Obama's Extended Family Joins Him In Newly Released Photos

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia, center, join their extended family for a group photo in the Blue Room of the White House on Inauguration Day, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. Joining the First Family from left are: Craig Robinson, Leslie Robinson, Avery Robinson, Marian Robinson, Akinyi Manners, Auma Obama, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Konrad Ng, Savita Ng, and Suhaila Ng.

The White House has released new behind-the-scenes photos of the inauguration, including one that captures a rare public gathering of the president’s extended family, including his Kenyan half-sister.

The picture was taken in the White House Blue Room on Jan. 20, the day the president was formally sworn in for his second term. The nation witnessed a public, ceremonial swearing-in the following morning on the steps of Capitol Hill.

In the photo, President Obama and the first lady are joined by their children, their siblings, and nieces and nephews.
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I DON'T WANT TO BE GREEK

More than 20% unemployment, people fighting over bags of free oranges, no heat, no medicine; Greece is having a modern day depression. Although Barron’s magazine put our becoming Greece more than 10 years away, is it really? It seems to me were only several years behind Greece, if that.

We have 100 million people dependent on our insolvent government, which only stays afloat because the Federal Reserve is loaning the criminals in Washington $1.1 trillion dollars every year. We’ve gone from the richest nation on earth to the greatest debtor nation ever. It’s not going to end well, and we don’t want to be Greece (it’s going to be worse). Forward!
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If We Watched Cooking Shows The Way Guys Watch Sports

The Dangers Of The Age Of Delusion

It’s characteristic of the time that we’re living in that there simply is no sense of consequence. And that’s exactly what you get when you have a Federal Reserve that’s out of control and a public that is filled with technological narcissistic visions of Santa Claus delivering rescue remedies on demand. And so there’s no general sense that when you do things, bad things can happen.

James Howard Kunstler is concerned. Sure, he still has the same issues with the West's highly energy-consuming suburban lifestyle that he famously brought to light in his books, The Long Emergency [10], the World Made by Hand [11]series, and Too Much Magic [12]. But beyond our decaying fundamentals, he's distressed by society's unwillingness to be honest with itself about the issue's it's facing.

Instead, we are embracing a narrative based in "magical thinking" (e.g., prosperity through the printing press, energy independence through domestic shale) that assures us everything is fine. That we'll be able to enter the future without having to make any changes to our manner or standards of living, despite our massive debts and depleting resources:
History is very peculiar in the sense that sometimes cultures and societies go through very strange periods of their history, and we’re in one of those now. And I characterize this as the “great period of America lying to itself.” And the way that it’s really carried out as a practical matter is that accounting fraud is now the basic mechanism for running most of the important things in American life. Accounting fraud is now the basis for banking and finance, and it’s certainly the basis for government, and certainly for its fiscal role.

So I think what you’re seeing is a kind of deformity of the consensus. And of course, the most striking feature of our current times is this inability of the country to construct a coherent story about what’s happening to us, and therefore the inability to construct a story about what we might do about it.

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Military Quote

"When I joined the military it was illegal to be homosexual, then it became Optional, and now it's Legal. I'm getting out before Obama makes it mandatory."
GySgt Harry Berres, USMC

Multiple Injuries In Kansas City Gas Fire

KANSAS CITY, MO. A car crashed into a gas main Tuesday evening in an upscale Kansas City shopping district, sparking a massive blaze that engulfed an entire block and caused multiple injuries, police said.

Seven or eight people were injured and taken to area hospitals, police Sgt. Tony Sanders said Tuesday, who added that there were no reports of fatalities. Sanders said the manager of JJ's restaurant, which was destroyed in the blaze, was unable to account for three people, but it was unclear whether they were caught in the blaze or had left earlier.

Earlier police spokeswoman Rhonda Flores said it appeared that a car crashed into a gas main near JJ's just after 6 p.m. Flores said an initial call for three ambulances had been increased to 10. She said she had not heard of any reported fatalities. Flores said the car crash appeared to have been accidental.
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More On Drones

The Homeland Security Department is moving ahead with plans to deploy domestic, public safety drones. InfoWars.com reports, DHS says it received excellent responses from a July solicitation for ideas. Vendors sent in more than 70 white papers. Now DHS is prepared to conduct more tests. Secretary Janet Napolitano says the drones will eventually be used to give emergency personnel situational awareness during disasters. DHS is looking at small drones that can be equipped with military-grade surveillance cameras. But the FAA still has to develop a plan for safely operating drones in U.S. Airspace.

26-YEAR-OLD WITH DOWN SYNDROME ASPHYXIATED WHILE RESISTING POLICE OVER MOVIE TICKET

The case of a 26-year-old Maryland man with Down syndrome who died last month in police custody after he was removed from a theater for refusing to leave a movie he had already seen has been ruled a homicide after an autopsy revealed he was asphyxiated.

Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said Robert Ethan Saylor died on Jan. 12 after resisting arrest by three deputies at a Frederick movie theater. The Frederick News Post reported that Saylor, who was in handcuffs for refusing to leave or purchase another ticket, experienced a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The News Post reported former law enforcement officer Dr. George Kirkham, who is a professor of criminology at Florida State University, saying it seems Saylor might have suffered from positional asphyxia:
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Young Veterans Struggle For Employment

Younger veterans are struggling to find employment after their military career ends. The unemployment rate for veterans between 18 and 24 was more than 20 percent last year. And in double digits for those 25-34. Both rates are higher than their non-veteran job seekers, despite a wide range of private and public efforts to help veterans find work. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes program, two things younger veterans can do to help themselves is do a better job explaining to employers how the skills they learned in the military translate to the private sector and move to where the jobs are.

Report Reveals Why Va. Typically Outranks Md. In Business Climate Surveys

The Greater Baltimore Committee’s latest report reveals that Maryland’s tax structure and other corporate regulations are a driving force behind the state’s spotty performance on U.S. business climate rankings, which typically rate Virginia as a better place to do business than Maryland.

On average, Maryland placed 27th out of 50 states in national rankings published between 2012 and 2013. But each of the 10 rankings are based on different criteria, so Maryland receives better grades from some ranking groups than others.

The Kauffman Foundation, which supports the growth of entrepreneurs, identified Maryland as the fifth most business-friendly state in the country in 2012, Last month, the Tax Foundation came to a vastly different conclusion, ranking the state as one of the nine worst states to conduct business.
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THIS LOCAL GUN AD WAS BANNED BY COMCAST — AND WE FOUND IT’S A NEW WIDESPREAD POLICY

Comcast, which recently acquired NBC Universal, has quietly decided to remove advertisements promoting firearms from its cable network, and gun retailers aren’t happy about it.

A Michigan company that handles the advertising for Michigan-based Williams Gun Sight and Outfitters contacted TheBlaze regarding the change, stunned that it couldn’t re-air a commercial they played last fall due to the new policy.

John Kupiec, president of the advertising agency Canadian American Corp., told us over the phone Monday that when they recently tried to buy ad time, a Comcast representative informed them that as of February 8 of this year, the network would no longer accept advertising from companies promoting firearms or fireworks on any network, during any time period.
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The "Royal Family"

The redistribution of $1.4 billion each year

What can you buy for $1.4 billion a year? You can buy the most luxurious and costly royal presidency in history.

Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded presidential perks.

In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.

Author Robert Keith Gray writes in Presidential Perks Gone Royal that Obama isn't the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in.

Gray told The Daily Caller that the $1.4 billion spent on the Obama family last year is the total cost of the presidency, factoring the cost of the biggest staff in history at the highest wages ever, a 50 percent increase in the numbers of appointed czars and an Air Force One running with the frequency of a scheduled air line.

Perspective: $1.4 billion is equal to spending seven times Mitt Romney's entire net-worth every year. If Romney had to pay for Barack and Michelle's lifestyle this year, he would have been bankrupted by the third week in February.

Now, can we please get back to talking about the evil, freeloading rich people, who didn't build anything and who need to "pay a little bit more."

FEDS BUY TWO BILLION ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION

Something strange is going on. Federal non-military agencies have bought two billion rounds of ammunition in the last 10 months. The Obama Administration says that federal law enforcement agents need the ammunition for “mandatory quarterly firearms qualifications and other training sessions.”

Radio show host Mark Levin is suspicious. He commented:

To provide some perspective, experts estimate that at the peak of the Iraq war American troops were firing around 5.5 million rounds per month. At that rate, the [Department of Homeland Security] is armed now for a 24-year Iraq war. A 24-year Iraq war! I’m going to tell you what I think is going on. I don’t think domestic insurrection. Law enforcement and national security agencies, they play out multiple scenarios. … I’ll tell you what I think they’re simulating: the collapse of our financial system, the collapse of our society and the potential for widespread violence, looting, killing in the streets, because that’s what happens when an economy collapses. I suspect that just in case our fiscal situation, our monetary situation, collapses, and following it the civil society collapses, that is the rule of law, they want to be prepared. I know why the government’s arming up: It’s not because there’s going to be an insurrection; it’s because our society is unraveling.

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World Champion Putt Putt Challenge

When

Saturday April 6, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT

Add to Calendar

Where

Old Pro Golf Course

68th Street

Ocean City, MD 21842

Putting other mini-golf tournaments to shame since 2011 Time to brush up on your putt putt skills because this year's competition will be fierce! Join your friends in Ocean City on April 6th for a day of fun, fundraising and a healthy dose of debauchery. $30 per player/$120 per team (4 players per team). Proceeds benefit United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore Entry fee includes: Adult beverages and snacks on the course Prizes for 1st and last place "winners" (and more) Prize for the most outrageous team costume (we want to see some good ones!) Awards after-party at Fager's Island (starting at 4pm) with tons of delicious food and great Happy Hour prices on drinks

Limited to the first 36 teams to enter. Teams registered by March 17th (St. Patty's Day) will receive extra cheats. Register Now!

For more information contact:   Kierstin Pennington United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore kierstin@unitedway4us.org 410-742-5143

National Day Of Resistance

SAPOA's Candidates Show Flexibility

In 2009, candidate Jim Ireton RAILED against the city's landlords (see videos HERE and HERE). Yet, after a few (primarily unsuccessful) attempts at shutting down illegal boardinghouses, MAYOR Jim Ireton hasn't done much to fulfill his campaign promises when it comes to dealing with the city's rental industry.  Fast forward to 2013.  Jim Ireton signs are pretty prevalent on rental properties.

Travel around Salisbury.  You'll see lots of Jake Day signs.  A few are in homeowners' yards.  Some have been placed in public right-of-ways (is that legal?).  A few more have been placed at local businesses (some with the owner's permissions, others without).  The majority of Day signs appear to be on properties where there are no registered voters.

58

It's little wonder that Jake Day appears to share overwhelming support from SAPOA.  In his recently released policy manifesto, Day calls for allowing landlords to self-regulate:

Where the rental industry identifies bad actors within its ranks, the City and the rental industry should first utilize peer-to-peer mentorship to guide them toward best practices.

It's pretty amazing.  Day wants to strip Wicomico landowners of their property rights, but doesn't want one of the city's largest businesses to face regulation.  Day claims that he'll "partner" with mayor Jim Ireton if elected.  Little wonder when both candidates show such "flexibility".

Gas Prices Soar Throughout Maryland

Across the nation and here in Maryland, gas prices are soaring. The price at the pump has increased every day for 32 consecutive days. Some states are already averaging more than $4 a gallon and our state’s not far behind. Kai Jackson has more on how bad it could get.

Gas prices are noticeably higher and drivers are fuming.

The price of gas is burning a hole in the wallets of some drivers. Many are doing a double take as they fill up their vehicles.

“It’s putting a big dent in my wallet. I mean, like I said, $60 just to fill the tank up. I mean, it used to take about $30 to $50,” said driver Khiyes Sanders.
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WORLD MURDER STATISTICS

From the World Health Organization:
The latest Murder Statistics for the world:
Murders per 100,000 citizens
Honduras 91.6
El Salvador 69.2
Cote d'lvoire 56.9
Jamaica 52.2
Venezuela 45.1
Belize 41.4
US Virgin Islands 39.2
Guatemala 38.5
Saint Kits and Nevis 38.2
Zambia 38.0
Uganda 36.3
Malawi 36.0
Lesotho 35.2
Trinidad and Tobago 35.2
Colombia 33.4
South Africa 31.8
Congo 30.8
Central African Republic 29.3
Bahamas 27.4
Puerto Rico 26.2
Saint Lucia 25.2
Dominican Republic 25.0
Tanzania 24.5
Sudan 24.2
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9
Ethiopia 22.5
Guinea 22.5
Dominica 22.1
Burundi 21.7
Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7
Panama 21.6
Brazil 21.0
Equatorial Guinea 20.7
Guinea-Bissau 20.2
Kenya 20.1
Kyrgyzstan 20.1
Cameroon 19.7
Montserrat 19.7
Greenland 19.2
Angola 19.0
Guyana 18.6
Burkina Faso 18.0
Eritrea 17.8
Namibia 17.2
Rwanda 17.1
Mexico 16.9
Chad 15.8
Ghana 15.7
Ecuador 15.2
North Korea 15.2
Benin 15.1
Sierra Leone 14.9
Mauritania 14.7
Botswana 14.5
Zimbabwe 14.3
Gabon 13.8
Nicaragua 13.6
French Guiana 13.3
Papua New Guinea 13.0
Swaziland 12.9
Bermuda 12.3
Comoros 12.2
Nigeria 12.2
Cape Verde 11.6
Grenada 11.5
Paraguay 11.5
Barbados 11.3
Togo 10.9
Gambia 10.8
Peru 10.8
Myanmar 10.2
Russia 10.2
Liberia 10.1
Costa Rica 10.0
Nauru 9.8
Bolivia 8.9
Mozambique 8.8
Kazakhstan 8.8
Senegal 8.7
Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7
Mongolia 8.7
British Virgin Islands 8.6
Cayman Islands 8.4
Seychelles 8.3
Madagascar 8.1
Indonesia 8.1
Mali 8.0
Pakistan 7.8
Moldova 7.5
Kiribati 7.3
Guadeloupe 7.0
Haiti 6.9
Timor-Leste 6.9
Anguilla 6.8
Antigua and Barbuda 6.8
Lithuania 6.6
Uruguay 5.9
Philippines 5.4
Ukraine 5.2
Estonia 5.2
Cuba 5.0
Belarus 4.9
Thailand 4.8
Suriname 4.6
Laos 4.6
Georgia 4.3
Martinique 4.2
And
The United States 4.2

ALL the countries above America have 100% gun bans

It might be of interest to note that Switzerland also has NO MURDER OCCURRENCE. However their law requires that EVERYONE own a gun, maintain marksman qualifications and "carry". Interesting how you never hear about this.

O'Malley, Lauding Washington, Warns Of 'Hedonism'

Gov. Martin O'Malley told the Maryland Senate Monday night that if George Washington were to return to the State House in Annapolis, he would warn Americans against a "spirit of hedonism" imperiling the gains of the American Revolution.

Delivering the annual George Washington's Birthday address to senators, O'Malley says a returned Washington would challenge Americans to return to "first principles" and put the common good above personal gain.

It was the first time O'Malley has delivered the annual speech, which is typically given by a legislator. This year, however, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller invited O'Malley to give the address, and the governor accepted with apparent enthusiasm.
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Soup And Sandwich

Burned Biscuits

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned biscuits.”

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides – a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”

Life is full of imperfect things, and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults – and choosing to celebrate each others differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

“Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket – keep it in your own.”

So Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine.!.!.!.! And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life. I just did!

Warning: This Will Get Your Blood Boiling

We've all heard about the free Obama phones. A friend was recently looking for a part-time work and found this listing on Craig's List [note: the "DMV" refers to DC, Maryland, Virginia]:

Street Teams & Leaders Earn $500-$2000 A Week (DMV Area)
Thank You for responding to our ad. Let us reassure you that if you are looking for an exciting opportunity you have found it here. We are a major telecommunications provider who has been tasked with the distribution of the FREE LIFELINE government cell phone program.

What is it?
This is a federally funded program that gives people a FREE cell phone and 250 minutes of talk/1000 texts a month, free too. The customer does not pay anything for the phone or the minutes program. You would sign up these individuals using an Android cell phone or tablet as well as an iPad and receive a commission on qualified applicants. The sign-up process takes about 3-4 minutes for each application.

When can I do this?
One of the fantastic opportunities about this job is that you can do it anytime you want. This position is available part time as well as full time. It could be great for moms when the kids are at school, or someone who wants to make extra money. However for the person who is extremely motivated and wants to make real money the full-time opportunity is here right now.

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Bill Would Enhance Penalties For Violent Crimes In Front Of Children

ANNAPOLIS — The House Judiciary Committee is considering a bill that would increase the penalties for committing a violent crime within sight or earshot of a child aged 2 to 16.

Those found guilty could receive an enhanced penalty of imprisonment for up to five years, in addition to any sentences given for the violent crime itself.

Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, played clips of children calling 911 at last Tuesday’s hearing on the measure, House Bill 478.

“My dad — I saw blood on his jacket. I thought he was killing my mom with a knife,” said one little boy.
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NYC Welfare Worker Charged In $190,000 Scam

New York City welfare worker Sandra Garcia faked a family in $190,000 scam: investigators

Former Human Resources Administration acting deputy director Garcia is charged with using her access to HRA computers to maintain the fraudulent welfare case.
A city welfare worker created a fake family — using the names and Social Security numbers of other people’s children — to scam taxpayers out of $190,000 meant for the needy, authorities said.
Her scheme caused at least one child to be denied legitimate benefits because the kid’s name was part of her fabricated case, the city Department of Investigation said Thursday.
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Food Stamps, Welfare Discourage Work

Economists and many policymakers generally agree that our tax and transfer systems should promote opportunity, work, saving, and education rather than consumption.
The problem is these programs often penalize people for earning that extra dollar of income.

Rather than promoting work and savings, these implicit taxes punish such otherwise positive behavior.

These penalties occur in TANF (formerly welfare), SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), Medicaid, the new health exchange subsidy, Pell grants, student loans, and unemployment compensation.

The tax code also is loaded with disincentives to work, save, and study. They include PEP and Pease (reductions in tax allowances for personal exemptions and itemized deductions), child tax credits, and the earned income tax credit.

These implicit taxes combine with explicit taxes to create incentives for many households that are often inefficient and inequitable, to say nothing of strange and anomalous.

At some income levels, families face prohibitively high penalties for moving off assistance. For instance, a single worker with children could face a steep cut in child care assistance simply for accepting a higher paying job or getting a raise.

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Release Of Draft Immigration Bill A 'Mistake', Says Former Obama Adviser

A former top adviser to the president said Monday that the White House had made a "mistake" in distributing a draft bill on immigration reform, as Republicans attacked the leaked blueprint as an attempt to sideline bipartisan input.

"The mistake here was to disseminate it so widely within the administration that it got leaked," David Axelrod said, speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe. "And I'm sure if they could they'd take that back."

Republicans reacted angrily over the weekend to the revelation that the White House was passing around its own immigration legislation. Senator Marco Rubio, part of a so-called "gang of eight" which is leading work on the issue, said the White House had not consulted Congress on the draft. "It's a mistake for the White House to draft immigration legislation without seeking input from Republican members of Congress," Rubio said in a statement. "If actually proposed, the President's bill would be dead on arrival in Congress."
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Gun Rights - Are There Any Peaceful Solutions Left?

Throughout history, citizen disarmament generally leads to one of two inevitable outcomes: Government tyranny and genocide, or, revolution and civil war. Anti-gun statists would, of course, argue that countries like the UK and Australia have not suffered such a result. My response would be – just give them time. You may believe that gun control efforts are part and parcel of a totalitarian agenda (as they usually are), or, you may believe that gun registration and confiscation are a natural extension of the government’s concern for our “safety and well-being”. Either way, the temptation of power that comes after a populace is made defenseless is almost always too great for any political entity to dismiss. One way or another, for one reason or another, they WILL take advantage of the fact that the people have no leverage to determine their own cultural future beyond a twisted system of law and governance which is, in the end, easily corrupted.

The unawake and the unaware among us will also argue that revolution or extreme dissent against the establishment is not practical or necessary, because the government “is made of regular people like us, who can be elected or removed at any time”.

This is the way a Republic is supposed to function, yes. However, the system we have today has strayed far from the methods of a Free Republic and towards the machinations of a single party system. Our government does NOT represent the common American anymore. It has become a centralized and Sovietized monstrosity. A seething hydra with two poisonous heads; one Democrat in name, one Republican in name. Both heads feed the same bottomless stomach; the predatory and cannibalistic pit of socialized oligarchy.

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Gun Owner Home Inspection Proposed!

Misstep in gun bill could defeat the effort

One of the major gun-control efforts in Olympia this session calls for the sheriff to inspect the homes of assault-weapon owners. The bill’s backers say that was a mistake.
Forget police drones flying over your house. How about police coming inside, once a year, to have a look around?

As Orwellian as that sounds, it isn’t hypothetical. The notion of police home inspections was introduced in a bill last week in Olympia.

That it’s part of one of the major gun-control efforts pains me. It seemed in recent weeks lawmakers might be headed toward somecommon-sense regulation of gun sales. But then last week they went too far. By mistake, they claim. But still too far.

“They always say, we’ll never go house to house to take your guns away. But then you see this, and you have to wonder.”

That’s no gun-rights absolutist talking, but Lance Palmer, a Seattle trial lawyer and self-described liberal who brought the troubling Senate Bill 5737to my attention. It’s the long-awaited assault-weapons ban, introduced last week by three Seattle Democrats.

Responding to the Newtown school massacre, the bill would ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons that use detachable ammunition magazines. Clips that contain more than 10 rounds would be illegal.

But then, with respect to the thousands of weapons like that already owned by Washington residents, the bill says this:

“In order to continue to possess an assault weapon that was legally possessed on the effective date of this section, the person possessing shall ... safely and securely store the assault weapon. The sheriff of the county may, no more than once per year, conduct an inspection to ensure compliance with this subsection.”

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Komen Race For The Cure Eyes April Return To OC

OCEAN CITY -- The boards in Ocean City will once again be flooded with pink this April when the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure returns to the resort town for its second year.

Despite dismal weather conditions, the debut Race for the Cure in Ocean City last year was a big win for both the town and the fight against breast cancer, according to Race and Development Coordinator Margo Mandes.

“In total we raised just over $351,000,” she said during a pre-race press conference last Friday. “Seventh-five percent of the net proceeds go to fund local grant programs that provide education, screening, treatment, and support services.”
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"America Remains In A Jobs Depression"

Jobs! President Obama has set a record. In his speech to Congress on Tuesday, he uttered the word "jobs" more than in any of his previous four State of the Union addresses. His 45 mentions were more than double the references to any of the other policy ambitions encapsulated in his speech by such words as health, education, immigration, guns, deficit, debt, energy, climate, economy, Afghanistan, wage, spend or tax (the runner-up).

If only the president's record on unemployment were as good.

After four years America remains in a jobs depression as great as the Great Depression. But the crisis isn't seen in that light because the country isn't confronted daily by scenes of despair like the 1930s photographs of bread lines and soup kitchens and thousands of men (very few women then) waiting all day outside a factory in a forlorn quest for work.

But the jobless are still in the millions across the land, little changed in their total since the 1930s: 12.3 million today officially fully unemployed compared with 12.8 million in 1933 at the depth of the Depression.

Yes, the U.S. population is much larger now, but 12 million out of work still means 12 million lives devastated. And that number masks the true vastness of the modern disaster.

The jobless today are much less visible than they were in the 1930s because relief is organized differently. Today in the "recovery," the millions are being assisted, out of sight, by government checks, unemployment checks, Social Security disability checks and food stamps.

More than 48 million Americans are in the food-stamp program—an almost incredible record. That is 15% of the total population compared with the 7.9% participation in food stamps from 1970-2000. Then there are the more than 11 million Americans who are collecting Social Security checks to compensate for disability, also a record. Half have signed on since President Obama came to office. In 1992, there was one person on disability for every 35 workers; today it is one for every 16.

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Local National Parks Included In Massive Federal Grant

WASHINGTON - The federal government is going to spend 356,000 dollars to study a better tour bus operation for the National Mall. But that's just the start of the projects ahead for national parks.

The grant is part of 80 million dollars that is being allocated for transit operations at parks across the country.

There's a grant for 1.5 million dollars to build a park and ride on the edge of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. The money will be spent to protect the beach that is visited by over a million people each year.
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‘ORWELLIAN’: PROPOSED GUN LAW IN WASHINGTON STATE CALLS ON POLICE TO INSPECT THE HOMES OF ‘ASSAULT WEAPON’ OWNERS

With each proposed anti-gun bill put forth by Democrats across the U.S., the demands appear to be getting more and more restrictive on gun owners. While the Obama administration pushes for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and universal background checks, Democrats in both California and Missouri have proposed legislation that would result in possible confiscation of semi-automatic rifles.

Now, Democratic lawmakers in Olympia, Wash. last week introduced legislation that would allow county sheriffs to inspect the homes of semi-automatic rifle owners once a year. Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat describes the move as “Orwellian.”

The proposed bill, Senate Bill 5737, would ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons that use detachable magazines and magazines that contain more than 10 rounds. It would also subject law-abiding gun owners to random searches by a county sheriff.
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Lesson From Rome (55 BC)

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury

should be refilled, public debt should be reduced,

the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered

and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands

should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt.

People must again learn to work instead of living

on public assistance." Cicero, 55 BC

So, evidently we've learned nothing in the past 2,068

years.

Republican Legislators Say Gas Tax Hike Not Needed

Democratic leaders at the State House have learned not to count on a single Republican vote for any tax increase, including proposals for a gas tax hike being floated again. But GOP legislators plan to explain at a Tuesday news conference why new transportation revenues aren’t needed at all.

The Republican delegates will argue that the transportation trust fund, raised largely through the motor fuel tax, the titling (sales) tax on vehicles, registration and drivers fees, “heavily subsidizes mass transit,” said Del. Susan Krebs, R-Carroll.

Using charts based on budget analyses by the nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services, the House Republican caucus has produced charts showing how operating budgets for the transit systems have gone up 30% over the past eight years while operating funds for highways have gone down 20%.
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Freedom Is Not Free

Texas Teen Wins Right To Have Baby After Suing Parents

A pregnant Texas teen has won the right to have her baby after she reached an agreement with her parents, who she had sued claiming they were forcing her to abort the fetus.

MyFoxHouston.com reports the teen, who was only identified in court records as R.E.K., will be allowed to have the child and her parents will not threaten her with physical force.

Under the terms of the agreement, the parents will allow the girl to marry her 16-year-old boyfriend Evan Madison, who told MyFoxHouston.com he is glad the legal matter has been settled.
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NC Judge Keeps ACC-Maryland Lawsuit Alive

GREENSBORO, N.C.- A North Carolina judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Maryland by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Guilford County Superior Court Judge John O. Craig III on Monday denied the motion Maryland filed last month.

The school is leaving the ACC for the Big Ten. The ACC sued the school in November to make it pay its $52 million exit fee. Maryland sued the ACC last month in a Maryland court, calling the fee invalid.
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House Panel Kills Septic Limits Repeal

A bill to lift state curbs on development using septic systems has died in Annapolis, less than a week after a small "tractorcade" to the State House by farmers upset over pending limits on how many houses can be built on their land.

The House Environmental Matters Committee gave an "unfavorable" report to HB106, which would have repealed the "Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012." Sponsored by Del. Michael A. McDermott, a Republican representing Wicomico and Worcester counties on the Eastern Shore. the measure had the backing of 24 other GOP delegates.

About 15 tractors of various types paraded past the State House on Feb. 12 to protest the law, which they contend has depressed their land value and reduced the borrowing power they need to continue farming. That was the day the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on a companion repeal bill introduced by three Republican senators from the Eastern Shore and Frederick County. With the House bill scotched, the Senate measure is likewise dead.
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County Tax Rates

http://individuals.marylandtaxes.com/incometax/localtax.asp
Wicomico county has one of the highest tax rates in the state. On par with some of the most affluent counties out west. If this is so, how come we don't have anywhere near the amenities that they have? Where is this money going?

IS REVOLUTION OUR DESTINY?

Throughout history, citizen disarmament generally leads to one of two inevitable outcomes: Government tyranny and genocide, or, revolution and civil war. Anti-gun statists would, of course, argue that countries like the UK and Australia have not suffered such a result. My response would be – just give them time. You may believe that gun control efforts are part and parcel of a totalitarian agenda (as they usually are), or, you may believe that gun registration and confiscation are a natural extension of the government’s concern for our “safety and well-being”. Either way, the temptation of power that comes after a populace is made defenseless is almost always too great for any political entity to dismiss. One way or another, for one reason or another, they WILL take advantage of the fact that the people have no leverage to determine their own cultural future beyond a twisted system of law and governance which is, in the end, easily corrupted.

The unawake and the unaware among us will also argue that revolution or extreme dissent against the establishment is not practical or necessary, because the government “is made of regular people like us, who can be elected or removed at any time”.

This is the way a Republic is supposed to function, yes. However, the system we have today has strayed far from the methods of a Free Republic and towards the machinations of a single party system. Our government does NOT represent the common American anymore. It has become a centralized and Sovietized monstrosity. A seething hydra with two poisonous heads; one Democrat in name, one Republican in name. Both heads feed the same bottomless stomach; the predatory and cannibalistic pit of socialized oligarchy.

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