The Commerce Department reported sales of single-family homes dropped 0.7% to an annual-unit rate of 298,000 last month, missing expectations of 310,000 annual rate.
From Fox News
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
New Warning About Muslim Brotherhood’s Influence On White House From…Liberal Marxist Muslim
You‘ll never guess who’s now warning about a Muslim Brotherhood influence at the White House. Newt Gingrich? Nope. John Bolton? Not exactly.
Instead, it’s Canadian political activist, devout Muslim and self-described liberal Marxist, Tarek Fatah. Surprised?
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Instead, it’s Canadian political activist, devout Muslim and self-described liberal Marxist, Tarek Fatah. Surprised?
Back in June, Fatah appeared at Ideacity, Canada’s “Premier meeting of the minds” to share his shocking viewpoints on both mainstream and radical Islam (including the Muslim Brotherhood). During his fascinating talk, Fatah said that “the religion of Islam is being used as a tool by a fascist force.” It is important to note that Fatah is also a Muslim. Perhaps most shocking, though, were his words about the Muslim Brotherhood and its relation to the American presidency. He said:
“Instead of bringing victory over the fascist forces of the Muslim Brotherhood, we now recognize that their infiltration is right up to the American White House, but we can’t say that.”Watch these shocking words, below:
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Underage Google Users And The 30-Cent Lies Parents Tell To Keep Their Kids Wired
On July 2, Alex Sutherland thought he'd hit the jackpot. The tech-savvy 10-year-old was able to log onto Google+ and set up his profile on Google's newly minted, and still very exclusive, social network, adding his parents to his Family Circle.
This is a boy who, according to a blog post by his father Martin, a Web developer and consultant in the Netherlands, can type 50 words per minute, is PowerPoint proficient and has had a Gmail account for almost two years. Snagging a Google+ account was monumental.
Addicted To Caffeine? Here's How To Wean Yourself
Once you've gotten to the point where you need caffeine to transform into a semblance of a normal person each day, it's probably a good idea to try to distance yourself from the drug.
More »
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New Loan Limits Will Mean More Expensive Homes
WASHINGTON -- Looking for a more expensive house? Better get moving. An upcoming deadline will mean higher prices.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy most mortgages, but they won't buy home loans above certain dollar amounts. It's known as the conforming loan limit and those limits will be reduced Sept. 30.
Right now, the upper limit for a conventional loan is $729,750, meaning Fannie or Freddie can't back a loan above that amount. As of Sept. 30, the amount will be reduced to $625,500.
Congress voted to increase the loan limit in 2008 in response to the housing crisis to spur the sales of more expensive homes.
So why does the change matter? It's all about the interest rates.
Steve Cohen of First Place Bank says jumbo loans -- above the conforming loan limit -- carry higher interest rates compared to conventional loans since private investors handle them.
More
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy most mortgages, but they won't buy home loans above certain dollar amounts. It's known as the conforming loan limit and those limits will be reduced Sept. 30.
Right now, the upper limit for a conventional loan is $729,750, meaning Fannie or Freddie can't back a loan above that amount. As of Sept. 30, the amount will be reduced to $625,500.
Congress voted to increase the loan limit in 2008 in response to the housing crisis to spur the sales of more expensive homes.
So why does the change matter? It's all about the interest rates.
Steve Cohen of First Place Bank says jumbo loans -- above the conforming loan limit -- carry higher interest rates compared to conventional loans since private investors handle them.
More
French Firefighters In Salisbury
The Salisbury Fire Department will be hosting a group of firefighters from France today and tomorrow as they finish a tour of the eastern United States. The representatives were in Salisbury many years ago and have renewed their interest in learning and sharing ideas that transcend the fire and emergency management challenges globally.
You are more than welcome to meet with them and please let me know if you have an interest.
Yours in service,
Jeff
Chief Jeff Simpson, MPA
Key Questions On Libya’s Coming Transition
Will Qaddafi and his cohorts be brought to justice?
It's likely that some of them will be tried, but it's not clear by whom. The international community seems to want one thing, but the rebels want another.
The International Criminal Court, the global war crimes court, is currently negotiating with rebels to get them to hand over Qaddafi's son [3] Seif al-Islam, whom the rebels appear to have captured yesterday. The court issued arrest warrants [4] earlier this year for Muammar Qaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam Qaddafi, and intelligence chief Abdullah Al Sanousi, having found "reasonable grounds to believe" that the three men had committed crimes against humanity in the form of murder and prosecution. (Read the decision [5] [PDF].)
The rebels have insisted on trying Qaddafi at home. A rebel spokesman told Sky News today: "We want to see him be tried in Libya and not in any other place in the world [6]." They have promised to give him a fair trial [7].
It's worth noting that it's not clear whether Libya is actually obligated to hand over Qaddafi. Along with the United States [8], Libya is one of a few countries that hasn't signed on to the ICC's founding treaty. But ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo has said [9] that as a member of the United Nations, Libya and "any future government" in Libya is obligated to execute the warrants and turn over Qaddafi.
If the rebels do execute the warrants, an ICC trial would shield Qaddafi and his cohorts from the death penalty, which a trial in Libya would not.
Nonetheless, the United States and other countries cheered the news of the warrants when they were issued. It was the first time the United States had voted to refer an issue to the war crimes court, and as we noted, the United States only did so after including a carve-out that would shield Americans from investigation or prosecution by the court [10].
How much help have the United States and allies been giving the rebels?
More
It's likely that some of them will be tried, but it's not clear by whom. The international community seems to want one thing, but the rebels want another.
The International Criminal Court, the global war crimes court, is currently negotiating with rebels to get them to hand over Qaddafi's son [3] Seif al-Islam, whom the rebels appear to have captured yesterday. The court issued arrest warrants [4] earlier this year for Muammar Qaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam Qaddafi, and intelligence chief Abdullah Al Sanousi, having found "reasonable grounds to believe" that the three men had committed crimes against humanity in the form of murder and prosecution. (Read the decision [5] [PDF].)
The rebels have insisted on trying Qaddafi at home. A rebel spokesman told Sky News today: "We want to see him be tried in Libya and not in any other place in the world [6]." They have promised to give him a fair trial [7].
It's worth noting that it's not clear whether Libya is actually obligated to hand over Qaddafi. Along with the United States [8], Libya is one of a few countries that hasn't signed on to the ICC's founding treaty. But ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo has said [9] that as a member of the United Nations, Libya and "any future government" in Libya is obligated to execute the warrants and turn over Qaddafi.
If the rebels do execute the warrants, an ICC trial would shield Qaddafi and his cohorts from the death penalty, which a trial in Libya would not.
Nonetheless, the United States and other countries cheered the news of the warrants when they were issued. It was the first time the United States had voted to refer an issue to the war crimes court, and as we noted, the United States only did so after including a carve-out that would shield Americans from investigation or prosecution by the court [10].
How much help have the United States and allies been giving the rebels?
More
Irate Football Dad Arrested After Biting 2 Cops
(CBS/AP)
INDIANAPOLIS - An Indianapolis man upset at a youth football game bit two police officers.
Indianapolis Metro police say 27-year-old Dejuan Wells faces two felony counts each of battery and resisting arrest and misdemeanor counts of trespassing and disorderly conduct after his arrest Saturday on the city's southeast side.
WXIN reported that Wells, a parent of one of the players, was upset by the game-winning touchdown, yelling at the officials who allowed the play.
Standard & Poor's And The Bilderbergers: All Part Of The Plan?
What just happened in the stock market? Earlier this month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose or fell by at least 400 points for four straight days, a stock market first.
The worst drop was on Monday, August 8, 2011, when the Dow plunged 624 points. Monday was the first day of trading after US Treasury bonds were downgraded from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor's (S&P).
But the roller coaster actually began on Tuesday, August 2, 2011, the day after the last-minute deal to raise the US debt ceiling - a deal that was supposed to avoid the downgrade that happened anyway five days later. The Dow changed directions for eight consecutive trading sessions after that, another first.
The volatility was unprecedented, leaving analysts at a loss to explain it. High-frequency program trading no doubt added to the wild swings, but why the daily reversals? Why didn't the market head down and just keep going, as it did in September 2008?
The plunge on August 8, 2011, was the worst since 2008 and the sixth-largest stock market crash ever. According to Der Spiegel, one of the most widely read periodicals in Europe:
Many economists have been pointing out that last week's panic resembled the fear that swept financial markets after the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008.
Then as now, banks stopped lending each other money. Then as now, banks' cash deposits at the central bank doubled within days.
On Tuesday, August 9, however, the market gained more points from its low than it lost on Monday. Why? A tug of war seemed to be going on between two titanic forces, one bent on crashing the market, the other on propping it up.
More
The worst drop was on Monday, August 8, 2011, when the Dow plunged 624 points. Monday was the first day of trading after US Treasury bonds were downgraded from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor's (S&P).
But the roller coaster actually began on Tuesday, August 2, 2011, the day after the last-minute deal to raise the US debt ceiling - a deal that was supposed to avoid the downgrade that happened anyway five days later. The Dow changed directions for eight consecutive trading sessions after that, another first.
The volatility was unprecedented, leaving analysts at a loss to explain it. High-frequency program trading no doubt added to the wild swings, but why the daily reversals? Why didn't the market head down and just keep going, as it did in September 2008?
The plunge on August 8, 2011, was the worst since 2008 and the sixth-largest stock market crash ever. According to Der Spiegel, one of the most widely read periodicals in Europe:
Many economists have been pointing out that last week's panic resembled the fear that swept financial markets after the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008.
Then as now, banks stopped lending each other money. Then as now, banks' cash deposits at the central bank doubled within days.
On Tuesday, August 9, however, the market gained more points from its low than it lost on Monday. Why? A tug of war seemed to be going on between two titanic forces, one bent on crashing the market, the other on propping it up.
More
Andy Harris Town Hall Meeting In Salisbury Tonight
Public Schedule for Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. – Tuesday, August 23, 2011
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Town Hall Meeting with residents of Wicomico County.
Adams Ribs
219 North Fruitland Boulevard
Fruitland, Maryland 21826
Jerry Leiber, "Hound Dog" Songwriter, Dead At 78
(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - Jerry Leiber, the rock `n' roll songwriter who crafted lyrics for such hits as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock," has died.
Publicist Bobbi Marcus says Leiber died Monday. He was 78.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the songwriter died of cardiopulmonary failure.
See Any Gray Hair?
See any gray or white hair or any older retired folks amongst the crowd..???? |
Social Security Office In Austin , TX
A friend went to the social security office this week to file for Medicare because it is the only way to keep medical insurance when you turn 65. He took a picture of the waiting room. Please tell me if you can find a retired person in the place!!!! It's called "disability" insurance!!!! You no longer have to wonder why SS is broke!!! These people do not pay into the system, nor are they disabled!!! Please spread this picture to everyone you know. Our country is going broke on this fraud!!! Go down to your SS office and check it out.
Goldman CEO Blankfein Hires Defense Attorney
Shares of Goldman Sachs (GS) fell off a cliff in late trading Monday after a Reuters report that CEO Lloyd Blankfein has hired the same high-powered Washington defense attorney who defended Enron’s accounting officer.
Goldman shares were flat to lower all day at around $112, and then right before the close dropped to $106.
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Mystery Of Qaddafi's Whereabouts Looms Large In Conflict's Endgame
He has exalted himself as the “brother leader” of Libya, the dean of Arab rulers and the king of kings of Africa. On Monday, though, he was the autocrat who could not be found.
For all his bluster and bombast over the past four decades as Libya’s quirky ruler, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was mysteriously and conspicuously absent as forces of the six-month-old Libya rebellion encircled what they believed to be his ultimate Tripoli hideout, the Bab al-Azizya compound.
Even the leader of the rebel movement, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, admitted he did not know if Colonel Qaddafi was holed up inside — or somewhere else in Libya, or another country. He is wanted not only by the rebels but by the International Criminal Court, which in June issued a warrant for his arrest.
Colonel Qaddafi, 69, has not been seen in public for more than two months. His once prolonged televised diatribes have stopped. The only indications that he may be in the compound have been the arrests of three of his sons in Tripoli as well as a series of fuzzy audio recordings — the most recent of them Sunday night — promising he will not leave Libya and exhorting Libyans to spill their blood for him to the end.
Rumors have swirled in Libya and elsewhere that he may have secretly slipped out of Tripoli before the rebel movement’s surprisingly speedy invasion of the city over the weekend.
More
For all his bluster and bombast over the past four decades as Libya’s quirky ruler, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was mysteriously and conspicuously absent as forces of the six-month-old Libya rebellion encircled what they believed to be his ultimate Tripoli hideout, the Bab al-Azizya compound.
Even the leader of the rebel movement, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, admitted he did not know if Colonel Qaddafi was holed up inside — or somewhere else in Libya, or another country. He is wanted not only by the rebels but by the International Criminal Court, which in June issued a warrant for his arrest.
Colonel Qaddafi, 69, has not been seen in public for more than two months. His once prolonged televised diatribes have stopped. The only indications that he may be in the compound have been the arrests of three of his sons in Tripoli as well as a series of fuzzy audio recordings — the most recent of them Sunday night — promising he will not leave Libya and exhorting Libyans to spill their blood for him to the end.
Rumors have swirled in Libya and elsewhere that he may have secretly slipped out of Tripoli before the rebel movement’s surprisingly speedy invasion of the city over the weekend.
More
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking Of Teen Girls
A Fairfax County man pleaded guilty Monday to prostituting teen girls in a business that served clients across the region, authorities said.
Alonso Bruno Cornejo, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of children.
Cornejo admitted to recruiting female runaways and enticing them into prostitution as part of a business he started in 2009, authorities said.
Why Is President Obama So Anxious To Cut Social Security?
On his tour of the Midwest last week, President Obama again indicated his interest in cutting Social Security. He repeated a proposal that his administration first put forward in the debt ceiling negotiations: he wants to cut the annual cost of living adjustment by 0.3 percentage points.
This cut may sound small, but it adds up over time. A person in their 70s who had been getting benefits for ten years would see a reduction of 3 percent. By the time they were in their 80s, the cut would be 6 percent. And if they lived into their 90s, their benefit would be more than 9 percent lower as a result of President Obama's proposal.
For an average retiree who can expect to get benefits for 20 years, President Obama's plan would cut their lifetime Social Security benefits by roughly 3 percent. By comparison, his much feared tax increases on the rich would reduce the after-tax income of someone earning $300,000 a year by just 0.5 percent. In this case, a beneficiary who will be mostly dependent on their Social Security income in retirement will take about six times as large a hit relative to their income under President Obama's plan to cut Social Security than a couple earning $300,000 would from his plan to raise their taxes.
This cut to Social Security seems especially inappropriate since the near retirees who would feel the full impact of this cut have just seen most of their wealth destroyed by the collapse of the housing bubble and the plunge in the stock market. The typical near retiree (ages 55-64) has just $170,000 in net wealth, including the equity in their home.
This means that if they used every last penny in their 401(k) and other savings, they would have just about enough money to pay off the mortgage on a typical home. This would leave them 100 percent dependent on Social Security for their income. And of course, half of near retirees have less than this amount, meaning that they will not even be able to pay off the mortgage on a typical home. But apparently President Obama feels that these people need to make greater sacrifices.
The determination to cut Social Security is especially strange given the finances of the program. Under the law, Social Security is financed by the designated Social Security tax. It does not contribute to the deficit, since the law prohibits payments from being made if there is not money in the Social Security trust fund. That means that if the trust fund were drained, rather than contributing to the deficit, full benefits would not be paid.
Florida AG: Anthony Shouldn't Skirt 'Supervised Release' From Jail
(CNN) -- Florida's attorney general argued Monday against a motion by Casey Anthony's attorneys that she shouldn't have to serve probation on check-fraud charges, saying a "clerical error" should not prevent her from abiding by a judge's verbal order.
Anthony has been in seclusion since her July acquittal on murder charges in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, and her subsequent release from jail. Orange County Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. ruled earlier this month that Anthony has to report for probation on the bad-check charge by Friday.
Back-To-School Road Safety Tips From The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office
The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone that schools are opening, so please drive safely. In Wicomico County, schools open on Monday, Aug. 29, returning buses, parent transportation, and walkers to Wicomico streets and sidewalks.
Every year in Maryland, an average of two school-aged pedestrians are killed during school arrival and dismissal times, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting School Bus Enforcement and watch for drivers who pass and tailgate School Buses. They will also patrol School Zones to ensure the safety of Wicomico County’s children.
To reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, drivers should remember to:
• Plan ahead to allow for the extra school bus traffic that will be on the road. Leave a few minutes early for work so that you are not frustrated by delays.
• Stay a safe distance back from school buses, which stop frequently. Do not tailgate school buses. Remember, they are carrying precious cargo.
• Wait until the lights and other safety equipment on a stopped school bus indicate that it’s safe to continue driving. Do not pass a school bus with its red lights flashing. Not only do you risk a fine of up to $500, you risk hitting a child.
• Slow down in school zones and watch for children crossing the street. Obey the Crossing Guard when he or she signals for you to stop. Maryland Law states that you must stop for a pedestrian who has entered a crosswalk. The fine for violations is $90 and 1 Point on your Maryland driver’s License.
Students can support safer transportation – by bus, car or on foot -- by:
• Getting up in plenty of time to get to the bus stop safely.
• Wearing bright clothes so they can easily be seen by the bus driver and other drivers on the road.
• Staying a safe distance from the road while waiting for the bus, and not play around near cars.
• For young children, standing at the bus stop with an adult, and having an adult meet them when they get off the bus.
• Waiting until the bus fully stops before starting to get on or off.
• Using crosswalks when walking or riding a bicycle to school.
• Wearing a helmet to prevent head injury whenever riding a bike or skateboard. Maryland law states that children up to age 16 are required to wear helmets while riding a bicycle.
Every year in Maryland, an average of two school-aged pedestrians are killed during school arrival and dismissal times, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting School Bus Enforcement and watch for drivers who pass and tailgate School Buses. They will also patrol School Zones to ensure the safety of Wicomico County’s children.
To reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, drivers should remember to:
• Plan ahead to allow for the extra school bus traffic that will be on the road. Leave a few minutes early for work so that you are not frustrated by delays.
• Stay a safe distance back from school buses, which stop frequently. Do not tailgate school buses. Remember, they are carrying precious cargo.
• Wait until the lights and other safety equipment on a stopped school bus indicate that it’s safe to continue driving. Do not pass a school bus with its red lights flashing. Not only do you risk a fine of up to $500, you risk hitting a child.
• Slow down in school zones and watch for children crossing the street. Obey the Crossing Guard when he or she signals for you to stop. Maryland Law states that you must stop for a pedestrian who has entered a crosswalk. The fine for violations is $90 and 1 Point on your Maryland driver’s License.
Students can support safer transportation – by bus, car or on foot -- by:
• Getting up in plenty of time to get to the bus stop safely.
• Wearing bright clothes so they can easily be seen by the bus driver and other drivers on the road.
• Staying a safe distance from the road while waiting for the bus, and not play around near cars.
• For young children, standing at the bus stop with an adult, and having an adult meet them when they get off the bus.
• Waiting until the bus fully stops before starting to get on or off.
• Using crosswalks when walking or riding a bicycle to school.
• Wearing a helmet to prevent head injury whenever riding a bike or skateboard. Maryland law states that children up to age 16 are required to wear helmets while riding a bicycle.
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