Why Has Paula Deen Been Vilified, While Alec Baldwin’s Been Given a Pass?

Paula Deen has been dropped by many of her sponsors for admitting to spewing a racial epithet about a man who shoved a gun in her face in ’87, while Alec Baldwin has received less backlash for attempting to ‘f--k up’ a ‘queen.’ Why?

Poor Richard’s Almanack was distributed in the American colonies annually between 1732 and 1758. Published by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym “Poor Richard,” the almanac proved enormously popular, with the number of copies sold reaching the tens of thousands. In the 1752 edition, Franklin—ever the cheeky wordsmith—took on the subject of hypocrisy (which was a pretty big deal at the time): “Mankind are very odd Creatures: One Half censure what they practice, the other half practice what they censure; the rest always say and do as they ought.”

Franklin’s musing, a remnant of a mind-numbing U.S. history lecture during my freshman year of college, came bubbling to the surface after witnessing the crucifixion of Paula Deen, and the comparatively tepid criticism received by Alec Baldwin after the 30 Rock actor tweeted a barrage of vile, homophobic remarks at a reporter for the Daily Mail. The disparate reactions speak volumes about society’s attitudes toward racism, homophobia, and celebrity.

First, let’s review the transgressions.
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Draft This

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel noted today's 40th anniversary of the all-volunteer military. He called the switch from the draft one of the most consequential and far-reaching changes in the history of America's armed forces. Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, says skeptics were wrong about the all-volunteer force. It managed to help win the Cold War, reversed Iraqi aggression in the Persian Gulf region, and kept peace in the Balkans. But he says the armed forces will have to adapt and change to meet future challenges.

Kirsten Powers: I Don’t Stand With Wendy Davis

Stand with the pink-sneakered Texas legislator and her fight to allow mothers to abort babies past the 20th week of pregnancy? Never—and most women wouldn’t either, says Kirsten Powers.

It’s amazing what is considered heroism these days.

A Texas legislator and her pink sneakers have been lionized for an eleventh-hour filibuster against a bill that would have made it illegal for mothers to abort babies past 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in the case of severe fetal abnormalities or to protect the life or health of the mother.

People actually cheered this.

But the fight is not over. The bill will be reintroduced, and supporters of the ban are optimistic it will pass. For now, Wendy Davis has achieved the dubious victory of maintaining a very dark status quo. Texas women will still be able to abort a healthy baby up to the 26th week of pregnancy for any reason, as the current law allows. 
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Why The U.S. Is In So Much Trouble

A DC 'airport ticket agent' offers some examples of why the US is in so much trouble!

1.I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!)

2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to Cape Town. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Cape Town is in Massachusetts ..''

Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Cape Town is in South Africa ..''
His response -- click..

3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state.

He replied, 'Don't lie to me!, I looked on the map, and Florida is a very THIN state!!'' (OMG)

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?''

I said, ''No.''

She said, ''But they look so close on the map'' (OMG, again!)

5. An aide for a cabinet member (Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas .. I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas ... When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.'' (Aghhhh)

6. An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m.

I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?'

He replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!''

After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT - Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on his luggage..

8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii ?''

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright from Ala. who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?''

I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.''

10 Senator Dianne Feinstein called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?''

I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola and fly on a commuter plane..

She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!''

11 Mary Landrieu, La. Senator, called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China .. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. "Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.''

I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!''

Social Security Paid 1,546 Dead People $31 Million -- Deceased Collected Benefits Up to 20 Years

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has paid at least 1,546 dead people $31 million, with some of the deceased receiving benefits for 20 years.

According to a June 21 audit by the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, 2,475 beneficiaries had a recorded date of death in Social Security’s own database. The IG determined that “at least” 1,546 of these individuals were in fact dead and still receiving benefits, totaling $30,956,695 through May 2012.

Among those 1,546 deceased, some were receiving benefits for up to 20 years. 

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O'MALLEY/BROWN STEALING YOUR SUMMER VACATION SAYS DELEGATE RON GEORGE

Gubernatorial candidate Ron George issues the following statement on today's tax increases:

O'Malley/Brown now are stealing from your summer vacation funds. Since they robbed and misspent what was needed for transportation, they are now grabbing your money through tolls, rain and gas.

As you look at the bay bridge behind me, it is an example of what is happening around Maryland.

More and more people on the Eastern Shore, which has lost manufacturing jobs, have to drive to Washington and Virginia for a job, if they have a job.

Less and less people on the Western shore will drive to doctors and businesses on the Eastern Shore.

This is not how you build an economy.

Obamacare Regulation Effectively Bars Catholics from Owning Health Insurance Companies

The final version of Obamacare’s “preventive services” regulation that the Department of Health and Human Services published on Friday discriminates against faithful members of the Roman Catholic Church by effectively barring them from owning and operating health-insurance companies.

This is because the regulation orders health insurance companies to provide sterilizations, contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs to all female beneficiaries except those insured by “religious employers”--which, according to the regulation, includes only actual “houses of worship” (n.b. parish churches), their immediate auxiliaries, associations of houses of worship and the “exclusively religious activities of any religious order.”

The Catholic Church teaches that sterilization, artificial contraception, and abortion are intrinsically immoral. The church also teaches that Catholics are not allowed to cooperate in evil acts such as abortion--which the church says is a form of murder.
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QUOTES OF THE DAY 7-2-13

“What are the facts? Again and again and again – what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what “the stars foretell,” avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable “verdict of history” – what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue. Get the facts!”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best, he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear his shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“At least once every human should have to run for his life, to teach him that milk does not come from supermarkets, that safety does not come from policemen, that ‘news’ is not something that happens to other people. He might learn how his ancestors lived and that he himself is no different–in the crunch his life depends on his agility, alertness, and personal resourcefulness.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“It is impossible for anyone to be responsible for another person’s behavior. The most you or any leader can do is to encourage each one to be responsible for himself.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“Political tags — such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

George W. Bush On AIDS, Mandela, Snowden And His Legacy

 Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are in Africa this week, where they renovated a cancer screening clinic in Zambia and commemorated the victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania.

The clinic, which is designed help women fight cervical cancer, builds on the former president's work fighting AIDS on the continent. While he was in office, Bush set up a plan that dramatically reduced the number of AIDS deaths in Africa.
 
I'm really proud of the American people for their generosity," he told CNN in an exclusive interview. "I wish Americans knew how many lives were saved. Someday, they will."

Bush also told CNN why he respects Nelson Mandela, what he thinks about Edward Snowden and President Barack Obama, and how he's not going to be around when his legacy is finally decided.
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'The Extremists Are Coming; The Extremists Are Coming!'

"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice! And . . .
moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

~ Barry Goldwater, in speech written by Karl Hess

A recent discussion on the Fox Business channel, amongst John Stossel, Stuart Varney, and Judge Andrew Napolitano, has raised, once again, the empty charge directed at libertarians: "you are being an extremist!" Such words are always offered in lieu of a substantive analysis of the position advocated. That both Albert Einstein and Jeffery Dahmer could be labeled as "extremists," by virtue of how far their thinking deviated from some norm, provides us no basis upon which to evaluate their thinking or conduct. Intelligent minds would ask: by what criteria do you judge these men; what are the implications of what each is doing or saying? That so many scientists who contributed to the development of our understanding of the world had to endure such criticism, should cause us to insist upon a standard of evaluation that rises above the simplistic thinking presently in place.

These three men were debating the wide-ranging NSA surveillance practices recently revealed by Edward Snowden – whose actions have led statists to label him an "extremist," among other charges. When Judge Napolitano insisted that the government should be required to adhere to Fourth Amendment standards and procedures, Varney – the moderator of the program – began accusing the good judge of "extremism."

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If You Like The Surveillance State, You’ll Love E-Verify

From massive NSA spying, to IRS targeting of the administration's political opponents, to collection and sharing of our health care information as part of Obamacare, it seems every day we learn of another assault on our privacy. Sadly, this week the Senate took another significant, if little-noticed, step toward creating an authoritarian surveillance state. Buried in the immigration bill is a national identification system called mandatory E-Verify.

The Senate did not spend much time discussing E-Verify, and what little discussion took place was mostly bipartisan praise for its effectiveness as a tool for preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining employment. It is a tragedy that mandatory E-Verify is not receiving more attention, as it will impact nearly every American’s privacy and liberty.

The mandatory E-Verify system requires Americans to carry a “tamper-proof” social security card. Before they can legally begin a job, American citizens will have to show the card to their prospective employer, who will then have to verify their identity and eligibility to hold a job in the US by running the information through the newly-created federal E-Verify database. The database will contain photographs taken from passport files and state driver's licenses. The law gives federal bureaucrats broad discretion in adding other “biometric” identifiers to the database. It also gives the bureaucracy broad authority to determine what features the “tamper proof” card should contain.

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Serious Injuries Reported In Resort Boating Accident

OCEAN CITY -- One man was severely injured and another faces charges of operating a boat under the influence of alcohol this week after an accident in the Assawoman Bay on Saturday when victim was struck by the vessel’s propeller and had to be airlifted to PRMC.

On Saturday evening, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) received a call of a reported boating accident involving an unidentified victim being struck with a boat propeller. NRP crews arrived at the scene in the Assawoman Bay near 94th Street and transported the victim by boat to waiting Ocean City Fire Department EMS at 94thStreet. The victim was then transported by Maryland State Police helicopter Trooper 4 to PRMC in Salisbury.

The investigation revealed the victim was being pulled behind the vessel on an inner tube when he fell off. The boat circled back around to pick up the victim and he was struck by the vessel’s propeller as he attempted to get back into the boat, according to NRP Public Information Officer Sgt. Brian Albert. Albert said the victim, whose name was not available, received severe wounds on both legs.
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BEWARE OF THE CYBER-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Barrett Brown’s Letter from Jail
Barrett Brown is an American political prisoner who’s struggle I have highlighted in the past. Most notably in my article earlier this year, Barrett Brown: A Jailed American Dissident. It was through Barrett’s investigative journalism that I was able to learn about the shadiness of Booz Allen Hamilton and the defense contract industry generally well before Edward Snowden’s leaks came on the scene. Well now he has written a note from prison, published by The Guardian of course. Some excerpts:
It’s a fine thing to see mainstream American media outlets finally sparing some of their attention toward the cyber-industrial complex – that unprecedented conglomeration of state, military and corporate interests that together exercise growing power over the flow of information. It would be even more heartening if so many of the nation’s most influential voices, from senator to pundits, were not clearly intent on killing off even this belated scrutiny into the invisible empire that so thoroughly scrutinizes us – at our own expense and to unknown ends.

Besides, the government to which we’re ceding these broad new powers is a democracy, overseen by real, live Americans. And it’s hard to imagine American government officials abusing their powers – or at least, it would be, had such officials not already abused similar but more limited powers through repeated campaigns of disinformation, intimidation and airtight crimes directed at the American public over the last five decades. Cointelpro, Operation Mockingbird, Ultra and Chaos are among the now-acknowledged CIA, FBI and NSA programs by which those agencies managed to subvert American democracy with impunity. Supporters of mass surveillance conducted under the very same agencies have yet to address how such abuses can be insured against in the context of powers far greater than anything J Edgar Hoover could command.

Many have never heard of these programs; the sort of people who trust states with secret authority tend not to know what such things have led to in the recent past. Those who do know of such things may perhaps contend that these practices would never be repeated today. But it was just two years ago that the late Michael Hastings revealed that US army officials in Afghanistan were conducting psy-ops against visiting US senators in order to sway them towards continued funding for that unsuccessful war. If military and intelligence officials have so little respect for the civilian leadership, one can guess how they feel about mere civilians.

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SPD Press Release 7-2-13

Seaford Sex Offender Charged With Rape

Location: 2000 block of Stein Highway, Seaford, DE

Date of Occurrence: Monday July 1, 2013 at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Victim: 15 year old female

Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:

Olan F. Morgan, 28, Seaford, DE (Photo Attached)
Unlawful Sexual Conduct Against a Child by a Sex Offender
Rape 4th (3 counts)
Endangering the Welfare of a Child

Arraigned at JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $15,000.00 cash only bail

Resume:
Seaford, DE- The Delaware State Police has arrested a 28 year old Seaford man after he allegedly raped a 15 year old girl.

Staff at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital notified Troopers of a sexual assault victim Monday evening around 5:30 p.m. when a 15 year old girl was brought in to be examined. Through the investigation, detectives learned the victim was at a residence in the 2000 block of Stein Highway when Olan F. Morgan came to the house and knocked on the door. When the victim opened the door, Morgan pulled her outside and began kissing her and touching her inappropriately. The victim was then released by Morgan and ran back into the house where she called relatives for help.

Olan Morgan, who is a Tier 1 low risk sex offender from a Unlawful Sexual Contact 3rd conviction in July of 2010, was taken into custody by troopers at his residence and transported back to Troop 5 where he was arrested for Unlawful Sexual Conduct Against a Child by a Sex Offender, three counts of Rape 4th, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was arraigned at JP3 and committed to SCI on $15,000.00 cash only bail.

Because of the sensitivity of this case, and in consideration of the victim, only limited information will be released.

Why The Collection Of Metadata Is A Very, Very Big Deal

Some people seemed strangely relieved in the wake of the NSA spying scandal when Obama said “no one is listening to your phone calls.” First of all, while they are clearly not listening to everyone’s phone calls, they certainly are listening to certain people’s calls and that isn’t acceptable in a free society. Second of all, it’s pretty obvious that the one reason they aren’t listening to everyone’s calls is because it wouldn’t be practical or effective. As Matt Blaze notes in this great article from Wired, the government isn’t primarily tracking metadata rather than content in an attempt to protect privacy, but rather because metadata is the most efficient and effective way in which to spy on and preempt domestic political dissent. From Wired:

We now know that every day, U.S. phone companies quietly send the government a list of who called whom and when — “telephony metadata” — for every call made on their networks, because of a secret order by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. It turns out that this has been going on for seven years (and was even reported by USA Today then); the difference now is that the government — uncharacteristically for such a secret intelligence operation — quickly acknowledged the authenticity of the leaked order and the existence of the metadata collection program.

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EASTERN SHORE CASHIER RINGS UP SCRATCH-OFF SUCCESS WITH $1 MILLION WINNER

An Eastern Shore cashier decided to treat himself to a $20 Money Multiplier scratch-off in May after he saw a customer purchase the bright yellow ticket. That lucky decision led the Salisbury resident on an exciting journey to the Maryland Lottery’s Baltimore headquarters, where he claimed the ticket’s $1 million top prize on June 28!

After he scratched off the ticket that day and unveiled his big prize, the man immediately called his brother to share the good news. “My brother came over to look at the ticket because he really didn’t believe me,” the 33-year-old said, chuckling. “I’ve only shared the news with my brother and his sister-in-law. No one else knows.”

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WCSO Press Release 7-2-13

• 7/2/2013 CDS - Farlow
• 7/2/2013 CDS - Hummel
• 7/2/2013 Assault - Gemayel
• 7/2/2013 Child Support - Thompson, Palmer, Parker, Davis
• 7/1/2013 DUI - Flores
• 7/1/2013 Theft - Clarkson
• 7/1/2013 Figitive - Loayesvail
• 7/1/2013 Assault - Smith
• 7/1/2013 DUI - Warfield
• 7/1/2013 Warrant - Dashiell

Lazenby: Nevada Victories

Two major victories for drug de-criminalization and public health, which go hand-in-hand, were recently scored in Nevada. The state’s medical marijuana law, first passed in 1998, required the legislature to create mechanisms for dispensing the drug to patients, and that has finally occurred. Nevada’s Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, signed into law Senate Bill 374, which will establish a state-regulated system of dispensaries, with at least one in each county.

Nevada joins Arizona, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Rhode Island on the list of states that have state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. As reported by StopTheDrugWar.org, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the consequences of prohibition, the bill creates rules and regulations not only for dispensaries, but also for infused product manufacturers and cultivation and testing facilities. Additionally, it imposes 2% excise taxes on both wholesale and retail sales, with 75 percent of revenues going to state education funding and 25 percent going to cover the cost of regulating the medical marijuana industry.

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Student Loan Rates Double Without Congress’ Action

College students taking out new loans for the fall term will see interest rates twice what they were in the spring — unless Congress fulfills its pledge to restore lower rates when it returns after the July 4 holiday.

Subsidized Stafford loans, which account for roughly a quarter of all direct federal borrowing, went from 3.4 percent interest to 6.8 percent interest on Monday. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee estimated the cost passed to students would be about $2,600.

“In the grand scheme of all the loans that I already have, I suppose it’s not out of control,” said Angie Platt, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who expects to graduate with at least $60,000 in debt.
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