Salisbury News: 09/27/12

Thursday, September 27, 2012

OBAMA SUPPORTER EXPLAINS WHY WE NEED TO RE-ELECT PRESIDENT

Yesterday, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were in the swing state of Ohio campaigning. At one Romney event near Cleveland, a group of Obama supporters gathered to voice their dislike for Romney.

One apparent Obama supporter was caught on video seemingly giving a very clear explanation of why she is voting for the president and why she does not like Mitt Romney.

The passionate explanation for the former involves Obama giving free phones:

Man behind anti-Islam film arrested

The California man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that has inflamed parts of the Middle East was arrested Thursday for violating terms of his probation, authorities said.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, has been on probation for a 2010 federal check fraud conviction that brought a 21-month prison sentence. Under terms of his probation, he was not to use computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer.

Nakoula was taken into custody Thursday, said U.S. Attorney's spokesman Thomas Mrozek.

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GSA Testing New Energy-Saving Technologies At Federal Buildings

The General Services Administration plans to roll out a dozen new technologies designed to better measure and manage energy use in federal facilities, the agency announced Wednesday.

GSA will install the new technologies in federal buildings across the country as part of the agency's Green Proving Ground program.

"This innovative program is another example of GSA leading the way for the federal government," said Dorothy Robyn, the newly appointed head of the agency's Public Buildings Service, in a statement. "By testing the effectiveness of these technologies, GSA is finding new ways that federal buildings across the nation can save both energy and taxpayer dollars.

Bonus Christmas Holiday?

For many long-time federal workers, the horror du jour isn't sequestration-triggered furloughs or layoffs. Nor are the vets particularly worried that the next Congress might actually impose some of the draconian cuts the current Congress failed to enact.

Experienced civil servants, who have lived through a variety of changes, reforms and streamlining efforts, realize that their benefits have been threatened before — in some cases, for decades — without any changes being made.

Survivors of the federal service know that politicians talk a lot but are easily distracted. Usually by unforeseen domestic and foreign events, like hurricanes and revolutions.

A Prince Frederick nonprofit group is harvesting locally grown produce to stock food banks.

The organization, Farming 4 Hunger, has been gathering produce from area farms with the assistance of volunteers and nonprofit groups.

Bernie Fowler Jr., son of former state senator Bernie Fowler Sr., founded Farming 4 Hunger and is leading the organization’s charge.

The younger Fowler said that, as a home builder, he saw the effect of the economic downturn and was “almost spiritually driven” to do what he could to help out.

Senators Join Suit Over Obama’s Constitutional Powers

Republican senators on Wednesday joined a lawsuit arguing President Obama violated the Constitution when he used his recess appointment powers earlier this year to fill several controversial posts.

The move intensifies a simmering separation-of-powers battle over Mr. Obama’s executive powers, which Republicans say he has abused during his term in office.

Led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republicans said the Senate was still in session, not in recess, when Mr. Obama made his four appointments in January. They said the picks — to the National Labor Relations Board and to a top consumer-advocacy post — are therefore illegal.

FARRAKHAN UNLEASHED: LIBYAN AMBASSADOR STEVENS WOULD STILL BE ALIVE & UNHARMED IF GADDAFI WAS IN POWER

In a shock statement at a townhall meeting Wednesday night, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan argued that the late U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens would still be alive and unharmed if Muammar Gaddafi were still alive.

Farrakhan said “Gaddafi had an ordered society. Ambassador Stevenson [sic] could go anywhere in Libya and he wouldn’t be harmed when Gaddafi was in power.” Farrakhan continued, “but when the enemy came then we became divided more-so than ever.”

Will Anti-Obama ‘2016’ Spawn More Conservative Films?

Perhaps it’s karma. Where the George W. Bush years saw a seemingly endless skein of liberal films hitting theaters, it looks like conservatives might finally be getting their turn at the multiplexes.

This year has seen a spate of high-profile films that are either overtly conservative or at least conservative-friendly.

The most surprising and arguably telling hit so far is the anti-Obama documentary “2016: Obama’s America,” which presents the controversial theory that President Obama inherited his anti-Western absentee father’s political DNA and is governing the U.S. with the aim of scaling back its power and influence.

Twice this week, progressive media outlets have embarrassed themselves by jumping on stories that looked like promising anti-Republican material only to discover hours later they'd been fooled. In one case, the mistake was a piece of satire, the other a joke mistaken for a serious comment.

Tuesday morning Politico's Roger Simon posted an article which was clearly not meant to be taken seriously. The thrust of the piece was that Paul Ryan had become unhinged and was "marching around his campaign bus, saying things like, 'If Stench calls, take a message' and 'Tell Stench I’m having finger sandwiches with Peggy Noonan and will text him later.'" Stench was supposedly Ryan's new nickname for Mitt Romney.

Snacks: The USDA's Solution To Student's Healthy Lunch Complaints

According to Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the solution to the growing grumbling over re-vamped school lunch menus boils down to a good old fashioned snack.

School lunch trays are a bit lighter this year after Congress-approved calorie limits on school lunches went into effect in August. The new regulations, which were championed by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity, have inspired protests and even a video parody from students who claim the reduced lunches are making them go hungry.

"It's not surprising that some youngsters will in the middle of the day be hungry," Vilsack told ABC News, responding to the controversy. "I remember my two boys when they came back from school they were always hungry, we always had snacks prepared for them."

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26 States DON’T Tie Teacher Evaluations To Student Progress, 39 DO Give Automatic Tenure

As everyone who’s ever attended school or had a child in school knows, teachers are important; a good one can have positive effects that resonate throughout a student’s life, while a bad one can leave you happily dishing with former classmates for years, or much worse.

Teachers have been in the news recently too, as the Chicago teachers’ union strikes against flat salaries, evaluations and testing. Just how are the country’s teachers hired, evaluated and paid? The answers might surprise you, especially if you work in the private sector.

According to the National Council on Teacher Quality , only 24 states tie teacher evaluations in any way to concrete signs of student progress.That means that in over half the states, teachers are not held responsible for the actual, measurable progress of their students. Of those 24, only 12 actually use student achievement as the most important factor in evaluations. Imagine if less than half of the nation’s engineers were held accountable for the results they produced. I wouldn’t want to cross any bridges.

Postal Service To Default — Again

The Postal Service announced Wednesday that it would not make a scheduled $5.6 billion payment to the Treasury Department by the end of the month, officially throwing in the towel on a second large payment in as many months.

The agency, which lost more than $5 billion in the most recently completed quarter, had been widely expected to default on the prepayment for future retiree benefits, and rushed on Wednesday to assure customers that business would continue as usual.

“Customers can be confident in the continued regular operations of the Postal Service,” USPS said in a statement. “We will continue to deliver the mail and pay our employees and suppliers. Postal Service retirees and employees will also continue to receive their health benefits.”

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO DEATH OF INMATE

(CRESAPTOWN, MD) -- Maryland State Police homicide investigators are continuing their investigation into the death of a state prison inmate who was found dead in his cell early this morning. The victim is identified as Charles Richardson, 28, who was an inmate at the North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County. Richardson had been incarcerated in the Maryland Division of Correction since 2009 and was serving a sentence of life without parole for first degree murder, assault, and handgun violations. At about 5:00 a.m. today, correctional officers observed an inmate outside his cell on a tier in possession of clothing that appeared to be bloodstained. Officers entered the inmate’s cell and found his cellmate, Richardson, lying under a blanket. Officers removed the blanket and saw the inmate had sustained trauma to his head. Correctional officers provided emergency care and summoned medics. Medics from Cresaptown pronounced Richardson deceased at the scene. State Police Homicide Unit investigators responded to the scene to conduct the investigation and were assisted by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit. State Police crime scene technicians processed the scene and collected evidence that will be forwarded to the State Police Forensic Sciences Division laboratory. Investigators worked throughout the day conducting interviews and continuing the investigation. The victim’s body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. An autopsy is expected to be conducted tomorrow. A motive for the apparent murder has not been determined. No charges have been filed at this time.

THE OBAMAIZED FLAG POSTER SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS FROM CAMPAIGN STORE

Last week, President Obama's campaign paraphernalia store on his website was heavily criticized for having a poster of a U.S. flag that was Obama-ized by having the field of fifty stars replaced with an Obama logo. Over the weekend, the item was suddenly "disappeared" down the Internet memory hole.

The poster titled "Our Stripes: Flag Poster," was criticized by nearly every conservative blog and news site on the web for the arrogance of replacing the fifty states with an Obama logo. It was said that it shows Obama imagines that there are no New Yorks, no Texases, no Californias, only the Obama states of America.

A recent survey of likely voters finds that pessimism about our success in the War on Terror "continues to grow" with only 45 percent saying they think the U.S. is winning that war, a 17-point drop from its one-time high of 62 percent in February 2009 .

Rasmussen found that 45 percent think the U.S. is winning the war, 21 percent think the terrorists are winning, and 26 percent think that the neither side has an advantage. The 45 percent figure has dropped ten points since May of 2010.

The number of those who think the U.S. is winning has been steadily dropping since May of 2011.

As The UN Opens Its General Assembly Session, It Is Already Thinking Up New Global Taxes

A 1 percent tax on billionaires around the world. A tax on all currency trading in the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound sterling. Another “tiny” tax on all financial transactions, including stock and bond trading, and trading in financial derivatives. New taxes on carbon emissions and on airline tickets. A royalty on all undersea mineral resources extracted more than 100 miles offshore of any nation’s territory.

The United Nations is at it again: finding new and “innovative” ways to create global taxes that would transfer hundreds of billions, and even trillions, of dollars from the rich nations of the world — especially the U.S. — to poorer ones, in line with U.N.-directed economic, social and environmental development.

2012 ELECTION - ANOTHER INSIDE JOB

While Romney and Obama trade insults about who’s the worse Washington insider, the reality is both are in hock to Big Money Last week, Mitt Romney and President Obama traded insults in a most amazing way, reminding us that success in American politics these days requires two things: saying the most absurd things with a straight face, and maximizing the appearance of differences with your opponent, while minimizing their reality. Consider … Obama: “I’ve learned some lessons. Most important is you can’t change Washington from inside, only from the outside.” Romney: “He said he can’t change Washington from inside. He can only change it from outside. I can change Washington. I will change Washington. We’ll get the job done from the inside.” Obama: “What kind of inside job is he talking about? Is it the job of rubber-stamping the top-down, you’re-on-your-own agenda of this Republican Congress? Because if it is, we don’t want it … We don’t want an inside job in Washington.” More

Teen Leads Police On Pa.-Md. Vehicle Pursuit

Authorities say a 17-year-old stole his father's truck in Pennsylvania and led law enforcers from several jurisdictions on a chase that ended in Baltimore.

Pennsylvania State Police tell The Baltimore Sun that the boy's father reported the truck stolen Wednesday in Fairview Township, Pa., just south of Harrisburg.

The truck was spotted on Interstate 83 and troopers tried to stop the vehicle.

A 7-week-old puppy was stolen from the Animal Resource Foundation in Maryland on Tuesday and a $500 reward has been offered for the puppy's safe return.

ARF, located in Chester, Md., announced the reward on their Facebook page.

They say a couple in their 20s came to the foundation around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25 to visit puppies. After a quick visit, the couple left and drove away.

More

UPDATE
ARF is ELATED to report we have our Mango back! Thank you to all of our supporters who diligently got the word out. We would be lost without everyone's help! Mama, Mango, and two Mango's two siblings have been reunited and all are safe and sound now. We are over the moon!

SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA

OCTOBER 1, 2012 CONFERENCE ROOM 306 GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING 4:30 p.m. Strategic Demolition Grant – Teresa Gardner/Debbie Stam Rebidding Electricity Services discussion – Gerri Moore/Catrice Parsons FY12 Bond Issuance Projects – Caustic Chemical Feed Building (Water Fund) - $1,200,000 and Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade (Sewer Fund) - $4,800,000 – Gerri Moore/Teresa Gardner 4:40 p.m. FY13 General Fund budget amendment appropriating funds to cover the Police Department consulting costs for warrant service by the Maryland State Police incurred in FY12 – Chief Barbara Duncan 5:00 p.m. Fire Department FY13 budget amendments for radios and janitorial services – Chief Rick Hoppes 5:30 p.m. Skate Park discussion – Debbie Stam/Skate Park Committee 6:15 p.m. Motion to convene in closed session for a briefing on the acquisition of real property for a public purpose as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland §10-508(a)(3)(7)(8) 7:15 p.m. Break 7:30 p.m. Discussion on pay increases (developing questions) 8:00 p.m. Briefing on status of Board of Elections contract 8:15 p.m. General Discussion/Upcoming Agendas Adjournment Other Information - Discover Australia Exhibit at Salisbury Zoo – informational purposes only

55 Percent Of Small Business Owners Would Not Start Company Today, Blame Obama

Fifty-five percent of small business owners and manufacturers would not have started their businesses in today’s economy, according to a new poll that also reports 69 percent say President Obama’s regulatory policies have hurt their businesses.

“There is far too much uncertainty, too many burdensome regulations and too few policymakers willing to put aside their egos and fulfill their responsibilities to the American people,” said Jay Timmons , president of the National Association of Manufacturers, which commissioned the poll along with the National Federation of Independent Businesses. “To fix this problem, we need immediate action on pro-growth tax and regulatory policies that put manufacturers in the United States in a position to compete and succeed in an ever-more competitive global economy.”

THREE STAR GENERAL: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD HAS INFILTRATED OUR GOVERNMENT

U.S. Army Lieutenant General (Ret.) William Jerry Boykin claims that individuals with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood hold security clearances in both the Pentagon and the Department of Defense. Boykin says Republicans should have listened to Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), who was correct to be concerned over possible Muslim Brotherhood ties of Huma Abedin, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff. Boykin says politicians on both sides of the aisle are scared to pursue the truth on this, for fear of being branded "intolerant," and the result of their inaction is continued infiltration by the radical Islamic organization. He claims that people with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood hold important positions "in every major federal agency." Boykin was one of the original members of the Army's Delta Force, served in clandestine operations for the CIA, and was formerly a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Source

Shreve suggests some students ride TransIT to school

Adding a splash of TransIT green to the school bus fleet's sea of yellow could yield some savings, according to one Frederick County official.

During a meeting last week, Commissioner Billy Shreve suggested looking into ferrying some Frederick County students to school aboard TransIT Services buses. A number of TransIT routes head right past schools, and it might make sense for some students to get a ride with the service, he said.

"We have a lot of empty TransIT buses running around, and if we can find a way to use them more efficiently, I'm all for that," Shreve said in a Tuesday phone interview.

Would you want your child to ride public transportation to school instead of the school bus?

ALL IS WELL

Watch these videos from Spain and Greece from today. Do you think the solutions being implemented by central bankers, government bureaucrats, and corrupt politicians across the globe are benefitting the common man in any way? Everything that has been done since 2008 has been done to benefit the criminal bankers and politicians that created the crisis in the first place. Every solution has had the purpose of enriching bankers at the expense of the common man. The common man has had enough and is now in full revolt in Europe. This is a preview of what is coming to America. This is why you see the military like preparations going on across the land. This is why military “exercises” are being conducted on our soil. The ruling oligarchs know what is happening. The clueless masses are still distracted by the X-Factor and the NFL referee crisis. I wonder why I had to track these down on Russia Today rather than CNN, MSNBC, ABC, or CBS?

Poll: Marylanders Split On Gambling Expansion

Voters favor same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for illegals

Maryland voters are split over an expansion of gambling in the state, but most support same-sex marriage and the Dream Act, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The poll, conducted by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies, found that 46 percent of Maryland voters said they would vote against an expansion of gambling that would allow table games, round-the-clock operation and a casino in Prince George's County. Nearly 45 percent said they would vote for Question 7 on the November ballot. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Note: Survey's margin of error is +/- 3.5 points

Source: Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies Inc.

The Real Obama Economy

It’s time to have an adult conversation about the very real issues facing America’s future.

What’s needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn't take a special news report to tell us what America needs. No matter what Barack Obama’s cronies or the liberal media says, America needs jobs – a lot of jobs.

I am running for president because I have a solution to create more jobs and better take-home pay for the middle class. With your support, we can make that happen.

The result of President Obama’s government-centric approach over the last three and a half years was the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression: 23 million people are struggling for work; nearly 1 in 6 Americans in poverty; 15 million more Americans on food stamps; $4,000 average decline in household incomes; $16 trillion national debt.

The administration promised us that its policies would bring unemployment down to 5.4% by now -- but they have not.

Unemployment is still above 8% and has been for 43 straight months. And the difference between the 5.4% they promised and the 8% they delivered is 9 million more Americans not working -- 9 million.

Under President Obama, we have a stagnant economy that fosters government dependency. My policies will create a growing economy that fosters upward mobility.

My plan for a Stronger Middle Class will deliver a real recovery for our economy by taking advantage of our energy resources, fixing our schools, opening more trade, cutting the deficit, and championing small business.

My plan is to help the middle class. We’re going to take advantage of our energy resources -- above and below the ground -- to get North America energy independent by 2020. Then, we're going to make sure that the American workers of today and tomorrow have the skills to succeed in America through better schools and better job training programs.

We’re going to make trade work for America. That means cracking down on cheaters like China and opening up new markets. Further, we have to cap federal spending, and cut the deficit. Finally, we have to champion small business by having tax policies, regulations, and healthcare policies that help small business.

The results of my sound fiscal and economic policies: 12 million new jobs in 4 years, 4% annual GDP growth, higher wages, and increased savings for middle-class families.

Show your support for our plan and help Paul Ryan and me, and the Republican team, deliver a real recovery for middle-class families across America -- please donate $50, $100, or $250 today!

A weak economy and unprecedented debt may be the best President Obama can do -- but it is not the best America can do. We literally cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama’s failed policies. I will deliver recovery -- not dependency.

Thanks,

Mitt Romney

Alaska Woman Falls Off 60-Foot Cliff While Texting

KODIAK, Alaska – Emergency responders in Kodiak say they had to overcome the challenges of a cliff as well as an incoming tide to rescue a woman who fell 60 feet onto rocks. Maria Pestrikoff survived the fall Sept. 17 and is recovering in an Anchorage hospital. More

Dismounted Soldier: Virtual Combat Training System Created For U.S. Armed Forces

A virtual combat training system developed by a company in Ashburn, Va. will soon be used in at least 100 Army bases worldwide.

They are, in essence, video games, designed to prepare soldiers for combat, and the first ever virtual combat training system of its kind.

It looks like a regular video game, but for current and former Marines testing it out, it feels like a matter of life or death.

THEY KNEW!

Sources confirm to Fox News that the Obama administration knew from day one that the Sept. 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans was an act of terror — directly challenging the administration's 'spontaneous reaction' explanation. More

ARREST MADE IN CAROLINE CO. MURDER INVESTIGATION

(FEDERALSBURG, MD) – Maryland State Police homicide investigators have served an arrest warrant on a Chestertown man who is now charged with the murder of a man found dead in front of a Caroline County factory. The accused is identified as Davonta’ Deshields, 21, of Fererdalsburg, Md. He has been charged with first and second degree murder, first degree assault, reckless endangerment, and numerous handgun violations. Has he been to a court commissioner for a bond hearing? If so, where is he being held and on what bond? Deshields was taken before a district court commissioner and is being held without bond at the Caroline County Detention Center. The victim was identified as Anthony C. Abner, Jr., 21, of the 100-block of Brooklyn Avenue, Federalsburg, Md. Abner was found dead in the 200 block of East Central Avenue by Federalsburg Police Department officers, shortly before midnight on September 25, 2012, when they responded to 911 calls. An autopsy revealed Abner died from multiple gunshot wounds. Federalsburg Police Chief Donald Nagle requested the case be investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. State Police homicide investigators assumed the investigation and have continued the investigation around the clock since. They have been assisted by State Police crime scene technicians and Easton Barrack criminal investigators, as well as by members of the Federalsburg Police Department, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, and the Caroline County Drug Task Force. Investigators have been in regular contact with the Caroline County State’s Attorney with updates on the progress of the case. Investigators were able to develop information and a potential suspect through neighborhood checks and interviews. Based on information developed during the investigation, a search warrant was applied for and granted for the suspect’s grandmother’s residence Federalsburg, Md. Several items of potential evidentiary value were seized, but investigators will not specify what those items are due to the ongoing investigation. No clear motive for the murder has been established at this time. The Maryland State Police dive team will be conducting underwater searches of bodies of water in proximity to the crime scene for evidence of this ongoing investigation.

3 And Out

Hi Joe,

I would like to see how many parents, like myself, were or are unaware of the 3 and out possibility in MD high school. Until it was too late, like many things I have learned about, I was totally unaware that MD students are only required to attend 3 years of high school if they obtain the correct # of credits in a specified time period. This is something the Bd of Ed and the principals dont want to discuss.

Foreclosure Auction Is Off For $23 Million McLean Mansion

Rodney P. Hunt won’t be losing his $23 million McLean mansion. At least not this week.

The 20,000-plus-square-foot home was scheduled to be sold at a foreclosure auction Thursday morning on the steps of the Arlington County Courthouse. On Wednesday evening, Tranzon Fox, the auction house, canceled the sale. David K. Lowry, an executive vice president for the auction house, would not comment on the reason.

Hunt’s Potomac River home is the most expensive property in the Washington region to enter some stage of foreclosure since the housing market crashed in 2007. The entrepreneur owed more than $9.4 million to Bank of America, public records show, for money borrowed against the house, which was once featured on MTV’s “Teen Cribs.”

Federal officials and the Big Lots store chain has recalled almost 7,000 swing sets made in China because of a fall hazard.

Columbus, Ohio-based Big Lots and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday the recall of about 6,900 Wilson & Fisher Garden Swings. They said customers who own the product should stop using it immediately.

The CPSC said the wooden swing's seat can break while in use, posing a fall hazard.

An IOU For Every Man, Woman, And Child

The global debt binge has affected nations rich and poor. The most debt-addicted country is Japan, where the government has borrowed heavily from its citizens for decades.

Source

NFL, referees reach agreement; refs back on field Thursday

The NFL reached an agreement with the NFL Referees Association on Wednesday night to end the lockout, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the refs will be back on the field starting Thursday night.

The new collective bargaining agreement is for eight years, the longest between the league and game officials in NFL history.

"We appreciate the commitment of the NFLRA in working through the issues to reach this important agreement," Goodell said in a joint statement issued by the NFL and NFLRA.

OBAMA: ANTI-ISLAM RHETORIC MUST BE REJECTED

Today, President Barack Obama stated that negativity about Islam was a message that had to be rejected “by all who respect our common humanity.” Even as our ambassador in Libya is murdered by Islamists; even as Islamists in Egypt threaten Israel’s southern border and persecute Coptic Christians; even as Islamists in Iran threaten nuclear annihilation for the State of Israel; even as Islamists around the globe burn restaurants, attack police, and storm embassies, President Obama thinks that our “common humanity” requires us to reject anti-Islam material. Here’s what he said: Moreover, there will always be those that reject human progress – dictators who cling to power, corrupt interests that depend upon the status quo; and extremists who fan the flames of hate and division …. At times, the conflicts arise along the fault lines of faith, race or tribe; and often they arise from the difficulties of reconciling tradition and faith with the diversity and interdependence of the modern world. In every country, there are those who find different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who love freedom for themselves must ask how much they are willing to tolerate freedom for others. That is what we saw play out the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. More

J.K. Rowling's Debut Novel For Adults Worth A Read

"The Casual Vacancy" (Little, Brown and Company), by J.K. Rowling.

So look, here's the thing: This. Is. Not. A. Children's. Book. If you're looking for what made Harry Potter magical _ Wizards! Spells! Flying Broomsticks! _ you're not going to find it.

If you're looking for what makes J.K. Rowling magical _ emotion, heart _ you will.

"The Casual Vacancy" is the first novel written for adults from Rowling, the successful-beyond-belief author behind the "Harry Potter" series about the young boy who discovers he's a wizard.

Attention

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Twice this week, progressive media outlets have embarrassed themselves by jumping on stories that looked like promising anti-Republican material only to discover hours later they'd been fooled. In one case, the mistake was a piece of satire, the other a joke mistaken for a serious comment.

Last week, President Obama's campaign paraphernalia store on his website was heavily criticized for having a poster of a U.S. flag that was Obama-ized by having the field of fifty stars replaced with an Obama logo. Over the weekend, the item was suddenly "disappeared" down the Internet memory hole.

A recent survey of likely voters finds that pessimism about our success in the War on Terror "continues to grow" with only 45 percent saying they think the U.S. is winning that war, a 17-point drop from its one-time high of 62 percent in February 2009 .