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Friday, October 24, 2014

The Housing Recovery Has Been Canceled Due To Data Revisions

Last month, when, with great amusement, we reported that "New Home Sales Explode Higher Thanks To... Record High Average New Home Prices?", we mocked the latest batch of bullshit data released by the US department of truth as follows:

New Home Sales rose a magnificent (seasonally-adjusted annualized rate) 18% in August - the biggest monthly rise since January 1992 albeit with a 16.3 90% confidence interval, meaning the final number may well be +1.7%. At 504k, new home sales are back at May 2008 levels (though obviously massively below the 1.4 million homes sold at the peak in 2005). As a reminder, May's 504K new home sales print was later revised later to 458K. But even more stunning, new home sales in The West rose a mind-numbing 50% in August (and up 84.4% YoY - nearly double).

Well, it is now a month later, and here come the revisions: first, that 50% surge in the West was revised... 30K lower. But to get a sense of just how bad the revision was, here is the old, pre-revision data, and the "data" following the latest revision.

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Everything About The Way We Teach Math Is Wrong

Mathematics is one of humanity's most creative and poetic endeavors.

And it is a disaster that it isn't taught this way to students.

"A Mathematician's Lament" is a classic polemic (later expanded and published as a book) written by math teacher Paul Lockhart. The essay is a devastating and passionate assault on the mechanistic way mathematics is taught in most of our schools.
A Student's Nightmare

Lockhart begins with a vivid parable in which a musician has a nightmare in which music is taught to children by rote memorization of sheet music and formal rules for manipulating notes. In the nightmare, students never actually listen to music, at least not until advanced college classes or graduate school.

The problem is that this abstract memorization and formal-method-based "music" education closely resembles the "math" education that most students receive. Formulas and algorithms are delivered with no context or motivation, with students made to simply memorize and apply them.

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"Why I Will Not Submit To Medical Martial Law"

One of the most dangerous philosophical contentions even amongst liberty movement activists is the conundrum of government force and prevention during times of imminent pandemic. All of us at one time or another have had this debate. If a legitimate viral threat existed and threatened to infect and kill millions of Americans, is it then acceptable for the government to step in, remove civil liberties, enforce quarantines, and stop people from spreading the disease? After all, during a viral event, the decisions of each individual can truly have a positive or negative effect on the rest of society, right? One out of control (or “lone wolf”) citizen/terrorist could reignite a biological firestorm, so, should we not turn to government and forgo certain freedoms in order to achieve the greater good for the greater number?

If the government in question was a proven and honorable institution, then I would say pro-Medical Martial Law arguments might have a leg to stand on. However, this is not the case. In my view, medical martial law is absolutely unacceptable under ANY circumstances, including Ebola, in light of the fact that our current government will be the predominant cause of viral outbreak. That is to say, you DO NOT turn to the government for help when the government is the cause of the problem.

The recent rise of global Ebola is slowly bringing the issue of medical martial law to the forefront of our culture. Charles Krauthammer at The Washington Post recently argued in favor of possible restrictions on individual and Constitutional liberties in the face of a viral pandemic threat.

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The War on Women: Juanita Broaddrick and Bill Clinton

To set the stage for why the country needs Hillary Clinton to be the next president, Democrats are trying to force-feed Americans a “war on women” pablum, when such a war--as they present it--does not exist. For the real “war on women,” however, Democrats might turn to Hillary Clinton herself and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Juanita Broaddrick never wanted to meet the press. In February of 1999, Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, wrote that when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke the year before, the media pursuit was on for Broaddrick as it became clear her story about an alleged sexual assault by Bill Clinton would have significant impact on the outcome of the impeachment proceedings against the President.

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Maryland Democrats Double Down On Race Card, Now Using Ferguson

The Maryland Democratic Party has been acting like a party in panic mode. This week it sent out a race-baiting mailer to African-Americans around the state urging them to vote for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown because he is black, and saying that not doing so would be akin to a return to the segregated South. His opponent, businessman Larry Hogan, has internal polling that pulls that theoretical panic into reality, and the Democratic Party is doubling down on the race vote.

Hogan’s campaign released internal polling showing this to be a one-point race, a major shock in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. According to WBAL Radio, the poll “showed Brown leading Hogan by just 1 percentage point, with Hogan leading among moderates and independents.”

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When you go to the polls to vote


Meningitis hits University of Maryland

Multiple cases of virus on campus

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJLA) –
Students at the University of Maryland, College Park are being warned about a recent outbreak of viral meningitis, a contagious illness that, in extreme cases, can be deadly.

Late Wednesday evening, Dr. David McBride, Director of the UMD Health Center, sent an email to the student body, confirming multiple cases had tiptoed onto the campus.

“The University immediately initiated more vigilant procedures to address and contain the virus, and we have reached out to the organizations that are primarily affected with information about the condition and what to do in the event that they are feeling unwell,” Dr. McBride said in part.

Who Really Owns Your Home: Detroit Preparing to Foreclose on 142,000 Residents By 2016

Have you ever considered the legitimacy of property taxes? It’s one thing for the government to take a cut from your income, but there’s something deeply offensive about the idea of property taxes. It’s the idea that you have to pay your local government, year after year for the rest of your life, for something you’ve already paid in full. It’s complete nonsense.

It calls into question whether you even own your property in the first place. After all, do you really own it if you have to keep paying for it? It seems to closely resemble the medieval system of serfdom. The peasants didn’t own the land they worked on. They had to pay a yearly fee for the right to work that land, which went towards the nobles and knights. It was protection money. So at least they had the benefit of protection from the warrior class in those societies. Can you say the same of your local police?

I digress. In reality, you don’t “own” your house or the land it sits on, even if it’s been paid in full. That’s another benefit those peasants have on us. They didn’t have to pay some bank for decades, only to have their land taken from them when they didn’t pay their “yearly fee”. They were never under the illusion that the land belonged to them.

I doubt the people of Detroit have any illusions either. They’re facing an unimaginable crises that threatens to put tens of thousands of residents on the streets. The city government is about to show us once and for all, who really owns the land.

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Wal-Mart Employees Respond To Health Cuts

The recent news of Wal-Mart ending health coverage for part-time employees was dwarfed only by Ebola, ISIS and possibly election coverage in the headlines, but the employees who spoke to Ocean City Today on condition of anonymity either didn’t care, didn’t know or weren’t eligible for benefits in the first place.

Wal-Mart announced on Oct. 7 through its official blog that it would be joining retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Walgreens and Trader Joe’s in reducing benefits to part-time employees who work less than 30 hours per week, which will affect about two percent of their 1.3 million employees.

“They didn’t tell me anything about that,” said Steve R., “what they did tell me was that I was supposed to be in maintenance but as you can see I’m out here pushing carts. I’m going to get Medicare anyway because [Wal-Mart] takes all the chips and gives me none.”

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Your Choice, Citizen

Following Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia, members of the Persian elite were required to prostrate themselves before their new ruler. Polyperchon, one of Alexander’s generals, sternly rebuked one of the Persians whose self-abasement was seen as inadequate.

“Come on, don’t just touch the floor with your chin,” demanded Alexander’s arrogant underling. “Bang it, man! Bang it!”

Police union commissar Patrick J. Lynch displays more than a hint of that attitude in dealing with a public that at long last has become disgusted with routine and impenitent criminal corruption on the part of the state’s consecrated dispensers of violence.

For Lynch – whose views are very commonplace in law enforcement – any attitude toward police other than abject, servile gratitude is unacceptable, and perhaps even criminal. This is true even of those who preface modulated discussion of unambiguous criminal misconduct with the familiar disclaimer: “Not all cops are bad.”

“Proclaiming that `not all cops are bad’ implies that rational people might somehow believe the opposite,”Lynch whined in a recent column for the New York Post. “It lends cop-haters a credibility they don’t deserve. And it minimizes the dedication and professionalism that police officers display, day in and day out, by implying that it’s the exception rather than the rule.”

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BREAKING NEWS: California sheriff's deputy shot by assailant

The Sacramento County sheriff's deputy who was shot by a still-at-large assailant has died, authorities say.

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For First Time In History Of Worcester County, Republican Voters Outnumber Democrats

While the Eastern Shore votes as reliably red as the western shore does blue, as a pure numbers game registered Democrats have always outstripped their perennial foe in Worcester County.

Until this year. Granted the number isn’t huge, but according to a report by the Worcester County Board of Elections, Rs outnumber Ds by 24 people, 14,528 to 14,504.

When asked if this is the first time this has occurred, Election Director Patricia Jackson quickly answered “Yes.”

Although Republicans were a relative rarity throughout the Eastern Shore in the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers have been closer in recent years, with Republicans moving toward numerical supremacy at a more rapid clip in the last decade.

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Dem Strategist: Obama Has ‘Removed Threat of Deportation'

(CNSNews.com) – Democrat activist and strategist Simon Rosenberg said Tuesday that even before President Obama issues a new executive order expanding the number of illegal aliens who are eligible for temporary legal status, the threat of deportation already has been removed through the administration’s policy of not enforcing immigration law.

“I think that the immigration community has, frankly, given the Democrats and the president far less credit than they deserve for how much we’ve – the president has fundamentally altered the system to essentially have removed the threat of deportation over virtually every undocumented immigrant in the country already,” Rosenberg said. “That’s already happened.”

Rosenberg made his remarks as a panelist at the 11th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference held at Georgetown University Law Center.

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Resort To Look Into Homeless On Boardwalk Concerns; Changes Only Likely If Laws Being Broken

OCEAN CITY – The issue of the homeless sleeping at the Caroline Street Comfort Station and in others areas of the Boardwalk surfaced this week and at least one elected official thinks a city law may need to be tweaked to address the recent trend.

During Monday evening’s Mayor and City Council meeting, Council Secretary Mary Knight asked the Police Commission to look into establishing an ordinance that would forbid sleeping on the benches on the Boardwalk in addition to the current one prohibiting sleeping on the beach.

“I have noticed recently on the Boardwalk in the early hours around 6 a.m. there has been a lot more folks sleeping on benches. I know we have an ordinance in place that you’re not allowed to sleep overnight on the beach. I would really hope that during the next meeting you could look at also having an ordinance that would include not being allowed to sleep on a bench, because it is kind of disruptive being in front of the rest station, and it is just something that I don’t think Ocean City really would want seen up there,” Knight said.

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BREAKING NEWS: 3 sheriff's deputies shot in California

A Sacramento County sheriff's deputy, along with two deputies from Placer County, were shot by an assailant who then carjacked two vehicles and is still at large, authorities say.

BREAKING NEWS: Body positively ID'd as missing UVA college student

The Albemarle County Police Department confirms that remains discovered in a rural area last week are those of Hannah Graham, 18, the missing University of Virginia student.

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It’s the Economy, Stupid

Republicans have a better deal for the average American — but they need to make their case.

Democrats have tried running away from President Obama. They’ve tried shouting “birth control” from the rooftops. They’ve tried lamenting dastardly Republican obstruction. But many Democratic candidates are still struggling in the closing weeks of the midterm electoral season.

In the past week or so, some of them have come to the conclusion that economic populism could save the day for the party. The president may be toxic, and the Democratic and progressive brands might be tarnished by an ever-growing host of scandals, mishaps, and gaffes. But a populist charge, headed by Elizabeth Warren, could turn the tide for Democrats, or so left-leaning operatives hope. This turn to populism might run into the realities of President Obama’s record, but it should also remind Republicans of the importance of attending to their economic message.

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Lt. Gov. Brown’s “efficiency plan” calls for eliminating state employees

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Despite eight years of record tax increases and spending as Lt. Governor, Anthony Brown claims he will cut waste from the state budget as governor—but his estimate of anticipated savings would require massive eliminations of state employment positions.

In Brown’s “Government Efficiency Plan,” he cites cost-saving measures by Connecticut as a roadmap for Maryland to reduce wasteful spending. That plan would call for cost savings from eliminating state employees; the bulk of Connecticut’s plan is based on this measure.

“The treatment of state employees under Anthony Brown has been disgraceful,” said Larry Hogan. “Mandatory furloughs and a lack of cost of living pay increases, combined with 40 consecutive tax hikes has made it nearly impossible for many state employees to survive. Meanwhile, the Lt. Governor and his boss Martin O’Malley were just given yet another raise thanks to the inaction of the state legislature.”

Connecticut Plan: http://www.cga.ct.gov/gae/CEAO/docs/2010/CEAO%20Final%20Report%20Tuesday%20Jan%203.pdf

Brown's Plan: http://anthonybrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Brown-Ulman-Savings-Plan.pdf

See Also: Lt. Gov Brown's "efficiency plan" includes proposed elimination of school breakfast funding

Lt. Gov Brown's "efficiency plan" hikes community college tuition, slashes funding for scholarships and financial aid​

Compensation shrinks for all income groups

Latest wage data show continuing stagnation that is contributing to economic doldrums

American paychecks shrank last year, just-released data show, further eroding the public’s purchasing power, which is so vital to economic growth.

Average pay for 2013 was $43,041 — down $79 from the previous year when measured in 2013 dollars. Worse, average pay fell $508 below the 2007 level, my analysis of the new Social Security Administration data shows.

Flat or declining average pay is a major reason so many Americans feel that the Great Recession never ended for them. A severe job shortage compounds that misery not just for workers but also for businesses trying to profit from selling goods and services.

Average pay declined in 59 of the 60 levels of worker pay the government reports each October. The Social Security Administration slices wages into tight categories, starting at $1 to $5,000 and topping out at $50 million plus.

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Feds Probe Frederick Midair Crash That Killed 3

FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — Federal investigators were at the scene Friday of a collision between an airplane and a helicopter near a Maryland airport that killed three men but spared two others in the plane, who deployed a parachute to slow the aircraft’s descent.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into what caused the Cirrus SR22 plane and a Robinson R44 helicopter to collide Thursday in the air.

Investigators were combing the scene and planned to talk with survivors and air traffic controllers.

The plane went down in a line of trees east of downtown Frederick, while the helicopter crashed a tenth of a mile south of the plane, between two storage units, Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley said.

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Administration Freed Illegal Immigrants Charged With Violent Crimes

Illegal immigrants charged with violent crimes and serious felonies were among the hundreds of criminals the Obama administration released from jails across the country in February 2013, newly released documents show.

According to records obtained by USA Today, the government released inmates charged with offenses ranging from kidnapping and sexual assault to drug trafficking, armed assault, and homicide.

The evidence contradicts previous assurances by the administration that the 617 criminals who were released as part of a cost-cutting exercise were low-risk offenders charged with misdemeanors "or other criminals whose prior conviction did not pose a violent threat to public safety," USA Today reported.

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TLC ends production on 'Honey Boo Boo'

TLC's "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" is ending its run.

On Friday, TMZ reported that the network has canceled the series in light of claims that the program's newly separated matriarch, June "Mama June" Shannon, is dating Mark Anthony McDaniel, a man who served 10 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated child molestation in 2004 and who is a registered sex offender.

Shannon said the reports that she's dating McDaniel are "totally untrue" but confirmed that "as of right now, there will be no more production of the show."

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BREAKING NEWS: Police Responding To School Shooting In Washington


Breaking News: Police are responding to reports of a shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Washington, with unconfirmed reports of multiple injuries. http://fxn.ws/1xib0aR

Laurel Man Charged in Connection with Heroin Distribution


Laurel, DE - The Delaware State Police have arrested a Laurel man after he was found to be in possession of heroin and other drugs.

On Thursday October 23, 2013 around 3:30 p.m., troopers assigned to the Drug Task Force in Sussex County concluded a several week investigation after receiving numerous complaints about drug activity from a residence in the 33000 block of Little Hill Road in Laurel. The investigation revealed that one of the occupants of the home, Reginald K. Mitchell, 38, was dealing quantities of heroin from the house. Detectives responded to the area of the house and prior to their arrival observed Mitchell driving away in a white pick-up truck. A traffic stop was conducted shortly thereafter and Mitchell was found to be in possession of 13 bags of heroin.

Unit members then responded back to the residence on Little Hill Road where a consent to search of the home was conducted. During the search, troopers located an additional 627 bags of heroin totaling more than 9.4 grams, 2.6 grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and $480.00 in suspected drug proceeds.

Reginald Mitchell was transported back to Troop 4 where he was charged with Possession of Heroin, two counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver Heroin, Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, and two counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arraigned at JP2 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $52,000.00 cash bond.

Offender Watch - Halloween and Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Friday, October 24, 2014
RE: Halloween and Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips

 
Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office: OffenderWatch® a sex offender mapping and notification service aids citizens in avoiding potentially dangerous homes

In Wicomico County, there are approximately 200 registered sex offenders and we want you to know where they reside so that you avoid those houses when trick-or-treating. “We do the best we can in making sure sex offenders live where they tell us, so it is crucial that our citizens visit our website http://www.wicomicosheriff.com, to see who the registered sex offenders are and there they are living,” says Sheriff Mike Lewis. Citizens are encouraged to check any addresses where they or their family spend time. Sheriff Lewis says, “The mapping and address feature found on the website, pin point exactly where an offender lives.”

You will also find many other beneficial tools such as the ability to sign-up for FREE automatic email notifications informing you if an offender moves within a specified radius of any address you register. “If you aren't planning on trick-or-treating in your neighborhood,but will be in a different neighborhood, register that address beforehand so you know which houses to avoid. You can register any and all addresses where your children spend time; for example: friends', grandparents', or babysitters' addresses,” says Sheriff Lewis. The alerts are in real-time and sent out via e-mail as soon as a new offender has registered with the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Lewis says, “The benefit of registering for this free confidential e-mail alert service is that it allows us to monitor important addresses for you, thereby keeping you up-to- date of newly registered offenders and making it unnecessary for you to have to check important addresses daily or even weekly.”

The website for the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office is http://www.wicomicosheriff.com. Citizens should hover over “Sex Offender Registry”, then click on “Wicomico County Sex Offender Registry”, then click on the link “Search for offenders in your area”, and follow the instructions to check your neighborhood offenders. They may click "register for email alerts” to sign-up to receive FREE e-mail alerts about nearby offenders.

Sheriff Lewis encourages everyone to have a fun and safe Halloween. Knowledge is power and knowing where the registered sex offenders reside in your area can help you make the best choices for safe and enjoyable Halloween activities.

For further information, please call the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891.

Ocean City Fire Department Station 4 Dedication

The Ocean City Fire Department’s Station 4, located at 129th Street and Coastal Highway, is complete. The new building, recognized in the Town of Ocean City’s capital improvement plan and the Town’s strategic plan, has been a priority for the Fire Department for years, due to the concentration of high-rise structures and year-round residents in the north end of the town.

WHAT: Official dedication ceremony of Fire Station 4. The new structure boasts 11,500-squre-feet, increasing the capacity of the engine bay by more than one third. In addition, the new building provides areas for both duty crews and the department’s successful live-in program.

WHEN: Saturday, October 25, 2014
10 a.m.

WHERE: Fire Station 4
12925 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842

WHO: Ocean City Mayor and City Council
Ocean City Fire Chief, Chris Larmore
City Manager, David Recor
Ocean City Engineer, Terry McGean
Members of the Ocean City Fire Department

Maryland Democrats Play The Race Card In Latest Mailer

Running Scared: Maryland Democrats Play The Race Card

Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown was supposed to have an easy victory this November. The Democrat in a state with a two-to-one voter registration advantage over Republicans was expected to coast to victory in the deeply blue state and become its first African-American governor. That’s not shaping up to be the case.

Brown is still favored to win, but polls have it much closer than conventional wisdom thought it would be. Republican challenger Larry Hogan is within single digits and gaining steam.

The unpopularity of Gov. Martin O’Malley, and Brown’s leadership in the state’s failed $288 million health-care exchange website, have hampered what was expected to be a coronation.

Anthony Brown has performed poorly in each of the candidate’s three debates, and his campaign ads have been mostly negative attacks on Hogan, a small business owner and founder of the non-profit Change Maryland. He’s also been accused of ducking the media. He even got the name of one of the state’s largest cities wrong, saying he visited “Fredricktown.” The city is Fredrick. This led to a parody song mocking him.

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A Letter To The Editor: Judge Jimmy Sarbanes

On September 8, 2014 in the Circuit Court of Wicomico County my son was in court regarding a verbal assault and an alleged slap against his landlord from Fruitland Maryland. 

This lady has been known to lie before. My son was even warned about her false stories they had offered him an alford plea but he refused to accept because he did not hit her. Verbal assault, yes, that he was guilty of doing. 

He refused to accept the alford plea because he would be admitting to a charge he did not do. Along with this plea he would have only been given 5 years.

The officer and I were asked to leave the court room. I can not say what happened after that in there. We were called back in for the
sentencing. My son apologized for verbal assault and for wasting the
courts time for having asked for a jury trail. They then sentenced him to 10 years with three years suspended. We were all devastated. 

Even the officer couldn't believe it.

His public defender met in the chambers before hand and she said the states attorney and the head of the states attorney office, Matt Maciarello was in the judges chamber before hand and was pushing for 10 years from the get go. Since when did Matt start showing up in court for cases he's not handling.

Previously this same lady lost a case saying that her previous aid had
raped her. 
I have told you all I know. But 7 years is way to much for this crime.

The Judge was Jimmy Sarbanes.

SFD Calls For Service 10-23-14

  • Thursday October, 23 2014 @ 23:50Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday October, 23 2014 @ 22:49Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday October, 23 2014 @ 20:10Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday October, 23 2014 @ 19:39Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
  • Thursday October, 23 2014 @ 18:04Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury

Democrats Continue Attacks On Taxpayers In Wicomico County

Yes folks, you read that right - even as early voting and mid-terms elections are keeping the majority of taxpayers focused on election issues, the Wicomico Democratic leadership is getting into your hard earned cash in ways you wouldn't believe.

Example No. 1 -
Let's take the recent - Wicomico Solar Farm Project - as an example. Along comes this solar company and offers our County Executive, Mr. Pollitt a deal, that's going to make him look like a hero just before election time. Yes, he's going to save the county by contracting out a couple of cents savings per kilowatt hour of electricity for county buildings over the next twenty years. While this might look like a great deal up front and make great photo ops and talking points, there is something that was left out of this deal. Now I don't know if this was left out of the deal because Mr. Pollitt just didn't do his home work or the solar company simply kept this under their hats and didn't offer up this information or if there was other reasons. No matter what the reason, I believe the county has lost out on a steady revenue stream for the next twenty years. You see, what these companies fail to tell you about is the SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) connected with solar installations. These credits can amount to thousands of dollars for home owners or millions of dollars for large solar farms.

It would have been nice if Mr. Pollitt had bargained for a percentage of these credits for the county. But what the heck, he saved the county right?

Example No. 2 -
Here's another attack that's looking the taxpayer right in the face but it's not really recognizable yet and the County's Democratic leadership definitely doesn't want you to know about it before the election. Does anyone remember a couple years ago when HB-1412 - Education - Maintenance of Effort - was passed that would have the STATE intercept county tax dollars and give funds directly to the Board of Education if the taxpayers were unable to meet the Maintenance of Effort for schools? Well this bill appears to have been carefully crafted by Delegate Sheila Hixson (Annapolis friend of Norms), Senator Mandaleno (Another friend of Norms) to temporarily raise the Revenue Cap rate just so the BOE would get more money. Now we all know how Delegate Conway simply hate, hates, hates the Revenue Cap (Not a true cap but a limitation) and would do anything to get rid of it or go around it. Well taxpayers, here comes Norms next attempt. 

Example No. 3 - 
If you have been following the BOE news lately you all know that they are just simply stomping their feet because they are not getting taxpayers money fast enough to do the hundreds of millions for dollars in new schools and upgrades that simply have to be done right away because after all, now what's that famous phrase? Oh Yeah, now I remember, "After All, It's For the Kids".(Kind of like all the food they buy on their credit cards right? ). But I digress so back on subject. Has anyone been reading the BOE Facility Task Force Report on Building Needs? You need too. The next attempt is right there. " We anticipate changes to the overall plan as we move forward as specialized funding become available ...". Now just where do you think this "Specialized Funding", is going to be coming from? Magic Money! No. Your Tax Dollars! And it doesn't matter if you as an individual can afford it or not they (Mandaleno, Hixson and Conway) will pass special taxing powers to go around the Revenue Cap to get in your pockets because After All It's For the Kids. And here's the part that everyone has to love. Norm will use plausible deniability and claim, "it wasn't my idea, it was theirs". This is a technique that they use when they want something the voters hate done in their district.
So there it is folks. Naysayers go to work but have the guts to put your name to it. Before I go I would just like to pass something along to the many new and hard working teachers in Wicomico County. Changes will be coming. Mr. Pollitt does not have the twenty four million dollars for the county's portion of your retirement fund. So guess what? 

John Palmer, Delmar, Md.

Democrats Voting For Hogan

Grandfather is Shot, but Shoots 3 of 3 Home Invaders Who Tried to Rape His Granddaughter, Killing 1

Another good guy with a gun stops bad guys. This grandfather may have been too much of a good guy when he opened his door to three young men who claimed to have car trouble. From their picture, they look like model citizens huh? The grandfather is still incritical condition and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Unfortunately, in this case our hero was shot multiple times and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospitalwhere is in serious condition. However, his actions are nothing short of amazingly heroic.

A man who said he was having trouble with his car convinced Kenneth Byrd, age 67, to open his door. His wife and 19 year old granddaughter were at home at the time.

That was all the opportunity the three man home invasion crew needed. The trio burst into the home, guns drawn and threatened the residents.

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What Washington doesn't want you to read

Wastebook 2014: What Washington doesn't want you to read.

Voodoo Dolls, Gambling Monkeys, Zombies in Love and Paid Vacations for Misbehaving Bureaucrats Top List of the Most Outlandish Government Spending in Wastebook 2014

Gambling monkeys, dancing zombies and mountain lions on treadmills are just a few projects exposed in Wastebook 2014 – highlighting $25 billion in Washington’s worst spending of the year.

Wastebook 2014 — the report Washington doesn’t want you to read —reveals the 100 most outlandish government expenditures this year, costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

“With no one watching over the vast bureaucracy, the problem is not just what Washington isn’t doing, but what it is doing.” Dr. Coburn said. “Only someone with too much of someone else’s money and not enough accountability for how it was being spent could come up some of these projects.”

“I have learned from these experiences that Washington will never change itself. But even if the politicians won’t stop stupid spending, taxpayers always have the last word.”

Congress actually forced federal agencies to waste billions of dollars for purely parochial, political purposes.

For example, lawmakers attached a rider to a larger bill requiring NASA to build a $350 million launch pad tower, which was mothballed as soon as it was completed because the rockets it was designed to test were scrapped years ago. Similarly, when USDA attempted to close an unneeded sheep research station costing nearly $2 million every year to operate, politicians in the region stepped in to keep it open.

Examples of wasteful spending highlighted in “Wastebook 2014” include:
Coast guard party patrols – $100,000
Watching grass grow – $10,000
State department tweets @ terrorists – $3 million
Swedish massages for rabbits – $387,000
Paid vacations for bureaucrats gone wild – $20 million
Mountain lions on a treadmill – $856,000
Synchronized swimming for sea monkeys – $50,000
Pentagon to destroy $16 billion in unused ammunition -- $1 billion
Scientists hope monkey gambling unlocks secrets of free will –$171,000
Rich and famous rent out their luxury pads tax free – $10 million
Studying “hangry” spouses stabbing voodoo dolls – $331,000
Promoting U.S. culture around the globe with nose flutists – $90 million

Read the full report here.

Watch the Wastebook 2014 videos here and here and here.

ICYMI: WBAL Article: Latest poll shows 1-point gap between Hogan and Brown; Hogan leads among independents, moderates

ANNAPOLIS, MD – October 23, 2014 – A new poll conducted by Wilson Perkins Allen Research and reported on by WBAL TV in Baltimore shows Larry Hogan just a single point behind Lt. Governor Anthony Brown in the race for Maryland's next governor.

"New poll shows close race

According to a new 500-person poll by Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research, which was done on behalf of Hogan for Governor, Hogan is only trailing Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown by 1 percent overall.

When it comes to likely voters who have heard of both candidates, Hogan has a 4 percent lead. According to the poll, of likely voters who have an opinion on both candidates, Hogan has an 11 percent lead.

The poll showed that Hogan has a 14-point lead among Independents and a 6-point lead among moderates.

To view the article, click here.

3 Hospitals Designated For Md. Ebola Patients

ANNAPOLIS. Md. (WJZ) — A number of new developments in the ongoing concerns over Ebola.

Rochelle Ritchie has details on three area hospitals designated for treatment.

Those hospitals are Johns Hopkins Hospital, the University of Maryland Medical Center and MedStar Washington Medical Center in D.C. All three have been designated as a second option to treat Ebola patients. This comes just hours after the CDC ordered Maryland health officials to screen travelers from three West Africa before they come into the state.

The threat of Ebola continues to put Maryland hospitals on high alert. Now they are becoming part of the national effort to fight the deadly virus.

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Obama brings in 1,900 people from another Ebola nation

Virus outbreak independent of crisis in West Africa

Since an outbreak of Ebola hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo in July, the Obama administration has brought into the U.S. at least 1,900 refugees from the disease-stricken nation, WND has learned.

Required medical screening for refugees may not detect all diseases. The mandatory blood and urine tests for all refugees would not detect Ebola.

The strain of Ebola found in the Congo is slightly different from the virus that has been ravaging West Africa. Researchers have concluded the Congolese outbreak is not connected to the epidemic in West Africa.

The U.S. refugee program this year is on pace to resettle 70,000 citizens, including a limit for the fiscal year of 2014 of 14,000 from Africa, with the State Department giving priority to Congolese refugees.

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BREAKING: Judicial Watch Obtains List of Fast and Furious Documents Held Under Obama's Executive Privilege

Late last night the Department of Justice complied with a court order and turned over a list to government watchdog Judicial Watch , known as a Vaughn Index, of Fast and Furious documents being held from Congress and the American people under President Obama's assertion of executive privilege. Not surprisingly, DOJ failed to fully comply with the requirements of providing a Vaughn Index. 

The Vaughn index explains 15,662 documents. Typically, a Vaughn index must: (1) identify each record withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption. The Vaughn index arguably fails to provide all of this required information but does provide plenty of interesting information for a public kept in the dark for years about the Fast and Furious scandal.

Regardless, the list of documents shows Obama asserted executive privilege to protect Attorney General Eric Holder's wife and to protect information showing Holder helped to craft talking points during the fallout of the scandal. What a preliminary review of Vaughn Index by Judicial Watch shows:
Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder’s direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.

President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone. The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the “deliberative process” exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.

Numerous entries detail DOJ’s communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.

The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.

Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications. Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama’s broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.

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Never let a crisis go to waste.


Clinton’s Pardons for Pedophiles

The Office of the Inspector General of the State Department found in its latest investigation that Clinton aides had “created an appearance of undue influence and favoritism” in a number of cases including that of Ambassador Howard Gutman.

The investigation is largely a whitewash. There is no mention of the fact that one whistleblower related to the case, Richard Higbie, had his emails deleted by a hacker. Or that the main whistleblower, Aurelia Fedenisn, was harassed at home and had her law firm burgled.

It goes almost without saying that Richard Nixon went down for much less than that.

There is also no mention of the more explosive allegation that Howard Gutman had not merely solicited a prostitute on a single occasion, as the report mentions, but had escaped his detail to “solicit sexual favors from minor children.”

Also overlooked is the fact that the Gutman case was shoved under the rug by Cheryl Mills, who was not only Hillary Clinton’s Chief of Staff but the White House Counsel who ferociously protected Bill Clinton when questions were raised about his own sexual activities.

Mills is a fanatical Clinton loyalist. During her days in the Clinton White House, a colleague was quoted as saying, “If something’s on the other side of a brick wall and the Clintons need it, she’ll find a way to get to it: over, around or through.”

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Teacher Recommended?

Are you taking the blue pill?

Shocking moment bumbling cops leave Ebola doctor's apartment and dump their protective gloves and masks in a sidewalk trash can

With the news that the first confirmed case of Ebola has hit New York City, all attention now turns to how equipped the densely populated metropolis is to deal with the deadly virus - and if the city really is as prepared as they claimed to be in a press conference Thursday evening.

Perhaps throwing things into doubt are photos taken outside the Harlem apartment of Dr. Craig Spencer, who was admitted to the hospital with a 103 degree fever earlier today. They show police officers tossing their gloves, masks and the caution tape used to block off access to his apartment in a public trash can.

Is that really the best place to be putting all of that?

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EDUCATIONAL CENTER RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY



On Tuesday (10/28) at 3:30 pm, Wicomico Public Library, in partnership with Wor-Wic Community College, will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Educational Center located in the Downtown Library.

The new Educational Center consists of classroom and computer lab space for use for various trainings and workshops including Wor-Wic Community College’s Adult Education classes, resume & job search workshops, computer & coding workshops, ESL classes, technology & software classes amongst others.

Funding for this project has been provided by Wicomico County and by the Gladys Martha Allen Fund for Education at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

This venture is a new way for the library to provide services which are core to its mission. According to Executive Director Andrea Berstler “Wicomico Public Library supports education in all forms. We are pleased to work with other educational organizations such as Wor-Wic to bring learning opportunities to Downtown Salisbury.”

Wicomico Public Library has locations in Downtown Salisbury, the Centre at Salisbury, in Pittsville, and the Library Bookmobile. Your public library provides classes and events, resources and online services that support learning build communities and enrich lives. You Belong @ Wicomico Public Library!

For more information on Wicomico Public Library’s upcoming events or available services, please visit our Web site WicomicoLibrary.org or check out our newsletter now available in local businesses.

Concern Citizens of Worcester County: Early Voting

Early voting has begun. Some feel that mid term elections in a blue state that a conservative vote doesn't matter. That is incorrect.Races are very tight. Every vote counts. We can not afford another 4 years of the Mathias - Brown - Conway - Franchot tax and spend policies.

We are conservatives - Vote for conservatives. Vote For:
Larry Hogan - Mike McDermott - Charles Otto - Mary Beth Carozza - Carl Anderton - William Campbell.

Early voting polling location: Gull Creek Senior Center
October 23rd through October 30th - 10 am to 8 pm

Homeless Tier III Sex Offender Notification

Edward J. Venne, 33 of Seaford, DE
6'00" tall, 160 lbs.
White male, brown hair, hazel eyes

Resume:
Seaford, DE – Edward J. Venne is not wanted. This is a homeless sex offender public notification. Venne is a high risk Tier III sex offender who has registered as homeless in Seaford, DE. If you have information that he is occupying a residence please contact 302-672-5306 or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet atwww.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

“No Refusal” Blood Draw Checkpoint Planned for Ohio

Controversial procedure considered a 4th amendment violation by some

A “no refusal” checkpoint where drivers will be forced to stop and potentially submit to having their blood taken on the side of the road by law enforcement authorities is planned for Clark County, Ohio tomorrow.

“Every car will be checked to ensure that drivers are not impaired. If there is sufficient probable cause to believe that a driver is operating a vehicle while impaired, law enforcement will seek a blood search warrant from a “neutral and detached magistrate,” reports ABC 22.

The time and location of the checkpoint will not be released until hours before it is set to begin.

Once a search warrant is obtained, a nurse will draw blood to check for alcohol or drugs. It is not specified whether the blood draws will take place on the side of the road or at a nearby jail.

Although the practice of taking blood from motorists suspected of being under the influence has been the law in numerous states for years, many remain unaware of how those who refuse to consent to the procedure are treated.

Last year we highlighted shocking video footage out of Georgia which showed police officers forcibly strapping down citizens accused of drunk driving before putting them in a headlock and having a nurse draw blood.

As the clip shows, even compliant individuals who are showing zero resistance have their heads forcibly pushed down as the blood is taken.

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Tickled Paint ARTworks


Witnesses Support Wilson's Claims But Are Afraid To Come Forward

A number of African American eyewitnesses to the police shooting death of Michael Brown have given testimony in front of a grand jury that supports Darren Wilson, the officer who shot the teen on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri.

But according to The Washington Post’s sources, the witnesses have not come forward publicly out of fear.

“Seven or eight African American eyewitnesses have provided testimony consistent with Wilson’s account, but none of them have spoken publicly out of fear for their safety,” the Post reported on Wednesday.

Wilson shot Brown following what began as a verbal altercation in the Canfield neighborhood in Ferguson. The town, and the neighborhood, are majority black. Brown was black. Officer Wilson is white. The shooting has sparked massive outrage from civil rights groups and protesters who believe that race contributed to Brown’s death and to what they see as a sloppy investigation into the shooting.

Most of the witnesses to the shooting who have come forward, including Brown’s friend Dorian Johnson who was with him at the time of the incident, have publicly said that Brown was surrendering when Wilson shot him.

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Chilling free speech: Fed's passion to monitor us has become insatiable

Earlier this week, the federal government’s National Science Foundation, an entity created to encourage the study of science -- encouragement that it achieves by awarding grants to scholars and universities -- announced that it had awarded a grant to study what people say about themselves and others in social media.

The NSF dubbed the project Truthy, a reference to comedian Stephen Colbert’s invention and hilarious use of the word “truthiness.”

The reference to Colbert is cute, and he is a very funny guy, but when the feds get into the business of monitoring speech, it is surely no joke; it is a nightmare. It is part of the Obama administration’s persistent efforts to monitor communication and scrutinize the expressions of opinions it hates and fears.

All presidents push the envelope when it comes to exercising their constitutional powers. But we never before have seen in modern times a president like the present one.

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Chart Of The Day: "Cost Of Living" Edition

If you thought an Ivy League education was beyond your reach financially, try jail in New York City...

Thank you Federal Government War On Drugs...

Suspect waiting to be tried for murder accidentally RELEASED from Baltimore jail and goes on the run after protocol breach

Law enforcement officials in Maryland are on the hunt for a murder suspect who was released by mistake from jail while waiting to go on trial.

Rodriquez Purnell, 30, was erroneously freed Friday from the Maryland Reception, Diagnostic and Classification Center in Baltimore, and he has not been seen since.

Purnell was awaiting trial in the shooting death of 27-year-old Terrance J Rheubottom on St. Patrick's Day 2013 in Baltimore. He also had been convicted of assaulting a corrections worker.

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Vote FOR questions 1, 2 on ballot

Maryland voters will decide two constitutional amendments when they go to the polls in the general election. We urge local residents to vote FOR Question 1 (restricting transportation trust funds) and Question 2 (special elections for county executive or Baltimore City mayor).

Question 1 adds language to the Maryland Constitution restricting the use of transportation trust funds to highway and transportation purposes, including allocation to local governments as highway user revenues.

In recent years, money in the Transportation Trust Fund has been raided by governors and state lawmakers for use in the general fund to balance the Maryland budget. The biggest effect locally has stemmed from the state’s decision to withhold highway user revenues from county and town governments. Mid-Shore counties had relied on those funds for local road projects in the area, including maintenance and improvements.

Approval of Question 1 provides for a “lockbox” of sorts for the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which was “created in 1971 to establish a dedicated fund to support the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT),” according to the agency’s website. “Sources of funds include motor fuel taxes, vehicle excise (titling) taxes, motor vehicle fees (registrations, licenses and other fees), and federal aid.”

The proposed constitutional amendment would limit “the use of Transportation Trust Funds to payment of principal and interest on transportation bonds and for constructing and maintaining an adequate highway system or any other transportation-related purpose.”

It also would prohibit “the transfer of Transportation Trust Funds into the General Fund or a special fund of the State, except for: (1) an allocation or use of highway user revenues for local governments or (2) a transfer of funds to the Maryland Transportation Authority or the Maryland Transportation Authority Fund.”

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Obama's illegal immigration 'amnesty' is 'confirmation of crisis,' claim GOP lawmakers

Members of Congress on the political right are seething over the Obama administration's apparent plan to turn as many as 34 million illegal immigrants into legal U.S. residents, with one lawmaker claiming the president is engaged in 'covert actions to prepare for tens of millions of amnesty cases.'

Rep. Lou Barletta, a Pennsylvania Republican,said Thursday that recent reports of a government program to mass-purchase blank 'green cards' and work permits are 'proof that the groundwork is already being laid to grant amnesty post-election to millions upon millions of people who have broken our laws to enter this country.'

'The administration already has exceeded its authority to manipulate our immigration laws, and it is jarring to see the sheer scale of his future plans to do more,' he said.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a draft proposal this month, seeking a vendor to produce the paperwork that authorizes illegal immigrants to live and work in the United States. The White House is preparing to issue an immigration-related executive order after the Nov. 4 midterm elections.

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GA Dems Try to Increase Black Turnout by Exploiting Michael Brown's Death: Vote 'If You Want to Prevent Another

Democrats in Georgia are trying to motivate black voters by exploiting Michael Brown's death, urging them to vote "if you want to prevent another Ferguson..."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained flyers that use images from the Ferguson protests and of two black children holding up signs that say "don't shoot" to urge Democrats to vote early "if you want to prevent another Ferguson in their futures," and because "it's up to you to make change happen." The mailers also note that the vast majority of Ferguson's elected officials and police officers are white, even though the city is two-thirds black and asks, "what are we going to do about it?"

"If we want a better, safer future for our children, it's up to us to vote for change," it says.

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Black disappointment with Obama threatens Democrats

MIAMI — Black voters’ disappointment with President Barack Obama, who they so eagerly embraced for so many years, could be costly on Election Day to Democrats, who badly need a big African-American turnout to win Senate and gubernatorial races in key states.

Instead, many African-Americans see an unemployment rate well above the national average, continuing problems with crime in many neighborhoods, and a president more interested in trying to help other voting blocs that didn’t give him such unwavering support.

He talks about same-sex marriage in a nod to the gay and lesbian community. He discusses immigration and its benefits, an issue particularly important to the Latino community. He fights for equal pay, a vital issue to the women Democrats so avidly court.

The black community, which gave Obama support like no other group, too often doesn’t see the investment paying off.

“People in this community just don’t think anything is going to change,” said Akua Scott, a Miami-based labor organizer.

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Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/10/23/244420_black-disappointment-with-obama.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Obama Asserts Fast and Furious Executive Privilege Claim for Holder’s Wife

Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) a “Vaughnindex” detailing records about the Operation Fast and Furious scandal. The index was forced out of the Obama administration thanks to JW’s June 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequentSeptember 2012 FOIA lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 1:12-cv-01510)). A federal court had ordered the production over the objections of the Obama Justice Department.

The document details the Attorney General Holder’s personal involvement in managing the Justice Department’s strategy on media and Congressional investigations into the Fast and Furious scandal. Notably, the document discloses that emails between Attorney General Holder and his wife Sharon Malone – as well as his mother – are being withheld under an extraordinary claim of executive privilege as well as a dubious claim of deliberative process privilege under the Freedom of Information Act. The “First Lady of the Justice Department” is a physician and not a government employee.

This is the first time that the Obama administration has provided a detailed listing of all records being withheld from Congress and the American people about the deadly Fast and Furious gun running scandal. The 1307-page “draft” Vaughn index was emailed to Judicial Watch at 8:34 p.m. last night, a few hours before a federal court-ordered deadline. In its cover letter, the Department of Justice asserts that all of the responsive records described in the index are “subject to the assertion of executive privilege.”

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Sheriff Joe Arpaio Demands Federal Government Stop Releasing Criminals Aliens In Maricopa County



Thank God Its Friday 10-24-14

What will you be doing this weekend?

Living In Ocean City Is Like Having Your Own Zoo

The difference, we don't have to pay out millions to enjoy what God has given us and the animals aren't caged. 

Someone's Flying Home After Early Voting, Can You Guess Who?

Man, I love my Drone.

Singing Anesthesiologists

Harvest Farm Dinner at Bordeleau

Sobo's Catering invites you to a special dinner event at Bordeleau Winery in Eden, Maryland. Thursday, October 30th at 6:00pm. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to SaveFarmFamilies.org to help support local area farmers and their families!

We are proud to partner on this event with Bordeleau Winery as well as these other great sponsors: Sewansecott Oysters from H.M. Terry Co., BayWater Greens and Rise Up Coffee.

Chef Arturo Suazo will prepare a fall harvest menu, each course paired with your choice of eVo beer or featured Bordeleau wine. Tickets are on sale now at SoBo's Wine Beerstro and Bordeleau. Limited quantities are available, cost is $60 each.

Live Acoustic Music w/ RED NO BLUE 6:00pm - 9:00pm!

See the event flyer for event menu or call for details.
SoBo's Wine Beerstro 410.219.1117

10% A Year


OMG, Remember These?


Walllops Launch on 27 Oct!

At 6:45pm on Monday, October 27th, the launching of an Antares rocket from Wallops Flight Facility will deliver cargo and crew supplies to the International Space Station. If the skies are clear, look to the south to watch this awesome event. For videos, launch coverage and other related events (such as a change in launch times), go to http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/events/index.html