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Tuesday, July 03, 2018

Why Alcohol Is Still the Most Dangerous Drug

Most Americans have a general sense that drunken driving isn’t as bad a problem as it was a generation ago. But few realize how much those numbers changed in a relatively short time. When the federal government started counting alcohol-impaired traffic deaths in 1982, there were more than 21,000 a year. By 2011, the death toll was down by 53 percent. States had raised the legal drinking age to 21 and adopted a common rule that a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 meant “too drunk to drive.” Many states also mandated the installation of interlock devices to prevent those with a history of drunken driving from turning on their ignition unless they were sober. Those laws, coupled with education and prevention campaigns, helped reduce drunk driving deaths to fewer than 10,000 in 2011.

But recently the trend has stalled. The total number of alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities actually rose in both 2015 and 2016. “Drunk driving has been around since the automobile was invented and it’s still the biggest killer on the highway,” says J.T. Griffin, the chief government affairs officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Indeed, alcohol causes more traffic deaths per year than either speeding or driving without a seatbelt.

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This Is What Happens When The Pavement Is Too Hot For Your Dog

All-over-it dog lovers know the basics of keeping dogs safe in summer: Bring lots of water with you on walks, watch for the signs of your dog overheating and never, ever, ever leave a dog in the car - even on days that don't seem that warm.

But it might come as a surprise to even the most type-A pup owners that the very pavement beneath your dog's paws could be sizzling hot. And hot pavement can have gruesome and painful consequences.

"Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible," the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) urged. But sometimes it can be hard to tell.

Luckily, there's a quick and easy test, courtesy of Moon Valley Canine Training, to see if the street temperature is safe enough for a walk with your dog. Put the back of your hand on the pavement, and if you can't keep it there for five seconds, it's too hot for your pup's feet.

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Democratic Socialists Openly Calling For Communism After Ocasio-Cortez Win

The Democratic Socialists of America recently got a major boost when one of their endorsed candidates, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, beat out incumbent Democrat Rep. Joe Crowley in a primary last Tuesday for New York’s 14th Congressional District.

This far-left political organization previously made headlines when leadership from their Iowa State campus chapter encouraged people toshoot president Trump and when leadership from their University of Georgia Chapter called for the execution of house GOP members. Now multiple DSA leaders are publicly endorsing communism, an ideology responsible or the oppression, incarceration, and murder of tens of millions of people.

Here is the original tweet from Olivia Katbi Smith, who is the co-Chair of the Portland DSA chapter:
Shortly after, other DSA leaders weighed in with their endorsement of communism.

The Charlottesville DSA co-chair:

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Hot Cars and Children’s Heatstroke, a Deadly Combo

When a 7-month-old died in an overheated car in Georgia last week, he became the latest in what has become a tragic rite of summer.

Rhae Odum, 28, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and child neglect after leaving her son in the car in a hotel parking lot.

Unfortunately, this story isn’t an unusual one. According to NoHeatstroke.org, 760 children have died of heatstroke in cars since 1998. In over half of the cases, the child was left in the vehicle by accident.

According to the website, nearly 74% of the deaths have been in children ages 2 and younger. More than half the time the child is forgotten by a caregiver, but other situations are common:

54% - child forgotten by caregiver
27% - child playing in unattended vehicle
18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult
1% - circumstances unknown

Attkisson: Rosenstein Conflicts Undermine Legitmacy Of Mueller's Investigation

In his recent testimony to Congress, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein undoubtedly intended to sound reassuring. “I am quite confident,” he proclaimed, “about my conduct throughout this investigation.”

Rosenstein may have reason to feel confident. He’s in a difficult position and his conduct may indeed be above board. And, under normal circumstances, Congress and the public might be comforted by his guarantee.

But that’s the rub: These circumstances are far from normal.

We’re in the midst of one of the most important scandals in memory: Our intel agencies and some public officials within them are suspected of abusing power and misusing sensitive tools under their control as political weapons. The allegations reach far beyond the 2016 campaign and transcend party politics, which makes them all the more insidious in nature.

Combine that with the probes into Trump-Russia “collusion” and Hillary Clinton’s classified email practices, and the result may well be the most tangled web of overlapping investigations and competing conflicts of interest we’ve ever seen.

In this context, it seems unreasonable to be expected to uncritically accept assurances from Rosenstein or other figures and federal agencies — such as the CIA, the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) — whose behavior is under the microscope. Yet, they currently control much of the evidence at issue and are making crucial determinations about everything from what to turn over to Congress and what to withhold or redact, the propriety of wiretaps and other surveillance, possible prosecutions, whether they should recuse themselves for conflicts of interest, to appointment(s) of special counsel(s) who could investigate their conduct.

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'Superbugs' Seen in Majority of Supermarket Meat

(HealthDay News) -- Nearly 80 percent of meat in U.S. supermarkets contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit environmental research organization.

The bacteria -- often called "superbugs" -- were resistant to at least one of 14antibiotics tested for in 2015 by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, a federal-public health partnership.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found on 79 percent of ground turkey samples tested; 71 percent of pork chops; 62 percent of ground beef; and 36 percent of chicken breasts, wings and thighs, the findings showed.

Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to health and food security, according to the World Health Organization.

"Consumers need to know about potential contamination of the meat they eat, so they can be vigilant about food safety, especially when cooking for children, pregnant women, older adults or the immune-compromised," the report's author, nutritionist Dawn Undurraga, said in a news release from the organization.

Dr. Gail Hansen, a public health consultant and veterinarian, elaborated on the danger.

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Soros Director Moves to Rockefeller Entity to Push for Automatic Voter Registration

Democrats ramped up efforts to attack voter ID laws following Trump's victory

Julie Fernandes, who served as the deputy assistant attorney general in the civil rights division of President Barack Obama's Justice Department and then as a director of Voting Rights and Democracy at Soros's Open Society Foundations, will now serve as the associate director of the institutional accountability and individual liberty at the Rockefeller Family Fund, a New York-based nonprofit founded by the Rockefeller family.

Fernandes's move is another signal that Democrats are moving to undermine voter ID laws following Donald Trump's victory in 2016.

"I am thrilled to join the innovative and dynamic team at RFF at such a critical time in the fight to protect and strengthen our democracy," said Fernandes. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues to develop, support, and promote projects that bolster core democratic ideals and institutions, such as protecting the right to vote, ensuring the drawing of fair electoral maps, and supporting independent journalism and courts."

The program lists its main initiative as "Voter Registration Modernization," which was created to counter efforts that "limit voting of the poor, elderly, newly enfranchised immigrants, and people of color." It also lists its objective as "expanding participation in the nation's democracy by enacting legislation to provide automatic and permanent registration to all voters."

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Denmark: 10 Out of Every 12 Rapes Committed by Migrants or Their Descendents

“Crime rates are much higher in immigrant circles”

In yet another reminder of the huge problems that open border policies have caused Europe, a recent study found that 83% of rapes in Denmark are committed by migrants or their descendents.

A review of sentencing reports between January 2016 and May 2017 by the newspaper BT found that 10 out of every 12 rapes where the victim doesn’t know the perpetrator are committed by a person with a migrant background, with perpetrators typically originating from Macedonia, Somalia, Bulgaria, Iraq and Eritrea.

Integration and Immigration Minister Inger Støjberg said the situation was “completely horrible.”

“That says (there’s) something wrong with some of the immigrant communities in Denmark,” remarked Støjberg. “It’s something we’ve seen through many years that crime rates are much higher in immigrant circles than it is among Danes. And when I see these very rough rapes – including assault violence – it’s a clear sign that you have not integrated.”

Stockholm University Law Professor Christian Diesen said that migrants were overrepresented in rape statistics because of “poor integration” and because they “feel contempt for society.”

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*UPDATE* Alleged Carjacking Victim Charged with Filing False Report– Bear

Bear – Delaware State Police detectives have obtained arrest warrants for Jane A. Macauley, 30, of Middletown, for falsely reporting a carjacking incident in April, and are asking for the public's assistance in locating her.

The original incident occurred at approximately 9:31 p.m., Wednesday, April 18, 2018, on DE Route 71 (Red Lion Road), in the area of Old Summit Road, Bear. Macauley advised the investigating Trooper that her Chevrolet Impala was rear ended by another vehicle and after pulling over to assess the damage, an occupant of the striking vehicle entered her vehicle and drove off.

Through a variety of investigative measures, detectives were able to determine that Macauley falsely reported the incident in order to make a fraudulent insurance claim. Warrants are currently on file charging Macauley with one count each of Insurance Fraud and Falsely Reporting an Incident.

Macauley is described as a black female, 5'8", 155 lbs. No photograph is available.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Macauley is asked to contact Detective B. McDerby at Troop 2 by calling 302-365-8436 or by calling 911.

Retired Green Beret: The US Border Battle Is Just The Beginning

For several months, now, there has been a steadily growing focus on the U.S.’s implementation of increased border patrols, the creation of a permanent fence or divider on the border, and the question of illegal aliens. The president has taken a firm and unyielding stance. On June 25, AP was quoted as reporting “President Donald Trump on Sunday compared people entering the U.S. from Mexico to invaders and said they should be back without appearing before a judge.”

The president was quoted as saying, “We cannot allow all of these people to invade our country. Our immigration policy, laughed at all over the world, is very unfair to all of those people who have gone through the system legally and are waiting [in] line for years!Immigration must be based on merit – we need people who will help to Make America Great Again!”

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Illegal Immigrant Arrested For Starting A Colorado Fire That Charred 40K Acres

Colorado authorities arrested an illegal immigrant Saturday for allegedly starting a string of wildfires in the state that have consumed more than 40,000 acres and has not yet been contained.

Jesper Joergensen was apprehended after the announcement was made at a community meeting, the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Joergensen is not a U.S. citizen and will be given to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he faces arson charges, a Costilla County official said at the meeting.

An investigation from the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and ICE ultimately led officials to Joergensen. It is not yet clear what nationality he holds.

“The initial cause of the fire was human caused,” the sheriff’s department said in a Facebook post. Local reports show the fire has grown 41,292 acres and is zero percent contained. The Costilla County Board of Supervisors has meanwhile declared the affected areas a disaster.

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Breaking News: Poland carried out a sweeping purge of its Supreme Court, eroding the judiciary's independence and escalating a confrontation with the E.U.

Poland was once a beacon for countries struggling to escape the yoke of the Soviet Union and embrace Western democracy.

But it is now in league with neighboring nations, like Hungary, whose leaders have embraced authoritarian means to tighten their grip on power, presenting a grave challenge to a European Union that is already grappling with nationalist, populist and anti-immigrant movements.

Rachel Dolezal, also known as Nkechi Diallo, booked and released on welfare fraud, other charges

Former Spokane NAACP President Nkechi Diallo -- who became infamous as Rachel Dolezal, a white woman identifying as black -- was booked and fingerprinted at a Washington state jail Monday as she awaits trial on multiple charges, including welfare fraud.

Diallo pleaded not guilty to state charges of first-degree theft by welfare fraud, making false verification and second-degree perjury last month. A judge ordered her freed on her own recognizance and gave her a deadline of Monday evening to report to the Spokane County jail for booking and fingerprinting.

Diallo, who changed her name from Rachel Dolezal in October 2016, is accused of receiving more than $8,800 in food and childcare assistance illegally between August 2015 and November 2017.

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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/02/rachel-dolezal-also-known-as-nkechi-diallo-booked-and-released-on-welfare-fraud-other-charges.html

3 Reasons Hillary Couldn’t Engage with Evangelicals

A former Bill Clinton adviser said this week that Hillary Clinton did a “miserable” job of reaching out to white evangelical voters in the 2016 presidential election.

In three short words, I can tell you why Hillary Clinton’s doomed presidential campaign never had the support of Christian voters: Convictions, Constitution, Credibility. Regarding two of those three words, Hillary has none. And for one of the aforementioned words, Hillary’s posture has been one of disregard, and when necessary, subversion.

If you want the evangelical vote, you must generally share (or at least try to understand) evangelical convictions. How could thorough-going relativists like the Clintons agree with God-fearing Americans on moral convictions? They couldn’t.

The heartfelt convictions of most Americans (about God, telling the truth, family, church, liberty, patriotism, ethics, etc., etc.) looks very much like the moral compass of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. And yet, candidate Hillary saw tax-paying, God-fearing “values voters” as the problem — deplorable, even.

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EPA head Scott Pruitt becomes latest Trump official to be harassed at a restaurant

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt became the most recent Trump administration figure to get an earful while trying to get a mouthful at a DC restaurant, according to a Facebook posting Monday.

Teacher Kristin Mink was shown approaching Pruitt as he chowed down with a pal at the Teaism restaurant Monday, four blocks from his office at the EPA’s headquarters.

“I just wanted to urge you to resign, because of what you’re doing to the environment in our country,” Mink said, holding her two-year-old son and a notepad, as her husband recorded the encounter.

Speaking to The Post, the 33-year-old mom from Silver Spring, Maryland explained that her husband pointed out Pruitt and her first reaction was, “He’s the worst.”

“I had to decide what to say, he’s so scandal-ridden,” Mink said. “I jotted down just a couple points that I wanted to make to him that were a little on the specific side.”

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Robert Mueller's Democrat Investigators Likely Acquired NRA TAX FILINGS in Expanding Witch Hunt!

In July 2017 Conservative talk show host legend, Rush Limbaugh took to the airwaves vigorously defending President Trump against special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

They don’t have any limits. There are no parameters. The Justice Department has not limited the scope of Mueller’s investigation at all. So here’s what this also is. As it stands now, the Mueller investigation is probably going to be the biggest, most massive opposition research operation ever conducted in American politics. With this investigation having no bounds and no limits, this team can go anywhere to find any dirt whatsoever. In fact, for the presidential election in 2020, this is a godsend. A team of Obama-Hillary donors investigating every aspect of a sitting president that they detest.

An opposition research festival that has been sanctioned by law, an opposition research investigation that can go anywhere as deep as it wants to dredge up anything they can find on a sitting president and to heck with what comes of the investigation. The data being produced here, I mean as much as things leaked now, it wouldn’t be a challenge at all to have some of whatever they find end up in the presidential campaign of 2020. An investigation certified by the president’s own Justice Department to investigate him! A free pass with an unlimited budget! There has never been an opposition research examination or investigation or operation that even gets close to this!”

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HUGE DEVELOPMENT: Judge Orders Status Hearing with Mueller Prosecutors and Michael Flynn on July 10th

As previously reported, on May 1st, Dirty Cop Robert Mueller requested that sentencing of Michael Flynn be delayed for two months.

In February 2018 Republican lawmakers told reporter Byron York that James Comey told lawmakers General Michael Flynn did not lie under oath when he was interviewed by the FBI in January 2017.

Deep state operatives Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok blindsided Flynn on January 24, 2017, with an unannounced questioning of Trump official. Typically, a lawyer for the National Security Council would be informed of such a meeting and be present for it. The unannounced meeting took General Flynn by surprise.

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Feds get guaranteed paid parental leave under new bill

A new bill introduced in the House June 28 would ensure that federal employees have access to up to 12 months of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child.

“Today most large employers provide at least 12 weeks paid, and this is a competitiveness issue as well as a retention issue for the federal workplace to attract and maintain the top talent in the workplace,” said bill sponsor Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., in a news release.

“Paid parental leave has been proven to help women remain in the workforce, lower infant mortality rates, improve infant health, and reduce depression and other postpartum mental health issues in women. Men who have paid time off upon the birth or adoption of a child are more likely to engage with their child, even after returning to work. The federal government should match other large employers to remain competitive for the top talent necessary for our federal workforce.”

The bill, titled the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2018, also enables the director of the Office of Management and Budget to institute regulations that would make up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave available to an employee for the purposes of competitive recruitment and retention.

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Maryland Man Exonerated Of Murder After Decades In Prison

Johnson served 29 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

BALTIMORE —
 Jerome Johnson walked out of a Baltimore courthouse a free man Monday after serving nearly 30 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Since Johnson lost his freedom, the community worked to shut down the bar where the murder happened. It was torn down in November 2011 and is now part of a field used by the Park Heights Saints football and cheer program. There have been a lot of changes.

While taking his first steps of freedom, Johnson's family greeted him outside Courthouse East in downtown Baltimore. Johnson was accused, charged and convicted of taking part in a July 1988 murder inside the Nite Owl Bar, which was located in the 3600 block of Woodland Avenue in Park Heights. Johnson's conviction hinged on testimony from a 15-year-girl who claimed he was in the bar when the victim was shot multiple times.

Johnson has always maintained his innocence. He challenged his conviction in court more than 15 times. City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said that, when re-investigating the case, with help from the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, two other co-defendants said Johnson wasn't there, and that they found the shooter, who has since died. The witness who claimed Johnson was there had been mistaken.

"Yes, we're all happy that you are finally home, but we also need to recognize that it shouldn't take this long. That when the system inevitably makes mistakes, it needs to be able to correct them and it needs to have the humility to do so," said Shawn Armbrust, of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.

Now, Mosby has dropped all charges against Johnson and apologized to him.

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Police: Capital Gazette Suspect Mailed Threatening Letters Before Shooting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — The alleged gunman in the Capital Gazette shooting last Thursday mailed threatening letters before his rampage at an Annapolis newspaper, according to police.

Anne Arundel County Police said that three letters were sent were sent to a lawyer, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and a Baltimore City judge.

According to WJZ media partner The Baltimore Sun, the letters were dated for June 28, the day of the shooting.

In the signed document, alleged shooter 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos said he was on his way to the newsroom “with the objective of killing every person present,” the Sun reports.

The letters have Ramos’ return address, according to what police told the Sun.

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Women From All 50 States Travel to DC to Speak to Lawmakers About Gun Rights

'We hope to develop long-term relationships with lawmakers that will be beneficial when they are dealing with Second Amendment-related issues'

Fifty women from America's 50 states went to Capitol Hill last month to meet with federal lawmakers in an effort to advocate for gun rights.

The D.C. Project spent four days at the end of June walking the halls of Congress and meeting with representatives and senators about firearms policy. This year is the third year in a row in which the group met with lawmakers. The group said their goal was to change the impression many lawmakers have of gun owners as well as counter recent antigun protests.

"When women and students make demands against our freedoms, it is important that our legislators know that those protesters do not speak for everyone," Robyn Sandoval, a member of the group and executive director of A Girl & A Gun Women's Shooting League, said in a statement. "We have more women than ever before wanting to exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves and their families. We have youth who are dedicated to their marksmanship sports. Our lawmakers need to know our stories."

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Michigan Locals Annoyed by Michael Moore Rewarding Jane Fonda

Fonda to receive Traverse City Film Festival's lifetime achievement award

Michael Moore plans on presenting actress and anti-war activist Jane Fonda with a lifetime achievement award at the Traverse City Film Festival this year, a move with which some locals are not thrilled.

Traverse City is a town of about 15,000 on the Northwestern coast of Michigan, where the local news often has to do with roaming livestock in need of reclamation. During the summer, the town's population swells with people in from Detroit or Chicago escaping to vacation homes and enjoying the town's local festivals.

In the course of one week every July, half a million people attend the annual Cherry Festival. Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival began in 2005, and this year runs from July 31 to Aug. 5.

The award Moore is presenting to Fonda that has only been given out once before, in 2015, toGeraldine Chaplin. Fonda's selection is overtly political; Moore called her "one of (his) personal heroes" in a letter announcing the selection.

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Ocean City: Virginia Teens Arrested for Weapons and Drugs

North Division Street were approached by three teenage males in a vehicle inquiring about parking. The males had just entered Ocean City via Route 50 before encountering police. The officers immediately recognized a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and noticed trace amounts of marijuana scattered throughout the vehicle.

Officers ordered each of the occupants to exit the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers located approximately a half pound of marijuana along with prescription drugs, methamphetamine, brass knuckles, an assisted opening knife, and several items of drug paraphernalia. Additionally, officers located a full face mask in the vehicle and a .25 caliber handgun. Each of the three occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest. They were identified as a Gavin T. Kaiser, 16, Emmanuelle N. Ruiz, 18, and a 17-year-old male of Arlington, VA.

Kaiser has been charged as an adult with several counts of drug and weapons charges. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and transferred to the Worcester County Jail and released on July 1 after posting $10,000 bond. Ruiz has been charged with possession of an assisted opening knife and possession of metal knuckles. He was released on personal recognizance. The 17-year-old male was referred to the Department of Juvenile Services.

Don't judge works of the past by today's moral standards

Should we hold our ancestors to the moral standards of today? Or should judgment of anyone from the past be withheld categorically?

These questions are part of an ongoing debate surrounding the question of historical morality. Sometimes, it is professional athletes and celebrities campaigning for the removal of statues of slave-owning Founding Fathers like George Washington or Andrew Jackson. Other times, it is activist groups protesting against the “murderer” Christopher Columbus’ celebration on Oct. 12.In all cases, some seem to think the moral standards which govern our lives today are applicable across time; others disagree.

This is a tricky puzzle. If you regard morality as deontological and transcending, right is right, and wrong is wrong no matter when you are born. If, however, you view it as a product of one’s own time, then it is challenging to morally condemn an individual born in 1750, when slavery was regarded as ethically okay, legally permissible, and widely practiced (even by African slave owners).

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South Koreans Revolt Against Arrival of Muslim Refugees

Over half a million sign petition saying they don’t want to be like the UK or Germany

South Koreans are revolting against the arrival of Muslim refugees, with over half a million signing a petition asserting that Muslim migrants don’t integrate and that they don’t want their country to end up like the UK or Germany.

The controversy began when an influx of nearly 1,000 asylum seekers from Yemen arrived on the South Korean resort island of Jeju. They took advantage of a new visa waiver program that allowed people from 186 countries to visit the island without a tourist visa.

This led to 950 foreign nationals, the majority from Yemen, arriving as tourists under a one month permit but then immediately claiming asylum, a process that can take years while they remain in the country.

“And local people here are worried,” said Hank Kim, owner of the Core Travel Agency. “We have all read about the problems that immigrants have caused in Europe — in Germany and France in particular — and we do not want that to happen here.”

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24 alleged MS-13 members facing federal indictment for violent racketeering, murder and money laundering conspiracies

Gang members allegedly committed 5 murders, conspired to murder 8 persons, engaged in kidnappings, extortion, and drug trafficking

BALTIMORE, Md. –
A federal grand jury has returned a third superseding indictment charging twenty-four alleged members and associates of the gang MS-13. The indictment was returned on June 26, 2018 and unsealed yesterday.

The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Baltimore Office; Chief Edward G. Hargis of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams; Chief Henry P. Stawinski, III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur stated “MS-13 is one of the most violent and ruthless gangs on the streets today. Working with our state and local partners, and using the tools of our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, we are determined to dismantle this organization to make our communities in Maryland safer.”

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Iranian General: Israel Creating Drought by Causing Clouds Not to Release Rain

'We are facing the issue of cloud and snow theft'

An Iranian general on Monday accused Israel of manipulating the weather to prevent rain in Iran, adding that his country is facing "cloud and snow theft."

Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali, head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization, said the "changing climate in Iran is suspect" during a press conference, the Times of Israelreported.

"Foreign interference is suspected to have played a role in climate change," Jalali said, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. "Israel and another country in the region have joint teams which work to ensure clouds entering Iranian skies are unable to release rain."

"On top of that, we are facing the issue of cloud and snow theft," he added.

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Maryland's strict gun laws could not prevent Capital Gazette shooting, spurring talk of changes

Although Maryland has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, none could have prevented the massacre of five people in The Capital newsroom Thursday, policymakers said.

The weapon used in the attack has been described by police as a pump-action shotgun. While “long guns” like shotguns and rifles are less tightly regulated than handguns, a purchaser nonetheless must undergo a criminal background check to buy one from a dealer, as Jarrod W. Ramos did. But Ramos was never convicted of a crime serious enough to bar such a purchase.

He pleaded guilty in 2011 to harassing a woman he had known in high school, but harassment isn’t among the misdemeanors that prohibit gun ownership under state or federal law.

Maryland has a new law, which becomes effective in October, that will allow judges to seize guns from a person deemed a danger to themselves or others. But the group of people who can petition for such an order is narrow — besides police and medical professionals, it includes only spouses, dating partners and close relatives.

So even had the law been in effect and had there been a threat, neither Capital staff nor the woman he once harassed would have been able to file a “red flag” petition about the alleged shooter, experts said.

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Left-Wing Politicians Wage War on Plastic

After a ban on non-biodegradable utensils went into effect over the weekend in Seattle, local officials are advising food service businesses to “[s]top using plastic straws and plastic utensils.”

An ordinance pending before the New York City Council would make that city’s food service businesses the next front line in liberal politicians’ war on plastic straws.

For the last two months, the New York City Council has deliberated over a bill that would make it a civil offense for any food service provider in the city to offer customers straws or stirrers “made of plastic or any other non-biodegradable material.” If passed, violators could face a fine of $100 for their first peccadillo and steeper fines for repeat offenses.

Supporters of straw bans argue that serious global pollution problems demand drastic local solutions—particularly, the use of non-biodegradable straws. And they have a point: Plastic straws cannot be recycled and they can be blown into waterways.

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Did Sen. Warner And Comey 'Collude' On Russia-gate?

The U.S. was in talks for a deal with Julian Assange but then FBI Director James Comey ordered an end to negotiations after Assange offered to prove Russia was not involved in the DNC leak...

An explosive report by investigative journalist John Solomon on the opinion page of Monday’s edition of The Hill sheds a bright light on how Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and then-FBI Director James Comey collaborated to prevent WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange from discussing “technical evidence ruling out certain parties [read Russia]” in the controversial leak of Democratic Party emails to WikiLeaks during the 2016 election.

A deal that was being discussed last year between Assange and U.S. government officials would have given Assange “limited immunity” to allow him to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he has been exiled for six years. In exchange, Assange would agree to limit through redactions “some classified CIA information he might release in the future,” according to Solomon, who cited “interviews and a trove of internal DOJ documents turned over to Senate investigators.” Solomon even provided a copy of the draft immunity deal with Assange.

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Survey Finds E-Cigarettes Are Effective Cessation Tool, Undermining Democrat Claim

Less than 1 percent used vaping as 'gateway' to smoking

New survey results undermine a Democratic talking point that electronic cigarettes are a gateway to smoking cigarettes, as users of the popular vaping product JUUL report high rates of quitting.

A new survey of nearly 19,000 JUUL users in the United States found that less than 1 percent of its customers were not smokers before they began vaping. By contrast, over 64 percent of adults who were smokers before they began using JUUL have used the product to stop smoking cigarettes.

"Our mission is to eliminate cigarette smoking in the world by providing adult smokers with a true alternative to cigarettes," JUUL said. "We are encouraged by these survey results, and we look forward to continuing to engage with the FDA regarding the relevance of switching data to the public health impact of JUUL."

The Food and Drug Administration delayed regulations affecting electronic cigarettes and vaping devices until 2022, allowing companies already on the market as of August 2016 to continue to operate.

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Socialism is back, and it's taking over the Democratic Party

With the shock victory of 28-year-old socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley — an entrenched liberal who hoped to replace House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as party leader or even as House speaker some day — Democrats have officially lost control of their own party.

The politically-correct pampering of millennials — everyone gets a trophy, strikes can never be called, laughable “micro-aggressions” are a real thing and must be acknowledged and punished — is finally making itself felt in the political arena, and it's officially driving the Democratic Party to Crazytown.

Like 28-year-old entrenched-liberal-giant-killer Ocasio-Cortez, there are now millions of spoiled, ignorant, "It is all-about-me” Millennial brats out there who not only embraced the socialist battle cry of “Free is for me,” but will now work to crush anyone standing in the way of that ultimately suicidal policy.

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Maxine Waters Turns On Schumer: "He'll Do Anything To Protect His Power"

Maxine Waters (D-CA) is now attacking establishment Democrats after they denounced her calls to form into mobs and attack Trump officials - blasting Senate and House Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi after they called for civility and debate in the wake of her inflammatory comments.

“Leadership like Chuck Schumer will do anything that they think is necessary to protect their leadership," said Waters during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC's "AM Joy. "What I have to do is not focus on them. I’ve got to keep the focus on the children."

Waters has chosen the "separated migrant children" hill to die on politically after viral images of "caged" migrant children under the Obama administration was wrongly attributed to President Trump. In the ensuing debate over roughly 2,000 migrant children, the American public learned that it also happened under Bush and Obama, and that the Obama administration placed nearly 300,000 migrant children in "cages" after they were apprehended at the border.

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When Will Liberals Finally Get It?


Maryland’s Eastern Shore preps for return of the USSSA Eastern Nationals

Salisbury, MD – Over 5,500 softball players will soon be on the lower Eastern Shore for the United States Specialty Sports Association’s (USSSA) Eastern Nationals.

This year’s Eastern Nationals will be held from July 11-28. The event draws nearly 370 girls’ softball teams from 16 states to the region over three weeks. States represented include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.

The event generates an estimated economic impact of over $17 million and a hotel room night demand in excess of 11,000.

“Many participants turn the tournament into a vacation for the whole family,” said Andrew Kurtz, Wicomico County sports marketing representative. “Wicomico and Worcester Counties and the Town of Ocean City will see a boost in tourist activities throughout the three weeks as a result of the tournament.”

This is Wicomico County’s 12th year hosting USSSA events.

“Over the years we have worked with USSSA East and our partners in the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance (MAASA) to help grow the Eastern Nationals,” Kurtz said. “This event is now one of the largest fast pitch tournaments in one location in the nation.”

MAASA, a formal sports marketing partnership between Wicomico and Worcester Counties and the Town of Ocean City, was formed in 2014 to accommodate the growth of the Eastern Nationals, which had expanded beyond Wicomico County’s borders. Since then, the Eastern Nationals, along with other large-scale sports marketing events on the Shore, have been billed under the MAASA umbrella.

The recently-expanded Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex in Salisbury provides the main fields of play for the tournament. Other fields tentatively scheduled for use in Wicomico County include East Wicomico Little League, Eastside Youth Sports Complex, Fruitland Recreational Area and WinterPlace Park. In Worcester County, games are scheduled at John Walter Smith Park. In the Town of Ocean City, games will be played at Northside Park.

The Eastern Nationals are divided into three tournament weeks:

Week 1: July 11-15 - 10U Open, 12U Open

Week 2: July 17-22 - 14U Open, 14U B

Week 3: July 23-28 - 16U Open, 18U Open, 18U B
*’U’ abbreviation for under.

Tournament games are open to the public with no admission fee charged. For more information on the Eastern Nationals, please visit www.WicoSports.org. In accordance with USSSA national guidelines, schedules will be released at the beginning of each tournament week, and will be posted to the USSSA website.
www.PlayMAASA.org

Cooling Center in Wicomico County to Open 7/3/2018 11AM - 7PM

A cooling center will be opened at the Wicomico County Civic Center (DaNang Room)  on Thursday, July 3, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Civic Center is located at 500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, MD 21804. Residents will need to bring their own food, beverages, and medications. No pets are permitted. Anyone needing transportation to the Civic Center should call Shore Transit at 443-260-2300 (select “dispatch” option).

The MAC Inc., Senior Center will also be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a cooling center for residents ages 55 and over. MAC is located at 909 Progress Circle, Salisbury, MD 21804.

Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at increased risk for a heat related illness.   A heat-related illness can become life-threatening very quickly.  
The Wicomico County Health Department urges everyone to practice these stay cool safety tips: 
  • Seek air-conditioned environments such as malls, libraries and public places.  Stay indoors.
  • Schedule outdoor activities before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm.
  • Take a cool bath or shower.
  • Minimize direct exposure to the sun, if you must be outdoors, seek shade.
  • Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids.
  • Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads.
  • Limit using the stove or oven to keep the house cooler. 
  • Check on others; co-workers, the elderly, and those living alone. 
  • Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes.
  • Bring pets indoors.  If they must remain outside make sure they have shade and plenty of clean, fresh water. 

For additional information about cooling centers in Wicomico County, call 211. For more information on heat and summer safety, visit the Wicomico County Health Department website at www.wicomicohealth.org and follow @WicomicoHealth on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.

Harvey Weinstein could face life in prison after new sex crime charges

Harvey Weinstein was hit with additional sex crime charges Monday ​tied to a new, third accuser​ that could send him to prison for life.

After the unnamed woman testified before a grand jury on Friday, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance ​Jr. got new indictments against the pervy producer for a forcible sexual act ​in ​2006 — and with a third accuser establishing a pattern, was able to add two counts of predatory sexual assault.

The ​top ​predatory sex act charges mean Weinstein faces life behind bars, according to the DA. He had been looking at up to 25 years on felony charges of rape and a criminal sex act, to which he’s pleaded not guilty.

“A Manhattan grand jury has now indicted Harvey Weinstein on some of the most serious sexual offenses that exist under New York’s Penal Law,” said Vance said in a statement.

The movie mogul will be arraigned on the new indictment on July 9, where his lawyer says he’ll plead not guilty again.

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FLASHBACK: Chris Matthews Stumps Key Democrats When He Asks The Difference Between a Socialist and a Democrat

MSNBC host Chris Matthews is no Republican sympathizer, but he is not doing the Democratic Party any favors by making three of its key members squirm on live television with a simple question: What's the difference between a socialist and a Democrat?

Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, have gotten the Matthews treatment with that question, and each came off looking uncomfortable.

Schultz refused to distinguish the two in July, saying that the real debate in the race would be the contrasts between Republicans and Democrats. When Meet the Press host Chuck Todd offered her a reprieve a few days later, she still failed to answer the question.

Clinton, who is trying to counter a challenge from avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) in what has become an embarrassingly close primary fight, was unnerved by the question this month, ultimately offering that she was not a socialist but a "progressive Democrat." She did not outline the differences.

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Obama administration granted citizenship to 2,500 Iranians during nuclear deal: Iran official

The Obama administration granted citizenship to 2,500 Iranians, including family members of government officials, while negotiating the Iran nuclear deal, a senior cleric and member of parliament has claimed.

Hojjat al-Islam Mojtaba Zolnour, who is chairman of Iran’s parliamentary nuclear committee and a member of its national security and foreign affairs committee, made the allegations during an interview with the country’s Etemad newspaper, cited by the country’s Fars News agency.

He claimed it was done as a favor to senior Iranian officials linked to President Hassan Rouhani, and he alleged the move sparked a competition among Iranian officials over whose children would benefit from the scheme.

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/02/obama-administration-granted-citizenship-to-2500-iranians-during-nuclear-deal-iran-official.html

Shot five times, this wounded warrior fought her way back to active duty and eight gold medals

On Aug. 5, 2014, Navy Senior Chief Raina Hockenberry was visiting a military academy in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an Afghan soldier turned and opened fire on the group.

In the “green-on-blue” attack, Hockenberry was shot five times. Two bullets shattered her tibia, one hit her groin and the two remaining bullets hit her stomach.

The attack killed Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, the first American general officer to be killed by combat fire since Sept. 11, 2001. It also wounded 17 other coalition and Afghan forces.

Nearly four years later, now-Master Chief Petty Officer Hockenberry has returned to service and has taken up the post of personnel and administrative officer on board the USS Port Royal.

Although that is her official title, “the great thing about being on a ship is that you are anything and everything,” she said.

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New York Times editorial board to ‘ossified’ Nancy Pelosi and deputies: Step aside

The New York Times editorial board is calling on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her top two deputies to step aside and allow younger Democratic members to lead the caucus.

The Times takes aim at Pelosi, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Democratic Assistant Leader Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., criticizing the trio for maintaining their power rather than preparing the next generation.

"For too long, this regime has clung to power at the expense of future leaders," the Times editorial board writes. "Neither of Ms. Pelosi’s two chief deputies, Steny Hoyer, the party whip, and Jim Clyburn, the assistant leader, is a remotely viable successor. Like Ms. Pelosi, both men are just shy of 80 and have occupied top-tier posts for over a decade. At this point, the caucus leadership has gone from stale to downright ossified."

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Google's ‘Dirty Secret’

Google said a year ago it would stop its computers from scanning the inboxes of Gmail users for information to personalize advertisements, saying it wanted users to “remain confident that Google will keep privacy and security paramount.”

But the internet giant continues to let hundreds of outside software developers scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools. Google does little to police those developers, who train their computers—and, in some cases, employees—to read their users’ emails, a Wall Street Journal examination has found.

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Pelosi Is Pushing 80, But Older Democrats Refuse To Clear The Way For Younger Members

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is nearly 80 years old, but the next generation of progressives serving in the most powerful governing body in the world could be as young as 28, showing a significant age gap between contenders for the midterm elections.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California has been a vocal advocate for a generational change in leadership within the party, favoring youthful candidates with progressive platforms over incumbent career politicians.

This is especially relevant after the recent win of 28-year-old congressional hopeful Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York’s Democratic primary.

Khanna, 41, told The Hill that Democrats have to find a way to include “talented, young progressives like House candidates Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib in Michigan, and Brent Welder in Kansas.”

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Ruling Opening Restrooms, Locker Rooms to Transgender Students Appealed

A conservative legal organization is asking the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the May ruling of a three-judge panel against school privacy in upholding a Pennsylvania school’s opening of its locker rooms, showers, and restrooms to students of the opposite sex.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has already spoken: The real differences between men and women mean that privacy must be protected where it really counts, and that certainly includes high school locker rooms and restrooms,” Christiana Holcomb, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement.

The alliance, a nonprofit, public interest law firm, and allied attorneys are spearheading the appeal of the May ruling.

During the the 2016-17 school year, Boyertown High School in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, opened its restroom facilities and locker rooms to students of the opposite sex without warning.

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Teacher Unions Across America Face Uncertain Future After Supreme Court Decision

Teacher unions across the country face an uncertain future after the Supreme Court’s decision not to force workers to pay mandatory fees to cover union collecting bargaining costs.

The Janus v. AFSCME 31 case dealt with Mark Janus, an Illinois state worker, arguing that the state violated his First Amendment rights by making him pay agency fees to a union because he did not want to join it. Janus believed paying agency fees forced him to speak through the union.

“This is a fundamental defeat for unions. There’s no sugar-coating it; this is a huge defeat,” Nat Malkus, deputy director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told The Daily Caller.

The Court’s case 5-4 decision on Wednesday to overturn a 41-year-old precedent said non-union member’s free speech rights were violated “by compelling them to subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern.”

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2 Rapes In 7 Hours In Salisbury Maryland

Sexual Assault

700 Block LAKE ST
00210-RAPE BY FORCE
Jul 1, 2018
around 1 AM

Sexual Assault
700 Block HEMLOCK ST
00210-RAPE BY FORCE
Jun 30, 2018
around 8 PM

Golden Retriever Bitten By Rattlesnake Protecting Owner While On Hike

(CBSNEWS) – Dogs have done some incredible things for their owners, protecting them from thieves, house fires and much more. But, this golden retriever might be the most heroic pup yet.

Paula Godwin treated her golden retriever Todd to a hike Friday morning in Anthem, Arizona. It was a normal walk until Godwin almost stepped on a rattlesnake lurking on the trail, CBS affiliate KPHO-TV reported. Thankfully, Godwin had a guardian angel in Todd.

He leaped in between his owner and the snake that was about to strike. Todd ended up suffering a serious bite on his snout. Godwin rushed Todd to a local animal hospital where he was treated for the bite.

Godwin recounted the attack on Facebook, writing: “It was a beautiful morning but as we were walking down the hill I literally almost stepped on a mf rattlesnake. But my hero of a puppy Todd saved me. He jumped right in front of my leg were I surely would have got bit. This is what a hero looks like. Please say a little prayer for my sweet hero,” she said.

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Two dozen alleged MS-13 gang members indicted in federal court

Two dozen members of the MS-13 gang have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to participate in racketeering related to murders, kidnapping, extortion and money laundering that the gang carried out from 2015 until 2017, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

The defendants are accused of murdering five people in Anne Arundel, Frederick and Montgomery counties. Three of the victims were dismembered.

An indictment in U.S. District Court in Baltimore that was unsealed Friday detailed how gang members allegedly murdered more than a dozen people from 2015 to 2017 and extorted people for money to finance the gang’s activities.

“MS-13 is one of the most violent and ruthless gangs on the streets today,” Robert K. Hur, U.S. Attorney for Maryland, said in a statement.

He said federal and local law enforcement are “determined to dismantle this organization to make our communities in Maryland safer.”

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Paraprosdokians:

First time I heard about paraprosdokians, I liked them. 

Paraprosdokians are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected and is frequently humorous. (Winston Churchill loved them).

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you ... but it's still on my to do list.

3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up -- we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right, only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

9. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an application, where it says, "In case of emergency, notify..." I answered "a doctor."

11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

13. I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure.

14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

15. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

17. I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.

Sadly this is true!!! Spread the Laughter, Share the Cheer, Let's be Happy, while we're here!

POP


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Meanwhile In Willards...


Fake News?


Olivia de Havilland turns 102, outlives rest of 'Gone with the Wind' cast

Olivia de Havilland, the lone surviving cast member of the Hollywood epic “Gone with the Wind,” turned 102 Sunday.

The two-time Best Actress Oscar winner — who was named a dame by Great Britain last year — has lived in Paris since 1956.

“So how do I feel about older age?” she said in an interview with “Entertainment Weekly” before her 99th birthday.

“Crazy about it! Wouldn’t trade it for anything!”

De Havilland’s role as the sweet, suffering Melanie in the 1939 epic “Gone with the Wind” rocketed her to fame and she went on to win Academy Awards for her roles in “The Snake Pit” and “The Heiress.”

Born in Tokyo to British parents, her sister was actress Joan Fontaine, who died in 2013 at the age of 96.

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