DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, March 09, 2012
Mikulski To Receive Harriet Ross Tubman Award
Mikulski, the first non-African American award winner, will be honored at a Friday morning ceremony in Annapolis.
The senator supported legislation to establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Historical Park in Dorchester County.
Mikulski, a Democrat, is recognized for securing nearly $1 million in federal funds to create the park.
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Ineptocracy
Planned Parenthood
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The truth can sometimes be very hard to receive, but this truth must be told.
Be A Kid Again At Wicomico Recreation’s Adult Easter Social
(Salisbury, MD) Want to be a kid again this Easter? Grab your basket and come to Wicomico Recreation’s Adult Easter Social on Thursday, April 5 for an evening of "grown-up" Easter fun. The Adult Easter Social will be held at the Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex (711 Naylor Mill Road, Salisbury) from 8:00-10:00pm. The evening will kick off with a "grown-up" egg hunt starting promptly at 8:15pm where participants will search for 1,000 eggs filled with raffle tickets and instant prizes. Bring your own basket and a flashlight, the more eggs you find, the better chance you have of winning a prize. After the hunt, enjoy craft beer from Burley Oak, light fare and live music while prizes are raffled off every ten minutes. The grand prize will be a 32" LED HDTV!
The Adult Easter Social is open to adults ages 21 and over. Tickets are $25 per person and are available online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org or at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office, 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804. Participants must purchase tickets prior to the event. For more information, visit www.WicomicoRecandParks.org or check out the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WicomicoRec.
CNN Asks Catholic Bishop 'Why Not Get on Board' and Support Gay Marriage
In fact, in 2010 Phillips fawned over a Christian pastor who publicly began accepting the lifestyle of gays and lesbians
FINANCIAL BUBONIC PLAGUE
The financailization of the Western world is almost complete. CHS relates it to an infectious disease, which is very appropriate. We’re all infected. The banksters have bought governments, politicians, businesses and consumers, and used debt as the purchase currency. Somehow, our bankrupt $15.4 trillion in-debt nation can still threaten war and mayhem. But debt is an infectious disease. Another great “let’s pretend” article.
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Is A House A Good Investment?
In the past few decades, the concept of home ownership has been completely turned on its head. Previously, homes were considered a very long-term consumption good. Do you think anyone in the 18th, 19th, and prior centuries ever considered tripling the value of their homes by retirement time and selling them to move beachside? In the vast majority of cases, such ideas never crossed their minds.
Yet, somehow along the way, this became a reasonable investment expectation. Even today, home buyers still make their purchases with the hopes of escalating prices. But are homes really wise investments?
Consider the difference between your house and an investment such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock. At a major company, the opportunities can be truly limitless. Apple can produce cashflows from computers, iPods, iPads, and future innovations that are just dreams and concepts today. If the local market is oversaturated, Apple has the option of spreading out all across the world. As a result, Apple’s stock price has gone from $17 in 2005 to $540 today. Can your house do the same? Unless there’s a hyperinflation ahead or your house is located in the New York City or London of the 21st century, the answer is no. Why? Because your house is ultimately a product – and products have an upper bound to their prices.
To understand this difference, there’s no need to drag out the Case-Shiller Index or analyze complex statistics. Suppose one bought a single-family house over a decade ago for $200K. At the peak of the housing bubble, the price reached $500K; to his joy, the owner sold it and moved thereafter to retire in Florida. Can the house’s price go higher from here? With Apple, the stock price can just keep climbing with greater profits and innovations. But is that true with real estate?
For the sake of argument, let’s say that prices do keep rising. Eventually, the second owner sells to another buyer for $1 million a decade later. Guy number two also peacefully retires in bounty. Well, where does that leave the third guy? Unless real salaries make an incredible jump in the same time period, no one will be able to afford the home next. The median US worker earning $51K won’t be selling such a house for retirement; instead, it will take him until retirement to afford it. In many ways, this “investment” more closely resembles a Ponzi scheme. (Yes, Ponzi schemes work: for those who get in early and get out – as the recent real-estate bubble demonstrated.) Ultimately, there’s an upper bound to housing prices – they can’t continue rising perpetually with no end.
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How Does Your State Rate on 2nd Amendment?
The Brady bunch has released its annual scorecard rating states based on how strict their gun laws are. The scorecard is a very useful tool to help rights groups understand how their state compares to others on a liberty scale; more points = less liberty.
Alaska, Arizona and Utah have all achieved the coveted Zero Points/Zero Stars on the Brady scale and are now competing to see which state will be the first into negative numbers – which is possible through bonus points. Arizona and Alaska can reach a -2 point score by protecting carry rights on campuses of state colleges and universities. Utah already has such protections, but could achieve a -2 score by adopting constitutional (permitless) concealed carry as Alaska and Arizona have. Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and Oklahoma all came in with just 2 points apiece and all have a real shot at beating the leaders into negative numbers with the right combination of reforms.
The Brady Center released this latest scorecard with much hoopla and heavy breathing, but their own data clearly shows that there is no correlation between gun control and criminal violence. Crime statistics vary widely – from high to virtually non-existent among the 40 or so states Brady ranks as “poor,” while several of the Brady’s highest ranked states have some of the highest rates of violent crime.
I NEED MY FOODSTAMPS
Do you remember a time when people thought food stamps were “shameful”? A time when people tried to get the hell off food stamps as soon as they were able? Not anymore. Food stamps have become a right, not a benefit. And, since Obama is offering $75,000 grants to anyone who can get more people on food stamps, the bonanza will continue Ad infinitum.
This makes my head explode; the mentality of people ripping off the government. They are bleeding our country to death and have no regret or idea that it’s all going to collapse. When it does, this imbecile’s million dollars will buy a few loaves of bread (when Zimbabwe-like hyperinflation kicks in). No small wonder we’re totally fucked.
Lottery winner on food stamps even after $1 million jackpot
By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow
People love stories about someone winning the lottery and then giving the money away. They’re less likely to feel fondly about Amanda Clayton, who won $1 million in the Michigan State Lottery but is still collecting food stamps.
“I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn’t, I thought maybe it was OK because I’m not working,” Clayton, 24, told Local 4 news in Detroit.
Back in December, a woman in Washington State fell under scrutiny when it was revealed she was receiving state economic benefits even though she lives in a $1 million waterfront home on Lake Washington.
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Bank of America Reaches Deal on Housing
The cuts for homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth could total more than $100,000 each under the deal with the government, according to Dan Frahm, a spokesman for Bank of America. Bank of America hopes it will be able to reduce what it owes in penalties under the settlement by up to $850 million.
The $26 billion settlement was announced last month by 49 state attorneys general, as well as officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies.
The principal reductions for the affected Bank of America customers will likely be deeper than the broader group of distressed homeowners covered by the settlement.
The details of the separate deal, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, are expected to be included in court documents as part of the settlement that could be filed as soon as Friday.
Does Anyone Know How To Cancel A Bid On E-Bay?
Hacker "Sabu" Worked Full Nights Online for FBI
(Reuters) - One late-night visit by the FBI was all it took for the notorious hacker known as "Sabu" to switch sides and become a valued snitch.
Hector Xavier Monsegur cooperated immediately in June, helping investigators close a net around five other leaders of the international hacking group Anonymous, according to court documents made public on Thursday.
Monsegur sometimes stayed up all night, talking with co-conspirators to help the government build its case, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore told a Manhattan federal court judge at a secret hearing days before Monsegur's August 15 guilty plea, the court papers showed.
Monsegur, 28, was arrested at his small apartment in a Manhattan housing complex on June 7, U.S. authorities said on Tuesday in announcing charges against him and five others. The precise time, 10:15 p.m., was revealed in Thursday's court papers.
Obama Math
Obama can read a TelePrompter pretty well – but math is apparently not his strong suit. Responding to questions about the rising cost of gas (really, the falling purchasing power of the increasingly worthless dollar), our Great Leader explained that his 55 MPG fuel economy mandate would provide relief:
“…folks will be able to fill up every two weeks instead of every week, saving the typical family more than $8,000 at the pump over time,” he said. “That’s a big deal, especially as families are yet again feeling the pinch from rising gas prices.”
Very folksy talk. No doubt he assumes the folks are as innumerate as he is a smooth talker.
Because what he is saying amounts to – first – you will have to buy a new Obama Car in order to offset the cost of fuel. Let’s work that out and see how it will help the folks.
The average cost of a new car – 2012 – is about $18,000 (not including the financing, not including the taxes, including personal property taxes where applicable, or the cost of a full-coverage insurance policy on a new car). This amount will buy you something along the lines of a Honda Civic one step up from the base model without AC.
Let’s say gas goes to $5 per gallon. That’s about $1.25 in depreciated dollars more than we were paying around this time last year.
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Who Should Pay This Sick Rescue Dog's Vet Bills?
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Ohio School District Hires Collection Agency to Go After Unpaid Lunch Money
An Ohio school district has hired a collection agency to prove to students and their parents that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
The Columbus City Schools hope to recover an estimated $900,000 in unpaid lunch money from almost 6,000 students. The district loses roughly $2,622 every school day in unpaid lunches, according to a report on NBC4i.com. Most of the delinquent accounts average between $150 and $170, according to Meade and Associates, the collection agency in Westerville hired by the district to collect the money.
“Our goal is to recover the balance in full,” Sean Meade, client relations manager, told msnbc.com. But he added, “we’re here to help,” so if “payment arrangements are needed, we’ll work with the family.”
Columbus City Schools did not return a call from msnbc.com. Unpaid-for lunches are not unique to Columbus. Across the country, districts are struggling as the ailing economy brings more students to school without lunch money.More
Make Your Own Chocolate Syrup
If you crave chocolate syrup as a dessert topping or ingredient to make chocolate milk, you don't need to buy it from the store. It's easy to make it on your own, and doesn't take much time or effort.
Welfare Recipients Traded Food Stamps for Cash to Buy Drugs and Guns
The IG testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about fraud affecting the USDA-administered food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) component is charged with handling SNAP.
USDA IG Phyllis Fong highlighted food stamp trafficking, which refers to the sale or purchase of food stamp benefits for monetary gain, which is punishable by disqualification from receiving future benefits, fines, and criminal prosecution.
No, Walmart Is Not Sending You A $1,000 Gift Card On Your Cell Phone
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Obama's Racialist Professor Visited White House?
Did Derrick A. Bell, the late Harvard Law professor now under a microscope for his early association with President Obama, visit the White House two years ago?
The name “Derrick A. Bell” shows up twice in the White House visitors’ logs for Jan. 29 and Jan. 31, 2010. Bell died in October 2011.
Obama’s schedule shows the president was inside the White House at least during Bell’s visit to the White House residence on Jan. 29 beginning at 9 a.m.
Bell scheduled his Jan. 31 White House appointment on Jan. 27 – the day of Obama’s 2010 State of the Union address.
The White House did not immediately return a request seeking comment.
BuzzFeed.com released a short clip from 1991 of Obama, then a Harvard law student, praising the professor at a protest and asking students to “open your hearts and open your minds to the words of Professor Derrick Bell.”
TRAFFIC ALERT - Crack Sealing Will Require Lane Restrictions In New Castle County
The following roads will be impacted:
Monday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 20
Massey Church Road between Blackbird Forest Road and Vandyke Greenspring Road
Wednesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 22
Caldwell Corner Road between Main Street and Grears Corner Road
Friday, March 23
Brick Mill Road between Marl Pit Road and Route 299
Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27
Marl Pit Road between Route 13 and Route 301
Wednesday, March 28
Old Summit Bridge Road between Route 896 and Lorewood Grove Road
Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30
Kirkwood St. Georges Road between Red Lion Road and Route 13
Iraq Boosts oil Export Capacity in Persian Gulf
BASRA, Iraq -- Iraqi oil officials say Iraq has begun loading crude oil from a new offshore export terminal in the Persian Gulf.
The officials say the pumping started Thursday morning. Around 20,000 barrels are being pumped per hour.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to make statements before the official announcement.
The new terminal is the first of five that will eventually handle about 5 million barrels a day. The terminal is intended to eventually handle 900,000 barrels a day.
The new export capacity will help Iraq to bring in sorely needed cash for reconstruction after decades of war and international sanctions.
Rep. Andy Harris Statement On The February Jobs Report
“It is good to see that more hard-working Americans were able to find work last month – especially since President Obama continues to advance policies that make it harder for small businesses and hard-working taxpayers to survive in this fragile economy. What America needs now is for the Administration to focus on real job-creation bills like the Keystone Pipeline instead of more corporate welfare programs like Solyndra.”
“A bipartisan jobs-bill called The JOBS Act passed the House yesterday, which makes it much easier for small and startup employers to create jobs by cutting through the red tape that prevents entrepreneurs from investing in America. The president has said he will sign the House bill—let’s hope the Senate acts as soon as possible.”
Fundraiser Tomorrow
at
Join us for breakfast
Saturday, March 10th
From 8:00-10:00AM
Menu:
Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Seasoned potatoes, Biscuits and Coffee, Tea or Juice
Tickets are $7.00 each
Tickets can be purchased in advance through a PHS Lacrosse player
or at the door.
Dentist Arrested For Offensive Touching
Location: First State Oral Surgery, 33718 Wescoats Road, Lewes, DE
Date of Occurrence: Wednesday March 7, 2012 at approximately 10:00 a.m.
Victim:
8 year old male
Defendant, Charge, and Bail Information:
Dr. Bruce Fisher, 44, of Rehoboth, DE
Offensive Touching
Arraigned at JP2 and released on $500.00 unsecured bail.
Resume:
Lewes, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a dentist for an alleged Offensive Touching of an 8 year old patient.
The incident occurred on Wednesday March 7th, around 10:00 am when the 8 year old victim was brought to the office near Lewes for a medical procedure. Dr. Bruce Fisher had just concluded the process when the 8 year old began screaming. Dr. Fisher immediately covered the victim’s mouth with his hand and told him to “shut up.”
State Police Detectives were informed of this incident that afternoon by a family member who was in the room during the procedure. An investigation was conducted and a warrant was obtained for Dr. Fisher’s arrest. He turned himself into Troop 4 in Georgetown on Friday afternoon where he was formally charged with one count of Offensive Touching. He was arraigned at JP2 and released on $500.00 unsecured bail.
The victim was not injured in this incident.
If anyone has any information in reference to this incident or any other similar to this involving Dr. Bruce Fisher, they are asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Unit at Troop 4 at 302-856-5850 ext. 206 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com
Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."
Camp Barnes Night At Greene Turtle
Greene Turtle, 17388 North Village Main, Lewes, DE
Date of Occurrence:
Tuesday March 20, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. till 1:00 a.m.
Resume:
Lewes, DE- Camp Barnes Night at The Greene Turtle in Lewes on Tuesday March 20, 2012. The event kicks at 11:00 a.m. and run until 1:00 a.m. A percentage of the proceeds go toward the continued efforts at giving kids the opportunity to enjoy all of what Camp Barnes has to offer. Miss Delaware, Krista Clausen, will also be present from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 to meet and great patrons and entertainment will be provided by DJ Sky Brady.
In 1947, the Delaware Association of Chiefs of Police, an organization which was composed of active law enforcement and correctional officers, accepted the challenge to undertake a project to combat juvenile delinquency in the first state. A committee was appointed to investigate the problems confronting youth. Its resulting recommendations led to the establishment of Camp Barnes for the recreation of deserving youth from throughout the state.
Camp Barnes, located on Millers Creek, a tributary of Little Assawoman Bay, has since served the needs of thousands of children from Throughout Delaware. Camp Barnes was originally designed to provide the children who were unable to attend the opportunity to experience life at a summer youth camp. Camp Barnes has remained basically unchanged, providing Delaware children with these outdoor experiences for over 50 years. The summer camp is an overnight residential camp run by the Delaware State Police and is open to children between the ages of 10 and 13 at no cost to the camper or family. Camp Barnes accommodates 60 campers per week for 6 weeks. The camp is in session from early July through August. All children are eligible to attend regardless of family income.
One of the many positive aspects of Camp Barnes summer camp is the innovative use of adventure based outdoor learning experiences. Camp Barnes has on its grounds an extensive outdoor initiative course with 17 different initiative and team building elements.
Some of the many activities campers participate in throughout the week include:
Swimming in an Olympic size pool.
Kayaking in Millers Creek
Arts and Crafts
Nature Walk
Talent Show
Campers also enjoy a scaled down version of the Olympics, State Police demonstrations by the K-9, Scuba and Aviation Units.
Camp Barnes has a staff of 12 counselors, 2 cooks, and 1 kitchen assistant. Counselors are required to submit to a criminal check as well as an interview. There is also a State Trooper on grounds at all times when the camp is in session.
With so much to see and do at Camp Barnes, it is easy to see why so many children enjoy their experience. With your help and assistance, many of these children departing the camp, and others like them, will get a chance to attend Camp Barnes, DELAWARE’S CAMP!
Why Can’t You Smoke Pot? Because Lobbyists Are Getting Rich Off Of The War on Drugs
John Lovell is a lobbyist who makes a lot of money from making sure you can’t smoke a joint. That’s his job. He’s a lobbyist for the police unions in Sacramento, and he is a driving force behind grabbing Federal dollars to shut down the California marijuana industry. I’ll get to the evidence on this important story in a bit, but first, some context.
At some point in the distant past, the war on drugs might have been popular. But not anymore — the polling is clear, but beyond that, the last three Presidents have used illegal drugs. So why do we still put hundreds of thousands of people in steel cages for pot-related offenses? Well, there are many reasons, but one of them is, of course, money in politics. Corruption. Whatever you want to call it, it’s why you can’t smoke a joint without committing a crime, though of course you can ingest any number of pills or drinks completely within the law.
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Maryland Bond Sale to Fund Public Works Projects
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland officials say the sale of $738.4 million in bonds at super low interest rates will benefit efforts to build more schools, hospitals, prisons and cultural projects at an unusually reduced cost.
State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp said Wednesday that the Board of Public Works completed the sale of general obligation bonds in three series. Interest rates on the AAA-rated bonds range from 1.69 percent to 2.42 percent.
The Maryland State Treasurer's Office expects to conduct another bond sale in late July.Source
The 8-Hour Sleep Myth: How I Learned That Everything I Knew About Sleep Was Wrong
High school trigonometry commenced at 7:50am. I flunked, stupefied with sleepiness. Only when college allowed me to schedule courses in the afternoon did the joy of education return. My decision to opt for grad school was partly traceable to a horror of returning to the treadmill of too little sleep and exhaustion, which a 9-to-5 job would surely bring.
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Coke, Pepsi Make Changes to Avoid Cancer Warning
NEW YORK (AP) - Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. are changing the way they make the caramel coloring used in their sodas as a result of a California law that mandates drinks containing a certain level of carcinogens come with a cancer warning label.
The companies said the changes will be expanded nationally to streamline their manufacturing processes. They've already been made for drinks sold in California.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo account for almost 90 percent of the soda market, according to industry tracker Beverage Digest. A representative for Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. said all its caramel coloring now meet the new California standard.
The American Beverage Association, which represents the broader industry, said its member companies will continue to use caramel coloring in certain products but that adjustments were made to meet California's new standard.
Teacher Survey Shows Morale Is At A Low Point
More than half of teachers expressed at least some reservation about their jobs, their highest level of dissatisfaction since 1989, the survey found. Also, roughly one in three said they were likely to leave the profession in the next five years, citing concerns over job security, as well as the effects of increased class size and deep cuts to services and programs. Just three years ago, the rate was one in four.
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US Regulators Could Bring More Common Drugs Over The Counter
Prescription drugs to treat some of the most common chronic diseases, such as high cholesterol and diabetes, may become available over the counter under a plan being considered by U.S. regulators.
In what would be a major shift in policy if finalized, the Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comment until Friday on a way to make these medications more readily available. It will also have a meeting about the proposal at the end of March.
The goal is to ensure people take drugs as needed, while still understanding safety issues.
Experts say the unwillingness of people to take certain medications as prescribed has undermined effective treatment of conditions including high blood pressure, raising the cost of healthcare in the United States.
THIS MIGHT BE THE BOTTOM IN HOUSING | PRAGMATIC CAPITALISM
“It could turn around,” Shiller told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan. “We’re seeing some good news now. Starts, permits, confidence, the NAHB housing index is strikingly up. It’s still low, but it’s up.”
CNBC’s Mandy Drury pursued the matter further: “Where is the endgame, Robert?”
“Well, in terms of housing, we might be at the end game,” Shiller responded. “Home prices are back to a normal level. They could just stay here, and that would be all right, right?
“Housing is very affordable, interest rates are down, prices are down to kind of a normal level. They haven’t overshot normal. So maybe in terms of housing, this it it. This is it.”
“Did you just say this may be the bottom?” asked Sullivan.
“It might be, yeah,” answered Shiller. “Things can turn quickly and sharply. It’s too soon to tell.”
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TWO OF THE YEAR'S BEST COMEBACK RESPONSES
If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer's credibility .....
Q: 'Officer --- did you see my client fleeing the scene?'
A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'
Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?'
A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'
Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'
A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'
Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'
A: 'Yes sir, we do!'
Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'
A: 'Yes, sir, ... I do.'
Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'
A: 'Yes, sir.'
Q: 'Now, ... Why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'
A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'
The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called. The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line -- and we think he'll win.
Number 2:
Now We Know Why He Was a General -----
In an recent interview, General Norman Schwarzkopf was asked if he thought there was room for forgiveness toward the people who have harbored and abetted the terrorists who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks on America.
His answer was classic Schwarzkopf.
The General said, "I believe that forgiving them is God's function .... OUR job is to arrange the meeting."
'Brosiery'...Aka Tights for Men
WASHINGTON - The hosiery women have been wearing for years are crossing gender lines. Brosiery is a budding trend in the U.K. helping men add a layer and make a fashion statement.
The Italian designer Emilio Cavallini is designing a range of the unisex tights for $27 a pair. Men make up 2 percent to 3 percent of the company's customers, so the fashion house thought expanding its marketing was a smart move.
The trend is not new for the label, which has been making "mantyhose" since June 2009.
"When we started our online shop we noticed that a lot of tights sized medium-large were being purchased by men. So I did a search on the Internet and discovered there is a cult following for mantyhose," the company's Vice President Francesco Cavallini told the The Daily Mail.
Can The President Kill You?
Earlier this week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder attempted to justify presidential killing in a speech at Northwestern University law school. In it, he recognized the requirement of the Fifth Amendment for due process. He argued that the president may substitute the traditionally understood due process – a public jury trial – with the president's own novel version of it; that would be a secret deliberation about killing. Without mentioning the name of the American the president recently ordered killed, Holder suggested that the president's careful consideration of the case of New Mexico-born Anwar al-Awlaki constituted a substituted form of due process.
Holder argued that the act of reviewing al-Awlaki's alleged crimes, what he was doing in Yemen and the imminent danger he posed provided al-Awlaki with a substituted form of due process. He did not mention how this substitution applied to al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son and a family friend, who were also executed by CIA drones. And he did not address the utter absence of any support in the Constitution or Supreme Court case law for his novel theory.
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CHAIR YVETTE LEWIS STATEMENT ON FEBRUARY JOBS REPORT
ANNAPOLIS (March 9, 2012) – Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis released the following statement on the February jobs report showing that the economy added 227,000 jobs.
"February was the 24th consecutive month of private sector job growth, with American businesses creating 233,000 jobs. This is a dramatic turnaround from 3 years ago when we lost 800,000 jobs the month the President was sworn in."
"The aggressive actions the President has taken has put Americans back to work and moved this country in the right direction. Under President Obama's leadership we've added 3.9 million private sector jobs, manufacturing has had 10 consecutive quarters of growth, and GM led the world in auto sales and posted its largest profit ever."
"President Obama is fighting for an economy built on American energy and education, where everybody has a fair shot and does their fair share. Mitt Romney and the Republicans in Congress want to go back to the very same policies that got us into this mess. That is the last thing the country can afford to do."
Senate Blocks Bid to Speed Keystone Approval -- But Obama Loses Dems Despite Lobbying
The Senate on Thursday blocked a move to speed along the approval and construction of the controversial Keystone pipeline, after the White House lobbied Democrats to oppose it.
A total of 11 Democrats, though, ended up breaking with the president to vote for the Republican-backed amendment -- at a time when gas prices are rising and pipeline supporters are using that trend to pressure the administration to act.
$70,000 In D.C. Fire Department Shirts Unused Because Of Patch
The 1,750 National Fire Protection Association-compliant polo-style shirts were ordered in October 2010, according to a purchase order obtained by The Washington Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.
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Sorry You Can't Vote: Your Dead
"First thing I read [in the newspaper] is the obituaries. And I didn't even find my name on the obituary page!" she told CBS Boston news, laughing. Officials figured out the problem: a mistake in the newest Fall River city census put the woman on the "deceased" list, but she was still a registered voter. They restored her to life and allowed her to vote.
GO HERE to watch video.
Arer You Buying This Crap?
Army Doesn't Want Tanks, Congress Orders Them Anyway
Switzerland Wants Its Gold Back From The New York Fed
Earlier today, we reported [11]that Germans are increasingly concerned that their gold, at over 3,400 tons a majority of which is likely stored in the vault 80 feet below street level of 33 Liberty [12](recently purchased by the Fed [13]with freshly printed money at far higher than prevailing commercial real estate rates for the Downtown NY area), may be in jeopardy,and will likely soon formally inquire just how much of said gold is really held by the Fed. As it turns out, Germany is not alone: as part of the "Rettet Unser Schweizer Gold", or the “Gold Initiative”: A Swiss Initiative to Secure the Swiss National Bank’s Gold Reserves initiative, launched recently by four members of the Swiss parliament, the Swiss people should have a right to vote on 3 simple things: i) keeping the Swiss gold physically in Switzerland; ii) forbidding the SNB from selling any more of its gold reserves, and iii) the SNB has to hold at least 20% of its assets in gold. Needless the say the implications of this vote actually succeeding are comparable to the Greeks holding a referendum on whether or not to be in the Eurozone. And everyone saw how quickly G-Pap was "eliminated" within hours of making that particular threat. Yet it begs the question: how many more international grassroots outcries for if not repatriation, then at least an audit of foreign gold held by the New York Fed have to take place, before Goldman's (and New York Fed's) Bill Dudley relents? And why are the international central banks not disclosing what their people demand, if only to confirm that the gold is present and accounted for, even if it is at the Federal Reserve?
Full disclosure via the Initiative's website
UMd. Students End Their 'Bad Romance' With Electives
WASHINGTON - University of Maryland students will have the chance to fold their starstruck love for Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj into their coursework next semester.
The university's Women Studies Department will offer an elective, "Advanced Special Topics in Women's Studies: Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Nicki Minaj: Gender and Spectacular Consumption."
Students will study the cultural obsession with star's clothes, fashion and performances, Professor Jeffrey McCune told The Diamondback, the school's independent daily paper.
War With Iran Is Coming
In what amounts to a grotesque instance of outright pandering, Department of Defense head Leon Panetta recently spoke [13] at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference and assured the audience that “we will keep all options – including military action – on the table to prevent (Iran) from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” You know you live in a kleptocracy when one of the heads of the federal government openly appeases perhaps the most influential and financially flush lobbying groups in the country.
Panetta’s assurance confirmed what the majority of Americans have long feared- that their government stands ready and willing to involve itself in another war despite public opinion being in opposition [14] of such an excursion.
If the Republican presidential primary has proven anything, besides the propensity for politicians to offer only vague pronouncements and crowd pleasing sound bites on complex issues, it’s that the bloodthirsty urges of the GOP are incapable of being quenched. For years, the neoconservatives who make up the Republican establishment have been pounding the war drums over Iran. About 33,000 American military deaths [15] in Iraq and over 1 million Iraqi casualties [16] have done nothing to dissuade the warmongering rhetoric of the candidates (with the exception of Ron Paul).
On the same day as Panetta’s address to AIPAC, presidential candidate Mitt Romney laid out a “comprehensive” plan to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon in a Washington Post [17] editorial. What does this “comprehensive” plan entail the reader may ask? Simple; just throw more money at a defense department already blowing through its coffers at a sum higher than the top 14 military spenders in the world combined [18]. Armed with political theorist Frederic Bastiat’s invaluable concept of the “unseen [19],” one can only begin to imagine the technological breakthroughs and consumer satisfying goods such money could have been invested towards if not being pilfered into nation building, military contractor boondoggles, and supporting imperial aggression abroad.
While Romney is busy trumpeting the image of a towering, maniacal Iran on the precipice of waging world war, as syndicated columnist Eric Margolis points out [20], Iran’s military, in actuality, is quite weak and utilizes dated equipment.
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Pat Robertson: Pot Should Be Legal Like Alcohol
The outspoken evangelical Christian and host of "The 700 Club" on the Virginia Beach-based Christian Broadcasting Network he founded said the war on drugs is costing taxpayers billions of dollars. He said people should not be sent to prison for marijuana possession.
The 81-year-old first became a self-proclaimed "hero of the hippie culture" in 2010 when called for ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions.
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Pink Slime For School Lunch: Government Buying 7 Million Pounds Of Ammonia-Treated Meat For Meals
Pink slime -- that ammonia-treated meat in a bright Pepto-bismol shade -- may have been rejected by fast food joints like McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King, but is being brought in by the tons for the nation's school lunch program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is purchasing 7 million pounds of the "slime" for school lunches, The Daily reports. Officially termed "Lean Beef Trimmings," the product is a ground-up combination of beef scraps, cow connective tissues and other beef trimmings that are treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. It's then blended into traditional meat products like ground beef and hamburger patties.
"We originally called it soylent pink," microbiologist Carl Custer, who worked at the Food Safety Inspection Service for 35 years, told The Daily. "We looked at the product and we objected to it because it used connective tissues instead of muscle. It was simply not nutritionally equivalent [to ground beef]. My main objection was that it was not meat."
Custer and microbiologist Gerald Zernstein concluded in a study that the trimmings are a "high risk product," but Zernstein tells The Daily that "scientists in D.C. were pressured to approve this stuff with minimal safety approval" under President George H.W. Bush's administration. The USDA asserts that its ground beef purchases "meet the highest standard for food safety."
Remains Of Newborn Infant Found In Trunk Of Car
Police discovered the remains around 6:40 p.m. after a man called to say he found the dead baby inside the vehicle, which was located in the 5400 block of Hallowing Point Road near Prince Frederick.
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Former Veteran Affairs Official Gets 5 Years
Romney Really Might Not Have The Delegates By June
While Romney had a good night on Super Tuesday, the truth is that he did nothing to alter the basic regional nature of his support. He won handily in New England and the West, essentially tied in the Midwest, and ran poorly in the South.
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Does It Ever End
The House and Senate both need to pass a transportation bill before the current extension runs out at the end of this month. Otherwise, the federal government would lose the authority to collect gasoline taxes and spend money from the highway trust fund.
Arpaio Investigation: Obama Might Be Kenyan
Among the records missing for Barack Obama that would be available for an ordinary president are passport records, school records such as those from Punahou, Occidental, Columbia and Harvard, Harvard Law Review writings, scholarly articles for the University of Chicago, state bar association records from Illinois, Illinois state senate records, the marriage and divorce documents for his mother, his adoption records and others.
Obama, it appears, is no ordinary president ...
Ocean City Collective Bargaining-General Employees
Proud Ocean City Employee with 33 yrs. experience
FBI No Longer Using GPS
LulzSec-Linked Hacker Mocked 9/11, Threatened to Burn Down White House
A top hacker who worked closely with LulzSec leader Sabu is a committed anarchist who mocked the 9/11 attacks, spoke of burning down the White House and ridiculed pacifist protesters for not using violence to achieve their means, FoxNews.com has learned.
Jeremy Hammond, whose online handles “Anarchaos” and “crediblethreat” and “tylerknowsthis” underscored his virulent anti-government beliefs, was arrested up Tuesday in Chicago as part of an international sweep netting top members of the hacker group LulzSec and its affiliates. The 27-year-old is a self-styled anarchist whose admirers call a modern day Robin Hood. He took credit for the massive attack on the global intelligence company Stratfor and even embraced being branded a “terrorist” in a speech at a 2004 hacker convention caught on video.
“One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist,” Hammond told the audience at the annual DefCon hackers conference in Las Vegas 2004. “So let them call us terrorists,” he added moments later. “I’ll still bomb their buildings.”
Republicans Are Losing The Obamacare Debate
Source
Bill Would Close Loopholes In Referendum Law
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Maryland could have highest tax rates in US on certain tobacco products
The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a proposed tax hike on cigars and smokeless tobacco products that could reach as high as 95%, but would exempt premium cigars. If passed, Maryland would have the highest tax rates on non-premium cigars and smokeless tobacco in the U.S., according to the Cigar Association of America.
Poverty Doubled In America Over Past 15 Years
New Ads Pitch Marine Corps' Kinder, Gentler Side
WASHINGTON (AP) - They've long been known as devil dogs, leathernecks and "the first to fight." But U.S. Marines, with their self-described expertise in "killing people and breaking things," now want to promote their kinder side as well.
A new Marine Corps advertising campaign starting this weekend takes its cue from research showing today's recruit-age generation is interested in helping people. So the campaign is crafted to show Marines not only as warriors but as humanitarians and peacekeepers; not only as courageous but also as compassionate.
Photos and videos to be distributed on television, in American movie theaters, on YouTube and elsewhere show Marines talking with children; bringing food, water and medical supplies to Haitian earthquake victims, and clearing rubble from a tsunami-devastated Japanese village. These missions aren't a new role for the Marines, but they are ones the force expects to do more of as it's freed from a decade of fighting land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and returns to its seafaring, expeditionary rootsMore
Columbine Father---12 Years Later
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA -because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
" Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
Darrell Scott
White House Pushes Back on Report of Deal With Israelis Over Iran Strike
The White House artfully pushed back Thursday on a report in an Israeli newspaper that claimed the U.S. offered Israel high-tech weaponry like bunker-busting bombs and refueling planes in exchange for a pledge to hold off on attacking Iran until 2013.
Press Secretary Jay Carney, asked about the article at the daily briefing, said "there was no such agreement proposed or reached" in meetings President Obama held -- without appearing to comment on what other officials might have discussed.
"We have ... high-level cooperation between the Israeli military and the U.S. military, at other levels with other agencies in their government and our government, but that was not a subject of discussion in the president's meetings," Carney said.
Defense officials, though, told Fox News that no "sweeteners" were offered to the Israelis during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit this past week.
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
MARCH 12, 2012 6:00 p.m.
Government Office Building Room 301
Times shown for agenda items are estimates only.
6:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER
6:01 p.m. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:06 p.m. INVOCATION/MEDITATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
6:08 p.m. ADOPTION OF LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
6:10 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA – Acting City Clerk Kim Nichols
February 21, 2012 work session minutes
February 21, 2012 closed session minutes
February 24, 2012 closed session minutes
February 27, 2012 regular meeting minutes
February 27, 2012 closed session minutes
6:15 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Assistant Internal Services Director-Procurement Catrice
Parsons
Change Order #1 Citywide Milling Program
6:30 p.m. RESOLUTIONS – City Administrator John Pick
Resolution No. 2150 - accepting gift of $4,879.12 for a mid block pedestrian
crosswalk on Milford Street
Resolution No. 2151 - approving terms and conditions for MDE Loan (Milford
Street water tower)
6:45 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Mark Tilghman
Ordinance No. 2194 - 2nd reading - establishing the Harbor Pointe Planned
Residential District as a special assessment district for the purpose of financing
the cost of a sidewalk by assessing each lot owner
Ordinance No. 2195 - 1st reading - FY12 budget amendment to appropriate
the funds received from the Local Government Insurance Trust for damage
incurred by a lightning strike to the Salisbury Zoo’s telephone and Internet
systems
7:00 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
7:15 p.m. ADJOURNMENT
Michigan cuts off food aid for $1-million lottery winner
Beware of too much good luck, warns a classic Greek myth – a lesson that a Michigan woman who won a $1-million state lottery jackpot has learned the hard way.
Michigan’s Department of Human Services has cut off $200 a month in food aid to Amanda Clayton in the wake of media reports that she had won $1 million in the state lottery in September. To make matters worse for Clayton, who lives in Lincoln Park near Detroit, her case has been turned over to state anti-fraud officials.
Clayton, who has two children, won the lottery in September but never told state officials that her wealth status had changed. The 24-year-old woman used the jackpot money to buy a new home and car, but continued to get $200 a month from the state to feed her family, relatives have told local television and newspaper reporters.
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Richard Douglas On Today's Keystone XL Pipeline Senate Vote
Maryland U.S. Senate Candidate Richard Douglas released the following statement:
"By delaying yet again the Keystone XL Pipeline, the elitist and out-of-touch U.S. Senate and the Administration sent a blunt message to American workers: drop dead. U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Harry Reid have no concept of the impact on workers which follows the death of projects like Keystone.
"At the very moment when Maryland legislators are considering hiking the gas tax and the President himself has acknowledged soaring fuel prices is an election issue, Ben Cardin comfortably votes the party line at the expense of hard-working families and those looking for work.
"The fact is the Keystone pipeline is a direct benefit to workers in Cumberland, Salisbury, Sparrows Point and every other place in America struggling to maintain a manufacturing-based economy."