Automakers Getting Rid Of Spares To Cut Costs, Reduce Weight

Hey buddy, can you spare, a spare? That's what some stranded motorists find themselves asking AAA when they pull over and discover that the spare tire, once standard, has become optional.

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A Plan To Fix The Postal Service Has Cleared A Senate Committee

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bipartisan plan to cut the Postal Service's costs so it can return to profitability.

USPS is on track to lose $10 billion this year. The bill would return $7 billion from the employee retirement fund. That would let the Postal Service give early retirement to 100,000 workers. The bill would also limit workers compensation and close some postal facilities. But Saturday delivery would stay in place.

Walmart Will Open At 10pm On Thanksgiving

The arms race of hours is on. Determined to top retailers like Target, Macy's, Kohl's and Best Buy who are all opening at midnight on Black Friday, Walmart has announced it will be opening at 10 pm on Thanksgiving night.

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Some Watching TV Yesterday Didn't Get Emergency Signal

The FCC and FEMA monitored live tweets and other social media during yesterday's first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, WTOP reported. And the results are mixed. A 30-second alert tone was sent over radio and TV signals. But some people watching TV didn't get the message. In fact, some with DirectTV heard Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" during the test, while other cable customers never saw the test at all. Others had the channel change to QVC. FEMA director Craig Fugate live tweeted encouraging people to share what they saw and heard. His agency is now collecting data on how the test went.

Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost You 13% More This Year

If you're planning on ponying up for this year's Thanksgiving dinner, be prepared to spend some more money, as a new report finds the average cost of a turkey-fied feast has jumped more than 13% since last year.

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Anheuser-Busch To Release New Taste For Bud Light

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Anheuser-Busch is coming out with a sweeter, higher alcohol-content version of Bud Light as the company tries to build on the popularity of one of its top beers.

Bud Light Platinum will come in a cobalt blue bottle and it will be 6 percent alcohol by volume, compared with Bud Light's 4.2 percent, the company said.

The brewer said Thursday that the new, sweeter-tasting product will hit shelves in late January and offer a more upscale option for drinkers of light beer.

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Two Charged In Sussex Burglaries

Location/Dates of Occurrences:
22000 block of Simpler Branch Road, Georgetown, DE
Thursday, October 13, 2011
21000 block of Indian Mission Road, Harbeson, DE
Sunday, October 16, 2011

Victims:
2 victims (2 residences)

Defendants/Charges/Bond Information:
Johnny R. Honaker-43 of Milton, DE
Richard A. Aiken-47 of Lewes, DE
34 total charges related to Burglary Second Degree, Theft, Theft of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy Second Degree, Criminal Mischief, and Resisting Arrest.
Honaker-Committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $40,700 Cash Bond
Aiken-Committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $47,000 Secured Bond

Defendants/Charges/Bond Information related to the Search Warrant:
Carolyn J. Faust-41 of Rehoboth Beach, DE
Hindering Prosecution
Resisting Arrest
Conspiracy Third Degree
Released on $3000 Unsecured Bond
Raymond Q. Sawyer-46 of Millsboro, DE
Resisting Arrest
5 Active Court Capiases
Committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $1000 Secured Bond on the Resisting Arrest Charge and $50,000 Cash Bond on the active capiases.


Resume:
Rehoboth-The Delaware State Police Troop 4 Property Unit Detectives have charged a Milton man and Lewes man in connection with 2 residential burglaries where firearms were stolen in mid October.

Delaware State Police Detectives have charged Johnny R. Honaker-43 of Milton and Richard A. Aiken-47 of Lewes for a total of 34 charges related to Burglary Second Degree, Theft, Theft of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Conspiracy Second Degree, Criminal Mischief, and Resisting Arrest. Honaker was committed to SCI on $40,700 Cash Bond and Aiken was committed to SCI on $47,000 Secured Bond.

The arrest of Honaker and Aiken was the result of an investigation into residential burglaries that occurred in mid October in Harbeson and Georgetown. The pair would forcibly enter the residences through doors and windows. Once inside they removed jewelry, flat screen televisions, various electronics, tools, and various firearms including a shotgun and rifle.

Through further investigation and tips from the public, Detectives were able to connect the pair to the burglaries. Detectives were able to locate Honaker on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 where he was taken into custody without incident.

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at approximately 1:00 p.m., Detectives received information that Aiken was staying at a residence located in the Ark Condominiums, 400 block of Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE. State Police Detectives assisted by the Rehoboth Beach Police Department responded to the residence in an attempt to make contact with Aiken but the occupants would not acknowledge the Troopers or answer the door. Troopers had indication that there were individuals inside the residence and observed movement from inside through exterior windows. With information that Aiken was inside, a search warrant was obtained for the residence. At approximately 4:30 p.m., the occupants opened the door and surrendered. Aiken, along with Carolyn Faust-41 and Raymond Sawyer-46 were taken into custody. Faust and Sawyer were charged with the above crimes and in connection with hindering the apprehension of Aiken. All were arraigned with the listed bond information.

Some of the property has been found, but the firearms have not been located.

Detectives continue their investigation into these burglaries.

Men With Long Commutes Are Happier

WASHINGTON - This may be hard to believe, but a Swedish study finds people who have commutes of more than an hour are happier than those with shorter commutes and those who take public transportation.
 
Researcher Erik Hansson finds commuters with longer commutes tend to travel routes that are more tranquil and that go through the countryside.
 
Those commuters tend to be higher-paid and healthier men, according to Men's Health Magazine.

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Who Started The Cain Mutiny

This is a fascinating tale about the Cain accusers! Please help it go viral.

David Axelrod's Pattern of Sexual Misbehavior

Herman Cain​ has spent his life living and working all over the country -- Indiana, Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, D.C. -- but never in Chicago.

So it's curious that all the sexual harassment allegations against Cain emanate from Chicago: home of the Daley machine and Obama consigliere David Axelrod​.

Suspicions had already fallen on Sheila O'Grady, who is close with David Axelrod and went straight from being former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley's chief of staff to president of the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA), as being the person who dug up Herman Cain's personnel records from the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

The Daley-controlled IRA works hand-in-glove with the NRA. And strangely enough, Cain's short, three-year tenure at the NRA is evidently the only period in his decades-long career during which he's alleged to have been a sexual predator.

After O'Grady's name surfaced in connection with the miraculous appearance of Cain's personnel files from the NRA, she issued a Clintonesque denial of any involvement in producing them -- by vigorously denying that she knew Cain when he was at the NRA. (Duh.)

And now, after a week of conservative eye-rolling over unspecified, anonymous accusations against Cain, we've suddenly got very specific sexual assault allegations from an all-new accuser out of ... Chicago.

Herman Cain has never lived in Chicago. But you know who has? David Axelrod! And guess who lived in Axelrod's very building? Right again: Cain's latest accuser, Sharon Bialek.

Bialek's accusations were certainly specific. But they also demonstrated why anonymous accusations are worthless.

Within 24 hours of Bialek's press conference, friends and acquaintances of hers stepped forward to say that she's a "gold-digger," that she was constantly in financial trouble -- having filed for personal bankruptcy twice -- and, of course, that she had lived in Axelrod's apartment building at 505 North Lake Shore Drive, where, she admits, she knew the man The New York Times calls Obama's "hired muscle."

Throw in some federal tax evasion, and she's Obama's next Cabinet pick.

The reason all this is relevant is that both Axelrod and Daley have a history of smearing political opponents by digging up claims of sexual misconduct against them.

John Brooks, Chicago's former fire commissioner, filed a lawsuit against Daley six months ago claiming Daley threatened to smear him with sexual harassment accusations if Brooks didn't resign. He resigned -- and the sexual harassment allegations were later found to be completely false.

Meanwhile, as extensively detailed in my book Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America, the only reason Obama became a U.S. senator -- allowing him to run for president -- is that David Axelrod pulled sealed divorce records out of a hat, first, against Obama's Democratic primary opponent, and then against Obama's Republican opponent.

One month before the 2004 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, Obama was way down in the polls, about to lose to Blair Hull, a multimillionaire securities trader.

But then The Chicago Tribune -- where Axelrod used to work -- began publishing claims that Hull's second ex-wife, Brenda Sexton, had sought an order of protection against him during their 1998 divorce proceedings.

From then until Election Day, Hull was embroiled in fighting the allegation that he was a "wife beater." He and his ex-wife eventually agreed to release their sealed divorce records. His first ex-wife, daughters and nanny defended him at a press conference, swearing he was never violent. During a Democratic debate, Hull was forced to explain that his wife kicked him and he had merely kicked her back.

Hull's substantial lead just a month before the primary collapsed with the nonstop media attention to his divorce records. Obama sailed to the front of the pack and won the primary. Hull finished third with 10 percent of the vote.

Luckily for Axelrod, Obama's opponent in the general election had also been divorced.

The Republican nominee was Jack Ryan, a graduate of Dartmouth and Harvard law and business schools, who had left his lucrative partnership at Goldman Sachs​ to teach at an inner-city school on the South Side of Chicago.

But in a child custody dispute some years earlier, Ryan's ex-wife, Hollywood sex kitten Jeri Lynn Ryan​, had alleged that, while the couple was married, Jack had taken her to swingers clubs in Paris and New York.

Jack Ryan adamantly denied the allegations. In the interest of protecting their son, he also requested that the records be put permanently under seal.

Axelrod's courthouse moles obtained the "sealed" records and, in no time, they were in the hands of every political operative in Chicago. Knowing perfectly well what was in the records, Chicago Tribune attorneys flew to California and requested that the court officially "unseal" them -- over the objections of both Jack and Jeri Ryan​.

Your honor, who knows what could be in these records!

A California judge ordered them unsealed, which allowed newspapers to publish the salacious allegations, and four days later, Ryan dropped out of the race under pressure from idiot Republicans (who should be tracked down and shot).

With a last-minute replacement of Alan Keyes as Obama's Republican opponent, Obama was able to set an all-time record in an Illinois Senate election, winning with a 43 percent margin.

And that's how Obama became a senator four years after losing a congressional race to Bobby Rush​. (In a disastrous turn of events, Rush was not divorced.)

Axelrod destroyed the only two men who stood between Obama and the Senate with illicitly obtained, lurid allegations from their pasts.

In 2007, long after Obama was safely ensconced in the U.S. Senate, The New York Times reported: "The Tribune reporter who wrote the original piece (on Hull's sealed divorce records) later acknowledged in print that the Obama camp had 'worked aggressively behind the scenes' to push the story."

Some had suggested, the Times article continued, that Axelrod had "an even more significant role -- that he leaked the initial story."

This time, Obama's little helpers have not only thrown a bomb into the Republican primary, but are hoping to destroy the man who deprives the Democrats of their only argument in 2012: If you oppose Obama, you must be a racist.

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY AND LT. GOVERNOR BROWN TO PARTICIPATE IN VETERANS DAY EVENTS

ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 10, 2011) – TOMORROW, Governor Martin O’Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown will participate in events to honor our nation’s veterans.

Governor O’Malley will join veterans service organizations, families and friends at a ceremony held at the Crownsville Cemetery, which has occurred every year since the cemetery opened in 1980.

Lt. Governor Brown will join Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, other state and local officials and various veterans organizations for the Baltimore City Veterans Day Celebration Ceremony honoring veterans from all branches of the United States Armed Forces and recognizing the sacrifice of our citizens who have dedicated themselves to serving and protecting our country. The ceremony will be held in the War Memorial Plaza following the annual Veterans March, and will include a citywide moment of silence and ringing of the bells at 1100 hours to recognize the one moment at the 11th hour of the 11th day on the 11th month, on November 11, 1918, when the world agreed that World War I must be the War to End All Wars.

Lt. Governor Brown, a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and the nation’s highest-ranking elected official to have served a tour of duty in Iraq, leads the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s efforts to provide veterans with better services and resources. To view a video message from the Lt. Governor in honor of Veterans Day, click here.

Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown issued the following statements in honor of Veterans Day:

The Governor said, “On Veterans Day and every day, we remember not only this generation, but the many generations of men and women who have stepped up in the defense of our nation – especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in peace, and be able to raise our children in a world which we hope is a more compassionate, more peaceful, more secure place.”

“Our American story has been written, edited and rewritten by the stories of veterans who have served our nation both in peacetime and in war. All Marylanders and all Americans are united today to say thank you for helping to write our story.” said Lt. Governor Brown. “And while we celebrate Veterans Day this week with parades and dinners and speeches, let us all make a commitment to celebrate and honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans each and every day of the year.”

Rep Grayson Grills The Fed's Ms. Coleman Over Missing Trillions

Way back in May 2009, we posted this video of (then) Congressman Alan Grayson questioning Elizabeth Coleman, the Fed's "inspector general" – whatever that means – over trillions that the Fed could not seem to account for. Today, Grayson is gone from Capitol Hill but his video legacy lingers ...

Now we're reposting it as an accompaniment to one of today's stories, entitled "Bernanke Mulls Military Protection for Embattled Fed?" We mentioned Grayson in the story and we decided we might as well repost what we consider the video that may, in retrospect, be the one of the most important in helping end the modern Fed.

It is in our view one of the most miserable performances by a top bureaucrat ever presented on YouTube. It is truly historical in its incompetence. And in fact, it shows how much contempt Fed top guns had for the American public – that they could send this person to Capitol Hill to represent the majesty of America's mightiest bank!

Since that time, the Fed's brain-trust has obviously had a "rethink." Bernanke, ever more frantically peripatetic, is now the publicist-in-chief. No, they are not so arrogant anymore. The Internet Reformation has begun to bite.

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DAILY TIMES KNOWINGLY PRINTS IRETON LIES

Thursday’s Daily Times includes an article, "Black Friday Security in Jeopardy", that shows not only the paper’s bias, but its willingness to lie in order to promote that bias. For years many people have accused the Daily Times of "he said / she said" journalism, where the Daily Times would wrap falsehood in quotes and simply claim that they are trying to give "both sides" of the story. Thursday’s article crosses that line. Today a Daily Times reporter knowingly printed lies. She knows because she was a witness.

At Monday’s Salisbury City Council work session, the Ireton administration brought forward an emergency measure asking council to consider a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the Salisbury Wal-Mart for Salisbury police to provide extra security during "Black Friday". Police chief Barbara Duncan submitted a letter to council that states, "A copy of this MOU was submitted to Mr. Boda for review in the hopes that Wal-mart will adopt policies similar to those adopted by the Center".

The MOU which was presented to council was a copy of one signed by the managers of the Centre at Salisbury in 2009. Council NEVER received a copy of the agreement that they were asked to approve.

This may seem like so much "inside baseball", EXCEPT … Daily Times reporter Sarah Lake was at that work session. She knew that what was put forward in Ireton’s press release was a LIE. Yet, she willingly chose to put her name on an article which included the same lies.

Lake writes:

"A memorandum of understanding -- modeled after an agreement forged with The Centre at Salisbury mall for similar services -- was signed by Muir Boda, asset protection coordinator for the Salisbury Walmart, and forwarded to the council for consideration."

There are just a few problems. Ireton’s statements are false AND Lake was at the council work session. She knew they were false. Lake and the Daily Times cannot claim that this was a "mistake" either. In addition to her obviously false reporting on this issue, she also took part in a "strategy session" with Ireton, councilwomen Laura Mitchell and Shanie Shields, developer Palmer Gillis, former mayor Barrie Tilghman, and former councilwomen Louise Smith and Lynn Cathcart. Today’s front page article, "Local Rivals Unite Against Council", was an obvious political hit piece by Lake where she colluded with one group of politicians to attack another group – council members Debbie Campbell, Terry Cohen, and Tim Spies.

To accuse someone of lying may seem extreme. It is. However, the Daily Times didn’t cross a line today.
Lake and her employers jumped over it into the next county. Their actions show a blatant disregard for even the loosest concepts of journalistic integrity.

Daily Times publisher Greg Bassett should retract the story, dismiss Lake, and apologize to all Daily Times readers for allowing such outrageous conduct to slip through onto the pages of our local paper.

The New Dirty Dozen

Joe Albero and Salisbury News, (the original Salisbury News) is back!

Put on your seat belts Folks because what I'm about to share is going to bring you right back to the beginning of time with Salisbury News.

That's right, the only difference this time is that there are a few new names to the group of people, so here we go.

For the past two weeks a group of people have been meeting at the Chamber of Commerce holding an invitation only meeting to pull together the old Tilghman Administration to CRUSH Debbie, Terry and Tim.

Yes, Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Lynn Catnhcart, Shanie Shields, Phil Tilghman, John Cannon, T.J. Maloney, Kris and Kevin Adams, Palmer Gillis, Louise Smith, Laura Mitchell, Jonathan Taylor and of course Jim Ireton have been gathering in support of SAPOA. There's no master mind behind the petition Laura Mitchell has been pushing. It's the same disgruntled group of a-holes, (not all of them) who created the financial destruction of Salisbury with the old mall tif, Sassafras Meadows, the Waste Water Treatment Plant (on time and under budget, we're not THIS close, we're THIS close) and millions in developer reimbursements.

I want you to remember ALL of those names above because you know what Folks, these are some pretty damn sneaky characters who have to hide in darkness and not be seen out and about while the sun is up. Do YOU really want to go backwards, OR did you people actually vote for CHANGE?

So here's the deal. Jim Ireton has finally shown his true colors. While I have been saying for more than a year now that Jim Ireton IS tied with Barrie Tilghman, YOU people have been mislead. Ireton was nothing short of another Louise Smith and Jonathan Taylor, people willing to do ANYTHING for the cause. Think about it, seriously. Think of ALL the things Ireton stood for and look where he is today, hanging out with SAPOA behind closed doors, in the dark.

Look, that petition drive to bring the legislative change to referendum is just one step. Once I get done with them and the citizens truly learn the truth, (as we've been telling you) then they have to get those same people who signed the petition to VOTE and guess what, it will never fly, God Forbid they ever get that far. 

Tomorrow you will more than likely see the Daily Times actually pull their typical BS by throwing their support towards this petition drive, SAPOA. Remember all of those comments during the Tilghman Adminstration, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? Well, you need to show these people once and for all, we're done with their BS. 

You are not hearing from ANYONE that there's been any meetings, except Salisbury News. I held this article all day so the Daily Times couldn't pull their article for tomorrow. Jim Ireton, you have served your one and only term as Mayor. EVERY single person I have ever gone after since I started this Blog almost 7 years ago is GONE, FIRED, TERMINATED, VOTED OUT. There's no help on the way, unless you meant for SAPOA. Enjoy the rest of your term because you will be voted out. THE TRIBE HAS SPOKEN!

New Posts to fall below. 

BREAKING NEWS: DR. MCLEAN GETS 8 YEARS PLUS MORE

Doctor John McLean on Milford Street and PRMC was sentenced to 8 years in jail and fined $579,070.00 today.

If you'll recall, Dr. McLean was the cardiologist with the seint issues. Out previous stories were as follows.

HERE

Letter to the Editor – Did Media Cover Up PRMC’s Role in Stent Scandal?

HERE

Criminal Trial Begins For Eastern Shore Doctor Accused Of Unnecessary Stent Procedures

Originally Posted at 5:42 PM

Financial Protections For Servicemembers

The Federal Reserve, along with the other agencies, is working hard to enforce an array of strengthened regulations that protect mortgage borrowers, credit card holders, and other consumers of financial services. The people in this room should be aware, in particular, of the special rights and protections provided to military personnel by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The law's purpose is to allow servicemembers to perform their duties without worry of foreclosure, eviction, and civil prosecution--under most circumstances. It caps interest rates for debts incurred before a servicemember begins active duty, it prevents creditors from foreclosing on a home or repossessing a car without a court order, it gives servicemembers the option to terminate residential property and motor vehicle leases, it stays civil proceedings while servicemembers are on active duty, and it entitles servicemembers to reinstatement of health insurance that was in effect before their military service began. Additionally, Department of Defense rules regulate the terms of certain kinds of high-cost loans to servicemembers and their families, such as payday loans, tax refund anticipation loans, and motor vehicle title loans.

Biggest Caulking Job Ever

Think of it as the biggest caulking job ever. Those engineers who rappelled down the Washington Monument looking for earthquake damage are back, the Associated Press reported. This time, they'll fill any cracks they find with temporary sealant. National Park Service spokesman Carol Johnson says the engineers will return to the top of the monument today. They'll set up ropes and equipment. The weatherization work starts Monday. It should take five days and will cost $240,000.00 .

Federal Reserve Efforts Io Improve the Economy's Performance

At the Federal Reserve, we are working hard--both as central bankers and as financial regulators--to help restore our nation's prosperity. In 2008 and early 2009, the world suffered the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, a crisis which, had it been left unchecked, would have resulted in a global financial meltdown and an economic collapse. Working with policymakers around the world, the Federal Reserve acted creatively and forcefully to help stabilize the financial system and halt the economic slide. Our economy has been growing and adding jobs for more than two years now. But for a lot of people, I know, it doesn't feel like the recession ever ended. The unemployment rate remains painfully high, and more than two-fifths of the unemployed have been out of work for longer than six months, by far the highest ratio since World War II. These problems are very serious, and we at the Federal Reserve have been focusing intently on supporting job creation. Supporting job creation is half of our marching orders, so to speak; the other half is controlling inflation. Or, in the language of the law that sets the mandate for monetary policy, the Federal Reserve is required to seek both maximum employment and price stability.

We pursue those two important goals by influencing the level of interest rates and other financial conditions. My colleagues and I on the Federal Reserve's monetary policymaking committee equate price stability with inflation being at 2 percent or a little less. That rate is low enough that people and businesses can make financial decisions without having to worry too much about rising costs, but high enough to keep the economy away from deflation--falling wages and prices--which is both a cause and a symptom of an extremely weak economy. Although spikes in oil and food prices, and other transitory factors, pushed inflation up earlier this year, inflation appears to be moderating, and we expect, based on the best information that we have today, that it will remain reasonably close to our objective of 2 percent or a bit less for the foreseeable future.

In the longer term, monetary policy is the main determinant of inflation, and so Federal Reserve policymakers have considerable latitude to choose our longer-term inflation goal. In contrast, "maximum employment" depends on many factors outside of the Federal Reserve's control, such as the skills of the workforce and the pace of technological innovation. Right now, my colleagues on the Fed's policymaking committee estimate that the U.S. economy could sustain an unemployment rate of somewhere between 5 and 6 percent without generating a buildup of inflation pressures. But, regardless of whether the sustainable rate is 5 or 6 percent, with unemployment currently at 9 percent, our economy is certainly falling far short of maximum employment. That high unemployment rate is why the Federal Reserve is focusing its monetary policy at strengthening the recovery and job creation, including keeping short-term interest rates near zero and longer-term rates, such as mortgage rates, at the lowest levels in decades. Keeping borrowing costs very low supports consumer purchases of houses, cars, and other goods and services, as well as business investment in new equipment, software, and facilities. Over time, greater demand on the part of households and businesses leads to increased economic activity and employment.

Like other central banks around the world, one way in which we have put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates is by purchasing high-quality, longer-term securities in the open market--specifically, in our case, U.S. government securities and federally backed mortgage securities. It is important to understand that this type of activity isn't the same as government spending. We will sell the securities back into the market or simply allow them to mature as part of the process of tightening monetary policy when the economy improves. In the meantime, we earn interest on the securities we hold. In fact, the Federal Reserve's securities purchases and other actions during and after the crisis have had the side effect of reducing the federal budget deficit. Last year and the year before, we returned a total of $125 billion of those earnings to the U.S. Treasury, and payments to the Treasury in the current year will be substantial as well.

In addition to our monetary policy role, the Federal Reserve shares responsibility with other government agencies for regulating and supervising banks, protecting consumers in their financial dealings, and fostering financial stability. We're working with the other agencies to significantly increase the financial reserves that banks--especially the largest banks that can put the financial system at risk--must hold against possible losses. The Fed and the other agencies also are toughening the restrictions on the kinds of financial transactions that banks can undertake and working to ensure that bankers' compensation packages do not give them incentives to take excessive risks. We are requiring banks to compensate and assist foreclosed-upon homeowners who were unfairly treated. And, importantly, we are working to increase the resilience of the financial system as a whole against financial and economic shocks that may occur in the future. We are also collaborating with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to implement new rules that will make it easier for the government to unwind big financial firms if they get into trouble, rather than being faced with the terrible choice of either bailing them out or risking the collapse of the financial system if they fail.

Of course, the Federal Reserve was never intended to shoulder the entire burden of promoting economic prosperity. Fostering healthy growth and job creation is a shared responsibility of all economic policymakers, in close cooperation with the private sector. Spending and tax policy is of critical importance, but a wide range of other policies--pertaining to labor markets, housing, trade, taxation, and regulation, for example--also have important roles to play.

Source

Does A Bad Credit Score Mean You'll Be Bad At Your Job?

A growing number of employers are running credit checks on potential hires before making a job offer. Unfortunately, there are a large number of people out there whose credit reports are still marred by the recent and ongoing economic troubles. So does it make sense to consider an applicant's credit history?

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Bernanke Tells American Soldiers To Make Good Financial Decisions Even As He Routinely Bails Out Those Who Don't

Ben Bernanke is speaking in Texas to some soldiers and ther families in what is mostly a boilerplate presentation: he mourns the bubble economy, protects his policies and tries to deflect focus away from the Fed, just like the ECB, to the legislative. To wit: "it doesn't feel like the recession ever ended. The unemployment rate remains painfully high, and more than two-fifths of the unemployed have been out of work for longer than six months, by far the highest ratio since World War II. These problems are very serious, and we at the Federal Reserve have been focusing intently on supporting job creation. Supporting job creation is half of our marching orders, so to speak; the other half is controlling inflation." On Congress: "the Federal Reserve was never intended to shoulder the entire burden of promoting economic prosperity. Fostering healthy growth and job creation is a shared responsibility of all economic policymakers, in close cooperation with the private sector." Most interesting is Bernanke's attempt to get quite cozy with men and women in uniform: "soldiers who had taken the course were more likely to make smart financial choices, such as comparison shopping for major purchases, saving for retirement, and educating themselves about money management. They were less likely to make questionable financial decisions, like paying overdraft fees, taking out car title loans, and continually running credit card balances. Making good, well-thought-out financial decisions can make all the difference to your financial future." Like saving, yes? But with 0.001% deposit rates, just why should these brave men and women do anything "smart" choices: can't they simply do what the banks do every day and make dumb choices, instead knowing full well that you will bail them out. Will you bail out the soldiers of this country who follow in the banks' footsteps? Or do they need more weapons before they become too big to fail?

Source

Gitmo Costs $800K/Year Per Detainee

The Miami Herald's Carol Rosenberg, returning to Gitmo for the arraignment of alleged USS Cole bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, reports how much the island prison is costing American taxpayers these days.

The Pentagon detention center that started out in January 2002 as a collection of crude open-air cells guarded by Marines in a muddy tent city is today arguably the most expensive prison on earth, costing taxpayers $800,000 annually for each of the 171 captives by Obama administration reckoning.

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Two Workers Injured When Boom-Lift Topples

Location:

• Gavilon Grain Silos, 402 Main Street, Townsend, DE

  

Date of Occurrence:

·         Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 1:15 p.m.

Victims:

·         32 year old male from New Castle, DE

·         38 year old male from Milford, DE

Resume:

Townsend-Delaware State Police are investigating an incident in which two maintenance workers were injured after the boom-lift they were working in toppled backwards and fell to the ground at the Gavilon Grain Silos facility in Townsend, DE.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the incident occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m. this afternoon as the two male maintenance workers were working in the platform basket of a boom-lift, raised approximately 40 feet off of the ground. The workers were performing maintenance and attempting to reach the conveyor belt on the top of the grain silo.  Indications are that one of the workers attempted to reposition the boom-lift by putting it in reverse.  One of the boom-lift’s wheels traveled down a small embankment, causing the boom-lift to lose its center of gravity, and topple backwards.  The workers and the boom-lift fell to the ground with the boom lift falling across the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.  The two men landed approximately 10 feet from the boom, on a gravel surface.

Both were flown to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center by Delaware State Police Aviation Helicopter Trooper 4 and by CCHS Life Net Helicopter where they were admitted in critical condition.

Both workers were wearing safety harnesses, but it is unknown at this time if they were secured to the platform. Railroad traffic was halted as the incident was investigated and cleared. Names of the victims will not be released as is DSP practice when investigating these types of industrial incidents.

QUOTES OF THE DAY 11-10-11

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
― George Washington

“Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; Third, it is accepted as self-evident.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
― Thomas Merton

“We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.”
― Oscar Wilde

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth. ”
― William Faulkner

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
― Henry David Thoreau

“The truth is not for all men but only for those who seek it.”
― Ayn Rand

Sex Change Surgery Is Now Tax Deductible

The Internal Revenue Service isn’t going to fight people any longer who want to deduct the cost of gender reassignment surgery from their taxes.

According to a so-called acquiescence filed earlier this month, IRS officials notified the Tax Court that it would abide by a 2010 decision that held that some medical expenses from such surgeries could be deducted. It also ends the nearly decade-long battle that Rhiannon O’Donnabhain, who was born male and fathered three children, waged against the IRS to deduct $5,000 in expenses she incurred to bring her anatomy in line with her gender identity. The IRS at first denied her request claiming the procedure was entirely cosmetic.


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America's DARPA Wants To 'Protect' Us From The Internet

Elite DARPA cyber heroes will protect interwebs ... DARPA is upping its cyber game in order to protect the internet it came up with, increasing its research budget from $120m (£74.6m) to $188m (£117m) for the fiscal year 2012. "DARPA's role in the creation of the internet means we were party to the intense opportunities it created and share in the intense responsibility of protecting it. Our responsibility is to acknowledge and prepare to protect the Nation in this new environment," Regina E Dugan, DARPA director, said in a canned statement. "We need more and better options. We will not prevail by throwing bodies or buildings at the challenges of cyberspace. Our assessment argues that we are capability limited, both offensively and defensively. We need to fix that." – The Register

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Ron Paul: Obama Presidency On The Verge Of Being A "Dictatorship"

Ron Paul tells it like it is, once again. He says President Obama's continued use of the executive order "brings the modern presidency dangerously close to an elective dictatorship."

"That is arrogant," Dr. Paul said of Obama frequently using the executive order.

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Study: U.S. Pays More, But Health Care Is Worse

Nov. 9, 2011 -- We not only pay a lot more for health care in the U.S. than in other countries, but a new study suggests the care we get is often slower and more poorly coordinated.

That's because other industrialized countries do a better job of giving patients easy access to primary care and to "medical homes" responsible for guiding care and complex treatment, according to a study published today by the Commonwealth Fund.

A medical home is a regular place of care where health care providers are accessible, know the patients' medical history, and help to coordinate care.

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Fire Marshall Interviews Former Mayoral Candidate Tom McGuire Today

It has been reported that the Fire Marshall interviewed Tom McGuire for a major fire that happened last week right next door to his own home on Chestnut Street in Delmar, Maryland.

McGuire, known for his late night hours and bright lights around his own home could be a suspect. Anyone who lives anywhere near, (or even 5 blocks away) knows just how illuminated this paranoid man is and many have stated they find it hard to believe someone would purposely set fire to the vacant home next door with so many lights around the McGuire home.

Nevertheless, its standard procedure. For those of you who may not recall who the McGuire's are, this is the couple that wished little Brooke Mulford dead.

And the Big Time Banksters Come Marching In

Here's what you need to know about the current crisis in the Eurozone. The big time banksters are getting direct hands on control:

Mario Drgahi has become president of the European Central Bank as of November 1. He was vice chairman and managing director of Goldman Sachs International and a member of the firm-wide management committee. He was the Italian Executive Director at the World Bank. He has been a Fellow of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Lucas Papademos takes over today as Prime Miinster of Greece. He was an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He was a visiting professor of public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. And, he was previously a vice president of the European Central Bank. He has been a member of the Trilateral Commission since 1998.

Indications are that Mario Monti will succeed Silvio Berlusconi as prime minister of Italy, within in days. Monti completed graduate studies at Yale University, where he studied under James Tobin (see the Tobin Tax). He is a member of the European Commission. He is European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission and and member of the Bilderberg Group.

If you get the sense that the elitist banksters are going to take this financial crisis and push it in whatever direction they want, you are probably very right.
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BREAKING NEWS: Comedian Billy Crystal To Host The 2012 Oscars

Billy Crystal, who has hosted the Oscars eight times, will replace Eddie Murphy
as the award show's host.
From Fox News

Finally, A Judge Stands Up To Wall Street

Federal judge Jed Rakoff, a former prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s office here in New York, is fast becoming a sort of legal hero of our time. He showed that again yesterday when he shat all over the SEC’s latest dirty settlement with serial fraud offender Citigroup, refusing to let the captured regulatory agency sweep yet another case of high-level criminal malfeasance under the rug.

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Israel, Iran … TEOTWAWKI

War drums are banging louder and louder. C’mon people, we need to discuss this! There are more important things than Joe Pa and Ron Paul’s ratings. Holy crap, the headline below is a game changer.

=================================================================== =
ISRAEL MAY LAUNCH STRIKE ON IRAN AS SOON AS NEXT MONTH TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Israel will launch military action to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon as soon as Christmas, intelligence chiefs have warned.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2059462/UN-report-Iran-IS-trying-build-nuclear-bomb-warns-William-Hague.html
=================================================================== =

What are some of the reasonable possible consequences?

1) War with Russia or China. Both have warned of dire consequences if Iran is attacked. I do not believe these are idle threats.

2) HUGE increase in oil prices. $200? $300?

3) As a result of #2, a Worldwide Depression.

All wars have unintended consequences. What about them?? Nuclear war? The End of America as we know it?

Yes, Israel was twice successful taking out Iraq’s and Syria’s nukes. But that was then, this is now.
EVERYONE says the best result is just kicking the can down the road a couple years. Iran has dozens of nuke sites, many underground and hardened. They’ll rebuild in a couple years at best. So, what the fuck is REALLY accomplished?

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Two Women Arrested In Satanic Sex Ritual Stabbing

Two women were arrested in Milwaukee this week after a man told police they had bound and stabbed him hundreds of times in a sexual encounter that "got quickly out of hand."

The 18-year-old man told police he had met one of the women on the Internet and had traveled to Milwaukee from Phoenix, Ariz., to see her. She and her roommate then held him in an apartment for two days and cut him more than 300 times, he said, according to a search warrant affidavit signed by Milwaukee County police detective Michael Walisiciwicz.

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Veterans Day

Hello All,

Hope all is well on your side of the world. I’ve had a bunch of people ask what we need over here. While it’s definitely not necessary for anyone to send anything, if they do feel inclined to put together a care package below is a list of some nice to haves that are a little hard to come by. My Marines and I very much appreciate anything that is sent. I don't have everyone's email address, so if they ask, feel free to pass the list on. Thank you in advance.

Personal Wipes - or unscented baby wipes

Toilet Paper - stuff here is like cardboard

Coffee Creamer - individual liquid packets that doesn’t require refrigeration (powder type goes bad real fast)

Sugar in the Raw - individual packets

Tooth Paste - Travel Size

Deodorant - Travel Size

Hand Sanitizer - Travel Size

Body Wash - Travel Size

Q-tips - Travel Size

Cold Medicine - Examples: Sudafed, Dayquil, Mucinex, Cough Drops, etc.

Eye Drops - Visine or similar (a lot of dust out here)

Oatmeal - Individual serving packages

And we do get a little free time once in a while…so if you have any old DVDs or Darts (steel tip) that are collecting dust that you don’t mind never seeing again those would be very welcome also.

Again, please don't feel like its necessary to send anything. I'm only providing this because so many have asked.

Here’s the address just in case. Thanks again.

CWO3 TURNER, GARY E.

II MEF (FWD) C-8 COMPT

UNIT 73920

FPO, AE 09510-3920

Thanks,

Gary

Wicomico County Council Press Release

On Tuesday of this week the Wicomico County Council received four nominations from the Republican Central Committee to fill the District 4 seat vacated by the passing of Councilman Bob Caldwell, who was a registered Republican. As is required by the Charter, The Nominees must live in the District of the vacated seat and must be of the same political affiliation. All nominees are residents of District 4 and all are registered Republicans. The nominees are Bill Carey, John Hall, Robert Huntington and Catherine Keim.

The County Council will interview each of the nominees on November 15, 2011, during a recess of its regular Legislative Session. Interviews begin at 12:30 in a closed work session, which being a personnel matter, will not be open to the public.

The County Council will reconvene the Legislative Session at 2:00 pm, or as close thereto as the interview process is concluded. At that time the County Council intends to introduce and approve Resolution 134- 2011, appointing one of the nominees to the Wicomico County Council to serve the remaining term of the District 4 seat.


Section 205 of the county Charter defines the procedure for filling vacancies which may occur on the County Council. One of the provisions is that a vacancy be filled within 30 days. When the Council passes Resolution 134- 2011 it will have been 35 days since Mr. Caldwell passed away. Fortunately, this section of the Charter has not been used many times, but this instance has revealed that 30 days may be too short a period to give the degree of care and consideration to such an important decision. Section 407 of the Charter has identical language in the event that the Office of County Executive should become vacant. The County Council will ask the Charter Review Committee to consider whether these sections of the Charter should be amended to afford more time for nominations and appointments to these important positions in our county government to occur.

11/11/11 Weddings: Numerologist Says Its Not A Lucky Day

Nov. 11, 2011 is turning out to be a notable date for two reasons: The fact that it will be celebrated in the U.S. as Veteran's Day and because when it is written numerically it comes out as 11/11/11.

The date is also proving to be a big one for weddings.

For Boston couple Scott Pittman and Liz Mongro -- who will be marrying each on Nov. 11 after 25 years together -- the unusual sequence of numbers calls for an equally unusual wedding ceremony.

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Motorcycle Accident On White Lowe Road Near Rt. 50

The cyclist had an obvious broken leg and transported priority one. Driver of
van and 2 children taken for observation.

CNN Defends The Fed – Calls Ron Paul Economically Illiterate

Every 2012 contender attended college. They all graduated. They went to schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Texas A&M, Morehouse, Penn State and Emory. But decades have passed since these Presidential candidates first stepped onto campus as freshmen. Is it time for an Econ 101 refresher course? America's Econ 101 professors say yes. In their view, the candidates continue to offer ideas and policies that wouldn't pass muster in their classes – populated by 18 year-old college students. "There are so many economic 'misstatements' being made," said Jonathan Lanning, a professor at Bryn Mawr who is teaching two introductory economics classes this semester. "And it isn't confined to any one candidate." ... Another professor who teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Michael Salemi, was able to identify statements from six candidates that "would earn failing grades in my Econ 101 class." Salemi called Ron Paul's rationale for returning to the gold standard "one of the most dangerous ideas put forward by a politician in recent years." – CNN Money

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Woman Accused Of Locking Child In Closet For 6 Hours For Bad Grades

A 32-year-old woman has been charged with one misdemeanor count of child abuse for locking her daughter in a closet for 6 hours because she earned bad grades, the Daily Pilot reports.

Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Phil Myers told the paper that the mother also hit the 13-year-old three times with a stick.

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Occupiers vs. Tea Partiers

Be Honest CNBC - You Are Biased Against Ron Paul

Those of us who have supported Ron Paul since his presidential run in 2008 (and some who supported him long before that) have come to expect an astonishing array of mainstream media tricks, lies, and censorship when it comes to the “journalistic” examination of the good doctor. This doesn’t mean, however, that we have ever or will ever come to ACCEPT this consistent trend of deception and disinformation as a forgone conclusion of our political lives. We will never throw up our hands and walk away from the mess the MSM has deliberately created, because that is exactly what they would like us to do; give up, shut up, go home, vote for Romney (an establishment crony with the creepy grin of a pedophile), and watch him lose to Obama (yet another establishment crony) in 2012.

With this stated up front, it was brought to my attention that CNBC was running a poll asking readers who they thought won the recent Republican Presidential Debates in Michigan. Now, as in many polls in 2008, the name “Ron Paul” has been rising to the top of the charts in 2011 despite all efforts by media lapdogs to dissuade the public from even considering such a candidate. CNBC did not fail to play its roll this time around either. Ron Paul won by a substantial margin, and of course, their response was to take the poll down! Here was the explanation given by CNBC Managing Editor and all around bottom feeder, Allen Wastler:

Gamed Poll...So We Took It Down

We had a poll up from our Republican Presidential Debate asking readers who they thought won. One candidate was leading by such a margin that it became obvious the polling wasn't so much a reading of our audience, but of the Internet prowess of this particular candidate's political organization. We have therefore taken the poll down.

Yes, we've gone through this exercise before.

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James Murdoch: I Was Kept In Dark About Hacking

(CBS/AP) LONDON - James Murdoch insisted Thursday he'd been kept in the dark about the culture of criminality at the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, telling a committee of often-skeptical British lawmakers that he'd been blind-sided by his subordinates.

In more than two and half hours of testimony, Murdoch accused two former lieutenants of misleading both him and parliamentarians over the scope of a phone hacking scandal that has shaken his father Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

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Barack Obama's 32 Month Report Card

by Rich Carroll

Mr. Hope and Change wants to create a nation humbled; humiliated, casting-aside capitalism and individual freedoms for one where “we the people” are government controlled. This would be a system that genuflects mediocrity, steals personal aspiration and opportunity, and punishes those who strive to succeed.

A gallon of regular gasoline the day Obama was inaugurated was $1.79 on average in the U.S. Today that price is $3.59, a 100.6% increase. The number of food stamp recipients has risen since Obama took office from 31,983,716 to 43,200,878, a 35.1% jump. Long term unemployment soared 146.2% during the same 32 month period from 2,600,000 to 6,400,000. Staggering “hope and change” isn't it?

American citizens living in poverty have risen 9.5% from 39,800,000 to 43,600,000, and the number of unemployed has jumped almost 25% from 11,616,000 to 14,485,000 as of August 31, 2011. The number of unemployed blacks has risen from 12.6% at the end of George Bush's term to 15.8% today, a 25.4% increase, and finally, our national debt is up 34.4% from 10.627 trillion to 14,278 trillion *

Keep these figures in mind as we recount the number of “firsts” for this presidency:

First President to refuse to show a valid birth certificate.

First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.

First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.

First President to preside over a cut to the credit rating of the United States .

First President to violate the War Powers Act.

First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico .

First President to defy a Federal Judges court order to cease implementing the Health Care Reform Law.

First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.

First President to spend a trillion dollars on shovel-ready jobs and later admit there was no such thing as shovel-ready jobs.

First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.

First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.

First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of 20,000,000 illegal immigrants across the U.S. , including those with criminal convictions.

First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.

First President to terminate Americas ability to put a man in space.

First President to encourage racial discrimination and intimidation at polling places.

First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.

First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.

First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly speak-out on the reasons for their rate increases.

First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state they are allowed to locate a factory.

First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (Az,WI, OH, IN)

First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.

First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.

First President to appoint 45 Czars to replace elected officials in his office.

First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office.

First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.

First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.

First President to coddle American enemies while alienating Americas allies.

First President to publicly bow to Americas enemies while refusing to salute the U.S. Flag.

First President to go on multiple global apology tours.

First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends, paid for by the taxpayer.

First President to refuse to wear the U.S. Flag lapel pin.

First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.

First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000.00 a year at taxpayer expense.

First President to repeat “the Holy Qur'an tells us,” and openly admit “the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.”

Remember that 32 months of Obama White House we the people have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our nation's entire history, as the Obama's plan their next extravagant vacation to the Indonesian Island nation of Bali .

Hope and change anyone ?????????

* sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Wall Street Journal, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dept of Labor, Standard & Poors/Case-Shiller, Federal Reserve, US Treasury, Heritage Foundation.

NJ Woman Accused Of Driving School Bus While Drunk

WESTAMPTON, N.J. — Police arrested a school bus driver in New Jersey for allegedly driving 25 children home with a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

Carole Crockett, 46, is facing 25 counts of endangering the welfare of children, disorderly conduct and drunken driving charges after she was arrested near Holly Hills School, Westampton Township, the Westampton Courier-Post reported.

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STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY ON ATLANTIC STATES MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION ACTIONS TO PROTECT THE MENHADEN FISHERY

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley issued the following statement on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission actions to protect the menhaden fishery:

“All of us in Maryland commend the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which today took historic action to reduce fishing pressure on menhaden. The new, more conservative fishing threshold and target are significant steps in ensuring a sustainable future for menhaden, an essential food source for striped bass, bluefish, dolphins, osprey and bald eagles and other fish and wildlife species.

“I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the 14 member states – my co-Governors, their Commission representatives and their many stakeholders – for standing by Maryland on this critical issue. I also want to publicly acknowledge the dedication of Maryland’s fishery managers, who for the past four years have worked tirelessly with their counterparts up and down the Atlantic seaboard to protect what has been called the most important fish in the sea.”

Herman Cain's Nickname For Pelosi: "Princess Nancy"

In a move that immediately had the Twitter-sphere reeling in apparent disbelief, Herman Cain on Wednesday coined a new nickname for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: "Princess Nancy."

Cain, speaking at CNBC's Republican presidential debate in Michigan, was referencing a Republican health reform plan that stalled in committee because "Princess Nancy sent it" there.

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Coca-Cola Successfully Pressured The Grand Canyon Into Abandoning Its Plastic Bottle Ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials at the Grand Canyon abruptly abandoned plans to ban the sale of plastic water bottles at the Arizona national park after conversations with Coca-Cola officials, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Stephen P. Martin, who crafted the plan, told the newspaper that the effort was scrapped after Coca-Cola officials raised concerns about the plan through the National Park Foundation. He was told the effort was being tabled about two weeks before its scheduled Jan. 1 start.


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Woman Survives Attack by Killer Who Stored Body in Freezer

"I can talk," said Lydia Tillman with pride and great effort. For a woman who spent over five weeks in a coma after being sexually assaulted, strangled and doused in bleach, this is no small feat.

"I'm tough," said Tillman, an acclaimed former sommelier and a seasoned world traveler.

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Get a What? A Job? 70% of Occupy Wall Streeters Are Employed, Compared To 56% Of Tea Partiers

A new infographic posted on the Dangerous Minds blog shows some striking differences between the Occupy movement and the Tea Party. The movement is younger, more politically independent, less wealthy and, unfortunately for all of the folks crying laziness, MORE EMPLOYED.

According to the graphic, pulled together by Accelerated Degree, 70% of Occupy Wall Street participants are employed, taking the wind out of the argument that protestors are lazy, free-riding hippies with nothing else to do. Many of the movement’s most staunch supporters go protest and occupy AFTER WORK.

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Washington Nationals Catcher Ramos Reportedly Kidnapped in Venezuela

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped near his hometown of Valencia, northern Venezuela, his winter league team the Aragua Tigers announced Wednesday.

According to multiple reports from local outlets, four gunmen approached Ramos outside his mother's home in Santa Ines, about 16 miles south of Valencia, and took him away.

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Big Growth Step for Evolution Craft Brewing Company

(Salisbury,MD)  Evolution is getting ready to tap a much larger production space in Salisbury, Maryland as the new base for Evolution Craft Brewing Company and the Public House.  In addition, Southern Boys Concepts’ corporate offices will be located in the Salisbury facility formerly known as the "Reddy Ice Factory" at 201 E. Vine Street in Salisbury, Maryland.

Evolution Craft Brewing Company is a small batch craft beer brewery that currently has distribution in Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC and Northern Virginia. The brewery currently produces an established series of mainline beers as well as a wide variety of specialty beers.

Renovation is underway to ready to the space for enlarged brewing operations, offices for Southern Boys Concepts and the new Public House restaurant.  It is anticipated that the location will be ready in the early months of 2012, with the restaurant portion to open in mid January; and the production brewery to open in late February.

The expansion will allow Evolution's brewing capacity to increase and strengthen its supply for their distribution regions in Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC and Northern Virginia and for growth into neighboring areas. The current production facility in Delmar, DE would continue to be used through February 2012 and it will then evolve into a new concept.

The building design team has been helmed by G. Matthew Drew of AWB Engineers of Salisbury, MD and the construction is being done by Temco Construction. The site was brokered by Brent Miller CCIM CPM of Sperry Van Ness Miller Commercial Real Estate and his team.

Evolution has grown incredibly in its first years of operations with exciting growth potential ahead. In 2009, brothers Tom Knorr and John Knorr worked with brew master Geoff DeBisschop of Boston, Massachusetts to create the Evolution Craft Brewing Company. In the past two years, the brewery has established itself as a new contender in the world of craft brewing. Regional and statewide media outlets across the Mid-Atlantic region have been toasting the beers and the success of Evolution. Evolution continues its streak of winning the Chesapeake Beer Madness contest for 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Southern Boys Concepts is a well known area hospitality group as the owners of 5 restaurants that include Sobo's Wine Beerstro, Specific Gravity Pizzeria and Bottle shop of Salisbury, MD, The Red Roost in Whitehaven, MD,  Boonie's Chophouse & Pub in Tyaskin, MD and Bistro Cinq in Antiques, Guatemala. More Evolution Craft Brewing info at www.evolutioncraftbrewing.com