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Monday, December 24, 2012

Trucker's Breakfast

TRUCKER'S BREAKFAST 

A trucker came into a Truck Stop Cafe' and placed his order. He said I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards.'

The brand new blonde waitress, not wanting to appear stupid, went to the kitchen and said to the cook, 'This guy out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards.... What does he think this place is, an auto parts store?'

'No,' the cook said. 'Three flat tires ... Mean three pancakes; a pair of headlights.. Is two eggs sunny side up; and a pair of running boards... Are 2 slices of crisp bacon!

'Oh... OK!' said the blonde. She thought about it for a moment and then spooned up a bowl of beans and gave it to the customer.

The trucker asked, 'What are the beans for, Blondie?'

I LOVE THIS ONE.........

'She replied, 'I thought while you were waiting for the flat tires, headlights and running boards, you might as well gas up!

FOR ONCE THE BLONDE GETS EVEN!!!!!

Very Interesting

A little history lesson: If you don't know the answer make your best guess.
Answer all the questions before looking at the answers. Who said it?

1) "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

A. Karl Marx
B. Adolph Hitler
C. Joseph Stalin
D. None of the above

2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few...and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."

A. Lenin
B. Mussolini
C. Idi Amin
D. None of the Above

3) "(We)...can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."

A. Nikita Khrushev
B. Jose f Goebbels
C. Boris Yeltsin
D. None of the above

4) "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own...in order to create this common ground."

A. Mao Tse Dung
B. Hugo Chavez
C. Kim Jong Il
D. None of the above

5) "I certainly think the free-market has failed."

A. Karl Marx
B. Lenin
C. Molotov
D. None of the above

6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched."

A. Pinochet
B. Milosevic
C. Saddam Hussein
D. None of the above

Answers:

(1) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/29/2004
(2) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 5/29/2007
(3) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(4) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(5) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(6) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 9/2/2005

"The Gun Is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception.

Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on an equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunken guys with baseball bats.

The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat. It has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks or stones don't constitute lethal force, watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... and that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)

The Better Of The Two


Thousands Sign US Petition To Deport Piers Morgan

Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported from the U.S. over his gun control views.

Morgan has taken an aggressive stand for tighter U.S. gun laws in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting. Last week, he called a gun advocate appearing on his "Piers Morgan Tonight" show an "unbelievably stupid man."

Now, gun rights activists are fighting back. A petition created Dec. 21 on the White House e-petition website by a user in Texas accuses Morgan of engaging in a "hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution" by targeting the Second Amendment. It demands he be deported immediately for "exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens."
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A TN Father, a Marine, Stands Guard Over His Childs Elementary School

Employer Audits Skyrocket In ICE's Hunt For Those Hiring Illegal Immigrants

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached its highest number yet of companies audited for illegal immigrants on their payrolls this past fiscal year.

Audits of employer I-9 forms increased from 250 in fiscal year 2007 to more than 3,000 in 2012. From fiscal years 2009 to 2012, the total amount of fines grew to nearly $13 million from $1 million. The number of company managers arrested has increased to 238, according to data provided by ICE.

The investigations of companies have been one of the pillars of President Obama's immigration policy.

When Obama recently spoke about addressing immigration reform in his second term, he said any measure should contain penalties for companies that purposely hire illegal immigrants. It's not a new stand, but one he will likely highlight as his administration launches efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system.

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The National Yule Log Blazes No More

They are wandering around the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, disoriented and stunned. Like George Bailey as if he’d never been born. Or Scrooge glimpsing Christmas future.

“I am so disappointed!” says Maribeth LaFave of Alexandria.

“What happened to tradition?” asks Valerie Mayes of Harrisonburg, Va.

They feel as if they are hallucinating. Something is not right. Something is missing.

“It used to be right here,” says Chris Marks of Ellicott City.

He points to a patch of yellow sod in the cold shadows beyond the winking tree.

Like an unmarked grave, the sod covers the masonry fire pit where the national yule log used to burn every December. The National Park Service called it “Ye Olde Yule Log.” For more than 50 years, it was one of the quirky miracles of holiday Washington.

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Deer Hunting


Legendary Actor Jack Klugman Dies at 90


Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, a son said. He was 90.

Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.

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Hero Officer Saves Baby in Shopping Cart From Going On Highway

Binge Drinking: Fine Line Between Holiday Cheer And A Problem

The holiday season is a time of year where many overindulge. And as some get caught up in the celebration - how many drinks is considered binge drinking?

Four? Five in one sitting?

Five or more drinks for men and four or more for women is considered binge drinking, reports The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Va. That would be like polishing off a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine in a matter of hours.

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Lexiphiles

(i.e., "lovers of words") - you know. . . like, you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish. . . . .

To write with a broken pencil is . . . pointless.

When fish are in schools they sometimes . . . take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar . . . got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , . . . U.C.L.A.

The batteries were given out . . . free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married. .. . . They fought tooth and nail.

A will is a . . . dead giveaway.

With her marriage, she got a new name . .. . and a dress.

A boiled egg is . . . hard to beat.

When you've seen one shopping center . . . you've seen a mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was . . . resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? . . . He's all right now.

A bicycle can't stand alone; . . . it is two tired.

When a clock is hungry . . .. it goes back four seconds

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine . . . was fully recovered.

He had a photographic memory . . . which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be . .. . exposed in the end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, . . . she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: . . . a jab well done.

Third Suspect Arrested In Rehoboth Robbery

Location:
Unit block of Bryan Drive, Midway Estates, Rehoboth, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Saturday December 22, 2012 at 1:37 a.m.

Victim:
30 year old male

Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:
Artez D. Sheppard, 18, Rehoboth, DE
Robbery 1st
Conspiracy 2nd

Arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Center on $21,000.00 secured bond.

Resume:
Rehoboth, DE-Delaware State Police Detectives have arrested the third suspect involved in the Saturday morning robbery of a Rehoboth man.

Artez D. Sheppard, 18 of Rehoboth (previous address listed Lincoln), turned himself in to Detectives at Troop 4 yesterday around 10:30 a.m. after seeing himself on the news. He was arrested on the charges of Robbery 1st and Conspiracy 2nd and arraigned at JP3 before being committed to SCI on $21,000.00 secured bond.

OBAMACARE: SEVEN NEW TAXES ON CITIZENS EARNING LESS THAN $250,000

While we were all debating the cost to our liberty due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), we were ignoring the cost to our pockets. If there ever was a reason for bipartisan rage about this law, it should be on the twenty - yes, twenty - hidden new taxes of this law. Making matters even more relevant is that seven of these taxes are levied on all citizens regardless of income. Hence, Mr. Obama’s promise not to raise taxes on anyone earning less than $250,000 is just another falsehood associated with this legislation.

The first, and best known, of these seven taxes that will hit all Americans as a result of Obamacare is the Individual Mandate Tax (no longer concealed as a penalty). This provision will require a couple to pay the higher of a base tax of $1,360 per year, or 2.5% of adjusted growth income starting with lower base tax and rising to this level by 2016. Individuals will see a base tax of $695 and families a base tax of $2,085 per year by 2016.

Next up is the Medicine Cabinet Tax that took effect in 2011. This tax prohibits reimbursement of expenses for over-the-counter medicine, with the lone exception of insulin, from an employee’s pre-tax dollar funded Health Saving Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Reimbursement Account (HRA). This provision hurts middle class earners particularly hard since they earn enough to actually pay federal taxes, but not enough to make this restriction negligible.

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Elf Name Adult Version.


1st Annual Camp Barnes Wrestling Classic

Date: Saturday, December 29, 2012, (Wrestling begins at 9:30 am.)
Location: Sussex Central High School, 26026 Patriot’s Way, Georgetown, DE 19947

All Questions: John Messick John.Messick@state.de.us (302) 741-2776

Tournament Director: Capt. Rodney Layfield Rodney.Layfield@state.de.us (302)337-1090 ext.222
Weigh-Ins: Sussex Central - Friday, 12/28/2012, 6:00-8:00 pm. or Saturday, 12/29/2012, 6:30 am – 8:00 am.
Satellite Weigh-Ins: DSP Troop 2, 100 Lagrange Ave, Newark, DE - Friday, 12/28/12 6:00-7:30 pm OR
Smyrna HS, 500 Duck Creek Pkwy, Smyrna, DE – Friday, 12/28/12 6:00-7:30 pm.
Entry Fee: $25.00 – Mail-in registrations must be received NO LATER than Thursday, December 27th
Call in weight changes $5.00 / No changes after 12/27/2012 at 4 pm.
Make Checks Payable to: Camp Barnes Wrestling Tournament
Admission: $5.00 - Adults / $1.00 - Students / Children 5 & Under – Free

NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THURSDAY, DEC. 27, 2012
NO WALK-INS --- NO WEIGHT CHANGES ON THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT

**No exceptions – Our brackets will be completed Thursday night**
Rules: 
1. National Federation Rules (modified) will govern this tournament.
2. All periods will be 1 – 1 – 1. OT will be 1 min SV followed by NHF Rules.
3. Headgear and singlet recommended.
4. Proof of age must be available, if challenged.
5. Director has the right to combine weight classes.
6. Division ages are as of December 29, 2012.
7. Wrestlers may compete in more than one division / Fill out separate form / Must be ready to wrestle when called.

Divisions & Weight Classes: Based on ages as of 12/29/2012 ***Double Elimination***
Tot (Ages 6 & Under) 40 45 50 55 60 65 HWT (max is 85)
Bantam (Ages 7 – 8) 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 90 HWT (max is 115)
Midget (ages 9 – 10) 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 100 HWT (max is 130)
Junior (ages 11-12) 65 70 75 80 85 91 98 105 115 125 140 HWT (max is 185)
Intermediate (ages 13-14) 77 84 91 98 105 112 119 126 133 140 148 158 170 HWT (max 235)

Awards: Trophies for 1st – 3rd; Medals for 4th. Award for Quickest Pin in each Division.
Mail Fee & Registration to: Camp Barnes Wrestling Classic, Attn: Det. Shawn Hatfield
Delaware State Police Troop 4
23652 Shortly Rd. Georgetown, DE 19947

***In order to obtain a registration form, please contact Detective Shawn Hatfield at Troop 4, 302-856-5850 ext. 212.***

In 1947, the Delaware Association of Chiefs’ of Police, an organization which was composed of active law enforcement and correctional officers, accepted the challenge to undertake a project to combat juvenile delinquency in the First State. A committee was appointed to investigate the problems confronting youth. The committee’s resulting recommendations led to the establishment of Camp Barnes for the recreation of deserving youth from throughout the state.

Camp Barnes, located on Miller’s Creek, a tributary of Little Assawoman Bay, has since served the needs of thousands of children from throughout Delaware. Camp Barnes was originally designed to provide the children who were unable to attend summer camp an opportunity to experience life at a summer youth camp. Camp Barnes has remained basically unchanged, providing Delaware children with these outdoor experiences for over 60 years.

The summer camp is an overnight residential camp run by the Delaware State Police and is open to children between the ages of 10 and 13 at no cost to the camper or family. Camp Barnes accommodates 60 campers per week for six weeks. The camp is in session from early July through August. All children are eligible to attend regardless of family income.

One of the many positive aspects of Camp Barnes summer camp is the innovative use of adventure based outdoor learning experiences. 

Camp Barnes has on its grounds an extensive outdoor initiative course with 17 different initiative and team building elements. Some of the many activities campers participate in throughout the week include swimming in an Olympic size pool, kayaking in Miller’s Creek, arts and crafts, nature walks, and talent shows. Campers also enjoy a scaled down version of the Olympics and State Police demonstrations by the K-9 unit. 

Camp Barnes has a staff of 12 counselors, two cooks, and one kitchen assistant and a nurse. Counselors are required to submit to a criminal background check as well as an interview. There is also a State Trooper on grounds at all times when the camp is in session. Website:www.campbarnes.net

What Is Your Elf Name?


NORAD Tracks Santa


TRACK SANTA HERE

Christmas Eve in Washington

Why The Manufacturing Jobs Are Not Coming Back

There are a plethora of reasons underpinning the fact that manufacturing jobs are not coming back to the USA. Perhaps the simplest is purely economic. As McKinsey notes in a recent report, manufacturings' role in job creation shifts over time as manufacturing's share of output falls and as companies invest in technologies and process improvements that raise productivity. A critical finding is that as manufacturing's share of national output falls, so does its share of employment - following the inverted 'U' curve below. Manufacturing job losses in advanced economies have been concentrated in labor-intensive and highly tradable (read globalizable) industries such as apparel and electronics assembly. Thanks to the increased productivity and a 'high' credit-enabled standard-of-living, the US has simply priced itself out of the global manufacturing business (and so is China as its GDP per capita rises). Unless Americans are willing to put the twinkie (and iPad) down, those jobs will continue to bleed overseas (to India based on the chart below) building the ever-more self-fulfilling vicious circle of a nation dependent on state-aid to survive as only the 'unlucky' few remain employed.

Fanapt Hoax Hides Real Connection Between Shooters And SSRI Drugs

The fact that Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza was about to committed into psychiatric care before his rampage almost certainly indicates he was on one of the raft of anti-psychotic pharmaceuticals linked to aggression and suicide, but reports that Fanapt was the drug are likely inaccurate.


The original source for the claim that Lanza was on Fanapt appears to have been a New York Daily News article first published on Sunday afternoon and then revised on Monday morning.

The initial version of the story prompted the New York Magazine to cite the NY Daily News in reporting that “Adam’s uncle….said he was taking an anti-psychotic drug called Fanapt.” The story was then picked up by numerous other outlets.

However, the latest version of the NY Daily News article contains no mention of the uncle or the drug Fanapt.

It’s almost certain that the original version of the article did mention this before being amended, and that the NY Mag piece was based on the original NY Daily News piece.

The reason for it being removed was likely the fact, as reported by Democratic Underground, that the claim that Lanza was on Fanapt was allegedly made not by Lanza’s real uncle, but by an Internet troll who reportedly inserts himself into every mass shooting story by posing as a family member of the killer.

Whether this piece of misinformation will be used by the establishment media to characterize claims that Lanza was on anti-psychotics as a baseless conspiracy theory remains to be seen.


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ARMED COP IN EVERY SCHOOL?

NRA calls for armed police officer in every school

WASHINGTON
— The nation’s largest gun-rights lobby called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer “waiting in the wings.”

The National Rifle Association broke its silence on last week’s shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 children and staff dead.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” the group’s top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, said at a Washington news conference.

LaPierre said “the next Adam Lanza,” the man responsible for last week’s mayhem, is planning an attack on another school.

“How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame from a national media machine that rewards them with wall-to-wall attention and a sense of identity that they crave, while provoking others to try to make their mark,” LaPierre said. “A dozen more killers, a hundred more? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation’s refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?”

He blamed video games, movies and music videos for exposing children to a violent culture day in and day out. “In a race to the bottom, many conglomerates compete with one another to shock, violate, and offend every standard of civilized society, by bringing an even more toxic mix of reckless behavior and criminal cruelty right into our homes,” LaPierre said.

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Injured Michigan Vet Brings Christmas to His Neighborhood in a Special Way

One injured Michigan veteran, Dan Taylor, is making his community a little brighter this Christmas … one set of Christmas lights at a time. Taylor, who served on the U.S.S. Enterprise in the Navy, lost one leg to diabetes, and is coping with the death of his wife, says he tackles the job of decorating his home for Christmas because of the joy and comfort it brings his family and those around him.

“My great nephews – they like lights, so this is my Christmas gift to them.” The nephews he speaks of lost their father not long after Taylor lost his own wife. Now, his niece and her children join him for the holiday and come together as one family.

“God works in mysterious ways, and we have our little family here that he put together,” said his niece. Of the feat that many find hard to believe he can do with just one leg, he says: “Well you don’t look at it as a disability or as a handicap. And with God, everything’s possible. So, I just took my time, and started hanging lights.”

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Season's Greetings from Maryland's First Family

A Letter To The Editor 12-24-12

I noticed in today's The Daily Times newspaper that they referred to Joe Albero as 'Blogger'. 

I've got news for The Daily Times - they need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror.

If case they haven't noticed - I would now classify The Daily Times newspaper as a Tabloid source of information.

Their downsized new media look seems to match their dimishished distribution list.

All the while - SBYnews 'rocks on' setting record after record in increased hits.


26 Moments That Restored Our Faith In Humanity This Year

1. The parents who made their son's wheelchair into the best Halloween costume ever.


 2. The terminally ill man who loves receiving mail... and got more than he ever expected.

 Scott Widak has Down syndrome and suffers from liver disease, and he loves receiving mail. His nephew Sean posted his P.O. Box on Reddit and the site's users responded with hundreds of letters, packages, and gifts.


 

3. A kind stranger who stopped a day from being ruined

4. The doctor who offered free medical care after Hurricane Sandy


See the rest HERE

 

Lawmaker Introduces 'Merry Christmas' Bill

Downtown Salisbury On Christmas Eve

Businesses are still open in Downtown Salisbury and doing quite well. 
Merry Christmas Everyone. 

Mood Muted During Last Holiday Shopping Weekend

Last-minute shoppers crowded into malls and stores to scoop up discounted clothing and toys during the last weekend before Christmas, but many didn't seem to be in the spending spirit.

This holiday season, Americans have a lot on their minds on top of the now familiar job worries.

Consumers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, which account for 24 percent of retail sales nationwide, were tripped up by Superstorm Sandy. The storm hit in late October and disrupted businesses and households for several weeks.
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Today Marks My 9th Month Living In Downtown Salisbury

On this Christmas Eve, I decided to come Downtown for a portion of the day to visit friends and business Owners.

I'll simply say, WOW. I can't believe nine months have come and gone. I'm a very blessed man to actually enjoy City Living once again as well as a very supportive Family who believe in this Mayoral cause.

As the day nears where I will turn in my paperwork to make it official, the butterflies have started and the excitement grows each and every day. This will certainly be the biggest job interview challenge I've ever faced but I truly believe you'll choose me for the position and together we'll make Salisbury great once again.

On a personal note, Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. 2013 is going to be an unbelievable year for all of us.

Question Of The Day

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Cops Hunt Gunman Who Shot 4 Firefighters, Killing 2, At Scene of Western NY Blaze

UPDATE: POLICE SAY SHOOTER DEAD AFTER KILLING 2 FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING TO BLAZE IN WESTERN NY
WEBSTER, N.Y. – Four volunteer firefighters responding to a pre-dawn house fire were shot Monday morning, two fatally, leading to a shootout in suburban Rochester, N.Y., police said.

"One or more shooters" fired at the firefighters after they arrived shortly after 5:30 a.m. at the blaze near the Lake Ontario shore, just east of Rochester, Town of Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said.

There was no active shooter at the scene later Monday morning, according to Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn. The first Webster police officer who arrived on the scene exchanged gunfire with the shooter, Flynn said, but he had no other information on the shootout.

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Sen. Barrasso: Obama Sees A ‘Political Victory’ In Going Over The Cliff

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Sunday he thinks President Obama wants to dive over the so-called "fiscal cliff."

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes," Barrasso told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." "He senses a political victory at the bottom of the cliff."

The senator also said he believes the nation will go over the cliff, with the deadline just nine days away.

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WCSO Press Release 12-24-12

SPD Press Release 12-24-12


The True Story Of Rudolph



The True Story of Rudolph

 
A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked
"Why isn't Mommy like everybody else's Mommy?”
Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.
Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived.
Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.
Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob created was his own autobiography, in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was.
The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print,
 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946, Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either. 
Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

DID NBC’S DAVID GREGORY VIOLATE D.C. GUN LAW ON NATIONAL TV?

NBC’s David Gregory on Sunday held up a high-capacity magazine for ammunition on national television, a possible violation of Washington, D.C. gun law.

Gregory was asking National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre whether the NRA was willing to cede any ground on new gun legislation following the Dec. 14 elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

“Here is a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets,” Gregory said on “Meet the Press,” holding it up. “Now isn’t it possible that if we got rid of these, if we replaced them and said, ‘Well, you could only have a magazine that carries five bullets or ten bullets,’ isn’t it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?”

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Postal Workers Declare 'Victory' After Holding Six-day Hunger Strike

A group of postal workers striking against proposed cuts to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) declared a "people's victory" late Saturday after holding a fast for six days.

The small group of retired and active letter carriers, calling themselves the Communities and Postal Workers United (CPWU), had staged protests on the National Mall and Capitol Hill this week to raise awareness about proposed legislation that would reduce the USPS delivery week to five days.

Cutting mail delivery to five days will eliminate 80,000 postal jobs, according to postal unions.

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Few Tests Done At Toxic Sites After Superstorm

For more than a month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that the recent superstorm didn't cause significant problems at any of the 247 Superfund toxic waste sites it's monitoring in New York and New Jersey.

But in many cases, no actual tests of soil or water are being conducted, just visual inspections.

The EPA conducted a handful of tests right after the storm, but couldn't provide details or locations of any recent testing when asked last week. New Jersey officials point out that federally designated Superfund sites are EPA's responsibility.

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Gregory Mocks LaPierre for Proposing Armed Guards, but Sends Kids to High-Security School

David Gregory mocked the NRA's Wayne LaPierre for proposing that armed guards be at every school in America. But the NBC host seems to have no problem with armed guards protecting his kids everyday where they attend school in Washington, D.C.

"You proposed armed guards in school. We'll talk about that in some detail in a moment. You confronted the news media. You blamed Hollywood and the gaming industry. But never once did you concede that guns could actually be part of the problem. Is that a meaningful contribution, Mr. LaPierre, or a dodge?," asked Gregory.

Later the host suggested that guns don't prevent violence in schools (he cited the mass shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech). "But you would concede that, as good as an idea as you think this is, it may not work. Because there have been cases where armed guards have not prevented this kind of massacre, this kind of carnage. I want you would concede that point, wouldn't you?," Gregory pleaded.

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Making It Through The Holidays, Stain-Free

Holiday visitors frequently come bearing gifts, but sometimes they also bring holiday mishaps - like stains.

Whether it is red wine on the carpet, bright lipstick on cloth napkins or a number of other accidents, there are simple home solutions to help you get through your holiday entertaining, mess-free.

Consumer Reports writes about the ways to avoid stains in a recent article, and even features a video showing readers how to best remove stains.

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TIME TO PROTEST!

Firefighters Battle Another E.S. Arson

Volunteer firefighters in Accomack County worked their 38th arson in the last 40 days Sunday night.

Accomack County dispatchers said crews responded to the fire at an abandoned building at 18192 Mappsburg Road in the town of Painter. The call came at 8:29 p.m.

State Police confirmed an arsonist set an equipment garage containing only a boat on fire. No one suffered injuries.

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