Attention

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

Monday, December 26, 2011

Marriage Proposal: UPDATE: She Said Yes & Sent This Image


Christina, I love you very much. I am so happy we have a life and home together. We have made it through a lot of hard times together and I want you to know that you mean the world to me. I know you have been waiting for me to ask for a long time. Christina will you be my wife?, Will you marry me?

Travis. A. Lambert
GS-11 Step 5
Department of Homeland Security
United States Coast Guard
New York City, NY 10305

Ocean City Police Officer Speaks Out

Mr. Albero, I am a current Ocean City Officer; and I'd like bring some things to your attention.

I find it so ironic that the department initially claimed they would not comment on this situation because it was personnel matter, now suddenly they are more than willing to address it publicly. Of course, Kirkpatrick still does not speak, why, their public attack on Earl would lead me to believe that it is no longer a personnel issue. In fact, I don't think in the history of our department, including cops arrested and currently incarcerated for child sexual abuse, as well as cops charged with various other crimes, has a Chief ever attacked an ex-employee in a public venue like this? Earl is a private citizen, she is the Chief of police acting in her professional capacity and she is attacking a private citizen publicly, in my experience that is simply unheard of!

I guess the gag order is off, since she is now talking openly about it. Funny how she can't find time for exit interviews, or even talking with Earl when the situation was happening. Now she has cops investigating, chasing down vets in different states as she stated, all on the tax payer dollar, what a waste. Is this not an issue, is this acceptable? In is worse than that, they are doing more, so far in the paper she has admitted to chasing downs vets, soon it will come, it doesn't end with the vet hunt.

The blog posts about our department, her conduct so far proves them to be accurate. Look at the intimidation, the bullying, the name calling, blaming the messenger, what a hostile environment...for a private citizen! Imagine the great lengths to punish you as an employee, look how she handles a private citizen.

If the dog was still healthy would they dump it for $1.00. This is a very expensive working police dog, Charlie has had more drug seizures and arrests than any other Ocean City K-9 in our history. Charlie was never sued by anybody for bite in the line of duty, no other departmental K-9 can say that! Ask other agencies what they thought of Charlie, or Campbell, let them speak for his record. They were the most sought after and heavily used team by all of our local allied agencies! So we have a dog, worth over well $10,000 and this is a low estimate, that had done more than any other Ocean City K-9, yet he was so healthy they gave him up for a dollar? Yeah, that makes sense!

I read the Times, I saw what Earl said, he is afraid! Look at how she attacks him openly, what kind of attacks are they conducting behind the scenes? They are much greater, believe me, it isn't good. I know, it will come out soon and it is very bad! Earl is definitely under attack and he should be very careful right now, it is no joke!

Earl previously shared with a few of us that he had received many personal threats by email throughout this ordeal,did any come from our group? He has to take them all seriously, are they real, I don't know, but they can't be ignored. What if just one is credible, he does not work here anymore, there is no reason for him to continue to place himself in danger, for what? Why should he fight a battle and risk his safety or most importantly the safety of his family? What price does he have to pay? The dog is his private property, and he never accepted the departments attempt to buy his silence after the event was public. He owes nobody anything, he certainly owes the department nothing, but he absolutely owes it to his family to keep them safe!

So far our only action is chasing down vets across three states, has anything been done to address the many serious allegations? Did the FOP president call the DOJ as he publicly stated he would? Are these not important questions, why are they not being asked? Why are we chasing vets for an ex-employee, instead of investigating the misconduct that was reported about current and still working officers?

It all seems so wrong and yet so typical. I believe Earl must take the situation very seriously, this is no joke! I believe his safety is in jeopardy, and obviously so does he based on his decision to stop talking. Good for him, it is the right decision, and he should be left alone. Let's demand the chief answer questions, there are many out there, and she has answered none.

I have tried to call Earl, he avoids my call. I understand and don't blame him, he doesn't know who to trust and is going to be focused on keeping his family safe, what else is more important!

The threats, the bullying, the intimidation, it all continues, now it is Dipino in her capacity as the chief doing it publicly! Make no mistake this is what happens behind our closed doors, even worse! At no point has she put Kirkpatrick out to answer the one simple question, did he ever claim the council was preventing him from getting Charlie the necessary treatment. If Charlie was not in poor health, why did he sell the best performing K-9 in Ocean City's history for one dollar ($1.00)? Let's get these answers.

Councilmen Hall says he never spoke to Kirkpatrick, did anyone? Did Kirkpatrick tell Earl he was being stymied by the council, these are questions that need to be answered. These are electing officials and Kirkpatrick is a tax payer supported employee, he should be forced to respond, but he isn't? Why, why are we so focused on attacking a private citizen who owns his pet, and ignoring the questions that really need to be addressed? If its truth we are after, the first question is to Kirkpatrick, let's demand accountably from us, the cops and the brass at 65th street.

Thank you Mr. Albero,

I'd like the papers to publish this as an editorial, but I don't think they will, maybe or I hope I'm wrong.

An Ocean City Police officer

Man In Santa Suit Killed 6 Relatives

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) - Police in a quiet Fort Worth suburb worked Monday to piece together a family history after a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit apparently shot six relatives and himself on Christmas.

Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling said the shooter showed up in the Santa outfit shortly before gunfire erupted and that the family appeared to have been opening Christmas presents. Police responding to a 911 call found four women and three men dead, along with two handguns.

"We think he was just inside there celebrating Christmas with the rest of them and decided for whatever reason that's how he's going to end things," Eberling told The Associated Press.

More

Great Post At 7 PM


Make sure you stop back at 7 PM for the first of its kind Post.

Troopers Step Up Patrols For Holiday Safety

Date: Monday, December 26, 2011

Resume:

Dover-
The Delaware State Police will be out in full force to get impaired drivers off our roadways this Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. Troopers intend to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our highways during this holiday season with Troopers focusing on distracted driving, motorists not wearing seat belts, unrestrained children in vehicles, and any aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding, following too close, and especially, driving under the influence.

By following these easy steps, a driver can enjoy a safe and festive holiday without jeopardizing their life or the lives of others who may be on the road:

· Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin

· Before drinking, please designate a sober driver and give that person your keys

· If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely

· If you see a drunk or aggressive driver on the road, immediately contact 911 as soon as safely possible.

· If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

The Delaware State Police would like to wish everyone a happy but SAFE holiday season!

Paul: 'Descent Into Totalitarianism'

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul warned that the National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed by Congress this month, will accelerate the country’s “slip into tyranny” and virtually assures “our descent into totalitarianism.”

“The founders wanted to set a high bar for the government to overcome in order to deprive an individual of life or liberty,” Paul, the libertarian congressman, said Monday in a weekly phone message to supporters. “To lower that bar is to endanger everyone. When the bar is low enough to include political enemies, our descent into totalitarianism is virtually assured. The Patriot Act, as bad as its violations against the Fourth Amendment was, was just one step down the slippery slope. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act continues that slip into tyranny, and in fact, accelerates it significantly.”

The NDAA is the nearly $670 billion defense spending bill that covers the military budget and funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One controversial provision mandates the detention of terror suspects and reaffirms the administration’s authority to detain those suspected of having ties to terrorist organizations.

“The Fifth Amendment is about much more than the right to remain silent in the face of government questioning,” Paul continued. “It contains very basic and very critical stipulations about the due process of law. The government cannot imprison a person for no reason and with no evidence presented and without access to legal council. The danger of the NDAA is its alarmingly vague, undefined criteria for who can be indefinitely detained by the U.S. government without trial.”

“It is no longer limited to members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, but anyone accused of substantially supporting such groups or associated forces,” Paul continued. “How closely associated, and what constitutes substantial support? What if it was discovered that someone who committed a terrorist act was once involved with a charity? Or suppose a political candidate? Are all donors of that candidate or supporters of that candidate now suspects and subject to indefinite detainment? Is that charity now an associated force?”

More

De Borchgrave: Obama Administration 'Totally Blind' In Confronting North Korea

Foreign policy expert and Newsmax columnist Arnaud de Borchgrave says that U.S. intelligence agencies were “totally blind” to the death of North Korea leader Kim Jong Il – a huge failing in confronting one of the most unstable regimes in the world.

Despite the massive resources of the United States’ 16 intelligence services, with 100,000 employees and a combined annual budget of about $80 billion a year, the Obama administration didn’t know about Kim’s death until North Korea finally announced it on Dec. 18.

Kim died of a heart attack while traveling through his country on a train, according to the state-controlled media in North Korea. Other sources in South Korea have suggested that he may have been murdered to ease a transition to a government ostensibly headed by his son backed by a cadre of generals.

The U.S. State Department finally acknowledged the press reports many hours after the official North Korean announcement.

North Korea should be high on U.S. intelligence radar, especially with its nuclear capability and open enmity toward U.S. ally South Korea.

The border between the two countries is considered one of the three or four most dangerous flashpoints in the world – a place where hundreds of thousands of people could die in a matter of minutes if war erupted.

Nonetheless, the U.S. intelligence agencies missed “something as easy to spot as a train . . . the only train moving around North Korea, with the boss on board, and somebody stops and there’s a flurry of activity . . . You’d think somebody would have spotted something,” said de Borchgrave, director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

His comments echoed other criticism in the media since the death of the North Korean dictator, who ruled over what has been dubbed “the hermit kingdom” because of its extreme isolation from the rest of the world.

Read more

WHAT MITT PAYS

Want to know why Mitt Romney won’t release his tax returns? Well, one of the reasons is that he probably pays less taxes than you do. As a corporate buyout specialist, he’s made millions of dollars in income from investments, which are taxed at a far lower rate than the wages of regular Americans -- as low as 15% for the richest Americans in the country. That means Mitt Romney pays a lower tax rate than many teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other middle class Americans, a policy he would continue if he becomes President. Use our tool to find out how much more you pay in taxes on your income than you would if you enjoyed the special millionaire investor tax rate that Mitt Romney gets.

More

Police: Christmas Eve Robbers meet Match


Two would-be Christmas Eve robbers met their match when police say the Greenwood homeowners they intended to rob fought back.
Jared S. Pentoney, 24, of Seaford and Adam J. Presock, 27, of Laurel broke into a home at 3:04 a.m. in the 400 block of Mill Street, said Chief Mark Anderson of the Greenwood Police Department.
Inside the home, Anderson said, the men assaulted several occupants but fled after the homeowners defended themselves.

D.C. Archbishop: Federal Policies Need to Respect Religious Expression


The federal government must take care not to penalize religious expression, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., said in an interview aired Sunday, as religious groups crank up their objections to a mandate in the Obama administration's health care law that requires free contraceptive coverage in health care plans. 
Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Cardinal Donald Wuerl said the Church is reviewing Obama administration policies -- most recently its proposed regulation to change the definition of "religious employers" to allow narrow exemptions to the contraceptive care rule. 

Cops: Gunman Who Killed 6 Relatives Wore Santa Outfit


The man believed to have killed six relatives and then himself on Christmas Day was dressed as Santa Claus, police said Monday.
The shooter "showed up shortly before the incident took place" in the Santa outfit and was a member of the family opening gifts in the apartment, said Grapevine police spokesman Sgt. Robert Eberling.
Eberling said the identity of the man and the victims will be released after autopsies are conducted later Monday.

Superbowl To Be Streamed Online And Mobile

A few select companies have confirmed that they will be offering a streaming broadcast of this year's Super Bowl, which will be played on February 5 in Indianapolis (ironic, huh?) In addition, certain playoff games that have not been named yet will be broadcast online. Currently, NFL.com and NBCSports.com will be streaming the Super Bowl for free to computers. Verizon has also confirmed that devices running the speedy 4G LTE data plan will be able to view the games for free, while phones running 3G such as the iPhone and iPad will require a $10/month video subscription.

So what does the online offering mean for NFL fans and sponsors this year? With 111 million viewers last year and the infamous Black Eyed Peas halftime performance, it's hard to think the number could keep going up. However, take into consideration the millions of people who work on Sundays while the Super Bowl is being played. The availability of the streaming broadcast could drastically increase the total number of viewers, easily shattering last year's record. Also foreseeable with the advent of major events such as the Super Bowl streaming online is the increasing popularity of ranking shows and programs ranked not just by their television views but by their online views.

Author's Afternote: GO PACKERS!
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/20/tech/web/super-bowl-online/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6

Mike's Tech Service
mdtechservice@comcast.net

Stallion Castration Plan On Hold Until Court Rules

Federal land managers have agreed to postpone their precedent-setting plan to castrate hundreds of wild stallions in eastern Nevada pending a federal court's review of the issue.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's action came a week after a coalition of conservationists and wild-horse defenders sued the government in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to block the plan's implementation.


More

Multiple Vehicle Accident On Rt. 13 In Salisbury


There's been a multiple vehicle accident south bound on Rt. 13 in front of Zia's. Traffic is backed up quite a ways, once vehicle is flipped on its side.

Fire on Christmas Morning Kills Family Of Ad Exec In Conn.


Three young girls and their grandparents died in a three-alarm house fire in Stamford, Conn., early Christmas morning  as the girls’ mother desperately tried to save them, authorities said.
The mother of the girls was fashion consultant and advertising executive Madonna Badger, who created the Mark Wahlberg Calvin Klein underwear ads.
Badger and her boyfriend, a contractor who had been doing work on the five-bedroom house, managed to escape from the first floor.

'Anonymous' Targets Security Think Tank

(LONDON) — The loose-knit hacking movement "Anonymous" claimed Sunday to have stolen thousands of credit card numbers and other personal information belonging to clients of U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor. One hacker said the goal was to pilfer funds from individuals' accounts to give away as Christmas donations, and some victims confirmed unauthorized transactions linked to their credit cards.

More

Couple Says Southwest Put Disabled Son At Risk

A New Hampshire couple said Saturday that Southwest Airlines flight attendants put the couple's terminally ill son at risk by ordering him out of a safety seat and into a regular passenger seat for a flight home from Florida.


More

"Mega Monday" Adding Sizzle For Retailers

(CBS News)  
It's "Mega-Monday," and retailers expect the day after Christmas to be one of busiest shopping days of the year.
It will also likely be the biggest day for returns and exchanges.
And this Christmas was a little brighter for the nation's retailers, with holiday sales up 3.8 percent over a year earlier, according to the national retail federation.
Final sales figures for the two month period are expected to hit $469 billion nationwide, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

State Still Footing the Bill for Perry Security Detail

Gov. Rick Perry was near the height of his popularity when he barnstormed California in September to raise money for his presidential bid and to participate in his first nationally televised debate.


His state-provided security guards were flying pretty high, too, spending more than $32,000 in taxpayer money for travel and lodging in San Francisco, $4,400 to dine near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and $6,400 for plane tickets to San Diego, about 160 miles away, records show.


More

Why's The Media Shafting Ron Paul, And Ignoring NDAA & SOPA Dangers?


The American broadcast media's ongoing blackout of NDAA and SOPA -- and their race to marginalize GOP presidential front-runner Ron Paul -- suggests a level of moral bankruptcy in the press that is troubling, to say the least.
Even though President Obama is on vacation in Hawaii, NDAA sits on his desk, and could receive his signature via autopen at any moment -- certain hotly contested provisions within the NDAA would allow for the lifelong imprisonment of American citizens on US soil, by military force, without right to a trial, access to an attorney, and so forth -- yet the media isn't talking about it?

More

Fill In The Blank 12/26/11

I ____ way too much for Christmas!!!

States' Efforts to Enact 'Caylee's Laws' Garner Support, Controversy


When the Florida Legislature begins its 2012 session next month it will do so just six months after a jury acquitted Casey Anthony of killing her 2-year-old daughter in one of the state's most high-profile murder trials.
That verdict has some legislators pushing a law that would make it a felony if a parent or guardian doesn't tell authorities a child is missing or dead within a certain period. Some legal experts and law enforcement officials say the law as written reaches too far.

More

Ex-Md. Bank Executive Accused Of Mail Fraud

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A former Baltimore banking executive is facing federal mail fraud charges.

Prosecutors accuse Rosamaria T. Somarriba, a former assistant vice president for M&T Bank, of using fraudulently obtained funds to pay American Express bills and her taxes. She's accused of defrauding a federal export credit agency and an international corporation, taking more than $223,000 between 2006 and 2011.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Somarriba started with the bank in 1985 and was fired this year. She worked in the bank's international trade finance division.

More

1941 Fruitcake In Ohio Sells For $525

CINCINNATI (AP) - A 1941 fruitcake has sold for $525 to an Arizona man in an Ohio company's online auction, and the money will go to the homeless in southwest Ohio.

More

Medicare Cut Averted In Nick Of Time

WASHINGTON -- Just in time for the holidays, Congress voted Friday morning to pass a payroll tax cut extension bill that also would postpone Medicare cuts for doctors, ending the political standoff that threatened to cut reimbursements to physicians by 27 percent.

 The Senate and the House of Representatives both passed the bill by unanimous consent Saturday morning, with no opposition. The bill -- which would extend a payroll tax break, unemployment benefits, and postpone the Medicare cut scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 -- now goes to the president for his signature.

More

Study To Focus On Md. Minor League Stadium

SALISBURY, Md. - A feasibility study will be done to determine whether upgrades are needed at a Maryland stadium that's home to a minor league baseball team.

Members of the Wicomico County Council approved paying one-third of the cost for a feasibility study of Perdue Stadium, where the Delmarva Shorebirds play. The Daily Times of Salisbury reports the Maryland Stadium Authority's study will focus on what upgrades are needed to keep the team viable and profitable

More

Retailers Change Up Return Policies

Some retailers are making it easier for customers to return gifts with relatively relaxed return policies. Other retailers, however, are making it even harder.

More

Today's Survey Question 12-26-11


Was Christmas everything you thought it would be this year?

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases 12-26-11

Incident: Attempted Burglary
Date of Incident: 23 December 2011
Location: Jackson Road Fruitland, MD
Suspect: Melissa S. Pond, 30, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 23 December 2011
, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported suspicious person on Jackson Road in Fruitland. An investigation revealed that the suspect, Melissa Pond, appeared to be intoxicated and was attempting to enter a residence. The occupants of the residence did not know Pond. Pond also damaged a flower pot at the residence. Pond was placed under arrest, and charged with the below offenses.

The deputy transported Pond to the Central Booking Unit where she was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner placed a $10,000 bond on Pond.

Charges: Attempted Burglary
Trespass
Malicious Destruction of Property

Incident: Possession of CDS
Date of Incident: 21 December 2011
Location: Beaglin Park Drive Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Michael J. Dryden, 18, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 21 December 2011
a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a subject possessing contraband. During the ensuing investigation, the deputy located a smoking device containing suspected marijuana residue, in the back pocket of the suspect, Michael Dryden.

The deputy transported Dryden to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner placed a bond of $10,000 on Dryden.

Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of CDS Paraphernalia

MVA CHANGES THAT WILL EFFECT EVERYONE

From Earl R. Kratsch, State Treasurer
Fraternal Order of Police, Maryland State Lodge, Inc.
810 River Road, Sykesville, Howard County, Maryland 21784 Office 410-442-8260
Liaison / Advisor to the Maryland Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors
Chairman, Fraternal Order of Police COPS RIDE

Beginning January 1st, 2012, the MVA will no longer be sending out Driver*s License renewal notices.
.
It's your responsibility to keep track of when it's due for renewal. And be careful, if you miss your renewal date for over a year, you will have to take a driver's test again!
Driving without a *valid* Driver's License is considered a MAJOR VIOLATION & could affect your insurance premium.

FYI*. Your Driver*s License renews on your birth date every 5 years!!! Check your driver*s license*. Is it time to renew??

Pass this valuable information along to family, friends & colleagues.

Maryland drivers can now ADD THREE EMERGENCY CONTACTS TO THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE

so police will know who to call if an accident occurs. The emergency contact information is stored electronically on an individual's driver's license and will be available only to authorized law enforcement personnel.

You can go to the MVA's website at www.mva.maryland.gov and add your three emergency contacts in just a few minutes. You will need your Driver*s License Number to complete this process.

1. Go to the website: www.mva.maryland.gov
2. Go to *On-line Transactions* (upper left) & click on *More*
3. Click on *Emergency Contacts* (bottom of left column)
4. Follow prompts.

Open Christmas Day, Obama Free Cell Phones



The Last Run, Maybe

Santa’s been running late because of all the speed traps and Clovers out there. Not to mention the endless meetings with his legal team to make sure the factory’s in compliance with the latest workplace safety rules – and the elves happy with the terms of their latest contract.

Thank God the sleigh doesn’t have to have a catalytic converter.

Yet.

There have been rumblings, though, about his operation of an open sleigh without a helmet – and the need to fit said sleigh with Daytime Running Lamps to improve its visibility. It does not meet current federal bumper impact standards and Rudolph’s red nose is clearly a problem as it could be construed as impersonating an emergency vehicle.

It will have to go.

Then there is the issue of Santa’s time behind the reigns. DOT rules say no more than 11 hours in a given 24. Luckily, Christmas eve is just one night – but Santa had better keep his logs straight, just in case.

His “papers,” too.

Santa should expect to be stopped several times at various checkpoints – where a bearded male with headgear will surely arouse suspicion of evil-doing. What could be under that thick coat? What’s in that bag? Isn’t red the color of martyrdom? Has he been drinking tonight? Just look at that red nose. Spread ‘em! Santa should be prepared for his Enhanced Pat Down and Body Cavity Search.


Hopefully Missus Klaus will have laundered his underthings. And he better have a bail bondsman on his speed dial.

Meanwhile, those reindeer.

More

More Bad News For The Anti-Energy, Green Greed Brigade

What do solar energy companies have in common with Second Lieutenants on the first day of the Somme? Yes, that's right. (H/T GWPF)

In Germany, especially, the attrition rate has been amazing. According to Reuters, no fewer than 5,000 German solar companies have gone bust in the last year, shedding around 20,000 jobs.

Workers in Germany's once booming solar energy industry face a shakeout of major proportions following declines in the price of solar panels over the past year.

Cuts in subsidies for solar energy, weaker demand for panels and fierce competition from cheaper Asian rivals are eating into what was once the world's biggest hub for the production of solar cells, taking the shine off an industry that was effectively born in Germany.

Well boo hoo. That's the price you pay for building an industry which should never have existed in the first place – and certainly wouldn't have done had it not been for the heavy subsidy programme launched a decade ago by the Schroeder-led Green/Social Democrat coalition.

Whenever I make this point, the menagerie of trolls who congregate below this blog go into paroxysms of self-righteous rage, accusing me of heartlessness. No, trolls: heartless is when governments confiscate money from taxpayers and squander it on creating fake (aka "green") jobs in fake industries which go bust the second the exchequer realises it no longer has enough money to keep them on the life support machine.

And though, as I've said before, I have a certain degree of sympathy for the workers who joined the solar industry in good faith, imagining it had – ho ho – a bright future and would provide them with a lasting career, I have none whatsoever for those at management/investment level. If people like Tom Singh, brother of Britain's third most-famous celebrity mathematician Simon Singh, end up getting their fingers badly burned by solar, well, caveat emptor. Presumably they must have done their due diligence. And if they did, it would have been perfectly clear that solar power is little more than a rent-seeker's charter: it does not – and quite possibly never will – create real value; it is obviously unsuited to northern climes; it is, like most renewable energy, yet another pernicious scheme by which wealth is transferred compulsorily from the poor into the pockets of the rich and cynical.

Something similar is happening to the European carbon trading industry. In November last year, you'll gleefully recall, the US Chicago Carbon Trading Exchange (CCX) collapsed when, in the space of two years, the carbon dioxide price fell from $7 a tonne to 7 cents a tonne. And where the US leads, Europe follows.

More

The Economic Solutions Of Vampires

The vampire bat is a horrifying pig-nosed wart of a creature which feasts in a manner that, believe it or not, is a rather familiar scene to those of us who closely study alternative economics. After erratically flittering about in the sinking evening sky, it targets the warmth of a sleeping farm animal and latches onto it with its claws. Carefully, it inserts a fang into a vein dense region of the creature’s body, and laps away at the blood. Normally, the oblivious livestock are completely unaware and helpless to the attack. The tiny parasite does not inflict an immediately mortal blow to its host, but over time, disease and physical debilitation result. The vampire has destroyed the animal, and, pathetically, the animal has no idea.

Just as in nature, the economic world has its own bloodsucking vermin in the form of banking elites which are a wretched drain on the whole of the human race. Without their vicious and predatory presence, I envision a world so rapturously above and beyond what we wallow in today that it is impossible to describe. The disgust many feel when considering the virulent feeding habits of the common mosquito or the slithering leech does nothing to compare to the utter gut churning revulsion I feel when studying the financial habits of banks like the Federal Reserve and the “too big to fails”. They are without a doubt the most malignant form of social cancer imaginable.

And yet, after nearly four years of ongoing fiscal exsanguination, a sizable portion of the American populace is still looking to these pests for economic comfort and reassurance, just like farm animals consistently grazing near the entrance of a vampire bat cave, as if it is a shelter from harm. Worst of all is the willingness by which investors still, to this day, commit their savings and their livelihoods to the stock market meat grinder. Let’s be honest; the typical American daytrading investor is a complete moron. They have absolutely no sense of the fundamentals of our financial structure nor the eccentric rules by which it operates. They only have the faintest inkling of the functions of the highly manipulated stock market. They foolishly believe that what little money they make today riding the wave of an illegitimate liquidity driven rally they will actually get to keep. For them, stock investment is no different from buying a scratch-off lotto ticket at a hillbilly gas station; it is a cheap and tawdry game rife with failure but exciting to play, if only for a fleeting guilt addled thrill.

More

What Would Ron Paul Own?

When looking for guidance in life people have been known to ask, "What would Jesus do?" After all, Jesus was an anarchist and very principled so it makes sense to look to someone like him after which to model their life.

Today, the closest thing to Jesus in American politics is Ron Paul. Paul is a rarity in politics because he has principles. You can boil down Paul's position on anything by asking, "is it constitutional?". He doesn't flip flop on issues because he sticks to his principles. Does he support the IRS and income tax? No, because it's unconstitutional. Does he support the Federal Reserve and the fiat dollar? No, because it's unconstitutional. And, the reason he believes in the constitution is because he believes it is the best document written to uphold freedom and liberty.

So, when Ron Paul recently released the contents of his investment portfolio ("The Ron Paul Portfolio") as part of his congressional filings we looked on with interest. Would his investments be as principled as the other facets of his life? Would he hold to his convictions about gold as money? In this case, it isn't "What would Jesus do?", it is, "What would Ron Paul own?"

More

Candidates Should Return Tainted Funds From Richard Stewart


O’Malley Advisor Who Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion Gave $75,000 to Democratic Candidates

ANNAPOLIS
- Governor Martin O’Malley answered last week’s calls from Republicans to dismiss his friend and political advisor, Richard Stewart, as the only civilian commissioner on the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Committee and as a member the Maryland Stadium Authority. The Governor attempted to distance himself from the situation by following the dismissal with the claim that he was “clueless.”

According to the Department of Justice, “From 2003 through at least 2008, Stewart did not collect, truthfully account for and pay over approximately $3,969,337 of Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes and federal income tax withholdings, commonly known as trust fund taxes, from his employees’ wages.” Stewart plead guilty to the charges and now faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

David Ferguson, Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party, commented by saying, “This is not a matter of left or right, but right and wrong. As more facts come to light, it would be entirely appropriate if the candidates who received stolen money return the contributions.”

Ferguson continued, “It is unfortunate Governor O'Malley feels character flaws and criminal activity are irrelevant when he selects advisors to manage the people’s business. Whether he was willfully ignorant or simply irresponsible, either is dangerous and detrimental to Maryland’s future.”

According to the Federal Elections Commission and the Center for American Politics at the University of Maryland, Stewart made contributions to 48 candidates totalling nearly $73,230 during the time frame he was was stealing from his employees. Among his largest benefactors were Governor Martin O’Malley, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, and the Maryland Democratic Party.

The average donation per candidate was $1,525.63, almost three times the average weekly income of a Prince George’s County resident.

Richard Stewart’s Contributions


$7,500.00 Democratic State Central Committee Of Maryland
$7,000.00 O'Malley, Martin Friends Of
$6,100.00 Vaughn, Michael Friends Of
$5,000.00 Albert Wynn for Congress
$4,750.00 Brown, Anthony Friends Of
$4,250.00 Walker, Jay Friends Of
$4,200.00 Dixon, Sheila Friends For
$3,000.00 O'Malley Brown Committee Slate
$2,500.00 Exum, (Nathaniel) The Committee
$2,000.00 Democratic National Committee
$2,000.00 House Democratic Committee Slate, Maryland
$1,500.00 Branch, Talmadge Friends of
$1,500.00 Elijah Cummings for Congress
$1,500.00 McFadden, Nathaniel J. for Senate
$1,500.00 Muse, C. Anthony Friends Of
$1,250.00 Baker, Rushern III Friends Of-Comm For Pol Change (CPC)
$1,150.00 Jacobs, Jeana Citizens For
$1,100.00 Stone, Howard W. Jr. Friends Of
$1,000.00 Committee For A Progressive Prince Georges Slate
$1,000.00 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
$1,000.00 Exum, Camille Friends Of
$1,000.00 Harrington, David Friends Of
$1,000.00 Hillary Clinton for President
$1,000.00 Miller, Juanita Friends Of
$1,000.00 PEOPLE FOR CARL ANDREWS COMMITTEE
$900.00 Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee
$750.00 Currie, Ulysses Friends Of
$750.00 Dean, Samuel H. Committee To Elect
$600.00 Turner, Ingrid Citizens To Elect
$500.00 Collins, Reuben Friends Of
$500.00 Frank Kratovil for Congress
$500.00 Kendrick Meet for Florida
$500.00 Kweisi Mfume for US Senate
$500.00 Leggett, Isiah Ike Friends Of
$500.00 Mechanical Contractors of America PAC
$500.00 Rawlings-Blake, Stephanie Friends Of
$500.00 Unity Slate
$300.00 Young, Bernard C. Friends Of
$250.00 Barack Obama for America
$250.00 Holmes, Marvin E. Jr. Friends Of
$100.00 Community Coalition Advocacy Slate
$100.00 Fennell, Diana Friends Of
$100.00 High, Melvin C. Friends Of
$100.00 Thomas, Nathaniel New Beginnings Committee To Elect
$75.00 Turner, Arthur Friends Of
$70.00 Johnson, Jack Friends Of
$50.00 Coryell, Walter Citizens For
$35.00 Realtors PAC, Md. (MD RPAC)

Sources:
1. Paul S. Herrnson, P.I., Maryland Elections Center (College Park, MD: Center for American Politics and Citizenship, University of Maryland).
2. Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20463

Joe.

Just wanted to give you and update on Eric’s condition. He was moved from ICU yesterday to room 3022 in the Layton Towers (one floor above the ICU). He is doing great for just having double bypass surgery and has seen the comments on your site and they have probably made him feel super and well liked and respected. I know he wants to thanks all those who have written. The doctors are even talking about him coming home this week, maybe Wednesday or Thursday, depending on his condition.

Thanks to you and all of his friends, He doesn’t like to refer to them as customers or clients.

To All best wishes for the new year from the entire Ludwig Family.