Standard & Poor's follows Moody's in saying it is considering U.S. credit rating for possible downgrade over risk of default.
From Fox News
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Lower Shore Voters Don’t Want a Toll Increase
If the nearly two hundred people who showed up for tonight’s public hearing are any indication, Lower Shore voters don’t want ANY increase in the tolls on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. That was one message our elected officials heard loud and clear.
Delegate Mike McDermott (R-38B) whipped the crowd into near frenzy with his explanation as to why we don’t need a toll increase and why Shore citizens can’t afford one. Del. Norm Conway (D-38B) tried to thread the needle; sounding like he was opposed to the toll hike but leaving the door open for a hike to $5 per round trip. Citizens would have none of that, going so far as to boo Conway.
More to come in the morning. Have a great evening.
FBI To probe Murdoch's Company Over Sept. 11 Allegation
Washington (CNN) -- The FBI has launched an investigation into Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. after a report that employees or associates may have attempted to hack into phone conversations and voice mail of September 11 survivors, victims and their families, a federal law enforcement source told CNN Thursday.
"We are aware of the allegations and are looking into them," said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation. "We'll be looking at anyone acting for or on behalf of News Corp., from the top down to janitors," to gather information and determine whether any laws may have been broken.
Because the investigation just began, it's too early to say when the first interviews will be conducted, the source said, adding the probe is a "high priority."
MORE
"We are aware of the allegations and are looking into them," said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation. "We'll be looking at anyone acting for or on behalf of News Corp., from the top down to janitors," to gather information and determine whether any laws may have been broken.
Because the investigation just began, it's too early to say when the first interviews will be conducted, the source said, adding the probe is a "high priority."
MORE
STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON MARYLAND’S RETENTION OF ITS TRIPLE A BOND RATING
ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 14, 2011) – Governor Martin O’Malley today issued the following statement regarding Maryland’s retention of its Triple A bond rating by all three bond rating agencies:
“As a result of the tough choices we’ve made and the smart fiscal policies we’ve fought for as One Maryland in the midst of the worst national recession since the Great Depression, all three credit rating agencies reaffirmed – once again – the fiscal strength of our State. Maryland remains one of only eight states to maintain its Triple A bond rating from all three ratings agencies.
“Together, even in tough economic times, we made the difficult choices necessary to create and save jobs, improve conditions for Maryland businesses, and fuel economic progress. I thank the members of the General Assembly for their work in helping us pass budgets that maintain our shared principles of fiscal responsibility and Treasurer Kopp and Comptroller Franchot for their leadership and sound management of our State’s finances.
“While Maryland is not immune to the effects of this national recession, together we have made the difficult, but right decisions to protect our State’s long-term financial health, invest in our future, and protect our most valuable asset – the skills and strength of our people.”
In assigning Maryland’s Triple A bond rating, all three agencies noted the State’s strong, diverse economy, including an unemployment rate significantly below the national level, and proactive response to recent budget imbalances during the recession.
Religious Freedom Group Sues Perry Over Planned All-Day Prayer Event in Texas
A Wisconsin-based religious freedom group is suing Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a possible Republican presidential contender, in an effort to block his promotion of and participation in an all-day Christian prayer event to be held Aug. 6, arguing that it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
The Freedom From Religious Foundation, which claims more than 16,000 members, including 700 in Texas, filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday in Houston, contending that Perry’s actions violate the Constitution's Establishment Clause by “giving the appearance that the government prefers evangelical Christian religious beliefs over other religious beliefs and non-beliefs.”
“We always say, beware prayer by pious politicians,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor, who co-directs the group with her husband, Dan Barker, a former evangelical Christian minister who is now an atheist.
“Nothing fails like prayer,” she said. “It’s the ultimate political cop-out.”
Rep. Harris’ First Bill in Congress to Prevent Harmful Chesapeake Bay Dead Zones
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Andy Harris’ first bill - H.R. 2484 Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2011- was approved by the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. The bill will likely be considered by the full Science, Space and Technology Committee later this month.
“The Chesapeake Bay is a national environmental treasure that so many Marylanders depend on for jobs,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “During these tough economic times, it is important that we continue research on the latest technologies to prevent further damage to one of Maryland’s most important economic engines.”
The bill reauthorizes and modifies the program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Under the bill, increased emphasis is placed on developing technologies to control and respond to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and the dead zones caused through oxygen depletion. In particular, a new streamlined protocol will help move technology from the laboratory to the field. An information clearinghouse will also include toxin standards for comparative research.
New Deportation Case Tests Obama Administration on Gay Marriage
The Obama administration's policies on immigration and gay marriage are being tested in another case of a gay man fighting deportation by citing his marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Alex Benshimol, a 47-year-old Venezuelan citizen who lives in California, married his partner, Doug Gentry, last year in Connecticut, the Contra Costa Times reported. Gentry is a U.S. citizen.
The couple was granted a reprieve Wednesday when an immigration judge delayed Benshimol's deportation by at least two years, as he presses the government to drop its efforts to deport him, the Times reported. He came to this this country in 1999, but his visa has since expired.
The U.S. allows citizens to sponsor their spouses for green cards and eventually citizenship, but the federal Defense of Marriage Act bars the government from recognizing such applications from same-sex spouses.
ICE Program Flies Illegals to Mexico City
The United States has resumed an 8-year-old program that flies undocumented immigrants, caught at the border, to Mexico City during the hot summer months as part of an effort to stem illegal immigration, thwart smuggling organizations and prevent migrant deaths.
The voluntary program, operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will run through Sept. 28 and is expected to cost $9 million to $11 million, said Vincent Picard, a spokesman for ICE based in Phoenix.
Under the program, undocumented immigrants from central and southern states in Mexico apprehended by the Border Patrol are given the opportunity to fly on a chartered flight from Tucson to Mexico City, where they are given bus tickets to return to their hometowns.
Ordinarily, undocumented immigrants from Mexico caught by the Border Patrol are simply returned to Mexico through ports along the border, where many simply reconnect with smugglers and attempt to cross illegally again.
Flying immigrants to Mexico City, more than 1,000 miles away, reduces the chance the migrant will try to sneak across the border again, Picard said.
READ MORE …
The voluntary program, operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will run through Sept. 28 and is expected to cost $9 million to $11 million, said Vincent Picard, a spokesman for ICE based in Phoenix. Under the program, undocumented immigrants from central and southern states in Mexico apprehended by the Border Patrol are given the opportunity to fly on a chartered flight from Tucson to Mexico City, where they are given bus tickets to return to their hometowns.
Ordinarily, undocumented immigrants from Mexico caught by the Border Patrol are simply returned to Mexico through ports along the border, where many simply reconnect with smugglers and attempt to cross illegally again.
Flying immigrants to Mexico City, more than 1,000 miles away, reduces the chance the migrant will try to sneak across the border again, Picard said.
READ MORE …
Prison Doctor With No Patients Makes $770,000.00
California Pays Doctor With No Patients Big Bucks for Mail Room Duty
He once had a psychiatric crisis where he engaged in "bizarre, irrational and delusional communications." He led police on a high-speed chase from a hospital to his home. And he was fired from his job for alleged incompetence.
So what does that get you in California, a state struggling with its budget?
Mail room duty with a $770,000 payout.
A California surgeon at a state prison who has not seen a patient in six years because the state is concerned about his medical skills, rakes in a salary that is four times that of the state’s governor, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Adoption May Be The Next Step
We have held onto this puppy for a week. She is great with kids and other dogs but not housebroken. We have contacted rescues and they are unable to take her.
Tomorrow we are going to have to unfortunately take her to the humane society.
Not sure if you could repost her one more time.
Renee
443-614-8727
Lower COLA Formula Ignores Soaring Health Care
The Obama administration and lawmakers from both political parties are warming up to a lower cost-of-living adjustment formula for retirees' annuity. Lawmakers are now in budget talks as the government nears the Aug. 2 deadline to increase the debt limit. Dan Adcock of NARFE says the inflation index does not take into consideration the rising costs of health care for retirees.
QUOTES OF THE DAY – GOVERNMENT EDITION
In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery? ~St. Augustine
In a state-run society the government promises you security. But it’s a false promise predicated on the idea that the opposite of security is risk. Nothing could be further from the truth. The opposite of security is insecurity, and the only way to overcome insecurity is to take risks. The gentle government that promises to hold your hand as you cross the street refuses to let go on the other side. ~Theodore Forstmann
Our government has become too responsive to trivial or ephemeral concerns, often at the expense of more important concerns or an erosion of our liberty, and it has made policy priorities more dependent on where TV journalists happen to point their cameras…. As a nation we have lost our sense of tragedy, a recognition that bad things happen to good people. A nation that expects the government to prevent churches from burning, to control the price of bread or gasoline, to secure every job, and to find some villain for every dramatic accident, risks an even larger loss of life and liberty. ~William A. Niskanen, “For a Less Responsive Government,” Cato Policy Report, 1996
The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment. ~Robert M. Hutchins, Great Books, 1954
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. ~Winston Churchill
If people behaved like governments, you’d call the cops. ~Kelvin Throop
Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor. ~James Russell Lowell
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. ~George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, “Maxims: Education,” 1905
Democracy: The state of affairs in which you consent to having your pocket picked, and elect the best man to do it. ~Benjamin Lichtenberg
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. ~P.J. O’Rourke
If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. ~George Bernard Shaw
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ~Abraham Lincoln
Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true. ~Polish Proverb
The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them. ~Karl Marx
A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. ~Barry Goldwater
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well-armed lamb. ~Benjamin Franklin
Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what’s going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate? ~Will Rogers
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer. ~Will Rogers
Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens – and then everybody disagrees. ~Boris Marshalov
A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon – it won’t work and you can’t fire it. ~George S. Patton
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. ~Denis Diderot
Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt. ~Herbert Hoover, attributed
Talk is cheap – except when Congress does it. ~Cullen Hightower
Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds. ~John Perry Barlow
Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good. ~H.L. Mencken
Democracy is an experiment, and the right of the majority to rule is no more inherent than the right of the minority to rule; and unless the majority represents sane, righteous, unselfish public sentiment, it has no inherent right. ~William Allen White (Thanks, Bob)
Many people say that government is necessary because some men cannot be trusted to look after themselves, but anarchists say that government is harmful because no men can be trusted to look after anyone else. ~Nicolas Walter, About Anarchism
Source
In a state-run society the government promises you security. But it’s a false promise predicated on the idea that the opposite of security is risk. Nothing could be further from the truth. The opposite of security is insecurity, and the only way to overcome insecurity is to take risks. The gentle government that promises to hold your hand as you cross the street refuses to let go on the other side. ~Theodore Forstmann
Our government has become too responsive to trivial or ephemeral concerns, often at the expense of more important concerns or an erosion of our liberty, and it has made policy priorities more dependent on where TV journalists happen to point their cameras…. As a nation we have lost our sense of tragedy, a recognition that bad things happen to good people. A nation that expects the government to prevent churches from burning, to control the price of bread or gasoline, to secure every job, and to find some villain for every dramatic accident, risks an even larger loss of life and liberty. ~William A. Niskanen, “For a Less Responsive Government,” Cato Policy Report, 1996
The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment. ~Robert M. Hutchins, Great Books, 1954
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. ~Winston Churchill
If people behaved like governments, you’d call the cops. ~Kelvin Throop
Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor. ~James Russell Lowell
Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. ~George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, “Maxims: Education,” 1905
Democracy: The state of affairs in which you consent to having your pocket picked, and elect the best man to do it. ~Benjamin Lichtenberg
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. ~P.J. O’Rourke
If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. ~George Bernard Shaw
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. ~Abraham Lincoln
Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true. ~Polish Proverb
The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them. ~Karl Marx
A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. ~Barry Goldwater
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well-armed lamb. ~Benjamin Franklin
Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what’s going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate? ~Will Rogers
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer. ~Will Rogers
Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens – and then everybody disagrees. ~Boris Marshalov
A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon – it won’t work and you can’t fire it. ~George S. Patton
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. ~Denis Diderot
Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt. ~Herbert Hoover, attributed
Talk is cheap – except when Congress does it. ~Cullen Hightower
Relying on the government to protect your privacy is like asking a peeping tom to install your window blinds. ~John Perry Barlow
Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good. ~H.L. Mencken
Democracy is an experiment, and the right of the majority to rule is no more inherent than the right of the minority to rule; and unless the majority represents sane, righteous, unselfish public sentiment, it has no inherent right. ~William Allen White (Thanks, Bob)
Many people say that government is necessary because some men cannot be trusted to look after themselves, but anarchists say that government is harmful because no men can be trusted to look after anyone else. ~Nicolas Walter, About Anarchism
Source
Bill Assures Military Personnel Get Paid
A bill introduced in the House would ensure military personnel get pay and benefits in case there's no deal on raising the federal debt limit. It calls for emergency appropriations if the government must curtail spending. GovExec reports, the bill was offered by Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa), Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) and Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). The bill is dubbed the Payment Reliability for our Obligations to Military and Investors to Secure Essential Stability act, or PROMISES.
After Facebook Romance Goes Downhill, Woman Sues Ex
A Michigan woman is suing her long-distance love saying he ended their relationship for another woman. How much is a broken heart worth? Apparently, $8,368.88.
The Seattle Times reports that Cheryl Gray, a 50-year-old single mother, met Wylie Iwan, a 35-year-old Applebee's employee, through Facebook when the two started regularly playing Mafia Wars on the same team. Soon the two were Facebook messaging one another, as well as emailing, calling and texting. They even created a private Facebook page that just the two of them could access and see.
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The Seattle Times reports that Cheryl Gray, a 50-year-old single mother, met Wylie Iwan, a 35-year-old Applebee's employee, through Facebook when the two started regularly playing Mafia Wars on the same team. Soon the two were Facebook messaging one another, as well as emailing, calling and texting. They even created a private Facebook page that just the two of them could access and see.
More
BREAKING NEWS: Google’s 2Q Results Crush Wall Street Views
Google posted second-quarter earnings and revenue that handily topped Wall Street’s view, sending the shares soaring in after-hours trade. The company earned $8.74 a share in the period, compared with Wall Street’s expectation of $7.85. The stock is up 10% in late trading.
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From Fox News
This Just In
Comments are suggesting John Robinson is the owner of the vehicle and I have confirmed this is in fact the case. The Police told him NOT to drive the vehicle and they were under the impression he was going to load the vehicle onto a truck and take it away. That did not happen. Robinson waited for the Police to leave and they immediately got in the vehicle and drove off, illegally.
Some people simply have no respect for the law and or Law Enforcement Officers. I agree with one commenter, I would NEVER allow my child to risk his life on the road in such a vehicle. Then again, I'm nothing like John Robinson.
If you do in fact see this vehicle on the road contact the Police immediately.
Mikulski: Department Of Defense Hiring Freeze Bad Idea
Source
Companies Head Back Downtown
In a bid to attract younger employees, more companies are moving out of the 'burbs and back in to cities.
FORTUNE -- Like many companies, Michigan-based Quicken Loans once thought a suburban location made a lot of sense. Space in office parks was reasonably priced, and employees could buy new single-family homes with yards and access to good schools.
But a few years ago, the online mortgage lender began to think about a move to the city. For a technology company, "there is an opportunity cost of not being in an urban environment," says CEO Bill Emerson. "The youth of America, when they graduate, they're looking to go to an urban environment." Top recruits wanted somewhere they could work, live and play and meet other young people. "An asphalt parking lot is not necessarily the best way to do that."
Lured in part by dirt-cheap real estate costs, Quicken Loans moved 1,700 employees from the suburbs into Detroit last year. It plans to move 2,000 more by March 2012, and is developing the whole downtown Woodward Avenue area with the hopes of luring more tech-friendly companies.
More
FORTUNE -- Like many companies, Michigan-based Quicken Loans once thought a suburban location made a lot of sense. Space in office parks was reasonably priced, and employees could buy new single-family homes with yards and access to good schools.
But a few years ago, the online mortgage lender began to think about a move to the city. For a technology company, "there is an opportunity cost of not being in an urban environment," says CEO Bill Emerson. "The youth of America, when they graduate, they're looking to go to an urban environment." Top recruits wanted somewhere they could work, live and play and meet other young people. "An asphalt parking lot is not necessarily the best way to do that."
Lured in part by dirt-cheap real estate costs, Quicken Loans moved 1,700 employees from the suburbs into Detroit last year. It plans to move 2,000 more by March 2012, and is developing the whole downtown Woodward Avenue area with the hopes of luring more tech-friendly companies.
More
Five Day U.S. Mail Service?
Momentum is gathering on the Hill to cut Saturday mail delivery. Representative Darrel Issa sent a letter to the House rules committee asking to drop six day mail delivery from the 20-12 financial services appropriations bill. Issa says the provision could save the USPS $3 billion annually. Gov Exec reports, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware has also sponsored legislation that would allow the Postal Service to change its delivery schedule.
Beer: The Next Casualty Of Minnesota Shutdown
MINNEAPOLIS (CNN) -- Miller Lite beer fans better stock up while they can.
The MillerCoors brewing company will soon be forced to pull 39 brands of beers from every restaurant, bar and liquor store in the state of Minnesota.
The MillerCoors brewing company will soon be forced to pull 39 brands of beers from every restaurant, bar and liquor store in the state of Minnesota.
It's all because the company wasn't able to renew their brand label registration far enough in advance before the state's government shut down.
Banks Impose Surcharge For Using The Word 'Bank'
As usual, parody news site The Onion has managed to produce fake news that tells the truth better than actual facts can. This week's radio newsflash: not satisfied with charging us fees to receive statements, use tellers, use ATMs, have accounts, and transfer funds, banks will now automatically charge us seventy-flve cents to use the word "bank." That sentence cost me $1.50.
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Are You Being Robo-Called by Andy Harris?
In the last two days we’ve receive quite a few calls and emails from readers complaining about “robo-calls” from First District Congressman Andy Harris. Some have even complained that they received two calls in one day.
Indeed, there were two calls that went out Tuesday. One call was an actual robo-call. Its purpose was to inform citizens of the toll hike hearing being held tonight in Berlin. The other call was a “Tele-Townhall”.
What’s a Tele-Townhall?
These are large conference calls. On Tuesday night Harris held a Tele-Townhall with over 6,200 constituents from the Eastern Shore. According to Harris Press Secretary Ryan Nawrocki:
This is the most cost efficient means for Andy to communicate with his constituents. Andy truly cares about how he spends taxpayer dollars. There aren’t any other means that we’ve found so far where Andy can talk to the people of the First District, but more importantly hear what they have to say and do so in an efficient manner.
Andy tries to do at least one of these every two weeks or so. It usually starts off with Andy speaking about a particular issue. The citizens can make comments or ask questions over the phone. Finally, we usually do a short poll where folks can give their answers via their phone keypad.
Here is one of the e-mails we received:
Do you have any suggestions as to how I can stop all of the automated phone calls that I receive from Andy Harris? I got 2 of them just today. I like him and did vote for him, but he is beginning to really annoy me. I usually get at least 2-3 each week..sometimes, as today, several in one day. A couple of weeks ago I sent an email to him requesting that he remove my number from his phone base, but still the calls persist. Unfortunately the Do Not Call list does not include politicians and charities, so do you have any ideas on this subject?
We asked Nawrocki about this as well. He was sorry that this individual’s email somehow was overlooked. “We put people on a ‘do not call’ list all the time. If they would send an email again, or call one of Andy’s offices, I’m sure that they wouldn’t be bothered again.”
Harris’s offices can be found on his US House website or you can call:
| Washington, DC 506 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-5311 Fax: 202-225-0254 | Kent Island 100 Olde Point Village Suite 101 Chester, MD 21619 Phone: 410-643-5425 Fax: 410-643-5429 |
| Belair, MD 15 East Churchville Road Suite 102B Bel Air , MD 21014 Phone: 410-588-5670 Fax: 410-588-5673 | Salisbury |
Unauthorized Phone Charges Cost Americans $2 Billion A Year
Washington (CNN) -- A key Senate chairman says Congress needs to pass legislation to protect customers from unauthorized third-party charges on their phone bills because the telephone industry has failed to prevent the practice.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, said a one-year study by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee shows about $2 billion a year in "mystery fees" show up on the landline phone bills of Americans, a problem known as cramming.
In a Wednesday hearing, Rockefeller asked an industry representative why major companies like AT&T haven't stopped unauthorized third-party charges from going onto their customers' phone bills.
"It's illegal, it's wrong, it's scamming," Rockefeller said. "Why haven't you cleaned up your act?"
More
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-West Virginia, said a one-year study by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee shows about $2 billion a year in "mystery fees" show up on the landline phone bills of Americans, a problem known as cramming.
In a Wednesday hearing, Rockefeller asked an industry representative why major companies like AT&T haven't stopped unauthorized third-party charges from going onto their customers' phone bills.
"It's illegal, it's wrong, it's scamming," Rockefeller said. "Why haven't you cleaned up your act?"
More
Have You Seen This “Vehicle”?
Why?
The young person driving this vehicle is reportedly underage. The vehicle is illegal in the state of Maryland except for Ocean City. The vehicle has no tags, therefore no liability insurance. On at least two occasions, I’ve seen this vehicle tearing up and down the downtown plaza and almost hit someone on one occasion.
It has been seen driving on main city streets and was almost hit by someone down near the University.
Either the young man driving it, a passenger, or someone in another vehicle is going to be injured or killed.
Foreclosures Plunge In First Half Of 2011
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Foreclosure filings fell dramatically during the first half of the year as processing delays at the banks, which are strapped with excess inventory of repossessed homes, continued to skew the numbers -- and falsely raise hopes that the housing market is staging a recovery.
Foreclosure filings plunged 29% compared with the same period a year ago and were down 25% from the last six months of 2010, according to the latest report from RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties.
More
Foreclosure filings plunged 29% compared with the same period a year ago and were down 25% from the last six months of 2010, according to the latest report from RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties.
More
Feeding Kids When Parents, Schools Can't
Editor's Note: Education Overtime is an eight-week series that focuses on the conversations surrounding education issues that affect students, teachers, parents and the community.
During the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States. But when summer arrives, parents struggling to feed their children can no longer rely on those meals.
More than 21 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches at school. But in the summer, the number of kids participating in food programs drops to fewer than 3 million, despite efforts to raise awareness and increase community support, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
To help fill that gap, one community in suburban Atlanta is delivering food -- and hope -- in brown paper bags.
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Because Of Constitution Error, North Dakota Is Not A State (And Never Has Been)
A constitutional error recently discovered shows that North Dakota has never technically fit the requirements for statehood.
John Rolczynski, an 82-year old Grand Forks resident, discovered the error in 1995 and has been been campaigning to fix North Dakota's constitution ever since. The problem lies in the state constitution's omission in requiring the governor and other top officials to take an oath of office. In failing to require these oaths, North Dakota's constitution is at odds with federal requirements established by Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, therefore making statehood illegitimate.
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John Rolczynski, an 82-year old Grand Forks resident, discovered the error in 1995 and has been been campaigning to fix North Dakota's constitution ever since. The problem lies in the state constitution's omission in requiring the governor and other top officials to take an oath of office. In failing to require these oaths, North Dakota's constitution is at odds with federal requirements established by Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, therefore making statehood illegitimate.
More
PHILLIPS SEAFOOD ANNOUNCES NEW LOCATION AT THE POWER PLANT
BALTIMORE, MD (July 14, 2011) – Phillips Seafood and The Cordish Companies announced today that Phillips will remain in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, residing in the former ESPN Zone space at the Power Plant. After 31 years as the flagship restaurant of the Harborplace Light Street Pavilion, Phillips recently announced it was closing its doors at the Harborplace site. Phillips found the perfect location in downtown Baltimore in The Cordish Companies’ international award-winning Power Plant development.
This is a marriage of two old, established Baltimore-based companies, both with operations around the world. The Cordish Companies has been a key developer of anchor attractions within Baltimore’s downtown tourist district. Phillips identified the former ESPN Zone space as the premier retail location downtown, and determined it was a perfect match for the company’s goal to remain a dynamic destination for Baltimore Inner Harbor visitors.
Phillips Seafood opened in 1980 with great fanfare as the flagship restaurant in the Inner Harbor. Phillips was the anchor, and heart and soul of Harborplace for three decades, as legions of Baltimoreans familiar with their Ocean City venue flocked to the restaurant downtown. Phillips growth and success made national news over the last 30 years and consistently placed its Harborplace facility in the top 100 highest grossing independent restaurants in the country.
Phillips’ move to the Power Plant will open a new chapter for the popular seafood restaurant. The interior will boast two full bars with a layout conducive to hosting private parties and will provide a full-service, classic seafood dining experience. In addition, there will be an exciting outdoor hard shell crab deck on a barge directly in front of the restaurant. The Power Plant location is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2011.
Wait Until You Buy Beer At Walmart, Leave Store To Start Drinking
When you need a beer, you need a beer. But the law requires you to wait until you actually own the beer and exit the store, and in many cases, make it all the way home before you start guzzling. A 57-year-old South Dakota man who allegedly plays by his own rules was arrested for tossing caution to the wind and getting his chug on in the Walmart aisles.
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Hoyer To Whip Dems Against Balanced Budget Amendment
Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.), the Democratic whip, announced Wednesday that he'll marshal Democratic votes against the Republicans' balanced budget amendment when GOP leaders bring it to the floor next week.
The announcement is bad news for Republican supporters of the bill, who will need at least 48 Democratic supporters to reach the two-thirds majority in the House required to pass the measure.
"I strongly oppose Republicans’ proposed balanced budget amendment, and I will be whipping against it," Hoyer said in a statement.
"By enshrining Republican policy priorities in the Constitution — and by making it historically difficult to raise revenue or raise the debt ceiling in order to pay our bills — the Republican amendment would impose severe hardship on millions of Americans."
Sponsored by GOP Reps. Bob Goodlatte (Va.) and Joe Walsh (Ill.), the balanced budget proposal would require Congress to pass a balanced budget each fiscal year while capping federal spending at 18 percent of the GDP. Additionally, the bill would require two-thirds of Congress to hike taxes, and a three-fifths majority to increase the debt limit.
Supporters say it's necessary to control annual deficit spending and reduce the national debt, which is fast approaching $14.3 trillion.
"Adoption of the balanced budget amendment would help ensure such spending restraints are set in stone, and the certainty it provides will help create a better environment for job creation across the country," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday.
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The announcement is bad news for Republican supporters of the bill, who will need at least 48 Democratic supporters to reach the two-thirds majority in the House required to pass the measure.
"I strongly oppose Republicans’ proposed balanced budget amendment, and I will be whipping against it," Hoyer said in a statement.
"By enshrining Republican policy priorities in the Constitution — and by making it historically difficult to raise revenue or raise the debt ceiling in order to pay our bills — the Republican amendment would impose severe hardship on millions of Americans."
Sponsored by GOP Reps. Bob Goodlatte (Va.) and Joe Walsh (Ill.), the balanced budget proposal would require Congress to pass a balanced budget each fiscal year while capping federal spending at 18 percent of the GDP. Additionally, the bill would require two-thirds of Congress to hike taxes, and a three-fifths majority to increase the debt limit.
Supporters say it's necessary to control annual deficit spending and reduce the national debt, which is fast approaching $14.3 trillion.
"Adoption of the balanced budget amendment would help ensure such spending restraints are set in stone, and the certainty it provides will help create a better environment for job creation across the country," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday.
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Ride the Bus to Dew Tour
The Town of Ocean City encourages those attending the Dew Tour July 21-24 to take municipal buses to the event, which will be held on the beach north of the pier and steps from the Ocean City Boardwalk.
Coastal Highway bus service is $3 ride all day or $1 per boarding. The normal summer bus schedule will be in effect throughout the event. Buses run approximately every 10 minutes from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. and every 20 minutes from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.
An express shuttle service will also be available Thursday through Sunday from the Ocean City Convention Center south parking lot at 40th Street. Service will operate 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Additionally, a downtown bus service loop also will be in place during the event to serve those coming from 28th Street south to the South Transit Station on South Division Street. Required bus fare for Coastal Highway buses, express shuttles and the downtown loop is $3 ride all day or $1 per boarding. Exact fare is required.
The West Ocean City Park & Ride on Route 50 is just west of the Route 50 Bridge and offers free parking and $1 ride-all-day shuttle service to the South Transit Station in the downtown. Shuttle buses run every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
The Boardwalk tram also offers service daily. Boardwalk trams will operate from10 a.m. until midnight.
For more information about the Ocean City Transportation operations, call 410-723-1606 or visit www.oceancitymd.gov.
THIS IS PRICELESS:
ACTUAL PASSPORT APPLICATION LETTER SENT BACK TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT
Dear Mrs. Ms. Or Sir:
I'm in the process of renewing my passport and still cannot believe this.
How is it that Radio Shack has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a cable TV from them in 1987 (23 years ago), and yet, the Federal Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date.
For Christ sakes, do you guys do this by hand? Ever heard of computers?
My birth date you have in my social security file. It's on EVERY income tax form I've filed for the past 30 years. It's on my Medicare health insurance card and my driver's license, It's on the last eight damn passports I've had, It's on every stupid customs declaration form I've had to fill out before being allowed off the plane for the last 30 years. And it's on all those census forms that we have to do every 10 years.
Would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother's name is Maryanne, my father's name is Robert and, since they're both deceased, I'm reasonably confident that neither name is likely to change between now and when I die.
Between you an' me, I've had enough of this bureaucratic bullshit!
You send the application to my house, then you ask me for my #*&#%*& address.
What is going on? You must have a gang of bureaucratic Neanderthal morons working there!
Look at my damn picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? And "No," I don't want to dig up Yasser Arafat, for shit sakes. I just want to go and park my ass on a sandy beach. And would someone please tell me, why would you give a damn whether I plan on visiting a farm in the next 15 days?
If I ever got the urge to do something weird to a chicken or a goat, believe you me, I'd sure as hell not want to tell anyone!
Well, I have to go now because I have to go to the other end of the city and get another#*@&#^@*@& copy of my birth certificate to the tune of $100.
Would it be so difficult to have all the services in the same area so I could get a new passport the same day? Nooooo, that would require planning and organization. And it would be too logical for the @&^*^%@% government.
You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off. Then, we have to find some asshole to confirm that it's really me in the damn picture - you know, the one where we're not allowed to smile.......Hey, you know why we can't smile?
We're totally pissed off!
Signed
- An Irate Citizen.
P.S. Remember what I wrote about getting someone to confirm that the picture is me? Well, my family has been in the United States of America since 1776. I have served in the military for something over 35 years and have had security clearances up the ying yang. However, I have to get someone important to verify who I am - you know, someone like my doctor........ WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN INDIA !
Dear Mrs. Ms. Or Sir:
I'm in the process of renewing my passport and still cannot believe this.
How is it that Radio Shack has my address and telephone number and knows that I bought a cable TV from them in 1987 (23 years ago), and yet, the Federal Government is still asking me where I was born and on what date.
For Christ sakes, do you guys do this by hand? Ever heard of computers?
My birth date you have in my social security file. It's on EVERY income tax form I've filed for the past 30 years. It's on my Medicare health insurance card and my driver's license, It's on the last eight damn passports I've had, It's on every stupid customs declaration form I've had to fill out before being allowed off the plane for the last 30 years. And it's on all those census forms that we have to do every 10 years.
Would somebody please take note, once and for all, that my mother's name is Maryanne, my father's name is Robert and, since they're both deceased, I'm reasonably confident that neither name is likely to change between now and when I die.
Between you an' me, I've had enough of this bureaucratic bullshit!
You send the application to my house, then you ask me for my #*&#%*& address.
What is going on? You must have a gang of bureaucratic Neanderthal morons working there!
Look at my damn picture. Do I look like Bin Laden? And "No," I don't want to dig up Yasser Arafat, for shit sakes. I just want to go and park my ass on a sandy beach. And would someone please tell me, why would you give a damn whether I plan on visiting a farm in the next 15 days?
If I ever got the urge to do something weird to a chicken or a goat, believe you me, I'd sure as hell not want to tell anyone!
Well, I have to go now because I have to go to the other end of the city and get another#*@&#^@*@& copy of my birth certificate to the tune of $100.
Would it be so difficult to have all the services in the same area so I could get a new passport the same day? Nooooo, that would require planning and organization. And it would be too logical for the @&^*^%@% government.
You'd rather have us running all over the place like chickens with our heads cut off. Then, we have to find some asshole to confirm that it's really me in the damn picture - you know, the one where we're not allowed to smile.......Hey, you know why we can't smile?
We're totally pissed off!
Signed
- An Irate Citizen.
P.S. Remember what I wrote about getting someone to confirm that the picture is me? Well, my family has been in the United States of America since 1776. I have served in the military for something over 35 years and have had security clearances up the ying yang. However, I have to get someone important to verify who I am - you know, someone like my doctor........ WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN INDIA !
Allen Raises $1.1 Million in Q2
In his bid to reclaim the U.S. Senate seat he lost in 2006, Republican George Allen raised $1.1 million in the second quarter, bringing his fundraising total to $2.6 million from more than 5,000 donors.
Democrat Timothy M. Kaine, Allen's most prominent opponent and a fellow former governor, announced last week that he had raised $2.25 million in the second quarter, double Allen's figure.
But Kaine, a former Democratic National Committee chairman, still trails Allen overall. He entered the race in late April, missing the first quarter in which Allen brought in $1.5 million.
Allen's campaign reports $1.65 million in cash on hand at quarter's end and Kaine's campaign roughly $1.8 million.
"Susan (Allen) and I appreciate so many people for their generosity and caring support for our campaign to bring Virginian voices and values to Washington," Allen said.
Katie Wright, a spokeswoman for Allen's campaign, said that 82 percent of Allen's contributions came from Virginians.
'Ex-Terrorist' Rakes In Homeland Security Bucks
Rapid City, South Dakota (CNN) -- Walid Shoebat had a blunt message for the roughly 300 South Dakota police officers and sheriff's deputies who gathered to hear him warn about the dangers of Islamic radicalism.
Terrorism and Islam are inseparable, he tells them. All U.S. mosques should be under scrutiny.
"All Islamic organizations in America should be the No. 1 enemy. All of them," he says.
It's a message Shoebat is selling based on his own background as a Palestinian-American convert to conservative Christianity. Born in the West Bank, the son of an American mother, he says he was a Palestinian Liberation Organization terrorist in his youth who helped firebomb an Israeli bank in Bethlehem and spent time in an Israeli jail.
That billing helps him land speaking engagements like a May event in Rapid City -- a forum put on by the state Office of Homeland Security, which paid Shoebat $5,000 for the appearance. He's a darling on the church and university lecture circuit, with his speeches, books and video sales bringing in $500,000-plus in 2009, according to tax records.
"Being an ex-terrorist myself is to understand the mindset of a terrorist," Shoebat told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
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Terrorism and Islam are inseparable, he tells them. All U.S. mosques should be under scrutiny.
"All Islamic organizations in America should be the No. 1 enemy. All of them," he says.
It's a message Shoebat is selling based on his own background as a Palestinian-American convert to conservative Christianity. Born in the West Bank, the son of an American mother, he says he was a Palestinian Liberation Organization terrorist in his youth who helped firebomb an Israeli bank in Bethlehem and spent time in an Israeli jail.
That billing helps him land speaking engagements like a May event in Rapid City -- a forum put on by the state Office of Homeland Security, which paid Shoebat $5,000 for the appearance. He's a darling on the church and university lecture circuit, with his speeches, books and video sales bringing in $500,000-plus in 2009, according to tax records.
"Being an ex-terrorist myself is to understand the mindset of a terrorist," Shoebat told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."
More
The Housing Slump Is Far Worse Than You Think
Key housing market statistics point to years of stagnation
You might be tempted to believe that after four years of brutal declines in home prices, the worst of the crisis is over. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index of prices has fallen back to where it was in 2003. Housing prices in Phoenix are at 2000 levels, and Las Vegas is revisiting 1999. Lower prices have made homes more affordable than they’ve been in a generation, and sales have gone up in six of the past nine months. “It’s very unlikely that we will see a significant further decline” in prices, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a July 3 appearance on CNN. “The real question is, when will we start to see sustainable increases? Some think it will be as early as the end of this summer or this fall.”
Doug Ramsey of Minneapolis investment firm Leuthold Group is a student of asset bubbles, from tech stocks in the late ’90s to commodities in the late ’70s and railroads in the 19th century. His outlook is very different from the HUD Secretary’s. Ramsey calculates that single-family housing starts would have to soar an unprecedented 60 percent to 70 percent from their current half-century low of a 419,000 annual rate just to hit the average low of the past six housing busts since 1960 (650,000 to 700,000).
Higher Camping Fees Proposed At Assateague Island
The proposal would raise the cost of regular sites in the Oceanside and Bayside campgrounds by $5 per night. The cost of a group site would increase by $10 per night. The cost for a backcountry camping permit would also increase by $1.
Individual campsites are currently $20 per night through Oct. 15, and $16 a night the rest of the year. Group campsites are $30 year-round.
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Slain Brooklyn Boy Alive For Hours After Disappearance, Suspect Allegedly Says
Apparent confession details how child spent the night in alleged killer's home
New York — Eight-year-old Brooklyn boy Leiby Kletzy and the man arrested for his murder were together for more than 12 hours after the child went missing, according to a transcript of the suspect's alleged confession obtained by NBC New York.
Police and volunteers began looking for Kletzy late Monday afternoon after he disappeared while on his way to meet his mother in the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park after attending a day camp. It was the first time the boy had been allowed to leave the camp on his own, sources told NBC New York.
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One Mom’s Crusade For Cleaner Playgrounds At Fast Food Joints
Anyone who thinks playgrounds are clean either doesn't remember being a kid or is seriously deluding themselves. But one Arizona mom is so fed up with the crap-tastic conditions at the playgrounds found at fast food restaurants that she's turned her summer vacation into a research project.
The mom, who is also a developmental psychologist, first came face to face with the pathogen farm that was her local McDonald's a few months ago when, after stopping for an emergency potty break, her kid asked to play on the big plastic slide.
Horrified by the unsanitary conditions at the McDonald's, she says she made several fruitless attempts to contact management. It wasn't until she posted a video (see below) detailing the horrors — complete with lab results showing all sorts of bad stuff — that McDonald's HQ responded.
MESSAGE FROM RON PAUL
President Obama must be grinning from ear to ear.
Not only has the news reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is scheming to raise the debt ceiling with no real spending cuts, but if this plan goes through, Senator McConnell will have handed yet more power over to the Executive Branch – just because the Senate GOP Leadership doesn’t want to have to “deal with it” again!
In addition to surrendering more of Congress’ power to President Obama, there is no timetable for the cuts in the bill – so they’re rendered effectively meaningless.
And the ceiling will be raised “automatically” THREE TIMES during this Congress alone!
If this plan goes through, Senator McConnell will have betrayed you, me, and every other freedom-loving patriot in America.
That’s why it’s vital you sign the petition urging your representative and senators to oppose Mitch McConnell’s raw deal – and any other phony compromise on the debt ceiling – IMMEDIATELY.
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Not only has the news reported yesterday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is scheming to raise the debt ceiling with no real spending cuts, but if this plan goes through, Senator McConnell will have handed yet more power over to the Executive Branch – just because the Senate GOP Leadership doesn’t want to have to “deal with it” again!
In addition to surrendering more of Congress’ power to President Obama, there is no timetable for the cuts in the bill – so they’re rendered effectively meaningless.
And the ceiling will be raised “automatically” THREE TIMES during this Congress alone!
If this plan goes through, Senator McConnell will have betrayed you, me, and every other freedom-loving patriot in America.
That’s why it’s vital you sign the petition urging your representative and senators to oppose Mitch McConnell’s raw deal – and any other phony compromise on the debt ceiling – IMMEDIATELY.
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Informant in NJ Corruption Probe Living in Maryland
The operator of a massive Ponzi scheme and key informant in a federal corruption sting in New Jersey, which led to the arrests of dozens of politicians, public officials and rabbis, has been living in Pikesville while waiting to testify in the cases.
The information came to light this week when Solomon Dwek, 38, was unable to take the stand in the trial of the former mayor of Secaucus, N.J. because of an arrest here. Dwek turned informant - and became a media sensation in New Jersey - after being charged in a $400 million Ponzi scheme and was free on bail, but his arrest in June in Baltimore for failure to return a rental car triggered a federal judge to revoke that bail.
On Thursday, the car theft charges were dropped in Baltimore District Court. Defense attorney Marc Zayon called the case a "financial oversight with no criminal intent." He said the car had been returned to Hertz Rent-a-Car, where Dwek is a "gold" member, and all payments had been made.
Poverty in America, Part I
Poverty is on the rise in America, and buying passivity with cheap bribes has limits when applied to a fraying middle class.
If jobs are not coming back, then we as a nation need a conversation about poverty in America. The Status Quo assumption is that this is just another garden-variety recession, and that employment will bounce back, along with the "animal spirits" that drive borrowing and spending.
As of August 2011, it will be three years since the global financial meltdown. In three years, the Savior State has borrowed and blown $6 trillion maintaining the Status Quo, and the Federal Reserve has printed almost $3 trillion and shoveled that vast sum into "risk assets" to keep housing on life support and the stock market rising. The Fed has also devalued and debased the dollar, stealing wealth from the citizenry and holders of U.S.-denominated debt in the process, to serve two goals: 1) spark inflation and thus avoid deflationary deleveraging of the nation's fast-growing mountain of debt, and 2) to enable servicing that debt with cheaper dollars.
None of these grandiose manipulations has healed the economy or fixed the structural problems which made the meltdown inevitable. The irony here (among many) is that so many people believe the Power Elites controlling the nation have some sort of god-like ability to maintain their grip on the levers of power.
More
If jobs are not coming back, then we as a nation need a conversation about poverty in America. The Status Quo assumption is that this is just another garden-variety recession, and that employment will bounce back, along with the "animal spirits" that drive borrowing and spending.
As of August 2011, it will be three years since the global financial meltdown. In three years, the Savior State has borrowed and blown $6 trillion maintaining the Status Quo, and the Federal Reserve has printed almost $3 trillion and shoveled that vast sum into "risk assets" to keep housing on life support and the stock market rising. The Fed has also devalued and debased the dollar, stealing wealth from the citizenry and holders of U.S.-denominated debt in the process, to serve two goals: 1) spark inflation and thus avoid deflationary deleveraging of the nation's fast-growing mountain of debt, and 2) to enable servicing that debt with cheaper dollars.
None of these grandiose manipulations has healed the economy or fixed the structural problems which made the meltdown inevitable. The irony here (among many) is that so many people believe the Power Elites controlling the nation have some sort of god-like ability to maintain their grip on the levers of power.
More
Cantor Risks Overplaying Hand in Debt Talks
As he has surged to the forefront of debt-limit negotiations and faced round-the-clock scrutiny on cable and radio talk shows, a fundamental question about House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s high-stakes political maneuvering is being discussed in the halls of power.
Is he building street cred with House Republicans or overplaying his hand?
The answer may be both. Cantor’s allies note that he’s been put in the spotlight by assignment — from Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama — not by choice. And they say he has gained political capital within the GOP conference.
Cantor has a lot riding on the outcome of the debt-limit negotiations. He’ll share in the public blame if they fall apart and the economy tanks, and he’ll face recriminations from his conservative base in the House if he cuts too soft a deal with the president.
Still, there’s little question that Republicans, led by Cantor’s steadfast loyalty to their bottom line, have forced the debt-limit debate to be framed in terms of trillions in cuts instead of the clean debt increase Obama originally wanted.
Man Hacks Neighbors' Wi-Fi To Frame Them For Child Porn (And More)
A Minnesota man just got sent down for 18 years for breaking into his neighbors' Wi-Fi network and trying to "frame them for child pornography, sexual harassment, various kinds or professional misconduct and to send threatening e-mails to politicians, including Vice President Joe Biden," reports Wired.
Angry with his neighbors, Matt and Bethany Kostolnik, after they reported him to police for allegedly kissing their young son, Barry Ardolf used password cracking software to break the security on their Wi-Fi router. Then, connected to the internet through it, he began setting up email accounts in their names and causing trouble.
The FBI got involved because he made the mistake of making death threats against Vice President Joe Biden, thinking it would get the Kostolniks into trouble. Investigators soon worked out that they weren't the perpetrators.
Wired's Threat Level reports:
"After the husband explained to his law office superiors that he had no idea what was happening, his bosses hired a law firm that examined his network and discovered that an 'unknown' device had access to it. With Kostolnik's permission, they installed a packet sniffer on his network to try and get to the bottom of the incidents."
If you end up with someone like Ardolf as your neighbor, there's not much you can do to deter them from trying to hack into your Wi-Fi. His victims had, after all, taken the usual precaution of locking their network down and putting a password in front of it. That wasn't enough to keep him out, though.
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Angry with his neighbors, Matt and Bethany Kostolnik, after they reported him to police for allegedly kissing their young son, Barry Ardolf used password cracking software to break the security on their Wi-Fi router. Then, connected to the internet through it, he began setting up email accounts in their names and causing trouble.
The FBI got involved because he made the mistake of making death threats against Vice President Joe Biden, thinking it would get the Kostolniks into trouble. Investigators soon worked out that they weren't the perpetrators.
Wired's Threat Level reports:
"After the husband explained to his law office superiors that he had no idea what was happening, his bosses hired a law firm that examined his network and discovered that an 'unknown' device had access to it. With Kostolnik's permission, they installed a packet sniffer on his network to try and get to the bottom of the incidents."
If you end up with someone like Ardolf as your neighbor, there's not much you can do to deter them from trying to hack into your Wi-Fi. His victims had, after all, taken the usual precaution of locking their network down and putting a password in front of it. That wasn't enough to keep him out, though.
More
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
The Debt Ceiling Reality Show is winding down to its dramatic conclusion on August 2. I think Fox should capitalize on the drama by gathering the American Idol judges to vote on the best performance by a political hack. We can have Ryan Seacrest announce on August 1 at 11:55 pm that the winner is – THE WALL STREET MONIED INTERESTS.
The latest round of kabuki theatre performed by the corrupt lying thieves in Washington DC is being played out every night on the MSM. The volume of misinformation, lies, exaggerations, posturing, and propaganda is staggering. These vile excuses for leaders know that 80% of the American population wouldn’t know the difference between a debt ceiling and a drop ceiling. They use this ignorance to their advantage, as Obama warns that old people won’t get their social security checks and government drones won’t be paid.
According to Gallup, Republicans and Independents don’t want the debt ceiling raised. The poll also indicates that at least one third of Americans don’t care. They are too outraged by the Casey Anthony verdict to focus on the economic future of our country.
More
The latest round of kabuki theatre performed by the corrupt lying thieves in Washington DC is being played out every night on the MSM. The volume of misinformation, lies, exaggerations, posturing, and propaganda is staggering. These vile excuses for leaders know that 80% of the American population wouldn’t know the difference between a debt ceiling and a drop ceiling. They use this ignorance to their advantage, as Obama warns that old people won’t get their social security checks and government drones won’t be paid.
According to Gallup, Republicans and Independents don’t want the debt ceiling raised. The poll also indicates that at least one third of Americans don’t care. They are too outraged by the Casey Anthony verdict to focus on the economic future of our country.
More
Obama Tells GOP Leader To Not 'Call My Bluff'
Obama, Cantor Clash in Heated Deficit Talks
Tensions are flaring as lawmakers return to the negotiating table Thursday, after President Obama ended the last session by dressing down House Republican Leader Eric Cantor.
"Don't call my bluff. I'm going to the American people on this," the president told Cantor, according to the GOP leader.
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State Proposes New Policies to Prevent Rockfish Poaching
State fisheries officials outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday night to curb commercial striped bass poaching in the Chesapeake Bay, just four months after miles of illegal nets filled with 13 tons of fish were discovered by police in the waters off Kent Island.
The proposal by the Department of Natural Resources, which combines a series of new monitoring and enforcement measures, is on a fast track to implementation before the start of the gill net season on Dec. 1.
The discovery of the illegally netted fish throughout February set off a firestorm of protest from recreational groups and conservationists, prompted creation of a $30,000 reward and generated an online petition drive to ban all nets in the bay that collected thousands of signatures from across the country. The incident forced DNR to close the commercial striped bass season for two weeks while officials scrambled to assess the scope of the poaching.
D.C. Firefighters To Help Police Streets?
Both D.C. firefighters and police officers are upset over a new program that forces the fire department to help fight crime. For the past three weeks, D.C. Fire and EMS personnel have been parking their trucks at high crime neighborhoods.
"It's to prevent things from bubbling up. The idea is that if you have a fire engine with adults there no one is going to commit a crime," said D.C. Deputy Mayor Paul Quander. City officials said they just want firefighters to call 911 if they see suspicious activity. The D.C. police union and firefighters union say the plan is not safe.
The National Education Association Flunks A Crucial Test
The New York Times coverage of the recent National Education Association (NEA) convention focused on the inconsequential, while paying little notice to what harbored fundamental significance. It aimed its spotlight and lingered on what it referred to as a shift in position: "... the nation's largest teachers' union
on Monday affirmed for the first time that evidence of student learning must be considered in the evaluations of school teachers around the country." (The New York Times, July 5, 2011.)
In fact, there was little in the way of concessions by the NEA on this point, as The New York Times article itself conceded: "But blunting the policy's potential impact, the union also made clear that it continued to oppose the use of existing standardized test scores to judge teachers ..." And the Times added that the NEA went on to insist that only those tests that have been shown to be "developmentally appropriate, scientifically valid and reliable for the purpose of measuring both student learning and a teacher's performance" should be used. This qualification eliminates almost, if not all, conventional tests.
It's A Dog Day Afternoon As Koreans Try To Beat The Heat
On one of the hottest days of the year, some turn to traditional cuisine to cool off: dog soup
SEOUL, South Korea — Thursday was not a good day to be a dog in South Korea. That's because it was one of the three hottest days according to the Korean lunar calendar — and dog soup is one way to beat the heat.
On "Chobok," people seeking to protect the body from overheating eat traditional healthy foods such as ginseng chicken soup, broiled eel, and "bo-shin-tang," literally "body preservation stew."
Dogs are bred to be eaten in South Korea, and advocates say bo-shin-tang, which consists of dog meat boiled in a mix of hot and strong spices and vegetables, is good for the health.
It is considered a delicacy by some.
Salisbury – A Safer City
Yesterday’s post regarding revitalizing downtown yielded some interesting comments. Several folks argued that safety was still a concern that keeps them from coming downtown, particularly after dark. Interestingly, I received a similar comment from an elected official yesterday afternoon while discussing some items only tangentially related to the city. Perception – that’s the bad news.Here’s the good news: Salisbury is safer today than it was last year. It’s even more so when compared to two years ago. Believe it or not, crime is down compared to 10 YEARS AGO.
Why is that? I think that most folks agree that acting chief Ivan Barkley and Chief Barbara Duncan have been positive influences on the Salisbury Police Department. But that’s only part of the solution. The “Safe Streets” initiative, originally proposed by councilwoman Terry Cohen (who identified the funding source), has proven to be a huge success even though it isn’t fully implemented yet.
Sure, the police are a part of this. Many people consider us the front line. However, the biggest part is re-connecting with the community. We’re starting to work together and we need to continue working together.It looks like Salisbury is a safer place. I’d love to say that it’s safer than ever; but I only have records for the last 10 years. One thing for sure – we’re a lot safer than we were even a decade ago.
A lot of times we sit back because something doesn’t affect us immediately. We all need need to look after one another.
China Urges US To Be 'Responsible' On Debts
Global stocks, dollar slump in wake of stormiest GOP-White House meeting yet
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and top Republicans face growing pressure Thursday to surmount acrimonious divisions over how to avoid a U.S. debt default as an Aug. 2 deadline looms for raising the national debt ceiling.
China, the biggest American foreign creditor with more than $1 trillion in Treasury debt as of March, called on the U.S. government Thursday to adopt "responsible policies" to protect investor interests.
The Foreign Ministry comments followed a warning by Moody's Investors Service that it might strip the United States of its gold-plated credit rating in coming weeks if the $14.3 trillion limit on America's borrowing was not raised.
The prospect of a cut in the American AAA credit rating hit stocks prices globally, and weakened the dollar.
Fun Times, Flash-Sale Style
Now you can add fully guided group events and activities to the list. Launching in 30 cities on Thursday, LivingSocial Adventures offers custom-designed experiences that combine local activities, transportation and related services and are led by LivingSocial employees.
It’s like Events and Adventures without the interview, membership fee or focus on meeting that special someone (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Among the initial offerings:
- Washington, D.C.: 90-minute equestrian trail ride, catered picnic lunch, wine tasting and roundtrip transportation ($99)
- Chicago: Scenic river tubing, catered barbecue and roundtrip transportation ($65)
- Minneapolis, Minn.: Sushi-making lesson, sake tasting, “sake bomb” (kanpai!) and take-home sushi cup ($39)
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Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Association Takes Next Step To Create Liquid Highway
Rehoboth Beach, DE — The Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association (LRCIA) has taken the next step in its plans to bring an environmentally friendly “liquid highway” to the resort towns of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, announcing that a Delaware-based landscape architecture and planning firm and a Baltimore engineering firm will work together on a formal feasibility study of the resort area.
Representatives from Landscape Architectural Service, L.L.C., of Viola, and the firm of Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, will start work on the study, that should take between two and four months to complete, within the next couple of weeks.
Made possible through a $25,000 grant from Delaware’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Project’s Grant Program, the study will focus on possible improvements to the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal, including locating a future docking site on the Rehoboth Beach end of the waterway.
Existing docking areas in Lewes will be examined to determine the best place for a terminal. The area just west of the Rehoboth Beach Museum is currently considered as the most viable option on the southern end of the route.
The primary goal of the feasibility study is the construction of a dock in Rehoboth that would facilitate a solar-powered water taxi between Sussex County’s northern resort communities. While future expansion could include other coastal communities, those options will not be pondered until a later date.
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Breaking News- Roger Clemens Case - Updated
Federal Judge declares a Mistrial in the Roger Clemens Perjury case.
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WASHINGTON – The judge declared a mistrial Thursday in baseball star Roger Clemens' perjury trial after prosecutors showed to jurors evidence that he had ruled would be out of bounds in the case.
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said Clemens could not be assured a fair trial after prosecutors showed jurors evidence against his orders in the second day of testimony.
Walton scheduled a Sept. 2 hearing to determine whether to hold a new trial. He told jurors he was sorry to have wasted their time and spent so much taxpayer money, only to call off the case.
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Mayor, Media Should Knock Off Divisive Public Drama
As a victim of crime, I was happy to read that Salisbury will continue to get Safe Streets money and attention. But I'm disturbed to read about more use of my tax money by the mayor for news conferences to once again beat up on a City Council that hasn't been seated even three months yet.
Also, he seems to be trying to divide the council, getting a new council member and my own District 1 representative to join in at these media events. Then The Daily Times editorial board (that's never been to any budget meeting that I know of) jumps on his bandwagon.
Having supported the election of both the mayor and a number of council members, I cannot understand the mayor's constant attacks, accusations and tantrums against a group of people, especially council leadership, who share his goals -- really, the people's goals.
Does this make sense to anybody?
I want to thank the police for their increased presence in my area, which seems to be reducing open-air drug dealing. Thank you to the council members who eliminated furloughs for police patrols on the street to help keep driving down crime in our city.
Enough with the news conferences and editorial beatings. The "little people" like me are frustrated with bombardment by all this video, TV and newspaper drama and showmanship.
Stop the divisive tactics. Give the new council and cool-headed leadership a chance to do their jobs, even if it means getting fewer photo ops and selling fewer papers.
Ben Cheseldine
Salisbury
Source
Also, he seems to be trying to divide the council, getting a new council member and my own District 1 representative to join in at these media events. Then The Daily Times editorial board (that's never been to any budget meeting that I know of) jumps on his bandwagon.
Having supported the election of both the mayor and a number of council members, I cannot understand the mayor's constant attacks, accusations and tantrums against a group of people, especially council leadership, who share his goals -- really, the people's goals.
Does this make sense to anybody?
I want to thank the police for their increased presence in my area, which seems to be reducing open-air drug dealing. Thank you to the council members who eliminated furloughs for police patrols on the street to help keep driving down crime in our city.
Enough with the news conferences and editorial beatings. The "little people" like me are frustrated with bombardment by all this video, TV and newspaper drama and showmanship.
Stop the divisive tactics. Give the new council and cool-headed leadership a chance to do their jobs, even if it means getting fewer photo ops and selling fewer papers.
Ben Cheseldine
Salisbury
Source
The Emperor Has No Clothes
I don’t think this is going to come as a great shock to any readers of 321gold but the lamestreet media has done a rotten job of educating the public on the dangers of the current mess in the EU, most notably Greece. The best reporting I have read on what’s going on has come from Pater Tenebrarum of Acting-Man.com. You should go to his site daily, it’s very good.
There are two very important concepts that I want to talk about in this piece. The first is that all loans get paid. ALL LOANS GET PAID. If not by the borrower, then by the lender. Greece is a serial deadbeat. Tax evasion is a national sport. In Athens, taxes have been paid on about 300 swimming pools. Google Earth reveals over 17,000 pools in the city, all owned by people claiming to make less than 35,000 Euros a year.
The EU paid most of the cost for an underground system for the 2004 Olympics. Tickets for the subway are on an honor basis, and most Greeks simply don’t pay. The average wage for workers on the tube is about $100,000; three times the pay in the private sector. The company brings in about $128 million in revenue yearly with costs of $800 million. No wonder the Greeks are in the street rioting, they have a sweet deal going and want the good times to continue.
The EU has already turned over 110 billion Euros and is preparing to dump another 110 billion Euros down into the cesspool that is Greek finance. The money will never be paid back; Greece doesn’t pay their bills. They want the rest of the EU to pay their bills.
The lamestreet media suggests the problems are over for Greece once this latest loan is in place. Nothing could be further from the truth. Greece has done nothing to get their finances in order and they will consume just as long as anyone is dumb enough to hand them money.
The second major point that I want to make is that we focus on taxes collected when we should focus on just how much the government spends. That’s just as true of the US as it is of Greece. Everything any government spends will ultimately become a tax. It can be a direct tax in the form of income taxes or VAT or sales taxes or Corporate income taxes. But the money spent by the government all has to be collected in one form or another.
Inflation is a tax, default and destruction of pensions is a tax, excess printing of money is a tax.
Here are some numbers that should jump off the page at you. These are charts showing the current yield on2 year and 10-year notes.
Greece 2-year yields
Greece 10-year yields
Spain 2-year yields
Spain 10-year yields
Portuguese 2-year yields
Portuguese 10-year yields
Irish 2-year yields
Irish 10-year yields
More
There are two very important concepts that I want to talk about in this piece. The first is that all loans get paid. ALL LOANS GET PAID. If not by the borrower, then by the lender. Greece is a serial deadbeat. Tax evasion is a national sport. In Athens, taxes have been paid on about 300 swimming pools. Google Earth reveals over 17,000 pools in the city, all owned by people claiming to make less than 35,000 Euros a year.
The EU paid most of the cost for an underground system for the 2004 Olympics. Tickets for the subway are on an honor basis, and most Greeks simply don’t pay. The average wage for workers on the tube is about $100,000; three times the pay in the private sector. The company brings in about $128 million in revenue yearly with costs of $800 million. No wonder the Greeks are in the street rioting, they have a sweet deal going and want the good times to continue.
The EU has already turned over 110 billion Euros and is preparing to dump another 110 billion Euros down into the cesspool that is Greek finance. The money will never be paid back; Greece doesn’t pay their bills. They want the rest of the EU to pay their bills.
The lamestreet media suggests the problems are over for Greece once this latest loan is in place. Nothing could be further from the truth. Greece has done nothing to get their finances in order and they will consume just as long as anyone is dumb enough to hand them money.
The second major point that I want to make is that we focus on taxes collected when we should focus on just how much the government spends. That’s just as true of the US as it is of Greece. Everything any government spends will ultimately become a tax. It can be a direct tax in the form of income taxes or VAT or sales taxes or Corporate income taxes. But the money spent by the government all has to be collected in one form or another.
Inflation is a tax, default and destruction of pensions is a tax, excess printing of money is a tax.
Here are some numbers that should jump off the page at you. These are charts showing the current yield on2 year and 10-year notes.
Greece 2-year yields
Greece 10-year yields
Spain 2-year yields
Spain 10-year yields
Portuguese 2-year yields
Portuguese 10-year yields
Irish 2-year yields
Irish 10-year yields
More
Beer Company Will Come To Rescue Of Man Who Caught Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit
The saga of the NY Yankees fan who caught — and then gave back — the baseball Derek Jeter knocked out of the park for hit number 3,000 continues. First, the team rewarded the fan with memorabilia and luxury box tickets for the rest of the season. Then came reports that he could be on the hook for thousands of dollars in taxes for the freebies. Today he got some potentially good news, as the folks at Miller High Life say they'll foot the bill for any potential tax liability the guy might have.
"Miller High Life believes you should be rewarded for doing the right thing, not penalized," a possibly drunk rep for the beer tells ESPN.
Some tax experts have warned that the 23-year-old fan could end up owing anywhere from $5,000 to $14,000 in taxes if the IRS declares the freebies as extra income. Others have said the team only needs to classify the seats and swag as gifts and he'll be off the hook.
Tax Cat is currently sleeping so we can't ask him, but we know there are some tax experts reading this. If the fan does get hit with the tax bill and Miller decides to pay, could the IRS still consider the Miller money as additional income?