Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Actor Cliff Robertson Dies

Cliff Robertson, who won an Oscar for his role in the film ‘Charly’ has died in New York at the age of 88, his long-time secretary says.

Municipalities And Non Profits Making Billions Over 9-11 Victims

Over the past few days I have read nothing but articles talking about 9-11. It has been all over television and quite frankly it makes me sick to my stomach.

As many of you know, I lost a Cousin on that day in one of the Twin Towers. We have been placed in fear ever since that day, never knowing what tomorrow might bring. I'll tell you what tomorrow will bring, it won't bring back the hundreds of people lost that day.

It happened on American soil, something we're not used to. However, it is a part of life in a very complicated world. As we continue, (God Willing) to grow as a country with such freedoms, there will be others out there who will hate us for what we have to offer.

Hundreds of people lost their lives that tragic day and for some of us it truly hit home. However, we pay very hefty taxes to have a government there to protect us every day and quite frankly our government failed us in a very big way that day. A second plane should have never come close to hitting the second tower, period. Yet it did, which leaves me to question how and why.

As I have stated in the past, I had an Uncle who was an officer of the Secretary of Defense for many years in the Pentagon. I have seen and heard of many things the United States is capable of and while I may have only seen a tiny fraction of what my Uncle dealt with over those many years, there's just no way this could have been possible.

Nevertheless, it did and today we have to face an uncertain future. Sometimes in fear because our government slams the air waves with "UNCONFIRMED but credible terrorist threats". Give me a break! I, (for one) continue to lose any trust in our government any more because of such stupidity.

If you want to show your respects for the victims, go to Washington, D.C. or New York City and do so. However, STOP pulling local fundraisers for things that have NOTHING to do with the victims of 9-11. Let's show more respect for our men and women serving in the Unites States Military who have lost their lives, (for whatever reason) protecting our freedom.

What happened 10 years ago was horrible. Unfortunately it not only cost lives, it helped destruct the financial stability of the United States and I expect far better from our elected officials. As a child growing up in New York and New Jersey, I watched those Twin Towers go up in less than 2 years. Today, (10 years later) there's still NOTHING there. We haven't moved forward. We're a joke to the rest of the World.

We still have cars getting the same gas mileage today as we were getting 50 years ago. Gas prices went from 50 cents per gallon to almost $4.00 a gallon. We're not any safer today than we were 10 years ago and 1 out of 4 people are filing bankruptcy. Blame it on policy, blame it on whatever you like. America is screwed no matter how you look at it. Don't use 9-11-01 as a day to remember. Use 9-11-01 as a day we recognize as the day America crumbled. Recognize that our elected officials continue to fail us and be accountable, while they fill the air waves with the 9-11 crap.

Concentrate on forcing these elected officials to move forward. Demand  those Twin Towers be replaced and let us all, (as a country) move forward in the right direction. After all, we are Americans, capable of achieving what no other country can do. Use this day as a day America got back on its feet and made those public officials and different branches of our government accountable for their actions.

After all, our armed forces are here to protect us, ESPECIALLY ON OUR OWN SOIL and never forget that our leaders failed us. It's not like we didn't watch one Tower get robbed once, it got robbed TWICE right in front of our very own eyes. Do you actually believe a plane could hit the Pentagon, the most powerful building in the entire WORLD! Lives were lost because of one of two things. Either this was a complete set up by our own government OR our government failed us in a very big way. I don't care what path you choose to decide. It was one of the two, period.

In the mean time, watching local non profits raise money for their own good makes me sick to my stomach as well. I can't even handle raising money for the victims any more. My God people, it's been 10 YEARS! YOU have NO CLUE just how many millions, (if not billions) have been raised for those victims, most of which NEVER reaches their pockets. Enough is enough. Do you see ONE of those victims Families reaching out for more help, NO!

You are being used, scammed, based on emotions. YOU don't see those same kind of fundraisers for those men and women who gave up their lives in the military actually protecting our freedoms. Stop allowing people to make money off of these victims.

It was a horrible day, I agree. However, this is AMERICA and we must move forward. We must learn and grow from such tragedies. Let's spend our energy uniting for the future and not harp on the past. Use this day each and every year to reflect on just how much better America is on this day from here on out. Let those who lost their lives look down upon us appreciating the fact that we are better as a country and their children will never have to face another tragedy like this again.

We're much better than this. We're much smarter than this and we're very capable of being a leader once again if we all unite. Anyhow, that's how I will celebrate 9-11 and I hope you'll join me.

Today's Survey Question 9-10-11

Do you think Congress will pass President Obama's jobs plan?

Attempted Abduction Of Middle School Student

The Bowie Police Department says it is investigating the report of an attempted child abduction at a middle school earlier this week.

A female student at Benjamin Tasker Middle School said that after school let out on Tuesday, a man in a green sedan asked her to get into his car. The man told the girl he was sent to pick her up by her mother, according to the report. The man was described as light skinned and wearing glasses.

Police say the child refused to get into the car and got home safely.

More

OLD PERSON PRIDE

I'm passing this on as I did not want to be the only old person receiving it. Actually, it's not a bad thing to be called, as you will see.
  • Old People are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem. Old People remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them.
  • Old People remember World War II, Pearl Harbor , Guadalcanal , Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing. They remember the 50 plus Peacekeeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, not to mention Vietnam .
  • If you bump into an Old People on the sidewalk he will apologize. If you pass an Old Person on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady. Old People trust strangers and are courtly to women.
  • Old People hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.
  • Old People get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth or dirty language on TV or in movies.
  • Old People have moral courage and personal integrity. They seldom brag unless it's about their children or grandchildren.
  • It's the Old People who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the good Lord Himself who loves us all.

    This country needs Old People with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.

    We need them now more than ever.
    Thank God for Old People
I was taught to respect my elders. It's just getting harder to find them.

OCEAN CITY MARYLAND

MDGOP Announces State Fair Presidential Straw Poll Results

ANNAPOLIS  Today, the Maryland Republican Party announced the results of its 2011 Presidential Straw Poll conducted at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium. Fair attendees cast nearly 900 votes. Poll results are as follows:

Rick Perry – 25.8%
Mitt Romney – 21.2%
Ron Paul – 16.8%
Michele Bachmann – 12.5%
Sarah Palin – 7.2%
Herman Cain – 5.0%
Other/Write-Ins – 4.4%
Newt Gingrich – 2.3%
Jon Huntsman – 2.2%
Rick Santorum – 1.4%
Buddy Roemer – 0.5%
Gary Johnson – 0.3%
Thaddeus McCotter – 0.3%

"I would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2011 Straw Poll and thank all of the activists and candidates who gave their time to work at MDGOP's booth during the fair," said MDGOP Chairman Alex Mooney. "From the attendees, we heard a strong desire to turn our nation and state around and a commitment to make Maryland a two-party state. The Maryland Republican Party is committed to giving individuals, families, and businesses a stronger voice in Annapolis and Washington, D.C."

Delaware State Police Urge Vigilance For 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Dover- In preparation for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 the Delaware State Police will remain at a heightened state of vigilance for any terrorist activity or threats.

DSP Special Units are on-standby.  High visibility patrols will be deployed to increase the security of our State’s critical infrastructure on the ground.  DSP Aviation helicopters and DSP Maritime units will be conducting proactive patrols and monitoring our critical infrastructure both by air and water. The Delaware Information and Analysis Center (DIAC) will continue to monitor and analyze intelligence information and threat streams.

All of these efforts are to increase our capabilities to deter, detect, and disrupt any terrorist activity, with the ultimate goal of keeping our citizens and visitors of Delaware safe and secure.

We encourage the public to remain vigilant as well, being aware of their surroundings, and to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.  Citizens are urged to report any suspicious activity to the Delaware Anti-Terrorism Tip Line 1-800-FORCE-1-2 (1-800-367-2312)

Crab And Chicken Feast Tonight


Annual All You Can Eat
Description: C:\Users\lcollings\Desktop\steamed crab.jpg
Crab and Chicken Feast
Saturday, Sept 10, 2011
Hebron Fire Hall
5-7pm Dinner
7-8pm Loud & Silent Auction
8-10pm DJ/Dance
Tickets only $30.00
BYOB & crab knife
(no one under age 21 permitted)
Benefits Friends of Mardela Middle & High School

Jacqueline Kennedy Reveals JFK Feared An LBJ Presidency

President John F. Kennedy was so "worried for the country" about the prospect that Vice President Lyndon Johnson might succeed him as president that he'd begun having private conversations about who should become the Democratic Party's standard-bearer in 1968, Jacqueline Kennedy recalled in a series of oral-history interviews recorded in early 1964.

She said her husband believed strongly that Johnson shouldn't become president and, in the months before his death in November 1963, he'd begun talking to his brother, Robert Kennedy, about ways to maneuver around Johnson in 1968.

"Bobby told me this later, and I know Jack said it to me sometimes. He said, 'Oh, God, can you ever imagine what would happen to the country if Lyndon was president?'" she said.

More

JOINT STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY AND GOVERNOR BOB MCDONNELL ON 9/11

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 9, 2011) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, issued the following joint statement to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and the fourth plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania:

“On September 11th, 2001, life in America changed, and the country we love so deeply was forever marked by an unprecedented tragedy on our home soil.  The actions of our citizens that day and in the weeks, months and years that followed are a testament to the spirit of collaboration and cooperation that our nation embodies in times of strife.  As governors of two states whose citizens were directly impacted by the horrific events that occurred 10 years ago, we solemnly remember all the lives that were lost on September 11th, 2001 and those that were forever altered.

“The terrorists who attacked our nation on September 11th miscalculated that the scars they left on Americans would break our resolve and divide our spirit.  First responders, citizens and politicians, regardless of jurisdiction or affiliation, stood together that day and helped their fellow citizens.  Although the attacks left our nation reeling in grief, they have only served to bolster our American spirit. Our nation drew together with a sense of purpose and pride that helped heal our wounds and strengthen our resolve to make the world safe from the scourge of terrorism.

“Out of that tragedy, we saw the nation come together, unified and strong. On this day of remembrance, we hope Americans can rediscover all that unites us and makes our nation the world’s brightest beacon of freedom.  The National Capitol Region and our country as a whole will stand together 10 years after these attacks just as we did in the days following the attacks, and we will work together to make our nation and our world safer, stronger and more resilient.”

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO ATTEND DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR MARYLAND 9/11 MEMORIAL

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 9, 2011) – On the Tenth Anniversary of September 11th, Governor Martin O’Malley will join Senator Barbara Mikulski, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Chair of the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland Executive Committee Rand Griffin, other officials and the families of 9/11 victims to dedicate the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland.

In honor of the 68 Marylanders who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the United States, the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland will be formally dedicated at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor World Trade Center Plaza. Three amalgamated steel beams weighing 5,000 lbs, originally part of the New York World Trade Center’s North Tower, are the centerpiece of the memorial, which will also feature the names of all of the Marylanders engraved with their birth dates.

The 9/11 Memorial of Maryland features artifacts from all three September 11th sites.

The Maryland Air National Guard will conduct a flyover and music will be provided by the United States Naval Academy Band and the Morgan State University Choir.

More information about the memorial can be found at http://www.maryland911memorial.org/   

Man Arrested While Siphoning 250 Gallons From Gas Station

Sometimes gas siphoning thieves are found when they accidentally get gas in their mouths when trying to initiate the transfer from a gas tank to their canisters. This one was caught after the gas station owner got suspicious about the minivan sitting on his lot. When police arrived, they opened the doors to find a generator-powered vacuum slurping up 250 gallons of diesel from the station's tanks into the plastic drums inside the retrofitted van.

More »

Albanian Citizen In New York Charged For Allegedly Supporting Terror Group In Pakistan

An Albanian citizen who lived in Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged Friday with providing material support to terrorists in Pakistan who were engaged in military operations that killed U.S. troops, according to a statement released from the Department of Justice.


Agron Hasbajrami, 27, a legal U.S. citizen, allegedly provided $1,000 to an individual in Pakistan with ties to a terror group and said he’d provide as much money as possible.

Hasbajrami allegedly went on to talk about the difficulties raising money. Muslims, he said, grow apprehensive “when they hear it is for jihad,” according to the federal detention order unsealed Friday.


More


Ten Years After 9/11, John Yoo Defends His Legacy, Legality Of Waterboarding

As the nation observes the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the former government official behind one of the most controversial policy responses to those attacks has mounted a full-throated defense of his legacy.

In a new book, newspaper op-eds and interviews, former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo argues not only for the legality of the advice he gave government policy makers, but also for its effectiveness in preventing a sequel to the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. "In the decade to follow," Yoo writes in the Wall Street Journal, "the most incredible thing to happen was this: nothing."

More

Obama's Uncle Freed From Custody After Drunk-Driving Arrest

(CNN) -- An uncle of President Barack Obama who was arrested last month for allegedly operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol has been released from custody.

Onyango Obama was freed from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Thursday under an order of supervision, according to a statement Friday from Brian P. Hale, director of public affairs for ICE. He will be required to check in regularly with immigration authorities, Hale said.

Hell on Wheels: Mexico City Tops Global Poll of Worst Places to Drive

So you think your commute is bad? Spare a thought for drivers in Mexico City – which has the most tortuous driving in the world, according to a new IBM survey.

The appropriately-named 2011 Commuter Pain Study questioned motorists worldwide on a range of nightmarish areas: from journey times and the price of gas to the estimated level of stress involved in driving. The technology wizards then crunched all the responses and came up with scores and their own definitive list of the most undesirable places to own a car.

More


HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER


The Eye Doctors

Eye care has certainly come a long way in the last hundred years. Originally, a case with a myriad of corrective lenses was all you needed to provide better vision for the masses. Most of these were considered “opticians”, which meant that they only provided corrective lenses, not any medical eye care. The first one listed in Salisbury was in 1899 at the Harper & Taylor jewelry store. C. E. Harper was listed as a graduate optician. The jewelry store had been established in 1886 and was located in the Peninsula Hotel on the corner of Main and St. Peter streets. The jewelry store, along with the hotel, burned down in 1926. The new building on the site was the Salisbury National Bank.
         
By 1907, another long time provider of eye care had emerged on the scene. He was Dr. Harold N. Fitch and was still doing business in 1950. He advertised that he ground his own lenses. Harper & Taylor had ceased doing business sometime in the teens, so Salisbury still had only two choices to get better vision.
         
The first reference to Dr. A.B. Boulden was in the City Directory of 1921. He practiced in Salisbury for over 40 years.
         
Another entity in the eye glass field was the eye glass supplier. This was Berks Optical and they made glasses for the Optometrists. They didn’t prescribe any corrective lenses. You had to go through your Optometrist. This was quite an inconvenience as they wouldn’t just fix a minor problem without a 2 or 3 day delay. Most people cannot go that long without their glasses.
         
This is where a new business sprang up – Accurate Optical. They were fast and would do all the work on site, thus eliminating the long wait people had become used to. Their first place of business was on the south side of Market Street downtown.
         
Others opened eye care businesses during the 1950’s. Many of us remember Dr. Clifton G. White, Dr. M.W. Reese or Dr. W. A. Lynch.
         
There are many venues that offer better sight nowadays and not many are aware that there is a significant difference between just getting corrective lenses and getting good eye care. Diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts cannot be diagnosed by some of the places you can get new glasses.
         
Yes, things have changed a lot since Ben Franklin invented the bi-focal type of eye glasses. The era of the traveling “eye specialist” had pretty much come to an end by the end of the 19th century. New methods encouraging the establishing of a permanent business had sprung up and added to the base business of a city or town. We now have many ways to see better, even if we don’t always like what we see.

OCPD ARRESTS BURGLARY SUSPECT

During the month of August, Ocean City patrol officers were investigating several reported burglaries, which had occurred on the ocean side of the midtown area. During the investigation officers recovered a phone number belonging to the possible suspect.

OCPD detectives were brought into the investigation and determined the
suspect to be William Troy Stodghill, 48, of Pittsville, Maryland.

Stodghill was already wanted for failure to appear in Circuit Court for an
unrelated burglary case.

During the daytime hours of September 7, patrol officers responded to
another reported burglary at 7103 Atlantic Avenue. During this investigation patrol officers were able to track a stolen “IPad” via a
cellular data signal being transmitted by the stolen item. OCPD patrol
officers and detectives eventually located Stodghill in West Ocean City
in possession of this recently stolen property.

Stodghill was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in
Maryland Circuit Court and the burglary at 7103 Atlantic Avenue.

Further investigation led OCPD detectives with the assistance of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department, to serve a search and seizure warrant at Stodghill’s residence in Pittsville. As a result, police
have recovered multiple pieces of evidence linking Stodghill to as many as four additional Ocean City residential burglaries.

Because of the coordinated investigation by OCPD uniformed patrol officers and detectives, investigators expect to clear at least six residential burglaries. Stodghill was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and is currently being held on the outstanding Maryland Circuit Court burglary warrant as well as $25,000 bond for the burglary at 7103 Atlantic Avenue. Stodghill was transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

Anyone who feels they may have been the victim of a burglary in the midtown area or has any additional information regarding this suspect’s criminal activities is asked to contact Ocean City Police Detective Todd
Speigle at 410-723-6604.

8 Beers Americans No Longer Drink

Imports, craft beers and ones with fewer calories are in favor

Some of America’s most famous beers have lost a tremendous amount of their national sales over the last five years. Mostly, they are full-calorie beers, and they have lost sales to lower-calorie products, as well as imports and craft beers. 24/7 Wall St. looked at the 23 largest selling beer products in America and found eight that have lost a staggering 30 percent or more of their sales between 2005 and 2010.

Most of the beers whose sales declined that much have one thing in common — they are “full-calorie” beers, or about 145 calories a can. Instead, beer drinkers have turned to “light beers,” which have 100 calories a can, and “ultra-lights,” which are closer to 90 calories.

Surprisingly, Budweiser, the best-selling beer in America for years has lost 30 percent of its sales over the five-year period. Given that Budweiser sold 18 million barrels last year, this is a massive loss — more than 7 million barrels less. Sales of Bud Light, on the other hand, held steady at just over 39 million barrels during the five-year period. Six products on our list have lost half their sales since 2005.


HOW PROFITS KILLED JOBS

After the Obama jobs speech, it’s time for a little reality. Obama can no more create jobs than he can paddle up Niagara Falls with a toothpick. There just aren’t jobs, they’re gone baby, gone. Another Patrick J. Buchanan essay. It’s a very succinct article on why we are no longer a productive, fully-employed nation. Corporate America sold out Americans and jobs in the name of profit. This made the rich more money than they could ever imagine, and has dumped the average American into low-paying service jobs (or unemployment). The gap between rich and poor has never been greater. People bought the con that we were becoming a “service economy;” how well has that worked out?

While there are many reasons why Corporations shipped jobs overseas (government over-regulation, taxes, unions, lawsuits), the main reason is profit and greed. Those holding the stock and therefore receiving the dividends, made more money and profit, workers and America be damned. The stampede for ever increasing profits fueled the gutting of our manufacturing base, and to some extent our technology base as many of our tech products are now produced in Asia. Can we restore our manufacturing and technology base or is it already too late?

More

Postal Reform: Lobster Or Road Kill?

A Michigan Congressman once told me that any bill proposed to the House of Representatives would usually get about 100 votes — sight unseen — if it had the word "reform" in its title. With 435 House members, that's a good start!

Reform is a positive word. A good thing. Positive and happy: Like sunshine, bubbles or a puppy's breath. Sometimes.
 
The legislator who gave me the tip was a Democrat. But he said it worked the same with Republicans. He explained that his colleagues and their staffs were often so overwhelmed by work (or trying to get reelected) that if a colleague they liked, trusted or owed introduced a "reform" bill they would support it.
 
That may be why so many pieces of legislation have the word "reform" in their title.
 
Reform to those proposing it is always a good thing. The smart, economical, right thing to do. But often to those who stand to be reformed, it's the equivalent of urging the captain of the Titanic to try to get a little closer to that pile of ice.
 
Take the Postal Reform Act. Please!
 
Decades ago it was decided that the old Post Office Department was too political, too slow and stuffy. That it needed to be run like a business. Hence it was reformed, taken out of the president's cabinet and reborn as a quasi-government operation called the U.S. Postal Service. Over time it became almost entirely self-supporting. In addition to competition from FedEx, UPS and other carriers, the USPS is suffering because people tweet or email more than they write cards or letters.
 
Bottom line: The USPS is in trouble. A lot of this, it says, is because unlike other federal operations it must pre-fund retirement costs big-time. It has cut jobs and wants to cut more. It would like to be able to reopen contracts with its powerful unions. And eliminate Saturday mail delivery and a ton of mom-and-pop post offices.

More

Today's Weather- 09/10/11

Salisbury,Maryland

Today
High
83°F

Precip
10%

Tonight
Overnight Low
65°F

Precip
20%

Weather Channel

Don't Forget The Farmer's Market Today In Salisbury