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Friday, September 28, 2012

THESE ARE THE TOP 5 WORST TAXES ‘OBAMACARE’ WILL IMPOSE IN 2013

The Grover Norquist-founded Americans for Tax Reform  , a 501(c)(4) lobbying group that opposes “all tax increases as a matter of principle,” on Friday released a list   of what, they say, are the top five worst taxes The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e. “Obamacare”) will impose on Americans in 2013.
Here they are [all block quotes via the report]:
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IRAN NEWS AGENCY FOOLED BY ONION ARTICLE

 A joke by the satirical newspaper The Onion appears to have gotten lost in translation.

An Iranian news agency has picked up as fact a story from the paper about a supposed survey showing a majority of white Americans would rather vote for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd) than President Barack Obama. The only trouble is it was made up, like everything in the just-for-laughs newspaper, which is headquartered in the comedic capital Chicago.

The English-language service of Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency republished the story Friday, several days after it appeared in The Onion.

US HOUSE BLOCKS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO SEND $450 MILLION TO EGYPT

The Obama administration’s plan to transfer $450 million in cash to Egypt hit a roadblock Friday as a top House committee chairwoman blocked the move, saying it warrants further review.
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, said the State Department had notified Congress of plans to move the money to the new government of President Mohammed Morsi as Cairo struggles economically. The money is part of the nearly $1 billion in debt relief that President Barack Obama had promised the Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Egypt earlier this year.
“This proposal comes to Congress at a point when the U.S.-Egypt relationship has never been under more scrutiny, and rightly so,” the chairwoman of the Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations said in a statement. “I am not convinced of the urgent need for this assistance and I cannot support it at this time. … I have placed a hold on these funds.”
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HORROR: FLORIDA TEEN, 14, CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AFTER SHE CHOKES NEWBORN SON TO DEATH AND STUFFS HIM IN A SHOEBOX

A 14-year-old girl in Polk County, Fla. was arrested Thursday for allegedly choking her newborn son to death and storing the body in a shoebox after she secretly gave birth in a bathroom at her home earlier this month, WJXT reports  .
Just days after being treated for what was reported to be a miscarriage on Sept. 19, Polk County sheriff’s deputies got a call indicating that the body of a full-term baby had been found stuffed in a shoebox at the teenaged girl’s residence.

NY STATE SEN. BREAKS SILENCE ABOUT WHY HE WALKED OFF STAGE AT MUSLIM DAY PARADE: ‘ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY

It has taken four days to get a comment from NY State Senator Tony Avella’s office, but the hard-to-reach elected official has finally responded to TheBlaze regarding why he left the stage during NYC’s Muslim Day Parade.

Just minutes before 3pm ET, Mr. Avella sent an email to TheBlaze answering most of of our questions. He started by combining the first two questions:
  • How many of the previous Muslim Day Parades have you attended?  (This was the 27th annual parade.)
  • Have you been a “VIP” or  “Honorary Marshall” for this parade in any previous years?
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Romney Hits Obama On Defense As Candidates Make Virginia Swing

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney shadowed each other for a second consecutive day in a battleground state, appealing for votes by arguing the other is pushing failed policies. Taxes, energy independence, education, jobs and debt were the main issues that both candidates hit today in Virginia, one of about 10 states that their campaigns say will swing the Nov. 6 election. In an appearance before military veterans in Springfield, a suburb of Washington, Romney said the struggling economy is weakening the country and criticized Obama over automatic budget cuts -- including to defense -- set to take effect in January. The “idea of cutting our military commitment by a trillion dollars over this decade is unthinkable and devastating,” Romney said at an American Legion Post. “When I become president of the United States, we will stop it. I will not cut our commitment to our military.” More

HOLDER’S DOJ ACCUSED OF MAKING BACKDOOR DEAL TO PREVENT CASE FROM GOING TO SUPREME COURT

Attorney General Eric Holder’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is being accused of political indiscretion — and it has nothing to do with the failed federal gun-walking operation known as “Fast and Furious.”
Four GOP congressmen argue the DOJ struck a backdoor deal with city officials in St. Paul, Minn., to “withdraw a housing discrimination case before the Supreme Court in exchange for Justice declining to intervene in an unrelated False Claims Act case against the city,” the Washington Post reports.
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SAVAGE WINS HISTORIC LEGAL BATTLE AGAINST RADIO SYNDICATOR

Top-rated talk-radio host Michael Savage announced today he has won his legal battle to free himself from his syndicator, the Talk Radio Network, and can negotiate with a new network.
He said he “will not be heard on the radio for some time” but will continue to update his website and produce a free daily newsletter  .
As WND reported, Savage sued TRN in December 2010 regarding his contract, alleging the network used “illegal and unenforceable contract provisions” and “other strong-armed tactics” to intimidate him and force him into accepting a “sub-standard agreement.”

Study: Female GOP Politicians Look More Feminine

If a new academic study is to be believed, Republican women politicians look more feminine than their Democratic counterparts.
The study, by two UCLA researchers, found that female politicians with what are described as stereotypically feminine features tended to be Republicans, and the reverse was also true for Democratic women. GOP women rated, on average, twice as stereotypically feminine as Democrats.
In fact, the authors said the correlation was so strong that undergraduates were regularly able to guess someone's party affiliation just by the way she looked.
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‘Won’t Back Down’ Has Teachers Unions Running Scared

For more than half a century, in Hollywood message movies from “Blackboard Jungle” to “Lean on Me,” Stand and Deliver” and “Dangerous Minds,” academic failure and juvenile crime have haunted the corridors of failing inner-city schools that were little better than war zones.
Docilely reflecting liberal conventional wisdom, such Hollywood films typically let the public school system itself off easy, instead tracing the “root causes” of inner-city school failure to American social injustice — poverty, inequality and underfunded schools.
But times have changed: The faceless bureaucrat and parochial union executive have replaced social injustice and neglect as the enemies du jour. A series of recent documentaries — most famously “Waiting for Superman,” but also “The Lottery” and “The Cartel” — have lambasted teachers unions for putting the demands of failed educators ahead of the needs of struggling children.
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Maryland Online Lottery Sales Plan Draws Fire From Retailers

A new Maryland Lottery program that would allow customers to purchase Lottery tickets online is drawing heat from some retailers who say it will eat into their business.
The online gambling program, presented to the Maryland State Lottery Commission Thursday, would allow customers to purchase tickets for scratch-off, instant and Keno-like games online. That is a change from the current setup, which forces Lottery customers to go into convenience stores or other retail locations to buy tickets.
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Bonnie & Clyde's Guns Up for Auction

Nearly 80 years after their deaths, two dozen items associated with notorious bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are up for auction.
The pair are well-known for robbing dozens of Depression-era banks while leaving in their wake numerous dead bodies before they were killed in an ambush in 1934 by a posse of law enforcement that included a former Texas Ranger.
According to a report on NPR  , the posse was allowed to keep whatever they found in the Bonnie and Clyde death car -- and that included dozens of weapons.
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Ocean City, MGH Renew Ad Deal Through Next Summer

The Ocean City Council renewed its advertising contract with Owings Mills marketing firm MGH this week — reversing a previous decision in August to search for other candidates.
MGH will help the resort town work to continue to lure tourists at least through next summer with a contract worth nearly $5 million annually.
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YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN A TOUCHDOWN PASS LIKE THIS

I’ve been following sports for a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like this.
A video posted by the Purdue University intramural sports league captures what words don’t do the best job of describing: in short, it’s a backwards, behind-the-back, 30-yard touchdown bomb. Yes, you read that right. And since that doesn’t really do it justice, HERE’S the video:

Dog Found In Salisbury

This dog was found on Riverside Dr. Ext. near the girl scout camp. Hope to find the owner, 443-365-7366

What's Missing From Pro-Gay Marriage TV Ads? Gays

In one TV ad, a husband and wife talk fondly of a lesbian couple who moved into their neighborhood. In another, a married couple speaks of wanting fair treatment for their lesbian daughter. A third features a pastor talking supportively about gay unions.
Each of these ads ran recently in states with gay marriage issues on the November ballot. What's missing? Gay people speaking for themselves.
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Delmar Delaware Voters Barely Turn Out

Ever since the Town of Delmar relocated into their new Town Hall building they have been discussing renovating their old facility for a new Police Station. In other words, this topic is nothing new. The Maryland side has been all for a new Police Station and fully supports the new plans already designed. However, the Delaware side of Delmar has been dragging their feet, so much so they decided to leave their portion, ($400,000.00) of the building up to the voters. Yesterday they held an election and guess what, 35 people showed up. The vote was 23 yes and 12 no. Fortunately the project will move forward but let me add, I can't even remember the last time they actually held an election for a new Mayor in Delmar, Delaware. Considering this is America and we push our weight in other Countries trying to get others to follow our lead when it comes to voting and elections, this is a complete embarrassment. Salisbury has some 13,000 registered voters, yet only 2,300 show up to vote. Any suggestions?

NAACP Urges U.N. to Investigate U.S. for ‘Racially Discriminatory Election Laws’

 Charging that millions of citizens, two-fifths of them black, have been denied the right to vote because of felony convictions, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called on the United Nations this week to investigate America’s “racially discriminatory election laws.”
An NAACP delegation visiting Geneva hosted a panel on the “disenfranchisement” of U.S. citizens and addressed the U.N. Human Rights Council, which is in session in the Swiss city.
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ISLAMIC LEADERS IN DEARBORN MICH. PLAN RALLY TO SUPPORT SPEECH PROHIBITION

Islamic leaders in Dearborn, Mich. are holding a rally this Friday night to build momentum for the passage of laws that prohibit speech or expression that hurts "the religious feelings of Muslims." Put together in response to the film "Innocence of Muslims," rally organizer Tarek Baydoun said, "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to sow the seeds of hate and discord against the religious beliefs of others." Rally co-organizer Osama Siblani added, "There is a need for deterrent legal measures against those individuals or groups that want to damage relations between people, spread hate and incite violence." More

White House: Obama Too Busy Traveling To Properly Prepare For Debates

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force one this morning, White House Traveling Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki reminded them that President Obama has been too busy traveling to properly prepare for the debate.
During the press gaggle, a reporter asked Psaki if the president’s “abbreviated debate prep schedule” would have any effect on his debate performance next Thursday.
“The President will have some time to prepare, and he’s been doing some studying,” replied Psaki. “But it is certainly less than we anticipated because of the events in the Middle East, because of his busy travel schedule, because of just the constraints of governing.”

The Most Important Press Conference Ever Held At Any Time In U.S. History: Part I

Thus, it is not an exaggeration to describe this as the most important press conference in U.S. history, because it explicitly details, with new facts and more evidence than ever presented in one place at one time, from extensive, highly credible sources, the dangerously extremist nature of President Obama and the true goals of his virulently anti-American, radical leftist administration. It further reveals how a huge network of U.S. and foreign communist and hard left organizations connected to this President has colluded with radical Islam for decades to oversee the destruction of their mutual enemy: America. Overshadowing all is the malevolent Soros network, and the billions he and others like him are devoting to facilitate this goal. This information simply must reach the electorate before November.· Speakers include veteran investigative reporter Trevor Loudon, author of Barack Obama and the Enemies Within; KGB defector Konstantin Preobazhensky, speaking on his report, Communists and Muslims, the Hidden Hand of the KGB; Paul Kengor, author of The Communist, Frank Marshall Davis, The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mentor; Larry Grathwohl, the only FBI informant to successfully penetrate Bill Ayers’ Weather Underground; Rebel Pundit blogger Jeremy Segal; Joel Gilbert, producer of the film, Dreams from My Real Father, a Story of Reds and Deception; and the Clarion Fund’s Ryan Mauro, speaking on the Muslim Brotherhood, the War on the New York City Police, and the film, The Third Jihad. Additional contributions were provided in the form of printed reports from former Romanian intelligence chief, Ion Mihai Pacepa, who exposed Lee Harvey Oswald’s KGB assassin training; Walid Shoebat, who revealed Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Tina Trent who describes the latest radical left agenda supported by George Soros: the prison depopulation movement.· More

MEDIA IGNORE INDEPENDENTS' SWING TOWARD ROMNEY

Not long ago, Independents were the go-to demographic for determining who would win elections. How the Independents swung, so too would the election. 

In 2008, Barack Obama carried Independents in Ohio by 8 points and in Florida by 7 points. That victory among Independents contributed a great deal to his 2.8-point win in Florida and his 4.5 point win in Ohio. A victory by Romney among Independents could tilt both key states in his favor.
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Marketing Class

What: Designing your Marketing Plan
When: October 19th 2012 11am-1:30pm
Where: Small Business Development Center (SU’s Campus)
Cost: $29.00 (Includes Lunch)

Registration: To Register, Please visit our website http://www.marylandcapital.org  

Description: Starting a new business? Have an existing business but need a new marketing plan? Or is a marketing plan a new concept to you and your business? Well this is the class for you! In this class you will learn the components of a marketing plan, including focusing in on “strategic” customer segments, how to conduct a competitor analysis, and how to reach customers using a mix of marketing activities. After taking this class you will have all of the information necessary to have a well written marketing plan, which in turn will help you effectively bring customers to your business.


Contact: Jessica Weber, Training Coordinator 410-546-1900

Md. Dad's Photos Prove He's 'World's Best'

A Maryland dad might prove he's the world's best father by showing he's the worst.

Dave Engledow of Takoma Park, Md., is producing a "World's Best Father" calendar made up of staged photos showing his daughter, Alice Bee, in precarious situations. The photos feature him as well, satirically portraying the absent-minded cluelessness of a new father.

What began as a single funny photo has morphed into a full-on calendar project for Engledow. He initially published a "small-run" calendar in 2012 and is hoping to increase his production for 2013.

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DEF Holds High School Guidance Counselors Roundtable

The Delmarva Education Foundation will hold its second High School Guidance Counselors Roundtable on Friday, October 26, 2012 at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore in Salisbury. All high school guidance counselors on the lower Delmarva Peninsula are invited to participate in this unique event. There is no charge to attend; and guidance counselors should come prepared to share and learn from their colleagues.  The morning will start with refreshments and presentations on resources available to guidance counselors and their college-bound students. DEF staff will give a brief overview of the organization’s online scholarship database and other services that it provides.  B.J. Summers, from the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, and Richard Gentsch, from the Delaware Community Foundation, will each provide insight on the scholarship application process for the scholarships that their respective organizations administer. Lisa Purnell, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore liaison for the USDA/1890 Scholarship Program will discuss the scope of that valuable scholarship opportunity, and Eileen Cross, youth program supervisor, will discuss the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance.  The majority of the day will be a sharing and networking session for counselors, facilitated by Dr. Lynn Wiljanen of Wor-Wic Community College. The session will focus on best practices used in schools in the region to help students prepare for higher education. Lunch will be provided, along with ample networking time. Guidance counselors are welcome to include topics of discussion along with their RSVP for the event. Interested guidance counselors should RSVP to DEF at 410-219-3336 by Oct. 18.   DEF is a nonprofit organization that helps residents of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties find money to continue their education. For more than a decade, DEF’s trained college access advisors have provided assistance to individuals, families and groups on a wide range of topics relating to post-secondary education. DEF maintains two free, online, searchable databases to assist the community; one describes educational opportunities, while the other helps students find funding to pursue their field of choice. Through its College Access Program, DEF provides one-on-one and group advising at its office in Salisbury, via its website, over the phone, in schools and in the community. Through special events, such as the DEF Scholarship Fair and the Counselors Roundtable, DEF provides opportunities for stakeholders to explore best practices, make connections, develop new ideas and find solutions that support the organization’s mission.

ISLAMIC LEADERS IN DEARBORN MICH. PLAN RALLY TO SUPPORT SPEECH PROHIBITION

Islamic leaders in Dearborn, Mich. are holding a rally this Friday night to build momentum for the passage of laws that prohibit speech or expression that hurts   "the religious feelings of Muslims." 

Put together in response to the film "Innocence of Muslims,"  rally organizer Tarek Baydoun said, "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to sow the seeds of hate and discord against the religious beliefs of others." Rally co-organizer Osama Siblani added, "There is a need for deterrent legal measures against those individuals or groups that want to damage relations between people, spread hate and incite violence."

A Hotbed For Startups

We wanted to share this blog from the co-chairs of Startup Maryland where they talk about their experiences on the first-ever “Pitch Across Maryland” tour meeting entrepreneurs and discovering all that the State of Maryland has to offer for small businesses and startups. Contributed jointly by Startup Maryland Board Co-Chairs Julie Lenzer Kirk and Michael Binko Entrepreneurs are renowned for coming up with what seems like crazy ideas and making them reality. The big yellow bus wrapped in the Maryland state flag that has been traversing the state is a perfect example. The idea was hatched at the Startup America national summit in January – someone from another state talked about raising money for an entrepreneur bus tour but that bus never left the depot. To the contrary, the Startup Maryland Pitch Across Maryland bus put rubber to the road September 11th and has been rolling across the state – 26 stops in all – ever since. This Friday marks theLast Stop on the tour with a celebration at Merriweather Post Pavilion, but it is also the First Step in shining the spotlight on the incredible entrepreneurs we’ve met along the way. Since that wild hair - “Why CAN’T we drive a bus across Maryland to rally entrepreneurs?” – began to take root, the goals of this nearly three week tour through all corners of the state aligned perfectly with Startup Maryland’s four main focus areas discovered during entrepreneur town hall meetings conducted prior to the March Startup Maryland Launch Event. Those goals are: Access to capital Access to customers Resource mapping Awareness and celebration The Pitch Across Maryland bus tour and competition were conceived to shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs across the state as well as the ecosystem of support and services. Through this spotlight, the objective was to connect them all to each other not only within jurisdictions but across county borders and industry categories. More

Some Salads Have Whopper-Like Calories

Some salads on restaurant menus today have more calories than a Whopper.

The editors of "EAT This, Not That!"    created a list of the top 20 salads that are bursting with fat and calories:

NEW MARYLAND LEGISLATION (EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2012) REGARDING THE MANDITORY REGISTRATION OF ALL MOPEDS AND SCOOTER

The State of Maryland will be changing the laws governing vehicles classified as a motorscooter and/or mopeds. These new laws will directly impact ALL Ocean City scooter rental and retail sale operators as well as private citizens who own and operate these types of vehicles. Effective October 1, 2012: Mopeds and Motor Scooters, as defined by law, and are owned by Maryland residents are required to: Display a registration decal issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) Non- Maryland residents who own a motor scooter or moped in another state that operate/use the scooter in Maryland are exempt from the new registration requirements, however the Maryland laws regarding: Insurance, helmet and eye protection requirement apply. The operator shall have in their possession proof of insurance. Additionally, an individual who rides or operates a moped or motor scooter must wear protective headgear that meets specific federal standards (DOT). If the vehicle does not have a windscreen, eye-protection must also be worn. Further clarification by the Motor Vehicle Administration indicates all mopeds and motor scooters are to be titled electronically and be issued a permanent decal to place on the rear of the motor scooter. Maryland residents can go to: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/ to register their scooters. This web based registration has been operational as of this week. More

WIN ONE FOR THE FIBBER: BIDEN MISLEADS OHIO ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL CAREER

During a speech   at Ohio University in Athens, OH on September 8, Vice President Joe Biden led his audience to believe he had been a college football player for his alma mater -- Delaware University -- and had played against Ohio University in a 1963 football game. 

His words contradicted his own memoir, in which he wrote he gave up playing football while at Delaware, and Internet records of past Delaware football team rosters, on which he is not listed.

How Republicans Make Liberals Hate Capitalism, Jobs and Opportunity

Good Call

Couple exited Burger King on Mt. Hermon Rd and noticed small pit bull puppy unattended in a Nissan suv with all windows up and attached to a short leash hooked on ceiling. After waiting 20 mins with no one checking on pup the couple called Salisbury Police Department. Animal control showed up approx 10 mins later and confirmed report. After seeing animal control near their suv a man & daughter came out of building (with no food). Animal cont did a short investigation & found the pup had water although warm. He was unable to get an accurate temp due to bad batteries. The subject was released with a verbal warning. Thanks to the couple who called police as there was no telling how long this dog would have been left alone in the heat.

Warnings About Dangerous Overuse Of Heated Car Seats

With cooler weather on the horizon, more and more drivers will be turning on the seat warmers in their cars.

But be careful not to over do it.

Studies have linked excessive use of seat warmers to a skin condition technically known as "erytherma ab igne" -- Latin for "Redness from fire."

GOP CLOSING GAP IN STUNNING SENATE RACE

For most of 2012, the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race was considered a yawner – but now the contest is getting exciting.
Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey held a strong lead for months and was up by 20 points just a month ago.  But four new polls are showing a much different story, as Republican challenger Tom Smith has now closed to as few as three points behind Casey.
A businessman for 44 years, Smith told WND’s Greg Corombos his biggest challenge was building name recognition and informing voters of the real Casey legacy. Smith referred to Casey as “Senator Zero” for his failure to pass one piece of legislation after nearly six years in office.  But that doesn’t mean Casey doesn’t have a record to defend.  Smith is pounding the senator over his support for raising the debt ceiling, dramatically increasing spending and providing the decisive vote for Obamacare.
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Yard Sale


SALISBURY 208 Hollow Mist Dr. Sat 9/29, 
6am-11am. 
Baby, kids, adult (male, female, maternity) clothing, 
Toys
furniture and rugs,
collectibles, 
& more

ANGRY VIDEO CAPTURES AHMADINEJAD SPOKESMAN ACCOSTED ON NYC STREET: ‘FU**ING TERRORIST!’

A video posted on YouTube captured an angry mob accosting — at some times hitting — the spokesman for Iranian President Ahmadinejad.
The video shows the crowd following Ramin Mehmanparast as he tries to walk across the street. The mob, however, cuts him off several times forcing him to wander from sidewalk to sidewalk as police try to hold back the people yelling curses at the man. You can see the video below, which was taken by someone inside the crowd (content warning for graphic language):
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A CAUTIONARY TALE

Quantitative Easing Did Not Work For The Weimar Republic Either Did printing vast quantities of money work for the Weimar Republic? Nope. And it won’t work for us either. If printing money was the secret to economic success, we could just print up a trillion dollars for every American and be done with it. The truth is that making everyone in America a trillionaire would not mean that we would all suddenly be wealthy. There would be the same amount of “real wealth” in our economy as before. But what it would do is render our currency meaningless and totally destroy faith in our financial system. Sadly, we have not learned the lessons that history has tried to teach us. Back in April 1919, it took 12 German marks to get 1 U.S. dollar. By December 1923, it took approximately 4 trillion German marks to get 1 U.S. dollar. So was the Weimar Republic better off after all of the “quantitative easing” that they did or worse off? Of course they were worse off. They destroyed their currency and wrecked all confidence in their financial system. There was an old joke that if you left a wheelbarrow full of money sitting around in the Weimar Republic that thieves would take the wheelbarrow and they would leave the money behind. Will things eventually get that bad in the United States someday? Of course we are not going to see hyperinflation in the U.S. this week or this month. But don’t think that it will never happen. The people of Germany never thought that it would happen to them, but it did. The following is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article about the Weimar Republic. Take note of the similarities between what the Weimar Republic experienced and what we are going through today…. More

Sheila Bair Nails Obama's Biggest Failure

Sheila Bair has been making the media rounds lately in support of her new book, chronicling her experience as FDIC chief during the financial crisis. Her basic argument is: Tim Geithner & Co. were primarily focused on bailing out banks, and they didn't think at all about helping homeowners or cleaning up bank balance sheets, and making bondholders pay. The line is half-correct. The part that's wrong is where she talks about cleaning up bank balance sheets. It's nice from a moralistic perspective to talk about haircuts and pain and everything, but this wouldn't have helped the economy. As we explained on Monday, countries that gave banks a carte-blanche bailout have seen better economic performance than those countries which tried to "clean up" the banks with haircuts and nationalizations. Furthermore, it doesn't make logical sense to think that bank balance sheet problems have hurt the economy, given that the lack of lending has been mostly a demand-side phenomenon. More

How Bank Of America Destroyed Football

As the NFL torments it players, coaches, and viewers by playing hardball over 'real' referee earnings, the truth of Monday's blown call is coming out. Courtesy of American Banker [5], we now know that the referee at the center of the most controversial call of the season so far is in fact a vice president for small-business banking at Bank of America in California. The result of this call was over a billion dollars exchanging hands in Vegas bookies' offices from what was a certain winning position to certain losers, precisely due to just this one call, causing substantial losses for bookies in the process as well. The man in question...
Lance Easley - previously at Wells Fargo, has worked at BofA since June 2011 - (we assume) moonlighting as a referee in the Santa Barbara area (officiating high school and junior college football and basketball games). Well done Lance, you have managed to move from the most-hated occupation (bankster) to the most-hated individual (outside of Seattle) in one weekend. Is it any wonder Small Business confidence and uncertainty is so high?

Today's Fill In The Blank 9-28-12

The greatest Teacher on the Eastern Shore is _____.

GRANDMA GUNNED DOWN IN COLD BLOOD BY POLICE

Police gun down 83-year-old woman responding to 911 call she dialed Delma Towler reported a burglary at her Altavista, Virginia home and attempted to walk to her sister’s house for safety but was “gunned down like she was an animal or a criminal,” according to her daughter. More

California Screaming As 4th Muni Bankruptcy Looms In Atwater

Whether Atwater, California will join the prodigious ranks of Stockton, San Bernardino, and Mammoth Lakes to become the 4th Muni bankruptcy is up for vote on October 3rd (before a $2mm bond payment in November). As Bloomberg notes, the 28,000-strong Merced county town is suffering under the same weight of public employee costs, lost revenue, and a stagnant economy leaving it with a $3.3 million budget deficit. While some put their hope in the FB IPO, perhaps Bernanke should have mandated investment in AAPL for all these municipal comptrollers? The median income is 19% below the national average as the foreclosure crisis - which saw Atwater's median home price drop by more than half - has depleted property-tax revenues dramatically. "We just started negotiating with our unions and they are going to have to take a major cut," Mayor Joan Faul said. "We hope that once we declare a fiscal emergency, that they will realize that we are definitely in an emergency. If they want to save all the jobs, everyone is going to have to take a cut," More

Globalist Think Tank Suggests Using Engineered Event As Excuse For War With Iran

What is interesting about this discussion by the Washington Institute For Near East Policy, a Neocon (Globalist) think-tank, is that its primary purpose is not necessarily to debate the current political elements of the Iranian question. They aren't contemplating the viability or morality of a war with Iran. Instead, they are attempting to devise strategies by which the government could CONVINCE the American public and the world that a war with Iran is the "right thing to do", even if it means fabricating their own justification. For them, the war is a forgone conclusion, and they will do anything to make it a reality. Think tanks like this not only construct policy framework, but they also write the subversive talking points used in the mainstream media that manipulate the masses into acceptance of that framework. In the video below, there is no suggestion that Iran be left alone if the will of the public leans away from conflict. Instead, Patrick Clawson (who works frequently with the Council On Foreign Relations) openly suggests that a Gulf Of Tonkin style event be ENGINEERED (he uses the phrase "covert means") in order to force a war into being. Consider for a moment the kind of person that it takes to nonchalantly present such a scenario; a scenario which would use the unjust deaths of innocent people (likely Americans) in order to trick the masses into supporting yet another meaningless war which will undoubtedly cost hundreds of thousands if not millions more innocent lives. Think about the moral relativism and dark-heartedness that is required to embrace this philosophy in the pithy and clinical way Clawson does. Now realize that our government today is heavily populated by men and women who think in exactly this manner. This is the rotten core of America's foreign policy on display for all to see. Take note and remember what is suggested here the next time a sudden "attack" is blamed on a convenient scapegoat like Iran and used as a primer for invasion... Source

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 9-28-12

RACIST PHOTOS SENT TO GOP RISING STAR MIA LOVE: ‘THEY CAN BRING IT’

Police have launched an investigation after a “packet of information” that local city officials described as racist was sent to Utah Republican congressional candidate Mia Love’s office in Saratoga Springs, The Deseret News reports.  
Love made a splash with her rousing address at the Republican National Convention last month, cementing her place as a rising star in the GOP. She is also trying to become the first black GOP congresswoman in U.S. history.
Unfortunately, her new-found fame has also made her a target.