These pictures are LIVE at Chick-Fil-A at 8:00 PM. The McDonalds up the street is almost empty.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Chick-Fil-A Still Going Crazy With First Amendment Customers Tonight
These pictures are LIVE at Chick-Fil-A at 8:00 PM. The McDonalds up the street is almost empty.
A Bunch Of Wendy's Restaurants Put Up Signs That Say 'We Stand With Chick-Fil-A'
Jim Furman, CEO of Tarheel Capital, is one of Wendy's biggest franchise owners (he has 86 locations), and he's making his support for Chick-fil-A known.
This morning, several of his Wendy's locations in North Carolina put up signs that read, "We stand with Chick-fil-A," reports the L.A. Times.
At least one of his South Carolina restaurants did the same, according to WBTV 3.
The signs were taken down a few hours after they went up.
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Scranton Pays Up Owed Income Plus Interest To City Employees
City employees in Scranton who earlier this month saw their pay slashed to paid minimum wage over a dispute between city leaders will soon get the money owed them, plus interest.
With the pay reinstated, John Judge, president of the local firefighters union, said he was “cautiously optimistic” the city’s latest financial crisis is over.
Earlier this month Scranton attracted international attention when Mayor Chris Doherty, a Democrat, said the city was unable to meet its million-dollar payroll, and he ordered all 400 city workers to be paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Doherty, whose salary is $50,000 a year, slashed his own pay along with police, firefighters and public works employees.
Politicians Who Look Like Disney Characters
This phenomenon appears to take place with particular frequency in the realm of politics, where a number of politicians seem to be taking cues from characters in the world of Disney.
See more Photos HERE
Black Pastors Launch Campaign Opposing Gay Marriage, Warn Obama We ‘Will Not Stand With You’
The Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP) announced at the
National Press Club on Tuesday that the grassroots group - comprised of
the more than 3,000 members - is a launching a national campaign
to support marriage between one man and one woman and to oppose the
Obama administration’s efforts to advance same-sex marriage.
“The time has come for a broad-based assault against the power that be that wants to change our culture to one of men marrying men and women marrying women,” CAAP President William Owens said at the press conference, held to announce the Marriage Mandate campaign, which includes a petition seeking 100,000 signatures pledging support for traditional marriage.
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“The time has come for a broad-based assault against the power that be that wants to change our culture to one of men marrying men and women marrying women,” CAAP President William Owens said at the press conference, held to announce the Marriage Mandate campaign, which includes a petition seeking 100,000 signatures pledging support for traditional marriage.
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Was America's Economic Collapse Planned?
In his endorsement of Kevin Freeman’s eye-opening book, “Secret Weapon: How Economic Terrorism Brought Down the U.S. Stock Market and Why It Can Happen Again,” former Congressman Fred Grandy mentions the “steady progress of jihad against America and its allies.”
That’s a very interesting phrase, and I think provides a key plank in understanding Freeman’s thesis that finance is as much tied to terror as bombs. “Secret Weapon” is breaking new ground in research, and I was impressed with it.
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That’s a very interesting phrase, and I think provides a key plank in understanding Freeman’s thesis that finance is as much tied to terror as bombs. “Secret Weapon” is breaking new ground in research, and I was impressed with it.
More
Ugly Americans: To Justify Appalling Behavior, Media Distorts Romney's Overseas Press Availability
Question: Which is worse? Screaming shrill, partisan questions in a sacred place or being told to kiss an ass for doing so?
Less than a hundred yards from Poland's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and in obvious coordination with one another, the media conspired to fabricate a gaffe to feed their insatiable anti-Romney narrative about his overseas trip.What we're seeing now is that in order to justify their screaming of shrill, partisan questions within throwing distance of a sacred place (talk about epitomizing the Ugly American stereotype), the media is now lying through an act omission by fabricating the idea that this was all Romney's fault because he refused to make himself available to the media.
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Woman Pulls Car Off Dad, Performs CPR To Save His Life
Lauren Kornacki learned CPR several times. For years, she's worked as a lifeguard.
And, just a few days ago, she attended a CPR refresher course - never knowing it would come in handy so quickly.
On Saturday, the 22-year-old Mary Washington graduate saved her father's life, Fox 19 reported.
D.C. Students Being Paid For Summer School
The District is paying 305 students with poor academic and behavioral records to attend summer school, The Washington Examiner has learned.
The rising ninth-graders are earning $5.25 an hour to participate in the "Summer Bridge" program, which targets students identified by D.C. Public Schools as less likely than their peers to graduate high school within four years.
The 95 students who voluntarily signed up for the summer school program will receive half of an elective credit. But to fill the 400-student session with at-risk students, DCPS reached out to the Department of Employment Services. More than 300 students flagged by DCPS and who had signed up for the Summer Youth Employment Program were told that school would be their jobs this summer.
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The rising ninth-graders are earning $5.25 an hour to participate in the "Summer Bridge" program, which targets students identified by D.C. Public Schools as less likely than their peers to graduate high school within four years.
The 95 students who voluntarily signed up for the summer school program will receive half of an elective credit. But to fill the 400-student session with at-risk students, DCPS reached out to the Department of Employment Services. More than 300 students flagged by DCPS and who had signed up for the Summer Youth Employment Program were told that school would be their jobs this summer.
More
BREAKING NEWS: House OKs GOP Tax Plan
Republican-led House approves bill maintaining tax rates for all Americans after it defeated a Democratic bill that included a tax increase for top earners.
From Fox News
From Fox News
List Of Top 10 Consumer Complaints Released
Consumers want to spend their money on good service and products, but that's not always what they get.
The results were formed from 290,000 complaints from 2010.
More
Tuesday, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and
the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI) released
the results of their survey of the top 10 consumer complaints.
The results were formed from 290,000 complaints from 2010.
More
11-Year-Old Boy Roams Chicago Streets With Molotov Cocktail, Lighter
Police are interviewing an 11-year-old boy after he was seen roaming
the streets of Chicago on Monday night holding a Molotov cocktail in one
hand and a what looked like a lighter in the other, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The boy was apparently holding a 12-ounce beer bottle filled with what police suspect was gasoline with a cloth wick sticking out of the top of the bottle. Another person close to him was reportedly holding a gas can, according to police.
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The boy was apparently holding a 12-ounce beer bottle filled with what police suspect was gasoline with a cloth wick sticking out of the top of the bottle. Another person close to him was reportedly holding a gas can, according to police.
More
Overhaul, New Exhibit Planned for National Aquarium
A planned $12.5 million coral reef exhibit will be the first step toward a rejuvenated National Aquarium, officials said this week.
The Wings in the Water exhibit, the centerpiece of the Pier 3 Pavilion and a home for rays, sharks and other large fish, will be turned into what officials are calling Blacktip Reef. The replica of an Indo-Pacific Coral Reef — thinkAustralia'sGreat Barrier Reef, though much smaller — it will be home to a school of more than a dozen sharks, plus other creatures that call such habitats home.
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The Wings in the Water exhibit, the centerpiece of the Pier 3 Pavilion and a home for rays, sharks and other large fish, will be turned into what officials are calling Blacktip Reef. The replica of an Indo-Pacific Coral Reef — thinkAustralia'sGreat Barrier Reef, though much smaller — it will be home to a school of more than a dozen sharks, plus other creatures that call such habitats home.
More
Maryland Sells $727 Million In General Obligation Bonds
ANNAPOLIS (August 1, 2012) – Maryland State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp announced that the Board of Public Works (BPW), composed of Governor Martin O’Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Kopp, completed the sale of $727,025,000 of General Obligation bonds today in five series, including the direct retail sale of $26.34 million of Series A bonds which sold on July 27 and 30 exclusively to retail investors and with first priority to Maryland citizens.
The direct retail bond sale (Series A), conducted through a group of underwriters led by Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., carried a true interest rate of 2.52%. The net premium was $3,826,554.
Treasurer Kopp said, “The State of Maryland was very successful in today’s sale of General Obligation bonds, achieving an interest rate that is the second lowest for the State since 1988. This historically low interest rate means that Maryland’s schools, colleges, hospitals, prisons and cultural projects can be built at an unusually reduced cost. This is good news for the taxpayers of Maryland. It is also good news that all Marylanders who wanted to do so were able to buy the State’s high-quality bonds during the retail sale. Their investment in Maryland in turn will allow Maryland to invest in projects that benefit communities throughout the State.”
Competitive sales for Series B, Series C, Series D and Series E occurred at today’s BPW meeting. The State received bids for the $478,660,000 of Tax-Exempt Bonds (Series B), the $23,000,000 of Taxable Bonds (Series C), the $15,230,000 of Taxable Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (Series D) and the $183,795,000 of Tax-Exempt Refunding Bonds (Series E). The Series D Bonds are eligible for direct federal subsidies that will reduce the interest cost below a comparable tax-exempt bond. The Series E Refunding Bonds will reduce the State’s debt service costs by approximately $16.1 million.
In today’s competitive sales: $478.66 million in tax-exempt bonds in Series B sold at a true interest cost of 2.17%; the winning bidder was Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the net premium was $70,374,981. Bank of America Merrill Lynch was also the winning bidder on the $23 million of taxable bonds in Series C. The Series C Bonds sold at a true interest cost of 0.45%. Series D, taxable Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, sold in a principal amount of $15,230,000 with a coupon of 2.8% that is eligible for a 100% interest subsidy payment from the US Treasury Department. For Series D, the net premium was $92,751 and the winning bidder was Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC. $183.795 million of Series E refunding bonds sold at a true interest cost of 1.25%; the winning bidder was J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC and the net premium was $41,647,797.
There were 6 bidders on Series B, 11 bidders on Series C, 10 bidders on Series D and 6 bidders on Series E.
“Today’s results were very satisfying. Again, Maryland’s Triple AAA-rated bonds drew significant interest — and a very favorable and low interest rate. Maryland taxpayers benefit not only from saving millions of dollars because of the State’s low interest rates, but also from the investment in our infrastructure that these bond proceeds provide.” Treasurer Kopp said.
Maryland is one of only eight states to currently hold the AAA rating, the highest possible rating, from all three bond rating agencies. The Triple AAA was affirmed as recently as July 19, 2012, in anticipation of this bond sale.
The Maryland State Treasurer’s
The direct retail bond sale (Series A), conducted through a group of underwriters led by Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., carried a true interest rate of 2.52%. The net premium was $3,826,554.
Treasurer Kopp said, “The State of Maryland was very successful in today’s sale of General Obligation bonds, achieving an interest rate that is the second lowest for the State since 1988. This historically low interest rate means that Maryland’s schools, colleges, hospitals, prisons and cultural projects can be built at an unusually reduced cost. This is good news for the taxpayers of Maryland. It is also good news that all Marylanders who wanted to do so were able to buy the State’s high-quality bonds during the retail sale. Their investment in Maryland in turn will allow Maryland to invest in projects that benefit communities throughout the State.”
Competitive sales for Series B, Series C, Series D and Series E occurred at today’s BPW meeting. The State received bids for the $478,660,000 of Tax-Exempt Bonds (Series B), the $23,000,000 of Taxable Bonds (Series C), the $15,230,000 of Taxable Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (Series D) and the $183,795,000 of Tax-Exempt Refunding Bonds (Series E). The Series D Bonds are eligible for direct federal subsidies that will reduce the interest cost below a comparable tax-exempt bond. The Series E Refunding Bonds will reduce the State’s debt service costs by approximately $16.1 million.
In today’s competitive sales: $478.66 million in tax-exempt bonds in Series B sold at a true interest cost of 2.17%; the winning bidder was Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the net premium was $70,374,981. Bank of America Merrill Lynch was also the winning bidder on the $23 million of taxable bonds in Series C. The Series C Bonds sold at a true interest cost of 0.45%. Series D, taxable Qualified Zone Academy Bonds, sold in a principal amount of $15,230,000 with a coupon of 2.8% that is eligible for a 100% interest subsidy payment from the US Treasury Department. For Series D, the net premium was $92,751 and the winning bidder was Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC. $183.795 million of Series E refunding bonds sold at a true interest cost of 1.25%; the winning bidder was J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC and the net premium was $41,647,797.
There were 6 bidders on Series B, 11 bidders on Series C, 10 bidders on Series D and 6 bidders on Series E.
“Today’s results were very satisfying. Again, Maryland’s Triple AAA-rated bonds drew significant interest — and a very favorable and low interest rate. Maryland taxpayers benefit not only from saving millions of dollars because of the State’s low interest rates, but also from the investment in our infrastructure that these bond proceeds provide.” Treasurer Kopp said.
Maryland is one of only eight states to currently hold the AAA rating, the highest possible rating, from all three bond rating agencies. The Triple AAA was affirmed as recently as July 19, 2012, in anticipation of this bond sale.
The Maryland State Treasurer’s
BREAKING NEWS: House Votes Down Democrats' Tax Plan
Republican-led House defeats bill passed by Democrat-led Senate to maintain tax rates for most Americans but raise them for top earners.
From Fox News
From Fox News
‘Nobody 2012’: Occupy Wall Street Turns on Obama
When the Occupy Wall Street movement first emerged, there was an
understandable rush to compare it to the Tea Party. Both movements
suffered from initial image problems (though the Tea Party overcame them
far more quickly), both movements were created by insurgent, grassroots
forces opposed to established political trends, both took aim at large,
comfortable institutions and both were essentially phenomena that began
with a party’s base.
Yet since each movement’s inception, the end result of their activism has been completely different. Just look at the reception they each will receive at the conventions held by their respective parties. At the Republican National Convention this year, Tea Party elected Senators will be speaking. Tea Party elected politicians at all levels will be in attendance. Ideas like the Ryan plan, which may make the platform, will have come from the Tea Party, and Freedomworks will be pressuring the party to place 12 Tea Party-generated ideas on that platform.
More
Yet since each movement’s inception, the end result of their activism has been completely different. Just look at the reception they each will receive at the conventions held by their respective parties. At the Republican National Convention this year, Tea Party elected Senators will be speaking. Tea Party elected politicians at all levels will be in attendance. Ideas like the Ryan plan, which may make the platform, will have come from the Tea Party, and Freedomworks will be pressuring the party to place 12 Tea Party-generated ideas on that platform.
More
Chick-Fil-A Creates Major Traffic Jam
The people continue to speak out by showing up at Chick-Fil-A. You have to wait at the front door just to get into the restaurant.
I'm thinking I may have to get out there around 6 PM tonight. Maybe I'll bring some Albero for Mayor tee shirts to let people know this candidate supports their cause. What do you think?
From a follower: Joe,
When I got to CFA today at 12:10, the drive through line started at M&T Bank and at the turn behind WaWa from the other direction. The line was twice around the building. I counted 90 cars on Kohl's parking lot alone. I bravely got in the pedestrian line which was out the doors, and waited. By the time I got my food and sat down to eat, (Yes, there was still plenty of seats available!) it was only 40 minutes from when I had first parked!
EVERYONE there was smiling, laughing, and generally having a great time.
When I left at 1:00, I counted cars again in Kohl's lot...140! The drive up lines were just as long, and everyone was still smiling away! It is fantastic to see this kind of support for this cause.
Chick-Fil-A In The Mall Packed
There are TWO people in line in the business next to Chick-Fil-A. Once again, I'd say the people have spoken.I've been told some Wendy's restaurants are putting out signs that say, please go and support Chick-Fil-A today.
There Are 90 Cars In Their Lot Right Now
There are cars literally wrapped around the Drive Thru TWICE at Chick-Fil-A! Pictures do not lie. I am so excited for this company. I want to thank ALL of you who have shown their support towards Chick-Fil-A. Know that this Mayoral Hopeful supports Chick-Fil-A. Again, opposite extremes.
State Workers Rake In Big Bucks In Maryland, Virginia
More than 11,500 state employees in Maryland
and Virginia earn more than $100,000 annually in base salaries, led by
higher education and medical professionals, but also including state
archivists and computer specialists.
Virginia pays 6,194 workers more than $100,000 a year, while Maryland pays 5,501 employees that amount, bringing the total to 11,695.
More
Virginia pays 6,194 workers more than $100,000 a year, while Maryland pays 5,501 employees that amount, bringing the total to 11,695.
More
"Buy Local" At The Riverside Arts & Crafts Market
Each Saturday at Riverside Arts & Crafts Market residents will find original art and unique craft items designed and created by local entrepreneurs. Purchasing these one-of-a-kind treasures offers another way that residents can "buy local" and ensure that their dollars return to the local economy. Vendors vary week-to-week, so customers may see new items weekly. Some artisans also offer special order items. This week customers may select from original acrylic and oil paintings and abstract geometric prints, dichroic fused glass jewelry that twinkles with reflected light, stained glass and ceramic creations, photographs of historic regional train stations, and charming hand-crafted fabric bears that can entertain a little one or be the start of a collection. To see recent photos, visit Riverside Market's Facebook page.
Riverside Arts & Crafts Market is an outdoor market held from 9-2 each Saturday (weather- permitting) in downtown Salisbury on the river at W. Main and Lake St. near Chesapeake East, Yum Café and Brew River. Driving from the Farmer's Market or Park & Flea, take Main Street through the Downtown Plaza and across the drawbridge. Follow the signs. Parking nearby.
The Market is a project of the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District Committee. Artists interested in participating as vendors must apply in advance by contacting riversidearts1@gmail.com.
Hope to see you this Saturday!
Washington's New Massive Snooping Plan – 'Biosurveillance'
WASHINGTON – First there were satellites in the sky that could read license plates from space.
Then there were cameras on every major street and highway.
Then there were full-body scans at airports.
Then came the proliferation of drones over the skies of America.
Barack Obama announced today the next phase of government national surveillance – with a budget of billions.
It’s called “the National Strategy for Biosurveillance.”
But, don’t worry, it’s all for the public good, health and safety, officials say.
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Then there were cameras on every major street and highway.
Then there were full-body scans at airports.
Then came the proliferation of drones over the skies of America.
Barack Obama announced today the next phase of government national surveillance – with a budget of billions.
It’s called “the National Strategy for Biosurveillance.”
But, don’t worry, it’s all for the public good, health and safety, officials say.
More
Police And Protesters Clash In Anaheim
Tensions have been high for more than a week in Anaheim after two fatal shootings by police – one involving an unarmed man and another involving an allegedly handcuffed man.
Last weekend authorities fired rubber bullets at a crowd of protesters and arrested 24 people during violent clashes last Tuesday.
On Sunday more than 200 demonstrators gathered outside of police headquarters before deciding to take the protest to Disneyland. Police in heavy military gear were not about to let that happen:
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Last weekend authorities fired rubber bullets at a crowd of protesters and arrested 24 people during violent clashes last Tuesday.
On Sunday more than 200 demonstrators gathered outside of police headquarters before deciding to take the protest to Disneyland. Police in heavy military gear were not about to let that happen:
More
White House: We Don’t Have That Churchill Bust, After All
When Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney criticized President Obama for
sending a bust of Winston Churchill back to England – a charge that was
repeated by syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer – the White House
initially responded with immediate, cutting defensiveness. Specifically,
White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer fired back
on the charge, calling it a “rumor” that was “patently false,“ and
citing Krauthammer as someone who had ”repeated this ridiculous claim.”
In fact, Pfeiffer went so far as to post a picture of President Obama
and British Prime Minister David Cameron looking at a bust of Churchill,
presumably the bust in question.
More
More
How Algae Could Be The Biofuel Of The Future
For decades, scientists have been trying to harness tiny plants called algae to make fuel. This algae-based fuel could be a viable alternative to the traditional petroleum-based fuel we use today, studies have shown.
Click here to see how algae is converted into biofuel >
These algae are a huge group of microorganisms that grow naturally over the world, in many different environments — some examples are seaweed (a multicellular form) and pondscum (single-celled algae). Like other plants, algae use the energy from the sun to create sugars, which they live off of. Some of them contain a high amount of fatty molecules, similar to vegetable oils, that can be converted into biodiesel.
‘Criminals’: Former Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Says America Will Be ‘Brought To Its Knees’
The Muslim Brotherhood has been the focus of significant
media and administration attention in recent months, as the United
States tries to conclude where the organization truly stands.
Is it a “largely secular,” reformed organization as James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence believes? Or is it simply biding its time until it has amassed enough influence to be a credible threat?
Today, Leon Panetta met with Egypt’s new Islamist President Muhammad Morsi, who is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and said he is “convinced“ that Morsi ”is truly committed to implementing democratic reforms here in Egypt.”
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Is it a “largely secular,” reformed organization as James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence believes? Or is it simply biding its time until it has amassed enough influence to be a credible threat?
Today, Leon Panetta met with Egypt’s new Islamist President Muhammad Morsi, who is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and said he is “convinced“ that Morsi ”is truly committed to implementing democratic reforms here in Egypt.”
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STORY TIME – WHEN DID YOU WAKE UP?
Dustwallow suggested a thread on when people woke up and realized our economic and political system was corrupt, rigged, dysfunctional, and designed to benefit the few at the expense of the many. I’ll start it off.
I turned 40 in 2003. I knew the world had changed after 9/11 but I was still a diehard Republican. I had voted for Bush in 2000. I was outraged by the 9/11 terrorist attack and fully supported the invasion of Afghanistan. I didn’t question the rapid passage of the Patriot Act. I had never even heard of Ron Paul. I also believed the rhetoric from the Bush administration leading up to the Iraq War. I particularly trusted Colin Powell, so when he went before the world showing pictures of weapons sites and mobile labs, I was convinced.
As the Iraq War got under way and no weapons of mass destruction were found, I began to question the entire story. This coincided with my personal disillusionment with the company I had helped go from $80 million in revenue to $1 billion in revenue. My fourteen years of dedicated service was ending badly as a clueless CEO ruined the company and people I thought were friends threw me under the bus.
After leaving IKEA and being so angry at Bush’s lies that I actually voted for Kerry in 2004, I began to read the writings of Bill Bonner, John Mauldin, Richard Russell, John Hussman, Robert Shiller, Doug Casey, and many of the websites listed on the side of this page. These people opened my eyes to the evils of the Federal Reserve, inflation and debt financed “prosperity”. I began following Ron Paul and reading his
More
I turned 40 in 2003. I knew the world had changed after 9/11 but I was still a diehard Republican. I had voted for Bush in 2000. I was outraged by the 9/11 terrorist attack and fully supported the invasion of Afghanistan. I didn’t question the rapid passage of the Patriot Act. I had never even heard of Ron Paul. I also believed the rhetoric from the Bush administration leading up to the Iraq War. I particularly trusted Colin Powell, so when he went before the world showing pictures of weapons sites and mobile labs, I was convinced.
As the Iraq War got under way and no weapons of mass destruction were found, I began to question the entire story. This coincided with my personal disillusionment with the company I had helped go from $80 million in revenue to $1 billion in revenue. My fourteen years of dedicated service was ending badly as a clueless CEO ruined the company and people I thought were friends threw me under the bus.
After leaving IKEA and being so angry at Bush’s lies that I actually voted for Kerry in 2004, I began to read the writings of Bill Bonner, John Mauldin, Richard Russell, John Hussman, Robert Shiller, Doug Casey, and many of the websites listed on the side of this page. These people opened my eyes to the evils of the Federal Reserve, inflation and debt financed “prosperity”. I began following Ron Paul and reading his
More
Inhofe: Obama Administration 'Doesn't Want All These Pink Slips Going Out 5 Days Before Election'
President Obama is trying to prevent thousands of layoff notices from
going out a few days before the November election, Sen. Jame Inhofe
(R-Okla.) said on Tuesday.
Obama's Labor Department on Monday issued "guidance" to the states, telling them that a federal law requiring advance notice of mass layoffs does not apply to the layoffs that may occur in January as a result of automatic budget cuts known as "sequestration."
More
Obama's Labor Department on Monday issued "guidance" to the states, telling them that a federal law requiring advance notice of mass layoffs does not apply to the layoffs that may occur in January as a result of automatic budget cuts known as "sequestration."
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How Obama Lost The Middle Class
When I saw that James Carville and Stan Greenberg had just published It's the Middle Class, Stupid! (Blue Rider Press), I knew that I would want to read it. I had always liked Carville's We're Right, They're Wrong and wanted to know his take on approaching the declining fortunes of the middle class.
While this book includes some diagnosis of the problems and has a very detailed and very good set of policy proposals, primarily it is a work on political strategy. Based on polling and focus groups the authors have conducted over the last several years (as well as their long experience running campaigns and polling), Carville and Greenberg analyze what they consider some of the political failures of the Obama Administration, particularly with regards to messaging.
More
While this book includes some diagnosis of the problems and has a very detailed and very good set of policy proposals, primarily it is a work on political strategy. Based on polling and focus groups the authors have conducted over the last several years (as well as their long experience running campaigns and polling), Carville and Greenberg analyze what they consider some of the political failures of the Obama Administration, particularly with regards to messaging.
More
Mom Booted From Hospital As Baby Snatched
A social worker who called police after apparently making up a story
about a possible danger to a newborn, and the hospital that then gave a
shot to the infant based on the social worker’s story, now want a
federal court to ignore their actions.
According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, which brought a case against the Hershey Medical Center and social worker Angelica Lopez-Heagy on behalf of Scott and Jodi Ferris, the defendants have asked the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to dismiss the claim.
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According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, which brought a case against the Hershey Medical Center and social worker Angelica Lopez-Heagy on behalf of Scott and Jodi Ferris, the defendants have asked the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to dismiss the claim.
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Treasury Admits It Underestimated Debt Needs, Predicts Ceiling Breach In 2012; $600 Billion More Debt In Second Half
Back on April 30, when the US Treasury, together with the TBAC chaired by Matt Zames (who as everyone knows is being groomed to take over JPMorgan after Jamie gracefully steps down) sat down put together its latest debt funding needs projection, we openly mocked [6]the numbers when we said "Now obviously we are all for the US needing less debt, however we wonder: did the US discover some magical source of tax revenue: last we checked the companies with $100+ billion in cash were paying virtually zero taxes, and US workers were making less and less courtesy of more and more jobs being converted into temp jobs with lower wages, and less withheld tax as a result." Sure enough, minutes ago the Treasury just admitted [7]what we and our readers knew all along: in its quarterly Treasury refunding appetizer, it noted that during the "September 2012 quarter, Treasury expects to issue $276 billion in net marketable debt, assuming an end-of-September cash balance of $60 billion. This borrowing estimate is $12 billion higher than announced in April 2012. The increase is primarily due to lower receipts, higher outlays, redemptions of portfolio holdings by the Federal Reserve System, and higher issuances of State and Local Government securities." In other words: if only it wasn't for that pesky lack of revenue and excess spending our mocking would have been for nothing. Alas, it was spot on, and as a result instead of needing $253 billion in fiscal Q4, the US will need $272 billion (after having a $5 greater financing need in fiscal Q3, calendar Q1 as also expected).
Finally, in calendar Q4, the Treasury expects to get back to its roots, at which point it will need $331 billion in debt, 21% more than in calendar Q3, and 17% more than in calendar Q4 of 2011.
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Finally, in calendar Q4, the Treasury expects to get back to its roots, at which point it will need $331 billion in debt, 21% more than in calendar Q3, and 17% more than in calendar Q4 of 2011.
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Gov’t Bars Fannie-Freddie From Reducing Principal
A federal regulator is standing by its decision to bar Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac from reducing principal for borrowers at risk of
foreclosure, resisting pressure from the Obama administration.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the decision Tuesday after months of considering the option.
The agency’s acting director, Edward DeMarco, has long opposed allowing Fannie and Freddie to offer principal reduction.
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The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced the decision Tuesday after months of considering the option.
The agency’s acting director, Edward DeMarco, has long opposed allowing Fannie and Freddie to offer principal reduction.
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No More Minimum Wage For Cops & Firefighters
Cops and Firefights in Scranton, Pennsylvania will again receive the paychecks they're entitled to. After Scranton Mayor Chis Doherty reduced the pay of his city's public workers – including cops and firefighters – down to minimum wage, arguing his city can't afford it – three public sector unions in the city took the mayor to court challenging the pay cuts. Now, a deal has been worked out- and Mayor Doherty has promised to restore his public workers' pay with interest on the backlogged salaries. During a time when public works are assault all around the country, it's nice to hear some good news.
Egyptian Co. Releases Pics of What a Sharia-Compliant Vacation Looks Like (And You’ll Want to See Them)
The company, Cairo-based Shouq Travel, actually calls the vacations “halal,” meaning they are acceptable by Islamic law, but the entire concept has been dubbed “sharia tourism” by a number of sites.
The company’s website advertises: “Shouq Travel [provides destinations] to all Muslim families are committed to ‘Sharia,’ and includes hotels [that] do not provide alcohol, [and] all swimming pools, and health facilities [separate] men and women…”
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India Is In Trouble
The nation of India is dealing with an energy crisis, which has led to the largest blackout in the history of the world. Half the country went dark on Tuesday, as India's power grids collapsed – leaving 620 million people without electricity. The blackout raises questions about India's infrastructure and its capability to sustain an emerging superpower economy. The problem was made worse by a monsoon season with unseasonably warm temperatures, suggesting that as the climate crisis picks up, developing nations could be hardest hit by freak weather.
Ron Paul’s Not Done Yet
The dedicated fans of Rep. Ron Paul are determined to make a big noise at the Republican National Convention, and the Texas Republican is raising money to get them there. Mr. Paul says he’s told his campaign staff to offer financial assistance to “pro-liberty delegates” who can’t afford to journey to Tampa, Fla., at month’s end; the lawmaker has sent out an impassioned plea for contributions to help with their travel and lodging.
“This is incredibly important for a number of reasons. First, the convention is our opportunity to plant our flag and show that our Liberty movement is the future of the GOP,” Mr. Paul says. “Second, we’re expecting a credentials battle at the convention to ensure the national GOP doesn’t just ‘look the other way’ at some of the dirty tricks my supporters had to deal with in many states.”
Obama Is Not Going To Win
President Obama will likely become the first ever incumbent President to be outraised by his opponent in his re-election bid. And in a desperate attempt to even the playing field just slightly before November – the President has been forced to hold endless fundraisers. As the Center for American Progress reveals, President Obama has already held nearly 200 fundraisers during his first term in office. To put that in perspective, George. W Bush held slightly more than 80, and President Clinton held roughly 70. But in the post-Citizens United era when billionaires can dump their fortunes into our elections, then politicians are forced to endlessly raise money. And it's not just President Obama, Members of Congress are stuck in this trap, too. If the average House Member spent 40 hours a week fundraising, he or she would need to raise, on average, $367 an hour. For a Senator, $819 an hour. This is one of the biggest problems facing our democracy. We elect our representatives to go to Washington and represent our interests. But in reality what they do is fundraise, fundraise, fundraise – giving those with deep pockets more influence than average voters like you and me. To fix this – we need to get money out of politics. Go to MoveToAmend.org.
Democratic Party Supports Marriage Equality
The Democratic Party is officially the party of equality. On Monday, the Democratic Party platform drafting committee officially added marriage equality to the Democratic platform. In addition to supporting same-sex marriage, Democrats are also officially supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – which forbids employers from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, led by Speaker of the House John Boehner using taxpayer dollars to continue defending the discriminatory Defense Against Marriage Act. So while Democrats are moving into the 21st century and supporting civil rights for all. Republicans are content being the Party of dinosaurs.
Alzheimer's Drugs Do Little To Slow Disease, Our Analysis Shows
Alzheimer's disease gradually destroys the brain, robbing people of their ability to remember, complete everyday tasks, and function on their own. Sadly, drugs to treat the disease, including Aricept and Namenda, don't work well. And even when they do, it's only in a few people. Since there are no other options, some will want to try these drugs anyway, but it's a gamble most people won't win. That's why our new CR Best Buy Drugs report on Alzheimer's medications doesn't recommend any of them as Best Buy picks.
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The Emperor's New School Uniform
I am a third generation educator. I also have nothing against school uniforms. I wore one from my first day of school until I graduated high school. My problem is with lazy, politically expedient decision making -- which is a fair characterization of the school board's imposition of school uniforms.
First, some background from a conversation with the school administrator who spearheaded the initiative for school uniforms. He mentioned that the idea came from a parent in his school. He also said that the school board researched the idea, and found no evidence that school uniforms in and of themselves impacted student test scores, behavior or engagement/pride in school. That is an accurate summary of the research literature. One can always find examples that support a predetermined position -- some research says uniforms work and more shows they don't. The issue here is critical and thoughtful analysis. This was not done. If it was, the board would have concluded that on both sides of the issue the research is methodologically weak, has poor statistical controls, and suffers from sophomoric and wholly inappropriate statistical analysis. The handful of studies that meet a minimum good practice criteria uniformly show (pun intended) that school uniforms do not impact student outcomes.
I mentioned this to my administrator friend. He agreed, and then stunned me by saying, "we're doing it anyway." So some schools are changing to school uniforms and expecting improved test scores, reduced bullying and improved school pride. All from a new pair of slacks and polo shirts. Which begs the question -- what other magical powers do clothes have?
Here are some outstanding issues I'd like the board to publically clarify:
» This is not being implemented district-wide. If uniforms are so beneficial, why withhold such an educational bounty from the majority of students in the district?
» Participation in the program was voluntary. It is curious that only Title I schools "volunteered."
» A survey was held where there had to be a 70 percent parent response rate and 60 percent of those parents had to be in favor for a school to adopt the uniform policy. I requested a copy of the data so that I could independently verify the results -- I have yet to receive a copy.
» The district sent out a flyer extolling the virtues of uniforms that was either unintentionally misleading or knowingly false. Why?
So why would the school board do this? The answer is simple -- political expediency. It looks like they're actually doing something when in reality they are doing absolutely nothing. There is the added bonus that implementing this program doesn't cost the school board one red cent. The cost is carried by the parents of the children in the Title I schools. Those with the least financial means are now required to purchase school uniforms.
When I brought this to the attention of my administrator friend, his response was, "We'll give people a voucher."
I received my vouchers on the last day of school. I ripped them up.
David F. Lopez
First, some background from a conversation with the school administrator who spearheaded the initiative for school uniforms. He mentioned that the idea came from a parent in his school. He also said that the school board researched the idea, and found no evidence that school uniforms in and of themselves impacted student test scores, behavior or engagement/pride in school. That is an accurate summary of the research literature. One can always find examples that support a predetermined position -- some research says uniforms work and more shows they don't. The issue here is critical and thoughtful analysis. This was not done. If it was, the board would have concluded that on both sides of the issue the research is methodologically weak, has poor statistical controls, and suffers from sophomoric and wholly inappropriate statistical analysis. The handful of studies that meet a minimum good practice criteria uniformly show (pun intended) that school uniforms do not impact student outcomes.
I mentioned this to my administrator friend. He agreed, and then stunned me by saying, "we're doing it anyway." So some schools are changing to school uniforms and expecting improved test scores, reduced bullying and improved school pride. All from a new pair of slacks and polo shirts. Which begs the question -- what other magical powers do clothes have?
Here are some outstanding issues I'd like the board to publically clarify:
» This is not being implemented district-wide. If uniforms are so beneficial, why withhold such an educational bounty from the majority of students in the district?
» Participation in the program was voluntary. It is curious that only Title I schools "volunteered."
» A survey was held where there had to be a 70 percent parent response rate and 60 percent of those parents had to be in favor for a school to adopt the uniform policy. I requested a copy of the data so that I could independently verify the results -- I have yet to receive a copy.
» The district sent out a flyer extolling the virtues of uniforms that was either unintentionally misleading or knowingly false. Why?
So why would the school board do this? The answer is simple -- political expediency. It looks like they're actually doing something when in reality they are doing absolutely nothing. There is the added bonus that implementing this program doesn't cost the school board one red cent. The cost is carried by the parents of the children in the Title I schools. Those with the least financial means are now required to purchase school uniforms.
When I brought this to the attention of my administrator friend, his response was, "We'll give people a voucher."
I received my vouchers on the last day of school. I ripped them up.
David F. Lopez
Check Out Chick-Fil-A Today
Joe,
Just took these photos today @ 11:00 AM at the north end of Salisbury. The first ones are from the middle of Kohl's parking lot across from Chick-fil-a!
More to come...
Construction Of Hearns Pond Dam Auxiliary Spillway Near Seaford Begins
Harry Reid Makes Wild Claim About Mitt
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has revealed strong, and
questionable accusations against Mitt Romney. The Nevada Democrat has told the Huffington Post that
a Bain investor called his office claiming that Romney did not pay any
taxes for 10 years. Sen. Reid and his aides have not identified the
alleged caller, and the Romney campaign has criticized the claims and
irreverent comments from Sen. Reid in regards to the late George Romney
in the Huffington Post story.
Democrats have pressed the former Massachusetts governor to release more than his 2010 tax return and 2011 estimate, which Sen. Reid insists that if revealed, would bar Romney from making it through a Senate confirmation process as a Cabinet nominee.
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Democrats have pressed the former Massachusetts governor to release more than his 2010 tax return and 2011 estimate, which Sen. Reid insists that if revealed, would bar Romney from making it through a Senate confirmation process as a Cabinet nominee.
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The Central Banking Theater Of The Absurd
The astounding hubris of central bankers is comical, but the consequences of their actions are playing out as needless tragedy.
Central bankers present themselves as Masters of the Universe. They are, but only in their own little Theater of the Absurd. In the real world, they are as clueless as any other mortals about the unintended consequences of their actions and the speed with which the corrupted, unsustainable financial Status Quo will decay and die.
The only attribute they possess in abundance is hubris. Their claims to godhood are comical when viewed in their little Theater of the Absurd, but they become tragic when the consequences of their actions play out in the real world.
Their job, such as it is, is to deflate a tottering system based on phantom assets slowly enough that it doesn't implode. Stripped of mumbo-jumbo, their strategy to accomplish this is to inflate other phantom assets to replace the phantom assets that are falling to zero.
All their promises, preening and posturing boil down to patting their breast pocket and speaking vaguely about a "secret plan" to end the crisis without bringing down the system that spawned the crisis as a consequence of its very nature.
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Central bankers present themselves as Masters of the Universe. They are, but only in their own little Theater of the Absurd. In the real world, they are as clueless as any other mortals about the unintended consequences of their actions and the speed with which the corrupted, unsustainable financial Status Quo will decay and die.
The only attribute they possess in abundance is hubris. Their claims to godhood are comical when viewed in their little Theater of the Absurd, but they become tragic when the consequences of their actions play out in the real world.
Their job, such as it is, is to deflate a tottering system based on phantom assets slowly enough that it doesn't implode. Stripped of mumbo-jumbo, their strategy to accomplish this is to inflate other phantom assets to replace the phantom assets that are falling to zero.
All their promises, preening and posturing boil down to patting their breast pocket and speaking vaguely about a "secret plan" to end the crisis without bringing down the system that spawned the crisis as a consequence of its very nature.
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Two New Castle Men Cited For Tampering With Commercial Crab Pots
NEW CASTLE - Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agents cited two New Castle men July 25 for violations of state crabbing regulations including tampering with commercial crab pots, in connection with an incident on the Delaware River in northern New Castle County.
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Audit The Fed Moves Forward!
Last week the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed my legislation calling for a full and effective audit of the Federal Reserve. Well over 300 of my Congressional colleagues supported the bill, each casting a landmark vote that marks the culmination of decades of work. We have taken a big step toward bringing transparency to the most destructive financial institution in the world.
But in many ways our work is only beginning. Despite the Senate Majority Leader's past support for similar legislation, no vote has been scheduled on my bill this year in the Senate. And only 29 Senators have cosponsored Senator Rand Paul's version of my bill in the other body. If your Senator is not listed at the link above, please contact them and ask for their support. We need to push Senate leadership to hold a vote this year.
Understand that last week's historic vote never would have taken place without the efforts of millions of Americans like you, ordinary citizens concerned about liberty and the integrity of our currency. Political elites respond to political pressure, pure and simple. They follow rather than lead. If all 100 Senators feel enough grassroots pressure, they will respond and force Senate leadership to hold what will be a very popular vote.
In fact, "Audit the Fed" is so popular that 75% of all Americans support it according to this Rasmussen poll. We are making progress.
Of course Fed apologists − including Mr. Bernanke − frequently insist that the Fed already is audited. But this is true only in the sense that it produces annual financial statements. It provides the public with its balance sheet as a fait accompli: We see only the net results of its financial transactions from the previous fiscal year in broad categories, and only after the fact.
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But in many ways our work is only beginning. Despite the Senate Majority Leader's past support for similar legislation, no vote has been scheduled on my bill this year in the Senate. And only 29 Senators have cosponsored Senator Rand Paul's version of my bill in the other body. If your Senator is not listed at the link above, please contact them and ask for their support. We need to push Senate leadership to hold a vote this year.
Understand that last week's historic vote never would have taken place without the efforts of millions of Americans like you, ordinary citizens concerned about liberty and the integrity of our currency. Political elites respond to political pressure, pure and simple. They follow rather than lead. If all 100 Senators feel enough grassroots pressure, they will respond and force Senate leadership to hold what will be a very popular vote.
In fact, "Audit the Fed" is so popular that 75% of all Americans support it according to this Rasmussen poll. We are making progress.
Of course Fed apologists − including Mr. Bernanke − frequently insist that the Fed already is audited. But this is true only in the sense that it produces annual financial statements. It provides the public with its balance sheet as a fait accompli: We see only the net results of its financial transactions from the previous fiscal year in broad categories, and only after the fact.
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How Times Have Changed
Having been born in 1936 has allowed me to witness both societal progress and retrogression. High on the list of things made better in our society are the great gains in civil liberties and economic opportunities, especially for racial minorities and women. People who are now deemed poor have a level of material wealth that would have been a pipe dream to yesteryear's poor. But despite the fact that today's Americans have achieved an unprecedented level of prosperity, we have become spiritually and morally impoverished compared with our ancestors.
Years ago, spending beyond one's means was considered a character defect. Today not only do people spend beyond their means but also there are companies that advertise on radio and TV to eliminate or reduce your credit card and mortgage debt. Students saddled with college loans have called for student loan forgiveness. Yesterday's Americans would have viewed it as morally corrupt and reprehensible to accumulate debt and then seek to avoid paying it. It's nothing less than theft. What's worse is there's little condemnation of it by the rest of us.
Earlier this year, as a result of a budget crunch, the Philadelphia School District had to lay off 91 school police officers. During the 1940s and '50s, I attended Philadelphia schools in poor neighborhoods. The only time we saw a policeman in school was during an assembly period when we had to listen to a boring lecture about safety. Because teacher assaults are tolerated – 4,000 over the past five years in Philadelphia – school police are needed. Prior to the '60s, few students would have thought of talking back to a teacher, and no one would have cursed, much less assaulted, a teacher.
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Years ago, spending beyond one's means was considered a character defect. Today not only do people spend beyond their means but also there are companies that advertise on radio and TV to eliminate or reduce your credit card and mortgage debt. Students saddled with college loans have called for student loan forgiveness. Yesterday's Americans would have viewed it as morally corrupt and reprehensible to accumulate debt and then seek to avoid paying it. It's nothing less than theft. What's worse is there's little condemnation of it by the rest of us.
Earlier this year, as a result of a budget crunch, the Philadelphia School District had to lay off 91 school police officers. During the 1940s and '50s, I attended Philadelphia schools in poor neighborhoods. The only time we saw a policeman in school was during an assembly period when we had to listen to a boring lecture about safety. Because teacher assaults are tolerated – 4,000 over the past five years in Philadelphia – school police are needed. Prior to the '60s, few students would have thought of talking back to a teacher, and no one would have cursed, much less assaulted, a teacher.
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Governor Signs Bill To Put Veterans To Work
Governor Jack Markell signed legislation creating a new effort to help put recent combat veterans to work when they return from service. The “Veterans’ Opportunity Tax Credit” will give companies a $1,500 annual tax credit for each recent veteran they hire.
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Delmarva Education Foundation Welcomes Knott As Executive Director
The board of directors of the Delmarva Education Foundation has selected Rota L. Knott to serve as its new executive director. Knott began work in her new capacity on Monday, July 23, replacing Katherine A. Harting, who has retired from the position. DEF is a nonprofit organization that helps residents of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties find money to continue their education. Its mission is to improve college access and success for residents of the lower Delmarva Peninsula.
“We are excited about the experience and talent that Rota Knott brings to DEF and at the same time we will miss Kat Harting's strong leadership,” said Michael Pennington, board president, adding, “Fortunately, Ms. Harting has agreed to continue to support DEF as a volunteer, so we will be getting the best possible outcome that could be expected from this change.”
Knott has been a resident of the Lower Shore for more than two decades and now lives in Salisbury. A graduate of Salisbury State University with a degree in communications, she has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations. Knott comes to DEF from Women Supporting Women, a breast cancer support and awareness organization; she previously worked for Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County as the ReStore manager. Knott's commitment to nonprofits over the years has included involvement as an employee, volunteer and board member. A long-time journalist, she has also worked for several local and regional publications.
“I look forward to furthering DEF’s mission by building on the strong foundation already in place and expanding our reach in the three lower counties,” Knott said. “As a recipient of scholarships and grants that covered the cost of my college education, I know firsthand how important such assistance can be to the college-bound."
For more than a decade, DEF’s trained college access advisors have provided assistance to individuals, families and groups on a wide range of topics relating to post-secondary education. DEF maintains two free, online, searchable databases to assist the community; one describes educational opportunities, while the other helps students find funding to pursue their field of choice. The DEF Scholarship Fair, planned for its second year this coming January, provides a clearinghouse of scholarship opportunities for local students. Through its College Access Program, DEF provides one-on-one and group advising at its office in Salisbury, via its website, over the phone, in schools and in the community. Through special events, such as the Scholarship Sponsors Forum and the Counselors Roundtable, DEF provides opportunities for stakeholders to explore best practices, make connections, develop new ideas and find solutions that support the organization’s mission.
DEF is funded through community support, donations and grants; all funding is returned directly to the local community through DEF’s programs and services. To learn more about DEF or to contact Knott, email rknott@delmarvaed.org, call 410-219-3336, visit the Salisbury office at 1320 Belmont Ave., Suite 403-B, Salisbury, MD 21804, or see www.delmarvaed.org
Carney Unaware Air Force One Landing at Base to Be Eliminated by Cuts
White House press secretary Jay Carney said he was unaware about
defense cuts that will close an Air Force base in Ohio--where President
Obama will be landing tomorrow aboard Air Force One.
Go HERE to see the video from the White House press briefing:
Go HERE to see the video from the White House press briefing:
Explosion Aboard OC Transit Park And Ride Bus
Has anyone reported the mechanical failure on the OC Transit Park and Ride bus a few hours ago which resulted in an explosion on the bus? The back end of the bus appeared to have been destroyed with windows blown out of the bus. The fire department, police and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
Week 5 Results For Checkpoint Strikeforce
Seventeen (17) people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs during the fifth weekend of the 2012 Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI prevention campaign. This brings the total DUI arrests made as part of the campaign to 59. Statewide, there have been over 2,800 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.
Saying Goodbye To A Best Friend
14 years ago my dear friends in Ocean City came to me and said they had an idea. Being new to the area, single and not knowing many people on the Eastern Shore, they thought I might enjoy the company of a beautiful Lab that had just been born. I thought about it for a while but the moment I saw this puppy I knew it was right.
I can't tell you just how many days we'd get in the boat and head to the shallows near the Rt. 50 Bridge. I'd pull out the clam rake and a tennis ball and Chamois would go after that ball until she was so drained she couldn't take it any more. By then I'd have 50 clams and I'd have to pick her up and put her back on the boat while she plopped on the floor in exhaustion.
Every day I'd take her to work with me and then come home and she'd get out of the car and run right to the boat. I've been so blessed to have this best friend for 14 good years. Unfortunately Chamois hasn't been doing well and we had to make the decision to put her down today.
I will never forget the friends that brought her into my life and I'll never forget some of the greatest memories and times I've ever had and shared.
Rest In Peace my friend.
Feds Propose Limits on Md. Wind Farm To Save Bats
BALTIMORE - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing limits on a western
Maryland wind energy project to reduce potential fatalities of endangered bats.
The Baltimore Sun ( http://bsun.md/MZ5Pqg) reports that the draft plan would require Chicago-based Exelon Corp. to slow down its turbines from mid- July to mid-October to reduce the number of Indiana bats that might be harmed by the spinning blades.
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The Baltimore Sun ( http://bsun.md/MZ5Pqg) reports that the draft plan would require Chicago-based Exelon Corp. to slow down its turbines from mid- July to mid-October to reduce the number of Indiana bats that might be harmed by the spinning blades.
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SPD Press Release 8-1-12
On July 30, 2012 at approximately 11:58 P.M. officers of the Salisbury Police Department responded to the area of the South Division St. bridge and Riverwalk in reference to an attempted robbery. The victim reported that she was approached by a suspect and put her hands in the air while demanding her purse. The victim believed that
possession of a handgun. A witness observed the incident and confronted the suspect who fled the area on foot prior to the suspect taking the pur who was identified by the victim and taken into custody.
Arrested: William Wesley Ricketts, 51 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
Charges: Attempted Armed Robbery
Attempted Robbery
Disposition: Released to Central Booking
possession of a handgun. A witness observed the incident and confronted the suspect who fled the area on foot prior to the suspect taking the pur who was identified by the victim and taken into custody.
Arrested: William Wesley Ricketts, 51 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
Charges: Attempted Armed Robbery
Attempted Robbery
Disposition: Released to Central Booking
Supporters, Opponents Plan Events To Support Stance on Chick-fil-a
The restaurant's president's remarks about same-sex
marriage have apparently hurt America's opinion of his business,
igniting supporters for both sides of the issue.
Right now, there's a movement on Facebook to make Wednesday an unofficial appreciation day for the fast food chain.
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New Cedar Creek Boat Ramp Dedicated In Slaughter Beach
Governor Jack Markell, Senator Tom Carper and Senator Chris Coons joined DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Slaughter Beach Mayor Amy J. Reed Parker today to cut the ribbon and dedicate the new Lacy E. Nichols Jr. Cedar Creek Boating Access Area in Slaughter Beach east of Milford. The new facility is a key project in the recently announced Delaware Bayshore Initiative, which promotes conservation and restoration of natural resources, enhances recreational opportunities and encourages low-impact ecotourism to support the local economy along Delaware’s coastline.
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Turns Out Hiding $250K Worth Of Meth Inside Snickers Bar Wrappers Won’t Fool Authorities
Like the wolf in sheep's clothing or Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot, putting a different wrapper on something and fooling everyone only works in fictional situations or when trying to trick actual sheep/Marilyn Monroe. U.S. customs agents are trained to catch people trying to hide stuff, which is why coating lumps of methamphetamine in chocolate and dressing them in Snickers wrappers didn't work out too well for one man accused of trying to smuggle $250,000 worth of the drugs into Japan.
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Medical Debt Collector Banned In Minnesota For Harassing Patients In Emergency Rooms
One of the nation's largest medical debt collectors just got a bit smaller after it agreed to stop operating in Minnesota over allegations that the company staffed hospital emergency rooms with its agents in order to get people to pay up on any owed debts before they received additional care.
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London 2012: Michael Phelps Wins Record 19th Olympic Medal
LONDON — Michael Phelps swam into history with his 19th Olympic medal, and this one was a more appropriate color.
With a lot of help from his friends, Phelps took down the last major record that wasn’t his alone, swimming the anchor leg for the United States in a gold medal-winning performance of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay Tuesday night.
About an hour earlier, Phelps took one of the most frustrating defeats of his brilliant career, making a shocking blunder at the finish and settling for silver in his signature event, the 200 butterfly.
GOVERNOR O’MALLEY DECLARES SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 DAY OF SERVICE IN MARYLAND
Interfaith, regional effort to encourage participation in community service projects to help benefit the environment and end hunger in Maryland
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley officially declared September 29, 2012 an interfaith Day of Service, calling on all Marylanders to engage in community service projects focused on ending hunger and protecting the environment. Building on Governor O’Malley’s strategic goals of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015, and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, the activities planned for the day of service will all move the State forward in reaching these goals. The interfaith Day of Service is a regional effort by the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Day of Service will bring nonprofit organizations and religious groups - churches, youth groups, and religious affiliated schools – to recruit members and supporters to participate in the day of service in their area.
“Throughout the final weekend in September, we’ll be coming together as a community – as Marylanders and Virginians, West Virginians and Washingtonians, as members of many great and diverse faiths – to harness the incredible power of community,” said Governor O’Malley. “We are asking all our fellow citizens to us join in service the last weekend in September – and really throughout the month – in service to combat hunger, in service to protect and restore our environment, and in service that recognizes the connections between the health of our people, and the health of our land, water and air. I appreciate the commitment of Elder Jack Gerard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in assisting us with our efforts and bringing together our partners in the other states for this very important community service initiative.”
The Day of Service includes partners from the business, nonprofit and faith community. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will be supplying small tubed trees for groups to plant and will be available at their Clagett Farm site in Upper Marlboro. CBF will also have resources for individual volunteers to work on harvesting crops on the farm that can then be donated to food banks in the area. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will be offering mini-grants of up to $500 to nonprofits to do tree plantings, other native plantings, or stream clean-ups either on their properties or in their neighborhoods. The Baltimore Community Tool Bank will offer an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and more to assist nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers in their community projects. Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup will be available to assist faith-based organizations with identifying streams or rivers in need of organized clean-ups. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ TREE-Mendous Maryland program allows organizations to have native trees planted in Honor or Memory of family and friends, to celebrate Holidays, birthdays, and to observe other special occasions. TREE-Mendous Maryland will arrange for trees to be planted in Maryland in the county in which the recipient of the certificate lives. Marylanders Plant Trees is another project at DNR that supplies coupons to citizens for $25 off the purchase of a native tree at 86 participating nurseries across the State.
The O’Malley-Brown Administration has a set of 15 strategic policy goals to improve the quality of life in Maryland. The Administration set the goal of restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Administration has developed an innovative plan for restoring the Bay, centered on 34 specific and accelerated actions with near term milestones. The Administration has implemented effective policies to restore our Blue Crab population to record highs, used Program Open Space for its intended purpose and protected more than 36,000 acres of open space and invested more in the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to accelerate our progress. This past session, the Administration continued to pass legislation protecting and improving the health of the Bay including ones that restrict the use of septic systems and enable the State to upgrade our aging waste water treatment plants. Additionally, to address the national problem of childhood hunger, the O’Malley-Brown Administration set the goal and is implementing a plan to become the first state in America to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Strategies toward this goal include ensuring that eligible families have access to the Food Supplement Program, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and making sure all eligible children are eating breakfast and lunch in schools. To date, participation in the school breakfast has increased 36 percent from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. During the same period, participation in summer meals increased 29 percent. Eighty percent of eligible children received food stamps in 2011 and WIC participation consistently exceeds the USDA assigned caseload.
The Governor’s Office is asking our interfaith partners to identify activities that their churches, synagogues or mosques already administer that fit within the two goals of ending childhood hunger and protecting the environment that could use volunteers for the day. County volunteer centers will be asked to help promote the day of service in their county and the Governor’s Ethnic Commissions and Commission on Service and Volunteerism will also be asked to play a major role in seeking out opportunities for service, and in spreading the word to engage volunteers in their communities. A centralized Day to Serve website has been set up – www.daytoserve.org - where all the partners will be identified regionally, and where constituents, community groups, and organizations can sign up to participate and where individuals can locate a community service project in their community.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley officially declared September 29, 2012 an interfaith Day of Service, calling on all Marylanders to engage in community service projects focused on ending hunger and protecting the environment. Building on Governor O’Malley’s strategic goals of eradicating childhood hunger by 2015, and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025, the activities planned for the day of service will all move the State forward in reaching these goals. The interfaith Day of Service is a regional effort by the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The Day of Service will bring nonprofit organizations and religious groups - churches, youth groups, and religious affiliated schools – to recruit members and supporters to participate in the day of service in their area.
“Throughout the final weekend in September, we’ll be coming together as a community – as Marylanders and Virginians, West Virginians and Washingtonians, as members of many great and diverse faiths – to harness the incredible power of community,” said Governor O’Malley. “We are asking all our fellow citizens to us join in service the last weekend in September – and really throughout the month – in service to combat hunger, in service to protect and restore our environment, and in service that recognizes the connections between the health of our people, and the health of our land, water and air. I appreciate the commitment of Elder Jack Gerard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in assisting us with our efforts and bringing together our partners in the other states for this very important community service initiative.”
The Day of Service includes partners from the business, nonprofit and faith community. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will be supplying small tubed trees for groups to plant and will be available at their Clagett Farm site in Upper Marlboro. CBF will also have resources for individual volunteers to work on harvesting crops on the farm that can then be donated to food banks in the area. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will be offering mini-grants of up to $500 to nonprofits to do tree plantings, other native plantings, or stream clean-ups either on their properties or in their neighborhoods. The Baltimore Community Tool Bank will offer an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and more to assist nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers in their community projects. Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup will be available to assist faith-based organizations with identifying streams or rivers in need of organized clean-ups. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ TREE-Mendous Maryland program allows organizations to have native trees planted in Honor or Memory of family and friends, to celebrate Holidays, birthdays, and to observe other special occasions. TREE-Mendous Maryland will arrange for trees to be planted in Maryland in the county in which the recipient of the certificate lives. Marylanders Plant Trees is another project at DNR that supplies coupons to citizens for $25 off the purchase of a native tree at 86 participating nurseries across the State.
The O’Malley-Brown Administration has a set of 15 strategic policy goals to improve the quality of life in Maryland. The Administration set the goal of restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. To achieve this goal, the Administration has developed an innovative plan for restoring the Bay, centered on 34 specific and accelerated actions with near term milestones. The Administration has implemented effective policies to restore our Blue Crab population to record highs, used Program Open Space for its intended purpose and protected more than 36,000 acres of open space and invested more in the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to accelerate our progress. This past session, the Administration continued to pass legislation protecting and improving the health of the Bay including ones that restrict the use of septic systems and enable the State to upgrade our aging waste water treatment plants. Additionally, to address the national problem of childhood hunger, the O’Malley-Brown Administration set the goal and is implementing a plan to become the first state in America to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Strategies toward this goal include ensuring that eligible families have access to the Food Supplement Program, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and making sure all eligible children are eating breakfast and lunch in schools. To date, participation in the school breakfast has increased 36 percent from the 2006-2007 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. During the same period, participation in summer meals increased 29 percent. Eighty percent of eligible children received food stamps in 2011 and WIC participation consistently exceeds the USDA assigned caseload.
The Governor’s Office is asking our interfaith partners to identify activities that their churches, synagogues or mosques already administer that fit within the two goals of ending childhood hunger and protecting the environment that could use volunteers for the day. County volunteer centers will be asked to help promote the day of service in their county and the Governor’s Ethnic Commissions and Commission on Service and Volunteerism will also be asked to play a major role in seeking out opportunities for service, and in spreading the word to engage volunteers in their communities. A centralized Day to Serve website has been set up – www.daytoserve.org - where all the partners will be identified regionally, and where constituents, community groups, and organizations can sign up to participate and where individuals can locate a community service project in their community.
Texas GOP Chooses Tea Party-backed Cruz For GOP Senate Nomination
AUSTIN – Tea party darling Ted Cruz convincingly defeated the Republican establishment favorite, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in Texas' runoff election Tuesday, capturing the GOP nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as fiercely conservative voters shook one of America's reddest states to its political core.
The race had been closely watched nationally as one of the nation's most-vivid contrasts between the GOP mainstream and grassroots, conservative activists. But as results began to pour in, it turned out to be no contest. Cruz grabbed early leads in key cities around the state where Dewhurst had once enjoyed stronger name recognition, fundraising and political organization just weeks earlier.
POLICE INVESTIGATE BODY FOUND ALONG CARROLL CO. ROAD
(FINKSBURG, MD) – An investigation is underway into the death of a Baltimore County man whose body was found this morning along a Carroll County road.
The deceased is identified as Justin A. Ogle, 20, of the 6100-block of Lori Lane, Elkridge, Md. His body has been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
At about 7:00 a.m. today, a jogger was running along Patapsco Road, about two-tenths of a mile east of Bethel Road, when she saw the body of a man lying on the bank between the roadway and a pasture. She contacted a nearby resident who called 911.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene, as did EMS personnel. The man, later identified as Ogle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies secured the area and contacted criminal investigators.
Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians from the State Police and Sheriff’s Office also responded. A Maryland State Police helicopter was called to the scene to enable crime scene technicians to take aerial photographs of the area.
Investigators found no visible signs of trauma on the body. They will await information from the medical examiner regarding a cause of death. The investigation is continuing.
The deceased is identified as Justin A. Ogle, 20, of the 6100-block of Lori Lane, Elkridge, Md. His body has been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
At about 7:00 a.m. today, a jogger was running along Patapsco Road, about two-tenths of a mile east of Bethel Road, when she saw the body of a man lying on the bank between the roadway and a pasture. She contacted a nearby resident who called 911.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene, as did EMS personnel. The man, later identified as Ogle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies secured the area and contacted criminal investigators.
Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office responded to the scene. Crime scene technicians from the State Police and Sheriff’s Office also responded. A Maryland State Police helicopter was called to the scene to enable crime scene technicians to take aerial photographs of the area.
Investigators found no visible signs of trauma on the body. They will await information from the medical examiner regarding a cause of death. The investigation is continuing.
Documents Show Dozens of Questionable GSA Conferences, Millions in Bonuses
Remember Jeff Neely, the government official photographed living it up in a hot tub at a Las Vegas conference?
"He was the tip of the iceberg," says Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.
Mica's committee is now looking into wasteful spending at as many as 77 other General Services Administration (GSA) conferences -- all uncovered in documents obtained by Fox News.
Calling All Real Estate Buyers
You may be able to own a piece of NASA history soon for as little as a dollar a square foot. The General Services Administration is placing two buildings in NASA's Glenn Research Center up for auction. In the 1960s, they housed NASA engineers and administrative staff. Now they're part of GSA's ongoing effort to dispose of excess properties. The buildings, located in Fairview Park, Ohio, contain almost 200,000 square feet combined, plus a parking lot and 10 acres of land. The starting minimum bid is $200,000.
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