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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Bomb Threat Checked Out



First of all I truly want to thank the Salisbury Police Department as well as the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit.

A bomb threat was made on us today from an anonymous commenter. While I didn't want to pay it much attention I was asked to at least contact the Police Department and let them decide if they felt it warranted further action.

Because we received so many threats today and because it is against the law to threaten someone with a bomb, they felt it necessary to search my vehicle as well as my Wife's vehicle.

Fortunately there was no hit from the K-9 Dog and we aired on the side of caution. The investigation isn't over though. IP Addresses can be traced and considering this is a terroristic threat it will not be taken lightly.

Look, I didn't like being placed in this position but I felt my Wife was going to head over to pick up our Grandson and when it comes to them I will NOT take any risks.

The resources this took up today and in the near future is ridiculous and uncalled for.

It seems some will go to very serious extremes to try to scare me off from running for Mayor. Who could be so scared, I wonder? NOTHING you can say or do is going to stop me from representing Salisbury as your next Mayor.

In time we will find out who is behind this and they will get locked up. More to come.

UPDATE: I have spoken to Mr. Robinson tonight who has assured me he attempted to make contact with the FBI but failed. However, he stated that he has made contact with Homeland Security who is going to go onto my site and gain all the access we need to catch the person who made the original threat.

Bin Laden Raid Book: First-Hand Account Of Navy SEAL Mission Will Be Released On Sept. 11

NEW YORK -- A first-hand account of the Navy SEAL mission that killed Osama bin Laden is coming out Sept. 11.
Dutton announced Wednesday that Mark Owen's "No Easy Day" will "set the record straight" on the raid in Pakistan in May 2011.
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DNC Refuses To Reimburse Town For Thousands Of Dollars Of Overtime Costs During Obama Visit

The Democratic National Committee has informed a Connecticut town it will not be reimbursed for the thousands of dollars the city spent on costs for President Obama's fundraising visit earlier this month. 
Gordon Joseloff, the first selectman of Westport, says he was informed this week the town's request to have the DNC and Obama for America cover the $14,812 the city paid in police and fire overtime was denied. 
The president traveled to the area on Aug. 6 to attend a fundraiser in Stamford and a $35,800 per person dinner at the Westport home of movie producer Harvey Weinstein. 

RNC: Hints of Violence as Law Enforcement Prepares for Tampa

Law enforcement agencies have been gearing up for the Republican National Convention in Tampa to be held August 27th – August 30th.  For many, that’s welcome news, as local and national anarchist groups have amped up the chatter in recent months.

On Tuesday, Tampa police said they confiscated “pipes, bricks and other suspicious items from the rooftop of a downtown building located about a mile from where next week's Republican National Convention will be held.”  The police chief also indicated that they have studied other protests in preparation for this month’s convention.

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Democrat Admits To Rest-Stop Liaison With Boy

A Minnesota state lawmaker who authorities say admitted having a liaison with a 17-year-old boy at a rest stop faced calls from party leaders on Monday to give up his re-election bid.

Rep. Kerry Gauthier, 56, hasn't been charged in the July incident, and authorities said he wouldn't be because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged. Police say the teenager responded to the lawmaker's Craigslist ad for "no strings attached" sex.

Gauthier admitted to the liaison, according to police reports made public late last week. The teen told police the two had oral sex, according to the reports.

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NBC/WSJ Poll Shows Romney Support Among Blacks at Zero Percent — Should it Be Taken Seriously?

A whopping 0 percent of black voters support Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, if you trust the accuracy of a new NBC/WSJ poll.

While it isn’t surprising that President Obama leads Romney among black and other minority voters, the assertion that the GOP candidate has no support in the black community is hard to swallow.

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The New USPS


Lesbian Who Reported 'Hate Crime' Attack Staged Incident, Nebraska Police Say

A Nebraska "hate crime" that targeted an openly gay woman and that triggered responses from candlelight vigils locally to Facebook postings of support nationwide was staged by the alleged victim, authorities said Tuesday as they charged the woman with lying to police.

Charlie Rogers -- a former basketball player for the University of Nebraska who identifies herself as lesbian -- told police that three masked men entered her home on July 22, stripped her, tied her down, and carved homophobic slurs into her body before attempting to set her and the house on fire.

But the Lincoln Police Department said Tuesday that "the physical evidence conflicted with Charlie Rogers' version of events" and that "extensive investigation revealed numerous inconsistencies."

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D.C. Writing Tickets To The Wrong People

In the last year and a half, District of Columbia authorities have handed out tens of thousands of tickets to out-of-state vehicles parked in the city overnight.
However, these drivers are not getting ticketed because the cars are parked illegally. Instead, ticket writers have spotted them parked overnight in the city more than twice in 30 days and are assuming the owners have moved to the District without registering and getting D.C. tags.

Dean Lane, who anchors the overnight news at ABC7’s news partner WTOP in Northwest, is one of them. He lives in Virginia and has racked up at least five $100 tickets for not having D.C. tags.

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College Student Stuck in Canada Until 2013 For Not ‘Declaring’ Handgun Fast Enough to Border Officials

A 26-year-old man from Alpine, Utah was arrested at the Canada-U.S. border and faces up to 6 months in prison for initially forgetting to declare he was in possession of a handgun during a routine border screening, The Salt Lake City Tribune reports. To be clear, he isn’t accused of possessing a handgun illegally.

Kraig Jacobson was arrested on July 16 and as of Tuesday, he remains stuck in Canada, awaiting a jury trial in 2013.

Jacobson and his brother Kevin set off on a six-week motorcycle trek across the country to raise money for the American Cancer Society when they crossed a bridge and entered Canada. The brothers ended up camping in the wilderness many nights — Jacobson said he brought his handgun for protection from bears and other animals.

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Md. Company To Try For World's Largest Crab Cake

Those who want to witness potential history and get a tasty snack in the process have a chance to watch as Handy International tries to break its own Guinness World Record for largest crab cake.

The seafood processor said on Sept. 1, it will cook up the gigantic crustacean creation at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium.

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Kentucky Supreme Court Allows State to Acknowledge ‘Reliance Upon Almighty God’

The Kentucky Supreme Court has let stand a ruling from the state Court of Appeals upholding the state’s right to acknowledge God in Kentucky’s homeland security law.

The organization American Atheists filed a lawsuit in 2008, claiming that the ordinance, written in part by Representative Tom Riner, a Baptist pastor in Louisville, violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. The section written by Riner noted the state’s “reliance upon Almighty God” for the “safety and security of the Commonwealth.” As soon as the statute was signed into law, American Atheists stepped in to strike it down.

The following year, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate agreed with American Atheists, ruling that the homeland security ordinance was an infringement of the First Amendment and the Kentucky State Constitution.

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Washington Is 10th Most Honest U.S. City, Ties With Las Vegas

Washington is the nation’s 10th most honest metro area — right on par with Sin City, according to a recent “honesty experiment.”

The rankings come from the Bethesda-based company Honest Tea, which for the third year set up unmanned beverage stands nationwide, asking people to leave a dollar for each bottle they took.

Undercover observers used a digital tracking application to monitor which passersby took a drink without paying.

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Court Rules Texas Can Cut Off State Funds For Planned Parenthood

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Texas can cut off funding for Planned Parenthood clinics that provide health services to low-income women before a trial over a new law that bans state money from going to organizations tied to abortion providers.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans lifted a federal judge's temporary injunction calling for the funding to continue pending an October trial on Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law.

Texas officials sought to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood clinics that provide family planning and health services to poor women after the state's Republican-led Legislature passed a law banning funds to organizations linked to abortion providers. No state money goes to pay for abortions.

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Here We Go Again

"You fu(&#ng cry baby c*nt. Never saw you complain about the Metropolitan magazine, or The Guide, or the other weekly ad booklet that is put in racks in stores and around shopping centers in the area. Now you're going to complain about the Delmarva Crossroads? If it wasn't illegal, there is nothing I'd enjoy more than laying your pathetic ass out next time I see you out and about".

Another anonymous threat. Let's see, I'll be at the Plaza Deli on Thursday night at 5 PM, does that help you any.

The Metropolitan Magazine is a classy, well done magazine, NOT a, I want to be Joe Albero fly by night newspaper given out for free, including advertisers who get 6 months worth of free advertising because they desperately need someone in there to make it look like they have advertisers.

The Guide has to be one of the most organized and dependable weekly publications I've seen. They're NOT thrown in someones driveway or lawn, you have to go get them somewhere. The same can be said about the Coastal Dispatch and other newspapers in Ocean City. Subjecting people to something they never asked for is like getting junk mail every single day. No one wants it.

As for Salisbury News, it is your choice to come here. Like you, we have the right to express our opinion. All I ask is that you stop using curse words. As far as your threat, come on man, grow up.

I think every one reading your anonymous comment can tell where you come from. I thank you for sharing your comment so people can see what you people are really all about.

Notes: I changed the curse words in the original comment. Also, someone came by today from a very popular neighborhood and told me none of the neighbors had fortunately received this weeks new paper. So much for certifying their circulation. Keep your eyes on a dumpster near you.

Obama Decries Student Debt, But Ignores Debt Burden on Citizens

President Barack Obama – who increased the national debt by $5 trillion, leaving each American liable for $50,859 – on Tuesday decried the average student loan debt,, which he estimated at $26,000 per college student.

The president spoke Tuesday at a campaign rally on Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio is a key battleground state in the presidential race where both Obama and his Republican opponent Mitt Romney are spending a lot of time

“Higher education has gotten a lot harder to afford. It has gotten more expensive,” Obama told the crowd of college students. “Over the past two years – excuse me – over the past two decades, tuition and fees at America’s colleges have more than doubled. The average student who borrows to pay for college now graduates with about $26,000 worth of student loan debt.”

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Sussex County Breaks Ground On Runway Extension Project At County Airport

The Governor helped break ground on a project that will extend the main runway at the Sussex County Airport near Georgetown. The improvements, to be completed in late 2013, will make the facility more accessible and safer for larger aircraft and open new opportunities for businesses that use the adjacent industrial park as their base of operations.

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Illinois Governor Signs Strip Club ‘Skin Tax’ Law to Collect Money for Rape Victims

CHICAGO – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a new tax into law that would collect money from strip clubs in the state in order to help raise funds for rape crisis centers.

In signing the new “skin tax” bill, Quinn officially created the Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Fund. Beginning January 1, 2013, every patron to a strip club must pay a $3 surcharge, which will then be transferred to the fund. The money will be handled by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The bill was introduced in February by Democratic senators Toi Hutchinson and Sara Feigenholtz due to reported dwindling funding for rape crisis centers in the state. The bill passed through both house and senate, with the senate vote being unanimous.

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Holiday Layaway Starting A Month Earlier This Year At Walmart, With A Few Changes

Walmart customers who rely on its layaway program to get all that holiday shopping done will surely be grateful for a little extra time this year to buy gifts and pay them off in time. The store announced that layaway will return a month earlier than it did last year, and tweaked a few of the program's rules in the process.

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William Alemar charged with committing terrorist act

A West Virginia man arrested while running in desert camouflage with an AR-15 training rifle is a member of the Virginia National Guard who served a tour of duty in Iraq, and his father says he's not a terrorist.

Stephen Alemar tells The Hagerstown Herald-Mail that he believes his 23-year-old son, William Alemar, was just trying to stay in shape for his next military assignment when he was arrested near two Martinsburg schools on Monday.

William Alemar was charged with committing a terrorist act after police found him carrying two knives and ammunition clips, and wearing a bulletproof vest. Alemar remained in the Eastern Regional Jail on Tuesday on $50,000 bond.

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The U.S. Postal Service Doesn’t Want Night Owl Business

Most people occasionally need to mail packages. Most people also have jobs. The U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble, and desperately needs our package-mailing funds. They're not about to expand the hours that post offices are open to accommodate office workers, though, so they compromise: post office lobbies are open 24/7 and Automated Postal Centers are ready for your package-mailing needs. Blue mailboxes can only accommodate parcels up to 13 ounces, but you can drop much larger boxes in the package drop at your local post office. In theory. Dan found that this was trickier in practice, when every post office nearby had an operational postage machine, but the package drops were all locked.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Interview Found


In a dusty old attic in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stephon Tull was rummaging through dilapidated boxes left there by his father many years before, when he came across an interesting find.

In one of the battered boxes was an audio reel marked, "Dr. King interview, Dec. 21, 1960."

"I'm a rummager, a packrat," said Tull. "That piqued my interest."

Tull acquired a reel-to-reel player and listened to what sounded like his father interviewing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about nonviolence and the civil rights movement.

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School District Bans All Sorts Of Yummy Food At Games, Events, Field Trips & Dances

For students in the public schools of Portland, Maine, the next year -- and the foreseeable future -- will be devoid of in-class pizza or cupcake parties, and all the high-calorie snacks and beverages sold at sporting events and dances will be replaced with healthier options. Even the teachers have to bring their own sugary sodas to work.


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Md. Shooting Threat Suspect Released To Parents

 A Crofton man accused of referring to himself as "a joker" and threatening to shoot up his workplace has been released to his parents from a psychiatric facility.

A Prince George's County mental health court judge released 28-year-old Neil E. Prescott to the custody of his parents on Tuesday. Prescott was ordered to continue taking medication and attend counseling while he awaits arraignment.

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Where Booze Is Concerned, Americans Choose Beer Over Wine & Liquor

When faced with a chilled chardonnay, a dry martini or a frosty mug of ale, all Americans who drink have a choice that we are fond of making. A new report from venerable pollsters Gallup found that a majority of us drink alcohol in some form — 66% of Americans, to be exact — but there can be only one boozy winner, and it's beer.


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In U.S., Food Is Wasted From Farm To Fork

Americans throw away up to 40 percent of their food every year, cramming landfills with at least $165 billion worth of produce and meats at a time when hundreds of millions of people suffer from chronic hunger globally, according to an analysis released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The analysis, a compilation of various studies and statistics, found that waste exists from farm to fork even as an ongoing drought threatens to boost food prices. But the resources that the government has devoted to identifying where the inefficiencies exist and how to combat them pale in comparison with efforts underway in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, the report concluded.

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Without Concrete Action, New USAF Regulations on Church-State Separation Will Be As Useful As A “Football Bat”

At the very beginning of August 2012, I blasted outgoing (now-retired) Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (CSAF), Gen. Norton Schwartz, for his lackadaisical and utterly impotent attitude toward the unconstitutional epidemic of coercive proselytization and innumerable religious violations within the United States Air Force (USAF). Referring to Schwartz as the "Joe Paterno" of the USAF for his truly despicable role in covering up of this cascading torrent of spiritual molestation, predation, and abuse, I cited the years-long, disingenuously cordial and utterly inconsequential string of meetings and telephonic communications between him and me. With great regret and no small amount of frustration, I noted that the General's "term of service as USAF Chief of Staff has epitomized a tortured, gutless legacy that's now being left behind for the rest of us to wretchedly wallow in." This dystopian description was in reference to the dire national security repercussions of the ongoing Christian fundamentalist takeover of what constitutes the most formidable and lethal aerial war fighting force devised in human history.

Our criticism of Schwartz's track record as Chief of Staff hasn't fallen on entirely deaf ears. As regular readers of this column well know, one of my favorite maxims is a quote from Frederick Douglass: "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." Once again this approach has been universally validated. How? In the form of a new official USAF document. This mandatory USAF directive was issued mere days after my Op-Ed condemnation of Schwartz's term as CSAF was published. Entitled " Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards ," this document establishes a uniform standard of conduct within the USAF and serves to underscore the fatally obscure and confusing series of instructional guidelines that had previously been haphazardly spewed across the entirety of the USAF chain of command. The guidelines laid out within Air Force Instruction 1-1 (AFI 1-1) govern various aspects of the conduct expected of all USAF airmen and cadets in the field of culture, conduct, values, discipline, and performance. According to an Air Force press release, "Having a one-stop shop for standards-related guidelines, while not unprecedented, has long been absent in the Air Force."

The cover sheet of this 27 page document bears former CSAF Schwartz's certification, and reads in big, black, and bold type: "COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY." Far more importantly, the cover further explains, "failure to adhere to the standards set out in this instruction can form the basis for adverse action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). An example would be a dereliction of duty offense under [UCMJ] Article 92." This invokes the draconian possibility of trial by courts-martial faced by armed forces members who willingly or unwillingly fail to obey orders or regulations.

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AAA: 33 Million To Travel For Labor Day Holiday

More than 33 million Americans will go 50 miles or more from home this coming Labor Day holiday weekend – that’s a jump from the 32.1 million people who traveled at this time last year, according to travel group AAA.  They also think that the number is a post-recession high and is the third time holiday travel this year has increased. 

Despite a sluggish economy and recent rises in gas prices, the increase in expected Labor Day holiday weekend travelers is driven by improving consumer confidence compared to one year ago and American’s unwavering desire to travel,” said Ragina Averella, Manager of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic in a statement.  

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BREAKING NEWS: Deficit Expected To Add Another $1.1 Trillion In 2012

US deficit is expected to grow another $1.1 trillion in 2012, the fourth straight year the nation's debt will exceed a trillion dollars, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reports.

From Fox News

Big Oil In The News Again

Big oil hasn't learned its lesson from 2010's BP oil spill in the Gulf. Either that or it just doesn't care. Reuters is reporting that oil rigs drilling "ultra-deep" wells have hit historic highs – with more than 80 rigs now drilling at depths of 7,500 feet or more. The likes of BP, Chevron, and Shell are all getting into the deep water drilling game – despite the clear risks of it. In fact, BP is looking to drill even deeper – already developing new technology to drill in even deeper, higher pressure wells. One reason, why big oil is taking so many risks – is because they know they won't be held accountable when they screw up. Not one BP executive has been charged with any crimes stemming from the 2010 oil spill that killed 11 men, ruined coastlines along the Gulf Coast, and has done untold damage to marine life and the food chain in the area. Time to hold Big Oil accountable – after all – what's underneath our land should belong to all of us – not a handful of rich CEOs.

Frederick Soldier Dies in Afghanistan

Frederick soldier dies in Afghanistan

A Frederick soldier died Saturday while serving his first deployment in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said in a news release late Tuesday.

Sgt. David V. Williams, 24, was killed while serving in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. Williams was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, where he served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.


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Salisbury, So Beautiful In So Many Ways


Local St. Michaels Girl To Sing National Anthem For Kellie Pickler Concert


August 21, 2012. Delmar, MD –Local teenager Kelsey Abbott of St. Michaels, MD, will have her turn in the spotlight this Saturday evening. The thirteen year old will have a rare opportunity to show the shore, and national country music star Kellie Pickler, just what she is made of. Former American Idol contestant and country music star Kellie Pickler is performing Saturday August 25th in Delmar, MD. She will be the debut concert for The Amphitheater At Heron Ponds, which is a brand new outdoor performance venue on the Eastern Shore.

Rising country singer Chase Rice will be the opening performance. Other local talent featured at the concert will include the Feet of Fire Senior Performance Troop, who will be dancing throughout the show, and a sample of the classic car collection of Gary Ennis, the region’s most prominent car collector. This is one of the many ways amphitheater creator Doug Marshall tries to bring a local flavor to the venue; his mission is to create an outlet for families to be entertained, at a price that won’t break the bank, while still offering a diverse range of artists and an outlet for local events.

Kellie Pickler tickets starting at only $20 is one of many ways this venue is price friendly. Children under ten years old will be admitted free for all lawn seating, and parking is free as well. With local company Adam’s Ribs as the concert food vendor, and official sponsorships from Miller Light and Coors Light, event goers will have a delicious and cost effective evening at the amphitheater. The amphitheater is also offering a free 80s Night concert Friday August 24th which will feature local bands Front Page News, Blue Junction, Riot Act, and Anything Goes.

Tickets are available online at www.HeronPondsLive.com, by phone at 410.896.9600 or on site Monday through Friday 11AM to 5:30PM at 9536 Heron Ponds Parkway, Delmar, MD 21875. Lawn seating and chair seating are available.

Tropical Storm Isaac Forms

Tropical Storm Isaac has formed in the central Atlantic, becoming the ninth named storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

Air Force reconnaissance aircraft flew into the system Tuesday afternoon and found a small area of tropical-storm force winds associated with thunderstorms just outside the center of circulation.

However, Isaac is not yet a well-organized system, with dry air and some northeasterly wind shear limiting Isaac's ability to rapidly organize.

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Voter Suppression ID Laws

Proponents of controversial Voter Suppression ID laws and other voting reforms are admitting to what we all already know – those laws are intended to keep blacks and other minorities from the polls. Despite hundreds of thousands of Ohioans taking advantage of weekend voting during the 2008 election – Republican election officials in the state voted to end weekend voting for this election. According to a study by Northeast Ohio Voter Advocates, a large percentage – and in some counties a majority – of those using weekend early voting are African Americans. But as one Republican election official, Doug Priesse, told the Columbus Dispatch, "I...feel we shouldn't contort the voting process to accommodate...African Americans." But – according to Priesse – Republicans should actively pass laws that restrict the voting rights of African Americans.

Misleading Headline In Today's Daily Times

Jennifer, I realize that you probably didn't select the headline, but "Wicomico County GOP committee protests Board of Education nominee" is not only false, but it's inconsistent with the story in the paper - as well as my comments when we talked. I repeatedly stated that we had no issue with Kim, but that we are upset about the process by which people are appointed to the Wicomico County Board of Education. Your story reflects those positions reasonably well; the headline absolutely does not.

Unfortunately using sensationalistic headlines to pull in readers is commonplace - and is frequently something the Times does, and that reflects poorly on journalism. It's a matter of concern in part because people who do not read past this headline will falsely conclude that our "protest" is what Republicans are really about.

Readers who actually read the article will understand part of the real issue: local control of education. However, anyone who skims the article will only remember the false premise of the headline. First impressions (the headline) can easily affect the reader's understanding of what follows.

This sort of pseudo-jounalism not only damages the reputation of the Daily Times, but it also functions as a disservice to the citizens supposedly served by the paper.

Dave Parker

Chair, Wicomico County Republican Central Committee

How Nonprofits Spend Millions On Elections And Call It Public Welfare

Matt Brooks describes the mission of the Republican Jewish Coalition as educating the Jewish community about critical domestic and foreign policy issues.

But the well-dressed crowd that gathered in May for a luncheon on the 24th floor of a New York law firm easily could have figured that the group had a different purpose: Helping Mitt Romney win the presidency.

Brooks, the group's executive director, showed the 100 or so attendees two coalition-funded ads taking aim at President Barack Obama. Then Brooks made a pitch for a $6.5 million plan to help Romney in battleground states, reminding guests that their donations would not be publicly disclosed by the tax-exempt group.

"Contributions to the RJC are not reported," Brooks told the people sitting around a horseshoe-shaped table. "We don't make our donors' names available. We can take corporate money, personal money, cash, shekels, whatever you got."

The Republican Jewish Coalition and similar organizations enjoy tax-exempt status in exchange for promoting social welfare. In this election, the most expensive in U.S. history, they also have emerged as the primary conduit for anonymous big-money contributions.

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'Princeton Review' Again Names SU Among 'Best Colleges'

“Salisbury strives not only to challenge students academically, but to make them well-rounded as possible.” “I have met so many amazing, captivating professors while at Salisbury. They make the classes interesting and real.” This is what students are saying about Salisbury University in The Princeton Review’s recently released The Best 377 Colleges. This marks the 14th consecutive year SU has been included in the national guidebook.

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Today's Fill In The Blank 8-22-12

Life would be better if _____.

Wicomico Schools Prepare To Open Aug. 27: What’s New For The 2012-13 School Year

It’s almost time for the start of the 2012-13 school year in Wicomico County Public Schools. Here are a few things new and of note for the upcoming school year.

SCHOOL OPENS: Wicomico County Schools will hold open houses Aug. 21-24 in preparation for the opening of the 2012-13 school year on Monday, Aug. 27, for most students*.

*Please note that students in grades 1-6 and grade 9 will attend school on Aug. 27. (Exceptions: All grades will attend at Pittsville Elementary and Middle, and only grade 6
will attend at Mardela Middle and High.) All students in grades 1-12 will be in school Tuesday, Aug. 28. During the first week, kindergarten and prekindergarten students will report as scheduled by the assigned school.

CONSISTENT ATTIRE PROGRAM: The Consistent Attire Program (CAP) will be piloted in nine elementary schools this school year. CAP is in place for students of Beaver Run, Charles H. Chipman, Delmar, North Salisbury, Pemberton, Pinehurst, Prince Street, West Salisbury and Wicomico Early Learning Center (WELC). Parents in these schools received CAP details from the schools, and information has been available on each school’s web page as well as at www.wcboe.org. A program on the Consistent Attire Program has been airing on PAC 14 (upcoming airtimes include Wednesday 7:12 a.m. and 8:32 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Saturday 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. The program may also be viewed at any time on the PAC 14 website through the Video on Demand feature; click on Video on Demand at www.pac14.org, then click on Education to view the CAP show.

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Manure... An Interesting Fact

Manure : In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common.

It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a byproduct is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen.
Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening.

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction 'Stow high in transit ' on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term ' S.H.I.T ', (Stow High In Transit) which has come down through the ages to us.

You probably did not know the true history of this word.

Neither did I . . . I always thought it was a golf term.

BOO

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 8-22-12


Salisbury’s Biggest Discount Shopping Event

One weekend only –September 13 - 15, 2012

Salisbury, MD
- Celebrating their 12th semi-annual consignment event, Coastal Kids Consignment helps area families get great merchandise for a deal, diligently assisting over 150 families to make money selling items and also support multiple charities by donating items at the end of the event. This year, financial and in-kind donations will be distributed to Life Crisis of Salisbury, MD; the March of Dimes of Salisbury, MD; the Eastern Shore Pregnancy Center of Salisbury, MD and several other Churches and local shelters.

As parents prepare for back to school and cooler weather, finding quality brand name kids and baby items can put a crunch on any family’s budget. Coastal Kids Consignment has brought together thousands of ways to get what you need at a fraction of the price. The one stop opportunity to find fall and winter seasonal items at 60-90% off retail is a not to miss event!

Shoppers will find high quality, gently used items for infants to juniors, maternity and ladies including clothing, shoes, toys, baby gear, strollers, pack and plays, bounce chairs, outdoor play items, home decor and much more! Bigger than a consignment or resale store, Coastal Kids is 3 day consignment event. Over 19,000 items were available at last year’s Salisbury sale event. Laid out like a retail store, shopping is easy with items sorted by size and gender as well as similar item groupings that allow shoppers to find what they need quickly with minimal hunting.

What Shoppers need to know

Thursday September 13th from 9am – 6pm
Friday September 14th from 9am – 6pm (many items 25% off from 3 – 6pm)
NEW: Friday is restock day with additional merchandise added!
Saturday September 15th from 9am – 1pm (many items 50% off all day)

Wicomico Civic Center, 500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury MD 21804
Located in the Midway Room.
Free admission! Cash, Visa/MC accepted.

I'm On A Roll Today


Narcotics Detectives Arrest New York Men For Distribution Of Drugs

On August 18, 2012, at approximately 12:40 a.m. members of the Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit and the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team were investigating the illegal distribution of Marijuana in the area of 608 Philadelphia Avenue. During the investigation, OCPD detectives and uniformed police personnel attempted to arrest two suspects for distribution of controlled dangerous substances (CDS) on the porch of 608 Philadelphia Ave.

As police were attempting to place the suspects under arrest, the suspects began to struggle and fight with the officers. At this time, several other occupants of the residence exited the residence and began to interfere with the arresting officers and fight with the police.

Police, who had to call for additional units to assist with the arrest, located additional marijuana from the top floor unit where friends of the suspects were staying.

In all, four suspects were arrested as follows:

Thomas William Mullen, 20, of Pearl River, NY – Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute CDS and Resisting Arrest.
Andrew James McAllister, 20, of Garnerville, NY – Charged with Distribution of CDS.
Michael Anthony Sadori, 20, of North Rockland, NY – Charged with Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute CDS and Resisting Arrest.
Thomas Patrick Brannigan, Jr., 20, of Garnerville, NY – Charged with Distribution of CDS.

After being seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner, all four suspects were transferred to the Worcester County Jail were they are being held on $7500.00 bond.

Strict Liability Only For Purebred Pit Bulls, Md. Court Rules

Maryland’s highest court has stepped back from a ruling creating a strict liability standard for attacks by any dog that is part pit bull, deciding it only applies to purebreds.

In an opinion filed Tuesday afternoon, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Robert Bell wrote that making owners and landlords liable for any attacks by dogs that are part-pit bull, regardless of their history, was “gratuitous and erroneous.” The dog involved in the case that brought the ruling was a purebred pit bull terrier and its breed was never questioned.

“In short, the question of whether strict liability should apply to cross-breds was never in the case — was never asserted or argued,” Judge Bell’s opinion states. “By gratuitously including them, the Court has opined on an issue that was never raised or argued.”

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THE VERDICT IS IN - WALL STREET HAS WON

My friend and mentor Walker Todd of AIER, who worked as a legal counsel at the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Cleveland, states the situation succinctly:

“Basically, there is a new 7th Circuit opinion saying that there is no reason to impose a constructive trust on a lender’s takings of customers’ funds from client commodity firms that were used (inappropriately) to secure the firms’ borrowings, as long as the lender can say that it did not know WITH CERTAINTY that customers’ funds were being repledged. Negligence and misappropriation (vs. knowing criminal intent) are now a sufficient excuse for letting the lender keep the money and go to the head of the line for distributions in bankruptcies of the client commodity firms. Spread the word.”

Walker goes on to say that this decision does rise to the level of “what were they thinking’ when the Powers That Be think that somehow this is saving or strengthening the financial system. He refers to the now infamous 2005 bankruptcy reform legislation, where the banks made themselves senior to the very customers and savers they are supposed to protect. Pollock summarizes the situation nicely in the article:

“The way I read it was that basically you no longer have property rights. If you have your money in any (US) financial institution, you now have no property rights because in a crisis situation a bankruptcy judge now has the right to say that all of this speculation (by the banks and brokers) takes precedence over your savings.”

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Can We Handle The Truth?


Shore Venture

What: Shore Venture

When: Every Thursday from 6-8pm starting on Sept. 6th 2012 and running until Nov. 8th 2012

Where: Wor-Wic Community College/Work Force Development Center Room 103A

Cost: $199.00

Description:
Maryland Capital Enterprises, The Small Business Development Center, The Eastern Shore Entrepreneurial, and Wor-Wic Community College would like to present our Shore Venture Class. This Class is designed to provide guidance and support in a group oriented environment. It is recommended for entrepreneurs who want to get started on the business planning process.
•Assess the feasibility of a business idea and how your concept matches your personal vision
• Determine the appropriate steps for small business success
•Identify creative marketing tools and key strategies for managing a small business
•Examine the pitfalls frequently encountered when starting a small business
100% REFUND with successful completion of course! Completion includes attending no fewer than 8 of 10 sessions and submission of a 2-page executive summary of a business plan.

Today's Survey Question 8-22-12

Should Voting Be Mandatory?

Food For Fines – An Overdue Fine Amnesty Program

WHAT: Each non-perishable food item is worth $1.00

WHO: Library members with overdue fines

WHEN: September 9-15, 2012

WHERE: All Library locations, except the bookmobile

SALISBURY, MD – Wicomico Public Library will be holding Food For Fines, An Overdue Fine Amnesty Program during the week of September 9-15, 2012. Library members whose cards have overdue fines may donate non-perishable food items to clear their fines. For each sealed, non-expired food bank donation brought in, the Library will mark $1 of overdue fines as paid. All food items will go to The Joseph House foodbank. Library members owing over $25 in fines may bring in 25 items and we will clear all remaining overdue fines. All locations will accept donations except the Bookmobile.

How does this work?

Between Sunday, September 9, 2012 and Saturday, September 15, 2012, visit one of the Library’s four (4) locations during normal business hours (Downtown, Pittsville, Centre Mall or Bivalve). Present your library card at the Circulation Desk or a special “Amnesty Returns Desk”. For each $1 of overdue fines, present one qualified food bank donation. The staff member at the desk will remove that amount from your account. Currently overdue items must be returned before you can “donate” towards that fine.

Food donations left “on the library’s doorstep” will be contributed to the foodbank; however only those presented at the desk during business hours on this week will be used to clear overdue fines. Library members are encouraged to make foodbank contributions even if they do not have fines. This program will end when the Library closes on Saturday, September 15, 2012. A suggested list of needed donations can be found on the Joseph House website, http://www.thejosephhouse.org/donations.htm.

Donated food items must be in good shape, not expired and not opened. Full details are available at the Reference or Check-Out desks.

Nothing But The Truth


The Feds Are Garnishing Social Security Benefits From Retirees Who Can't Pay Back Student Loans

While most attention in the ongoing student debt crisis narrative has focused on new graduates, it turns out the federal government has been quietly targeting a different group of debtors: retirees.

The Treasury Department has been withholding as much as 15 percent of Social Security benefits from "a rapidly growing number of Social Security recipients who have fallen behind on federal student loans," Smart Money's Annamaria Andriotis reports:

"From January through August 6, the government reduced the size of roughly 115,000 retirees' Social Security checks on those grounds. That's nearly double the pace of the department's enforcement in 2011; it's up from around 60,000 cases in all of 2007 and just 6 cases in 2000...

The amount that the government withholds varies widely, though it runs up to 15%. Assuming the average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker of $1,234, that could mean a monthly haircut of almost $190."

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Labor Department Spends Stimulus Funds For Ads During Olbermann, Maddow Shows

The Labor Department paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal stimulus funds to a public relations firm to run more than 100 commercials touting the Obama administration’s “green training” job efforts on two MSNBC cable shows, records show.

The commercials ran on MSNBC on shows hosted by Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann in 2009, but the contract didn’t report any jobs created, according to records reviewed recently by The Washington Times.

Spending reports under the federal Recovery Act show $495,000 paid to McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations LLC, which the Labor Department hired to raise awareness “among employers and influencers about the [Job Corps] program’s existing and new training initiatives in high growth and environmentally friendly career areas” as well as spreading the word to prospective Job Corps enrollees.

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REAL ISSUES

There’s a line of thinking on the political left that Mitt Romney served up a great softball in picking Paul Ryan as his running mate.

According to Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page, “Ryan brings to the Romney campaign the Tea Party’s style of magical thinking, a blissfully simplistic, ideologically driven world view that seems to think candidates can win votes by promising to reduce popular government services.”

Republican candidates, they say, are ducking for cover to avoid being branded with budget reforms that Ryan, as chairman of the House Budget Committee, has proposed, particularly for Medicare and Medicaid.

Vice President Joe Biden, eloquent as always, told a mostly black audience in Virginia that Republicans want to put “y’all back in chains.”

Although Biden has taken flak for this nauseating remark, he should get credit for summing up how Democrats really think: that government running your life makes you free and that anyone who proposes freedom and choice wants to put “y’all back in chains.”

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Old Fighter Pilot Commercial You'll Never See Again

QUOTE OF THE DAY 8-22-12

“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Mayor's Job Is To Administrate, He's Not Doing It

When you get phone calls from people reaching out to you for help, there's a problem.

I received a phone call from the GOB complaining about co-workers spending most of their day on Facebook.

Complaints have been made to Department Heads and they absolutely know this is going on, yet nothing is being done about it.

The problem isn't just on their computers, it extends to people using their cell phones to go on line and chat.

While some obviously think this is OK, I do NOT. Mind you, I don't want you to think I believe this is an exclusive problem to government employees, I do not. I know of several businesses in the area in which their employees are doing the exact same thing.

If I'm elected, cell phones would be for EMERGENCY use only. I'd ask the City Council to set a policy stating as such. Salisbury has a TON of work to get done. If it means there's so much free time in which staff can play on Facebook and the Internet, well, then we'll set new policies, remove those abusers on record, not replace them and perhaps pay those people who DO work hard all day more money, since they're picking up all the slack anyway.

There's a new Sheriff coming to Town.



"It's not my election to lose,


it's the taxpayers election to lose."

Military Turns To Charity To Build Medical Clinics

Faced with tighter defense budgets after the Iraq War, the military is getting a hand from a private charitable foundation to treat physical and psychological injuries of returning troops.

The Pentagon has a unique partnership with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which is raising $100 million to build a network of clinics on military bases.

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Romney Calls For Fed Audit As Party Mulls Platform Plank

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney renewed support for auditing the Federal Reserve, wading into an issue that threatens to spark a fight at his party’s national convention next week.

“The Federal Reserve should be accountable,” Romney told thousands of voters at a campaign rally today in Goffstown, New Hampshire. “We should see what they’re doing.”

Under pressure from anti-tax Tea Party activists and other small government advocates, Republicans are considering including a plank in their platform calling for a full audit of the central bank -- a prospect that concerns many party leaders and their financial supporters. Romney’s remarks could put pressure on the Republican Platform Committee -- which is currently meeting in Tampa, the convention site -- to adopt the proposal.

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Caption This Photo 8-22-12




WE'RE RICH - AT LONG LAST!

We're Rich!

WE FINALLY MADE IT

O.M.G., we're rich!

Silver In The Hair

Gold In The Teeth

Crystals In The Kidneys

Sugar In The Blood

Lead In The Ass

Iron In The Arteries

And

An Inexhaustible Supply Of Natural Gas.

I Never Thought we would accumulate Such Wealth!

Friends Tweet Before Dying In Md. Train Derailment

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) - They were seemingly ordinary tweets from two friends hanging out on a railroad bridge in their hometown, enjoying one last summer night together before heading back to college.

"Drinking on top of the Ellicott City sign," read one. "Looking down on old ec," read another. Accompanying photos showed their view from the bridge and their bare feet, one with painted blue toenails, dangling over the edge. "Levitating," read another tweet.

Minutes after the messages were shared on the social media site Twitter, a Baltimore-bound CSX freight train loaded with coal barreled down the tracks and derailed, killing the 19-year-old women and toppling railcars and coal onto the streets below of this historic Maryland community.

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Creative Billboard

Sleep?

Wall Street Prosecutions Under Obama: Zilch

For all the bluster of Obama, pre- and post-2008, as well as that of Attorney General Eric Holder concerning the alleged criminal activities on Wall Street, there have been zero Wall Street prosecutions under Obama/Holder. Compare that with his predecessors Bush and Clinton:

Bush: 1,300 convictions; Clinton: 1,000 convictions; Obama: Zero attempts.

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Federal Auditor: 2,527 DHS Employees and Co-Conspirators Convicted of Crimes

There have been 2,527 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees and co-conspirators convicted of corruption and other criminal misconduct since 2004, according to a federal auditor.
Charles Edwards, the acting inspector general (IG) at DHS, made that revelation in written testimony prepared for an Aug. 1 hearing held by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency, and Financial Management.

In his remarks, Edwards added that as of July 15, the DHS OIG (Office of the Inspector General) was dealing with 1,591 open criminal cases involving DHS employees and some accomplices. Some cases date back to fiscal year 2004 (Oct. 1, 2003 thru Sept. 30, 2004) although the majority of the open investigations were initiated in the last three fiscal years. The DHS started operating in March 2003.

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JESSE VENTURA SAYS POLITICAL PARTIES ARE JUST THUGS IN BROOKS BROTHERS SUITS

“It shall be unlawful for any national bank, or any corporation organized by the authority of any laws of Congress, to make a money contribution in connection with any election to any political office.”
—Teddy Roosevelt, The Tillman Act, 1907

“[Political parties]…become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”
—George Washington, 1796

It doesn’t seem to matter which political party wins the 2012 presidential candidacy: “The welfare of the American people is the third priority to any president,” states Governor Jesse Ventura. “First there’s the promises to the corporations which paid millions of dollars to fund his campaign, next his allegiance to his political party, third on the list is what would be best for the nation.”

In his new book, DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government (Skyhorse Publishing, June 2012), New York Times bestselling author and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura exposes how the two major parties have allowed corporations, lobbyists, wealthy individuals, and Super PACs to manipulate elections, bribe elected officials, and silence the average American voter. Through analyzing historical documents such as the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and letters of forewarning from the Founding Fathers, Ventura uncovers the development of the two-party system and unravels the ineptitude and gang-like mentality of both parties to reveal:

Government Salaries, Healthcare, & Retirement Benefits: “The average representative makes $174K a year, while the average American household makes $50K. In 2009, 261 of the 535 members of Congress were millionaires. In short, our federal lawmakers are nine times richer than the average American. They vote on their own raises, healthcare, and pension plans, and we are left with the bill. If government-run healthcare is good enough for Congress, it should be good enough for the rest of us.”

The Postal Service: “At age 236, the U.S. Postal Service is older than the Constitution. Congress used this financially sound institution as a slush fund by borrowing the retirement and Social Security benefits of the employees. Couple that with the Postal Accountability Enhancement Act and it’s obvious that UPS and Fed Ex have nothing to do with USPS branches closing around the country.”

Iraq & Afghanistan: Our First Contract Wars: “The government hired corporations to do the jobs of our troops. Pay scale is ranged as high as $1,500 a day for contract workers, far beyond what our troops will ever be paid for serving our country. Now the government runs its wars without the involvement of citizens, without a draft, without mass protests. The Pentagon itself acknowledged that $8.2 billion of taxpayer money flowed through contracts into Iraq, but there wasn’t enough recordkeeping or oversight to determine what this money actually funded.”

Insider Trading in Congress: “On average, members of Congress beat the market by 12% a year. This is way beyond luck or just being smart. Not even Warren Buffett does that well. No wonder they gave Goldman Sachs a $30 billion taxpayer-funded loan at .01% interest. In return, our interest rates for late credit card payments rose over 25%. When it comes to campaign funding, Goldman has contributed over $400K to ‘Twitt’ Romney, Representative of the 1%.”

The Rigging of Electronic Voting Machines: “The corporations that invent electronic voting machines are legally allowed to commit voter fraud. The ES&S touch screen voting system flipped votes in 2010 against Governor Rick Perry. ES&S denied any unbiased, independent verification from outside of the corporation to recount the votes, stating they can withhold the votes due to copyright and material ownership of technology. Our votes no longer belong to us; they are the property of the corporations. The only way to counteract voting fraud is to go back to a system where there is a paper trail.”

Super PACs, Religion, & Lobbyists: “The Tea Party is funded by Koch Industries, or Big Oil. The Koch brothers gave over $55 million in bribes to scientists to say global warming is a hoax. They are a vast political network, sponsoring Christian conservative rallies and funding political ad campaigns nationwide. They are instrumental in busting unions and they pushed for the Citizens United/ ‘corporations are people’ law.”

The Media: “Otherwise known as slaves to their advertisers, the media cares more about ratings than covering the important issues. They have no incentive to report reliable, unbiased news when their corporate sponsors advocate the idea that there are only two sides to politics.”

Much like the Occupy Wall Street movement, Governor Ventura believes that our government has lost touch with what our Founding Fathers had in mind: “They wanted us to vote for individuals and what each individual stood for, not the political agenda of a particular group.” He now calls for the abolishment of the party system. “It is my hope that this book is a step toward winning back our country,” he says. “I can’t be an advocate for third party politics anymore because parties don’t run on ideas, they run on funding from sources interested in only amassing more power.” As the 2012 election season approaches, DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans will most certainly be a cornerstone for reforming our electoral system.

About the Author
JESSE VENTURA is the former Independent governor of Minnesota. He is also a former U.S. Navy SEAL, professional wrestler, movie actor a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and New York Times bestselling author. He is currently the host and executive producer of TruTV’s Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura. He has a reputation as the ultimate non-partisan truth-seeker and he has no qualms about questioning authority. His official website is: weaintgottimetobleed.com.

Derrick Hunter sues Maryland Small Arms Range over 'Ladies' Day" promotion

A Maryland man has filed a lawsuit against an area gun range claiming "reverse sexism."

Derrick Hunter says he had to pay to fire off a few rounds at the Maryland Small Arms Range in Upper Marlboro one Monday last year. But because it was "Ladies' Day," women there did not.

"Just because I'm a man doesn't mean I should have to pay more," Hunter said.

Hunter filed a lawsuit for $200,000 with his attorney, Jimmy Bell. Hunter is a special police officer and came to the range to practice shooting.

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NEW LAW ALERT ISSUED FOR MOTOR SCOOTER AND MOPED RIDERS

(PIKESVILLE, MD) -- Maryland State Police and local law enforcement are reminding the owners and riders of motor scooters and mopeds that a new law taking effect in less than two months will make significant changes in the use of their chosen form of transportation.

On October 1, 2012, new Maryland vehicle laws will take effect that require all motor scooters and mopeds to be titled and insured, while all operators and passengers must wear a helmet and eye protection. These new requirements are in addition to the existing law that requires all motor scooter and moped operators to possess a valid driver’s license or a moped operator’s permit.

All drivers and passengers of motor scooters and mopeds will be required to wear motorcycle helmets that meet safety standards set by the United States Department of Transportation. Drivers and passengers must also wear eye protection, unless the vehicle is equipped with a windscreen.

Motor scooter and moped owners will be required to insure their vehicles. They must obtain at least the minimum vehicle liability insurance and must carry proof of the insurance with them whenever they are operating the scooter or moped.

Motor scooters and mopeds will be required to be titled by the Motor Vehicle Administration. Owners will be able to obtain titling information through the MVA website at www.mva.maryland.gov beginning October 1st. When the title is obtained, the vehicle owner will be provided with a decal that must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle.

Maryland law defines a motor scooter as a non-pedal vehicle that has a seat for the operator; has two wheels, of which one is ten or more inches in diameter; has a step through chassis; has a motor with a rating of 2.7 brake horsepower or less, or a 50 cc engine or less; and is equipped with an automatic transmission.

A moped is defined as a bicycle that is designed to be operated by human power with the assistance of a motor; is equipped with pedals that can drive the rear wheel(s); has two or three wheels, one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter; has a motor with a rating of 1.5 brake horsepower or less and a 50 cc engine or less.

The drivers of motor scooters and mopeds are required to follow the same rules of the road as bicycles. Those rules include:

-Drivers must ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practical
and safe as possible, except when:
--Making a left turn;
--Operating on a one-way street;
--Passing a stopped or slower moving vehicle;
--Avoiding pedestrians and road hazards;
--The right lane is a right turn only lane;
--Operating in a lane too narrow for a bicycle or motor scooter and another vehicle to travel safely side by side.

-Drivers may ride side by side only if flow of traffic is unimpeded;
-Drivers must exercise due care when passing;
-Headsets covering both ears, or earplugs in both ears, are not permitted;
-Scooters or mopeds may not be operated on roadways with speed limits
greater than 50 mph;
-Scooters or mopeds may not be operated at more than 30 mph;
-Drivers may not operate on a roadway where there is a smooth paved bike lane or paved shoulder available, meaning they must use the bike lane or paved shoulder instead of the roadway;
-Drivers must obey the rules of the road applicable to all vehicles.

Troopers and local law enforcement across Maryland have received training regarding the new laws. Scooter and moped drivers who violate the new law can expect to be stopped and issued traffic citations or warnings, beginning October 1.

An Enigma

From: Ben Stein

"Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen."

Now add this, "Many of those who refuse, or are unable, to prove they are citizens will receive free insurance paid for by those who are forced to buy insurance because they are citizens."

Armed Wash. Man Arrested In Alleged Obama Threat

The Secret Service on Tuesday arrested a Washington state man accused of making an email threat against President Barack Obama and brandishing a shotgun at officers who came to his door.

Anton Caluori, 31, was arrested at an apartment in this south Seattle suburb for investigation of making threats against the president and assault on a federal officer, said Brian Leary, a Secret Service spokesman in Washington, D.C.

Caluori is scheduled to appear at 2 p.m. Wednesday in federal court, Leary said.

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PLEASE VOTE FOR MY HUSBAND!

Dear American Taxpayer

For only the second time in my adult life, I am not
ashamed of my country. I want to thank the hard
working American people for paying $242 thousand
dollars for my vacation in Spain.

My daughter Sasha, several long-time family friends,
my personal staff and various guests had a wonderful time.

Honestly, you just haven't lived until you have stayed
in a $2,500.00 per night private 3-story villa at a 5-Star luxury hotel.

Thank you also for the use of Air Force Two
and the 70 Secret Service personnel who tagged
along to be sure we were safe and cared for at all times.
By the way, if you happen to be visiting the Costa del Sol,
I highly recommend the Buenaventura Plaza restaurant
in Marbella; great lobster with rice and oysters!
I'm ashamed to admit the lobsters we ate in Martha's Vineyard were not quite as tasty,
but what can you do if you're not in Europe, you have to just grin and bear it?

Air Force Two (which costs $11,351 per hour to operate
according to Government Accounting Office reports)
only used 47,500 gallons of jet fuel for this trip
and carbon emissions were a mere 1,031 tons of CO2.

These are only rough estimates, but they are close.
That's quite a carbon footprint as my good friend
Al Gore would say, so we must ask the American
citizens to drive smaller, more fuel efficient cars and
drive less too, so we can lessen our combined
carbon footprint.

I know times are hard and millions of you are struggling
to put food on the table and trying to make ends meet.
So I do appreciate your sacrifices and do hope you
find work soon.

I was really exhausted after Barack took our family
on a luxury vacation in Maine a few weeks ago.
I just had to get away for a few days.

Cordially,
Michelle Obama

P.S. Thank you as well for the $2 BILLION dollar trip
to India from which we just returned!

P.SS. Thank you, too, for that vacation trip to
Martha's Vineyard; it was fabulous.

And thanks for that second smaller jet that took our
dog Bo to Martha's Vineyard so we and the children
could have him with us while we were away from the
White House for eleven days. After all, we couldn't
take him on Air Force One because he might pee
on some wires or something.

P.SSS. Oh, I almost forgot to say thanks also for
our two-week trip to Hawaii at Christmas. That 7,000
square foot house was great!
P.SSSs don't forget my ski trip to Vail this winter
and now the girls and I are in Africa with my mom.
All this while Barack golfs and campaigns to
keep my trips coming for the next 4 years !
Love Ya! Remember, we all have to share the pain of these
economic times equally!
Love to -redistribute- share- the wealth.

What Speech does the First Amendment Protect?

**THERE WILL BE LANGUAGE USED IN THIS ARTICLE THAT SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE, THESE ARE THE WORDS OF OTHERS, AND PERTINENT TO THE ARTICLE, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE OFFENDED, THAT IS NOT THIS WRITER’S INTENTION.**
There is a situation happening in our country concerning freedom of speech. Let me first preface my article with this disclaimer, I in no way condone or support the statements made by the persons I am writing about. That being said, we are witnessing an amazing amount of hypocrisy coming from our governmental departments and the main stream press on a few similar statements being made now. We should start with the most recent developments concerning the Ex Marine who started the Facebook group Richmond Liberty Movement, Brandon J. Raub   of Chesterfield, VA.. Brandon was detained recently when the Chesterfield P.D., FBI and members of the Secret Service showed up on his doorstep to ask him questions about his Facebook posts. Notice I said “detained” not arrested. Another interesting note to keep in mind, Brandon was not read his Miranda rights either. By all accounts so far, he was detained for resisting arrest (which eyewitnesses state that he did not resist being taken  ). Detained for resisting an arrest that supposedly did not take place. Now there are reports that Brandon is being detained for “terroristic threats”. Is this the first person affected under the NDAA? Time will tell.
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