Three Nutritious, Gluten-Free Alternatives To White Flour

It’s not difficult to find research lamenting the poor nutritional value of enriched white flour. Consuming this omniscient flour – which has been processed, bleached, and stripped of all its nutrients – has been repeatedly linked to constipation, diabetes, cancer, and more. Often, these conditions are related to white flour’s notoriously high concentrations of gluten, which negatively affects the health of most people – not just those with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease.

Fortunately, we don’t have to give up baked foods to remain healthy. A growing number of nutritious and gluten-free alternatives to white flour are available to purchase online or in health food stores, and several of them maintain (or improve upon) its taste and texture. The best of them are listed below.

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a sweet-tasting, low GI flour derived from coconut meat. Though it doesn’t taste strongly of coconuts, it does contain all their health benefits. For example, one tablespoon of coconut flour contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber, which is double the amount of fiber as wheat bran and 20 times as much fiber as white flour. Coconut flour is also high in protein and low in fat. Long-term consumption of it has been linked to reduced blood pressure and blood sugar, improved thyroid function, increased energy, and even a boosting of testosterone levels.

Though its clumpy texture might take some getting used to, baking with coconut flour is fun and many recipes accommodate it. That said, coconut flour is best-suited to baked desserts such as muffins, pancakes, and waffles.

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New Cameras Target Drivers Passing Stopped Buses

ROCKVILLE, Md. -New cameras are keeping watch for motorists who pass stopped school buses in Montgomery County.

The new enforcement program starts Thursday, when students return to classes.

County police say over winter break several buses were equipped with cameras that record vehicles passing stopped buses with activated flashing red lights. The department will review violations and citations with $125 fines will be mailed to the registered owner.

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Baltimore Officers Had Warrant For Dead Son's Arrest

Over several decades, William Holmes opened his door to more than 200 foster children, but this is the first time in his 90 years that police have forced their way in.

The man that police sought, Edgar Holmes, was wanted for threatening his former girlfriend with her life, but there was a problem.

"They came here to basically search for a ghost because my brother passed away in 2011," said Edgar’s sister, Mary Burnett, as she displayed a copy of the death certificate.

It was the same document the family had presented to sheriff's deputies and police officers on two other occasions when they stopped by the house in the week leading up to the raid.
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Best Of Web 4, Check This Out!

Petition Drive Starts To Put College Gun Ban On Colo. Ballot

DENVER — Colorado’s gun control debate is moving out of the state Capitol and straight to voters.

A group of gun control supporters got permission Thursday to start gathering signatures for a ballot measure to ban concealed weapons on public college campuses.

The decision comes as Democratic leaders in state government insist they don’t want to pass any new gun laws this year, seeking to move on from a divisive year mired in gun debates that prompted recalls of two lawmakers and the resignation of a third.
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"Conservatism" Rejects Libertarianism

For reasons surpassing understanding the “Republican” establishment has made eliminating the libertarian wing of its own party priority No. 1 heading into the 2014 elections.

Rather than joining pro-freedom, pro-free market leaders like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Justin Amash in standing up to the increasingly radical administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and his congressional allies, the GOP establishment has continued to demonize the handful of elected officials actually standing for the ideological principles articulated (if not acted upon) by generations of GOP politicians.

Why is the GOP establishment doing this? Well, we all know why … don’t we? Because in Washington, D.C. the two major parties differ on very little of real substance – a view lent eloquent expression in this guest column by former S.C. Treasurer Thomas Ravenel.

The same special interests pull the strings of both establishment parties … which in turn have pulled our purse strings to the tune of trillions of dollars in deficit spending under the previous two administrations.

Nonetheless this week two establishment Republicans who served the administration of “Republican” president George W. Bush posted a lengthy rebuke of rabble rousing libertarians like us – arguing that our “negative approach to the question of the role of government is not only electorally insufficient – it is unbecoming of conservatism and of the deep commitment that conservatives claim to the nation’s founding ideals.”

Really? Are “Republicans” seriously lecturing us about electoral insufficiency?

Because the last time we checked that term defined the GOP.

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UPDATE FOURTH ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED

UPDATE TO PRESS RELEASE FOURTH SUSPECT LOCATED AND ARRESTED

On 1/3/14 at approximately 1800 hrs., Troopers located the fourth armed robbery suspect in his home on 912 Liberty Street in Salisbury. Troopers developed information as the suspect’s whereabouts and went on foot patrol in an attempt to locate the suspect.

The 17 YOA suspect has been waived to adult status and is being charged with the following:

1. Armed Robbery
2. Robbery
3. Reckless Endangerment
4. First Degree Assault
5. Second Degree Assault

Suspect #4

Phillip James Marvel DOB 10/22/96 W/M
912 Liberty Street
Salisbury, Maryland

The victims as well as the other suspects identified the above suspect as the gunman in the armed robbery. Marvel will be transported to Central Booking for processing.

Md. Legislators Return To Annapolis Next Week

With the opening of the 2014 Maryland General Assembly now less than a week away, hundreds of pieces of legislation of local and state importance have already been filed in advance of the session.

The Maryland General Assembly reconvenes at noon next Wednesday and before the 90-day session is over, state lawmakers will debate and ultimately vote on thousands of pieces of legislation from the gravely serious to the somewhat mundane. Less than week before the opening of the 2014 session, already 130 bills have been pre-filed in the Senate with another 106 pre-filed in the House. The following is a brief look at some of the bills already in the hopper:

House Bill 32: Exempt law enforcement vehicles from vehicle window-tinting prohibitions: This bill, if passed, would exempt law enforcement vehicles from a state law already on the books prohibiting the tinting of windows on most vehicles in the state. 

Delegate Mike McDermott attempted to get this bill passed last year to no avail.
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7 Scary Food Additives To Avoid

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Salisbury News Soars To A Record Breaking Friday

What A Day!

It's only 6:30 PM and we've turned numbers 

like we've never seen for a Friday.

Great comments!

Just a great day all around.

Thank You!

How To Know If You Are Ready To Be A Mother

PUBLIC NOTICE 1-3-13

THE SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WILL MEET AT 4:30 P.M. ON MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014 TO ENTERTAIN A VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS A PERSONNEL MATTER (CITY ATTORNEY EVALUATION) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND §10-508(a)(1).

THE CLOSED SESSION WILL BE HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 301 OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING (125 N. DIVISION STREET) AT WHICH TIME THE PUBLIC CAN OBSERVE THE MOTION, ANY DISCUSSION, AND THE VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION AS NOTED ABOVE.

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE CLOSED SESSION AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 P.M., THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION WILL BEGIN. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND.

NSA Explains Talking Points For Employees...

HHS: $60 Billion In Medicare And Medicaid Overpayments In 2013

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimated that in 2013 it improperly spent about $65 billion in taxpayer funds through waste, errors, and fraud, a figure that was primarily fueled by an estimated $60 billion in overpayments to Medicare and Medicaid.

According to the HHS FY 2013 financial report releasedin mid-December, last year HHS improperly spent a total of $65.3 billion under all its programs, an increase from the $64.8 billion misspent in 2012.

Erroneous payments by Medicare increased by almost 12 percent, from around $44.3 billion in 2012 to almost $49.9 billion in 2013. That means that last year, nearly $1 out of every $10 spent on Medicare beneficiaries was doled out by mistake.

Conversely, Medicaid saw a substantial decrease in payment errors of about 25 percent, down from about $19.2 billion in 2012 to $14.4 billion in 2013.

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UPDATED PRESS RELEASE - SHELTER SCHEDULE

Mayor James Ireton, Jr. would like to inform the public of the Community Emergency Shelter Project Schedule. Beginning January 4, 2014 through March 28, 2014 several community churches will take part in hosting adult males ONLY at their shelter facilities. Below is the weekly schedule of host locations. For further inquiries, please contact the respective facility listed on the schedule.

Salisbury Police Chief Barbara Duncan said, “Please reach out to the Police Department if you come across someone you believe to be homeless, so that we may help get them to safe shelter and out of the cold.”

Due to the expected drop in temperature, HALO has agreed to open its shelter doors on Friday 1/3/14 with the following schedule:

Day Facility opens at 8:45 a.m. and will remain open and extra half hour closing at 5:00. Men are welcome to stay on the property.
Café will open at 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Men will be permitted to be in the respite area in the shelter until 8:00 p.m.

Café will open back up at 8:00 p.m. to prepare for evening rest. All men will be expected in that area at 8:00 p.m. Men’s shelter will close at 6:30 a.m. to set up for breakfast.

Café will open to everyone at 7:30 a.m. for a hot breakfast.
Saturday after breakfast at 8:30 a.m. men will need to leave the premises.

HALO would like to have the men call in to our office 410-742-9356 beginning Thursday for a head count, or they may sign up at the day facility. Thursday and Friday. HALO is prepared to handle 70 men.

Community Emergency Shelter Project
Adult Males Only
Winter 2014 Shelter Schedule

January 4, 2014 to March 28, 2014

January 4-January 10, 2014 Location: Wesley Temple
Capacity: 30 Guests
1322 West Road
Salisbury, MD

Key Volunteer: Monica Vickers

January 11- January 17, 2014 Location: Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene
Capacity: 30 Guests
Phone: 410-742-3840
27765 Nanticoke Road
Salisbury, Maryland 21801

Key Volunteer: Steven Starkey

Transportation Provided: Pick-up at Transit Station at 4:30- 4:45. Return to Transit Station next morning.

January 18- January 24, 2014 Location: Bethesda UM
Capacity: 35 Guests
410-742-8855
406 N Division St/ Salisbury, MD

Key Volunteer: Howard Grise

Location: St. Peters Episcopal Church
Capacity: 30 Guests
410-742-5118
115 St. Peters Street/ Salisbury, Md 21801

Key Volunteer: Bill Day

January 25- January 31, 2014 Location: Asbury UM Church
Capacity: 35 Guests
410-749-2131
1401 Camden Ave/ Salisbury, MD

Key Volunteer: Calvin Peacock

Location: Grace Church
Next to Christian Shelter
Capacity: 25 Guests

Key Volunteer: Gail Phillips

Marines Delay Female Fitness Plan After Half Fail Pull-Up Test

More than half of female Marines in boot camp can't do three pull-ups, the minimum standard that was supposed to take effect with the new year, prompting the Marine Corps to delay the requirement, part of the process of equalizing physical standards to integrate women into combat jobs.

The delay rekindled sharp debate in the military on the question of whether women have the physical strength for some military jobs, as service branches move toward opening thousands of combat roles to them in 2016.

Although no new timetable has been set on the delayed physical requirement, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos wants training officials to "continue to gather data and ensure that female Marines are provided with the best opportunity to succeed," Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman, said Thursday.

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Former Humane Society Director To Help Pet Owners In Need

Following her controversial ouster from the organization earlier this year, the former director of the Worcester County Humane Society is taking up a new venture to help needy families with animals.

Kenille Davies, who formally severed ties with WCHS on Nov. 30, has hit the ground running with a new group known as “Kenille’s Kupboard,” which gives food and other pet supplies to those who may otherwise have difficulty providing for their animals.

“A lot of people can’t afford to care for the pets they have,” Davies said. “That was the reason to start [the WCHS] 37 years ago and we still want to help with this new project.”
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S HAWAII VACATION: DAY 13

(AP) President Barack Obama's Hawaii vacation: Day 13
KAILUA, Hawaii

How President Barack Obama spent Day 13 of his holiday vacation in Hawaii on Thursday:

-- GOLF: For the second day in a row, Obama skipped a morning workout at the gym and instead headed to the golf course.

On Thursday, he played Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course at Marine Corps Base Hawaii with an unusual partner -- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Obama plays often -- the president has teed off frequently during his vacation -- but he rarely plays outside a close circle of friends and advisers.

Obama and the prime minister drove together along the course's second hole, a 423-yard par 4 that includes a large water hazard on the initial drive and a dogleg left.

Obama's approach shot landed short of the green. He putted it on, then missed his putt from the green about 2 feet left of the hole.

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Trooper Charged With Using Pepper Spray As Punishment

PNC Bank Acknowledges ‘Glitch’ Affecting Unknown Number Of Customers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A number of PNC bank customers woke up today seeing less money in theiraccounts.

The company is calling it a “glitch.”

PNC spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel says if you checked your bank account and saw a number of strange charges, or may have had that mortgage payment taken out twice, don’t worry. She says they’reworking on it.

Zwieble says an overnight processing delay is to blame, messing with transactions in general. When asked if this was hacking or some kind of scam, Zwiebel said, “This is not a security related issue.”

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Traffic Stop, Nervous Driver Leads Police To Gift-Wrapped Pot

BERLIN — The Maryland State Police made a significant marijuana bust during a traffic stop on Route 113 in Berlin last Saturday.

At around 10:50 a.m. on Saturday, a Maryland State Police trooper stopped a 2013 Lexus R35 on Route 113 at Main Street in Berlin. The trooper made contact with the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, identified as Changhyun Daniel Lee, 39, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y. During the initial contact, the trooper noted Lee was shaking uncontrollably and told the officer he did not know the owner of the vehicle and also exhibited other indications criminal activity might be afoot.

The trooper continued the business of the initial traffic stop and requested the assistance of another MSP trooper. The second trooper arrived and conducted a roadside interview with Lee, who allegedly continued to exhibit a host of criminal activity indicators, according to police reports. A K-9 scan was ordered utilizing K-9 Camo, resulting in a positive result.
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Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases 1-3-13

Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 2 January 2014
Location: 8000 block of Hawthorn Lane, Hebron, MD
Suspect: Barry Anthony Hyland, 43, Hebron, MD

Narrative: On 2 January 2014 at 8:07 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 8000 block of Hawthorn Lane in Hebron for a reported disturbance. Upon arrival, the deputy met with a female subject who reported that she had been assaulted by her father, Barry Hyland. During the ensuing investigation the deputy was informed that Hyland grabbed the female victim by the throat and threw her down. The account was corroborated by signs of injury on the victim and by other subjects who were in the residence at the time.

The deputy placed Hyland 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 Hyland in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.

Incident: Vandalism
Date of Incident: 2 January 2014
Location: 1500 block of S. Salisbury Blvd., Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Pending

Narrative: On 2 January 2014 at 9:06 AM, a deputy responded to the Court Plaza located in the 1500 block of South Salisbury Boulevard for the report of damaged windows. Upon arrival, the deputy discovered three windows to three separate business appeared to have been shot with an unknown type firearm.

The damage is believed to have occurred during the early morning hours on the same date. Anyone who might have any relevant information about this incident is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.

BREAKING NEWS: White House Announces New Executive Actions On Gun Background Checks

The Obama administration on Friday proposed two new executive actions aimed at making it easier for states to provide mental health information to the national background check system.

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PHILLIPS: The Insufferable Whining Of John Roberts

WASHINGTON — The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is at it again. John Roberts, the legal genius who ignored the Constitution so he could rewrite Obamacare and make it legal, is complaining again.

This time, he is complaining about the funding of the federal judiciary. He says that the sequester budget cuts have deprived the federal judiciary of “the funding it needs.”

John Roberts’ creative writing is not limited to his rewriting of Obamacare to make it constitutional. The portion of his report where he talks about the funding the Federal Courts “need” is pure fantasy.

Roberts has confused “need” and “want.” Like any professional bureaucrat, he not only wants to protect his turf, he wants to continue to build his bureaucratic empire.

The problem with the federal judiciary is not that it is underfunded. It is overfunded.

Last year, in Federal Courts there were 271,950 civil cases filed and 69,449 criminal cases filed. Of those 69,449 criminal cases filed in federal court, probably 69,000 of them did not need to be filed.

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Kim Jong-Un Killed His Uncle With A Pack Of 120 Hungry Dogs

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fed his once-powerful uncle to 120 hungry dogs, according to a detailed report in a newspaper with close ties to China's ruling Communist Party and reported by the Straits Times.

The report is impossible to verify, but can't be completely discounted.

China lost an important link to North Korea's leadership with the purge of Jang Song Thaek, and may have published the account in Wen Wei Po to express its displeasure.

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Dorchester County’s Fine Jail Opened to Prisoners in 1883

Sanborn Map showing the Dorchester County Jail in 1891.

The beautifully situated Dorchester County Jail, with a fine view of the Choptank River, furnished a rather attractive spot for wayward types to idle away the days, reflecting on their crimes. Opened in 1883, the granite Jail and Sheriff’s House, a Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival Style building, stood in back of the courthouse. It had four tiers of cells, one on each side of a central passage-way on the first and second floors. The front portion was fitted up as a residence for the Sheriff, who had ”more comfortable quarters probably than any of his bother officials on the Easter Shore,” the Baltimore Sun reported. Charles L. Carson of Baltimore was the architect and J. E. Chilecutt and R. H. Stevens of Dorchester County were the builders.

Its first two occupants were two men arrested for catching oysters without a license. They had good to reason to congratulate themselves that their offense was not committed during the days of the old Cambridge jail, which was built about 1790, the Sun reported.
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I've Got Some Questions/Concerns About This Event: NYE VIP Bar Crawl

GO HERE

Many have asked me to bump this post to the top again. Instead I'll provide the link above for easy access.

Happy New Year

How Political Correctness Took Down Navy SEALs

The night of Sept. 1, 2009, Echo Platoon of Navy SEAL Team 10 headed out into the Fallujah night. Their goal: concluding a five-year search for the al Qaeda killer who had been responsible for the shocking 2004 murders of four American military contractors — one of them an ex-SEAL — whose bodies were then burned, dragged through the streets and hanged from a bridge.

Iraqis chant anti-American slogans as a charred boy hangs from a bridge over the Euphrates river in FallujahPhoto: Getty Images

This night the SEALs departed with these words from their commanding officer: “Gents, stay sharp, and expect a firefight.”

In the event, no shots were fired, but the SEALs faced another kind of ambush: a humiliating, baffling, infuriating struggle with the military-justice system that would end with an unsatisfying victory.

Because the man those SEALs captured — Ahmad Hashim Abd Al-Isawi, aka “the Butcher of Fallujah,” a man who lived for mayhem — somehow sustained a bloody lip on the night of his capture.

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Troopers Searching for Suspect in Theft of Elderly Female’s Purse and Vehicle

DSP News Release: Troopers Searching for Suspect in Theft of Elderly Female’s Purse and Vehicle

Location:

• Shoprite, 37 Chestnut Hill Plaza, Newark, DE

Date of Occurrence:  

• Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 3:15 p.m.

Victim:

• 91 year old female

Suspect:

• Black male, 20-30 years of age, 5’06”-5’08” tall, 190-220 lbs, large build. Last seen wearing dark zippered hooded sweatshirt with “ECKO UNLTD”, gray sweat pants.
• Surveillance photo attached

Resume:

Newark-Troopers are asking the public for help in identifying a male suspect connected in the theft of an elderly woman’s purse and vehicle from the Chestnut Hill Plaza Shoprite as she was shopping.

The incident occurred on Thursday, January 2, 2014 at approximately 3:15 p.m. as a 91 year old female was grocery shopping in the Shoprite grocery store located at 37 Chestnut Hill Plaza, Newark when an unknown male suspect followed her around the store and removed her purse from her shopping cart. The purse contained an undisclosed amount of cash and car keys.

A review of video surveillance captured the suspect exiting the store and driving away in the victim’s vehicle.

The victim’s vehicle is described as a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis, silver in color, four door, white wall tires and silver rims. Vehicle displays Delaware Registration #133567. The vehicle has not been recovered.

If anyone observes the vehicle they are asked to call 911. If anyone has any information about this incident they are asked to contact Delaware State Police Troop 6 at 302-633-5000 or by utilizing 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."

Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Potomac Youth Convention At The WY&CC March 14 & 15

Salisbury, MD – Join 2,500+ students from Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland on March 14 & 15 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center for the 2014 Potomac Youth Convention. The convention will feature Guest Speaker Chad Veach, Worship Band Worth Dying For and Illusionist Jason Alvarado. Late night activities include Aerosports Trampoline Park and Lazer Tag.

The Potomac Youth Network exists to mentor, model and motivate students and leaders to impact their communities with the message of hope.

Tickets for the conference are on sale now. Register early and save; early bird pre-registration is available until Jan. 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.potomacyouth.com.

Necessity: The Argument Of Tyrants

Despite admitting that the National Security “vacuums up information about virtually every telephone call to, from, or within the United States,” William Pauley, a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, decreed last week that the NSA’s dragnet approach is constitutional because, well, he believes that it is necessary.

As William Pitt the Younger observed, “necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.”

The world is an inherently dangerous place. The idea that the government can protect us is patently absurd. All the government can do is to destroy our liberties while promoting theillusion of safety.

President Dwight Eisenhower acknowledged this fact when he said that if you wanted real safety, go to prison. You get three meals and a bunk. Heck, you even get government health care. The only thing missing is freedom.

What Ike did not say is that in prison you are at the mercy of those guarding you. Unfortunately, this fact is lost on Judge Pauley, who wrote, “there is no evidence that the government has used any of the bulk telephony metadata it collected for any purpose other than investigating and disrupting terrorist attacks.”

What matters is not whether the government has used this information for nefarious purposes, but whether it now has the ability to engage in such behavior.

We often hear that “it” can’t happen here. “It,” of course, refers to outright tyranny and State oppression. The reason that “it” couldn’t happen is that certain safeguards were built into the system. Namely, our Bill of Rights.

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The Great Italian Auto Bailout — Courtesy Of U.S. Taxpayers

At the beginning of 2014, Detroit may be bankrupt, but they’re cheering the five-year-old U.S. auto bailout in Italy.

That’s because after being the beneficiary of billions in U.S. taxpayer largesse, Fiat, the leading Italian auto company, is going to buy its final stake in Chrysler from that other big bailout recipient, the United Auto Workers (UAW).

“Chrysler’s Now Fully an Italian Auto Company,” reads the Time magazine online headline. But wait a minute! Wasn’t the bailout supposed to be about saving the American auto industry?

As Mark Beatty and wrote in The Daily Caller in November 2012, after presidential candidate Mitt Romney made the controversial claim that Fiat would be expanding production of Chrysler’s Jeep in China (a claim that turned out to be correct),

The real outrage arising from the 2009 Chrysler bailout is not that its parent company, Fiat, is planning to build plants in China. It’s that the politicized bankruptcy process limited Chrysler’s growth potential by tying it to an Italian dinosaur in the midst of the European fiscal crisis. The Obama administration literally gave away ownership of one of the Big Three American auto manufacturers to an Italian car maker struggling with labor and productivity issues worse than those that drove Chrysler to near-liquidation.

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PEDOPHILIA THE NEXT 'SEXUAL-RIGHTS' REVOLUTION?

NEW YORK – The underlying assumption that has led to the increasing legitimization of same-sex marriage is now fueling a growing effort in academic circles to mainstream pedophilia.

Once considered taboo, psychologists are beginning to walk down the same path LGBT activists established more than 50 years ago, insisting that pedophilia is an inborn “sexual orientation,” not a learned sexual behavior.

If people are born with a sexual attraction to minors, the argument goes, their “orientation” should be accepted as normative and not stigmatized.
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Lech Walesa: Obama Has Failed, 'America No Longer Leads The World'

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning former president of Poland, Lech Walesa, says President Obama has failed to reclaim America's role as a world leader.

In an interview with CNN aired Wednesday, the 70-year-old Walesa — who supported Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election — said the Obama administration has been a dangerous disappointment.

"When he was elected... there was great hope," Walesa said. ".... we were hoping Obama would reclaim moral leadership for America," adding: "That failed."

".... in terms of politics and morality, America no longer leads the world," he said. "...America did not regain its leadership status. We were just lucky there were no big conflicts in the world," saying the world has relied on a strong America to maintain the balance of power around the globe.

"... It's a dangerous situation so we are awaiting a president who will understand that," he said.

Walesa went from a shipyard electrician to a union leader who helped overthrow the communist government in Poland, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and seven years later, becoming the first democratically elected president in Poland.

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Four Red-State Democrats On The Hot Seat In 2014

They supported Obamacare on red-state turf.

Now, four Democratic senators in Republican stronghold states face brutal campaigns to retain their seats in this year's mid-term elections.

If voters oust Democrat Sens. Mark Begich (Alaska), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Mark Pryor (Arkansas) and Kay Hagan (North Carolina), it could help tip the balance of power toward a GOP Senate majority.

Democrats currently hold a 53-45 advantage in the Senate, with two independents, who caucus with Democrats. But, the Democrats hold on the Senate appears to be slipping.

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ObamaCare: Coverage Killer

OBAMACARE MEANS NET LOSS OF POLICIES - ObamaCare seems to have been an insurance killer so far. More than 5 million policies were nixed under the law’s new regulations. Announcing that just over 2 million people are potential paying customers is a rather stunning admission of defeat. Some of the millions may have landed on employer-based insurance and others may have become eligible under the expanded Medicaid program, but there are evidently many people who do not have coverage today because of the law.

[Deadline: ObamaCare enrollees have until Jan. 10 to pay premiums for coverage retroactive to Jan. 1.]

WHITE HOUSE NOT SAYING HOW MANY ENROLLED - Democrats are talking big numbers: 2.1 million applicants for ObamaCare and millions more new enrollees in the welfare program that provides free coverage to the poor, Medicaid. But the Obama administration has so far refused to disclose the number that matters: The number of people who actually have obtained insurance under the law. AP reports, “Insurers say they are receiving thousands of erroneous sign-up applications from the government, and some people who thought they had enrolled for coverage have not received confirmation. Undoubtedly, some will find out they don’t have the immediate coverage they thought they did.” A recent WSJ report revealed only half of enrollees had made their first months payment. The government is touting nearly 4 million who have been “deemed eligible” for welfare benefits, but, again, that’s not the same as enrollments. The silence so far on the real numbers is reminiscent of the quiet that fell over the administration after the enrollment period began on Oct. 1. Do they not know? Scary. Do they not want to say? Scarier.

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State, Local Governments Get Millions In Federal 'Farm Subsidies'

The historic purpose of the farm bill was to "ensure a stable food supply" and "to preserve the family farm." But, when issuing our The Federal Transfer ReportTM- Farm Subsidies & The Big Dogs, OpenTheBooks.com found that some of the largest subsidies were received by government in fiscal years 2008-2011. Federal farm subsidies have grown to such an extent that Uncle Sam's smaller cousins- who aren't traditional farmers, but smaller units of government- are receiving millions.

For example, state governments occupied two of the top six highest farm subsidy recipients:

- Number one: $8.541 million flowed to the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation and beat all private sector farm entities.

- Number six: $3.734 million flowed to the Washington Department of Natural Resources and was sixth on the Top 20 Recipients List.

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5 OBAMACARE NIGHTMARES FOR DEMOCRATS IN 2014

Democrats are no doubt eager to put 2013 and the disastrous ObamaCare roll-out behind them. There is, however, a reason they pushed implementation of the health care law until well after Obama's reelection. There are 5 major reasons the Democrats long ObamaCare nightmare is just beginning.

1. People who think they have coverage, don't.

Approximately 2 million Americans have signed up for ObamaCare, far below the Administration's goal. As these Americans may learn, though, signing up for coverage through the exchanges doesn't mean they have coverage. Many haven't yet made their first premium payment. Washington and Nevada, the only states that report this number,say half of the enrollees have not made a premium payment. The Obama Administration has pressured insurance companies to accept payments until January 10th. It is unclear, however, if people even understand they need to make a payment.

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Weekend Alcohol Consumption May Cause Damage To DNA

Weekends spent drinking and partying may seem like harmless fun for young adults, but new research has revealed that this level of alcohol consumption may actually damage their DNA.

According to Medical News Today, researchers from Autonomous University of Nayarit in Mexico set out to analyze the oxidative damage caused by drinking alcohol in young, healthy people. Oxidative damage is considered damage to proteins, membranes and DNA.

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Holy Cow!

A well-known privacy advocate has exposed the National Security Agency's personal spy gear. Security expert and blogger Jacob Appelbaum showed off the NSA's tools at the Chaos Communications Conference in Hamburg, Germany. One device could let the NSA see from a distance what is being typed on a keyboard, even if its disconnected from the internet. Another can tamper with WiFi signals from a distance of eight miles. Applebaum says the NSA has software that it can insert on iPhones to enable eavesdropping using both the camera and microphone. He tells the conference the NSA capabilities are worse than your worse nightmares.

Breaking News: Administration To High Court: Don't Exempt Catholic Groups From Contraception Mandate

Obama administration in a Friday court filing urges Supreme Court not to exempt Catholic groups from health care law’s contraception mandate after Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a temporary reprieve earlier in the week.

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Millions Of Young Americans Refusing To Enroll In Obamacare

Poll after poll indicate young people are disillusioned with Obamacare. In early December, a Harvard University Institute of Politics poll found that 56% of Americans between the ages of 18 to 29 reject of Obamacare, compared to a meager 39% who support the law. Moreover, so-called millennial respondents believe the law will degrade the quality of health care and significantly raise prices. More

Jury Trial Sought In Berlin EMS Case

BERLIN — There was some movement this month in the ongoing $8 million civil suit filed against the Berlin Fire Company alleging malfeasance from leadership over a former employee’s perceived sexual orientation, including the winnowing of the list of individual defendants from four to two and a demand for a jury trial.

In August, former Berlin firefighter and EMT Zachary Tyndall, through his attorney James Otway, filed suit in U.S. District Court, alleging a long pattern of harassment and intimidation carried out by the department’s leaders over his perceived sexual orientation. The suit, which originally named as defendants Chief Bryon Trimble, Assistant Chief Derrick Simpson, BFC President David Fitzgerald and former EMS Supervisor Norris Donohoe, Jr., is seeking $2 million in compensatory damages and another $6 million in punitive damages.

The suit alleges the BFC and the named individual defendants carried out a “deliberate and conscious effort” to harass and intimidate Tyndall, driving Tyndall to quit the department he had been a full-time employee of since 2008 and a cadet since he was 14 years old.
In early December, the U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor in part on a motion to dismiss the case filed by the BFC and the named individual defendants, but ruled against the motion in other facets of the case. Essentially, the federal court judge said the original complaint was unspecific about the nature of the individual defendants’ roles in the various episodes of abuse.
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Obamacare Effects Begin To Hit Home

The hangovers from New Year's Eve have gone and now millions of Americans are waking up to headaches from Obamacare sticker shock.

Middle-class families are finding out the exact cost of the Affordable Care Act to their weekly budget, and they are realizing they have to make cutbacks in their lifestyles to afford higher healthcare insurance premiums, The Week reports.

Calling Obamacare "another sucker punch to the middle class," the report warns that "when the family budget gets hit in the solar plexus, guess what happens to consumer spending and the economy?"

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Feds Preparing For Violence Targeting Social Security Buildings?

Homeland Security spends $58 million on armed guards for just two SSA offices

The Department of Homeland Security is spending up to $58 million dollars to hire armed guards to protect two Social Security buildings in Baltimore, measures which some see as preparation for upcoming civil unrest.

According to an announcement on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the DHS awarded Paragon Systems, Inc. a contract “not to exceed $58,620,338.99,” to provide “Protective Security Officer (PSO) services in support of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Wabash Street and Metro West locations within Baltimore, MD.”

According to its website, “Paragon security specialists and officers perform armed and unarmed post/gate control, magnetometer and X-Ray screening, roving foot and vehicle patrols, management of central communications/security centers, CCTV and alarm monitoring, security escort, dignitary protection, security training, threat assessment, emergency preparedness evaluation, vehicle and visitor screening/badging, armory management, and first responder emergency services, including emergency medical technicians.”

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God's Swish

God steps up to the free throw line, he aims, he shoots, SWISH! It's a Cinderella story, the crowd goes nuts. God remains undefeated.

Caption This Photo 1-3-14

The 2013 Darwin Awards Are Out!

Yes, it’s that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.

Here Is The Glorious Winner:

1. When his .38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach , California would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And Now, The Honorable Mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef’s claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn’t discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer… $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he’d just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, “Yes, officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from.”;

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn’t open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren’t available for breakfast… The frustrated gunman walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home’s sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he’d ever had and the perp had been punished enough!

Salisbury Council President Reviews First Year

SALISBURY – Salisbury City Council President Jake Day reflected this week on a busy 2013, when he was not only elected but became a part of what his campaign was mostly about — bringing life to downtown.

Day said his highlight in 2013 was being elected to the council in April immediately followed by being voted to be council president as a newcomer.

Another highlight for Day in 2013 was being part of a number of initiatives to redevelop downtown. Day listed 11 restaurants were redeveloped in the downtown out of four older buildings, five partnerships with state agencies were announced to redevelop the downtown, free WiFi was installed in the downtown, the opening of the Orange Route bike lane between Salisbury University and the Downtown Plaza and the success of the Third Friday event every month in the Downtown Plaza.
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How To Obtain A Home Improvement License

What: MHIC – How to Obtain a Home Improvement License

When: Feb 11, 2013 10:30am – 12noon

Location: Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce
144 E. Main Street
Salisbury, MD 21801

Instructor: Alvin White

Registration: Pre-registration is required. To pre-register or for more information regarding this course or other general inquiries, please contact Lisa, Outreach Coordinator of Maryland Capital Enterprises by telephone: 410-546-1900 or via email: ltwilley@marylandcapital.org. Sign up online at www.marylandcapital.org

Cost: $15.00

Course Descript: This workshop is for anyone who is interested in obtaining a MHIC license for contractors, subcontractors, & salespersons. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the exam, the requirements for each license, & the process for applying for a MHIC license. This workshop is open to building contractors, individuals desiring to start a home improvement or landscaping business, those presently working within a construction trade field & all other interested persons.

Bad News For Democrats

The Sound Of FEAR

Good Morning Delmarva 1-3-14

Salisbury Court Dismisses Citations

More than ten speed camera citations from Salisbury were dismissed in district court, according to reports from motorists.

The hearing occurred on December 19th in Wicomico County District Court, Courtroom 2. According to reports from two motorists all citations from Salisbury that day were dismissed. One motorist provided the following account:
"The judge began by addressing those of us who had traffic cam citations that the Statute only allowed two defenses for a ticket, one being that your car was stolen at the time, and the other that you had loaned it to a friend, and you give the name of the friend. Then as we were called up one by one, he told us that the State has decided not to prosecute and the judged Nolle Pros, sit down on the bench and wait for your paperwork and we will get you out of here as quick as we can. I’m guessing 10+ of us, 5 minutes, we were walking out."

The defendants stated that no operator or representative from Brekford was present. Neither the judge nor the city's representative gave a reason for the dismissals, according to the defendants' accounts.

In some cases a jurisdiction will "Nolle Pros" (decline to prosecute) a case when some witness or piece or required evidence is unavailable.

Last year the Maryland Drivers Alliance worked for months to obtain calibration records from the city of Salisbury through public records requests. When documents were eventually released, our examination revealed discrepancies and gaps in calibration periods. No large scale refund has been announce by the city.

Several motorists have written to us disputing the accuracy of the speed readings on their citations. In a few cases the claims of inaccurate speeds appeared to be supported by calculations based on our examination the images, though this does not appear to have been the reason these citations were dismissed since no such evidence was presented.

SFD Calls For Service 1-2-14

• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 20:52:29Nature: Unconscious SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 20:27:16Nature: Psychiatric EmergencyCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 18:30:20Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 17:12:43Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 16:34:53Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 15:09:02Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 11:06:49Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 10:01:17Nature: Chest PainCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 09:33:08Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 09:16:58Nature: Chest PainCity: Salisbury
• Thursday January, 2 2014 @ 05:43:12Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury

Regency Drive Armed Robbery Salisbury

DATE & TIME: January 2, 2014 1532 hrs.

LOCATION: 505 Regency Drive, Salisbury, Wicomico Co., MD.

CASE NUMBER: 14-MSP-006287

VICTIMS: 11 YOA and 12 YOA male juveniles of Salisbury

CHARGES: 1. Armed Robbery
Robbery
Reckless Endangerment
First Degree Assault
Second Degree Assault

SUSPECTS:

15 YOA male juvenile
14 YOA male juvenile
17 YOA female juvenile
16 YOA male juvenile

(Charged with Failing to Obey a lawful order, Hindering/Obstruction/Making false statement to police officer):

14 YOA female juvenile

Cristy Leah Urbina W/F DOB 9/16/78

703 College Lane Apartments Apt #12 Salisbury, Maryland

BRIEF RESUME:

On 1/2/14 at approximately 1532 hrs., Maryland State Police, Salisbury Police Department and Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Regency Drive area of Salisbury in reference to an armed robbery. Investigation revealed that suspects #1-4 arrived in the Regency Drive area in a vehicle and pointed at gun at two male juvenile victims and stole their skateboard. Two suspects were immediately apprehended in the nearby Food Lion shopping Center and two suspects fled on foot. The third suspect was later located and arrested at The Greens at Schumaker Pond. Additionally Cristy Urbina and a 14 YOA juvenile were arrested for hindering/obstruction/Failing to obey a lawful order and Making a false statement to police for harboring that third suspect.

Three of the four armed robbery suspects have been arrested and four airsoft BB guns have been seized. The guns were all spray painted black and life size replicas of real firearms. All the suspect’s cell phones have been seized as the incident was recorded by video on their phones. The fourth suspect’s identity is known as the three under arrest were cooperative with law enforcement in regards to the investigation. All robbery suspects in custody have been waived to adult status and taken to Central Booking for processing. Urbina was transported to Central Booking as well. Suspect #5 was released to a family member. Maryland State Police would like to thank Salisbury Police Department and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in apprehending these robbery suspects. The two male juvenile victims were not injured during this incident.

Snow Report

Since nobody else has it… I’ve got exactly 4 inches in the middle of my front yard, north end of Salisbury.

From a viewer.

Things You Didn't Know About The Dollar

Better to be Ben than Abe

While use is the obvious reason for the different lifespans, you can bet they would be considerably shorter if the bills were made out of actual paper.

The Federal Reserve gives its makeup as one-fourth linen and three-fourths cotton.

The average life of a Federal Reserve note depends upon its denomination:

· $1: 21 months

· $5: 16 months

· $10: 18 months

· $20: 2 years

· $50: 4.5 years

· $100: 7.5 years

And if you have a bill that has reached the end of the line and it would like exchange it, but no bank will take it, the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing is the place you want to contact.

4,000 folds

We're sure at some point all people have asked themselves, “How many times would I have to fold this bill backward and forward before it would rip in half?” Right?

Here's your answer: 4,000. And before you ask, no, 3,999, won't do it.

More than $900 million a day

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 26 million notes a day, with a face value of about $907 million. To give you an idea of how that fits into the overall scheme of things, according to the Federal Reserve, there was roughly $1.2 trillion in circulation as of July 24, although $1.15 trillion of that total was in Federal Reserve notes.

It costs how much to make $1?

About 45% of the notes printed each year are $1, and 95% are used as replacement notes. (There's a lot of folding going on.) Despite what one would think would be only minor differences in the cost to make different denominations, the Federal Reserve says that $1 and $2 notes cost 5.5 cents each, $5, $10 and $100 notes cost 9.9 cents, and $20 and $50 notes cost 10.9 cents

It's all about the Woodrows

The Federal Reserve Board currently issues $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. The largest denomination Federal Reserve note ever issued for public circulation was the $10,000 note. On July 14, 1969, the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury announced that banknotes in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 would be discontinued due to lack of use. Although they were issued until 1969, they were last printed in 1945.

The largest bill ever printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was the $100,000 gold certificate. However, they were never put into circulation and were used for transactions only between Reserve banks. Woodrow Wilson is the president featured on the bill.

Show us the money ... seriously, we need to check it out

The Secret Service was created in 1865 to fight rampant counterfeiting in the wake of the Civil War, when, according the Secret Service website, it was estimated that a full one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit.

The agency didn't take on the additional, and more well-known, duty of protecting the president until after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901.

MSNBC NEWS FINALLY ADMITS THE HORRIBLE POLICE BRUTALITY

STAY SAFE DURING EXTREME COLD WEATHER

(Salisbury, MD) Temperatures that dip significantly below normal can be dangerous to your health, no matter where you spend the cold snap.   “It’s important to know how to prevent health problems during extreme cold weather, whether you stay inside or have to venture outside.”  said Lori Brewster, Wicomico County Health Officer.

Being aware of upcoming weather is the first line of defense.  Listen to local radio or television news regularly.  Weather reports usually inform you several days in advance when severe weather is heading your way.   Use that lead time to get ready.  

Be sure to dress properly whenever you have to be outside in cold weather.  “Wind chills make the reported temperature feel colder, and cause the body to lose heat at a faster rate,” said Brewster.  Cover your head, ears, and the lower part of your face to avoid frostbite.  Drape a scarf over your mouth to avoid directly inhaling very cold air.  Wear several layers of lightweight clothing and two pairs of socks.  Choose mittens rather than gloves, to keep your hands warmer.  Wear boots with slip-resistant treads to help keep you from slipping on ice, and use sunglasses to protect your eyes from winter sun glare.

Staying inside out of icy conditions reduces the risk of falls due to ice and car accidents, but can have its own hazards.  “Using space heaters and fireplaces to keep warm increases the risk of household fires and carbon monoxide poisoning,” Brewster said.  Rooms where a space heater is used should be well ventilated, with the interior door left open.  Place heaters at least three feet away from furniture, draperies, and other objects.  Space heaters should never be used to dry wet clothing, blankets, or other flammable items.  Keep children and pets away from the heater.  Be sure to turn off and unplug the heater before leaving the room or going to bed.

More ways to make your home safer in winter weather:

• Have your chimney or flue professionally inspected every year;
• Install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector on every floor, and near any areas where you use space heaters;
• Stock up on bottled water and non-perishable food items like canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, and crackers;
• Buy a multi-purpose, dry chemical fire extinguisher, and learn how to use it;
• Create an emergency supply kit containing a battery-powered radio, a wind-up or battery-powered clock, extra batteries, flashlights, matches, and candles.

For more information about cold weather safety and information on local sheltering, visit the Wicomico County Health Department’s website at www.wicomicohealth.org, our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter @WicomicoHealth.

Thank God Its Friday 1-3-13

What will you be doing this weekend?

He Could Have Used A Warning!

"If you are unwilling to defend your right to your own lives, you are merely like mice trying to argue with owls. You think their ways are wrong. They think you are dinner..." Terry Goodkind

Burglar's relative says: "He could have used a warning first..."

From WTTC News in Dallas, we get this heartwarming tale of a long-time criminal, 33 year old Deyfon Pipkins, who tried to climb in a window of a Texas home.

                       

Dead burglar

The elderly owner occupant saw him and fired one shot, ending Deyfon’s criminal career.

As the police do, they came by to investigate, gathered the corpse, then went to notify Deyfon's family of his unfortunate demise. It seems that the family was very upset, because they showed up at the scene.

"He could have used a warning," Lakesha Thompson, Pipkins' sister-in-law, complained. "He could have let him know that he did have a gun on his property and he would use it in self-defense."

COMMENT FROM THE SIDELINE:

"That's certainly true, Lakesha. He could also have invited him in and given him a beer, then helped him cart the TV out to the curb. "Unfortunately for Deyfon, Texas is a Castle Doctrine state, and the homeowner chose to shoot Deyfon, as is right and proper to do in Texas.

"For that matter, Lakesha, you could have warned Deyfon. Why didn't YOU tell him: 'Deyfon, yo' needs to quit breakin' into those peoples' houses and stealin' they stuff. Someone is goins to pop a cap in yo' a$$.'"

God must love stupid people; He made so many.

Bloomberg Leaves Office Today, Protected By Firearms

When New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg leaves office today he will enter civilian life protected by firearms.

The same man who has spent much of his career and personal fortune trying to render good, law-abiding men and women defenseless, will now surround himself with a team of armed bodyguards.

Bloomberg’s security detail will be comprised of former police officers that he purchased away from the NYPD with the promise of early retirement, six-figure salaries, and other perks that go along with protecting America’s most notorious anti-gun zealot.

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Our Trash Has Become A New Ocean Ecosystem Called "The Plastisphere"

Sure, we all know pollution destroys ecosystems, but, for better or for worse, pollution can create ecosystems, too. The billions of tiny pieces of plastic that are now floating in our oceans are exactly that: a novel ecosystem humans have unwittingly made by throwing away too much plastic. Microbes and insects that might have no business thriving in the middle of the ocean suddenly have found a new home amidst all that drifting plastic. 

If you took a boat out to the so-called Pacific garbage patch—a swirling region of the ocean where plastic is trapped by wind and ocean currents—you won't find anything resembling a "garbage patch." The water would actually look quite pristine—until you drag a net through it to reveal floating flecks of plastic, mostly glitter-sized or smaller. The amount of plastic in the region has grown 100 fold in the last 40 years, but it still really doesn't look like much. Yet these barely visible pieces of plastic are completely remaking the ocean. 

Sea skaters, for example, have found a plastic breeding ground paradise. The water insect skims across the ocean surface eating plankton and laying its eggs on the hard surfaces of flotsam, which is now in abundance as plastics have taken over our world. A 2012 study found that skater eggs increased with microplastic pieces in the ocean. Occasionally, bigger pieces of plastic will show up enveloped in thousands of sea skater eggs, like a one-gallon plastic jug covered with 70,000 of them, 15 layers thick.

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Four Key Lessons From 2013

1) Politicians believe there are no consequences for destroying our liberty...

Stimulus and response. That’s the easiest way of summing this up. When politicians steal, and there are no consequences, they’re going to keep stealing.

Cyprus proved this point handily. The government froze bank accounts for everyone in the country (of course, the big bosses got their money out in time). And yet, there was no violent revolution in the streets. People just accepted it.

Poland nationalized pensions. Argentina imposed severe capital controls. The French are taxing everything under the sun. The US government was caught red-handed spying on… everyone.

And yet, there have been ZERO consequences. Citizens have been trained like caged animals to simply roll over and acquiesce. I imagine the politicians are thinking, “Holy Cow! I can’t believe we just got away with that…”

It only reinforces their behavior. With each destructive act, they become more bold, more brazen in dismantling our liberties, confident that they can continue to act with total impunity.

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Legal Marijuana Sales Bring Long Lines, Limits

Friday Is A Big News Day

Today we'll be providing articles every single hour throughout the day starting with this one and many other articles in-between. It's a 24 hours news day and I'm confident you'll enjoy what we provide.

Yesterday delivered more than 300 comments in one day and again, we can't thank you enough for offering your point of view.