LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville police have added small, portable computers to the equipment used by mounted officers riding horseback patrols.
The computers, known as Mobile Data Terminals, are fastened to the breast collars and lie on the horses' backs.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, August 12, 2011
More Lost By The Second In Afghanistan
It’s a bit odd to me that with my sense of geographical direction I’m ever regarded as a leader to guide groups in foreign travel. I’m recalling a steaming hot night in Lahore, Pakistan when Josh Brollier and I, having enjoyed a lengthy dinner with Lahore University students, needed to head back to the guest lodgings graciously provided us by a headmaster of the Garrison School for Boys. We had boarded a rickshaw, but the driver had soon become terribly lost and with my spotty sense of direction and my complete ignorance of Urdu, I couldn’t be any help. My cell phone was out of juice, and I was uncertain anyway of the needed phone number. I bumped and jostled in the back seat of the rickshaw, next to Josh, as we embarked on a nightmare of travel over unpaved, rutted roads in dizzying traffic until finally the rickshaw driver spotted a sign belonging to our school – the wrong campus, we all knew – and eager to unload us, roused the inhabitants and hustled us and our bags into the street before moving on.
We stood inside the gate, staring blankly at a family that had been sound asleep on cots in the courtyard. In no time, the father of the family scooped up his two children, gently moving them to the cot he shared with his wife so that Josh and I would have a cot on which to sit. Then he and his spouse disappeared into their humble living quarters. He reappeared with a fan and an extension cord, wanting to give us some relief from the blistering night heat. His wife emerged carrying a glass of tea for each of us. They didn’t know us from Adam’s house cat, but they were treating us as family – the celebrated but always astonishing hospitality that we’d encountered in the region so many times before. Eventually, we established with our host that we were indeed at the wrong campus, upon which he called the family that had been nervously waiting for our errant selves.
This courtyard scene of startling hospitality would return to my mind when we all learned of the U.S. Joint Special Operations (JSO) Force night raid in the Nangarhar province, on May 12, 2011. No matter which side of the Afghanistan/Pakistan border you are on, suffocating hot temperatures prevail day and night during these hot months. It’s normal for people to sleep in their courtyards. How could anyone living in the region not know this? Yet the U.S. JSO forces that came in the middle of the night to the home of a 12-year-old girl, Nilofer, who had been asleep on her cot in the courtyard, began their raid by throwing a grenade into the courtyard, landing at Nilofer’s head. She died instantly. Nilofer’s uncle raced into the courtyard. He worked with the Afghan Local Police, and they had told him not to join that night’s patrol because he didn’t know much about the village they would go to, so he had instead gone to his brother’s home. When he heard the grenade explode, he may well have presumed the Taliban were attacking the home. U.S. troops killed him as soon as they saw him. Later, NATO issued an apology.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE PLUNGES
While the MSM continues to run stories about “bright spots” in the economy, the polls tell the truth of what’s going on behind the scenes. Two major consumer confidence indices this week show exactly where we’re headed — note the trend toward a widening gap in the past few weeks.
U.S. Consumer Confidence Drops to Three-Decade Low Amid Economic HeadwindsMore
Bloomberg, August 12, 2011
Confidence among U.S. consumers plunged in August to the lowest level since May 1980, adding to concern that weak employment gains and volatility in the stock market will prompt households to retrench.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment slumped to 54.9 from 63.7 the prior month. The gauge was projected to decline to 62, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey.
The biggest one-week slump in stocks since 2008 and the threat of default on the nation’s debt may have exacerbated consumers’ concerns as unemployment hovers above 9 percent and companies are hesitant to hire. Rising pessimism poses a risk household spending will cool further, hindering a recovery that Federal Reserve policy makers said this week was already advancing “considerably slower” than projected.
“The mood is very depressed,” said Chris Christopher, an economist at IHS Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. “Consumers are very fatigued and very uncertain. In the short term, people are going to pull back on spending.”
O'malley On Fox
In case you missed hearing O'Malley on FOX this week with Greta, his performance was beyond dishonest and disgusting. Here is the clip (you'll have to watch a quick ad before it comes on).
Every Inch Counts
Manhattan architect downsizes to 78-square-foot apartment
Meet Luke Clark Tyler, a New Yorker who — in order to live in the thick of it all while not spending all of his money on rent — happily resides in a 78-square-foot apartment for $800 a month.
A Valanced Budget Amendment To Solve The Debt Crisis? It's An Old Story.
A proposed amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget has been the subject of congressional hearings for 60 years. But the issue is even older than that.
It’s unsurprising that the state of the federal budget is perhaps the longest-running issue in US politics. “Congress, White House in Budget Clash” is a headline that could have run in the time of the tricorn hat.
But what about a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget? Is that a new thing or an old idea repurposed for modern times?
You wouldn’t be reading about it here if it were not the latter. Tacking a black-ink requirement onto the supreme law of the land is a proposal that has bounced around Washington since Franklin Roosevelt was spending us out of the Great Depression.
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The Fire This Time
"You've damaged your own race," said Mayor Michael Nutter to the black youths of Philadelphia whose flash mobs have been beating and robbing shoppers in the fashionable district of downtown.
"Take those God-darn hoodies down," the mayor went on in his blistering lecture. "Pull your pants up and buy a belt, 'cause no one wants to see your underwear or the crack of your butt."
And the mayor had some advice for teenagers looking for work.
"You walk into somebody's office with your hair uncombed and a pick in the back and your shoes untied and your pants half down, tattoos up and down your arms and on your neck, and you wonder why somebody won't hire you?"
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"Take those God-darn hoodies down," the mayor went on in his blistering lecture. "Pull your pants up and buy a belt, 'cause no one wants to see your underwear or the crack of your butt."
And the mayor had some advice for teenagers looking for work.
"You walk into somebody's office with your hair uncombed and a pick in the back and your shoes untied and your pants half down, tattoos up and down your arms and on your neck, and you wonder why somebody won't hire you?"
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Man Entombed For 27 Years In Chimney To Get Funeral
Bones, clothes fell on construction worker when he tugged on fabric
ABBEVILLE, La. — The narrow, brick chimney of a Louisiana bank became his tomb for 27 years and now Joseph Schexnider will be laid to rest Sunday in a proper grave with a proper farewell by his family.
"At least we know where he is now," Schexnider, 48, said, tears welling in his eyes ahead of his brother's funeral and burial. "At least he's home."
Nearly three decades after he disappeared, much mystery lingers about the case of Joseph Schexnider and involving a small town bank in the southern Louisiana city of Abbeville. Police say Schexnider became trapped and apparently died in the bank's chimney in 1984. But beyond that, they know little more.
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PRICE REDUCED
Was $275,000.00
Now $249,000.00
CALL 410-251-2825
Moving Back To The USA
Back in May, Zero Hedge penned "With China Forecast To Reach Wage Parity With The US In Five Years, Is A New Manufacturing Golden Age Coming To The US?" in which we predicted that rising labor costs courtesy of the Fed's ongoing exporting of inflation could easily backfire, and force large, profitable multinationals, for whom dollar weakness goes straight to the bottom line, to reorganize and pull offshore workers back to the US. It appears the theory is slowly shifting to practice. As Reuters reports,
Conglomerates ranging from Emerson Electric to Honeywell International feel pressure on margins from double-digit wage increases in China. So have toymaker Mattel, fast-food chain Yum! Brands and computer maker Dell, analysts and investors say..."Input cost increases have been a steady headwind to margins for some time now," Fairchild Semiconductor International Chief Financial Officer Mark Frey said last month. "I do believe that labor inflation will continue high for quite a while," Yum CFO Rick Carucci said on the company's earnings conference call. He called commodity prices another "wild card" for the company." Curiously, China is proving far more adept at pushing labor price increases than America's sad, and largely ineffectively unionized labor force: ""A lot of the wage increase is to keep civil unrest at a minimum," said William Blair analyst Nick Heymann, who said suicides at an Apple supplier and the "Arab Spring" protests have alarmed Beijing. "These guys have watched North Africa and the Middle East with a lot of trepidation."" And as we speculated, the perverse outcome of Bernanke's policy to reward only companies at the expense of US Laborers (I.e., middle class) will soon backfire, as more and more companies end seeing their margins cut, in the process being forced to hire ever more people. "Wages are getting large enough that you start to feel the difference," said Hal Sirkin, a BCG senior partner, who said U.S. Companies are looking at alternative manufacturing sites. "One of the answers is to start moving back to the U.S." And when they do, they may, just may, start hiring Americans once again.
Conglomerates ranging from Emerson Electric to Honeywell International feel pressure on margins from double-digit wage increases in China. So have toymaker Mattel, fast-food chain Yum! Brands and computer maker Dell, analysts and investors say..."Input cost increases have been a steady headwind to margins for some time now," Fairchild Semiconductor International Chief Financial Officer Mark Frey said last month. "I do believe that labor inflation will continue high for quite a while," Yum CFO Rick Carucci said on the company's earnings conference call. He called commodity prices another "wild card" for the company." Curiously, China is proving far more adept at pushing labor price increases than America's sad, and largely ineffectively unionized labor force: ""A lot of the wage increase is to keep civil unrest at a minimum," said William Blair analyst Nick Heymann, who said suicides at an Apple supplier and the "Arab Spring" protests have alarmed Beijing. "These guys have watched North Africa and the Middle East with a lot of trepidation."" And as we speculated, the perverse outcome of Bernanke's policy to reward only companies at the expense of US Laborers (I.e., middle class) will soon backfire, as more and more companies end seeing their margins cut, in the process being forced to hire ever more people. "Wages are getting large enough that you start to feel the difference," said Hal Sirkin, a BCG senior partner, who said U.S. Companies are looking at alternative manufacturing sites. "One of the answers is to start moving back to the U.S." And when they do, they may, just may, start hiring Americans once again.
Flu Vaccinations Pushed For Maryland Hospitals
About 80 percent of hospital workers vaccinated now
Maryland hospitals have become more aggressive in recent years about vaccinating workers for the flu, but public health officials are pushing for even stricter programs to halt the spread of a virus that kills thousands each year.As manufacturers have begun shipping vaccine for the 2011-2012 flu season and vaccination programs are being planned, some officials are pushing hospitals to make vaccinations mandatory for employees. They say the vaccine is the most effective means of protecting workers and adds a crucial layer of safety for highly vulnerable patients such as newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
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The Effects Of A Financial Repression
Something – we’re not altogether sure what – touched off MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan yesterday.
We love it when these guys lose their cool. This is not nearly as entertaining as Jim Cramer’s tantrum imploring the Fed to “open the discount window” in 2007, but pay attention to the content…
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We love it when these guys lose their cool. This is not nearly as entertaining as Jim Cramer’s tantrum imploring the Fed to “open the discount window” in 2007, but pay attention to the content…
More
BREAKING NEWS: Stocks End Volatile Week In The Green
The major stock-market indices will head into the weekend on solid footing after one of the most volatile weeks on record comes to a close. A favorable reading on retail sales offset concern about a weak consumer confidence report, helping the Dow up by 125 points to 11269. The Nasdaq Composite index gained 15 to 2507 and the S&P 500 added 6 points to close at 1178.
From Fox News
From Fox News
5 Reasons Why American Riots Will Be The Worst In The World
I wrote an article called 5 Places NOT To Be When The Dollar Collapses. In it I wrote that societies that benefited the most from the dollar would be the worst places to be when it fell apart. While the dollar has not even collapsed yet, the strain in these areas is becoming more apparent. England is number 3 on the list has had 4 days of violent riots as people start to lose it. Israel is number 1 on that list has had massive protests. There is revolution in the air all over the world except in the US.
America is still in deep denial which is still the first stage of the Awakening. This denial will be wiped away when the dollar collapses. For now the economy is still functioning with food and fuel available. Americans still have the illusion of wealth and normalcy. They still are stuck in the false left right paradigm and think some other sock puppet will turn things around.
When the dollar collapses, all American illusions will collapse with it. Deep denial will turn into deep anger. The violence I expect in the other 3 areas on the list and all urban areas in the US, will make all other global riots pale in comparison. America is deeply infused with arrogance, denial, narcissism, drugs and violence. There is no other society that I know of that has the degree of intensity and combination of these factors.
"We're Number 1! We're Number 1!"
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America is still in deep denial which is still the first stage of the Awakening. This denial will be wiped away when the dollar collapses. For now the economy is still functioning with food and fuel available. Americans still have the illusion of wealth and normalcy. They still are stuck in the false left right paradigm and think some other sock puppet will turn things around.
When the dollar collapses, all American illusions will collapse with it. Deep denial will turn into deep anger. The violence I expect in the other 3 areas on the list and all urban areas in the US, will make all other global riots pale in comparison. America is deeply infused with arrogance, denial, narcissism, drugs and violence. There is no other society that I know of that has the degree of intensity and combination of these factors.
"We're Number 1! We're Number 1!"
More
Governor O'Malley Speaks Out About Bullying On The Internet
Recently, two companies, Facebook and Time Warner announced a partnership to put the issue of bullying in the spotlight called the “Stop Bullying, Speak Up” campaign and I’d like to commend them for joining this important effort.
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Pet Peeve
Joe:
Please tell me I am missing the boat here!! Is there anyplace in Salisbury where a couple can go for a good seafood dinner these days without paying an arm and a leg. Heck, I wouldn't even mind that if the seafood was good. We usually go to Chincoteague for good dinners. Every time we eat out in Salisbury, I always ask if the fish are fresh and the waiter usually says something like "well at one time"! That is the clue! Of course, I love Market Street, and had the best swordfish ever. I cooked some on the grill a few weeks ago that I got at Martin Fish Co. in W. Ocean City . They have it all, but I do get tired of cooking and enjoy eating out (a lot) . It is sad we don't have a "Seafood Restaurant" like Bill's Seafood Inn which was "before you were born". LOL I can remember the trucks coming in from Ocean City about 11:00 in the morning unloading what they would be serving for dinner that day!!! A place to sit down and eat without a lot of hustle and just a relaxing atmosphere. Where are the entrepreneurs'. They need to get busy and open up a Seafood Bar if nothing else. These restaurants here are a joke!
Signed "wanting to eat out in Salisbury"
Please tell me I am missing the boat here!! Is there anyplace in Salisbury where a couple can go for a good seafood dinner these days without paying an arm and a leg. Heck, I wouldn't even mind that if the seafood was good. We usually go to Chincoteague for good dinners. Every time we eat out in Salisbury, I always ask if the fish are fresh and the waiter usually says something like "well at one time"! That is the clue! Of course, I love Market Street, and had the best swordfish ever. I cooked some on the grill a few weeks ago that I got at Martin Fish Co. in W. Ocean City . They have it all, but I do get tired of cooking and enjoy eating out (a lot) . It is sad we don't have a "Seafood Restaurant" like Bill's Seafood Inn which was "before you were born". LOL I can remember the trucks coming in from Ocean City about 11:00 in the morning unloading what they would be serving for dinner that day!!! A place to sit down and eat without a lot of hustle and just a relaxing atmosphere. Where are the entrepreneurs'. They need to get busy and open up a Seafood Bar if nothing else. These restaurants here are a joke!
Signed "wanting to eat out in Salisbury"
Fed Warns Bank Of The Eastern Shore
Federal banking regulators have ordered the troubled Bank of the Eastern Shore, which has two branches in Cambridge, to take steps to strengthen its financial position.
The Federal Reserve System directed the bank’s management either to sell shares or take other measures to make the bank adequately capitalized, or find a buyer or another financial institution to merge with. From Dec. 31, 2010 to June 30, 2011, the bank’s equity capital dropped from $10.9 million to $7.7 million, for a net loss of $3.2 million, according to regulators.
The bank has 60 days to comply with the order, which was issued on Thursday.
Source
The Federal Reserve System directed the bank’s management either to sell shares or take other measures to make the bank adequately capitalized, or find a buyer or another financial institution to merge with. From Dec. 31, 2010 to June 30, 2011, the bank’s equity capital dropped from $10.9 million to $7.7 million, for a net loss of $3.2 million, according to regulators.
The bank has 60 days to comply with the order, which was issued on Thursday.
Source
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On August 10, 2011 at approximately 5:50 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were in the area of Rt. 50 and E. Main Street and observed a vehicle that had left the roadway and was stuck on the concrete median. Officers made contact with the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated, and immediately observed a firearm in the front passenger area. The suspect was taken into custody and was also found in possession of two (2) knives and a canister of mace.
ARRESTED: Derek Lance Detzer, 39 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Driving while impaired by alcohol
Driving under the influence of alcohol
Possession of a dangerous weapon
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031293
On August 11, 2011 at approximately 8:07 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to Verizon on Mount Hermon Road for the report of subjects in the roadway. Upon arrival the officers found that the below listed two (2) suspects were sitting in the entrance to the employee parking lot for Verizon, prohibiting anyone from entering. The officers made numerous requests for the suspects to move but the requests were unsuccessful. The officers finally advised the suspects that failure to move from the entrance would lead to their arrest. This request was also unsuccessful and resulted in the arrest of both suspects. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident.
ARRESTED #1: Paula Margaret Vinciguerra, 60 years of age
Chance, Maryland
ARRESTED #2: Margaret Mary Young, 45 years of age
Delmar, Maryland
CHARGES (Both): Hindering free passage in a public place
Disorderly conduct
Failure to obey a lawful order
DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031356
On August 11, 2011 at approximately 1:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Salisbury Zoo for the report of a disorderly person. Upon arrival the officers met with Zoo personnel who advised that the below listed suspect was loitering at the Zoo and was harassing Zoo patrons. The officers met with the suspect who was found to be intoxicated and still acting in a disorderly manner.
ARRESTED: Steven Brian Schoultz, 50 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Disorderly conduct
Public consumption of alcohol
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031393
ARRESTED: Derek Lance Detzer, 39 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Driving while impaired by alcohol
Driving under the influence of alcohol
Possession of a dangerous weapon
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031293
On August 11, 2011 at approximately 8:07 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to Verizon on Mount Hermon Road for the report of subjects in the roadway. Upon arrival the officers found that the below listed two (2) suspects were sitting in the entrance to the employee parking lot for Verizon, prohibiting anyone from entering. The officers made numerous requests for the suspects to move but the requests were unsuccessful. The officers finally advised the suspects that failure to move from the entrance would lead to their arrest. This request was also unsuccessful and resulted in the arrest of both suspects. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident.
ARRESTED #1: Paula Margaret Vinciguerra, 60 years of age
Chance, Maryland
ARRESTED #2: Margaret Mary Young, 45 years of age
Delmar, Maryland
CHARGES (Both): Hindering free passage in a public place
Disorderly conduct
Failure to obey a lawful order
DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031356
On August 11, 2011 at approximately 1:40 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Salisbury Zoo for the report of a disorderly person. Upon arrival the officers met with Zoo personnel who advised that the below listed suspect was loitering at the Zoo and was harassing Zoo patrons. The officers met with the suspect who was found to be intoxicated and still acting in a disorderly manner.
ARRESTED: Steven Brian Schoultz, 50 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Disorderly conduct
Public consumption of alcohol
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100031393
Obama Lies 7 Times In Under 2 Minutes!
Earlier today, we ran a rather colorful editorial by Dr. Adrian Krieg titled The Dirt! And in that editorial Krieg exposes an embarrassing list of character flaws exhibited by America's leading political class. And naturally, Barack Obama doesn't escape the clutches of Krieg's rather venomous pen. He writes:
We could simply not forget our President. After all, he promised us the most open and legitimate administration in history. We got CHANGE instead with the most corrupt, secretive, lying, stonewalling, cover up, scandal-based Presidency - one that exhibits a total disregard of law, the US Constitution and the American Bill of Rights. It is the worst administration in our history. I thought Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were bad. And they certainly were, they were shysters. But Barack Obama takes the cake. He lied in regards to the Blogo matter, he lies daily on the economy, employment, finance, housing, income and anything else I can think of. In fact, Obama tells so many lies that he can't even remember what he said last week and continuously trips himself up on falsehoods he espoused just the day before.
So we decided to take a quick trip around the 'Net to see if we could find a video that gives some examples of the kind of lies Dr. Krieg credits to Mr. Obama. Lo and behold it didn't take too long to come up with a vast selection from which to choose and we decided this one from his previous presidential campaign might suffice. Hopefully the voting public all get to see "performances" like this one prior to the upcoming 2012 election. Maybe then the voters could do a little character comparison between an actor like Obama and someone with real integrity, like Dr. Ron Paul.
Without further adieu, courtesy of The Channel of Liberty, Obama's lies …
We could simply not forget our President. After all, he promised us the most open and legitimate administration in history. We got CHANGE instead with the most corrupt, secretive, lying, stonewalling, cover up, scandal-based Presidency - one that exhibits a total disregard of law, the US Constitution and the American Bill of Rights. It is the worst administration in our history. I thought Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were bad. And they certainly were, they were shysters. But Barack Obama takes the cake. He lied in regards to the Blogo matter, he lies daily on the economy, employment, finance, housing, income and anything else I can think of. In fact, Obama tells so many lies that he can't even remember what he said last week and continuously trips himself up on falsehoods he espoused just the day before.
So we decided to take a quick trip around the 'Net to see if we could find a video that gives some examples of the kind of lies Dr. Krieg credits to Mr. Obama. Lo and behold it didn't take too long to come up with a vast selection from which to choose and we decided this one from his previous presidential campaign might suffice. Hopefully the voting public all get to see "performances" like this one prior to the upcoming 2012 election. Maybe then the voters could do a little character comparison between an actor like Obama and someone with real integrity, like Dr. Ron Paul.
Without further adieu, courtesy of The Channel of Liberty, Obama's lies …
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NOW The Postal Service Plans To Cut 220,000 Jobs
Postal officials tell Federal News Radio they want to eliminate 220,000 jobs by 2015. 100,000 of those would come through attrition. The remaining 120,000 would come in the form of layoffs, if Congress agrees to eliminate layoff protections in collective bargaining agreements. USPS also wants to set up and manage its own retirement and health benefits plans for employees.
Postal officials tell Federal News Radio they want to eliminate 220,000 jobs by 2015. 100,000 of those would come through attrition. The remaining 120,000 would come in the form of layoffs, if Congress agrees to eliminate layoff protections in collective bargaining agreements. USPS also wants to set up and manage its own retirement and health benefits plans for employees. Read Full Story
Postal Service wants to cut 220,000 jobs
Retail Sales Rose 0.5 Percent In July
Consumers spent more on autos, furniture, clothing and gas in July, pushing up retail sales by the largest amount in four months. The gain signaled that Americans are a little more confident in the economy and could helped dispel fears that the country is headed for another recession.
Retail sales rose 0.5 percent last month, the Commerce Department said Friday. It was the best showing since March. The government also revised sales higher in the previous two months.
The Dirt!
Draining the swamp was the unbridled promise of Nancy Pelosi when she was Speaker of the house. Not only did she not drain the swamp she was one of the instruments that dammed it up. How bad is it? We have 100 senators and 435 members of the House for a total of 535. As of today the following statistic is applicable: 29 spousal abuses, 7 frauds, 19 passing bad cheques, 117 bankruptcies (considering they get over $150K that is truly amazing), 3 assaults, 71 insufficient credit to get a credit card, 14 for illicit drug use, 8 for shoplifting, 21 currently in litigation, 84 for drunk driving. This works out to: Legislators 374 out of 535 that are crooks, which leaves 164 that could be clean. What a state of affairs and they have an 87% re-election rate to boot!
We pay congressmen $174,000.00 per year. Then we give them an employee allowance for $900,000.00. Then we give them $250,000.00 for office expenses (we provide the office space). The average legislator costs the taxpayers $3.3 million a year. Can you imagine that sort of income and then not being able to get a credit card due to bad debt? Oh I almost forgot, the "Franking Privilege" and the healthcare that costs only $300 per month for a full family, children to age 25, and the pension, well, then we have Senator Bird who is collecting $190.000.00 plus per year in pension plus free healthcare. You get the picture, I'm sure.
Among all these political extortionists we would just like to single out some very special cases that may well interest you. And yes it is extortion because they set their own salaries by automatic increases of about $3,200.00 per year that they never vote for but always get. Ever since the freeze of COLA to Social Security recipients, who by the way paid for their provided funds over a time of 30 plus years of taxes, Congress has given itself more in increases than the average Social Security recipient gets in an entire year, about $14,000.00.
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We pay congressmen $174,000.00 per year. Then we give them an employee allowance for $900,000.00. Then we give them $250,000.00 for office expenses (we provide the office space). The average legislator costs the taxpayers $3.3 million a year. Can you imagine that sort of income and then not being able to get a credit card due to bad debt? Oh I almost forgot, the "Franking Privilege" and the healthcare that costs only $300 per month for a full family, children to age 25, and the pension, well, then we have Senator Bird who is collecting $190.000.00 plus per year in pension plus free healthcare. You get the picture, I'm sure.
Among all these political extortionists we would just like to single out some very special cases that may well interest you. And yes it is extortion because they set their own salaries by automatic increases of about $3,200.00 per year that they never vote for but always get. Ever since the freeze of COLA to Social Security recipients, who by the way paid for their provided funds over a time of 30 plus years of taxes, Congress has given itself more in increases than the average Social Security recipient gets in an entire year, about $14,000.00.
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Dating Site Serves People Who Can't Have Sex, But Want Love
Laura Brashier beat stage 4 cervical cancer, but the grueling treatments killed her sex life. The countless surgeries and radiation destroyed her vaginal tissue and made intercourse impossibly painful.
The Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., hair stylist was only 37 then, and she found it hard to broach the topic with boyfriends. So she just didn't get involved romantically."It was the only thing on my mind," said Brashier, who is twice divorced and has no children. "I dated on and off, but I didn't tell anyone for years. I figured if I am doing that, a lot of others are, too."
If You Are Wondering Where We Are….
The Fed has helped print a new kind of currency, currency being a means of exchange that in and of itself offers no return whatsoever.
This new kind of currency used to be referred to as notes and bonds.
Please be mindful of this change if you plan on using the tired old phrase, “A man’s word is his bond”. Remember to replace “word” with “money”, and you’ll be okay, at least until 2013.
Money is freely available to those who don’t need it and don’t deserve it. For everyone else there’s 29.99% Mastercard and Visa.
Elected officials in the United States are prohibited by both law and custom from looking in the mirror.
GDP for the sake of GDP is only a good thing if it is done in China, where empty buildings and empty cities are viewed as growth-positive.
On the other side of the world in the US, however, remember to change the plus sign to a minus to reflect the directionality of the gravity that has captured US assets and their funding mechanisms alike. Just to note, were Las Vegas, South Florida, and Detroit located in China, they would be referred to as “Economic Miracles”. It’s like that.
If you don’t have a job, you have 99 weeks to come to terms with it, after which you are no longer eligible to be counted in BLS labor participation rate statistics. The proper term for this is “patriotism”.
More
This new kind of currency used to be referred to as notes and bonds.
Please be mindful of this change if you plan on using the tired old phrase, “A man’s word is his bond”. Remember to replace “word” with “money”, and you’ll be okay, at least until 2013.
Money is freely available to those who don’t need it and don’t deserve it. For everyone else there’s 29.99% Mastercard and Visa.
Elected officials in the United States are prohibited by both law and custom from looking in the mirror.
GDP for the sake of GDP is only a good thing if it is done in China, where empty buildings and empty cities are viewed as growth-positive.
On the other side of the world in the US, however, remember to change the plus sign to a minus to reflect the directionality of the gravity that has captured US assets and their funding mechanisms alike. Just to note, were Las Vegas, South Florida, and Detroit located in China, they would be referred to as “Economic Miracles”. It’s like that.
If you don’t have a job, you have 99 weeks to come to terms with it, after which you are no longer eligible to be counted in BLS labor participation rate statistics. The proper term for this is “patriotism”.
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Former Warrant Lead Singer Jani Lane Dies At 47
Jani Lane, the former lead singer of the metal rock band Warrant, has died in Los Angeles. He was 47.Officer Sara Faden says Lane's body was found Thursday in a Woodland Hills hotel.
She had no immediate information on the cause or circumstances of his death.
With his long blond hair and tight leather outfits, Lane embodied the excess of 1980s "hair metal" rock bands. He joined Warrant in 1984 and wrote such hits as "Heaven," ''Down Boys" and "Cherry Pie."
83-Year-Old Gets Breast Implants To Keep Up With Kids
Marie Kolstad, an energetic property manager from Orange County, Calif., needed a lift in her busy life, but kept it secret from her four children, 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, fearing they would disapprove.
At the age of 83, after being widowed for more than a decade, Kolstad spent $8,000 on three-hour breast implant surgery on July 22. "I never gave a thought to meeting someone different," she said. "It was more about looking in the mirror and liking who I am."
IRS To Gay Newlyweds: Not So Fast
Federal tax benefits of marriage don’t extend to same-sex couples
For all those same-sex newlyweds in New York, Lawrence S. Jacobs has a message: Enjoy the Champagne and the honeymoon, but expect no gifts from the IRS. Jacobs, a lawyer in Washington, specializes in estate planning for same-sex couples—and in delivering the bad news that their unions aren’t legal in the eyes of the IRS, a policy that will cost them time and money during tax season.Same-sex couples in Washington, which last year legalized gay marriage, must fill out a federal return to make calculations required for their D.C. joint return. But then they must set that work aside and fill out separate federal returns because the IRS doesn’t regard their union as legal, Jacobs says. “You just spent decades getting your marriage recognized, and now the feds say, ‘No, you’re not,’” says Jacobs, who as a partner in a same-sex marriage has firsthand experience of the problem.
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Pet Pit Bull Mauls Pregnant Calif. Woman To Death
A pregnant northern California woman was mauled to death by her pet pit bull, which was later shot and killed, reports say.The body of Darla Napora, 32, was found at her home in Pacifica, said police Captain Dave Bertini, according to NBC Bay Area affiliate KNTV.
The victim's husband found his wife around noon, with one of the family's pit bulls standing over her body, KNTV said. He was able to get the dog into the backyard before police arrived, but the animal escaped, charging the officers later.
Casey Anthony Must Return For Probation, Judge Rules
ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony must return to Florida's Orange County no later than Aug. 26 in order to serve a one-year probation for check fraud, a judge ruled Friday.
Breaking News
Appeals Court Rules That Individual Mandate in Obama's Health Care Law Is Unconstitutional.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Recession Threatens On Household Spending Consecutive Declines
Recession signals in the world’s largest economy are flashing red again.
Growth in the second quarter slowed to a pace that has typically been followed by a contraction within a year. Household spending fell in June for the third straight month; never in the past five decades has this happened outside of a slump. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index plunged 16.8 percent in 11 days, performance that’s occurred only twice since at least 1970 without indicating a downturn.
“With so many red flags, the chances of a recession are rising,” said Jonathan Basile, a senior economist at Credit Suisse in New York. “A lot of the economic indicators are teetering. We’ve gone very quickly from a slowdown scare to a recession scare.”
Signs that the flagging U.S. recovery may fizzle haven’t been lost on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his colleagues, who pledged this week to hold interest rates at a record low through at least mid-2013. Officials said they “discussed the range of policy tools” to strengthen growth and are “prepared to employ these tools as appropriate.”
Giant Tent To Go Up Over Japan Nuclear Reactor
TOKYO — The operator of Japan's damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant is building a huge tent to cover one of the worst-hit reactors, officials said Friday.Officials hope the cover will keep radioactive materials that have already leaked from spreading, prevent rainwater seepage and offer a barrier from possible leaks or blasts in the future.
The tent is being erected to provide a temporary replacement for the No. 1 reactor's outer housing shell, which was destroyed in an explosion caused by high pressure the day after Japan's deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
GOP Debate: Hitting Hard At Each Other
Minnesota rivals Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann sparred bitterly Thursday night during an eight-candidate Republican debate, seeking to break out of the GOP presidential pack ahead of an Iowa test vote with huge consequences.
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Government Pays For Empty Flights To Rural Airports
Cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107; cost to travelers: $70 to $90
Federal statistics reviewed by The Associated Press show that in 2010, just 227 passengers flew out of Ely while the airline got $1.8 million in subsidies. The travelers paid $70 to $90 for a one-way ticket. The cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107.
Facebook To Close U.S. Prison Inmate Accounts
Facebook has begun closing the accounts of California prison inmates after a convicted child molester viewed the pages of his victim from behind bars, authorities and the social networking site said.
Facebook has shut down the accounts of at least two prisoners and officials are working on identifying other accounts that had been accessed from behind bars, said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
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Are You Normal? Take The “Normal Bar” Survey
What do we mean when we say “normal”? Welcome to the Normal Bar, a new survey that might actually help us answer this question. The Normal Bar probes the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors of people who participate in the survey.
It aims to define a “new normal” standard based on what real people share about their experiences. Seventeen different content areas, including family, sexuality, money, and happiness, are open to users who, after they finish their survey, can see where they fall on a “normal bar,” based on their answers.
Stashing Cash In Tampon Boxes - And Other Sneaky Spots
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As millions of Americans continue to lose their savings in the stock market, others are stashing their money where they know they won't lose it.
The magazine of a gun. A box of tampons. The belly of a teddy bear.
Teenager Practices In Extreme Heat Without Water For Ramadan
There is little question that the simmering threat of heat stroke remains a top concern of high school coaches and athletes (not to mention health professionals) across the country, with yet another teen falling prey to the extreme heat on Tuesday. For one teen in Florida, that threat is even more dire as he tries to cope with the religious restrictions of Ramadan, all while working through his first ever varsity football training camp.
Ahmed Elshaer is a rising sophomore at Wesley Chapel (Fla.) High. As first reported in a terrific story by the St. Petersburg Times' Matt Baker, he's also a devout Muslim, with his faith growing even stronger since he and his family emigrated to the United States from Saudi Arabia when he was 9. Soon thereafter, he began fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, a practice which requires him to reject all food and water from sunup to sundown.
The teenager insists that fasting during Ramadan is a keen part of his identity. In past years, Ramadan fasting kept Elshaer from joining football teams at all, for fear that he would struggle to handle practicing without food or water. Yet this year Elshaer decided to play for the Wesley Chapel varsity team, and his commitment to his faith hardly seems to have wavered, even as he works through his first ever training camp, in which he has emerged as a potential starter on the team's offensive line.
"Millions of people on earth don't have food or water," Elshaer told the St. Petersburg Times. "It puts you in their shoes. … "If [Minnesota Vikings safety Hussain Abdullah] can do it, I can do it.
"It's tough, but I've got to do it for my religion."
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Will SlutWalks Change The Meaning Of The Word Slut?
Heather Jarvis isn't afraid to call herself a slut. Clad in jeans and a red T-shirt, the 25-year-old student stood on a Toronto street on April 3 in front of thousands of women and men, raised a megaphone to her mouth and shouted, "As a slut, the only thing I'm asking for is consent." Her declaration was met with roaring cheers.
Jarvis, along with crowds of protesters, had taken to the streets to march in what was dubbed a SlutWalk. The march, organized by Jarvis and Sonya Barnett, was spurred by the comments of Toronto constable Michael Sanguinetti, who told a group of students in a safety class that women "should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized."
In response to the constable's remark — and the implication that women's actions, not the actions of rapists, lead to sexual assault — SlutWalk was born.
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THE 2011 WICOMICO COUNTY REPUBLICAN CLUB CRAB FEAST
Saturday, August 27, 2011
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. (Rain or Shine)
Schumaker Park Pavilion
(1019 South Schumaker Drive, Salisbury, MD)
Ages 19 and up: $25.00
Ages 7 – 18: $8.00
6 and Under: Free
Tickets at the Door: $30.00
All you can eat steamed crabs, steamed corn, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, soft drinks and draft beer.
Silent auction, 50/50 raffle, activities for children & more.
Tickets must be purchased by August 20th
Tickets may be purchased by completing and mailing the following form:
Adult Quantity________ Price $25.00 Total $_______
Youth (7 -18) Quantity________ Price $ 8.00 Total $_______
Grand Total $_______
Name:_____________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
Phone and/or Email__________________________________________
Check(s) should be made Payable to “WCRC”. Mail Form and Check(s) to: Mr. Thomas Hughes, Treasurer, P. O. Box 133, Salisbury, MD 21803.
Scholars Seek To Correct 'Mistakes' In Bible
Experts say they're looking to publish the authoritative edition of the Old Testament
JERUSALEM — A dull-looking chart projected on the wall of a university office in Jerusalem displayed a revelation that would startle many readers of the Old Testament: The sacred text that people revered in the past was not the same one we study today.
An ancient version of one book has an extra phrase. Another appears to have been revised to retroactively insert a prophecy after the events happened.
Government Pays For Empty Flights To Rural Airports
Cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107; cost to travelers: $70 to $90
On some days, the pilots with Great Lakes Airlines fire up a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900 at the Ely, Nev., airport and depart for Las Vegas without a single passenger on board. And the federal government pays them to do it.
Federal statistics reviewed by The Associated Press show that in 2010, just 227 passengers flew out of Ely while the airline got $1.8 million in subsidies. The travelers paid $70 to $90 for a one-way ticket. The cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107.
Wounded Warrior Barracks At The Bethesda Naval Medical Center
A new world class hotel has opened in Bethesda. Injured war veterans joined military leaders to cut the ribbon at the Wounded Warrior Barracks at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Admiral Matt Nathan, commander of the National Naval Medical Center, called the new barracks world-class hotelling for the wounded. Patients from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington will move to the new facilities over the next two weeks. The residential suites are specially equipped for those in wheelchairs or who have prosthetics. They also have queen-size beds, flat-screen TVs, online computers and kitchens.
Texting: The New Way For Kids To Be Rude
My 14-year-old daughter is a texting addict! She will even sit and text when our family is at a restaurant. It drives me nuts. If I tell her to stop, she just does it under the table.
It’s like this little secret that we can’t be in on, plus it’s just plain rude. It’s as if half of her is here with us, but her brain is somewhere off with her friends.
The thing that really annoys me is that she doesn’t take part in family activities any more—it’s like she has to have a special invitation to participate. What should we do?”
A Multibillion Dollar Veterans Affairs IT Contract Is Under Seige
Days after IBM filed a protest with GAO, two more vendors have also filed protests. A third vendor sent a complaint to the Court of Federal Claims. The latest protestors are General Dynamics IT, Standard Communications and D&S Consultants. VA awarded contracts to 14 vendors in July under its Transformation 21 Total Technology program, or T-4, which has a $12 billion ceiling. However, despite the protests, sources told Federal News Radio that VA has already awarded non-competitive bids worth at least $65 million under T4. A VA spokesman said the awards are legal and routine.
Mexico Arrests Trafficker Accused Of 600 Murders
(AP)
TOLUCA, Mexico - Mexican police arrested the suspected leader of a brutal drug gang called "The Hand with Eyes" and he has confessed to helping carry out or ordering more than 600 murders, authorities said Thursday.
Oscar Osvaldo Garcia Montoya, 36, was arrested in an overnight raid on a presumed safe house on the outskirts of Mexico City, State of Mexico Attorney General Alfredo Castillo said at a news conference.
"The Hand with Eyes" is one of the groups blamed for bringing the drug violence typical of northern Mexico to Mexico City and its surrounding areas.
8-Year-Old Gets A Hole-In-One
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Tyler Stachkunas has been playing golf for a year-and-a-half and recently did something many golfers never do in a lifetime. He made a hole-in-one.
While that might not seem incredible, consider this: Tyler is just eight-years-old. Not only that, his perfect shot was all caught on video.
BREAKING NEWS: Consumer Sentiment Tumbles To Lowest Level Since 1980
A preliminary reading on consumer sentiment for the month of August came in at a worse-than-expected 54.9, the lowest level since May 1980, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan.From Fox News
U.Md. Acrobatics Team Advances In 'America's Got Talent' Contest
GRASONVILLE An acrobatics team that includes a Queen Anne's County woman advanced to the next round of "America's Got Talent" on NBC following its performance on Tuesday's show.
Catherine Neighbors, a 2008 Kent Island High School graduate, is a member of the University of Maryland's Gymkana Troupe, which made "America's Got Talent" with its YouTube performance. Neighbors is the daughter of Trina and Glenn Neighbors of Grasonville.
California Man Accused Of Trying To Break In To Prison
FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) - Most inmates are trying to get out of prison, but authorities say they caught a California parolee trying to sneak back in. Corrections Sgt. Tony Quinn says 48-year-old Marvin Lane Ussery was spotted late Wednesday night scaling the 7-foot tall, barbed wire-topped fence that encircles a large wooded area behind the California State Prison in Sacramento.
Quinn says Ussery served time at New Folsom for robbery before he was paroled in June 2009.
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Quinn says Ussery served time at New Folsom for robbery before he was paroled in June 2009.
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These Eco-Friendly Flip-Flops Will Only Cost You $18,000
Better take care of these sandals, because they'll cost more than an arm and a leg to replace.
Eco-conscious footwear company Chipkos has collaborated with L.A. artist David Palmer to create the world's most expensive flip-flops, ringing up at a wallet-busting $18,000. (For that price, you could score 36 pairs of Manolo Blahniks — or 3,600 pairs of Old Navy flip-flops.) However, your money won't be spent in vain: as part of the company's Stand for Square Feet campaign, you will be preserving 100,000 square feet of endangered Costa Rican rainforest for every pair you purchase.
Also included in the sticker price is a meet-and-greet with the artist and two nights in an LEED-certified Beverly Hills hotel. For those on more modest budgets, Chipkos sells a less luxe pair for $42 that will protect 100 square feet of land.
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Global Movement SlutWalk Struts Into D.C.
WASHINGTON - While the name of this international movement tends to raise eyebrows, its message is entirely serious.
The protests known as SlutWalks began in Toronto following a police officer's comment that women shouldn't dress like "sluts" if they want to avoid being raped or becoming victims of violence.
This Saturday, local organizers are bringing the global movement to the nation's capital with SlutWalk D.C.
Samantha Wright, founder of SlutWalk D.C., says she decided to organize the walk after she saw the movement spreading across the country.
"Victim-blaming is something that is universal and I really really wanted to bring the conversation here," she says.
"I wanted people to know that this attitude is out there and people really do blame victims for sexual assault."
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The protests known as SlutWalks began in Toronto following a police officer's comment that women shouldn't dress like "sluts" if they want to avoid being raped or becoming victims of violence.
This Saturday, local organizers are bringing the global movement to the nation's capital with SlutWalk D.C.
Samantha Wright, founder of SlutWalk D.C., says she decided to organize the walk after she saw the movement spreading across the country.
"Victim-blaming is something that is universal and I really really wanted to bring the conversation here," she says.
"I wanted people to know that this attitude is out there and people really do blame victims for sexual assault."
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New Maryland Census Numbers Released
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — People from El Salvador comprise a large portion of Maryland’s growing Hispanic community, census data released Thursday shows.
The U.S. Census Bureau data shows there are 123,789 people from the Central American nation who now live in Maryland, representing 2.1 percent of the state’s population. Hispanics now make up 8.2 percent of the state’s population.
Costco's Lifetime Return Policy Only Applies To Actual Members
When one of the suitcases from Jon's decade-old Kirkland (Costco house brand) luggage set broke, he didn't fret. Why, Costco has one of the greatest return policies in the world! Maybe in the universe! When he attempted to bring the item back, though, he learned the hard way that the famed warranty only applies to the original member who bought the item. Which can be a little awkward when the item was a gift.
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In Book, Christine O'Donnell Addresses `Witch' Ad
NEW YORK (AP) - Nearly a year after she won a stunning primary victory in a U.S. Senate race and drew nationwide attention for her controversial statements, conservative activist Christine O'Donnell chastises adversaries in a new book for undermining her campaign, while admitting errors in her own decision-making.
The Delaware Republican uses the book to address what she calls "my lowest moment of the 2010 campaign" _ a commercial in which she assured voters, "I am not a witch."
She says she never wanted to make the ad _ which was prompted by questions about a statement she had made on a late-night talk show years earlier _ and was surprised when it showed up on the Internet. She blames an insistent media consultant but also her own inability to put her foot down.
"It was a wrong-headed move, made for all the wrong reasons, but it was mine," O'Donnell writes in "Troublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again." The book is scheduled to go on sale Aug. 16. The Associated Press purchased a copy on Thursday.
The media consultant, Fred Davis, said Thursday in an e-mail to the AP: "I wish her well with her book, and her future. That was a very unusual campaign."
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The Delaware Republican uses the book to address what she calls "my lowest moment of the 2010 campaign" _ a commercial in which she assured voters, "I am not a witch."
She says she never wanted to make the ad _ which was prompted by questions about a statement she had made on a late-night talk show years earlier _ and was surprised when it showed up on the Internet. She blames an insistent media consultant but also her own inability to put her foot down.
"It was a wrong-headed move, made for all the wrong reasons, but it was mine," O'Donnell writes in "Troublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again." The book is scheduled to go on sale Aug. 16. The Associated Press purchased a copy on Thursday.
The media consultant, Fred Davis, said Thursday in an e-mail to the AP: "I wish her well with her book, and her future. That was a very unusual campaign."
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Candice Kiley, 24, Arrested For Attacking 12-Year-Old For 'Looking At' Her Boyfriend: Cops
The suspect's boyfriend was in the kitchen cleaning up a spill when Kiley allegedly claimed the child had "been looking at him all day," police told the website.
A 24-year-old woman attacked a 12-year-old girl for "looking at" her 30-year-old boyfriend, according to investigators in Connecticut.
Police in North Branford arrested Candice Kiley for allegedly assaulting a victim who was half her age.
Law enforcement officials say Kiley lashed out at the 12-year-old during a family birthday party on July 23, according to NorthBranfordPatch.
Kiley then grabbed the girl by her hair and hurled her to the floor, investigators allege.
"She landed flat on her back, hitting the back of head on the floor," North Branford Police Department Lt. David D’Ancicco told The Register Citizen.