DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, May 14, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: Mike Huckabee Opts Out Of 2012 Presidential Race
HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER
Board Games
Board games have been around almost as long as man. They found games in King Tut’s tomb that go back 3,000 years. Most of them had a pair of dice associated with them. Some of the most rudimentary games have no history and, therefore, we don’t know when they were invented. Games such as chess and checkers are still popular even though they haven’s changed in hundreds of years. Chess is a more sophisticated game due to the strategies involved. It is played on the highest levels of international competition with great notoriety being the reward for winning. Checkers is a much more mundane game. It is played by children and old men in country stores throughout the land.
When I was growing up, we didn’t have all the fancy video games that children have now. Board games were the norm. I can remember opening a new game and reading the rules thoroughly. It seems that if you mastered the rules it gave you a decided advantage over some opponent that hadn’t read the rules through and through. Most of the games were quite simple, which was acceptable to our young minds. And most of them involved dice.
One of the favorites in our house was Parcheesi. Long after I had moved out, my mother and father played every night after dinner. It was a matter of my father’s competitive spirit and the fact that my mother never seemed to care whether she won or lost. I think at one time the score was about 10,000 to 4, with my father winning almost all the time. But they were happy and that is all that mattered.
Most parents are familiar with the two most popular games for pre-schoolers – Candyland and Chutes & Ladders. Almost any four year old can handle these two and it teaches them many things that will prove beneficial in their later life. Following the rules in whatever we do is important and the sooner we learn that lesson, the better off we are.
Monopoly has become the most popular game since it was invented in the 1930’s. All the streets are named after streets in Atlantic City. This is a game that can be played by young and old alike.
Some of the newer games are very complicated and require much strategy. Just about the time they came out, the video games took over and you rarely hear of them anymore.
Board games were the only game in town back in the 1950’s and before. They had to be played with at least two people and for that reason, I think the social interaction was better than sitting in a room by yourself.
Pat McDonough Must Be Scaring Someone
Maryland Del. Pat McDonough (R-7) must have the Left worried about something. Why else would the Washington Post devote valuable inches to what amounts to a full blown hit piece on the Baltimore County Republican?
For starters, the WaPo credits McDonough with the current petition drive to force the “Maryland Dream Act” to referendum. While Pat has been a staunch advocate for protecting our state’s and nation’s borders, Pat doesn’t get the kudo for this one. Del. Neil Parrott (R-2B) of Washington County deserves the credit for this one.
Maybe the Post is worried that McDonough’s crusade against funding groups like CASA de Maryland and his opposition to amnesty for illegals (sorry guys, “Comprehensive Immigration Reform”) are beginning to grow legs in the “Not So Free State”.
Who knows. Once thing is certain; Pat has somebody upset. Congratulations Pat!
We can all help McDonough, Parrott, and every other conservative elected official in Maryland by gathering signatures for the petition to stop the “Maryland Dream Act”.
Start by going here.
Warning To Local Young Mother's
Hi Joe,
Just wanted to pass along some information. Walmart in Fruitland is currently still selling Similac baby formula that was recalled LAST YEAR. I called and reported it to a customer service manager earlier this week, but they are still on the shelves today. Just a warning to all parents out there!
Just wanted to pass along some information. Walmart in Fruitland is currently still selling Similac baby formula that was recalled LAST YEAR. I called and reported it to a customer service manager earlier this week, but they are still on the shelves today. Just a warning to all parents out there!
Hi again Joe,
Sorry for the multiple emails. I stopped by the store after work and took the attached photos. Formula is still on the shelves. As I mentioned, I reported it to the store and even took them off the shelf myself... however, they keep ending up back there. Short of purchasing the old formula myself to take it out of circulation, I don't know what more I can do. I took a closeup of the old container (recalled version) sitting right there among the new. They are obviously old, besides looking differently, most containers are damaged and dirty. I am really concerned that no one took this seriously, as the formula was recalled because it had beetle larvae in it and was making infants ill.
Tea Party Express Denounces Self-Identified NY Tea Party Candidate
"Tea Party Express has denounced congressional candidate Jack Davis for fraudulently calling himself a ‘Tea Party’ supporter in the NY-26 special election, when in fact he opposes core Tea Party principles, and is attempting to spoil the race for conservatives,” said Tea Party Express in a press release Friday.
The group will head to western New York on Monday to hold events supporting the Republican candidate, Jane Corwin, in Rochester and Buffalo. Tea Party Express chairman Amy Kremer will speak, as will local favorite former gubernatorial Carl Paladino. Local Tea Party groups supporting Corwin will also speak.
“Though Davis is listed under ‘Tea Party’ on the ballot, his political past reveals him as a liberal Democrat with a history of supporting higher taxes, Obamacare, cap-and-trade legislation, contributing many thousands of dollars to far-left Democrat candidates, as well as endorsing Barack Obama for president,” says the press release.
Tea Party Express implied that Davis was running specifically to hurt the Republican candidate.
“It is extremely likely that he is running under the “Tea Party” name purely to confuse and deceive voters, in an effort to split the conservative vote and help a Democrat win the seat.”
More here
The group will head to western New York on Monday to hold events supporting the Republican candidate, Jane Corwin, in Rochester and Buffalo. Tea Party Express chairman Amy Kremer will speak, as will local favorite former gubernatorial Carl Paladino. Local Tea Party groups supporting Corwin will also speak.
“Though Davis is listed under ‘Tea Party’ on the ballot, his political past reveals him as a liberal Democrat with a history of supporting higher taxes, Obamacare, cap-and-trade legislation, contributing many thousands of dollars to far-left Democrat candidates, as well as endorsing Barack Obama for president,” says the press release.
Tea Party Express implied that Davis was running specifically to hurt the Republican candidate.
“It is extremely likely that he is running under the “Tea Party” name purely to confuse and deceive voters, in an effort to split the conservative vote and help a Democrat win the seat.”
More here
Court: Chicago Must Hire 111 Black Firefighters
Chicago must hire 111 African American firefighter candidates passed over for jobs and pay millions of dollars in damages to thousands more.
The ruling handed down Friday by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals follows last year's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that the African Americans who took a 1995 firefighters' entrance exam didn't wait too long to sue.
The ruling handed down Friday by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals follows last year's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that the African Americans who took a 1995 firefighters' entrance exam didn't wait too long to sue.
Latinos: Obama's Pandering On Immigration Falls Flat
Reaction from Hispanic leaders suggests President Barack Obama’s charm offensive with Latinos in the run-up to the 2012 election may be falling flat.
Polls indicate that far fewer Hispanics say they’ll cast their vote for the president than did so in 2008.
One prominent observer of the Latino community, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr., is calling on Hispanics to launch a third-party movement to ensure their interests receive genuine representation rather than political pandering.
In a USA Today op-ed on Thursday, Navarrette stated that Latinos are increasingly disillusioned with Obama’s promises to push immigration reform.
“America’s largest minority needs to take a cue from the Tea Party movement and start an insurgency challenging both political parties -- the one that takes them for granted and the other that writes them off,” he wrote.
In a Tuesday speech in El Paso, Texas, Obama indicated the border was secure and called for immigration reform. He charged Republicans would “want a higher fence. Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they want alligators in the moat.”
Frustrated Latinos in Arizona have formed a nonpartisan “Tequila Party” movement. The group, whose primary objective is boost the Latino voter turnout in 2012, was created by a self-identified Republican.
Read more
Polls indicate that far fewer Hispanics say they’ll cast their vote for the president than did so in 2008.
One prominent observer of the Latino community, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr., is calling on Hispanics to launch a third-party movement to ensure their interests receive genuine representation rather than political pandering.
In a USA Today op-ed on Thursday, Navarrette stated that Latinos are increasingly disillusioned with Obama’s promises to push immigration reform.
“America’s largest minority needs to take a cue from the Tea Party movement and start an insurgency challenging both political parties -- the one that takes them for granted and the other that writes them off,” he wrote.
In a Tuesday speech in El Paso, Texas, Obama indicated the border was secure and called for immigration reform. He charged Republicans would “want a higher fence. Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they want alligators in the moat.”
Frustrated Latinos in Arizona have formed a nonpartisan “Tequila Party” movement. The group, whose primary objective is boost the Latino voter turnout in 2012, was created by a self-identified Republican.
Read more
Walmart Says Vast Majority Of Its Products Are Made In USA; Experts Are Skeptical
The CEO of Walmart recently announced that a majority of the products it sells are made in America. But retail industry experts say that, assuming it's even true, this fact is not a sign that the nation's largest retailer is making a greater shift toward purchasing American-made products.
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Facebook Fesses Up To Being Behind Google Smear Campaign
Earlier this week it was revealed that a top PR firm was, on behalf on an unnamed client, testing the waters of the blogosphere, trying to find writers to post anti-Google items with promises of getting that content linked on bigger sites. Now a new report on The Daily Beast confirms that the folks at Facebook were the ones behind the attempted smear campaign.
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People Buying Even Fewer DVDs Than Before
Poor DVDs, sitting on store shelves with dwindling hope passers-by will make loving homes for them. According to a report from a research firm, both sales numbers and revenue have dropped more than 43 percent last year from 2009.
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May 19, 2011 - Wicomico Planning Commission
The Salisbury – Wicomico County Planning and Zoning Commision will hold their regular monthly meeting on Thursday, may 19th at 1:30 PM. The meeting will be held in the council chambers.
The only item on the agenda for this meeting is discussion of the draft county comprehensive plan. If you are concerned about minor issues like property rights then you are encouraged to attend. Just as you should be concerned with how the county spends your tax dollars; you should be concerned with whether or not the most basic of liberties is protected (or not).
Texas House Passes Bill To Outlaw TSA Pat-Downs That Make Contact With Your Most Personal Parts
As we reported in March, a handful of Texas politicians were fed up with being felt-up and were considering a way to ban the TSA's invasive pat-down procedures. Last night, that ban got closer to reality — or at least closer to becoming a courtroom battle — when the Lone Star State's House of Representatives voted to approve legislation that would keep hands off travelers' most personal areas.
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Crabbers Asked To Install Turtle Excluders On Pots
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Remember the terrapin when you set out crab pots this year.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says it receives reports every year of diamondback terrapins that are trapped and drown in crab pots lacking an escape hatch known as a Turtle Excluder Device. And it is asking recreational crabbers to make sure their crab pots have the devices.
The device consists of a rectangular frame that keeps turtles from getting into the trap, but not crabs. State officials say a crab pot with a correctly installed TED will catch just as many crabs, and not drown terrapins.
More
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources says it receives reports every year of diamondback terrapins that are trapped and drown in crab pots lacking an escape hatch known as a Turtle Excluder Device. And it is asking recreational crabbers to make sure their crab pots have the devices.
The device consists of a rectangular frame that keeps turtles from getting into the trap, but not crabs. State officials say a crab pot with a correctly installed TED will catch just as many crabs, and not drown terrapins.
More
Top 10 Boat Names
It's that time of year when the Boat Owners Association of The United States releases its top 10 boat names. Coincidentally, it's also that time of year when we pay attention again to the Boat Owners Association of The United States.
We don't own a boat. This haunts us.
So, if you happen to possess a boat so named below, know our "humor" is motivated strictly by jealousy and pettiness.
The Top 10 boat names:
1. AquaHolic: Sends wrong message to future boat owners who might also abuse the well-traveled "aHolic." BeeraHolic, BabeaHolic, AlcoHolic...
2. Andiamo (Let's Go): (No.)
3. The Black Pearl: The Pirates of the Caribbean vibe. We get it. You're a pirate.
4. La Belle Vita (The Beautiful Life): Or may we suggest the English translation, The Beautiful Pizza?
5. Mojo: Cujo.
6. Island Time: Unless it's 2:13 p.m., today, we don't care.
7. Second Wind: Really?
8. No Worries: No worries, nope, nothing to worry about, no bills, no problems at work or home, no problem with the dog's back spasms, no trouble with the car's alignment, no college tuition problem, no worries.
9. Serenity: Or may we suggest the pithier, Boat Owners Association of The United States?
10. Blue Moon: The beer? Now that's a name.
So, if you happen to possess a boat so named below, know our "humor" is motivated strictly by jealousy and pettiness.
The Top 10 boat names:
1. AquaHolic: Sends wrong message to future boat owners who might also abuse the well-traveled "aHolic." BeeraHolic, BabeaHolic, AlcoHolic...
2. Andiamo (Let's Go): (No.)
3. The Black Pearl: The Pirates of the Caribbean vibe. We get it. You're a pirate.
4. La Belle Vita (The Beautiful Life): Or may we suggest the English translation, The Beautiful Pizza?
5. Mojo: Cujo.
6. Island Time: Unless it's 2:13 p.m., today, we don't care.
7. Second Wind: Really?
8. No Worries: No worries, nope, nothing to worry about, no bills, no problems at work or home, no problem with the dog's back spasms, no trouble with the car's alignment, no college tuition problem, no worries.
9. Serenity: Or may we suggest the pithier, Boat Owners Association of The United States?
10. Blue Moon: The beer? Now that's a name.
Source Water Protection Project Of The Year Award
Mayor James Ireton, Jr. is proud to announce the City of Salisbury and the City of Fruitland will share the Source Water Protection Project of the Year award from Maryland Rural Water Association for the Salisbury/Fruitland Water Connection Project. This award will be presented at the Maryland Rural Water Association Annual Conference on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 in Ocean City, MD.
Maintenance of Effort Ignored by Some Counties
It seems that Wicomico County isn’t the only place in Maryland that is having maintenance of effort (MOE) problems this year. Some counties are cutting BOE budgets and not even bothering with the time and expense of filing for MOE waivers.
DE House GOP Offer Spending Alternative
DOVER -- Playing the role of the loyal opposition, House Republicans on Thursday pitched a $298.5 million surplus spending plan to reform DelDOT's budget, invest in infrastructure and open-space preservation and cut taxes.
As lawmakers begin debating how to spend an estimated $320 million surplus, House Republicans are countering Democratic Gov. Jack Markell's proposal to spend the extra money on construction projects, debt reduction, new job creation, green-energy initiatives and a smaller tax cut.
The biggest portion of the Republican plan would go toward $100 million in infrastructure for sewer and dam projects and another $20 million to purchase and preserve open space.
House Republicans propose sending $83.5 million of the additional revenue back to taxpayers by cutting the personal-income, gross-receipts and corporate-franchise tax rates back to their June 2009 levels.
Looking Forward to 2014 Already?
The Gazette’s Laslo Boyd analyzes four (4) potential Democrat candidates to succeed Gov. Martin O’Malley:
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown
AG Doug Gansler
Comptroller Peter Franchot
Howard Co. Exec Ken Ulman
Isn’t it a little early to start worrying about this?