I know, I know. It’s a Russian thing. When we’re about to do something stupid, we like to catalog the full extent of our stupidity for future reference. – Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5
Perhaps I have some Russian blood in me. Even though I’m not particularly a fan of the US Constitution (I would have come down on the side of the Anti-Federalists), I still say it’s time to take a moment and catalog what has happened to America.
I am under no impression that this is going to wake people up, by the way. Most Americans just don’t want to know. In fact, they pay people to tell them that everything is okay and that the people who complain are crazy, stupid, losers, or conspiracy believers.
Still, I want to catalog the extent of the current stupidity for the next generation – and to kill the lie that no one from my generation “saw it coming.”
Whatever our opinion of the US Constitution, it has clearly been the standard of reference in America and the trashing of this document matters for the future of the American people.
So, I will briefly explain what has happened to each of the ten amendments which make up the crucial section of the US Constitution: the Bill of Rights.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
COLLEGE STUDENT ARRESTED & THROWN IN JAIL AFTER BUYING…BOTTLED WATER
Instead, six plainclothes officers swarmed University of Virginia student Elizabeth Daly, who was ultimately arrested and spent the night and next afternoon in jail, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported.
What happened? The officers — men and a woman — were state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents who suspected the 20-year-old walking to her car that night had just bought a pack of beer. One agent jumped on the hood of her SUV and Daly said one drew a gun. Panicking and not knowing who they were, she tried to get away.
“They were showing unidentifiable badges after they approached us, but we became frightened, as they were not in anything close to a uniform,” Daly said in a written account of the April 11 incident.
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Water Rescue In Ocean City
Ocean City Fire units have just cleared the scene of a water rescue in the bay involving a boater struck by a propeller. Units arrived at 94th st & the bay to find a vessel approx. 1 mile out in the bay, DNR arrived on scene and transferred the pt. to awaiting fire & ems crews at 94th st. The pt was packaged on location and flown to PRMC via Maryland State Police - Aviation Command Trooper 4.
Surveillance vs. Infrastructure: When A Country Falls Apart
What characterizes the beginning stages of an empire in decline? Is it war, famine, disease, moral decay, or all of the above? There is perhaps no clear formula or single event that can be used to pinpoint when a civilization begins to fall and yet, it must seem obvious to many living at the time.
So, let's ask the question: How about the U.S.? Is it on the verge of falling apart?
Given what I'm about to say, I think we all need to take this question seriously.
To understand the fate of our nation, we can easily compare the following two things: The amount of taxpayer money used to invest in things that, without question, we'll all need and use for years to come, i.e. roads, bridges, dams, clean drinking water, etc – that is, our infrastructure – versus the amount of taxpayer money used by the government for creating a massive worldwide surveillance machine.
Just think about that for a moment.
Needless to say, I don't need to tell you much about recent leaks regarding the NSA. If you've been watching the news, you may know that billions are being spent each year on developing a hi-tech surveillance network to collect, record, and potentially track or predict you and others across the globe.
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So, let's ask the question: How about the U.S.? Is it on the verge of falling apart?
Given what I'm about to say, I think we all need to take this question seriously.
To understand the fate of our nation, we can easily compare the following two things: The amount of taxpayer money used to invest in things that, without question, we'll all need and use for years to come, i.e. roads, bridges, dams, clean drinking water, etc – that is, our infrastructure – versus the amount of taxpayer money used by the government for creating a massive worldwide surveillance machine.
Just think about that for a moment.
Needless to say, I don't need to tell you much about recent leaks regarding the NSA. If you've been watching the news, you may know that billions are being spent each year on developing a hi-tech surveillance network to collect, record, and potentially track or predict you and others across the globe.
More
68 Senators Vote to Create Incentive for Employers to Hire Amnestied Immigrants Over U.S. Citizens
The immigration bill passed by the Senate Thursday afternoon would give some employers a financial incentive to employ "registered provisional immigrants" (illegal immigrants granted legal status) instead of U.S. citizens.As the Washington Examiner's Philip Klein recently reported: "Under Obamacare, businesses with over 50 workers that employ American citizens without offering them qualifying health insurance could be subject to fines of up to $3,000 per worker. But because newly legalized immigrants wouldn’t be eligible for subsidies on the Obamacare exchanges until after they become citizens – at least 13 years under the Senate bill – businesses could avoid such fines by hiring the new immigrants instead."
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Why Eating Carbs May Lead To Stronger Food Cravings
Refined carbohydrates such as corn syrup could trigger food cravings not unlike the cravings that drug addicts experience, new research suggests.
The findings, which are published today (June 26) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that the quick spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar that comes after eating highly processed carbs activates reward and addiction centers in the brain.
The study was small and looked only at overweight and obese men, but if the findings can be replicated in a larger population, they would imply that avoiding refined carbohydrates is a good weight-loss strategy because people would avoid not only the calories, but the strong cravings they induce.
"Refined carbohydrates seem to be able to provoke food cravings many hours after consumption, at least in susceptible people," said study co-author David Ludwig, the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center in Boston. "Limiting these foods could help overweight people avoid overeating."
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The findings, which are published today (June 26) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that the quick spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar that comes after eating highly processed carbs activates reward and addiction centers in the brain.
The study was small and looked only at overweight and obese men, but if the findings can be replicated in a larger population, they would imply that avoiding refined carbohydrates is a good weight-loss strategy because people would avoid not only the calories, but the strong cravings they induce.
"Refined carbohydrates seem to be able to provoke food cravings many hours after consumption, at least in susceptible people," said study co-author David Ludwig, the director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center in Boston. "Limiting these foods could help overweight people avoid overeating."
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NFL SAYS NO TO OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Health and Human Services has reportedly reached out to the NFL — as well as the NBA and MLB — to help pitch the health care overhaul to its audience, particularly younger Americans. Earlier this week, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the NFL and a “variety of sports affiliates” had been “enthusiastically engaged” with the administration regarding the idea.
On Friday, Brian McCarthy, vice president of communications at the NFL, said in an email that the league has responded to letters from members of Congress.
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What Adderall Does To Your Body
Wall Street lore is always describing the relationship between bankers and cocaine, but the truth is there's a new drug in town. Adderall is taking its new position as the Street's favorite upper — it's less of a party drug, and more of a 'cope with your job after the party' aid.
So what is Adderall and why does it make people more efficient?
We put together some facts on what this amphetamine (yes, that's what it is) does to your body. Yes, it can help you get through that Excel spreadsheet, but there's a more sinister side to this story. Canada pulled the drug off the shelves in 2005 because it was believed to be the source of 20 deaths over ten years, according to NPR.
So know what you're dealing with.
So what is Adderall and why does it make people more efficient?
We put together some facts on what this amphetamine (yes, that's what it is) does to your body. Yes, it can help you get through that Excel spreadsheet, but there's a more sinister side to this story. Canada pulled the drug off the shelves in 2005 because it was believed to be the source of 20 deaths over ten years, according to NPR.
So know what you're dealing with.
MAJOR BLOW FOR ZIMMERMAN PROSECUTORS? SEE WHAT ONE NEIGHBOR TESTIFIED THAT COULD SPELL TROUBLE
However, Jonathan Good said he did not see anyone’s head being slammed into the concrete sidewalk, which Zimmerman has said Martin did.
Zimmerman has claimed that he fatally shot 17-year-old Martin last year in self-defense as the Miami-area teen was banging his head into the concrete sidewalk behind the townhomes in a gated community.
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RUSH LIMBAUGH: ‘WAIT UNTIL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HEARS ABOUT THIS’
A caller from Lubbock, Texas, on Friday told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh that some illegal immigrants in his area don’t want amnesty because it means federal income tax and fiercer competition for cheap labor.
“Today I went out and was doing some ag’ work on some of the farms out here and got to talking to some of these guys, asking them about what they think about this. And they’re very, very concerned,” the caller said. “A lot of them were telling me, ‘Well, we really don’t want to become United States citizens.’”
He went on: “There’s two things that they brought up that really scared me. They do not want to become United States citizens. I said, ‘Why not?’ They’re afraid that the United States government is going to take so much taxes out of their paychecks once they have to pay into the federal income tax.”
“Are you kidding me on this?” Limbaugh replied.
“I am dead serious. They do not want to become American citizens,” the caller said.
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“Today I went out and was doing some ag’ work on some of the farms out here and got to talking to some of these guys, asking them about what they think about this. And they’re very, very concerned,” the caller said. “A lot of them were telling me, ‘Well, we really don’t want to become United States citizens.’”
He went on: “There’s two things that they brought up that really scared me. They do not want to become United States citizens. I said, ‘Why not?’ They’re afraid that the United States government is going to take so much taxes out of their paychecks once they have to pay into the federal income tax.”
“Are you kidding me on this?” Limbaugh replied.
“I am dead serious. They do not want to become American citizens,” the caller said.
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America Will See Its Worst Race Riot Yet This Summer
Yes, the George Zimmerman trial here has thousands of African-Americans getting ready for some serious bloodletting.
I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive. Or African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning. That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions.
There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed. It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide.
Zimmerman was the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community. Zimmerman was acting at the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape Zimmerman and did so.
The force was unequal and Zimmerman was getting his head pounded on the concrete sidewalk. Zimmerman was fighting for his life when he removed his Kel-Tec pistol and put a round into Martin’s chest.
The Sanford Police Department investigated the shooting and had no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman who regrettably cooperated with them fully. They made no arrest.
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I don’t want to make idle and dire predictions but this nation has never been so divided and racially sensitive. Or African-American President took sides on this case at the very beginning. That ratified a George Zimmerman guilty verdict in the minds of millions.
There’s just one little problem, and that is the murder case should have never been filed. It was filed purely for political reasons despite the fact that it was a simple justifiable homicide.
Zimmerman was the block watch lookout program and followed a suspicious Trayvon Martin after he used an improper entrance to a gated community. Zimmerman was acting at the eyes and ears of the Sanford Police Department. Martin did not like being followed and knew that he could easily beat up the out-of-shape Zimmerman and did so.
The force was unequal and Zimmerman was getting his head pounded on the concrete sidewalk. Zimmerman was fighting for his life when he removed his Kel-Tec pistol and put a round into Martin’s chest.
The Sanford Police Department investigated the shooting and had no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman who regrettably cooperated with them fully. They made no arrest.
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Gettysburg's Anniversary To Be Marked By Events, Re-Enactors
If you're a spectator, lots of sunscreen. But if you're a Civil War re-enactor, try 20 pounds of wool and at least as many pounds of authentic gear, including a full canteen to battle the heat of July in Gettysburg.
For the next eight days, spectators and re-enactors from around the country and even the world will descend on central Pennsylvania to mark the 150th anniversary of this pivotal battle. They'll have three chances to relive not only Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett's failed attack but also fighting at the Wheat Field and Cemetery Ridge. And Abraham Lincoln will present his Gettysburg Address at 11 a.m. for four straight days, even though that didn't actually take place until November.
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Secrets And Lies
Every credit has its debit, every positive its negative. So for every secret there must be a lie, and every lie must be kept secret.
This is the currency of power today. Fiat truth.
We are not allowed to have any secrets any more. And yet those who insist they must know the truth about us, who spy upon us to extract our secrets, tell us. in return, only lies.
It is a dangerous, corroding imbalance of power, because lies, like debts, compound.
Living the lie
We all know the famous Goebbels quote,
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
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This is the currency of power today. Fiat truth.
We are not allowed to have any secrets any more. And yet those who insist they must know the truth about us, who spy upon us to extract our secrets, tell us. in return, only lies.
It is a dangerous, corroding imbalance of power, because lies, like debts, compound.
Living the lie
We all know the famous Goebbels quote,
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
More
Conservative Backlash Greets US Immigration Bill
Conservatives have drawn a bull's eye on the immigration bill passed by the US Senate, insisting the landmark measure will fail as is and vowing political retribution against Republicans who voted for it.
The bipartisan immigration reform bill passed 68-32 in the Senate Thursday with support from 14 Republicans, many of whom now face accusations they let down conservatives opposed to legislation that lays a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people.
Those lawmakers, including high-profile figures like Senator Marco Rubio, "will have to go back home and explain the votes they cast, and explain to their constituents why it's not amnesty, even though it is," Dan Holler of Heritage Action, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, told AFP on Friday.
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The bipartisan immigration reform bill passed 68-32 in the Senate Thursday with support from 14 Republicans, many of whom now face accusations they let down conservatives opposed to legislation that lays a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people.
Those lawmakers, including high-profile figures like Senator Marco Rubio, "will have to go back home and explain the votes they cast, and explain to their constituents why it's not amnesty, even though it is," Dan Holler of Heritage Action, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, told AFP on Friday.
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10 NFL Stars Who've Been Charged With Horrible Crimes
On Wednesday, June 26, New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez was charged with the murder of his acquaintance, Odin Lloyd.
The NFL player, who had recently singed a five-year contract with his team (which included a $12.5 million signing bonus), was escorted out of his house in handcuffs as the world watched in dismay.
But this is just the latest crime-related scandal for the NFL, a league that's been plagued with a slew of crimes ranging from DUIs to domestic violence and, of course, murder.
Here is a list of 10 other NFL stars, all convicted or accused of terrible crimes, whose promising careers were arrested (pun intended) once justice caught up to them.
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The NFL player, who had recently singed a five-year contract with his team (which included a $12.5 million signing bonus), was escorted out of his house in handcuffs as the world watched in dismay.
But this is just the latest crime-related scandal for the NFL, a league that's been plagued with a slew of crimes ranging from DUIs to domestic violence and, of course, murder.
Here is a list of 10 other NFL stars, all convicted or accused of terrible crimes, whose promising careers were arrested (pun intended) once justice caught up to them.
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Face Transplant Patient Celebrates Life In Public
As Kai Jackson reports–a life that he’s now more comfortable living in public.
It was groundbreaking surgery when Richard Norris had a face transplant in March 2012.
A historic procedure, according to the doctors who performed it at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
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Star Witness Rachael Jenteal: I Can't Read That Letter Explaining What Happened to Trayvon Martin That Night Even Though I Supposedly Wrote It
She's a star witness because she's the only witness to contradict George Zimmerman's claim that he stopped following Trayvon Martin. The defense suspects she's making this all up-- that she had nothing important to tell police, which is why she never bothered contacting them.
At some point, weeks later, the Martin family contacted her. She now explains her failure to step forward with critical information in a homicide case by saying she expected police to contact her, because that's what always happens on First 48 (one of those crime documentary news magazine shows).
"Don't you watch First 48?" she asked a defense attorney when pressed on this claim. As if she thought the attorney's knowledge of police procedure came from the same place hers (allegedly) did.
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At some point, weeks later, the Martin family contacted her. She now explains her failure to step forward with critical information in a homicide case by saying she expected police to contact her, because that's what always happens on First 48 (one of those crime documentary news magazine shows).
"Don't you watch First 48?" she asked a defense attorney when pressed on this claim. As if she thought the attorney's knowledge of police procedure came from the same place hers (allegedly) did.
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Polygamists Celebrate Supreme Court Marriage Rulings
The Supreme Court’s rulings in favor of same-sex marriage Wednesday were greeted with excitement by polygamists across the country, who viewed the gay rights victory as a crucial step toward the country’s inevitable acceptance of plural marriage.
Anne Wilde, a vocal advocate for polygamist rights who practiced the lifestyle herself until her husband died in 2003, praised the court’s decision as a sign that society’s stringent attachment to traditional “family values” is evolving.
“I was very glad… The nuclear family, with a dad and a mom and two or three kids, is not the majority anymore,” said Wilde. “Now it’s grandparents taking care of kids, single parents, gay parents. I think people are more and more understanding that as consenting adults, we should be able to raise a family however we choose.”
“We’re very happy with it,” said Joe Darger, a Utah-based polygamist who has three wives. “I think [the court] has taken a step in correcting some inequality, and that’s certainly something that’s going to trickle down and impact us.”
Anne Wilde, a vocal advocate for polygamist rights who practiced the lifestyle herself until her husband died in 2003, praised the court’s decision as a sign that society’s stringent attachment to traditional “family values” is evolving.
“I was very glad… The nuclear family, with a dad and a mom and two or three kids, is not the majority anymore,” said Wilde. “Now it’s grandparents taking care of kids, single parents, gay parents. I think people are more and more understanding that as consenting adults, we should be able to raise a family however we choose.”
“We’re very happy with it,” said Joe Darger, a Utah-based polygamist who has three wives. “I think [the court] has taken a step in correcting some inequality, and that’s certainly something that’s going to trickle down and impact us.”
State Policy Causes Headaches For Resort Towing Operations
You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your tow truck.
At least not anymore, under a Maryland law that has proven to be particularly onerous to Ocean City’s seasonal demand for vehicle removal.
“It’s the dumbest law I’ve ever seen,” said Igor Conev of Mann Properties, the island’s largest building management firm that has gone through considerable headaches over the policy.
Late last year, the state amended its vehicle code to require that towing signs in publicly-accessible lots feature the name and phone number of the towing company that will be used to remove any unauthorized vehicles, as well as where the vehicle can be recovered and notice that it must be available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Requirements for signs’ visibility and wording were also further specified.
This meant a complete replacement of all signs to meet the new standards. But that has turned out to be the least of the problem.
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At least not anymore, under a Maryland law that has proven to be particularly onerous to Ocean City’s seasonal demand for vehicle removal.
“It’s the dumbest law I’ve ever seen,” said Igor Conev of Mann Properties, the island’s largest building management firm that has gone through considerable headaches over the policy.
Late last year, the state amended its vehicle code to require that towing signs in publicly-accessible lots feature the name and phone number of the towing company that will be used to remove any unauthorized vehicles, as well as where the vehicle can be recovered and notice that it must be available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Requirements for signs’ visibility and wording were also further specified.
This meant a complete replacement of all signs to meet the new standards. But that has turned out to be the least of the problem.
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