DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Lost Dogs 10-7-12: UPDATE Owner Located
A Horrifying Weekend At Busch Gardens
If you enjoy Halloween and being scared, I strongly suggest you head out to Virginia and experience Hallow Scream.
I'd like to thank our Contributors for stepping in and running things over the past 4 days.
Latino Voter Registration Efforts Running Out Of Time in Pennsylvania
In the days before a voter registration deadline, Latino groups are usually wrapping up their outreach efforts aimed at driving potential voters to the polls on Election Day. But this election season, Rafael Collazo led a sparse team of volunteers into the streets of Philadelphia, scrambling to get voters he wishes he could have signed up months ago.
"We sort of plan our campaign so that we're not in an extreme rush to the very end," said Collazo, who works for the National Council of La Raza. But this year, his tiny team is running into row houses dotted with Puerto Rican flags, shouting in English and Spanish about the need to register and vote. Team members have visited high schools and tried to rally apathetic youth who would be voting for the first time, if only they would register with the state.
The efforts were delayed because, instead of just registering voters, La Raza and other Latino voter registration groups spent months making sure voters would have the right IDs to show at the polls - though that statewide requirement was put on hold by a judge last week.
Capitol Assets: Congress’s Wealthiest Mostly Shielded From Effects Of Deep Recession
If you could peer deeply into how the 535 members of Congress handle their money, what would you find?
You would see a diversity of investment strategies and results, from those who put their money into riskier, high-growth funds to those who own safe municipal bonds. The legislators range from the super-rich to the deep-in-debt, from inherited wealth to married wealth to no wealth at all. They are entrepreneurs and farmers, oilmen and ranchers, lawyers and real estate developers.
You would find that, contrary to many popular perceptions, lawmakers don’t get rich by merely being in Congress. Rich people who go to Congress, though, keep getting richer while they’re there.
Big Bird Wings It To 'Saturday Night Live'
In a week when Big Bird was in the news, it seemed fitting to find him perched at the parody news report on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
But joining Seth Meyers at the "Weekend Update" anchor desk, the popular "Sesame Street" character declined to comment on presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's vow to cut federal funding for PBS. Explaining why, Big Bird said he didn't want to "ruffle any feathers."
He told Meyers how he had learned of being mentioned on Wednesday's debate. He said he'd gotten "a million tweets." From real birds, that is.
RICHARD BRANSON: US WAR ON DRUGS 'RACIST'
On Wednesday, while reacting to the death of an American border agent, Sir Richard Branson told Reuters that the American War on Drugs is not only a failure, it is also "racist."
Speaking at the offices of the Metro Newspaper in New York where he was acting as a "global guest editor," Branson said that he was part of a commission that spent two years looking at the war on drugs and they came to the conclusion that it is "patently obvious it's failed ."
Branson noted that other nations, like Portugal, have made changes to their policies that have helped alleviate their drug problems and suggested that the U.S. follow suit.
Founding Patriots
One of the most rewarding parts of running for president was meeting thousands of my fellow Americans in the heartland of our great country.
Many folks I met were concerned and even heartbroken that leaders in Washington no longer represented American ideals that are the fabric of our country.
Our nation faces some serious issues today; issues I believe can be solved by the time-tested principles our founding fathers instilled while fighting for our freedom. We can move forward from these difficult times, but to do so we must take the time to remember where we came from.
PARENTS DEMAND SCHOOLS BACK FROM ABORTIONISTS
The Obama administration has a program that distributes funding to Planned Parenthood to indoctrinate children with the abortion industry’s perspective of sexuality, and the industry giant’s workers routinely are given students in public schools for their work.
But parents in the Salem, Ore., school district are infuriated and are fighting back, setting up a website to start building opposition to the program.
America, My Home, My Heart
This year I have again been blessed to travel the length and breadth of the United States of America and no matter how many times I do it, I never cease to be amazed at its diverse beauty, the variety of the landscape, the patchwork of its cultures and its incredible people.
America is a gigantic microcosm of everything the planet Earth has to offer, beaches, mountains, deserts, huge redwood forests, rolling prairies, bayous, teeming city streets and lonely country lanes, massive rivers and isolated rural creeks where the mist lifts with the sunrise and the perch bite early in the morning.
You can attend a grand opera in New York City or the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee, an NFL football game in Atlanta or a high school game in a small town in Texas where the Friday night lights shine bright and the outcome of the game can affect the mood of the townspeople for a whole week.
O’Reilly, Stewart ‘Rumble’ No Average Debate
Saturday’s debate between conservative commentator
Bill O’Reilly and liberal funnyman Jon Stewart was nothing like the
televised presidential debates: After all, the prize for winning was a
wrestling belt.
But nonetheless, the two television personalities stood behind lecterns and took their chances at questions from the moderator and audience.
“What do you think is the most fundamental problem with the public political discourse?” the moderator asked.
“Stewart,” O’Reilly snapped back.
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But nonetheless, the two television personalities stood behind lecterns and took their chances at questions from the moderator and audience.
“What do you think is the most fundamental problem with the public political discourse?” the moderator asked.
“Stewart,” O’Reilly snapped back.
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TEAM OBAMA BLAMES JOHN KERRY FOR DEBATE LOSS
The Obama campaign has been reeling since losing the first Presidential debate of this election cycle in front of 67 million viewers. They've tried--and thus far failed--to craft a narrative to explain away the debacle in Denver. Previously, we reported to you that Obama Senior Advisor David Plouffe, who ran the President's successful 2008 campaign, (falsely) accused Mitt Romney of lying. In a rare comedic moment from the typically robotic former Vice President Al Gore, he suggested on Current TV that the Mile High City's altitude was the reason Obama was low on energy and enthusiasm. And, of course, Obama's chronically dishonest deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter and several others passed the buck to the moderator, Jim Lehrer. None of the above caught on, even with the mainstream pro-Obama media.
Now the Obama Administration is floating their latest excuse: that the campaign, particularly John Kerry (who played the role of Romney in simulated debates), did not channel Mitt's aggression enough.
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3rd Case of Meningitis Identified in MD
Maryland health officials say they have identified a third patient in the state who developed meningitis after receiving a steroid injection in September.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced Saturday that it had confirmed the third case.
But the agency says no specific information will be released about the patient. Two other Maryland cases had been previously confirmed. One patient has died.
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The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced Saturday that it had confirmed the third case.
But the agency says no specific information will be released about the patient. Two other Maryland cases had been previously confirmed. One patient has died.
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Maryland Left Out Of The Campaign Fray
The presidential candidates once again showered Virginia with attention Friday, with President Obama speaking at George Mason University and Mitt Romney appearing in Abingdon.
But Maryland, with its solid Democratic base that outnumbers Republicans 2 to 1, isn't just missing out on attention.
Political experts tell the Gazette that Maryland is missing out on the money spent by campaigns, including travel revenue from campaign workers and journalists and advertising dollars.
Phoning Home Again: `E.T.' 30 Years Later
How old is too old to sob like a little girl at "E.T. _ the Extra-Terrestrial"? Not 40, apparently.
The Steven Spielberg film that would become a 1980s pop-culture phenomenon is coming out on Blu-Ray for the first time Tuesday _ 30 years, four Academy Awards and nearly $800 million after its theatrical release. To commemorate this, theaters across the country recently showed a digitally re-mastered version of the film for one night only.
Being a total geek for "E.T.," I jumped at the chance to see it again in a theater. And yes, I dug up my old red hoodie and bought some Reese's Pieces for the occasion.
Jon Stewart mocks O’Malley’s post-debate spin
O’Malley, who traveled to Denver this week to spin the press on President Obama’s debate performance, was the first Obama surrogate featured in a segment on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” on Comedy Central.
The name of the segment: “Polish that turd.”
World Food Prices Near Crisis Levels
World food prices rose in September and are moving nearer to levels reached during the 2008 food crisis.
The United Nations food agency reported on Thursday that the worst drought in more than 50 years in the United States had sent corn and soybean prices to record highs over the summer, and, coupled with drought in Russia and other Black Sea exporting countries, raised fears of a renewed crisis.
Watch The Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service
A memorial service is being held Sunday for firefighters who died in the line of duty.
The service will honor 80 firefighters who died in 2011 and five more who died in previous years.
5 Terror Suspects From UK Appear In US Courts
An extremist Egyptian-born preacher entered a U.S. courtroom Saturday for the first time to face multiple terrorism charges, complaining that his prosthetic hooks, medication and special shoes were taken away from him. The preacher was one of five terror defendants rounded up in Britain and extradited overnight to the U.S.
Abu Hamza al-Masri was surrounded by several marshals in a Manhattan courtroom as he faced charges he conspired with Seattle men to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon and helped abduct 16 hostages, two of them American tourists, in Yemen in 1998.
Obama, Democrats' Fundraising Raised $181 Million In September
President Barack Obama's campaign and Democrats have raised $181 million combined in September, pulling in the most money in one month during his re-election bid.
Obama's fundraising haul topped the more than $114 million raised by his campaign and Democrats during the month of August. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign and Republicans have not yet reported September fundraising totals.
Sobhani becomes surprise contender by pouring millions into sleepy U.S. Senate race
Suddenly in September, independent Rob Sobhani began popping up on TV screens across Maryland. He talked directly to voters about his plans to create thousands of jobs with billions in private investment and he was spending millions of his own money to get his message out.
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