Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Maria Woodbury has called hundreds of voters in Maine since March to talk about making same-sex marriage legal. Some hang up, others say they’re too busy. One man, who said he grew up as a Catholic, stuck out.
While the nephew he’s raising alongside his two teenaged sons is gay, the man said he “strongly opposed” revising the law when they began talking last week, Woodbury said in an interview. Within 15 minutes, he had changed his mind.
“By the end of the conversation, he really wanted all his boys to have the same opportunities when they found the right person and wanted to marry,” said Woodbury, 31, an outreach worker for a coalition of gay-marriage supporters.
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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
Friday, January 13, 2012
What If Elections Don't Matter?
What if Democrats and Republicans were two wings of the same bird of prey?
What if elections were actually useful tools of social control? What if they just provided the populace with meaningless participation in a process that validates an establishment that never meaningfully changes? What if that establishment doesn't want and doesn't have the consent of the governed? What if the two-party system was actually a mechanism used to limit so-called public opinion? What if there were more than two sides to every issue, but the two parties wanted to box you in to one of their corners?
What if there's no such thing as public opinion, because every thinking person has opinions that are uniquely his own? What if public opinion was just a manufactured narrative that makes it easier to convince people that if their views are different, there's something wrong with that -- or something wrong with them?
What if the whole purpose of the Democratic and Republican parties was not to expand voters' choices, but to limit them? What if the widely perceived differences between the two parties was just an illusion? What if the heart of government policy remains the same, no matter who's in the White House? What if the heart of government policy remains the same, no matter what the people want?
MoreNational Day Of Prayer
God Bless America and Shine your light on Her.
In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a "National Day of Prayer."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1988 President Reagan designated the First Thursday in May of each year as the
National Day of Prayer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In June 2007 (then) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA
"Was no longer a Christian nation."
---------------------------------------------------------------
President Obama canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony
at the White House under the ruse of "not wanting to offend anyone"
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BUT.. on September 25, 2009 from 4 AM until 7 PM, a National Day of Prayer
FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION was held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House.
There were over 50,000 Muslims in D.C. that day.
HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS! I Guess it Doesn't Matter if "Christians"are offended by this event - We obviously don't count as "anyone" anymore.
The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian,especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted, they should be annihilated.
Publishers Notes: Sent in by a reader.
In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a "National Day of Prayer."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1988 President Reagan designated the First Thursday in May of each year as the
National Day of Prayer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
In June 2007 (then) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA
"Was no longer a Christian nation."
---------------------------------------------------------------
President Obama canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony
at the White House under the ruse of "not wanting to offend anyone"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUT.. on September 25, 2009 from 4 AM until 7 PM, a National Day of Prayer
FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION was held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House.
There were over 50,000 Muslims in D.C. that day.
HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS! I Guess it Doesn't Matter if "Christians"are offended by this event - We obviously don't count as "anyone" anymore.
The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian,especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted, they should be annihilated.
Publishers Notes: Sent in by a reader.
The U.S. Sanctions Firms In China, Singapore And UAE Over Iranian Oil
The US government on Thursday sanctioned energy trading firms Zhuhai Zhenrong of China, Kuo Oil of Singapore and FAL Oil of UAE for doing business with Iran's energy sector.
The action bars the companies from receiving US export licenses, US Export Import Bank financing and loans worth more than $10 million from US banks, the State Department said in a press release.
The State Department said Zhenrong brokered the delivery of more than $500 million in gasoline to Iran between July 2010 and January 2011.
Kuo of Singapore sold more than $25 million in refined products to Iran between late 2010 and early 2011, the State Department said.
FAL provided more than $70 million in refined petroleum to Iran over multiple shipments in late 2010, the US said.
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The action bars the companies from receiving US export licenses, US Export Import Bank financing and loans worth more than $10 million from US banks, the State Department said in a press release.
The State Department said Zhenrong brokered the delivery of more than $500 million in gasoline to Iran between July 2010 and January 2011.
Kuo of Singapore sold more than $25 million in refined products to Iran between late 2010 and early 2011, the State Department said.
FAL provided more than $70 million in refined petroleum to Iran over multiple shipments in late 2010, the US said.
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Why Employers Say They Can't Find Workers
Economists and labor experts say that in some industries, there is a legitimate talent shortage. Some think there are other factors. 'Employers have been spoiled by the recession.'
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Texas Mom Sentenced To 45 Years For Killing Son, 6
BRENTWOOD, N.H. — A Texas woman was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison for suffocating her 6-year-old son in a New Hampshire motel room and leaving his body along a dirt road in Maine.
Julianne McCrery, 42, of Irving, Texas, told prosecutors she had planned to kill herself and that she killed her son, Camden Hughes, because no one else was fit to raise him. But prosecutors say they have evidence McCrery felt the boy was an inconvenience, and that she planned to go about her own life after killing him.
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Julianne McCrery, 42, of Irving, Texas, told prosecutors she had planned to kill herself and that she killed her son, Camden Hughes, because no one else was fit to raise him. But prosecutors say they have evidence McCrery felt the boy was an inconvenience, and that she planned to go about her own life after killing him.
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Who's Most Gullible Online? Not Who You Think
Think grandma and grandpa are the most likely to fall for Internet scams? Think again, suggests a study on gullibility.
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Coke, Pepsi Attempt To Ease Juice Fears
Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday it has been contacted by a "relatively small number" of consumers with questions about an unapproved fungicide the company reported finding in some of its orange juice sold in the US.
"We've received a relatively small number of calls," Coke spokesman Dan Schafer said.
Coke confirmed Wednesday that it had found the fungicide in orange juice made by Coke and its competitors, and alerted federal regulators that some Brazilian growers had sprayed trees with the substance, which is legal in Brazil but not approved for use in the US.
Read More
Gray Wants Occupy DC Evicted
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray wants protesters who’ve been living in a tent city at McPherson Square to be removed, citing public health concerns.
With a letter to the National Park Service, Gray included a report by the D.C. Department of Health in which DOH Director Dr. Mohammed Akhter found conditions at McPherson Square are a public health threat as well as a threat to the protesters living there.
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With a letter to the National Park Service, Gray included a report by the D.C. Department of Health in which DOH Director Dr. Mohammed Akhter found conditions at McPherson Square are a public health threat as well as a threat to the protesters living there.
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Documents Show How Fed Missed Housing Bust
(WASHINGTON) — Ben Bernanke presided over his first meeting as Federal Reserve chairman in March 2006 believing the nation's economy could pull off a "soft landing" from falling home prices. Three months later, Bernanke had begun to grasp that he and others had underestimated the risk housing posed to the economy.
Newly released transcripts of Fed meetings during Bernanke's first year as chairman show that, among Fed officials, he often expressed the most concern about housing. But no official, according to the transcripts, recognized the extent of the damage a housing bubble would cause. A year later, the housing market's collapse helped send the nation into its worst recession since the Great Depression.
Read More
Going With The Flow For Great Sex
When you hear the words 'heart' and 'sex life' in the same sentence, odds are the speaker is probably talking about love. But your heart - or, more accurately, your cardiovascular system - actually has a lot to do with your ability to perform in the bedroom.
This concept was brought home to me recently when I caught up with my colleague, Dr. Madeleine Castellanos, author of a recent book dealing with male sexual issues. She reminded me that there’s no way we can talk about sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) or other arousal disorders without talking about cardiovascular health.
"When you break it all down, everything in the body, including sex, is dependent on good blood flow," says Castellanos. "Our body's way of nourishing itself and keeping itself vibrant and alive is by carrying oxygen, hormones, and nutrients via the bloodstream to all tissues and cells. The more activity that a certain part of our body engages in, the more blood flow is directed to that area."
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This concept was brought home to me recently when I caught up with my colleague, Dr. Madeleine Castellanos, author of a recent book dealing with male sexual issues. She reminded me that there’s no way we can talk about sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) or other arousal disorders without talking about cardiovascular health.
"When you break it all down, everything in the body, including sex, is dependent on good blood flow," says Castellanos. "Our body's way of nourishing itself and keeping itself vibrant and alive is by carrying oxygen, hormones, and nutrients via the bloodstream to all tissues and cells. The more activity that a certain part of our body engages in, the more blood flow is directed to that area."
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Will Dating "Ugly Men" Lead To A Beautiful Relationship?
Kirstie Alley made a bold New Years resolution on the Ellen DeGeneres Show when she declared that she is going to start dating ugly men. After claiming to have dated “players, “psychos, and the “unwell intentioned, Kirstie thinks that less-than-hot men might be more appreciative of her.
A lot of women, like Kirstie, have been involved with that type of man. A guy who can't or won't sustain any type of real relationship-- leaving their partner feeling unwanted or used.
Whether she was joking or not, Kirstie is on to something says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, (aka "Dr. Romance") psychotherapist and author of Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting about the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage.
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A lot of women, like Kirstie, have been involved with that type of man. A guy who can't or won't sustain any type of real relationship-- leaving their partner feeling unwanted or used.
Whether she was joking or not, Kirstie is on to something says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, (aka "Dr. Romance") psychotherapist and author of Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting about the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage.
More
Ohio Landlord Wants Commission To Reconsider Ruling On 'White Only' Sign
(CNN) -- A landlord wants the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on Thursday to reconsider its finding that she violated the law by posting a "white only" sign at her swimming pool.
Jamie Hein has asked the commission to reverse its initial ruling that found she violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by putting up a sign that read "Public Swimming Pool, White Only" at her Cincinnati duplex.
The commission, meeting this week in Columbus, concluded last year that the sign "restricts the social contact between Caucasians and African Americans as well as reinforcing discrimination actions that are aimed at oppressing all 'people of color.'"
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Jamie Hein has asked the commission to reverse its initial ruling that found she violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by putting up a sign that read "Public Swimming Pool, White Only" at her Cincinnati duplex.
The commission, meeting this week in Columbus, concluded last year that the sign "restricts the social contact between Caucasians and African Americans as well as reinforcing discrimination actions that are aimed at oppressing all 'people of color.'"
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Teen Calls for Girl Scout Cookie Boycott Over Transgender Issue
It’s Girl Scout cookie time again. Just a few days ago, the Girl Scouts made news because of its newest cookie – the Savannah Smile. I’m not sure if the organization is smiling about the latest publicity.
If the prospect of a new cookie had you smacking your lips, here’s something that might just turn your stomach. A video posted on a website called Honest Girl Scouts features a 14-year-old girl calling for Americans to boycott the cookies this year.
Duchess Of York Faces Suit Over Turkey Children's Home Film
Istanbul (CNN) -- The Duchess of York faces charges in Turkey for going undercover and secretly filming children at a state-run home for a documentary, according to the semiofficial Anatolian news agency.
The Ankara Prosecutor's office accused the Duchess of York of violating the private lives and rights of five children while filming the program for Britain's ITV network, Anatolian reported Thursday.
A hidden camera was used during Sarah Ferguson's visit to the Children's Nurturing and Rehabilitation Center outside Ankara. She wore a disguise of a dark wig and headscarf for the filming.
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The Ankara Prosecutor's office accused the Duchess of York of violating the private lives and rights of five children while filming the program for Britain's ITV network, Anatolian reported Thursday.
A hidden camera was used during Sarah Ferguson's visit to the Children's Nurturing and Rehabilitation Center outside Ankara. She wore a disguise of a dark wig and headscarf for the filming.
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Reaction To Possible New Bridge Varied But Guardedly Optimistic
DENTON Reaction varied but was guardedly optimistic among Caroline County residents and officials after Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, announced Wednesday that replacing the ailing Dover Bridge would be a priority of this year's General Assembly.
The bridge carries state Route 331 traffic across the Choptank River and connects Caroline and Talbot counties.
Former Preston Town Commissioner Ellery Adams said he is encouraged by Miller's statements.
Federal Freebies This Weekend
Be sure not to miss out on some federal freebies this weekend. National parks and forests that normally charge an entrance fee are waiving those fees Jan. 14-16. It's all in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
Kathleen Edward, Michigan Girl With Huntington's Disease Who Was Taunted On Facebook, Dies
Kathleen Edward was in the final stages of Huntingtons Disease, the same illness that claimed the lives of her mother and grandfather, the report said.
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Customs And Border Protection Has Donated $1 Million Worth Of Unclaimed Merchandise To Charity
Sometimes shipments arrive at U.S. ports of entry without contact information or documentation. It becomes what the government calls General Order merchandise. After six months, if no one claims it, the government can dispose of it. The latest batch included clothes, linens, toys and shoes. CBP donated it to charities in Florida, Georgia and Texas. Not all General Order merchandise is donated. Sometimes CBP sells it at auction.
Another One In The Net/ Thou Shalt Not Watch Whales Eating
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