Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, August 27, 2012

SOCIAL SECURITY NOW CALLED 'FEDERAL BENEFIT PAYMENT' /ENTITLEMENT!

Have you noticed, your Social Security check is now referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment"?

The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a “Federal Benefit Payment.”
This isn’t a benefit – its earned income!
Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too.

It totaled 15% of our income before taxes.
If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.

If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both your and your employer’s contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved! This is your personal investment .

Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month .

That’s almost three times more than today’s average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration (Google it - it’s a fact).

And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)!
I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.

Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger Ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff ever did.
They took our money and used it elsewhere. They “forgot” that it was OUR money they were taking.
They didn’t have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them.

And they didn’t pay interest on the debt they assumed.
And recently, they’ve told us that the money won’t support us for very much longer.
But is it our fault they misused our investments?

And now, to add insult to injury, they’re calling it a “benefit,” as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.
Just because they “borrowed” the money, doesn't mean that our investments were acharity!
Let’s take a stand.

We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare.
Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government –

Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going, for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it.

Then call it what it is:
Our Earned Retirement Income.

Criminal Incompetence And Ass-Covering By The Bush Administration

On this eleventh anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, we would like to take a look back at what went wrong.

While the Bush administration tried to make its response to 9/11 its crowning achievement, the truth is that they acted with criminal incompetence and ass-covering.

(1) The U.S. is at least partly responsible for creating Al Qaeda. For example, Jimmy Carter’s National Security Adviser admitted [13] on CNN that we organized and supported Bin Laden and the other originators of “Al Qaeda” in the 1970s [14] to fight the Soviets.

Professor of strategy at the Naval War College and former National Security Agency intelligence analyst and counterintelligence officer John R. Schindler documents, the U.S. supported Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda terrorists in Bosnia [15].

(2) The chair of the 9/11 Commission said that the attack was preventable [16]. It is thoroughly-documented that an attack such as 9/11 was entirely foreseeable [17]. Specifically, Al Qaeda flying planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon was something which American military and intelligence services - and our allies - knew could happen [18].

(3) U.S. intelligence services have repeatedly infiltrated Al Qaeda and related groups, but then idiotically failed to stop them. For example - as the New York Times [19], CBS News [20] and others reported - the FBI informant involved in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center begged the FBI to substitute fake bomb power for real explosives, but his FBI handler moronically let real explosives be used.

Similarly - as reported by Newsweek [21], the New York Times [22] and others - an FBI informant hosted and rented a room to 2 of the 9/11 hijackers while they were in the U.S., but then stupidly failed to stop them.

Indeed, former counter-terrorism boss Richard Clarke theorizes [23] that top CIA brass tried to recruit the hijackers and turn them to our side, but were unsuccessful. And – when they realized had failed – they covered up their tracks so that the FBI would not investigate their illegal CIA activities , “malfeasance and misfeasance”, on U.S. soil.

In other words, our intelligence services' attempts to infiltrate and work with people inside of terrorist cells was horribly botched; and they did a horrible job of stopping terrorist attacks once they were set in motion.

More

At RNC, Michael Steele Is Man Who Doesn’t Exist

TAMPA — Republicans gathered at the University Club in downtown Tampa Saturday night to honor GOP chairman Reince Priebus. The event was sponsored by the Wisconsin delegation, which of course represents Priebus’ home state, and the Mississippi delegation, home of former governor and former RNC chairman Haley Barbour. There were several major players there: Priebus himself, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Ron Johnson, Barbour and nephew Henry Barbour, former Virginia governor and former RNC chair Jim Gilmore, former chair Mike Duncan, and others.

With the presence of Priebus, Barbour, Gilmore, and Duncan, the event featured the current and three former chairmen of the party. But there was one very recent chairman who was nowhere to be found, and whose name didn’t come up: Michael Steele.

More

Council Should Go Forward With $1.400.000.00 Grant

Update. This has formally passed

Family Battling Squatters Finally Able To Move Back Into Their Own Home After Almost 9 Months

It must have been a sweet, sweet homecoming for the Colorado family that has been fighting to regain possession of their home after squatters claimed they had a right to live there. It's been about nine months since the family — which had moved to Indiana temporarily for work — got a call from a neighbor saying there were strangers living in their house.

More »

A Letter To The Editor 8-27-12

Well Joe, seems like no matter who try's to run the place the Humane Society just can't get their act together. Tonight in Hebron the Wicomico County Sheriffs Dept served a search warrant on a home. Arrested one suspect and needed the 3 dogs in the residence removed as they had no where to secure them. Well of course the Humane Society had just closed so couldn't send anyone out there. Well guess who they called to come. The City of Salisbury Animal Control. Why on earth is the city paying their AC to do the counties job. Since he started working there from what I have heard David Fitzgerald has made life pretty miserable for the two city AC officers which I don't understand either. If the HS doesn't do the city they should have no say over the two wonderful officers that do the city AC. There is always so much controversy about the HS as a real HS director is never hired. Right now the person in charge has had maybe 3 weeks shelter manager training. The AC officer has no training at all. Whole areas of the county has no AC as they are afraid to go there. When is this going to stop. When is this county going to get tired and hire a real shelter director and staff. If they cant do their jobs they have no business being there. Plus you still have the conflict of interest with the director being related through marriage to the president of the board. This should never have been allowed to happen.

Court Tells 82-Year-Old She Wasted 8 Years Fighting For Right To Bury Husband On Her Property

Eight years ago, a woman in Connecticut buried her late husband on their 8-acre property, where previous owners had been interring the dead for generations. But her subsequent attempt to make sure this was all okay with local authorities has led her on a legal wild goose chase all the way to the state Supreme Court -- and now all the way back to where she started.

More »

Casino Deals Unshuffled Cards, Wants Gamblers’ Winnings Back

When the same sequence of cards was dealt at a mini-baccarat table at Atlantic City's Golden Nugget casino twice in a row, was it just probability in action. Out of all the packs of shuffled cards in the world, the cards ending up in the same order happens now and then. Then the cards came up in the same sequence a third time. Fourth. Fifth. The players played forty-one hands where the cards came up in the same order, betting larger and larger amounts each hand. Wouldn't you? They ultimately won more than $1.5 million. Casino security staff swarmed the table, trying to figure out how the fourteen players at the table were cheating. They weren't. A vendor allegedly supplied the casino with packs of unshuffled cards, which were dealt as-is. Now the casino is suing the fourteen gamblers and the playing card company, and the gamblers are countersuing the casino.

More »

We Cosigned Our Unemployed Son’s Student Loans. Now We’re Screwed

If you retain one piece of information from reading this site, let it be this one: never co-sign anyone's student loans. Not your spouse's student loans. Not your best friend's student loans. Not your nephew's student loans. Not even your own child's student loans. It is the worst possible kind of debt to assume on behalf of someone else. The balances can be huge, the debt can't be discharged in bankruptcy, and there's nothing to repossess. That's what anonymous parents M and D have learned, the very hard way.

More »

Veteran Affair Scam

Auditors say Veterans Affairs employees were in on a scheme to help a major company reap rewards from small business contracts. The department inspector general said Enterprise Technology Solutions won contracts as a service-disabled, veteran-owned concern. But it passed the bulk of the work on to Health Net, a major player in the claims-processing industry. It's against the rules for small companies to front for large ones. The IG said Health Net encouraged a former VA employee to set up the small company for the sole purpose of funneling business to Heath Net. It says agency contract officers knew about the arrangement. Health Net is one of the companies that services TRICARE.

Maryland Delegates To GOP Convention In Tampa Adjusting To Isaac

TAMPA, FLA. - Maryland delegates continued to arrive in Tampa Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Isaac brewed overhead and Republican National Convention officials scrambled to trim the four-day program down to three. Despite shifts in speakers and events, delegates said they are flexible and eager to achieve their main goal: nominating Mitt Romney and preparing for the fall campaign.

Continue Reading...

GSA Travel Expenses

The General Services Administration has spent $24,000 in the last year on commuting costs for one employee. He works for GSA's Kansas City office, but lives in Hawaii. CNN reported, in a one-year period, GSA spent $750,000 on long distance commuting for nearly 100 employees. The employees mostly telework, but must travel frequently to their assigned offices. In the case of the Hawaii employee, the Kansas City regional administrator said the employee was saving the government money overall. But a GSA spokesman told CNN the agency couldn't defend that amount of travel spending.

Electronic Record Keeping

The Obama administration is making a new run at electronic record-keeping. In a new directive, it asks agencies to start working toward a 2020 goal of totally online records. The guidance was written by the Office of Management and Budget and the National Archives and Records Administration. It gives agencies until Nov. 15 to name a senior official to oversee e-record keeping. By 2016, agencies should be managing email electronically. The guidance calls for more training in electronic record-keeping techniques.

WHO IS BARRY SOETORO, HARRISON J. BOUNEL, AND BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

For example, Obama’s application to Punahou School – now mysteriously missing – would likely contain a birth certificate.


And, according to attorney Gary Kreep, “his Occidental College records are important as they may show he attended there as a foreign exchange student.” Indeed, Obama used his Indonesian name “Barry Soetoro” while attending Occidental. Kreep has filed lawsuits challenging Obama’s eligibility to be president and as part of his lawsuit he requested Obama’s records from Occidental. However, Obama’s lawyers quickly moved to stop Occidental from honoring this request.


All told, there are 49 addresses and 16 different Social Security numbers listed for a person whose name is spelled “Barack Obama.” In some cases, the middle initial “H” is listed. If you were to expand the search to include closely related names such as: “Barac,” “Barak,” and “Barrack” Obama, you would find more than a dozen additional addresses and Social Security numbers.


Indeed, everywhere one looks into Obama’s background, we find sealed records, scrubbed websites, altered documents, deception and unanswered questions. Can anyone imagine for a second if John McCain or George Bush had blocked access to his school, medical, and birth records? It would have been headlines but as with everything else concerning Obama, the media has given him a pass on this.


More

Really? Is This True?

Feldman's Mill Street, Before & After


strong>

FCC Eyes Tax On Internet Service

The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing a proposal to tax broadband Internet service.

The move would funnel money to the Connect America Fund, a subsidy the agency created last year to expand Internet access.

The FCC issued a request for comments on the proposal in April. Dozens of companies and trade associations have weighed in, but the issue has largely flown under the public's radar.

More

Obama's 'Republican woman' really a Democrat

The Obama campaign's recently released "Republican Women for Obama" commercial  features handful of unnamed women who claim to be members of the GOP, but allude that they have opted to vote for Barack Obama this election cycle.
John Hinderaker of Power Line blog   has uncovered that one of the women prominently featured is actually a Democrat, and has been since Barack Obama was the junior senator from Illinois.
But it doesn't end there.
 More

JAPANESE BRAIN AGE TEST

Use the following instructions since the game is in Japanese.

1. Touch 'start'
2. Wait for the screen to display 3 - 2 - 1
3. Memorize the number's position on the screen; then click the circle from the SMALLEST number to the BIGGEST number.

REMEMBER 0 IS THE LOWEST NUMBER

4. At the end of the game, the computer will tell you the age of your brain. The lower the number, the better.

GO HERE

PROMINENT EGYPTIAN CLERIC: ‘THE DAY WILL COME WHEN WE WILL BE THE MASTERS OF THE WORLD’

Blaze readers may be familiar with the Egyptian cleric Safwat Higazi, who said at a campaign rallyfor Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi that Jerusalem will be the “capital of the caliphate.”
Now, the Middle East Media Research Institute has translated an interview with the prominent imam, where he reiterated   the Muslim Brotherhood’s desire to be “the masters of the world.”
Perhaps more interesting than that, however– the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood seeks to expand its power has been well-established by those who follow such matters– is how Higazi appears to percieve peace and aggression.

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE DEATH OF AN INDIVIDUAL FOUND INSIDE A VEHICLE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY

(Beltsville, MD) - Maryland State Police are investigating the death of an individual whose body was found inside a vehicle in Prince George’s County early this morning.

The deceased victim is identified as Kevin Lee Francis, 36, of the 9000 block of Rolling View Drive in Lanham, Maryland. Francis was found lying down in the back seat of a Volkswagon Passat in the parking lot of the Motor Vehicle Administration in Beltsville. There were no obvious signs of trauma discovered on the body which has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. this morning, a Maryland State Trooper, working an assignment at the Motor Vehicle Administration, was confronted by a witness. The witness told police he believed something was wrong with his friend, Francis, who was in a car in the parking lot. The trooper immediately responded to the vehicle and determined Francis was deceased.

Troopers from the College Park Barrack and investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit have responded and will be conducting the investigation. Crime scene technicians from the State Police Forensic Sciences Division processed the scene for evidence.

The investigation continues…

Troopers Investigating A Fatal Crash, Laurel

Location: Concord Road (SR20) east of Pepper Road, Laurel, DE

Date of Occurrence: Monday August 27, 2012 at approximately 7:31 a.m.

Operator and Vehicle Information:

Operator #1: Ceprano L. Briddell, 29, Seaford, DE
Vehicle #1: 1995 Mazda 626

Operator #2: Meredith L. Phillips-Woodard, 36, Georgetown, DE
Vehicle #2: 2009 Toyota Sienna

Resume:
Laurel, DE- The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating a two car crash with a fatality that occurred on Concord Road (SR20) east of Laurel.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:31 a.m. this morning as Ceprano L. Briddell was operating a 1995 Mazda 626 eastbound on Concord Road approaching a moderate curve near Pepper Road. Meredith Phillips-Woodard was operating a 2009 Toyota Sienna traveling westbound on Concord Road approaching the same curve. Briddell negotiated the curve; however, was unable to maintain his lane and entered into the westbound lane of travel. He attempted to regain control of the vehicle by swerving hard to the right but the over-correction forced the Mazda to swerve back into the westbound lane. Upon seeing the car out of control, Phillips-Woodard attempted to slow down and move onto the westbound shoulder of Concord Road where she struck the Mazda on the driver’s side door, pinning Briddell in the vehicle.

Ceprano L. Briddell, who was properly restrained, was extricated from the vehicle and transported by EMS to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meredith L. Phillips-Woodard, who was properly restrained, was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident. Concord Road in the area of Pepper Road was closed for approximately three and a half hours as the crash was investigated and cleared.

To Get A Grasp On Mitt Romney, Start With The Lesson Of The Muffin

If you want to understand who Mitt Romney really is, go beyond the position papers, stump speeches and preposterously presidential coif, and start with muffins.

For most eaters, a muffin is consumed unthinkingly, in big messy bites, pawing last crumbs off the wrapper because, well, they taste good. For Mr. Romney, however, a muffin is an analytical challenge — a risk to be weighed.

Indeed, eating muffins the Romney way takes discipline: He consumes the top, and only the top, to better avoid the unhealthy butter that supposedly flows downward during baking, according to an account by one of his biographers.

“I was flying somewhere, I think Iowa, and Romney was on the same flight,” said Scott Helman, a staff writer at the Boston Globe and a co-author of “The Real Romney.” “We were chitchatting in the waiting area. He was eating a muffin, and he starts talking about, ‘Hey, did you know that the butter sinks to the bottom?’”

More

Rep. Andy Harris’ Statement On The Tragic Shooting At Perry Hall High School

Rep. Andy Harris released the following statement regarding the tragic shooting today at Perry Hall High School:

“My deepest thoughts and prayers are with the victim, students, faculty and families affected by today’s tragic shooting at Perry Hall High School,” said Rep. Andy Harris. “I would like to commend the school faculty and the Baltimore County Police Department for their handling of this unthinkable event.”

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O'MALLEY ON SHOOTING AT PERRY HALL HIGH

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 27, 2012) – Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement on today's shooting at Perry Hall High:

“Today, on this first day of school for many students in our State, we’ve suffered a senseless act of violence. I’d like to thank the teachers and administrators for their courageous and life-saving actions. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the injured student and his family.

“I’ve spoken with County Executive Kamenetz, and we will continue to support all of our local partners in Baltimore County. It takes all of us working together to make our schools safer for our children.”

Top 10 Ways To Live Long And Be Healthy

Fab-u-lous life-expectancy news: Odds are increasing that you'll see the other side of 90. Look out world! The number of nonagenarians has tripled, according to government research. At 90, your body's RealAge could be 70ish; at 100, you could be a sharp and active 80-something.

That's the point, of course: to live long and be healthy.

If you intend to live forever (well, nearly), the key is to live healthfully now. Here are the top 10 steps to reaching 90 in good health and great shape:

1. Stay active. That daily 30-minute walk is vital to keeping you young.
2. Get enough of these to keep body and brain humming: whole grains, fruits, and veggies; vitamin D3 (1,000 IU; 1,200 after age 60); DHA omega-3s (600-900 mg); low-dose aspirin (talk to your doc first).
3. Get next to none of these: saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars.
4. Sleep 7 1/2 hours to 8 hours a night. Every night.
5. Manage stress. Meditate (here's an easy way) or take two 10- or 15-minute deep-breathing breaks daily.
6. Do. Not. Smoke.
7. Stimulate your brain. Do puzzles, learn languages, and take on new challenges. Stay sharp with these nifty (and fun) brain games.
8. Support "village" movements: neighbors-helping-neighbors programs that let people live independently at home.
9. Harass your legislators to get health costs under control and affordable. At some point, you'll need it. Meanwhile, here are 6 ways to cut your own healthcare costs.
10. Move to North Dakota, Hawaii, or California. They're meccas for 90-year-olds.

Then plan on blowing out more than 90 candles. Once you hit 90, your average life expectancy is 95!

The Next Day

Doug Marshall finds a way to access the concert grounds after the major storm on Saturday. NOTHING is going to stop this man from getting the job done.

In Paul They Trust As He Leaves Political Stage

Long-fought battle within GOP ends in small victory for his loyalists


One way to measure Rep. Ron Paul’s ascendance as a political player is to compare the cold shoulder he got from rival Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008 with the cozier embrace he has received from 2012 presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.


When Mr. Romney announced Monday that he supports auditing the Federal Reserve, it underscored the odd but powerful influence of the maverick congressman from Texas, whose years-long push for a Fed audit will now appear in the party platform.


From overseas adventurism to deficit spending to a distrust of government institutions, the gospel of Paul has revived long-simmering debates that were muffled during the eight-year tenure of President George W. Bush — and, at least on some of those issues, Mr. Paul’s side appears to have gained the upper hand.


Indeed, with Mr. Paul and his ardent supporters set to play a visible role in the Republican National Convention next week in Tampa, Fla., it’s arguable that Mr. Paul, in his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, has done more to shape the party’s ideology than either Mr. McCain or Mr. Romney.


“More than anything else, what Ron Paul with these past two presidential runs has done is used the Republican Party presidential process as a platform to proselytize to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t hear it,” said Mark P. Jones, chairman of the political science department at Rice University in Houston, just north of Mr. Paul’s southeast Texas congressional district.


More

Congressmen To Obama: See You In Court

Dozens of members of Congress have signed up to back a challenge to Obamacare’s mandate that employers provide contraceptive services – including abortifacients – to employees under their health care programs.

That requirement has been imposed even on employers whose religious faith forbids their participation in the deaths of unborn infants.

A number of lawsuits have been filed over the issue, one federal judge already has halted enforcement against a Denver company, and the government voluntarily has waived enforcement for now in a case brought on behalf of a Michigan company.

Now the American Center for Law and Justice is representing 79 members of Congress with amicus briefs filed in 12 separate lawsuits brought by more than 40 Catholic organizations suing over the requirement.

Source

Governors Activate Thousands of National Guard Troops

Thousands of people on the Gulf Coast have been told to leave ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac. Forecasters warn the storm will gain strength and is following the path Hurricane Katrina took seven years ago.
The tropical storm was expected to make landfall late Tuesday or Wednesday, coinciding with the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, though as a much weaker Category 1 hurricane, compared with 2005's monster storm.
More

‘Baltimore Sun’ Probe Reveals School Officials Spent Thousands On Personal Items

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Fancy dinners on the taxpayer dime. Our media partner, ‘The Baltimore Sun’, raises questions about spending by leaders in the Baltimore City school system. Now, the head of city schools responds to WJZ.
Most could never afford to eat at downtown Baltimore’s high end Center Club. But Baltimore Schools CEO Dr. Andres Alonso and members of the school board spent $1,000 there last year ironing the details of a new contract.
The expense– one of many detailed in a new Baltimore Sun investigation– reveals school administrators have billed tax payers almost $500,000 for dinning and travel over the last year and a half, including $8,000 in Las Vegas, more than $7,000 for a retreat at a Baltimore hotel, even a few hundred bucks at Hooters where some students were taken to lunch.
More 

Conservative News Site Announces 9mm Gun Giveaway

You get a gun, and you get a gun, every-body-gets-a-gun!

OK, the Daily Caller isn't exactly going that far, but the conservative D.C. website founded by Tucker Carlson is doing something akin to an Oprah impression, that is if some members of Oprah's audience secretly always dreamed of holding their very own Bill-of-Rights-engraved handgun. (Given the size of her following, we won't rule out that possibility.)

The political website announced Thursday that it will handout one 9mm handgun every week between now and Nov. 6. In what we're guessing isn't exactly a coincidence, that date so happens to be Election Day.

"Like most Americans outside Washington, D.C., New York City and most of our nation's news rooms, large numbers of Daily Caller readers love guns," Neil Patel, the website's publisher and a former policy adviser to Dick Cheney, said in a press release touting the promotional giveaway.

More

Tropical Storm Isaac Cutting Path Eerily Similar to Hurricane Katrina

Tropical Storm Isaac is gaining strength and cutting a path through the Gulf of Mexico that's eerily similar to the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and the region nearly seven years ago to the day.
Isaac’s potential landfall as a Category 1 hurricane as early as Tuesday prompted evacuations along a wide area of the Gulf Coast and sent people out to stock up on staples. As of 11 a.m. EDT Monday, Isaac remained a tropical storm with top sustained winds of 65 mph. Its center was about 310 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and it was moving northwest at 14 mph.

An Economic Border War Right Under Washington's Nose

Maryland taxes and spends and stays perpetually short of cash. Virginia keeps its fiscal house in order and sees new jobs and commerce.

What's the fiercest rivalry in American politics today? There's Obama-Romney, of course, but try O'Malley-McDonnell—neighboring governors battling across the Potomac River over how best to resuscitate a moribund economy.

Martin O'Malley, Maryland's liberal Democratic governor, is competing for jobs, businesses and tax dollars with Bob McDonnell, Virginia's conservative Republican chief executive. Both are rising stars considered potential presidential hopefuls in 2016. Both are Irish Catholics—Mr. McDonnell playfully calls Mr. O'Malley "the big Irishman to our north"—and each leads his party's association of governors. The two regularly spar on the Sunday talk shows, on the pages of Washington-area newspapers, and over ...

More

Glass Steam Engine

‘AMERICAN TALIBAN’ TERRORIST HEADING TO COURT TO FIGHT FOR ISLAMIC GROUP PRISON PRAYER

An American-born Taliban fighter is heading to trial in Indianapolis in a lawsuit over prison prayer that will examine how far officials can go to ensure security in an age of terrorism.
Thirty-one-year-old John Walker Lindh is expected to testify in federal court Monday in the lawsuit that challenges limits placed on group prayer among Muslims housed in a closely monitored unit at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind.
More

Vice President Joe Biden Tells Me Obama May Lose Election

From: Joe Biden
To: Joe Albero
Date: Mon, Aug 27, 2012 10:59 am

Joe --

The pundits and talking heads are talking about how badly we're being outraised by the other side. You've heard it from us, too.

Three months in a row, Mitt Romney and the Republican Party have trounced our fundraising totals. And, along with allied outside groups, they're using that cash to try to obliterate our side on the airwaves, outspending us in some battleground states by margins of up to three to one.

The pundits are saying this is how we could lose the election. You know what I say?

When you get knocked down, get up. There's no quit in America. There's nothing we can't do.

This week isn't just the Republican National Convention -- it's also the biggest fundraising deadline this campaign has seen, and one of the last. President Obama and I are counting on you.

Please make a donation of $5 or more today:

We've been counted out more than a few times before. It's all on us to prove them wrong again.

Thanks,

Joe

P.S. -- I've seen a lot of good campaigns -- with smart, strong candidates and bold visions for the change we need -- go down, simply because they couldn't keep up. Don't let this campaign be one of them.

Dear Joe,

Barack spent his wad early on thinking there was no way he could lose. Meaning, he blew $1 Billion Dollars already. I think it's shameful that ANY candidate should have to spend that kind of money just to get elected.

You've gone from asking for a $3.00 donation these past few weeks and now you want a $5.00 donation, when will you stop? When will you realize you've been defeated? So now it's about the MONEY and NOT about the Candidate.

The democrat party should be ashamed of themselves.

'The Hope And The Change'

Friday night, Fox News' Sean Hannity hosted an exclusive one hour special on our latest film "The Hope and The Change." This documentary follows the surprising personal journeys of 40 Democrats and independents from across America who supported Obama in 2008.

Writer/Director Stephen K. Bannon, former Democrat pollster Pat Caddell, and I were interviewed by Hannity about the film he called the best documentary he has ever seen. During the one hour special, viewers saw exclusive clips from the film and heard several members of the 40 person cast go into greater detail about why they've given up on Obama.

During the course of the show, Hannity declared "The Hope and The Change" the "most powerful documentary I've ever seen in my life – no way anyone who's seen this film could vote for Obama." That is because the powerful voices in the film will resonate with many citizens across the country who are disillusioned with the Presidency of Barack Obama and it reinforces how his promises and policies have failed.

Our film "The Hope and The Change" is David Axelrod's worst nightmare, because it is about Obama’s own voters from 2008 who are now focusing solely on how he has performed these last few years – and they don’t like what they see. We feature real stories from real Obama voters – registered Democrats and independents – who drive home the extent of the decline of the country in the past four years and how far off the mark Obama’s promises have been. As Hannity said in a promotion for the special, "If everyone in America saw it, Barack Obama wouldn't get 15 percent of the vote."

More

WY&CC Extends Box Office Hours

Salisbury, MD –Beginning today (Monday, August 27th), the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office has extended its hours of operation. The Box Office is now open for business Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Formerly closing at 5:00pm, the new hours of operation were implemented in an effort to better serve box office customers.

The intention behind the hour extension is to make the box office more accessible to patrons and increase the level of convenience. Assistant Building Manager Joe Harbinson explains, “Those with 8-5 jobs can now swing by on their way home from work to purchase tickets, register for recreation sports leagues or child-care programs.”

Walk For Recovery On The OC Boardwalk

In conjunction, with National Recovery month, which takes place every year in September, we have organized our 1st Annual Walk for Recovery, which will be a 5-mile Walk-a-thon to take place on the Ocean City boardwalk, on Saturday September 8, 2012. The walk will begin and end, near the inlet, in front of the Life Saving Museum.

Donations and Pledges are appreciated and we will have Prize Drawings at the conclusion of the walk. Many of the local businesses have donated gift certificates and our prizes are valued between $1 - $300.

Registration begins at 8:00am. The Mayor will be present to sign a Proclamation and say a few words at 9:00am and we have also invited some key speakers from around the state to say a few words to kick off our walk. We will begin walking at approximately 9:30am. This is the first event of this kind for the state of Maryland as well as our area.

Proceeds from this Walk will go towards: educational programs, raising awareness, helping to erase the stigma associated with addiction and events that benefit the recovering communities and their families.

Contact Information: mary.myers@maryland.gov

Puppies In The Pool To Make A Splash At Killens Pond Water Park On Sept. 9

FELTON - The staff of Killens Pond Water Park invites pets and their owners to Puppies in the Pool on Sunday, Sept. 9 to wrap up the 2012 summer season. Dogs and their owners will enjoy an afternoon of swimming in the Water Park’s three pools from 4 to 7 p.m.

[more]

MSNBC Host Shouts Down Then Boots Republican Guest

MSNBC Host Kicks Republican Guest Off Show, Martin Bashir Clashes WIth Republican Strategist Trey Hardin, Cuts Interview Short, Bashir interviewed Republican strategist Trey Hardin and asked him to weigh in on recent comments made by Gen. Martin Dempsey on Fox News. Dempsey said he was “disappointed” with a group of veterans who criticized President Obama in a new online documentary.

Bashir highlighted that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is the highest ranking U.S. military commander, spoke out against this group of veterans.

More

Local Wanna Be Blogger Is No Real Republican


"I’m not sure what Albero’s point is, aside from perhaps a publicity gimmick to promote his site. If that’s the case, give him an A for marketing but an F for being taken seriously for future political endeavors."

I have known Michael for several years now and without a doubt the man is so into himself it's scary.

On several occasions recently I've overheard Michael telling people he's an elected official on the Central Committee, winning by just a couple of votes, as he claims. However, this is one of those positions very few people even want to be involved in, but it's whatever. I'm personally grateful Michael is involved because he's very detailed as well as dedicated.

My disappointment in Michael is the fact that I have been available to discuss my position to run for Mayor of Salisbury. In fact. my Wife and I were sitting right next to him a couple weeks ago at the Farm and Home Show and he could have easily asked me if I was serious, what my platform will be and so forth.

Instead, Michael did an article calling my campaign a political stunt to gain hits for Salisbury News. Is Michael a true republican? He has the opportunity to ask, he's in the reporting business, yet he never once asked me a single question, how convenient for him.

Michael has always been a somewhat jealous kind of guy. He's a man very verbose in his posts but has a very tiny following, like less than 100 hits a day. For someone who has been blogging for about 7 years now and still only has around 100 people a day visiting his Site, HELLO! Michael's opinion is about as useless as this Post, I guess.

I would simply think that as a fellow republican he'd at least give me a fair shake. The man knows I've moved to Salisbury. The man knows I'm married and we're raising our Grandson. To THINK I'm playing some kind of game is just foolish and irresponsible, especially since he's never asked me any questions and he's had several opportunities.

I guess his ties with Julie Brewington and Jonathan Taylor outweigh his ability to tell the truth. Nevertheless Michael, you know my cell number, you know my Salisbury address, your welcome to call or stop by if you'd like to give your viewers more truth than fantasy.

And now you know why he only gets 100 hits a day. I give you an "F" for Blogging Michael, so we're even. By the way, how was Blogging Summer School?

HIKER SNAPS PICTURES OF GRIZZLY BEAR JUST BEFORE IT MAULS HIM TO DEATH

A hiker in Alaska‘s Denali National Park photographed a grizzly bear for at least eight minutes before the bear mauled and killed him in the first fatal attack in the park’s history, officials said Saturday.
Investigators have recovered the camera and looked at the photographs, which show the bear grazing and not acting aggressively before the attack, Denali Park Superintendent Paul Anderson said.

DVDs Reveal VA Conference Shenanigans

Caption This Photo 8-27-12




Today's Fill In The Blank 8-27-12

I really enjoy _____.

PAUL RYAN, WHO IS HE ?

Well, early last Saturday morning we learned that Congressman Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin, is to be Mitt Romney's pick for the next Vice President of The United States.

What are we to think of this selection? He's not a graduate of Columbia University. He's not a graduate of Harvard. He wasn't selected as the President of the Harvard Law Review. He didn't get a special free quota scholarship ride to any prestigious university and, instead, had to work his way through Miami University of Ohio. For God's sake the man drove the Oscar Mayer Wiener Truck one summer and waited tables another!

One morning when Paul Ryan was sixteen years old he went in to wake his father up and found him dead of a heart attack. He didn't write two books about that experience. Instead, he assumed the role of adult at an early age, never having the luxury to pursue youthful drug use and the art of socialist revolution.

Instead, Paul Ryan and his mother took his grandmother, suffering from Alzheimer's, into the household and served as the primary care provider for his grandma. His grandma wasn't the Vice President of the Bank of Hawaii so she could offer nothing in return, except the element of "need".

Once Paul Ryan got his BA in Economics from Miami University of Ohio he was hired as a staff economist in Wisconsin Senator Kastin's office. The job must have not paid well because young Ryan moonlighted as a waiter and fitness trainer. No one offered him a "token honor" position at the University of Chicago and a $200,000 dollar a year salary.

When a still young Paul Ryan returned to Wisconsin to run for Congress he didn't demonize his opponent and dig up dirt to shovel against him. He waited until the standing Congressman vacated the office before seeking the office. In Janesville, Wisconsin they don't have a big political machine to promote you, to criminalize your opponent; instead Paul Ryan had to go door to door and sit at kitchen tables and listen to his future constituents.

After getting elected to Congress Paul Ryan didn't triumphantly march into Washington, buy himself a Georgetown townhouse and proceed over to K Street to rub elbows with lobbyists. He bunked in his Congressional office and used the house gym for showers and a fresh change of clothes.

Paul Ryan then married and took his bride back to Janesville. He lives on the same street he lived on as a kid and shares the neighborhood with eight other members of the Ryan clan. He hunts with the local Janesville hunt club and attends PTA meetings and other civic functions.

For those who can't make those public functions, Paul Ryan bought an old bread truck, converted it into a "mobile constituent office" and drives around to meet with those who need his help and attention.

No, I don't know if we can vote for a guy like this. He doesn't have a regal pedigree; he's Irish for God's sake! No one awarded him a Nobel Peace Prize two months after getting elected. No one threw flowers or got "chills down their leg" as a he took his seat in Congress.

What is most despicable about Paul Ryan is that he has had the nerve to write the House Budget for three years in a row. He's is brazen and heartless in advocating in that budget for a $5 trillion dollar reduction in federal spending over the next ten years! The House passed his budget three years in a row and three years in a row the Democratically controlled Senate has let it die in the upper house, without ever proposing a budget of their own. What is wrong with this guy? If Congress were to cut $5 trillion dollars from the budget where would the President get the money to give $500 million dollars to a bankrupt Solyndra? Or $200 million dollars for bankrupt Energy 1? Or $11 billion dollars to illegal aliens filing INIT, non-resident tax returns to claim $11 billion big ones in child tax credits, even for their children living in Mexico?

I don't know. Paul Ryan seems heartless to me. He keeps wanting to cut government waste, he keeps wanting to put a halt to those big GSA conventions in Vegas and, worse, he keeps trying to make people look at that $16.7 trillion dollar deficit! The guy's no fun at all!

Who wants a numbers cruncher? Who wants someone spoiling the party by showing folks the bill? Nothing will spoil a party quicker than sending the host the bill before the party's over.

Party Hearty folks! At least until November.

And The Specialty Crop With The Highest Profit Per Acre Is...

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has released a report, summarized by the Minneapolis Fed, showing strawberries are far and away the most profitable "specialty" crop planted by Midwest farmers. Here's the full chart.



More

Young Homeowners Hit Hardest

The ongoing housing crisis is hitting young homeowners the hardest. According to a new report by Zillow – nearly half of all home borrowers under the age of 40 are underwater on their mortgages. That’s twice the rate of older borrowers. It’s also the latest sign that lawmakers in Washington, DC aren’t doing nearly enough to help struggling homeowners and put an end to this housing crisis. Wall Street got bailed out and Main Street got sold out.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 8-27-12


Republican Crab Feast A Huge Success



Despite the rain on Saturday, it was a beautiful sight to see when we arrived to see so many people packed under the pavilion as well as a huge tent set up on the grounds.

One of the coolest things to see were the mass volume of new faces. This is always exciting to see as it shows even more people are concerned about the upcoming election in November.

Great food, great people, that's what it's all about.

Obama, Holder Sledgehammer The First Amendment

In a move that could have chilling First Amendment consequences, the Obama regime this week showed that it's willing to use the full weight and power of the Justice Department to pummel any media outlet that doesn't toe the party line.

Within days of the Gallup Organization issuing, essentially, a veiled warning to the Obama gang about tinkering with unemployment numbers, Obama's DOJ jumped, jackboots first, into a multi-million dollar legal action against Gallup, in a case initiated by a former Obama operative.

Others have noted that the DOJ action occurred after Gallup had Mitt Romney ahead of Obama in its polling for a few days. But as we've pointed out, it's not Gallup's horse race numbers that have the Chicago gang concerned. This far out from the election, Likely Voter numbers are about as convincing as David Axelrod's combover. What Axelrod and his co-conspirators are really worried about are Gallup's jobless numbers.

More

GRANDMOTHER FOILS GRANDSON'S KIDNAPPING/CARJACKING PLANS

(WHITE MARSH, MD) – A grandmother’s use of her in-car navigation assistant helped her foil her grandson’s attempted trip to New York with her car and with her and three other grandchildren along for the ride against their will this weekend along Interstate 95 in Baltimore County.

The accused is identified as Darius T. Johnson, 22, of Baltimore, Md. After consultation with the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, Johnson was charged with kidnapping, kidnapping of a child under 16, false imprisonment, carjacking, second degree assault, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, and theft over $10,000. He was taken before a Baltimore County District Court commissioner and held at the county detention center on $ 500,000 secured bond.

At about 5:30 p.m. on August 25, 2012, Maryland State Police from the JFK Highway Barrack responded to northbound I-95 near Abingdon for the report of a crash. When they arrived they found no crash, but found the victim, Ardella Eaddy, 68, of Baltimore, and three of her grandchildren, ages 4, 8, and 12, in her Buick Lacrosse on the side of I-95. Eaddy reported that another grandson, later identified as Johnson, had abducted her and her three other grandchildren, but had recently fled the scene.

Eaddy told troopers she had agreed to take Johnson to a location in the Nottingham area of Baltimore to pick up some belongings from a home there. She said when they came back out to her car, Johnson told her he was taking the car and going to New York. Eaddy was able to get into the passenger’s seat and attempted to remove the keys from the ignition. She said Johnson assaulted her and said he was taking the car to New York. Eaddy refused to leave because her other three grandchildren, cousins of the suspect, were in the back seat.

Troopers were told by Eaddy that when Johnson headed north on I-95 from I-695 in White Marsh, she used the vehicle’s On-Star and called for help. According to Eaddy, On-Star was able to shut-off the vehicle’s engine and the car coasted to a stop along northbound I-95 near Abingdon. She said the suspect fled from the car on foot into a wooded area.

State troopers from the JFK Highway Barrack issued a lookout and were joined in their search for the suspect by troopers from the Bel Air Barrack and Aviation Command, as well as Baltimore County Police K-9, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies. A short time later, two troopers spotted Johnson walking along Rt. 24 near Rt. 7. He was arrested without incident.

The victim and her grandchildren did not require medical treatment. She was able to return home with her car and three other grandchildren.

BREAKING NEWS

1 Student Shot At Perry Hall High School; Suspect In Custody

PERRY HALL, Md. (WJZ)
– Baltimore County Police are investigating a confirmed shooting at Perry Hall High School.

Mike Hellgren has the breaking details.

Police say a student has been shot and one suspect is in custody. The injured student will be flown by Medevac to Shock Trauma. That person’s condition is not known, but there are unconfirmed reports that person was shot in the back.

More

WCSO Press Releases 8-27-12

Incident: Theft Investigation
Date of Incident: 22 August 2012
Location: 30000 Block of Carioca Road, Delmar, MD
Suspect: 1. Devonte D. Johnson, 18, Delmar, MD
2. Kenneth A. Robbins, 20, Salisbury, MD
3. Male Juvenile, 17, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 22 August 2012
at 3:03 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate a reported burglary in the 30000 block of Carioca Road in Delmar, MD. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a female resident who advised that she returned to the home at 2:45 PM to discover the bedrooms ransacked and the door to her home office forced open. There were no signs of forced entry to the residence itself. The only thing discovered missing was a substantial amount of cash from her office in excess of a thousand dollars.

The investigation soon focused on the victim’s two foster children, Devonte Johnson and a 17 year old, that lived with her. The investigation also involved another foster child, Kenneth Robbins, who lived at another residence. After questioning, the deputy learned that the trio forced entry into the office, stole that
cash and ransacked the bedrooms in an attempt to cover their crime by making it appear another suspect perpetrated a burglary. The trio admitted to taking the cash and heading to the Centre at Salisbury on a spending spree. A substantial amount of unspent cash would later be recovered that further tied these suspects to the crime.

The deputy arrested Johnson and Robbins and transported them to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained both in the Detention Center in lieu of $50,000.00 bond each. The 17 year old juvenile was detained in the Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center

Charges: Theft / Malicious Destruction of Property/ Burglary

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 22 August 2012
Location: 400 block of Sarah Lane, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Stephania Nemat, 25, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 22 August 2012
at 8:09 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 400 block of Sarah Lane for a reported domestic situation. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a male subject who was suffering from a bloody nose. The deputy learned that this male subject’s girlfriend, Stephania Nemat, was looking at the victim’s cell phone when she saw
something that made her angry which led to the assault on the male subject.

Based on the injuries observed and the allegation of an assault, the deputy placed Nemat under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Nemat on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Assault 2nd Degree

Getting Dirty In Delmar


Victoria Kent is the VP of Marketing at The Amphitheater At Heron Ponds. When I arrived early Saturday night Victoria offered to give me a ride in a golf cart to get to the back of the property. While we got around 50% of the way there the cart got stuck. Being the trooper Victoria is, (and the fact she was wearing boots) she offered to get out in the middle of the mud and let me hit the gas, SO I DID!

The image above is the end result of my doing so. Victoria is my HERO as she saved the day and got us out of the mud. However, she clearly paid the price. There wasn't a single person on that site that didn't look similar by the end of the evening.

WHY ARE WOMEN GOING NAKED IN NYC TODAY? WE ACCIDENTALLY FOUND OUT (*SAFE PICTURES*)

You may not know it (and you’re probably not the only one), but today is “International Go-Topless Day.” At least according to one group in New York City. And in order to celebrate, a large group assembled in famed Bryant Park to bare their chests.
TheBlaze happened by the protest on Sunday afternoon.
Wondering what this is all about like us? Apparently, according to Gothamist  , it’s an annual event:

Delaware’s Dove, Resident Canada Goose And Early Teal Seasons To Open In September

DOVER - Delaware hunters will be able to test their wing shooting skills on Saturday, Sept. 1, with the statewide opening of the mourning dove and resident Canada goose seasons on private lands and state wildlife areas.


[more]

U.S. Capital Goods Orders Decline Most Since November

Demand for U.S. capital goods such as machinery and communications gear dropped in July by the most in eight months, a sign manufacturing will contribute less to the economic expansion.

Bookings for non-military capital equipment excluding planes slumped 3.4 percent, a Commerce Department report showed today in Washington. Total orders for durable goods, those meant to last at least three years, jumped 4.2 percent, paced by a 54 percent surge in demand for civilian aircraft.

Possible U.S. tax increases and spending cuts may prompt companies to rein in spending, while a global economic slowdown threatens overseas sales of companies such as Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Deere & Co. Federal Reserve policy makers have signaled they are prepared to take further steps to sustain the recovery if growth doesn’t pick up.

More





More

The Rot Runs Deep 1: The Federal Reserve Is A Parasitic Wealth Transfer Machine

The Federal Reserve is a wealth transfer machine, skimming wealth from the productive many and transferring it to the parasitic few.

Today I launch a series entitled "The Rot Runs Deep" that examines the moral and financial rot at the core of American finance, politics and culture. We have reached a unique junction of American history: the confluence of Big Lie propaganda, neofeudalism and the worship of false financial gods.

The Big Lie propaganda machine of corporate media and the Central State has perfected Orwell's nightmare vision of centralized media and a fascist centralized State which turn lies into self-serving "truth."

Since the Federal Reserve is once again expected to "save" a crumbling, exploitative Status Quo, let's use the Fed as an example. The propaganda machine would have us believe that the Federal Reserve, the privately owned central bank of the U.S., has "saved" the Status Quo from financial ruin on numerous occasions by "smoothing out" the business cycle (credit expands and contracts) and by "stimulating aggregate demand" by lowering interest rates and pumping money into the economy (quantitative easing).

We are constantly prompted to worship the Federal Reserve's supposedly god-like powers to rescue a corrupt and venal Status Quo from the black hole of recession and collapse, and this Big Lie masks its real nature: The Fed is nothing but a parastic wealth transfer machine, skimming wealth from the many and transferring it to the few.

More

Today's Survey Question 8-27-12

What's the last thing you want to hear out of your spouses mouth?

Thank You For Your Support!


As many of you know, The Plaza Deli held a special for Pulled Pork Sliders in conjunction with Salisbury News last Thursday night. Unfortunately we weren't aware that Wicomico County Schools were having their orientation that same evening from 5 to 7 PM, so the turn out was not very good.

We decided to run the special again for lunch on Friday and guess what, Phil sold out of the Pork Sliders, (250 pounds worth).

I wanted to take this opportunity to Thank You for showing your support for this local business. Phil is now running a special, buy TWO subs and get a third sub FREE.

Keep the Plaza Deli in mind for lunch this week. Get your co-workers together and place your orders and get that third sub FREE.

Federal Reserve Sells Off Final Shares Of AIG

The Federal Reserve sold off its last remaining shares of troubled insurance giant AIG on Thursday. In 2008 - as AIG threatened to bring down the entire economy – the Fed bailed it out with $182 billion buying a 92% ownership stake in the company to keep it afloat as part of the TARP program. Today, Fed officials are calling the move a huge success – saying taxpayers earned nearly $18 billion from the rescue. But is saving an irresponsible bank a benchmark for success? In rescuing AIG, banksters and shareholders were saved – yet millions of Americans lost their homes – and millions more are still in danger of losing their homes. As Neil Barofsy – the former Special Inspector General of the TARP program said – the American economy is “f’ed!”

Commissioner Stewart Announces The Transfer Of $250,000 To The City Of Wilmington As A Result Of Captive Surplus

Economic opportunity, triple digit tax revenue growth, and the recognition of Delaware as an insurance industry leader are the ways to describe Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart’s captive insurance program. Today, Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart is proud to announce that under her leadership, the Department of Insurance has given $250,000 to the City of Wilmington due to the success of the Captive Bureau at the Department of Insurance.


[more]

Circumcision Pluses Outweigh Risks: Pediatricians

The nation's most influential pediatricians group says the health benefits of circumcision in newborn boys outweigh any risks and insurance companies should pay for it.

In its latest policy statement on circumcision, a procedure that has been declining nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics moves closer to an endorsement but says the decision should be up to parents.

"It's not a verdict from on high," said policy co-author Dr. Andrew Freedman. "There's not a one-size-fits-all-answer." But from a medical standpoint, circumcision's benefits in reducing risk of disease outweigh its small risks, said Freedman, a pediatric urologist in Los Angeles.