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Thursday, December 20, 2012

‘VIOLATED’: WOMEN SUBJECTED TO ‘ROADSIDE BODY CAVITY SEARCH’ DURING ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP (AND DASH CAM CAUGHT IT ALL)

Two women from Irving, Texas are suing state troopers and the head of their department in federal court after they say they were forced to endure an illegal and humiliating “roadside body cavity search” during a routine traffic stop, The Dallas Morning News reports.

The case is currently under investigation by the public integrity division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and will go before a grand jury in January.

The dash-mounted camera on a trooper’s vehicle reportedly captured the entire incident on video. Angel Dobbs, 38, and her niece Ashley Dobbs, 24, say the unlawful search happened on the night of July 13 along a state highway.

More Including Dash Cam Video 
 (Content Warning!): Dash Cam

Syrian Regime Bombs Palestinian Refugees; UN Condemns Israel

Two days after Syrian regime fighter jets bombed a Damascus suburb that is home to 150,000 Palestinians registered by the U.N. as refugees, the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday passed nine Mideast-related resolutions by large majorities – all critical of Israel.

The only reference to Syria during the session was to the “occupied Syrian Golan” – the strategic ridge captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War and formally annexed in 1981.

The passage of the nine Israel-focused resolutions came less than three weeks after the General Assembly (UNGA) passed six other resolutions critical of Israel, under its agenda items “the question of Palestine” and “the situation in the Middle East.”

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'VULTURES': NEWTOWN RESIDENTS DETAIL MEDIA HARASSMENT

The Newtown Bee is a local paper where Friday's awful school-shooting took place. Monday, they found it necessary to post a Facebook plea asking their colleagues in the national media to, "PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE VICTIMS."

What's most infuriating, though, are the comments left by those who identify themselves as Newtown residents and visitors. They've detailed some truly outrageous and insensitive behavior they claim to have witnessed the media engage in -- including being lied to by CBS, calls at all hours, cameras staking out funeral homes, and more...

Continue HERE

Student Arrested After Possessing A BB Gun At School

Location: Lake Forest High School, 5407 Killens Pond Road, Felton, DE

Date of Occurrence: Thursday December 20, 2012 at approximately 7:10 a.m.

Defendant, Charges, and Bond Information:

16 year old male, Felton, DE (No photo or name to be released)
Carrying a Concealed Dangerous Instrument (Misdemeanor)

Issued a criminal summons and released to the custody of a parent pending a hearing in Family Court.

Resume:
Felton, DE- The Delaware State Police have arrested a 16 year old Lake Forest student after he brought a BB gun to school.

The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m. this morning as students were exiting the busses at the high school. A male student, who was riding the bus with the 16 year old, informed a teacher upon arriving at the school that the suspect told him he was carrying a gun and then showed it to him on the bus. The teacher alerted the school administrators and School Resource Officer (SRO) who immediately contacted the subject in the hallway and escorted him to an unoccupied office. A search of the student’s backpack revealed a plastic BB gun and a clip loaded with BBs. A parent of the 16 year old was contacted and responded to the school to take custody of the teen. The 16 year old was issued a criminal summons for Carrying a Concealed Dangerous Instrument. He will appear in Kent County Family Court at a later date for arraignment.

Any inquiries into the student’s status should be directed to the Lake Forest District Office.

BREAKING NEWS: House Passes Spending Cut Bill

In a 215-209 vote, House Republicans approve the first of two bills aimed at averting the looming fiscal crisis, approving a plan that would replace sweeping cuts to defense and other programs with cuts elsewhere in the budget. 

From Fox News

AUSTIN RESTAURANT CLOSES AMID FUROR OVER OWNER’S OUTRAGEOUS COMMENTS ABOUT SANDY HOOK VICTIMS

Just hours after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Friday, Austin business owner Eddie Nimibutr wrote on his personal Facebook page that he didn’t “care if a bunch of white kids got killed.”

The resulting backlash was both swift and severe. On Monday, Nimibutr’s restaurant, Thai Noodle House, was forced to close its doors and turn off its lights, KEYE-TV reported. Only time will tell if the close is permanent, but the owner said the restaurant will stay closed for the time being for fear retaliation against him and his employees.

After initially refusing to apologize and telling those who disagreed with him they didn’t have to eat at his restaurant, Nimibutr provided an apology of sorts to KEYE-TV, but he did not completely take back his statement.

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Dear Michigan Union Workers


NRA SEES HUGE SPIKE IN MEMBERSHIP AFTER SANDY HOOK MASSACRE; NUMBERS SAID TO ‘DWARF PAST TRENDS’

A gun enthusiast looks at weapons at the Wall of Guns on the floor at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings and Exhibits on April 14, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Though it has remained largely silent since the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Conn. last week, the National Rifle Association has reportedly registered about 8,000 new members a day since the tragedy.

An NRA source tells Fox News that, based an internal memo prepared by the group’s membership division, the number of individual contributions to the NRA and the average amount given have spiked significantly in the time since the shooting.

“While this broadly aligns with trends seen after similar incidents in the past, the surge in membership this time is said to dwarf past trends,” Fox News reports.

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Strike Looms At East And Gulf Coast Ports

BOSTON (AP) - East Coast businesses are bracing for a possible walkout of 14,500 workers that could close 15 ports from Massachusetts to Texas.

The latest talks between shipping companies and dockworkers broke down Tuesday, less than two weeks before the contract expires Dec. 29. That's led to worries a strike is inevitable.

The National Retail Federation wrote to President Barack Obama this week to ask him to use "all means necessary" to head off a strike, which it fears could have catastrophic economic ripple effects.

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Man Who Jumped On Fields, Banned

The man accused of trespassing at Camden Yards on opening day and at M&T Bank Stadium during a Ravens game has been sentenced.

For trespassing on the fields of Oriole Par and M&T Bank Stadium during Orioles and Ravens games earlier this year, Mark Harvey pled guilty today and received a 180-day prison sentence with all but 4 days suspended, 18 months of probation, 80 hours of community service, a $400 fine and a lifetime ban from both facilities.

On April 6, 2012, Harvey entered the field of play during an Orioles game. Five months later, on September 23, 2012, he did the same thing during a Baltimore Ravens contest. 

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Brain Teaser

What would be the seventh rung of the following pyramid?
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221


Here is the correct answer

Answer: 1113213211. After the first line, each line describes the previous line as follows:
one 1
2 Ones
One 2, One 1
(and so on...)


1 is read off as "one 1" or 11.
11 is read off as "two 1s" or 21.
21 is read off as "one 2, then one 1" or 1211.
1211 is read off as "one 1, then one 2, then two 1s" or 111221.
111221 is read off as "three 1s, then two 2s, then one 1" or 312211.

New School To Replicate Sandy Hook Elem.

MONROE, Conn. (AP) - When the children who survived a shooting that killed 20 of their classmates return to school in a different building, they'll find things just as they left them Friday, down to the water bottles and boxes of crayons sitting on their desks.

They'll have their same chairs and desks, when possible. Their classroom walls will be painted the same colors and be hung with the same pictures. Other details, such as the location of bookshelves and cubby holes, will be replicated as much as possible.

The new Sandy Hook Elementary School will be located in a vacant middle school in Monroe, about six miles from the old school. It's expected to open in January, and students will remain there at least through the academic year with Donna Page, a retired Sandy Hook principal, leading the new school.

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Christopher Johnson Walks Into Va. Sandy Hook School With 2X4

A man walked into northern Virginia's Sandy Hook Elementary School on Wednesday with a 2-by-4 printed with the words "High Powered Rifle" and was quickly subdued by a school resource officer, the sheriff's office said.

Christopher G. Johnson, 33, did not resist arrest and was attempting to deliver a message "related to school safety," said Maj. Scott Proctor of the Shenandoah Sheriff's Department.

The school located about 50 miles west of Washington shares the same name as the Connecticut elementary school where 20 schoolchildren and six adults were shot to death by a lone gunman on Friday.

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Dancing Cop Stops Holiday Traffic In Rhode Island


Ah, Christmas in Rhode Island. Exquisitely decorated mansions in Newport. A red nose on the giant termite that sits atop a Providence exterminator's building. And a traffic cop, doing disco and salsa moves in the middle of rush-hour traffic.

Officer Tony Lepore is as much a holiday tradition as anything else in the state that issued the first jail sentence for speeding 108 years ago. Since 1984, he has entertained drivers, pedestrians and gawkers with dance moves in downtown Providence _ all while directing traffic.

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Police: 46K+ Assault Weapons Legally Registered In Md.

Maryland State Police told the 11 News I-Team that there are more than 46,719 assault weapons legally registered in Maryland, a statistic the I-Team asked for in light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

The 46,719 assault weapons represent about 6 percent of the more than 771,000 registered firearms in Maryland.

Many are arguing that the assault weapons are so lethal and capable of killing and harming so many at one time that there is no good reason for them to be legally available at all, while others disagree.

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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY CONGRATULATES SENATOR MIKULSKI ON APPOINTMENT AS CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 20, 2012) - Governor Martin O’Malley today released the following statement on Senator Barbara Mikulski becoming the first woman to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee:

"Senator Mikulski is the perfect choice to Chair the Senate Appropriations Committee. She is one of the most effective Senators ever to serve in the U.S. Senate Chamber, and we in Maryland know firsthand her commitment to creating jobs, expanding opportunity, protecting the safety and security of Maryland’s families, and protecting our quality of life. There is no one better to continue Senator Inouye’s legacy.

We are very proud that she will be the first woman ever to serve as Chair of this prestigious committee."

Help Kick Khamenei Off of Facebook

Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Roozbeh Farahanipour, an Iranian journalist, democracy activist, former political prisoner in Iran and head of Marze Por Gohar Party (MPG), an Iranian opposition party seeking the establishment of a secular republic in Iran.

FP: Roozbeh Farahanipour, welcome to Frontpage Interview.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s highest hard-line clerical leader, has started a Facebook page. You have, in turn, launched an online campaign to have him kicked off of Facebook, circulating a diagram that includes step-by-step directions in English and Persian on how to report the page to Facebook. I would like to talk to you about this today.

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Salisbury Middle 7th Grade Chorus Concert Dedicated To Families of Sandy Hook Elementary

The Salisbury Middle School 7th Grade Chorus concert tonight will be dedicated to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary, with students and concertgoers signing a banner that will be sent to the town. A Salisbury Middle family has a personal connection to a family that lost someone in the Sandy Hook tragedy, and the school wanted to do something to show the Sandy Hook Elementary and Newtown, CT community that others care and are expressing sorrow for their losses.
Here is the other information on the concert:
Salisbury Middle School presents the 7th Grade Winter Chorus Concert, “North Pole Star,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 in the school cafeteria. This musical is a spin on the popular reality TV show American Idol. The reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen) are competing for the coveted title of “North Pole Star.” With three distinguished judges as help, the audience will choose the winner. Tickets $1, sold at door. 410-677-5149, ext. 4777

Stats


http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/guns.cfm

Supreme Court Rulings Limit Options Of Gun-Control Task Force

Washington, DC — The Obama administration’s high-level gun-control task force, established Wednesday, will be navigating tricky legal terrain reshaped by Supreme Court conservatives.

Some state and local gun-control measures already have died over the past four and a half years, done in by the high court’s 2008 ruling that recognized expansive constitutional protections for firearm ownership. Similar Second Amendment restraints will limit the ambitions of the Obama gun task force and its Capitol Hill counterparts.

“The Supreme Court has decided that the amendment confers a right to bear arms for self-defense, which is as important outside the home as inside,” Judge Richard Posner of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted in a ruling last week.

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We Know How To Stop School Shootings

In the wake of a monstrous crime like a madman's mass murder of defenseless women and children at the Newtown, Conn., elementary school, the nation's attention is riveted on what could have been done to prevent such a massacre.

Luckily, some years ago, two famed economists, William Landes at the University of Chicago and John Lott at Yale, conducted a massive study of multiple victim public shootings in the United States between 1977 and 1995 to see how various legal changes affected their frequency and death toll.

Landes and Lott examined many of the very policies being proposed right now in response to the Connecticut massacre: waiting periods and background checks for guns, the death penalty and increased penalties for committing a crime with a gun.

None of these policies had any effect on the frequency of, or carnage from, multiple-victim shootings. (I note that they did not look at reforming our lax mental health laws, presumably because the ACLU is working to keep dangerous nuts on the street in all 50 states.)

Only one public policy has ever been shown to reduce the death rate from such crimes: concealed-carry laws.

Their study controlled for age, sex, race, unemployment, retirement, poverty rates, state population, murder arrest rates, violent crime rates, and on and on.

The effect of concealed-carry laws in deterring mass public shootings was even greater than the impact of such laws on the murder rate generally.

Someone planning to commit a single murder in a concealed-carry state only has to weigh the odds of one person being armed. But a criminal planning to commit murder in a public place has to worry that anyone in the entire area might have a gun.

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GM To Buy Back 200M Shares As Part Of Gov’t Exit

The Treasury plans to sell its remaining stake in General Motors over the next 15 months, allowing the automaker to shed the stigma of being partly owned by the U.S. government.

GM said Wednesday it will spend $5.5 billion to buy back 200 million shares of its stock from the Treasury by the end of this year. The government, in turn, plans to sell its remaining stake of 300 million shares on the open market over the next 12 to 15 months.

GM will pay $27.50 for each share, about an 8 percent premium over Tuesday’s closing price of $25.49. The shares shot up more than 8 percent in premarket trading to $27.57.

The deal almost certainly means that the government will lose billions on a $49.5 billion bailout that saved GM from being auctioned off in pieces during the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009. GM’s buyback will cut the Treasury’s stake to 19 percent from 26.5 percent. For it to break even, Treasury would have to sell the remaining 300 million shares for average of about $70.

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Why The Chinese Demand US Gun Control

Chinese State Media Demands US Citizens Be Disarmed ...The official Chinese government news agency, Xinhua, has demanded the US immediately adopt stricter gun control measures to reduce the number of firearms the US populace is permitted to possess. The Chinese state-controlled media's statement, titled "Innocent Blood Demands No Delay for US Gun Control," is primarily focused on the Newtown tragedy in which 26 Americans were killed by a mad gunman. Twenty of the victims were young children. The Chinese government stated, "Their blood and tears demand no delay for the U.S. gun control." – Breitbart

Dominant Social Theme: The Chinese are rightfully concerned with US violence.

Free-Market Analysis: The Chinese have weighed in ... Breitbart is reporting that the Chinese government is concerned about US gun violence (see above excerpt). This is notable because it tends to support certain dominant social themes we have noted before.

We do believe that the Chinese, like the Russians and the rest of the BRICs, are part of an effort to create global governance. The British – the City of London being an integral part of this larger effort – virtually ran China and India once upon a time.

While British influence has eroded among the civilian population, chances are the power elite behind past depredations remains quite influential with the political and military class.

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GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO HOST PRESS CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RELIEF IN CRISFIELD

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 19, 2012) – TOMORROW at 10:00 a.m., Governor Martin O’Malley will hold a press conference thanking President Obama, Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, and local elected leaders for their work in helping secure additional funds for residents of Somerset County affected by Superstorm Sandy.
WHAT: Governor O’Malley to hold press conference in Crisfield

WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, December 20th at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Somerset Disaster Recovery Center
2 Mill Lane, Crisfield, MD

Changes In Law Aim To Protect Kids’ Online Data

Aiming to prevent companies from exploiting online information about children under 13, the Obama administration on Wednesday imposed sweeping changes in regulations designed to protect a young generation with easy access to the Internet.

Two years in the making, the amended rules to the decade-old Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act go into effect in July. Privacy advocates said the changes were long overdue in an era of cellphones, tablets, social networking services and online stores with cellphone apps aimed at kids for as little as 99 cents.

Siphoning details of children’s personal lives — their physical location, contact information, names of friends and more — from their Internet activities can be highly valuable to advertisers, marketers and data brokers.

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The Fiscal Cliff: Hubris Of Small Differences


fiscal plans
This is one of the most revealing graphs we have posted.  This Great Graphic [4] comes from the Washington Post's Wonk blog.

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Lewes Police Charge Sam Donaldson With DUI

Sam Donaldson, a former ABC political correspondent, was arrested Dec. 1 in Lewes after police say he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

A Lewes Police Department officer stopped Donaldson, 78, around 8 p.m., for a traffic violation on Savannah Road.

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Tennessee Considers Arming Teachers

Tennessee has emerged this week as a center of the “the answer is more guns in schools” sentiment following the Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting.
A member of the Republican-controlled legislature plans during its upcoming session to introduce a bill that would allow the state to pay for secretly armed teachers in classrooms so, the sponsor told TPM, potential shooters don’t know who has a gun and who doesn’t.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has said the idea will be part of his discussions about how to prevent a shooting like the one in Newtown from happening in the Volunteer State.

As has been seen following other mass shootings, there’s a strong segment of the gun rights lobby that says the answer to events like the one in Newtown is more guns in more places.

Caption This Photo 12-22-12


Video Shows Golden Eagle Snatching Child Or Does It?



The “Golden Eagle Snatches Kid” video, uploaded to YouTube on the evening of December 18, was made by Normand Archambault, Loïc Mireault and Félix Marquis-Poulin, students at Centre NAD, in the production simulation workshop class of the Bachelors degree in 3D Animation and Digital Design.

The video shows a royal eagle snatching a young kid while he plays under the watch of his dad. The eagle then drops the kid a few feet away. Both the eagle and the kid were created in 3D animation and integrated in to the film afterwards.

The video has already received more than 1,200,000 views on YouTube and has been mentioned by dozens of media in Canada and abroad.

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Too Big To Jail

What’s worse than unjust and ineffective laws like the failed War on Drugs and the failed sanctions on Iran?

Unjust and ineffective laws that apply to ordinary folks, but not to banksters:
When the Justice Department announced its record $1.9 billion settlement against British bank HSBC last week, prosecutors called it a powerful blow to a dysfunctional institution accused of laundering money for Iran, Libya and Mexico’s murderous drug cartels.

But to some former federal prosecutors, it was only the latest case of the government stopping short of bringing criminal money laundering charges against a big bank or its executives, at least in part on the rationale that such prosecutions could be devastating enough to cause such banks to fail.

They say it sounds a lot like the “too big to fail” meme that kept big but sickly banks alive on the support of taxpayer-funded bailouts. In these cases, they call it, “Too big to jail.”

This stings. It should sting anyone who cares about the idea of equality in front of the law, anyone who cares about the basic rule of law, anyone who doesn’t want to see their society devolve into a festering pool of feudalism.

According to the most recent data, there were 197,050 sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction of which 94,600 were serving time for drug offenses.There were 1,362,028 sentenced prisoners under state jurisdiction of which 237,000 were serving time for drug offenses. That’s over 300,000 individuals serving time currently for drugs offenses, in addition to over one million currently on probation. Now I don’t agree with the War on Drugs at all. But big banks are deemed too “systemically important” to be held to the same standard as the huge and disproportionately black population  of low-level drug users.
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In Rehoboth Beach, Memorial Honors Shooting Victims

Twenty decorated wreaths on a snow fence on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk serve as a memorial for the 20 young shooting victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

REHOBOTH BEACH — People everywhere are looking for a way to deal with the pain and grief they feel for families who lost their children in the senseless shootings in Newtown, Conn.

Two Rehoboth Beach brothers expressed their feelings by creating a memorial of Christmas greens that stands along the Boardwalk. As if by magic, 20 memorial wreaths and six evergreen crosses appeared late Dec. 18 near the Bandstand.

The memorial is a tribute to the 20 children and six adults murdered Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Below each wreath is the name of a child who died, and tied to each wreath is a Christmas stocking containing their name. Six crosses - three on each side - bear the names of the slain adults to complete the memorial.

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Change Maryland To O'Malley: Lead On Solving Transportation Problems

Annapolis - Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan called on Governor Martin O'Malley to show leadership on addressing the state's transportation problems and urged legislative leaders to help him do so.

In a meeting with reporters yesterday, O'Malley said the challenge to addressing transportation needs is not including a lock box provision to protect funds from being used elsewhere in the state budget and then went on to say that he's "open to any lock box anyone wants to propose."

"The Governor is making the transportation funding problem worse by sending such confusing signals," said Hogan. "It's no wonder people despise increasing the gas tax - they know that politicians will simply waste the money and spend it however they choose."

Specific steps that must be taken now to restore confidence in the state's ability to invest in transportation infrastructure are requiring the administration to first pay back the money drained from the transportation budget and enact measures to protect the transportation trust fund.

In addition, Hogan, the former state Appointment Secretary, called on O'Malley to appoint a transportation secretary. The previous MDOT secretary announced in April that she would be leaving the cabinet post and eight months later the Governor has yet to announce a replacement. "This is very poor timing to have a rudderless ship,"said Hogan, noting that the department is the largest in state government.

Since O'Malley became Governor in 2007, nearly $700 million has been diverted from transportation and has not yet been repaid. Chronic siphoning of such funds and the lack of a consensus on how to protect the transportation trust fund have caused O'Malley's gas tax increase and other revenue proposals to stall. In yesterday's meeting the Governor sought to draw a distinction between highway user revenues and the transportation trust fund, both of which are funded by state tax dollars.

"People don't sit in traffic wondering whether they are on a state highway or a county highway," said Hogan. "The bureaucratic difference over which pot of money goes to what road has absolutely nothing to do with solving transportation problems."

The gasoline tax is a proposal that won't go away. In the closing moments of the last regular General Assembly session, the Governor clumsily announced on a radio station an ill-conceived plan to apply the sales tax to gasoline. The proposal had no political support and failed to get voted out of committee. Most recently, county executives in Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's held a so-called transportation summit last week to plead for higher fuel levies.

"Here we go again," said Hogan. "We were successful in stopping the gas tax increase, and the sales tax on gasoline last session, but they are still trying to ram it through. And now O'Malley expects struggling Maryland families and small businesses to pay for his mistakes. They want us to forget about the hundreds of millions of dollars he robbed from transportation funds."

Over the past decade, $1.1 billion in transportation funds initially intended for local governments to use on roads and bridges has been put into the state's general fund to help balance the budget.

"After raising taxes and fees 24 times and taking an additional $2.4 billion a year out of the pockets of taxpayers, we know O'Malley prefers raising taxes over leading," Hogan said."O'Malley must show leadership and take some responsibility on funding transportation, or he's going to achieve the same dismal results as before with the failed gas tax schemes."

Legislative analysts say the state is about $2 billion short of the money it needs to undertake projects currently approved.

Utah Sixth Grader Placed .22-Caliber Handgun To Classmate’s Head

Police say an 11-year-old boy pulled a .22-caliber handgun on an elementary school classmate on Monday after his parents allegedly encouraged him to carry it for protection after last week's shooting in Connecticut.

Sixth grader Isabel Rios said that it was during morning recess at West Kearns Elementary outside of Salt Lake City that the boy placed the unloaded gun to her and her friend's head. Its ammunition was found in his backpack.

‘I told him I was going to tell, but he said, "If you tell, I'm going to kill you,"’ Isabel told KSL.

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Twice As Good As Ever

It's been a difficult road to travel but Eric Ludwig is finally back to work full time and he's added a second Barber Chair to his Shop on the Downtown Plaza.

Oh, it gets even better. The Barber in training to the left is now doing FREE haircuts by appointment only. 

Take the kids in to get a haircut and Eric has a free Christmas gift under the tree for every child getting a haircut.

Welcome Back Eric

Move To Allow Same-Sex Couples To File Joint Returns

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot said that he will work to ensure that same-sex married couples can file joint tax returns in the state.

Either legislation or a regulatory change will be necessary to allow gay couples to file jointly, according to Franchot.

He said that federal law currently prohibits gay couples from filing joint tax returns, and Maryland's tax code is joined to the IRS unless specific exceptions are made.

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Interesting - And Provocative - Take On Connecticut

Friends, there is a gift that God has given me: I can smell something fishy a mile away. Like Benghazi. Almost on day one, I told my husband: “The facts don’t make sense. Something is wrong here.” Last night, after I saw a talking head interview (or, I should say, NOT interview) the father of the boy who saw his teacher get shot and ran for his life with a couple of friends, I told my husband, “Something is not right here. She didn’t ask a single relevant question. So far, this boy is the only eye-witness of the gunman coming forward. She didn’t ask if the boy saw one or more shooters. She didn’t ask any details of what the gunman did first, second, third. She didn’t ask for a description of the gunman. These reporters are complete prostitutes. They could care less about the feelings of the people they interview. So why didn’t she ask any of these questions?” In fact, I could tell she was biting back questions. I looked at my husband and said, “Cal, this thing is starting to stink. By now, there should be many eye-witness accounts of the actual gunman. There should be breathless survivors talking about how this guy walked by their room, etc. About how they narrowly escaped. But so far, it looks like every single eye-witness is dead. That is IMPOSSIBLE!”

I watched the situation LIVE. There were original reports of a second man who was found in the woods that they had put in custody. This man was NEVER spoken of again. Why? The details of the shooting changed enormously from one minute to the next. Inside sources at the police departments were reporting one thing while the official accounts said completely different information. The news reports were full of such ambiguous NON statements that I was furiously looking throughout the internet to find solid evidence or eye-witness accounts to clarify. None was to be found. One example: They originally said that the shooter was buzzed in via the front office’s new video security system. Then, the news report said, “The shooter was NOT voluntarily buzzed into the school.” What the heck does THAT mean? Does that mean he forced his way through the system? Does that mean they have video evidence of his face? Does that mean that there was someone on the inside putting a gun to someone’s head to buzz the shooter in? Huh?

Biden 2008: If Obama ‘Tries To Fool With My Beretta, He’s Got A Problem’

CECIL CO. MAN FATALLY WOUNDED BY TROOPER AFTER PURSUIT AND ASSAULT

(ELKTON, MD) – A wanted Cecil County man was fatally wounded by a state trooper early this morning when he is believed to have assaulted the trooper following a vehicle and foot pursuit.

The deceased is identified as Anthony A. Hammond, Jr., 41, of the 300-block of Willow Drive, Elkton, Md. Hammond was pronounced dead at the scene.

The trooper involved is identified as Trooper First Class Michael Cox. TFC Cox is an eight-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and is assigned to road patrol duties at the North East Barrack.

The preliminary investigation indicates that TFC Cox was in uniform and on patrol in a marked vehicle shortly before 1:30 a.m. today in the area of Winchester Drive, near Elkton. The trooper saw a 2004 Dodge Durango, which matched the description of a vehicle he knew was driven Hammond, who he knew to be wanted on warrants.

The trooper began to follow the vehicle and the driver began to accelerate away even before the trooper activated emergency lights. The driver, later identified as Hammond, turned off the car lights and drove about a mile to the 300-block of Willow Drive, where he struck a parked car before jumping out and fleeing on foot. A female passenger in the car also fled on foot.

The trooper pursued Hammond on foot and saw him kick in the door of a residence in the townhouse community. Not knowing who lived in the home, the trooper followed Hammond into the home, while repeatedly giving verbal commands to surrender.

According to the preliminary investigation, when the trooper entered the home, Hammond turned and ran toward him. There is no indication that Hammond was carrying a weapon at that time. The trooper had drawn his weapon and the suspect attempted to disarm the trooper. The trooper was in fear for his life and fired his department issued Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol, striking Hammond in the upper torso. Emergency medical services units responded to the scene and pronounced Hammond dead.

State Police crime scene technicians and investigators processed the scene at the home after a search warrant was obtained. Investigators have learned Hammond had apparently been living at the address, which is the home of his sister and her family. Six other people were in the home at the time of the shooting. No one else was injured. A number of them told State Police investigators that they heard the trooper giving multiple verbal commands before the shooting.

Troopers have verified Hammond was wanted on eight warrants for criminal charges in Maryland and multiple warrants for criminal charges in Delaware. The Maryland charges include three failure to appear bench warrants, as well as warrants for theft, credit card offenses, attempting to elude police, and telephone misuse/harassment. Hammond was also driving on a revoked driver’s license.

The investigation into the trooper involved fatal shooting is being conducted by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit. The Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Unit is also conducting an investigation. Both investigations are procedure when a police involved shooting occurs. TFC Cox has been placed on routine administrative leave, which is also State Police policy when a trooper is involved in shooting.

State Police investigators have been in repeated contact with members of the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding the ongoing investigation. When the investigation is complete it will be forwarded to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review.

Sickening!

Female US cop caught on tape giving two women body cavity search during routine traffic stop... and 'using the SAME gloves on both'
Angel Dobbs, 38, and niece Ashley Dobbs, 24, were pulled over on State Highway 161 near Irving, Texas

Trooper searched car for marijuana before requesting invasive cavity search

Older woman claims search by trooper Kellie Helleson irritated an anal cyst she was suffering causing 'severe pain and discomfort'

Also suing the Texas Department of Public Safety for failing to act on previous complaints about 'violating' searches

OCPD Officers Recover 3 Guns During DUI Arrest

On December 16, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Ocean City police officers stopped a vehicle


Scot Donald Randolf

in the area of 65th Street and Coastal Highway in reference to drunk driving. Prior to the stop, officers received information that the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Scot Donald Randolf, 43, of Ocean City, was very intoxicated. In addition to receiving information describing Randolf’s vehicle, officers were informed that Randolf possibly had three firearms in his car.

During the traffic stop, police recovered two handguns, a shotgun and ammunition from the interior passenger compartment of the car. At the time, the weapons were unloaded. Also located in the vehicle was drug paraphernalia with suspected marijuana residue.

Randolf was arrested and charged with:
Possession of handgun in a vehicle.
Possession of a handgun on person.
Possession of a controlled dangerous substance, marijuana.
Possession of drug paraphernalia.

During the investigation Randolf submitted to a breath test. Randolf was found to have a blood alcohol content that was over three times the legal limit. Randolf was charged with drunken driving related charges as well. Randolf was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commission and was released on his own recognizance.

Deceased Male Recovered From Ocean City Beach

On December 18, 2012, at approximately 7:55 a.m. Ocean City Police responded to 45th Street and the Beach, in reference to an unresponsive male who was lying on the beach with a rifle in his lap.

Officers arrived at the scene and determined the male subject was deceased. The preliminary investigation has revealed the deceased male identified as a 27-year-old Mt. Airy, Maryland resident died of what appears to be a single self-inflicted gun wound. The deceased name is not being released. Next of kin has been notified.

Police recovered a .22 caliber rifle from the scene. The male’s remains have been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Maryland for autopsy.

The incident remains under investigation by the OCPD pending the Medical Examiners findings.

Wonderful Gift


Merry Christmas!

We've received a wonderful gift and need help getting the word out. We truly appreciate any help you can give us and thank you so much for your support this past year!

Photo: Pooh, now 8 months old, is one of the hundreds of animals saved by Baywater Animal Rescue this year. He is still looking for his forever family.
Sincerely, 

Baywater Animal Rescue Staff
410-228-3090
www.baywateranimalrescue.org

A Dark Road Lies Ahead

Cheaper Than Dirt is (well…was) a great site. It was a place to order bulk ammo to target shoot and find good deals on almost anything firearm related. I was looking to buy a few more Magpul PMags and check out some AR’s so I went online. I went to CTD and found that they are no longer a reputable retailer or representative of the 2nd ammendment. I visited their site today and found this…
CTD
They decided to suspend online firearm sales. Read about it HERE.

Dicks Sporting Goods has removed its semi-automatic rifles from their store shelves. Read HERE. A few Walmarts have followed this conga line of stupidity and cowardice.

Even the NRA is silent, they shut down their Facebook page. I am not sure if this was due to pressure applied to FB by the political demons in DC or the NRA thinking that if they run silent and saying nothing they will more likely get out unscathed. Their silence is defeaning.

This is when I realized how real the situation has become and how dark the road ahead is looking.

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Hallelujah - The Voice Sings Tribute To 26 Killed In Elementary School

GUNSVILLE OR PILLSVILLE USA?

As I lollygagged around the packed convention floor at the Eastman Gun Show in Gainesville, GA amid thousands of guns and what seemed like millions of bullets, it occurred to me that I’ve never heard of a mass shooting at a gun show.
This was on Saturday afternoon, a day after 20-year-old Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree that left twenty-eight dead. Lanza first murdered his mother at home, then drove to a local elementary school and blew away 20 children and six staff members before killing himself. He reportedly used guns that werelegally registered to his mother after having been denied an application to obtain a rifle himself earlier in the week due to Connecticut’s relatively strict gun laws.

Before all the blood had time to dry, pro-government zombie toady scribes were shrieking for more “gun control” and insisting that “something” must be done NOW. They trotted out the tired meme that the “gun lobby” is very powerful and has a lot of money behind it—as if the government they dutifully worship doesn’t have far more power and money than the NRA. One went so far as to proclaim that “no person in the United States Of America should own a gun, unless they’re a police officer or a soldier.” And of course, “white men” were blamed, albeit by one white man after the next.

“How did they turn from being the harshest critics of ‘The Man’ in the 1960s to being his most brainwashed advocates today?”


Protected on all sides by well-armed Secret Service members, Barack Obama’s eyes grew misty as he proclaimed it was time to “take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this.” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also screamed from behind his posse of armed bodyguards for more gun control. Taking time off from repeatedly authorizing billions in taxes to bomb the shit out of the Middle East, other politicians decried the USA’s “gun culture.”

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Save The Date!

Save the Date Cupid's
Love is Raining Cats & Dogs!

 

A Gala Valentine's Day Cotillion for Animal Lovers to Benefit the Wicomico Humane Society. 

Saturday, February 16th 6pm-10pm

Wicomico Youth and Civic Center
Silent Auction, Dinner, Dancing and more!

The Humane Society is working to make a difference in the lives of animals and the people who love and care for them, and is dedicated to relieving the pain and suffering of animals through education and direct intervention.

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 12-20-12

Who wants a house payment of $900 with taxes and insurance included in that payment in the Delmar School District...brand new, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2 car garage. That proves it is crazy to rent...call me or message me for details.

Be Very Careful What You Wish For

While far too many Americans are becoming dependent on our government, the hot topic these days is assault weapons.

America was founded on the right to bear arms. I want you to THINK about that for a minute. 

Are we to become that stupid today to a point in which we're actually going to allow our very own government to regulate what kind of weapons we can own?

Have you not seen and understood world history over time? Oh, some of you are sitting there thinking, yes, the government should ban certain weapons. Well, what happens when there comes a day in which our government tells us what we should do in another area and you reach for that weapon to defend this Country and OUR rights and the weapon is gone. What happens when the government comes knocking on your door and THEY are holding assault weapons and all you have left is a BB Gun?????

Sure, you can sit there and ignore these possibilities and claim them as paranoia but let me assure you, our government has ENOUGH CONTROL over our lives and America is nowhere near as free as it used to be. 

We cannot protect every one. There will always be crazy and unstable people out there, unless our government decided they too need to be eliminated. Hmmm, soon enough they'll be telling you when and if you can receive medical help or even if we live or die. 

WAKE UP PEOPLE. It is extremely sad and unfortunate what we have seen with some of these mass killings. HOWEVER, remember that OUR children have been placed in a GOVERNMENT facility. A facility in which THEY were to protect our children and THEY FAILED US. Funny how there's no attention going towards that situation and instead they want to make it all about ONE crazy gunman and the weapons he stole. 

Joe Albero

Maryland Woman Dies From Injuries

Maryland Woman Dies from Injuries Sustained in December 12th Crash near Seaford

Location: Sussex Highway (US13) northbound, south of Middleford Road, Seaford, DE

Date and Time of Occurrence: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 6:18 p.m.

Operators and Vehicles:
Operator 1: Sherlmaine L. Jenkins, 51, Cambridge, MD
Vehicle 1: 1998 Pontiac Sunfire
Passenger 1: Mable M. Lake, 81, Hurlock, MD

Operator 2: Larry D. Gray, 65, Camden-Wyoming, DE
Vehicle 2: 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche

Resume:
Seaford, DE - The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a December 12th crash that claimed the life of a Hurlock, Maryland woman.

The incident occurred on Wednesday December 12th at approximately 6:18 p.m. as Sherlmaine L. Jenkins was operating a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire northbound on US13 in the left lane, just south of Middleford Road. Larry D. Gray was operating a 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche northbound in the left lane just in front of the Sunfire and began to slow for traffic in front of him. Jenkins failed to slow down in time and struck the rear of the Avalanche.

Sherlmaine Jenkins, who was properly restrained, was removed from the scene by EMS and transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.

Mable M. Lake, who was an unrestrained front seat passenger, was projected forward into the windshield during the crash. She was removed from the scene by EMS and initially transported to Nanticoke Hospital. She was later airlifted to Christiana Medical Center where she remained until she succumbed to her injuries and died on December 18th.

Larry D. Gray was properly restrained and not injured in the crash.

The Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate this incident.

INDICTMENTS ISSUED FOR ALLEGED MEMBERS OF LARGE-SCALE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION OPERATING IN WICOMICO COUNTY, MARYLAND


The members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit known as the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force have called this press conference to announce the results of a multi-year investigation that targeted a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was operating in Wicomico County, Maryland. The covert investigation was conducted in various phases, the first of which commenced in January 2010.  The last phases, “Operation Yellow Snow” and an operation called “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” were conducted in 2011 and 2012, respectively.  The latter investigation concluded this month and was followed by the issuance of thirty-nine (39) Circuit Court warrants.  (Note: the Operation was coined “Yellow Snow” because one of the targets had the street name “Yellow.”  The term “Snow” is street-slang for cocaine.  The term “Brick” refers to a large quantity of cocaine.)

During the various phases of this investigation, law enforcement identified numerous distribution sources of cocaine, heroin, marihuana, and pills in Wicomico County, Maryland.  The operations conducted by the task force led to the seizure of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, marihuana, and pills with a street value estimated to be in excess of over one million dollars ($1,000,000.00). Members of the Narcotics Task Force also seized over six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000) in U.S currency and property.  Additionally, law enforcement officers assigned to this investigation were able to confiscate numerous firearms, ammunition, and bullet proof body armor which were allegedly used by the suspects to facilitate the sale of Controlled Dangerous Substances throughout the area.

As a result of this investigation, state and federal drug charges were issued against seventy-one (71) individuals. Most of the individuals indicted face a range of charges including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances.  These individuals face a maximum period of incarceration that ranges from five (5) to forty (40) years.

 The following individuals, however, have been charged as CDS-Drug Kingpins: Austin Roberts, III, Ranson Chandler, Jr., Terron Crump, David Hotton, Anthony Hardy, and Maurice Hardy.  A person charged as a drug kingpin is one who is believed to occupy a position of organizer, supervisor, financier, or manager, and who acts as a co-conspirator in a conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, dispense transport in, or bring into the State, a Controlled Dangerous Substance. The penalty for Drug Kingpin is imprisonment for not less than twenty (20) years nor more than forty (40) years.  (Note: 20 years is a mandatory/minimum sentence for a person convicted under the Drug Kingpin statute).

           When law enforcement attempted to place Ranson Chandler, Jr., into custody for the alleged drug violations, Chandler attempted to flee.  During his interaction with law enforcement Chandler utilized his vehicle to smash into a vehicle occupied by three law enforcement officers.  Chandler has subsequently been charged with three counts of Attempted First Degree Murder against the law enforcement officers.
           
           On December 4, 2012, Austin Roberts, III, was taken into custody in San Diego, California for outstanding indictments originating from this investigation.  Roberts had been a fugitive from justice since June 13, 2011. Robert’s charges include CDS: Drug Kingpin and lesser included offenses.  Roberts is alleged to have distributed large amounts of narcotics throughout Wicomico County, Maryland and the surrounding region.

In summary, seventy one (71) individuals have been charged in this investigation.  On December 12, 2012, law enforcement participated in a large-scale warrant service operation aimed at apprehending thirty-nine individuals who have been charged after the conclusion of the latest phase of the investigation.

The following individuals have been charged since the beginning of this investigation:
(An individual charged with a criminal offense is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.)

An individual charged with a criminal offense is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.  

Matthew A. Maciarello
State’s Attorney

Ella M. Disharoon
Deputy State’s Attorney

Austin Roberts, Age 36,
Salisbury, Maryland

Ranson Chandler, Age 35,
Salisbury, Maryland

Dashee Hauson Covington, Age 31,
Cambridge, Maryland

Robert Lee Elmore, Age 39,
Princess Anne, Maryland

Duane Horsey, Age 33,
Salisbury, Maryland

Phillip Scott Bailey, Age 34,
Salisbury, Maryland

Charles Alexander Myers, Age 28,
Salisbury, Maryland

Holly Sterling, Age 36,
Salisbury, Maryland

Quincy Lamar Maness, Age 27,
Salisbury, Maryland

Lavaughn Clifton Price, Age 40,
Salisbury, Maryland

Leonard Hassell, Age 43,
Salisbury, Maryland

Louis Terrel Smullen, Age 34,
Salisbury, Maryland

Shawanna Byrd, Age 35,
Salisbury, Maryland

Keith Lamont Parker, Age 25,
Salisbury, Maryland

Shawn Donta Hugee, Age 37,
Delmar, Maryland

Leonard Edward Drew, Age 45,
Salisbury, Maryland

Myron Lamont Waters, Age 42,
Salisbury, Maryland

Kevin Lindele Parker, Age 28
Salisbury, Maryland

Kierre Lontrel Collick, Age 24
Delmar, Maryland

Anthony Arsenault Sr., Age 55
Snow Hill, Maryland

Mark Farrell McCabe, Age 48
Berlin, Maryland

Antwan James Townsend, Age 24
Parsonsburg, Maryland

Brittany Marie Hansen, Age 28
Salisbury, Maryland

Phillip David Horner Jr., Age 34
Salisbury, Maryland

Janet McKee, Age 50
Salisbury, Maryland

Mary Lou Sieglar, Age 49
Salisbury, Maryland

Roscoe Thomas Henry Sr., Age 45
Salisbury, Maryland

Kenneth Gerrard Johnson, Age 35
Salisbury, Maryland

Anthony Corbin Jones, Age 33
Salisbury, Maryland

Jevon Lamonte Mills, Age 36
Salisbury, Maryland

Brian Keith Mason, Age 40
Salisbury, Maryland

Terron Lamont Crump, Age 34
Salisbury, Maryland

Kevin Cornelius Land, Age 36
Salisbury, Maryland

Jeffery Edward Simpson, Age 49
Salisbury, Maryland

Deandre Antoine Wright, Age 29
Hebron, Maryland

Tyrone Sheppard, Age 42
Salisbury, Maryland

Tyrae Warran Dupris Cuffee, Age 34
Delmar, Maryland

Kevin William Vickers, Age 24
Chestertown, Maryland

Tristan Meshon Dozier, Age 31
Salisbury, Maryland

Tyshon Gabriel Hobson Sr., Age 25
Salisbury, Maryland

Annette Laverne Loper, Age 50
Salisbury, Maryland

Tymar Kereem Purnell, Age 31
Salisbury, Maryland

Ronnie Julian Bivens, Age 30,
Salisbury, Maryland

Maurice Kenneth Hardy, Age 37,
Salisbury, Maryland

Leon Grant, Age 26,
Salisbury, Maryland

Arnold Williams, Age 34,
Salisbury, Maryland

Andrew Raymond Jackson, Age 39,
Baltimore, Maryland

Allan Purnell, Age 32,
Salisbury, Maryland

Tereek Nutter, Age 29,
Salisbury, Maryland

Eric Maurice Holbrook, Age 31,
Salisbury, Maryland

Jamy Toadvine, Age 36,
Salisbury, Maryland

Irving Lawrence Polk Jr., Age 34
Salisbury, Maryland

Delante Jones, Age 22
Salisbury, Maryland

Donald James Webb, Age 58
Salisbury, Maryland

Michael Tyrone White, Age 52
Crisfield, Maryland

Richard Lee Williams, Age 42
Georgetown, Delaware

Shawn Lee Brown, Age 38,
Salisbury, Maryland

Brian Matthew Arnold, Age 24,
Chestertown, Maryland

Benjamin Basil Fontaine, Age 35,
Salisbury, Maryland

Michael Stuart Matusky, Age 35,
Willards, Maryland

Floyd Lee Sykes, Age 33,
Salisbury, Maryland

Rashaan Abdule Evans, Age 29,
Salisbury, Maryland

Dwayne Lamont Taylor, Age 43,
Salisbury, Maryland

Antonio Bradley, Age 30,
Salisbury, Maryland

David Jesse Hotton, Age 34,
Selbyville, Delaware

Develle Howard Morgan, Age 35,
Salisbury, Maryland

Jason Robert Suha Elliott, Age 34,
Mardella Springs, Maryland

Devale Jerwyn Palmer, Age 37,
Salisbury, Maryland

Jeffrey Linwood Wilhide, Age 54,
Salisbury, Maryland

Jerry Lee Gully, Age 26,
Ocean City, Maryland

Anthony Hardy, Age 41,
Nanticoke Maryland

Olivia Culpo Wins Miss Universe 2012

LAS VEGAS — A 20-year-old Boston University sophomore and a self-described "cellist-nerd" brought the Miss Universe crown back to the United States for the first time in more than a decade when she won the televised contest Wednesday.

Olivia Culpo beat out 88 other beauty queens to take the title from Leila Lopes of Angola during the two-hour competition at the Planet Hollywood casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Culpo wore a tight navy blue mini-dress with a sequined bodice as she walked on stage for the competition's opening number. Later in the night, she strutted in a purple and blue bikini, and donned a wintery red velvet gown with a plunging neckline.

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Editors Note: With Culpo's promotion, Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether becomes the new Miss USA.

BREAKING NEWS

JUDGE FINDS IN FAVOR OF THE HUDSON FARM AND PERDUE. MORE TO COME...

QUOTES OF THE DAY 12-20-12

“An unexciting truth may be eclipsed by a thrilling falsehood.”
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Revisited

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.”
Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays

“Maybe this world is another planet’s hell.”
Aldous Huxley

Today's Survey Question 12-20-12

How far will you travel this Christmas?

Walk And Don’t Talk: Pedestrians Distracted By Mobile Phones

Turns out we aren’t good at walking and talking at the same time, according to a study of pedestrians on their cell phones.
Nearly one-third of pedestrians (29.8%) were distracted by their mobile devices while crossing the street, say researchers of a study published online in the journal Injury Prevention.
Just as drivers who text, talk on cell phones, or adjust MP3 players increase their risk of losing control of their vehicles, pedestrians distracted by their conversations or their gadgets also put themselves at higher risk of getting into an accident. Previous work showed that people talking on cell phones were at greater risk of being careless while walking, but those studies focused on simulated environments, so the current study’s authors examined a large number of pedestrians in real-world situations.

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WCSO Press Release 12-20-12

The TSA's True Focus Isn't 'Safety' - It's Self-Preservation

Despite its own worst efforts, the TSA doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Year after year, horror story after horror story surfaces, detailing abuse of American citizens at the hands (very often literally) of TSA agents. If they're not poking, prodding, fondling or carelessly tossing supposed explosives into a trash can five feet away, they're confiscating harmless plastic swords while allowing loaded handguns on board. If they're not digging around in someone's laptop searching for who knows what, they're "diverting" iPads into their personal collections. A report by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) suggests that the TSA's main focus isn't safety, it's self-preservation. As yearly budget reviews loom, the TSA suddenly needs to "look busy" and justify its continued existence. Anything that might cut back its funding is briefly humored and then discarded. (via Reason 24/7)
The TSA's True Focus Isn't 'Safety' - It's Self-Preservation

Senator Barbara Mikulski Embarks On A New Role

Senator Barbara Mikulski will soon embark on a new position as the chair of the Senate Appropriations committee.

On Wednesday evening, she tweeted to her followers about the position: “It's an honor & privilege to be expected to follow the great leadership of Senator Inouye as Appropriations Committee Chairwoman.”

Her assignment to that committee comes after Sen. Patrick Leahy said early Wednesday that he would not take the post.

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Once Again, The U.S. Courts Rule That Progressivist Fiction Is Truth

When a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals this week dismissed lawsuits brought by former Duke Lacrosse players against the City of Durham, it repeated the fiction that governmental institutions in this country are so necessary to preserving "our way of life" that the individuals working in those institutions should not be held accountable for their conduct no matter how outrageous or illegal it might be. The institutional cover, the justices ruled, is enough to "prove" good faith in the power of the state to act in a pure and righteous manner, even if those who were wronged can demonstrate that government agents were lying.

The lawsuit stems from the false indictment of three former lacrosse players for allegedly raping Crystal Mangum, a Durham prostitute and stripper (who currently is charged with murdering a former boyfriend), at a party in March, 2006. I have written numerous articles on this case, which became famous (or infamous) on a number of fronts and ultimately was dismissed by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper in April, 2007. K.C. Johnson, the college professor whose blog, Durham-in-Wonderland, has well-documented everything in that case, has commentary on the latest ruling from the justices, and it is well-worth reading.

(The justices, however, do leave intact that lawsuits filed against former Durham police officers Mark Gottlieb and Ben Himan, both of whom played up-front roles in the "investigation" and also testified to the grand juries that returned criminal indictments against three of the players, David Evans, Collin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann. Whether or not the courts decide to protect those two scofflaws in future proceedings is another matter.)

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Study: Most Teens Think Occasional Weed Use OK

Teenagers' perception of the dangers of marijuana has fallen to the lowest level in more than 20 years, a new study says, prompting federal researchers to warn that already high use of the drug could increase as more states move to legalize it.

The annual survey released Wednesday by the National Institutes of Health found that only 41.7 percent of eighth graders believe that occasional use of marijuana is harmful, while 66.9 percent regard it as dangerous when used regularly. Both rates are the lowest since 1991, when the government first began tracking this age group.
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WHEN VISA AND MASTER CARDS PRESET LIMIT WON'T WORK THERE IS AMEX

Hysterical: When Visa & Master Card’s Preset Spending Limit Won’t Work, There Is AmEx.

Meet our new Treasury Secretary, AmEx’s CEO. The perfect moron for charging without limits.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-18/amex-s-chenault-said-to-be-discussed-for-treasury-post.html

White House officials have approached American Express Co. (AXP) Chief Executive OfficerKenneth Chenault about joining President Barack Obama’s second-term administration, possibly as Treasury secretary, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Source

Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp on The Second Amendment

Merely Being Arrested Can Ruin Your Life

“You never have a ‘right’ to resist arrest,” insists Des Moines-based attorney Harley Erbe (who is wrong, of course). There are two reasons why Mundanes must immediately submit to “commands” issued by the state’s costumed enforcers, Erbe explains:
“First, officers’ safety is a [sic] paramount consideration. People always think that their arrests are unfair or unlawful; if citizens then had a right to duke it out with law enforcement every time they held that belief then a lot of officers and citizens would be hurt.”

The word “paramount” means “supreme.” Thus Erbe is saying that whenever an armed state functionary decides to abduct you at gunpoint, hissafety is always the foremost consideration.

Second, Erbe continues, “the streets are not the time or place for a debate on the legality of an arrest or whether the arrestee has committed a crime. Those are matters to be determined in courtrooms by judges and juries.”
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O’Malley Will Push For Gun Control

In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to call for a ban on assault rifles and to push for more funding for mental health services and increased school security during the upcoming session of the General Assembly.
“We have all been changed by the loss of innocent lives in Connecticut,” O’Malley told reporters Tuesday.
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DSP Press Release


Who: Delaware State Troopers Association
 
What: Presentation of Christmas gifts to the DSTA Adopt-A-Family
 
When: Friday, December 21, 2012
 
Where: Dickinson High School, 1801 Milltown Rd  Wilmington, New Castle County, DE 19808 and a second visit in Bear, New Castle County, DE immediately following.
 
Members of the Delaware State Police Troopers Association will present Christmas gifts and other essentials to the Warrick family.
 
In this season of giving thanks the Warrick family is struggling in these very difficult times.  The father, Jeffrey Warrick is a former Air National Guardsman, who was deployed overseas, has fallen on hard times since leaving the Guard.  The family has been forced to reside in a local hotel while their 16 year-old daughter lives with a family friend so she may attend high school.  Their heart wrenching story has tugged on the heart strings of the DSTA.
 
On Friday December 21, members of the Association will present the family with much needed basics and gifts.  It is the DSTA’s hopes they may make a difficult time a bit more pleasant for the Warrick family.
 
For more information please contact President Tom Brackin at 302-270-1765 for additional information. 
 
Upon completion of the Warrick family visit, members of the DSTA will travel to Bear DE.  They will arrive at approximately 6:45 pm in the Bear area to meet the second family sponsored by the DSTA.
 
The name of this Military member is Sabrina Alvarez, who recently lost her mother. She has two daughters, Angeli (13) and Aaliyah (17) and since her mother passed she is taking caring of her two nephews whom her mother was raising, Alex
(9) and Jordan (12).