Target Founder Douglas Dayton Dead at 88

Douglas Dayton, who led the transformation of a family department store into retailing giant Target Corp., has died at the age of 88.

Dayton's wife, Wendy Dayton, confirmed his death Sunday. She said the resident of Wayzata, west of Minneapolis, died Friday after a long battle with cancer.

Douglas James Dayton was the youngest of George Nelson Dayton's five sons who took over the family's downtown Minneapolis department store from their father in 1948. Douglas Dayton started working in the family business after serving in an Army infantry division in Europe during World War II, where he was injured and received a Purple Heart.
More 

9 Dead, 48 Wounded In Holiday Weekend Shootings In Chicago

Nine men were killed and 48 others, including two young boys, have been wounded in shootings across Chicago so far this holiday weekend.

The latest fatal shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Saturday on the West Side, where a spray of bullets hit seven people on West Flournoy Street at Francisco Avenue on the West Side. A 48-year-old man, shot in the leg, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Four other people in critical condition and one in serious condition were taken to Stroger Hospital, fire officials said. One person in serious condition was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.
More 

Procession Bringing Home Bodies Of 19 Fallen Arizona Wildland Firefighters Begins In Phoenix

Firefighters began a 125-mile procession to bring the bodies of 19 colleagues who died in a wildfire a week ago from Phoenix to the mountain community where they lived.

Nineteen hearses departed from the medical examiner's office in Phoenix, rolled past a collection of firefighters outside the Arizona statehouse complex and will pass through the community of Yarnell where the 19 died.

Firefighters and police officers held hands over their hearts or saluted as the motorcycle-led escort slowly drove by.

The crew had been working to build a protection line between the lightning-caused blaze and Yarnell when winds shifted suddenly. The fire hooked around the firefighters and cut off their access to a safety zone.
More 

Abby Lost Rotty In Tilghman Island

She has been missing since Thursday fireworks.

Motorcyclist Killed In Crash In Selbyville

Location: Lighthouse Road (State Route 54) at Hudson Road, Selbyville, DE

Date of Occurrence: Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 11:54 a.m.

Vehicles and Occupants:
Operator 1: Kim V. Tran, 22, of Selbyville, DE (properly restrained, not injured)
Vehicle 1: 2006 Acura TSX

Operator 2: John C. Scott, 69, of Salisbury, MD (deceased)
Vehicle 2: 1999 Moto Guzzi V11 EV

Resume:
Selbyville- A crash this morning claimed the life of a Salisbury, MD motorcyclist.

The crash occurred 11:54 a.m. as Kim V. Tran, 22, of Selbyville, traveled east on Lighthouse Road (State Route 54). At the intersection with Hudson Road, Tran stopped her vehicle, waiting to make a left turn. When a westbound vehicle on Lighthouse Road approached the intersection and began to make a left turn, Tran began to turn left.

As both vehicles turned left from opposite sides of the intersection, a 1999 Moto Guzzi V11 EV motorcycle entered the intersection from behind the westbound turning vehicle. As the motorcycle approached the turning Acura, it fell to its side. The motorcycle struck the passenger side of the Acura, while the motorcycle's rider, John C. Scott, 69, became trapped under the Acura.

Scott was flown from the scene to Peninsula Regional Medical Center by Delaware State Police helicopter, but was pronounced dead during the flight. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Tran, who was properly restrained, was not injured.

No charges have been filed. Speeding and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the incident. The roadway was closed for approximately four hours as Troopers investigated and cleared the crash.

The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing its investigation into this incident, and asking anyone who witnessed it to call Cpl/3 Burns at (302) 644-5020, extension 112.

When 'Racism' Loses Its Meaning

Mention George Orwell's name, and most people think of Animal Farm(1945) or 1984 (1949). Fewer will recall his 1946 essay, "Politics and the English Language."

That's a shame, because that essay is an insightful analysis of how words' meaning can be manipulated to advance political causes.

On the surface, Orwell's essay was about how the English language has been debased, and how language corruption cripples our ability to comprehend what writers mean. An implication is that as words' meaning becomes obtuse, ideological causes can be advanced.
More 

NUMBER OF INVOLUNTARY PART-TIME WORKERS JUMPS 332K IN JUNE

The number of Americans employed part time for economic reasons (involuntary part-time workers) increased by 322,000 to 8.2 million from May to June, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

“These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job,” said the news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As the Obama administration prepares to roll out the Democrats’ health-insurance-for-all plan in 2014, many businesses have warned that they will keep their payrolls below 50 full-time workers to avoid penalties imposed by the law.
See more

Concert For Okla. Tornado Victims Draws Big Names

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Some of country music's biggest stars, including Garth Brooks, Toby Keith and many others with ties to Oklahoma, played a sold-out show Saturday at the University of Oklahoma to raise money for the victims of the recent tornadoes that strafed the state.

Organizers of the concert, which was held in the school's Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, estimated that nearly 65,000 people braved the searing heat to watch the show and show their support for the victims, the Tulsa World reported .

The money raised from ticket sales benefits the United Way of Central Oklahoma, which established a fund to aid victims of the May storms that killed dozens of people.
More 

What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls

Americans still share the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence 237 years ago and remain wary of too much government. It’s clear, too, that many aren’t happy with the government they’ve got.

Eighty-one percent (81%) believe “all men are created equal.” Ninety-two percent (92%) agree that all men are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Seventy-two percent (72%) believe “governments derive their only just powers from the consent of the governed.”

But just 25% of voters think the federal government today has that consent.

More Americans than ever (63%) think a government that is too powerful is a bigger danger in the world today than one that is not powerful enough. 
More 

Salisbury Fire Department To The Rescue?

Over the weekend the Salisbury Fire Department was quite busy running errands, not calls. Its not just Salisbury though. Last week we bought some pizza from Delmar Pizza. As we got to the light on Rt. 54 we watched a Delmar Ambulance pull out of their Station and turn left on Rt. 54. They then proceeded to Delmar Pizza where they went inside to pick up a pizza to go. They then headed across Rt. 13 to WaWa to get who knows what and then back to the Station. 

Clearly when it gets hot though you can find Salisbury cooling off at TCBY. 

A Letter To The Editor: Tornado & Wal-Mart (North)

Hi Joe,

A friend of mine needed to get out of her home yesterday because of the tornato warning. She & her son live near the mall so they went up to Wal-Mart. She said there was plenty of parking but when they got to the doors, they were locked, They also found a number of other standing outside the store that wanted to get inside. Amazing, a tornado warning & Wal-Mart instead of taking people in for safety, locks the doors. PetSmart of the other hand welcomed everyone in (along with their pets) & told everyone to stay put until the danger had passed. At least they know how to treat the community that keeps their store in business. Wal-Mart on the other hand knows how to talk the talk but they sure can't walk the walk. Razzzberries to Wal-Mart & major Kudo's to Pet Smart.

Peter Franchot Meets With Local Business Leaders In Fruitland - 'Maryland Is Currently Experiencing a Jobless Recovery'

This past Tuesday, June 25th, 2013, Maryland's Comptroller Peter Franchot met with local business leaders in Fruitland.  During the meeting Mr. Franchot reiterated that Maryland is 'currrently experiencing a jobless recovery and that it will take creation of  300,000 new jobs in order to get Maryland back to normal.'

“My view is that we need to focus like a laser on private sector job growth,” he said, adding the state government is spending, taxing and borrowing too much money."

Here at SBYnews our organization has been posting the monthly jobs reports as reported by the US Bureau of Labor statistics for Salisbury/Wicomico - and we concur with the Maryland Comptroller's observation that our local economy continues to severely suffer with no visible signs of a recovery.

Article by Beezer, SBYnews Contributor

Jack’s Gelato Confirms Teen’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City has a long-standing tradition of providing summer jobs to teenagers. Few go as far as 13-year-old Jack Fager, however, and start their own business.

Beginning in late-April, Fager opened Jack’s Gelato on 59th Street. With only one other employee, the gelato stand operates seven days a week from 4 until 10 p.m.

“It is a lot to do setting up and getting the machines ready and just a lot to get started,” Fager said.

But running his own business before going into the eighth grade is more than worth the work, he added. And even though he’s only 13, operating a business has been a goal for as long as he can remember, said Fager, a student at Worcester Preparatory School.
More 

A Comment Worthy Of A Post 7-6-13

Joe, the paid fire engine crew at Station 16 has been self dispatching and chasing ambulance calls all morning. This is not a standard governed by law and it should cease. This is a waste of tax dollars and precious resources and only done for job security. Jim Ireton, Jake Day and Laura Mitchell do what is right and put a stop to it now.

MODEL 'GAY' ADOPTIVE DADS SEXUALLY ABUSED BOY FOR YEARS

Pair who fathered child with surrogate offered him to pedophile ring(LifeSiteNews) Police in Australia have described as “depraved” the case of a six-year-old boy who was sexually abused by his adoptive homosexual “fathers” and other men who were part of an international child-porn syndicate known as the Boy Lovers network.

Authorities in Australia and the US worked together to arrest and charge the men after it emerged that the boy had been offered to men in Australia, the US, France and Germany for sexual exploitation and the production of child pornography from a very young age.

More

MAN CAUGHT ON VIDEO ATTACKING CHRISTIAN STREET PREACHER NEAR GAY PRIDE EVENT REPORTEDLY ARRESTED 29 TIMES

A man caught on video repeatedly punching a Christian street preacher near a Seattle gay pride event had previously been arrested 29 times, according to KOMO-TV:

Jason Queree, the man suspected of punching the protester multiple times, has been arrested 29 times since 1995. He has been convicted or otherwise found against for nine felonies, including forgery, stolen property, unlawful firearm possession and theft, and 12 misdemeanors, including driving with a suspended license, vehicle prowl, domestic violence, assault, DUI and criminal trespass.

TheBlaze has learned that Queree was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge, sent to King County Jail June 30, and released the same day (bail was set at $1,000), the records office of the King County Prosecuting Attorney confirmed Friday. 
More 

Black People More Racist Than White, Study Finds

More Americans feel that black people are more racist than whites and Hispanics. study finds

A new survey from respected pollsters Rasmussen has found that more adults believe that black Americans are racist than white Americans.

More

Wet Weather Questioned As Reason For Slow Summer Start

OCEAN CITY – At the conclusion of this week’s Mayor and City Council legislative session, Councilman Brent Ashley brought up the decreasing tourism stats so far this summer and the possibility of it being related to rainy weather.

“Our demoflush and room tax collection numbers have been substantially down for many months. The Smith Travel Report also shows monthly and yearly declining occupancy numbers,” he said. “I received the May Smith Travel Report this morning with a note from our tourism director that said, ‘Cooler temps definitely impacted the month’. I recently saw an online post from the president of our advertising agency mentioning the ‘lousy’ spring weather. If we’re going to blame the weather and not our marketing approach or how visitors perceive Ocean City for our falling numbers, let’s prove it. I would like to request a five-year comparison of weather and tourism data for the months of April and May.”

Demoflush figures are estimations on the population in Ocean City based on wastewater flow from Ocean City provided by the Ocean City Wastewater Division and calculated by the OC Tourism Department. For the week ending June 30, each day’s estimation was reduced by at least 20,000.
More 

4th of July DUI Checkpoint Drug Dogs, Searched Without Consent.

Huffington Post Feminist Proposes A Sex Strike Against Men Until They Back Abortion

Texas Women: Stop Having Sex With Men Who Vote Against Your Best Interests

As a native Texan, and someone who has survived 100-plus-degree temperatures for many summers, I can tell you, this summer in Texas is surely going to be hotter than usual. Sultry, sweaty summers can be made much nicer when good old-fashioned sex is part of the picture. But women, take heed: Don’t give in if your man, boyfriend, husband, toyboy is not voting for your best interests, your reproductive health — do not sleep with that man! I don’t care how cute or charming he is! I don’t care if he is your husband of many years. Resist! Go swimming! Meditate!

Do not make him dinner, do not go fetch him a cold beer from the fridge, do not iron that shirt, hell, do not change that diaper… do not make his life a little nicer this summer if he does not “get it” and learn to respect women! Instead, volunteer some time for senators like Wendy Davis, go with a group of women to Austin and make your voices heard. Get on the computer and the social networks and organize.

Remember that you live in a state where it would not be unusual (and I have seen it) to see a bumper sticker on a pickup truck which reads, “My Wife Yes, My Dog Maybe, My Gun Never.” Remember what happened last time when a Texas good ole boy governor took that patriarchy all the way to become President of the United States. Stop the damage now and take back Texas.

More

Tax Dodging Corporations Are Costing Our Country Billions

A study by the Office of Management and Budget found that loopholes and international tax havens have reduced corporate taxes from the $370 billion collected in 2007, to nearly half that - $190 billion, by 2010. And, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, corporate tax dodgers paid just 12.6 percent of their profits in income tax in 2010. That's only about one third of the 35 percent tax rate that Republicans are always complaining about. So, while our infrastructure crumbles and Americans are feeling the pain of austerity, corporations are avoiding paying their fair share of our nation's financial burdens. CEO's claim that the US tax rate doesn't offer a fair picture, as they are also subject to taxes locally, and around the world. However, the GAO report found that even when state, local, and foreign taxes were factored in, corporations are still only paying about 17 percent. Democratic Senator Carl Levin reviewed the report and said, "Some U.S. multinational corporations like to complain about the U.S. 35 percent statutory tax rate, but what they don't like to admit is that hardly any of them pay anything close to it."

Md. Rep. Still Looking To Ban Same-Sex Marriage

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican from Maryland, is creating a new push to ban same-sex marriages.

Harris has co-sponsored the Marriage Protection Amendment, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and would prevent states from approving same-sex marriages.

The bill would need two-thirds of both chambers of Congress to approve it, and at least 38 states would have to ratify it.
 More

Putin Signs Law Banning Gays From Overseas Adoptions

It’s official: Gay couples who live outside of Russia can no longer adopt children, due to a new restriction signed into law Wednesday by President Vladimir Putin.

“The measure is aimed at guaranteeing a harmonious and full upbringing for children in adoptive families,” the Kremlin said in a statement, Agence France-Presse reported.

Civil rights groups slammed the new law, which also bans adoptions by couples who are unmarried and living in nations that allow for legal same-sex marriages.
More 

Dog Surprises Officer After Being Freed From A Fence

City Ordinance Violation Leads to Drug and Weapons Arrest

On June 30, 2012, at approximately 5:50 a.m. Ocean City Police officers observed a vehicle parked on 5^th Street that was occupied by three sleeping individuals. As officers approached and spoke with the occupants, officers could smell marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.

After requesting to do a search of the vehicle, officers recovered marijuana, paraphernalia, MDMA, a concealed knife and a loaded .38 Special revolver.

All three occupants of the vehicle were arrested and charged with the following:

Tyrone Winston Lee, 25, of Plymouth, PA

• Handgun in vehicle
• Possession of MDMA
• Possession of marijuana
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

Desmond James Matthews, 22, of Willingboro, NJ

• Handgun in vehicle
• Possession of MDMA
• Possession of marijuana
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

Malcolm LaKnight Bates, 22, of Plymouth, PA

• Handgun in vehicle
• Possession of a concealed deadly weapon
• Possession of marijuana
• Possession of MDMA

Lee, Matthews and Bates were seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and released without bond.

Americans Don't Know WHY We Celebrate the 4th of July or WHAT COUNTRY We Declared Independence From!

Mad Yet?

Retire Here, Not There: Maryland

Nearly 100 years ago, a reporter for National Geographic nicknamed Maryland “America in Miniature” because of its varied landscape, and to this day the name has stuck. You can ski in the mountains in the west, sail on the Atlantic Ocean in the east and hike through lush, creek-lined rolling hills in the middle of the state. “One of the big pluses of retiring here is that geographically we’re a very diverse state,” says Susan Fulton, a certified financial planner and founder of FBB Capital Partners in Bethesda.

Though Maryland is one of the smallest states in the nation, those seeking to retire near water have more options here than in many other states.

Maryland touches three major bodies of water—the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River estuary and Atlantic Ocean—and the state boasts roughly 4,000 miles of shoreline, 400 lakes and dozens of rivers and creeks. For retirees, this means easy access to activities ranging from fly-fishing and boating to kayaking and canoeing. 
More 

Less Firefighter

Sequestration has reduced the capabilities of the two departments with firefighting crews. Between them, the Interior and Agriculture departments have about 13,000 firefighters. That's down from a year earlier. Interior officials say the Forest Service's ranks have fallen by about 500 firefighters. And they have 50 fewer fire trucks. Officials tell a Senate committee, overall spending on firefighting has dropped 5 percent, or more than $37 million. So far this season, more than 22,000 wildfires have burned some 1.5 million acres across the country. That's according to the government's National Interagency Coordination Center in Boise, Idaho.

Resisting Arrest

Seventy-Two Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation In Boston

National guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed on April 19th by elements of a Para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order. The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.

Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms.

One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily." Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans. During a tense standoff in Lexington 's town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists. Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.

Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units.

Colonel Smith, finding his forces over matched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.

Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large.

. . . And this, people, published in the Boston Globe April 20, 1775 is how the American Revolution began.

WHITE HOUSE 'PRISON': THE OBAMAS LOVE THE PERKS, HATE THE OFFICE

First Lady Michelle Obama has raised eyebrows by likening life in the White House to life in a "really nice prison." Ms. Obama was speaking at the African First Ladies Summit in Tanzania, where she is traveling with President Barack Obama and their daughters. Former First Lady Laura Bush was also in attendance.

It was not the first time that Ms. Obama has complained about life in the White House--which has afforded her the opportunity to travel with her husband on a $60-$100 million trip to Africa, as well as to vacation in Spain and other exotic locales with a large entourage, all the while enjoying Secret Service protection.

President Obama himself has expressed similar sentiments. A mere two weeks after taking office in 2009, he and Ms. Obama escaped to a school in Washington, D.C., explaining: "We were just tired of being in the White House." The president also plays golf with great frequency, and takes many vacations--alone and with family.
More 

PUBLIC UNIVERSITY UNFAIRLY RAISING BLACK STUDENTS’ GRADES TO BOOST SCHOOL’S STANDING

Three former staff members at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, have come forward with a shocking claim. They maintain that administrators at the university have been purposefully boosting and curving African Americans’ grades.

This stunning allegation comes from Shira Hedgepeth, former director of academic technology, and two former professors. The two educators spoke on condition of anonymity when they detailed the allegations to Campus Reform, a conservative group that explores various issues on university campuses.

“Some students had their final grades changed based on their race. That was a common complaint of many of the faculty that I worked with,” Hedgepeth, who was terminated in 2011, told the outlet. “None of the Caucasian or non-African American students… none of their grades were changed.”

More

Wicomico County Solid Waste Division Announces Extension Of Permit

SALISBURY – The Wicomico County Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Division is pleased to announce that existing transfer station permits will be accepted through Monday July 15, 2013. This two-week extension will allow users of the county’s 11 transfer stations additional time to obtain new permits.

Citizens may visit Newland Park Landfill to purchase new permits or mail in copies of vehicle registration card(s) along with the application found on the wicomicocounty.org web site. The cost for Wicomico County residents is $60 per vehicle.

Newland Park Landfill6948 Brick Kiln Road
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-548-4935
Office Hours: 8:00am – 4:00pm, Monday – Friday

Very Well Put

Learning Things

Some of the Things I learned by following the Zimmerman trial on Tweeter.

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Miguel
10

If somebody is White/Hispanic then he is a member of the KKK.

Travon was 4 years old when killed.

Travon was shot three times.

911 operators give orders that must be followed.

Cursive is a foreign language.

A Defense Attorney cannot have ice cream with family or be disbarred and the client found guilty.

You cannot defend yourself unless brains are coming out of your skull.

If you carry a gun, you are guilty of premeditated homicide.

If you care about your neighborhood and keep an eye on things, you must give up your right to Self Defense.

“They always get away” is racist. “Creepy-ass Cracker” is not.

You are not allowed a day in court or a proper defense because a mob says so.

You can blame anybody of anything if they are on trial. Truth need not to apply.

Cops give the best legal advice.

Zimmerman’s injuries were done after the shooting to cover up the crime.
OK, seriously, WTH is “Black English”?

If the defendant’s account and the witness account are similar, it means automatically they are involved in a conspiracy.

It is fascinating what people think is legal or not. I have the feeling most of their “training” comes from watching re-runs of Law & Order and CSI: Miami. And to think that they are part of the jury pool is downright scary.

HERO COP SAVES 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM DERANGED KNIFE-WIELDING MAN WITH ONE VERY ACCURATE SHOT

Dramatic surveillance video from a Walmart in Midwest City, Okla., shows a heroic police officer saving a 2-year-old girl from the clutches of a deranged knife-wielding man. He did so by shooting the criminal at point-blank range, killing him.

According to police, 37-year-old Sammie Wallace grabbed a toddler from her mother’s shopping cart and held a knife to her throat. Police released video and 911 audio from the June 17 incident last week.

Believing that the child had been harmed by Wallace, a heroic police officer, Capt. David Huff, shot the man at point-blank range. The child was unharmed in the horrifying ordeal.
More 

Thanks For The Gas Tax Increase!

This sign is at the Shell gas station on Rt. 40 in Frederick, Md. It needs to be posted around the entire state of Maryland, with the names of the local state representatives that voted for the gas tax increase.
One of these liberal representatives wants to be the next mayor of Frederick so he can continue to raise our taxes.

Tornado In Salisbury?

From the facebook page of Eastern Shore Fire/EMS/Police Breaking News

 This picture was taken from Royal Farms on South Division Street in Salisbury, Md

There Is Nothing To Celebrate

In a few days, we will all have an opportunity to peacefully inflict a major psychological blow on the rapidly coalescing police state by the simple but powerful act of refusing to play along with the absurd pantomime on the 4th of July that we live in an even nominally free country – one with the rule of law, an operative Constitution and respect for individual rights. One that isn’t a thugocracy.

We can turn our backs on the flag. Decline to participate when urged to cheer and sing.

No fireworks. No barbeques.

We can sit down – and bow our heads.

We can mention the unmentionable: That there is no longer any meaningful limit to the power of the government over our lives. No line beyond which it may not tread. That it lies, spies and tyrannizes.

We can admit to ourselves the shoddy – and frightening – reality bubbling up all around us.

By so doing, we can shatter the illusion that this government operates with anything remotely approximating our consent. This is absolutely essential. The 4th of July pantomime requires that we deny the obvious – that we instead pretend we’re free people living in a free country; one in which the government is accountable to the people, one in which the government is limited by law. One in which people can’t simply be dragooned into prisons without due process, held incommunicado, tortured. A country with a president who doesn’t have kill lists – or use the instruments of state power to punish and intimidate his political opponents. One in which citizens must be suspected of a crime before their personal correspondence is filched through and recorded for later use against them. One in which a traveler is free from arbitrary and random searches of his person and effects.

More

PUBLIC NOTICE: LINTON'S NOW SERVING EBT CARDS

City Of Salisbury Employees Paying To Keep Their Jobs?

While Mayor Ireton and Council President Jake Day pound their chest in excitement over the City of Salisbury employee pay raise of 2%, they failed to tell you they raised health insurance by 22% to those very same employees.

It's been 8 years since these employees have seen an increase in their pay and I don't know about YOU but I can't see anything these employees can be excited about. 

"It is your election to lose".

CATHOLIC PRIEST BEHEADED IN SYRIA BY AL-QAEDA-LINKED REBELS AS MEN AND CHILDREN TAKE PICTURES AND CHEER

Syrian Catholic priest Francois Murad killed last weekend by jihadi fighters was beheaded, according to a report by Catholic Online which is linking to video purportedly showing the brutal murder.

As TheBlaze reported last week, Murad, 49, was setting up a monastery in Gassanieh, northern Syria. Last Sunday, on the Christian leader’s Sabbath, extremist militants trying to topple President Bashar Assad breached the monastery and grabbed Murad.

While earlier reports suggested Murad may have been shot to death, Catholic Online reported Saturday: “The Vatican is confirming the death by beheading of Franciscan Father, Francois Murad, who was martyred by Syrian jihadists on June 23.”

More

Lady Gaga Changes Words To The National Anthem at NYC Gay Pride Rally

Lady Gaga returned to the spotlight this week after spending a few months laying low following her hip surgery and canceled world tour. Mother Monster helped kick off New York’ Gay Pride Parade by taking the stage at Friday’s kickoff rally to offer some heartfelt words of support to the LGBT community.

“It’s my LGBT friends and fans who always said to me, I knew Lady Gaga when,” the singer said. “Well, look who the star is now. Now I get to say that I knew you when. When you suffered, when you felt unequal, when you felt there was nothing to look forward to.” Gaga then launched into the National Anthem, clutching a rainbow flag. At the end of her rendition, she changed up the lyrics a bit, replacing “star-spangled banner” with “ ”star-spangled flag of pride” and “home of the brave” with “home for the gays.” Not surprisingly, the crowd went wild.
More  

Dear Parents with Young Children in Church

You are doing something really, really important. I know it’s not easy. I see you with your arms overflowing, and I know you came to church already tired. Parenting is tiring. Really tiring.

I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby quiet, juggling the infant carseat and the diaper bag as you find a seat. I see you wince as your child cries. I see you anxiously pull things out of your bag of tricks to try to quiet them.

And I see you with your toddler and your preschooler. I watch you cringe when your little girl asks an innocent question in a voice that might not be an inside voice let alone a church whisper. I hear the exasperation in your voice as you beg your child to just sit, to be quiet as you feel everyone’s eyes on you. Not everyone is looking, but I know it feels that way.

I know you’re wondering, is this worth it? Why do I bother? I know you often leave church more exhausted than fulfilled. But what you are doing is so important.
When you are here, the church is filled with a joyful noise. When you are here, the Body of Christ is more fully present. When you are here, we are reminded that this worship thing we do isn’t about Bible Study or personal, quiet contemplation but coming together to worship as a community where all are welcome, where we share in the Word and Sacrament together.When you are here, I have hope that these pews won’t be empty in ten years when your kids are old enough to sit quietly and behave in worship. I know that they are learning how and why we worship now, before it’s too late. They are learning that worship is important.

More

Pot Smokers Are Chemically Prone To Slack Off

The stereotype of pot smokers as lackadaisical loafers is supported by new research: People who smoke marijuana regularly over long periods of time tend to produce less of a chemical in the brain that is linked to motivation, a new study finds.
Researchers in the United Kingdom scanned the brains of 19 regular marijuana users, and 19 nonusers of the same sex and age, using positron emission tomography (PET), which helps measure the distribution of chemicals throughout the brain.

They found that the long-term cannabis users tended to produce less dopamine, a "feel good" chemical in the brain that plays an important role in motivation and reward-driven behavior.

More