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Friday, March 14, 2014

Search For Missing Malaysian Jet Expands Further Into Indian Ocean

The search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet will broaden deep into the Indian Ocean, based on new intelligence assessments that there is a "higher probability" the aircraft went down in that region, a senior U.S. official told Fox News.

As a consequence of the shared U.S./Malaysian intelligence assessments, it is understood that the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Kidd will expand its search into a southern quadrant of the ocean, while Indian authorities will cover a northern quadrant.

The development comes as authorities speculate that the disappearance may have been an "act of piracy,” and more evidence suggests the plane was diverted by a skilled pilot before it vanished, U.S. and Malaysian officials familiar with the investigation said Friday
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Interest.com Study: Most Americans Can't Afford To Buy A New Car

Take heed before heading to the dealership. New research suggests many households cannot afford a new car.

On average, a new set of wheels costs around $32,000, according to Interest.com's 2014 Car Affordability Study, a price tag that is unaffordable for median households in 24 of the largest 25 metropolitan areas.

The one city where a new car or light truck will fit into the family budget is Washington, D.C. The average household around the nation's capital can swing a monthly auto payment up to $641, according to CNBC.

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ROBERT DUVALL BLASTS 'THE BUTLER': 'ATROCITIES IN SOUTH COMMITTED BY DEMOCRATS'

In an interview with the Daily Beast, living legend and Oscar-winner Robert Duvall blasted the Civil Rights film "The Butler" as "very inaccurate." The 83 year-old star added, "JFK had one of the worst Civil Rights voting records," and "All the atrocities in the South were committed by the Democratic Party."

Duvall, a well-known Republican, also spoke about his growing dissatisfaction with the Republican Party, which he called "a mess." Duvall describes himself as pro-choice when it comes to abortion and says he's ready to vote Independent in 2016.

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Only 10 Percent Of Uninsured Americans Want Obamacare

Obamacare is collapsing. Only 10 percent of uninsured Americans who qualify for Obamacare exchange plans are signing up. Even with subsidies to soften the sticker shock, 90 percent of the people these plans were intended to help are saying “no thanks,” according to a survey released last week by management consultants McKinsey & Company. A majority says the plans are too expensive.

The Affordable Care Act requires most Americans to enroll in “essential coverage” by March 31 and attach proof of it when they file their 2014 taxes. The law imposes a tax on those who don’t comply.

Not a mere $95, as widely thought. The tax is 1 percent of your adjusted gross income, with additional taxes for each uninsured child. If you, your spouse and three kids are uninsured, and your income is $75,000, your penalty could add up to $1,750 for 2014. Not chump change, yet not enough to force the uninsured to buy plans. Chief Justice John Roberts warned that a tax steep enough to do that would violate the Constitution.

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Police: Victim Of Bat Attack Kills Black Attackers

A maintenance worker in Milwaukee allegedly was held down by two black teens and beaten by a third person with a baseball bat when he shot and killed the two teens, according to police.

James Bell Jr., 19, and Anmarie Miller, 17, were shot to death Wednesday at an apartment building on the city’s north side where the maintenance man worked, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The 39-year-old worker, who has not been named by police, had his injuries treated at a hospital. He then was taken into custody at the Milwaukee County Jail on suspicion of committing two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, Milwaukee’s WITI-TV reported.

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Following The Trail Nixon Blazed

Obama shows the same Orwellian disregard for the Constitution.

What would a president do if he were furious over criticism, or felt that his noble aims justified most means of attaining them?

Answer that by comparing the behavior of Richard Nixon to that of an increasingly similar Barack Obama.

Nixon tried to use the Internal Revenue Service to go after his political enemies — although his IRS chiefs at least refused his orders to focus on liberals.

Nixon ignored settled law and picked and chose which statutes he would enforce — from denying funds for the Clean Water Act to ignoring congressional subpoenas.

Nixon attacked TV networks and got into personal arguments with journalists such as CBS’s Dan Rather.

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Democrats And The Panic Button

The Florida loss, plus Senate polls, spells trouble for them in November.

Democratic strategists are quietly hitting the panic button. As political analyst Charlie Cook noted yesterday, “Democrats haven’t had a week this bad since 2010 and it’s only Wednesday.” Not only did Democrats lose a special election in Florida, but a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll and surveys in four key Senate races (by a Democratic pollster) are painting an ugly picture for November.

Analysts can disagree about the national meaning of the Florida special election, but the fact that the Democratic dream candidate — former Florida state financial officer Alex Sink — outspent and lost to David Jolly, a former Washington lobbyist, in a district carried twice by Obama has to be bad news. As Adam C. Smith of theTampa Bay Times noted, Sink “ran a hyper-disciplined campaign with a far more robust get-out-the-vote effort than Republicans.” But she still lost.

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FBI Blocked In Corruption Probe Involving Sens. Reid, Lee

FBI agents working alongside Utah state prosecutors in a wide-ranging corruption investigation have uncovered accusations of wrongdoing by two of the U.S. Senate’s most prominent figures — Majority Leader Harry Reid and rising Republican Sen. Mike Lee — but the Justice Department has thwarted their bid to launch a full federal investigation.

The probe, conducted by one Republican and one Democratic state prosecutor in Utah, has received accusations from an indicted businessman and political donor, interviewed other witnesses and gathered preliminary evidence such as financial records, Congressional Record statements and photographs that corroborate some aspects of the accusations, officials have told The Washington Times and ABC News.

But the Justice Department’s public integrity section — which normally handles corruption cases involving elected figures — rejected FBI agents’ bid to use a federal grand jury and subpoenas to determine whether the accusations are true and whether any federal crimes were committed by state and federal officials.
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College Campaigns Against Offensive Language Such As ‘Derp,’ ‘Wuss,’ And ‘You Guys’

A Minnesota college has launched a campaign to warn students about the “oppressive impact” of offensive language such as “wuss” and “you guys.”

The More Than Words: Inclusive Language Campaign was created by Macalester College's Department of Multicultural Life in order to "raise awareness about the importance of using inclusive language." The campaign includes a series of YouTube videos and posters around campus.

“I don’t consciously do it, but I’ll say ‘You guys!’ or ‘We should do something together, guys!’ and I don’t even consciously...like, usually I'm addressing a group of all girls,” a Macalester College University student said in a video in August.

“I joke around with my friends like ‘Don’t be a wuss, don’t be a girl,’ come on just do this,” another student said. “I never really took the time to think about what that meant, and how loaded that phrase was.”

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Dead at 89: The Most Recognizable Voice In Movies

WASHINGTON --You may not know his name but you know his voice. Hal Douglas has been doing the voice-overs for Hollywood films and television since the 1970's.

So if you don't recognize his voice, you really haven't been paying attention to the movies or TV for the last 40 years. Douglas, 89, died at his Northern Virginia home on March 7, according to his family. Listen to this trip down memory lane:

Source

Obama Honey Boo Boo


Cig Butts Enforcement Would Be Big Hurdle

At both the local and state levels, cigarette butts are proving to be a real enforcement hurdle.

In recent weeks, officials at different levels have expressed a desire to curtail the amount of litter created by cigarette butts, nearly 5 trillion of which are tossed every year worldwide according to industry estimates.

In Ocean City, Councilman Brent Ashley’s press to have city police begin ticketing butt-flickers met with a tentative reception from the Ocean City Police Department at a recent council meeting.

“That is an area we can start to address, especially as the summer approaches,” OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro said. “We want to reinforce the emphasis on cleanliness and respect for our town.”
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When Blacks Voted 80 Percent Dem, Malcolm X Called Them ‘Chumps’

When blacks gave 80 percent of their vote to the Democratic Party in 1964, black activist Malcolm X called them “political chumps.”

White voters, X said, “are so evenly divided that every time they vote, the race is so close they have to go back and count the votes all over again. Which means that any bloc, any minority that has a bloc that sticks together is in a strategic position. Either way you go, that’s who gets it.”

Yet Democrats, said Malcolm X, failed to deliver on a promised and much anticipated new civil rights bill, knowing the party could still count on their blind support in the next election.

“You put them first,” said Malcolm X, “and they put you last. ‘Cause you’re a chump. A political chump! … Any time you throw your weight behind a political party that controls two-thirds of the government, and that party can’t keep the promise that it made to you during election time, and you are dumb enough to walk around continuing to identify yourself with that party — you’re not only a chump but you’re a traitor to your race.”

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Senate Approves Budget

The Maryland Senate has approved the state's $39 billion budget.

The Senate voted 41-6 for the budget bill on Thursday. All 35 Senate Democrats and six Republicans voted for the measure. Six Republicans voted against it.

The Senate also approved a companion measure that is needed to balance the budget for this fiscal year and the next on a 42-5 vote.

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Colorado Obamacare Enrollments Dwarfed By Cancellation Notices As Senate Race Heats Up

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., may face increasing headwinds fromObamacare as he tries to fend off a challenge from Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., given that low enrollments in his state are likely to drive up insurance premiums for his constituents, many of whom lost their previous plans because of the health care law.

"With less than a month to go before the enrollment period ends for this year, fewer than 85,000 Coloradans have signed up for health insurance," The Colorado Observer's Mark Stricherz reports, noting that state officials projected that they would need 125,000 to 140,000 enrollees.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, insurers would still be expected to earn profits, and would then likely raise premiums in 2015 to make up the difference,” Stricherz quotes Kaiser Family Foundation analyst Larry Leavitt as predicting.

Quite apart from the issue of premium increases, the 84,881 enrollees is far below the number of people who lost their insurance plans because of Obamacare.

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County Fire Marshal’s Office Looks At Personnel Issues

The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office could use some help, especially because retirements among the small staff are anticipated.

One long-time employee is expected to retire within a year or so and Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon said he could retire in a couple of years. Another is marrying and could relocate. The office could go from an experienced staff of four down to one in a short time period, McMahon told the Worcester County Commissioners during its March 11 budget work session.

In addition to McMahon, the Fire Marshal’s Office employs one chief deputy fire marshal and two deputy fire marshals and one administrative assistant. When one of the small staff is out sick or on vacation, it makes the work load even more substantial. One member of the Fire Marshal’s Office was out of commission for 14 weeks due to a hand injury.
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Americans Sick And Tired Of Wars For The Global Elite

A poll released earlier this week reveals Americans are following the advice of George Washington and Ron Paul. The United States should mind its own business and avoid getting involved in the Ukraine crisis. ) More

Salisbury City Council Work Session Agenda For 3-17-14

Vermont Wants Public Banking

Last week, at least twenty town meetings in that state voted on creating a state bank, and most results were an overwhelming "yes." The group, Vermonters for a New Economy urged residents to petition local governments to turn the Vermont Economic Development Authority into a public bank, and it turns out that that idea is pretty popular. 

After the 2008 financial crisis, many people around our country pointed to the Bank of North Dakota as a model to use in other states. Public-banking advocates say that like North Dakota, a state bank would "create economic sustainability in Vermont by partnering with community banks and engaging in other activities that would leverage state funds to promote economic well-being in the state." The people of Vermont have the right idea – if the legislators won't stand up to the banksters, we will – and we can do it by making banking the boring business that it should be.

SFD Calls For Service 3-13-14

  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 20:57:42Nature: Assault EmsCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 20:28:31Nature: Medical AssistAddress: 200 Civic Ave Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 17:02:05Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 16:59:07Nature: Chimney FireAddress: 1112 Nevins Pl Salisbury, MD 21801
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 16:34:46Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 13:34:15Nature: Syncopal EpisodeCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 12:53:54Nature: Abdominal PainCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 09:44:57Nature: Subject FallenCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 09:00:34Nature: Unconscious SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 05:26:06Nature: Sick SubjectCity: Salisbury
  • Thursday March, 13 2014 @ 03:25:08Nature: Pro Qa EmsCity: Salisbury

Obama's Budget

Last week, President Obama sent Congress a $3.9 trillion dollar budget. Although his 2015 plan has been deemed more politics than policy, it's a blueprint of how to start repairing our economy. The 2015 fiscal plan would move us away from austerity, and start us back on a path of investing in our nation again. This budget has obvious benefits, but Congress isn't even going to consider it. Congressman Paul Ryan dismissed it as nothing but a "campaign brochure," and the Chairwoman for the Senate Appropriations Committee, Barbara Mikulski, said that Congress "will adhere to the spending caps" in the Murray-Ryan deal. The President's plan calls for higher taxes on the rich, strong investments in our roads and bridges, more money for education, and tax breaks for the working poor. When he announced the plan at an elementary school in Washington, President Obama said, "As a country, we've got to make a decision if we're going to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, or if we're going to make smart investments necessary to create jobs and grow our economy, and expand opportunity for every American." And, although his plan won't be taken seriously by lawmakers, he's finally talking about what Americans really want, and what we need to make our economy work for the 99 percent. At the very least, the President's budget provides a strong platform for Democrats in this year's elections. They have the opportunity to show Americans that they stand for progress – and that they support plans that benefit those who aren't part of the one percent. It's a shame that our lawmakers view the President's strong ideas as unrealistic. It's up to us to make them see that ending austerity and embracing investment is a plan that provides real benefits to all Americans.

Obama Talking


Americans Might Get Flowers And Beer By Drone After All

Great news for people who were looking forward to a future of receiving small deliveries on their doorsteps by unmanned drone. A federal judge’s decision last week means that a Michigan-based florist can go ahead and continue their tests of flower delivery by unmanned aerial vehicle.

It’s big companies like Amazon that get most of the attention when it comes to commercial applications of drones, but the florist is ready to get started with its tests as soon as possible. They had planned some rose deliveries as a Valentine’s Day publicity stunt before the FAA put a stop to the festivities.

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Republican Accuses McAuliffe Of Forcing Medicaid Expansion On Virginians

(CNSNews.com) – Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe is trying to “force-feed the people of Virginia a federal government-based healthcare policy that is wreaking havoc with everything it touches,” said State Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) in a statement released on Wednesday.

The Virginia General Assembly ended its 60-day legislative session on March 8, unable to pass a two-year budget because of disagreements over Medicaid expansion. Gov. McAuliffe, who backs Medicaid expansion, announced on the same day that he would call a special session of the General Assembly on March 24 to resolve the issues.

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Deadly Nile Crocodile Captured In Florida Everglades

MIAMI – A deadly young Nile crocodile has been captured alive in Everglades National Park.

Wildlife officials say the crocodile they caught Sunday has eluded them for nearly two years.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says they believe the 5 1/2-foot croc may have escaped from a facility in Miami-Dade County.

Two other missing crocs were captured in 2009 and 2012. He says they're looking at DNA to confirm their suspicions.

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JEANNE ROBERTSON VIDEO! Don't Bungee Jump Naked!

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2014 Strategy: Obama's Top 5 Distractions

With Democratic 2014 Senate and House hopes receding faster than the rise of the tides under President Obama, the Obama administration and Democratic Party have decided to resort to their favorite page in the political playbook: distraction and misdirection.

Psychologists posit that the brain can only handle so many narratives at one point; if we are distracted by problems at home, for example, we tend to perform less well at work. The same holds true in politics: if our brains are occupied with worries about the war on women, for example, we’re less likely to be thinking about the horrors of Obamacare. Our bandwidth is filled with lower but sexier priorities.

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Thank God Its Friday 3-14-14

What will you be doing this weekend?

Detectives Arrest Smyrna Woman For Murder

Location: 2000 block of Bryn Zion Road, Smyrna, DE

Dates of Occurrence: June 3, 2013 to September 16, 2013

Victim:

James D. Baker II, 42, Smyrna, DE

Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:

Jamie L. Baker, 44, Smyrna, DE (Photo Attached)
Murder 1st
Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony

Arraigned at JP7 and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution without bail.

Resume:
Smyrna, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a 44 year old Smyrna woman in connection with the death of her husband.

The investigation began on September 16, 2013 when troopers and medical personnel were called to the 2000 block of Bryn Zion Road for a death investigation. Upon arrival, James D. Baker II was located by his wife, Jamie L. Baker, deceased in the bedroom. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also responded to the residence to transport Mr. Baker to their office in order to conduct an autopsy. Evidence which consisted of pills, syringes, and a box containing several bottles of liquid steroids were collected at the scene by state police detectives.

An autopsy was performed on James Baker and it was discovered that his kidneys had a substance suspected to be Ethylene Glycol, which is a chemical found in anti-freeze. The bottles of steroids were then sent to a laboratory to be tested and all found to positively contain Ethylene Glycol. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide by poisoning.

Detectives continued to conduct comprehensive interviews and were able to determine that James Baker ordered the steroids back in June of 2013 through the internet and would have them delivered to a friend. The two of them would divide up the bottles between themselves and Baker would take his back to his residence in Smyrna where he would place them in a locked toolbox in a closet.

On Thursday March 13, 2014, detectives executed a search warrant at the residence on Bryn Zion Road. Jamie Baker was contacted at the residence and eventually provided information that she had used a hypodermic syringe to extract anti-freeze from a container that was stored in the garage. Once she gathered the chemical, she injected several bottles of the steroids.

Jamie Baker was transported to Troop 3 where she was charged with Murder 1st and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony. She was arraigned at JP7 and committed to DJBWCI where she is being held without bail.
 

Caption This Photo 3-14-14


BREW RIVER DOCK BAR TO OPEN THIS WEEKEND

Brew's Dock Bar will be open Saturday & Sunday this Weekend! Grand ReOpening Party 3rd Friday March 21st w/ Mike Hines & the Look.

I Just Read The Wicomico County Board Of Education Audit


James Hammond Arrested In 7-Month-Old’s Death

Location: 200 block of Commerce Street, Harrington, DE

Date of Occurrence: Friday February 28, 2014

Victim: Aubri N. Thompson, 7 month old female, Dover, DE

Defendant, Charge, and Bond Information:

James E. Hammond, 44, Harrington, DE (Updated Photo Attached)
Murder by Abuse or Neglect 1st

Arraigned at JP2 and committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $100,000.00 secured bond.

Resume:
Harrington, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested James E. Hammond this morning after he turned himself in to detectives at Troop 3.

Hammond was wanted in the connection with the death of 7-month-old, Aubri N. Thompson, who was in his care while at his home in the 200 block of Commerce Street in Harrington.

At approximately 6:21 p.m. on Friday February 28, 2014, Aubri was brought into Milford Memorial Hospital Emergency Room by her aunt and the aunt’s boyfriend, James Hammond, in their privately owned vehicle due to Aubri being unresponsive while at the house. Attempts to revive Aubri by medical staff were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 7:29 p.m.

At the request of the Harrington Police Department, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit was contacted to investigate the incident. Detectives were informed that Aubri had been in the care of her aunt and James Hammond since Tuesday February 25, 2014 while her parents were out of state on vacation. Sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on February 27, 2014, Hammond was watching Aubri alone when it was alleged that she had fallen to the floor from a crib, although medical attention was not sought until the following day.

On Saturday March 1, 2014 an autopsy was performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner who ruled the manner of death to be a homicide by blunt force trauma to her head.

Detectives are continuing their investigation into this incident.

Proofreading Is A Dying Art

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Ed itorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
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Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
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Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
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Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
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Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
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War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
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If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
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Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
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Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
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Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
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Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
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New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!
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Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
---------------- ---------------------------------
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
******************************************
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
*******************************************
And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

STATE POLICE DUI PATROLS TO BE DEPLOYED IN EVERY COUNTY THIS WEEKEND

(Pikesville, MD) -- Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Marcus L. Brown has ordered the deployment of additional State Police DUI enforcement efforts in each county beginning today to coincide with the increase in drinking and driving that occurs as a result of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

“Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations increase the number of drunk drivers on our roads and the risk of highway tragedies resulting from drunken driving crashes,” Colonel Brown said. “We want everyone to enjoy the celebrations, but act responsibly. Be certain you make plans ahead of time to arrange for a sober driver to transport you, whether that is a friend, cab driver, or transit driver. Stick to those plans. If you do not, a very sober state trooper or local police officer will quite possibly be driving you from the scene of your arrest.”

During previous St. Patrick’s Day weekends, DUI arrests by state troopers have doubled what they are on a normal day. Troopers and local law enforcement officers will be working together throughout the state to strictly enforce Maryland’s drunk driving laws.

The Most Evil And Disturbing NSA Spy Practices To-Date Have Just Been Revealed

In some cases the NSA has masqueraded as a fake Facebook server, using the social media site as a launching pad to infect a target’s computer and exfiltrate files from a hard drive. In others, it has sent out spam emails laced with the malware, which can be tailored to covertly record audio from a computer’s microphone and take snapshots with its webcam. The hacking systems have also enabled the NSA to launch cyberattacks by corrupting and disrupting file downloads or denying access to websites.

The man-in-the-middle tactic can be used, for instance, to covertly change the content of a message as it is being sent between two people, without either knowing that any change has been made by a third party.

- From Glenn Greenwald’s latest article: How the NSA Plans to Infect Millions of Computers with Malware

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35% Of ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion Beneficiaries Will Be Criminals

ObamaCare defenders cover up everything wrong with their disastrous program by claiming that it’s all the fault of those mean Republican governors who refuse to expand Medicaid.

Protests have been held in major cities demanding Medicaid expansion. But who benefits from the Medicaid expansion? Murderers, rapists, armed robbers and drug dealers.

Less than a million Americans lack health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. And it turns out that a good number of Americans are uninsured not because they are sick, but because they are convicted criminals.

When Obamacare was signed into law in 2010, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that half of the law’s expansion of health insurance coverage would come from expanding Medicaid, America’s government-run health insurance program for the poor. However, in 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that states could decline to expand their Medicaid programs; thus far, 25 states have held off.

It turns out that more than a third of the U.S. population eligible for the Medicaid expansion are ex-cons. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that “at least 35 percent of new Medicaid eligibles under the Affordable Care Act will have a history of criminal involvement.”

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Here Come The Wage And Price Controls

Nearly four thousand years ago, King Hammurabi of Babylon laid out his eponymous “Hammurabi’s Code”, a series of laws that is still famous to this day.

Most people know Hammurabi’s Code as “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Yet what few realize is that the code was actually one of the original attempts at government wage and price controls.

Hammurabi’s Code decreed, for example, that the daily rate of pay for a tailor would be five grains of silver, and a farm laborer would be six grains of silver. The cost of hiring a small animal for field work would be four bushels of corn. Etc.

Of course, Hammurabi’s attempts to control prices didn’t work one bit. In his book The Old Babylonian Merchant: His Business and Social Position (published 1950), historian W.F. Leemans writes:

“Prominent and wealthy tamkaru [merchant traders] were no longer found in Hammurabi’s reign. Moreover, only a few tamkaru are known from Hammurabi’s time and afterwards . . .”

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CHICAGO MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL WARNS OF DOUBLED PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND SPIRALING PENSION COSTS

Illinois has one of the worst pension messes in the nation as the cost of government employee benefits is sending state, county, and local governments into bankruptcy crises all across the state. No place has more trouble than Chicago, prompting Mayor Rahm Emanuel to warn that property taxes will have to double to serve that spiraling debt.

In 2015 Chicago faces a looming financial disaster with a municipal pension system that is in worse shape than that of any other major U.S. city. Chicago is under the gun for a whopping $1.07 billion balloon payment on its $19.4 billion pension debt for city employees. Chicago's mayor is struggling to figure out how to pay the balloon payment, which is equal to one third of the city's entire budget. According to The Wall Street Journal, the balloon payment alone could pay for the salaries of the Chicago Police Department's entire 4,300 officer force or for the re-paving of all 16,000 blocks of roads in the city.

The city fathers have made some furtive attempts to address the crisis.

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Red Light Camera At Florida Hospital Ticketing Those Seeking Emergency Help

Pay two tickets and call me in the morning.

Authorities installed red-light cameras near the emergency room entrance at University Hospital in Tamarac to nail traffic violators, but those rushing to the facility for medical attention are getting ensnared.

When Jacob Alcahe began to sweat and feel chest pains this past October, he thought he might be having a heart attack.

“That day I felt very bad,” Alcahe said. “I couldn’t breathe and I was sweating and my chest hurt,” he told Florida Watchdog.

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Delaware State Police & American Legion Is Accepting Applications

The Delaware State Police & American Legion is accepting applications for the 43rd Trooper Youth Week starting Monday, June 23, 2014 through Friday, June 27, 2014. This is a week-long live-in academy sponsored by the Delaware State Police and American Legion of Delaware designed to give high school students who are sincerely interested in law enforcement an opportunity to experience the rigors of training that police officers receive at the Delaware State Police Academy.
 
The students selected from a competitive pool, are required to participate in physical training as well as a variety of classroom instruction ranging from crime scene and accident investigation.  The program sponsored by the American Legion of Delaware, is facilitated by Uniform Troopers assigned to the Delaware State Police Training Academy. 

2 Employees Shot Manager Multiple Times, Dumped Her Body Behind Taco Bell

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (CBS Atlanta/AP) — Montgomery police have arrested two 19-year-old Taco Bell employees in the slaying of the restaurant’s night manager.

Police say Renauldous Chisolm and Kenneth Temple of Montgomery were arrested Monday and are charged with capital murder in the killing of 43-year-old Vettia Roche.

Police say the woman was killed during an armed robbery while she was leaving the restaurant. Roche’s body was found behind the restaurant Monday morning. Local media outlets reported that court documents said Roche was beaten with a tire iron and shot multiple times.

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The Vacant Dead: One In Five Foreclosed Homes Is A Vacant Zombie



The latest foreclosure news out of RealtyTrac is out, and provides the latest proof that if there is a housing recovery somewhere, it sure isn't in the US, where the dislocations in the supply/demand for real estate are so profound that one in five homes in the foreclosure process has been vacated by the distressed homeowner. To wit: "As of the first quarter of 2014, a total of 152,033 U.S. properties in the foreclosure process (excluding bank-owned properties) had been vacated by the distressed homeowner, representing 21 percent of all properties in the foreclosure process." This means that neither the distressed homeowner or the foreclosing lender taking responsibility for maintenance and upkeep of the home, leading to a veritable army of Vacant Dead housing units that are spreading like zombies across the nation in the most improbable housing "recovery" of all time.

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ATTN: DELAWAREANS

Part of Obamacare (ACA) that the President and Dems are bragging about is that the plans under Obamacare are very comprehensive. (“more coverage at cheaper prices,” they chant.....not true, Obamacare has less coverage at higher prices!) The government states that everyones' former plans were inadequate and that we are much better off now that we have ACA, thanks to Papa Obama.

FYI: There are 19 health plans available to residents of Delaware. Of those, 8 are provided by ‘Coventry Health and Life’ or ‘Coventry Healthcare of Delaware’. The Coventry plans DO NOT cover significant treatments/therapies such as: chemotherapy, radiation, infusion therapy, and dialysis. Those things are NOT COVERED AT ALL; therefore, expenses incurred for those treatments do not have to be included in the accumulators for Deductible or Out-Of-Pocket-Max .

How can this be? I actually had to delve deep into the ‘Choosehealthde.com’ website to find this out. The Coventry plans tend to have the least expensive premiums, so a lot of people in Delaware may elect them. Some of those people will not do enough research to know that their coverage is not comprehensive...... after all, their President told them it was really good coverage.....so it must be!

Senate Reaches Bipartisan Deal On Unemployment Benefits Extension

Senate negotiators struck a bipartisan deal Thursday that would renew federal unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless, allowing for retroactive payments to go to more than 2 million Americans whose benefits expired in late December.

Ten senators, evenly divided among Democrats and Republicans, announced the pact and set up a timeline in which the legislation could pass the Senate in late March.

Its outcome in the House remains up in the air, however. Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who has opposed previous Senate plans as insufficient in providing offsetting cuts, did not offer a statement on the new proposal.

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GOVERNOR O’MALLEY ISSUES STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor O'Malley issued the following statement after the Maryland Senate voted unanimously (47-0) in favor of the O'Malley-Brown Administration's bill SB 337, which would give judges the authority to impose enhanced penalties for acts of violence committed in the presence of a minor in the home:

"I want to commend the action of Maryland Senators, who voted unanimously to strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence. This vote brings us one step closer to holding more abusers accountable, and to doing more to ensure stable, healthy homes for Maryland children. I look forward to signing this bill into law when it reaches my desk."

How Much The Marriage Tax Penalty Will Cost You

Marriage is a wonderful thing, right?

It is ... unless you're talking taxes.

When talking about marriage and money, most experts talk about the tax advantages of getting married. However, these tax advantages are often only available to married partners with large disparities in income.

Sadly, spouses who earn similar amounts of money -- especially those who are considered high earners -- are often subject to a marriage tax penalty.

What is the marriage tax penalty?

When you marry, you have the option of filing your tax return jointly, or filing separate tax returns. The marriage penalty takes effect when the taxes you pay jointly exceed what you would have paid if each of you had remained single and filed as single filers.

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Perdue Poisons Public Air With Over 5 Million Pounds Of Hexane By Ray Wallace

From 2000 to 2010 Perdue released:
5,092,928 lbs. of hexane
into public air 
from two soybean-processing plants
in Virginia and Maryland.

Here's what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says:
Long-term exposure to hexane,
a toxic air pollutant, can cause
permanent nerve damage in humans.
     
Major sources are those
that emit more than
10 tons
of hexane a year.*

Here's what Perdue plans to permanently release from its new soybean-processing plant planned along the Susquehanna River:

208 tons
of hexane a year!!!

*See "Fact Sheet: Final Air Toxics Rule for Solvent Extraction in Vegetable Oil Production," at this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency site: