won.

from the Consumerist

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY AND LT. GOVERNOR BROWN TO HIGHLIGHT MARYLAND HOUSING INITIATIVES

ANNAPOLIS, MD – On Monday, Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown, joined by members of the Administration, community leaders, local elected officials and others, will highlight rental housing for people with disabilities, foreclosure prevention and affordable housing at events in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.

Coming Up Soon in Wicomico County Schools

Tuesday, May 17

Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night

Salisbury Middle School

A Wicomico County Board of Education Awards & Recognitions Night will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 at Salisbury Middle School to honor outstanding students, teachers and schools. 410-677-4561.

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Tuesday, May 24

Public Budget Hearing

Parkside High School Auditorium

The second Public Budget Hearing on the Board of Education’s fiscal year 2011-12 Proposed Consolidated Current Expense Budget will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in the Parkside High School Auditorium. Information on this year’s budget process is posted at www.wcboe.org (click on “budget” beside the photograph). Input may be given at any time at comments@wcboe.org, at 410-677-5251, or by mail or hand delivery. 410-677-4561.

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Wednesday, May 25

Superintendent’s Open Door Session

Board of Education Office

The final Superintendent’s Open Door Session of the 2010-11 school year will take place Wednesday, May 25 from 4-6 p.m., in the Administrative Conference Room at the Board of Education Office. The Open Door Sessions are opportunities to meet one-on-one with Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen to discuss any issue, idea or concern. No appointments are made: Anyone interested in meeting with the superintendent should come to the Board office that day and sign in. 410-677-4495.

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Thursday, May 26

Wicomico County Math 24 Game Tournament

Salisbury University Commons

The annual Math 24 Game Tournament for Wicomico elementary and middle students will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 26, in the Commons at Salisbury University. Mathletes will be in the spotlight at the school system's 5th annual Wicomico County Math 24 Game Tournament. The event is free and open to the public. Each elementary school will send to the tournament one champion per grade level (grades 1-5) for a total of 55 contestants, and middle schools will send two student winners per grade level (grades 6-8) for a total of 30 contestants. These grade-level champions from throughout Wicomico County will compete for the title of county champion, with winners announced at the end of the night.

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June 21-24

Registration for Secondary Summer School

Wicomico High School Building C

Registration for 2011 Wicomico County Secondary Summer School will take place in Wicomico High School Building C on the following schedule:

Tuesday, June 21: 3-7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 22: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Thursday, June 23; 3-7 p.m.

Friday, June 24: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Please use the bus circle entrance on Mt. Hermon Road to reach Building C. Students will need to bring in a copy of their final report card to register. Classes will begin on June 27 and run through Aug. 5.

Wicomico County will also offer an Honors Summer Session June 27-Aug. 5, with original credit classes in Honors Algebra II, Honors Geometry and Honors Principles of Economics.

Summer school costs are:Remedial, per course in-county resident: $100, $50 for students on Reduced Meals, free for students eligible for free meals.

Remedial, per course out-of-county resident: $160Original credit, per course: $200 in county/$325 out of county.

For information please call Evening High School at 410-677-4537.

From Fox News

Look at this crap, just unbelievable. Now they want to ban the American flag in schools because it hurts the feelings of Hispanics.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/05/06/american-flag-banned-america/

Rep. Andy Harris to Host Town Hall Today

First District Congressman Andy Harris will be hosting a town hall meeting with constituents this afternoon at Showell Elementary School. The meeting will begin at 3 PM.

Showell Elementary School is located on Race Track Road, just west of Ocean Pines. For more information, call Rep. Harris’s district office at 443-944-8624.

Prisons Get Big Kickbacks For Phone Contracts, Prisoners' Families Pay The Price

A investigation by Prison Legal News exposes how prisons are getting fat kickbacks from telephone companies in order to land exclusive service contracts, which they then use to charge sky-high calling rates. There's usually a connection charge of $3.00 or more and it can cost upwards of $.89 a minute. That means a 15-minute collect call can end up costing $10-$17. Compare that to the $.05 or $.10 most customers pay. Because the calls are often collect, it's the prisoners' families that end up paying the price.

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Senate Republicans To Block Consumer Financial Protection Chief

Following their colleagues in the House, who earlier this week offered legislation that would weaken the powers of the planned Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, nearly all Republican Senators have sent a letter to President Obama vowing to block the confirmation of any nominee to head the new agency, unless there are "structural changes that will make the Bureau accountable to the American people."

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TWO ARRESTED IN BALTIMORE AFTER CECIL CO. ARMED CARJACKING

(NORTH EAST, MD) – With the assistance of a Maryland State Police helicopter crew, troopers from the North East Barrack were able to locate a stolen car in Baltimore City early this morning and arrest the two suspects involved in taking the car at gunpoint from the owner and her two friends in Cecil County.

The suspects are identified as Gilbert J. McDaniel, 35, of the unit-block of Canal Road, Port Deposit, Md., and Heather M. Boyd, 24, of the 300-block of Aiken Ave., Perryville, Md. McDaniel is charged with armed carjacking, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony, two counts of armed robbery, three counts of first degree assault, three counts of second degree assault, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and three counts of theft. Boyd is charged with conspiracy to commit the following: armed robbery, armed carjacking, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and theft (three counts). Both will be taken before a court commissioner later today for their initial bond hearing.

Shortly after 3:00 a.m. today, troopers from the North East Barrack responded to the area of Dr. Jack Road and Waibel Road in Port Deposit for the report of a carjacking. When troopers arrived, they found three young women who said they had been invited by Boyd to a home on Old School House Lane earlier that night. They traveled to the home in a 1993 Chevrolet Corsica that belonged to one of them and visited with Boyd and her friend, later identified as McDaniel.

The women said when they prepared to leave, Boyd asked if they would give McDaniel a ride home. Apparently, the owner of the car did not know McDaniel well and said she would only agree if Boyd went with them.

The three women, McDaniel and Boyd left the residence and when they arrived at the intersection of Dr. Jack Road and Waibel Road, the women said McDaniel produced a handgun and ordered the three of them out of the car. He then told Boyd to get in the front passenger seat. McDaniel got behind the wheel and drove off.

Troopers began an immediate search for the car and notified police departments throughout the area. Troopers also called for assistance from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command and Trooper 1 launched from Martin State Airport.

With the help of the State Police helicopter crew, troopers were able to locate the vehicle in Baltimore City. Troopers stopped the vehicle and arrested McDaniel and Boyd without incident. Both suspects and the stolen vehicle were taken back to the North East Barrack.

Troopers are preparing to search the car pursuant to a search warrant. A handgun and purses believed to belong to the three victims are visible in the car.

Bill Would Freeze Agency Hiring Until Deficit Disappears

The Federal Hiring Freeze Act of 2011 would freeze federal hiring until the Office of Management and Budget determines that there is no longer an annual federal budget deficit. The proposal includes exemptions for USPS and law enforcement. "We must stick to the trifecta of downsizing Washington, cutting spending, and keeping taxes low," said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Marino (R-Penn.).

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