Attention

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

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

More Towns To Withdraw Millions From Chase Over Mortgage Mod Practices

We know the story. Chase and other banks got billions in bailouts that they were encouraged, but not required, to use to help people modify their mortgages. Instead they sat on it and smiled like cheshire cats. Now a movement has sprung up to punish Chase for its intransigence by withdrawing money from their accounts. On the individual account level, that's not much. But in New York state, entire towns are getting in on the act.

More »

PA Judge Deems Health Insurance Mandate Unconstitutional

Even though three U.S. Courts of Appeal have ruled on challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — though they haven't all agreed — and it will all inevitably be decided by the Supreme Court, lower courts are apparently still issuing rulings on the matter.

More »

TSA Rolling Out New Procedures For Fliers Under 12

In the next few months, the TSA will implement new security procedures for fliers under 12, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano told the Senate. They can still get patted down, although it will be by a different method, and they no longer have to remove their shoes. Even if they have velcro straps and are super easy to take on and off anyway.

More »

BP Station Employee Sprays Down Wannabe Robber With Gas

Earlier this year, BP was voted the Worst Company In America by Consumerist voters for its involvement in spilling oodles of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. But for one employee at a Massachusetts BP station, spilling a bit of petroleum-based product on the ground made the difference between being robbed and thwarting a crime.

More »

Tim Geithner Tells Germany It Has To Sacrifice More Taxpayer Money To Protect The Status Quo

Tim Geithner, in his third third annual pilgrimage to Europe, the first two of which concluded with one after another more discredited stress tests (because in Mark-To-Unicorn America they worked sooooo well), has a slightly different message to the locals on how to run their failed monetary union. From Reuters [13]: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is likely to urge euro zone finance ministers on Friday to speed up ratification of changes to their bailout fund and consider boosting its size, an EU source said on Tuesday. The official said Washington was worried that the euro zone was not acting fast enough to enhance the EFSF fund and that the stability of the global financial system was at stake. He is likely to tell the ministers that they should consider increasing the size of the EFSF to equip it better for the needs of potential bank recapitalization. "He will probably tell Germany to give up its resistance to an increase in the size of the EFSF," the source said. A well connected fund source told Reuters Geithner had been pushing for a solution for European banks along the lines of the TARP program in the United States, but had not made much headway." Translation: Germany has to immediately throw billions more of taxpayer money into the insolvent bank pit (just like America did), or else Tiny Tim will get angry. Well, if Germany's ruling class was against pledging over 100% of its GDP [14]to bailout Greece and the other insolvents, it will surely be persuaded to commit political suicide after the last man standing from Obama's administration, who still inexplicably has not been fired for gross incompetence (and also prosecuted for tax evasion), has his say. And just as the short selling ban lasted all of one week before Europe's banks tumbled, even a favorable uptake of the idiot's proposals will at best lead to a 24 hour spike in prices followed by what will likely be the terminal tumble into the abyss of failed Keynesian-Bernankian experimentation.

More

Judge Dismisses Case Against Man Who Called Out To Richmond Police Officer Through Bullhorn

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Richmond judge has dismissed a disorderly conduct case against a man who used a bullhorn to accuse a police officer of harassing another person.

The Rutherford Institute said Tuesday that Circuit Judge William Stout ruled that Nathan Cox's speech was protected by the Constitution. Attorneys working with the Charlottesville-based free-speech advocacy group represented Cox, an Iraq War veteran and civil activist who was arrested April 15.
More

Perry Facing New Criticism For Texas Vaccine Order

WASHINGTON – Four years ago, Gov. Rick Perry put aside his social conservative bona fides and signed an order requiring Texas girls to be vaccinated against the human papilloma virus. He says he was trying to curb cancer. But it didn't take long for angry conservatives in the Legislature to override a measure they thought tacitly approved premarital sex, and for critics to accuse Perry of cronyism.

Now Perry's taking heat on the issue anew as he runs for the presidential nomination of a GOP heavily influenced by conservatives who are sour on the government dictating health care requirements. Illustrating the delicate politics at play, he's both defending himself and calling his action a mistake.

"If I had it to do over again, I would have done it differently," Perry said Tuesday night as he debated his rivals, insisting that he would have worked with the Legislature instead of unilaterally acting. But he did not back down from his stance that girls should be vaccinated against the virus, which is generally spread by sexual contact. He argued that it wasn't a mandate and noted that he included the right for parents to opt out of the vaccinations.

More

Amphetamine-Type Drugs More Common Than Cannabis, U.N. Says

Criminal gangs are selling more cheap and easy-to-make amphetamine-type drugs, such as ecstasy and crystal meth, in new markets, and cannabis is now the only more widely used illegal drug, a United Nations report released on Tuesday said.


The number of methamphetamine pills seized in southeast Asia, for instance, nearly tripled in a year to 93 million in 2009 and then rose to 133 million in 2010, the study said. The number of ATS laboratories raided there also soared.


More


Black Widow Gang Was Bent On Killing Husbands For Insurance Money

Police in Colombia have captured five suspected members of a criminal network allegedly dedicated to arranging marriages with men and then murdering them in an attempt to cash in on their life insurance.


The capture of four women and one man on Monday was an initial raid on a criminal gang nicknamed the "Black Widows" by the Colombian media, and according to the police chief of Antioquia, Col. José Gerardo Acevedo, more arrests are expected.


More


NY Man Sues White Castle Saying Booths Too Small

A New York man is suing White Castle claiming the booths in one of its hamburger restaurants are too small.

Martin Kessman says in the federal lawsuit filed last week that he was embarrassed in 2009 when he tried squeezing his 6-foot, 290-pound frame into the seating at a White Castle in Nanuet, N.Y. He says he slammed his knee into a metal post under the table and was in pain.

Median Male Worker Makes Less Now Than 43 Years Ago

While the fact that a record number of Americans are living in poverty should not surprise anyone at this point, what should surprise many is that according to Table P-5 [5]of the Census report of (Lack of) Income, the median male is now worse on a gross, inflation adjusted basis, than he was in... 1968! While back then, the median income of male workers was $32,844, it has since risen declined to $32,137 as of 2010. And there is your lesson in inflation 101 (which we assume is driven by the CPI, which likely means that the actual inflation adjusted income decline is far worse than what is even reported). The only winner: women, whose median inflation adjusted income over the same period has increased by 188%. That said, it is still at 65% of what the median male makes. So injustice all around. And now, it is time to be patriotic again and buy a Pontiac Aztek.
More

FAA Proposes $1.1 Million Fine For Allegedly Faulty fuselage Work

Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a $1.1 million fine against an aviation repair facility after the company allegedly made improper repairs as part of fuselage inspections on Southwest Airlines jets.Aviation Technical Services Inc. of Everett, Washington, conducted improper work on 44 Southwest Boeing 737s, the FAA said.

The proposed fine comes at a time when federal authorities are taking a fresh look at the issue of metal fatigue after a large hole appeared in the fuselage of a Southwest Airlines B-737 last April. But the FAA said that fuselage crack was unreleated to Aviation Technical Services.

Bad News For Good Humor Workers

The owner of the Good Humor ice cream factory announced it would close its Hagerstown plant in 2013.

The 440 employees at the dessert-making plant will soon have to seek new jobs, the Herald-Mail reports.

TSA Agents, Cops Arrested For Drug Trafficking

Officers transported tens of thousands of oxycodone pills from Florida to New York and Connecticut, feds say

Three TSA agents and at least two police officers have been arrested, accused of being involved in a massive oxycodone trafficking operation between Connecticut, New York and Florida, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The arrested officers include three Transportation Security Administration officers based at airports in Florida and New York, a Westchester County police officer and a Florida State Trooper, whose names have not been released.

Seattle Becomes Third City To Require Paid Sick Leave

Many businesses offer paid sick days to stay competitive, but few laws actually require them to do so. Seattle joined the slim ranks by passing a law requiring businesses more than two years old with at least five employees to provide at least five days of sick leave per year. The city joins San Francisco and Washington, D.C. as the only municipalities in the country to require the benefit. The state of Connecticut also mandates paid sick leave.

More »

Nasal Spray Gives Hope To Alzheimer's Patients

Researchers have found the daily dose of an insulin nasal spray may hinder the progression of Alzheimer's disease in patients. A four-month study in Seattle found that the treatment improved memory and protected cognition and functional abilities of patients.

More »

46 Million Americans Now Living In Poverty, Highest Level In 18 Years

The Office of Management and Budget released its latest census data report today and it doesn't paint a terribly rosy picture of the current economic situation.

More »

Train Derails In Salisbury

Train derailed off of Truitt Street in Salisbury. Looks like it jumped off due to construction on the rails. Guessing it was on its way to Perdue.

“Fall” Into Fitness This Autumn

As summer winds down and everyone settles back into their routine, Wicomico Recreation, Parks & Tourism offers several opportunities to stay active this Fall!  Discover Salisbury’s “hidden treasures” this Sunday, September 25 at 8:00am at the 2nd Annual Hidden Treasures Half Marathon & 5K. The weekend will kick off with the Sports & Fitness Expo at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday leading into the half marathon and 5K on Sunday. Starting and finishing at Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, the course is designed to provide runners with a scenic tour of Salisbury including Salisbury City Park, downtown Salisbury, our historic neighborhoods and lovely back roads.  Participants will receive a post-race meal at the WY&CC. Registration fees are $55 for the Half Marathon and $35 for the 5K. For more information visit http://www.hiddentreasureshalfmarathon.org/.

New to the Good Beer Festival this year, Recreation & Parks will hold a Hangover 5K on Sunday, October 9. The race will begin at 11:30am and will lead runners through Pemberton Park’s forests, meadows and wetlands. All participants will receive a t-shirt and a hot breakfast after the race. The registration fee for the Hangover 5K is $45 and includes admission to the Good Beer Festival on Sunday. Those interested in attending the festival on both days can do so for an additional $15. Registration for the Hangover 5K will open on September 15th. Participants must register in advance. For more information, visit http://www.goodbeerfestival.org/.

Before you gear up for your big Thanksgiving feast, come run the 3rd Annual Turkey Trek 5K on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 24. This marathon race will take participants along Pemberton’s beautiful nature trails. Participants will receive a 5K race t-shirt and can enjoy healthy refreshments as well as pie and ice cream afterwards. (It is Thanksgiving after all!) Gift certificates and awards will be awarded to men and women in a variety of age groups and there will be a prize awarded to the participant in the best Thanksgiving costume! The registration fee is $20 per runner. For more information or to register, visit http://www.pembertonpark.org/.  

MY FAVORITE ANIMAL

Our teacher asked us what our favorite animal was, and I said, "Fried chicken.."
She said I wasn't funny, but she couldn't have been right, because everyone else in the class laughed.
My parents told me to always be truthful and honest, and I am. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher was probably a member of PETA.

He said they love animals very much.

I do, too. Especially chicken, pork and beef. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened, and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do it again.

The next day in class my teacher asked me what my favorite live animal was.
I told her it was chicken. She asked me why, just like she'd asked the other children.
So I told her it was because you could make them into fried chicken.

She sent me back to the principal's office again. He laughed, and told me not to do it again. I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am. Today, my teacher asked us to tell her what famous person we admire most.
I told her, "Colonel Sanders."
Guess where I am now...

Senator Colburn Announces October 1st Banquet

Cambridge, Maryland - Senator Richard F. Colburn (R-Eastern Shore) announced today that on Saturday October 1, 2011, the Citizens for Colburn Committee will be hosting the 33rd Annual Rich Colburn Fall Banquet at the Cambridge American Legion Post #91. This year’s festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar. Dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m.

Senator Colburn stated, "With a Special Session just days away, the banquet promises to be full of lively discussion surrounding the upcoming special and regular sessions. There will also be delicious oysters on the half shell and a fantastic silent auction featuring items from local businesses."

The seats for this year's banquet are $50.00 per person. Tickets will not be issued. However, reservations and name tags will be held at the door. All checks should be made payable to Citizens for Colburn Committee and mailed to: Citizens for Colburn Committee, 5210 Heron Road, Cambridge, MD 21613.

Reservations should be mailed by September 26th or by calling (410) 924-0098.

Nickelodeon Responds to Study Claiming ‘SpongeBob’ Hinders Preschoolers’ Attention Spans

A senior vice president for Nickelodeon is calling foul on a new study out today that suggests preschoolers’ attention spans are hindered from watching certain cartoons such as “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
In an interview with “Nightline,” Jane Gould, the senior vice president of Consumer Insights for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, said the study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, didn’t include enough kids in its sample size and that “SpongeBob” wasn’t an appropriate choice .

More

QUOTE OF THE DAY 9-13-11

Rick Santorum explaining how torture works to John McCain:

“Everything I’ve read shows that we would not have gotten this information as to who this man was if it had not been gotten information from people who were subject to enhanced interrogation. And so this idea that we didn’t ask that question while Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was being waterboarded, he doesn’t understand how enhanced interrogation works. I mean, you break somebody, and after they’re broken, they become cooperative. And that’s when we got this information. And one thing led to another, and led to another, and that’s how we ended up with bin Laden.”

Setting Grandma's Hair On Fire

Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme for these young people," said Gov. Rick Perry in his first debate as a presidential candidate. "The idea ... that the current program is going to be there for them is a lie."

Pressed by the moderator, Perry did not back down. He doubled down, calling Social Security a "monstrous lie to our kids."

Is not such language provocative, Perry was asked. Retort: "Maybe it's time to have some provocative language in this country."

Since Barry Goldwater suggested the program be privatized and LBJ ran an ad of a Social Security card being scissored in half, the issue has been "the third rail of American politics." Touch it – and it kills you.

More

Mom Donates Kidney To Son, Loses Job

A Philadelphia mother was left jobless Tuesday after she took time off work to donate a kidney to her dying son and was fired during her absence.


Claudia Rendon did not hesitate when doctors delivered the news that her son Alex was in desperate need of a life-saving kidney transplant and offered him her kidney, myFOXphilly.com reported.

But she had already used up her vacation time at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, in northeast Philadelphia, earlier in the year following the death of her mother and uncle and her father's diagnosis with leukemia.


More




Illinois Teen Charged In Parents' Beating Deaths

Authorities in suburban Chicago have charged a high school student in the deaths of his parents, who were found beaten in their Palos Park home.


The Cook County medical examiner on Monday ruled that 42-year-old Maria Granat and 44-year-old John Granat died after suffering multiple blunt force injuries.


More




Prepare To Be Assaulted: This Government Is Out Of Control!

Lew Rockwell recently outlined what he calls the five republics of the United States. As he correctly points out in my opinion, the fifth republic began on September 11, 2001. While I agree, I think that this will also be the final republic.

I say this not because I am a pessimistic person, but because I think this country, at least as we have known it, is finished. The times ahead I fear will be much more dangerous than most believe, and in fact, worse than most can imagine.

To look at any timeline of atrocious government behavior since 9/11, one can easily see the path we’re following. It is a path that leads directly to disaster. Not the type of so-called disaster that government warns us about daily, but a real disaster resulting in the complete loss of liberty.

More

DelDOT Launches Program To Collect Fines For Delinquent Red Light Camera Violators

Dover -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is announcing new efforts aimed at collecting money that is owed by Delaware's Electronic Red Light Safety Program (ERLSP) violators. While the program collects approximately 88% of red light violation fines and penalties each year, DelDOT wants to improve its overall collection efforts. Nearly $4.5 million is owed by both in-state and out-of-state violators, with Delaware violators representing approximately 48-percent of the total. Starting in October, in an effort to satisfy these fines, delinquent violations will be turned over to collections.

DelDOT contracts with American Traffic Systems (ATS) to administer the ERLSP program. Under the program, the fine for a violation is $112.50 and is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. A $10 late charge is added to the initial violation fine for each month it is delinquent up to 90 days. The violation fines and penalties are as follows:
Violation: $112.50
30 days late: $122.50
60 days late: $132.50
90 days late: $142.50

For in-state drivers who have unpaid violations, a hold is placed on their vehicle registration. This hold will prevent them from registering their vehicle at renewal until the fine is paid. For both delinquent in-state and out-of-state violators, the cases are being turned over to a collection agency for processing. Violators will be subject to written notifications and collection calls through Linebarger, Goggan, Blair, and Sampson, the ERLSP collection agent, during the course of the collections process. Reciprocity agreements with motor vehicle agencies in surrounding states for possible registration holds on out-of-state violators are currently being discussed.

Delaware's Electronic Red Light Safety Program (ERLSP) is a safety program focused on changing driver behavior at red light intersections through a comprehensive effort involving engineering, education and enforcement. The program uses automated enforcement to enhance the safety of motorists at red light intersections located within the state.

Making Delaware's Roads Safer:
1. Red light running is estimated to produce more than 100,000 crashes and an estimated 1,000 deaths in the United States each year. Red light crashes are more likely than other crashes to cause injury.
2. Last year, there were over 54,800 red light running violations at the 30 intersections with ERLSP cameras.
3. Studies show that red light camera programs are effective in reducing crashes at intersections, especially right-angle crashes, which cause the most personal injury.
4. The ERLSP program has demonstrated significant success in reducing the number of accidents due to red light running at monitored intersections by 42 percent over the last five years.
5. The issuance of citations by automated enforcement is a fair and objective way to remind drivers that they are required by law to stop at red lights, and that there are consequences for unsafe driving practices, like red-light running.

Unlike traditional violations cited by a police officer, the camera violations are considered a civil offense not a criminal one. Because of this, the violation and fine will not impact a motorist's insurance rate or accumulate points on their driving record.

The ERLSP began operations on February 1, 2004 with the activation of a camera located at the intersection of Route 13 and Webbs Lane in Dover. Currently there are 30 red light camera locations within the state. The location of these intersections and information on how you can pay your ERLSP violation can be found at http://www.deldot.gov/information/red_light/.

The City of Wilmington also operates its own red light camera program, independent from DelDOT, with an additional 25 locations within the city and manages its own collection program.

Credit Card Bills So Bad I Avoided The Mailbox

Young, dumb, and full of debt, Beverly was dealing with it in the worst possible way: not dealing with it. Things got so bad that her plan for coping with all the angry letters from creditors filling her mailbox was to simply not get her mail anymore.

More »

Posts Every 15 Minutes Until Midnight

Because there's so much news out there today we'll provide Posts every 15 minutes all the way until midnight.

We have experienced record breaking days for the past 7 days straight with an unusual volume of comments on top of that.

We can't thank you enough for visiting and commenting. Our advertisers have to be loving it too.

Is Our Food Safe From Terrorism

No single agency is in charge of keeping the nation's food safe from terrorism. And it turns out, even though the federal government has invested more than $3.4 billion on myriad food counterterrorism programs, they are bogged down in bureaucracy. The Associated Press conducted an analysis of the programs that were started after 9/11 to ensure the safety of the nation's food supply. A Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing today to examine a new report revealing federal setbacks in protecting cattle and crops in the past ten years. While top food defense authorities insist that initiatives have made the food supply safer, the system remains fragmented with no single agency accountable.

Officials Suspected Trouble At Solar Panel Manufacturer

Administration officials suspected trouble at a solar panel manufacturer long before it went bankrupt and cost the government half a billion dollars. Solyndra Incorporated had received a federal loan guarantee under an Energy Department program to promote green energy. House investigators said that even while Solyndra testified its finances were improving, Energy and Labor officials suspected trouble. They were aware the company was about to restate its earnings. As early as 2010, the company canceled a public stock offering. Now the FBI is investigating the company. Last week it raided headquarters and the homes of Solyndra officers and the House has issued subpoenas to Energy and Labor, trying to find out who knew what, and when.

USPS May Get 90 Day Extension

A new House bill would give the Postal Service a 90-day extension to make a $5.5 billion pre-payment to its retiree health benefit fund — originally due Sept. 30th. USPS said it wants to suspend advance payments into FERS so it can have cash on hand to pay employees and bills. But the 2006 Postal Accountability Enhancement Act requires the Postal Service to make these pre-payments. The Government Accountability Office has recommended the Congress restructure the pre-payments so that USPS pays smaller amounts in the short-term and larger amounts later on.The Postal Service is anticipating a $6 billion loss this year. In the past five years, USPS has lost $20 billion.

House Republicans Trying To Block A Lawsuit Against Boeing

They introduced a bill to prohibit the NLRB from ordering a company to close factories or relocate workers. The Board sued Boeing for building a plant in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. NLRB claimed the company chose the factory location to retaliate for strikes at its airplane assembly in Washington state. Boeing said no reduction in work has taken place in Washington. The bill comes up for a vote Thursday and faces uncertain chances in the Senate where Democratic leaders oppose it. The Obama Administration said the bill would hinder its ability to enforce labor laws.

FAA Workers Will Not Get Back Pay

Federal Aviation Administration workers furloughed this summer will not receive back pay under draft legislation of a stopgap transportation funding bill, GovExec reports. The latest version of the FAA reauthorization bill was modified over the weekend to remove the pay provision and combines extensions of spending authority for the FAA and for surface transportation programs. Otherwise, FAA funding runs out Thursday. The other programs can operate until September 30. Some 4,000 workers were furloughed for two weeks when the last of a string of FAA reauthorizations expired in July. The FAA needs Congressional say-so in order to pay its workers for lost time.

Some Agencies Earn 'Profit' From Contract Fees

In a Government Accountability Office report, four of six governmentwide acquisition contracts netted 'excess revenue' for the agencies that run the vehicles in each of the last four years. GSA's schedules programs earned an extra $62 million a year, while Interior and NASA earned an extra $4.7 million and $1.7 million annually, respectively.  

Federal Grants Will Require More Transparency And Accountability, OMB Official Says

State agencies and Maryland nonprofits receiving federal grants will face even more requirements for transparency and accountability under a new board created by President Obama, the controller of the Office of Management and Budget told a grants conference in College Park Monday.

Continue Reading...

Child Support Enforcement Ignores Tools To Collect Tens Of Millions, Auditors Find

Millions of dollars in child support payments are going uncollected because the Child Support Enforcement Administration has not been utilizing tools put in place to recoup unpaid funds, including wage garnishing, suspending professional licenses and seizing bank funds.

Continue Reading...

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH: A TIME TO REMEMBER. A TIME TO PREPARE

(Salisbury, MD)     As our nation marked the tenth anniversary of 9/11, remembering those lost, honoring our first responders, and renewing our commitment to prepare and plan for emergencies, the Wicomico County Health Department encourages the community to prepare and plan for any emergency while remembering these past events. 

As you’ve watched the news or experienced it first-hand, you know that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere without notice.  Households, businesses and organizations need to prepare in the event an emergency causes you to be self-reliant for three days or longer without utilities, water, access to supermarkets or local services or maybe even without response from police, fire or rescue.  Preparing can start with three important steps:

1.  Get an emergency supply kit.  Keep enough supplies on hand for you and your family, including pets – water, non-perishable food, first aid, medications, flashlight and batteries, clothing.  Have a kit, not just at home, but one in the car and one at work.

2.  Make a plan for what to do in an emergency. Discuss and document a plan with your family, loved ones and neighbors.  You may not be together in the event of a sudden emergency. Consider how you will communicate and reconnect after an emergency. Include in your plans, those in your care who may need extra help.

3.  Be informed about emergencies that could happen and identify free resources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during, and after an emergency. 

“How ready were you in last month’s natural disasters?” asks Danny Drew, Emergency Planner for the Wicomico County Health Department. “Check your kit and restock if necessary.  Review your plan and make changes now.”  “Each one of us is part of the nation’s emergency management team and together we can keep everyone safe.”  

September is National Preparedness Month, founded after 9/11 to increase preparedness in the U.S.  Hosted by the Ready campaign and Citizens Corps, it focuses on turning awareness into action by encouraging everyone to make an emergency preparedness plan.  For more information, including checklists, posters, and brochures visit www.wicomicohealth.org, www.Ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY, 1-888-SE-LISTO, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. 

Overweight Is The New Normal Weight

A new report issued last week warned us that, if trends in the U.S. waistline continue as they are, 50 percent of our population would be obese by 2030.

There are many reasons why overweight and obesity are such problems right now. Some research suggests that we’ve grown more comfortable being overweight and that being overweight has become “normal,” while being of an ideal weight may appear to be “underweight.”
More


BREAKING NEWS: Federal Deficit Totaled $1.23T Through August

U.S. crosses $1 trillion deficit threshold for third straight year, logging $1.23 trillion deficit with one month to go before end of fiscal year.
From Fox News

DELDOT Truly Impresses This Blogger


If you happen to travel Rt. 54 more than likely you've been stopped by this group as they tear up and refinish the roadway.

Unlike Maryland, Delaware is maintaining their roads, respecting the taxpayers money and infrastructure. However, its the way their going about it that truly shows their accountability.

Look closer at the pictures above. These guys aren't just tearing out 4 inches of road bed, their instantly recycling what is being ground up and immediately putting it back. Talk about going GREEN!

Once they have competed Rt. 54 they will come back 5 days later and put another 2" cap on top of everything, including the shoulders.

So, say what you want about Delaware. This state blows away Maryland in so many ways.My hat is tipped to the state government and DELDOT for being so friendly to the environment.

Congressman Says TSA Is A Failure, Should Be Dismantled

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- A decade after he created the Transportation Safety Administration, Rep. John Mica (R) Florida says the agency it too large and too reactive.

Congressman Mica believes the agents should work for a private security firm and the government TSA should provide intelligence only.

"Government has failed," said Rep. Mica, "During 9-11 it wasn't private screening that failed; it was the government who failed to put protocols in place."

TSA started in 2001 as a $2 billion agency employing 16,500 people.  Now the agency costs $9 billion with 63,000 employees.

"When you have an army...you will have problems with personnel," said the congressman referring to the arrests of some agents accused of stealing $40,000 from a checked luggage.

Maryland Alcohol Taxes Raises $6M In First Month

Initial Estimates Said State Would Raise $85M Per Year

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A Maryland official estimates the state raised roughly $6 million in added revenue in July from a 50 percent increase in the state's sales tax on alcohol.


David Roose, director of the Maryland Bureau of Revenue Estimates, said Monday it's hard to tell from the first month of a new tax how much will be raised on a yearly basis.


If July turns out to be the average, it would add up to about $72 million in extra state revenue a year.
Initial estimates projected the tax would raise roughly $85 million a year.

More

PUBLIC NOTICE



SPECIAL MEETING


In accordance with §SC2-4 of the Salisbury City Charter, a majority of the City Council have called for a Special Meeting to be held on Monday, September 19, 2011 to conduct a claim for refund hearing. The special meeting is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Conference Room 306 of the City/County Government Office Building (125 N. Division Street).

Ocean City Artist Sues Town

Claims boardwalk restrictions are unconstitutional

Spray-paint artist Mark Chase typically spends his summers in Ocean City along the boardwalk where he creates sci-fi landscapes in a matter of minutes, spraying and smudging to pulsating music as crowds gather.

He earns his living as a showman, taking tips for his work. But his most important performance this year may be in Baltimore's federal court, where he's waging a constitutional battle that could change the face of the boardwalk.

Chase filed a lawsuit in June alleging that restrictions on street performers and artists along the three-mile stretch violate their civil rights. Ocean City ordinances require permits for outdoor entertainers, prohibit them from selling wares, and force them to perform in certain locations. Chase claims the rules amount to prior restraints on freedom of expression and has asked a judge to strike them down.

More

Americans Need The Truth About 9/11

We Americans become like the moribund Hapsburg Empire which was said to have forgotten nothing and learned nothing.

Watching 9/11 commemorations, which have by now become an annual religious-political event, reminds us of this old adage.

One of the biggest tragedies within the tragedy of 9/11 is that the nation has not learned the real lesson of 9/11 – the reason why the 19 suicide hijackers attacked New York and Washington.

Before this attack, the hijacker’s ringleaders made clear their goal was to punish the United States for occupying the holy land of Saudi Arabia and for supporting Israel’s repression of the Palestinians.

More

Candidates Protest Lack Of Debate, Media Coverage

Four primary challengers for president of the Baltimore City Council gathered outside City Hall Monday afternoon to protest the lack of media attention to their race.

Local organizations held more than a dozen forums for the mayoral candidates in the primary Tuesday election Tuesday. But the one forum scheduled for the council president candidates was canceled by the League of Women Voters when the venue -- the downtown branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library -- was closed following the earthquake earlier that day.

Thomas A. Kiefaber, one of several Democrats challenging Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young, said the lack of a debate favors the incumbent.

Kiefaber, the former owner of the Senator Theater, organized the news conference that included two other Democratic candidates, Leon Winthly Hector Sr. and Renold B. Smith, as well as Republican contender Armand F. Girard.

“They don’t even know who we are,” he said.

More

Foreign Occupation Leads To More Terror

Ten years ago shocking and horrific acts of terrorism were carried out on US soil, taking over 3,000 innocent American lives. Without a doubt, this action demanded retaliation and retribution. However, much has been done in the name of protecting the American people from terrorism that has reduced our prosperity and liberty and even made us less safe. This is ironic and sad, considering that the oft-repeated line concerning the reasoning behind the attacks is that they hate us for who we are - a free, prosperous people - and that we must not under any circumstances allow the terrorists to win.

Though it is hard for many to believe, honest studies show that the real motivation behind the September 11 attacks and the vast majority of other instances of suicide terrorism is not that our enemies are bothered by our way of life. Neither is it our religion, or our wealth. Rather, it is primarily occupation. If you were to imagine for a moment how you would feel if another country forcibly occupied the United States, with military bases and armed soldiers present in our hometowns, you might begin to understand why foreign occupation upsets people so much. Robert Pape has extensively researched this issue and goes in depth in his book Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It. In fact, of 2,200 incidents of suicide attacks he has studied worldwide since 1980, 95% were in response to foreign occupation.

Pape notes that before our invasion of Iraq, only about 10% of suicide terrorism was aimed at Americans or American interests. Since then, however, not only is suicide terrorism greatly on the rise, but 91% of it is now directed at us.

More

Man Drives Into Sinkhole

DAVIDSONVILLE, Md. - A 56 year-old man sustained serious injuries after he drove into a large sinkhole at Patuxent River Road and Queen Bridge Road in Davidsonville Monday morning.

Anne Arundel County Police were called to the area at 7:43am and found the man trapped in his car in a deep sinkhole. He suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.

More

The Cost Of Obama's Stimulus Plan: $312,500 Per Job (Vote) Created Or Saved (And Guess Who Is Paying It)

For those eager to put some math to the rhetoric coming from the White House over the president's jobs creation plan, and that should be everyone, here is a quick and dirty estimate based on the numbers being thrown around of a 2% GDP increase in year 1 and 1.9 million jobs created or saved... most saved, as in those you can't really quantify. Said otherwise, roughly a $300 billion increase in GDP yields 1.9 million jobs. So far so good. Now since the president is proposing to pay for the program over 10 years, let's assume the $475 billion in direct expenses is financed for 10 years at 2.5% which adds roughly $120 billion to the total cost of the program. In other words, as the calculations detailed and show below elaborate, the overall AJA plan will cost $250,000 per job created (excluding the interest expense) and $312,500 per union job, er job created (including interest). And that's how much it costs for Obama to purchase one vote... created or saved. Keynesian efficiency strikes like a Swiss watch yet again.
More

Officers Appear, Decline To Testify Before Select Lounge Panel

The police officers involved in a fatal shooting outside a downtown club appeared Monday before a panel charged with reviewing the incident, but refused to answer questions.

James K. "Chips" Stewart, the chair of the commission, said the city police officers declined to answer questions on the advice of their attorneys, who said they feared that the officers could face internal sanctions based on their testimony.

"While they agreed with our overall goals, there were specific areas where they think their clients could be in definite jeopardy," Stewart said.
More

Maryland Lawmakers Consider Hikes In Taxes, Fees

The Maryland Senate's budget committee is examining tax and fee increases that would generate much-needed revenue for the state's depleted transportation fund, as lawmakers prepare to head into an October special session at least $800 million short of what they need to meet Maryland's transportation needs.

Legislative analysts plan to provide the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee with a menu of proposals on Wednesday that would generate transportation revenue. The proposals include increasing the state's 23.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax, imposing a 6-percent tax on the sale of gasoline, and raising registration, licensing and titling fees. The budget panel also will examine a regional sales tax that would be applied to counties that are directly affected by mass transit such as Montgomery and Prince George's counties, according to Warren Deschenaux, director of Maryland's Department of Legislative Services.

More

Bradley Suits Move Forward

LEWES — A civil class-action suit against convicted rapist Earl Bradley and Beebe Medical Center is set to move forward.

Bradley was convicted of 24 counts of rape, assault and sexual exploitation involving 86 child patients. He was sentenced to 14 life sentences and 164 years in prison. His defense team has filed a notice of appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Wilmington attorney Bruce Hudson is representing 200 victims and their families against Bradley and Beebe. Hudson said he hopes to get access to 7,400 patient files – “a universe of potential victims” as Hudson called it – dating back to when Bradley first came to the area in 1994. The Department of Justice collected the files from Bradley’s BayBees Pediatrics office.

More

U.S. Losing Edge In Higher Education Worldwide

The United States is losing its advantage in the global talent pool as the number of adults gaining college degrees in countries such as China and South Korea increases rapidly.

Full Story

Fill In The Blank 9-13-11


If I could live anywhere else it would be, ________.

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases

Incident: Domestic Assault
Date of Incident: 10 September 2011
Location: 9000 Block Ocean Hwy., Delmar, MD
Suspect: David A. Dale, 28, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 10 September 2011
, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival an investigation revealed that the victim had been punched in the face and shoulder and sustained minor injuries. Dale was placed under arrest.

The deputy transported Dale to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Dale on personal recognizance.
Charges: 2nd Degree Assault

Incident: Possession of CDS/DUI
Date of Incident: 10 September 2011
Location: S. Park Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Brian Patrick Shortt, 24, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 10 September 2011
at 11:55 PM a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a traffic accident. During the ensuing investigation into the accident the deputy located a small container of what the deputy identified as marijuana inside Shortt’s vehicle. Shortt was placed under arrest.

The deputy transported Shortt to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Shortt on Personal Recognizance.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Incident: DUI Enforcement
Date of Incident: 9 - 10 September 2011
Location: Wicomico County

Narrative: 9 -10 September 2011
, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office conducted traffic stops and identified several impaired drivers, removing them from the roadways of Wicomico County. During this time period, the following individuals were arrested:
1. Pedrov Hernandez-Chan, 25 Salisbury, MD
2. Timothy L. O’Brien, 23, Catonsville, MD
3. Michael E. Swearingen, 20, Salisbury, MD

The Ten Worst Things a Parent Can Say!

Sometimes words leave our mouths and we'd like to shove them right back in. Unfortunately, we don't have a rewind button. Once the words leave our lips, we've already made an impression on our kids.

Consider the following popular parent lines:

1. "Because I'm the adult." That's a problem because it explains nothing other than your age.


More

Troubled Health-Care Staffing Chain Settles With Government For $150 Million

One of the nation's largest health-care staffing companies has agreed to pay $150 million to settle sweeping criminal and civil fraud allegations of submitting false bills to federal and state health programs.

Maxim Healthcare Services Inc. was accused of submitting more than $61 million in fraudulent billings to government health programs for services that were either not provided or not eligible for reimbursement, according to a press release Monday from the U.S. Department of Justice [1]. Eight former Maxim employees, as well as the parent of a former Maxim patient, have pleaded guilty to felony charges.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Joe Davis’s Peanut Brittle

Makes 1 lb. 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Davis’s Peanut Brittle  

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Light Corn Syrup

1 cup Salted Peanuts

1 tsp. Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix Sugar and Corn Syrup together.  Microwave 4 minutes on high.

Remove from oven and add peanuts.

Mix and microwave 5 minutes on high.

Remove from oven and add Butter and Vanilla Extract

Mix and microwave 1 minute on high.

Remove from oven and add Baking Soda.

Mixture will foam. Pour onto greased (I use Pam) cookie sheet and allow to cool. Crack it and put it into airtight container.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

1st 25,000: Free Sample Of Purina One Cat Food

Now People Are Stealing Human Hair?

Here’s a crime trend that’s as equally bizarre as the rise in dog kidnappings, though not as heart-wrenching: Thieves have increasingly been targeting salons and beauty supply stores around the country to steal wigs and weaves made with valuable hair imported from overseas.

Stores are being ripped off of tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise in each human hair heist.

More

Perry Assailed by Gop Rivals, Defends His Record

Attacked from all sides by fellow Republicans, Texas Gov. Rick Perry softened his rhetoric if not his position on Social Security in a crackling presidential campaign debate Monday night. He fended off assaults on his record creating jobs and requiring the vaccination of schoolgirls against a cancer-causing sexually transmitted virus.


Across a fractious two-hour debate before a boisterous tea party crowd, the front-runner in opinion polls gave little ground and frequently jabbed back, particularly at his chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.


More


Today's Survey Question 9-13-11

How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?

Celebrate Constitution Week With A Special Presentation By Eleanor Mulligan

WHAT:  Constitution Week Observance @ the Library
WHO:  Everyone
WHEN: September 21, 2011 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Main Library, Room 1

SALISBURY, MD – September 12, 2011 – Commemorate Constitution Week, September 17-23, at your library by visiting the display presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution and a special presentation of Setting the Table at the White House by Eleanor Mulligan on Wednesday, September 21 at 11 a.m.

View beautiful slides and hear about china, glassware and decorative items added to the White House collection during various administrations. 

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia's Independence Hall. In honor of this historic event, President Bush declared the week of September 17 through September 23, as Constitution Week.

For more information, visit the library’s Web site at http://www.wicomicolibrary.org/. 

Feinstein Claims Treasurer Looted Campaign Account As Fraud Case Deepens

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is the latest lawmaker claiming to have been looted of campaign cash by a Democratic treasurer who's been likened to Bernie Madoff.


Feinstein's campaign, which had a cash balance of $5 million on June 30, believes it suffered losses but does not know how extensive they were, according to campaign adviser Bill Carrick.


More


My Ride Into Work This Morning 9-13-11

BREAKING NEWS

U.S. poverty rate rose to 15.1% in 2010,up from 14.3% in 2009 and the highest level since 1993, Census Bureau says

From CNN

Australia To Host Obama In November

(CANBERRA, Australia) — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Tuesday that she will discuss the global economy and Afghanistan war when she hosts Barack Obama during his first visit to Australia as U.S. president in November .


The White House confirmed Obama will travel to Australia on Nov. 16-17. The trip is in connection with the 60th anniversary of a security treaty between the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.


More




Sometimes You Have To Wonder What Makes Some People Tick

Someone is walking through the Downtown Plaza pulling plants out of the planters. This has never been a problem in the past, so what's new. Let's see, homeless, skaters...

Abuse victims Accuse Pope, Vatican Officials Of Crimes Against Humanity

Victims of abuse by Catholic priests asked the International Criminal Court to charge Pope Benedict XVI and other top Vatican officials with crimes against humanity, a victims' group announced Tuesday.

The pope and other church leaders "tolerate and enable the systematic and widespread concealing of rape and child sex crimes throughout the world," said the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and the Center for Constitutional Rights in a joint statement.

They filed more than 20,000 pages of documents with the international court in the Netherlands to support their charges, they said.

More