Tuesday, October 18, 2011

New Yorkers Back Occupy Wall Street Protesters, Poll Shows

Occupy Wall Street, the protest that has spread from Lower Manhattanto as far as Rome and Hong Kong, is supported by most New Yorkers, according to a Quinnipiac University survey.

Sixty-seven percent of New York City voters said they agree with the protesters’ views, while 23 percent don’t, the school’s Polling Institute said today. Support ranged from 81 percent among registered Democrats to 58 percent among independents and 35 percent from Republicans. By 72 percent to 24 percent, voters said law-abiding demonstrators can stay as long as they want.

The case of Steve Jobs' iconic mock black turtlenecks keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. After a post on their web site mourning Jobs' demise while offering to give $20 of every $175 turtleneck of a certain style sold to fight cancer, it now seems the Apple icon might not even have worn garments from the company.

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Wall Street’s Second Occupation: The Rise of the NYPD's Homeland Security State

Are drones above New York City next as the police militarize Lower Manhattan?

These last weeks, there have been two “occupations” in lower Manhattan, one of which has been getting almost all the coverage -- that of the demonstrators camping out in Zuccotti Park. The other, in the shadows, has been hardly less massive, sustained, or in its own way impressive -- the police occupation of the Wall Street area.

Some See Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Stuff As Counterproductive Gimmickery

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as you can tell from pink gloves worn by football players, pink drinks offered at restaurants and pink luxury items for sale wherever you look. While it's laudable that so many industries that seem to have little to do with cancer prevention are lending a hand, some see the flood of pink as disingenuous marketing that does little to fund cancer research.

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The Satan Worshipper or the Antichrist: Which Will the GOP Choose?

The Apocalypse is upon us once again (This Friday! Wear sunscreen!), and so what better time to get our antichrists in order?

Jolly Herman Cain would seem an unlikely Beast, but Michele Bachmann’s got his number. “When you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside down,” she observed at the last debate, “I think the devil’s in the details.” And whenever Bachmann says creepy things she later clarifies were hilarious jokes, she isn’t so much kidding as winking in tongues to her most devoted apostles.

By Delegate Mike McDermott

October 18th, 2011
Special Session

Morning Session:
We received HB-2 and HB-3 from the Rules Committee. These two bills address redistricting for the Boards of Education districts in Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties. We thought there might be an amendment offered out of the Prince George’s Delegation but it was not forthcoming.

The Senate was moving the governor’s redistricting plan today and spent quite awhile debating the bill. Ultimately it was decided largely along party lines with Senator Muse (D-Prince Georges) being the only cross over vote against the gerrymandered map.

Evening Session:
The House reconvened at 5pm to take up the governor’s redistricting plan passed by the Senate. There are many amendments in the hopper which will be introduced tomorrow as we take up debate on all of the redistricting bills. The session only lasted a few minutes.

Tea Party Rally:
There were about 300 folks from around the state that showed up on Lawyer’s Mall for the House Tea Party Caucus Rally from 12-2pm. Speakers included Grover Norquist (American’s for Tax Reform), Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, Charles Lollar (President American’s for Prosperity-MD), Senator Pipkin and myself along with a host of other leaders from various tax payer organizations. Del. Mike Smigiel (House Tea Party Caucus Chairman) was the MC and moved the program along. Many in the General Assembly heard the speakers and stopped to listen in on the clear, resonating message: No gerrymandering and No tax increases. There were plenty of homemade signs with messages for the governor.

Whether it was all of the angst expressed publicly in anticipation of tax legislation during this session, or the recent Gonzales polling which revealed a strong public aversion in Maryland to any tax increases, it seems the leadership got the message…for now.

New Posts to fall below.

Woman Shocked By $201,000 Cellphone Bill

She didn't switch to international plan before her brothers traveled in Canada

MIAMI — A South Florida woman got a shock when she opened a recent cell phone bill: she owed $201,000.

It was no mistake.

Celina Aarons has her two deaf-mute brothers on her plan. They communicate by texting and use their phones to watch videos. Normally, that's not a problem. Aarons has the appropriate data plan, and her bill is about $175.

Consumers may have been stunned when home-improvement chain Lowe’s announced Monday it would close 20 stores and lay off nearly 2,000 employees.

Analysts, however, say it was about time.

“The bottom line is that we view these changes as positives for [the retailer] as they are reflective of a broader organizational and strategic transformation,” Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter wrote in a research note.

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Virginia Nuclear Plant Leaks Water Into Lake

The Virginia nuclear plant that shut down during the August 23 earthquake leaked cooling water into a nearby body of water, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Inspectors detected the leak at the North Anna plant, near Mineral, Virginia, on October 14.

The water came from out of a loose valve in the plant's cooling tower system. Approximately 272 gallons is believed to have run out of the leaky valve, down into the North Anna Lake.

The Fraud At The Heart Of Student Lending Exposed - The One Sentence Everyone Should Read

A key reason why a preponderance of the population is fascinated with the student loan market is that as USA Today reported in a landmark piece [4] last year, it is now bigger than ever the credit card market. And as the monthly consumer debt update from the Fed reminds us, the primary source of funding is none other than the US government. To many, this market has become the biggest credit bubble in America. Why do we make a big deal out of this? Because as Bloomberg reported last night, we now have prima facie evidence that the student loan market is not only an epic bubble, but it is also the next subprime! To wit: "Vince Sampson, president, Education Finance Council, said during a panel at the IMN ABS East Conference in Miami Monday that lenders are no longer pushing loans to people who can’t afford them." Re-read the last sentence as many times as necessary for it to sink in. Yes: just like before lenders were "pushing loans to people who can't afford them" which became the reason for the subprime bubble which has since spread to prime, but was missing the actual confirmation from authorities of just this action, this time around we have actual confirmation that student loans are being actually peddled to people who can not afford them. And with the government a primary source of lending, we will be lucky if tears is all this ends in.

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Pitting Us Against Each Other

President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have led increasingly successful efforts to pit Americans against one another through the politics of hate and envy. Attacking CEO salaries, the president – last year during his Midwest tour – said, "I do think at a certain point you've made enough money."

Let's look at CEO salaries, but before doing so, let's look at other salary disparities between those at the bottom and those at the top. According to Forbes' Celebrity 100 list for 2010, Oprah Winfrey earned $290 million. Even if her makeup person or cameraman earned $100,000, she earned thousands of times more than that. Is that fair? Among other celebrities earning hundreds or thousands of times more than the people who work with them are Tyler Perry ($130 million), Jerry Bruckheimer ($113 million), Lady Gaga ($90 million) and Howard Stern ($76 million). According to Forbes, the top 10 celebrities, excluding athletes, earned an average salary of a little more than $100 million in 2010.

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You Tried To Cut My Head Off': Saw-Wielding Wife Held

EVERETT, Wash. — A woman has appeared in court accused of cutting her sleeping husband's neck and shoulder with a power saw.

Officers who arrived at the home in Everett, Wash., say they could hear the victim shouting: "You tried to cut my head off. You're going to jail."

The Daily Herald reported the 43-year-old woman appeared in court Monday on a charge of domestic violence assault and a judge kept her bail at $250,000. The newspaper did not identify her.

Georgetown Student Fondled In Broad Daylight

D.C. police are looking for a man accused of fondling a Georgetown University student in broad daylight.

Police say the student was walking on the 3500 block of S Street in Northwest around 2:00 p.m. Monday when a man approached from behind and forcibly fondled her. The man was last seen running down S Street in the direction of 36th Street.

Man Threatening To Kill Family Drives Off Cliff

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A man was killed after driving his car off a cliff in the Kern River Canyon.Bakersfield Police said on Sunday night, the driver and his wife got in an argument and the woman left her home. She told police when she returned on Monday morning, he husband was drunk."He was reportedly very intoxicated and an argument took place," said Mary DeGeare of Bakersfield Police Department. "During that time he threatened to kill her, the kids and fellow employees."

Debate Day: Showdown On The Strip (The Note)

LAS VEGAS — Rick Perry has come to Sin City in search of forgiveness — a little absolution for past debate performances that even he acknowledges have been less than stellar.
“I tell people, I say ‘I’m not the best debater on the stage, but I’ve got the best record,” he said in an interview with the local Las Vegas television station KTNV. “I think that’s what Americans are interested in. Don’t give us a bunch of rhetoric. Tell us how to get this country working again.”

Teen Girl Forced To Wear Armor, Fight Stepfather With Wooden Sword

YELM, Wash. — A Thurston County couple is accused of beating their daughter and forcing her to fight them in a medieval-style duel.

Investigators arrested the 16-year-old girl's stepfather, Fremon Seay, and her mother, Julie Seay, this weekend.

According to police, the teen was forced her to dress in armor and fight Fremon Seay with a wooden sword for two hours. Police also said Seay punched and beat his stepdaughter with a tree branch prior to the duel. Investigators said she collapsed from exhaustion.

Bank of America Reports $6.2 Billion Profit

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In a particularly opaque third quarter earnings release, Bank of America managed to eke out a 6% jump in third-quarter earnings, reversing a year-earlier loss.
After falling in premarket trading, Bank of America's (BAC, Fortune 500) shares rose 4% in morning trading. The company's stock has dropped 55% so far this year.

Photos courtesy of Captain Gregory H. Smith (Retired)

Beware: Caller ID Spoofing

We’ve all been there. The phone rings during dinner, or when you’re putting the kids to bed, and it’s a telemarketer.

I’m dialed in to the National Do Not Call Registry, but about two times a week, a telemarketer rings my home office. I check my caller ID before picking up the phone, but have recently noticed that some telemarketers aren’t who they “appear” to be.

Why the World May Be Running Out of Clean Water

Earlier this month, officials in the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu had to confront a pretty dire problem: they were running out of water. Due to a severe and lasting drought, water reserves in this country of 11,000 people had dwindled to just a few days' worth. Climate change plays a role here: as sea levels rose, Tuvalu's groundwater became increasingly saline and undrinkable, leaving the island dependent on rainwater. But now a La Niña–influenced drought has severely curtailed rainfall, leaving Tuvalu dry as a bone. "This situation is bad," Pusinelli Laafai, Tuvalu's permanent secretary of home affairs, told the Associated Press earlier this month. "It's really bad."

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O’Malley Urges Lawmakers To Consider 15-Cent Gas-Tax Hike

As promised, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) used the start of the legislature’s special session on redistricting Monday to begin talking about jobs, and offered more clarity about suggestions he’s made since August that he would support higher taxes to boost spending on public infrastructure.

Lawyers argue if CBF should have a say

The long-running dispute over Daryl Wagner's island home went before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals last week.

Jon Mueller, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's attorney, urged the court to send the dispute back to the county Board of Appeals. About ten years ago, the house was built without permits on Little Island. Mueller argued the board denied the environmental group a fair say, and made it possible for Wagner to keep his illegally built home.

Robert Fuoco, an attorney for the homebuilder, argued that just about everything that can be said about the disputed island home has been said, and sending the case back to the board would drag the battle out for several more years.

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Super Committee's Revolving Door Ties Run Deeper Than Previously Disclosed

As a deadline draws near for the congressional "super committee's" deficit reduction plan, attention is focusing on the lobbyists with the best ties to super committee members. And what's clear from our data is that far more lobbyists have worked for super committee members than have previously been disclosed publicly.

The stakes couldn't be higher with decisions that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, as the super committee is formally known, make. Lobbyists across Washington are hoping to shield their clients from any cuts. Which lobbyists have the best access to the 12 members on the super committee may depend on the personal and professional ties gained from working for a member before going through the revolving door and becoming a lobbyist.

Over the next three weeks, Monday through Thursday, LegiStorm will use our revolving door data to highlight the connections between K Street and the staff of the super committee members. More details and the full list of all revolving door connections in our database are available to our LegiStorm Pro subscribers.

Today we feature Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who has one of the larger stables of former staffers who have worked as lobbyists, given his length of tenure and powerful position as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

HYSTERICAL BANK OF AMERICA "PROFITS"

What a joke. Do these Wall Street bankers and their MSM mouthpieces expect critical thinking people to believe the bullshit they are spewing? They actually want you to believe that Bank of America made a $6.2 billion profit this past quarter. Without even looking at the press release, I knew it was a fraud. This little blurb says it all. Did you know that when the derivatives market says your bank has a greater chance of going bankrupt, you can then record a $1.7 billion accounting journal entry profit? These morons also reduced their loan loss reserve by another $1.7 billion because everyone knows we having a recovery.

If you back out all the crap, their $6.2 billion profit is really a $3.6 billion LOSS. Who knew that accountants could be so powerful.

This doesn’t even address the billions in losses sitting on their balance sheet in the form of toxic loans that will never be repaid.

Shares of the bank slip in premarket trade after earnings report

By Greg Morcroft, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Bank of America Corp. said Tuesday its third-quarter profit increased on the back of several large, one-time gains from accounting methods and a big gain from its sale of China Construction Bank shares.

The bank /quotes/zigman/190927/quotes/nls/bac BAC +1.00% posted a profit to $6.2 billion, or 56 cents a share, compared to a year-ago loss of $7.3 billion, or 77 cents a share.

The latest quarter’s earnings figure included $4.5 billion in positive fair value adjustments and a pretax gain of $3.6 billion from the sale of shares in China Construction Bank. They also included a $1.7 billion gain in trading debit valuation adjustments, and a loss of $2.2 billion related to private equity and strategic investments.

Adjusted revenue rose to $28.7 billion, from just under $27 billion.

Wall Street analysts expected earnings of 28 cents a share, on revenue of $25.75 billion, according to a survey by FactSet Research.

“The fair value adjustment on structured liabilities reflects the widening of the company’s credit spreads and does not impact regulatory capital ratios,” the bank said.

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Mailing A Letter To Cost A Penny More Next Year

It'll cost a penny more to mail a letter next year.

The cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service announced Tuesday that it will increase postage rates on Jan. 22, including a 1-cent increase in the cost of first-class mail, to 45 cents.

Under the law the post office cannot raise prices more than the rate of inflation, which is 2.1 percent, unless it gets special permission from the independent Postal Regulatory Commission. The PRC last year turned down such a request.

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FED MORON CHARLES EVANS

The Chicago Fed opened its mouth and revealed just how fucking inept, out of touch and economically incompetent they are.

Unemployment is 23.1% and inflation is over 10%, and wages are circa 1970.

He thinks they can inflate the dollar (over many years) and wipe away the debt. It’d work IF they didn’t off-shore our jobs. You can’t have that much inflation without increasing workers’ wages, and with 23.1% unemployment there is no way in hell that wages are going to come up.

These morons are fueling the #OWS movement.

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Turn Off The TV: Kids Under 2

The idea that TV programs are beneficial to the learning of young children has not been proved, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

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World's First Built-From-Scratch Commercial Spaceport

British billionaire Richard Branson rappelled from a balcony, shook up a big bottle of champagne and took a swig while christening the world's first built-from-scratch commercial spaceport. Virgin Galactic will stage its commercial space tourism venture from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico, the Associated Press reports.The $209 million, taxpayer-financed spaceport will be a launch station for people and payloads on the rocket ships being developed for Virgin Galactic. Commercial service will start up after the company gets a license from the Federal Aviation Administration. NASA has already signed a $4.5 million contract with the company for up to three chartered research flights.

New Jersey Man Wanted In Connection With Bus Company Fraud

Location: J.C. Watson Bus Company, Townsend, DE

Date of Occurrence: Sunday, August 15, 2010 (reported 9/6/11)

Victims:

-J.C. Watson Bus Company, Townsend, DE

-Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles

Suspect:

-Arthur (Art) V. Gallagher 2^nd, Highlands, NJ

Charges:

-Theft Where the Property Value is $100,000 or More (2 counts)

-Forgery 3^rd Degree (2 counts)

Resume:

New Castle, DE- Delaware State Police Fraud Unit detectives have obtained warrants on a 53 year old New Jersey man after he defrauded a Delaware Bus Company.

The investigation into this incident began on September 6, 2011 after the 52 year old owner of the JC Watson Bus Company located in Townsend, DE, contacted the state police fraud unit. The victim advised that in August of 2005 she had leased to purchase several school buses from the Wolfington Bus Company located in Exton, PA. The victim advised that the lease was arranged by Arthur V. Gallagher through his company, Gallco Enterprises, located in Belford, New Jersey. Gallco Enterprises is a vehicle and equipment leasing company. The victim then advised investigators that in August of 2010 she had paid off all 11 of the buses that she had leased however; she never received the titles for them.

When the victim contacted Arthur Gallagher about the bus titles, he was uncooperative and then refused to return her phone calls. It was later learned that Gallagher had financed the school buses that the victim had obtained through two separate banks, New World Bank and Sovereign Bank. The total value of the 11 buses was over $776,000.00.

The victim then contacted New World Bank and Sovereign Bank who advised her that Gallco Enterprises was behind on the payments to them. It was learned from the victim that her company had been awarded a contract to transport students for the Appoquinimink School District and as such, the State of Delaware paid Gallco Enterprises directly from the bus company’s profits. A review of the State of Delaware checks written to Gallco Enterprises from September of 2005 until May of 2010 revealed that Arthur Gallagher had endorsed checks which totaled over $776,000.00.

The victim then advised investigators that in February of 2011, she had responded to her company’s bus yard where she observed that all of her buses were now missing. It was then learned that on May 15, 2011 Arthur Gallagher had responded to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles and presented two fictitious letters with forged bank employee signatures advising that the liens against the 11 buses that the victim had leased through his company had been satisfied. With these letters, Gallagher was then able to obtain the titles to the 11 buses even though he did not actually own them. It was also learned that Gallagher had subsequently sold several of the buses back to the Wolfington Bus Company.

Detectives have obtained warrants on Arthur Gallagher charging him with two counts each of Theft Where the Property is Valued at $100,000.00 or More and two counts of Forgery 3^rd Degree.

Arthur Gallagher was arrested on a fugitive warrant by the Highlands Police Department. He was then committed to the Monmouth County Jail for lack of $250,000.00 bail pending his extradition to Delaware.

Federal Reserve Is Mercantilist - Not Private

Alert: Federal Reserve Tries to Censor Infowars Video ... Alex Jones addresses the latest intimidation tactic from the private Federal Reserve bank, whose San Antonio branch has filed a privacy violation with You Tube demanding the removal of a video filmed at the location during an "occupy" rally. Alex tells them cease and desist this action, which violates the First Amendment. Federal Reserve branches across the country have a long history of trying to stifle free speech and press coverage, from fraudulently claiming that filming its buildings is illegal to threatening arrest and more. "I can't take the Bankster Fed pushing people around any more! Now the Fed wants to take down the video where we prove the Federal Reserve is a private bank impersonating a Federal agency. The Fed is the fraud that gives the globalists their power." – PP Forum

Dominant Social Theme: It's a private entity, folks. That's the problem!

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UPDATE: Library Closed Due To Power Outage

The Library is still closed due to power issues. We hope to open at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Investigators on Scene of Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash

Location: Gordy Road east of Wooten Road, Laurel, DE

Date and Time of Occurrence: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at approximately 11:23 a.m.

Resume:

Laurel, DE- The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred late this morning in Laurel, DE.

Initial information is that the crash involved a single vehicle occupied by three people, one of which died.

This crash is still under investigation at this time. More complete details will be released when they become available.

Released Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 2:55 p.m.

The Business Of Government

Amid the din of economic nonsense being bandied about since the collapse of the housing bubble and the steep ramping up of our national debt, there has been the persistent refrain that Washington should be run more like a business. If only more business people were in charge to wield their business acumen, we would have this country in shape in no time. But is that a good solution?

Businesses seek primarily to increase their revenues and profits. Government revenue depends on taxes. Government accumulates taxmoney by squeezing it out of people's productive earnings with threats of audits, fines and imprisonment. Our government already collects roughly $2.1 trillion annually from the productive taxpayers of America. We hardly need to increase our federal government's revenues like a private business!

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Magnolia Man Charged For Unlawful Sexual Contact

Location:

Unit block of Wintergreen Circle, Magnolia, DE

Date of Occurrence:

Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 1:00 a.m.

Victim:

15 year old female

Defendant/Charges/Bond Information:

Bret A. Scott-43 of Magnolia, DE (Photo Attached)

Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree

Offensive Touching

Released on $1500.00 Secured Bond

Resume:

Magnolia-The Delaware State Police have charged Bret A. Scott-43 of Magnolia in connection with an Unlawful Sexual Contact incident involving a 15 year old female that occurred at his residence early Sunday morning.

The investigation revealed that the 15 year old female victim was attending a sleepover at the residence of a female friend, located in the unit block of Wintergreen Circle when the incident took place. The victim was alone in a room sleeping, when Defendant Bret A. Scott entered the room and made inappropriate advances and physical contact with the juvenile victim. The victim immediately notified her female friend, and her friend’s mother at the residence, of what occurred. The victim then left the residence and notified her mother who called State Police.

Following the State Police investigation arrest warrants for Scott were obtained and he was taken into custody without incident at his residence last evening. Scott was charged with the above crimes and released after posting $1500.00 Secured Bond.

"Enforce The Laws For The 99%"

GO HERE to watch video.

TRAINING FOR WHAT?

Nighttime choppers in Pennridge area training for battlefield

By Bob Keeler
bkeeler@journalregister.com

Helicopters seen — and heard — at night in the area around Ridge Road are in military training.

“Those are state department pilots and they are doing night vision training,” East Rockhil Supervisor Jim Nietupski said at the board’s recent work session.

“Once they get enough pilots trained with night vision goggles, that training will stop,” Nietupski said.
Colder weather will also bring an end to the flights, he said.

Nietupski said he checked into the helicopter flights in response to resident questions.

“Some neighbors have complained about the noise,” Nietupski said.

Board Chairman John Cressman said he understands the concerns raised.

“These are big helicopters,” Cressman said.

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Transit Authority Levied $60,000.00 From Orbitz

The Transportation Department has levied a $60,000 fine against Orbitz, the online travel site. DOT says Orbitz violated federal aviation laws and regulations by posting airline fares minus fees and taxes. That's deceptive, DOT says. The violations occurred earlier this year. The information was available, but consumers had to click through a couple of pages and look for fine print. A new rule will require taxes and fees to be included in every advertised fare, regardless of medium, beginning in January 2012.

STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION REPLACES GUARDRAIL ON MD 90 BETWEEN US 113 AND MD 528 NEAR OCEAN CITY

The Maryland State Highway Administration announced the first of two phases of guardrail replacement along MD 90 from US 113 in Worcester County east to MD 528 in Ocean City. Work is scheduled to begin Sunday, Oct. 23.

The first phase will begin with removing and replacing all existing guardrail along MD 90 between US 113 (Worcester Highway) and MD 589 (Racetrack Road). During work hours all eastbound traffic on MD 90 will be detoured to US 113 and will follow US 50 to Ocean City. Westbound traffic on MD 90 will be open at all times during the guardrail replacement work to ensure emergency services, travel from Ocean City to area hospitals in a timely manner, or a need for mutual aid to surrounding communities.

The second phase of work includes the removing and replacing all existing guardrail on MD 90 between MD 589 (Racetrack Road) and MD 528 (Coastal Highway). All eastbound traffic on MD 90 will be redirected to MD 589, then to US 50 and into Ocean City. An alternate northern detour will also be established allowing traffic to move from MD 589 up through Delaware State Route 54.

Work on both phases will be permitted at night only, Sundays through Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The $1 million contract was awarded to L.S. Lee, Inc. of York, Pa., and is expected to be completed mid-December, weather permitting. SHA crews and the contractor will use variable message signs, arrow panels, traffic cones and barrels to direct single lane closures during the project.

Guardrail is a type of traffic barrier that can help prevent vehicles from colliding with dangerous objects or other vehicles, or block passage down steep slopes or drops. While SHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each driver needs to actively modify his or her driving style to help prevent crashes. Stay alert and look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers. Slow down and don’t follow too closely.

Safer driving. Safer work zones. For everyone. Nearly all crashes are caused by driver error and are preventable by making the right choices behind the wheel; learn more at http://www.roads.maryland.gov/. Then click on safety programs.

National Intelligence Director To Cut $85 Billion Over 10 Years

After years of continuous growth, intelligence community budgets are headed down. James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, says he's submitted plans for a 10-year reduction. He says cuts will amount to double digits of billions of dollars. Efficiencies in technology usage will account for a big chunk of the reductions. Clapper says he'll also consider reducing the number of field offices around the world. The exact intelligence budget is secret, but analysts estimate it to be around $85 billion.

DEMOCRATS FRUSTRATED BY OWS

Occupy protesters eye diversity as movement grows

Jason Woody immediately recognized a shared struggle with many of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators: The 2007 college graduate has been out of work for two years, and it’s been longer since he’s seen a doctor. He also noticed something else — the lack of brown faces on the front lines of the Occupy movement.

“When I started out here … I realized there was not a lot of diversity out here,” said Woody, who is black and graduated from Morehouse College and has camped in a downtown Atlanta park with other protesters for more than a week. “It’s changed in the course of the past week. I’d like to see that grow.”

The outcry against the nation’s financial institutions that has swept the country in recent weeks has crossed many boundaries, including class, gender and age. But a stubborn hurdle in many cities has been a lack of racial inclusion, something noted by organizers and participants alike.

“We, the 99 percent, have to be reaching out to the cross section of the communities that we live in,” said Tim Franzen, one of the organizers of the Occupy Atlanta movement. “If you come down to the park and spend a day I think you might have a hard time saying this is an all-white movement. We are reaching out, but we’ve got some bridges to build.”

The absence of diversity is particularly notable given that some of the larger issues surrounding the Occupy movement — including the economy, foreclosures and unemployment — are disproportionately affecting people of color. And the legacy of activism present in some minority communities seems a natural segue for such a cause, which has been linked to the strategies of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

African-Americans are more inclined to rally around social justice than financial literacy causes, said John Hope Bryant, founder and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, a non-profit organization that educates underserved and low-income Americans about personal financial responsibility.

“If this was about someone unjustly being brutalized, that’s an easier thing for us to mobilize around,” said Bryant, who is black, citing the recent Troy Davis death penalty case in Georgia, a diverse protest that attracted global attention last month.

The Occupy Wall Street protest in New York has been more diverse than other cities. Although the majority of protesters are white, many blacks and a smattering of Asians and Latinos have participated.

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A Letter To The Editor 10-18-11

Hi Joe-

I snapped this photo the other day of the work going on at the old mall. I remember that the county purchased part of this land, but the money they are spending (at this time) seems to be wrong.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this project and others that are in the pipeline should not be part of the cause of starving our children's educational needs. Maybe these projects were already on the books, but I and many others would agree, education would be a priority. Just a thought....

Man Sought In 13-Year-Old's Rape

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore police are investigating the rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Police said the incident happened about 9 p.m. Monday in the 800 block of N. Caroline Street.

The victim told police she was walking when a man approached her, took her into a vacant building and raped her before running away.

On October 21^st and November 11^th, Delmar High’s student government association will be collecting canned goods at the gate of our home football games. For every canned good donated folks will get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a basket of “Delmar” goodies including a Delmar sweat suit and local restaurant gift certificates.

Last year we collected over 9,000 cans in the school alone. We hope to exceed that number with the home football game donation opportunity. With the 9,000 cans we sent home backpacks full of food to help meet the needs of at risk students over the winter break when they have no access to our school breakfast and lunch programs. We also managed to box up several days worth of meals for 100 deserving families and sent the remaining boxes of food to Harvest Ministries in Delmar.

We hope to do as well this year and thank everyone for their continued support.

Obama: Occupy Wall Street ‘Not That Different’ From Tea Party Protests

President Obama, who has become a target of the Occupy Wall Street protests sweeping the country, today embraced the economic frustration voiced on the streets and said in an exclusive interview with ABC News that his vision for the U.S. economic system is best suited to resolve protesters’ concerns.

Three Things Rick Perry Can Learn From Sarah Palin

Rick Perry’s awkward courtship of the Republican party reminds me a lot of the jig Sarah Palin performed right after the 2008 campaign. Unsure of whether to go the establishment route, Palin made overtures inside the Beltway before finally breaking with them and going with Tea Party. So, I thought it might be instructive to look back at some of the lessons Rick Perry can take from Palin’s base whispering.

Chinese Girl, 2, Run Over By Van, Ignored By At Least 18 Passers-By

A disturbing video caught by surveillance cameras shows a 2-year-old girl in China laying in the street bleeding, a victim of a hit and run. Even more shocking is that the toddler was then ignored by at least 18 people, The Telegraph reports.

Video of the incident, which took place Oct. 13, shows pedestrians and vehicles passing by the toddler, named Yueyue, after she was run over outside her family's shop in the Chinese city of Foshan.

The graphic video shows the van driver slightly hesitate before running the girl over.

Bank Of America Forces Depositors To Backstop Its $53 Trillion Derivative Book To Prevent A Few Clients From Departing The Bank

Bank of America, which today reported a big bottom line loss net of one-time beneficial items, did something quite tricky and extremely devious last month: it shifted anywhere up to the total of $53 trillion of the total derivatives it held as of June 30 (as Zero Hedge previously reported [22]) on its books at Q2 from the Holding Company, which was downgraded last by Moody's from A2 to Baa1 (the third-lowest investment grade rating) to its retail bank, which was downgraded to the far more palatable A2 (from Aa3). The reason for the transfer? Bank customers who were uneasy with the fact that suddenly the collateral backstoping the operating entity handling their counterparty risk was downgraded to just above junk, demanded that said counterparty risk be mitigated by the bank's $1 trillon in deposits. In other words, as Bloomberg first reported when it broke this story, anywhere up to the full $53 trillion (we don't know for sure how much so we assume the worst case) is now fully and effectively backstopped explicitly by the bank's $1,041 trillion (as of September 30 [23]) deposits. Pardon's we meant the people's deposits: the same deposits which caused the bank's website to be inoperative for several days in a row after it was rumored that there was an electronic run on the bank. Why? Just so Bank of America can appears whatever remaining clients it has so they decide not to take their business to another derivative counterparty. And who is exposed to this latest idiocy? Why you. But that's not all: the FDIC, which is the entity backstopping the deposits in a worst-case scenario, is not happy with this move for obvious reasons. Yet even it is hopeless to override the Fed, which as Bloomberg reports, "has signaled that it favors moving the derivatives to give relief to the bank holding company." And so, once again, we see just how much more important the Federal Reserve are the interest of US taxpayers and savers over those of the banks that effectively run the Fed.

Bloomberg reports:

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Rare Photo

LAPD Detective Under Fire For Posting Murder Scene Photo On Twitter

(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - An LAPD Detective has recently come under fire after he tweeted a picture of a bloody crime scene to his 3,265 followers last week.

Sal LaBarbera, who goes by the Twitter handle @LAMurderCop, has been working the criminal gang homicide division for 26 years, according to CBS station KCBS. In the year that he's been on Twitter, KCBS reports LaBarbera has often tweeted about the crime scenes, but now some are questioning if it's appropriate to show such graphic images on social media.

German Shepherd Found In Delmar

A German Shepherd was found on Whitesville Road and Gordy Road. Contact 302-245-9657.

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt Makes RARE Appearance In Council Meeting

Today, County Executive Rick Pollitt attended a County Council Meeting in support of the County Board of Health.

It has been years since the County Executive actually sat in on a legislative session. The time off clearly shows he's refreshed and ready to come back to work. LOL All kidding aside, they had to put a name plate out soas he knew where to sit.

Extraordinary Video of Aurora in Denmark

Here is some great news if you missed the Northern Lights in August... there will be more opportunities to see them.

People are more likely to see the Northern Lights during the sun's active period. Meteorologist Mark Paquette said that when the sun is more active, "the sun interacts with the Earth more. Probably the most obvious of these interactions are the Northern and Southern lights."

"The electrifying and rare greenish lights dancing in the sky was a very awesome sight," Denmark photographer Jesper Grønne said, "knowing that what you see right now, is a burst of particles from our star, hitting our atmosphere, causing it to glow."

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Debt-Serfdom Is Now The New American Norm

Trapped assets that generate no income streams in the present are not capital; the value of such non-productive assets is illusory. Strip away these trapped assets and the reality is revealed: most American households toil to service their debts.

The typical American household is insolvent: its debts exceed its assets. There is nothing fancy about calculating insolvency: if debts exceed assets, the enterprise is insolvent. By this measure, most American households are insolvent, if their real assets are marked to actual market.

For example:
Auto loan balance: $9,000
Actual market value of auto: $6,000
Credit card balance: $6,000
Street value of stuff purchased with credit card: $300
home mortgage: $250,000
Auction value of house: $200,000
Student loans: $60,000
Market value of education: Not applicable, as it cannot auctioned off or securitized
And so on.

The typical American household is thus in service to its debt, not to its assets, and to the holders of that debt.

This is debt-serfdom: serfdom in service to the owners of debt, debt that may well always exceed the value of the household's assets. This is debt-serfdom for life.

Salisbury Police Department Press Release 10-18-11

On October 14, 2011 at approximately 10:18 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on an outstanding arrest warrant for an incident that was reported on July 21. On that date Salisbury Officers responded to the Lagoon Bar and Grill on Sweet Bay Drive for the report of an assault. Upon arrival the officers met with an employee of the business who advised that she had been assaulted by a customer, listed below. The victim advised that the suspect had paid her for drinks from the business and became involved in an argument with her. During the argument, the suspect assaulted her and took the U.S. currency back from the victim. Responding officers were able to identify the suspect, who had left the area, and obtained the warrant.

ARRESTED: Louie Joseph Amabili, 54 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Robbery
Second degree assault
Theft
Disturbing the peace
Disorderly conduct
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100028466

On October 14, 2011 at approximately 8:16 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of Mt. Hermon Road and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. During the stop the officers received consent to search the vehicle. The officers searched the vehicle and located a quantity of a controlled prescription medication without the required prescription.

ARRESTED: Brittany Nicole McKelvey, 22 years of age
Laurel, Delaware

CHARGES: Possession of controlled dangerous substance

DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100040388

On October 14, 2011 at approximately 9:17 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Kmart Department Store on Tilghman Road for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival the officers met with store security who advised that store employees had observed the below listed suspect take property from the store without any attempts at payment. The property was recovered and returned to the store. During a search of the suspect, incident to arrest, the officers found a bag of suspected marijuana on her person.

ARRESTED: Arielle Nicole Turner, 22 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Theft
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100040397

On October 14, 2011 at approximately 8:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were in the area of Carroll Street and Mill Street and stopped a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for a traffic violation. Based upon the suspects actions during the stop the officer requested the assistance of a K-9. Salisbury Police K-9 Miso responded and gave a positive indication on the vehicle for the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. The vehicle was checked and resulted in the recovery of a quantity of suspected "crack"/cocaine, a quantity of controlled prescription medication and a smoking device containing suspected "crack"/cocaine residue.

ARRESTED: Allison Novak, 47 years of age
Fruitland, Maryland

CHARGES: Possession of cocaine
Possession of a controlled prescription
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100040419

On October 14, 2011 at approximately 10:10 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police responded to a business on the eight hundred (800) block of Priscilla Street for the report of a theft. Upon arrival the officers met with a victim who advised that his wallet containing U.S. Currency had been stolen from the business. The victim had accidently left the wallet on a counter, which resulted in the suspect locating the wallet and taking it. The responding officers met with store management and were able to identify the suspect. Officers then responded to the suspect’s residence and recovered the wallet and a portion of the U.S. Currency.

ARRESTED: Oscar Emilio Campos-Sandi, 26 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Theft (under $ 10,000)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100040414

On October 15, 2011 at approximately 11:30 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police were on routine patrol in the area of West Main Street and stopped a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. When the officer approached the vehicle he detected the scent of suspected marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle. The officers checked the vehicle and found three (3) baggies of suspected marijuana and a partially smoked marijuana cigar.

ARRESTED: KeAndra Lamar Hargis, 22 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland

CHARGES: Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/Paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201100040592

To Force the Senate to Look at Bills They Vote On, Rand Paul Is About To Bombard A Senate Committee With Amendment After Amendment

Senator Paul is planning on attacking a bill before the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee markup with amendment, after ammendment, after amendment, reports Dan Holler. Rand's target will be the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Holler explainds (My emphasis):

As Vice President Biden would say, this is “a big [freaking] deal.”

It would be the ninth reauthorization of the 1965 law, which is the largest federal law governing K thru 12 education policy. The previous reauthorization, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), cost taxpayers roughly $131 billion between 2005 and 2010. NCLB also significantly expanded the federal role in education, weakened state control and stifled innovation at the local level.

Enter Senator Paul, who is going to sit through a grueling markup and offer amendment after amendment to a terrible piece of legislation that the committee’s chairman Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) drafted behind closed doors. Senator Harkin and President Obama have incorrectly interpreted the broad, bipartisan dissatisfaction with No Child Left Behind as a mandate to rewrite the law to further empower the federal government, albeit in different ways. The consequences of Senator Harkin’s proposal are sweeping and there is plenty to discuss in the 860-page bill.

Alleged drunken dad brags to cashier about letting daughter, 9, drive van

Harley-Davidson 3Q Sales Disappoint Wall Street

Harley-Davidson (HOG) revealed on Tuesday a stronger-than-expected 106% improvement in third-quarter profit, however its shares slipped as the company missed Wall Street's sales forecast and the retailer expressed financial cautiousness ahead.

The motorcycle maker posted net income of $183.6 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with $88.83 million, or 40 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. The results were ahead of average analyst estimates polled by Thomson Reuters of 76 cents.