VANCOUVER MAN GETS GIANT SURPRISE WHEN HE OFFERS TO BUY HOMELESS MAN DINNER

A Vancouver man was shocked last week when a supposedly “homeless” man helped him pay his rent.

Yogi Omar, 30, told the Vancouver Sun that he saw a “scruffy panhandler” Thursday night and initially chose to ignore him, explaining that he has financial problems of his own.

But he still felt he had to do something.

“I wanted to give him food more than anything else, really,” Omar, who co-founded InspirationALL Talent and Modelling Group Co., said.

Omar turned around, approached the supposedly homeless man and offered to buy him dinner.

That’s when things took an odd turn: Omar soon learned that the man was not homeless but was really an undercover benefactor looking to reward those who try to help the homeless.
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Swiss Banks React To FACTA, Tell Americans To Close Accounts

A few months ago, Geneva journalist Christophe Ungar got quite a shock: without any prior notice, his local bank closed out his mutual funds account, resulting in considerable losses due to the early withdrawal. This was not an inadvertent mistake, but, rather, an intentional move to oust Ungar, a US citizen, from the financial institution where he had banked for years. “When the bank realized I was American, they started treating me like I had the plague,” he says.

This scenario is all too familiar to another American, Geneva financial adviser Anne Hornung-Soukup. Her accounts – including a pension investment fund – were suddenly closed in recent months by her two banks, each explaining in a letter that its services are no longer available to US citizens.

“This really ticks me off,” says Hornung-Soukup, who adds that the forced early withdrawal of her retirement fund meant she had to pay taxes on it earlier than she had anticipated.

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One Arrested, One Sought, After Guns, Drugs, Recovered From Home In Bear

Location: Residence in the unit block of South Sherman Drive, Bear, DE

Date: Friday, December 20, 2013

Defendant and Charges:
George A. Shaheen, 32, of Bear, DE (photo attached, maroon top)
Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 5 Quantity (2 counts)
Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (2 counts)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited (2 counts)
Receiving a Stolen Firearm
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institute, and released after posting $30,500 cash, $6,000 secured bail.

Wanted Suspect:
Ishmael Kwalalon, 29, of Bear, DE (photo attached, gray shirt)

Resume:
Bear – A joint investigation by the Delaware State Police Troop 2 Drug Unit, DEA, and Dover Police Department into cocaine dealing has resulted in the arrest of a Bear man and the recovery of a large amount of cocaine and three handguns.

On December 20 detectives, assisted by members of the Delaware State Police SORT team, executed a search warrant at a residence in the unit block of South Sherman Drive in Bear. Detectives located 178.9 grams of crack cocaine and 480.8 grams of powder cocaine. Also recovered were three handguns. Two were loaded, one had an obliterated serial number, and one had been stolen in 2012 from a residence in Clayton. Detectives also seized over $10,000 in cash and a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

One resident of the home, George A. Shaheen, 32, was taken into custody at the scene. He was transported to Troop 2 where he was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance in a tier 5 quantity, two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, receiving a stolen firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institute, and released after posting $30,500 cash, $6,000 secured bail.

Detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for another resident of the home, Ishmael Kwalalon, 29. He is sought on weapon and drug charges. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 302-834-2630 extension 304, or utilize the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Woman Burned by McDonald's Hot Coffee, Then the News Media

LOOK UNDER THE BURKA OF ISLAM

"A PERSON MAYBE BURNT ALIVE,PUSHED FROM HIGH WALL OR BEATEN PUBLICALY WITH STONES"MUFTI ISSUES FATWA AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY AND LIVE IN RELATIONSHIPS(INDIA)


A Bareilly-based cleric has issued a fatwa against homosexuality and live-in relationships calling them anti-Islam and said Shariyat has provisions to punish those indulging in such acts.

The fatwa was issued by Mohammad Afzaal Rizwi, the mufti of Darululoom Ifta at Dargah Aala Hazrat, Bareilly in response to a query byAkhlaq Ahmed Siddiqui Noori on the issue.

The mufti has cited two hadis (teachings of the Prophet Mohammed) from the Quran as a premise for his fatwa. As per Hadis Dur-re-mukhtar, such acts could attract severe punishment, he said. "A person may be burntalive, pushed from a high wall or be beaten publically with stones if he indulges into either of the two behaviours," the fatwa states.

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Politics in 2014: What to look for

The battle for control of the Senate, ObamaCare implementation and a desperate push for immigration reform will likely dominate the political world in 2014.

Other issues that will grab headlines include the intensifying debate on the National Security Agency’s powers and heated Republican primaries — which will test the Tea Party.

A rundown of what to look for in 2014 follows.
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Gun Control: Bus Passenger Takes Down Gunman

Hero for the day..
Check this out:

A recently released surveillance video should restore some peace of mind to Americans propagating the idea that tighter gun control is the only way to end gun violence.

The recorded event occurred on a Seattle bus November 25. The armed aggressor was later identified as 19-year-old Trevonnte Brown. He is now being held in a county jail in Washington state.

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Islamic Charity Officials Gave Millions To Al-Qaeda, U.S. Says

When Qatar’s royal family was looking for advice on charitable giving, it turned to a well-regarded professor named Abd al-Rahman al-Nu’aymi. The 59-year-old educator had a stellar résumé that included extensive fundraising experience and years of work with international human rights groups.

But one apparent accomplishment was omitted from the list: According to U.S. officials, Nu’aymi also was working secretly as a financier for al-Qaeda, funneling millions of dollars to the terrorist group’s affiliates in Syria and Iraq even as he led campaigns in Europe for greater freedoms for Muslims.

Nu’aymi was one of two men identified by Treasury Department officials last week as major financial backers of al-Qaeda and its regional chapters across the Middle East. Although U.S. officials routinely announce steps to disrupt terrorist financing networks, the individuals named in the latest case are far from ordinary. Both men have served as advisers to government-backed foundations in Qatar and have held high-profile positions with international human rights groups. The second man, a Yemeni, is heavily involved in his country’s U.S.-backed political transition. 
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This GDP Measure Warns That The US Is Heading For A Recession

Earlier this month, we learned that GDP growth spiked to 3.6% at an annualized pace in Q3.

However, this was largely driven by a spike in inventories, which added a whopping 1.7 percentage points to the headline growth number.

Inventory gives and eventually inventory adjustments taketh away from GDP. This is why economists often emphasize real final sales, the GDP growth metric that excludes inventory.

During the period, real final sales growth slipped to just 1.9% from 2.1% in Q2.

This is not a good sign according to Bloomberg Briefs economist Rich Yamarone.

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Lost Dogs 12-23-13: UPDATE

Hi Joe. 

My husband was out yesterday afternoon with our 2 Blue Tick Rabbit dogs Mac and Lily on the public hunting area off of Backbone Rd in Princess Anne when a deer ran across their path and they took off. He and my daughter spent hours yesterday and again this morning looking for them to no avail. I have contacted Somerset Animal control with my information in case someone finds them. The both have leather collars with an ID tag with our number on it. I know you have a lot of followers of SBYNews and was hoping you would post this in case someone finds them. 
Thank You.

Rep. Paul Ryan Defends Cuts To Military Retirement In Budget Bill

Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, defended controversial cuts to military retirement pay in the budget deal, saying that the need for military compensation reform is “undeniable.”

“For me, there’s simply no choice between responsible reforms of military compensation and making what our military leadership has called ‘disproportionate cuts to military readiness and modernization,’ ” Mr. Ryan wrote on a USA Today oped. “Every time we kick the can down the road, we put our troops’ combat readiness at risk. This agreement put forward one reform option, and I invite others to do the same.”

The two-year budget deal that passed Congress last week increases spending now in exchange for savings later and reduces the deficit by $23 billion over 10 years. The deal, authored by Mr. Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray, Washington Democrat, also cuts the cost-of-living adjustment to one percent below the consumer price index for military retirees younger than 62 and goes into effect in 2015.
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Harvard Prof Blasts ‘Sick And Barbaric’ Knockout Game

Criticizes indifference of academia to 'fundamental concepts of norms and values'

(Daily Caller) One of the nation’s top sociologists blasted the the knockout game and the people who play it — and the credentialed class that refuses to condemn it.

“This pattern of violence is sick and barbaric, and, for its victims, both senseless and tragic,” said Harvard sociologist Orlando Patterson in an exclusive interview with The Daily Caller.

Black mobs routinely terrorize cities across the country, but the media and government are silent. Read the detailed account of rampant racial crime in “White Girl Bleed A Lot: The Return of Racial Violence to America and How the Media Ignore It.”

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Youth Sport Injuries May Lead To Adult Brain Disease

The degenerative brain disease being blamed for suicides and mental illness in pro athletes may have started when they were young athletic children and absorbing knocks in grade school and high school, experts say.

The theory also suggests that many people who are not elite athletes playing contact sports, but did play sports as children, may be at risk for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Recommended: Ryan Freel Had CTE, Parents Say

"We don't know what the age of onset is with any of these cases," said Chris Nowinski, the co-director of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. "There is reason to believe it can begin when a child is very young."

The latest discussion of CTE arose after former Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel, who committed suicide at the age of 36, was diagnosed to have had the disease. CTE had not been associated with baseball players. Instead it is linked to the public's perception of more violent sports like football, ice hockey and boxing.

Nowinski's colleague, Dr. Ann McKee, has dissected and studied more than 180 brains of athletes. Over 100 have been found to have CTE pathology.

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SFD Calls For Service 12-22-13

• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 19:34:54Nature: Medical AssistAddress: 4805 Cardinal Dr Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 19:34:47Nature: OverdoseCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 19:10:20Nature: Psychiatric EmergencyCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 17:56:55Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 16:40:14Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 15:47:56Nature: Assault EmsCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 15:32:47Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 14:53:39Nature: General WeaknessCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 14:40:41Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 14:00:51Nature: Assault EmsCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 13:29:31Nature: Medical AssistAddress: 1109 S Schumaker Dr Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 13:29:28Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 09:49:39Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 09:49:36Nature: LacerationCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 08:27:09Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 07:52:01Nature: Back PainCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 06:56:34Nature: Automatic AlarmAddress: 926 Snow Hill Rd Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 05:54:15Nature: Automatic AlarmAddress: 5343 Airport Rd Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 05:18:22Nature: Back PainCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 05:00:51Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 02:38:33Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 02:24:31Nature: InjuryCity: Salisbury
• Sunday December, 22 2013 @ 01:05:27Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury

Reports Of Water Spouts In Ocean City Today

Seas, Sands and Skies

I was out taking pictures of the surf today, noticed the sky was pitch black to north of all the sudden. I turned around and ran like crazy back to my car. I started realizing how crazy the sky looked so I pulled over to Isle of Wight and then I saw this...

Anti-Interventionism Is Soaring

“Neo-isolationism is the direct product of foolish globalism. … Compared to people who thought they could run the universe, or at least the globe, I am neo-isolationist and proud of it.”

Those are not the words of an old America Firster, but the declaration of that icon of the liberal establishment Walter Lippmann in 1967, a year before he endorsed Richard Nixon.

In 1968, it was Nixon urging we stay the course in Vietnam, as Sens. Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy were clamoring for retreat and swift withdrawal.

In 1972, it was Democratic nominee George McGovern who would run on the neo-isolationist slogan “Come Home, America!” and win the endorsement of the New York Times and Washington Post.

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Del. Neil Parrott On The Consequences Of Obamacare

People are hurting all across the country. Recently, as I was leaving Sam’s Club, I spoke to a retired couple whose health insurance had just been canceled due to Obamacare. Now they are having major troubles trying to get new coverage.

Elections have consequences, and everyday people are starting to feel the consequences in a very personal way.

Our own newly-elected congressman, John Delaney, says that Obamacare has been, “A terrible failure so far.” Why then won’t he vote to repeal it? Why did he not support legislation one month ago that fully funded the government, while delaying the implementation of Obamacare for regular people for one year?
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Jesus’ Government

A classic by Joseph Sobran

fitzgerald griffin foundation

Not again! Another politician “denies any wrongdoing,” but resigns his post. As the great American philosopher Jimmy Hatlo used to say, they’ll do it every time.

Why does corruption in government always surprise us? Why do we expect anything else from it? Government is organized force. It takes our wealth and makes war. And we think honest men would do that work?

Well, honest men have sincerely tried, but look at the results and ask yourself whether honesty has any inherent tendency to prevail in politics. War, taxation, waste, debt, inflation, hatred, hypocrisy, cynicism, social disorder. And also — amazingly enough! — corruption.

As I often say, expecting government to produce good results is like expecting a tiger to pull a plow. After the twentieth century, in which the world’s governments killed hundreds of millions of their own subjects, everyone ought to talk about the state the way Jews talk about Hitler. Yet we still have high hopes for this beast, because, after all, the mighty tiger is certainly strong enough to pull that plow if he wanted to! If only.

Even most Christians believe in the state, though Jesus never urged his followers to take political action. A very devout and intelligent Catholic socialist friend of mine argues that Jesus legitimized the state when he said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”

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Killing The Middle Class

If one takes the mainstream media seriously, Ben Bernanke’s announcement that the Federal Reserve would begin “tapering” its purchase of government bonds and mortgage securities by $10 billion dollars per month was the reason for Wall Street’s rally on Wednesday. Yet as the chart here reveals, the reaction to the Fed’s decision was a rapid and precipitous drop first, followed by a large rally, when Bernanke dropped the far more important shoe: interest rates would remain near zero for the foreseeable future. Thus, the nation remains wedded to a policy best described by Andrew Huszar, who was responsible for executing the first round of Quantitative Easing (QE), as “the greatest backdoor Wall Street bailout of all time.”

And while Wall Street has flourished, Main Street remains mired in the “new normal.” It is the new normal where a staggering 75 percent of the jobs created this year have not only been part-time, but low-paying. It is the new normal where the “decline” in unemployment to 7 percent is belied by the reality that a record high 91,541,000 of Americans are no longer in the labor force as of October, and the workforce participation rate is 63 percent, the lowest its been since 1978. Some of that decline can be attributed to Baby Boomers retiring, but the participation rate of workers aged 16-54 also declined during the recession–and has yet to recover.

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Memorials Mark 25th Anniversary Of Lockerbie Bombing; Eight Marylanders Lost

Families of some of the 270 people who died in the bombing of an airliner over Scotland 25 years ago gathered Saturday for memorial services in the U.S. and Britain.

Bagpipes played and wreaths were laid in Lockerbie, the Scottish town the plane was flying over when the explosion happened, and services were being held later in the day at London's Westminster Abbey. In the United States, hundreds gathered at a service at Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery where U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder spoke.

Pan Am 103, which was bound for New York, exploded less than an hour after takeoff from London on Dec. 21, 1988. Many of the victims were American college students flying home for Christmas.
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GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF MARYLANDERS ARE LEAVING WELFARE FOR WORK

BALTIMORE, MD (Dec. 23, 2013) -- Governor O’Malley today announced that a state record 12,504 people left welfare and found employment in the year ending September 30. More than one-third (37%) of these jobs pay $10/hour or more, and many former welfare recipients are working in key industries such as health care, warehousing, along with educational and administrative support.

Governor O’Malley made the announcement during a visit to Johns Hopkins Hospital System (JHHS), the site of an innovative public-private partnership that trains welfare recipients for careers in the new economy.

“Over the last seven years, we have transitioned more than 75,000 individuals into jobs -- individuals who would otherwise be dependent on the state for economic support,” said Governor O’Malley. "By linking a record number of parents with jobs, we are helping more moms and dads in Maryland obtain the skills they need to compete and better provide for their families.”

“There is no effective one-size-fits-all approach to job readiness. By focusing on the individual needs of our clients, we have been able to serve them better and help more clients achieve independence than ever before,” said Secretary Dallas.

Maryland has driven up Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) job placements each of the last four years and 17 percent overall since September 2011, even as welfare rolls are shrinking. There are 26 percent fewer work-eligible TCA recipients today than there were in December 2010 at the height of the Great Recession. Top paying industries where TCA clients found work include:

Health Care and Wellness: Jobs include caregivers, nursing assistants, patient transport, home health aides and pay an average wage of $9.80/hour, working 27 hours per week.

Educational Support: Jobs include teacher’s aides and substitute teachers typically make $10.45 an hour and work 25 hours per week.

Administrative Support: These positions are a key area of growth for TCA clients. Skills learned are highly transferable, including accounting, programming, data entry and other forms of office support. Workers typically earn $10/hour and work 30 hours/week.

An analysis of Maryland Temporary Cash Assistance outcome data by the Family Welfare Research and Training Group at the University of Maryland School of Social Work shows those who leave welfare and obtain a $10/hour job and work 30 hours a week are far less likely to return. Seven out of 10 TCA clients who leave with a job do not reapply for services within a year, and 60 percent never come back.

Governor O’Malley met with recent graduates of the Johns Hopkins General Services Internship Program, a partnership started this year between Johns Hopkins Hospital System, the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) and the Center for Urban Families (CFUF), a non-profit committed to helping Baltimoreans achieve stable employment, housing and family structures. Clients identified by BCDSS who successfully complete CFUF’s rigorous, month-long STRIVE employment training program are eligible to enroll in a five-month impact training/internship onsite at JHHS where they take classes and shadow workers. Of 48 participants so far, 31 successfully completed the impact training/internship, competed for jobs in their chosen field and are now employed at JHHS where they earn between $10.71 - $12.06/hour.

“I worked for 20 years in health care until I left my job to care for ailing relative. It was humbling turning to DSS for assistance making ends meet,” remarked Terron Tucker, 52, of Baltimore City, who now works on the Inpatient Unit with the Environmental Services team at Hopkins Hospital. “I’m so grateful. I’m employed now. This is the best gift I could have gotten this December.”

“Center for Urban Families is excited to partner with the Maryland Department of Human Resources and Johns Hopkins Hospital to provide essential job readiness skills as conveyed to us by employers,” added Joe Jones, president of CFUF. “It is our pleasure to provide customers of the Department of Social Services with the opportunity to successfully obtain jobs with real potential for advancement and access to additional education.”

“We are proud to be part of the partnership that puts East Baltimore and Maryland back to work,” said Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System President Ron Peterson. “The General Services Internship Program is focused on helping launch careers, not just filling jobs.”

Employers interested in learning more about how they can partner with the Department of Human Resources should contact Adolphe Andou at adolphe.andou@maryland.gov. For more information about welfare use in Maryland, visit www.familywelfare.umaryland.edu.

Obama Caves, Delays Obamacare As Momentum Fizzles; Customer Pool "Smaller And Sicker"

Late last night, with just 4 days left until the December 23 deadline to choose plans that will begin Jan. 1, Washington Post reported that the Obama administration finally caved and "significantly relaxed the rules of the federal health-care law for millions of consumers whose individual insurance policies have been canceled, saying they can buy bare-bones plans or entirely avoid a requirement that most Americans have health coverage."

The ability to get an exemption means that the administration is freeing these people from one of the central features of the law: a requirement that most Americans have health insurance as of Jan. 1 or risk a fine. The exemption gives them the choice of having no insurance or of buying skimpy “catastrophic” coverage.

As was to be expected, the announcement which made the healthcare ponzi scheme far less powerful triggered an immediate backlash from the health insurance industry and "raised fairness questions about a law intended to promote affordable and comprehensive coverage on a widespread basis."

“This latest rule change could cause significant instability in the marketplace and lead to further confusion and disruption for consumers,” said Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s main trade group.

Another health insurance official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he lacked authorization to discuss the matter publicly, pointed out that the hardship exemption also gives one group the ability to buy coverage whenever they want, rather than during annual open-enrollment periods. As a result, he said, more people might not buy insurance unless they get sick.

Well, Karen: welcome to central-planning, where whatever can go wrong, ultimately does, and as for your profit margins which you had modelled as surging in the coming years: feel free to model them lower.

How did the latest humiliation for the administration come about? WaPo  explains:

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A Tale Of Two Cities

Chicago, IL Houston, TX Population 2.7 million 2.15 million Median HH Income $38,600 $37,000 % African-American 38.9% 24% % Hispanic 29.9% 44% % Asian 5.5% 6% % Non-Hispanic White 28.7% 26% Pretty similar until you compare the following: Chicago, IL Houston, TX Concealed Carrygun law no yes # of Gun Stores 0 184 - Dedicated gun stores plus 1500 - legal places to buy guns- Walmart, K-mart, sporting goods, etc. Homicides, 2012 1,806 207 Homicides per 100K 38.4 9.6 Avg. January high temperature (F) 31 63                 Liberal conclusion:Cold weather causes murder.

Accident On OC Drawbridge

Maryland State Highway Administration
ALERT-Ocean City - crash closing EB US 50 on the Harry Kelley Bridge-use MD 90 as alternate.
Click HERE for drawbridge cam

Wall Street Unlocks Profits From Distress With Rental Revolution

On a rainy night in November, Mark Futral, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, approached a white ranch house in Flowery Branch, a northeastern suburb of Atlanta, crowbar in hand.

He adjusted a headlamp and slid his fingers under a front window to lift it open. His dog Bella, a 40-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, barreled through and Futral followed, squeezing into an empty room with tan carpet peeling from the floor. It was the sixth home he’d broken into that day.

Though he’s occasionally mistaken for a thief, Futral, 37, is working for Blackstone Group LP (BX), one of the world’s most sophisticated investors. For the past 18 months, he’s picked locks, shimmied under garage doors and crawled through windows to get into foreclosed homes the company has bought.

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Posted Property

Md. Health Care Leader? It’s Not Anthony Brown

Who’s in charge of Maryland’s computerized Obamacare rollout? Until recently, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown wanted you to believe he was the man.

For years, he’s been describing himself as Gov. Martin O’Malley’s “point man” on this crucial health insurance program. The governor’s press staff dutifully gives Brown co-authorship and quotable lines every time there’s a press release.

Yet it has become painfully clear Brown is not the “point man” on Obamacare, Maryland-style.
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Al Sharpton's Chicago Town Hall Erupts into Anti-Machine Revolt

Retired Police Captain Demolishes The War On Drugs

A Letter To The Editor: Obamacare

Joe,

Thought I would share my experience with the health care exchange and mandatory coverage. I was on hold for 30 minutes this morning and disconnected from the help line after having it ring with a busy signal. I tried again because the web site is unable to verify my identity. I AM A US CITIZEN, HAVE A SOCIAL, A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE and A JOB. No wonder the system can’t verify me. The message says that I must call, so now I have tried twice and gotten a busy signal and when I did get through have been holding for an hour and 20 minutes…so far. And, get this, although I have a college education the only job that I could find was part time retail. I want to work, so I currently work part time retail until I can get to full time. I filled out the paper work on the web site to see what assistance I will qualify for with the premiums (otherwise the coverage would pretty much take all my earnings) and that form has to be printed, signed and sent via the MAIL. This is the biggest mess I’ve ever seen!

25 Biggest Rip Offs That You've Probably Been Tricked Into Buying

John Eisenhower, Historian And Ike's Son, Dies

John S.D. Eisenhower, the son of a five-star general turned president who forged his own career in the U.S. Army and then chronicled the history of the American military in numerous books, died Saturday. He was 91.

Eisenhower lived on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the community of Trappe, Md. In a statement, his family gave no cause of death.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Eisenhower "a true patriot" and praised him as "an accomplished soldier, diplomat and author."
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Remember Cash For Clunkers

The person who calculated this bit of information is now, and has been a professor at the University of West Virginia in Morgantown for the last forty-some years. He says that: A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year. A new vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons of gas a year. So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction reduced gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

The government claims 700,000 clunkers were replaced, so that is 224 million gallons saved per year. That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil. 5 million barrels is about 5 hours’ worth of US consumption. More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $90 per barrel costs about $450 million dollars. So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $450 million. They spent $6.67 for every $1.00 they saved.

We've been assured, though, that they will do a much better job with our health care.

Ohio Judge Says Efficiency Not Good Case For Traffic Cameras

CINCINNATI – An Ohio judge rebuffed an argument Thursday that traffic cameras make law enforcement more efficient, stating sharply that violating motorists' rights isn't the American way.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman cited authoritarian regimes such as Cuba and North Korea as expedient, while saying the U.S. democratic system "can be messy."

"But it's a nice mess to have," Ruehlman said.

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Government Opening Free Gas Stations In Poor Neighborhoods

First 'Obamastation' Debuts in Detroit, Seventy Planned Nationwide

As the battle over Obamacare rages in Washington, the White House is quietly using a little known provision of the law to roll out a nationwide network of free gas stations for minorities and the poor.

According to a report in The Detroit News this morning, the administration is using its authority under the Affordable Care Act to "improve transportation routes to hospitals" to dispense gasoline free of cost in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

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Dennis Miller-Special Nancy Pelosi WARNING: Foul Language

Getting U.S. Citizens Out Of South Sudan

President Obama says additional measures may need to be taken in order to protect U.S. citizens in South Sudan. Over the weekend, two military helicopters were fired at while on a humanitarian mission. The State Department says they are working to evacuate U.S. citizens as quickly as possible. So far, 380 U.S. officials and private citizens have been evacuated. The President continues to monitor the situation while on vacation in Hawaii. The State Department strongly recommends that U.S. citizens in South Sudan depart immediately.

Not Enough To Boycott A&E; You Have To Cancel Your Cable

For reasons of my own, I neither participate in, encourage, or organize boycotts. This piece isn't about that. The A&E boycottover the suspension of "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for expressing his Christian beliefs does, however, give me the opportunity to talk about a subject near and dear to my heart, which is the legal tyranny of bundled cable that means that anyboycott against A&E will have little to no effect.

If you are wondering why low-rated cable television shows and networks not only stay alive but also manage to be profitable, it is due to the bundled cable racket that forces over a hundred million Americans to pay for dozens of channels they don't like and/or watch. For example, if you want Fox News but have to get CNN and MSNBC in the package, chances are very good that CNN and MSNBC are getting a chunk of your cable bill.

Yep, that is right. This racket has been so perfected that not only is failure rewarded, the networks can pretty much broadcast whatever they like because ratings don't matter all that much. And when you have 100 channels owned by a half-dozen or so multi-nationals, they are also pretty much boycott proof.

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Saudi Arabia Must Face Sept. 11 Victims In Revived U.S. Lawsuits

NEW YORK — Lawsuits claiming Saudi Arabia aided al-Qaida and should be held liable for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack were revived by a U.S. appeals court in a decision that allows victims and their families another chance to seek compensation from the kingdom.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York Thursday said a lower-court judge “rested on an error of law” in rejecting a request to reopen the cases against the country’s government and an affiliated charity.

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All 3 Branches Of Government Say Mass Spying On Americans Is Unnecessary

Officials in the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government all say that the mass surveillance on Americans’ “metadata” is unnecessary:

- 3 Senators with top secret clearance “have reviewed this surveillance extensively and have seen no evidence that the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records has provided any intelligence of valuethat could not have been gathered through less intrusive means”

- Another Senator with top secret clearance agrees, and so does the congress member who wrote the Patriot Act, and more than 100 congress members from both parties

- As does the official panel created by President Obama to review NSA spying, made up of top former White House officials and other government insiders, including the head of counter-terrorism under Clinton and Bush

- As does former president Clinton (and apparently Carter, as well)

- As do the chairs of the 9/11 Commission which was created by Congress and the White House


- As does a federal judge (and see this)

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Sickened By Service: More US Sailors Claim Cancer From Helping At Fukushima

When the USS Ronald Reagan responded to the tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011, Navy sailors including Quartermaster Maurice Enis gladly pitched in with rescue efforts.

But months later, while still serving aboard the aircraft carrier, he began to notice strange lumps all over his body. Testing revealed he'd been poisoned with radiation, and his illness would get worse. And his fiance and fellow Reagan quartermaster, Jamie Plym, who also spent several months helping near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, also began to develop frightening symptoms, including chronic bronchitis and hemorrhaging.

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‘DUCK DYNASTY’ SO CRUCIAL TO LOUISIANA TOURISM THAT STATE COULD KEEP SHOW GOING IF A&E FLIES COOP: LT. GOV.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s lieutenant governor says the “Duck Dynasty” reality TV show is important to state tourism — and he could help connect the Robertson family with new producers if they cannot reach agreement with the A&E network.

The network suspended patriarch Phil Robertson last week for making controversial comments about homosexuals to GQ magazine.

“Regardless of one’s views on Phil Robertson’s statements, ‘Duck Dynasty’ has been an important representation of the state of Louisiana, inspiring prospective visitors and investors since its debut,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said in a statement emailed Saturday.

Dardenne, who authored the state’s film and TV tax credit program, said he would use his influence in the state’s industry to help the Robertsons.
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One World Leader Still Endorses NSA Spying

All 3 branches of the U.S. government have concluded that the NSA has gone way too far … and that mass surveillance is unnecessary.

The U.N. General Assembly agrees.

But one government leader backs the NSA’s Orwellian spying … former KGB officer Vladamir Putin.

It is obvious that the former Soviet uber-spy’s endorsement is ironic. But there is a second potential explanation.

Putin also has a current net worth alleged to be between $40 billion and $70 billion, and a palace to rival the old monarchs of France.

The real purpose of mass surveillance is economic advantage, diplomatic manipulation, and social control.

The multi-billionaire – whether commie or capitalist – may just want to maintian control and increase his wealth.

Of course, top experts say that mass spying by the NSA makes the Internet more vulnerable to bad guys.

And huge chunks of North American Internet traffic have flowed to Russia and other strange places recently:

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The Gospel According To Peanuts

How A Charlie Brown Christmas almost didn’t happen

Few headlines about network television make me giddy. Fewer still make me hopeful that all is good in the world. But back in August of 2010, I read the following headline from the media pages with great excitement: “Charlie Brown Is Here to Stay: ABC Picks Up ‘Peanuts’ Specials Through 2015.” The first of these to be made, the famous Christmas special, was an instant classic when it was created by Charles Schulz on a shoestring budget back in 1965, and thanks to some smart television executives, it will be around for at least another five years for all of us to see and enjoy.

What people don’t know is that the Christmas special almost didn’t happen, because some not-so-smart television executives almost didn’t let it air. You see, Charles Schulz had some ideas that challenged the way of thinking of those executives 46 years ago, and one of them had to do with the inclusion in his Christmas cartoon of a reading from the King James Bible’s version of the Gospel of Luke.

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FCC Begins Tracking ‘Obama Phone’ Use

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finally started to crack down on waste and fraud in its phone subsidy program for the poor by compiling a database of subscribers.

The $1.85 billion program, called Lifeline, and popularly referred to as the “Obama Phone” program after a viral video of a woman saying she would vote for President Obama because he gave her a free phone, was started in 1984 so that the poor could communicate with families, emergency services, and jobs. The program, which pays for their phone service but not the phones, has been funded by charges on the monthly bills of every landline and wireless-phone customer.

Some of the companies receiving funding through Lifeline offer free phones to subscribers. As of early 2013, Lifeline paid carriers $9.25 per subscriber per month for free or discounted wireless service.

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Washington Has Discredited America

Years ago when I described the George W. Bush regime as a police state, right-wing eyebrows were raised. When I described the Obama regime as an even worse police state, liberals rolled their eyes. Alas! Now I am no longer controversial. Everybody says it.

According to the UK newspaper, The Guardian, the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, had an angry exchange with Obama in which Merkel compared Obama’s National Security Agency (NSA) with the East German Communist Stasi, which spied on everyone through networks of informers.

Merkel grew up in Communist East Germany where she was spied upon by the Stasi, and now that she has risen to the highest political office in Europe’s most powerful state, she is spied upon by “freedom and democracy” America.

A former top NSA official, William Binney, declared that “We (the US) are now in a police state.” The mass spying conducted by the Obama regime, Binney says “is a totalitarian process.”http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/12/former-top-nsa-official-now-police-state.html
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Maryland Adds 8,900 Jobs In November, Unemployment Rate Improves

Maryland added 8,900 jobs in November, sending the state’s unemployment rate down to 6.4 percent and leading to the highest number of private sector jobs for the month since 2007.

The preliminary numbers, released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor, show state businesses created 6,600 jobs in November. The public sector added 2,300 jobs.

The state’s unemployment rate is down from 6.7 percent in October and remains below the national rate of 7.3 percent.
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MARYLAND GAINED 8,900 JOBS IN NOVEMBER

Professional and Business Services sector – which includes
Cybersecurity – added 3,100 jobs

HANOVER, MD – Governor O’Malley announced Maryland’s monthly jobs numbers at KEYW Corp, a Maryland business that provides mission-critical cybersecurity and cyber superiority solutions to defense, intelligence and national security agencies.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary survey data, Maryland created 8,900 total jobs in November. Maryland’s businesses created 6,600 jobs and the public sector gained 2,300 jobs. Despite recent economic headwinds, Maryland is continuing the trend of each month of 2013--posting a higher job count than the same month a year ago. Maryland has added 33,500 jobs since November 2012, an over-the-year increase of 1.3 percent. This November recorded the highest number of private sector jobs for the month since 2007.

Maryland's November (preliminary) unemployment rate is 6.4 percent, down 0.3 of a percentage point from October's unemployment rate of 6.7 percent.

“I’m pleased to announce this latest round of jobs gains on the grounds of one of Maryland’s cybersecurity leaders right here in Hanover. Every choice we make is about creating jobs and expanding opportunities for more Marylanders, “said Governor O’Malley. “Homegrown companies like KEYW are the backbone of our innovation economy and provide hardworking moms and dads across our State with family-sustaining jobs.”

"Working together with the private sector, we're making real progress to grow our economy and create jobs here in Maryland," said Lt. Governor Brown. "By making smart decisions during the toughest economic climate since the Great Depression, we have made Maryland a better place to live, work and raise a family."

“KEYW is changing the face of cybersecurity and they’re contributing to Maryland’s economy in the process. One of our key initiatives is focusing on creating jobs in key growth sectors like cybersecurity. And KEYW is doing just that. They’re employing more than 780 Maryland workers and are poised to hire more,” said Secretary Leonard Howie.

Maryland’s cyber industry employs more than 130,000 Marylanders at over 11,000 businesses generating $11.88 billion in annual wages. In FY2012, Maryland’s cyber industry procured $7.76 billion in federal investment.

According to the data released today the Professional and Business Services sector–which includes cyber security--added 3,100 jobs. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services subsector gained 2,700 jobs and the Administrative and Support Services subsector added 400 jobs. The Natural Resources, Mining & Construction sector gained 2,300 jobs over-the-month, posting the highest percent change (1.5 percent) of any major sector.

Amazing Video: Black People Erupt At Al Sharpton’s Town Hall Meeting

Hat tip to ‘Rebel Pundit’ for this video published on Dec 21, 2013. According to the description:

This past Thursday, a town hall meeting hosted by Al Sharpton and the National Action Network to address gun violence exploded into a revolt against “Chicago Machine” politics, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and black alderman in City Hall with panel and audience members calling to vote out their elected officials. One 82-year-old preacher even called for “Tea Party” style meetings in some of Chicago’s south side communities such as Altgeld Gardens and Trumbull Park.

Take time to watch and enjoy this five minute video and perhaps, just perhaps, some people are starting to wake up. It would behoove the Republican party to engage the inner city communities with policy inclusiveness and hat tip to Senator Rand Paul for his recommendations for Detroit, on issues such as economic empowerment zones, small business growth, school choice, restoration of the black family, and running anti-establishment corrupt politicians.
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