A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So slumbered I, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. 

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. 

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near. 

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

 

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Trooper, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment. It's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said, "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." 

 

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died in Europe on a day in December,"
Then he said,
"That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers." 

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures. He's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and Blue American Flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget. 

 

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."  

Arrest Of David Connor Castellani

A MANUFACTURER FOUND A LOOPHOLE AROUND THAT INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB BAN

With the next phase of the government-mandated phase out of incandescent light bulbs just days away, die hard fans of the traditional yellow glow might not have to flock to their local store and purchase them by basket-full after all.

When the federal ban on producing or importing incandescents of varying watts was passed under the Bush administration, Larry Birnbaum, carrying on the three-generation legacy of his family’s New Jersey-based Light Bulb Store, saw an opportunity.

“100 [watts] are as rare as hens teeth, 75s are in the same direction and 60s, this time next year, most will be almost gone,” said Birnbaum, who added his great-grandfather was friends with the incandescent light bulb inventor Thomas Edison.
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Obscene: Dems Abort Veterans' Benefits--Illegal Aliens' Welfare Stays

In what has to be one of the cruelest Christmas season gestures that America’s veteran families could ever expect, U.S. Senate Democrats traded veterans service for illegal immigrant payday. This is exactly what Democrats did when they sided with giving Illegal aliens continued access to welfare payments over giving veterans cost of living benefits to the tune of $6.2 billion dollars.

This was done over the clear protests of many veteran groups as well as Republican Senators like Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions who strongly objected to the immoral veteran benefits cuts, according to Fox News. The fact that this so-called budget remedy was even suggested in the joint agreement arrived at by Congressman Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, defies commonsense.

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SPD Press Release 12-24-13- Delivery Driver Robbery

Report: Healthcare.gov Couldn't Verify Barack Obama's Identity

President Obama -- not exactly leading by example -- was finally signed up for Obamacare in a symbolic move showing support for his own law. But, Fox News' Ed Henry reported Monday, the healthcare.gov system couldn't verify his identity, so his staff had to sign him up in person.

The reason, Henry said, is that Obama's personal information is not in particular government data bases.

"So healthcare.gov could not actually verify his identity, oddly enough," Henry said.
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Crazy Start To Winter In Maryland, Nationwide

Winter storms that brought everything from balmy temperatures to ice, snow and flooding across the U.S. could leave some people in the dark for Christmas.

Early Monday, about half the 440,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England without power from weekend storms had electricity. Another 400,000 people in eastern Canada were without lights at the peak.

The outages could linger for some.
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Money

Three Generations. One Duck Related Dynasty. The Robertson

Ammo Prices About To Go Up As EPA Forces Industry To Switch To ‘Green’ Ammo

A more expensive copper-based bullets will the only kind of ammo being made in the states as the EPA has banned lead ammunition due to the environment..and there’s not a single iota of performance increase from switching lead out for copper:

FOX NEWS – When the last bullet-producing lead smelter closes its doors on Dec. 31, it will mark a major victory for those who say lead-based ammunition pollutes the environment, but others warn ‘green’ bullets will cost more, drive up copper prices and do little to help conservation.

The bid to ban lead bullets, seen by some as harmful to the environment, started slowly more than a decade ago. But with two dozen states, including California, banning bullets made of the soft, heavy metal, the lead bullet’s epitaph was already being written when the federal government finished it off.

First, the military announced plans to phase out lead bullets by 2018.

Then the federal Environmental Protection Agency, citing emissions, ordered the shutdown of the Doe Run company’s lead smelter in Herculaneum, Mo., by year’s end.

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A CHART OF SOME OF THE WILDEST CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT ACTUALLY TURNED OUT TO BE TRUE!

Have you heard about the United States government’s top-secret heart attack gun? Did you know the Federal Bureau of Investigation poisoned alcohol during prohibition? Was the government thinking about developing a super-secret “gay bomb”?

Chances are you’re familiar with at least one of the above questions. If you are, you also probably know that most of what you’ve heard is nonsense.

However, as noted in the following chart from Criminal Justice Degree Hub, a site dedicated to law education, there is a small kernel of truth to be found in many of the more popular conspiracy theories from the 20th century.
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A&E Really Wanted To Tell You A Story “Bout A Man Named Jed”

I’ve been learning more, over the past few days, about Duck Dynasty.

This narrative makes a lot of sense:

Duck Dynasty is not the show that they wanted, it is the show that got away from them.

It seems what the producers intended and what A&E envisioned with the show is much different than the show that they ended up with, but they didn’t do anything about it because it was so wildly popular and so wildly profitable. But even with all the money, they have never really been comfortable with what happened.

This is what happened. The whole idea of the show was to parade these nouveau riche Christian hillbillies around so that we could laugh at them. “Look at them,” we were supposed to say. “Look how backward they are! Look what they believe! Can you believe they really live this way and believe this stuff? See how they don’t fit in? HAHAHA”

When the producers saw the way the show was shaping up, different than they envisioned it, they tried to change course. They tried to get the Robertson’s to tone down their Christianity, but to their eternal credit they refused. They tried to add fake cussin’ to the show by inserting bleeps where no cussword was uttered. At best, they wanted to make the Robertson’s look like crass buffoons. At worst they wanted them to look like hypocrites.

They desperately wanted us to laugh at the Robertsons. Instead, we loved them.

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Iran Plans to Launch an Electro-Magnetic Pulse Nuclear War Against the US

Ayatollah warns U.S. needs punch on the mouth. Iran’s spiritual leader says nuke plan to continue.

The spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is warning the U.S. to stay out of his country’s business and, in particular, its nuclear program, which is set to resume this week. Speaking on a tour of southeast Iran, Khamenei said the US “deserved a punch in the mouth.”

From where does this brashness come? It comes from Iran’s plans to launch an Electro-Magnetic Pulse Nuclear war against the USA and Europe, crippling the West in the War on terror. 
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Ask A Veteran About Government Health Insurance

The way benefits are handled by the Department of Veterans Affairs can tell us something about government health care.

Charles Skipper is an American hero. A retired member of the United States Army, he served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. A battlefield injury cut short his tour of duty — a tour which earned him two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a lifelong battle with post traumatic stress disorder.

But you wouldn't know that he's a hero by the way he's been treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Six years after filing a disability claim, he's still waiting for resolution. Those years have been filled with paperwork, unfulfilled promises and a bureaucratic mess that makes Charles fight back tears.

Now he has a warning for America: "If you really want to know what Obamacare is going to be like, just look at the VA system."

His experience is not unique. Too many of America's veterans have suffered at the hands of the VA, where the federal government is both the middleman and the manager of their care. Their experiences thus provide a unique window into Obamacare's future.

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Chick-Phil-A Day

Join the movement to support Chick-fil-a and Phil Robertson by wearing cam/Duck Commander gear to eat at a Chick-fil-a on January 21, 2014.

Holy Cow

When Reddit-user Rachel signed up for an online “Secret Santa” gift exchange, she had no idea who might pick her name. So, she was pretty surprised when she received a personal gift from the one-and-only Bill Gates. Rachel said she ripped open the package marked “To Rachel, From Bill” before realizing exactly which Bill had sent her a travel book and a stuffed cow. She then read the card, which was signed by the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, and included a picture of him holding her present for authenticity. Bill Gates wrote “My Secret Santa present to you is a cow! Don't worry – you will not have to build a barn. This cow will be given to a family in need, in your name, through Heifer International.” Rachel posted on Reddit that she was happy that a donation to charity was made in her name. She said, “I was so excited, the cause seemed really worthy and amazing, and it is the season of giving,” and she thanked Bill for the thoughtful gift. She also included an apology about the list of gift suggestions she posted for her Secret Santa. She wrote, “Sorry for the Apple iPad on my wish-list...that was really awkward.”

Hello Santa?

CBP Seizes 128 Pounds Of Cocaine In Baltimore

BALTIMORE (AP) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its officers discovered nearly 128 pounds of cocaine inside a shipping container in Baltimore.

The container was from Colon, Panama. CBP says it's the largest such seizure in Baltimore since 2007.

The container was full of car parts, but CBP officers say they spotted something unusual with imaging technology. Inside, they found two gym bags, each containing 50 bricks of powder cocaine.

The street value of the drug is estimated at $4 million.
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Radiation Levels Down But Some Areas Still Spiking

According to RadCast.org, radiation levels around most of our nation are coming down a bit, but some areas are still spiking. Philadelphia is reporting levels of 44 counts per minute, with spikes of 71, and Chicopee, Massachusetts is averaging 42, with highs of 66. Frederic, Wisconsin is hovering at 48 counts per minute, with spikes of 69, and Burlington, Colorado is seeing an average of 55, with peaks of 95. Henderson, Nevada is averaging 48 counts per minute, with spikes of 72, and Tucson, Arizona is sitting at 51, but counts there are spiking to 119. Seattle, Washington is reporting levels of 30, with highs of 47, and Oakland, California is averaging 32, with spikes of 65. RadCast.org's alert level is 100 counts per minute, but they remind us that there is no safe level of radiation.

Finding Jesus: GPS Trackers Help Churches Find Dolls Stolen From Creche Scenes

GPS is helping people find Jesus.

The technology can't do much to help sinners find salvation, but it is helping churches recover baby Jesus dolls when they are stolen from nativity scenes, a crime that happens all too often, according to the faithful.

"We have even seen contests where the teenagers compete to see who can gather the most baby Jesuses," said Todd Morris, CEO of BrickHouse Security, which provides GPS trackers, free of charge, to churches to install in the dolls.
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Punishment After Serving Time

The supposed purpose of jail is making people pay for their crimes. But, even after someone has completed their sentence, their criminal record can keep punishing them for life. Even though it's illegal, many employers reject applicants, or even fire workers, because of a criminal record. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are only allowed to consider criminal records as one factor in the hiring process, and only if the conviction is directly related to the work. However, many employers aren't following that guideline, and the 65 million Americans with a criminal record can find it disproportionately harder to find, or to keep, a full-time job. People convicted for non-violent or drug-related crimes can find it nearly impossible to achieve a stable economic existence, and their loss translates into bigger problems for local governments. Cities and states can be denied important tax revenue, employers can exploit workers and keep area wages low, and communities are missing out on all that productivity. Once someone completes a sentence, they've paid for their crime – and that price shouldn't include their entire economic future.

Karl Pierson Was A Pro-Abortion, Anti-Gun, Anti-War Socialist Democrat

In other news, the shooter was a self-proclaimed socialist, as reported by the Denver Post.

Excerpt:

Pierson’s parents divorced in late 2011, according to court records. The divorce was finalized in August 2012.

Thomas Conrad, who had an economics class with Pierson, described him as very opinionated.

“He was exuberant, I guess,” Conrad said. “A lot of people picked on him, but it didn’t seem to bother him.”

In one Facebook post, Pierson attacks the philosophies of economist Adam Smith, who through his invisible-hand theory pushed the notion that the free market was self-regulating. In another post, he describes himself as “Keynesian.”
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NYC Adds E-Cigarettes To The List Of Things You Can’t Smoke In Many Public Places

New York City has had a strict ban on smoking in many public places like bars, restaurants, workplaces, stores and since 2002, with the addition of parks and public plazas in 2011. But even if that smoke isn’t really smoke, and is vapor from an e-cigarette, well now you can’t do that either, after Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped push a measure through the city council that extends the smoking ban to e-cigs.

The New York City Council passed the measure in a 43-8 vote in the last council meeting of 2013, perfect timing for the outgoing Mayor Bloomberg. If his critics called his a nanny administration before, well, at least he went out with a consistent bang?

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What You Haven't Heard About The Phil Robertson Interview

While most of the Main Stream Media wants you to believe Phil Robertson's interview with GQ was about his opinion on gays, there was actually another area the media also used that hasn't been discussed much.

They wanted you to believe he also attacked black America. Yet when I went back and read the interview, here's what I found.

Phil On Growing Up in Pre-Civil-Rights-Era Louisiana
“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

The reason I went back to read the interview was because a friend tried to tell me that he had attacked black people as well and quite frankly I just couldn't believe what they were saying. Of course once I read it I was right. There's not one attack. 

Again, this is an interview in which they were asking for Phil's OPINION. He only expanded upon HIS experiences and what he saw. 

Seaford Man In Custody After Fleeing From Police In Tractor Trailer

Location:  Mike's Clearance Center, 36404 Sussex Highway, Delmar, DE
Seaford Concrete, 20956 Coverdale Road, Bridgeville, DE

Date of Occurrence: Tuesday December 24, 2013 at approximately 2:50 a.m.

Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:

Christopher N. Cornish, 44, Seaford, DE (Photo Attached)
Attempted Burglary 3rd
Theft of a Motor Vehicle
Criminal Mischief (2 counts)
Various Traffic Offenses

To be arraigned on these and other charges at a later date and time. He was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in lieu of $40,000.00 cash bond on four outstanding capiases for Violation of Probation.

Resume:
Delmar, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a Seaford man after he led them and other police agencies on an hour and a half long pursuit in a tractor trailer.

Troopers were called to Mike's Clearance Center located at 36404 Sussex Highway in Delmar, Delaware around 2:50 a.m. after a neighbor heard a noise coming from the business and observed a 10 wheeled day cab tractor had backed into the door of a shed on the property. As troopers and officers from Delmar Police Department were responding to the area, the subject, who was later identified as Christopher Cornish, drove off in the Peterbuilt truck but was followed by the witness who gave up to date locations of the large vehicle. Within minutes of the officers arrival, the truck fled into Maryland where troopers from Maryland State Police, officers from Salisbury Police Department, and Deputies from Wicomico County Sheriff's Office continued the pursuit. Approximately 45 minutes into the chase, the truck re-entered Delaware and began traveling north on US13. At one point the 10 wheeled vehicle began heading northbound in the southbound lanes just north of Seaford. The truck, which was now operating on flat tires due to Stop Stick devices deployed by agencies in Maryland, continued its attempt to elude law enforcement agencies at speeds less than 40 mph. The big rig then made a U-turn on Garden Lane and began heading southbound on US13 before entering into Seaford city limits where the vehicle came to a stop behind the McDonalds. Cornish was quickly taken into custody without further incident.

Further investigation revealed the 2013 Peterbuilt 10 wheeled day cab tractor had been stolen from Seaford Concrete located at 20956 Coverdale Road in Bridgeville earlier that night. The truck was then driven down to Delmar where Cornish was attempting to steal a vehicle that was being stored in the shed located at Mike's Clearance Center.

Christopher Cornish was transported back to Troop 5 in Bridgeville where he was arraigned and committed to SCI on $40,000 cash bond four capiases out of Sussex County Superior Court for Violation of Probation. A computer check revealed he was also wanted out of Troop 5 for incidents that occurred in early November and mid-December that included Receiving Stolen Property, Theft, and other traffic violations. He is also wanted out of Harrington Police Department, Bridgeville Police Department, and Seaford Police Department for various offenses. He will be formally charged with the above listed crimes at a later date and time. Agencies in Maryland may have additional charges stemming from the pursuit.

Verizon Says It Will Publish Reports On Law Enforcement Requests For Phone Records

In the ongoing brouhaha over the National Security Agency’s data-collecting, Verizon announced last night that it will publish information about how many requests it received from various law enforcement agencies this year for customer records.

The reports will be ready for the public early next year online, and Verizon will update it twice a year from then on, reports the Associated Press. Included in the reports will be how many requests Verizon received from law enforcement in criminal cases.

It’ll then break that down into which requests included subpoenas, court orders and warrants, as well as other details about the requests.

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CHEX MIX & SQUIRRELS

I made some Chex Mix the other day and yesterday was transferring it to Xmas cans for family & friends and spilled some on the floor so I swept it out on our deck thinking maybe the birds would enjoy it rather than just throwing it away. Well this morning we have a family of squirrels that are really enjoying it and chasing each other around on the deck, they are having loads of fun and are even coming up and looking towards the kitchen door at us. Even the creatures are happy, happy, happy.

Help! Lost Dog! 12-24-13: UPDATE

She's been found. A lady named Kelly found her and she took her to the humane society. She is safe and in an indoor run. I can get her back when they open. Thank you so much for helping me find our girl!
Hi Joe- 

My name is Alyssa and I need your help. Our German Shepherd is missing. She got out last night and we have been searching for her ever since. She is 10 years old, Black and Tan, 70 pounds with a purple collar. Her name is Madison and responds to Maddy and Maddy girl as well. She is very sweet and very smart. She is a retired K9 from Delaware state police and has a tattoo in her ear. She is currently under a vets care for arthritis in her hips and back and nutrient absorption issues. She is thin and requires medicine and vitamins daily. My children and I are worried sick. We have called all the local vets, the sheriff's department, animal control, humane society and I have put her on findfido.com and Craigslist. If you could post this on your site as well, I would really appreciate it. I can be reached at 443-859-7725. Thank you for your help. Merry Christmas!

Area of Nanticoke Rd. and Wolfe Creek Development.

Federal Employees To Get 1 Percent Pay Raise In January

President Barack Obama signed an executive order Monday making a 1 percent across-the-board pay raise for government employees a reality and ending a three-year federal pay freeze.

The President included the pay raise in his 2014 budget proposal. The 1 percent increase will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

"Today's announcement by the President provides much-needed relief for America's hard-working, middle-class federal employees whose paychecks have been frozen while the cost of gas, groceries and housing has increased," said Joseph A. Beaudoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, in a statement. "As the pay gap between private- and public- sector workers has grown, ending the three-year pay freeze for public workers is an important investment in maintaining the strength of the federal workforce."

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, praised the first cost-of-living adjustment federal employees have had in four years.

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NSA Lawsuit Attorney: Ignore White House Panel

Larry Klayman says he's horrified by suggestion that 'fat and happy' firms take over from 'in our underwear' NSA

Larry Klayman, the former Reagan administration prosecutor who won a preliminary injunction Dec. 16 against the government's collection of all American phone records, says the White House's surveillance review panel should be ignored.

The five-member panel released a 303-page report Dec. 18 containing 46 recommended changes to intelligence practices.

"It's a ruse," Klayman tells U.S. News. "This is an age-old government practice: When caught with their hand in the cookie jar, they come up with a 'solution.'" The practice is somewhat similar to advocating a law outlawing murder after killing someone, he says.

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Today's Survey Question 12-24-13

Did you travel for the Holidays?

Deputies Break Into Wrong House

Santa Tracker

Click HERE to track Santa. 
There are also other activities for children on this website.

Smart Dog Drives Smart Car

Celebrated Physicist Calls IPCC Summary ‘Deeply Unscientific’

Among the documents recently submitted to a UK Parliamentary committee, a live grenade nestles in the straw.

It was written by a scientific luminary, Pierre Darriulat. For nearly 50 years, his professional life has been devoted to particle physics, nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, and astrophysics. For seven years, he was Director of Research at CERN – one of the world’s largest, most famous, and respected laboratories.

The biography included with his submission tells us that Darriulat was spokesperson for one of the two experiments that simultaneously discovered the weak bosons and gave evidence for quarks and gluons being produced in the form of hadronic jets.

He is the recipient of prestigious science honours, and advises us that his “scientific work is recognized by the international community.”

Now let us recollect that Al Gore says the climate debate is about “high school physics.” And let us recall that Martin O’Malley, the Governor of Maryland, hassuggested that climate change (by which he means dangerous, human-caused climate change) is scientifically as uncontested as gravity. In his words, “It is physics, pure and simple.”

The implication of this line of argument is clear. If you don’t think climate change is a planetary emergency you’re a dunce – a scientific know-nothing who should keep quiet and accept the judgment of your intellectual superiors.

In light of their public statements, one would expect Messrs Gore and O’Malley to be keenly interested in what a renowned physicist has to say about the recent Summary for Policymakers (SPM) released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). That’s the document that was drafted by 65 hand-picked IPCC personnel.

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Santa Snooping

How Did Your Holiday Shopping Go This Year?

Hollywod Just “Ducked” Themselves

Something amazing is happening in America. An awakening. More people showed support for Phil Robertson (the star of “Duck Dynasty”) in 24 hours than signed up for Obamacare in its first few months. Which means at this point in time, Americans are starting to come to the conclusion we’d be better off with a duck hunter in the White House than Obama. Heck, we couldn’t possibly do any worse.

Hollywood really stepped in it this time (must have been duck poop). The result is ironically, Christians are coming out of the closet! In other words, the tables have turned. Middle America is waking up from the shock, disarray, intimidation and distractions of the Obama years. We're not scared of the PC police anymore. We are free to express ourselves, and we don't really give a "duck" what Hollywood, or Obama, or the thought police thinks about our opinions. Which must scare Hollywood to death.

A duck hunter has inspired us. Emboldened us. And what middle America is saying out loud is, “We have rights too. We deserve free speech too. We’ve had enough of your oppression and intolerance towards our values and beliefs-and we’re NOT going to take it anymore.”

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OC Food Pantry Finds Temporary Home After Fire

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) - The Shepherd's Crook food pantry has found a temporary location home on Ocean City's boardwalk after a fire destroyed its location at St. Paul's By-The-Sea.

The food pantry is now open in Conner's Beach Cafe on the Boardwalk, less than a block away from the church, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The pantry operated out of a mini-van after the November fire at the parish hall.

Pantry administrator Bruce Young says most of their regulars have found the new location. There isn't room for the racks of clothing, but volunteers keep some on hand to fulfill requests.

Young says they are grateful to church members and cafe owners Kevin and Jackie Ball, who offered the space since the cafe is typically closed until mid-February.
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Hiding The Hacking At Healthcare.gov

If your personal info is filched from the site, the government doesn’t have to tell you.

Christmas shoppers were stunned to learn last Thursday that computer hackers had made off with the names and other personal info of some 40 million Target customers. Some of the pilfered information is reportedly being sold on the black market, prompting JP Morgan Chase to limit purchases and cash withdrawals on debit cards owned by recent Target shoppers.

But at least Target informed its customers of the security breach, as it is required by federal law to do. HealthCare.gov faces no such requirement; it need never notify customers that their personal information has been hacked or possibly compromised. The Department of Health and Human Services was specifically asked to include a notification requirement in the rules it designed for the health-care exchanges, but HHS declined.

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Caption This Photo 12-24-13

Holiday Legal Update & Red Light District

Housing Discrimination Complaint Dismissed

Red Light District Adult Superstore Out of Compliance

Housing Discrimination Complaint: SAPOA v. City of Salisbury

“The issues for investigation were whether the City of Salisbury’s practice of challenging the legality of multifamily structures, and requiring the conversion of some structures back to single-family homes, has a disparate impact on minorities and has the effect of denying or making housing unavailable for minorities.

Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, HUD has determined that no reasonable cause exists to believe that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred. Accordingly, HUD has completed its administrative processing of this complaint under the Act, and the compliant is hereby dismissed.”

Conclusion:

“Based on the evidence analyzed in this case, the Department finds there is no reasonable cause to believe that the Respondents’ (City) practice had a disparate impact on African-Americans or other racial minorities”

Red Light District Superstore Out of Compliance

On December 11, 2013, the City of Salisbury conducted an inspection of the Red Light District Superstore. The inspection revealed that 25% of the usable floor space of the facility is being used for display of “adult entertainment” material. The Red Light District has 2 options:

Make improvements to the facility to come into compliance
Appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals

If the required corrections are not made by January 9, 2014, the owners of the Red Light District will receive a municipal infraction of $500.00 a day until the property come into compliance.

Mayor Ireton said, “On the SAPOA complaint, we have always known that city had no racial bias in discussing the conversion of non-conforming use properties back to single family dwellings. This issue, and the ongoing discussion of revitalization of our neighborhoods will continue. The amount of money that SAPOA has spent to claim bias by the city is incredible, though not anywhere near the amount of money some landlords are making on non-conforming rentals.”

On the Red Light District, the city continues to be vigilant in making sure the facility is compliant. That vigilance will continue. Based on city research, businesses of this type have consistently found a way to skirt municipal law. That is the case when doing a simple online Google search and is indicative of many cases up and down the eastern seaboard.”

What ObamaCare is Really About

I'm a 54 year old consulting engineer and make between $60,000 and $125,000 per year, depending on how hard I work and whether or not there are work projects out there for me.

My girlfriend is 61 and makes about $18,000 per year, working as a part-time mail clerk.

For me, making $60,000 a year, under ObamaCare, the cheapest, lowest grade policy I can buy, which also happens to impose a $5,000 deductible, costs $482 per month.

For my girlfriend, the same exact policy, same deductible, costs $1 per month. That's right, $1 per month. I'm not making this up.

Don't believe me? Just go to www.coveredca.gov , the ObamaCare website for California and enter the parameters I've mentioned above and see for yourself. By the way, my zip code is 93940. You'll need to enter that.

So OK, clearly ObamaCare is a scheme that involves putting the cost burden of healthcare onto the middle and upper-income wage earners. But there's a lot more to it. Stick with me.

And before I make my next points, I'd like you to think about something:

I live in Monterey County, in Central California. We have a large land mass but just 426,000 residents - about the population of Colorado Springs or the city of Omaha.

But we do have a large Hispanic population, including a large number of illegal aliens, and to serve this group we have Natividad Medical Center, a massive, Federally subsidized county medical complex that takes up an area about one-third the size of the Chrysler Corporation automobile assembly plant in Belvedere, Illinois (see Google Earth View). Natividad has state-of-the-art operating rooms, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fully equipped, 24 hour emergency room, and much more. If you have no insurance, if you've been in a drive-by shooting or have overdosed on crack cocaine, this is where you go. And it's essentially free, because almost everyone who ends up in the ER is uninsured.

Last year, 2,735 babies were born at Natividad. 32% of these were born to out-of-wedlock teenage mothers, 93% of which were Hispanic. Less than 20% could demonstrate proof of citizenship, and 71% listed their native language as Spanish. Of these 876 births, only 40 were covered under [any kind of] private health insurance. The taxpayers paid for the other 836. And in case you were wondering about the entire population - all 2,735 births - less than 24% involved insured coverage or even partial payment on behalf of the patient to the hospital in exchange for services. Keep this in mind as we move forward.

Now consider this:

If I want to upgrade my policy to a low-deductible premium policy, such as what I had with my last employer, my cost is $886 per month. But my girlfriend can upgrade her policy to the very same level, for just $4 per month. That's right, $4 per month. $48 per year for a zero-deductible, premium healthcare policy - the kind of thing you get when you work at IBM (except of course, IBM employees pay an average of $170 per month out of pocket for their coverage).

I mean, it's bad enough that I will be forced to subsidize the ObamaCare scheme in the first place. But even if I agreed with the basic scheme, which of course I do not, I would never agree to subsidize premium policies. If I have to pay $482 a month for a budget policy, I sure as hell do not want the guy I'm subsidizing to get a better policy, for less that 1% of what I have to fork out each month for a low-end policy.

Why must I pay $482 per month for something the other guy gets for a dollar? And why should the other guy get to buy an $886 policy for $4 a month? Think about this: I have to pay $10,632 a year for the same thing that the other guy can get for $48. $10,000 of net income is 60 days of full time work as an engineer. $48 is something I could could pay for collecting aluminum cans and plastic bottles, one day a month.

Are you with me on this? Are you starting to get an idea what ObamaCare is really about?

ObamaCare is not about dealing with inequities in the healthcare system. That's just the cover story. The real story is that it is a massive, political power grab. Do you think anyone who can insure himself with a premium policy for $4 a month will vote for anyone but the political party that provides him such a deal? ObamaCare is about enabling, subsizdizing, and expanding the Left's political power base, at taxpayer expense. Why would I vote for anyone but a Democrat if I can have babies for $4 a month? For that matter, why would I go to college or strive for a better job or income if it means I have to pay real money for healthcare coverage? Heck, why study engineering when I can be a schlub for $20K per year and buy a new F-150 with all the money I'm saving?

And think about those $4-a-month babies - think in terms of propagation models. Think of just how many babies will be born to irresponsible, under-educated mothers. Will we get a new crop of brain surgeons and particle physicists from the dollar baby club, or will we need more cops, criminal courts and prisons? One thing you can be certain of: At $4 a month, they'll multiply, and multiply, and multiply. And not one of them will vote Republican.

ObamaCare: It's all about political power.

SPD Pres Release 12-24-13

Top Secret Drum Corps - Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2012

Name Them and Shame Them: 13 Democrats Who Knew You’d Lose Your Health Insurance But Promised You Could Keep It

WCSO Press Release 12-24-13

1.      On20 Nov 2013 at 10:43 PM a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Nicole Morris Twiford, 46 of Salisbury, for erratic driving and crossing a double yellow line. The deputy subsequently arrested Twiford for DUI. Twiford was released on Personal Recognizance after an appearance in front of a District Court Commissioner.

2.      On20 Nov 2013 at 11:15 PM a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by John Mark Smith,40 of Salisbury, for speeding and crossing a double yellow line. The deputy subsequently arrested Smith for DUI. Smith was released upon the issuance of citations.

3.      On21 Dec 2013 at 2:49 PM, a deputy investigated a reported altercation at the Prince Street Elementary School playground. During the reported incident, a juvenile assaulted another juvenile during an argument. The offending juvenile was charged on a juvenile referral that will be submitted to the Department of Juvenile Services for adjudication

4.      On21 Dec 2013 at 3:51 AM, a deputy checked on a passed-out patron at the Royal Farms Store on Ocean Gateway in Hebron. The deputy was concerned after discovering the subject in an unresponsive state while sitting inside the store. Upon getting the subject to wake-up, the deputy discovered that not only was he under the influence of alcohol but in possession of what was recognized as marijuana. The subject, Walter David Elsey, 23 of Salisbury, was charged on a Criminal Citation.

5.      On22 Dec 2013 at 10:06 AM, a deputy investigated a reported altercation at a residence in the 500 block of E. College Avenue in Salisbury. Investigation revealed that a 13 year old female became involved in an argument with her mother over Facebook when the juvenile threatened her mother with a large knife. The juvenile was arrested and detained by juvenile authorities in the Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center.

Incident: Theft

Date of Incident: 20 Dec 2013

Location: 9400 block of Ocean Highway, Delmar, MD

Suspect: Tressa Lynn Sample, 42,Delmar, MD

                                 

Narrative: On 20 December 2013 a deputy began an investigation into the theft of night deposits from a motel in the 9400 block of Ocean Highway by a store employee. The deputy learned that the employee,Tressa Sample, took two night deposits totaling over $1,000.00. The deputy also learned that the employee also removed property of the motel and sold it at a local pawn store.

The deputy placed Sample under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Sample on Personal Recognizance.

  

Charges: Theft over $1,000.00

Incident: Possession of a Handgun

Date of Incident: 21 Dec 2013

Location: Log Cabin Rd at Naylor Mill Rd Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Issac Tyrone Jones, 28,Cambridge, MD

                                 

Narrative: On 21 December 2013 at 1:41 AM, a deputy stopped a vehicle in which Issac Jones was a passenger for a traffic violation. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy observed that Jones had just placed an object between his legs. Upon shining a flashlight on that area the deputy observed what he recognized as a semi-automatic handgun. The deputy detained Jones and subsequently recovered the handgun which was found to not only be loaded but to have a round already chambered ready to fire.

The deputy also discovered that the handgun had been reported stolen back in April 2013.Additionally, the deputy learned that Jones had previous criminal convictions that made him prohibited from possession of a regulated firearm.

The deputy placed Jones under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Jones in the Detention Center on a bond of $70,000.00.

  

Charges: Firearm Possession by Prohibited Person

                 Possession of a Stolen Firearm

                 Handgun in a Vehicle

                 Handgun on Person

Incident: Possession of CDS / Drug Paraphernalia

Date of Incident: 21 Dec 2013

Location: Northpointe Drive at Rt. 13, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Brooke E. Joseph, 22,Willards, MD

                                 

Narrative: On 21 December 2013 at 11:46 AM, a deputy stopped a vehicle in which Brooke Joseph was a passenger. During the ensuing encounter,the deputy searched the vehicle and recovered marijuana that was linked to Joseph. Further search of the vehicle and Joseph’s purse revealed syringes that had been used to inject heroin.

The deputy placed Joseph under arrest and transported her to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Joseph in the Detention Center in lieu of$5,000.00 bond.

  

Charges: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

                  Possession of Marijuana

         

Incident: Assault

Date of Incident: 21 Dec 2013

Location: 24000 block of Ocean Gateway, Mardela Springs, MD

Suspect: Derek A. Maynard, 43, Mardela Springs, MD

                                 

Narrative: On 21 December 2013 at   11:16PM, a deputy responded to a residence in the 24000 block of Ocean Gateway for are ported disturbance. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that a female resident there had been reportedly assaulted by her husband. According to the victim,her husband punched her in the face and tried to choke her. During the investigation, the deputy observed signs of injury on the female that corroborated her account.

The deputy placed the husband, Derek Maynard, under arrest and transported him to the Central booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Maynard in the Detention Center in lieu of $60,000.00 bond.

Charges: Assault1^st Degree

                 Assault 2^nd Degree

Incident: Possession of CDS

Date of Incident: 22 December 2013

Location: U.S. 13 at Dagsboro Road, Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Keith Albert Jackson, 31,Philadelphia, PA

                                 

Narrative: On 22 December 2013 at 8:17 PM, a deputy stopped a vehicle operated by Keith Jackson for an equipment violation. Upon approach to the vehicle, the deputy detected a strong odor of what was recognized as marijuana. Upon a search of Jackson, the deputy recovered a baggie containing what was identified as that drug. During the encounter, Jackson attempted to provide the deputy with a false name by changing his middle name and date of birth but the deputy located a Pennsylvania Identification Card that positively identified Jackson.

The deputy also discovered that Jackson’s privilege to drive had been revoked by the State of Pennsylvania.

The deputy placed Jackson under arrest and transported him to the Central Booking unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Jackson in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana

                  False Identity to Avoid Prosecution

                  Driving While Revoked

             

                                                                          

Releasing Authority: Lt. Tim Robinson        Date:  23 December 2013

WHERE DID THAT MONEY GO?

THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S CALCULATION OF AVAILABLE SOCIAL SECURITY IS THEY FORGOT TO FIGURE IN THE PEOPLE WHO DIED BEFORE THEY EVER COLLECTED A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK!!!

WHERE DID THAT MONEY GO?

Remember, not only did you and I contribute to Social Security but your employer did, too.
It totaled 15% of your income before taxes.
If you averaged only $30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500.
Read that again.
Did you see where the Government paid in one single penny?
We are talking about the money you and your employer put in a Government bank to insure you and I that we would have a retirement check from the money we put in, not the Government.
Now they are calling the money we put in "AN ENTITLEMENT" when we reach the age to take it back.

If you calculate the future invested value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a simple 5% interest (less than what the Government pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working you'd
have $892,919.98.

If you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30 years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit!
If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month.

A quote from a retired woman: “Another thing with me.... I have two deceased husbands who died in their 50's, (one was 51 and the other one was 59 before one percent of their social security could be drawn.
I worked all my life and am drawing 100% on my own social security).
Their S.S. money will never have one cent drawn from what they paid into S.S. all their lives.”

THE FOLKS IN WASHINGTON HAVE PULLED OFF A BIGGER PONZI SCHEME THAN BERNIE MADOFF EVER DID.

Entitlement my foot, I paid cash for my social security insurance!
Just because they borrowed the money for other government spending, doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout!!

Remember Congressional benefits? --- free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days.
Now that's welfare, and they have the nerve to call my social security retirement payments entitlements?

We're "broke" and we can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, or Homeless.
Yet in the last few months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile and Turkey .
And now Pakistan ......home of bin Laden.
Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!
And they can't help our own citizens in New York and New Jersey !


They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives, and now, when it's time for us to collect, the government is running out of money.
Why did the government borrow from it in the first place?
It was supposed to be in a locked box, not part of the general fund.