I'd like to take a moment to reach out to all of our readers and especially our advertisers. The message you see below in bold is a message from one of the Anti Albero people to one of our advertisers. If you have been the recipient of such a message I have the following to say.
On a daily basis we field anywhere from 600 to 800 comments a day, most of which are rejected. When I contacted our moderator and read her the message she said, OK, what's wrong with that. On a completely innocent level she never picked up on the comment being a problem and went on to say, honestly, I thought maybe Michelle Obama had done an interview with National Geographic.
I want to make something very clear. The mere fact that HUNDREDS of comments are rejected on a daily basis shows there are some pretty sick people out there. Not a lot, just a hand full that try day and night to get racist comments to slip through. We work VERY hard at making sure these comments are clean. Do we make mistakes, absolutely. We are TWO people working extremely hard every day while some will do just about anything to make us look bad.
Now, did this tsjackson ever make an attempt to contact US about the comment, NO. Considering they are now contacting ALL of our advertisers clearly shows they are again out to destroy and I can pretty much assure you they are the original author of the comment. The time they took alone to contact all of our advertisers and not us convinces me of such.
That being said, to those this comment have offended, we apologize and hope you can forgive us? One thing is for sure, considering WE know how many of these type of comments come in each day, I can say with all confidence we do a pretty damn good job and eliminating such racism. I have removed the comment from the original Post but have put it up in this message to not only show you our human error but to also explain how the moderator thought it was something other than its intended racial attack.
Now, if you'd be so kind as to let us know any time something gets past us we'd greatly appreciate that very much. Like President and Michelle Obama or not, that is the President of the United States and his Wife. The intent of their message is uncalled for, racist and un American.
Thank you for your time and consideration towards my request for forgiveness.
During my visit I saw that the publisher allowed a comment through that commented on Lindsay Lohan's Playboy spread. It said "She got a million bucks for this. Mr's Obama got the same offer from National Geographic".
Is this the kind of racist, sexist attitude that you endorse? Would your customers approve of this? Please re-think your affiliation with this person.
tsjackson58@aol.com
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, December 19, 2011
If You Want A Cell Phone Without A New Contract, Don't Go To The Verizon Store
If you're already a Verizon customer and all you want is a new phone — no change of plan, no contract extension, just the phone — it would make sense that you should just be able to go to the Verizon store and pay full price for a new one. But as Consumerist reader Greg learned, things rarely go as easily as you'd expect when you're dealing with the wireless world.
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Fascist Chicago?
One of the hallmarks of fascism is correctly outlined in Wikipedia:
Fascists advocate: a state-directed, regulated economy that is dedicated to the nation; the use and primacy of regulated private property and private enterprise contingent upon service to the nation or state; the use of state enterprise where private enterprise is failing or is inefficient.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is out with a commentary in WSJ that would make Mussolini proud. In the commentary, he announces a partnership between certain Chicago-based corporations and Chicago-based community colleges. Emanuel writes:
Despite stubborn unemployment, we have companies offering well-paying jobs that have to go begging for skilled applicants. This is because our community college system, which was a worker's ticket into employment and the middle class during the postwar boom, has failed to keep pace with today's competitive jobs market. Consequently, in a 21st-century economy, our workers still have 20th-century skills...
This situation will only get worse. In the next 10 years, the Chicago area will need 9,000 additional computer-science workers, 20,000 new transportation workers and 43,000 new health-care workers, including 15,000 nurses.
In order to fill these jobs, we need to modernize our community colleges so that Americans no longer regard community colleges as a last ditch effort for a remedial education, but as their first choice for high-skill job training...
So, last week I announced a series of partnerships between our community colleges and our top employers that will draw on their expertise to develop curricula and set industry standards for job training in high-growth sectors like health care, high-tech manufacturing, information technology and professional services.
This program, "Colleges to Careers," will team AAR Corp. with Chicago's Olive-Harvey College to design a curriculum for avionics and mechanics careers. It will partner companies like Allscripts and Northwestern Memorial Hospital with Malcolm X College to design job training in health-care information technology and nursing.
These partnerships will align workers' training with the expectations of employers so that community college students will not have to worry about whether they have the right skills for their chosen field. They will have the confidence of knowing that the company they want to work for has helped design their curriculum specifically so that they can be hired and be successful. Employers won't need to search for the skilled workers they need to invest and expand. They will have confidence in their future work force because they were a partner in shaping it.I hope that cities across the country will follow Chicago's model.
More
Fascists advocate: a state-directed, regulated economy that is dedicated to the nation; the use and primacy of regulated private property and private enterprise contingent upon service to the nation or state; the use of state enterprise where private enterprise is failing or is inefficient.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is out with a commentary in WSJ that would make Mussolini proud. In the commentary, he announces a partnership between certain Chicago-based corporations and Chicago-based community colleges. Emanuel writes:
Despite stubborn unemployment, we have companies offering well-paying jobs that have to go begging for skilled applicants. This is because our community college system, which was a worker's ticket into employment and the middle class during the postwar boom, has failed to keep pace with today's competitive jobs market. Consequently, in a 21st-century economy, our workers still have 20th-century skills...
This situation will only get worse. In the next 10 years, the Chicago area will need 9,000 additional computer-science workers, 20,000 new transportation workers and 43,000 new health-care workers, including 15,000 nurses.
In order to fill these jobs, we need to modernize our community colleges so that Americans no longer regard community colleges as a last ditch effort for a remedial education, but as their first choice for high-skill job training...
So, last week I announced a series of partnerships between our community colleges and our top employers that will draw on their expertise to develop curricula and set industry standards for job training in high-growth sectors like health care, high-tech manufacturing, information technology and professional services.
This program, "Colleges to Careers," will team AAR Corp. with Chicago's Olive-Harvey College to design a curriculum for avionics and mechanics careers. It will partner companies like Allscripts and Northwestern Memorial Hospital with Malcolm X College to design job training in health-care information technology and nursing.
These partnerships will align workers' training with the expectations of employers so that community college students will not have to worry about whether they have the right skills for their chosen field. They will have the confidence of knowing that the company they want to work for has helped design their curriculum specifically so that they can be hired and be successful. Employers won't need to search for the skilled workers they need to invest and expand. They will have confidence in their future work force because they were a partner in shaping it.I hope that cities across the country will follow Chicago's model.
More
Cigars, Cognac And Mass Starvation: 10 Facts That Divide North Korea From The World
LONDON — As the world digests news of the death of despot Kim Jong Il, 10 facts paint a picture of North Korea's isolation from the international community.
1. High militarized area The border between North and South Korea is one of the most militarized areas in the world, according to the State Department, with a combined total of almost two million military personnel under the control of Pyongyang (1.2 million), Seoul (680,000) and foreign powers including the United States (28,000). North Korean arms outnumber those in the South by about two to one, including offensive weapons such as tanks, long-range artillery, aircraft and armored personnel carriers. However, much of the military equipment in North Korea is obsolete.
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1. High militarized area The border between North and South Korea is one of the most militarized areas in the world, according to the State Department, with a combined total of almost two million military personnel under the control of Pyongyang (1.2 million), Seoul (680,000) and foreign powers including the United States (28,000). North Korean arms outnumber those in the South by about two to one, including offensive weapons such as tanks, long-range artillery, aircraft and armored personnel carriers. However, much of the military equipment in North Korea is obsolete.
More
Florida A&M President To Keep Job While Authorities Probe Hazing Death Of Band Member
TALLAHASSEE, Fla – Florida A&M University's president will keep his job while authorities investigate the hazing death of a band member.
The university's board of trustees on Monday rejected a call by Gov. Rick Scott that James Ammons be suspended.
"We will stand firm against outside interference, no matter how well intended," Solomon Badger, the FAMU board chairman, said during a board meeting that was held by conference call.
More
The university's board of trustees on Monday rejected a call by Gov. Rick Scott that James Ammons be suspended.
"We will stand firm against outside interference, no matter how well intended," Solomon Badger, the FAMU board chairman, said during a board meeting that was held by conference call.
More
Pipeline Politics: How An Oil Sands Project Has Become Key To Environmentalism
Given that there are already more than 2.3 million miles of pipelines in the U.S.—carrying petroleum products, chemicals and natural gas—it might seem odd that so much political energy has been expended on a proposed 1,700-mile pipeline. Yet the controversial Keystone XL pipeline—which would cross the upper Midwest to carry crude from Canadian oil sands down to refiners in the U.S.—has become the single biggest environmental issue facing America. Green groups—pushed hard by activists like 350.org’s Bill McKibben—are using the proposed pipeline as a litmus test for President Obama’s often-questioned commitment to the environment. They argue that Keystone XL would pose a threat to valuable aquifers in Nebraska, but more than that, they believe that allowing the pipeline to go forward would open the path to the increased development of carbon-intensive oil sands, and keep the U.S. committed to fossil fuels, with disastrous consequences for climate change.
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National Honor Society Supports DHS
Under the guidance of advisors Lisa Gowe and Adam Tolley, the National Honor Students of Cambridge South Dorchester High School collected donations for
homeless animals as part of their community service hours. Victoria Brohawn (R)
and Savana Thompson (L) give the $150 gift to Suzette Stitely Executive Director
of the Dorchester Humane Society.
BURGLARY
DATE & TIME: 12/19/2011 @ 1712 hrs
C C. CARD NUMBER: 11-54-00-8800
LOCATION: South Westover Drive, Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland
BRIEF RESUME: On 12/19/2011 at approximately 1712 hours, Troopers from the MSP Salisbury Barrack responded to a residence on South Westover Drive in Salisbury, for the report of a Burglary. While on scene, preliminary investigation revealed the side door of the residence had been breached. Further investigation revealed unknown suspects gained entry into the home through the side door. Once inside the home, unknown suspects opened numerous Christmas gifts placed under the Christmas tree belonging to the homeowner’s small children to include a disabled child. The suspects removed numerous items from the home to include a laptop computer attended to be given to the victim’s son on Christmas Day. This incident is the most recent events of a series of Burglaries that have occurred in the immediate area over the past two weeks. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack (410)749-3101 and/or Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department (410)548-4891.
C C. CARD NUMBER: 11-54-00-8800
LOCATION: South Westover Drive, Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland
BRIEF RESUME: On 12/19/2011 at approximately 1712 hours, Troopers from the MSP Salisbury Barrack responded to a residence on South Westover Drive in Salisbury, for the report of a Burglary. While on scene, preliminary investigation revealed the side door of the residence had been breached. Further investigation revealed unknown suspects gained entry into the home through the side door. Once inside the home, unknown suspects opened numerous Christmas gifts placed under the Christmas tree belonging to the homeowner’s small children to include a disabled child. The suspects removed numerous items from the home to include a laptop computer attended to be given to the victim’s son on Christmas Day. This incident is the most recent events of a series of Burglaries that have occurred in the immediate area over the past two weeks. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack (410)749-3101 and/or Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department (410)548-4891.
Japan Says the Worst Is Over, But Fukushima Faces Long Road To Recovery
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced in a televised address on Friday that the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant has officially reached a state of ‘cold shutdown,’ bringing the most urgent phase of the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl to an end nine months after an earthquake and tsunami struck the plant on March 11.
According to Tokyo Electric Power Co., the massive utility that operates the embattled plant, temperatures inside reactors one, two and three, all of which suffered meltdowns after their cooling systems went offline in the twin disasters, now range from between 38C to 68C, and radiation is no longer leaking at the perimeter of the plant. Cold shutdown, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, is reached when “the reactor pressure vessel’s temperature is less than 100C, the release of radioactive materials from the primary containment vessel is under control and public radiation exposure by additional release is being significantly held down.”
MoreWill 2012 Bring The United States Another Great Depression?
Just as the U.S. economy appears improving, four sets of forces could thrust America into an abyss rivaling the Great Depression.
First, for decades, the Washington has pursued more open global trade and domestic deregulation. These unleashed great potential for innovation and growth; however, China and other nations have abused freer trade through export subsidies and import barriers to boost their economies at the expense of others. And, in some industries, a few players have amassed great monopoly power—notably, large financial houses on Wall Street and Europe now have an iron grip on lending.
More
First, for decades, the Washington has pursued more open global trade and domestic deregulation. These unleashed great potential for innovation and growth; however, China and other nations have abused freer trade through export subsidies and import barriers to boost their economies at the expense of others. And, in some industries, a few players have amassed great monopoly power—notably, large financial houses on Wall Street and Europe now have an iron grip on lending.
More
Universal Says It Can’t Be Sued For Bogus Megaupload Video Takedown
Universal Music acknowledged late Thursday that it was responsible for taking down from YouTube the infamous Megaupload video in which pop stars — from Mary J. Blige to Kanye West and others — sing the praises of the notorious file-sharing service.
But the record label said there’s nothing Megaupload can do about Universal Music taking down the video, even if Universal doesn’t own the rights to it.
Megaupload sued Universal Music on Monday, saying that the record label had no right to take the video down, since the file-sharing service had signed contracts from the performers, including Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am. The suit sought an injunction and unspecified damages, saying the label had violated a provision in copyright law that forbids bogus copyright claims.
Is It A Prison Planet? ... One Out Of Three Now Face Arrest In US
"Arrest is a pretty common experience," says Robert Brame, a criminologist at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and principal author of the study. Nearly one in three people will be arrested by the time they are 23, a study to be published today in Pediatrics found. – USA Today
Dominant Social Theme: It's for your own good, dammit.
Free-Market Analysis: This is a stunning statistic, in our view. According to a study generated via numbers collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported in USA Today (see above excerpt) one out of every three people in the US will face arrest by the time they are 23.
Not everyone will end up in jail, of course, but the idea that 30 percent of US citizens will have some sort of criminal-oriented interaction with civilian or federal police is surely a startling statistic to many, even American "law-and-order" types.
The article goes on to make the point that nearly 50 years ago US citizens were stunned by a study that found over 20 percent of all US citizens faced some sort of arrest. The interactions between law enforcement and US denizens has thus grown by ten percent in the past decades – or roughly one-third. Here's some more from the article:
More
Dominant Social Theme: It's for your own good, dammit.
Free-Market Analysis: This is a stunning statistic, in our view. According to a study generated via numbers collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported in USA Today (see above excerpt) one out of every three people in the US will face arrest by the time they are 23.
Not everyone will end up in jail, of course, but the idea that 30 percent of US citizens will have some sort of criminal-oriented interaction with civilian or federal police is surely a startling statistic to many, even American "law-and-order" types.
The article goes on to make the point that nearly 50 years ago US citizens were stunned by a study that found over 20 percent of all US citizens faced some sort of arrest. The interactions between law enforcement and US denizens has thus grown by ten percent in the past decades – or roughly one-third. Here's some more from the article:
More
Kim Jong Il Dies — Does That Make North Korea Even 'More Dangerous?
President Obama is consulting with allies following the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, whose reported weekend heart attack has catapulted son Kim Jong Un to power and could further destabilize the world's most isolated nation.
"This brings extraordinary change and uncertainty to a country that has seen little change in decades. South Korea's concern is warranted, frankly, because an insecure North Korea could well be an even more dangerous North Korea," a U.S. official told Fox News
More
President Obama is consulting with allies following the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, whose reported weekend heart attack has catapulted son Kim Jong Un to power and could further destabilize the world's most isolated nation.
"This brings extraordinary change and uncertainty to a country that has seen little change in decades. South Korea's concern is warranted, frankly, because an insecure North Korea could well be an even more dangerous North Korea," a U.S. official told Fox News
More
'Dingo Took My Baby' Case To Be Reopened In 2012
The case involving the death of an Australian infant whose mother famously said a dingo took from the family’s tent during a trip to the Australian outback, is being reopened for the fourth time.
According to The Australian, the case is being reopened because new information about recent dingo attacks was given to a coroner by the attorneys for Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, who was found guilty in 1982 of murdering her then 9-week-old daughter, Azaria, in 1980.
More
Newt Gingrich and His 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' Constitution
"[T]he surest curb on judicial activism, for those who fear it, is executive and legislative activism in defense of constitutional liberties. The courts possess only so much power as the other branches relinquish."
-U.S. District Judge Frank Johnson, 1979
The closer Newt Gingrich gets to the Republican nomination for president, the more unhinged become his attacks on the independence of the federal judiciary. In early October, when Gingrich was nowhere in the polls, he ginned up a patently unconstitutional argument for subpoenaing judges to come before Congress to justify and explain what Gingrich considers their "radical" decisions. "The spectacle would be like a dog walking on its hind legs," said Bruce Fein, the respected conservative attorney and former Reagan official, when asked about Gingrich's plan. "You are surprised not that it is done ineptly, but that it is attempted at all.
More
-U.S. District Judge Frank Johnson, 1979
The closer Newt Gingrich gets to the Republican nomination for president, the more unhinged become his attacks on the independence of the federal judiciary. In early October, when Gingrich was nowhere in the polls, he ginned up a patently unconstitutional argument for subpoenaing judges to come before Congress to justify and explain what Gingrich considers their "radical" decisions. "The spectacle would be like a dog walking on its hind legs," said Bruce Fein, the respected conservative attorney and former Reagan official, when asked about Gingrich's plan. "You are surprised not that it is done ineptly, but that it is attempted at all.
More
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ACCEPTS “PLANMARYLAND”
MDP Submits Phase 1 of Long-Range Plan for Sustainable Growth
ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 19, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley today accepted “PlanMaryland,” the State’s first long-range plan for sustainable growth, from Secretary Richard Eberhart Hall of the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) – achieving a vision first laid out by the General Assembly a half-century ago.
PlanMaryland is an executive policy plan that better coordinates the smart growth efforts and programs of state government. The Governor filed the Plan with the Secretary of State, as required by law. The Governor also filed an Executive Order to provide an overview of the process for implementation of the plan. During the coming year, state agencies will work to identify changes in strategy to achieve the goals of the plan and will work with local governments on delineating areas for future state investment, growth and preservation.
“There are some challenges so large we can only hope to tackle them together. Creating jobs and expanding opportunity is one of the, and building a sustainable, long-term future for our children is another,” said Governor O’Malley. “That’s what PlanMaryland is all about- it’s Maryland’s first long-range, sustainable growth plan, which will serve as a tool for targeting state resources with maximum transparency to encourage smarter growth. In the long run, that means a healthier environment, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future and a better quality of life for our kids.”
The Plan culminates four years of development that included meetings with more than 3,000 people across the state and thousands more reached online through surveys and social media -- one of the largest outreach efforts of its kind in Maryland planning history. More than 300 comments were received during two public comment periods in summer and fall 2011. The second comment period was added after local officials in August requested more time for deliberation. MDP also received advice from the Smart Growth Subcabinet, the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, sister state agencies and local planning officials in preparing the 116-page document. The Plan fulfills legislation from the General Assembly in 1959, 1974, 2007 and 2010 that required or laid out the process for a state development plan -- a mandate that until now had gone unmet.
“We need PlanMaryland because the rate of land conversion for development has grown at triple the rate of population since 1970. That is not sustainable,” said Planning Secretary Hall. “Without a smarter approach, we’ll face billions of dollars in additional cost for more road and school construction and we’ll undercut the enormous public and private efforts and investment already being made or planned to clean our bays, rivers and streams. After many years of pursuing a goal of smart growth, Maryland finally has a game plan to approach it more efficiently and effectively.”
“The Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission is grateful to Governor O’Malley and the General Assembly for asking us to provide advice on the preparation and content of PlanMaryland,” said Commission Chairman Jon Laria. “The Commission is charged with a broad array of growth-related responsibilities, but none is more important than working with PlanMaryland’s stakeholders to ensure that the Plan contributes positively and meaningfully to the State's smart growth goals.”
Over the last five years, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has invested approximately $9.9 billion in public schools and over $660 million in public school construction in rural Maryland. Recognizing the importance of our community colleges in preparing our workforce for the jobs of the new economy in Maryland, the administration has invested approximately $485 million in operating funding for community colleges and over $218 million in community college capital projects in rural Maryland. By providing over $1 billion in funding for transportation projects in rural Maryland, the administration has been supporting investments like rehabilitating and replacing bridges in Western Maryland, widening of highways on the Eastern Shore, the Hampstead Bypass and Taneytown Streetscape projects in Central Maryland, and upgrading and widening roads in Southern Maryland. Working through programs such as Community Legacy, the Community Development Block Grant, and Main Street Maryland, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has been helping local partners bring new investment and vitality to the state’s core communities. By leveraging technical assistance and State resources, 20 Main Streets sites in rural Maryland have funded $82 million in public improvement projects and over $65 million in private improvement projects since 2008.
The full plan and other information about it can be accessed at Plan.Maryland.gov
ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 19, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley today accepted “PlanMaryland,” the State’s first long-range plan for sustainable growth, from Secretary Richard Eberhart Hall of the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) – achieving a vision first laid out by the General Assembly a half-century ago.
PlanMaryland is an executive policy plan that better coordinates the smart growth efforts and programs of state government. The Governor filed the Plan with the Secretary of State, as required by law. The Governor also filed an Executive Order to provide an overview of the process for implementation of the plan. During the coming year, state agencies will work to identify changes in strategy to achieve the goals of the plan and will work with local governments on delineating areas for future state investment, growth and preservation.
“There are some challenges so large we can only hope to tackle them together. Creating jobs and expanding opportunity is one of the, and building a sustainable, long-term future for our children is another,” said Governor O’Malley. “That’s what PlanMaryland is all about- it’s Maryland’s first long-range, sustainable growth plan, which will serve as a tool for targeting state resources with maximum transparency to encourage smarter growth. In the long run, that means a healthier environment, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future and a better quality of life for our kids.”
The Plan culminates four years of development that included meetings with more than 3,000 people across the state and thousands more reached online through surveys and social media -- one of the largest outreach efforts of its kind in Maryland planning history. More than 300 comments were received during two public comment periods in summer and fall 2011. The second comment period was added after local officials in August requested more time for deliberation. MDP also received advice from the Smart Growth Subcabinet, the Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, sister state agencies and local planning officials in preparing the 116-page document. The Plan fulfills legislation from the General Assembly in 1959, 1974, 2007 and 2010 that required or laid out the process for a state development plan -- a mandate that until now had gone unmet.
“We need PlanMaryland because the rate of land conversion for development has grown at triple the rate of population since 1970. That is not sustainable,” said Planning Secretary Hall. “Without a smarter approach, we’ll face billions of dollars in additional cost for more road and school construction and we’ll undercut the enormous public and private efforts and investment already being made or planned to clean our bays, rivers and streams. After many years of pursuing a goal of smart growth, Maryland finally has a game plan to approach it more efficiently and effectively.”
“The Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission is grateful to Governor O’Malley and the General Assembly for asking us to provide advice on the preparation and content of PlanMaryland,” said Commission Chairman Jon Laria. “The Commission is charged with a broad array of growth-related responsibilities, but none is more important than working with PlanMaryland’s stakeholders to ensure that the Plan contributes positively and meaningfully to the State's smart growth goals.”
Over the last five years, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has invested approximately $9.9 billion in public schools and over $660 million in public school construction in rural Maryland. Recognizing the importance of our community colleges in preparing our workforce for the jobs of the new economy in Maryland, the administration has invested approximately $485 million in operating funding for community colleges and over $218 million in community college capital projects in rural Maryland. By providing over $1 billion in funding for transportation projects in rural Maryland, the administration has been supporting investments like rehabilitating and replacing bridges in Western Maryland, widening of highways on the Eastern Shore, the Hampstead Bypass and Taneytown Streetscape projects in Central Maryland, and upgrading and widening roads in Southern Maryland. Working through programs such as Community Legacy, the Community Development Block Grant, and Main Street Maryland, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has been helping local partners bring new investment and vitality to the state’s core communities. By leveraging technical assistance and State resources, 20 Main Streets sites in rural Maryland have funded $82 million in public improvement projects and over $65 million in private improvement projects since 2008.
The full plan and other information about it can be accessed at Plan.Maryland.gov
Get a Medical Marijuana Card, Lose Your Second Amendment Rights
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wants to prohibit patients from protecting themselves.
If you are a medical marijuana patient in one of the16 states (plus the District of Columbia) that allow for it, you’ve got reason to believe lately that the government has it in for you. You’ve got federal raids on the places where you can conveniently buy your medicine, the governor of Arizona trying to overturn in court her citizens’ choice to institute a medical marijuana system, and Michigan’s attorney general trying to make life as hard as he can for those using the system his state’s voters approved by 63 percent in 2008. And while it isn’t directly the government’s fault, doctors are taking people off liver transplant waiting lists for using medical pot.More
Chargers Crush Ravens,Stay In Playoff Hunt
SAN DIEGO - Philip Rivers isn't going to get caught up trying to figure out what it will take for his San Diego Chargers to reach the playoffs.
He just knows that if San Diego can't win its final two games - on the road, no less - it's not going to matter.
Rivers threw for one score and reached the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth straight season, Ryan Mathews ran for two scores and hit 1,000 yards rushing, and the Chargers won their third straight game, beating the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens 34-14 on Sunday night.
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More Local Troops Arriving Home From Iraq
Around 300 more members of the Virginia National Guard were due to arrive home Sunday and Monday, just days after President Barack Obama formally declared an end to the eight-year-long war in Iraq.
Units from Task Force 183 will hold brief welcome-home events Sunday in Fredericksburg and Norfolk and Monday in Portsmouth, where they will be reunited with their families.
More
Units from Task Force 183 will hold brief welcome-home events Sunday in Fredericksburg and Norfolk and Monday in Portsmouth, where they will be reunited with their families.
More
Should You Be Allowed To Sell Your Bone Marrow?
The law has long made selling bone marrow a crime, despite the pleas of cancer patients, and others, who need bone marrow transplants. But this month, a powerful court in California changed the rules – at least in part of the country – declaring that a federal law that bars buying and selling bodily organs but not fluids such as blood or semen does not apply to bone marrow.
The ruling has been widely hailed, especially since advances in extracting bone marrow make the procedure not all that different from donating blood. But buried in the case is a more difficult question: what if the ruling helps erode the broader prohibition on selling body parts? Would that be a good thing?
More
The ruling has been widely hailed, especially since advances in extracting bone marrow make the procedure not all that different from donating blood. But buried in the case is a more difficult question: what if the ruling helps erode the broader prohibition on selling body parts? Would that be a good thing?
More
Stolen Bikes In Hebron
Hi Joe,
Just wondering if you could post about the bike thief in Hebron. They have gotten 3 in 2 weeks. They stole my youngest daughters bike last night on chestnut street. Worst part is is was 2 weeks old. She got it for her birthday. They went in my back yard and stole it but left my other daughters in the front yard! I am so angry over this. I do not have a shed to put them in or $100 dollars to buy a new one. So I am trying to help save someone else the heartache!
Just wondering if you could post about the bike thief in Hebron. They have gotten 3 in 2 weeks. They stole my youngest daughters bike last night on chestnut street. Worst part is is was 2 weeks old. She got it for her birthday. They went in my back yard and stole it but left my other daughters in the front yard! I am so angry over this. I do not have a shed to put them in or $100 dollars to buy a new one. So I am trying to help save someone else the heartache!
Study: 1 in 3 American Youth Are Arrested By Age 23
By age 23, at least a quarter of all youth in the U.S. — and perhaps as many as 41% — are arrested at least once for something more serious than a traffic violation, according to a new study of American teens.
The study is the first since the 1960s to try to determine the percentage of youth who are arrested. Previously, the research estimated that 22% of Americans had been arrested at least once for a non-traffic violation by age 23.
MoreGovernor O'Malley's Legislative Redistricting Plan Is Overly Partisan And Divisive
ANNAPOLIS - Democrat Governor Martin O'Malley and the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee (GRAC) released an overly partisan and divisive legislative redistricting plan late Friday night.
Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party David Ferguson said, "Late on Friday night, Governor O'Malley attempted to deliver his liberal friends in the Legislature an early Christmas present of reelection and barely left Republicans with a lump of coal."
"Once again, we are very disappointed in Governor O'Malley's blatant lack of transparency. I guess he thinks when the lights go out on State Circle nobody will be watching. But then again, these plans were crafted in closed quarters so why should we expect anything different from this administration?"
When discussing Sen. Miller statement of a 'fair and balanced' proposal, Ferguson said, "Bah humbug! Nothing about closed, partisan, back-room dealings are fair or balanced. Both maps should be scrapped to more accurately represent Maryland's natural and political boundaries."
Delegate Tony O'Donnell commented by saying, "We experienced a horrible process on Congressional redistricting. This is just another example of how the majority party continues to exert their authority in an irresponsible manner. It is more of the same at a higher level of abuse."
This proposed redistricting plan will be the topic of a hearing on Thursday, December 22nd in the Joint Hearing Room of the Legislative Services Building (90 State Circle) in Annapolis. The hearing will be held before the members of the GRAC beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Deadly Day On The Bay
1 dead, 1 missing, 1 rescued after boat capsizes in 47-degree water
A 911 cellphone call for help from a woman floating in the bay's frigid waters sparked a massive search-and-rescue mission that recovered a 25-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man in serious condition, but failed to find a 25-year-old man believed to be with them.
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GOP Will Take Off The Gloves If Ron Paul Wins Iowa
The Republican presidential primary has become a bit feisty, but it will get downright ugly if Ron Paul wins the Iowa caucuses.
The principled, antiwar, Constitution-obeying, Fed-hating, libertarian Republican congressman from Texas stands firmly outside the bounds of permissible dissent as drawn by either the Republican establishment or the mainstream media. (Disclosure: Paul wrote the foreword to my 2009 book.)
But in a crowded GOP field currently led by a collapsing Newt Gingrich and an uninspiring Mitt Romney, Paul could carry the Iowa caucuses, where supporter enthusiasm has so much value.
If Paul wins, how will the media and the GOP react? Much of the media will ignore him (expect headlines like "Romney Beats out Gingrich for Second Place in Iowa"). Some in the Republican establishment and the conservative media will panic. Others will calmly move to crush him, with the full cooperation of the liberal mainstream media.
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The principled, antiwar, Constitution-obeying, Fed-hating, libertarian Republican congressman from Texas stands firmly outside the bounds of permissible dissent as drawn by either the Republican establishment or the mainstream media. (Disclosure: Paul wrote the foreword to my 2009 book.)
But in a crowded GOP field currently led by a collapsing Newt Gingrich and an uninspiring Mitt Romney, Paul could carry the Iowa caucuses, where supporter enthusiasm has so much value.
If Paul wins, how will the media and the GOP react? Much of the media will ignore him (expect headlines like "Romney Beats out Gingrich for Second Place in Iowa"). Some in the Republican establishment and the conservative media will panic. Others will calmly move to crush him, with the full cooperation of the liberal mainstream media.
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Perry’s Day Ends In Confrontation Over Fracking, Gays In The Military
DECORAH, Iowa—What had been a calm day for Rick Perry filled with church services and friendly audiences ended on a sour note as the governor found himself in two confrontations in his last town hall of the day over controversial natural gas extraction techniques and gays serving openly in the military.
In the first exchange, Perry found himself debating with a college student whether hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”—a method for natural gas extraction—pollutes the area groundwater. After the event ended, Perry found himself explaining to a 14-year-old girl—who later told reporters she was openly bisexual—why he opposed gays serving openly in the military.
BREAKING NEWS: AT&T Ends T-Mobile Bid
AT&T says it has ended its bid to acquire T-Mobile in the face of government objections
Fox News
Fox News
BIG: Public Policy Polling Has Ron Paul In First Place In Iowa
Public Policy Polling, which I consider the best polling organization in the country, now shows Ron Paul in first place:
Newt Gingrich's campaign is rapidly imploding, and Ron Paul has now taken the lead in Iowa. He's at 23% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 14% for Gingrich, 10% each for Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry, 4% for Jon Huntsman, and
2% for Gary Johnson.
Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row. His share of the vote has gone from 27% to 22% to 14%. And there's been a large drop in his personal favorability numbers as well from +31 (62/31) to +12 (52/40) to now -1 (46/47).
Negative ads over the last few weeks have really chipped away at Gingrich's image as being a strong conservative- now only 36% of voters believe that he has 'strong principles,' while 43% think he does not.
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Newt Gingrich's campaign is rapidly imploding, and Ron Paul has now taken the lead in Iowa. He's at 23% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 14% for Gingrich, 10% each for Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry, 4% for Jon Huntsman, and
2% for Gary Johnson.
Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row. His share of the vote has gone from 27% to 22% to 14%. And there's been a large drop in his personal favorability numbers as well from +31 (62/31) to +12 (52/40) to now -1 (46/47).
Negative ads over the last few weeks have really chipped away at Gingrich's image as being a strong conservative- now only 36% of voters believe that he has 'strong principles,' while 43% think he does not.
More
Paul Leads In Iowa
Newt Gingrich's campaign is rapidly imploding, and Ron Paul has now taken the lead in Iowa. He's at 23% to 20% for Mitt Romney, 14% for Gingrich, 10% each for Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry, 4% for Jon Huntsman, and 2% for Gary Johnson.
Gingrich has now seen a big drop in his Iowa standing two weeks in a row. His share of the vote has gone from 27% to 22% to 14%. And there's been a large drop in his personal favorability numbers as well from +31 (62/31) to +12 (52/40) to now -1 (46/47). Negative ads over the last few weeks have really chipped away at Gingrich's image as being a strong conservative- now only 36% of voters believe that he has 'strong principles,' while 43% think he does not.
Medal Of Honor Recipient Settles Lawsuit Against Defense Contractor
Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer sued BAE Systems for making false statements about him after he objected to a company plan to sell sophisticated sniper scopes to Afghanistan. The Wall Street Journal reports, the settlement was amicable. The company never did follow through on the sales plan. Meyer is also the subject of a series by the McClatchy newspaper chain. The papers report that the Marine Corps exaggerated details of Meyer's actions in Afghanistan. The story concludes that Meyers nevertheless deserves the nation's highest military award.
Saudi Prince Invests $300 Million In Twitter
Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and his investment company said Monday they are investing a combined $300 million into Twitter, giving the microblogging site a cash boost as it looks to entice more users and paying advertisers.
The joint investment with Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding Co. follows months of negotiations and represents a "strategic stake" in Twitter, according to the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based investment firm. It wasn't clear how much of Twitter the prince will control.
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The joint investment with Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding Co. follows months of negotiations and represents a "strategic stake" in Twitter, according to the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based investment firm. It wasn't clear how much of Twitter the prince will control.
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We Welcome Our Newest Advertiser,Steak Salisbury Is Now Open!
Editor's Note-
Visit their site and see the great Menu and hours of operation.
They also have wonderful deals for New Year's Eve.
They are offering a four course prix-fixe menu for $38.00 per person plus tax and gratuity.
They are offering a four course prix-fixe menu for $38.00 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Make your reservations today.
Redistricting On The Eastern Shore
Joe:
The shameless hubris of the corrupt Democrat machine is showcased in this latest redistricting plan put forth to insure that Rudy Cane and the self indulgent Norman Conway are securely ensconced in power, regardless of the will of the taxpaying, private sector people of the lower shore..... Both are useless to those who work for a living.... They are trying to eliminate representation to the rural areas and small communities and get rid of conservative voices such as Charles Otto and Mike McDermott... There is no more honest harder working delegate than Charles Otto.... Mike McDermott has spoken out about the obscene spending and underhanded tactics and those of the same ilk as Conway and Cane would like to rid themselves of the scrutiny he has brought to bear... Let us hope the people of the Shore will stand up and vociferously block this undemocratic power play......... The despot's heel is on thy neck.... O'Maryland,my Maryland......
P. Henry
The shameless hubris of the corrupt Democrat machine is showcased in this latest redistricting plan put forth to insure that Rudy Cane and the self indulgent Norman Conway are securely ensconced in power, regardless of the will of the taxpaying, private sector people of the lower shore..... Both are useless to those who work for a living.... They are trying to eliminate representation to the rural areas and small communities and get rid of conservative voices such as Charles Otto and Mike McDermott... There is no more honest harder working delegate than Charles Otto.... Mike McDermott has spoken out about the obscene spending and underhanded tactics and those of the same ilk as Conway and Cane would like to rid themselves of the scrutiny he has brought to bear... Let us hope the people of the Shore will stand up and vociferously block this undemocratic power play......... The despot's heel is on thy neck.... O'Maryland,my Maryland......
P. Henry
Six Former Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Executives With Fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged six former top executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with civil fraud. The SEC says the executives misled the government and taxpayers about risky subprime mortgages, the Associated Press reported. The agencies' two former CEOs, Fannie's Daniel Mudd and Freddie's Richard Syron, are among those charged. They led the companies when the housing bubble burst in late 2006 and 2007. The four other top executives also worked for the companies during that time. Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee about half of U.S. mortgages, or nearly 31 million loans. The Bush administration seized control of the mortgage giants in September 2008.
"Survivor: South Pacific" Crowns A Winner
(CBS/AP) Sophie Clarke outwitted, outplayed and outlasted the competition on "Survivor: South Pacific." The brainy 22-year-old medical student from Willsboro, N.Y., overcame 39-year-old "Survivor" veteran Benjamin "Coach" Wade and 26-year-old high school baseball coach Albert Destrade to win the season's million-dollar prize.
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President Obama Has Signed A Fiscal 2012 Spending Bill Into Law
The bill passed the Senate on Saturday. The president's signature clears the way for federal agencies to start on new projects. The Pentagon gets a slight increase. Most civilian agencies face small cuts under the $1 trillion package. The budget follows an agreement between Congress and the White House made last August to limit federal spending.
Anne Arundel County Settles Police Brutality Suit
The county has paid a deaf man $200,000 to settle a police brutality lawsuit.
The payout figure - released to The Capitallast week after a request under the state's Public Information Act - represents the largest such settlement by the county in at least four years. Most brutality and false arrest claims filed against the county Police Department in recent years have resulted in settlements of no more than $25,000.
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The payout figure - released to The Capitallast week after a request under the state's Public Information Act - represents the largest such settlement by the county in at least four years. Most brutality and false arrest claims filed against the county Police Department in recent years have resulted in settlements of no more than $25,000.
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Facebook Preparing For Timeline
Facebook is gradually moving over to its new Timeline profile layout. In short, this is a new layout that will allow users to track their activity on the website since they first joined, instead of being limited to viewing only their most recent activity. Many experts are recommending that you make a few privacy changes to your profile before you convert over to the new layout. These are not major changes, just simple tweaks like featuring and hiding certain older posts to make the most out of your transition to the new layout.
Privacy Tweaks
http://www.pcworld.com/article/246371/prep_for_facebooks_timeline_layout_6_mustdo_privacy_tweaks.html
The Getting Started Guide
http://www.pcworld.com/article/240485-2/facebooks_new_timeline_layout_a_gettingstarted_guide.html?tk=rel_news
Mike's Tech Service
mdtechservice@comcast.net
Privacy Tweaks
http://www.pcworld.com/article/246371/prep_for_facebooks_timeline_layout_6_mustdo_privacy_tweaks.html
The Getting Started Guide
http://www.pcworld.com/article/240485-2/facebooks_new_timeline_layout_a_gettingstarted_guide.html?tk=rel_news
Mike's Tech Service
mdtechservice@comcast.net
Police: Teens Broke Into Fla. Restaurant To Cook
(AP)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Police say two teenagers broke into a north Florida Chinese restaurant and cooked some chicken gizzards.
Gainesville police spokesman Jorge Campos says the 14-year-old boys were arrested Saturday night at China House restaurant. He says they must have been hungry and couldn't find any money.
Jobs Where People Work The Most For The Least
Some occupations require long days and night shifts, amounting to hundreds of extra hours, yet they pay the same or even less than most occupations.
The average person in the U.S. works just over 2,000 hours per year, or 39.5 per week, and is paid $37,128 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some occupations, however, require long days and night shifts, amounting to hundreds of extra hours, yet they pay the same or even less than most occupations. 24/7 Wall St. has identified the jobs with the longest hours and the worst pay.
Of the nearly 800 job categories listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 48 occupations require at least 2,100 hours annually — roughly 100 more than the national average. Most of these positions also are paid very well, averaging more than $80,000 per year.
More
The average person in the U.S. works just over 2,000 hours per year, or 39.5 per week, and is paid $37,128 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some occupations, however, require long days and night shifts, amounting to hundreds of extra hours, yet they pay the same or even less than most occupations. 24/7 Wall St. has identified the jobs with the longest hours and the worst pay.
Of the nearly 800 job categories listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 48 occupations require at least 2,100 hours annually — roughly 100 more than the national average. Most of these positions also are paid very well, averaging more than $80,000 per year.
More
Alleged FAMU Hazing Homicide Stirs Florida's Tense Racial Past
Florida Governor Rick Scott didn't exactly endear himself to the African–American community earlier this year when he told black state legislators, "I grew up probably in the same situation as you guys. I started school in public housing. My dad had a sixth–grade education." And Scott did it again last Thursday while talking to black students who were protesting his call to suspend the president of Florida A&M University, the state's only publicly funded historically black college, until officials finish an investigation into last month's alleged hazing homicide of a FAMU marching band member. "I come," the conservative multimillionaire Governor felt compelled to remind them, "from public housing."
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Presidential Frontrunner Warns Martial Law Being Established In America
Leading GOP candidate Ron Paul has warned in recent interviews that the amendments passed in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are not only dangerous, but authorize the establishment of total martial law inside the United States. Not only does the bill, in sections 1031 and 1032, declare the unconstitutional right to detain Americans indefinitely without trial, but it authorizes an Internet offensive and online Pentagon takeover under the pretext of cybersecurity and stopping online piracy.
Yes, America has been declared a battlefield, and average Americans portrayed as potential enemies. One front of that battle continues to be the 2012 elections, where a real battle of ideas is underway.
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Yes, America has been declared a battlefield, and average Americans portrayed as potential enemies. One front of that battle continues to be the 2012 elections, where a real battle of ideas is underway.
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Barry Beach Adjusts To New Life After 3 Decades In Prison
HELENA, Mont. -- When Barry Beach was convicted of murder in 1984 for the killing of a female schoolmate, Miami Vice was a hit TV show. A car phone was a rich man's boxy appliance. Beach's mullet hairdo was in vogue.
Nearly 28 years later, Beach has returned to freedom and a new world. Not only is everything more expensive, technologically advanced and a whole lot faster, he has returned to his adopted hometown of Billings a cause celebre to many people who believe he is innocent.
Unlawful Sexual Contact Investigation Leads To Charges
Location:
Smitty McGee’s Restaurant, 37234 Lighthouse Road, Selbyville, DE
Date of Occurrence:
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
Victim: 42 year old female
Defendant/Charge/Bond Information:
Ralph J. Mitchell Jr-60 of Georgetown, DE (photo not available at this time)
Unlawful Sexual Contact Third Degree
Released $500.00 Unsecured Bond
Resume:
Selbyville-Troopers have charged Ralph J. Mitchell Jr-60 of Georgetown in connection with an Unlawful Sexual Contact incident involving a 42 year old female that occurred at a West Fenwick Island restaurant on Thursday, December 15, 2011.
On Friday, December 16, 2011 State Police Detectives conducted an unlawful sexual contact investigation alleged to have occurred on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at a Christmas party being held at the Smitty McGee’s Restaurant in Selbyville. The investigation revealed that the victim, an acquaintance of Mitchell, was seated at a table across from him when he reached across the table and made unwanted and inappropriate sexual contact that caused her offense and alarm.
Following the State Police Investigation an arrest warrant for Mitchell was obtained and he turned himself into Detectives on Saturday, December 17, 2011.
Mitchell was charged with the above crime and released on $500.00 Unsecured Bond.
Smitty McGee’s Restaurant, 37234 Lighthouse Road, Selbyville, DE
Date of Occurrence:
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
Victim: 42 year old female
Defendant/Charge/Bond Information:
Ralph J. Mitchell Jr-60 of Georgetown, DE (photo not available at this time)
Unlawful Sexual Contact Third Degree
Released $500.00 Unsecured Bond
Resume:
Selbyville-Troopers have charged Ralph J. Mitchell Jr-60 of Georgetown in connection with an Unlawful Sexual Contact incident involving a 42 year old female that occurred at a West Fenwick Island restaurant on Thursday, December 15, 2011.
On Friday, December 16, 2011 State Police Detectives conducted an unlawful sexual contact investigation alleged to have occurred on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at a Christmas party being held at the Smitty McGee’s Restaurant in Selbyville. The investigation revealed that the victim, an acquaintance of Mitchell, was seated at a table across from him when he reached across the table and made unwanted and inappropriate sexual contact that caused her offense and alarm.
Following the State Police Investigation an arrest warrant for Mitchell was obtained and he turned himself into Detectives on Saturday, December 17, 2011.
Mitchell was charged with the above crime and released on $500.00 Unsecured Bond.
Jury Deadlocked In $1B Microsoft Antitrust Suit
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal jury on Friday failed to reach a verdict in a company's $1 billion antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. in a case so important to the computer giant that it put Bill Gates on the stand for two days last month.
Novell Inc. of Utah sued the software giant in 2004, claiming Microsoft duped it into developing the once-popular WordPerfect writing program for Windows 95 only to pull the plug so Microsoft could gain market share with its own product.
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Novell Inc. of Utah sued the software giant in 2004, claiming Microsoft duped it into developing the once-popular WordPerfect writing program for Windows 95 only to pull the plug so Microsoft could gain market share with its own product.
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Welcome To The United Police States Of America, Sponsored By Twitter
Imagine my surprise this morning when, without warning, my shiny new Twitter account (@d_seaman) was suspended and taken offline.
No more tweets for you. You now have 0 followers.
My crime? Talking too much about Occupy Wall Street (I'm not an Occupier, but as a blogger and journalist it strikes me as one of the most important stories out there -- hence the constant coverage), and talking too much about the controversial detainment without trial provisions contained in the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would basically shred the Bill of Rights and subject American citizens to military police forces. The same level of civil rights protection that enemy combatants in a cave in Afghanistan receive!
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Under Industry Pressure, USDA Works To Speed Approval Of Monsanto's Genetically Engineered Crops
For years, biotech agriculture opponents have accused regulators of working too closely with big biotech firms when deregulating genetically engineered (GE) crops. Now, their worst fears could be coming true: under a new two-year pilot program at the USDA, regulators are training the world's biggest biotech firms, including Monsanto, BASF and Syngenta, to conduct environmental reviews of their own transgenic seed products as part of the government's deregulation process.
This would eliminate a critical level of oversight for the production of GE crops. Regulators are also testing new cost-sharing agreements that allow biotech firms to help pay private contractors to prepare mandatory environmental statements on GE plants the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering deregulating.
The USDA launched the pilot project in April and, in November, the USDA announced vague plans to "streamline" the deregulation petition process for GE organisms. A USDA spokesperson said the streamlining effort is not part of the pilot project, but both efforts appear to address a backlog of pending GE crop deregulation petitions that has angered big biotech firms seeking to rollout new products.
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This would eliminate a critical level of oversight for the production of GE crops. Regulators are also testing new cost-sharing agreements that allow biotech firms to help pay private contractors to prepare mandatory environmental statements on GE plants the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering deregulating.
The USDA launched the pilot project in April and, in November, the USDA announced vague plans to "streamline" the deregulation petition process for GE organisms. A USDA spokesperson said the streamlining effort is not part of the pilot project, but both efforts appear to address a backlog of pending GE crop deregulation petitions that has angered big biotech firms seeking to rollout new products.
More
Kansas Families Have One Question: Was Iraq Worth It?
A young Marine absorbs the shock of losing four buddies in an instant.
A father turns his career upside down and becomes a social worker after his son is killed.
A mom with four young children keeps things running at home while her husband tries to help the wounded in the war.
Kansans have sacrificed for Iraq. Their bodies have been broken – 409 have been injured. And 50 have died.
Now nearly nine years of war in Iraq is ending for the United States. Only 12,000 troops remain, down from a peak of about 170,000 at the war’s height. Virtually all are expected to be gone by the end of the year, except for about 200 attached to the U.S. embassy. The end comes with a high price tag: nearly 4,500 American dead, a bill approaching $1 trillion.
Was it worth it? No one knows better than those who sacrificed in some way. Their feelings are mixed.
Bob and Karen Funcheon have lain awake at night in their Bel Aire home thinking about that question and a zillion others since their son, Army Sgt. Alex Funcheon, was killed in Iraq in 2007.
“Was it worth his sacrifice? And it was his sacrifice, not ours. We may not know for 10 or 15 years,” Bob Funcheon said. “If Iraq goes back to dictatorship, it’s not going to be worth it.
“Am I going to feel better about his death, if it’s `successful?’ No, I am not. He’s dead either way. Will I ever get to the point where I’ll say it’s worth it? At this point, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to say that.”
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A father turns his career upside down and becomes a social worker after his son is killed.
A mom with four young children keeps things running at home while her husband tries to help the wounded in the war.
Kansans have sacrificed for Iraq. Their bodies have been broken – 409 have been injured. And 50 have died.
Now nearly nine years of war in Iraq is ending for the United States. Only 12,000 troops remain, down from a peak of about 170,000 at the war’s height. Virtually all are expected to be gone by the end of the year, except for about 200 attached to the U.S. embassy. The end comes with a high price tag: nearly 4,500 American dead, a bill approaching $1 trillion.
Was it worth it? No one knows better than those who sacrificed in some way. Their feelings are mixed.
Bob and Karen Funcheon have lain awake at night in their Bel Aire home thinking about that question and a zillion others since their son, Army Sgt. Alex Funcheon, was killed in Iraq in 2007.
“Was it worth his sacrifice? And it was his sacrifice, not ours. We may not know for 10 or 15 years,” Bob Funcheon said. “If Iraq goes back to dictatorship, it’s not going to be worth it.
“Am I going to feel better about his death, if it’s `successful?’ No, I am not. He’s dead either way. Will I ever get to the point where I’ll say it’s worth it? At this point, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to say that.”
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The 86 Senators Who Voted To Pass NDAA Need To #Occupy The Unemployment Line
This year’s National Defense Authorization Act has just passed through the Senate. The only obstacle is President Obama and historically he caves into vocal opposition, and looking at the lengthy list of Senators voting Yea, this abomination this could very well pass.
The 13 Senators that voted Nay on this year’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with 86 voting Yea:
| Cardin (D-MD) Coburn (R-OK) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Durbin (D-IL) | Franken (D-MN) Harkin (D-IA) Lee (R-UT) Merkley (D-OR) Paul (R-KY) | Risch (R-ID) Sanders (I-VT) Wyden (D-OR) |
One was apparently too busy to vote: Moran (R-KS)
New Documents Released Of 2007 Iraq Atrocity By Troops
Every American should read this letter:
December 18, 2007
To: Mr. Randy Waddle, Assistant Inspector General, Ft Carson, Colorado
CC: LTC John Shawkins, Inspector General, Ft Carson, Colorado
Major General Mark Graham, Commanding Officer, Ft Carson, Colorado
Major Haytham Faraj, USMC, Camp Pendleton, California
Lt General Stanley Greene, US Army Inspector General
Subject: Formal Notification of War Atrocities and Crimes Committed by Personnel, B Company, 2-12, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in IraqDear Mr. Waddle,
Boy, 6, Uses Prize Money To Buy Gifts For Children At Ronald McDonald House
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