Salisbury News: 09/20/11

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Second Wipe-Maker Issues Recall After Bacteria Detected

A second company that makes and distributes alcohol prep wipes to prevent infection has issued a large recall because of potential bacterial contamination. The firm shares a common supplier with a Wisconsin wipe-maker whose products have been blamed for illnesses and death, a spokeswoman said.

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Obama's Fatal Conceit

Politico is out with a few excerpts from the new Ron Suskind book, Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President. Suskind is no economist (much less an Austrian). His poor economic understanding causes him to weave his story in odd directions, often ignoring time bombs he has dropped. (See my review of his book, The Price of Loyalty)

That said, he is good with facts and the inside scoop. They just need to be understood in better context. Here's an important Politico excerpt:

O]n February 14 [2011], the president meditated on the most important things he’d learned as president … ‘The area in my presidency where I think my management and understanding of the presidency evolved most, and where I think we made the most mistakes, was less on the policy front and more on the communications front. I think one of the criticisms that is absolutely legitimate about my first two years was that I was very comfortable with a technocratic approach to government … a series of problems to be solved. …Carter, Clinton and I all have sort of the disease of being policy wonks … I think that if you get too consumed with that you lose sight of the larger issue …

American icon Tony Bennett took to the airwaves at Sirius Radio to promote his new album, “Duets II,” but it’s what he said about war, peace, terrorism, and who was to blame for the Sept. 11 terror attacks that could get people talking.

Sitting down with Howard Stern on Monday, the 85-year-old singer dodged questions about his sex life and prior drug use. He did so with a laugh, but matters about the U.S. military and 9/11 were fair game, and on these topics the Grammy winner held little back.

Buzz Aldrin’s New Flame 30 Years His Junior

After the scandal of a messy divorce, it appears that astronaut Buzz Aldrin is moving on with a woman 30 years his junior, and his ex-wife of 23 years is calling the woman a “predator.”

Aldrin is reportedly dating Michelle Sucillon, 51, a former senior event marketing manager for Borders. Sucillon oversaw West Coast events, including author appearances, where she met Aldrin, according to the New York Post.

ADHD Meds Delay Puberty in Boys, Study Suggests

A medication taken by millions of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may delay puberty, at least temporarily, according to a new study in animals.

High doses of the drug methylphenidate — the active ingredient in Ritalin and other ADHD medications — reduced testes size and delayed descent of the testes in male monkeys younger than 5 years old, compared with monkeys not given the drug. The drug also reduced their testosterone levels at both low and high doses.

Music Fan Owes $675,000 for Illegal Downloads, Court Rules

Enjoy that song: It'll cost you.
In 2009, a Boston jury downgraded a ruling against Joel Tenenbaum for illegally downloading music files from $675,000 to just $67,500, deeming the original penalty "unconstitutionally excessive."
Not so fast, an appeals court has ruled.
On Friday, following pleas for further leniency from Tenenbaum and indignant filings from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a federal appeals court revisited the ruling -- and decided Tenenbaum ought to pay.

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Controversially Made in China

When it was built in 1936, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was a Depression-era project that put scores of Americans to work. When its $6.3 billion replacement opens in two years, it will be an international affair from the bottom up, an example of massive outsourcing that has drawn both praise and criticism.

Could the Vatican Go To Court For Human-Rights Abuses?

When a group of victims of pedophile priests announced on Sept. 13 that they would ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try the Pope on charges of crimes against humanity, the Vatican was quick to dismiss the petition as a "ludicrous publicity stunt."

After all, prosecutors would have to prove that Pope Benedict XVI, in allegedly neglecting to address pervasive sex abuse in the Catholic Church, belongs in the company of Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic, Liberia's Charles Taylor and the perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.

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Salisbury Area Chamber Of Commerce 1st Annual Freedom 5K & Bike Ride

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases

On September 19, 2011 at approximately 10:55 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the three hundred (300) block of South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal argument with the below listed suspect, who was known to her. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation and resulted in the suspect pushing the victim down to the ground and holding her down while striking her. The victim was transported to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center for minor injuries and was released after treatment.

ARRESTED: David Wayne Bailey, 41 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Second degree assault
False imprisonment
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100036906

On September 20, 2011 at approximately 3:29 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a residence on the one hundred (100) block of Lehigh Avenue for the report of a domestic assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an adult female victim who advised that she had been involved in a verbal argument with the below listed suspect, who also occupied the residence. During the argument, the victim attempted to leave the residence but was struck by the suspect with a metal kitchen chair. After several attempts, the victim was able to escape from the suspect and leave the residence. The victim did not require medical attention.

ARRESTED: Vernon Junius Trotter, 49 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: First degree assault
Second degree assault
Reckless endangerment

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100036941

New TV Season, And Fewer Viewers

Pay-TV subscriber losses, and younger viewers watching online, spell trouble

As a college student, Jordan Geddis took cable TV for granted. MTV, Comedy Central, and ESPN were just part of the dorm tab at Syracuse University. Even when she moved off campus, Geddis split the bill with roommates. Now, on her own in a tough economy, the 25-year-old General Dynamics (GD) engineer in Groton, Conn., no longer pays. “When I had cable I followed a couple shows, but the rest was garbage to me,” Geddis says. “Online I can watch the few programs I actually care about.”

With more young adults tuning out this TV season, the industry is confronting a generation of viewers who say they won’t pay the typical $75 monthly cable or satellite bill. Nielsen (NLSN), whose TV ratings influence ad rates, in May cut the estimated number of U.S. TV households by 1 percent, to 114.7 million, the first drop since 1990. College towns such as Boston, Madison, Wisc., and Austin, Tex., posted some of the biggest declines, suggesting some fans of Family Guy are watching on Hulu Plus or Netflix (NFLX) for $7.99 a month, a fraction of a cable bill.

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Why Hunger Is Still With Us

Editor's Note: This piece is one in a series of replies to Frances Moore Lappé’s essay on the food movement today.

Amid the joy of local, seasonal ingredients and tides of young people with dirt freshly lodged under their fingernails, it feels unkind to point to the bigger problems within the food system. But it’s worth tempering an optimism of the will with a pessimism of the intellect. Despite the food movement’s gains over the past decade, it’s hard not to feel the latter outweighing the former.

For every White House organic garden, there’s an appointee to the US Trade Representative’s office from the pesticide industry. Sasha and Malia may be getting good grub, but the global South still gets stuck with chemicals.

Harvests remain strong, and people still go hungry. This isn’t because of population growth—there’s enough produced to feed everyone on a Small Planet’s diet. But the economics of crop production have increasingly left concerns about human eating in the dust.

First, we’re growing more crops than ever before not for direct human consumption, or even animal feed, but as biofuels, to keep cars on the road. Already, more than a tenth of the world’s total coarse grain output is used for fuel, and the OECD predicts that within a decade a third of all sugar cane grown on earth will be used not for sweetening but for combustion.

Luckily, there’s reason for optimism of the will here. La Via Campesina has taken aim at agrofuels in its small farmers Cooling Down the Planet campaign. The group has refuted agribusiness greenwash in the best way: by showing, with real living practice, exactly how to meet the climate crisis.

Yet, on the down side again, the only thing worse than burning food is speculating on it. As economist Jayati Ghosh has pointed out, one consequence of the 2000 Commodity Futures Modernization Act has been unregulated commodity futures trading reaching the $9 trillion mark at the end of 2007. There’s plenty of debate among economists about whether this has led to higher prices or increased price fluctuation. But there’s an emerging consensus that as crops are folded into various unregulated commodity indexes, the fate of food prices is becoming tethered to the moods of the broader world of commodities. The question of what, if anything, sits in the bowls of the poorest people has less to do with the availability of food than with the price of oil.

We’ve seen the global food movement take up cudgels against climate change, land speculation and agrofuels. Spurred by today’s multiple crises, capitalism has nonetheless accelerated its search for profit and found new ways of wringing money from our daily bread. A truly democratic food system will need to rewrite the rules of the financial system. That can’t happen without naming and confronting capitalism as the enemy of food sovereignty.

Filipino Teachers Find More Money, Challenges In Maryland

WASHINGTON -- U.S. schools have been recruiting teachers from the Philippines for some time. Many have come to Prince George's County, and in Baltimore classrooms, one in every ten teachers is Filipino.

In her documentary "The Learning," filmmaker Ramona Diaz follows four of them as they face their first difficult year in Baltimore schools.

"They have come to know their students really, really well," Diaz says, "and I think it's because the students trusted that they were going to stay, and the next year they'd see them again."

In inner city schools, high teacher turnover has taken a toll on both learning and discipline. "A lot of the kids ... are not used to their teachers coming back year after year after year," she says.

Leaving the Philippines for Maryland can increase a teacher's income 25 times, but it's not easy money.

"In the Philippines, cultural expectations are that kids should be seen but not heard, but in this culture, in the U.S., it's very different."

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Virginity Is Not Hot

If you want it then you shoulda put a ring on it...

It’s been a while since I really ticked someone off. I mean, I’ve been on a serious streak of low-keyness. This is a clear indication that I’m going soft. Not that I’mintentionally trying to incite a digital riot over here, but I do try to challenge conventional wisdom and get men and women open and honestly communicating. Soooooo….

..let’s talk virgins!

This Pomeranian was found on a neighbors property. It is very clean and well groomed. Please contact Susan at 443-735-4461.

Mother, Daughter Reportedly Shot Outside Georgia Private School

Cops say husband of woman approached pair and opened fire, according to reports

A mom and her 10-year-old daughter were shot outside a private, religious school south of Atlanta, authorities said Tuesday.

Sgt. Jodi Shupe told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the two victims were rushed to different hospitals after the incident, which occurred at around 6:30 a.m. ET.

Shupe said the woman was dropping her daughter off at Little Mountain Christian Academy in Rockdale County when her husband approached them and began shooting, the Journal-Constitution reported. The woman reportedly ran inside the school and screamed for help.

Some Lawmakers Earn At Jobs On The Side

Members of Congress tripled their outside income between 2006 and 2010, as lawmakers earned a total of nearly $30 million last year outside of their official salaries.

The numbers come from an analysis by the Wall Street Journal, which used LegiStorm's database of personal financial disclosures to compare filings. The forms require lawmakers to disclose outside income along with other information.

According to the Journal, members of Congress earned at least $27.5 million last year. Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) topped the list with at least $6.3 million earned from Subway and UPS franchises. At the other end of the spectrum was former Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) who reported earning $280 from the sale of chestnuts. In 2006, outside income for senators and representatives totaled at least $7.8 million.

Buy American

Take a look at the agenda of the upcoming Take Back The American Dream Conference. There is a session on Tuesday titled, Strategy on State Level for Buy America Campaign.

This session will look at ways to trigger state-level procurement rules that say when states use taxpayer money to buy things, they should be buying American-made things, from American companies that employ American workers and pay American taxes.

The situation today is that some state-level procurement laws are very weak. As a result, a lot of tax dollars go to purchase goods made overseas instead of goods made in the USA. The impact of this often includes delays or cost overruns such as what happened with the San Francisco to Oakland California Bay Bridge, as well as the loss of jobs and revenue in the US.

The idea that national and state governments should "Buy American" isn't in any way a partisan issue. If you look at polling you find that Republicans as well as Democrats believe that at least now while we are in economic distress, and trading "partners" are selling to us but not buying from us, our tax dollars should be supporting American companies and jobs.

(AP)

CONCORD, N.C. - A female employee of Lowe's Home Improvement and a man were shot to death inside a North Carolina store Monday and a company spokeswoman described the shootings as a domestic situation.

The names of the victims and their relationship to each other were not immediately released, spokeswoman Karen Cobb said. The shooting happened at a store in Concord, which is about 20 miles northeast of Charlotte.

None of the other workers or customers inside the store were hurt. Cobb didn't know how many people were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

Perry Pumps Up Pressure on Obama Over Israel

Perry Pumps Up Pressure on Obama Over Israel

“We are indignant that certain Middle Eastern leaders have discarded the principle of direct negotiations between the sovereign nation of Israel and the Palestinian leadership. And we are equally indignant that the Obama administration's Middle East policy of appeasement has encouraged such an ominous act of bad faith."

-- Advance remarks of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in New York on the Palestinian bid for statehood.

President Obama is trying to simultaneously shore up his sliding stature with Jewish-Americans and retain his status as one of the leading proponents of the ongoing uprisings in the Middle East, even as the movement proves perilous for Israel.

Anne Arundel County Vaccinates Against Rabies By Helicopter

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Anne Arundel County health officials are taking to the air to vaccinate raccoons for rabies.

Health officials say they are distributing about 70,000 bait packs containing the rabies vaccine by helicopter this year.

Oops: Pot-Smoking Elmo Already Claimed @Qwikster On Twitter

Netflix might have flubbed on its due diligence when checking out if there were any a priori uses of the name "Qwikster." (Whether or not just picking that name itself is a flub is another discussion.) It seems there was already an entity out there using Qwikster, and it'll make it hard for the DVD by mail service to have a good Twitter profile. Yep, @Qwikster is a joint-smoking Elmo who gets bored in English class, harbors negative feelings about his ex-girlfriend, and recently attained level 25 in the Original Gangstaz game for iPhone.

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Copy "Wedding Crashers" Prank, Get Charged With A Felony

In the movie Wedding Crashers, Owen Wilson's character pours eye drops into an enemy's drink to put him out of commission and is rewarded with audience laughter. In real life, a Wisconsin college student does the same to her roommate and is charged with a felony that stuck her with 90 days in prison and 30 months of probation.

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QUOTES OF THE DAY 9-20-11

“One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.”
― Ron Paul

“I’m convinced that you never have to give up liberties to be safe. I think you’re less safe when you give up your liberties.”
― Ron Paul

“Mr. Speaker, I once again find myself compelled to vote against the annual budget resolution for a very simple reason: it makes government bigger.”
― Ron Paul

“Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms.”
― Ron Paul

“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.”
― Ron Paul, The Revolution: A Manifesto

Why Was Congress Forced To Subpoena Head Of Obama's Budget Office To Get Info On Solyndra?

As more developments arise in the Solyndra case, we find the specifics of how it was none other than Jacob Lew, the head of the Office Management Bureau, elsewhere known as the guy who puts together all those forecasts that Obama pulls out of his hat as seeing growth of 3.7% in 2012 here [7] and budget savings of $4 trillion there [8], got subpoenaed, and not just over anything, but over the deal that is rapidly becoming Obama's Solargate: Solyndra. As a recap: the man who is the "expert" on how the US will get out of its multi-trillion deficit had to be subpoenaed by Congress to explain his secretive actions that ended up most likely harming US taxpayers for reasons still unknown (but not for long), and what is far worse, Congress has to subpoena the head of the OMB because it failed to exercise proper oversight of the stimulus money in the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act... and all this under the tutelage of a White House which recently won an award for Anti-Secrecy [9]....which was present to the president by among other Gary Bass [10]of OMB Watch [11]...And somehow we are expected to believe that fiscal stimulus in America has even a remote chance of being allocated productively (a fatal Keynesian flaw which Andy Lees described earlier [12]) instead of pumping up crony capitalism schemes that enrich vested interests, and which drown in opacity and obscurity over which not even Congress has any supervision?
Lew subpoena link here [13].

And where it gets fun is reading through the slides that have been prepared as part of the production for current and future testimony... and believe us, there will be much more future testimony, as republicans have smelled blood shooting straight out of a punctured artery and are now circling around a president who probably doesn't even realize the danger he is in...

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EXTREME MAKEOVER: Home Edition

Fusion Brings "Extreme" to Salisbury University

Dear Campus Community,

Salisbury University students, faculty, staff and alumni have a wonderful history of outreach and engagement. I am delighted to invite you to participate in a community program that has garnered nationwide recognition: ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The University has been asked to partner in the project along with one of the mid-Atlantic’s leading “green” builders. On Thursday, September 22, SU will host a pep rally for the campus and community. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition senior producer Milan Vasic will provide an overview of the process. In addition, the family-friendly rally will feature fun and games for children and young people, the SU cheerleaders, Sammy the Sea Gull, live music and video.

A press release with more information is available: Pep Rally Press Release (PDF). Please mark your calendars now:

Thursday, September 22
5:30 p.m.
Maggs Gym (inside and out)

The project will have an EXTREME impact on one family’s quality of life. I hope you will consider attending to hear more about becoming involved in this remarkable community event.

Janet Dudley-Eshbach, Ph.D.
President

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Editors Notes: Yes, we do know where they plan on building the next home. HOWEVER, we absolutely do NOT agree with this project. What YOU the taxpayer do NOT know is that this group is asking to be exempt from any impact fees as well as security 24 hours a day for several days, totaling more than $55,000.00 in security alone. Yeah, the liberals aren't going to tell you the whole scoop but you heard it here first on Salisbury News.

British School Bans Makeup And Mirrors To Combat Vanity

Teenage girls at a British secondary school have apparently become entranced by their own heavily made up reflections.

In order to prevent female students from spending school hours primping in the bathroom, Shelley College, a co-ed public school in northern England, has barred students from wearing make-up and spending time in front of the mirror.

Certainly not those people in which the Mayor believes has constitutional rights. In the last two weeks, this is the second time one of these drunks pissed on one of our buildings, (that I know of).

Maybe Donald Schaefer was right about the Eastern Shore after all. While Mayor Ireton only comes to the Downtown Plaza on Third Friday, (which was a flop this past week) after everything has been completely cleaned up and the bums run off, he should come to my Office for a few hours and see what he ISN'T doing, (on purpose).

I received a phone call a half hour ago from a tenant who has video of these people using most of the plug outlets on the Plaza to charge everything and feels they should have lock boxes to distract a certain crowd from knowing they have benches to sleep on, power outlets to charge their batteries and walls to piss on whenever the need in broad daylight.

Another business owner told me today that they have to walk their clients to their cars at night. Another business owner told me they have to lock their doors even during the day to keep them out. Yeah, this Mayor and Urban Salisbury have done a bang up job for Downtown Salisbury.

I know, maybe WMDT should turn on the volume on the three TV's they have out on the Plaza and we could all deliver popcorn to them and continue to clean up their mess. Help is NOT on the way. That is, unless your a bum or a liberal.

Meet 'Dave's Hot 'N Juicy', Wendy's New Monster Cheeseburger

Say hello to the new Godzilla-sized, to-heck-with-your-diet Wendy's burger. It's the same as the old one, save for the thicker, "never-frozen" half-pound beef patty, crinkle-cut pickles, red onions, extra cheese, buttered and toasted bun, and no-more-mustard."

You can get your hands on one starting today.

If that sounds a bit like an ad, we suppose it is — the perils of describing something (food) in detail that we all need, more or less daily, to survive.

Air Force Secretary Puts Foot Down On Budget Cuts

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley has put his foot down on budget cuts. Donley listed programs he says the Air Force, and national defense, can't live without, including the F-35 fighter, new aerial refueling tankers, unmanned aircraft and a new long-range bomber. Donley said he would oppose changes to the triad strategy of nuclear missile delivery from planes, submarines and missiles.

Federal Order To Increase Pay Could Cost Jobs For Crab Pickers

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—The intentions are good. Put more Americans to work. But a federal order to raise the wages of foreign workers to attract U.S. workers to those positions could end up costing jobs.

Alex DeMetrick reports at least that’s the feat in Maryland’s seafood industry.

Some 280 temporary foreign workers pick crab meat in Maryland. Only a handful of Americans do this work. Charlotte Jones, who has been doing it for 65 years, knows why.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Consigned To History

(CBS/AP)

WASHINGTON - After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.

Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military's ability to recruit or to fight wars.

The Army was distributing a business-as-usual statement Tuesday saying simply, "The law is repealed," and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.

Residents Near Fort Detrick Voice Concerns Of Cancer Cluster

FREDERICK, Md. (WJZ)– Cancer cluster concerns.

Weijia Jiang reports hundreds of people who live near Fort Detrick made their voices heard at a town hall meeting Saturday.

Hundreds of people who live near Fort Detrick died from cancer or are living with it. Now, one by one, they’re coming forward with grave accusations against the military base.

“This is more than just people dying from the disease and government cover up. This is murder,” said one.

Michele Bachmann Says Tax Breaks Should Replace Employer Health Plans

WATERLOO, Iowa - Back in her hometown Monday, Republican presidential contender Michele Bachmann waxed nostalgic for an era when people were responsible for purchasing their own insurance, rather than being tethered to an employer for coverage.

"When I grew up here in Iowa, we owned our own health insurance. We didn't necessarily have it from our employer," she said.

Asked in a round-table with workers at OMJC Signal, a family-owned public-safety equipment manufacturer, how small businesses can afford health care for their employees, the Minnesota congresswoman said they shouldn't have to buy it.

Transportation Advocates See 2012 As “Last Chance” For Raising Revenues

Advocates for increased funding for Maryland transportation projects say next year’s General Assembly session is “the last chance” to get any new revenues passed. “This is probably our last opportunity in a four-year term,” said Don Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee and a former legislator. “In the third and fourth year of the legislative term we don’t see that type of initiative,” as lawmakers focus on their re-election.

Continue Reading...

Murdoch To Pay Hacking Victim's Family

(LONDON) — Rupert Murdoch's company said Monday that it is in advanced compensation talks with the family of a murdered teenager whose phone was hacked by the now-defunct News of the World tabloid.

News International, Murdoch's British newspaper division, said it hopes to reach agreement soon with the family of Milly Dowler.

Maryland Mirrors Nation’s Continuing Crime Decline

BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland officials say the state’s drop in violent crime is mirroring a nationwide 6 percent drop in 2010 noted by the FBI.

The FBI marked the fourth year of declines in its annual crime statistics report on Monday. Maryland’s 4.9 percent decline in property crime surpassed the nation’s 2.7 percent drop. State officials credit a growth in technology and information sharing for the overall decline.

The data show Maryland’s homicides dropped 3.2 percent and robberies and motor vehicle deaths fell about 8 percent in 2010.

Public Input Sought In Easton Postal Decision

EASTON, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s senators are asking for transparency and public input over the fate of the Easton Area Mail Processing Center.

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin have sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe because the Postal Service is again considering consolidating the Easton facility with a facility in Baltimore.

When I get stressed out I _______.

Teens, 20s See Online Slurs As Just Joking

Is it ever OK to tweet that a girl's a "slut"? How about slinging offensive names for homosexuals in a post to a friend on Facebook? Or texting a racial slur? Most young people think it's all right when friends are joking around with each other, according to a new poll.

Jaded by the Internet free-for-all, teens and 20-somethings shrug off offensive words and name-calling that would probably appall their parents, teachers and future bosses. And an Associated Press-MTV poll shows they don't worry much about whether the things they tap into their cellphones and laptops could reach a wider audience and get them into trouble.

Seventy-one percent say people are more likely to use slurs online or in text messages than in person, and only about half say they are likely to ask someone using such language online to stop.

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S&P Downgrades Italy On Weak Economic Outlook

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut Italy's sovereign credit rating late Monday, saying the nation's weakening economic growth and political uncertainty have dented its financial stability.

S&P now rates Italy's credit at A, down from A+, and kept its outlook on the country as negative, the agency said in a report issued Monday.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Banana Tea Cake

It seems every time I get a good deal on bananas I forget to eat them. I prefer them just before they turn yellow – which is a very small window of time no matter how green they are when purchased. Once they have yellowed and become freckled with brown spots I usually make banana nut bread. I have a terrific recipe that is a terrific variation. Marry this with the Custard Sauce receipt in Sinepuxent Receipts and this makes a first class tea cake.

Banana Tea Cake

Butter and flour an 11” x 14” glass baking dish, or equivalent; preheat oven to 325°

2 sticks Butter, room temperature

2 cups Sugar

4 Eggs, Jumbo

6 well-ripened Bananas

3 cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tbsp. Baking Powder

1 cup Half & Half

Walnuts

Butter and flour an 11” x 14” glass baking dish, or equivalent; preheat oven to 325°.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Peel and cut bananas into chunks and add to batter and continue beating well. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Alternate the addition of the flour mixture and the Half & Half. Beat all ingredients together well and pour into prepared baking dish. Add walnuts on top and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”. Tom lives in Hebron. When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sex Offender Posing As Vince Young In D.C. Area

WASHINGTON - A registered sex offender living in the D.C. area has been impersonating Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Vince Young, making money off fake appearances, taking photos with sick children and threatening women once they figure out the man's true identity.

Young's management agency, EAG Sports Management, says Young's impostor is 46-year-old Stephan Pittman of Fort Washington, Maryland. The agency says it has been aware of Pittman's actions since June.

New Research on How to Be Happier and Thinner

There are few urges harder to resist than hitting the snooze button (eating that huge chocolate cupcake up for grabs in the office kitchen comes to mind), but maybe this will help you: new research out of the UK found that people who get up early tend to be happier, less stressed, and have a lower chance of being overweight. Hmm, screw getting the worm; if the early bird gets flatter abs, maybe we'll consider it...

Researchers looked at over 1,000 subjects and categorized them into morning people or goddamn-morning-haters (actually, they used the phrase evening people). Morning people generally started their weekday around 7 am, and evening people got rolling closer to 8:55 am. Those in the latter group were more likely to suffer from depression and stress, and be overweight.

CDC: Death toll could rise as germ lingers

WASHINGTON — Four people have died in an outbreak of listeria traced to Colorado cantaloupes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

One death occurred in Colorado, one in Oklahoma and two in New Mexico. The death count could soon rise to six. Chad Smelser of the New Mexico Department of Heath said the CDC is in the process of confirming two additional deaths linked to the outbreak in his state.

The CDC said that 35 people in 10 states have been sickened in the outbreak so far. The illnesses are in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Colorado has the most illnesses with 12 sickened, followed by Oklahoma with six and New Mexico with five.

Salisbury Council Overrides Ireton Veto … Again

At Monday’s special meeting the Salisbury City Council unanimously overrode Mayor Jim Ireton’s veto of Resolution 2101. The resolution establishes a moratorium on enforcement actions against suspected illegal non-conforming uses typically known as “illegal conversions”.

In his veto message of September 14, Ireton states:

This action will prevent Neighborhood Services and Buildings, Permits and Inspections from advancing potential illegal non-conforming uses for investigation. Salisbury’s older neighborhoods expected, with the results of the last few elections, that a tough stance would be taken. Council, because it can’t work thoroughly with any sense of timing or purpose, has let our neighborhoods down. Newtown and North Camden residents are expecting the city to continue to fight illegal uses. The Safe Streets Neighborhood Legislation has been over a year waiting for city action and this moratorium will negatively impact our ability to protect the public.” said Mayor Ireton upon vetoing the legislation.

Since becoming mayor, Ireton has brought action against landlords owning suspected illegal conversions. Sadly, most of these actions have been unsuccessful due to the Board of Zoning Appeals’ acceptance of third party, hearsay evidence. This is why the council chose to pass Resolution 2101. The resolution calls for a moratorium for 90 days, or until the council passes new legislation governing the Board of Zoning Appeals – whichever is sooner.

It should be noted that Ireton’s remarks regarding council passage of the Safe Streets Legislation is not entirely accurate. It is true that council has only passed one portion of the legislation to date – the Tenant’s Rights Lease Addendum. However, much of the delay has been due to the mayor’s own law department.

We should also note that the moratorium will protect neighborhoods in the long run. If Ireton continues enforcement actions against “illegal conversions”, and continues to lose, those properties will have legal, non-conforming status.

Today's Survey Question 9-20-11

Should the post office scale back its delivery schedule to just five days?

Md. County Vaccinates Against Rabies By Helicopter

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Anne Arundel County health officials are taking to the air to vaccinate raccoons for rabies.

Health officials say they are distributing about 70,000 bait packs containing the rabies vaccine by helicopter this year.

Health officials say immunizing raccoons helps reduce human and pet exposure to rabies.

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Greek Default: What It Would Mean

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Experts agree it's almost certain that Greece will not be able to pay all of its debts. But if the country does default, what happens next?

Greek leaders are struggling to agree to a set of painful budget cuts, including layoffs and new taxes, in order to get the next round of bailout cash from its European partners. But Greece is in the midst of a painful recession, which is cutting tax collections and causing it to sink even deeper into the deficit hole.

Business leaders told support for hike dwindles as election nears

If Maryland is to raise significant new revenue to meet its backlog of transportation needs — most likely through a higher gas tax — 2012 is the year it must be done, a leading lawmaker told a gathering of Baltimore business leaders Monday.

Speaking at the Greater Baltimore Committee's annual transportation summit, state Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola warned that any political will to raise money for highways, transit and other transportation needs will dwindle as legislators approach the 2014 state elections.

"They're going to be even more skittish as we get to 2013 and 2014," the Montgomery County Democrat said.

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