AFGHANS SAY JOINT US-AFGHAN BASE UNDER ATTACK

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan officials say joint US-Afghan base has been attacked in eastern Afghanistan.

Blasts sounded inside the military airfield at the edge of Jalalabad city early Sunday morning. Afghan officials briefed on the situation say helicopters were firing down into the base at what appeared to be militant gunmen inside. The officials spoke anonymously because fighting was still going on and details were unclear.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an email to reporters.

AAA Warns EPA To Halt Sale Of E15 Gas

Back in August we told you about the courts rejecting a challenge to an EPA mandate to start using 15% ethanol blends in fuels. The industry said we weren’t ready for it, consumer guides were nervous and the testing pointed to likely problems to come. Naysayers claimed that the tests were being done by partisan groups with a vested interest in the energy companies or… whatever. Either way, the EPA wasn’t going to listen.

This weekend, a decidedly non-partisan organization sent up a distress signal on the subject which just might garner a bit more attention. The AAA has warned the EPA that E-15 fuels will have a detrimental effect on the current fleet of cars, fuel distributors and just about everyone else.
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Merry Christmas: This Tax Increase is for You, America

Let’s cut right to the end of the story: Ordinary people have already tumbled off the precipice.

There will be no dramatic rescue at the height of the tension, with crashing, ominous music turning to a sunshine ditty, a government handout straining to reach you, to save you from tumbling over the lip of the cliff.

Instead the government is going to intentionally bump into you, making it look like an accident, head turned away, mumbling an apology, much like a pick-pocket does in a crowd, with the object to lift your wallet. 
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Obama Slaps States That Don't Comply With Obamacare

Residents of states that refuse to set up health insurance exchanges under Obamacare are set to be hit with higher premiums under new rules announced by the Health and Human Services Department.

Insurance companies will be charged 3.5 percent of any premiums they sell through the federal exchanges, the department announced Friday.

And insurers are likely to pass that surcharge on to clients, leaading to higher premiums.

The only states to be affected are those that refuse to set up their own exchanges because of opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. They are almost certain to be those under Republican control. In those states, HHS will set up the exchanges
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Senate Bill Blocks Obama’s Plot to Transfer Gitmo Bay Terrorists to US

Obama did not set out to kill Osama bin Laden. He set out to capture him in order to give him a civilian trial and dismantle Bush’s War on Terror infrastructure. But like his plan to give Khalid Sheikh Mohammed a civilian trial, there was a hitch. Bin Laden was killed during the operation. The American people did not want Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to get a civilian trial. And New Yorkers did not want him here.

Now a Democrat controlled Senate has dealt another blow to Obama’s terrorist dreams by barring the transfer of Gitmo inmates, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to the United States, at a time when there has been a push underway to finally shut down Gitmo for Obama’s second term.
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No Help After Superstorm Sandy? Angered Staten Island Resident Tells President Obama: “You Lied”

President Obama promised to help victims of Hurricane Sandy after the storm ravaged the East Coast. But after meeting with the president, one Staten Island family says he has broken that promise. Scott and Deidre McGrath joined Fox and Friends to tell their heartbreaking story.

Scott spoke to the president after the storm, in what he described as a “staged” meeting. He said, “They put us into this tent and they wanted to make believe we were shopping for our products. Most of the residents that live in that area were never up there.”
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Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico Schools (By Date)

Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico Schools (By Date)

(Upcoming events appear first. Once the event has already occurred, it can be found at the bottom of this listing.)

Sunday, Dec. 2

The Salisbury Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. and will feature many entries including marching bands from all Wicomico County Public Schools middle and high schools.

Monday, Dec. 3

The 1st-grade students of Westside Primary School will present a holiday program on Monday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. Santa and his elves go on a sleigh ride to check on all the good boys and girls around Westside Primary. As he does, Santa learns that families celebrate the many holidays of December in a variety of ways.  Yet, one theme seems to be prevalent in all holidays.  We won't say what, but you can stop by Westside Primary at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 and find out. Free. 410-677-5117

Pinehurst Elementary presents its Winter Band, Orchestra and Chorus Concert at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, in the school gymnasium. The concert will feature fourth- and fifth-graders in in chorus, strings, and band. (There will also be an afternoon performance just for students.) Students will sing and play a variety of winter-themed songs. Free.  410-677-5810

Tuesday, Dec. 4

Fruitland Primary second-graders will help kick off the holidays in Fruitland by singing for the city’s tree-lighting event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. The second-graders will perform holiday favorite songs during the festivities. Free. 410-677-5171

The Bennett Middle 6th Grade Band and 8th Grade Chorus Holiday Concert, "Christmas around the World," will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the James M. Bennett Auditorium. Tickets are $2 (children under 5 free of charge) and must be purchased in advance through the school. 410-677-5140

Pittsville Elementary’s band, strings and chorus will present holiday favorites during a program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the school cafeteria. Free. 410-677-5811

Thursday, Dec. 6

The Wicomico County Middle School Orchestra, made up of students from Bennett Middle School, Pittsville School and Wicomico Middle School, and the Wicomico County High School Orchestra, made up of students from James M. Bennett High School, Parkside High School and Wicomico High School, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 in the James M. Bennett Auditorium. Free, but $1 donations will be accepted at the door to offset the cost of future events. 410-677-5145 or 410-677-5811

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Listing Of 2012 Holiday Concerts And Programs In Wicomico County Public Schools (By School)

Beaver Run Elementary

Beaver Run Elementary School’s PTA Winter Holiday Program “Holiday Celebration around the World” will be presented Monday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. The holiday celebration will feature students performing songs from various world cultures. Free. 410-677-5101

Charles H. Chipman Elementary

Charles H. Chipman Elementary School presents its holiday program, “Holiday Sounds,” at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in the school cafeteria. Second graders from Chipman will perform a variety of music from a variety of holiday traditions and celebrations. Free. 410-677-5814

Delmar Elementary

Delmar Elementary School’s Delmar Bobcat 4th Grade Chorus will perform a winter program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17 in the school cafetorium. Since the Delmarva Festival of Lights is in Delmar, our theme will be December in Delmar focusing on our special town that is "too big for one state." Free. 410-677-5178

The Delmar Bobcat Chorus will also participate in the Delmar Community Sing on Sunday, Dec. 9, will sing for fellow students during assemblies on Friday, Dec. 14, and will perform at the Delmar Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Saturday, Dec. 15. 

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GOP Senator Cannot Support U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice For Secretary Of State

A moderate GOP senator said she cannot support U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice for Secretary of State. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) met privately with Rice yesterday. Collins said she needs more information about what Rice knew about the September attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya and the bombing of the U.S.embassy in Kenya in 1998. That's when Rice was assistant secretary of state for African Affairs. If President Barack Obama nominates Rice to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, he would need support from moderates like Collins to avoid a filibuster. Obama praised Rice during a cabinet meeting calling her "extraordinary" which earned a round of applause from cabinet members.

Homeless Vets To Get Jackets From Airports

Leave a jacket behind at an airport checkpoint and it could find its way to a homeless veteran. The House has passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) requiring the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to donate unclaimed clothing to homeless veterans. The bill now goes to the Senate. TSA has its own agreements with states over what to do with leftover items. The agency told The Washington Post that travelers forget about 850 pieces of clothing each day at airport checkpoints. Meanwhile, VA said about 75,000 vets are homeless. 

Protests Flare in Bahrain For Kim Kardashian Visit

MANAMA, Bahrain — Just hours after reality TV star Kim Kardashian gushed about her impressions of Bahrain, riot police fired tear gas to disperse more than 50 hardline Islamic protesters denouncing her presence in the Gulf kingdom.

The clashes took place just before Kardashian opened the Bahrain branch of her Millions of Milkshakes shop.

An Associated Press journalist saw protesters chanting "God is Great" near the shopping complex in Riffa, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital Manama. The demonstrators were cleared before Kardashian appeared late Saturday. 
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What To Do With Terrorists?

What would the United States do with terrorist suspects if it shut down Guantanamo Bay? That question has mystified leaders since President Barack Obama promised to close the military prison back in 2009. There are alternatives, although none are easy. The Department of Defense has six prisons in the U.S. On average, they are just half full. The Government Accountability Office report said leaders should study cost and legal considerations plus security and space issues. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) requested the GAO report. There are 166 detainees at Guantanamo.

A Pit Bull Perception Problem: What's A Dog Owner To Do?

(MNN.com) -- On any given Saturday, you'll find a motley crew assembled outside the nondescript gray building on Hollywood Road, west of downtown Atlanta. An elderly couple walks tentatively behind a large black Labrador, a kid with chubby cheeks totes a feisty Chihuahua, and a trio of teens bound out of their parent's minivan with a brindle pit bull named Kola in tow.

They join at least a dozen other pet owners for free obedience classes offered by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) through its Pets for Life program. Designed to support people and pets in underserved communities, Pets for Life welcomes all breeds.

But an overwhelming majority of the four-legged students that arrive each week are pit bulls or pit mixes.

On busy days, cars slow their pace and kids peer through the chain link fence to watch these muscular dogs work for treats alongside cocker spaniels, Jack Russell terriers, and even an occasional poodle. The six-week training program ends with dogs taking the Canine Good Citizen test, followed by a graduation party where neighbors gather to watch students demonstrate new tricks. In less than a year, HSUS has begun to chip away at the city's perception of pit bulls as dog-fighting monsters. But the D.C.-based organization faces a bigger battle in its own backyard.

Maryland's Court of Appeals ruled in August that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous."

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This Is Neat iPad Salesman - Very Clever!

Very Clever!
You do not have to understand a word of German to appreciate this guy.

The most impressive iPad salesman ever!

His intense involvement of the "customer" in his (sleight of hand)
movements and German spiel is really clever.

Remember, You don't have to understand one word of German to appreciate his skill.

Click the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=32bUIa--6GM&feature=youtu.be

DC To NE - Drop Dead!

 [2]

If you’ve lived in NY for a long time, it is very hard to forget this now famous, headline. I think the Daily News will be able to reuse this title page again sometime over the next month or two. NY and NJ have stuck out their hands, and requested a very lumpy $80B from Washington to cover the cost of the clean up from Sandy.

 [3]

Man is this bad timing. If granted, the cost to the Feds would be reflected in the 2013 budget. Good-bye to any hope of improvement in the overall deficit picture if this nut has to be paid. The $80b that has been requested is more than the revenue from a reversal of the +$250k Bush tax cut. It comes to $530 for every worker in America.

The 2011 Budget Control Act limits annual payments of disaster relief to $11B. So the $80B is going to require a special spending bill. That’s not going to be easy to achieve in Washington with all the Cliff/money issues that are now on the table.

NY’s big Democratic Senator, Chuck Schumer is very much in the middle of this. He knows he has problems with this request. From The Hill (Link) [4].

“There is no doubt this is going to be a hard fight. It comes in the middle of strenuous negotiations around the fiscal cliff.”

Schumer is a weasel; he also had this to say about the process of getting the necessary legislation passed:

I am working to keep the quest for Sandy aid separate from the talks and to preserve a tradition of not offsetting disaster relief.

Separate? How can you keep $80B separate? The issue of not offsetting the cost of a disaster by reducing other spending is not going to come easy. Some Republicans are going to insist that there be cuts in the budget to offset a big portion of the Sandy clean up. An aide for Eric Cantor chimed in with this:

Cantor has made clear that needs beyond the $11 billion allotted by the Budget Control Act will be properly considered.

Properly considered? That is Washington speak for, “No way in Hell”.

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A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

It’s almost December and the Christmas spirit has not entered my soul yet. It’s not like the old days when I didn’t realize what was going on in the world. The magic went out of Christmas when the last of my kids stopped believing in Santa Claus. Now, buying the tree, putting up the lights and buying the presents are just another chore. Sometimes I feel like Charlie Brown at Christmas.

Last night I was at the YMCA with Avalon and my son, trying to work off the cruise weight. As I was pedaling away on the stationary bike, A Charlie Brown Christmas came on the TV. I watched it for the first time in years. I loved it as a child and loved watching it with my kids. It first aired in 1965 when I was two years old. I’d forgotten that the theme of the cartoon was the over-commercialization and secularization of Christmas. Imagine that. Charles Shultz thought Christmas was too commercialized in 1965. Think how far we’ve come, with hordes of ignorant dumbasses knocking each other to the ground on Black Friday. The scene that made me laugh was when Charlie Brown’s little sister asks him to write her letter to Santa Claus: 

Sally: Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: just send money. How about tens and twenties?

Charlie Brown: TENS AND TWENTIES? Oh, even my baby sister!

 

Sally: All I want is what I… I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

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The US Is Building Secret Site 911 In Israel

Leave it to legendary Walter Pincus from the Washington Post to flesh out a Request for Proposal construction project planned for Israel called Site 911.

The oddly named project will cost up to $100 million, take more than two years to complete, and can only be built by workers from specific countries with proper security clearances. Palestinians need not apply.

When complete the well-guarded compound will have five levels buried underground and six additional outbuildings on the above grounds, within the perimeter. At about 127,000 square feet, the first three floors will house classrooms, an auditorium, and a laboratory — all wedged behind shock resistant doors — with radiation protection and massive security.

Only one gate will allow workers entrance and exit during the project and that will be guarded by only Israelis.

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What Is Obama So Afraid Of?

I saw this memo on the official whitehouse.gov website the other day, but I was traveling and never had a chance to post it.  I figured it would be too late by now, yet I am still not seeing it being widely discussed.  It implies that the Obama Administration may be very worried about the truth getting out about all of their crimes, potentially via leaks from high places.  Read it for yourself, but the language is pretty clear.  Here are some excerpts:

This Presidential Memorandum transmits the National Insider Threat Policy and Minimum Standards for Executive Branch Insider Threat Programs (Minimum Standards) to provide direction and guidance to promote the development of effective insider threat programs within departments and agencies to deter, detect, and mitigate actions by employees who may represent a threat to national security.

The resulting insider threat capabilities will strengthen the protection of classified information across the executive branch and reinforce our defenses against both adversaries and insiders who misuse their access and endanger our national security.

BARACK OBAMA

Oh and this came out the day before Thanksgiving.  How cute.  As someone said on twitter today, if telling the truth endangers “national security,” then we are doing national security wrong.

Full memo here 

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Median Family Wealth At 43 Year Low

The idea that poor and middle-class Americans are suffering is nothing new: Anyone with access to the news (or, for that matter, to an ordinary suburban neighborhood) is likely to notice that it has gotten harder for average families to make ends meet.

Beyond that, a veritable army of economists, politicians and pundits has spent the past few years pointing out the growing gap between the rich and everyone else.

Now, a recent study by New York University economics professor Edward N. Wolff has put the decline of the American middle class in a whole new perspective: According to Wolff's calculations, the median net worth of American households has now reached a 43-year low of $57,000 (in 2010 dollars).

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Caption This Photo 12-1-12