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Friday, November 16, 2012

The Economy Is So Bad

CNN USES FAKED PALESTINIAN 'CASUALTY' VIDEO IN COVERAGE

In its pro-Palestinian coverage of the escalated violence in the Middle East, CNN used faked video footage showing Palestinian "victims" of Israel's rockets being dragged off the streets.

On November 15, Anderson Cooper hosted a report by CNN correspondent Sara Sidner. During the wind up to her report Cooper played a few video snippets of "victims" being dragged off the streets of the Palestinian held areas.
But one of those "victims" wasn't a victim at all but was instead a man merely acting injured all for the benefit of western cameras.
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Hostess To Close, Lay Off 18,500 After 'Crippling' Union Fight

A small union's stubbornness in contract talks with Hostess is being blamed for the shutdown of one of America's snack food icons, the loss of 18,500 jobs just before the holiday season and much-needed tax revenue from hundreds of plants and shops across the country.
The privately-held company had reached a deal with the Teamsters, but a smaller union representing bakery workers refused to agree to concessions, prompting the mass layoffs and closing down of hundreds of plants, bakeries and delivery routes. That prompted harsh words from both the company and from Teamsters officials.
"We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike," Chief Executive Gregory Rayburn said in a statement. "Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders."

RICE PREVENTED BIN LADEN CAPTURE IN 1990S, DEMS LABEL HER 'AMERICAN TREASURE'

Today, five Democratic Congresswomen attacked Republican criticism of U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, who is reputedly Barack Obama’s pick to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. They actually called her an "American treasure.” This was after Barack Obama called Republican criticism of Rice “outrageous.”

Reps. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) released a statement which read:
Over the last several days, Senators McCain, Graham, and [Kelly] Ayotte (R-N.H.) have gone to extraordinary lengths to level unfair attacks against a stalwart American whose public service spans two administrations. We call on Senators McCain, Graham, and Ayotte to immediately retract their troubling remarks and shift focus to the important and critical security concerns of our diplomats abroad.
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PHOTO: HAMAS MISSILE LAUNCH PAD NEAR MOSQUE, PLAYGROUND

TEL AVIV – A missile launch site in the Gaza Strip was set up by Hamas just half a block from a mosque and children’s playground, according to aerial photographs provided to WND by the Israel Defense Forces today.
Israel yesterday struck the site in question – a Fajr-5 missile launch pad established to fire long-range rockets into the Jewish state.
The photograph shows a children’s playground and a mosque located about a half a block away as well as two civilian factories and a gas station also within a half-a-block radius.
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Brothers Charged With Swindling NY Man Out of $5M Lottery Ticket

A maintenance worker says he and his wife were forced to file for bankruptcy after he was conned out of a $5 million lottery ticket that two brothers have been charged with trying to falsely claim.
Robert Miles was identified in court papers as the rightful owner of the scratch-off ticket. Two Syracuse brothers face charges of attempted grand larceny and possession of stolen property after they claimed they bought the winning ticket at their parents' store.
The Lottery Division, which planted a fake story with the media to lure the real winner to come forward, has suspended the parents' license to sell tickets at least until after the criminal case is completed.
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Group Asks Obama To Support New Immigration Museum

A coalition of ethnic and minority groups is asking President Barack Obama to create a presidential commission to consider establishing a museum to explore the history of immigration and migration that formed the nation.
In a letter Wednesday, the group called for Obama to appoint a commission to study the creation of a National Museum of the American People in Washington. The group wrote that such an effort would serve as an "act of reconciliation" in the wake of the election.
In 2011, the coalition worked with members of Congress to introduce legislation calling for the museum.
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Bowie State Murder Trial: Alexis Simpson Not Guilty Of Roommate's Death

The jury has returned a not guilty verdict on all seven charges against Alexis Simpson, the Bowie State University student on trial in the death of her roommate.

Simpson sobbed on the stand earlier Thursday, telling the jury she was trying to defend herself during a fight with Dominique Frazier last year.
“I had to defend myself. I was scared,” she said on the stand.
She said she had been bullied by the much larger Frazier and knew that Frazier owned a knife.

John Deere Recalls 4,300 Utility Vehicles

John Deere is recalling more than 4,300 utility vehicles powered by Kawasaki engines because of a fire hazard. 
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the fuel filter can leak, posing a fire hazard.
No injuries have been reported.
The recall involves John Deere TH, TS and TX-model Gator utility vehicles that have Kawasaki FE, FH and FJ series engines. The model information is located on the vehicle's cargo box.
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Maryland Live! Owner Expects To Join Question 7 Lawsuit


The owners of the Maryland Live! casino in Hanover sat on the sidelines while more than $90 million was spent to shift public opinion on the gambling-expansion ballot item that voters approved on Nov. 6.
Now, the owner the Cordish Cos. says he expects to intervene in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the approval of Question 7, which allows a casino in Prince George’s County and Las Vegas-style table games at all state casinos.

But while David Cordish said Wednesday that his Baltimore-based development company will likely participate in the lawsuit, he is unsure if it will side with the plaintiffs, a group of eight slot-machine opponents from Prince George’s County.
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Press Release


Mark Hinkle, Acting Press Officer
For Immediate Release410-965-8904

press.office@ssa.gov
Social Security Field Offices to Close to the Public a Half
Hour Early Each Day and at Noon on Wednesdays
Effective November 19, 2012, Social Security field offices nationwide will close to the public 30 minutes early each day.**  For example, a field office that is usually open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will close daily at 3:00 p.m.  In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, offices will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.
While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime.  The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.  
In addition, on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public.  As we did last year, field office employees working that day will focus on reducing backlogged workloads.
Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office.  Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing us of a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.  People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.  Many of our online services also are available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov.
** NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS—Due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy, Social Security offices in New Jersey, New York City, and Long Island, N.Y. will delay implementing these new office hours.
# # #
SSA Press Office  440 Altmeyer Building  6401 Security Blvd.  Baltimore, MD 21235
410-965-8904  FAX 410-966-9973

Well, Here's What I Call Influential


Washington, DC- Congressman Andy Harris will host an information tele-town hall for citizens impacted by Hurricane Sandy on  Monday, November 19 at 2:30 pm for residents of the Crisfield, Smith Island, Marion, FairmountDeal Island, Ocean Pines and Princess Anne zip codes.  Listed residents will receive a phone invitation at 2:30 p.m.

FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Lapinski will join the congressman on the call to answer citizen questions regarding the federal disaster declaration process, programs for which impacted residents may be eligible, the Federal Government’s response to date, and plans for future assistance to those affected by Hurricane Sandy

Residents who have been displaced or have lost phone service may participate by calling (877) 229-8493 and entering passcode 17603 at or after the 2:30 pm start time.  Due to a limited number of open lines, residents are encouraged to share this information and/or call in with neighbors to ensure that all interested parties are able to participate.

For additional information, please call (443) 397-7254.

Guess Who Just Called Me

After weeks of waiting for a return call, after my Post today, all of a sudden I received a phone call back from Congressman Andy Harris moments ago.

Andy seems quite angry that the state of Maryland hasn't stepped in as we have many resources available but the Governor has dropped the ball.

In fact, Congressman Harris expressed all of his disappointments referencing Crisfield on Governor O'Malley.

Point blank, there's a very good chance FEMA, MEMA and the state of Maryland will never rebuild or remodel the affordable housing units in Crisfield because we have learned our lesson, these units are not high enough to safeguard them from future storms.

Congressman Harris stated they are pushing FEMA to make, (get this) teleconference calls with property owners and residents from Crisfield, they are NOT coming to Crisfield to face people face to face. Now think about this Folks. HOW are the people who have been displaced going to get in on a teleconference phone call if they aren't aware of when it will take place. You know what, I'm going to stop talking about it because quite frankly it ticks me off too much to talk about it.

I kept asking Andy, what are we going to do to relocate these people. He replied, I just don't have any answers at this time. The blame seems to go back to the Governor's Office. I do know that over the past 2+ weeks Mr. Phoebus couldn't even get Somerset County Public Works to come in there to help clean things up. They couldn't even get the Mayor to agree to pay overtime for Town Employees to go around in dump trucks to get the debris set at the curb.

That being said, the state of Maryland should have been called in to help and the Governor dropped the ball. Maybe the rest of the Media is too afraid to speak the truth because O'Malley is planning to make a run for President and they want to keep an open line of communication with him.

OK, so what's the end result, not much. The chances of almost all these homes getting condemned are extremely high.  We might as well get used to the fact that these people are going to be removed and will need housing elsewhere. The property owners who do not have flood insurance are simply screwed, without the help of donations and volunteers. The people in Section 8 Affordable Housing units are pretty much guaranteed vouchers and will be relocated.

Expecting anything to be done any time soon in reference to what still stands there is pretty much a no brainer, nothing will happen. My guess is within 2 years you'll see these projects bulldozed and sold off to developers for pennies on the dollar.

Since O'Malley is also AWOL you might just prepare yourselves for no resolution whatsoever. It will go away just like New Orleans. Donations will cease and in 10 years you'll see a whole new Crisfield. Who knows, maybe O'Malley will purchase a landfill somewhere and build new housing there instead.

Is The Maryland Government RACIST?

When you've got a Mayor of a Town who goes pretty much AWOL after a major catastrophe, a Governor who comes to Town for noting but a photo op and other politicians who want to stand by the Governors side to be in all the pictures, you have what I call a dysfunctional situation.

Today marks the 18th day since hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern Shore and guess what, the federal government has done absolutely nothing to help the people of Crisfield. If it wasn't for John Phoebus and ALL of the volunteers he has brought together, Crisfield would be an even worse disaster.

John was hopeful FEMA was going to render their decision as well as MEMA but Tuesday passed and now they have no idea what's going to happen.

I have made numerous phone calls to Congressman Andy Harris in the hopes he'd take the time to tour Crisfield and help these people in desperate need, he has NOT returned a single call. Now let me tell you why I have a problem with this. I don't just know Andy from helping him with his campaigns over the past several years, I know his Wife, his Children, I'd say we're friends, not just associates. I have been there for Andy when he needed me, I fully expect my FRIENDS to do the same when I make that call asking for help. Keep in mind Folks, I'm not asking for something for Joe Albero. I'm asking for THOUSANDS of people who VOTED for this man.

I want you to know that my friend Jim Mathias has been in the hospital and just when you'd think the guy was down and out to a point in which he physically can't help, Jim has been on the phone doing everything he can to help assist those in need from his hospital bed.

As for the Mayor of Crisfield, Persey Pernell Jr., a Mayor is a LEADER, not a follower. Last night I met with a close friend who is a survivor of 9/11. He is a retired Firefighter who had to step down on disability from the Twin Towers in News York City. After sharing all of the problems I know of in Crisfield, he and John Phoebus are going to meet very soon to discuss his experience in NYC and how they went about restructuring and rebuilding. Here we have a HERO from New York who now lives here on the Shore offering his help, yet Crisfield has a Mayor who is AWOL, go figure.

As many of you are well aware, Crisfield has a large black population. We have shared from the very beginning how the word on the street in Crisfield was that the Mayor wants to condemn the section 8, affordable housing units and get rid of them for good. Is he getting his way?

Clearly Governor O'Malley came and went, leaving ALL of the residents of Crisfield pretty much homeless these past 18 days. Some are still without electricity and most are without heat. Are they seeing a future vision of what Crisfield could become one day as a waterfront community. Are they thinking, if they got rid of those housing units they could perhaps rebound into a more vibrant community?

I'm not sure what the answer is but all you have to do is take a good hard look at what's been done, (or the lack thereof) and see how these residents have been treated. Look at the Main Stream Media IGNORING the hardship at a state level. YOU watch the news. You see all the stories they produce about the hardships in NY & NJ. It burns me up inside knowing Marylanders are sending money to New York and New Jersey, yet we have a major disaster right here in Maryland that is being ignored.

I want to close with this. The other day one of the volunteers called Allied Trailers asking them if they'd be willing to donate a trailer. Many of the buildings in Crisfield have been severely damaged and they need a place where residents can come discuss their problems and get the help they need from volunteers. Allied refused to donate a trailer and the Town is now subjected to rent the trailer because there is NO FEMA help.

So when you see someone like Sandy Fitzgerald  from Pohanka matching ANY donation you make to those in need, perhaps the next time your in need of a construction trailer you'll look for another company willing to give back to those in need instead.

Call your local and state politicians and demand they help these residents in Crisfield or they'll NOT get our votes the next go around. Oh, you might want to ask, are you a racist?

More Contract Problems Found In Transportation Department By Auditors

The Maryland Transportation Department violated procurement procedures by allowing some contractors to perform work outside the scope of their original contracts without rebidding the jobs and without the approval of the state Board of Public Works, auditors found.

In a report released Thursday, the legislative auditors discovered that a rail safety inspection contractor continued to do work after its original contract had expired by making the company a subcontractor under a State Highway Administration contract for bridge engineering and design services.

Responding to the audit, the department said the procurement rules were bent “for the continuation of critical projects and were time sensitive. Those responsible for continuation looked to SHA, with many more contractual resources than TSO [the Transportation Secretary’s Office], as a means to retain the vendor experienced with the projects.”

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How One Local Decision Created A National ‘War On Christmas’

Kokkedal housing association decided to forego a Christmas tree, leading to charges of racism and fears of a Muslim takeover

Christmas is typically such a festive time, but for one housing association in the Zealand town of Kokkedal, it has, thus far, been anything but.


It all started when the association’s nine-person board, five of whom are Muslim, voted against having a Christmas tree this year. They apparently balked at the estimated 7,000 kroner of the tree, but had earlier had no qualms about spending some 60,000 kroner on a party celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid.

Nearly immediately after news of the decision broke, the story of the axed Christmas tree was taken up by the Danish media with gusto after several politicians and commentators suggested it demonstrated an intolerance towards Danish customs held by the minority Muslim population. Before we knew it, Denmark was in the midst of a ‘War on Christmas’.
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Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend

This weekend brings us the return of the famous Leonid meteor shower, a meteor display that has brought great anticipation and excitement to night sky watchers around the world.
This will be a favorable year to look for the Leonid meteor showerbecause the moon will be only crescent and will have set in the west long before the constellation Leo begins to rise into the night sky. The Leonids appear to radiate out of Leo (hence their name), and with the moon out of the sky completely, viewing conditions could be perfect for stargazers with clear weather and dark skies.
The Leonid meteors are debris shed into space by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which swings through the inner solar system at intervals of 33 years. With each visit the comet leaves behind a trail of dust in its wake. Much of the comet’s old dusty trails litter the mid-November part of Earth’s orbit and the Earth glides through this debris zone every year.

OBAMA RE-ELECTION PROMPTS MIDDLE EAST WAR

It is impossible not to notice the timing of this week’s incipient Middle East regional war. It comes approximately one week after Barack Obama was re-elected to the presidency. Last Tuesday, Obama won re-election; four days later, Hamas began firing rockets on Israel’s southern cities in a new wave. The day after that, Syria began shelling Israeli positions in the north. And two days after that, the Palestinian Authority told the press that they would be making another bid for statehood at the United Nations; the same day, riots began in Jordan over gas price increases.

The region is descending into war because of weakness in the White House – but also because each of the regional players, with the exception of Israel and the current Jordanian and Turkish governments (both of them have been silent), has an interest in war. Obama’s empty chair foreign policy has incentivized virtually every anti-American regime in the region into greater aggressiveness. Now Obama is attempting to stuff the genie back into the bottle by issuing statements of support for Israel. But it’s too little too late.

Don't Expect Governor O'Malley In Crisfield Again Any Time Soon


GOVERNOR MARTIN O'MALLEY'S PUBLIC SCHEDULE

November 17, 2012 through November 23, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012

All Day Governor O’Malley to attend National Governors Association Seminar for New Governors       Location:  San Diego, CA

Sunday, November 18, 2012

7:30 p.m. Governor O’Malley to attend Heschel Vision Awards Ceremony
      Location: Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Avenue,
 Silver Spring, MD

Monday, November 19, 2012

  OFFICE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

OFFICE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - Service Reduction Day

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE
 
Thursday, November 22, 2012 - Thanksgiving Day

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Friday, November 23, 2012 - American Indian Heritage Day

NO PUBLIC SCHEDULE

Evolving Generations

Driver Gets Five Years In OC Pedestrian Fatality

SNOW HILL -- A Virginia man who struck and killed a pedestrian on Coastal Highway last Memorial Day weekend while driving drunk and then fled the scene was sentenced last week to five years in jail.

Around 1:20 a.m. on May 28, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 54th Street and Coastal Highway for a reported hit-and-run accident involving a pedestrian. The investigation revealed the pedestrian, later identified as Matthew Jude Cheswick, was attempting to cross Coastal Highway from east to west when he was struck by an Isuzu Rodeo traveling in the bus lane.

After striking the victim, the driver, identified as Diogo Miller Facchini, 30, of Lorton, Va., continued to travel north on Coastal Highway before turning right on 55th Street, where witnesses followed his vehicle until he was apprehended by police. The preliminary investigation revealed Facchini was traveling at a speed exceeding the posted limit when he struck the victim.


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MBE Certification In Centreville


The State of Maryland is committed to enhancing opportunities for small, minority- and women-owned firms to participate fully and fairly in public contracting.  In 1978 the Maryland General Assembly passed groundbreaking legislation and established the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program.  Today, State law sets a goal for contracting to certified MBEs at 25% -- the most aggressive in the nation.

A comprehensive certification program is administered by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE) to ensure that only bona fide firms participate in the program. OMBE also administers the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. DBE goals apply to transportation projects funded by the U.S Department of Transportation which are administered by MDOT.  Requirements for both programs are governed by State and Federal statutes.

The program highlights the benefits of certification, the five core eligibility standards, the application procedures and the overall certification process. It also covers valuable information regarding marketing and business development to government agencies. Firms who participate in a workshop prior to submitting the application tend to have greater confidence as they navigate through the certification process.

Firms interested in seeking MBE/DBE certification through MDOT are encouraged to attend the FREE application assistance workshop to be held on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 from 10:00am until 12:00am. The course will be held at the Queen Anne’s Co. Department of Planning and Zoning, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD  21617 in the Conference Room.

To register please visit Maryland Capital’s Website at www.marylandcapital.org or for more information please contact Jessica Weber at 410-546-1900.
 Pre-registration is required!

Alcohol Industry Blames Flat Sales In Md. On 9% Tax

Representatives from the alcohol industry told the Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates Wednesday that the state’s year-old 9% sales tax on alcoholic beverages has produced stagnant growth in liquor sales in the past year, while growth in neighboring Virginia and Delaware was above the national average.

Banking and real estate panelists also speaking at the board’s economic advisory forum said state and federal regulations will hinder potential private sector growth as the federal fiscal cliff approaches. The board is composed of the state treasurer, comptroller and secretary of budget and management.

David Ozgo, chief economist for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, said the sale of distilled spirits in Maryland has grown just two-tenths of a percent in the past year, well below the national average of 3.1%.

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SHOCK AUDIO: NEW BLACK PANTHER CHAIR — OBAMA’S BOMBED ‘BLACK & BROWN PEOPLE’ BUT HASN’T KILLED ‘ONE WHITE MAN YET’


The Chairman of the New Black Panthers, Malik Zulu Shabazz, had some harsh words for President Obama on a radio broadcast Tuesday, explaining that he’s angry with the president for killing “black and brown people” in Africa while not having killed “one white man yet.”
The often controversial group has been very quiet leading up to the elections, but began broadcasting again this week after a four month hiatus.
Chairman Shabazz immediately opened up the radio show by asking for callers’ questions.  The first caller asked if he supported Obama in any of the last two elections.   Shabazz gave a lengthy answer, saying that before 2008 he had “never voted in any presidential election.”   He explained that he does not give “a damn” about the Democratic Party because they have “misused black people.”   But 2008 was different for Shabazz. He voted for Obama, and the Panther chairman went into detail about that decision.

Let’s Tax Hollywood

President Obama and California Governor Jerry Brown are on the same page: the wealthy in America must foot the bill for the massive debts they’ve run up. Sure, the top 1% of income earners pay 37% of all federal income tax. But they’re not paying their fair share! Let Jerry Brown explain, hot on the heels of convincing Californians to raise their own sales and income taxes:
Revenue means taxes, and certainly those who have been blessed the most, who have disproportionately extracted, by whatever skill, more and more from the national wealth, they’re going to have to share more of that.
This, of course, is pure Marxism – the idea that there is a stagnant pool of national wealth, and that the rich plunge into it, shoving others out of their way, to hog all of the wealth for themselves. And Obama feels the same way:

Arts & Craft Show


Yes Gym Fine Arts & Craft Show
Saturday, Nov 17, 2012. 10 am - 5 pm
123 Main St.,Fruitland, Md
Many artists and crafters in one location from various areas
Raffle table and bake sale also
Come do some Christmas Shopping!

Treat Your Family To ‘Breakfast With Santa’ On December 1



Salisbury, MD – Join Santa and his elves at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 1 at 9:00am. After enjoying a hot, all-you-care-to-eat breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash rounds, juice and coffee, you and your family can listen to a reading of The Christmas Hippo by author Lisa E. Williams. Each child will also have the opportunity to make a special Christmas craft, bounce around in our bounce house and most importantly - visit with Santa!

The Christmas Hippo is an enchanting children’s book that invites readers to join a bus driver in his journey to learn the importance of turning to God in heartfelt prayer. The story teaches children that God cares about even their smallest concerns. Copies of The Christmas Hippo will be available for purchase at the breakfast.

Tickets for the event are $10.75 for adults and $8.75 for children under 10. Tickets are available for purchase at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21804; M-F 8am-6pm), by phone at 410-548-4911 or online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org. (Online / ticket mailing fees may apply.) Ticket sales will end on Thursday, November 29 at noon, so get yours today.

Clean Water Act Suit Enters Final Stretch

BERLIN -- The latest milestone in the ongoing landmark civil suit filed against a Berlin farm family and Perdue over alleged pollution violations passed this week with parties on both sides filing their proposed findings of fact and conclusions.

Testimony ended in mid-October in the civil trial pitting a New York-based environmental watchdog group against Berlin’s Hudson Farm and Perdue and on Wednesday, each of the parties filed their proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law following the trial. In the findings of fact and conclusions of law, each of the parties attempts to show the court what they were successful in presenting during the trial and what their opponents did not prove successfully.

The filing of the documents by the defendants Hudson Farm and Perdue, and the plaintiff, the Waterkeeper Alliance, represent the next significant step in what has been a three-year battle and moves the case closer to a conclusion. Each of the parties will now have the opportunity to refute their opponents’ findings and conclusions before closing arguments scheduled for later this month. It remains possible U.S. District Court Judge William Nickerson could waive oral closing statements in the case if he determines the findings and conclusions filed this week are satisfactory in determining a ruling.

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Tax Code Rewards People Who Don't Work

With the Fiscal Cliff[1]looming, kids, it’s time for “The Talk.”
By ‘The Talk,’ I mean yank our minds into the grown-up world.  We have been innocent about how money really gets made, and kept, and taxed.  The ‘adults’ know, but they haven’t felt comfortable sharing the real truth.  We didn’t know, and we didn’t think we could talk about it.  It seems embarrassing for some reason.  Almost dirty.  Maybe it’s the way we were brought up.  Nevertheless, now’s the time for ‘The Talk.’
Here it is in a nutshell: The way the ‘grown-ups’ – our elected officials – set tax policy tells us how they value different ways of making money.  They see three different ways to make money, and they clearly favor the first two.

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One Turtle Hatchling Thriving After Being Relocated From Assateague

ASSATEAGUE -- It was good news, bad news this week as just one of the loggerhead turtle hatchlings rescued from the beach on Assateague in advance of Hurricane Sandy has lived, but the tiny survivor is well on the road to rehabilitation.

On Friday, Oct. 26, just about two days before Hurricane Sandy arrived in the mid-Atlantic area, biological technicians and other staff from the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) of the National Aquarium in Baltimore excavated a loggerhead sea turtle nest from the north end of Assateague Island National Seashore in advance of the storm. The loggerhead nest, one of the first viable ever discovered on Assateague, contained three live hatchlings and 160 potentially viable eggs, which had been incubating in the warm sand since the end of July.

The excavation of the nest was planned because the window for viability of the hatchlings and eggs was ready to expire, but the pending arrival of Sandy expedited the project. National Aquarium Stranding Coordinator Jennifer Ditmar said this week the nest was discovered in late July and had been closely monitored throughout the late summer and early fall.

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Electronic Publishing And The Internet Reformation


Mike King of The Motley Fool tells us of "more large falls in newspaper circulation." This is an ongoing story but one that King flips around in a recent article on the subject. "Offsetting the decline, digital sales of newspapers appear to be rising," he writes, citing the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) release.

For King this is a bright spot, presumably because he thinks mainstream US newspapers are worth saving. I'm not so sure, nor am I sure that what King sees constitutes a significant reversal. Let's return to King's analysis. He writes:

Metropolitan daily newspapers posted an average 6.5% fall in the September quarter, while national newspaper circulation fell 5.5%. That's the 27th consecutive quarter of falling circulation.

Part of the decline in newspaper sales is the result of the publishing companies cutting uneconomic distribution regions, as the companies look to cut costs and focus on profitable areas of the business. Australia's Fairfax Publishing plans to introduce subscriptions for its metro online and app versions of its mastheads next year.

"The latest ABC figures clearly show that people in Australia will pay for quality journalism in both print and digital formats," The Newspaper Works CEO, Tony Hale, said. He added, "The multi-platform publishing strategies being pursued by the major newspaper publishers have produced a very promising picture of newspaper circulations."

Ocean City Christmas Parade Marches Saturday, Dec. 1

The 30th Annual Ocean City Christmas Parade marches along Coastal Highway on Saturday, December 1 at 11 a.m.  The holiday parade, which starts at 100th Street and marches northbound in the southbound lanes of Coastal Highway to the Gold Coast Mall at 115th Street, will feature more than 80 units, including high school bands, horses, llamas, antique cars and colorful holiday floats.
Professional judges will be on hand to review bands and other marching units in nine categories and trophies will be awarded inside the mall following the parade for first, second and third places in each category. To participate in the parade, which is sponsored by the Gold Coast Mall Merchants Association, citizens should call Elaine Jarvis at 410-524-9000.  There is no charge to participate.
For those simply wishing to spectate, plenty of seating will be located in the parking lot of the Gold Coast Mall. Spectators will not be permitted to watch the parade from the median area of Coastal Highway. The parade is expected to last approximately two hours. Motorists traveling in the area are reminded that traffic pattern changes will occur starting at approximately 9 a.m.

THE GOOD DOCTOR ON SECESSION


This was an interview reposted on RonPaul.com from a couple years ago when Rick Perry still had balls and was talking about Texas Seceding. As always, Dr. Paul educates and tells it like it is.
Ron Paul: Secession Is an American Principle
By RonPaul.com on November 13, 2012
This weekend I got a couple of calls from the media asking me questions about Rick Perry, our governor here in Texas and the statements he made about possible secession. Now, he didn’t call for secession, but he was restating a principle that was long held and at least in the original time of our country, and that is that there was a right to secession.
Actually, after the Civil War, nobody believes there is a so-called right to secession, but it is a very legitimate issue to debate because all of the states that came into the Union before the Civil War believed they have a right to secede and New England in the early part of the 19th century actually considered it, and nobody questioned them about whether they had the right to do it or not.

Movie Star's Brother Charged In Sex Abuse Investigation

A 66-year-old Edgewater man is under arrest on $800,000 bond on child sex abuse charges that span several years.
Anne Arundel County Police said John Villers-Farrow was taken into custody yesterday following a three month investigation into claims that he sexually abused several children starting in 2000.
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Delmarva Canes Travel Baseball Fundraiser

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALL DINNER   $10.00 EACH
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2012, BEGINNING AT 6:00 P.M.
 
 
AT THE ELKS LODGE, 401 CHURCHILL AVENUE,  SALISBURY, MD
                              (near the Salisbury Zoo)
 
 
FOR THE BENEFIT OF DELMARVA CANES 14 YR. OLD TRAVEL BASEBALL
 
                            DAVE HOLLISTER ON SAXOPHONE 
 
                            THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Md. Counties Seek Break From Land-Use Bills

 Maryland counties need a time out on land-use legislation to deal with bills already passed by the General Assembly.

That's the word from the Maryland Association of Counties. MACO spokesman Les Knapp says counties need time to deal with bills already been passed and can't absorb additional requirements or mandates. Knapp says Maryland counties have to adjust to new septic system requirements and 10 counties will have to deal with stormwater fees next year.

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The Alternative Minimum Tax Is Heinous

In 2012, about 4m taxpayers will get stuck paying the AMT tax. As the WSJ headline suggests, that number could go to 33m  in 2013. That’s a massive increase; it will cause all sorts of problems. From the IRS letter to Senator Hatch re the AMT:

If there is no AMT patch enacted by the end of the year, the IRS would be forced to operate the 2013 tax filing season based on the expiration of the AMT patch. There would be serious repercussions for taxpayers.
The changes to the AMT exemption amount and the special tax credit ordering rules could affect more than 60 million taxpayers – nearly half of all individual income tax filers.
 (Note: Even if you do not owe AMT, you have to fill out and file the AMT forms.)
About 28 million taxpayers would be faced with a very large,unexpected tax liability for the current tax year (2012).
(Note: The AMT patch actually expired in 2011; a one-year exemption was granted, but the exemption is not effective if not re-patched. This was a legislative “time bomb” that was included in the deal that created the fiscal-cliff (debt ceiling deal).

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Texas Prepares To Ban The NDAA And TSA Pat Downs


The several States composing, the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government; but that, by a compact under the style and title of a Constitution for the United States, and of amendments thereto, they constituted a general government for special purposes — delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving, each State to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self-government; and that whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.

- Thomas Jefferson in the Kentucky Resolution of 1798 in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts
It was always inevitable.  Once enough people realized that the Federal government is nothing more than a collective of corrupt, criminal thugs there was bound to be a backlash.  Given the structure of these United States, it was bound to take the form of States rights versus centralized power in Washington D.C.  This is not about Obama; the cancer in the capital is bipartisan.

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Kudlow: Desperate Dems Pinch Romney Plan

Ahead of the election, Mitt Romney scored well on economic issues – with many polls saying Romney was viewed as better for the economy than Barack Obama.

It appears Democrats in the Senate and House are heeding those results.

A plan presented by Romney and embraced by the GOP to cap deductions appears to be gaining traction despite Romney’s loss.