The Real Reason Your Cable Bill Is So High -- And What You Can Do About It

Who doesn't think their Internet and cable bills are too high? For years now, I've been tracking the stories asking why we in the U.S. seem to be perennial sufferers of a certain chronic syndrome: Bills too high, Internet speed too slow.

There are a quite a few studies that show the United States has the slowest Internet speeds in the developed world - and also the highest bills. The divergence is amazing. Compared to France, the U.K. and South Korea, we have speeds four times as slow and we pay three or four times as much.

Is this comparison fair? One thing to remember -- the U.S. is a very big country with a lot of ground to cover. We live spread out, and I can see how that might drive up costs. (That's not an excuse in big cities, though.)
More

Liberals Can’t Give One Example Of Tea Party Racism When Questioned

Report Says Obamacare Recruiting Illegal Immigrants In California

It would seem President Obama owes Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., an apology. In 2009, Wilson apologized after shouting "You lie" when Obama said his signature health care law would not cover illegal immigrants. But according to a report posted Friday at Breitbart.com, California's state Obamacare exchange is recruiting illegal immigrants on its website.

The site features a page titled: "No temas si eres indocumentado/a y quieres inscribir a tu familia en un seguro médico."

Translation: "Fear not if you are undocumented and want to enroll your family in health insurance."
More

Benghazi Movie In The Works

This should terrify Mrs. Clinton and all her sycophants to death. Just watch the Clinton Machine rev up to try and kill this as they tried with Path to 9/11. Now another 9/11 terror attack promises to haunt them. The current occupant of the White House should also be concerned.

More

Homeland Security to Purchase 141,000 Rounds of Sniper Ammo

The Department of Homeland Security is buying more bullets with a solicitation for over 141,00 rounds of sniper ammunition.

According to a solicitation posted on FedBizOpps, the federal agency is looking to procure 141,160 rounds of Hornady .308 Winchester 168gr A-MAX TAP ammunition.

Such ammunition is sometimes retailed as “Zombie Max,” a marketing gimmick alluding to its power.

“What makes the .308 ammunition so deadly is the long range capability of the round,” notes James Smith. “The ability is called ballistic coefficient, or the efficiency of a projectile in overcoming air resistance as it travels to its target. According to Speer Reloading Manual Number 13, the .308 165 grain has the highest coefficient of any hunting rifle.”
More

Gloria Allred: Obama’s “No-Match” Letter From Social Security Likely Means He’s An Undocumented Worker

According to the infamous attorney Gloria Allred a Notice of Mismatch letter from the Social Security Administration likely means that you are an undocumented worker and are not eligible to work in the United States.

At least that’s what she believes when it comes to the housekeeper of former Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.

A Notice of Mismatch letter was sent to Whitman and her husband Dr. Griffith Harsh concerning their housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan. Allred was representing Santillan in a wrongful firing lawsuit against Whitman and Harsh when they fired Santillan after learning that she was in this country illegally.

But at a Press Conference Allred argued that Whitman and her husband knew their housekeeper was likely an undocumented worker long before they fired her because the Social Security Administration sent a "nomatch" letter to them indicating discrepancies in the housekeeper's name and [SSN] number.

Allred said she could prove Harsh was aware of the SSA No Match letter because he had scribbled on the letter, “Nicky, please check this, thanks.”

Barack Obama received a Notice of Mismatch letter from the Social Security Administration on August 17, 2011. Does that same letter mean that Obama is most likely an undocumented worker? Yes.

More

Think the Koch Brothers Are Among the Top 10 All-Time Political Donors? Sorry, You Are Wrong. Very Wrong.

The Koch brothers, notorious for donating large sums of money to right-leaning political causes, might not be as influential as some may think.

Opensecrets.org recently compiled a list of the top “all-time donors” from 1989 to 2014 and the infamous duo not only fail to take the top slot, but even place in the top 10.

In fact, according to the data, Koch Industries places 59 on the list with $18 million in donations, 90-percent of which went to Republicans.
More

Fla. Man Guilty Of Lesser Counts In 'Loud Music' Shooting

Jury finds Michael Dunn guilty of four of five counts, including attempted second-degree murder, in the shooting death of a Fla. teen after an argument over loud music outside of a convenience store, but a mistrial is declared on first-degree murder charge.

Survey: U.S. Press Freedom Plunges Under Obama To 46th In World, After Romania

The Obama administration’s handling of whistleblower Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency leaks and the investigation of a string of leaks produced a plunge in the country’s rating on press freedoms and government openness, according to a global survey released Tuesday.

The U.S. under President Obama, who once promised to run the “most transparent” administration in the country’s history, fell from 32nd to 46th in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index, a drop of 13 slots. The index, compiled by the press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, analyzes 180 countries on criteria such as official abuse, media independence and infrastructure to determine how free journalists are to report.

More

U.S. Changing Speedskating Suits

They were touted as the fastest speedskating suits in the world.

Now the U.S. is dumping the high-tech attire after a dismal start to the Sochi Olympics.

Kevin Haley, vice president of innovation for suit developer Under Armour, told The Associated Press on Friday the Americans had received permission to go back to the suits they used while posting impressive results on the fall World Cup circuit and at the U.S. Olympic trials in December.
More 

Ted Cruz’ Debt Ceiling Filibuster Puts John Cornyn On Hot Seat

WASHINGTON – In case you weren’t glued to C-Span2 for the last hour, here’s what you missed.

The Senate voted 67-31 to quash a filibuster by Sen. Ted Cruz that would have blocked the Senate from lifting the federal debt ceiling. Cruz voted against cloture, naturally. But the top GOP leaders, fellow Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, sided with Democrats to cut off the filibuster.

The measure raising the federal credit line through March 2015 sailed through the House on Tuesday, after Speaker John Boehner decided that it would be better to let Democrats own it (only 28 Republicans voted aye) than to dig in, insist on budget concessions, and force a stalemate that would spook world markets and risk a default.

Cruz announced the same day that he wouldn’t let the Senate raise the debt ceiling via a simple 51-vote majority. The filibuster threat pushed the threshold to 60.

More

Robber’s Stun Gun vs. Fed-Up 76-Year-Old’s Actual Gun – Guess How That Fight Turns Out

A 76-year-old South Carolina man fatally shot a robbery suspect who assaulted him in his own driveway, Charleston’s WCSC-TV reported.

“I just shot somebody who was trying to rob me,” the man says in a 911 call obtained by WCSC. “I shot about three times before I hit him because he had me on the ground trying to tase me. And I finally got one in him.”

The resident of Lincolnville, S.C., about 30 minutes northwest of Charleston, told a police dispatcher that Sunday’s incident wasn’t the first time he was robbed.
More

WATCH, GRAPHIC – Idaho Police Officer Kills Father’s Service Dog At His Kid’s Bday Party

Excerpted from THE BLAZE: As a 9-year-old boy’s birthday party was winding down at an Idaho home on Saturday, a police officer fatally shot a service dog belonging to the boy’s father.

At around 5:30 p.m., the officer was responded to complaints of dogs on the loose, which is what he found when he arrived.

Officer Tarek Hassani, of the Filer Police Department, is seen on footage captured by his vehicle’s dashcam kicking and yelling at the barking dogs as he attempted to make his way to the front door. When one of the dogs attempted to move around him, the officer shot the 7-year-old black labrador, named “Hooch,” at point-blank range.

More

Video Shows U.S. President's Family Ties To Terrorism

United Auto Workers Union Stunned by Devastating Defeat in Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Workers at a Volkswagen factory in Tennessee have voted against union representation, a devastating loss that derails the United Auto Workers union’s effort to organize Southern factories.

The 712-626 vote released late Friday stunned many labor experts who expected a UAW win because Volkswagen tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organizers into the Chattanooga factory to make sales pitches.

The UAW for decades has tried without success to organize a foreign-owned plant in a region that’s wary of organized labor. The loss now makes it even harder for the union to recruit members at another Southern factory.
More

President's Day Pick-Up

DUE TO THE PRESIDENT’S DAY HOLIDAY

THERE WILL BE NO CARDBOARD, BULK ORLEAF/YARD DEBRIS PICKUP ON MONDAY

FEBRUARY 17, 2014

THE NEXT SCHEDULED PICK UP FOR

CARDBOARD, BULK AND LEAF/YARD DEBRIS IS MONDAY

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

PLEASE CALL THE CITY SERVICE CENTER

AT 410-548-3177

TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST

‘Evil’ Koch Brothers Rank #59 In Political Donations Behind 18 Different Unions

Democrats hate the Koch Brothers.

They believe the Koch Brothers are the root of all evil because they donate to Republicans and conservative causes.

Democrats even threaten and protest against the Koch Brothers.

This week Senate Democrats once again asked the IRS to crack down on conservative groups including Americans for Prosperity, funded by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.
Democrats want to silence the opposition.

So how big of a threat are the Koch Brothers?
Over the past twenty five years, from 1989 to 2014, Koch Industries has donated$18,083,948 in political contributions to Republicans. While that seems like a large sum, it only ranks them as number 59 on the list of top all-time political donors – behind 18 different unions.

More

Delmarva Power Utility Work

As part of Salisbury Public Works’ ongoing effort to keep the public informed of improvements within the City of Salisbury, please be advised that a contractor will be affecting the flow of traffic in order to upgrade an existing three phase electrical line on East Market Street from Route 13 to Circle Avenue.

The work will be performed between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, beginning Tuesday, February 18th and will be completed by Friday, February 28th, barring unforeseen problems. Expect delays due to traffic pattern modifications. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. Your patience and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

NSA worker resigns, says he gave Snowden access to classified data

A National Security Agency employee resigned from the agency after admitting to federal investigators that he gave former NSA analyst Edward Snowden a digital key that allowed him to gain access to classified materials, the NSA has told Congress. Snowden has previously said he did not steal any passwords.

The unnamed civilian employee who worked with Snowden resigned last month after the government revoked his security clearance, according to a letter that NSA legislative director Ethan L. Bauman sent this week to the House Judiciary Committee. A military employee and a private contractor also lost their access to NSA data as part of the continuing investigation by the FBI, Bauman said.

Bauman's memo, dated Feb. 10, provides some of the first details about what authorities said they have learned about how Snowden retrieved so many classified documents before passing them to news organizations. Top U.S. national security officials have acknowledged they do not know many files Snowden took before he fled the U.S.
More

RON PAUL STARTS CLEMENCY PETITION FOR SNOWDEN

Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said he is starting a petition drive to provide clemency for fugitive National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

Paul, a Texas Republican known for his strong Libertarian leanings, said Snowden had done a service through his "courageous actions" and should not be prosecuted for spilling the details of the NSA's high-volume communications monitoring.

"Edward Snowden sacrificed his livelihood, citizenship, and freedom by exposing the disturbing scope of the NSA's worldwide spying program," Paul said Thursday on his Web site. "Thanks to one man's courageous actions, Americans know about the truly egregious ways their government is spying on them."

More

Federal Court Deals Gun-Grabbers A Blow In San Diego Concealed Carry Ruling

In a major victory for gun rights activists, a federal appeals panel in California has rejected a law in San Diego County that requires applicants for concealed-carry permits to demonstrate “good cause” as to why they need a gun for personal safety.

A three-judge panel on Thursday rejected a district court’s ruling in favor of the county after plaintiffs appealed. The plaintiffs argued that “by defining ‘good cause’ in San Diego County’s permitting scheme to exclude a general desire to carry for self-defense, the county impermissibly burdens their Second Amendment right to bear arms.”

More

Facebook Now Allows Users To Customize Gender Description

In a response to requests from users whose gender identity may not fall within the traditional male/female mold, Facebook announced this afternoon that users will now have the ability to list a customized gender on their Facebook profiles.



“[W]e want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self,” writes the website on its own Diversity page. “An important part of this is the expression of gender, especially when it extends beyond the definitions of just ‘male’ or ‘female.’”

Facebook, in collaboration with Network of Support, has added an extensive list of new options for users to describe themselves.

More

Gun Control Groups Argue For Assault Weapons Ban

BALTIMORE (AP) - Two gun-control advocacy groups have filed legal arguments in support of the Firearms Safety Act passed last year. Gun rights activists are trying to overturn the law.

In one document filed Friday in federal court in Baltimore, lawyers argue that semiautomatic "assault weapons" fall outside Second Amendment protections because they're almost as rare as machineguns, and their pistol grips, barrel shrouds and conduciveness to high-capacity magazines make them equally dangerous.

Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence filed this brief. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence filed the other.
More

How Snowden Got Access

Former NSA analyst Edward Snowden accessed some classified documents using a password he got from a co-worker. An NSA official tells Congress, the civilian employee had his security clearance revoked. Snowden, who has leaked thousands of secret documents to the media, has denied using someone else's credentials. Ethan Bauman, the NSA legislative director, says the employee loaned Snowden his public key encryption certificate. That let Snowden get his password, which in turn led to the treasure trove of documents Snowden took and leaked to the media.

This Anti-Federalist Paper About Presidential Power From 1787 Will Give You Goosebumps

In light of President Obama’s “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone” comments followed by calls fordirect executive action in his State of the Union, Senator Rand Paul’s 4th Amendment suit being filed against the President over NSA surveillance, the recent controversy over perceived pay-to-play appointments of U.S. ambassadors and the President’s joke about being able to do whatever he wants to French President Francois Hollande at Monticello, we found the below excerpt particularly striking.

It comes from Cato’s Letter IV of the “Anti-Federalist Papers,” dated November 8, 1787. All emphasis is courtesy of “Cato” (likely George Clinton).

It is remarked by Montesquieu, in treating of republics, that in all magistracies, the greatness of the power must be compensated by the brevity of the duration; and that a longer time than a year, would be dangerous. It is therefore obvious to the least intelligent mind, to account why, great power in the hands of a magistrate, and that power connected, with a considerable duration, may be dangerous to the liberties of a republic–the deposit of vast trusts in the hands of a single magistrate, enables him in their exercise, to create a numerous train of dependents–this tempts his ambition,which in a republican magistrate is also remarked, to be pernicious and the duration of his office for any considerable time favors his views, gives him the means and time to perfect and execute his designs–he therefore fancies that he may be great and glorious by oppressing his fellow citizens, and raising himself to permanent grandeur on the ruins of his country.–And here it may be necessary to compare the vast and important powers of the president, together with his continuance in office with the foregoing doctrine–his eminent magisterial situation will attach many adherents to him, and he will be surrounded by expectants and courtiers–his power of nomination and influence on all appointments–the strong posts in each state comprised within his superintendence, and garrisoned by troops under his direction–his

More

Santelli Slams The "Self-Sustaining Recovery" Myth

One glimpse at the following chart and it's clear that the US economy has not reached the much-vaunted "escape velocity." As CNBC's Rick Santelli explains in this succinct summary of the quandary of GDP hopes, inventory-build fears, and extrapolation-dreams, "many of these programs, procedures, and plans offered by the Fed - or the government - actually work to jump-start the economy... but they can't reach sustainability." His simple analogy of the economy as a heart-rate in a chronically sick (if not dead) person and Fed juice as a defibrillator seems very fitting. As the chart below shows, the US economy is very much still on life-support.

More

Judge Sets November Trial In Marathon Bombing

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was given a November trial date over the strenuous objections of his attorneys, who said Wednesday that they won't have enough time to mount a defense in a terrorism case that carries a possible death penalty.

The Nov. 3 trial date is nearly a year earlier than the earliest date requested by Tsarnaev's lawyers, but in line with what prosecutors had sought.

"I think it is a realistic and a fair one," U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. said of the schedule he set.
More

Hillary, Relentless And Shameless

The phrase “Clinton fatigue” entered the political lexicon during the previous century; by this point, we surely must have entered the age of Chronic Clinton-Fatigue Syndrome. But the recent making public of the so-called Hillary Papers — the notes kept by her close friend Diane Blair during Mrs. Clinton’s tumultuous White House years, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon — shed additional light on the character of the “co-presidents” who just will not go away.

It transpires to nobody’s great surprise that Mrs. Clinton was more than a passive victim in the sexual scandal that preceded her husband’s impeachment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. She was a callous political calculator who bemoaned not her husband’s mere infidelity but the lack of discretion he exhibited in initiating a dalliance with a “narcissistic loony toon” — her description of Monica Lewinsky — rather than limiting his adultery to somebody who would be easier to “manage,” in Mrs. Blair’s paraphrase. But Mrs. Clinton’s contempt was not limited to Miss Lewinsky: When Senator Bob Packwood found himself in trouble over allegations of sexual harassment — inconveniencing Mrs. Clinton, who had been counting on his support for her health-care scheme — the first lady complained that she had grown “tired of all these whiney women,” according to Mrs. Blair’s papers.

More

Network News Covers Up Party Affiliation Of Convicted Dem Criminal Nagin

Just another committed and convicted Democrat whose incompetence was used to smear a Republican president. And unlike Bush, Nagin actually didn’t care about the people in New Orleans.

None of the network evening newscasts identified ex-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin as a Democrat when reporting on his conviction of 20 counts of corruption on Wednesday.

The ABC World News called him “the face and voice of a city in ruins” post-Katrina, and joined CBS in simply labeling him the “former mayor” of New Orleans without the Democratic label. As NewsBusters reported last year, all the same evening newscasts dropped the Democratic label at Nagin’s indictment.

And back in January, NBC showed a complete double standard by ignoring Nagin’s Democratic affiliation while reporting a GOP congressman’s resignation amidst scandal. The January 27 NBC Nightly News made sure to label Trey Radel a Republican as he resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to cocaine possession, but simply called Nagin “mayor of the city during Katrina.”

More

Government Lays Groundwork To Confiscate Your 401k And IRA

This morning Reuters obtained a leaked proposal disclosing that European Union officials are looking for new and innovative ways to fund their immense debt levels.

As noted by Zero Hedge, they’re no longer turning exclusively to central bankers to simply print more money as needed. Because last year’s bank bail-in forcing the confiscation of funds from average depositors in Cyprus worked so well, EU regulators and bankers have determined that they’ll use a similar method to fund their future endeavors.

In a nutshell, and in Reuters’ own words, “the savings of the European Union’s 500 million citizens could be used to fund long-term investments to boost the economy and help plug the gap left by banks since the financial crisis, an EU document says.”

More

Berlin Losing Public Works Director To Fruitland

BERLIN — After almost six years as director of Public Works, Mike Gibbons will be leaving the town of Berlin for a similar position in a larger city.

His tenure has seen huge leaps in the department’s efficiency, according to town leadership, and his impact on Public Works has been great enough to spark a change to what Berlin is looking for in a department head.

“Mike’s made some real and measurable improvements in the Public Works Department,” said Mayor Gee Williams, “and by doing so has re-defined some of the duties that he is in charge of. He’s led by example. So the first thing we’re doing is reviewing the job description to make sure that it includes all of the things that the Public Works Department director does now.”
More 

Booked On Phonics

Video Surfaces Of BART Officer Repeatedly Using Stun Gun On Passenger

SAN BRUNO (KPIX 5) – Video has been obtained by KPIX 5 showing a BART police officer who repeatedly used a stun gun to subdue a passenger in front of other riders.

A woman who witnessed the incident, who did not want to go on camera, told KPIX 5 the man was harmless and that the officer used the stun gun for no reason.

The video, which was taken on the evening of January 29th, begins with the BART officer giving the man a stern warning on a train at the San Bruno station.

More

The Vampire Squid Strikes Again: The Mega Banks' Most Devious Scam Yet

Call it the loophole that destroyed the world. It's 1999, the tail end of the Clinton years. While the rest of America obsesses over Monica Lewinsky, Columbine and Mark McGwire's biceps, Congress is feverishly crafting what could yet prove to be one of the most transformative laws in the history of our economy – a law that would make possible a broader concentration of financial and industrial power than we've seen in more than a century.

But the crazy thing is, nobody at the time quite knew it. Most observers on the Hill thought the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 – also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act – was just the latest and boldest in a long line of deregulatory handouts to Wall Street that had begun in the Reagan years.

Wall Street had spent much of that era arguing that America's banks needed to become bigger and badder, in order to compete globally with the German and Japanese-style financial giants, which were supposedly about to swallow up all the world's banking business. So through legislative lackeys like red-faced Republican deregulatory enthusiast Phil Gramm, bank lobbyists were pushing a new law designed to wipe out 60-plus years of bedrock financial regulation. The key was repealing – or "modifying," as bill proponents put it – the famed Glass-Steagall Act separating bankers and brokers, which had been passed in 1933 to prevent conflicts of interest within the finance sector that had led to the Great Depression. Now, commercial banks would be allowed to merge with investment banks and insurance companies, creating financial megafirms potentially far more powerful than had ever existed in America.

All of this was big enough news in itself. But it would take half a generation – till now, basically – to understand the most explosive part of the bill, which additionally legalized new forms of monopoly, allowing banks to merge with heavy industry. A tiny provision in the bill also permitted commercial banks to delve into any activity that is "complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally."

Complementary to a financial activity. What the hell did that mean?

More

Tourism Officials Discuss Minimum Wage Hike’s Impact

OCEAN CITY – Tourism officials discussed this week the negative effects a proposed minimum wage increase would have on the summer resort.

During this week’s Tourism Commission meeting, a discussion evolved over Ocean City tourism officials’ opposition to the minimum wage bill that was brought before the Senate on Tuesday.

“There are five different bills being heard tomorrow, the Governors Minimum Wage Bill is the main one that everyone seems to be focusing on,” Executive Director Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (HMRA) Susan Jones said.

Maryland’s minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. For tipped workers, such as waitresses, the minimum wage is lower at 50 percent of the full minimum wage, or $3.63 per hour.
More

Revenue Plunge Leads Virginia Governor To Push For Budget Trims

(Reuters) - Virginia should tap its reserves and lottery funds, as well as use unspent money from various accounts to make up for falling revenues, newly installed Governor Terry McAuliffe said on Wednesday.

The grim outlook for a state that has thrived fiscally in recent years comes days before the legislature begins finalizing a $96 billion proposed budget for the next two years. Budget committees in both chambers are expected to release their spending plans for Virginia on Sunday.

More

Obama’s War On Coal Will Raise Energy Prices By 80%

Russian Winter Olympics In Sochi 2014: 10 Amazing Facts About The Most Expensive Games Ever

The Winter Olympic Games set to unfold in the Russian beach resort town of Sochi was plagued by controversy right from the start.

When organizers struck down a request by NGO Pride House to set up shop in Sochi, Russia’s policies on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights came under close scrutiny. Then there are widespread allegations over corruption in the provisions of services and facilities. Critics accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of cronyism in awarding contracts and mismanagement of funds.

The facilities needed for games, from venues to cargo terminals, were heavily criticized for environmental and geological hazards they might pose. The skewing of real estate prices in and around the venue was also put in question. Meanwhile, political activists have not made it easier for the organizers to market the games. Safety and security are very real concerns in an area that has traditionally been a hotbed of political dissent and conflict.

Despite all these, sports enthusiasts the world over remain steadfast in their faith. The Olympic spirit represents all that is true, good, and beautiful in the human spirit and when the history of the Sochi games are remembered, the controversies will be documented, the interesting facts archived, but amazing tales such as these will be be remembered and talked about for a long time.

The infographic features a selection from the many tales of triumph, tragedy, pride and glory in the history of the Winter Olympics. There will always be enduring achievements that will be forever remembered, such as Bjorn Daehlie’s 12 Olympic medals, or the Eddie Eagan and his singular achievement of being the only athlete to win gold at both the Summer and Winter games. And there’s the fact that Russia, famous for its cold and cruel winters, chose to host the Winter Olympics in the subtropical resort town of Sochi, where palm trees sway amidst the new venues constructed at the beachfront Olympic park.

More

New Theme For Sunday’s Death By Chocolate Event

OCEAN CITY – Death by Chocolate is taking participants back to the 1950s this year by having them seek out hints at local merchants that will have them name a number of tunes for a chance to win some fabulous prizes.

The 7th Annual Death by Chocolate will take place Sunday, Feb. 16, followed by a dining thrill at Sunset Grille. The event is free and open to the public.

CraZy LadyZ owners Jan Patterson-Hohman and Louise Reardon initially created the event to promote local businesses during the off season and it has now grown into a tradition for many.

“It is a wonderful event in the dead of winter for all of the merchants,” Patterson-Hohman said. “It is an opportunity to learn what your local merchants carry. There are a lot of new people that move to our area year after year, so the game has them get out to the merchants and see the services and products they offer. It is a really fun day; especially on a Sunday when any of the local merchants would love to have over 400 people walk through their place of business … you will have your fill of chocolate by the end of the day.”
More

Candidate Carl Anderton's Facebook Page Is Taking Off

I just received word that my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/carlandertonjr) has more likes than my entrenched opponent's page. While the only real numbers that count are votes, it shows that together our voice is growing. This campaign is about us, as a community, coming together for the common cause of having a more representative government in Annapolis. Be sure to go to carlandertonjr.com and, if you are able, consider making a contribution.

I appreciate your support. Together we can do it! #makeithappen

Joe Biden, The Media's Secret Quayle

Hidden just below the surface of the liberal media is a barely noticed trend of patronizing contempt: Joe Biden is the Democrats' Dan Quayle, but because he is a Democrat, they'll do anything to avoid treating him like they treated Quayle.

The Washington Post recently trumpeted a new poll that showed Hillary Clinton was cleaning Biden's clock in an early poll among Democrats, 73 percent to 12 percent. The Post saw this as great news for Clinton but not as disastrous news for the man who's currently in his second term as vice president. Try to imagine Al Gore pulling 12 percent in a presidential poll during Clinton's second term.

Politically, Biden is a Joke Man Walking. But shhh, we're not supposed to notice. It might make the president who selected him look bad.

Biden's unleashed some jaw-dropping gaffes that the networks have skipped. In 2008, he bashed his friend John McCain: "John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number-one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs."

More

Hearings Set For Speed Camera Bills

Hearings have been set for multiple speed camera "reform" bills in Maryland House and Senate Committees.

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will be hearing a bill sponsored by Senator Jim Brochin, SB 350, which makes a series of minor changes to the law. The bill narrows the definition of where school zone speed cameras can be placed and changes notification periods. This is a very weak bill but one can hold out hope it might be amended enough to actually matter.

An even weaker and really lame bill sponsored by Senator James Robey, who is essentially the author of Maryland's current crummy, broken speed camera law. The bill's complicated provisions primarily addresses concerns as they are perceived by county speed camera programs who believe there is nothing wrong with what they are doing, and is designed to answer the question "How can we do a better job of public relations?" rather than actually changing "business as usual". The bill "grandfathers in" all existing arrangements until 2017. SB 652 is scheduled for Feb 28 in the same Senate committee.

Any speed camera bill must go through Judicial Proceedings before it can be voted in the Senate. The members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee can be contacted at the following email addresses:
brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us, lisa.gladden@senate.state.md.us, jim.brochin@senate.state.md.us,
jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us, steve.hershey@senate.state.md.us, nancy.jacobs@senate.state.md.us,
anthony.muse@senate.state.md.us, jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us, christopher.shank@senate.state.md.us, norman.stone@senate.state.md.us, bobby.zirkin@senate.state.md.us

More

Maryland Gets Waiver To Avoid Double Testing

The Maryland State Department of Education says the state has received a waiver from the federal government to avoid double-testing and sanctions when testing new state assessments this year.

State Superintendent Lillian Lowery made the announcement on Friday.

The state requested a waiver from certain provisions in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act to test new assessments in almost all of the state's schools.
More

Fire Your Mayor! Shut Down Bloomberg’s Anti-Gun MAIG

It is time to dismantle “Mayors Against Illegal Guns,” or MAIG. The organization started as a great idea. Who doesn't want to fight the transfer of illegal guns? The problem is, this organization was corrupt from the start. Started by **former** mayors Michael Bloomberg and Boston's Thomas Menino, it has now come out that the intent of of the group was always to confiscate all firearms from legal and law abiding gun owners. This week marked the departure from the group of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mayor John C. Tkazyik. He claims to be an NRA member and that he has always supported lawful firearms ownership. Apparently he was lured into MAIG with false promises of support for programs that get actual results in fighting local crime and homicides, then eventually figured out that MAIG was just a bunch of gun grabbers with an Orwellian reverse-think name.

Click Here to Read More

Ohio National Guard Drill's Villain Was School Janitor Who Supports Second Amendment

The Ohio National Guard has seen the enemy and it is … a school janitor who supports the Second Amendment?

The Guard’s 52nd Civil Support Team held a training drill last year in southern Ohio which pitted members against a sinister janitor and a chemistry teacher sidekick who concocted chemical weapons in two makeshift labs, unleashing them on middle school students before killing himself. Inside the lair of the creepy custodian, identified as “Mr. Wart,” agents found “several statements about protecting Gun Rights and Second Amendment rights” on a chalkboard as well as on tables, according to the training packet.

Fortunately, none of it actually happened. Critics say it is telling that a government group’s chosen bogeyman would be Second Amendment supporters.

More

OBAMA'S TWO AMERICAS: THE ECONOMY AND HOW DEMOCRATS WIN ELECTIONS

President Obama is dividing America into two nations—one rich, the other increasingly poor, and both more likely to elect Democrats. Americans growing richer support his policies, and those growing poorer are increasingly dependent on Democratic politicians for government handouts.

In this century, the economy has not performed well, and a jobs shortage has driven down the income of most Americans.

Obama’s “recovery” has managed only 2.4 percent growth, but George W. Bush’s expansion scored about the same rate and then collapsed altogether.

More

Police Shoot, Kill 80-Year-Old Man In His Own Bed

Smart Meters

SFD Calls For Service 2-14-14

• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 20:34:36Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 20:28:30Nature: SeizureCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 19:49:18Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 19:12:40Nature: Odor InvestigationAddress: 502 Green Mor Ct Salisbury, MD 21801
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 18:49:29Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: Snow Hill Rd and beaglin Park Dr Salisbury, MD 21801
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 18:49:23Nature: Pi AccidentCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 14:54:19Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 13:35:29Nature: Heart PatientCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 13:13:50Nature: Pi AccidentAddress: N Salisbury Blvd and columbia Rd Salisbury, MD 21801
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 11:20:20Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 10:02:26Nature: Syncopal EpisodeCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 09:15:10Nature: Difficulty BreathingCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 08:36:20Nature: Abdominal PainCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 08:33:17Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
• Friday February, 14 2014 @ 00:54:50Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Hebron

Wicomico Recreation’s Happy Timers Indoor Yard Sale Saturday, February 22

Salisbury, MD - Wicomico Recreation’s Happy Timers will hold an Indoor Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 7 a.m.-11 a.m. at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Members of the Happy Timers will be selling clothing, household items, costume jewelry, baked goods, books and more. The public is invited to check out some great deals and hidden treasures. Admission will be $1 at the door, children under 12 and Happy Timers members will be admitted free. Proceeds will benefit the Happy Timers program.

Happy Timers is a program for men and women ages 50+. Members are residents of Wicomico County and surrounding areas who enjoy walking, line dancing, exercising, participating in arts and crafts and playing games like bridge, pinochle and bingo. The Happy Timers also go on trips with local and long distance travel.

For more information on the Indoor Yard Sale or the Happy Timers, contact Karen McInturff, Program Director at 410-548-4900 x118 or email kmcinturff@wicomicocounty.org.

Valentines Day At Market Street Inn

For several years now my Wife and I have truly enjoyed dining at Market Street Inn for Valentines Day.

Rob Mulford takes the back corner of the restaurant and curtains it off for a very private dining experience. Considering Valentines Day is also our Anniversary, making this day even that much more special just completes the entire package. 

My Wife chose the Ahi, (Tuna) and I chose the New York Strip. If you're wondering what's on top of that steak, well, it's loaded with crab meat and I have to say, both meals were to die for. 

Raising a Grandson, it's pretty rare we get private time like this where we can simply relax and enjoy a really great meal. Market Street Inn is a one of a kind fine dining restaurant in Salisbury, something that seems to be a rare find any more. 

Hope you had a nice Valentines Day as well. 

Some Doctors Surprised To Be On Covered California Provider List

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — After KPIX 5 ConsumerWatch revealed confusion over which physicians are accepting patients under Covered California, some doctors who did not want to accept patients on the exchange said they were surprised to find out they were on the exchange’s list of providers.

Last week, KPIX 5 reported on Covered California enrollees who found many doctors on the insurance exchange’s list wouldn’t accept them as patients. As a result of our report, Covered California removed the list of doctors from their website.

More

Hold The IRS Accountable

Detectives Seek Public’s Help In Identifying A Burglary Suspect

Location: 26000 block of Bethel Concord Road, Seaford, DE

Date of Occurrence: Tuesday January 14, 2014 at approximately 1:42 p.m.

Victim:
46 year old female

Suspect: White male, 25-35 years of age wearing a black coat, grey T-shirt, and blue jeans (no further physical or clothing description).
Surveillance photos attached

Seaford, DE- The Delaware State Police are asking the public’s assistance in attempting to identify a suspect involved in a burglary.

The incident took place between Tuesday January 14, 2014 in the 26000 block of Bethel Concord Road, when a male subject is alleged to have broken into the residence and stole jewelry, cash, and credit cards. Later that same day, the suspect made purchases at the Royal Farms in Laurel for over $200.00.

If anyone has any information on the subject, they are asked to contact Det. J. Jones at 302-856-5850 ext. 227 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."

The Five Criminals: In America the Gestapo Has Replaced The Rule Of Law

RT is the best English language news source available to Americans. On January 29, RT published a photo of 5 presidential appointees lying through their teeth to Congress.
http://rt.com/usa/intel-hearing-snowden-threats-369/

All five of these Gestapo wannabes are in violation of their oath of office to protect the Constitution of the United States. They have relentlessly violated the Constitution, which makes these five, who are in charge of US intelligence and black operations, traitors to the United States. Yet, they have not been arrested and put on trial. Congress is content to sit there and listen to their ongoing lies time after time after time, despite the fact that these 5 have committed more and worse crimes against our country than the “terrorists” that serve as an excuse for the crimes committed by the intelligence agencies.

Remember, dear readers, it is a crime for you to lie to any federal agent even if you are not under oath or before Congress. How much more evidence do you need that you are not a citizen of the United States but a mere serf of the federal government? Will you ever wake up?

More

From Captain Phillips To Benghazi – Obama’s Cowardice & Lies Exposed

Have many in the mainstream media looked into Obama's background deep enough to see that maybe we have a Muslim for a President? Have they ever questioned President Obama about why he studied Marxism while he was at Occidental College in California? Has anyone even thought of asking President Obama just what he learned from Frank Marshall Davis, a devout Communist, who was on the FBI watch list? It seems that many are unwilling to question or make statements about Obama due to how he abuses the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies to silence his opponents. No matter, we are now going to pose a question of this man known as Barack Hussein Obama and demonstrate that he is not only a liar, but a coward as well, and how this may be the reason that the deaths of Americans occurred in Benghazi.

Let us begin with the list of lies from Obama compared to other Presidents and this list is not a total list of lies from the Liar- in-Chief.

More

Greed + Cartels = U.S. Sickcare/ObamaCare

Sickcare/ObamaCare is fundamentally broken at every level.

The incremental nature of change makes it difficult for us to notice how systems that once worked well with modest costs have transmogrified into broken systems that cost a fortune. Exhibit # 1 is higher education: 40 years ago, four-year public universities were affordable and two-year community colleges were almost free. Now students have to borrow $1 trillion to pay for the exorbitant privilege of higher education.

And no, the difference isn't that states don't provide the same funding--the difference is costs have soared while the yield on the investment has plummeted. Please read:

The Mafia State of Mind

Our Two Most Onerous Taxes: College Tuition and Healthcare Insurance

Our Middleman-Skimming Economy

America's Make-Work Sectors (Healthcare and Higher Education) Have Run Out of Oxygen

Longtime correspondent Ishabaka (an M.D. with 30+ years experience in primary care and as an emergency room physician) responded to this article with an insider's account of what happens when greed and cartels take over healthcare. After reading What's wrong with American hospitals?, a scathing deconstruction of for-profit healthcare, Ishabaka submitted this commentary:

I could have told you what was wrong with our hospital system by 1989 - nobody would listen to me back then.

More

Colorado Health-Exchange Director On Paid Leave, Accused Of Stealing From Nonprofit

DENVER – A director with Colorado's health-care exchange is on paid leave after it was discovered she has been accused of stealing from a nonprofit housing organization she oversaw in Montana.

Christa McClure is the director of partner engagement for Connect for Health Colorado, the state program that implements the Affordable Care Act.

According to the Denver Post, program spokesman Ben Davis says in her Colorado job, McClure does not have access to any of exchange's finances.

More

Worcester County Tea Party Meeting 2-20-14

Event: Worcester County Tea Party Meeting
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2014
Time: 6:30pm Doors Open
7:00pm Meeting Begins
Location: Ocean Pines Community Center, Assateague Room
Speaker: Collins Bailey, 1st Vice Chairman of MDGOP
Topic: Government, Christianity & The Tea Party

Meet & Greet the Local Candidates for the Upcoming Primary Election

For more information call @443-614-7214

Is Freedom Of The Press Being Abolished?

Last week, a little noticed clash took place on Capitol Hill involving the fundamental values underlying the First Amendment. The issue was the lawfulness of publishing the secrets that were given to reporters by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. The disputants were Cong. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and FBI Director James Comey.

Rogers is the chief congressional apologist for the massive NSA spying apparatus. He is the current chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and in that capacity, he is one of the dozen members of Congress from both houses who were privy to much of the NSA spying before the Snowden revelations. In our perverse post-9/11 world, federal law actually permits this Gang of 12 to substitute for all 535 members of Congress with respect to knowledge of intelligence secrets.

Since 9/11, the Bush and Obama administrations have succeeded in claiming they have congressional consent for the massive NSA spying by merely getting a consensus from the Gang of 12. There is, of course, no provision in the Constitution for the substitution of all 535 members of Congress with a select group of 12 of them, but Congress and Presidents Bush and Obama have gone along with this. The kicker is that all members of the Gang of 12 have been sworn to secrecy and threatened with prosecution if they reveal to anyone, including other members of Congress, what the NSA and other intelligence agencies reveal to them. What kind of representative democracy is that?

More