Journalist set to release bombshell story
“We have a story we’re going to release this coming week and I’ve never thought about this before but I am afraid for my life on this one,” O’Keefe tweeted on Saturday.
Whatever its nature, the story promises to be a big one given the impact generated by O’Keefe’s previous work.
In 2007, O’Keefe posed as a donor wanting to give money to Planned Parenthood to pay for the abortion of black and other minority babies. Workers at numerous Planned Parenthood clinics agreed to accept the donation on these terms.
O’Keefe’s biggest scalp was undoubtedly his 2009 take down of ACORN, an advocacy organization for people on low income. Hidden camera footage published by O’Keefe showed ACORN employees giving advice on how to evade detection for tax evasion, human smuggling and child prostitution. Congress voted to eliminate federal funding for ACORN as a result of the exposé.
In August 2014, O’Keefe demonstrated the porous state of the U.S. border when he crossed an unguarded footbridge in the upper Rio Grande while dressed as Osama Bin Laden.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, February 26, 2015
WHY?
This is kind of interesting!!
1… WHY:Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
BECAUSE:When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since.
BECAUSE:When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since.
2.. WHY:Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
BECAUSE:This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'
BECAUSE:This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'
3.. WHYWhy are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
BECAUSE:In France , where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (naturally), mispronounced it 'love.'
BECAUSE:In France , where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (naturally), mispronounced it 'love.'
4.. WHY:Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
BECAUSE:In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
BECAUSE:In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
5.. WHY:Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?
BECAUSE:In card games, it was once customary to pass a marker, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.
BECAUSE:In card games, it was once customary to pass a marker, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.
6.. WHY:Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
BECAUSE:In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.
BECAUSE:In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.
7.. WHY:Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?
BECAUSE:Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.
BECAUSE:Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.
8.. WHY:Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
BECAUSE:Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
BECAUSE:Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
9.. WHY:In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
BECAUSE:When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day' and the Scots changed it into caddie.
BECAUSE:When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day' and the Scots changed it into caddie.
10. WHY:Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs?
BECAUSE:Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.
BECAUSE:Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.
And now you know the origins of some of our strange customs ......
Sarah Palin to Eric Holder:
“You Can Replace my Identifying Bracelets with Your Government Marker when You Pry them off my Cold, Dead Wrists”
On Monday, Downtrend reported that Attorney General Eric Holder suggested gun owners should wear bracelets. Sarah Palin doesn’t think that’s such a good idea.
On her Facebook page, Palin explained that she already wears identifying bracelets.
“One honors our military,” she said. “One honors independent Americans who have a healthy distrust of Washington’s permanent political class and who will fight against elitists hell-bent on fundamentally transforming the USA; And one celebrates the year 1791 – that glorious year our Bill of Rights came to be, with the cross and bones symbol representing our Founders’ ‘Death to Tyranny’ commitment, and on each side you’ll see symbols of my faith.”
And she doesn’t seem interested in replacing them with one of Holder’s choosing.
More
On Monday, Downtrend reported that Attorney General Eric Holder suggested gun owners should wear bracelets. Sarah Palin doesn’t think that’s such a good idea.
On her Facebook page, Palin explained that she already wears identifying bracelets.
“One honors our military,” she said. “One honors independent Americans who have a healthy distrust of Washington’s permanent political class and who will fight against elitists hell-bent on fundamentally transforming the USA; And one celebrates the year 1791 – that glorious year our Bill of Rights came to be, with the cross and bones symbol representing our Founders’ ‘Death to Tyranny’ commitment, and on each side you’ll see symbols of my faith.”
And she doesn’t seem interested in replacing them with one of Holder’s choosing.
More
Solar farm sets 130 birds on FIRE
Extreme glow of power plant ignites creatures mid-air during tests
More than 100 birds have been injured during testing of a new solar power farm.
Biologists say 130 birds caught fire mid-air while entering an area of concentrated solar energy created by the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah, Nevada.
Experts believe the birds may have been attracted by the glow of the farm’s tower, but the project’s owners, SolarReserve, say they have found a way to reduce the fatalities.
More
More than 100 birds have been injured during testing of a new solar power farm.
Biologists say 130 birds caught fire mid-air while entering an area of concentrated solar energy created by the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah, Nevada.
Experts believe the birds may have been attracted by the glow of the farm’s tower, but the project’s owners, SolarReserve, say they have found a way to reduce the fatalities.
More
Worcester County TEA Party Meeting
Over 35 concerned citizens braved brutally cold temperatures to attend the Worcester County TEA Party meeting on Thursday, February 19th. The featured speakers were members of the Worcester County Sheriff' s Department Criminal Enforcement Team who gave an informative and disturbing presentation regarding the heroin epidemic on the Eastern Shore and their efforts to combat the problem. State's Attorney Beau Oglesby and Dr. Andrea Mathias, Deputy Health Officer for the County Health Department, were also on hand to report on the problem from their perspectives. It was obvious to the attendees that we are fortunate to have a dedicated team working on this issue.
In addition, Chief Deputy Dale Smack and Detective/Corporal Alex Kagan reported on the recent child pornography sting. Chief Deputy Smack also discussed House Bill 28 regarding school security and outlined the many reasons why the Sheriff's office is opposed to this legislation.
The mission of the Worcester County TEA Party is to protect and promote the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and Bill of Rights through attracting, educating and mobilizing the people to secure public policy consistent with the core values of fiscal responsibility, open and constitutionally limited government, and free markets.
All are invited to attend our next meeting on Friday, March 20th at the Ocean Pines Library. The guest speaker will be Mike Bradley, morning host of the "Talk of Delmarva" on WGMD (92.7 FM) out of Lewes, Delaware. Doors open at 6:30 and the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
For more information email wctppatriots@gmail.com.
In addition, Chief Deputy Dale Smack and Detective/Corporal Alex Kagan reported on the recent child pornography sting. Chief Deputy Smack also discussed House Bill 28 regarding school security and outlined the many reasons why the Sheriff's office is opposed to this legislation.
The mission of the Worcester County TEA Party is to protect and promote the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and Bill of Rights through attracting, educating and mobilizing the people to secure public policy consistent with the core values of fiscal responsibility, open and constitutionally limited government, and free markets.
All are invited to attend our next meeting on Friday, March 20th at the Ocean Pines Library. The guest speaker will be Mike Bradley, morning host of the "Talk of Delmarva" on WGMD (92.7 FM) out of Lewes, Delaware. Doors open at 6:30 and the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
For more information email wctppatriots@gmail.com.
Epic Brands Bring Cheer & Dance Events to WY&CC Feb. 28 & March 15
Salisbury, MD – Epic Brands presents the American Cheer and Dance Academy Delmarva Beach Blast at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, Feb. 28. Spectators are welcome for a beachy good time that will make you feel like you’re at the sunny beach in the heart of winter. Doors open at 12 p.m., competition begins at 1 p.m. Spectator tickets will be sold at the gate, adults (ages 13 - 64) $12.00, children (ages 6 - 12) $6.00, seniors (65 years & up) $6.00, children (5 years & under) are free. For more information, visithttp://acdaspirit.com/events/delmarva-beach-blast/.
Two weeks later, Epic Brands will return with the Spirit Unlimited Eastern Shore Championships at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Sunday, March 15. Doors open at 1 p.m., competition begins at 2 p.m. Spectator tickets will be sold at the gate, adults (ages 13 - 64) $12.00, children (ages 6 - 12) $6.00, seniors (65 years & up) $6.00, children (5 years & under) are free. For more information, visit http://spiritunlimited.com/events/eastern-shore-championship/.
Two weeks later, Epic Brands will return with the Spirit Unlimited Eastern Shore Championships at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Sunday, March 15. Doors open at 1 p.m., competition begins at 2 p.m. Spectator tickets will be sold at the gate, adults (ages 13 - 64) $12.00, children (ages 6 - 12) $6.00, seniors (65 years & up) $6.00, children (5 years & under) are free. For more information, visit http://spiritunlimited.com/events/eastern-shore-championship/.
Mayor Emanuel To Face Chuy Garcia In Runoff Election
CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will take on Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in the first mayoral runoff election in Chicago history on April 7.
A fiery Garcia, who finished second to Emanuel, criticized Emanuel on catering to special interests and failing to do enough on crime an education in a speech to his supporters at the Alhambra Palace in the West Loop.
“Today, we the people have spoken,” Garcia said. “Not the people with the money and the power and the connections, not the giant corporations, the big money special interests, the hedge funds and Hollywood celebrities who poured tens of millions of dollars into the mayor’s campaign.”
More
A fiery Garcia, who finished second to Emanuel, criticized Emanuel on catering to special interests and failing to do enough on crime an education in a speech to his supporters at the Alhambra Palace in the West Loop.
“Today, we the people have spoken,” Garcia said. “Not the people with the money and the power and the connections, not the giant corporations, the big money special interests, the hedge funds and Hollywood celebrities who poured tens of millions of dollars into the mayor’s campaign.”
More
Large Structure Fire In Laurel, Delaware
.jpg)
Bryans Bowling Center located at 1103 South Central Ave in Laurel is on fire at this time.
How the warming Arctic might be behind Boston's deep freeze
A strange thing happened here in Boston over the weekend: The temperature got above freezing.
The massive dumps of snow here this winter have been bad enough, but it's the cold that's really done us in, an unbroken stretch of frigid weather that’s made Massachusetts feel more like Montreal — or Anchorage.
And Rutgers University climate scientist Jennifer Francis has a counterintuitive explanation for all the cold: It's the warming Arctic.
More specifically, Francis thinks the warming Arctic is causing the jet stream to slow down and get a lot more loopy, which lets big masses of frigid air slip south.
The jet stream is that powerful, high-altitude circulation system that carries weather around the Northern Hemisphere. The main fuel behind it is the difference in temperature between the Arctic and the warmer regions to the south.
“When the Arctic is warming so fast, that means there's less fuel driving the jet stream,” Francis says. “When the jet stream has less fuel it flows more slowly, and it tends to take these big north-south dips.”
More
And Rutgers University climate scientist Jennifer Francis has a counterintuitive explanation for all the cold: It's the warming Arctic.
More specifically, Francis thinks the warming Arctic is causing the jet stream to slow down and get a lot more loopy, which lets big masses of frigid air slip south.
The jet stream is that powerful, high-altitude circulation system that carries weather around the Northern Hemisphere. The main fuel behind it is the difference in temperature between the Arctic and the warmer regions to the south.
“When the Arctic is warming so fast, that means there's less fuel driving the jet stream,” Francis says. “When the jet stream has less fuel it flows more slowly, and it tends to take these big north-south dips.”
More
Bill O’Reilly and Fox News Redouble Defense of His Falklands Reporting
The Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Monday stepped up his defense against reports that he embellished stories about his war reporting earlier in his career, while some former colleagues continued to say he had exaggerated his experiences.
Mr. O’Reilly is contesting an article in the magazine Mother Jones and subsequent interviews with former journalists at CBS News that accuse him of misrepresenting his coverage of the Falklands war in 1982 as a young correspondent for CBS News.
The central dispute is whether Mr. O’Reilly reported from active war zones, as he has repeatedly said on the air and in his 2001 book, “The No Spin Zone: Confrontations With the Powerful and Famous in America.”
Mr. O’Reilly has said that he had never claimed he reported from the Falkland Islands, where the fighting occurred. “I said I covered the Falklands war, which I did,” he said last Friday. He went on to describe his coverage of protests in the aftermath of the war on the streets of Buenos Aires, some 1,200 miles from the Falklands.
More
Mr. O’Reilly is contesting an article in the magazine Mother Jones and subsequent interviews with former journalists at CBS News that accuse him of misrepresenting his coverage of the Falklands war in 1982 as a young correspondent for CBS News.
The central dispute is whether Mr. O’Reilly reported from active war zones, as he has repeatedly said on the air and in his 2001 book, “The No Spin Zone: Confrontations With the Powerful and Famous in America.”
Mr. O’Reilly has said that he had never claimed he reported from the Falkland Islands, where the fighting occurred. “I said I covered the Falklands war, which I did,” he said last Friday. He went on to describe his coverage of protests in the aftermath of the war on the streets of Buenos Aires, some 1,200 miles from the Falklands.
More
Husband, defense team doubt Vegas mom slaying was road rage
LAS VEGAS — Police knew a 19-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed a neighborhood mother of four smoked marijuana before he surrendered during a standoff last week, and investigators questioned him while he was high, a defense lawyer said Tuesday.
Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. smoked pot while he talked by telephone with Las Vegas police during the Thursday standoff at his home, attorney Augustus Claus said.
"Not only did they let him, but they watched him do it," Claus told The Associated Press. "They were trying to talk him down."
Claus said the drug use might have calmed his client and avoided a violent SWAT entry into the house. But he said it cast doubt on anything Nowsch told investigators once he was in custody.
"There's a good argument that you can't use whatever you get," he said. "People tend to say things that aren't entirely credible when they're under the influence."
Police referred questions to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who didn't immediately respond to messages about the case marked by stunning revelations and conflicting accounts from authorities and the family of the slain woman, Tammy Meyers.
More
Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. smoked pot while he talked by telephone with Las Vegas police during the Thursday standoff at his home, attorney Augustus Claus said.
"Not only did they let him, but they watched him do it," Claus told The Associated Press. "They were trying to talk him down."
Claus said the drug use might have calmed his client and avoided a violent SWAT entry into the house. But he said it cast doubt on anything Nowsch told investigators once he was in custody.
"There's a good argument that you can't use whatever you get," he said. "People tend to say things that aren't entirely credible when they're under the influence."
Police referred questions to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who didn't immediately respond to messages about the case marked by stunning revelations and conflicting accounts from authorities and the family of the slain woman, Tammy Meyers.
More
Alaska becomes 3rd state with legal marijuana
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska on Tuesday became the third U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, but organizers don't expect any public celebrations since it remains illegal to smoke marijuana in public.
In the state's largest city, Anchorage police officers are ready to start handing out $100 fines to make sure taking a toke remains something to be done behind closed doors.
Placing Alaska in the same category as Washington state and Colorado with legal marijuana was the goal of a coalition including libertarians, rugged individualists and small-government Republicans who prize the privacy rights enshrined in the Alaska state constitution.
When they voted 53-47 percent last November to legalize marijuana use by adults in private places, they left many of the details to lawmakers and regulators to sort out.
That has left confusion on many matters.
More
In the state's largest city, Anchorage police officers are ready to start handing out $100 fines to make sure taking a toke remains something to be done behind closed doors.
Placing Alaska in the same category as Washington state and Colorado with legal marijuana was the goal of a coalition including libertarians, rugged individualists and small-government Republicans who prize the privacy rights enshrined in the Alaska state constitution.
When they voted 53-47 percent last November to legalize marijuana use by adults in private places, they left many of the details to lawmakers and regulators to sort out.
That has left confusion on many matters.
More
Chief justice could again swing Obamacare case in government's favor
Three years ago, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts cast the tie-breaking vote in a ruling that saved President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare reform. As the high court prepares to weigh another challenge that could shatter Obamacare, a review of Roberts’ recent votes and opinions suggest he could again sway the case the government's way.
The conservative challengers in the case aim to persuade Roberts and the other eight justices that the federal government has overreached by providing tax subsidies to millions of people in 34 states that didn't create their own insurance exchanges.
More
The conservative challengers in the case aim to persuade Roberts and the other eight justices that the federal government has overreached by providing tax subsidies to millions of people in 34 states that didn't create their own insurance exchanges.
More
Big U.S. majority favors mandatory vaccinations
A large majority of Americans favor mandatory vaccinations of children, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday, apparently unswayed by some senior Republicans who have raised fears the medical shots could lead to autism.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents in the online survey said all children should be vaccinated unless there is a direct health risk to them from vaccination.
Only 13 percent opposed vaccinations.
"The numbers are absolutely overwhelming in favor of vaccinations with a consistent minority in opposition," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clarke.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and potential 2016 presidential candidate, this month revived a long-running controversy over vaccinations when he said he had heard of instances where vaccines caused mental disorders.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, another possible Republican presidential hopeful, said parents needed a "measure of choice." But his spokesman later said the governor believed kids should be vaccinated against measles.
More
Seventy-eight percent of respondents in the online survey said all children should be vaccinated unless there is a direct health risk to them from vaccination.
Only 13 percent opposed vaccinations.
"The numbers are absolutely overwhelming in favor of vaccinations with a consistent minority in opposition," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clarke.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and potential 2016 presidential candidate, this month revived a long-running controversy over vaccinations when he said he had heard of instances where vaccines caused mental disorders.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, another possible Republican presidential hopeful, said parents needed a "measure of choice." But his spokesman later said the governor believed kids should be vaccinated against measles.
More
States predict inmates' future crimes with secretive surveys
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — On a hot Friday last July, a parolee was mowing a lawn in a small cul-de-sac on the west side of the city when he stopped to ask for a glass of water.
The 70-year-old widow whose yard he was mowing told him to wait on her porch. Instead, she said, he jerked the storm door open, slammed her against the wall, forced her into the bedroom and raped her. The parolee pushed her with such force, she said, that her front teeth were knocked loose.
Then he went back to mowing the lawn.
Milton Thomas, 58, said he's not guilty. His trial is set for March.
Thomas has been in and out of Arkansas prisons since 2008 for nonviolent crimes, including check fraud. After he got out in November 2013, the state predicted he was a low risk to commit another crime, Thomas said, and assigned him the least amount of supervision.
His low-risk prediction would have been calculated based on answers to a lengthy questionnaire, the latest tool among the nation's court systems to try to predict the likelihood that an offender will commit a crime again.
More
The 70-year-old widow whose yard he was mowing told him to wait on her porch. Instead, she said, he jerked the storm door open, slammed her against the wall, forced her into the bedroom and raped her. The parolee pushed her with such force, she said, that her front teeth were knocked loose.
Then he went back to mowing the lawn.
Milton Thomas, 58, said he's not guilty. His trial is set for March.
Thomas has been in and out of Arkansas prisons since 2008 for nonviolent crimes, including check fraud. After he got out in November 2013, the state predicted he was a low risk to commit another crime, Thomas said, and assigned him the least amount of supervision.
His low-risk prediction would have been calculated based on answers to a lengthy questionnaire, the latest tool among the nation's court systems to try to predict the likelihood that an offender will commit a crime again.
More
Surprise! 1,000-Year-Old Mummy Found in Buddha Statue
Scientists found something strange inside of an ancient Buddha statue — the mummified remains of a monk. The statue was subjected to CT scans in December at Meander Medical Center in Amsterdam. Researchers determined that the monk went through self-mummification, a process that involves being buried alive inside of a chamber while meditating.
"The object is a rarity," Wilfried Rosendahl, head of the German-Mummy-Project at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, Germany, told NBC News via email. Nothing like it has been studied in Europe before, he said. The CT scans revealed that the mummy was a man, between 30 to 50 years old, who was mummified and probably kept in a monastery for 200 years before he was covered by paper and enamel to make a statue. Rosendahl and a team of researchers determined that the mummy dates back to around the year 900 to 1,000. The statue was originally discovered in China and can currently be seen at the Natural History Museum in Budapest.
More
"The object is a rarity," Wilfried Rosendahl, head of the German-Mummy-Project at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, Germany, told NBC News via email. Nothing like it has been studied in Europe before, he said. The CT scans revealed that the mummy was a man, between 30 to 50 years old, who was mummified and probably kept in a monastery for 200 years before he was covered by paper and enamel to make a statue. Rosendahl and a team of researchers determined that the mummy dates back to around the year 900 to 1,000. The statue was originally discovered in China and can currently be seen at the Natural History Museum in Budapest.
More
When Wall Street Wins The Economy Loses
Mainstream political thinking holds that a nation's economic fortitude relies on an ever-expanding financial sector. But new research disputes the notion. In a new paper titled “Why does financial sector growth crowd out real economic growth?” authors Stephen Cecchetti and Enisse Kharroubi show that when banking blossoms, the “real” economy withers.
To see the way the economies of developed nations have transformed in the past few decades, look no further than the career choices of elite college students.
“When I was in school, everyone wanted to fly to Mars or invent cold fusion,” says Cecchetti, a professor of economics at Brandeis International Business School. “In the '90s, everyone wanted to become hedge fund managers.”
The shift in skilled workers toward finance plays a central role in the study. But the paper goes deeper to show how these shifts have affected real economies.
"Textbooks tell you that financial intermediation is about efficient capital allocation.” Cecchetti says. As the theory goes, society needs a sector that stokes innovation by bankrolling research and identifying promising companies. This lines up with what Cecchetti and Kharroubi have seen in smaller economies with modest financial services. “In frontier and emerging-market economies, you have to make sure that the financial infrastructure is there.”
More
To see the way the economies of developed nations have transformed in the past few decades, look no further than the career choices of elite college students.
“When I was in school, everyone wanted to fly to Mars or invent cold fusion,” says Cecchetti, a professor of economics at Brandeis International Business School. “In the '90s, everyone wanted to become hedge fund managers.”
The shift in skilled workers toward finance plays a central role in the study. But the paper goes deeper to show how these shifts have affected real economies.
"Textbooks tell you that financial intermediation is about efficient capital allocation.” Cecchetti says. As the theory goes, society needs a sector that stokes innovation by bankrolling research and identifying promising companies. This lines up with what Cecchetti and Kharroubi have seen in smaller economies with modest financial services. “In frontier and emerging-market economies, you have to make sure that the financial infrastructure is there.”
More
There's A Startling North-South Divide When It Comes To Health Care
The good news is the uninsured rate in the U.S. has fallen to a record low. The bad news is the benefits of health care reform aren't reaching a large swath of the country.
Over the last year, the uninsured rate in the U.S. fell 3.5 percentage points, from 17.3 percent in 2013 to 13.8 percent in 2014, according to the latest data from Gallup. That's the lowest yearly rate that's been recorded by Gallup's Well-Being Index.
According to Gallup, much of the decline can be linked to President Obama's health care reform law, which implemented a number of new policies to help Americans afford health insurance. But some states' refusal to adapt Obamacare's key provisions are causing a startling gap in uninsured rates across the country.
The states with the highest uninsured rates in 2014 are pretty much all found in the South, the Gallup poll found.
More
Over the last year, the uninsured rate in the U.S. fell 3.5 percentage points, from 17.3 percent in 2013 to 13.8 percent in 2014, according to the latest data from Gallup. That's the lowest yearly rate that's been recorded by Gallup's Well-Being Index.
According to Gallup, much of the decline can be linked to President Obama's health care reform law, which implemented a number of new policies to help Americans afford health insurance. But some states' refusal to adapt Obamacare's key provisions are causing a startling gap in uninsured rates across the country.
The states with the highest uninsured rates in 2014 are pretty much all found in the South, the Gallup poll found.
More
Behind LA's Dramatic Decline In Gang Violence
From 1988 to 1998 -- known to some as the “decade of death” -- close to a thousand people per year were killed in Los Angeles. Gangs didn’t run all the neighborhoods, but the ones they did, they terrorized. Drugs moved openly on street corners, drive-by shootings occurred with dispiriting frequency, and wearing the wrong color T-shirt on the wrong street could be interpreted as a death wish.
It all seems improbable now. There are still terrible parts of the city, where brutality and blight reign, but to say that LA is a city unchanged is to ignore the statistics. From 2008 to 2012, violent crime across the nation went down about 16 percent, according to a recent cover story on the subject for Pacific Standard magazine. But in Los Angeles that drop was notably more precipitous in gang areas, the magazine notes: 30 percent in Compton, 50 percent in Bell Gardens and 50 percent in El Monte. Gang-related homicides in Los Angeles have gone down 66.7 percent over the past eight years, and gang-related crimes have seen a 55.3 percent dip since 2005.
So, what accounts for this drastic decline? The only thing that everyone -- from police representatives to community organizers to Sam Quinones, the author of the Pacific Standard piece -- can agree on is that there’s no single answer. But if you consider the six theories below, and how they interact and build on each other, you can begin to see why city officials say Los Angeles hasn’t been this safe since the Eisenhower administration.
More
It all seems improbable now. There are still terrible parts of the city, where brutality and blight reign, but to say that LA is a city unchanged is to ignore the statistics. From 2008 to 2012, violent crime across the nation went down about 16 percent, according to a recent cover story on the subject for Pacific Standard magazine. But in Los Angeles that drop was notably more precipitous in gang areas, the magazine notes: 30 percent in Compton, 50 percent in Bell Gardens and 50 percent in El Monte. Gang-related homicides in Los Angeles have gone down 66.7 percent over the past eight years, and gang-related crimes have seen a 55.3 percent dip since 2005.
So, what accounts for this drastic decline? The only thing that everyone -- from police representatives to community organizers to Sam Quinones, the author of the Pacific Standard piece -- can agree on is that there’s no single answer. But if you consider the six theories below, and how they interact and build on each other, you can begin to see why city officials say Los Angeles hasn’t been this safe since the Eisenhower administration.
More
Rats 'not main cause of Black Death'
Black rats may not have been to blame for numerous outbreaks of the bubonic plague across Europe, a study suggests.
Scientists believe repeat epidemics of the Black Death, which arrived in Europe in the mid-14th Century, instead trace back to gerbils from Asia.
Prof Nils Christian Stenseth, from the University of Oslo, said: "If we're right, we'll have to rewrite that part of history."
The study is in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Black Death, which originated in Asia, arrived in Europe in 1347 and caused one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history.
Over the next 400 years, epidemics broke out again and again, killing millions of people.
It had been thought that black rats were responsible for allowing the plague to establish in Europe, with new outbreaks occurring when fleas jumped from infected rodents to humans.
More
Scientists believe repeat epidemics of the Black Death, which arrived in Europe in the mid-14th Century, instead trace back to gerbils from Asia.
Prof Nils Christian Stenseth, from the University of Oslo, said: "If we're right, we'll have to rewrite that part of history."
The study is in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Black Death, which originated in Asia, arrived in Europe in 1347 and caused one of the deadliest outbreaks in human history.
Over the next 400 years, epidemics broke out again and again, killing millions of people.
It had been thought that black rats were responsible for allowing the plague to establish in Europe, with new outbreaks occurring when fleas jumped from infected rodents to humans.
More
FCC approves sweeping Internet regulation plan, Obama accused of meddling
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday adopted sweeping new regulations sought by President Obama for how Americans use and do business on the Internet, in a party-line vote that is sure to be challenged by the broadband industry.
The commission, following a contentious meeting, voted 3-2 to adopt its so-called net neutrality plan -- a proposal that remained secret in the run-up to the final vote.
On its surface, the plan is aimed at barring service providers from creating paid "fast lanes" on the Internet, which consumer advocates and Internet companies worry would edge out cash-strapped startups and smaller Internet-based businesses. Chairman Tom Wheeler said it would ensure an "open, unfettered network."
But the rules, more broadly, would put the Internet in the same regulatory camp as the telephone by classifying it like a public utility, meaning they'd have to act in the "public interest" when providing a mobile connection to your home or phone.
More
The commission, following a contentious meeting, voted 3-2 to adopt its so-called net neutrality plan -- a proposal that remained secret in the run-up to the final vote.
On its surface, the plan is aimed at barring service providers from creating paid "fast lanes" on the Internet, which consumer advocates and Internet companies worry would edge out cash-strapped startups and smaller Internet-based businesses. Chairman Tom Wheeler said it would ensure an "open, unfettered network."
But the rules, more broadly, would put the Internet in the same regulatory camp as the telephone by classifying it like a public utility, meaning they'd have to act in the "public interest" when providing a mobile connection to your home or phone.
More
A Lesson On Culdesacs: Today In Wicomico County
This particular culdesac took approximately 15 minutes to properly clear. There are over 200 of them in Wicomico County. Very time consuming.
Al Sharpton on way out as MSNBC curbs left leaning agenda
MSNBC is set to pull the plug on contentious Reverend Al Sharpton in a last ditch attempt to revive dwindling audience numbers.
The liberal anchor's nightly Politics Nation show is to be shelved by broadcasting bosses as they make drastic changes in the hope of clawing back viewers.
Company President Phil Griffin is believed to be placing his faith in a swing from the left in their Congress coverage - insisting that the station's Republican bashing glory days are now firmly in the past.
More
The liberal anchor's nightly Politics Nation show is to be shelved by broadcasting bosses as they make drastic changes in the hope of clawing back viewers.
Company President Phil Griffin is believed to be placing his faith in a swing from the left in their Congress coverage - insisting that the station's Republican bashing glory days are now firmly in the past.
More
The World's Deepest Snow (PHOTOS)
Mountain ranges intercepted by the winter storm track and northern locations downwind from large bodies of water are notorious for annual snowfall of several hundred inches.
In these places, days of heavy snow, compounded over the season, can produce snow piles well above your head. Put away the shovel; it's useless. Sometimes the massive snow traps people in their homes, or even blasts through walls and windows.
We have a list below and photos above of the world's most notorious deep snow locations, along with any recent major snow events.
More
Florida mom beats child, shames her at school
A Florida mom's alleged attempt to shame her child into earning better grades in school led to her own shameful arrest for child abuse.
Melany Joyce Alexander, 30, is accused of beating her middle school daughter with a metal-studded belt before sending her to school with a T-shirt flaunting the child's failing grades, WFTS reported.
The handwritten tee shamed the child for earning Fs in all of her classes and further warned her friends — and any prospective boyfriends — to "back off before I get another good woopin like I got last night."
"My (days) eating French Fries and being a social butterfly is over because I know why my parents send me to school," it reads in black ink.
It adds that she is prohibited from having friends until her grades are brought up to C's or better.
More
Melany Joyce Alexander, 30, is accused of beating her middle school daughter with a metal-studded belt before sending her to school with a T-shirt flaunting the child's failing grades, WFTS reported.
The handwritten tee shamed the child for earning Fs in all of her classes and further warned her friends — and any prospective boyfriends — to "back off before I get another good woopin like I got last night."
"My (days) eating French Fries and being a social butterfly is over because I know why my parents send me to school," it reads in black ink.
It adds that she is prohibited from having friends until her grades are brought up to C's or better.
More
Fluoride May Trigger Depression and Weight Gain
Fluoride could be causing depression and weight gain and councils should stop adding it to drinking water to prevent tooth decay, scientists have warned.
A study of 98 per cent of GP practices in England found that high rates of underactive thyroid were 30 per cent more likely in areas of the greatest fluoridation.
It could mean that up to 15,000 people are suffering needlessly from thyroid problems which can cause depression, weight gain, fatigue and aching muscles.
Last year Public Health England released a report saying fluoride was a ‘safe and effective’ way of improving dental health.
But new research from the University of Kent suggests that there is a spike in the number of cases of underactive thyroid in high fluoride areas such as the West Midlands and the North East of England.
More
A study of 98 per cent of GP practices in England found that high rates of underactive thyroid were 30 per cent more likely in areas of the greatest fluoridation.
It could mean that up to 15,000 people are suffering needlessly from thyroid problems which can cause depression, weight gain, fatigue and aching muscles.
Last year Public Health England released a report saying fluoride was a ‘safe and effective’ way of improving dental health.
But new research from the University of Kent suggests that there is a spike in the number of cases of underactive thyroid in high fluoride areas such as the West Midlands and the North East of England.
More
Schlafly: Jeb Could Be Another GOP 'Establishment Loser'
Still going strong at age 90, Phyllis Schlafly has been a heroine to American conservatives for more than half a century.
Best known for her successful effort to derail the proposed Equal Rights Amendment backed by liberal feminist groups and a significant number of GOP moderates back in the 1970s, she has long argued that the American conservative movement’s purpose is to influence rather than "echo" the Republican Party, an article in The Washington Times notes.
The newspaper reports Schlafly has issued a powerful warning to those she describes as Republican Party "kingmakers" – the political consultant class and Wall Street elites backing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: Don't turn the 2016 presidential nomination contest into a coronation of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
In 1964, Schlafly published "A Choice Not an Echo," a landmark book that became the motto for Arizona Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater's conservative grass-roots political movement. Fifty-one years later, she updates that classic with a warning to her fellow Republicans.
In her update, the Times observes, she argues that the GOP frequently chooses losers because Wall Street and the political consultant class exert a negative influence on the party. These groups benefit economically from championing moderates over conservatives, according to Schlafly.
She warns that the process may be repeating itself in the 2016 race with regard to a Bush candidacy.
Schlafly points to closed-door events which "have been held for Republican megadonors to select who will get the big money that went last time to Mitt Romney."
The mainstream media are also cheering on the ex-Florida governor, she adds, citing as evidence "a New York Times article about how 'Jeb Bush is so smart, so intellectual and so well-read'" and describing in detail what books he has on his Kindle, the Washington Times notes.
Schlafly urges grass-roots conservatives to rise up and resist a Bush coronation.
"Do you get the message that the media buildup for Jeb Bush has begun and that the 2016 Republican National Convention may simply nominate for president another Establishment loser candidate?" she asks, the Washington Times reports.
There's more here
Best known for her successful effort to derail the proposed Equal Rights Amendment backed by liberal feminist groups and a significant number of GOP moderates back in the 1970s, she has long argued that the American conservative movement’s purpose is to influence rather than "echo" the Republican Party, an article in The Washington Times notes.
The newspaper reports Schlafly has issued a powerful warning to those she describes as Republican Party "kingmakers" – the political consultant class and Wall Street elites backing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: Don't turn the 2016 presidential nomination contest into a coronation of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
In 1964, Schlafly published "A Choice Not an Echo," a landmark book that became the motto for Arizona Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater's conservative grass-roots political movement. Fifty-one years later, she updates that classic with a warning to her fellow Republicans.
In her update, the Times observes, she argues that the GOP frequently chooses losers because Wall Street and the political consultant class exert a negative influence on the party. These groups benefit economically from championing moderates over conservatives, according to Schlafly.
She warns that the process may be repeating itself in the 2016 race with regard to a Bush candidacy.
Schlafly points to closed-door events which "have been held for Republican megadonors to select who will get the big money that went last time to Mitt Romney."
The mainstream media are also cheering on the ex-Florida governor, she adds, citing as evidence "a New York Times article about how 'Jeb Bush is so smart, so intellectual and so well-read'" and describing in detail what books he has on his Kindle, the Washington Times notes.
Schlafly urges grass-roots conservatives to rise up and resist a Bush coronation.
"Do you get the message that the media buildup for Jeb Bush has begun and that the 2016 Republican National Convention may simply nominate for president another Establishment loser candidate?" she asks, the Washington Times reports.
There's more here
VA Chief Lies About Service in Special Forces
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald excitedly boasted he'd served in the military's elite special operations forces in a "boneheaded" lie caught on videotape, The Huffington Post reports.
McDonald blurted out the assertion last month in Los Angeles during a nationwide count of homeless veterans videotaped by a CBS-TV news crew following him as he talked with a homeless vet who'd been in special forces.
"Special forces? What years? I was in special forces!" McDonald excitedly told the vet.
Special operations forces highly trained troops from each military service, and include the Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs.
McDonald, a retired corporate executive who took over the VA last June amid the agency's delayed-care scandal, spent his military service with the 82nd Airborne Division, the Huffington Post reports.
The news website reports that McDonald graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975 and completed Army Ranger training, qualifying as a senior parachutist and airborne jumpmaster. But he never served as a Ranger.
"I have no excuse," McDonald told the website. "I was not in special forces."
The Post also reports that McDonald’s remark was initially noticed by several retired military officers — ironically, just days after NBC News anchor Brian Williams was suspended for fabricating stories about reporting experiences in Iraq.
McDonald told the website he "wanted to clear up the confusion I probably created — I did create," admitting his assertion "is not right. I was not in special forces. What I said was wrong."
More on this..
McDonald blurted out the assertion last month in Los Angeles during a nationwide count of homeless veterans videotaped by a CBS-TV news crew following him as he talked with a homeless vet who'd been in special forces.
"Special forces? What years? I was in special forces!" McDonald excitedly told the vet.
Special operations forces highly trained troops from each military service, and include the Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs.
McDonald, a retired corporate executive who took over the VA last June amid the agency's delayed-care scandal, spent his military service with the 82nd Airborne Division, the Huffington Post reports.
The news website reports that McDonald graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975 and completed Army Ranger training, qualifying as a senior parachutist and airborne jumpmaster. But he never served as a Ranger.
"I have no excuse," McDonald told the website. "I was not in special forces."
The Post also reports that McDonald’s remark was initially noticed by several retired military officers — ironically, just days after NBC News anchor Brian Williams was suspended for fabricating stories about reporting experiences in Iraq.
McDonald told the website he "wanted to clear up the confusion I probably created — I did create," admitting his assertion "is not right. I was not in special forces. What I said was wrong."
Judge Tells Christie: Put More Money in Pension Funds
TRENTON, N.J. — Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the state's Democrat-controlled Legislature must find $1.57 billion to put into pension funds for retired public workers, a judge ruled Monday in a decision that comes as a major legal blow to the governor as he prepares to run for president.
Unions for public workers sued Christie after he announced last year he would not make the full pension payments he had agreed to in a 2011 overhaul that was one of his main accomplishments.
Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson's ruling could force big changes in the state budget late in the fiscal year.
"In short, the court cannot allow the State to 'simply walk away from its financial obligations,' especially when those obligations were the State's own creation," she wrote in the ruling, released a day before Christie is scheduled to make his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The judge didn't issue a deadline for a solution, but she was clear the state's obligation was to pay $1.57 billion more into pension funds.
The state government will appeal, the governor's office said in a combative statement.
More
Unions for public workers sued Christie after he announced last year he would not make the full pension payments he had agreed to in a 2011 overhaul that was one of his main accomplishments.
Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson's ruling could force big changes in the state budget late in the fiscal year.
"In short, the court cannot allow the State to 'simply walk away from its financial obligations,' especially when those obligations were the State's own creation," she wrote in the ruling, released a day before Christie is scheduled to make his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The judge didn't issue a deadline for a solution, but she was clear the state's obligation was to pay $1.57 billion more into pension funds.
The state government will appeal, the governor's office said in a combative statement.
More
ISIS Push to Eradicate Christians
Islamic State militants have abducted at least 70 Assyrian Christians after overrunning several small villages in northeast Syria, two activist groups said Tuesday.
Around dawn Monday, the extremist fighters swept through the Assyrian villages nestled along the banks of the Khabur River near the town of Tal Tamr in Hassakeh province. Sky News reported that control of the region is split between ISIS and opposing Kurdish fighters.
In the assault, the militants took between 70 and 100 Assyrians captive, said Nuri Kino, the head of the activist group A Demand For Action that focuses on religious minorities in the Middle East. Kino said his organization based its information on conversations with villagers who fled the onslaught and their relatives.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the abductions, but put the number of Assyrians held by ISIS at 90. The Observatory relies on a network of activists inside Syria.
More
Around dawn Monday, the extremist fighters swept through the Assyrian villages nestled along the banks of the Khabur River near the town of Tal Tamr in Hassakeh province. Sky News reported that control of the region is split between ISIS and opposing Kurdish fighters.
In the assault, the militants took between 70 and 100 Assyrians captive, said Nuri Kino, the head of the activist group A Demand For Action that focuses on religious minorities in the Middle East. Kino said his organization based its information on conversations with villagers who fled the onslaught and their relatives.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the abductions, but put the number of Assyrians held by ISIS at 90. The Observatory relies on a network of activists inside Syria.
More
Dem Senator on Amnesty: Obama ‘Overreached
Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W. Va.) said that a number of Democrats will join with Republicans to vote against Obama’s executive action if it is separated from funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
“I think the president overreached,” Manchin said. “And I would be–I will be voting with the Republicans to repeal the president’s actions.”
More
“I think the president overreached,” Manchin said. “And I would be–I will be voting with the Republicans to repeal the president’s actions.”
More
Dem Congresswoman Hires Convicted Felon
The congresswoman’s office does not want to talk about it.
Congressional information service Legistorm reported that Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson has hired former Democratic Texas state representative Terri Hodge for a position in her Dallas office.
Terri Hodge served for more than a decade in the Texas House before her 2010 conviction for lying on her tax returns in connection with a public corruption investigation. Hodge received a one-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of fraud and now serves as Johnson’s district outreach consultant.
Johnson’s communications director, Yinka Robinson, declined to comment on the hire citing a policy of not publicly discussing personnel matters.
More
BREAKING NEWS: Senate committee approves AG nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee approves Loretta Lynch nomination to serve as attorney general, sending it to the Senate for a full vote.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Be Here During The 1:00 Hour
Be Very Careful Heading South On Rt. 13
Never Fear, The Wicomico Roads Division Is Here, (or as SPD would say, Hear)
Caught On Tape: Florida Parents Treated Like Children For Questioning School Curriculum
David Bolduc, a resident of Naples, Florida recently sent us a note highlighting a video in which he, and several other concerned parents, were reprimanded and treated like little children in a School Board Workshop as a result of them expressing concerns about school curriculum.
In order to give you some background on the issue, see the Letter to the Editor he wrote to the Naples Daily News on 1/28 to say what he was prevented from saying at the 1/20 School Board Workshop. Letter reprinted below:
Patton the cause
The controversy behind the recent parents’ review of school textbooks lays squarely at the feet of Superintendent Kamela Patton.
Specifically, Collier County School Board Policy 2240 reads, “Furthermore, the Superintendent shall prepare administrative procedures detailing the manner in which students and parents will be adequately informed, each year, regarding their right to inspect instructional materials, and the procedure for completing such an inspection.”
By failing to prepare procedures to implement Board Policy 2240, Patton created the perception the textbook review was a nighttime Watergate-style break-in masterminded by conservative political operative and School Board member G. Gordon Lichter.
I examined seventh-grade “Civics in Practice” and it contained numerous factual inaccuracies. For example, on Page 100 it states, “The Constitution can be changed in two ways; formally by Amendment, and informally by Government.” This notion of dictatorship is enhanced by eighth-grade textbook “United States History,” which states on Page 185, “The President issues Executive Orders. These commands have the power of law.”
While some called us book-burning Nazis, Page 274 of “Civics in Practice” states, “Citizens must be alert to propaganda” and glittering generalities is a “type of propaganda which often uses words such as freedom and patriotism.” This world government indoctrination is augmented on Page 425, where a geographical map of North America eliminates the United States, and places our great nation in nine new “cultural nations.”
In order to give you some background on the issue, see the Letter to the Editor he wrote to the Naples Daily News on 1/28 to say what he was prevented from saying at the 1/20 School Board Workshop. Letter reprinted below:
Patton the cause
The controversy behind the recent parents’ review of school textbooks lays squarely at the feet of Superintendent Kamela Patton.
Specifically, Collier County School Board Policy 2240 reads, “Furthermore, the Superintendent shall prepare administrative procedures detailing the manner in which students and parents will be adequately informed, each year, regarding their right to inspect instructional materials, and the procedure for completing such an inspection.”
By failing to prepare procedures to implement Board Policy 2240, Patton created the perception the textbook review was a nighttime Watergate-style break-in masterminded by conservative political operative and School Board member G. Gordon Lichter.
I examined seventh-grade “Civics in Practice” and it contained numerous factual inaccuracies. For example, on Page 100 it states, “The Constitution can be changed in two ways; formally by Amendment, and informally by Government.” This notion of dictatorship is enhanced by eighth-grade textbook “United States History,” which states on Page 185, “The President issues Executive Orders. These commands have the power of law.”
While some called us book-burning Nazis, Page 274 of “Civics in Practice” states, “Citizens must be alert to propaganda” and glittering generalities is a “type of propaganda which often uses words such as freedom and patriotism.” This world government indoctrination is augmented on Page 425, where a geographical map of North America eliminates the United States, and places our great nation in nine new “cultural nations.”
For pointing this out, one public speaker at the School Board textbook workshop called us “narrow-minded, racist Bible-thumpers.”
Thank you, Superintendent Patton.
More
Thank you, Superintendent Patton.
More
Snow Emergency Plan for Somerset County
On 2-26-15 @ 1230 hrs., the Snow Emergency Plan for Somerset County will be lifted.
Jodi Arias' lawyer says ex-boyfriend sexually humiliated her
A lawyer for Jodi Arias pleaded for his client's life Tuesday as he told the jury deciding whether she'll be put to death that the ex-lover she killed sexually humiliated her and wanted to keep their trysts secret.
Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi began closing arguments in Arias' sentencing retrial by showing photos from happy moments in her life, such as an image of Arias resting her chin on boyfriend Travis Alexander's shoulder amid a forested background.
Nurmi said Arias' problems stem from a personality disorder in which she tries to mold herself to the wishes of the men she dates.
Nurmi portrayed Arias' former boyfriend Travis Alexander as a man divided between his Mormon faith and sexual desires that led him to have relationships with several women.
More
Defense attorney Kirk Nurmi began closing arguments in Arias' sentencing retrial by showing photos from happy moments in her life, such as an image of Arias resting her chin on boyfriend Travis Alexander's shoulder amid a forested background.
Nurmi said Arias' problems stem from a personality disorder in which she tries to mold herself to the wishes of the men she dates.
Nurmi portrayed Arias' former boyfriend Travis Alexander as a man divided between his Mormon faith and sexual desires that led him to have relationships with several women.
More
Jonathan Gruber Fired from Massachusetts State Health Board
You probably remember the name Jonathan Gruber, the so-called “architect” of Obamacarewhose comments about “the stupidity of the American voter” and the lack of transparency surrounding the health care law helped it get passed put him under the national microscope. Gruber became a household name (especially to Fox News viewers), and now he has been axed from a high-ranking position.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (a Republican) demanded Gruber and three other members of the state Health Connector Board resign, and received all their resignations.
More
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (a Republican) demanded Gruber and three other members of the state Health Connector Board resign, and received all their resignations.
More
Commissioners Slam FCC, FEC for In-Tandem Attempts to Regulate Internet
(CNSNews.com) – Commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) joined forces to criticize their independent agencies for their latest in-tandem attempts to expand federal regulation of the Internet.
In a Monday op-ed co-authored for Politico, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai and FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman wrote that “Internet regulation isn’t the solution to a problem. Internet regulation is the problem."
The FCC is set to vote Thursday on “net neutrality” rules that would regulate Internet Service Providers as utilities. Polling has found that only nine percent of Americans support the proposed rules.
Pai and fellow Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly have been outspoken in opposing passage, but they are outnumbered by the three Democrats on the FCC who are expected to vote for more regulation of the Internet.
More on this
In a Monday op-ed co-authored for Politico, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai and FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman wrote that “Internet regulation isn’t the solution to a problem. Internet regulation is the problem."
The FCC is set to vote Thursday on “net neutrality” rules that would regulate Internet Service Providers as utilities. Polling has found that only nine percent of Americans support the proposed rules.
Pai and fellow Republican Commissioner Michael O’Rielly have been outspoken in opposing passage, but they are outnumbered by the three Democrats on the FCC who are expected to vote for more regulation of the Internet.
Williams: The Cancer of Multiculturalism
Obama went on to explain, "In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often (were) justified in the name of Christ." In Obama's mind, Western outrage at Islamic barbarism should be tempered by the remembrance of what Christians did a thousand years ago in the name of Christ. Plus, that outrage should be chastened by our own history of slavery and Jim Crow.
President Obama's vision is that of a man brainwashed through an academic vision of multiculturalism, in which American exceptionalism has no place. It's a vision that has been shaped by a longtime association with people who hate our country, people such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Weather Underground leader and Pentagon bomber William Ayers and Ayers' onetime fugitive wife, Bernardine Dohrn. A vision that sees a moral equivalency between what Christians did centuries ago and today's Islamic savagery is quite prevalent in academia.
It's part of what's worshipped on most college campuses as diversity and multiculturalism.
College campus idiots — and that includes faculty members and administrators — call for the celebration of and respect for all cultures. In their eyes, it's racist Eurocentrism to think that Western values and culture are superior to others.
But that's the height of stupidity. Ask your campus multiculturalist who believes in cultural equivalency: Is forcible female genital mutilation, as practiced in nearly 30 sub-Saharan African and Middle Eastern countries, a morally equivalent cultural value? Slavery is practiced in Sudan and Niger; is that a cultural equivalent?
More from Dr. Williams here..
Antibiotics On Food Causing Allergic Reactions To Fruits, Vegetables
More children are appearing to have allergic reactions to fruits and vegetables, but this has nothing to do with the food.
Farmers often use antibiotics to keep pests away and that’s a problem for some children.
A case highlighted in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology explained how a 10-year-old suffered a life threatening reaction after eating blueberry pie.
The girl had a history of asthma, seasonal allergies, and allergies to milk and penicillin. None of the ingredients in the pie were triggers for her.
It turns out the problem was the antibiotic streptomycin. The blueberries had been treated with this drug to keep bacteria, fungi, and algae from growing on the fruit.
More on this..
Farmers often use antibiotics to keep pests away and that’s a problem for some children.
A case highlighted in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology explained how a 10-year-old suffered a life threatening reaction after eating blueberry pie.
The girl had a history of asthma, seasonal allergies, and allergies to milk and penicillin. None of the ingredients in the pie were triggers for her.
It turns out the problem was the antibiotic streptomycin. The blueberries had been treated with this drug to keep bacteria, fungi, and algae from growing on the fruit.
IRS: Your Chances of Getting Audited Lowest in a Decade
WASHINGTON — Budget cuts forced the IRS to reduce the number of tax audits last year to the lowest level in a decade, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Tuesday. And the number of audits could be even lower this year.
"The math is pretty simple," Koskinen said in a speech to the New York State Bar Association. "There are fewer audits because we have fewer auditors."
"Audits fell in virtually every individual category and across income levels," Koskinen said. "This continues a long-term trend that carries serious implications for our tax system and the nation."
More
"The math is pretty simple," Koskinen said in a speech to the New York State Bar Association. "There are fewer audits because we have fewer auditors."
"Audits fell in virtually every individual category and across income levels," Koskinen said. "This continues a long-term trend that carries serious implications for our tax system and the nation."
More
Petitioners Ask UK to Pardon 49,000 Convicted Under Anti-Gay Laws
The tragic case of Alan Turing, the British computer wizard credited with leading the team that cracked Nazi Germany's Enigma code, may bring a final pardon to 49,000 men, 15,000 who are still living, convicted under Britain's former anti-homosexuality laws.
A petition posted by Turing's family on Change.org , which so far has garnered 533,944 signatures, asks the government to "pardon all of the estimated 49,000 men who, like Alan Turing, were convicted of consenting same-sex relations under the British 'gross indecency' law (only repealed in 2003), and also all the other men convicted under other UK anti-gay laws."
Turing, portrayed by actor Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game," which won the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Oscars ceremony, was convicted in 1952 of gross indecency because of his relationship with a 19-year-old man, was chemically castrated and, two years later, died from cyanide poisoning at the age of 41, an apparent suicide, NBC News reports .
More
A petition posted by Turing's family on Change.org , which so far has garnered 533,944 signatures, asks the government to "pardon all of the estimated 49,000 men who, like Alan Turing, were convicted of consenting same-sex relations under the British 'gross indecency' law (only repealed in 2003), and also all the other men convicted under other UK anti-gay laws."
Turing, portrayed by actor Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Imitation Game," which won the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Oscars ceremony, was convicted in 1952 of gross indecency because of his relationship with a 19-year-old man, was chemically castrated and, two years later, died from cyanide poisoning at the age of 41, an apparent suicide, NBC News reports .
More
Netanyahu Declines Democrats' Invitation for Meeting During Visit
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined on Tuesday an invitation to meet with U.S. Senate Democrats during his trip to Washington next week.
"Though I greatly appreciate your kind invitation to meet with Democratic Senators, I believe that doing so at this time could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit," Netanyahu wrote in a letter to Senators Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein obtained by Reuters.
More
"Though I greatly appreciate your kind invitation to meet with Democratic Senators, I believe that doing so at this time could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit," Netanyahu wrote in a letter to Senators Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein obtained by Reuters.
More
Somalis in Minnesota Are Prime Targets of Terror Recruiters
Somali refugees placed through a State Department resettlement program in Minnesota are being targeted for recruitment by terror groups like the Qaida-affiliated al-Shabaab and the Islamic State, The Washington Times reported.
Some 30,000 Somalis reside in Minnesota, many of them in the Minneapolis area, which has come to be known as Little Mogadishu. Other refugees are concentrated in parts of Maine, Washington and Ohio.
Al-Shabaab posted a video Saturday calling on its followers to attack shopping malls. The Mall of America in Minnesota was specifically mentioned as a target, CNN reported.
More
Some 30,000 Somalis reside in Minnesota, many of them in the Minneapolis area, which has come to be known as Little Mogadishu. Other refugees are concentrated in parts of Maine, Washington and Ohio.
Al-Shabaab posted a video Saturday calling on its followers to attack shopping malls. The Mall of America in Minnesota was specifically mentioned as a target, CNN reported.
More
JP Morgan to Start Charging Fees on Some Deposits
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is preparing to charge large institutional customers for some deposits, citing new rules that make holding money for the clients too costly, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the plan.
The largest U.S. bank by assets is aiming to reduce the affected deposits by billions of dollars, with a focus on bringing the number down this year, these people said. The move is the latest in a series of steps large global banks have been discussing in recent months to discourage certain deposits due to new regulations and low interest rates.
J.P. Morgan’s JPM, +2.48% steps are among the most detailed and widespread. Specifics are likely to be unveiled Tuesday by J.P. Morgan executives at the bank’s annual strategy outlook with investors, these people said. Among other points, the bank is expected to stress alternatives customers affected by the deposit moves can use for their excess cash.
More
The largest U.S. bank by assets is aiming to reduce the affected deposits by billions of dollars, with a focus on bringing the number down this year, these people said. The move is the latest in a series of steps large global banks have been discussing in recent months to discourage certain deposits due to new regulations and low interest rates.
J.P. Morgan’s JPM, +2.48% steps are among the most detailed and widespread. Specifics are likely to be unveiled Tuesday by J.P. Morgan executives at the bank’s annual strategy outlook with investors, these people said. Among other points, the bank is expected to stress alternatives customers affected by the deposit moves can use for their excess cash.
More
Home Buyers Seminar Tonight Cancelled
Joe,
The home buyers seminar for tonight has been cancelled due to the weather.
The home buyers seminar for tonight has been cancelled due to the weather.
FCC Chief Pressed to Release Net Neutrality Rules
A key Republican lawmaker in Congress called for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler to make proposed net neutrality regulations public before a planned Thursday vote on the measure.
In the latest wrinkle in the Republicans' battle to quash Wheeler's proposals, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who's also the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter today to Wheeler, questioning whether the FCC has been "independent, fair and transparent" in crafting the rules to protect content on the Internet.
"Although arguably one of the most sweeping new rules in the commission's history, the process was conducted without using many of the tools at the chairman's disposal to ensure transparency and public review," he said.
More
In the latest wrinkle in the Republicans' battle to quash Wheeler's proposals, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who's also the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter today to Wheeler, questioning whether the FCC has been "independent, fair and transparent" in crafting the rules to protect content on the Internet.
"Although arguably one of the most sweeping new rules in the commission's history, the process was conducted without using many of the tools at the chairman's disposal to ensure transparency and public review," he said.
More
Iranian Dissident: Another Secret Nuclear Site Uncovered
Iran is enriching weapons-grade uranium in a secret underground facility outside of Tehran that has remained hidden for a decade from U.N. weapons inspectors and U.S. negotiators seeking to prevent Iran from acquiring the bomb, says an Iranian exile group with a proven track record of uncovering the regime's repeated nuclear violations.
If weapons inspectors are not given immediate access to the site, called Lavizan-3, the countries negotiating with Iran today should walk away from the table, Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the U.S. Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner on Newsmax TV Tuesday.
We need for the IAEA to inspect this site," said Jafarzadeh, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose investigators have verified previous revelations from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, including a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz and a heavy water nuclear facility in Arak, both uncovered in 2002.
Constructed, beginning in 2004, beneath an ID card factory owned by Iran's intelligence service, the Lavizan-3 center is comprised of four underground "hallways" measuring 10 by 40 meters that are accessed by elevators and then a tunnel.
"And and in those hallways, deep underground about 50 meters down, Tehran has been doing research, development and uranium enrichment using highly advanced centrifuge machines, including IR-2m, IR-3 and IR-4," said Jafarzadeh.
"These are the machines that are much faster than what the regime already has," he said.
More here
If weapons inspectors are not given immediate access to the site, called Lavizan-3, the countries negotiating with Iran today should walk away from the table, Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the U.S. Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner on Newsmax TV Tuesday.
We need for the IAEA to inspect this site," said Jafarzadeh, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose investigators have verified previous revelations from the National Council of Resistance of Iran, including a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz and a heavy water nuclear facility in Arak, both uncovered in 2002.
Constructed, beginning in 2004, beneath an ID card factory owned by Iran's intelligence service, the Lavizan-3 center is comprised of four underground "hallways" measuring 10 by 40 meters that are accessed by elevators and then a tunnel.
"And and in those hallways, deep underground about 50 meters down, Tehran has been doing research, development and uranium enrichment using highly advanced centrifuge machines, including IR-2m, IR-3 and IR-4," said Jafarzadeh.
"These are the machines that are much faster than what the regime already has," he said.
More here
Wicomico Courts Closed Today
FCC Expected to Enforce Net Neutrality
WASHINGTON — Last April, a dozen New York-based Internet companies gathered in the Flatiron Building boardroom of the social media website Tumblr to hear dire warnings that broadband providers were about to get the right to charge for the fastest speeds on the web.
The implication: If they didn't pay up, they would be stuck in the slow lane.
What followed has been the longest, most sustained campaign of Internet activism in history, one that the little guys appear to have won. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote to regulate the Internet as a public good. On Tuesday, Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, all but surrendered on efforts to overturn the coming ruling, conceding Democrats are lining up with President Obama in favor of the F.C.C.
More
The implication: If they didn't pay up, they would be stuck in the slow lane.
What followed has been the longest, most sustained campaign of Internet activism in history, one that the little guys appear to have won. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote to regulate the Internet as a public good. On Tuesday, Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, all but surrendered on efforts to overturn the coming ruling, conceding Democrats are lining up with President Obama in favor of the F.C.C.
More
Iran Responds to Liberman: We'll Destroy Tel Aviv in 10 Minutes
A senior figure in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Mujtabi Du Al-Nour, threatened on Saturday that Iran will destroy Tel Aviv in ten minutes if Israel "makes a mistake" and strikes the Islamic regime's nuclear facilities.
Al-Nour, who is a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was responding to Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's comments from Friday, when he said Israel should stop talking andstart acting by striking the facilities said to be developing nuclear weapons.
"If the Zionists were sure that they would win in war they would already have initiated it, but they don't have the strength to do that - so they just threatened," blustered Al-Nour.
According to the Revolutionary Guards leader, Iran has rockets that can reach the heart of Tel Aviv within six or seven minutes, "even before the rockets of the Zionists reach us."
The threat, coming as it does during Iran's efforts to increase its nuclear output capability by 19-fold and feasibly obtain the ability to place nuclear warheads on the rockets Al-Nour claims the country possesses, gives extra urgency to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's warnings against a bad nuclear deal.
More
Al-Nour, who is a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was responding to Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's comments from Friday, when he said Israel should stop talking andstart acting by striking the facilities said to be developing nuclear weapons.
"If the Zionists were sure that they would win in war they would already have initiated it, but they don't have the strength to do that - so they just threatened," blustered Al-Nour.
According to the Revolutionary Guards leader, Iran has rockets that can reach the heart of Tel Aviv within six or seven minutes, "even before the rockets of the Zionists reach us."
The threat, coming as it does during Iran's efforts to increase its nuclear output capability by 19-fold and feasibly obtain the ability to place nuclear warheads on the rockets Al-Nour claims the country possesses, gives extra urgency to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's warnings against a bad nuclear deal.
More
A Winter Wonderland
If you have a picture you'd like to share send it to alberobutzo@wmconnect or my cell 410-430-5349.
Labor Department extends family and medical leave rights to same-sex couples
It changes the definition of "spouse" in the Family and Medical Leave Act. The rights now apply to all eligible employees in a legal same-sex marriage, regardless of whether the state they live in recognizes the marriage. Under the law, employees can take unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a spouse with a serious health condition.
Closings & Delays 2-26-15
The Salisbury City Council meeting scheduled for today, February 26, has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
Wicomico Schools and Central Office are closed today due to inclement weather.
Accomack County Schools - Closed
Worcester County Public Schools - closed for students & 10-month staff on Thurs., Feb. 26, 2015. All after school programs, cancelled.
Somerset County Schools - Closed
Delmar School District - Closed
Salisbury University opens at 10 a.m. Thursday, February 26
Faith Baptist School will be closed today, Thursday 26th.
The Seaford School District will be closed today. Stay safe in the snow!
Dorchester County Public Schools and Offices will be closed on Thursday, February 26.
Talbot County Public Schools are operating on a 2-hour delay today 2/26/15
Laurel School District Schools & Administrative Offices are closed today, Thursday, February 26, 2015 due to emergency weather conditions.
Salisbury Christian School - will be closed on Thursday, February 26th due to an extreme Winter Weather Warning in our area. Please stay safe, warm and have FUN!
Worcester Prep -Parent Conferences scheduled for today have been canceled. Teachers will contact parents to reschedule.
UMES is closed today - Feb. 26. Essential employees should report to work as scheduled.
Princess Anne - Town offices's will be closed today (2/26/15) due to the snow storm. Public Work crews and police officers are on duty. Please do not attempt to drive in the storm unless it is an emergency.
Wor Wic Community College - Due to inclement weather, Wor Wic Community College will be closed today.
Wicomico Public Libray -Due to the weather, all locations of Wicomico Public Libraries will be closed today, February 26, and there will be no Bookmobile service. Enjoy the snow and stay safe.
Worcester County Government open but with liberal leave in effect.
Both Circuit and District Court are closed in Worcester County. A snow emergency plan is in effect as well for Worcester County.
9 Countries have Debt to GDP over 300%
If anyone has stopped to ask just why global central banks are in such a rush to create inflation (but only controlled inflation, not runaway hyperinflation... of course when they fail with the "controlled" part the money paradrop is only a matter of time) over the past 5 years, and have printed over $12 trillion in credit-money since Lehman, the bulk of which has ended up in the stock market, and which for the first time ever are about to monetize all global sovereign debt issuance in 2015, the answer is simple, and can be seen on the chart below.
It also shows the biggest problem facing the world today, namely that at least 9 countries have debt/GDP above 300%, and that a whopping 39% countries have debt-to-GDP of over 100%!
More
It also shows the biggest problem facing the world today, namely that at least 9 countries have debt/GDP above 300%, and that a whopping 39% countries have debt-to-GDP of over 100%!
More
Delayed Opening At The Centre Of Salisbury Today
Due to the weather, the Centre at Salisbury will have a delayed opening. We will open at 12pm.
12 Things You Need to Stop Paying For
We live in a consumer nation, where it has long been the case that many of us are encouraged to spend and to pay it off with money we don't have, which then racks up our debt. This mentality has shifted a little during the recession; people are gradually spending less and saving more. However, there are still a lot of things we're paying for that we don't need. Here are 12 things you should be getting for free.
Books: Don't buy books. Instead, borrow them from the library or from a friend, and explore sites that will let you swap books with other people such asBookMooch and PaperBackSwap. Alternatively, there are plenty of wonderful free ebooks on Amazon if you're game to try an indie author.
Cable: A record number of Americans are canceling their cable services, reports Business Insider. Paying for cable almost seems pointless when you look at all the free options out there such as Hulu and network websites that offer free streaming of their hit shows online. Here are steps to cut the cord and survive a world without cable.
Books: Don't buy books. Instead, borrow them from the library or from a friend, and explore sites that will let you swap books with other people such asBookMooch and PaperBackSwap. Alternatively, there are plenty of wonderful free ebooks on Amazon if you're game to try an indie author.
Cable: A record number of Americans are canceling their cable services, reports Business Insider. Paying for cable almost seems pointless when you look at all the free options out there such as Hulu and network websites that offer free streaming of their hit shows online. Here are steps to cut the cord and survive a world without cable.
Snow Emergency Plan, 2-26-15
As of 0630 hrs. 02-26-2015, The Snow Emergency Plan will be in effect for Somerset County.
Mardela Middle and High School Presents…….
February 27th and 28th
At 7:00 pm
Adults $8.00
Children and Students $5.00
After the show meet The Cat in the Hat, Horton, Thing 1 and Thing 2
and the Sour Kangaroo.