I know this is supposed to be the smartest administration ever, but if I were running a campaign with a fairly unpopular incumbent, the last thing I’d do is have a re-election slogan whose initials were:
“WTF”
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, October 07, 2011
AOL News Boss Takes Sides in Wall Street Protest
A leading force in online journalism appears to be making a strong effort to be anything but fair and balanced.
Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group, has become a full-on supporter of the Occupy Wall Street protests — injecting her endorsement of the demonstrations into her media outlets’ coverage of the events in lower Manhattan.
The media baroness has been tweeting and re-tweeting up a storm in support of the Occupy Wall Street protesters, and she’s been taking shots at the Tea Party and Fox News in the process.
Revealed: Why You’re Not Where You Thought You’d Be By Now
Do you ever compare yourself to other people your age and feel like you don’t measure up?
Do you look at your life and think you should be “further along“ by now?
Do you know that this kind of thinking is precisely what is holding you back?
Two Vehicle Accident
Real Estate Auction Of A Snow Hill, MD Bed & Breakfast- Oct. 8, 2011
OWNER RELOCATING
AUCTION: October 8, 2011 @ 10 AM – ON-SITE
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday OCT. 2nd from 2-4 PM
Snow Hill Maryland Bed and Breakfast
Personal Property (Art, Furniture, Collectibles, etc.) to Auction as well! Click here to view details!
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Maryland Business PAC Starts To Refill Its Coffers
Maryland Business for Responsive Government kicked off the revival of its dormant political action committee Tuesday with the hope of raising $250,000 to spend on state elections in 2014.
With that much money behind it, the MBRG effort to refuel the Business Leadership PAC would more than fill a void left earlier this year when the Maryland Chamber of Commerce mothballed its affiliated committee.
The leadership PAC will “unify our voices and consolidate our resources so we can have a voice in Annapolis,” said PAC Chairman Caleb Ewing Jr. to the crowd of about 100 before they ate their $175-per-plate salmon and steak at the BWI Airport Marriott.
“The businesses in Maryland can’t afford to continue to be an ATM for the state,” he said.
Tuesday’s attendees included Annapolis lobbyist Bruce C. Bereano, retired Maryland Retailers Association President Tom Saquella, Republican fundraiser Dick Hug and former House Minority Leader Ellen Sauerbrey, a two-time gubernatorial candidate and now co-chair of MBRG.
There was also a large segment of the Republican bloc in the General Assembly in the crowd, including at least 13 delegates and six senators, among them Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs of Harford and Cecil counties.
“It’s just important that we have a business presence in Annapolis. They’re not being heard,” said Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, the Howard County Republican who preceded Jacobs as minority leader. “The chamber does what they can do but they need help. The unions are awfully powerful in Annapolis.”
The influence of labor unions was a prominent theme for John Fund, a Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News contributor.
“I’ve followed Maryland politics,” Fund said. “It’s a challenge.”
But, he said the economic malaise and weight of budget crunches at the national, state and local levels can force a “different conversation with the electorate,” one that could lead small-government reforms a right-leaning audience like the one he addressed Tuesday would support.
“The old platitudes and old placating won’t do,” Fund said. “We’ve run out of time and we’ve run out of money.”
MBRG President Kim Burns said the organization plans to hold one fundraiser a year to fill the PAC. Figures from Tuesday’s event were not immediately made available.
The PAC will make contributions to candidates for governor, comptroller, senator, delegate and, potentially, attorney general, Burns said.
“It’s become clearer and clearer to us the business community needs a bigger voice in Annapolis,” she said.
PACs in Maryland can skirt the contribution limits of $4,000 per candidate and $10,000 per election cycle by making independent expenditures in a race and transferring money to political committees. Transfers are limited to $6,000 per committee.
Chamber President and CEO Kathleen T. Snyder said the board of the Maryland Chamber PAC decided in January to let the fund go fallow. The PAC was nearly emptied during the 2010 election cycle.
Chamber members looking to donate will be directed to the MBRG fund, Snyder said, and the committees will even share some leadership — Betty Buck, president of Buck Distributing Co. in Upper Marlboro, chaired the chamber’s PAC board and now serves on the board of the Business Leadership PAC.
The chamber PAC spent $24,000 last year, according to campaign finance records maintained by the University of Maryland Center for American Politics and Citizenship. Donations were spread to the campaigns of 10 Democrats and six Republicans, including party leaders and the heads of key committees and subcommittees. The chamber PAC spent $36,000 in 2006.
“The PAC board and our board thought we should let it become inactive for the upcoming cycle. Because of the recession it was getting harder to raise money,” Snyder said. “Some of the larger companies have their own PACs, and some of the smaller companies were saying, ‘We just can’t afford to do this right now.’”
She said the PAC endorsements could sometimes make harder the jobs of the four registered chamber lobbyists, the largest business lobbying group in Annapolis.
“Sometimes if the PAC endorses one candidate and another is elected, they have very long memories,” Snyder said.
Looking For Places To Take The Kids For Halloween Frights?
Kids fun too! (just earlier), Kids costume contest at 7:30, Kids games and crafts beginning at 4pm to 7:30. Even if you can't find a sitter to enjoy the Adult party, you don't have to miss out on the dinner...since the kids can have fun too!
Help us say Goodbye to 2011!
USCG Princess Grace About To Be Put To Rest
Unfortunately I was not in the Office at the time this ship came through the draw bridges but several witnesses informed me they had about a half an inch on either side to get it through. Other witnesses told me once they saw how huge the ship was, they turned their vehicle around and took another route home.
One thing I do know, the Coast Guard used every single inch of life out of this ship. The Government doesn't give the Coast Guard a whole lot of money for new things and they are usually the recipient of what the Navy doesn't want any more. That being said, I'm sure this ship has seen many ports in its time, including its last, Salisbury, Maryland.
Maryland's Millionaires May Feel Sting Of 'Buffett Rule'
WASHINGTON - In Maryland, a state with the nation's second-highest concentration of millionaires, there are a lot of eyes on President Obama's push for a "Buffet Rule" tax on the wealthiest Americans.
Details are still sketchy on the president's plan, but Maryland multimillionaire Ted Leonsis — an Obama supporter — is among those already bristling.
"Economic Success has somehow become the new boogie (sic) man," Leonsis, who declined to be interviewed, wrote in a Sept. 25 blog post, noting that he has already given the maximum contribution to Obama's re-election campaign.
"(S)ome in the Democratic party are now casting about for enemies and business leaders and anyone who has achieved success in terms of rank or fiscal success is being cast as a bad guy in a black hat," said the owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and the Verizon Center.
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Details are still sketchy on the president's plan, but Maryland multimillionaire Ted Leonsis — an Obama supporter — is among those already bristling.
"Economic Success has somehow become the new boogie (sic) man," Leonsis, who declined to be interviewed, wrote in a Sept. 25 blog post, noting that he has already given the maximum contribution to Obama's re-election campaign.
"(S)ome in the Democratic party are now casting about for enemies and business leaders and anyone who has achieved success in terms of rank or fiscal success is being cast as a bad guy in a black hat," said the owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and the Verizon Center.
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Bi-National Gay Couple Facing Separation By Deportation
A Philadelphia couple that got married in D.C. in June is facing separation Friday, when Anton Tanumihardja is scheduled to be deported.
Tanumihardja can’t be sponsored for residency because that option doesn’t exist for same-sex couples, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
Tanumihardja came to the U.S. from Indonesia on a tourist visa in 2002 and later had his application for political asylum denied. He was scheduled to leave his partner, Brian Andersen, and this country in February but was granted a temporary reprieve.
“He is a gay man who has had the opportunity to live openly as a gay man in Philadelphia. And now he's going back to live where in order to survive, you cannot be open," Lavi Soloway, the couple’s attorney, told CNN in February.
Eight months later, Tanumihardja’s time is up again.
Twisted Government Accounting Behind Postal Service Woes
You might have heard that the United States Postal Service is in trouble: that it's losing billions, that it will have to end Saturday service and close branches — and most inflammatory, that it might need a government bailout. Perhaps you heard that the Postal Service couldn't pay $5.5 billion bill that came due Sept. 30 and that only an emergency postponement saved it from the government's equivalent of default.
In fact, it's the Postal Service that’s currently bailing out the U.S. government. Politicians have been raiding Postal Service revenues for years, using them to make the federal deficit appear smaller than it really is. The fiscal gyrations are so twisted that the Postal Service is right now forced to pre-pay health care benefits for employees the agency hasn't even hired yet — in fact, for many future employees who haven't even been born yet — all to artificially shrink the federal deficit.
It's these crushing accounting tricks, not the cost of delivering mail, that has pushed this 200-year-old institution to the brink.
Welcome to the wacky world of Washington, D.C., accounting.
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In fact, it's the Postal Service that’s currently bailing out the U.S. government. Politicians have been raiding Postal Service revenues for years, using them to make the federal deficit appear smaller than it really is. The fiscal gyrations are so twisted that the Postal Service is right now forced to pre-pay health care benefits for employees the agency hasn't even hired yet — in fact, for many future employees who haven't even been born yet — all to artificially shrink the federal deficit.
It's these crushing accounting tricks, not the cost of delivering mail, that has pushed this 200-year-old institution to the brink.
Welcome to the wacky world of Washington, D.C., accounting.
More
Flying Relatives Home On United For The Holidays? Better Just Send Them A Check
When Cindy purchased her adult daughter's plane tickets to visit for the holidays, she didn't realize that United would rather have her just send her daughter the cash. At least, that's the only logical explanation for the rule she learned about only after the purchase was complete: the credit card used to buy the tickets must be available at check-in. How is Cindy's daughter supposed to present her credit card?
More »
More »
US Needs To Generate 261,200 Jobs Per Month To Return To Pre-Depression Employment By End Of Obama Second Term
Every few months we rerun an analysis of how many jobs the US economy has to generate to return to the unemployment rate as of December 2007 when the Great Financial Crisis started, by the end of Obama's potential second term in November 2016. This calculation takes into account the historical change in Payroll and includes the 90,000/month natural growth to the labor force, and extrapolates into the future. And every time we rerun this calculation, the number of jobs that has to be created to get back to baseline increases: First it was 245,500 in April, then 250,000 in June, then 254,000 in July. As of today, following the just announced "beat" of meager NFP expectations, this number has has just risen to an all time high 261,200. This means that unless that number of jobs is created each month for the next 5 years, America will have a higher unemployment rate in October 2016 than it did in December 2007. How realistic is it that the US economy can create 16.2 million jobs in the next 62 months? We leave that answer up to the US electorate.
Source
When Will Fall Begin?
You're not the only one to pick up on the late-changing fall foliage. The federal government has noticed, too. An ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey said fall remains a mystery, and it isn't clear what is causing trees to hold onto their color. Researchers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center partnered with Seoul National University in South Korea and used satellites to show the end of the growing season was delayed by six-and-a-half days from 1982 to 2008 in the Northern Hemisphere. The Geological Survey is working with NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, watching the change of seasons from space, by focusing on Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
It Is Dangerous To Be Right When The Government Is Wrong
Where Do Our Rights Come From?
After a trip to the American Midwest in 1959, Nikita Khrushchev, then the ruler of the Soviet Union, became convinced that corn could solve many of the USSR’s economic woes. Russia had long struggled with miserably inadequate food supplies, the result of years of inept Communist agricultural policies. Having witnessed the wild success of corn production in America, Khrushchev reasoned that the grain could be equally successful in Russia, and thus support increased meat and dairy production necessary to feed the population. He therefore commanded that vast swaths of land, including the frigid tundra of Siberia, be converted to corn crops. As it turned out, corn was entirely unsuitable to the Russian climate, and the plan was a complete disaster.
The reason, of course, that the policy failed was Khrushchev’s ignorance of the immutable fact – the self-evident truth – that corn can only be grown under certain conditions, and Russia’s climate did not provide them. The cost of this misjudgment was wasted resources and prolonged hunger. It is obvious that politicians must enact laws which are in accord with such "truths." If they do not, then the inevitable consequence is human suffering. There are some things which humans and their constructed governments simply cannot change; that is to say, those things transcend our human capacities and cannot be the object of our will. Individuals and governments are thus always secondary and subject to these truths.
What are these truths, but "natural laws"? What other laws are there, with which human commands must accord? As we shall see, there are natural rights every human possesses by virtue of being human which protect our essential "yearnings" from government interference. And as we shall also see, manmade laws are only valid to the extent that they comport with and are subject to these natural rights. This is all known as the Natural Law.
More
After a trip to the American Midwest in 1959, Nikita Khrushchev, then the ruler of the Soviet Union, became convinced that corn could solve many of the USSR’s economic woes. Russia had long struggled with miserably inadequate food supplies, the result of years of inept Communist agricultural policies. Having witnessed the wild success of corn production in America, Khrushchev reasoned that the grain could be equally successful in Russia, and thus support increased meat and dairy production necessary to feed the population. He therefore commanded that vast swaths of land, including the frigid tundra of Siberia, be converted to corn crops. As it turned out, corn was entirely unsuitable to the Russian climate, and the plan was a complete disaster.
The reason, of course, that the policy failed was Khrushchev’s ignorance of the immutable fact – the self-evident truth – that corn can only be grown under certain conditions, and Russia’s climate did not provide them. The cost of this misjudgment was wasted resources and prolonged hunger. It is obvious that politicians must enact laws which are in accord with such "truths." If they do not, then the inevitable consequence is human suffering. There are some things which humans and their constructed governments simply cannot change; that is to say, those things transcend our human capacities and cannot be the object of our will. Individuals and governments are thus always secondary and subject to these truths.
What are these truths, but "natural laws"? What other laws are there, with which human commands must accord? As we shall see, there are natural rights every human possesses by virtue of being human which protect our essential "yearnings" from government interference. And as we shall also see, manmade laws are only valid to the extent that they comport with and are subject to these natural rights. This is all known as the Natural Law.
More
TSA Installing 300 New Body Scanners
The Transportation Security Administration is installing 300 new body-imaging machines in 29 small and regional airports. That will make a total of 101 airports with the new gear. The millimeter wave machines have software designed to spot hidden metal objects without showing details of people's anatomy. The administration has requested funds to buy another 275 machines this year.
Libertarian Wall Street Protesters Demand End To The Fed
George Washington’s Blog gets the big picture, not like the myopic MSM and the old farts on this site who see a Soros conspiracy behind every tree. Go back to watching that nutjob Glenn Beck. There are no restrictions on who can protest. You bunch of old cranky farts can sit in front of your computers and declare these protests meaningless, but that doesn’t change anything. The existing social order is in the midst of being overturned and you don’t even see it. Because you don’t want to see it. It makes you uneasy and worried. Too freaking bad. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not.
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WARNING, there is some language on this link you may not like.
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WARNING, there is some language on this link you may not like.
Wilmington Drops 2 Paid Holidays For Some Workers
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) -- The city of Wilmington has eliminated two paid holidays for some city employees, including Columbus Day, which means city offices will be open for business on Monday.
Wilmington Mayor James Baker announced Thursday night that Columbus Day and Lincoln's Birthday in February were eliminated and would be replaced by "floating days" that employees may use with approval over a calendar year.
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Wilmington Mayor James Baker announced Thursday night that Columbus Day and Lincoln's Birthday in February were eliminated and would be replaced by "floating days" that employees may use with approval over a calendar year.
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More Americans Moving In With Relatives To Save Money
With unemployment rates high and the economy still struggling, many Americans have moved in with relatives, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. The result: the largest increase in the number of Americans living in multi-generational households in modern history.
More »
More »
BREAKING NEWS: Fitch Downgrades Italy, Spain Ratings
Fitch lowered its credit rating on both Spain and Italy on Friday, cutting Spain's long-term rating to "AA-" from "AA+" and Italy’s to "A+" from "AA-."
While not entirely unexpected, the news took some of the momentum out of the stock market. The Dow is now off 20 points, having rallied earlier in the session.
From Fox News
While not entirely unexpected, the news took some of the momentum out of the stock market. The Dow is now off 20 points, having rallied earlier in the session.
From Fox News
Unemployment Stuck at 9.1 Percent in September;103,000 New Jobs Added
The nation's long jobs drought continued in September, with unemployment staying at 9.1 percent as the economy added 103,000 non-farm jobs, the Labor Department announced Friday.
Unemployment has remained sluggish all year after declining from a high of 10.1 percent in October 2009. While there was improvement during 2010, it has flatlined this year, according to Steven Leslie, lead analyst for financial services at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Oracle Settles For $200 Million
Software giant Oracle Corporation has agreed to pay nearly $200 million plus interest to settle a false claims lawsuit. The suit concerned the contract Oracle held under the GSA's Multiple Awards Schedule program. The Justice Department said it's GSA's largest false claims settlement ever. The suit was first brought by a whistleblower, and later joined by the government. The suit claimed Oracle failed to give government customers the same discounts it gave commercial customers, as required under federal rules. Oracle denies the charges. A company spokesman said it elected to settle rather than face drawn-out litigation. The whistleblower is former employee Paul Frascella. As his share of the recovery, he receives 40 million dollars.
Tracked: The Supreme Court Shouldn't Let Technology Trump the Constitution
Yesterday we filed a friend-of-the-court briefin United States v. Jones, which Adam Liptakat The New York Times called "the most important Fourth Amendment case in a decade." We are asking the Supreme Court to hold that the government needs to establish probable cause and obtain a warrant before attaching a GPS device to a person's car and tracking their every move.
This case is one of the first in which the Supreme Court will grapple with the profound impact of new technologies on the privacy that Americans have always enjoyed and expected. It could shape whether the Fourth Amendment's protections from warrantless searches keep pace with new technologies, preserving our civil liberties into the 21st Century.
96-Year-Old Black Woman Denied Right to Vote in Tennessee
Dorothy Cooper is a 96-year-old black woman who lives in Chattanooga,Tennessee. She was recently denied a voter identification card because she didn’t have her marriage certificate available — the same card that’s required by the state to vote. This coming election may be the first one she misses in 50 years.
In February, all 20 Republicans and one Democrat in the state senate passed a measure requiring Tennessee voters show a driver’s licenses or other government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot. Democrats countered that the bill’s provisions would make it tougher to many of the 500,000 adult Tennesseans — many of them poor, elderly or handicapped — who have no state driver’s license.
In February, all 20 Republicans and one Democrat in the state senate passed a measure requiring Tennessee voters show a driver’s licenses or other government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot. Democrats countered that the bill’s provisions would make it tougher to many of the 500,000 adult Tennesseans — many of them poor, elderly or handicapped — who have no state driver’s license.
I WANNA BE THE MINORITY
I have the double pleasure of pissing off SSS with a Green Day song and an anthem that describes the Occupy Movement. It seems many older people can’t wrap their heads around what is happening. They are stuck in the past. They think the protestors are a bunch of losers. I find it funny that Boomers who looked like dirtbags during their 1960s heydey are heaping scorn on the way some of the protestors on Wall Street look. Classic Boomer.
What the old timers fail to realize is that the Majority will never change anything. It’s the Minority that change things. Denial and dreams of better times don’t mean shit. The world is on fire and opinions are not going to put the fire out.
What the old timers fail to realize is that the Majority will never change anything. It’s the Minority that change things. Denial and dreams of better times don’t mean shit. The world is on fire and opinions are not going to put the fire out.
BREAKING NEWS: Justice Dept. Seeks to Block Ala. Immigration Law
Department of Justice asks federal appeals court to block enforcement of
Alabama’s new immigration law
From Fox News
Alabama’s new immigration law
From Fox News
Bank Of England Increases QE By £75bn
(Financial Times) -- The Bank of England acted more swiftly and more decisively on Thursday than most economists had expected to inject a further round of stimulus into the economy, as its governor warned that the nation may be facing its "most serious financial crisis ever."
The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee voted for the first time since November 2009 to increase its purchases of gilts, this time by a further £75bn to £275bn. Many economists had expected the move, known as quantitative easing, to come in November after the MPC reviews its forecasts for growth and inflation and that it would opt for a more limited £50bn move.
Afghanistan, A Promotion In Tatters
It's a fantasy to think we are winning the war in Afghanistan ... Ten years after the West intervened to overthrow the Taliban regime, our strategy is still fatally flawed, argues a former ambassador to Kabul. 'Without a credible political product to offer people caught in the crossfire, no settlement will hold. – UK Telegraph
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OK 2 Text & Drive? 16 States Say Sure
It's no secret that texting while driving is risky, with a new Texas Transportation Institute study showing that composing or reading a text message can double a driver's reaction times. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says "drivers have a responsibility to put away these distracting devices every time they get behind the wheel," the Associated Press reported.
Occupy Wall Street: The Coordinated Promotion Continues
Confronting the Malefactors ... There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear, but we may, at long last, be seeing the rise of a popular movement that, unlike the Tea Party, is angry at the right people ... When the Occupy Wall Street protests began three weeks ago, most news organizations were derisive if they deigned to mention the events at all. For example, nine days into the protests, National Public Radio had provided no coverage whatsoever. It is, therefore, a testament to the passion of those involved that the protests not only continued but grew, eventually becoming too big to ignore. With unions and a growing number of Democrats now expressing at least qualified support for the protesters, Occupy Wall Street is starting to look like an important event that might even eventually be seen as a turning point. – New York Times / Paul Krugman (left)
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Democrats Invoke ‘Nuclear Option’ in Senate
Democrats invoked the so-called “nuclear option” to change the rules in the U.S. Senate, bypassing Republicans and evading two difficult votes, including one on President Obama’s jobs bill.
The procedural precedent, which blocked Republicans from adding more amendments, could speed passage of a bill to punish China for currency manipulation.
It could also open a Pandora’s box, forever altering the traditions of the senate and its role on Capitol Hill.
The bickering was the culmination of months of arguments and fierce partisanship that revealed themselves tonight in a nasty fight over procedure that yielded little actual progress on legislation.
The Truth Could Cause Significant Damage
The charade: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner spoke before the House Financial Services Committee—chaired by Spencer Bachus, who'd declared in an interview last December that in "Washington, the view is that the banks are to be regulated, and my view is that Washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks."
Geithner was speaking on behalf of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which he chairs. Established in July 2010, it was to come up with strategies that would ensure that the financial crisis wouldn't show up on our TV screens as reruns.
Now the reruns are here. Only the banks are bigger, the problems larger. The "solution" of the financial crisis—shifting trillions of dollars in risks and losses to taxpayers and central banks—is backfiring. What was largely a private-sector drama now engulfs entire countries. And while there are plenty of exciting financial subplots in the U.S., for the moment, the Eurozone is front and center.
"A severe crisis in Europe could cause significant damage by undermining confidence and weakening demand," Geithner said (Reuters [13]).
Confidence! A series of bank "stress tests" were supposed to suffuse us with a cozy sense of confidence in the banking sector—despite all the very obvious issues that were piling up left and right. The last desperate stress test was held in July in Europe. Dexia, which had already been bailed-out in 2008, passed with flying colors. Three months later, it goes kaput (Euro Tidbit: The Lies of 'Stress Tests' [14]). Other banks will follow.
If inspiring confidence isn't based on facts and transparency, it's a con game. And if the facts are awful, trying to pull a bag over our collective heads isn't going to help.
More
Geithner was speaking on behalf of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which he chairs. Established in July 2010, it was to come up with strategies that would ensure that the financial crisis wouldn't show up on our TV screens as reruns.
Now the reruns are here. Only the banks are bigger, the problems larger. The "solution" of the financial crisis—shifting trillions of dollars in risks and losses to taxpayers and central banks—is backfiring. What was largely a private-sector drama now engulfs entire countries. And while there are plenty of exciting financial subplots in the U.S., for the moment, the Eurozone is front and center.
"A severe crisis in Europe could cause significant damage by undermining confidence and weakening demand," Geithner said (Reuters [13]).
Confidence! A series of bank "stress tests" were supposed to suffuse us with a cozy sense of confidence in the banking sector—despite all the very obvious issues that were piling up left and right. The last desperate stress test was held in July in Europe. Dexia, which had already been bailed-out in 2008, passed with flying colors. Three months later, it goes kaput (Euro Tidbit: The Lies of 'Stress Tests' [14]). Other banks will follow.
If inspiring confidence isn't based on facts and transparency, it's a con game. And if the facts are awful, trying to pull a bag over our collective heads isn't going to help.
More
Housing Bust Worst Since Great Depression
The American dream of homeownership saw its biggest drop since the Great Depression, according to new census figures. The analysis found the homeownership rate fell to 65.1 percent last year.
Full Story
Full Story
Erratic Driver Dies in Crash With Police In Pursuit
The driver of a pickup being pursued by a state trooper was killed after running off the road and hitting a tree on Route 100 in Pasadena Wednesday.
The driver, who was alone in the blue 1998 Dodge Dakota, has not been identified. The truck was not his, but is not believed to have been stolen, state police said.
Jury: Grandmother Should Serve 35 Years
A jury recommended the Virginia grandmother who was convicted Thursday of the first-degree murder of her granddaughter serve 35 years in prison. Carmela dela Rosa, 50, will be sentenced on Jan. 6. At that time, the judge can reduce the term but not increase it.
Full Story
Full Story
Dobbins Island Dispute Goes To Md. High Court
Court of Appeals will weigh whether beach should remain available to the public
Lisa Bender spent her summers in the 1960s sailing to Dobbins Island in the Magothy River for some summer fun."You'd picnic, meet people and swim," the Severna Park woman said of her trips to a beach that she and many others considered to be a public place. In the 1990s, she began taking the next generation of her family there.
Then David and Diana Clickner bought the 7-acre island in 2004, with plans to make it their family home. They have no interest in hosting a summerlong party or in sharing the beach with uninvited strangers who often leave their trash behind. So in 2006, the Clickners erected a fence to mark their private property.
Did The Wicomico County States Attorneys Office Tip Off The Daily Times?
Because Todd has CLASS, he chose to use this image, rather than one with Ruark's hands in handcuffs as he passes by.
Nevertheless, I will never believe the SPD was a part of this tip off and while I hold no grudge and am proud of the fact that Todd was the one called, every one out there has to wonder who called and why.
This is now a private citizen with a peace order against him. I had several conversations with the local MSM talking about whether or not the original peace order should be news. In the end we all agreed, if it were anyone else there's no way we'd publish such information.
Politically, there's a small group of locals that enjoy such exposure. They think they'll fly under the radar but if I have my way I can assure you, they won't.
Has Davis Ruark made some mistakes, absolutely. There's no question about that. However, are some of these problems enhanced politically, you better believe they are. I have been at the opposite end of vindictiveness and each and every one of you know that. From the former Chief of Police, former Warden and former Mayor, I have had my share of problems and in the end, (against all odds) I beat each and every one of them.
So do sit tight before you in fact pass judgment. And think about this. With three lawsuits against me, did you really believe I'd win all three?
Classy work Todd, thank you.
New Montgomery County Fee Is 'In The Bag'
BETHESDA, Md. -- Most of us expect to carry bags home after shopping. In Montgomery County you'll soon have a financial incentive to carry bags to the store.
Starting Jan. 1, 2012, all retailers in the county will be required to collect 5 cents for every paper or plastic carryout bag provided to customers. Retailers include grocery and department stores, service stations and permanent booths in malls.
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Starting Jan. 1, 2012, all retailers in the county will be required to collect 5 cents for every paper or plastic carryout bag provided to customers. Retailers include grocery and department stores, service stations and permanent booths in malls.
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Baltimore's Third Beer Week Delights In Craft Brews
Eleven days, nearly 300 events, more than 50 venues. Baltimore Beer Week, now in its third year, has certainly grown.
Hugh Sisson, the founder of Heavy Seas Beer, is the lead sponsor of this year's Beer Week, as he's been for the past two years. He got involved early on because he saw the 11-day event as a platform to promote the city's burgeoning craft beer scene. In that role, he's had a front-row seat to its evolution since 2009.
Hugh Sisson, the founder of Heavy Seas Beer, is the lead sponsor of this year's Beer Week, as he's been for the past two years. He got involved early on because he saw the 11-day event as a platform to promote the city's burgeoning craft beer scene. In that role, he's had a front-row seat to its evolution since 2009.
Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Release 10-7-11
Incident: DUI
Date of Incident: 5 October 2011
Location: Wicomico County
Narrative: On 5 October 2001, Deputies of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office conducted traffic stops and identified several impaired drivers, removing them from the roadways of Wicomico County.
The following individuals were arrested:
1. Christopher S. Boyce, 24, Laurel, DE
2. Kenneth Godwin, 47, Salisbury, MD
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Date of Incident: 5 October 2011
Location: Wicomico County
Narrative: On 5 October 2001, Deputies of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office conducted traffic stops and identified several impaired drivers, removing them from the roadways of Wicomico County.
The following individuals were arrested:
1. Christopher S. Boyce, 24, Laurel, DE
2. Kenneth Godwin, 47, Salisbury, MD
Charges: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Democrats Suggest Paying For Obama's Job Plan With Surcharge On Millionaires
Washington - Senate Democrats, divided over how to pay for President Barack Obama's jobs plan, Wednesday tossed out the White House tax proposals and replaced them with one of their own: A tax increase on millionaires.
Obama's plan to increase taxes on individuals earning more than $200,000 and joint filers making more than $250,000 was highly unpopular among some Democrats.
"Many of them are not rich," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. In many areas of the United States, he added, such an income "does not get you a big home or lots of vacations or anything else that's associated with wealth in America."
Obama's $447 billion proposal still faces huge trouble in the Democratic-run Senate, where it's expected to be considered next week. Sixty votes are needed to cut off extended debate, and Democrats control 53 of the 100 seats.
Missing Baby Lisa: Parents Stop Cooperating After Making Lists of Possible Suspects
The parents of 10-month-old Lisa Irwin, missing since Monday, have stopped cooperating with authorities, according to police.
"The mother and father no longer want to talk to detectives," Kansas City, Mo., police Capt. Steve Young said. "From an investigative standpoint, we enjoyed their cooperation so far. [It] has been very beneficial to the case. But yeah, you can imagine it doesn't help the case" that the cooperation has ended.
Flat-Lining The Middle Class: Economic Numbers To Die For
In some ways, Zuccotti Park, the campsite, the Ground Zero, for the Occupy Wall Street protests couldn’t be more modest. It’s no Tahrir Square, but a postage-stamp-sized plaza at the bottom of Manhattan only blocks from Wall Street. And if you arrive before noon, you’re greeted not by vast crowds, but by air mattresses, a sea of blue and green tarps, a couple of information tables, some enthusiastic drummers, enough signs with slogans for anything you care to support (“Too big to fail is too big to allow,” “The American Dream: You have to be asleep to believe it,” “There’s no state like no state,” etc.), and small groups of polite, eager, well-organized young people, wandering, cleaning, doling out contributed food, dealing with the press, or sitting in circles on the concrete, backpacks strewn about, discussing. If it were the 1960s, it might easily be a hippie encampment.
But don’t be fooled. Not only does the park begin to fill fast and the conversation become ever more animated, but this movement already spreading across the country (and even globally) looks like the real McCoy, something new and hopeful in degraded times. Of the demonstrators I spoke with, several had hitchhiked to New York -- one had simply quit her job -- to be present. Inspired by Tunisians, Egyptians, Spaniards, and Wisconsinites, in a country largely demobilized these last years, they recognized what matters when they saw it. As one young woman told me, “A lot of people in my generation felt we were going to witness something really big -- and I think this is it!”
It may be. The last time we saw a moment like this globally was 1968. (Other dates, like 1848 in Europe and 1919 in China, when the young took the lead in a previously dead world, also come to mind.) It’s the moment when the blood stirs and the young, unable to bear the state of their country or the world, hit the streets with the urge to take the fate of humankind in their own hands.
In Sickness and in Health — Does a Cancer Diagnosis Up Divorce Risk?
An MSNBC blog post stirred discussion this week concerning the impact a cancer diagnosis has on relationships and marriages — is the disease the kiss of death? Does a cancer diagnosis in a woman make her partner more likely to leave?
A 2009 study from the University of Utah Medical School suggested as much: among five hundred patients with brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, or a handful of other cancers, marriages were seven times more likely to break up if it was the woman who got sick.
A 2009 study from the University of Utah Medical School suggested as much: among five hundred patients with brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, or a handful of other cancers, marriages were seven times more likely to break up if it was the woman who got sick.
New Restrictive Voting Rules Could Hurt Five Million Americans
A new study from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU puts forth an ominous prediction: five million voters could be affected by the deluge of restrictive voting laws that have swept the country in recent years.
The report finds that the voters are from traditionally Democratic demographics and could be kept away from the polling booths in 2012. Importantly, the sheer number of voters who could be impacted is larger than the margin of victory in two of the last three presidential elections.
State governments across the country have enacted an array of new laws that make it harder for likely voters to register. The new rules include often costly voter ID laws; proof of citizenship requirements; and the elimination of early, absentee, and election day registration programs. For many states, the new rules are costly for both residents and state governments.
“Already 19 new laws and two new executive actions are in place and at least 42 bills are still pending,” according to the report “Voting Law Changes in 2012.”
Obama, Biden Empathize With The 99 Percent Movement
Both President Obama and Vice President Biden today empathized with the frustration felt by protesters carrying out the 99 Percent Movement that started three weeks ago on Wall Street and has taken hold in cities across the country. “The core of the bargain has been breached with the American people,” Biden said at the Atlantic’s Washington Ideas Forum this morning. Obama, asked about the movement at his press conference, said he thinks “it expresses the frustrations the American people feel” that “the same folks who acted irresponsibly [are] trying to fight efforts to crack down on abusive practices that got us into this problem in the first place. So yes, I think people are frustrated and the protesters are giving voice to a more broad-based frustration about how our financial system works.” Watch
Egyptian Blogger, Imprisoned And Hungry, is Steadfast In His Protest Of Regime
(CNN) -- Time is running out for imprisoned Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad. He has been on a hunger strike since August 23 to protest his confinement for comments he made about the military on Facebook and in his blog.
Sanad's family fears he may not survive until his appeal hearing next week. The hearing had originally been scheduled for October 4, the 43rd day of his hunger strike, but was adjourned until October 11 after a judge said that documents were "missing from the courtroom."
Calling Wall Street a ‘Gambling Casino,’ Democratic Rep. DeFazio Proposes Financial Transactions Tax
Echoing the demands of the Occupy Wall Street protesters, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is proposing to tax the trading of stocks, bonds, and derivatives. DeFazio, along with his Senate co-sponsor Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), has proposed the tax several times in the past. But this time around, the idea is getting a boost of momentum from the popularity of a similar measure in Europe, as well as renewed national media focus on Wall Street profiteering as a result of the 99 Percent Movement:
Declaring Wall Street a “gambling casino,” DeFazio said the new tax would “both raise needed revenue for the Treasury and rein in speculation on Wall Street.”
Already, the business community is mounting a counteroffensive. With the congressional supercommittee looking to trim at least $1.2 trillion in projected debt over 10 years, the tax could look tantalizing, despite public opposition from many Republicans and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. [...]
MoreThe tax could help shrink the deficit — its previous iteration was estimated to add $150 billion a year to federal coffers — and spare Social Security, Medicare and other programs from jarring cuts.
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Economy Adds 103,000 Jobs In September
The Labor Department reports nonfarm payrolls increased by 103,000 in September, blowing past estimates of 60,000. The figure reflected the return of 45,000 Verizon employees to payrolls after striking in August; excluding them, payrolls rose by 58,000. The jobless rate held steady at 9.1% as expected.
From Fox News
From Fox News
The Olsen Twins' $39,000 Alligator Skin Backpack Is Flying Off Shelves
There's no economic recession here.
Just earlier this year, actresses-turned-fashionistas Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson launched their newest handbag line that includes a backpack with a price tag to die for. (Well, maybe at least one alligator did.)
The famed $39,000 item for their line, The Row, isn't just ludicrous; it's flying off the shelves and actually selling out
Union Movement Opens ‘Arms And Hearts’ To Occupy Wall Street Activists
In a statement released this afternoon supporting the growing Occupy Wall Street movement, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says:
Occupy Wall Street has captured the imagination and passion of millions of Americans who have lost hope that our nation’s policymakers are speaking for them. We support the protesters in their determination to hold Wall Street accountable and create good jobs.
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YARD SALES
for the upcoming yard sales.
If you have a yard sale you would like to post, please email me at atlanticjw@aol.com.
Please have all requests in by Thursday evening for Friday morning's post.
Have a nice weekend.
Delmar Crash Update
Operators and Vehicles:
-Operator #1: Johni Conquest, 61, Delmar, DE
-Vehicle #1: 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
-Operator #2: Andrew Reed, 19, Laurel, DE
-Vehicle #2: Audi A-4
Other Injured:
Matthew Nativio, 17, Laurel, DE (passenger in Audi)
Resume:
Delmar, DE- The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate a serious motor vehicle crash that occurred late this afternoon in Delmar.
The crash occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. as Andrew Reed, 19, was operating an Audi A4 and was traveling northbound on Pepperbox Road. Reed failed to stop at a stop sign and entered the intersection of Whitesville Road where it was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe that was being operated by Johni Conquest, 61 of Delmar.
A front seat passenger in the Audi, Matthew Nativio, was removed from the scene by a Delaware State Police helicopter and flown to the Christiana Hospital where he was admitted in critical condition with multiple injuries. Andrew Reed was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to an area hospital where he was admitted in serious condition. Johni Conquest was also removed from the scene by EMS and transported to an area hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
This crash remains under investigation at this time. Alcohol consumption by Andrew Reed is being considered a factor in this crash.
Obama Endorses Millionaire Tax "Surcharge," Presses For Jobs Bill
President Obama, continuing to stump for his jobs bill, said today that he would accept a Senate plan to pay for the legislation by imposing a tax surcharge on those who earn more than $1 million annually.
“I’m fine with the approach they have taken,” the president said, answering a question about the proposal during a 75-minute press conference at the White House.
Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada floated the tax surcharge idea on Wednesday, saying he thought it would attract more votes from Democrats than the president’s proposed payment method.
Obama’s plan would pay for the $450 billion bill over the next decade by limiting itemized deductions for individuals making more than $200,000 and married couples making more than $250,000.
Feds Target Calif. Pot Dispensaries
(AP)
SAN FRANCISCO - Federal prosecutors have launched a crackdown on pot dispensaries in California, warning the stores they must shut down in 45 days or face criminal charges and confiscation of their property even if they are operating legally under the state's 15-year-old medical marijuana law.
In an escalation of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. government and the nation's burgeoning medical marijuana industry, California's four U.S. attorneys sent letters Wednesday and Thursday notifying at least 16 pot shops or their landlords that they are violating federal drug laws, even though medical marijuana is legal in California. The attorneys are scheduled to announce their coordinated crackdown at a Friday news conference.
TRAFFIC ALERT - Norfolk Southern Railroad Will Close The Railroad Crossing On Dagsboro Road For Crossing Replacement
Dagsboro -- As a public courtesy, the Department of Transportation (DelDOT) wants to inform area residents that Norfolk Southern Railroad will close the railroad crossing on Dagsboro Road between Fire Tower Road and Iron Branch Road in Dagsboro for the replacement of the crossing. The road will be closed at 9 a.m. on Monday, October 10. The road will reopen by 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14, pending weather.
Detour routes:
Westbound: Iron Branch Road to Fire Tower Road and back to Dagsboro Road
Eastbound: Fire Tower Road to Iron Branch Road and back to Dagsboro Road
DelDOT will post signs to alert motorists of the closure and the accompanying detour routes.
For further information, please contact Tom Little of Norfolk Southern Railroad at (302) 398- 5001.
Detour routes:
Westbound: Iron Branch Road to Fire Tower Road and back to Dagsboro Road
Eastbound: Fire Tower Road to Iron Branch Road and back to Dagsboro Road
DelDOT will post signs to alert motorists of the closure and the accompanying detour routes.
For further information, please contact Tom Little of Norfolk Southern Railroad at (302) 398- 5001.
Curry Catastrophe: Contest Leads To Mass Vomiting
(AP)
EDINBURGH, Scotland - Some like it hot, but contestants at a curry eating contest in Scotland collapsed in agony after biting off more than they could chew at a self-styled "world's hottest chili" competition.
One contestant was hospitalized twice, and others writhed in agony, panting and vomiting after sampling the "Kismot Killer" at a charity eating competition at the Kismot restaurant in Edinburgh on Saturday.
BREAKING NEWS: Liberian President, Peace Activists Share Nobel Peace Prize
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen win the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Full Monty on Geritol? Men 64-87 Doff Duds For Church
They posed for calendar to raise needed funds — and to celebrate aging
When a Massachusetts church recently determined that it needed to raise about $30,000, 12 male congregation members ranging in age from 64 to 87 went along with an unorthodox idea to come up with the cash.
Let’s get naked.
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