Holder: Sikh Temple Shooting ‘An Act of Terrorism’

U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, speaking at the Sikh Temple shooting memorial service in Oak Creek, Wis., on Friday, called the tragedy “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred,” and “a hate crime that is anathema to the founding principles of our nation and to who we are as an American people.”

The gunman, identified as Wade Michael Page, shot nine people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin – killing six and injuring three others. Page, a suspected white Supremacist, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.

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OFFICER IMPRISONED FOR CHALLENGING OBAMA TELLS STORY

Defend the Constitution Demanded That I Sacrifice My Career”   is Lt. Col. Terry Lakin’s moving first-hand account of faith and patriotism that led to court-martial, imprisonment and the stripping of all military rank and privileges, including his Army pension.

Lakin, an Army flight surgeon, was court-martialed because he refused to obey deployment orders, arguing Barack Obama had not documented his eligibility for the presidency under Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution.

 “What I do not understand and still don’t,” Lakin writes, “is why Obama did not just come forward with his key documents and be done with it. Instead, he ordered all of his important records to be kept under seal.”

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Jury: Shop Owner Justified In Walla Walla Shooting

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- A jury found John Saul justified in shooting Cesar Chavira to death  back in May in Walla Walla's New York Store.

An attorney for Chavira's family stated a wrongful death civil suit will be filed against Saul.

Walla Walla's prosecuting attorney will be reviewing case and decide what the next step is.

Owner John Saul said he caught Cesar Chavez stealing belts and buckles red-handed before unloading as many as five shotgun rounds into the 22-year-old.

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HE'S BAAACK! THE TEN COMMANDMENTS JUDGE

Nine years after a battle over a stone monument listing the Ten Commandments inside a state court building in Alabama, the state Supreme Court chief justice who was removed from office by a state judiciary panel is the leading candidate – to be the state Supreme Court chief justice.

Judge Roy Moore had installed the 5,280-pound stone monument as part of an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty over American life, and when he refused to haul it away as a federal judge wanted, a state judicial panel removed him from office.

But after a stunning upset victory over two better-funded competitors for the GOP nomination for the office, incumbent Chuck Malone and former state Attorney General Charlie Graddick, Moore now is leading in the statewide race in Alabama, where voters choose the chief justice.

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Md. Senate Oks Strict Liability For All Dog Bites

The Maryland Senate has voted to change a state law so that it creates a strict liability standard for owners of all dogs, not just pit bulls.

The change was in response to a court ruling that determined pit bulls are "inherently dangerous" animals.

The Senate voted on the measure Friday. The House must vote next.

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Yes We C.A.N. (Christian Activism Now!)

Can a true Christian really stand by and watch this country get any worse? And it has been getting worse for 50 years now. This is the 50th anniversary of prayer being taken out of school (taking away a practice that set a nice tone to the start of the school day), and the pill gaining popularity, (the start of separating women from their natural biology). And the year after prayer was taken out of schools, the pregnancy rate for girls under 15 increased from 5,000 per year to 27,000 per year, and SAT scores plummeted.

1962 was also right before the Beatles and the “British invasion” started with innocent enough music that eventually devolved and led to such damaging social movements as free love, feminism, homosexuality, and the sexual revolution.

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Obama Says He Wants to Repeat Auto Takeover in Every Industry

Have you heard Obama? He said: “I want to nationalize other industries just like I did General Motors and Chrysler.” Yeah. He didn’t just come out and admit it, he came out and advocated it. He suggested it and talked about how he could do it and “save” other industries like he has “saved” the automobile industry.

Folks, he’s serious. Barack Obama is serious. “I want to do the same thing with manufacturing jobs. Not just in the auto industry, in every industry.” Does that mean, for example, that Obama…? And you watch, by the way, if anybody on television picks this up. It might have happened last night. Today. On the Sunday shows or next week, if anybody on our side on television engages to have a serious discussion on it and to take Obama at his word, you watch how they’ll be pooh-poohed.

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FULL ATTACK MODE: OBAMA TEAM LAUNCHES ANTI-RYAN AD & WEBSITE CALLING VP PICK ‘SEVERELY CONSERVATIVE’

Hoping? President Barack Obama’s team has apparently been waiting for a Paul Ryan vice presidential pick.

The president’s campaign wasted no time labeling the Wisconsin congressman as “severely conservative” calling his budget proposal “a sham” and blaming his economics for “crash[ing] our economy.”  The attacks came from a website launched while Ryan was giving his speech in Norfolk, Va. accepting the position of Mitt Romney’s running mate.  The website houses a full-on coordinated multimedia attack framing the Romney Ryan ticket as The Go Back Team  . The site is fully equipped to trash Ryan, Romney and their collective record.

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Apple Slices Recalled Due To Listeria Danger

Sliced apples distributed to fast-food and grocery chains across the country are among packaged products being recalled due to possible listeria contamination.

No illnesses have been reported, but listeria was found on equipment used to produce apple products by Missa Bay LLC, owned by Ready Pac Foods Inc. of Swedesboro, N.J.

Packaged apple slices distributed to McDonald's and Burger King in some states are included in the recall, as are some packaged fruit, veggies, salads and sandwiches containing apples distributed to Wawa convenience store and Wegman's grocery chains, as well as various apple and fruit snacks with "Ready Pac" labels and apple salad kits with a "Safeway Farms" label.

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Calling In Sick

Something You Should Know

The guy you see above, George Chevallier has been a dear friend of mine for many years now. George joined us years ago with open arms and has shared Eastern Shore history as a volunteer every Saturday morning on Salisbury News.

George was approached not long ago to write for someone else and they even offered to pay him for each article, George refused.

George is a man who is irreplaceable. He's a man loaded with wisdom and I want to take this moment to express my gratitude towards George for all that he has given us over all these years.

No, George isn't going anywhere. I just wanted to offer my thanks as well as give everyone else the opportunity to share their thoughts with George. He could have easily moved on to another opportunity but he instead chose to share his wealth of information with the biggest audience on the Shore.

They don't get any better than George Chevallier and you can bank on that.

5 Members Of Ariz. Family Get Married On Same Day

MESA, Ariz. (AP) - It's a mega wedding day for a Mesa, Ariz., family with five siblings walking down the aisle on the same day.

The East Valley Tribune ( http://bit.ly/P39zqT) reports the five Waldie children all got engaged within a few months of each other.

While trying to plan wedding dates with out-of-state family and guests, dad Doug Waldie suggested they all marry on the same day.

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BREAKING NEWS: Iran Quake Death Toll Reportedly Hits 180

State TV reports at least 180 were killed and 1,350 injured in major earthquakes that struck northwestern Iran, leveling at least six villages.

From Fox News

Ocean Downs Casino Sets New Revenue Record

The July figures for the Casino at Ocean Downs were released this week, revealing the greatest month ever in the nearly two-year history of the gaming facility along Route 589 just south of Ocean Pines.

While lawmakers were preparing to convene for a special session on the future of casino gambling in Maryland this week, Video Lottery Commission officials on Tuesday released the July figures for the three operating casinos in the state, including Ocean Downs. The Casino at Ocean Downs in July collected $5.75 million in gross revenue in July, the single busiest month in the history of the facility.

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Vehicle Vandals Sought In Berlin

BERLIN -- Berlin Police this week are investigating a rash of vehicle damage and destruction cases along the town’s typically quiet streets.

Over a two-day period from Wednesday to Thursday, Berlin Police responded to eight different cases of malicious destruction of property to vehicles and two other cases of tampering with vehicles in different areas around the town. In most of the cases, the suspect or suspects have been cutting the tops of convertible vehicles and, in some cases, cutting motorcycle seats.

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Meet The Man And His Dog Behind Viral Photo in Bayfield Wisconsin

They say dogs are man's best friend. John Unger and Schoep are proof of that.

Their friendship started when Unger adopted Schoep from a shelter as a puppy 19 years ago. It turns out Schoep wasn't the only one who needed to be rescued.

"He's been my guardian for a number of years," Unger said.

Time has given them memories, but it has also taken a toll on Schoep's body.


Video and More HERE

PUBLIC NOTICE 8-11-12

The City Council has scheduled an additional work session for Monday, August 13, 2012 following the conclusion of the Council’s 6:00 p.m. Legislative Session in Council Chambers (Room 301) of the Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

The purpose of the work session is a follow up discussion on the development of the City’s application for a Maryland Enterprise Zone, a real estate and income tax credit program for businesses.

Aqua To Open Soon

One thing you can't say about the new owner is that he's lazy. Phil has been working his butt off renovating the old space and preparing it for his new Bar/Restaurant on the Downtown Plaza.

You can expect a soft opening with friends and family some time in the next week or so. Then, they'll swing their doors with food only. A delay in paperwork has slowed down their getting a hearing with the Liquor Board. This gives them the time to finish the Bar details and before you know it they'll be up and running.

Several restaurants have come and gone on the Plaza. Phil gutted the entire kitchen and rebuilt it to deliver a quality product in a very clean environment, similar to his Downtown Deli across the street on the Plaza.

It will take community support to keep this business alive, along with good food and service, of course. Phil wants a few weeks of being open before he gives the go ahead to announce they're open for business and quite frankly this is a very smart move. Get all the kinks out ahead of time. One local restaurant didn't do the same and unfortunately people got the wrong impression of their product and service.

We'll keep you posted and we wish Phil the very best. He's worked very hard and he's earned it.

The Truth About The Coming Public Employee Pension Crisis

In fiscal year 2010, public pension funds as a whole were only 75 percent funded and had a shortfall of $757 billion between what they should have set aside to pay for the benefits promised to workers and retirees and what they had on hand. While some states, like New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have well-funded and well-managed plans, the majority of states face significant challenges. Thirty-four states were less than 80 percent funded -- a threshold many experts recommend for health pension systems.

This problem is the result of a decade of states taking pension holidays and raising benefits without paying for them, not the Great Recession. Investment gains of 20 and 13 percent in 2009 and 2010, respectively, were not nearly enough to overcome losses from the financial crisis, and pension funding levels continued to drop. The weak returns of less than 1 percent at the end of 2011 also show how hard it will be for states to invest their way out of this crisis. Initial projections suggest that funding levels will be stagnant in fiscal year 2011, and in some states will continue to drop...

Source

Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Senators Voting Without Reading The Bills

23 ADULT TRUTHS

1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front.

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

The Apocalyptic Vision Of The Road

What is the "means of production" and what significance does it have to society? How is it created, expanded, or merely sustained? What is the relationship between the prevailing moral order of a society and its accumulation of capital?

These are questions that economists and political philosophers have considered throughout the history of economic thought. If you have ever enquired into the differences between capitalism and socialism you will have heard of the means of production, and you will be aware that this is very important to the organization of society. You might have heard of this, but you might not have spent much thought on the relationship between capital and moral order. Indeed, why should ordinary people care about such things? Isn't the means of production just something that one reads about between bong hits in the dorm rooms at university? Or is it perhaps something that is the domain of accountants and corporate managers, concerned with the proper techniques of double-entry bookkeeping? What is its great significance?

For those who are not sure, or don't care, The Road by Cormac McCarthy gives us a chilling glimpse of a society without capital or moral order – a world without a "means of production." It is a terrifying vision, and a wake-up call to those who regard questions of capital accumulation as being merely the dry and technical subject matter of economists. The novel is set in a postapocalyptic world devastated by a catastrophe of some kind that has destroyed the natural environment. It tells the story of a man and his young son trying to survive the dangers of the new world and retain their sense of goodness in the face of its horrors.

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Gazillions

Gazillions. That’s the number of times the federal government has spied on Americans since 9/11 through the use of drones, legal search warrants, illegal search warrants, federal agent-written search warrants and just plain government spying. This is according to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who, when he asked the government to tell him what it was doing to violate our privacy, was given a classified briefing. The senator – one of just a few in the U.S. Senate who believes that the Constitution means what it says – was required by federal law to agree not to reveal what spies and bureaucrats told him during the briefing.

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Wawa Pays $12,500 To Kicked-Out Customer With Service Dog

Many people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey speak highly of the Wawa chain of convenience stores. Which is why it was a bit of surprise to folks in the area when a man was kicked out of a store earlier this summer because he brought his service dog into the building. Now the chain has not only agreed to fork over a bit of cash to the customer, but to also make sure its employees don't repeat the mistake.

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The Sunstein Farewell Lecture

It hasn't gone viral, but a new You Tube video (watch below) is how the administration's outgoing regulations chief sums up his tenure. Cass Sunstein has been running the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. In a kind of farewell lecture, Sunstein gives a brief history of regulatory activity going back to the Clinton administration. He uses a white board and cartoon illustrations to make his points. Sunstein says the Obama administration has made fewer rules than Clinton or George W. Bush. But he says the economic benefits of the rules, at $90 billion, dwarfs previous administrations. Sunstein heads back to Harvard Law School.

IRS Screws Up

The Internal Revenue Service has been rubber-stamping taxpayer ID applications instead of screening for fraud. A new study by the tax inspector general says the practice risks billions in improper payments and also has national security implications. The IDs are available to non-citizens who must file tax returns but can't get a Social Security Number. The IG, J. George Russell, says IRS employees are encouraged to process as many applications as possible. His report says IRS stopped using proven anti fraud procedures.

Bill Clinton Blasts Romney's "Disappointing" New Welfare Claim

Mitt Romney spent Tuesday on a media blitz claiming that President Obama is out to “gut welfare reform.” An ad released by the Romney campaign first pointed to President Clinton as having successfully reformed welfare, before excoriating Obama. However, in a statement, Clinton called Romney’s charge against Obama “disappointing” and “not true”:

Governor Romney released an ad today alleging that the Obama administration had weakened the work requirements of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. That is not true. [...]

The recently announced waiver policy was originally requested by the Republican governors of Utah and Nevada to achieve more flexibility in designing programs more likely to work in this challenging environment. The Administration has taken important steps to ensure that the work requirement is retained and that waivers will be granted only if a state can demonstrate that more people will be moved into work under its new approach. The welfare time limits, another important feature of the 1996 act, will not be waived.

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Getting Screwed On Taxes

When corporations don't pay their fair share in taxes, the rest of us get screwed. As reported by the Huffington Post, America's ten most profitable corporations paid an average income tax rate of just 9% last year. The top two corporations not paying their fair share in taxes are oil companies – with ExxonMobil – the most profitable corporation in the history of the world paying a mere 2% income tax rate – and Chevron paying 4%. Those numbers clock in well below the 35% income tax rate corporations should be paying in America, but almost never do. Over the last few decades, corporate taxes as a share of government revenue have plummeted, forcing working people to pay more and more taxes to cover the gap. Plain and simple, giving tax breaks to corporations that pollute our skies, offshore our jobs, and deny us healthcare is not just crazy – it's immoral.

Good Jobs Are Hard To Find

A new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research finds that our economy has lost one-third of its ability to create what are defined as "good jobs." A good job is one that pays at least 37,000 dollars a year and offers health insurance and a retirement plan. And the data shows that since 1979, Americans workers of all education levels have lost these good jobs. That includes workers with less than a high school degree and workers with more than a college degree. Why is this happening? Well, the report concludes: "The real culprit is the systematic decline in the bargaining power of workers — reflected in a drop in... the minimum wage, a collapse in the unionization rate in the private-sector, the deregulation of previously well-paying industries, the privatization of state and local government jobs, a series of business-biased trade deals, a dysfunctional immigration system, poor enforcement of already weak labor standards, and high unemployment." In other words, Reaganomics is to blame.

The Cost To Stay Out Of Jail

Eight billion dollars is a lot of money, but a small price to pay to stay out of jail. As the New York Times reports today, corporations are on track to pay as much as 8 billion dollars in fraud settlements this year to the U.S. government. That includes military contractors, banks, and pharmaceutical companies who systematically defrauded American taxpayers. The 8 billion they owe is double the amount paid out in settlements last year – and an all-time record high. But the important story is, despite the multiple acts of blatant fraud by corporate America resulting in record settlements – almost never does an executive go to prison. Pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Merck and defense contractors like ATK Launch Systems admitted to stealing tens of millions of dollars from taxpayers, yet not one CEO is facing criminal charges. Of course, if you or I walked into a 7-11 and stole a two-dollar Slurpee, we're going to jail. But in America's two-tiered justice system – the corporate elite are untouchable.

With Rates Low, Banks Increase Mortgage Profit

Interest rates on mortgages and refinancing are at record lows, giving borrowers plenty to celebrate. But the bigger winners are the banks making the loans.

Banks are making unusually large gains on mortgages because they are taking profits far higher than the historical norm, analysts say. That 3.55 percent rate for a 30-year mortgage could be closer to 3.05 percent if banks were satisfied with the profit margins of just a few years ago. The lower rate would save a borrower about $30,000 in interest payments over the life of a $300,000 mortgage.

"The banks may say, 'We are offering you record low interest rates, so you should be as happy as a clam,' " said Guy D. Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a home loan publication. "But borrowers could be getting them cheaper."

Mortgage bankers acknowledge that they are realizing big gains right now from home loans. But they say they cannot afford to cut rates even more because of the higher expenses resulting from stiffer regulations.

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To Stent Or Not To Stent, That Is In Question

New accusations that one of the nation's largest hospital chains performed more than a thousand unnecessary heart procedures grabbed headlines this week, but the practice is far from unique in U.S. health care.

A 2011 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that only half of 144,000 nonemergency heart catheterizations — typically the use of tiny balloons and stents to clear blocked arteries — were appropriate; 38 percent were "uncertain" and 12 percent were "inappropriate."

"It's presented in the media as if it's an aberrancy, when actually it's the rule," said Dr. David Brown, an interventional cardiologist and professor of medicine at SUNY-Stony Brook School of Medicine of the unnecessary heart procedures. "The medical system is addicted to the revenues that it generates."

In 2011, Medicare alone spent nearly $1 billion on the procedures. While they boost revenues for doctors and hospitals, unnecessary procedures consume taxpayer money, raise insurance premiums and put patients at risk. Studies show that about 3 percent of patients experience serious complications.

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Spain Is Reaching The Boiling Point

Activists Steal in Bulk from Supermarket and Bring to Food Kitchen

While all a person in the financial markets needs to do in order to understand the desperate economic situation in Spain is look at the country’s spiking bond yields, the social situation on the ground appears to be at some sort of dangerous inflection point. I found a story from Murcia Today to be very telling of what is happening on the ground in Spain and how this could easily get out of control. This reminds me of what was probably going on in the streets of North Africa prior to the uprisings there early last year. When people have been robbed by their politicians and oligarch bankster masters and they cannot eat, they will find a way to eat. Two words: French Revolution. The elites never learn.

I was unable to copy and paste from Murcia Today but these quotes are from a separate news source:

Unemployed fieldworkers and other members of the union went to two supermarkets, one in Ecija (Sevilla) and one in Arcos de la Frontera (Cadiz) and loaded up trolleys with basic necessities. They said that the people were being expropriated and they planned to “expropriate the expropriators”.

The foodstuffs, including milk, sugar, chickpeas, pasta and rice, have been given to charities to distribute, who say they are unable to cope with all the requests for help they receive. Unemployment in the Sierra de Cadiz is now 40%.

Murcia Today takes very different slant and refers to the union members as “militants” and the union itself as a “syndicate.” Of course these words could easily be lost in translation; I haven’t read the Spanish version. The Murcia Today article is here and I suggest reading it.

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WCSO Press Release 8-11-12

Incident: Threat of Arson / Resisting Arrest
Date of Incident: 9 Aug 2012
Location: 300 block of Chestnut Way, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Deonte K. Smiley, 18, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 9 August 2012 at 1:00 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported domestic disturbance in the 300 block of Chestnut Way in Salisbury. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that the 18 year old son, Deonte Smiley was being verbally abusive and destroying property inside the residence.

Smiley began yelling in front of the deputy that Smiley was going to blow up the house and kill everyone in it. The deputy decided to place Smiley under arrest but he
refused to submit to the handcuffs, instead Smiley tried to pull away from the deputy. The deputy was forced to physically restrain Smiley during which the deputy and Smiley both fell onto a couch. The deputy managed to successfully place Smiley in restraints and transported him to the Central Booking Unit.

Smiley was processed and brought in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Smiley in the Detention enter in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.
.
Charges: Threat of Arson
Resisting Arrest

Elementary, Dear Obama

Ok, so none of us creates or produces anything ex nihilo. What if anything follows from this? Our teeth weren't made by us, nor our hair or nose or eyes. Yet we often benefit because of these. Our beautiful eyes may impress someone and may even land us a movie contract. We may be very tall and do well at basketball in consequence. A few of us may have talents others would kill for!

Bottom line is that having advantages over other folks entitles no one to step in and become equalizers, even if they are the president of the United States of America. To think otherwise is a non sequitur. Doesn't follow and rests not on logic nor reason but on the myth of the imperative of egalitarianism. Even before Mr Obama announced that we do not deserve our advantages Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts promoted the mistake that not having made all of our advantages entitles others to butt in and take from us what we didn't earn. Warren was dead wrong just as Obama is.

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Romney Completes GOP Ticket With Rep. Ryan, Projects 'Steadiness'

Mitt Romney announced Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate Saturday, selecting the Republican Party's go-to man on budget issues in a decision that signals the campaign will make the nation's spiraling debt a centerpiece of its attacks on President Obama. 

Romney made the selection official during a campaign stop Saturday morning in Norfolk, Va., before launching a four-day bus tour.   

The Republican presidential candidate called his new running mate a man of "steadiness" and "integrity." Speaking Saturday morning, Romney praised Ryan as an "intellectual leader" of the party, one who understands the toll the debt is taking on the country but is optimistic about the future.

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AARP Study Shows Half Of Boomers Doubt They'll Retire

Among 50- to 64-year-olds surveyed by the AARP, the majority scored a 70 percent on the group's Anxiety Index, landing far ahead of the 18- to 49-year-old sect, which scored 59 percent. Seniors over 65 were the most relaxed of the bunch at 46 percent.

"The results belie a common stereotype of boomers as 'comfortable and living high on the hog compared to everyone else'," said Greg Strimple of GS Strategy Group, which conducted the survey with AARP and Hart Research Associates. "You see these numbers, and they're anything but."

What's keeping them up at night?

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QUOTES OF THE DAY 8-11-12

You can’t get good chinese takeout in China and cuban cigars are rationed in Cuba. That’s all you need to know about communism. P.J. O’Rourke

People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them. Jean Monnet

… there are only two ways of coordinating the economic activities of millions. One is central direction involving the use of coercion – the technique of the army and of the modern totalitarian state. The other is voluntary cooperation of individuals – the technique of the marketplace. Milton Friedman

You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing. Thomas Sowell

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government. Thomas Jefferson

Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence. Thomas Jefferson

The seductive notion that some Big Daddy in Washington can solve our problems for us– whether healing the sick, preventing poverty or “growing the economy”– is encouraged by politicians for obvious reasons, and the media echo the idea. Thomas Sowell

Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable. John Kenneth Galbraith

Don't Forget The Iris Sale Today At The Mall

Disinformation: How It Works

There was a time, not too long ago (relatively speaking), that governments and the groups of elites that controlled them did not find it necessary to conscript themselves into wars of disinformation.

Propaganda was relatively straightforward. The lies were much simpler. The control of information flow was easily directed. Rules were enforced with the threat of property confiscation and execution for anyone who strayed from the rigid socio-political structure. Those who had theological, metaphysical or scientific information outside of the conventional and scripted collective world view were tortured and slaughtered. The elites kept the information to themselves, and removed its remnants from mainstream recognition, sometimes for centuries before it was rediscovered.

With the advent of anti-feudalism, and most importantly the success of the American Revolution, elitists were no longer able to dominate information with the edge of a blade or the barrel of a gun. The establishment of Republics, with their philosophy of open government and rule by the people, compelled Aristocratic minorities to plot more subtle ways of obstructing the truth and thus maintaining their hold over the world without exposing themselves to retribution from the masses. Thus, the complex art of disinformation was born.

The technique, the “magic” of the lie, was refined and perfected. The mechanics of the human mind and the human soul became an endless obsession for the establishment.

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MADE IN CHINA

Over the last decade, while the U.S. government went $16 trillion into debt, for a total of $54 trillion including private debt, China has been quietly investing in the rest of the world with it’s income. The U.S. is bankrupt, and China is attempting to own the world.

In the real world, free market principles bring wealth and prosperity, and Central bank debt slavery brings disaster. The Chinese understand that investment brings return, and that debt leads to death. The U.S. has taken “the road more traveled”, same as Europe, by creating Welfare and government employee states/countries that have wiped them out economically. We simply have no more money to invest; but only more and more debt.

China, on the other hand, has made trillions limiting imports and maximizing export goods to the U.S. and Europe, where consumers buy their crap on credit. China has taken that money and bought up strategic resources all over the world, but particularly in resource-rich Africa and South America. They have formed alliances with many oil producers, and have signed currency agreements with Russia, Japan, Brazil and many other countries to stop using the dollar as reserve currency. When the U.S. dollar is no longer reserve currency, we’re pretty well finished as the entire world will dump dollar-based assets, and we’ll have to exchange worthless dollars for other currencies just to trade for oil and goods.

We are truly living on borrowed time. China and Asia have taken much of our manufacturing and production (and the jobs). China is even buying up large chunks of the U.S., including entire towns in Michigan and large swaths of “rust belt” cities in the Midwest like Toledo, Ohio. China will own or control most of the resources on this planet before long, and the process will only accelerate after Europe and the U.S. collapse under the weight of tens of trillions in debt.

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Liberals, Progressives And Socialists

In Europe, especially in Germany, hoisting a swastika-emblazoned Nazi flag is a crime. For decades after World War II, people have hunted down and sought punishment for Nazi murderers, who were responsible for the deaths of more than 20 million people.

Here's my question: Why are the horrors of Nazism so well-known and widely condemned but not those of socialism and communism? What goes untaught – and possibly is covered up – is that socialist and communist ideas have produced the greatest evil in mankind's history. You say, "Williams, what in the world are you talking about? Socialists, communists and their fellow travelers, such as the Wall Street occupiers supported by our president, care about the little guy in his struggle for a fair shake! They're trying to promote social justice." Let's look at some of the history of socialism and communism.

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White Marlin Fishing Tournament In Russia

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 8-11-12

The Radio

To most people today, the radio is just something that is on while we are riding in our cars. The preferred method of entertainment today is the television. But this was not the case when I was growing up. In a previous article I told about the Sunday ride. The ride had to conclude by 3:30 because that is when all the “good” programs started. Programs such as “The Shadow”, Philo Vance and others that captured our undivided attention began at 3:30. I relived those wonderful moments during my last years of traveling back and forth to work in Nanticoke. From my driveway to the parking lot at Nanticoke Seafood was exactly 30 minutes. I found a source for cassette tapes of old radio programs and loaded up on the wondrous stories I had forgotten since childhood. Nowadays, I don’t go anywhere that takes the 30 minutes I would need to listen to a whole tape.

My grandfather had a really large console Philco in his basement. It was always cool there, even on the hottest days of summer. We would go down there and listen to whatever was on. Just the idea of the radio was a marvel to behold for two young boys in the early 1950’s. There were very few televisions so we didn’t know we were missing anything. We finally got a television in 1959 and were probably the last family in Salisbury to get one. Mom and Pop always thought it would interfere with our school work.

My grandfather built an addition on our house in 1950. It had a den downstairs and my bedroom was on the second floor. As it was being built, I remember telling everyone that Grandpop was building me a new bedroom and that he had to put the den under it to hold it up. The first Christmas after it was completed, Grandpop gave me a General Electric radio. It had a “sleep timer” feature that I just loved. I distinctly remember that it cost $50 at the time. It was probably the biggest entertainment appliance in our house.

When I went away to high school, they had very strict rules. One of them was that no radios were allowed. I had this little gizmo that looked like a rocket ship with the antenna being the station changer. It had a wire from it that ended in two “alligator clips”. My bed in the dorm was right next to a radiator and I attached the clips to that. Then I would insert the earplugs that came with it and listen to the radio. My favorite was on Saturday night when I could get The Grand ‘Ol Opry. I don’t know if he was on the Opry or if it was another show, but my favorite was George Gobel. He had two sayings that I have never forgotten and smile every time I think of them. The first was. “Nobody likes a fat man, but if he has money, they can tolerate him.” The second was “Did you ever wake up and think the rest of the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?’

Nowadays, there are FM stations that carry only certain programs. You can get just about anything you want – if you’re not looking for “The Shadow”.

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA AUGUST 13, 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
6:13 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA – City Clerk Kim Nichols 1
 Resolution No. 2190 - authorizing the approval of a memorandum of
understanding with the Circuit Court for Wicomico County to provide
juror parking
6:15 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Assistant Internal Services Director-Procurement 2
Catrice Parsons
 Change Order #4 for Contract ARRA 22-08 Naylor Mill Road Regional
Lift Station
 Police Department surplus – one (1) handgun
 Police Department surplus – four (4) SPD vehicles
 Change Order #2 to Contract A-22-12 Citywide Blacktop Program
6:35 p.m. RESOLUTIONS – City Administrator John Pick
 Resolution No. 2187 - accepting a donation from the Target Corporation to 3a
assist in funding the annual National Night Out Against Crime event cohosted
by the Salisbury Police Department
 Resolution No. 2188 - accepting Maryland Department of the Environment 3b
grant funds for the construction of the Salisbury Wastewater Treatment Plant
drain lift station
 Resolution No. 2189 - accepting supplemental funds for the 2011 Emergency 3c
Solutions Grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community
Development
7:00 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Mark Tilghman
 Ordinance No. 2213 – 2nd reading – adjusting the capacity unit fee in 4a
accordance with Chapter 13.02 of the city code
 Ordinance No. 2214 – 2nd reading – approving an amendment of the city code 4b
to revise the scheduled dates for submission of a draft comprehensive connection
charge structure to Council and adoption of same
Ordinance No. 2215 – 1st reading - creating a bike route which will run from 4c
the intersection of Camden Avenue and West College Avenue to North Division
Street near the Government Office Building; providing dedicated bicycle-only
lanes and shared bicycle and motorized vehicle lanes as directed by MDMUTCD
Chapter 9, Traffic Control for Bicycle Facilities (MDMUTCD); installing lane
striping for dedicated lanes; installing shared lane markings for shared lanes;
installing bicycle markings on-pavement; and installing bike route signage along
the route per the MDMUTCD
7:45 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
8:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT

Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Release 8-11-12

Vernon Tawes Sterling of Marion, arrested 8-2-12 on a warrant for second degree assault. Sterling was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Craig Durand McGill of Salisbury, arrested 8-2-12 on a warrant for violation of probation. McGill was held on a $50,000 bond.

Shakiema Lashanda Jackson of Crisfield, arrested 8-3-12 on a body attachment warrant. Jackson was released on a $3,000 bond.

Tyrie Lamar Henderson of Princess Anne, arrested 8-3-12 on a body attachment warrant. Henderson was released after posting $500.00 bond.

Marciela Gomez of Westover, arrested 8-4-12 on a warrant for second degree assault. Gomez was held on a $5,000 bond.

Kimberly Renee Smith of Pocomoke City, arrested 8-4-12 for possession of suspected marijuana, possession of suspected cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by deputies in the area of Ocean Highway and Short Lane. Smith was later released on personal recognizance.

Ronnie Johnson and Desiree Taylor both of Brooklyn New York, arrested 8-4-12 for speeding, possession of un-taxed cigarettes, and possession of deadly weapons. The arrest was the result of a traffic stop conducted by deputies on Ocean Highway near Revels neck Rd. Deputies recovered 50 cartons of un-stamped cigarettes, a large amount of us currency, 3 pair of brass knuckles, and a stun gun. Both subjects were later held on a $15,000 bond.

Tina Marie Absher of Milsboro Delaware, arrested 8-5-12 for driving on a suspended drivers license, and failure to drive right of center. Absher was released on signature pending court actions.

Margo shante Ward of Crisfield, arrested 8-6-12 for driving on a suspended drivers license, driving a uninsured vehicle, failure to drive right of center, and failure to display registration card. Ward was released on signature pending court actions.

Sara Margaret Lee of Baltimore, arrested 8-9-12 for a warrant regarding failing to appear in court. Lee was held on a $2,500 bond.

To Haiti, With Love: Benefitting Cont. Post-Earthquake Rebuilding Projects

Salisbury, MD – To Haiti, with Love: A 40 Year Journey into the Heart of a Nation will return to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, August 16th. Tom and Bev Brumbley with Evangelistic World Outreach invite you to their 2nd annual semi-formal gala event.

The cost is $30/ticket. Ticket locations are at Bella Grace, O’Neals Antiques, and The Mustard Seed. Proceeds will benefit continued post-earthquake rebuilding projects. Please contact 410.749.8563 or delmasgent@yahoo.com for more details.

Deer Infestation Calls For A Radical Free-Market Solution

Looking over the American landscape, it’s hard to think of a more insidious threat to forests, farms and wildlife, not to mention human health and safety, than deer.

Yet when it comes to reducing this costly infestation, too many elected officials sit on their hands or deflect effective control measures. There were about 1.09 million deer-vehicle collisions from June 2010 to June 2011, State Farm Insurance reports, with average property damage of more than $3,000 an accident. Add to that a billion or so dollars for agricultural damage. Deer carry ticks that spread Lyme disease. And their voracious chomping has resulted in “ghost forests” -- particularly in the Northeast.

If a forest is healthy, it will support about 15 deer per square mile, and many scientists say that a degraded patch can’t be restored unless the population is about five per square mile. Compare that target with the actual deer densities: Some areas of the U.S. have 40 to 50 of them in a square mile, with much higher estimates in some Eastern suburbs. In New Jersey, one- third of the remaining species of native plants are endangered, largely because of deer. Many warblers, thrushes and dozens of other ground-nesting birds lose the protection of native plants, and some species of native pollinators -- butterflies, moths, beetles -- vanish.

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Mitt Romney Taps Paul Ryan As Vice Presidential Running Mate

NORFOLK, Va. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate, according to a Republican with knowledge of the development. The newly minted GOP ticket will appear together Saturday in Norfolk, Va., at the start of a four-state bus tour to introduce the GOP ticket to the nation.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to disclose the decision.

In a statement issued Friday night, Romney's campaign would say only that the running mate would be revealed at 9 a.m. EDT at the Nauticus Museum. Berthed at the museum is the USS Wisconsin – which offered a hint about Romney's choice.

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