Cowboy rules for:
Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, and the rest of the Wild West are as follows:
1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.
3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.
4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go.
5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year.
6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.
7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during a hunt, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.
8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.
9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.
10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age.
11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.
12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah .... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!
13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.
14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.
15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.
16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1!
A true Westerner will send this to at least 10 others and a few new friends that probably won't get it, but we're friendly so we share in hopes you can begin to understand what a real life is all about!!!
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 28, 2011
Hef's '2 Seconds' In The Sack? An Unlikely Issue At 85
Sexpert notes Viagra-poppers usually have quite the opposite problem
Say it ain’t so, Hef!
Crystal Harris, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner’s former fiancé, told Howard Stern that Hef has the sexual staying power of a high school freshman. Hef, she said, lasted “like, two seconds.”
Hefner denied the diss in a tweet — and there's actually good reason to believe him.
Aside from providing evidence that Hef’s taste in women is slipping in his old age, Harris’ statement is pretty unreliable as evidence that Hef is a premature ejaculator because in reality, older men, and especially old men — and let’s face it, at 85 Hef is an old man — typically last longer in the sack.
"Whatever It Takes"
Of the many lamentable things to have emerged from the financial crisis and the subsequent rape of the American public by Wall Street and their employees in Washington D.C. has been the emergence of catchy phrases used by the criminal elite class to sell us on our own servitude. We know all about that horrid “Too Big To Fail” gimmick, the entire concept of which is anti-freedom and anti-capitalism but right up there on the list of irritating and dangerous statements is the constant use by central planners like The Bernank and Tiny Timmy Geithner that they would do “whatever it takes.” Ah, but what does this mean. Whatever it takes. Let’s think about this for a second. Whatever it takes to achieve what exactly? They say to boost the economy but in reality when you look at what they really mean is “whatever it takes” to PRESERVE THE STATUS QUO. A status quo that has not worked for the vast majority of Americans for decades and will not work for 99.9% of us going forward. Key to preserving the status quo is the preservation of the financial and monetary system as it exists today.
During 2008, traitors like Hank Paulson were able to con most of us by saying that we risked a destruction of the financial system as an excuse to give the banksters and their allies a blank check. The con wasn’t in the notion that the financial system risked implosion as I believe that statement was most likely true. The con was that since most Americans don’t have a clue how the financial system works they merely became scared and reflexively agreed in their own minds that “well of course the financial system must be saved.” I on the other hand argue that the financial system is a ponzi scheme that enriches only the three enshrined parasite classes that dominate America today. The TBTF Wall Street banks, the military industrial complex and the politicians and lobbyists in D.C. that line their pockets. Everyone else gets sucked dry. I have spent the last three years of my life writing about this so that people understand when the next major crisis happens who is to blame and more importantly I want to instill in people the courage to look outside of this immoral money system to something that can move us forward when this one gets dismantled. I do not claim to have the answers I am just trying to get people to ask the right questions and get educated on how things operate. We the People must own the debate or it will own us.
Whether or not you agree with me that the financial system is not worth saving, the other key point I try to hammer home is that it doesn’t matter. “Whatever it takes” has already failed. This creates an extremely dangerous scenario became I am not convinced these clowns have a Plan B. Just the statement ”whatever it takes” implies that these guys believe with 100% confidence that they can save the system. So here we are, basically back in recession in the West and there is no Plan B. What most people in the markets fail to understand is that the secular bear forces or what we can call a Kondratieff Winter has remained firmly in place this entire time. All you need to do is look at the Dow Industrials in terms of gold.
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During 2008, traitors like Hank Paulson were able to con most of us by saying that we risked a destruction of the financial system as an excuse to give the banksters and their allies a blank check. The con wasn’t in the notion that the financial system risked implosion as I believe that statement was most likely true. The con was that since most Americans don’t have a clue how the financial system works they merely became scared and reflexively agreed in their own minds that “well of course the financial system must be saved.” I on the other hand argue that the financial system is a ponzi scheme that enriches only the three enshrined parasite classes that dominate America today. The TBTF Wall Street banks, the military industrial complex and the politicians and lobbyists in D.C. that line their pockets. Everyone else gets sucked dry. I have spent the last three years of my life writing about this so that people understand when the next major crisis happens who is to blame and more importantly I want to instill in people the courage to look outside of this immoral money system to something that can move us forward when this one gets dismantled. I do not claim to have the answers I am just trying to get people to ask the right questions and get educated on how things operate. We the People must own the debate or it will own us.
Whether or not you agree with me that the financial system is not worth saving, the other key point I try to hammer home is that it doesn’t matter. “Whatever it takes” has already failed. This creates an extremely dangerous scenario became I am not convinced these clowns have a Plan B. Just the statement ”whatever it takes” implies that these guys believe with 100% confidence that they can save the system. So here we are, basically back in recession in the West and there is no Plan B. What most people in the markets fail to understand is that the secular bear forces or what we can call a Kondratieff Winter has remained firmly in place this entire time. All you need to do is look at the Dow Industrials in terms of gold.
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House Voting On GOP Bill — Key Step In Fight
Reid: 'As soon as the House completes its vote tonight ... It will be defeated'
WASHINGTON — As Thursday's crucial vote neared, Republican leaders convinced a growing number of their fractious rank and file to support a House plan to stave off an unprecedented government default. Many of the chamber's GOP freshmen, crucial to passage, were climbing aboard, but leaders stopped short of claiming victory.
If the House approved the bill, it would bring President Barack Obama and congressional leaders a step closer to endgame efforts for a debt-limit solution before Tuesday's deadline.
At an afternoon news conference, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the House would act on legislation that he called "a sincere, honest effort to end this crisis." Rival Democratic leaders moved ahead on the assumption that Boehner would prevail in rallying Republicans to back the legislation.
Complaint Contact Info For Most Major Companies
If you have a complaint and want to know where to put it, besides the place where the sun has not been seen for a while, the Federal government's Consumer Action Handbook's has an online address book to help point you in the right direction.
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Nintendo Slashes '3DS' Portable Price From $250 To $170
In the wake of a $324 million net loss over the past quarter, Nintendo has announced that its flagship glasses-free 3D portable gaming machine, the Nintendo 3DS, will be discounted by $80—from $250 down to $170—starting August 12.
That's a pretty aggressive price drop, and one which is highlighted with an almost desperate quote from Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, who says, "For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now. We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games."
Woman Sues PETCO After Dog Dies From Cage Dryer
A California woman is suing PETCO after her dog suffered fatal injuries from being placed in a cage dryer, NEWS10/KXTV reported.
Teresa Gilland dropped her dog Sadie off for her monthly grooming appointment at the PETCO store in Fair Oaks—where Sadie experienced heat stroke, internal bleeding and burns after being in a cage dryer at the store. She had to be euthanized at the veterinary office later that evening because of her extreme injuries.
"I couldn't have known," Gilland said. "It never occurred to me that they were putting her in that kennel. It's nothing you can see... it's not out there for the public to see. It's an enclosed kennel, and they blow hot air in there."
There has been controversy about cage dryers in the past, but Gilland is the first known court case in the U.S. Since Sadie’s death three years ago, Gillian has spent two years trying to find a lawyer that would take the case, and is armed with a report from the veterinarian who treated Sadie, stating she suffered “internal burn injuries and bleeding caused by heat.”
Gilliand hopes she can get cage driers banned, but said consumers should at least see a posted warning when they drop off their pet.
U.S. Lawmakers Among World's Best Compensated
The $174,000 base salary for members of Congress is one of the highest legislator pays in the world when compared against the average wage earner, a new report shows.
When benefits are added in, lawmakers earn around $285,000, according to the report released by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and Our Generation. The largest benefit is contributions toward retirement, which the study's authors estimated at $82,000 annually.
The base salary for a member of Congress is 3.4 times greater than the average $50,875 wage of a full-time employee in the United States. That disparity is second only to Japan (3.7 times) among the 13 countries highlighted in the study. Before adjusting for benefits, the base salary places members amoung the top 5 percent of all American workers.,
read more ...
When benefits are added in, lawmakers earn around $285,000, according to the report released by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and Our Generation. The largest benefit is contributions toward retirement, which the study's authors estimated at $82,000 annually.
The base salary for a member of Congress is 3.4 times greater than the average $50,875 wage of a full-time employee in the United States. That disparity is second only to Japan (3.7 times) among the 13 countries highlighted in the study. Before adjusting for benefits, the base salary places members amoung the top 5 percent of all American workers.,
read more ...
The Edison Of Silicon Valley
Steve Perlman, Silicon Valley’s self-styled Thomas Edison, has found a way to increase wireless capacity by a factor of 1,000
Lunchtime, Lytton Ave., Palo Alto, Calif.: It’s a bright, mild July afternoon, and khaki’d professionals meander past the boutiques and coffee shops, heading back to their digital workstations. One of the slower pedestrians, who gets more than a few curious glances from passersby, is a middle-aged guy in jeans and a green T-shirt, carefully rolling a utility cart down the sidewalk. The cart is one of those black, plastic, double-decker jobs you find at a home-improvement store. It’s laden with electronics and has white vinyl plumbing pipes that stick into the air from two corners. “It’s a very small group of people that actually turn the wheels around Silicon Valley,” says Stephen G. Perlman, the Silicon Valley inventor and entrepreneur who once sold a company to Microsoft (MSFT) for half a billion dollars, as he hunches over to keep the gear from jostling.“What’s that?” asks an onlooker, a scruffy guy with gray hair and a beard to match. He looks like he’s been to a few too many Grateful Dead concerts.
Perlman patiently explains that he’s developing a new type of wireless technology that’s about 1,000 times faster than the current cell networks. It will, he says, end dropped calls and network congestion, and pump high-definition movies to any computing device anywhere.
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Don't Ask The Poorest To Pay Off Our Debt
(CNN) -- My fellow Americans: In a matter of weeks you have become studied on the issues of budgets and deficits. You've also formed opinions on these issues, and these opinions are reflected in poll after poll. Isn't it strange that Congress has yet to listen?
Recently, I reviewed a poll completed in late May for the Pew Charitable Trust. They found that a majority of Americans believes the government is "generally helping the wrong people." This discontent stems in part from the perception that the government helps those who need it least -- the rich rather than the middle class or the working poor.
A majority of citizens, 54%, think their government helps the rich economically "a great deal." Much smaller percentages of the public say the same about "the poor, 16%; "the middle class," 7%; or "people like you." Anyone.
Because of a loophole, hedge fund managers are likely to pay a lower rate of taxes than their secretaries. Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest men, has spoken out about the injustice of the fact that his tax rate was less than the cleaning lady's. Both parties agree that reform of the tax code is necessary, but one thing should be clear: As it stands, the tax system disproportionately benefits the wealthiest Americans. Passing a debt deal that exclusively cuts programs that benefit middle- and lower-income Americans will only exacerbate this difference.
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Recently, I reviewed a poll completed in late May for the Pew Charitable Trust. They found that a majority of Americans believes the government is "generally helping the wrong people." This discontent stems in part from the perception that the government helps those who need it least -- the rich rather than the middle class or the working poor.
A majority of citizens, 54%, think their government helps the rich economically "a great deal." Much smaller percentages of the public say the same about "the poor, 16%; "the middle class," 7%; or "people like you." Anyone.
Because of a loophole, hedge fund managers are likely to pay a lower rate of taxes than their secretaries. Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest men, has spoken out about the injustice of the fact that his tax rate was less than the cleaning lady's. Both parties agree that reform of the tax code is necessary, but one thing should be clear: As it stands, the tax system disproportionately benefits the wealthiest Americans. Passing a debt deal that exclusively cuts programs that benefit middle- and lower-income Americans will only exacerbate this difference.
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What Happened To 'We're All In This Together'?
Editor's note: Nicolaus Mills is a professor of American Studies at Sarah Lawrence College and author of "Winning the Peace: The Marshall Plan and America's Coming of Age as a Superpower."
The problem is that beyond this shared fear, there is no consensus among the two parties on the future, no vibrant belief in the idea that we're all in this together.
It has not been possible to get both Democrats and Republicans to look carefully at what happened to the healthy financial surpluses that existed at the end of the Clinton presidency or to agree that fiscal stimulus is a historically proven remedy for jump-starting a lagging economy.
Such sharp divisions are not new to American history. In the 1830s Andrew Jackson encountered bitter opposition to his war on the Second Bank of the United States, and Theodore Roosevelt made enemies with his attacks on turn-of-the-century trusts. But equally relevant for us today is how successful America has been in overcoming the challenges it faced when there was agreement on key issues.
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Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Release
Gary Paul Ballard of Westover, arrested 7-21-11 on a warrant regarding failing to pay court fines and costs. Ballard was released after posting bond.
Alejandro Antonio Linares-Espino of Washington DC, arrested 7-22-11 on warrants regarding failing to appear in court. The arrest was a result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies on Ocean Highway, where Espino was found to be in possession of open alcohol containers. Deputies found that Espino had warrants through Montgomery County District Court. Espino was held on a $10,000 bond.
John Thomas Widdowson of Princess Anne, arrested 7-22-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Widdowson was held on a $35,000 bond.
Victor RAY Adams 2nd of Princess Anne arrested 7-25-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Adams was held on a $5,000 bond.
Ryan Lanear Johnson of Crisfield, arrested 7-25-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Johnson was held on a $50,000 bond.
George Anthony Abrams of Salisbury, arrested 7-25-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Abrams was held on a $25,000 bond.
Patricia Dianne Hall of Crisfield, arrested 7-26-11 on a warrant regarding violation of probation. Hall was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Gregory Anton Riddick of Westover, arrested 7-27-11 on a warrant regarding failing to appear in court. Riddick was released after posting $500.00 bond.
Adarrin Darnell Smith of Salisbury, arrested 7-27-11 on warrants regarding failing to appear in court. Smith was held on a $1,000 bond.
Chaaz T. McClary of Irvington New Jersey and Juan Ralphael Abreu-Martinez of West Orange New Jersey, arrested 7-27-11 on charges of transporting unstamped cigarettes, and possessing, Sale/attempted sale of unstamped cigarettes. Both subjects were released on a unsecured $5,000 bond. The arrests were a result of a traffic stop conducted by Deputies on Ocean Highway, Westover. Deputies recovered 47 cartons of unstamped cigarettes.
Detroit Companies Pay Employees To Live Downtown
Some corporations are so committed to restoring Detroit to the great American city it once was that they're actually paying employees to move downtown. The companies have banded together in a $4 million "Live Downtown" initiative that will provide cash incentives to employees who choose to move to Downtown Detroit, and actually live where they work and go to ballgames and cultural events.
The companies involved are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Compuware Corporation, DTE Energy, Quicken Loans Inc. and Strategic Staffing Solutions. Combined, they have about 16,000 full-time and part-time employees who are eligible for moving perks that could include:
- A $20,000 forgivable loan toward the purchase of a primary residence for new homebuyers.
- $2,500 toward the cost of an apartment in the first year, followed by additional funding of $1,000 for the second year for new renters.
- A $1,000 allowance for renewing a lease in 2011 for existing renters
- Matching funds of up to $5,000 for exterior improvements for projects of $10,000 or more for existing homeowners to help them fix up their homes.
The object of the initiative is to "increase tax revenues, spark retail development and enhance the downtown Detroit area," according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan President and CEO Daniel J. Loepp. Neighborhoods that are eligible for this program include Corktown, Downtown, Eastern Market, Lafayette Park, Midtown and Woodbridge.
Telling 911 Operator Gun Involved Gets Quicker Response, City Councilman Advises Residents
Baltimore City Councilman Robert W. Curran raised some eyebrows at a community meeting this month when he urged residents to speed up police response times by telling 911 operators "there is a gun involved," even if there is not.
The advice drew condemnation from the police union president, who called it irresponsible and warned it could endanger officers unnecessarily speeding to calls. The Baltimore Police Department's chief spokesman cautioned residents "to be truthful" when they call for emergency help.
The advice drew condemnation from the police union president, who called it irresponsible and warned it could endanger officers unnecessarily speeding to calls. The Baltimore Police Department's chief spokesman cautioned residents "to be truthful" when they call for emergency help.
But Curran, in an interview, defended the recommendation that he made during a July 21 community meeting in Hamilton Hills in Northeast Baltimore, saying he hears too often from constituents that it takes too long for police officers to respond to calls.
The councilman made his comments after a man voiced concerns about the time it took for police to respond to his complaint that his car had been vandalized.
"I've heard this many, many times," Curran said Wednesday. "I've been getting letters from community folks. They say they call 911, and the police don't show or show sometimes the next day. The gentleman said he felt it was a situation where there were kids jumping on the hood of his car, and he felt threatened."
The councilman made his comments after a man voiced concerns about the time it took for police to respond to his complaint that his car had been vandalized.
"I've heard this many, many times," Curran said Wednesday. "I've been getting letters from community folks. They say they call 911, and the police don't show or show sometimes the next day. The gentleman said he felt it was a situation where there were kids jumping on the hood of his car, and he felt threatened."
Officials Fear For Infants Born To Prescription Drug Addicts
(CNN) -- According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription drug overdose deaths in Florida are up a staggering 265% since 2003. But it's not just the deaths that have Florida officials worried; it's the births.
"We saw the number of crack babies that died, and this is just another version of that," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said. "We all need to be concerned."
According to state health records, 635 Florida babies were born addicted to prescription drugs in the first half of 2010 alone. South Florida doctors and intensive care nurses report an dramatic uptick in babies born hooked on pills that their mothers abused while pregnant.
"They go through withdrawal symptoms," said Mary Osuch, the head nurse at Broward General Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit. "They're crampy, miserable. They sweat. They can have rapid breathing. Sometimes, they can even have seizures."
According to the White House Office on Drug Control Policy, prescription drug abuse is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem.
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"We saw the number of crack babies that died, and this is just another version of that," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said. "We all need to be concerned."
According to state health records, 635 Florida babies were born addicted to prescription drugs in the first half of 2010 alone. South Florida doctors and intensive care nurses report an dramatic uptick in babies born hooked on pills that their mothers abused while pregnant.
"They go through withdrawal symptoms," said Mary Osuch, the head nurse at Broward General Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit. "They're crampy, miserable. They sweat. They can have rapid breathing. Sometimes, they can even have seizures."
According to the White House Office on Drug Control Policy, prescription drug abuse is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem.
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Is Casual Sex Worth It?
To do it, or not to do it: That is the question of casual sex - at least as depicted on film.
In both "Friends With Benefits" (currently playing) and the previously released "No Strings Attached," casual sex is anything but casual. It’s carefully weighed, hotly debated, methodically scrutinized and, of course, comically miscalculated. As in most romantic comedies, the casual sex turns out to be quite committed and just a part of falling in love and living happily ever after.
In the movies, blind lust and romantic love often intersect seamlessly, but in reality, casual sex is often an emotional dead-end rather than an on-ramp to relationship bliss.
Anthropologist Helen Fisher describes love as a three-phase system:
1) Lust, in which we can attach to anyone.
2) Attraction, in which lust finds its focus and blossoms into romantic love.
3) Attachment, in which romantic love matures into a long-term relationship.
Casual sex is often an expression of Phase 1 (lust at its most unfocused), but, unfortunately, many people go into it with the false hope that it will lead to romantic love. And that’s where life does not imitate the movies.
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In both "Friends With Benefits" (currently playing) and the previously released "No Strings Attached," casual sex is anything but casual. It’s carefully weighed, hotly debated, methodically scrutinized and, of course, comically miscalculated. As in most romantic comedies, the casual sex turns out to be quite committed and just a part of falling in love and living happily ever after.
In the movies, blind lust and romantic love often intersect seamlessly, but in reality, casual sex is often an emotional dead-end rather than an on-ramp to relationship bliss.
Anthropologist Helen Fisher describes love as a three-phase system:
1) Lust, in which we can attach to anyone.
2) Attraction, in which lust finds its focus and blossoms into romantic love.
3) Attachment, in which romantic love matures into a long-term relationship.
Casual sex is often an expression of Phase 1 (lust at its most unfocused), but, unfortunately, many people go into it with the false hope that it will lead to romantic love. And that’s where life does not imitate the movies.
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Los Angeles Ends Red Light Cam Ticketing Program
(CBS News) Los Angeles - one of more than 500 cities that have red light cameras - has decided to pull the plug.
As CBS News National Correspondent Ben Tracy reported, Los Angeles' system managed to be unpopular and a money-loser at the same time.
Los Angeles has 32 red light cameras at various intersections around the city. Since 2004, they have caught 180,000 drivers breaking the law. Yet only about 60 percent of them ever paid the whopping $500 tickets. The city was reportedly losing $1.5 million a year on the program, according to the City of Los Angeles' information.
So on Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to turn off the red light cameras.
Eric Garcetti, president of the Los Angeles City Council, said, "We want safe intersections, but there's not any data that proves this was making these intersections any safer."
At least 32 cities nationwide have turned on red light cameras only to switch them back off either because of court orders, collection issues, or data showing they don't improve safety.
Minn. Senior Jailed After Oil Is Mistaken For Heroin At Canada Border Crossing
(CBS/AP) WARROAD, Minn. - A Minnesota senior citizen was jailed for 12 days in Canada after a jar of motor oil in her car was mistaken for heroin.
Janet Goodin was crossing the border at the Manitoba port of entry to play bingo when Canadian border guards found a jar of brownish liquid in her car, and ran some tests.
Goodin, a former administrative assistant for the Girl Scouts, was shocked when it tested positive for drugs.
She explained to the guards that the jar was actually full of oil, because her son-in-law had recently done some work on her vehicle.
But the 66-year-old woman was handcuffed, interrogated and strip searched, then charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Lost Oklahoma Poodle Reunited With Owner In Maryland
HANCOCK, Md. - A black-and-white poodle named Mona is going home to Oklahoma after spending six weeks lost in the western Maryland mountains.
Rancher Mike Miller of Waurika, Okla., tells The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown that he found the dog near Hancock on Tuesday, six weeks after she disappeared.
Miller had contracted with an animal-transportation company to ship the dog to his mother's home in Pennsylvania. He says Mona escaped at the Sideling Hill rest stop on Interstate 68.
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Rancher Mike Miller of Waurika, Okla., tells The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown that he found the dog near Hancock on Tuesday, six weeks after she disappeared.
Miller had contracted with an animal-transportation company to ship the dog to his mother's home in Pennsylvania. He says Mona escaped at the Sideling Hill rest stop on Interstate 68.
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Wells Fargo Forecloses On, Auctions Off House With Dead Owner Inside
Last year, Wells Fargo foreclosed on and auctioned off a modest townhouse on Cape Canaveral in Florida. The owner hadn't made any mortgage payments or used any electricity in over a year, and neighbors didn't recall seeing her. Her possessions and car were still in the house. Did she walk away from her mortgage and leave town entirely? Not quite. The house's new owner found something Wells Fargo's inspectors and property managers had missed when they inventoried the contents of the house and garage: the homeowner's mummified remains in the front passenger seat of her car. Her cause of death remains unknown.
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Male Contraception May Be A Reality Sooner Than We Think
The birth control pill certainly represents a victory for women's rights, but the realities of taking a daily medication, not to mention the expense and some unpleasant side effects makes it seem more a burden for women than a reproductive equalizer. Enter male birth control, which, researchers say, might finally help men and women to shoulder life's responsibilities together in about 10 years.
In an article in the New York Times, reporter Pam Belluck explores all of the male-based methods of contraception currently in development that promise to be more long-term than a condom and require less commitment than a vasectomy. What's remarkable about that story is how similarly it reads to the development of female contraceptive.
Florida Attorney General Fires State Prosecutors For Going After Big Banks' Foreclosure Fraud, And More
In today's On the News segment: According to the Congressional Budget Office, Speaker Boehner's $1 trillion deficit plan only cuts about $850 billion; Florida state prosecutors fired for going after big banks' foreclosure fraud; Wells Fargo went into African-American neighborhoods; “Cut, Cap, and Balance” dead in Senate; and more. Scroll down to watch the newscast.
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Wis. Man Got Shot - Intentionally - In "Phenomenally Stupid" Attempt To Win Back Ex-Girlfriend
(CBS/AP) MILWAUKEE - The prosecutor called it "the most phenomenally stupid" case he's seen.
When Jordan Cardella's girlfriend broke up with him, Cardella got to thinking: If only I got shot, she would be worried about me, and I could win her back through sympathy.
But then, being a convicted felon, Cardella realized that he wasn't supposed to handle a gun - so he would need some help.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Cardella asked his friend, 20-year-old Anthony Woodall, to shoot him. But Woodall refused. Instead, he asked 24-year-old Michael Wezyk to shoot Cardella, in exchange for money or pain pills.
Court records say Cardella wanted to be shot in the chest or back multiple times, but Wezyk shot him in the arm at a South Milwaukee park in January.
"I mean, sorry to bring something so stupid into your courtroom," Wezyk, 24, of Cudahy, Wis., told Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet, at his sentencing hearing this month. Wezyk pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of injury by negligent use of a dangerous weapon, a felony, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The Fed’s Funny Money
Before the US House of Represenatives Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, Hearing on the Impact of Monetary Policy on the Economy, July 26, 2011
Today's hearing is the second in a series examining the relationship between Federal Reserve policy and the performance of the United States economy. Today we are receiving testimony from the Federal Reserve banks. Of the half-dozen Reserve banks we contacted, only President Hoenig was willing to testify in front of this subcommittee, and we welcome him here today.
Like many critics of the Fed's monetary policy, I fear that quantitative easing will soon return. Despite what we hear from the cheerleaders in government and in the media, the economy remains in a complete shambles. Unemployment remains high and seven million jobs lost during the recession have yet to be regained. The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at or near zero for over two and a half years and pumped trillions of dollars into the banking system in a vain attempt to revive the economy. Yet even now after the failure of the zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) and quantitative easing have become readily apparent, we still hear calls for more stimulus, more easing, more lose money. Like any other government program, the solution for failure is to throw more money at the problem, never mind the fact that throwing more bad money after good in such instances has never succeeded.
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Today's hearing is the second in a series examining the relationship between Federal Reserve policy and the performance of the United States economy. Today we are receiving testimony from the Federal Reserve banks. Of the half-dozen Reserve banks we contacted, only President Hoenig was willing to testify in front of this subcommittee, and we welcome him here today.
Like many critics of the Fed's monetary policy, I fear that quantitative easing will soon return. Despite what we hear from the cheerleaders in government and in the media, the economy remains in a complete shambles. Unemployment remains high and seven million jobs lost during the recession have yet to be regained. The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at or near zero for over two and a half years and pumped trillions of dollars into the banking system in a vain attempt to revive the economy. Yet even now after the failure of the zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) and quantitative easing have become readily apparent, we still hear calls for more stimulus, more easing, more lose money. Like any other government program, the solution for failure is to throw more money at the problem, never mind the fact that throwing more bad money after good in such instances has never succeeded.
More
A New Way To Fight Mexico's Vicious Cartels: Legalizing Marijuana
As journalists filmed Mexican soldiers burning a record-breaking 300-acre (120 hectare) field of marijuana earlier this month, they learned the old lesson of these public displays: You don't actually get high from all the smoke. The plants have to be more mature and fully dried out to release their active psychedelic properties, and all the fumes waft straight up to the clouds rather than into your lungs. Consequently, soldiers in Mexico happily burn marijuana plantations in front of the cameras every week and still stay sober enough to shoot back at irate gangsters. President Felipe Calderón's war on drugs is shown on TV in clouds of green smoke.
But while the marijuana bonfires demonstrate how the Mexican government is constantly hitting drug cartels, they also illustrate how colossal Mexico's marijuana industry is. The 300-acre plantation was busted in the Baja California desert 200 miles (about 320 km) south of San Diego on July 14. Soldiers say a single harvest could yield 120 tons of cannabis, worth some $160 million. It had a sophisticated irrigation system to water plants that sprang up to 2.5 yd. (2.3 m) high alongside kitchens, bathrooms and sleeping quarters for 60 workers. Close by, in Tijuana, soldiers made a megabust in October when they seized 134 metric tons of vacuum-packed marijuana stacked in tractor trailers. That stash was so big, it filled an entire parking lot and unleashed a particularly apocalyptic-looking blaze.
Girl, 17, Suffers Heart Attack Over Shock At School Detention
A teen girl suffered a heart attack aged just 17 after receiving her first school detention, The Sun reported Wednesday.
Tabatha McElligott, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, who was unaware she had a heart condition that could have killed her at any minute, was so shocked at getting in trouble for sneaking out of school without permission she collapsed.
"When we got to the gates, I could hear my teacher calling my name, and my heart started hammering. She began to tell us off, but my heart kept beating harder and harder, and her voice sounded really distant," she said.
McElligott, now aged 19, added, "I felt my legs turning to jelly, and then everything went black. I now know my heart was a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off."
Veins In Palms Scanned To Reduce Medical Errors At NYC Hospital
A New York City hospital has stopped asking many patients to dig out health insurance cards and fill in endless forms, instead identifying them by scanning the unique lattice of veins in their palm.
The new biometric technology employed by New York University's Langone Medical Center was expected to speed up patient check-ins and eliminate medical errors.
Studies have shown that hospital errors are behind as many as 98,000 deaths a year in the United States.
"The primary reason we actually got into this was patient safety," Bernard Birnbaum, the center's vice dean and chief of hospital operations, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
The system also has the virtue of not requiring the patient be conscious at the time of check-in, as is sometimes the case in emergency rooms.
"The benefits so greatly outweighed the disadvantages it was a no-brainer to implement," Birnbaum said.
The scanners are made by the technology services company Fujitsu and exploit the principle that, as with fingerprints and iris patterns, no two individuals' palm-vein configurations are quite the same.
Tropical Storm Don Spins In The Gulf Of Mexico
(CNN) -- Forecasters expanded a tropical storm watch along the Texas coast early Thursday as Tropical Storm Don made its way into the central Gulf of Mexico.
The fourth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was about about 635 miles (1025 km) east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, at 5 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane center said. It was moving to the west-northwest at nearly 10 mph (17 kph).
A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible in the area within 48 hours. The watch is in place from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to near San Luis Pass.
Tropical storm force winds extended up to 45 miles (75 km) from the storm's center.
Ideals Versus Realities
by Thomas Sowell
Many of us never thought that the Republicans would hold tough long enough to get President Obama and the Democrats to agree to a budget deal that does not include raising income tax rates. But they did — and Speaker of the House John Boehner no doubt desires much of the credit for that.
Despite the widespread notion that raising tax rates automatically means collecting more revenue for the government, history says otherwise. As far back as the 1920s, Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon pointed out that the government received a very similar amount of revenue from high-income earners at low tax rates as it did at tax rates several times as high.
How was that possible? Because high tax rates drive investors into tax shelters, such as tax-exempt bonds. Today, as a result of globalization and electronic transfers of money, "the rich" are even less likely to stand still and be sheared like sheep, when they can easily send their money overseas, to places where tax rates are lower.
Kucinich Calls For DOJ To Investigate Ratings Agencies
WASHINGTON - Rep. Dennis Kucinich has called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the credit rating agencies.
“We are not a poor country. We’re the richest country in the world and to tempt the markets to further manipulate us – these, these ratings agencies, there ought to be a Justice Department investigation of them,” said Kucinich at a press conference with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus on Wednesday.
Get In Line
by W. James Antle, III
It's getting ugly on Capitol Hill, folks. This week, congressional Republicans have gone from holding the president and their leadership's feet to the fire to becoming a circular firing squad.
Conservatives were in full revolt against House Speaker John Boehner's two-step plan to raise the debt ceiling by the August 2 deadline after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found his accompanying spending cuts wanting. Perhaps it was payback from the last crisis, when GOP congressmen were stampeded into voting for a deal that would avoid a government shutdown, only to learn that it cut just $352 million from the current year's deficit.
Bamboozled time and again by Democratic presidents and their own leadership, many rank-and-file conservatives just don't believe fiscal discipline that must be maintained by future Congresses will ever materialize. They are unwilling to raise either taxes or the federal debt limit in exchange for phantom spending cuts.
Business Leaders Air Growing Unhappiness With Obama
As the economic recovery stalls and the debt debate in Washington fuels market uncertainty, business leaders — many of whom were once close to the White House — are increasingly airing their fears that President Obama’s policies are stifling job creation.
At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday, Kimberly-Clark Corp. Chairman and CEO Thomas J. Falk said the administration’s proposal to raise the tax on foreign earnings of American-based firms “would put U.S. companies at a significant disadvantage.”
The move “would slow economic growth in the U.S. and impede the creation of U.S.-based jobs,” Mr. Falk said.
Leaders in the oil and gas industry say the administration could clear the way for the creation of thousands of domestic jobs if it weren’t beholden to environmentalists. As one example, they point to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, a massive construction project that has been awaiting approval since Mr. Obama took office. The pipeline would run from Alberta, Canada, to Houston, Texas.
When Is An Ideology Responsible for Murder?
Last week, a psychotic anti-multiculturalism, anti-immigrant, anti-Marxist named Anders Behring Breivik shot up a children's summer camp in Norway. The left wing media was only too eager to point to his ideology as the rationale for the shooting.
David Neiwert of CrooksandLiars.com stated that Breivik subscribed to the "theories about 'Cultural Marxism' ... promoted by the likes of Andrew Breitbart, among others." The Daily Kos tried to link Breivik to Accuracy in Academia and the World Congress of Families. Think Progress blamed Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, blogger Pamela Geller, author Brigitte Gabriel and scholar of Islam Robert Spencer.
In short, it was a repeat of the Sarah Palin-Gabby Giffords story, only writ large. This begs the question: When should an ideology be held responsible for murder undertaken by its adherents?
Great Debate: Sen. Obama Vs. President Obama
Would Senator Barack Obama disagree with the actions and statements of President Barack Obama? That question gets a closer look in the video ‘The Great Debate’.
Among the issues touched on is President Obama’s current decision to have the Attorney General’s office on the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA).
“I told you I was against the Defense – the so called - Defense Of Marriage Act. I’ve long supported efforts to pass a repeal through Congress,” President Obama said in June of 2011.
Bullying from the Pulpit
"It would be good if Obama could be a dictator for a few years," said the director Woody Allen in 2010, as he dismissed Tea Party Republicans as obstructionists. The left holds this view even more fervently today. Speaking to the National Council of La Raza earlier this week, President Obama allowed himself a musing on dictatorship's appeal that met with great approval from the audience.
"Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own. And believe me, right now, dealing with Congress… the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you. Not just on immigration reform. But that's not how -- that's not how our system works," he said, to which members of the La Raza audience responded with a chant of "Yes, you can!" and a cry of "Change it."
So, liberals dream about dictatorial powers for Obama. Yet this week they profess a deep regard for the virtues of "bipartisanship" and see themselves as unimpeachable arbiters of a "balanced" approach to the debt crisis. Nothing bothers them more than the "intransigence" of Tea Party Republicans, who perversely refuse to step aside and let Obama act like a debt-oblivious Third World dictator.
Another Poll Shows Allen-Kaine as Tight Race
A new poll shows Democrat Timothy M. Kaine about even with Republican opponent and fellow former Gov. George Allen in Virginia's 2012 U.S. Senate race.
The survey of Virginia voters from left-leaning Public Policy Polling shows Kaine edging Allen 46 to 43 percent, within the poll's 4.4 percentage point margin of error.
While the two have nearly identical support among party loyalists, Kaine has a 44 to 33 percent edge among independents, according to the poll.
It also shows Kaine with a higher favorability rating than Allen (42-34) and a lower disapproval rating (40-44). Tea-party Republican candidate Jamie Radtke's challenge was obvious, with 79 percent of those polled having no opinion.
"It's obviously a poor sign when even a liberal polling firm with a history of donating to national Democrats shows former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine's approval rating under 50 percent," responded Jahan Wilcox, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
The poll also looked at the possibility of Radtke knocking off Allen in the primary, in which case Kaine's lead grows to 16 points (47-31). Additional GOP primary numbers will be available today.
"Even as (President) Barack Obama's numbers in the state have worsened over the last three months, the state of the Senate race has remained the same," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. "This is a contest that seems likely to stay tight all the way to Election Day, regardless of changes in the political winds."
Adolf and Anders
by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
WASHINGTON — Think of Anders Behring Breivik, the man who bombed a government building in Norway before proceeding to coldbloodedly massacre scores of defenseless young people on a secluded island several miles away, as an Adolf Hitler of one. The first Adolf Hitler was a Hitler to millions. He captured an entire nation and terrified the world for years.
One imagines that the two, if ever they could have a quiet talk together, would have much to agree on. Both were meticulous planners, though I dare say Breivik was Hitler's superior. He would not delay an invasion of Russia. Both harbored grudges against threats to their culture from the foreign-born and what Breivik called the "cultural Marxists." I can well imagine the Führer admiring Breivik's taste in uniforms, his Aryan features and his longing for his viking past. Both were mama's boys.
EXCESSIVE HEAT RETURNING TO THE AREA
(Salisbury,MD) Another heat wave is expected to grip our region in the next few days. Temperatures will again be in the upper 90 degrees with the heat index reaching over 100 degrees. Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at increased risk for a heat related illness. A heat-related illness can become life-threatening very quickly.
The Wicomico County Health Department urges everyone to practice these stay cool safety tips: Seek air-conditioned environments such as malls, libraries and public places. Stay indoors. Schedule outdoor activities before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm. Take a cool bath or shower. Minimize direct exposure to the sun, if you must be outdoors, seek shade. Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids. Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. Limit using the stove or oven to keep the house cooler. Check on others; co-workers, the elderly, and those living alone. Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes. Bring pets indoors. If they must remain outside make sure they have shade and plenty of clean, fresh water.
"At this time, we do not anticipate opening cooling centers in Wicomico County. For up to date information and stay cool tips, visit our website at http://www.wicomicohealth.org/.” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer.
Salisbury Ranks Among Most Affordable Towns in Maryland
WBAL has ranked Maryland’s Most Affordable Housing Towns. Salisbury ranked fourth behind Cumberland, Clinton, and Hagerstown.
Tea Party Rep. Joe Walsh Sued for $100,000 in Child Support
Freshman U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a tax-bashing Tea Party champion who sharply lectures President Barack Obama and other Democrats on fiscal responsibility, owes more than $100,000 in child support to his ex-wife and three children, according to documents his ex-wife filed in their divorce case in December.
“I won’t place one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids and grandkids unless we structurally reform the way this town spends money!” Walsh says directly into the camera in his viral video lecturing Obama on the need to get the nation’s finances in order.
Walsh starts the video by saying, “President Obama, quit lying. Have you no shame, sir? In three short years, you’ve bankrupted this country.”
This article is from the Chicago Sun-Times. Note the headline and the lead. A great example of how the “unbiased” MSM shows its true bias. – Ed.
Bankrupt Evangelical Megachurch May Get a Roman Catholic Makeover
GARDEN GROVE, CA — The Crystal Cathedral, once a symbol of America’s evangelical movement where thousands of congregants attended services each Sunday, may be about to make a major religious conversion: The Roman Catholic Church is looking to buy the headquarters of the bankrupt megachurch.
The Diocese of Orange has offered $50 million to buy Crystal Cathedral’s 40-acre campus and convert the landmark church into a Catholic cathedral, part of a plan to allow Crystal Cathedral Ministries, which operates the church, to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings.
The diocese’s offer is one of several plans to be considered by the Crystal Cathedral Ministries board when it meets Thursday, before another hearing in bankruptcy court on Monday. Other plans would convert parts of the campus into a university health sciences center or apartments.
The diocese would renovate the interior to create an altar and other elements of a Catholic cathedral, but would leave the glass-paned exterior of the church, designed by Philip Johnson, largely unaltered.
Prosecutors Want Former Legislator to Serve 12 Years
Prosecutors today asked that former Del. Phillip A. Hamilton be given a sentence of more than 12-and-a-half years in prison for bribery and extortion.
The ex-legislator from Newport News was convicted in May for arranging funding for the Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership at Old Dominion University in 2007 in exchange for a job as its director.
He is to be sentenced Aug. 12 by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who is free to impose a term under or over the 151 to 188 months called for under U.S. sentencing guidelines.
“This is a case without precedent in annals of the history of this commonwealth and its state legislative officials,” the U.S. Attorney’s office wrote in its sentencing brief to Hudson.
The government is seeking a term within the guidelines, complaining: “Essentially, the defendant sold his position of public trust, violating his oath of office to the citizens of Virginia, in exchange for the extraction of a personal benefit to which he was not entitled.”
Health Tab To Hit $4.6 Trillion In 2020
(WASHINGTON) — The nation's health care tab is on track to hit $4.6 trillion in 2020, accounting for about $1 of every $5 in the economy, government number crunchers estimate in a report out Thursday.
How much is that? Including government and private money, health care spending in 2020 will average $13,710 for every man, woman and child, says Medicare's Office of the Actuary.
By comparison, U.S. health care spending this year is projected to top $2.7 trillion, or about $8,650 per capita, roughly $1 of $6 in the economy. Most of that spending is for care for the sickest people.
The report from Medicare economists and statisticians is an annual barometer of a trend that many experts say is unsustainable but doesn't seem to be slowing down. A political compromise over the nation's debt and deficits might succeed in tapping the brakes on health care, but polarized lawmakers have been unable to deliver a deal.
Off-Duty TSA Agent Uses Badge To Scare Driver
One would think that the in-airport exploits of TSA agents do enough to tarnish the agency's image. However, one agent in Connecticut thought he could bring that same level of traveler satisfaction to those driving the streets of the Nutmeg State.
Yesterday morning, a woman in South Windsor, CT, called 911 to complain about a man who had been driving too close to her car while flashing a badge at her. That man was eventually stopped by police and identified as a 63-year-old TSA agent who works at Bradley Airport.
Debt Ceiling Debate Not The Real Point
Debt-limit debate wearing on Americans ... As an Aug. 2 deadline draws closer and Washington's political brinkmanship only intensifies, Americans are discussing the potential consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling, which authorizes the federal government's borrowing to meet expenses that tax collections aren't sufficient to cover. ... The president and the Republican speaker of the House, John Boehner of Ohio, both have appealed to the public and accused the other side of refusing to come to a deal. – USA Today
Dominant Social Theme: We must all pull together to get through this. Let the wisemen lead.
Free-Market Analysis: The debate over the debt ceiling is anything but trivial for the poweres-that-be. Political pundits on both sides of the dialectic, along with their media confidants, would like us to believe that there is a real reason for us all to be concerned over the "acceptable level" of debt. Don't worry about the fact that America is already the largest debtor nation in the world. Don't worry that the Fed handed out more than $16 TRILLION in bailouts … just a couple of trillion more and all will be well.
Well we have another take on the matter. It seems to us that to debate whether or not further "credit" should be extended is to miss the point. The real point is the fraudulent base on which the Federal Reserve System is built – in other words, the US dollar itself – and how it is eroding living standards and individual freedom.
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Dominant Social Theme: We must all pull together to get through this. Let the wisemen lead.
Free-Market Analysis: The debate over the debt ceiling is anything but trivial for the poweres-that-be. Political pundits on both sides of the dialectic, along with their media confidants, would like us to believe that there is a real reason for us all to be concerned over the "acceptable level" of debt. Don't worry about the fact that America is already the largest debtor nation in the world. Don't worry that the Fed handed out more than $16 TRILLION in bailouts … just a couple of trillion more and all will be well.
Well we have another take on the matter. It seems to us that to debate whether or not further "credit" should be extended is to miss the point. The real point is the fraudulent base on which the Federal Reserve System is built – in other words, the US dollar itself – and how it is eroding living standards and individual freedom.
More
Christian Rocker Sues Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
A $50 million defamation lawsuit has been filed against MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and the network on behalf of Bradlee Dean, a former heavy metal rocker who founded a ministry called, You Can Run But You Can’t Hide.
The lawsuit was filed by Larry Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, “as a matter of principle” because Maddow allegedly accused Dean of calling for the execution of homosexuals – a claim which Dean denies.
At issue was a statement that Dean made while criticizing the Christian community for not taking a stronger stand against efforts to promote homosexuality in schools. In doing so, Dean referred to how Muslims viewed homosexuality.
Webb Urges Tea Party Not to Risk Economy in Debt Debate
"There are, in the other party, some individuals who view themselves as revolutionaries in the best sense of the word," Webb said in a floor speech.
While offering praise for the type of reform the tea party advocates, Webb said it need not come at the cost of another recession, which many predict would be the result of failing to raise the debt ceiling by Tuesday's deadline.
"The first rule of good governance is to do no harm," Webb said. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't make cuts … but it means be careful when you're dealing with the fragility of national policy at a time like this."
Black Student Sues School, Says Race Prevented Her From Being Valedictorian
Kymberly Wimberly, a black 18-year-old from McGehee, Arkansas, says she had the highest G.P.A. in her graduating high school class and should have been the school's sole valedictorian.
But according to a lawsuit filed by Wimberly on July 21 that alleges racial discrimination, McGehee High School appointed a white student with a lower G.P.A. to be the "co-valedictorian." That decision, the lawsuit alleges, falls in line with a "pattern and practice of school administrators and personnel treating the African-American students less favorably than the Caucasian ones,"
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But according to a lawsuit filed by Wimberly on July 21 that alleges racial discrimination, McGehee High School appointed a white student with a lower G.P.A. to be the "co-valedictorian." That decision, the lawsuit alleges, falls in line with a "pattern and practice of school administrators and personnel treating the African-American students less favorably than the Caucasian ones,"
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A Strange Arrest In A New Alleged Fort Hood Attack Plot
The immediate reaction from a lot of people when news first broke that a soldier shot up the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood in November 2009 was surprise that this kind of thing had not happened earlier. Many folks (including me) first assumed that this was the act of a soldier suffering greatly from combat stress after repeated combat tours who felt like he was not getting the help he deserved after his return. I've met a lot of soldiers who were so stressed under those conditions that they seemed capable of that kind of thing.
Of course, it turned out that the gunmen accused of killing 13 people, Major Nidal Hasan, allegedly had some weird ideas about Islam and was basically a terrorist.
Fox News is in the lead reporting on the new arrest of at least one soldier allegedly planning to shoot up Fort Hood -- again. Fox says that Pvt. Nasser Jason Abdo, an AWOL soldier from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, has been arrested by the Killeen Police Department near Fort Hood. The Fox post uses the confusing verbiage that the arrest comes "after raising concerns over another alleged plot to attack Fort Hood." And then this: "Authorities, however, will not say if Abdo is the one who raised security concerns." Abdo reportedly had weapons and explosives at the time of his arrest, however.
Under Obama, Millennials Move Into the Republican Fold
by Michael Barone
Most presidents affect the standing of their political parties. Ronald Reagan advanced his party's standing among young voters. So did Bill Clinton.
In his first term, George W. Bush helped Republicans equal Democrats in party identification in the 2004 exit poll — the first time that happened since polling began.
But in his second term, Bush proved toxic to the Republican label. The Pew Research Center showed Democrats with a 51 percent to 39 percent party identification edge over Republicans in its 2008 polls.
Now Pew Research has come out with figures for 2011. They're not good news for Barack Obama and the Democrats.
The Democratic Party identification edge has been reduced to 47 percent to 43 percent. That's a 4 point drop for Democrats and a 4 point rise for Republicans since 2008.
When Feds Get Screwed
Depending on how the debt ceiling issue is settled -- or not -- furloughs could be just around the corner for hundreds of thousands of federal workers. If so, how would they work and are you ready? Would it be a dreamy surprise mid-summer dream or a pre-back-to-school nightmare? Consider:
Dream scenario for a civil servant: The boss gives you Friday off. Stay home, sleep late. Have a good weekend! Oh, and take Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off too. Go to the beach, catch up on reading, movies or sleep. Bond with the kids. In fact, just chill out. Don't call us, we'll call you.
Nightmare scenario for same fed: Turns out you have been furloughed through no fault of your own. Nobody knows exactly how long you will be off. Oh, and most other people where you work are still on the job because they are considered essential. You, on the other hand, are apparently not. Also, no work, no pay, so don't incur any debts or pay any bills.
Sound stupid? Far-fetched? Yes, but it is also part of the drill when you work for the federal government. In the private sector many people work for companies where the board of directors is predominately remote, older men who are unelected millionaires. They can do pretty much what they want, including nothing! For feds it is different because the board of directors is composed of predominately remote, older men who are millionaires and who are elected.
Last week approximately 4,000 FAA employees were told that because of an unrelated funding dispute in Congress, their services were no longer needed for the time being.
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Dream scenario for a civil servant: The boss gives you Friday off. Stay home, sleep late. Have a good weekend! Oh, and take Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off too. Go to the beach, catch up on reading, movies or sleep. Bond with the kids. In fact, just chill out. Don't call us, we'll call you.
Nightmare scenario for same fed: Turns out you have been furloughed through no fault of your own. Nobody knows exactly how long you will be off. Oh, and most other people where you work are still on the job because they are considered essential. You, on the other hand, are apparently not. Also, no work, no pay, so don't incur any debts or pay any bills.
Sound stupid? Far-fetched? Yes, but it is also part of the drill when you work for the federal government. In the private sector many people work for companies where the board of directors is predominately remote, older men who are unelected millionaires. They can do pretty much what they want, including nothing! For feds it is different because the board of directors is composed of predominately remote, older men who are millionaires and who are elected.
Last week approximately 4,000 FAA employees were told that because of an unrelated funding dispute in Congress, their services were no longer needed for the time being.
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Sussex Officials Look at Reduction in Variance Cost
GEORGETOWN, DE — Sussex County Council is taking a serious look at reducing the fee applicants would pay to get a variance hearing before the board of adjustment. Councilman Vance Phillips, R-Laurel, will meet with county staff to draw up a proposed ordinance changing the fee from $400 to $150.
Phillips has long advocated for a reduction of the fee. “It’s a great burden on people who want to do the right thing and a detriment to the economy,” he said. A lower cost would mean more residents would comply with county regulations, Phillips said.
At the July 19 council meeting, Councilwoman Joan Deaver, D-Rehoboth Beach, supported Phillips’ proposal because it would reduce the cost of an application for those living in manufactured homes who are also forced to provide a survey costing as much as $600 when seeking a variance.
Since Jan. 1, 77 percent of the board’s cases have been variances with 8 percent related to manufactured homes, according to a report compiled by County Administrator David Baker.
Update On FAA Fondler
You may remember the story about the airline traveler who got into trouble when she fondled a TSA worker during a security patdown.Yukari Miyamae was arrested on suspicion of grabbing a female agent's breast at a security gate in Phoenix earlier this month. The 61-year old woman said she was abducted as a girl in Japan, which left her with a fear of being touched by strangers, The Daily Camera reports. She said that as she reached out to try to stop the patdown, she accidentally touched the TSA agent inappropriately. Felony sexual assault charges were dismissed, but she could still face misdemeanor charges.
Nadler: ‘We Don’t Have a Deficit Problem Right Now’
WASHINGTON - Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) argued at a news conference with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus that the United States does not currently have a budget crisis.
"That’s the real crisis – the unemployment, not the deficit. We don’t have a deficit problem right now. In the long term, we have a deficit problem – we’ve got to get it under control but not right now," said Nadler at the Capitol on Wednesday.
"Right now we’ve got to get unemployment under control. If we got unemployment down to 7 percent, down to 5 percent, which is what it was in 2005, and 2007 rather before the recession hit, if we got it down to 5 percent, half the deficit would be eliminated just by that – half the deficit without cutting a nickel from the budget. So, we have to address the real problem. The real problem is we are not taxing properly."
Are Federal Properties Actually Worthless?
The Obama administration's ambitious plans for selling off federal property could end up costing more money than expected. The Congressional Budget Office told lawmakers that some wrong assumptions went into the White House estimate that the sale would save $15 billion over ten years. CBO found that many of the properties on the sale list are actually worthless. The Office of Management and Budget said it hopes to create a panel to identify properties for sale modeled on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
House Prepares to Vote on Boehner Plan
Republican leadership in the House will spend most, if not all of Thursday whipping votes for Speaker John Boehner’s debt limit plan. The Republican-controlled chamber is expected to vote on the proposal by late afternoon or early evening, following at least three hours of debate, a conference meeting, and a press conference.
The vote was delayed by one day after an initial scoring by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that the proposal’s spending cuts were less than Boehner had predicted. A second analysis released Wednesday evening revealed the plan will cut $22 billion in the next year.
Independent whip counts suggest the Boehner plan will pass, though narrowly.
BREAKING NEWS: N.J. Gov. Christie Taken To Hospital
From Fox News
Do You Obsessively Check Your Smartphone?
(CNN) -- There I was at a long-awaited dinner with friends Saturday night, when in the midst of our chatting, I watched my right hand sneaking away from my side to grab my phone sitting on the table to check my e-mail.
"What am I doing?" I thought to myself. "I'm here with my friends, and I don't need to be checking e-mail on a Saturday night."
The part that freaked me out was that I hadn't told my hand to reach out for the phone. It seemed to be doing it all on its own. I wondered what was wrong with me until I read a recent study in the journal Personal and Ubiquitous Computing that showed I'm hardly alone. In fact, my problem seems to be ubiquitous.
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"What am I doing?" I thought to myself. "I'm here with my friends, and I don't need to be checking e-mail on a Saturday night."
The part that freaked me out was that I hadn't told my hand to reach out for the phone. It seemed to be doing it all on its own. I wondered what was wrong with me until I read a recent study in the journal Personal and Ubiquitous Computing that showed I'm hardly alone. In fact, my problem seems to be ubiquitous.
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Pat McDonough to Challenge Ben Cardin in 2012
Del. Pat McDonough (R-7) has announced to House colleagues that he intends to challenge Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) in 2012. This increases the number of GOP candidates to three: McDonough, former Secret Service agent Daniel Bongino, and 2010 GOP Senate candidate Eric Wargotz. McDonough is the only candidate to date who has won an election.
Bongino enjoys the support of conservative favorite (and 2010 gubernatorial candidate) Brian Murphy. In addition, Bongino lacks a political record to use for attack purposes.
Wargotz is sure to attract moderate support in the primary, plus what he is able to purchase with a media barrage (if he repeats his 2010 strategy against conservative favorite Jim Rutledge).
Red Maryland’s Greg Kline argues that McDonough is qualified and experienced. In addition, McDonough has a solid history of not backing down when attacked from the left.
What appeared to be a race between a charismatic unknown (Bongino) vs. the self funding moderate (to be kind) now includes a solid conservative who knows how to win an election.
U.S. Consumer Confidence Decreases On Concern Over Economy
July 28 (Bloomberg) -- Consumer confidence dropped last week as Americans’ views of the economy plunged to the lowest level since the recession.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 46.8 in the period to July 24, the lowest since May, compared with minus 43.3 the prior week. Six percent of those surveyed said the economy was in good shape, the fewest since April 2009.
Seniors and the unemployed were among those showing the most negative readings, a sign that partisan wrangling over the nation’s budget deficit was jarring those likely to be affected by cuts in spending. Unemployment above 9 percent, falling home prices and a rebound in gasoline costs may be weighing on sentiment overall, posing a risk for consumer spending.
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The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 46.8 in the period to July 24, the lowest since May, compared with minus 43.3 the prior week. Six percent of those surveyed said the economy was in good shape, the fewest since April 2009.
Seniors and the unemployed were among those showing the most negative readings, a sign that partisan wrangling over the nation’s budget deficit was jarring those likely to be affected by cuts in spending. Unemployment above 9 percent, falling home prices and a rebound in gasoline costs may be weighing on sentiment overall, posing a risk for consumer spending.
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Contractor Tears Siding Off Wrong House
An Iowa homeowner was surprised when he looked at his house and half the siding on it was gone, leaving an exposed underbelly of bare white plastic. No other nearby houses were affected. Had a highly localized tornado swept through and targeted just the side of his house? Nope. A local contractor got the address wrong and taken the siding off the wrong abode. The timing was pretty poor, too, as the homeowner had just put it up for sale. And because of insurance bureaucracy, it may be a while before the siding goes back up.
"We just found out they got the wrong house," the contractor, Rausch Companies, told KCRG. The goof also put the damper on some kids' hopes that day. "We were supposed to have a birthday party, but there were nails all over, electrical exposed, so obviously we couldn't take the kids outside," the man renting the house said.
The landlord has had to pay himself to get the outside walls patched up to prevent against water damage. Rausch said that the matter was being handled by insurance. "It seems that they are in the process of coming up with an offer or something that I am not aware of," the landlord told TV9. Rausch's insurance company said they would get to it as soon as they could, but many of their adjusters were occupied assessing recent storm damage in the county.
Meanwhile, the house sits waiting, an eyesore on the market.
McCain: Tea Partiers Have Bad ‘Hobbit’ Of Not Backing A Raise In Debt Ceiling
WASHINGTON - Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) leveled a middle-earth ‘sting’ to GOP lawmakers who do not back Rep. John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) debt ceiling proposal by referencing the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ trilogy.
“The idea seems to be, that if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue and the public will turn en masse against Barack Obama,” McCain said on the Senate Floor Wednesday.
Prayer Service Held for Boy Struck by Lightning
CAMBRIDGE, MD - Hundreds of people attended a prayer service Wednesday night in Cambridge for Ryan Summers, 11, of Cambridge, who was struck by lightning Saturday afternoon.
Ryan is the son of Brett and Jamie Summers.
During Wednesday's service, the Rev. Michael Reddig, rector of Christ Episcopal Church, read from an e-mail sent by Jamie Summers and signed by the Summers family, Ryan's parents and two sisters, Taylor and Perry.
In the e-mail, Mrs. Summers said, "Ryan remains stable with the damage to his lungs as our main concern.
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