UNDERSTAND EMP THREAT? U.S. ENEMIES DO

WASHINGTON – A December 1998 Iranian military journal published an article titled “Electronics to Determine Fate of Future Wars,” and it detailed how an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, attack on the electronic infrastructure of the United States caused by the detonation of a nuclear bomb over the U.S. would be crippling.

“Once you confuse the enemy communication network you can also disrupt the work of the enemy command- and decision-making center,” the journal said. “Even worse today when you disable a country’s military high command through disruption of communications, you will, in effect, disrupt all the affairs of that country.

“If the world’s industrial countries fail to devise effective ways to defend themselves against dangerous electronic assaults then they will disintegrate within a few years,” the Iranian journal added. “American soldiers would not be able to find food to eat nor would they be able to fire a single shot.”
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Cornel West Calls Obama A 'Coward' For Favoring 'Vanilla' Kids Of Newtown Over 'Chocolate' Kids Of Chicago

Same Sex Weddings Planned After Midnight

Maryland's same sex marriage law takes effect at midnight tonight, and same sex wedding ceremonies are planned across the state in the first minutes of 2013.

Havre de Grace City Councilman Joe Smith told WBAL News he will marry his partner of 25 years in a private ceremony.

Smith says he always believed that same sex marriage would become law in Maryland, but he says he was amazed at how fast lawmakers and then voters approved the issue this year.
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One Step Closer To An Election

Today I spent the day preparing for the months to come. My new suits are hung and all of my dress shoes are polished and ready to go walking.

I will spend an average of 3 to 4 hours on most days going door to door in the hopes of meeting many of you and answering any questions you might have as well as concerns that need to be addressed. 

Please, if your not a registered voter in Salisbury, there's never been a more important election and we need you to register. I have spent the last 8 years bringing news and information the rest of the local Media refused to bring. There's been no cost to you and all we ask is that you please register to vote so together we can move our City forward once and for all. It can't be done without your support. 

I'm ready, are you?

"This isn't Joe Albero's election to lose, it's the citizens' election to lose".

Montgomery Co. To Charge For Ambulance Rides

Starting Tuesday, Montgomery County will join other local jurisdictions in charging ambulance fees.

County residents will not have to pay out of pocket for the rides, as the county will charge insurance companies for those who are insured. Residents with no insurance will not be charged.

Non-Montgomery County residents who use a county ambulance will have to pay either through their insurance or out of pocket. There is an exception for people with low incomes.
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Breaking News

WHITE HOUSE, SENATE GOP REACH TENTATIVE DEAL ON FISCAL CRISIS, SOURCES SAY
From Fox News

Md. Woman Sees Long-Term Effects Of Radiation In Fukushima

From champagne to fireworks, welcoming the new year in the U.S. is mostly about partying with friends. In Japan, though, New Year's Day is something similar to Thanksgiving where many families gather for a special meal.

During the second such holiday in Fukushima after a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, triggered a nuclear power plant meltdown, people who live near the plant are still facing the consequences of the disaster.

Akemi Maeshima, a retiree from Rockville, could not bear watching the devastation in her home country. She packed her bags and left Montgomery County, the place she has called home for the past 10 years.

"I really wanted to help," she says. "I was looking for volunteering opportunities, but I could not find many requests for volunteers from the U.S., so I decided to go in as an individual."
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Cashin Commemorates Rasputin

Today's anecdote from Art Cashin has nothing to do with the fiscal cliff, the stock market, the economy, geopolitics or even the fermentation committee. Instead it is a deep tangent from all things financial: an amusing anecdote focusing on the life and more notably, death anniversary of one Rasputin, narrated in the way only Art can do. So while we await the inevitable 3:35 pm rumor that a Fiscal Cliff resolution is imminent, just like all those other 99 rumors in the past few weeks, which sent the market soaring before they popped, what better way to kill the time until the next algo driven buying frenzy than with stories of possessed, mad monks in tsarist, WWI Russia.

On this day (+2) in 1916, one of history's most celebrated but most inept assassinations began. In the retelling of most assassinations we hear how the victims might have been spared if....! You know the drill - if the guy guarding Lincoln's box had not gone for a drink or if the Archduke Ferdinand had not had his car forced up a side street, etc. etc.
But this assassination was more like Larry, Moe and Curly plan the Normandy Invasion.

The proposed victim was a semi-literate preacher who passed himself off as a Russian monk. Pre-dating some TV preachers, in an age with no TV, he preached that you needed God's forgiveness. And, to give God a wide enough target, it is necessary that you sin a lot. So, many of his convocations turned into what we might secularly call today - drunkfests or orgies. (But, he said God does need a large target.) Critics of the preacher called him "The Mad Monk". He called himself "Rasputin".

Anyway, Rasputin hit pay-dirt when he appeared to cure the hemophiliac son of Czar Nicholas II. Viewing the cure as a miracle, the Czarina demanded that all decisions be cleared with the miracle-maker, Rasputin. That made him the most powerful man in Russia, which did not sit well with the nobles. Thus, the assassination attempt. On this night Prince Yussupov, the Czar's nephew-in-law, invited Rasputin over for some late-night cakes and wine. Yussupov and his pals loaded the cakes and wine with enough cyanide to kill a regiment of Cossacks. And just for insurance they put extra cyanide on the knives, forks, plates and glasses. Then Yussupov sat down and made small talk with Rasputin. Over several hours Rasputin ate most of the cakes and drank all of the wine. Then he asked the prince if he had any more wine.

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What If Electricity Was Only for Rich People?

What if electrical power in the home was only for rich people? What about heat? What about running water? What if that divide between the rich and the poor could be delineated by who had the ability to turn on light at the flick of a switch and who did not?

Many people worry about an event like a solar flare that would wipe out electrical power, casting us back about 200 years. We’d have no refrigeration, no transportation, no climate control and no lights. But in that situation, we’d all be in the same boat. No matter how wealthy you are, any unprotected electrical items would still be useless.

What if the real threat was simply that no one could afford to pay the electric bill? What if prices escalated to the point that it was a choice between food and electricity? What if, home by home, the lights went out across America?
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A Year In Pictures

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Ok, Let Me Get This Straight

My Highlights For The Yearend and Predictions For The Coming Years

“The czar was always sending us commands – you shall not do this and you shall not do that – till there was very little left that we might do, except pay tribute and die.” ~ Mark Antin

WarWith only a few days left to the start of a new year, the majority of the mainstream media and blog-o-sites are busy preparing and displaying either a roundup of major highlights of the past year or predictions on the highlights of the coming year. The Boiling Frogs Post will be doing neither. This is not due to being a contrarian. Okay, to make it more accurate: this is not solely due to me being a contrarian. I may include a few macro highlights, but those highlights cover a much larger time span. I am looking at least a few decades in the past with an emphasis on the last decade. Similarly, I may make a prediction or two, but then again, those won’t be limited to the coming year but rather the coming few years.

Now, if you are getting in a holly jolly mood and don’t want to ruin it, just skip this post. Either don’t read it, or, save it for after the jolly holiday break. However, if you are like me and are able to reflect on grim realities yet enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones, then please be my guest and read this yearend post.

The Expanding Wars at Home & Abroad

Let’s start by saying: “So what’s new? Same-O-Same-O” and be right, shall we? I am not talking about this almost-over year. I am talking about the year before, and the year before that, the decade before, and the decades before that. When was the last time we ended a warless year? Thinking? That’s right, just keep thinking. Let me put it this way: If you were to ask the 15 year olds they’d tell you: I’ve never had such a year. If you ask a 100 year old (assuming their brain functions are still intact) they’d squint, and squint a little more, and then say: a couple of years here and a couple of years there. Now, if you ask a knowledgeable realist who knows his history he’d say: Not in the last hundred years. That’s right: not in the last century.

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Blind Teen Gets Wish With Help Of Classmates

The 10 Most Read Books In The World

Given all the hype surrounding E.L. James's "Fifty Shades Of Grey," you might think that's the most popular book in the world. But you'd be wrong.

The most read book in the world is the Bible.

Writer James Chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years.

He found that the Bible far outsold any other book, with a whopping 3.9 billion copies sold over the last 50 years. "Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung" came in second with 820 million copies sold, and "Harry Potter" came in third with 400 million copies sold.
Designer Jared Fanning created an infographic (below) on the most read books in the world, based on Chapman's research.

Jared Fanning

Source

Unsold Condo Inventory Shrinks In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — Real estate in Ocean City is moving off the market at a brisk pace.

Data from the Coastal Association of Realtors shows a 25 percent reduction in the inventory of unsold condominiums in Ocean City, including multi-million-dollar properties.

The data from CAR also shows that contracts are up 14 percent year to date, with settlements up 5.6 percent.
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Lost Dog 12-31-12

Hi Joe, Got another holiday escapee for you to post to find her owner. She is with a neighbor she was following on Nina Lane in Fruitland Sunday. She is a sweet small, but grown dog - potty trained and friendly. She has a docked tail and the tip of her right ear is has a small tear from an old mishap. You may 443-523-2712 to reunite.

The Erosion Of Our Freedom

Often when I argue that governments must not violate our rights – they are supposed to be unalienable, after all – statists have a ready retort: Government is already violating them, good and hard, all over the place.

Recently I pointed out that imposing fines and constraints on gun owners who haven't been shown to have committed a crime, not even close, is a case of prior restraint, of unjustifiably depriving a citizen of liberty since only convicted and guilty people may be so deprived. In a free country citizens may not be intruded upon by their governments without having been convicted by methods of due process. Governments, in other words, are supposed to defend the rights of their citizens; that is their proper purpose!

My statist adversaries eagerly point out to me that government is intruding upon us all over the place: We are forced to obtain a driver's license and innumerable permits as we go about living in our communities (building our homes, engaging in businesses, practicing professions, etc.). Nearly everything we do requires a license even though we are legally innocent! Ergo: prior restraint big time!

Now some of this is accurate enough – citizens in America are indeed subjected to prior restraint left and right, up and down. Most of the time the justification given is that government must protect us against possible malpractice and government regulations and licensing are the best way to do this, never mind that our rights are clearly being violated in the process. Unalienable is a nice idea in a document like the Declaration of Independence, but let's get real, please! It is completely impractical in actual life, right?

Wrong. It is not some kind of romantic, impossible idealism to insist that when anyone intrudes upon another person, this must be properly warranted – as it would be in self-defense, for example. Just notice how easily this is grasped when it comes to sexual freedom – no amount of "necessity" or "practicality" overturns the prohibition against rape or even plain sexual harassment. Why is that so simple to grasp? Because it is a form of intrusion that is very close to home, quite direct, not encumbered by fancy-shmancy public policy rhetoric!

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34 Things From 2012 That Made You Feel Old

1. The woman on the Blink-182 album was arrested this year, and this is what her mugshot looked like:

2. The cast of "Full House" reunited for their 25TH ANNIVERSARY.

See the rest HERE

A Politician's Promise

The sure sign of a halfwit is someone who believes a politician’s promise. They can be observed at candidate rallies with their faces beaming and their hands grasping tightly to a cardboard sign. In bars and restaurants they speak endlessly on how their preferred dictator is smarter, kinder, and cuter than the rest. In doing so, they make up for a lack of drunkenness with exuberance over the prospect of being ruled over. This mix turns the political enthusiast into a package more bothersome than either the chastising puritan or the destitute drunk.

This heap of idiocy finds its source in the promises made by public officeholders. Instead of relying on intelligence and reason to make their case, all an aspiring politico has to do is declare before a mob what he can give it in exchange for their votes. Every election hinges upon the degree that he can manipulate the public into believing his sincerity. Electoral contests are won and lost by the biggest coalition of fools who chant slogans devoid of actual meaning and purpose.

With the recent reelection of Barack Obama, there is speculation abound on how far the soon-to-be anointed king will deliver on his promised agenda. His leftist base of support is expecting an aggressive launch of statist initiatives aimed at righting some undefined injustice. Many of Obama’s detractors seriously believe he will use the Oval Office to institute a kind of socialist hell. Both are wrong. Obama’s second term will be a continuation of the centralization and consolidation of the state that has been occurring since the ratification of the Constitution. The path has already been laid out by the ruling cadre of politicians, high level bureaucrats, military generals, CEOs of banks, and the heads of politically-favored corporations. Obama’s promise of a robust American economy will not come to fruition because that was never the goal. Like all presidencies before it, the Obama presidency is there to ensure the “right” people keep having their pocket’s filled.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of young adults are becoming disillusioned with their own future and income earning potential. Many have witnessed the success of their parents and are now questioning why they aren’t experiencing the same level of achievement. In other words, they make perfect targets for political sloganeering. Through pledges for good jobs, these unemployed will easily be whipped into a frenzy of support for whichever candidate promises them a decent, salaried job. Their role as dupes has already been enshrined by the political class.

The record of unkempt campaign promises may be staggering but it has so far failed to deter a significant portion of people from participating in the electoral process. Time and time again, voters are promised an end to war, poverty, sickness, unemployment, addiction, obesity, starvation, homelessness, mental illness, crime, and violence. And with every election, each problem is exacerbated through state policies. Left to its own devices, a free, market economy has a tendency to improve living standards for all. That’s precisely why economic freedom is never granted by the state. It would make every politician, government worker, and state contractor’s perceived worth vanish overnight.

There are two types of promises that originate from a politician’s breath. The first is a starry-eyed pledge that is practically unworkable. The second is an assurance that would constitute a threat if given by a private individual. When announced, these promises are sold as a cure-all for all of society’s ills. They hardly ever come into fruition but are referred back to only if they aid in another reelection campaign.

The science of politicking is quite simple: appeal to the lowest common denominator of human life. This, most often, is the dim yearning of folks who aspire to do no more than feed themselves day by day. As long as this primitive instinct can be appeased by promise, a career in the nation’s capital is virtually guaranteed. Finding an honest politician is like searching for a virgin in a whorehouse. If you happen to stumble across one, they are always eager to give away what little integrity they have left in return for power.

The goal of the ruling class is a full blown return to feudalism. This social decaying is emboldened by the circus known as democracy where the mob votes away its own humanity for a naïve feeling of comfort. The masses have been fooled by years of unrelenting propaganda that government is, as Leo Tolstoy called it, “the representation of the citizens in the collective capacity” rather than its true designation of “one set of men banded together to oppress another set of men.” They are assured by campaigners for public office of a life that requires minimal effort, little intellectual stimulation, and no prudence whatsoever. A pol who speaks of freedom and responsibility is quickly gutted and cast aside. The mass-mind prefers to grovel at the feet of those who promise them a first class ticket to the land of plenty. In return, they receive a pittance while the more industrious of political brownnosers retain enriching privileges.

That is the true purpose of a political promise. It is a tool to maintain dominance over the herd. As long as the masses are lead to believe that success is only enabled by the state, they will cast a ballot for anyone that will grow state power to they believe is their benefit. Individual achievement in the context of laboring and serving others is belittled as being a waste of time in comparison to the sacrifice of the public sector. Politicians will pay lip service to individualism but only to point out that success is impossible without central government dictation. That way, campaign promises hold more weight and legitimacy in the eyes of voters eager to stick it to their fellow man. They are means to keep the state machine running smoothly as humanity slowly digests itself through continued warfare and destroying any incentive to save and invest for the future.

Mark Twain once wrote,

To make a pledge of any kind is to declare war against nature; for a pledge is a chain that is always clanking and reminding the wearer of it that he is not a free man.

Under normal circumstances, breaking a promise is regarded as unbecoming for any man. That is why pledges are hardly made except in instances in which they can be followed through with quickly and earnestly. Only the truly dishonest will often make promises since their frequent use has made them into a cheap currency used to solicit favors. The political class is the greatest practitioner of this tradition. It’s become a running joke in Western culture how conniving politicians can be. The fact that so many make light of the pathetic reputation shows a disdain for honest character. Even worse is that such a criminal gang is still respected by the greater public. This terrible truth ends up reflecting worse upon the latter than the former.

Fill In The Blank

It’s Official: The FBI Classifies Peaceful American Protestors As “Terrorists”

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), we have details for the first time of how government intelligence organizations and the corporate state worked together in secret to battle the Occupy Wall Street movement. The best report I have read on this story comes from the PCJF themselves. Here are some of their key findings:

“This production, which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg, is a window into the nationwide scope of the FBI’s surveillance, monitoring, and reporting on peaceful protestors organizing with the Occupy movement,

FBI documents just obtained by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) pursuant to the PCJF’s Freedom of Information Act demands reveal that from its inception, the FBI treated the Occupy movement as a potential criminal and terrorist threat even though the agency acknowledges in documents that organizers explicitly called for peaceful protest and did “not condone the use of violence” at occupy protests.

“These documents show that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are treating protests against the corporate and banking structure of America as potential criminal and terrorist activity. These documents also show these federal agencies functioning as a de facto intelligence arm of Wall Street and Corporate America.”

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Troopers Probe Shots Fired Complaint West Of Laurel

Location: 9000 block of Sharptown Road, Laurel, DE

Date of Occurrence: Between Saturday December 29, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday December 30, 2012 at 7:00 a.m.

Suspects: Unknown at this time.

Victims:

26 year old female resident
34 year old male resident
3 year old male
2 year old female

Resume:
Laurel, DE- The Delaware State Police are currently investigating an incident in which shots were fired into a home located west of Laurel.

Troopers responded to a residence located in the 9000 block of Sharptown Road west of Laurel Sunday morning after the homeowners reported having bullet holes in multiple doors throughout the house. The victims stated the incident may have happened between 7:00 p.m. Saturday night and 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning while they were sleeping and could not provide any suspect or vehicle information. No one was injured in the incident.

State Police Detectives continue to investigate a complaint that occurred on Thursday December 27th, when several shots were fired into a residence of a Delaware law enforcement officer who lives in western Sussex County.

Both incidents remain under investigation at this time.

The Delaware State Police are asking anyone who may have any information in reference to this incident to contact Det. Kelly at 302-856-5850 ext. 219. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333. Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.

Democrats Have No Counteroffer On ‘Fiscal Cliff’

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Sunday he hasn’t been able to work up a plan to avert the fiscal cliff, leading his Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell, to turn to Vice President Joseph R. Biden instead to try to cut a deal.

“I’m willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner,” Mr. McConnell said in a dramatic plea on the Senate floor at 2 p.m., saying he’d sent an offer over to Mr. Reid at 7:10 p.m. Saturday night and was promised an answer early Sunday, but one never materialized.

A subdued Mr. Reid responded that he has been unable to work up a response among his own troops.
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KWANZA EXPLAINED IN 26 SECONDS

Fact

QUOTE OF THE DAY 12-31-12

“The Light Shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not perceive it.”

John 1:5

Md. Teen Honored In Tournament of Roses Parade

The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day will feature a float that will carry a floragraph _ a tribute made with flowers and leaves about 14 inches in diameter resembling a photograph _ dedicated to the memory of a Hagerstown teenager whose family donated his organs after he was killed in a car crash earlier this year.

Quinn Hoover, 17, died on March 18 after an early-morning accident near Clear Spring. A student at Washington County Technical High School, he was known for his outgoing personality and his prowess on the soccer field, his parents said.

The float, Journeys of the Heart, honors Quinn and 71 other organ, eye and tissue donors, whose organ donations helped other people live, according to the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland, a nonprofit that facilitates organ donation.
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Why French Parents Are Better Than American Parents

The most popular article of the year in the Wall Street Journal was an excerpt of a book by Pamela Druckerman called "Bringing Up Bebe."
The excerpt describes the moment in which Druckerman realized that French kids are much better behaved than American kids and then set out to discover why that is the case.

Not surprisingly, American parents went nuts about the story.

Some, presumably, read it as a "how to" manual. Others, presumably, read it as criticism.

Either way, the story struck a nerve.

And what were Druckerman's conclusions?

Why are French parents better than American parents at raising well-behaved children?

Here are two key points:

First, French parents aren't as obsessed with making sure their kids are in training to become CEOs, world-famous composers, professional athletes, and Senators from the moment they emerge from the womb. French parents do make sure their kids do some "activities," but they don't schedule every moment as training for some specific future achievement. Rather they give the kids some time to learn how to amuse themselves.

Second, and more importantly, French parents teach their kids to wait. Specifically, they teach them to defer gratification--to wait until later to eat candy, to sleep through the night, to wait a few moments until their parents have stopped speaking before interrupting them, and so on. American, parents, meanwhile, want to encourage every blurt or impulse as an example of self-expression and are too wimpy to teach their kids how to be patient.

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Attendance Doubles At Local Gun Show

The nation's state of economic uncertainty and the recent school shooting that struck the town of Sandy Hook just two weeks ago are having no affect on area gun sales. In fact, gun sales are booming and tickets to gun shows are a hot item.

"This is the Nation's Gun Show," says Annette Elliott, president of Showmasters Gun Shows. She and her husband are the organizers of the gun show currently taking place in Chantilly at the Dulles Expo Center - one of the biggest gun shows held in the D.C. area since the Connecticut school shooting.

Elliott says the gun show's attendance has doubled since the shootings and since recent conversations of gun control.

"Literally, the exhibitors are running out of merchandise. They are running out of ammunition. They are running out of assault weapons, and the handguns are moving rapidly also," she says.
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BREAKING NEWS

WATER MAIN BREAK NEAR PEP BOYS ON RT. 13.

ALL BUSINESSES ARE BEING TOLD THEY CANNOT USE ANY WATER IN THAT AREA. EXPECT MANY BUSINESS CLOSINGS.

I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS ALL ALONG. THE CITY IS IGNORING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'LL SEE MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AS TIME GOES ON.

A Canadian Summarizes America's Collapse: "Everyone Takes, Nobody Makes, Money Is Free, And Money Is Worthless"

On this lackluster Boxing Day dominated by illiquid moves in every asset class, we thought a few succinct minutes spent comprehending the US and European government policies of social welfare and their outcomes was time well spent. Canadian MP Pierre Poilievre delivers a rather epic speech destroying the myths of US and European 'wealth' noting that "Once the US citizen is in debt, the US government encourages them to stay in debt," noting that "the US government encouraged millions of Americans to spend money they did not have on homes they could not afford using loans they could never repay and then gave them a tax incentive never to repay it." His message, delivered seamlessly, notes the inordinate rise in the cost of all this borrowing, adding that "through debt interest alone, soon the US taxpayer will be funding 100% of the Chinese Military complex." From Dependence to Debt to the Welfare State and back to Dependence, this presentation puts incredible context on the false hope so many believe in the US and Europe. Must watch.

"By 2020, the US Government will be spending more annually on debt interest than the total combined military budgets of China, Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India, Italy, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Spain, Turkey, and Israel."

"Through government spending the indulgence of one is the burden of another; through government borrowing, the excess of one generation becomes the yoke of the next; through international bailouts, one nation's extravagance becomes another nation's debt"

"Everyone takes, nobody makes, work doesn't pay, indulgence doesn't cost, money is free, and money is worthless."

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Obama Skeptical Of NRA Proposal To Put More Guns In Schools

President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Sunday he hopes to get new U.S. gun control measures passed during the first year of his second term and is skeptical of a proposal by the National Rifle Association to put armed guards in schools.

Obama assigned Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force to come up with proposals on guns at the beginning of 2013 after the massacre of 20 children and six adults by a gunman at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut this month.

"I'd like to get it done in the first year. I will put forward a very specific proposal based on the recommendations that Joe Biden's task force is putting together as we speak. And so this is not something that I will be putting off," Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press" in an interview taped on Saturday.
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Another Bait and Switch: Congress Defeats E-Mail Privacy Legislation…Again

This is how the corporate state rolls. They remove all the important stuff at the last minute, you know, like provisions that might actually protect constitutional rights. This is exactly what they just did with the NDAA, which I outlined in my post The Section Preventing Indefinite Detention of Americans without Trial Removed from Final NDAA Bill. Now we find out from Wired that:

The Senate late Thursday forwarded legislation to President Barack Obama granting the public the right to automatically display on their Facebook feeds what they’re watching on Netflix. While lawmakers were caving to special interests, however, they cut from the legislative package language requiring the authorities to get a warrant to read your e-mail or other data stored in the cloud.

But another part of the same Senate package — sweeping digital privacy protections requiring the government, for the first time, to get a probable-cause warrant to obtain e-mail and other content stored in the cloud — was removed at the last minute.

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Media Quiet About San Antonio Theater Shooting

On Sunday December 17, 2012, 2 days after the CT shooting, a man went to a restaurant in San Antonio to kill his X-girlfriend. After he shot her, most of the people in the restaurant fled next door to a theater. The gunman followed them and entered the theater so he could shoot more people. He started shooting and people in the theater started running and screaming. It’s like the Aurora, CO theater story plus a restaurant!

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened.
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The Structural Endgame Of The Fiscal Cliff

To understand this endgame, we need to start with the financial and political basics of wealth and power in the U.S.

1.  Wealth and thus political power are highly concentrated.  The dynamics of rising wealth disparity and the increasing concentration of wealth are debatable; the disparity is not.  Roughly 70% of all financial wealth is held by the top 5%; within this top layer of ownership, the top ½ of 1% hold an outsized share.

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FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS – LET GANNETT EXECUTIVES KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

Gannett was exercising their right to free speech by publishing the names and addresses of all legal gun owners in 3 NY counties. I’m sure they are fully supportive of having their names and addresses published across the internet. Isn’t free speech a biotch?

http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/sauce-for-the-goose/
Sauce for the goose or, home address and phone number of Journal-News publisherWhite Plains newspaper The Journal- News, a Gannett publication, has published the full name and address of every licensed pistol permit holder in three New York counties. I don’t know whether the Journal’s publisher Janet Hasson is a permit holder herself, but here’s how to find her to ask:

(UPDATE: Uh oh – InstaPundit’s linked here. Hundreds of thousands of readers; Janet, you have a great Christmas Eve)

Janet Hasson, publisher, Journal News

Janet Hasson, 3 Gate House Lane, Mamaroneck, NY 10534.

Phone number:

(914) 694-5204

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HOBBY LOBBY TO DEFY OBAMACARE MANDATE

Hobby Lobby, the Christian-owned company that provides hobby, arts and crafts supplies to tens of millions of customers across America, will defy the Obamacare mandate that health insurance for its employees cover “abortion-inducing drugs.”

The confirmation is from a statement released by an attorney, Kyle Duncan, who said in a website statement that, “The company will continue to provide health insurance to all qualified employees. To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing drugs.”
 
The conflict is the latest firefight in the battle against Obama’s mandate that employers pay for abortifacients no matter their religious beliefs. The administration has argued in many of the dozens of lawsuit that have erupted over the conflict that religious people who own corporations must give up their rights to religious freedom.
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WAS ROSS PEROT RIGHT 20 YEARS AGO?

Occupy Wall Street Lawyer In Dash For Sandy Hook Cash

An attorney seeking to sue Connecticut for $100 million on behalf of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting survivor who heard Adam Lanza’s murderous rampage on a loudspeaker also serves as the official lawyer for Occupy New Haven, WND has found.

New Haven lawyer Irving Pinsky told the Associated Press today he is filing the claim against the state on behalf of a 6-year-old female student, nicknamed “Jill Doe,” claiming the student suffered emotional and psychological trauma.

“As a consequence, the claimant-minor child has sustained emotional and psychological trauma and injury, the nature and extent of which are yet to be determined,” the claim says.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY 12-30-12

‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace towards men of good will.’

Leading Proponent Of Filibuster Reform Claims He Has 51 Votes

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), a leading proponent of filibuster reform, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) has the 51 votes he needs to change Senate rules with the "nuclear option."

The maneuver would be controversial, however, and could heighten partisan tensions at the start of the 113th Congress in January. Republicans say using 51 votes to change Senate procedures — and to prevent the minority party in the Senate from blocking a majority-vote — amounts to breaking the rules to change them.

“The crucial thing for all of you to know is Harry Reid’s got 51 votes to do the Constitutional option at the beginning of the Congress,” Udall said. “My sense is if he can’t get agreement on the other side, then he’s going to go forward.” 
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Somerset Residents Hit By Sandy Eligible For Aid

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (AP) — Some Maryland residents affected by Superstorm Sandy will be eligible to receive food stamps under a federal aid program.

The assistance for residents of Somerset County was announced Sunday by Gov. Martin O’Malley and Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin.

President Barack Obama this month designated the county as a major disaster area eligible for assistance.
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Government’s Failure To Deal With Criminals Breeds More Crime

Nidal Malik Hasan who’s accused of screaming “Allahu Akbar” and gunning down fellow soldiers at Fort Hood is still waiting to be put on trial. The massacre happened more than three years ago. While there a lot of stupid criminals out there, not every criminal is stupid. The trial delay sends a message to other terrorists that they can hold our justice system at bay. That’s what Hasan is doing and our military justice system is going along with it.

There is no doubt that Hasan was the shooter on that fateful November in 2009. In addition, there’s ample evidence that Hasan was not some mentally disturbed soldier. He is a member in good standing in Allah’s army as this report from WND shows:

“Intelligence officials . . . intercepted at least 18 emails between Hasan and the radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Hasan told al-Awlaki in one of the emails, ‘I can’t wait to join you’ in paradise.’ He also asked al-Awlaki whether it was appropriate to kill innocents in a suicide attack, when jihad was acceptable and how to transfer funds without attracting government notice.

“In spite of this, Attorney General Eric Holder declined to press terrorism charges against Hasan. Instead the government has labeled the shooting as a case of ‘workplace violence.’ During a memorial service for the victims, President Obama never once used the word terrorism.”

What message does this send to other radical Muslims hell-bent on turning the United States into a Muslim stronghold? Don’t think that Obama’s foot-dragging on prosecuting Hasan hasn’t had an effect on what’s going on in Egypt.

Hasan should have been sent to “paradise” a long time ago.

Then there’s the murder of two firemen who had responded to a fire at a residence in Webster, New York. John Hoeffel and Matt Pearce, writing for the Los Angeles Times, report:

“Webster police identified the shooter Monday as William Spengler, 62, a neighborhood resident and an ex-convict, whom they later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.

“It was not the first time Spengler had killed someone. On July 18, 1980, he beat his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, served almost 18 years in prison, and returned after his release, unsettling the neighborhood.”

He beat his grandmother to death with a hammer, and he was released from prison! Why wasn’t Spengler executed? Consider that if Adam Lanza had not killed himself, he could not have been executed in Connecticut. On April 25, 2012, Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill into law that abolishes the death penalty signed a bill into law abolishing capital punishment.

A case can be made that governments are complicit in future murders for not dealing with past murders.

Lawyer: $100M School Shooting Claim About Security

A lawyer who's asking to sue Connecticut for $100 million on behalf of a 6-year-old Newtown school shooting survivor who heard violence over the school's intercom system says the potential claim is about improving school security, not money.

"It's about living in a world that's safe," New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky told The Associated Press on Saturday. "The answer is about protecting the kids."

Pinsky asked this week to sue the state, which has immunity against most lawsuits unless it gives a party permission to go forward with a claim. Connecticut's claims commissioner couldn't be reached for comment Saturday.
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BREAKING NEWS: SECRETARY CLINTON IN HOSPITAL WITH BLOOD CLOT FOLLOWING CONCUSSION

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital with a blood clot stemming from a concussion she sustained several weeks ago, her spokesman reports.
From Fox News

Survey Question 12-30-12

What is your prediction for the game?  Who will win? Score?

Gambling Industry Dominates 2012 Maryland Employment Forecast

New casinos account for 40% of new job announcements

Annapolis: The gambling industry emerged in 2012 as Maryland's top job-generating sector, far outpacing new economy mainstays including bio-tech, cyber-security, information technology and traditional economic engines such as construction and manufacturing. This conclusion is derived from Change Maryland's analysis of the state's Department of Business and Economic Development year-to-date tally of companies setting up or expanding facilities and the estimated numbers of jobs created.

The state's estimate is derived from gaming facilities slated to open or expand by Lakes Entertainment in Allegany County; the Cordish Companies in Anne Arundel County; and Caeser's Entertainment in Baltimore. The estimate does not include a new casino slated to open in Prince George's County following the passage of the question seven ballot referendum in November.

"Maryland should not rely on casinos as a crutch to generate jobs," said Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan. "I am deeply concerned that so much attention was focused on casinos this year that elected officials dismissed other productive components of the economy as an afterthought. While I'm glad that some will get jobs as black jack dealers and cocktail servers, the best careers are those that require science, technology and engineering skills that Maryland educators are working so hard to develop in the classroom."

Combined, the gambling industry is expected to generate 3250 jobs or nearly 40% of the 8500 new jobs announced in 2012. Other sectors pale in comparison with cyber security expected to generate 2612 jobs, healthcare 379 jobs and manufacturing 334 jobs. By contrast, such lauded sectors by the O'Malley Administration, most notably green energy, are expected to generate just 110 jobs.

"I don't know how Martin O'Malley can say with a straight face that jobs are a priority of this Administration with numbers like these," said Hogan. "These numbers are lopsided and pitiful."

Maryland and Virginia maintain files that track new and expanding facility announcements. Virginia's equivalent list shows 13,640 jobs announced in 2012. Although both states' data is subject to revision, the information is an indicator of future economic performance. Virginia's list is downloadable in excel format, is up to date as of December 2012 and is searchable by industry sector.

Change Maryland's analysis of DBED's "New and Expanding Businesses" comes on the heels of dismal economic development results including 6500 small businesses lost between 2007 and 2010, shrinkage of state-based Fortune 500 companies to just three and the loss of companies including Accentia, Bechtel and Northrop Grumman to Virginia.

According to DBED, Maryland's data is gathered on a regular basis from department staff, county economic development officials and published sources.

Dozens Of Crab Steamer Pots Stolen In Md

CAMBRIDGE, Md. (AP) — Police in Cambridge say the person who stole $170,000 worth of crab cooking pots is going to be in hot water over the thefts.

A tractor trailer with 55 stainless steel crab steamer pots was reported stolen Dec. 23. Cambridge police say the truck was parked outside the Kool Ice and Seafood at 110 Washington Street when it was stolen.
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GUN BANNING LEGISLATION REVEALED

They’re coming for your guns. Get ready.

ALERT: Legislation Details: Senate to Ban Hundreds of Semiautomatic Rifles, Handguns, Shotguns, Magazines; Includes Fingerprint Registration Requirements


Mac Slavo and Ed Thomas December 27th, 2012 www.SHTFplan.com
For anyone who may have thought Senator Feinstein and her colleagues in Congress were bluffing aboutcoming firearms legislation that would restrict the sale, transfer and possession of certain firearms, think again.

A summary of the proposed legislation has been made available, and it’s a whopper.

Among outright banning 120 ‘assault’ related firearms (such as AR-15′s and AK-47′s), the bill will also target any weapon that utilizes a “detachable magazine,” as well as any magazine with a capacity of over ten rounds, which would include semi-automatic handguns and shotguns.

Moreover, if you already own a firearm or modification that ends up on the ban list, you will be required under Federal law to register that gun, complete with a background check, fingerprinting and local law enforcement verification.

Those who have recently purchased firearms that would fall under the ban may soon find Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) at their door looking to confiscate ‘illegal’ weapons or engage in home searches for illegal accessories like ‘high capacity’ magazines (over 10 rounds), flash suppressors, pistol grips, and bullet buttons (a feature designed to circumvent ‘fixed’ magazine laws in states like California).

The following is a summary of the proposed Assault Weapons Legislation:

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Save the Bald Eagle, $55 Billion

It’s symbolically appropriate that one of President Obama’s preferred forms of “green energy” crony capitalism has the effect of killing off the national bird. The federal wind production tax credit (PTC) is mercifully set to expire on New Year’s Eve. The PTC provides a financial boon, at great taxpayer expense, to well-connected companies that build eyesore wind farms that kill great birds of prey and pretty much anything else that flies within the range of their “green” blades. The nonpartisan Institute for Energy Research estimates that if this cozy arrangement between big government and big business were to be extended, it would cost American taxpayers $55,000,000,000. The fate of the PTC — and of that $55 billion— now rests with House Republicans, who would have to approve the PTC’s renewal.

As John Fund writes today at National Review Online:

“[N]o matter how much money is blown its way, wind power — for simple scientific reasons — can’t graduate to the kind of large-scale, reliable energy production that its backers tout. Physicist and environmentalist John Droz Jr. notes: ‘There is no real environmental benefit to wind, because a) it’s an unpredictable commodity, b) output from any group of wind projects can and will go to zero on many occasions, and c) energy generated from industrial wind power cannot be economically stored.’ Germany, which has gone stark raving mad in building wind turbines, has proven just how unreliable it is. On one day this February, wind power delivered a third of Germany’s electricity needs, but four days later, on a still day, it contributed precisely zero.”

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HOURS AT CRISFIED DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER CHANGING

HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Residents in Somerset County affected by Hurricane Sandy who wish to visit the federal-state Disaster Recovery Center in the coming days are advised that the hours of operation are changing.

The operating hours through New Year’s Day are: Friday, Dec. 28: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 30 through Tuesday, Jan. 1: CLOSED.

Beginning on Jan. 2: Monday through Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Disaster Recovery Center is located at:

The Lower Somerset County Ambulance & Rescue Squad Building#2 Mill Lane
Crisfield, MD 21817

For more information about this disaster, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4091 orwww.mema.maryland.gov. Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.

Guns Are Ok As Long As They Can Profit From Them.

Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Releases 12-30-12

George Andrew Whittaker of Crisfield, charged 12-26-12 for pedestrian failing to yield right of way to vehicles, and pedestrian unsafely crossing in path of vehicle. The charges stem from a traffic accident investigation that occurred on 11-6-12. Deputies were called to the area of Ocean Highway for a traffic accident involving a vehicle striking a subject trying to cross Ocean Highway at Steward Neck Rd, Princess Anne. The victim, George Whittaker tried to cross Ocean Highway, and was struck by a south bound motorist. Deputies interviewed Whittaker who was later transported to PRMC. Whittaker had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. Whittaker’s blood alcohol content later showed that he was intoxicated three times above the legal limit. Whittaker was issued citations pending court actions.

Cartez Marian Lilliston of Fruitland, arrested 12-18-12 on a theft warrant. Lilliston was released on personal recognizance.

Avery Antonio Spence of Princess Anne, arrested 12-18-12 for warrants regarding cds possession other than marijuana, possession of marijuana, and cds intent to distribute narcotics. Spence was released after posting a $50,000 bond.

Zachary Depriest Scott Jr. of Crisfield, arrested 12-18-12 on a warrant for 2nd degree assault, and reckless endangerment. Scott was later returned to the Somerset County Detention center where he is being held on un related charges.

Justin Davar Baltimore of Crisfield, arrested 12-18-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Baltimore was turned over to the Worchester County Sheriff’s Office.

Peter Thomas Emery of Mardela, arrested 12-19-12 for warrants regarding failing to register as a sex offender, and failing to notify law enforcement of address change. Emery was later held without bond.

Lisa Rose Richardson of Princess Anne, arrested 12-20-12 on warrants regarding violation of probation. Richardson was later held without bond.

Lance William Cline of Princess Anne, arrested 12-20-12 on a warrant for theft over $1,000. Cline was later released on a $3,000 un secured bond. The arrest was the result of a theft investigation conducted by deputies where Cline allegedly stole jewelry from a family member, and sold it to pawn shops.

Robert Lee Lipsett of Princess Anne, arrested 12-20-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Lipsett was held on a $100,000 bond.

Whitney Nicole Smith of Fruitland, arrested 12-20-12 on a warrant for failing to appear in court. Smith was held on a $250.00 bond.

Wendy Marie Brewer of Crisfield, arrested 12-21-12 for driving on a suspended drivers’ license, and speeding. Brewer was released on signature pending court actions.

Rhonda Shae Banks of Eden, criminal summons served for 2nd degree assault. Banks was released on signature pending court actions.

Craig Lamar Douling of Eden, criminal summons served for 2nd degree assault. Douling was released on signature pending court actions.

Michael Lee White of Salisbury, arrested 12-21-12 for driving on a suspended drivers’ license, and an equipment violation. White was released on signature pending court actions.

Md. Bill Would Close Child-Sex Loophole

A Maryland delegate wants to close a loophole that prosecutors say forced them to drop charges against a Montgomery County high school coach who allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old girl.

Del. Sam Arora, D-Montgomery County, has prefiled a bill that would alter the definition of a "person in a position of authority" at schools across the state -- a bizarre loophole in state law exempts part-time school employees from a ban on having sex with students, Arora said.

The technicality forced the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office to drop two fourth-degree sex offense charges against 47-year-old Scott Spear in March. Spear, who coached cross country and basketball at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old girl he coached.
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Benghazi Penalties Are Bogus

The four officials supposedly out of jobs because of their blunders in the run-up to the deadly Benghazi terror attack remain on the State Department payroll — and will all be back to work soon, The Post has learned.

The highest-ranking official caught up in the scandal, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Boswell, has not “resigned” from government service, as officials said last week. He is just switching desks. And the other three are simply on administrative leave and are expected back.

The four were made out to be sacrificial lambs in the wake of a scathing report issued last week that found that the US compound in Benghazi, Libya, was left vulnerable to attack because of “grossly inadequate” security.


State Department leaders “didn’t come clean about Benghazi and now they’re not coming clean about these staff changes,” a source close to the situation told The Post., adding, the “public would be outraged over this.”

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Local Officials Not Expecting Reimbursement For G8

THURMONT, Md. - More than six months after President Barack Obama and seven other world leaders converged on Camp David for the G-8 summit, local officials appear to hold out little hope that taxpayers might ever recoup the cost of preparing for and hosting the event.

"Are we expecting it? Not necessarily now," Thurmont Mayor Martin Burns said. "If we were, we should have been paid by now, but we're about to go over a fiscal cliff here."

Obama's announcement in March that the event would move from Chicago to Camp David near Thurmont sent local officials scrambling to plan for the unknown. Previous summits in other cities have attracted massive protests.
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DAKOTA THE BLOOD HOUND HAS BEEN FOUND

We were out again this morning before church with no luck then at 10:15 she was spotted near Atria....then around 10:45 her owner found her at the Salisbury Dog Park by the park...she ran again but he was able to corner her on Beaglin Park drive and got her to come to him!

Thanks everyone for the good thoughts, prayers and help!! We appreciate all who came out to help these folks.

19 People Who Are Having A Way Worse Day Than You

Think you're having a bad day? This might change your mind.

GO HERE

New Maryland Laws Include Ban On Arsenic In Chicken Feed

As of New Year’s Day, arsenic is officially off the menu for Maryland chickens.

The nation’s first statewide ban on the use of additives in chicken feed containing the toxic metal is among a dozen new state laws that take effect Jan. 1. The new civil marriage measure that was affirmed by Maryland voters in November, allowing same-sex couples to take their vows, has grabbed the most headlines, but less-publicized laws will take effect as well.

Most new laws adopted by the General Assembly and signed by the governor take effect July 1 or Oct. 1, but in some cases the legislature decides to delay implementation until the new year.
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Thought

A woman can say more in a sigh than a man can say in a sermon. 

Companies And Government Agencies Ban Smoking In 2013

Those who are craving a smoke will have a harder time finding a legal place to light up after the New Year. More companies and government agencies are ramping up restrictions on spots where smoking is allowed.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reports that employees of 3M and Delaware's state government will not be able to take a smoke break at work, including in parking lots, sidewalks and other outdoor areas on state property.

In addition, North Dakota banned smoking in most public places.
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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY NAMES STEPHEN NEUMAN DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Martin O’Malley announced Stephen Neuman as Director of Public Affairs. Neuman will advise the governor on a range of issues, including communications and policy.

“I am pleased that Steve will join our Administration as Director of Public Affairs,” said Governor O’Malley. “With years of experience on the federal, state and local levels of government, he will be a seasoned advisor and we are confident in his abilities to help move our Administration forward.”

“Governor O'Malley has fought hard to create jobs, invest in schools, and help middle class families in Maryland get ahead,” said Mr. Neuman. “I'm honored to join his team.”

Mr. Neuman joins the O’Malley-Brown Administration with a wealth of experience in government and policy. He has worked in two governors' offices: as a senior advisor to Gov. Bev Perdue of North Carolina, and as a special assistant to former Gov. Mel Carnahan of Missouri. In addition, Neuman served as a legislative assistant under two U.S. Senators: Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Jean Carnahan (D-MO). Neuman also worked as law clerk for the Hon. Judge James B. Zagel, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and as a corporate attorney for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Mr. Neuman graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Political Science, and earned his J.D. at Washington University in St. Louis.

Neuman replaces Rick Abbruzzese, former director of public affairs and will begin work in the Administration effective January 3.

No Deal? You’ll Pay More Taxes Tuesday

WASHINGTON If the nation goes over the “fiscal cliff,” some Americans will wake up Tuesday with financial headaches to rival a New Year’s Eve hangover.

More than 2 million long-term jobless would receive their final unemployment benefit check within days. Millions of taxpayers would be unable to file their returns early, resulting in delayed refunds. Taxes would rise immediately on workers across the board. And although some of those increases may eventually be reversed, the first paychecks of the year would be smaller until any legislative fixes kick in.

Even if the crisis is resolved quickly after the new year as pressure mounts on President Barack Obama and lawmakers, it poses a short-term administrative nightmare for businesses. And it would be a financial blow to millions of people struggling to make ends meet in the aftermath of the recession.
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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/12/28/3752852/no-deal-youll-pay-more-taxes-tuesday.html#storylink=cpy

TAKERS OUTNUMBER MAKERS

Government Dependents Outnumber Those With Private Sector Jobs In 11 U.S. States
By Michael, on December 26th, 2012

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-number-of-people-on-welfare-exceeds-the-number-of-people-with-jobs-in-11-states

America is rapidly becoming a nation of takers. An increasing number of Americans expect the government to take care of them from the cradle to the grave, and they expect the government to dig into the pockets of others in order to pay for it all. This philosophy can be very seductive, but what happens when the number of takers eventually outnumbers the number of producers? In 11 different U.S. states, the number of government dependents exceeds the number of private sector workers. This list of states includes some of the biggest states in the country: California, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Maine, Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, New Mexico and Hawaii. It is interesting to note that seven of those states were won by Barack Obama on election night. In California, there are 139 “takers” for every 100 private sector workers. That is crazy! The American people have become absolutely addicted to government money, and it gets worse with each passing year. If you can believe it, entitlements accounted for 62 percent of all federal spending in fiscal year 2012. It would be one thing if we could afford all of this spending, but unfortunately we simply cannot. We are drowning in debt, and we are stealing more than a hundred million more dollars from future generations with each passing hour. No bank robber in history can match that kind of theft.

Yes, we will always need a safety net. There are many people out there that simply cannot take care of themselves. We certainly don’t want to see anyone sleeping in the streets or starving to death.

But if the number of people jumping on to the safety net continues to grow at the current pace, the net will break and it will not be available for any of us.

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PSC Chairman Gets Judicial Post

The chairman of Maryland's Public Service Commission has just been appointed to Maryland's second highest court.

Governor O'Malley says PSC Chairman Doug Nazarian has demonstrated, "an ability to handle complex issues is a fair and through way," adding that he is a good fit for Maryland's Court of Special Appeals.

Nazarian, who had previously served as as the general counsel for the PSC has served as the commission's chairman for over four years.
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The Farce Is Complete: In The Case Of Countrywide, Congress Finds Itself Innocent Of Being "Friends Of Angelo"

Just when you thought the seemingly endless rabbit hole of Wall Street-Washington corruption, cronyism, co-option, crime and kickbacks may have finally come to an end, here comes the House Ethic Committee to pronounce that no ethics breaches were found among House members in its investigation involving the scandal surrounding Countrywide "VIP loans" and the "Friends of Angelo." And in just doing so, the House effectively cleared itself of any wrongdoing and that's it, case closed - move along... Move along.

For those who may have forgotten, it was only back in July [19]that yet another House Committee, that for Oversight and Government Reform, found "Countrywide used its VIP Program to aid its lobbying efforts as well as to strengthen its relationship with taxpayer backed Fannie Mae. Countrywide partnered with Fannie Mae in a strategic business alliance that also included joint lobbying efforts." Specifically, the report alleged that:
“The Committee’s investigation found Countrywide lobbyists and CEO Angelo Mozilo used discounted loans as a tool to ingratiate itself with policymakers in an effort to benefit the company’s business interests,” said Issa. “A former lobbyist for Countrywide testified that Members of Congress, staff, and other government officials were directed to the company’s VIP program as part of an effort to create a favorable impression of the company on Capitol Hill. This preferential treatment – that varied depending on the influence of the borrower – was not routinely offered to the public.”

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Attackers In India Rape Case To Face Murder Charge

Indian police charged six men with murder on Saturday, adding to accusations that they beat and gang-raped a woman on a New Delhi bus nearly two weeks ago in a case that shocked the country.

The murder charges were laid after the woman died earlier Saturday in a Singapore hospital where she has been flown for treatment.

New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said the six face the death penalty if convicted, in case that has triggered protests across India for greater protection for women from sexual violence, and raised questions about lax attitudes by police toward sexual crimes.

The tragedy has forced India to confront the reality that sexually assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, forcing them to keep quiet and discouraging them from reporting it to authorities for fear of exposing their families to ridicule. Police often refuse to accept complaints from those who are courageous enough to report the rapes, and the rare prosecutions that reach courts drag on for years.
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