My dog took off in the area off Beglan Park and Old Ocean City Rd. Can you please post his picture. If found please call 410-726-2385.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Lost Dog: UPDATE
My dog took off in the area off Beglan Park and Old Ocean City Rd. Can you please post his picture. If found please call 410-726-2385.
Home Depot Offering Incredible Deals Through Wednesday
If your a home owner or even a landlord, you should take the time to stop in a see the deals on the floor before Wednesday and take advantage of these great deals. I DID!
GO HERE to see all of the specials this week at Home Depot.
Do NOT Body-Pierce Kittens
Cats are born equipped with defiant attitudes, night vision, and claws, so it doesn't take anything more to make them "goth." At least I always thought so. A Pennsylvania woman with kittens to sell had different ideas. She gave the animals ear and neck piercings, docked their tails, and then pierced their tail nubs. Why? She thought it would look "neat." Then she listed them on eBay for $100, until PETA and the local ASPCA noticed and came calling. She was convicted of animal cruelty, and the Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently affirmed her sentence and conviction on the grounds that no one could possibly be stupid enough to think that this was a good idea. I paraphrase.
Injured Bald Eagle Rescued from Isle of Wight Bay
Marc Eiseman, an angler who lives in the Terns Landing section of Ocean Pines, owns a super-sized net he often uses to catch, then release, sharks from the ocean.
“[It’s] big enough to fish out grandchildren,” he said.
On Sunday, he used his giant net to retrieve a bald eagle from the Isle of Wight Bay.
An unknown boater was first to spot the injured bird in the bay, and he managed to scoot it to the sea wall in the Terns Landing area of Ocean Pines. About a dozen people watched as Eiseman and neighbor Ray Cooper used the net to carefully scoop the eagle from the bay.
“He was flopping in the water,” Eiseman said of the eagle.
The animal rested for about an hour, drying in the sun, before it jumped back into the water. Eiseman and Cooper used the net to scoop the eagle out of the water a second time. This time, however, Eiseman covered the animal so he would be unable to see and then he placed him in a dog crate. The eagle’s right wing was bleeding.
Cable Companies Realize That They May Have Priced Themselves Into Corner
What has cable company executives losing sleep at night? It's certainly not thoughts on how to improve customer service or billing. But it's also not Netflix, Hulu, BitTorrent or any other obvious customer siphon. No, cable suits confess, it's actually the fact that a growing number of Americans find themselves too poor to pay to watch TV.
"We have to be sensitive in making sure we have a product that consumers can afford," said the president of Cox Communications at this week's Cable Show industry event.
Chimed in Time Warner Cable's CEO, "There clearly is a growing underclass of people who clearly can't afford [cable]. It would serve us well to worry about that group."
Talking about the cable industry's largely unchecked ability to raise rates when and how it wants, one analyst tells Reuters that cable companies have priced themselves into a corner:
“That has been a wonderfully attractive model for a generation, but the danger, of course, is that eventually the video product will be priced into irrelevance for lower income consumers... I don't know when it will happen, but I suspect we're already perilously close. ”
Cable worried about poverty, not Netflix [Reuters via CrooksAndLiars]
Ryan Plan is Good Deal for Medicare Beneficiaries
Perhaps the most important debate on the future of Medicare since the program’s inception has now begun.
There is widespread agreement that the current Medicare program is unsustainable. We three former presidents of the American Medical Association have a combined experience of over 100 years of clinical practice and the passionate pursuit of health system reform that is pluralistic and accountable to a diverse array of patients. We have seen first-hand what works and what doesn’t, and we feel compelled to join the debate — not just because we’re doctors, but also because we’re Medicare beneficiaries.
To date, plans for controlling Medicare costs are primarily based on price controls and rationing. Reducing medical reimbursements to levels near or below the cost of delivering care will inevitably lead to a loss of access to care as doctors, clinics, and hospitals are invariably forced to turn seniors with Medicare away. Price controls sound good to some but they just do not work.
Fortunately, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has clarified the debate by presenting a bold and serious proposal. He has created a foundation that can be developed into a viable alternative that allows patients to choose their physicians and health plans and injects individual responsibility and accountability into spending decisions. His suggestion would put patients in charge and make government, insurance companies, hospitals and doctors accountable to the beneficiaries, who would then be in a position to demand cost-effectiveness and quality through the marketplace, just as they now do so well with multiple other important goods and services.
The Other Side of the Housing Crisis
Adam and Lindsey Blackmon are living in their dream home — a 3,900 square-foot, six-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom two-story home — almost by accident.
The house features a giant kitchen, master bedroom suite with a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, bamboo floors and cathedral ceilings.
"We weren't looking," Lindsey Blackmon said.
She and her husband, Adam, are a working-class family in their late 20s, with an 18-month daughter. "It's almost like we skipped a step in housing. We have already found our 'forever' house. It's fantastic"
It's the other side of the housing crisis, the people buying up foreclosed property, often first-time homebuyers, young couples and investors, real estate experts say.
While the Blackmons weren't looking to buy a house, they couldn't help but notice the spacious house for sale on Deep Creek Road in Newport News a few blocks from where they lived in their 1,600 square-foot starter home. They inquired about it, and almost didn't make an offer. They were surprised when they offered $250,000, and the bank counter-offered at $261,000.
In Defense of Pay-to-Play Journalism
Former Bush speechwriter and FrumForum editor David Frum derides what he calls “the conservative media’s pay-to-play deals.” But if I didn’t know better, I’d say David is simply jealous that conservative talk radio hosts, such as Rush Limbaugh, have pioneered a financially lucrative business model, which we’d all do well to emulate.
David cries foul because, according to Politico, in return for million-dollar-plus sponsorships of their radio shows, Rush and other right-thinking talkers agree to promote conservative think tanks and advocacy groups, such as The Heritage Foundation, FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity.
“Understand,” Frum argues, “We are not talking about commercials, separated from the main flow of editorial content. Heritage work is embedded and inserted directly into the editorial flow of the Limbaugh program, as if selected without regard to the money paid.”
Issa Accuses DOJ of Cover-up
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R.-Calif.) told CNSNews.com in an interview that he believes the Justice Department is covering up information relevant to a congressional investigation of an operation in which the department knowingly allowed intermediaries of Mexican drug cartels to purchase guns at licensed firearms dealers in the United States and then get away without being arrested or the guns being retrieved.
Last December, two of those guns ended up at the scene of the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was killed by alleged agents of the Mexican drug cartels.
Issa pointed to two things he says indicates a Justice Department cover up. First, he cites a letter that Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich, head of the Justice Department’s office of legislative affairs, sent to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 4, 2011. Issa characterizes that letter as a “lie.”
Woman Calls 911 Over Messed Up Restaurant Order
This is hilarious. Some woman in Savannah, GA actually called 911 because a Chinese restaurant messed up her order!
Savannah police have released the recording of a call a woman made to report that she got the wrong food in her Chinese food delivery. They published the call as a reminder to the public that it's a misdemeanor to call 911 unless there's an actual emergency. Here is a transcript and the audio of the call:
Over 2,000 Served Up at 62nd Delmarva Chicken Festival
Sure, the Delmarva Chicken Festival has rides, games and crafts booths, but Malissa Billinger knows the real reason people show up for the annual paean to poultry.
"We come for the chicken. Even if you're not hungry, you come for the chicken," Billinger, a Dagsboro resident, said as husband, Andre, watched 5-year-old niece Shania Snead of Millsboro win the first heat of the spoon race.
The poultry festival, which wrapped up its 62nd year Saturday in the town where it was born, is the one opportunity a year that people have to sample chicken from the Giant Frying Pan.
It used to be called the World's Largest Frying Pan until some wiseacres decided to build one just a little larger to steal the festival's thunder. But it's a whopper nonetheless, a 10-foot-wide colossus weighing in at 650 pounds and holding 160 gallons of oil -- the better to fry up 800 chicken quarters at a time.
Prince William Toddler Left in Minivan Found Dead
A 2-year-old boy in Northern Virginia who died Friday may have been left in a family minivan in the heat for several hours, police said.
Prince William County police identified the boy as Ryan Murphy. His parents' names were not released.
Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Chinn said the minivan was in the driveway of the family home when the child was found in a car seat. She said it appears the boy was in the vehicle all day and that the death may be heat-related.
Chinn said the mother's screams once the child was discovered alerted a neighbor, who administered CPR.
Police said an investigation continues.
Allen Bankruptcy Bleak News for Western Sussex County
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Every several minutes on a recent weekday, anothertruck rumbled past Guy Phillips' farm, which is set along Hollis and Gravel Hill roads just east of Georgetown.
Most hauled trailers stacked with empty cages, and were stamped with the familiar blue-and-yellow logo of Allen Family Foods, a 92-year-old member of Sussex County's billion-dollar poultry industry.
The trucks sped to reclaim chickens raised by area farmers, then ferry them back to Allen's Harbeson processing plant, only a couple of miles away.
But Phillips, 58, worries that the local bustle of Sussex County's chicken business will soon go quiet, after Allen collapsed into federal bankruptcy earlier this month.
GOP Presidential Candidates Court Votes in Maryland
It's a long way from New Hampshire or Iowa, and Maryland's primary is 10 months away, but a growing number of Republicans are beginning to make pit stops in the Old Line State as the race for the GOP presidential nomination gets under way.
In the past three weeks, Maryland voters have gotten an up-close look at Republican candidates, possible candidates and party bigwigs, including pizza magnate Herman Cain, tea party star Sarah Palin and the top GOP budget maker in Congress, Rep. Paul Ryan.
And with the 2012 nomination battle under way, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is scheduled to hold a fundraiser Thursday in Baltimore for his presidential campaign. The architect of the 1994 Republican Revolution, whose presidential effort has gotten off to a wobbly start, also will headline an event for the Maryland Republican Party.
Use Salt to Help Beat the Heat
Summer is here and while frolicking outside is fun, if your body isn't ready for the heat it can be a bit of a downer, or even dangerous. If you find yourself feeling light-headed, an unexpected friend in the kitchen can help you out. It sounds counter-intuitive, but a few pinches of salt may be just the trick.
Dissolve half a teaspoon in a glass of water and drink it. It replaces the salt your body lost from sweating and also helps temporarily increase your blood pressure. Large amount of heat can lower your blood pressure and that's part of what makes you feel woozy.
Couple of pinches of salt can help you battle the heat [Detroit Free Press]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Extreme Heat [CDC.gov]
Clerk Struggles for Life After Vehicular Incident
A convenience store clerk continues to fight for his life in the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center after an altercation last Thursday that ended with him being run over by a car, allegedly driven by an angry customer.
Michael Curry, 44, had only worked at the 7-Eleven store on 139th Street for a few months when the incident happened and his sister, Anna Curry, said he loved the job. Today, Michael remains in a heavily sedated state in Shock Trauma in Baltimore with a laundry list of life-threatening injuries.
“We appreciate and welcome all the prayers and warm thoughts. That’s really going to be what pulls Michael through this,” his sister said.
The list of Curry’s injuries is daunting: broken vertebrae in his neck and spine, at least 11 broken ribs, two punctured lungs, a fractured ankle and a fracture below his knee. The only part of his body that didn’t sustain any injuries was his head, Anna Curry said.
Ron Paul Wins RLC Straw Poll
Texas Congressman Ron Paul ran away with 40 percent of the vote at the Republican Leadership Conference's straw poll vote in New Orleans Saturday, after losing by just one vote to Mitt Romney at last year's conference.
From the audience's reaction, you might not have guessed how easily Paul won. Much of the crowd booed as poll results were announced. A small number of cheers could be heard from the Texas congressman's supporters, but noticeably absent was his massive following who filled the conference center on Friday with their Ron Paul signs, chants, and cheers.
Despite a last-minute cancellation of his scheduled speech, citing a bad cold, Jon Huntsman finished second in the polls with 25 percent of the vote - ahead of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (13 percent), businessman Herman Cain (7 percent), and the winner of last year's poll, and current Republican front-runner, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (5 percent), who did not attend the conference.
Saxaphonist Clarence Clemons Dies at Age 69
Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died. He was 69.
Clemons was hospitalized about a week ago after suffering a stroke at his home in Singer Island, Fla. He died of complications from the stroke, spokeswoman Marilyn Laverty said Saturday.
Known as the Big Man for his imposing 6-foot-5-inch, 270-plus pound frame, Clemons and his ever-present saxophone spent much of his life with The Boss, and his booming saxophone solos became a signature sound for the E Street Band on many key songs, including "Jungleland," a triumphant solo he spent 16 hours perfecting, and "Born To Run."
Wal-Mart Employees Try Non-Union Organization Effort
Wal-mart users are again trying to band together and pursue better pay, benefits and treatment on the job, but the new organization effort won't involve a union. The Organization for United Respect at Wal-mart, or OUR Wal-mart, has reportedly signed up thousands of members in an attempt to unionize workers without actually unionizing.
The New York Times reports the group has received funds from the United Food and Commercial Workers, which has paid members to go door-to-door to get Wal-mart workers to join OUR Wal-mart. The fledgling group has organized meetings of employees in several major cities to mull over ways to improve their work experiences.
Because the group is not a union, it won't collectively bargain with Wal-mart for labor contracts, but the story says members could benefit from laws protecting employees from retaliation against "collective discussion and action."
A Wal-mart spokesman says OUR Wal-mart is no different than previous unionization efforts, and simply geared to draw attention to itself.
Wal-Mart Workers Try the Nonunion Route [The New York Times]