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Thursday, January 17, 2013
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Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry Alleges 'The FBI Tried to Kill Me'
During his third term as mayor of Washington, D.C., Barry was videotaped smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room with ex-girlfriend Rasheeda Moore. Moore received the drug from an undercover police officer and was cooperating with the FBI.
"The FBI had a mind to entrap me, also the FBI tried to kill me by having some substance that wasn't proven to be crack," Barry told U.S. News in a phone interview.
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REVOLTING FOOD PRICES
LONDON (MarketWatch) — What is the trigger for a revolution? Sometimes it a brutal act of repression. Sometimes it a lost war, or a natural catastrophe, that exposes the failings of a regime.
But more often than not, it is soaring food prices.
The easiest prediction to make for 2013 is that everything we eat will once again rise sharply in price. So where will the revolutions start this year? Keep an eye on Algeria and Greece — and if you want to feel very nervous, Russia and China. And if you are smart, keep your money out of those countries as well.
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But more often than not, it is soaring food prices.
The easiest prediction to make for 2013 is that everything we eat will once again rise sharply in price. So where will the revolutions start this year? Keep an eye on Algeria and Greece — and if you want to feel very nervous, Russia and China. And if you are smart, keep your money out of those countries as well.
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Southwestern Pa. Hospital To Stop Baby Deliveries
A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can't afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms.
The Windber Medical Center, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, is losing two obstetricians and two others are shifting their focus more to gynecology.
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The Windber Medical Center, about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, is losing two obstetricians and two others are shifting their focus more to gynecology.
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IT'S TIME TO CHECK BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Firearm related news has seemingly dominated the cycles as of late. With each shooting and subsequent follow-up/copycat shooting the coverage focus intensifies. What should be banned, what new pointless laws should be instituted, gun show loopholes, private sales, force registration of all guns etc… The cable news channels must love it, this level of discourse, debate and divisiveness allows them to easily fill their time allotments.
Bills like the AW Ban and the PATRIOT Act were kneejerk reactions to crises and provisions like ones in the NDAA (2012) slip into bills that get passed when no one is paying attention to it.
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Bills like the AW Ban and the PATRIOT Act were kneejerk reactions to crises and provisions like ones in the NDAA (2012) slip into bills that get passed when no one is paying attention to it.
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Guns Don't Kill People, the Mentally Ill Do
Seung-Hui Cho, who committed the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, had been diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder as a child and placed under treatment.
But Virginia Tech was prohibited from being told about Cho's mental health problems because of federal privacy laws.
At college, Cho engaged in behavior even more bizarre than the average college student. He stalked three women and, at one point, went totally silent, refusing to speak even to his roommates. He was involuntarily committed to a mental institution for one night and then unaccountably unleashed on the public, whereupon he proceeded to engage in the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in U.S. history.
The 2011 Tucson, Ariz., shopping mall shooter, Jared Loughner, was so obviously disturbed that if he'd stayed in Pima Community College long enough to make the yearbook, he would have been named "Most Likely to Commit Mass Murder."
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But Virginia Tech was prohibited from being told about Cho's mental health problems because of federal privacy laws.
At college, Cho engaged in behavior even more bizarre than the average college student. He stalked three women and, at one point, went totally silent, refusing to speak even to his roommates. He was involuntarily committed to a mental institution for one night and then unaccountably unleashed on the public, whereupon he proceeded to engage in the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in U.S. history.
The 2011 Tucson, Ariz., shopping mall shooter, Jared Loughner, was so obviously disturbed that if he'd stayed in Pima Community College long enough to make the yearbook, he would have been named "Most Likely to Commit Mass Murder."
More
Heads Bankers Win, Tails Taxpayers Lose
Interest Rate Observer, Jim Grant, played an important role as explainer-in-chief in the forthcoming movie "The Bubble" [3] - a documentary that interviews the experts that predicted the 2008 crash and asks what happens next. The brief interview embedded below provides a smorgasbord of Grant's thoughts on topics from Fannie and Freddie as government-sponsored titanic hedge funds, his concerns at the unintended consequence of the debt-sustaining mortgage interest deduction, why MBS are not the root of all evil, and how the federal government is socializing risk for bankers. As usual, the ever-so-erudite Grant sums it all up superbly: "American bankers, based on the experience of 2007-8-9, don't know much about banking, but there's one institution that knows still less and that institution is the United States Congress." Adding that the past two or three years have all been about the unintended consequences of federal"spending, promising, and intervening" in finance and banking to delay a day of reckoning, Grant believes a correction is coming but again warns (in as succinct an eleven-word-sentence about our real world as we have seen recently), that "Bankers get the upside and we - the taxpayers - get the downside."
Pelosi: More Gun Control Needed Because ‘We Took an Oath to Protect and Defend’
Pelosi held a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on "Gun Violence Prevention: A Call to Action,” where she endorsed the gun control proposals President Barack Obama unveiled today.
“Earlier this month, shortly after Newtown, all members of Congress took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and the American people,” Pelosi said. “To protect and defend. That is our first responsibility.”
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Presenting The Working Poor Of America
Much has been made of the slow but steady 'improvement' in the unemployment data we are treated to on a weekly and monthly basis from the hallowed eves of the BLS. Just as much has been written on the ugly under-belly of this apparent improvement with the work-force becoming dominated by older workers forced to stay in jobs for longer and an increasing downshift in the kind of jobs available and taken. To wit, Reuters cites a report from the The Working Poor Families Project that highlights the surprising levels of poverty so many Americans find themselves in. The number of low-income 'working' families has increased three straight years - and now stands at over 10.2million, with more than 46 million people living in low-income families. "Although many people are returning to work, they are often taking jobs with lower wages and less job security, compared with the middle-class jobs they held before the economic downturn," which means that nearly one in three working families in the United States is struggling to meet basic needs. Although they are often overlooked, the number of low-income working families has been increasing steadily, resulting in a shrinking middle class and challenging a fundamental assumption that in America, work pays - as we have pointed out before (at these levels, it simply doesn't thanks to the benefit availability).
Source
American Kidnappings In Algeria A 'Terrorist Attack,' Says Panetta
The kidnapping of several U.S. citizens in Algeria on Wednesday was clearly a "terrorist attack" by al-Qaeda affiliated extremist groups in the region, in possible retaliation for the ongoing French counterterrorism offensive in West Africa, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
The Americans were among the nearly 400 hostages taken after gunmen stormed a BP-operated oil field located near Algeria's border with Libya. Members of Islamic militant "Masked Brigade" and the "Signers in Blood," claimed responsibility for the raid.
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The Americans were among the nearly 400 hostages taken after gunmen stormed a BP-operated oil field located near Algeria's border with Libya. Members of Islamic militant "Masked Brigade" and the "Signers in Blood," claimed responsibility for the raid.
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NRA’s New Ad Calls Obama ‘Elitist Hypocrite’
The National Rifle Association released a new video on its Web site Tuesday calling President Obama an “elitist hypocrite” for having Secret Service protection of his daughters at school but saying he was “skeptical” about installing armed guards in all schools.
The NRA’s provocative, 35-second video is as harsh as any attack ad in a political campaign and illustrates how emotionally charged and personal the debate over gun control is becoming.
“Are the president’s kids more important than yours?” a deep-voiced narrator asks. “Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he’s just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security.”
“Most Americans agree that a president’s children should not be used as pawns in a political fight,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement Wednesday. “But to go so far as to make the safety of the President’s children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly.”
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The NRA’s provocative, 35-second video is as harsh as any attack ad in a political campaign and illustrates how emotionally charged and personal the debate over gun control is becoming.
“Are the president’s kids more important than yours?” a deep-voiced narrator asks. “Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he’s just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security.”
“Most Americans agree that a president’s children should not be used as pawns in a political fight,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement Wednesday. “But to go so far as to make the safety of the President’s children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly.”
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Fundraising Race Is On For Md. Gubernatorial Candidates
Maryland’s next governor race takes shape. Right now, potential candidates are releasing how much money they’ve raised for their campaigns. Adam Mayhas the developing details.
Among Democrats most likely to run for governor, the money race is almost a three-way tie.
Governor Martin O’Malley is already halfway through his second term in office. Now other Democrats are building their war chests, hoping to take his place.
According to new 2012 finance reports just filed with the State Board of Elections, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown raised just over $1,250,000 for his campaign. That’s just a smidge more than Attorney General Doug Gansler, who already had millions in the bank after running unopposed. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman barely trails the pack for 2012 but comes in second in overall cash.
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TOO LATE NOW
The now famous Obamaphone lady, like tens of millions of other people, regret voting for Obama. It’s too late, dumbshits. He’ll probably decree himself president for a third term without elections or congressional approval of raising term limits. Forward!
GO HERE to view more.
GO HERE to view more.
ANGELA BRYANT CONVICTED BY WICOMICO COUNTY JURY OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE
On January 17, 2013 Angela Bryant, age 37, of Salisbury, Maryland was convicted of Attempted Murder in the second degree and multiple other charges by a Wicomico County jury.
The charges against Bryant arose out of an altercation on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2011. The jury convicted Bryant of brutally slashing another woman’s throat down to the trachea. The State’s victim was lucky to survive the attempt on her life after emergency surgery to close her throat at PRMC.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Salisbury Police Department for their excellent teamwork in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Mr. Maciarello also thanked the citizens of Wicomico County who sat on the jury along with Safe Streets Prosecutor, Richard J. Brueckner Jr., who prosecuted this case.
The charges against Bryant arose out of an altercation on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2011. The jury convicted Bryant of brutally slashing another woman’s throat down to the trachea. The State’s victim was lucky to survive the attempt on her life after emergency surgery to close her throat at PRMC.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Salisbury Police Department for their excellent teamwork in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Mr. Maciarello also thanked the citizens of Wicomico County who sat on the jury along with Safe Streets Prosecutor, Richard J. Brueckner Jr., who prosecuted this case.
DAD OF SANDY HOOK FIRST GRADER RESPONDS TO CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT THE SHOOTING NEVER HAPPENED IN POWERFUL INTERVIEW WITH GLENN BECK
In light of all the wild conspiracy theories floating around the Internet about the Newtown shooting, the father of a Sandy Hook Elementary first grader called into Glenn Beck’s radio program on Wednesday to thoroughly debunk the theory that the shooting never actually happened. In a powerful interview, the father, “Pete,” recounted the horrific events of that morning and described how it felt not being able to immediately rescue his young son.
After killing his mother, a deranged shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary, killing 20 children and six school staffers in December. For some reason, Newtown “truthers” have promoted the idea that the shooting was staged and it never really happened, an idea that the father said makes him want to throw up.
“It’s like an unimaginable way to even look at a tragedy or horrific event. I don’t even understand it,” Pete told Beck on the radio.
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After killing his mother, a deranged shooter opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary, killing 20 children and six school staffers in December. For some reason, Newtown “truthers” have promoted the idea that the shooting was staged and it never really happened, an idea that the father said makes him want to throw up.
“It’s like an unimaginable way to even look at a tragedy or horrific event. I don’t even understand it,” Pete told Beck on the radio.
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PUBLIC NOTICE
January 17, 2013
Due to the impending weather and the repairs to the elevator in the Government Office Building, the City Park Committee meeting scheduled for today, January 17, 2013 has been cancelled.
The meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 6:00 pm in conference room 306 of the Government Office Building.
In Just One Month, The NRA Has Torpedoed Its Reputation
In separate polls conducted by Public Policy Polling and the Washington Post/ABC News, the association's favorability ratings sit underwater with the majority of Americans.
The PPP poll shows a big shift from before CEO Wayne LaPierre's press conference, which cast blame on the media, and violent video games and movies for the elementary-school massacre in Newtown, Conn., last month. Before the press conference, 48 percent of Americans viewed the organization in a positive light, compared with 41 percent who viewed it unfavorably.
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Obama Versus The NRA
President Obama on Wednesday initiated a high-stakes gun-control fight with Congress and the National Rifle Association (NRA), demanding that lawmakers approve significant new restrictions on firearms in response to a string of deadly shootings.
Obama said Congress should pass bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and agree to universal background checks intended to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
He also called for lawmakers to take up new federal laws toughening penalties for gun trafficking and to provide additional funding for safety and research programs.
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Obama said Congress should pass bans on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and agree to universal background checks intended to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
He also called for lawmakers to take up new federal laws toughening penalties for gun trafficking and to provide additional funding for safety and research programs.
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Pauline Phillips, Longtime Dear Abby Advice Columnist, Dies at 94
She died Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 94.
Phillips' columns were published in an era when newspaper readers began to prize straight-talking, pithy advice about marriages, children, jobs -- just about anything that troubled people.
Phillips wrote under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, shortened to "Dear Abby" in newspapers.
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O'Malley Joins NAACP In Call To End Death Penalty
“The death penalty does not work in terms of preventing violent crime,” O’Malley said, pointing to the high rate of violent crime in states where the death penalty is more commonly used.
“Conversely, over these last several years, we have been doing the things that work,” he said, pointing to a drop in violent crime in Maryland in the past seven years, even though the state hasn’t had any executions since 2005.
Boardwalk’s Purple Wood Not Connected To Ravens
While some may think it was placed to show pride in the Baltimore Ravens, the purple wood, called Purple Heart, was a planned marker on the Boardwalk to differentiate where the tram route moves from its own concrete lane and joins the wooden surface.
The purple section of the Boardwalk begins on 4th Street in front of Shenanigans Irish Pub & Grille. City Engineer Terry McGean explained this location is where the concrete tram lane ends.
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Study: Democracy In Decline Around The World
Democracy around the world was in decline in 2012 for the seventh year in a row as the Arab Spring led nervous autocratic leaders to clamp down on any stirrings of dissent, a study said Wednesday.
The annual report by the Freedom House non-governmental organization found 90 countries now enjoyed full freedom, up from 87 nations in 2011, but 27 places saw new restrictions on rights of assembly, expression, and the media.
There “is a critical need for leadership from the United States and other democracies,” the “Freedom in the World 2013″ report said, arguing in favor of a greater US engagement with civil society in oppressed nations.
The annual report by the Freedom House non-governmental organization found 90 countries now enjoyed full freedom, up from 87 nations in 2011, but 27 places saw new restrictions on rights of assembly, expression, and the media.
There “is a critical need for leadership from the United States and other democracies,” the “Freedom in the World 2013″ report said, arguing in favor of a greater US engagement with civil society in oppressed nations.
Arnold Woman Gets House Arrest For $100K Theft Scheme
ANNAPOLIS - An Arnold woman was sentenced to six months of house arrest and ordered to pay back the nearly $100,000 she bilked from an insurance company by falsely claiming her young son was hospitalized more than a dozen times.
Shirley Rae Owens, 30, of Club Road, who had no criminal history, will be on five years probation after she serves the time.
The sentenced was handed down by Judge William C. Mulford II in county Circuit Court in Annapolis on Thursday.
Shirley Rae Owens, 30, of Club Road, who had no criminal history, will be on five years probation after she serves the time.
The sentenced was handed down by Judge William C. Mulford II in county Circuit Court in Annapolis on Thursday.
Police Arrest Vendors At Gun Show
Police say 64-year-old Richard Summers of Waldorf and 57-year-old John Heilmeier of Virginia are charged with firearms violations. Both were released on their own recognizance.
Detectives working undercover at the Gun and Knife Show at the Timonium Fairgrounds last weekend watched as two customers asked a vendor for an ammunition magazine for a .223 caliber AR-15 rifle. Police say the vendor sold the customers what appeared to be a 30-round magazine. The magazine was then seized by police.
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A Misguided Tea Party Claim On The Debt Ceiling
This is an interesting question, which we explored before the last debt limit showdown in 2011. Then, we examined whether Social Security benefits could still be paid even if the debt ceiling was breached; the answer was a bit inconclusive. But after that last crisis, the Treasury Department’s inspector general provided Congress with a detailed look at the options the administration had considered for such a crisis.
Moreover, Kremer has upped the ante by saying the government could pay not only Social Security benefits but also Medicare and the military — three of the biggest parts of the budget — as well as interest payments on the debt. Let’s examine whether her claim is credible.
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Troopers Seize Large Amount Of Heroin During Traffic Stop
St. Rt. 1 southbound, south of the Biddles Toll Plaza
Date of Occurrence:
Friday, January 11, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.
Defendant, Charges, and Bail Information:
Michael A. Denney, 27, of Rehoboth Beach, DE (photo attached)
Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 5 Quantity
Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance
Driving While Suspended
Failing to Have Insurance Identification in Possession
Speeding
Committed to Sussex Correctional Institute on $18,550 cash bail
Resume:
Middletown – A Rehoboth Beach man was arrested after Troopers located a large cache of heroin in a vehicle he was driving.
The incident occurred on Friday, January 11, at approximately 2:00 p.m., when a Trooper patrolling St. Rt. 1 in the area of the Biddles Toll Plaza observed a southbound 2003 Mercury Sable traveling faster than the posted speed limit. The Trooper stopped the vehicle and contacted its driver, Michael A. Denney, who did not possess a valid driver’s license.
After ordering Denney to exit the vehicle, the Trooper noticed a small wax envelope, which is commonly used to package heroin, on the floor of the vehicle. After the vehicle’s two female passengers exited, the Trooper was able to see more drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle resulted in a black plastic bag being located under a jacket in the trunk of the car. Inside of the bag was approximately 31.1 grams of heroin stored in 1,244 wax envelopes.
The two female passengers were each issued a criminal summons after drug paraphernalia was found in their possession. After conducting an investigation into the source of the heroin and its destination, on January 16 Troopers charged Denney with possession of a controlled substance in a tier 5 quantity, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, driving while suspended, failing to have insurance identification in possession, and speeding. He was remanded to Sussex Correctional Institute, where he was already being held on an unrelated charge, on $18,550 cash bail.
GET UP OUT OF YOUR CHAIRS
I find myself, probably like many of you, spending way too much time in front of my computer. When I do face-to-face meetings, my colleagues and I typically met around some conference table, sometimes at an airport lounge (nothing like getting the most out of a long layover), and quite often at coffee shops (hello Starbucks!). But that means that the most common denominator across all these locations wasn’t the desk, or, the keyboard, or even the coffee. The common denominator in the modern workday is our, um, tush.
As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We’re averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don’t even question how much we’re doing it. And, everyone else is doing it also, so it doesn’t even occur to us that it’s not okay. In that way, I’ve come to see that sitting is the smoking of our generation.
Of course, health studies conclude that people should sit less, and get up and move around. After 1 hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Extended sitting slows the body’s metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to 6% of the impact for heart diseases, 7% for type 2 diabetes, and 10% for breast cancer, or color cancer. You might already know that the death rate associated with obesity in the US is now 35 million. But do you know what it is in relationship to Tobacco? Just 3.5 million. The New York Times reported on another study, published last year in the journalCirculation that looked at nearly 9,000 Australians and found that for each additional hour of television a person sat and watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11%. In that article, a doctor is quoted as saying that excessive sitting, which he defines as nine hours a day, is a lethal activity.
And so, over the last couple of years, we saw the mainstreaming of the standing desk. Which, certainly, is a step forward. But even that, while it gets you off your duff, won’t help you get real exercise.
So four years ago, I made a simple change when I switched one meeting from a coffee meeting to a walking-meeting. I liked it so much it became a regular addition to my calendar; I now average four such meetings, and 20 to 30 miles each week. Today it’s life-changing, but it happened almost by accident.
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As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We’re averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don’t even question how much we’re doing it. And, everyone else is doing it also, so it doesn’t even occur to us that it’s not okay. In that way, I’ve come to see that sitting is the smoking of our generation.
Of course, health studies conclude that people should sit less, and get up and move around. After 1 hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Extended sitting slows the body’s metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to 6% of the impact for heart diseases, 7% for type 2 diabetes, and 10% for breast cancer, or color cancer. You might already know that the death rate associated with obesity in the US is now 35 million. But do you know what it is in relationship to Tobacco? Just 3.5 million. The New York Times reported on another study, published last year in the journalCirculation that looked at nearly 9,000 Australians and found that for each additional hour of television a person sat and watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11%. In that article, a doctor is quoted as saying that excessive sitting, which he defines as nine hours a day, is a lethal activity.
And so, over the last couple of years, we saw the mainstreaming of the standing desk. Which, certainly, is a step forward. But even that, while it gets you off your duff, won’t help you get real exercise.
So four years ago, I made a simple change when I switched one meeting from a coffee meeting to a walking-meeting. I liked it so much it became a regular addition to my calendar; I now average four such meetings, and 20 to 30 miles each week. Today it’s life-changing, but it happened almost by accident.
More
Obama Plays Politics With Gun Control
But there has been one unambiguous bright spot in the Obama era: Violent crime is down. In 2008, 14,224 Americans were murdered, 9,538 of them by firearms. In 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, only 12,664 Americans were murdered, and just 8,583 of those deaths were caused by a firearm. For comparison's sake, more than 32,000 Americans died in automobile accidents that same year.
The best thing about Obama's success in driving down violent crime is that it required no effort on his part. Until yesterday, Obama rarely mentioned gun control at all and had not pressured Congress to pass any new controversial and divisive legislation. Yet there he was Wednesday in the White House, surrounded by children flown in from around the country, to promote 23 executive actions to prevent gun violence and push Congress to pass a new "assault weapons" ban.
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BEND OVER FOR YOUR DOSE OF OBAMACARE
ObamaCare’s Health-Insurance Sticker Shock
Thanks to mandates that take effect in 2014, premiums in individual markets will shoot up. Some may double.
Health-insurance premiums have been rising—and consumers will experience another series of price shocks later this year when some see their premiums skyrocket thanks to the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare.
The reason: The congressional Democrats who crafted the legislation ignored virtually every actuarial principle governing rational insurance pricing. Premiums will soon reflect that disregard—indeed, premiums are already reflecting it.
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Thanks to mandates that take effect in 2014, premiums in individual markets will shoot up. Some may double.
Health-insurance premiums have been rising—and consumers will experience another series of price shocks later this year when some see their premiums skyrocket thanks to the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare.
The reason: The congressional Democrats who crafted the legislation ignored virtually every actuarial principle governing rational insurance pricing. Premiums will soon reflect that disregard—indeed, premiums are already reflecting it.
More
Easton Police Probe More Shots Fired Reports
EASTON - Police said Monday they continue to investigate a series of shootings that have resulted in additional houses and a vehicle being struck by bullets.
On Saturday, Jan. 8, Easton police said they responded to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the area of Blake Street. During the investigation, witnesses told police a dark colored PT Cruiser left the area after the shooting.
Police said later that day they discovered three homes along the 2- and 100-blocks of Port Street had been struck by bullets. Investigators were able to recover the bullets, they said.
On Saturday, Jan. 12, police responded to another report of gunshots fired in the area of South Lane and Higgins Street, they said. Police said they found a parked car and another home, along the 300-block of South Lane, had been struck. Police recovered bullets at the scene for further investigation, they said.
Since the Dec. 13 shooting that resulted in facial and arm injuries to Jason Rosser, 32, of Easton, police received three additional complaints of gunshots fired.
On Saturday, Jan. 8, Easton police said they responded to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the area of Blake Street. During the investigation, witnesses told police a dark colored PT Cruiser left the area after the shooting.
Police said later that day they discovered three homes along the 2- and 100-blocks of Port Street had been struck by bullets. Investigators were able to recover the bullets, they said.
On Saturday, Jan. 12, police responded to another report of gunshots fired in the area of South Lane and Higgins Street, they said. Police said they found a parked car and another home, along the 300-block of South Lane, had been struck. Police recovered bullets at the scene for further investigation, they said.
Since the Dec. 13 shooting that resulted in facial and arm injuries to Jason Rosser, 32, of Easton, police received three additional complaints of gunshots fired.
O'Malley Budget Leaves Out Funding For Youth Jail; Alternative To Be Unveiled
The budget unveiled Wednesday by Governor Martin O'Malley does not include funding for the $70-million, 120 bed project that had been backed by the governor.
Instead state officials have come up with an alternative.
Baltimore City Delegate Curt Anderson, who chairs the Baltimore City Delegation in the House of Delegates told WBAL News that state officials will make renovations to an existing juvenile detention facility and build a treatment center for juvenile offenders.
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Viewer Feels 5 Cent Thursday Discount From Shell Is A Rip Off
I asked the guy behind the counter about the discount. He told me that the price was already corrected on the sign. But that is the discounted price. I explained to him that I was going to post this on your website. And he did not seem to care. He went so far as to share a chuckle with the patron in front of him.
Creationism Spreading In Schools, Thanks To Vouchers
I first began investigating creationist school vouchers as my part of my fight against creationism in my home state of Louisiana. Over the past few months, I’ve learned creationist vouchers aren’t just a Louisiana problem—they’re an American problem. School vouchers are, as James Gill recently wrote in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “the answer to a creationist’s prayer.”
Liberty Christian School, in Anderson, Indiana, has field trips to the Creation Museum and students learn from the creationist A Beka curriculum. Kingsway Christian School, in Avon, Indiana, also has Creation Museum field trips. Mansfield Christian School, in Ohio, teaches science through the creationist Answers in Genesis website, run by the founder of the Creation Museum. The school’s Philosophy of Science page says, “the literal view of creation is foundational to a Biblical World View.” All three of these schools, and more than 300 schools like them, are receiving taxpayer money.
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Liberty Christian School, in Anderson, Indiana, has field trips to the Creation Museum and students learn from the creationist A Beka curriculum. Kingsway Christian School, in Avon, Indiana, also has Creation Museum field trips. Mansfield Christian School, in Ohio, teaches science through the creationist Answers in Genesis website, run by the founder of the Creation Museum. The school’s Philosophy of Science page says, “the literal view of creation is foundational to a Biblical World View.” All three of these schools, and more than 300 schools like them, are receiving taxpayer money.
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Weather Event Bulletin #2
Weather Forecast National Weather Service
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, which is in effect from Thursday evening through late Thursday night. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches possible. Snow will mix with rain late Thursday afternoon before becoming all snow Thursday evening. Snow will end late Thursday night/early Friday morning.
Snowfall is expected to be heavy at times which will lead to hazardous driving conditions.
A Winter Storm Warning means that is imminent for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, which is in effect from Thursday evening through late Thursday night. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches possible. Snow will mix with rain late Thursday afternoon before becoming all snow Thursday evening. Snow will end late Thursday night/early Friday morning.
Snowfall is expected to be heavy at times which will lead to hazardous driving conditions.
A Winter Storm Warning means that is imminent for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel.
A Comment Worthy Of A Post 1-17-13A
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Comment Worthy Of A Post 1-17-13":
I stumbled across this. Comparing you and the Mayor, I gave you 8 out of 8 and the Mayor 4 out of 8.
8 leadership lessons from Martin Luther King by Michael Hyatt
Insight 1: Great leaders do not sugar-coat reality.
Insight 2: Great leaders engage the heart.
Insight 3: Great leaders refuse to accept the status quo.
Insight 4: Great leaders create a sense of urgency.
Insight 5: Great leaders call people to act in accord with their highest values.
Insight 6: Great leaders refuse to settle.
Insight 7: Great leaders acknowledge the sacrifice of their followers.
Insight 8: Great leaders paint a vivid picture of a better tomorrow.
I stumbled across this. Comparing you and the Mayor, I gave you 8 out of 8 and the Mayor 4 out of 8.
8 leadership lessons from Martin Luther King by Michael Hyatt
Insight 1: Great leaders do not sugar-coat reality.
Insight 2: Great leaders engage the heart.
Insight 3: Great leaders refuse to accept the status quo.
Insight 4: Great leaders create a sense of urgency.
Insight 5: Great leaders call people to act in accord with their highest values.
Insight 6: Great leaders refuse to settle.
Insight 7: Great leaders acknowledge the sacrifice of their followers.
Insight 8: Great leaders paint a vivid picture of a better tomorrow.
O'Malley Budget: Construction Projects, No Tax Hikes
"None in this budget is submitted," O'Malley replied when asked is he is proposing any tax increase
The governor says a discussion of an increase in a gas tax, or gasoline sales tax to pay for transportation projects will come later.
"We suffer from our state from a chronic under investment in transportation, and I've had conversations with the Senate president as to how we address that, and I offered my ideas last term, and that still remains a problem," O'Malley added.
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More And More Americans Want Pot Legal
(CNN) -- Last week, my op-ed in favor of cannabis legalization ran on CNN.com. This week marks three years since I first wrote that marijuana should be legal. I'm amazed at how the debate has changed in just a few years.
I was inundated with messages from readers, and was humbled by some of them.
Here's one from a Southern Baptist church pastor: "I have seen firsthand the heartache caused by America's prohibition against marijuana. I have visited young men in prison, who I knew in my heart should not be there ... It is time for us to speak out and tell the truth about marijuana ...
Oregon, Texas Officials Warn White House Against Enforcing New Gun Regulations
State officials in Mississippi, Oregon and Texas are vowing to fight back against any attempt by the federal government to impose new gun control laws.
The warnings come as President Obama on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive plan to address gun violence, based on the recommendations from the Vice President Biden-led task force. The plan includes a call for legislation to ban assault weapons as well as a variety of executive actions.
But in Oregon, Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller wrote a letter to Biden Monday saying his department will not enforce any new gun laws it considers unconstitutional.
Mueller said politicians are "attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims" by supporting laws that would harm law-abiding Americans. The sheriff said he took an oath to support the Constitution, and laws preventing citizens from owning certain semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines would violate their rights.
"We are Americans," Mueller wrote. "We must not allow, nor shall we tolerate, the actions of criminals, no matter how heinous the crimes, to prompt politicians to enact laws that will infringe upon the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws."
The warnings come as President Obama on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive plan to address gun violence, based on the recommendations from the Vice President Biden-led task force. The plan includes a call for legislation to ban assault weapons as well as a variety of executive actions.
But in Oregon, Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller wrote a letter to Biden Monday saying his department will not enforce any new gun laws it considers unconstitutional.
Mueller said politicians are "attempting to exploit the deaths of innocent victims" by supporting laws that would harm law-abiding Americans. The sheriff said he took an oath to support the Constitution, and laws preventing citizens from owning certain semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines would violate their rights.
"We are Americans," Mueller wrote. "We must not allow, nor shall we tolerate, the actions of criminals, no matter how heinous the crimes, to prompt politicians to enact laws that will infringe upon the liberties of responsible citizens who have broken no laws."
A Comment Worthy Of A Post 1-17-13
They may not be able to be "saved" as you claim.
As far as hiring several local writers, those of us who are talented local writers and attempted to work for them were not only paid minimal wages but were also forced to write only the bias news they wanted printed so that suggestion of yours will definitely not work.
Lastly, in most cases it is not a matter of Joe "knowing" more than our local media. It is a matter of Joe publicizing ALL of the critical news items that this area's residents needs to be aware of. The media withholds and covers up a substantial amount of news items from the public regarding people they favor and want to protect.
Joe posts the TRUTH, and the truth often "hurts" the area's prominent people that the other media outlets favor but in most cases it "helps" us area residents knowing what the facts are.
As far as hiring several local writers, those of us who are talented local writers and attempted to work for them were not only paid minimal wages but were also forced to write only the bias news they wanted printed so that suggestion of yours will definitely not work.
Lastly, in most cases it is not a matter of Joe "knowing" more than our local media. It is a matter of Joe publicizing ALL of the critical news items that this area's residents needs to be aware of. The media withholds and covers up a substantial amount of news items from the public regarding people they favor and want to protect.
Joe posts the TRUTH, and the truth often "hurts" the area's prominent people that the other media outlets favor but in most cases it "helps" us area residents knowing what the facts are.
$60 BILLION SANDY BILL LARDED WITH PORK
Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) sponsored an amendment that would have administered a 1.63% cut to discretionary programs to fund the $17 billion baseline bill. "The time has come and gone in this nation where we can walk in here one day and spend nine or 17 or 60 billion dollars and not think about who's paying for it," said Rep. Mulvaney.
However, the measure was defeated 162-258. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) voted against the Mulvaney amendment; Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) voted for it. Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Hal Rogers (R-KY) blasted the effort to offset spending, saying it would involve “devastating slash and burn cuts” that would “totally discriminate, cutting the good and the bad.”
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Is Wicomico Better Off Today Than It Was a Year Ago?
In Wicomico County below is the actual Workforce Data Numbers that have been released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The local area employment picture is much worse than today's O'Malley employment press release.
Wicomico County Monthly Workforce Data Comparison 2011
verses 2012
March 2012 - (43) workforce
loss
April 2012 - (175) workforce
loss
May 2012 - 164 workforce
gain
June 2012 - 431 workforce
gain
July 2012 - 738 workforce
gain
August 2012 - (51) workforce
loss
September 2012 - (928) workforce
loss
October 2012 - (897) workforce
loss
*November 2012 - (747) workforce loss - (Preliminary
reporting January 8, 2012)
Total displacement - (1,409) net workforce loss in
Wicomico County
| Labor Force Data By County, Not Seasonally Adjusted - 02/11 through 11/12 | |||||
| Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | |||||
| Unemployment | |||||
| County | Period | Labor Force | Employed | Unemployed | Rate (%) |
| Wicomico | 11-Feb | 52506 | 47333 | 5173 | 9.9 |
| Wicomico | 11-Mar | 53116 | 48391 | 4725 | 8.9 |
| Wicomico | 11-Apr | 52961 | 48485 | 4476 | 8.5 |
| Wicomico | 11-May | 53444 | 48877 | 4567 | 8.5 |
| Wicomico | 11-Jun | 53825 | 48951 | 4874 | 9.1 |
| Wicomico | 11-Jul | 54139 | 49273 | 4866 | 9 |
| Wicomico | 11-Aug | 53423 | 48706 | 4717 | 8.8 |
| Wicomico | 11-Sep | 53821 | 49172 | 4649 | 8.6 |
| Wicomico | 11-Oct | 53384 | 48809 | 4575 | 8.6 |
| Wicomico | 11-Nov | 53153 | 48516 | 4637 | 8.7 |
| Wicomico | 11-Dec | 53213 | 48619 | 4594 | 8.6 |
| Wicomico | 12-Jan | 51246 | 46321 | 4925 | 9.6 |
| Wicomico | 12-Feb | 52605 | 47554 | 5051 | 9.6 |
| Wicomico | 12-Mar | 53073 | 48351 | 4722 | 8.9 |
| Wicomico | 12-Apr | 52786 | 48389 | 4397 | 8.3 |
| Wicomico | 12-May | 53608 | 49253 | 4355 | 8.1 |
| Wicomico | 12-Jun | 54256 | 49598 | 4658 | 8.6 |
| Wicomico | 12-Jul | 54877 | 50349 | 4528 | 8.3 |
| Wicomico | 12-Aug | 53372 | 49007 | 4365 | 8.2 |
| Wicomico | 12-Sep | 52893 | 48773 | 4120 | 7.8 |
| Wicomico | 12-Oct | 52487 | 48385 | 4102 | 7.8 |
| Wicomico | 12-Nov | 52406 | 48060 | 4346 | 8.3 |
| p = preliminary. | SOURCE: BLS, LAUS | ||||
| 8-Jan-13 | |||||
Budget Pushes Job Creation, Boosts Rainy Day Fund
Gov. Martin O'Malley says his budget plan for the next fiscal year aims to boost jobs and protect the state from the financial uncertainty caused by what he described as a potentially self-destructive Congress that will consider deep spending cuts in the next several weeks.
O'Malley said he would increase Maryland's Rainy Day Fund from 5 percent to 6 percent of the state's $16 billion general fund. He's enlarging the state's fiscal cushion in anticipation of financial negotiations in Washington that have yet to play out. The increase of $153 million or more would create a Rainy Day Fund of about $921 million. Altogether, the Democratic governor's plan includes leaves the state with about $1.1 billion in cash reserves to help adjust to federal cuts.
"The reason for doing that is a safeguard against, you know, the hara-kiri Congress down the street and what they might do to our economy because of ideology," O'Malley said at a news conference.
Republicans, however, said the O'Malley administration has relied on federal money to balance the state's books for too long.
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O'Malley said he would increase Maryland's Rainy Day Fund from 5 percent to 6 percent of the state's $16 billion general fund. He's enlarging the state's fiscal cushion in anticipation of financial negotiations in Washington that have yet to play out. The increase of $153 million or more would create a Rainy Day Fund of about $921 million. Altogether, the Democratic governor's plan includes leaves the state with about $1.1 billion in cash reserves to help adjust to federal cuts.
"The reason for doing that is a safeguard against, you know, the hara-kiri Congress down the street and what they might do to our economy because of ideology," O'Malley said at a news conference.
Republicans, however, said the O'Malley administration has relied on federal money to balance the state's books for too long.
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BREAKING NEWS: Some American Hostages Reportedly Escape Terrorists In Algeria
Some of the seven Americans held hostage in Algeria reportedly escape terrorist captors, officials say.
From Fox News
From Fox News
GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO DELIVER STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley will deliver the State of the State address on Wednesday, January 30th at noon. Maryland Public Television (MPT) will broadcast the speech live and serve as the pool feed for members of the media.
Credentialed members of the media are permitted on the floor of the House Chamber during the speech. Embargoed copies of the speech will not be available prior to the start of the speech.
WHAT: Governor Martin O’Malley to deliver State of the State Address
WHEN: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Maryland State House
House Chamber Annapolis, MD
Credentialed members of the media are permitted on the floor of the House Chamber during the speech. Embargoed copies of the speech will not be available prior to the start of the speech.
WHAT: Governor Martin O’Malley to deliver State of the State Address
WHEN: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: Maryland State House
House Chamber Annapolis, MD
Conrad Bain of 'Diff'rent Strokes' dead at 89
Bain died Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, Calif., according to his daughter, Jennifer Bain. He was 89.
The show that made him famous debuted on NBC in 1978, an era when television comedies tackled relevant social issues. "Diff'rent Strokes" touched on serious themes but was known better as a family comedy that drew most of its laughs from its standout child actor, Gary Coleman.
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Guns Across America- Maryland Rally
- Saturday 12:00pm until 2:00pm
- Lawyer's Mall, 100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD
Hello patriots, brothers & sisters with arms! Please join us in support of the Second Amendment.
"Guns Across America" is a Gun Owners' Rights Rally sponsored by "Gun Control = More Crime" and the MARYLAND State Capital event will be coordinated by “Marylanders United For Gun Rights.”
Second Amendment supporters in Maryland will join forces for a national "Guns Across America" rally to be held at state capitals across the United States.
Our plans for this event is a peaceful show of support for the Second Amendment and to protest against any and all future gun control legislation that would restrict gun rights. Responsible gun owners are law abiding citizens who want to protect themselves, their families, and property. Restricting their constitutional right to bear arms will not stop gun violence; it will endanger their lives and property.
A family friendly event, the goal of the rally is to display the faces of thousands of law-abiding citizens who value the Constitution of the United States and the safeguards provided by the Second Amendment.
Petitions will be available for attendees to sign, which will be sent to their respective US Senators offices.
WE ASK THAT...
* This is a family-friendly event.
* We are encourage a positive image so the public & any media present sees gun owners in a positive light.
* The permit is for Guns Across America ONLY. Counter-Protestors or other organizers are not permitted in our designated demonstration area. Capital Police will be contacted immediately for any disturbances.
* We encourage that you bring American flags, Gladsen flags or other tasteful, non-offensive PRO-2 A signs however signs on STICKS are forbidden by Capital Police. NO STICKS PLEASE!
* Please do not litter - everyone is responsible for keeping grounds clean. No affixing anything on the property.
* Annapolis & State of MD LAWS-including GUN laws MUST BE FOLLOWED. Violators are responsible for their own actions. Organizers assume no liability.
* The use of electrical outlets on the property is prohibited.
Thanks & let's preserve our Second Amendment!
Marlyand Rally Facebook Page
Links For Other States