Friday, September 14, 2012

The World Obama Made

As the media continue to scrutinize Mitt Romney’s alleged gaffes, might we spend a moment looking at the world as it actually exists, right now, independent of the presidential campaign? Let’s take a tour.

Russia. When Obama became president he proclaimed a policy of “reset” in U.S.-Russia relations, and tried strenuously to bring Russia within the Atlantic orbit of democracy and the rule of law. To that end he scrapped the proposed land-based missile interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic , politely ignored Russia’s continuing occupation of Georgian territory , negotiated a nuclear arms reduction treaty that slashes the U.S. stockpile (while failing to implement the modernization commitments he made to pass that treaty), and promised “more flexibility ” in further missile talks should he win a second term. He has sought to liberalize trade with Russia by de-linking human rights from commercial exchange, while he quietly opposes the Magnitsky Act, which would ban Russians involved in the abuse of human rights from the United States.

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Analysis: Weeks Before U.S. Election, Mideast Gives Obama Perfect Storm

An eruption of violent unrest across the Middle East is confronting President Barack Obama with the most serious challenge yet to his efforts to keep the Arab Spring from morphing into a new wave of anti-Americanism - and he has few good options to prevent it.

Less than two months before the U.S. presidential election, a spate of attacks on embassies in Libya, Egypt and Yemen poses a huge dilemma for a U.S. leader who took office promising a "new beginning" with the Muslim world but has struggled to manage the transformation that has swept away many of the region's long-ruling dictators.

On top of that, even as he tries to fend off foreign policy criticism from Republican rival Mitt Romney, Obama is grappling with an escalating crisis in U.S.-Israeli relations over Iran's nuclear program and increased bloodshed in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad has defied international calls to step aside.

A new Pew Research survey shows that the number of Americans who consider themselves “lower class” has climbed dramatically in President Obama’s America. More importantly, a full 77 percent of Americans thought it was harder to get ahead now than it was 10 years ago; just 51 percent said hard work bring success.

And this is precisely how Obama wants it.

The American dream is exactly those two principles: first, that in America, hard work results in success; second, that in America, you will leave your children better off than you were.

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Christian Retail Owners Fight $1.3 Million-Per-Day HHS Mandate Fine In Court

The Obama administration is set to levy as much as a $1.3 million per day fine against a Christian retail business based on their religious objection to abortifacient drugs, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., with more than 500 arts and crafts stores in 41 states and over 22,500 employees, is reportedly the largest for-profit business yet to file suit over the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requiring businesses to provide free abortion-causing drugs, such as the “week-after” pill Ella, as non-negotiable “preventive services.”

Lawyers for the private retail chain filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, where the company is based.

Paul Ryan on the State of the Race

Paul Ryan conducted an on-the-record conference call with conservative media outlets this afternoon, during which he explained how he sees the race shaping up and took roughly half-a-dozen questions. Townhall was part of the conversation. A few notable points:

On polls and enthusiasm - The Vice Presidential nominee said that following the DNC and President Obama's poll bounce, much of the chattering class began to prematurely declare the campaign over. "We're not going to bend to Beltway group-think," he said, adding that Obama's bump has receded. "That sugar high has evaporated, and the next eight weeks will be a battle of ideas." Ryan likened the passion and intensity he's witnessing on the campaign trail to what he saw during the recall battle in Wisconsin, when voters understood the high stakes and turned out for Governor Walker and other conservative candidates. He said he's hearing from independents and Democrats who say they won't repeat their mistake of four years ago by voting for Obama.

Continues HERE

Unreal: On Day Following Libya Assassinations, Obama Skips Another Intel Briefing

Is anyone surprised by this revelation ? Our ~~Commander~~ Campaigner-in-Chief has made his priorities crystal clear:

How long had it been since President Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting in the lead-up to the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Egypt and Libya? After all, our adversaries are known to use the anniversary of 9/11 to target the United States. According to the public schedule of the president, the last time the Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting was Sept. 5 — a week before Islamist radicals stormed our embassy in Cairo and terrorists killed our ambassador to Tripoli. The president was scheduled to hold the intelligence meeting at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, the day after the attacks, but it was canceled so that he could comfort grieving employees at the State Department — as well he should. But instead of rescheduling the intelligence briefing for later in the day, Obama apparently chose to skip it altogether and attend a Las Vegas fundraiser for his re-election campaign. One day after a terrorist attack.

On Monday the same Washington Post columnist, Marc Thiessen, reported that the president has missed 62 percent of his daily in-person intel briefings in 2011 and 2012. President Bush almost never missed a briefing after 9/11. I recognize that a president's schedule is extremely demanding, especially in the teeth of a campaign, so passing on these meetings occasionally would be understandable. I cannot, however, fathom how the president could justify canceling and not re-scheduling his intelligence briefing the day after an active US Ambassador was murdered in the line of duty , and as an international crisis continues to spread. The White House offers a two-fold defense on this: First, make snide remarks about President Bush, then insist that Obama is so sophisticated that he doesn't need experts to brief him:

In a video posted Sept. 10 on the "Catholics for Obama " page on his campaign website, President Barack Obama says that one of the reasons he supports foreign aid is because he is answering the biblical call “to care for the least of these.”

“When I decide to stand up for foreign aid, it’s not just about strengthening alliances or promoting democratic values, it’s also about the Biblical call to care for the least of these, for the poor for those at the margins of our society,” Obama says on the video.

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, who spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC), criticizes President Barack Obama further in the upcoming issue of Esquire, saying that despite his 2008 campaign promises, Obama is “doing anything he possibly can to keep power. There’s no way he’s going to give it up.”

At the RNC in August, Eastwood, a five-time Academy Award winner, criticized the president largely about the economy and the estimated 23 million Americans out of work, and also stressed that the American people “own this country,” not the politicians, the “politicians are employees of ours.”

Beef Products Inc. sued ABC News, Inc. for defamation Thursday over its coverage of a meat product that critics dub "pink slime," claiming the network damaged the company by misleading consumers into believing it is unhealthy and unsafe.

The Dakota Dunes, S.D.-based meat processor is seeking $1.2 billion in damages for roughly 200 "false and misleading and defamatory" statements about the product officially known as lean, finely textured beef, said Dan Webb, BPI's Chicago-based attorney.

The lawsuit filed in a South Dakota state court also names several individuals as defendants, including ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer and the Department of Agriculture microbiologist who coined the term "pink slime."

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Hollywood Star Embraces Incest

This week, writer-director Nick Cassavetes released his new movie, "Yellow," about a woman having an affair with her brother. "I have no experience with incest," says Cassavetes. "We started thinking about that. We had heard a few stories where brothers and sisters were completely, absolutely in love with one another. You know what? This whole movie is about judgment, and lack of it, and doing what you want."

But Cassavetes wasn't done: "Who gives a s—- if people judge you? I'm not saying this is an absolute, but in a way, if you're not having kids, who gives a damn? Love who you want. Isn't that what we say? Gay marriage — love who you want? If it's your brother or sister, it's super weird, but if you look at it, you're not hurting anybody except every single person who freaks out because you're in love with one another."

Here's the thing: Cassavetes is exactly correct.

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Susan Sarandon, Other Celebrities To Raise Cash For Same-Sex Marriage Campaign

Supporters of Maryland's new same-sex marriage law look to the Empire State for cash this evening at a fundraiser hosted by a bevy of boldfaced names.

Susan Sarandon, Josh Charles, John Waters and ice hockey player Sean Avery are among the stars expected to mingle with supporters who are paying between $250 and $25,000 to be at the Manhattan event. Gov. Martin O'Malley is also planning to be there as a "special guest."

SCIENTOLOGISTS PROTESTING 'THE MASTER,' STUDIO BEEFS UP SECURITY

Members of the Church of Scientology are feverishly letting Harvey Weinstein’s studio know they strongly object to Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “The Master,” which loosely is about Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , concerned Scientologists have called, e-mailed, and sent letters to Weinstein’s studio, The Weinstein Company, and the studio has taken extra precautions by paying for extra security for the movie’s premiere in New York on Monday.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a cult leader in the movie, and his role is loosely based on Hubbard. Joaquin Phoenix stars as a “drifter who falls under Hoffman character’s spell.”

The controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya that killed the ambassador and three American staffers, but a Twitter message by the group’s national office suggested a “right-wing extremist” ultimately was to blame.

The tweet from CAIR’s national organization said: “Meet The Right-Wing Extremist Behind the Anti-Muslim Film That Sparked Deadly Riots.”

The message included a link to a blog post by journalist Max Blumenthal which contended “the rioting was provoked by an obscure, low-budget anti-Muslim film called ‘The Innocence of Muslims.’”

Health And Human Services Secretary Crossed The Line

The Office of Special Counsel is accusing an agency leader of violating the Hatch Act. It said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius crossed the line in a February speech. She was on duty when she urged people at a Human Rights Campaign gala to vote for President Barack Obama. Sebelius says OSC was wrong. She reclassified the speech as a political event, which political appointees are allowed to attend. The Obama presidential campaign reimbursed the government for the travel costs. The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees, including political appointees, from politicking while on the job.

Wealthy Americans Get Help From US To Buy Expensive Homes

Silicon Valley, the birthplace of the microprocessor, the personal computer and the iPhone, is a model of private enterprise at work. But not when it comes to getting a mortgage.

In Santa Clara County, the center of the global tech industry and one of the wealthiest places in the United States, most home buyers get help from the government, an analysis of government lending data shows. The same is true in other wealthy enclaves such as Nassau County, outside New York, and Arlington County, outside Washington, the analysis of more than 50 million loans finds.

It is no secret that the U.S. government propped up the housing market after the financial crisis. What the analysis by Reuters makes clear is the extent to which government programs have helped some of the nation's most well-to-do communities.

Federal Employee Of The Year

A National Institutes of Health doctor who has led groundbreaking AIDS research is the Federal Employee of the Year. The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service will honor Lynne Mofenson at a dinner tonight. She focuses her research on preventing children from inheriting HIV from their mothers. She said she follows her father's work ethic: "It isn't necessarily who is the smartest, it is who works the hardest."

EPA INTERNAL EMAIL CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WITH PHOTO OF CHE GUEVARA & PLAGIARIZED MESSAGE

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) circulated an internal email to agency employees that included an image of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and a plagiarized fact-sheet about Hispanic culture from Buzzle.com. The internal email was obtained by BuzzFeed .

The picture included in the email shows a horse and carriage passing a billboard sign with Guevara’s face plastered on it, alongside the words “Hasta La Victoria Siempre,“ meaning ”Until Victory Always/Forever” — one of the revolutionary’s famous sayings.

“Hispanic people are vibrant, socializing and fun loving people. Among various facts associated to this culture is that they have a deep sense of involvement in their family traditions and cultures,” the email states.

Scotts Miracle-Gro To Pay Record Fines For Poisoning Birds And Selling Illegal Pesticides

Tainted, mislabeled pesticides added to the company's wild bird seed resulted in countless wildlife deaths, massive product recalls and unprecedented civil and criminal penalties.

America's leading lawn care company is in big trouble for potentially poisoning wild birds across the country, and lying to the government and consumers about pesticide products.

Before a voluntary recall in 2008, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company sold 70 million units of wild bird feed that was illegally treated with an insecticide that is dangerously toxic to wild birds, fish and other wildlife. The Marysville, Ohio-based company must now pay $12.5 million in criminal and civil penalties that regulators say are the heftiest ever issued under federal pesticide law.

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Multiple Events Planned For Antietam Anniversary

The Battle of Antietam, with the highest casualty rate of any single-day battle in the Civil War, will be commemorated this weekend by the National Park Service, the town of Sharpsburg, a battle reenactment group and organizers of a first-time walk from Sharpsburg, Md., to Shepherdstown, W.Va.

Although Monday, Sept. 17, is the 150^th anniversary of the battle — also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg — activities will be spread over four days, beginning Sept. 14.

The National Park Service has the most extensive program, with dozens of daily events that will begin Friday and run through Monday. Those will include guided tours of the battlefield, various memorials and historic sites, as well as weapon demonstrations and concerts by period bands. Also scheduled are talks by some of the best Civil War authors in the country, including Drew Gilpin Faust , James “Bud” Robertson, Mark Neely and James McPherson.

The Aftermath Of The RNC

Residents of Tampa, Florida have one more thing they can thank Republicans for, two weeks after the RNC came to town. And that's never-ending surveillance. In preparation for the RNC, a two million dollar surveillance system – complete with 60 cameras – was installed in the city to monitor crowds for suspicious activity and persons of interest. The RNC is now long gone – but the cameras are still in place. Although, they're turned off – they can be flicked back on at any moment, which is concerning members of the city council. As one councilwoman, Mary Mulhern, said, "This is a huge thing. We'll have many dozens of security cameras overhead. We don't want permanent surveillance." The city has called a council meeting for September 20th to address the Big Brother issue.

WHO‘S THE WOMAN BEHIND THE VIRAL VIDEO ’OBAMACARE SUMMED UP IN ONE SENTENCE’?

On Wednesday, Glenn Beck played a viral video that has been viewed more than 800,000 times. The video, “Obamacare Summed Up In One Sentence” features Dr. Barbara Bellar , a Chicago woman who is also running for a State Senate seat in Illinois.

Dr. Bellar is not your typical politician and certainly does not fit the mold of a “Chicago” politico. In fact, she’s:

An ex-nun
An Army Reserve vet
A family practice physician (as she says, “from cradle to grave, from diapers to diapers, from womb to tomb”)
A lawyer
A motorcycle-riding, animal lover

Japan Could Get Rid Of Nulear Power

The ongoing Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan is prompting that government to take action and rid the nation of nuclear power. According to a Japanese newspaper – the Japanese Prime Minister is expected to announce a permanent shutdown of all nuclear power in the nation within the next three decades. Hundreds of thousands of protestors have flooded the streets of Tokyo in recent months calling for an end to nuclear power. Now it appears their government is listening to them. Just like the government of Germany is listening to its citizens and abandoning all nuclear power by 2022. So for those of us in the United States who want no nukes – this means we need to speak a lot louder.

Why Films And Cartoons of Muhammad Spark Violence

While the motivation behind the low-budget video "Innocence of Muslims" remains unclear, the reasons it has helped fuel attacks and protests at U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa are both emotional and political, experts say.

While it is true that images of Muhammad are not allowed by Islamic law, that doesn't explain the violent reaction, said Hassan Shibly, an imam and civil rights lawyer in Florida who works for the Council on American Islamic Relations.

The reason for the prohibition in the Quran was that Muhammad wanted to discourage idolatry, he explained.

US Education Ranked 28th Out Of 38

The United States is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to educating children. A new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that the United States ranks a dismal 28th out of 38 developed nations when it comes to enrolling kids in early childhood education. In America, only 69% of four-year-olds are enrolled in education programs – compared to 95% in nations like France, Mexico, and Spain. It just so happens that the United States also spends far less public money on early education programs than other developed nations in Europe. Our priorities in America must be re-ordered if we want to compete in the global economy this century.

Study: Most Killed Drivers Have Drugs Or Alcohol In System

More than half of drivers in fatal car crashes had drugs or alcohol in their system when the crash occurred, according to a study in the journal Addiction.

The study found that alcohol was the most common drug, followed by marijuana and stimulants like Adderall and amphetamines, Reuters reports.

From 2005 to 2009, 57 percent of 20,150 fatally injured drivers had at least one drug in their system after an accident, the study says.

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How The Financial Collapse Would Happen In An Obama Second Term

The stakes in the coming election could not be higher. While crystal ball-gazing always is hazardous, the trail America's economy would follow, should President Obama's re-election effort succeed, has already been blazed. Naturally, the media will tell you none of this.

The upcoming election, despite the best efforts of the Obama campaign, the mainstream media, and various polling firms, is going to revolve around two questions: are you better off than you were four ago, and what is the future going to be if Barack Obama is re-elected? The Obama team is attempting to finesse the first question by obfuscating the second. They claim that their policies have begun to work, and, given a second term, life would redeem the promises Obama made in 2008.

A discussion centered on what the future will bring can be confusing and arcane. The Democrats rely on an emotional argument tied into the cult of personality surrounding Barack Obama, essentially stating that because their motives are pure and they have historically been for the "little" guy, they should be trusted when they say that their plans will be best in the long run. The Republicans and conservatives, on the other hand, too often rely on cold, hard facts and figures, which oftentimes succeed only in making them appear impersonal and pedantic, spouting numbers which cause the eye of the average voter to glaze over with confusion.

Further playing into the hands of the Obama cabal is the sense among far too many Americans that the worst could never happen here. This nation has experienced unprecedented prosperity for over 66 years, with only a few minor hiccups along the way. It is extraordinarily difficult to accept that today, America is living on the residue of its past economic achievements and facing a bleak future if the nation remains on its present course.

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Dog Stands Guard Over Deceased Owner’s Grave For Six Years

An extremely dedicated dog has continued to show its loyalty, keeping watch on its owner's grave six years after he passed away.

Capitan, a German shepherd, reportedly ran away from home after its owner, Miguel Guzman, died in 2006. A week later, the Guzman family found the dog sitting by his grave in central Argentina.

Miguel Guzman adopted Capitan in 2005 as a gift for his teenage son, Damian. And for the past six years, Capitan has continued to stand guard at Miguel's grave. The family says the dog rarely leaves the site.

WCSO Press Releases 9-14-12

Incident: Threatening Phone Calls
Date of Incident: 10 September 2012
Location: Wicomico County
Suspect: Ryan Mitchell Eppley, 18, Fruitland, MD

Narrative: On 10 September 2012 at 8:34 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a series of threatening and unwanted phone calls made by Ryan Eppley against a student at Parkside High School. The deputy learned that Eppley was upset over attention that this other subject was paying to a young lady that Eppley was fond of. The deputy learned that after Eppley was told to cease making these calls, he continued to leave voice mail messages that the deputy listened to.

The messages contained a specific threat to come to Parkside High School and shoot this other individual and then come to this other individual’s residence and harm the rest of his family.

The deputy obtained a warrant for the arrest of Eppley and it was served later that evening. Upon arrest, the deputy transported Eppley to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Eppley in the Detention Center in lieu of $100,000.00 bond.

Charges: Telephone Misuse: Repeated Calls
Telephone Calls: Obscene

BREAKING NEWS: Univ. of Texas To Reopen After Bomb-Threat Evacuation

University of Texas at Austin says it will reopen and allow buildings to be entered after search fails to find explosive devices that caller said were planted on campus.

From Fox News

New Cameras To Watch Cameras That Watch You

Many people find speed cameras frustrating, and some in the region are taking their rage out on the cameras themselves.

But now there's a new solution: cameras to watch the cameras.

One is already in place, and Prince George's County Police Maj. Robert V. Liberati hopes to have up to a dozen more before the end of the year.

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Introduction Of Self-Service Kiosk Is Latest Customer Benefit From DMV

Dover -- The continuing efforts of Delaware's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to provide the highest level of customer service is expanding with the introduction today of new self-service Kiosks at the Dover, Wilmington and Georgetown lane locations.

Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt, DMV Director Jennifer Cohan, and Kristina Cairns, Senior Product Manager, of manufacturer MorphoTrust USA, demonstrated and explained the Kiosk system at the Dover DMV Lanes this morning. The Kiosk's are a way to provide users with a convenient and simple option to conduct basic DMV driver services such as driver license and ID card renewals, duplicates/replacements, or address changes. As part of the transaction the touch-screen Kiosk's also allow users to select an organ donor designation and the ability to confirm or update their voter registration status. The new program was developed in collaboration with MorphoTrust USA and funded with a federal Homeland Security Grant.

"I am pleased to be able to again provide the citizens of Delaware with additional options for the delivery of DMV services. The introduction of the kiosks is another addition to the many eGovernment services that DMV offers, and the future possibilities for expanding services on the kiosks are endless," explained Director Cohan.

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Wicomico Schools To Participate In Maryland Eastern Shore Spelling Bee, Sponsored By UMES

A Lower Shore elementary or middle school student will have an opportunity next spring to participate in the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore announced today it will sponsor a competition for grades 4-8 to identify the region’s top speller, who will win an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the nationally televised event. The superintendents of Wicomico County Public Schools and Somerset County Public Schools have expressed their excitement about the event, which was announced Sept. 12 with a kickoff announcement at Somerset Intermediate School in Westover.

“We’re delighted that our students will have a chance to show their spelling prowess at the school and regional level, and perhaps even the national level,” said Dr. John E. Fredericksen, Wicomico County Superintendent of Schools. “Our guiding rule this year is, ‘If it helps a student learn, let’s do it.’ We’re ready for our students to spell their way to success.”

“We know students face tough challenges in the classroom every day,” UMES President Dr. Juliette B. Bell said. “And we want to do our part to inspire them – and acknowledge their achievements.”

Students and top administrators from public schools in Somerset and Wicomico counties joined Bell at a kick-off event at Somerset Intermediate School. Both school systems have agreed to encourage their elementary and middle schools to conduct school-level competitions.

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100 Best Communities For Young People

Salisbury/Wicomico County Honored As An America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities For Young People For The Sixth Time; Celebration at Prince Street School

Prince Street Elementary students celebrated Wednesday with community leaders and school system representatives as they learned together during a live webcast that Salisbury/Wicomico County has been named an America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING for the sixth time.

The national award was given to Salisbury/Wicomico County to recognize its outstanding and innovative work in addressing the high school dropout crisis and for its programs and services that make it an outstanding place for youth to live, learn and grow. Salisbury/Wicomico County was one of just 19 six-time winners of the award. Salisbury/Wicomico County will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources.

In its sixth year, the 100 Best Communities competition experienced its greatest interest to date with nominations from more than 320 communities representing all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. A list of all 2012 winners can be found at AmericasPromise.org/100Best.

Salisbury/Wicomico County continues to make youth a priority by emphasizing programs that provide young people and their families with the tools necessary to learn and grow. The Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children is a cross-sector collaboration of 20 organizational members ranging from child-serving agencies to business and community funders. The programs serve more than 1,000 youth annually through mentoring, gang intervention programs, after-school activities and family workshops. The Wicomico Mentoring Project, which matches students with volunteer mentors for local businesses and civic organizations, helped 99 percent of mentored seniors graduate last year. In addition, summer programs such as Salisbury Horizons offer students from low-income families the opportunity to participate in academic, cultural and recreational programs.

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Today's Fill In The Blank 9-14-12

The U.S. should ______ Libya.

Obama’s DOJ Grants ATF New Gun Grab Authority

The Obama administration via the Department of Justice has given authority to the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to “seize and administratively forfeit property involved in controlled-substance abuses.” This means now that people who are not dealing illegal drugs, just using them and anyone who might associate with them in the same residence or be in a vehicle can have their God-given right of keeping and bearing arms revoked by the government god. In fact, no conviction is even required in these instances.

The Washington Times reports,

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Thank God Its Friday 9-14-12

What will you be doing this weekend?

Handicapped Parking...At Sears

Today I had to go to Sears.

As I approached the entrance, I noticed a driver looking for a parking space.

I flagged the driver and pointed out a handicap parking space that was open and available.

The driver looked puzzled, rolled down her window and said, ''I'm not handicapped!''

Well, as you can imagine, my face was red!

''Oh, I'm sorry" I said, "I saw your Obama sticker and just assumed...''

She gave me the finger and yelled some nasty names at me.

Boy! Some people - and when you're just trying to help them out!

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 9-14-12

Hundreds Attend Open Forum To Question Proposed ‘Septic Bill’

ELKTON, Md. — A frustration — verging on anger, sweeping across rural Maryland over governmental intrusion into the lives and welfare of its citizens — is boiling over in Cecil County.

The focus there is the impact of Senate Bill 236, known as “the septic bill, ” which clearly empowers the state to adjust and/or design local land use planning.

The Cecil County commissioners slated an open forum for last Tuesday evening to allow citizen comment on a land use draft which they had earlier approved by a 3-2 vote.

An estimated 250 to 300 citizens showed up at the county administration building, not only to protest SB 236, but to vent about the majority-approved land use draft.

The crowd overwhelmed the seating capacity of the meeting room and required a speaker system to be installed in the lobby so that an overflow crowd of about 75 could participate.

The meeting lasted more than three hours and, in the end, commissioners announced that two more meetings would be held.

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Jesse Jackson Urges Maryland Voters to Support Gay Marriage

The Rev. Jackson Jackson is urging Maryland voters to vote in favor of a ballot measure this fall that would give marriage equality to gays and lesbians in the state. Governor Martin O'Malley signed a marriage equality bill, passed by the legislature, but the voters will decide in November.

“The culture has had to expand,” Jackson said at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte last week in an interview for my SiriusXM OutQ radio program, discussing marriage for gays and lesbians. “For so long we thought it was a sin for blacks to have freedom. We thought it was a sin for black and white men and women to interrelate. We’ve grown in our appreciation of the fact that we live in our faith, and our faith may live under the law. All citizens deserve constitutional protections. You know, you have a right not to agree with interracial marriage but no one should be denied rights under the law.”

BREAKING NEWS: University Of Texas Reports Bomb Threat, Evacuates Buildings

University of Texas at Austin orders evacuation of all buildings after a bomb threat is phoned in claiming explosive devices will go off in 90 minutes.

From Fox News

NEW NON-FUNCTIONING TRAFFIC LIGHT LAW TO TAKE EFFECT

(PIKESVILLE, MD) – Maryland State Police are reminding motorists of a new law about to take effect regarding actions drivers must take when approaching intersections with non-functioning traffic signals.

Beginning October 1, 2012, a driver approaching a non-functioning traffic control signal from any direction at an intersection shall stop:
-at a clearly marked stop line;
-before entering any crosswalk; or
-before entering the intersection.

After stopping, the driver must:
-yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection; and
-remain stopped until it is safe to enter and continue through the intersection.

Intersection traffic control signals, most commonly called ‘red lights,’ or ‘stop lights,’ direct the safe and orderly flow of traffic in and through thousands of intersections across Maryland. Most are powered by electricity that can be interrupted because of storms, traffic crashes, or other incidents that cause power outages. Just because a traffic control signal is not functioning at an intersection does not mean drivers are relieved of their duty to exercise care and caution. The new law makes clear the procedures each driver must now follow.

Violations of the new law carry a fine of $90 and two points if the offense does not contribute to an accident. If the violation contributes to a crash, the fine is $130 and three points.

REMEMBER EXISTING LAWS:

If two vehicles approach an intersection without a traffic control device or with a non-functioning traffic control signal from different roadways at the same time, there is existing motor vehicle law that applies. In this situation, the driver on the left must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on his or her immediate right.

There are also times when a traffic control signal that normally operates green, yellow, and red lights may be in ‘flashing’ mode. This usually means red lights may be flashing in one direction and yellow lights are flashing in another direction. Flashing red
and yellow lights on a traffic control signal do not mean the light is ‘non-functioning.’

In this situation, the drivers approaching the red flashing light must stop and can only proceed when the intersection is clear. Drivers approaching the yellow flashing light should slow down and use caution, but are permitted to proceed through the intersection without stopping. Drivers are also reminded that if a police officer is directing traffic in the intersection, they should obey the directions of that officer, regardless of the signal indicated on the traffic control device.

It is difficult to describe every potential intersection situation. Above all, drivers are reminded that it is their duty to always drive with care and caution, especially when approaching an intersection with a non-functioning signal. If other drivers are present at the intersection, remember to be courteous, use caution, and do everything possible to try to determine the intentions of other motorists and communicate your intentions, if you are unsure of how to proceed. Even if you have the right of way, it is better to allow another driver to proceed if it appears he or she is going to do so, instead of risking an intersection crash.

Today's Survey Question 9-14-12

Are Prisoners Entitled to Sex Changes?

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Members of the Church of Scientology are feverishly letting Harvey Weinstein’s studio know they strongly object to Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “The Master,” which loosely is about Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.