DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Attention
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Bully-Proofing Your Kids
Listeria Toll Rises To 23 With Two Louisiana Deaths
Two more people in the United States have died from a listeria outbreak caused by tainted cantaloupes linked to a Colorado farm, bringing the death toll to 23 across 12 states, health officials said.
Deaths from the largest U.S. food-borne listeria outbreak in over two decades have now reached Louisiana where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said two people had died. Deaths had previously been reported in Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
Opportunity Shop Still Packing Them In
Teen Sex Update: They're Still Doing It
The latest government survey of teen sex and contraceptive use finds that things have largely remained unchanged in last eight years: teens are still having less sex and using birth control more often than you'd think.
The survey did reveal a couple of notable exceptions in safe sex behavior, though. Teen boys are now using condoms more frequently at first sex, often combined with a second form of birth control, and teen girls are increasingly using newer hormonal contraceptives like patches and rings.
Scott Brown Camp Regrets Plagiarism "Oversight"
The Boston Globe first reported the plagiarism, which the newspaper was directed to by the Democratic Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century.
Stocking Up Before The Big Increase?
Conservatives And Liberals Agree: End The Malignant, Symbiotic Relationship Between Big Government And Big Corporations
For example, both liberals and conservatives hate the malignant, symbiotic relationship between big government and big corporations [16]:
Conservatives tend to view big government with suspicion, and think that government should be held accountable and reined in.
Liberals tend to view big corporations with suspicion, and think that they should be held accountable and reined in.
Most Americans – whether they are conservative or liberal – are disgusted that virtually all of the politicians are bought and paid for. [17] No wonder people of all stripes have lost all trust in our government [18].
***
Conservatives hate big unfettered government and liberals hate big unchecked corporations, so both hate legislation which encourages the federal government to reward big corporations at the expense of small businesses.
And everyone hates government-enabled fraud. The big banks, of course, committed massive fraud [19]. But the auditors, rating agencies and regulators also all committed fraud [20], which helped blow the bubble and sowed the seeds of the inevitable crash.
Indeed [16]:
Both liberals and conservatives [21] are angry that the feds are propping up the giant banks – while letting small banks fail by the hundreds – even though that is horrible for the economy and Main Street [22].More
Wages
Salary of Speaker of the House .............$223,500 FOR LIFE
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders ......$193,400 FOR LIFE
Average salary of a soldier DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN - $38,000
I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree... Pass it on!
Hillary Clinton: VP Run Not 'In The Realm Of possibility'
Clinton tells TODAY she will not run; Biden has done 'an amazingly good job'
The possibility of an Obama/Clinton ticket in 2012 has not even been raised to her, she said.
“It's maybe a subject for speculation on Google, but it's not a serious issue in the administration,’’ Clinton said.
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Women On The Pill Pick Boring Lovers, Good Partners, Study Claims
Women who were taking contraceptive pills when they met their significant other were more likely to stay in the relationship than women who weren’t on the Pill, according to new research. While the partners of the non-Pill taking women tend to be more handsome and better in the sack, their relationships just didn’t have the same staying power.
Good-looking and sexy or dull and nice. Seems there's always a trade-off when it comes to love.
The study was posted online Wednesday by the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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Maryland Creates A New Fish Story
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Commission Recommends $29,000 Pay Hike For All Judges
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Theater Owners Win Game Of Chicken With Universal
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November Fifth Is Bank Transfer Day
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You Know That Your City Has Become A Hellhole When….
So how do you know if your own city has become a hellhole?
Well, a few potential "red flags" are posted below....
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Democrats Admit O’Malley Map Has Partisan Re-Draw As Its Objective
“The truth is now out in the open,” said MDGOP Chairman Alex Mooney. “This congressional redistricting process has been all arranged around eliminating one individual and helping one party pick up a seat in Congress, rather than what is in the best interests of all Marylanders.”
In the past few days, many leading Democrats have joined with the Maryland Republican Party in objecting to the blatantly partisan goals of this map.
"Congresswoman Donna Edwards and I do not agree on many things, but on this issue, she is absolutely correct - this map is extremely problematic from a voting rights perspective and does not protect minority representation,” Mooney continued. "In addition, Governor O'Malley's map creates several unwieldy districts that unnecessarily cut up counties and do not respect regional integrity.”
Update On Suspicious Package, (2 liter bottle) In Delmar
QUOTES OF THE DAY 10-13-11
― Adam Turquine – from Beyond Mars Crimson Fleet
“He did not care for the lying at first. He hated it. Then later he had come to like it. It was part of being an insider but it was a very corrupting business.”
― Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls
“If corruption had already taken root,
then good seeds must be preserved.”
― Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut
“It is supposed that power corrupts,’ the caterpillar said in a voice as untroubled as time itself. “yet the powerful are often corrupt before they are powerful. In fact, I find that they too often become powerful by being corrupt. Whether real or perceived, a lack of power can also corrupt.”
― Frank Beddor, ArchEnemy
A New Boogeyman For America
America, meet your new boogeyman.
It has been estimated that the U.S. has given $19 billion in foreign aid to Pakistan since the onset of the “War on Terror.” This aid has resulted in Pakistan being used as a safe haven for Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and Haqqani. Chalk up another foreign policy achievement right next to the WMDs in Iraq.
With bin Laden dead and the assassination (no sugar coat here, that’s exactly what it was) of the American-born Al-Qaeda recruiter known as Anwar al-Awlaki, one would hope that our Middle East presence would begin to diminish. Judging by Senator Lindsey Graham’s prompting [8]of a military reaction to Pakistan, you can pack that hope away along with naively believing Barack Obama would bring the troops home. If anything, our Nobel Peace prize winning president has been a boon for the military industrial complex.
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2 Delaware Men Arrested For Child Porn
Cody A. Laisure, 23, of Greenwood, and Ronald J. Fontana, Jr., 29, of Wilmington were charged with 10 and eight counts of dealing child pornography, respectively.
Biden says the Child Predator Task Force arrested Laisure at his home in the 15000 block of Hickory Meadow Drive on October 5th.
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Redskin D-Backs Ready For Eagles Pass Attack
Back To Space
USPS Concerns
The IRS Has A Union?
More Fun Events At Poplar Hill Mansion
Ladies In Leadership Fashion Show
Delegate Michael Hough To Introduce the Maryland Fair Representation Congressional Plan
Delegate Hough said, “I am proud to work with the Fannie Lou Hamer PAC because we share the belief that redistricting for the purpose of incumbency protection and partisan political gain do a disservice to all who seek individual liberty and transparency in governance.”
The proposed congressional plan places all of Western Maryland into the Sixth Congressional District and places all of the Eastern Shore and related rural areas into the First Congressional District. It creates a Chesapeake Bay District composed of Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties. The plan leaves Baltimore City in one congressional district and largely leaves Montgomery County intact.
The plan as proposed by the Governor’s Council on Redistricting gerrymanders congressional districts across the state and disenfranchises African Americans and voters in rural areas like Western Maryland. The Fannie Lou Hamer PAC said the following about the Governor’s plan, “African American communities in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County’s are being diluted for the purposes of electing Congressman Hoyer, Congressman Sarbanes and Congressman Ruppersberger.”
Delegate Hough’s and the Fannie Lou Hammer congressional plan creates three (3) African American congressional districts. This plan also creates a Hispanic influenced congressional district drawn from populations in Montgomery and Prince George’s County.
The Governor’s plan maintains the status quo of two majority African American districts, despite population growth in minority communities, and shamelessly divides communities and neighborhoods. The Governor’s plan also divides Frederick County into two gerrymandered congressional districts that split the rural vote in Western Maryland for no other purpose than partisan gain.
Delegate Hough concluded “The Maryland Fair Representation Congressional Plan does not divide minority populations and geographic areas and will therefore provide accurate and fair representation for all the citizens of Maryland. The plan put forward by the Governor’s Council is simply a partisan gerrymandered mess that divides communities and disenfranchises voters across the state”
His Name Was Bubba
he walked into a bank in New York City and asked for the loan officer.
The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Redneck handed over the keys to a new Ferrari.
Later, the bank's president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the Redneck from the south for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan.
Two weeks later, the Redneck returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest of $23.07.
The good 'ole boy replied, "Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I return?"
Reaching Out To The Community
SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
- Purchasing card system – Catrice Parsons
- Bond refinancing – Gerri Moore
- GASB45 Trust By-laws – John Pick
- Follow-up discussion on amending Chapter 17.12 to change the Board of Zoning
- General discussion/upcoming agendas
- Consult with legal counsel and staff on pending litigation as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland Sections 10-508(a)(7)(8)
BREAKING NEWS: Guilty Verdicts In Home Invasion
From Fox News
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Inflationistas Will Destroy The Desire To Save
As the Federal Reserve does everything it can to dump new money into the economy, many people, myself included, are convinced that we are headed toward a period of potentially serious inflation. Most of those people are equally convinced that inflation is a bad thing. It is, after all, one of the two ingredients in the so-called misery index.
In recent comments, however, Rogoff has advocated intentionally creating “moderate inflation of, say, 4 to 6 percent for several years.” In an opinion piece in the Financial Times, he acknowledged that his proposal might be anathema to some, but said “a once-in-75-year crisis calls for outside-the-box measures.”
The idea behind the inflationary solution is to get people out of debt by effectively reducing the amounts they owe. A $100,000 mortgage stays a $100,000 mortgage, but if a government can churn up a 4 to 6 percent inflation rate, that $100,000 becomes a smaller amount relative to the cost of other goods and wages. According to Rogoff, the main issue facing our economy is “a huge overhang of debt,” so anything that helps debtors pay back what they owe for less is a good thing.
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The Atomic Bomb That Is About to Explode At The Federal Reserve
It turns out that Bernanke's decision to pay interest on reserves held at the Fed by member banks has some twists to it that make what he is doing likely illegal. The blog Uneasy Money points this out in a post titled, Is the Federal Reserve Breaking the Law:
In a comment earlier today to this post, David Pearson shocked me by quoting the following passage from the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006:Got that? The Fed, as I have pointed out a number of times, is paying interest to bankers many times what is available in the marketplace and this turns out to be illegal.
Balances maintained at a Federal Reserve bank by or on behalf of a depository institution may receive earnings to be paid by the Federal Reserve bank at least once each calendar quarter, at a rate or rates not to exceed the general level of short-term interest rates.
As I said to David Pearson in my reply to his comment, I am flabbergasted by this. The Fed is now paying 0.25% interest on reserve balances while and the interest rate on 3-month T-bills is now 0.01%. Yet the statute states in black letters that the rate that the Fed may pay on reserves is “not to exceed the general level of short-term interest rates.” In fact, as can be easily seen on the Treasury’s Daily Yield Curve webpage, only on rare occasions was the 3-month T-bill rate as high as 0.25% in 2009 and it has been consistently less than 0.20% for most of 2009 and all of 2010 and 2011.
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Federal Reserve Printed $432 Billion Out Of Thin Air When Herman Cain Was At The Fed
Rick Fisk writes to Lew Rockwell:
The question [Ron Paul] asked was about Cain's libel and slander of Paul's supporters who have on several different occasions for dared to confront him about the Federal Reserve. Cain called such questions 'stupid' in his book. He also, when as a guest host for Neil Boortz's radio show, said that the only reason people were asking questions about the fed are because they 'don't know what's going on'.HuffPo in the below clip features what Cain said last night and how different his comments were on a radio show that he hosted.
Also, note that Cain said things were different when he was at the Fed, relative to what is going on at the Fed now. Oh yeah, sure.
Cain was deputy chairman of of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 1992 to 1994 and chairman from 1995 to 1996. During that period the Federal Reserve printed $432 billion in money (m2) out of thin air.
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BREAKING NEWS: FIRE CHIEF DOUG JONES FINDS SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE IN FRONT YARD
The fire depts called are 5,9,12,14 and 74. Along with decons. Address is 25067 Delmar Road.
Also along with hazmat team out of 16.
UPDATE: We were told there's a 2 liter bottle with duct tape around it in his front yard. Firefighters, (for some reason) are texting eachother talking about an explosion and now additional departments are being called in, like Hebron.
BREAKING NEWS: Jury Convicts Three In Terror Trial
From Fox News
THEY STAYED
Now he believes this movement is for real and growing by the day. He’s right. He changed his mind based upon the proof he was able to observe. There will always be the closed minded, living in their ideological fantasy worlds that refuse to accept the facts. The world is passing them by. Their myopic blind spot only allows them to think in a linear fashion. They will be overwhelmed by what is coming their way.
I have the utmost respect for people willing to admit their initial judgement was wrong. It is proof of an open mind willing to change when presented with facts. Karl writes an excellent piece and his warnings about revolutions should be heeded. We have a better chance of getting a Hitler than we do of another George Washington. Fourth Turnings don’t always have happy endings.
OWS: The Risks Facing America Today
I was skeptical that the protests were serious.I suspected they were yet another “demonstration” – the sort where people come, they wave signs, they complain, maybe even they riot a bit, and then they leave.
In 2008, in fact, on August 26th of that year, I said the following:
You must think its great for your budget and lifestyle to get reamed, since I’ve yet to see a groundswell of people in Washington DC protesting or our city streets swarming with people who refuse to leave and shut down commerce.In short, once again, fraud. Legal, but fraud nonetheless. You, America, seem to think this is just great as your grocery and gas budgets get squeezed.
Let me know when y’all get mad enough to do something about all this nonsense….. (funny how during the Democratic Convention last night the buzz was all about the second round of sore loserman with Hillary delegates rather than the outright theft and fraud from the people that the party supposedly claims to be most-closely aligned with!)
Virginia Eastern Shore Snags Wind-Power Center
Called Poseidon Atlantic, the testing center announced Thursday will be based in Northampton County, which has adopted an ordinance allowing wind turbines up to 750 feet tall. The center's creators call the ordinance the most wind-friendly in the nation.
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15-Cent Gas Tax Hike Urged By Commission
Phased increase may be part of transportation package
The commission will draft its final recommendations Oct. 25 and send them to Gov. Martin O'Malley by Nov. 1. While the proposal will be nonbinding, it could form the centerpiece for an administration-backed plan to increase transportation funding
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Builder Must Pay $625K In Fines For Allegedly Violating Clean Water Act
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Subway: Cheaper To Order Footlong, Throw Away Half Of Bread Than Ordering 6-Inch With Double Meat
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Minority Leaders Denounce Proposed Redistricting Maps
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Pimco's Prediction For Pension Plans: "Pain"
Pimco's summary:
- Recent Federal Reserve activity has pushed down the long end of the yield curve, spiking the present value of plan liabilities and widening the funding chasm.
- The pain of the pension community shows up most obviously in funded status estimates.
- High and increasing levels of implied equity risk premium in pension plans suggest sponsors’ expectations are increasingly optimistic about future contributions from risk assets.
Prediction? Pain
Md. Man Admits Pushing Toddler Who Later Died
The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown reports 33-year-old Brian Miller had a bond review hearing Wednesday ( http://bit.ly/pS5YGQ).
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Survey Finds Both Sexes Say Driving Skills Superior To Other
In a recent survey for MetLife, 51 percent of women questioned said they are more careful drivers than men. Only 39 percent of men said their driving habits are superior.
The survey also finds men knew more than women when it comes vehicle safety equipment.
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Prosecutor's Error May Have Let Texas Murderer Kill Again
AUSTIN, Texas – Caitlin Baker was 3 when her mother, Debra, was beaten to death and left naked in bed in her Austin home. Although the pain of the loss has faded in the 23 years since, her anger that her mother's killer was never caught has not.
Less than two years before that January 1988 slaying, unbeknownst to all but a few people until recently, the mother of another woman bludgeoned to death in bed during an attack at her home about 15 miles away told an investigator that her 3-year-old grandson watched a "monster" do the killing, not his father, as police suspected. She urged him to pursue other leads, but her daughter's husband, Michael Morton, was instead convicted of murder and sentenced to life.
Expired Tag Law Could Use A Tweak
Police can haul them off in cuffs and take them in to be booked.
But as the little-known law gets more exposure, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says it could also use further analysis.
"I think it needs to be reviewed," she says, noting a 30-day grace period is already in place.
"I think we could go with a longer grace period because some people, through oversight, can miss getting that registration."
While suggesting the law could use a tweak, Lanier points out that she is not the shot caller on this one.
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Government Misses Deadline For Rules Forcing Disclosure Of Industry Payments To Doctors
Last year’s Affordable Care Act required that disclosure rules be drafted “not later than October 1, 2011,” a deadline that came and went quietly and without any explanation from the Obama administration.
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Edit Draft BREAKING NEWS: Rajaratnam Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison
From Fox News
Solar Firm That Received $1.2 Billion Federal Loan Plagued By Financial Problems
With the Solyndra scandal still swirling, the Obama administration is under pressure to reveal the financial condition of the solar companies that received $4.75 billion in similar federal loan guarantees on the last day of the program.
Republican lawmakers on two House committees are seeking details about the loans given to First Solar, SunPower Corp. and ProLogis. Of those three companies, troubling financial revelations have emerged about SunPower, which received a $1.2 billion loan, more than twice the money approved for Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy last month after receiving a $528 million loan.
Alleged Assassination Plot Doesn't Fit Past Iranian Behavior
On Tuesday, a grim-faced U.S. attorney general and the FBI director accused Iranian intelligence officials in an alleged $1.5 million scheme to kill Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir of Saudi Arabia in a bombing at a restaurant in the capital.
The evidence seems strong in some ways. Investigators tracked wire payments amounting to nearly $100,000 allegedly from the Quds Force, the foreign operations unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They caught a suspected Iranian officer on tape giving orders to a Texas operative working with a supposed representative of the Zetas who, in reality, was a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration informant.
The alarming charges reinforce concerns among Western government officials and experts about signs of growing activity by Iran and its proxy, the militant group Hezbollah, in Latin America.
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Fla. Lawmaker Wants to Bring Back Firing Squads
'Occupiers' Must Leave For Cleanup
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Accountant Faces Jail In Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Prosecutors say an escrow accountant for a title company has pleaded guilty to charges related to a $1.7 million mortgage fraud scheme.
Brenda Lukenich, of Hughesville, pleaded guilty Wednesday to mail fraud. Prosecutors say two co-defendants are scheduled to go to trial next month.
According to her plea agreement, Lukenich was the escrow accountant for title companies that did business in Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C.
Iraq War Lessons Learned? Keep Rumsfeld Away From All Things Defense
Body Of Teenager Found In A Wooded Area
The Sheriff's department said he's been identified as 17 year old Caleb Lee Mott of Westminster.
Common Cents: Campaign Finance Reform Gets Congressional Boost
Underage Prostitutes Rescued In Peru
Peruvian police have rescued 244 women, including 10 underage girls, who were being forced to work as prostitutes in a remote gold mining camp.
During one of the raids last weekend, authorities found a 13-year-old girl, according to Peruvian Security Assistant Secretary Luis Alberto Otarola.
“I personally witnessed the situation she was in,” he said. “They are all forced into cruel practices of sexual exploitation.”
Four men were arrested and face charges of human trafficking and forced prostitution. Trucks with contraband were also seized in the raid, officials said.
Prostitution is legal for women over the age of 18 in Peru. Authorities are investigating whether more than 10 girls were underage among the hundreds they found Friday because several might have initially lied to police and said they were older. All the women and girls are now at shelters.
BREAKING NEWS: Financials Drive Wall Street Deep Into The Red; Dow Down 115
From Fox News
Wann Beat The Crap Out Of Your Spouse And Get Away With It Legally, Move Here
In a bizarre move – the cash-strapped city voted to repeal local laws that make domestic violence a crime. The city believes it will save them money as both the City Council and the District Attorney refuse to pay for the legal costs associated with bring cases against domestic abusers. The New York Times is reporting that 18 people who were arrested for domestic violence since September have been let free since no local agency seems to want to do its job. Want to know what a Libertarian paradise of no government looks like? Check out what’s happening in Topeka.
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