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Saturday, October 31, 2015

Southern Methodist University Sororities Still Preach Segregation

Black freshmen are fighting back against Internet comments by sorority members who say black students don’t get bids because they are ‘aesthetically unpleasing to the eye.’

While it wasn’t a newly cut sequel to that dubiously acclaimed indy flick Dear White People, it did end up as the most in-your-face sample of college campus bigotry that student Layla Evette could ever ask for.

Not that she did ask for it: Evette was just an undergraduate at Southern Methodist University, trying to get by while being black at a predominantly white institution in the middle of Texas.

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Bernie Sanders Pledges to Muslim Student That He'll Fight Islamophobia

On Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders held a national town hall with students at George Mason University where he, among other things, pledged to remove the federal prohibition against the use of marijuana.

At one point, a Muslim student asked Sanders about the bigotry being expressed all over the country against Muslim Americans. Sanders embraced the student and brought her up on the stage. He commented about his own religious background and compared anti-Semitism to Islamophobia:

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Lesbian Couple Says Cop Arrested Them for Kissing in Public

A Hawaiian vacation turned into a five-month legal ordeal for one same-sex couple.

Courtney Wilson and Taylor Guerrero, a lesbian couple from Los Angeles, say they were harassed and thrown in jail by a cop while on vacation in Hawaii—all because he didn’t like the sight of the same-sex couple kissing in public. The two have filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging discrimination, and the Honolulu Police Department says it has opened an internal investigation.

Speaking with Hawaii News Now, the couple said that on the second day of their vacation on Oahu, they stopped in a local grocery store. As they perused the aisles they held hands, and at one point, kissed. That’s when police officer Bobby Harris (who, just for the record, wasn’t on duty, but was shopping while wearing his uniform) allegedly started to badger them.

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Say It Ain't So, Hillary Clinton -- You're Open to the Idea of Raising the Retirement Age?

Clinton seems to be open to raising the tax cap, but will not give a specific plan.

At a forum in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton stood by her support for the death penalty, which made headlines. But her remarks about Social Security that day didn't get as much attention.

She offered a lot of the same rhetoric many Democrats are now saying, that we need to look at how the poorest Social Security recipients are faring and think about how to shore up payments there. But she also left the door open to raising the retirement age if there were a way to exclude people who are not working labor-intensive jobs, while at the same time not fully endorsing simply raising the tax cap, which would ensure the system is fully funded going forward.

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Pharma Biggie Hit With $125M Penalty For Illegal Kickbacks To Doctors, Falsified Insurance Forms

A subsidiary of multibillion-dollar international pharmaceuticals company Allergan has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of healthcare fraud and pay $125 million to close the books on criminal and civil liability claims tied to the subsidiary’s illegal marketing activities for seven different name-brand prescription drugs.

Warner Chilcott USA Sales LLC (whose connection to Allergen we’ll get to later) has agreed to plead guilty in federal court to felony criminal charges of paying kickbacks to physicians to get them to prescribe the company’s drugs. Warner Chilcott was also caught manipulating prior authorizations to induce insurance companies to pay for prescriptions of osteoporosis drug Atelvia that the insurers may not have otherwise paid for. To top it all of, the company also made unsubstantiated marketing claims on another osteo med, Actonel.

While the company won’t be going to jail, former Warner Chilcott President W. Carl Reichel might be. The erstwhile exec was arrested today in Boston, and according to a newly unsealed indictment [PDF] has been charged with conspiring to pay kickbacks to physicians.

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Group Must Pay $700K Penalty For Allegedly Profiting From ‘Charity’ Donation Bins

How do you turn a charitable donation into a scam? Take the donated item and sell it for a profit, instead of giving it to the needy. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office has reached a settlement with a for-profit company accused of doing just that, by way of more than 1,100 clothing donation bins scattered throughout the New York City area.

According to Schneiderman’s office, Thrift Land USA allegedly set itself up as a charitable outfit, using logos for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rockland County and I Love Our Youth to “trick and mislead the public into believing that the clothing it collected would benefit the charity whose name and logo appeared on its bins.”

Instead, Thrift Land turned around and sold the clothing at “huge profit” and the charities featured on the bins only got a small, monthly fee for use of their name and logo.

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Senators Say They Will Try To Reverse Robocall Exemption For Federal Debt Collectors

Right now, the U.S. Senate is going through process of discussing the bipartisan budget proposal intended to prevent another federal shutdown. It’s a bill that, by most accounts, is destined to pass without removal of a provision that gives the federal government — and only the federal government — the permission to place unwanted, automated robocalls for the purposes of debt collection without the recipient’s permission. But some lawmakers are pledging to do something after the budget bill has passed. 

Data Overage Charges Crushing Cellphone Customers

American cellphone customers are paying more data overage fees than ever before.

More than a quarter of AT&T customers and 20% of Verizon customers said they paid an overage charge in the past six months -- both records, according to a survey by Cowen & Co.

The overage charges are exacerbated by tablets -- a record 24% of tablet owners with a 4G plan paid an overage charge.

The problem isn't going away: The wireless industry expects mobile data usage to double each year for the next several years.

"I simply think our usage is outstripping our plans," said Colby Synesael, analyst at Cowen & Co.

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Walmart and Target's Holiday Plans


MAASA Receives Tourism Partnership Award at Maryland’s Tourism & Travel Summit

Photo from L to R:  Acting Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Department of Tourism, Film and the Arts Bill Pencek, Wicomico County Tourism Manager Steve Miller, Maryland Tourism Development Board Chair Greg Shockley, Worcester County Tourism Director Lisa Challenger, Town of Ocean City Tourism and Marketing Director Donna Abbott, Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill, Maryland Office of Tourism Director Liz Fitzsimmons

Salisbury, MD – The Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance (MAASA) received a 2015 Maryland Tourism Award during Maryland’s 35th Annual Tourism & Travel Summit, held in Ellicott City, Md. The awards were presented during a luncheon at the conference by Commerce Secretary Mike Gill and the Maryland Tourism Development Board Chair Greg Schockley.

The Tourism Awards recognize excellence and major contributions in cultural heritage tourism, sports travel, economic impact and elevating Maryland’s image as a tourism destination. MAASA received the Tourism Partnership Award. This award recognizes innovative partnerships that advance regional product development, marketing initiatives, programming or events and result in significant contributions to Maryland’s tourism industry.

MAASA was formed by the Town of Ocean City, Wicomico and Worcester Counties in 2014. The formal sports-marketing partnership is the first of its kind in the nation. It leverages the combined assets of each jurisdiction in order to attract, retain and build sports marketing events. Since its inception, the region has successfully hosted two national girls' softball tournaments and the ISSA Eastern Shore senior softball championship. These three MAASA events combined for a total of more than 25,000 hotel room nights booked and $40 million in estimated economic impact.

For a complete list of 2015 Tourism Award Recipients, please visit: http://emarketingmd.org/Tourism/PR/2015-Tourism-Award-Recipients.html. For additional information on MAASA, visit www.PlayMAASA.org.

Eastern Shore Classic Dog Show Returns to the WY&CC Nov. 4-8

Salisbury, MD – The Talbot County Kennel Club, Salisbury Kennel Club and Mispillion Kennel Club’s Eastern Shore Classic Dog Show will return to the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Wednesday, November 4 through Sunday, November 8. For the safety of show participants, a portion of Glen Ave. in front of the WY&CC will close from Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 a.m.

The event will bring over 100 breeds of dogs to the area, competing for Best in Show each day. Special events will include Best Puppy in Show on Thursday and Saturday and Best Bred by Exhibitor in Show on Sunday.

The Eastern Shore Classic is open to the public each day from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for students. Children under 5 are admitted free. Tickets will be available at the door. For everyone's safety, strollers are not allowed in the arena. For additional information, please visit www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org.

BREAKING NEWS: Gunman kills 3 in Colorado Springs shooting spree

Four people are dead, including a suspected gunman, after a shooting spree in downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday, according to police.

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House Passes Bi-Partisan Budget Bill, Addresses Medicare Part B Premium Increase

Late Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a budget deal that increases spending for military and domestic purposes and increases the debt limit. The deal also addresses the increase in Medicare Part B premiums that is otherwise projected to impact 30 percent of beneficiaries, and an increase in the Medicare Part B deductible that would have impacted all Part B enrollees.

Due to a combination of higher than projected Medicare outpatient costs in 2015 and the lack of a cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients, premiums for some beneficiaries are projected to increase from $104.90 to over $150—or more for those with higher incomes. Other beneficiaries, those who have their Part B premium deducted from their Social Security check, are “held harmless” and protected from increased Part B premiums where there is no increase in their check. This means that the increase would fall on a smaller group, and is therefore projected to be larger for each affected person. The Part B deductible, or amount people have to pay out of pocket before their coverage begins, is also set to increase to about $223.

If passed by the Senate, the budget deal will take what the premium would have been had the increase been spread across all enrollees, and will “loan” the difference to beneficiaries from the Medicare trust fund, making their premium for next year about $120. Beneficiaries as a group will have to repay that loan by paying a $3 per month surcharge. The deal also reduces the projected Part B deductible from about $223 to around $167 and prevents a 20% cut in Social Security Disability Benefits from going into effect.

Read more about the budget deal.

The Nine Principled Conservatives Who Voted Against RINO Ryan for Speaker

Pro-amnesty, bailout supporting RINO Paul Ryan, a favorite of the GOP establishment, was elected as the new Speaker of the House on Thursday, replacing the outgoing John “Bendover” Boehner, who shocked the world by suddenly announcing that he would resign from his seat in Congress after pressure from conservatives in the House.

Ryan received 236 votes for speaker, while California Communist Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the speaker prior to Boehner, received 184 votes from Democrats. Paul Ryan did not vote.

The nine congressman who stood on principle and voted against Paul Ryan voted for Daniel Webster (R-FL) and could act as a short-list of the most principled conservatives in the House.
Dave Brat (R-VA)
Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Thomas Massie (R-KY)
Bill Posey (R-FL)
Randy Weber (R-TX)
Ted Yoho (R-FL)
Curt Clawson (R-FL)
Walter Jones (R-NC)

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Surfers take on huge waves at Praia do Norte off Portugal coast

It's one of mother nature's most powerful, spine-tingling displays: monstrously huge waves crashing into shore from a stormy sea.

However, for these daredevil surfers, they see it as an opportunity to show just what they're capable of too.

And their wave-riding heroics are guaranteed to leave stunned spectators with hairs standing up on the back of the neck.

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And The Biggest "Contributor" To Q3 GDP Was...

If you said "the Supreme Court-approved tax that is Obamacare", then give yourself a pat on the back.

As we broke down earlier, Q1 GDP rose at a disappointing 1.5% CAGR, rising to $16.394 trillion in chained dollars, an increase of $61 billion, and a modest annual increase of just 2% compared to Q3 2014, the lowest Y/Y increase since the 1.7% recorded in Q1 2014.

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Beware America, President Obama has put politics into your pensions

The federal government is going to allow retirement investments to be subjected to politically correct funny business due to a new guidance issued by the U.S. Labor Department that puts the government’s thumb on the scale in favor of so-called “socially responsible” investments.

Prior to the Obama administration action, these politically correct investment vehicles needed to match their peers by meeting the same fiduciary standards in order to qualify for inclusion in a 401(k) or pension plan. In fact, in previous guidance offered the financial services industry, the Labor Department flatly stated that the occurrence of these funds in a qualified pension plan should be “rare.”

All that changes now, as the Labor Secretary flanked by the Chief Financial Officer of the Service Employees International Union opened the floodgates for investment schemes whose first priority is political change rather than return for the investor.

Why would the Obama administration allow pension fund managers and indeed, individual investors who control their own retirement accounts to gamble on politically motivated investments?

$8.4 trillion is why.

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Champion teen runner disqualified after helping rival in medical distress

Iowa’s Zachary Hougland smoked the competition.

The cross country runner sprinted across the finish line on October 22 and into the record books as the Davis County High School’s first district champion.

As Zach exchanged high-fives with his coach he turned around and saw one of his rivals struggling to finish the race.

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Hillary the Perjurer

The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd captured the moment last weekend when she referred to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as “the midwife to chaos” in Libya. Dowd apparently came to that conclusion after watching Clinton bobbing and weaving and admitting and denying as she was confronted with the partial record of her failures and obfuscations as secretary of state, particularly with respect to Libya.

The public record is fairly well-known. In March 2011, President Barack Obama declared war on Libya. He did this at the urging of Clinton, who wanted to overthrow Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi so she could boast of having brought “democracy” to the region.

She and Obama conspired to do this even though former President George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair had publicly praised Gadhafi as an ally in the war against terrorist groups and even though the U.S. was giving the Gadhafi government more than $100 million a year in foreign aid.

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Could this PAINT wipe out hospital-acquired superbugs?

Tests reveal new product 'kills 99% of harmful bacteria that triggers MRSA and E.coli'

A new pot of paint could prove the latest tool in the war on hospital superbugs, destroying potentially life-threatening infections within two hours of exposure.

The product does not merely inhibit the growth of common bacteria, but has the power to kill the dangerous microbes, experts said.

Marketed as Paint Shield, experiments found it kills more than 99 per cent of virulent strains that can trigger MRSA and E.coli.

The paint can be applied to interior hard, non-porous ceilings, walls, doors and trim.

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Seaford Man Charged with 5th Offense DUI

Blades, DE - The Delaware State Police arrested a Seaford man for his 5th offense DUI after he failed to slow or move over for an emergency vehicle.

The incident occurred around 10:50 p.m. Friday October 30, 2015, as a trooper was conducting a traffic stop on a motor vehicle on Seaford Road (Alt. US13) northbound just north of Easter Lane, Blades. As the trooper exited the patrol car, a separate vehicle traveling northbound on Seaford Road passed the trooper within a matter of two feet, failing to slow down or move over even though there was no other traffic in the southbound lanes. The trooper discontinued the initial traffic stop and proceeded to catch up to the other vehicle and stop it on Johnson Road just west of Seaford Road. The trooper made contact with the operator, Willie L. Davis, 42 of Seaford, who was operating a Ford Ranger pickup, and an odor of alcohol was detected. A DUI investigation ensued and Davis was subsequently transported back to Troop 5 where an inquiry into his driving record revealed he was currently suspended from driving and had four previous DUI convictions (04/26/02, 05/25/04, 05/10/13, and 05/17/13,) this arrest would make #5.

Willie Davis was charged with 5th Offense Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving While Suspended or Revoked, and Failure to Reduce Speed or Move Over for Emergency Vehicles. He was arraigned a JP3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $6,550.00 cash bond.

"The Delaware State Police would like to remind motorists to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles, DOT vehicles, public utility vehicles, and tow trucks that are utilizing their overhead flashing amber, white, red, or blue lights. We are providing the state law so that people will re-familiarize themselves with the law and keep the workers and first responders safe."

Down town Delmar artisans street fair nov, 14th and Dec 12th. Pennsylvannia ave


We Love Ya Baby


Is Berlin Poised For Population Boom?

It’s been less than two years since Berlin took first place in an online poll celebrating its small town charm, but it’s clear this victory is one of the biggest developments in the town’s history.

Claiming the title of America’s Coolest Small Town, an honor bestowed by Budget Travel through online voting, has brought Berlin an unprecedented level of commerce as well as notoriety. The free exposure has brought more visitors to town than ever before and continues to be a big deal.

Additionally, it’s become quite apparent of late that the poll along with the uniqueness of the historic town and burgeoning special events has opened the town up to what will likely be an unprecedented building boom in future years. The resulting growth will swell the town’s population over the next couple decades.

Whether that’s a good thing or not is what needs to be at the heart of public and private conversations, as the town is at a critical crossroads now with hundreds of new residential units proposed for the near future.

There are several developments worthy of discussion. First is the 700-unit apartment community planned for Seahawk Road that will surely change the eastern side of town forever. The development continues to move ahead and the first phase of 150 units is close to securing all the approvals it needs from the town.

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Halloween Humor



Don't Text And..... Fly?


All Hail Our New Lord & Master - The Stock MarketMin

We're all minions now of the stock market.

The all-powerful Federal Reserve is mere minion of the stock market, a kitten absurdly claiming in public to be a tiger. If the market threatens to drop, the Fed quickly prostrates itself and does the bidding of its Lord and Master:"No rate hikes, minons!"

By cowering in terror of a stock market tantrum, the Fed has surrendered everything: its vaunted (and completely phony) independence; its duty (yes, go ahead and laugh) to the nation and the real economy--everything.

The Fed is nothing but an abject slave of the market. It masks its servitude with Newspeak, but the reality it has only two choices: burn the market down with a series of rate hikes or surrender completely to the market, relinquishing any pretense of power or control.

The Fed is not alone; the entire financial-political system is now beholden to the stock market.

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College Dean Accuses Officers Of Stopping Her For ‘walking While Black’ But Dashcam Shows She Lied

Dorothy Bland, dean of the journalism school at the University of North Texas, is used to taking a walk at daybreak. That’s what she was doing when she says…THIS happened!

Rain delayed her exercise regimen until later Saturday morning when she began traversing the streets of her well-to-do Corinth neighborhood.

But soon “flashing lights and sirens from a police vehicle” paused her walk, she wrote in a column for the Dallas Morning News.

Bland was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and she’s black.

“Like most African-Americans, I am familiar with the phrase ‘driving while black,’ but was I really being stopped for walking on the street in my own neighborhood?” she asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “In the words of Sal Ruibal, ‘Walking while black is a crime in many jurisdictions. May God have mercy on our nation.’”

Bland said she asked the officers if there was a problem but didn’t “remember getting a decent answer before one of the officers asked me where I lived and for identification.”

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Jared Fogle reveals how he lured kids in secret recordings

New evidence that led investigators to the arrest of former Subway Spokesman Jared Fogle is surfacing, and they're in his own words.

Fogle was indicted on child porn and child sex charges in August. He has accepted a plea deal and is awaiting sentencing.

Fogle was secretly recorded by a woman who had befriended him and then became an FBI informant, reports Vladimir Duthiers of CBS News's digital network, CBSN.

The Daytime talk show "Dr.Phil" obtained the recordings and will air them Thursday. CBS News independently verified the recordings with the FBI.

In the audio recordings, being heard publicly for the first time, Jared Fogle discusses his sexual interest in children.

"I like all ages. That's the thing I mean," Fogle tells a woman in the recording. "It depends...who is ready for what. You know, who's going to give you the glance."

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Thank You, CNBC, for a Wonderful Evening

I dedicate the lead of this column to thanking CNBC for displaying its rank liberal bias in last night’s GOP presidential debate for all the world to see.

In relative terms, “all the world” is not that far off if you consider last night’s audience size compared with the network’s usually paltry ratings. The more people who saw this charade from the network’s alleged moderators the better for America.

My first reaction as this spectacle unfolded was muted outrage, shaking my head that this atrophied arm of the mainstream liberal media would show its colors so overtly, without any pretense of objectivity, much less any concern about the substantive issues it deliberately ignored.

I was surprised not by CNBC’s well-known bias but that its moderators brazenly abandoned any effort even to appear as journalists, if only for purposes of plausible deniability of their bias. Their questions, to a man (and an annoying woman), were silly, inappropriate, small and largely irrelevant to the existential threats facing America today.

Every one of them might as well have said in advance, “We are here to taunt you and turn you on one another with the pettiest and most ridiculous questions, knowing that despite our constantly harping on tolerance and bipartisanship, we have no interest in getting along with you, let alone treating you with a modicum of respect. We understand that our constituents — pseudo-journalists, after all, have constituents, too — hate every last one of you, with the possible exception of John Kasich, who gets a pass because he has admirably announced his contempt for you, as well.”

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Don't Forget To Turn Your Clocks Back 1 Hour Tonight

It never ceases to amaze me how I have never met a single person who thinks Daylight Savings Time is worth it. How can the mass majority of Americans have NO SAY on this stupidity? Yet year after year, (at least in Maryland/Delaware) we keep playing this game. The only people smiling are the power companies.

Former first lady Kendel Ehrlich sworn in to drug court job

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Former Maryland first lady Kendel Ehrlich has been sworn in as an assistant state’s attorney in Anne Arundel County.

Ehrlich said Thursday she is excited to be part of the drug court team to help addicts get a second chance, as the state battles a drug epidemic. Drug court aims to help drug users in a supervised program lasting between 12 and 18 months.

Ehrlich has worked as a public defender in the county. She has been a prosecutor in Harford County.

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What Difference Does It Make?


JUDGE SAYS DRONE WAS INVADING PRIVACY OF MAN WHO SHOT IT

Two witnesses testified that UAV flew below tree line of man's property

William Merideth, the man from Kentucky who shot down a drone earlier this year, told WDRB that he felt vindicated after a district judge dismissed the charges against him, even if the accuser can still take the case before a grand jury.

He was originally charged for firing his gun within city limits, but the judge has decided on Monday that the drone invaded his privacy, giving him the right to shoot it. The judge came to that conclusion after two witnesses testified that the UAV flew below the tree line of Merideth’s property. However, the Phantom 3 drone’s owner and pilot, David Boggs, provided Ars Technica with a video back in August showing that his machine was flying 200 feet above the ground. Boggs said that the judge didn’t bother looking at the video he provided, a decision that he claimed shocked even the police officers involved in the case.

He told Ars:

What happened in court was unbelievable — I don’t know how to describe how I feel about it. Before [the hearing] was 20 minutes old, she dismissed the wanton endangerment charge. She said, ‘I don’t think anybody’s life was in danger, and I’m going to dismiss that.

When I came back in and she was going to make her ruling, she didn’t look at the video, she didn’t look at the telemetry data, and there were no witnesses called on behalf of the state. She didn’t care what the video said. She believed what the neighbor said and that the drone was below the tree line. The judge didn’t look at the video, paid no consideration to the video. I’m just shocked, beyond shocked. The police officers were shocked. So in essence what she’s saying is that if a news helicopter flies over your house, you can shoot it down, too. There was no regard to the truth whatsoever. None.


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The Donald: What Bill Whittle Loves About Donald Trump...

LISTEN TO THE END.

Md. police officer shares take on how cops in schools should work

WASHINGTON — The video is clear; the actions are rapid. A school resource officer strides toward a student, issues a command, and in seconds, he’s grabbing her desk, flipping it over, then dragging the student toward the front of the room.

The video went viral and reactions were powerful. There was an outcry from those who felt the officer was completely out of line, and there were those who said the student failed to obey a police order.

Don Bridges, a Baltimore County police officer and First VP for the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), has a different take on the footage from the South Carolina schoolroom.

Bridges, who serves as an SRO in Baltimore County’s Franklin High School, says when school districts agree to have police work inside schools, a memorandum of understanding should be drawn up: “It clearly defines what the roles of the SROs are,” Bridges says.

He says that when schools stray from those roles, that’s when trouble begins.

Bridges says it’s hard to know precisely what went wrong in the case in South Carolina, but Bridges says NASRO makes one thing clear: “The SROs have absolutely nothing at all to do with discipline within a school.”

Student conduct and discipline, Bridges says, should be left to teachers and administrators.

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Going Home - Fallen Soldier Bagpipe Tribute

Going Home has become a standard bagpipe song played at funerals, both military and civilian, for years. In fact, as we carried my own grandmum out of the funeral home to the hearse, a piper played it for her. I'm a former soldier, and far too many of the best & brightest young people who have gone in harm's way to protect our freedoms have paid the ultimate price for us. Not just Americans, but our allies, too. Never forget... Joe, Lost a brother...1st Inf, A Comp 75th....a reminder that freedom comes with a cost

The Left’s War on Comment Sections

There was a time when comments sections were seen as the next step in a golden age of democratised communication

The internet was born open but is becoming closed everywhere. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rush to shutter readers’ comments sections at major news organisations. Cheered on by intolerant, snobbish cultural elites, news organisations from The Verge to The Daily Beast have, in recent months, informed their readers to take their opinions elsewhere.

Dozens of progressive blogs and news outlets are following suit, citing “abuse” and “harassment” as the primary reasons they no longer want to hear the opinions of their readers. But that’s not what is really going on.

There was a time when comments sections were seen as the next step in a golden age of democratised communication, particularly by the political Left. “For the first time ever, we are thinking aloud, unfiltered by mass media gatekeepers,” wrote a former Hillary Clinton advisor in 2008. “Never before has the global discourse been so accessible, recursive, and durable.”

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There’s No Trick to Driving Sober, Your Treat Is Not Getting Pulled Over

While Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, ghouls and goblins will sharing spirits and cheer and troopers remind party goers there is no trick to driving sober and your treat is not getting pulled over.

The Maryland State Police remind folks as they carve their pumpkins and pick out their costumes, the best choices they can make are to drive sober or designate a sober driver before the party begins. Unfortunately, every Halloween people think they can drive after drinking, so there will be additional patrols out specifically looking for and removing dangerous and impaired drivers from the roadways.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign works to keep us all safe on the road and urges everyone to follow these simple tips:

Plan a safe way to get home before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgement, as well as reaction time. If you’re drunk, you’re more like to choose to drive drunk.

Designate a sober driver, take public transportation, a car service, or a call a sober friend or family member to get home.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement as soon as it’s safe to do so.

If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.

LICENSE PLATE READERS EXPOSED! HOW PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES RESPONDED TO MAJOR VULNERABILITIES IN VEHICLE SURVEILLANCE TECH

Law enforcement should not collect information they can’t protect

Law enforcement agencies around the country have been all too eager to adopt mass surveillance technologies, but sometimes they have put little effort into ensuring the systems are secure and the sensitive data they collect on everyday people is protected.

Case in point: automated license plate recognition (ALPR) systems.

Earlier this year, EFF learned that more than a hundred ALPR cameras were exposed online, often with totally open Web pages accessible by anyone with a browser. In five cases, we were able to track the cameras to their sources: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Kenner Police in Louisiana; Hialeah Police Department in Florida; and the University of Southern California’s public safety department. These cases are very similar, but unrelated to, major vulnerabilities in Boston’s ALPR network uncovered in September by DigBoston and the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.

After five months of engagement with these entities, we are releasing the results of our research and the actions these offices undertook in response to our warnings.

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A Message From Marco Rubio: Wait for what?

Joe,

In the latest Republican presidential debate, one of the moderators actually asked me if I should "slow down." That's exactly what the establishment has been telling me for years. That I should "wait my turn."

Wait for what? This country is running out of time:
  • Millions of people are living paycheck to paycheck at the same time they're working as hard as they ever have because everything costs more. They have not had a real raise in decades.
  • Small businesses are struggling: more businesses are closing than opening.
  • We live in a world that's out of control, with a president who's weakening our military and doubling down on a failed foreign policy while our adversaries continue to grow stronger.
The time to act is now, the time to turn the page is now. If we don't act now, we'll be the first generation that leaves our children worse off than ourselves.

With your help and support, I'll be the leader that turns our country around and ensures the 21st Century is an American Century.

But you saw Wednesday night just how difficult our task will be with the mainstream media acting as Hillary Clinton's Super PAC.

If you want to ensure that our campaign can take the truth straight to the voters -- without relying on coverage from the biased media we've come to expect (and saw at the debate) 

Sincerely,
Marco Rubio

P.S. I couldn't believe it when one of the moderators misled about my tax plan -- despite having to correct a story earlier this month where he made the exact same claim! 

‘HATE SPEECH’ LAWS ARE JUST ANOTHER WAY FOR GOVERNMENTS TO PUNISH PEOPLE THEY DON’T LIKE

"The government only cares about hate speech when it's on the receiving end of the hate"

Two recent legislative efforts have been mounted to add police to the rolls of “disadvantaged” citizens in need of the additional shelter of “hate crime” laws. Hate crime laws are immediately problematic. They add additional punishments to criminal acts already punishable under existing laws. It’s exactly the sort of thing justice isn’t meant to be: vindictive. A murder is a murder, whether or not it was propelled by someone’s underlying biases. A threat is a threat, no matter the threatener’s personal views on race, marriage or human sexuality. Adding additional punishments solely because of a perceived motive serves no purpose other than to make those who support these laws feel like past racial/sexual wrongs are slowly being righted. The sinners of the present pay for the sins of the past sinners.

Adding police officers to this mix is not just stupid and completely antithetical to the underlying rationale of “hate crime” laws. It’s also incredibly dangerous. Elizabeth Nolan Brown of Reason takes a look at how hate crime laws are being deployed in other countries. What she’s found is that hate crime laws are like any other: they’re abused most frequently by those in power and deployed inconsistently to further governments’ aims.

The agency tasked with prosecuting hate speech in Kenya is called the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC); it was formed in 2008 to address ethnic conflicts in the nation. Onyando asserts that NCIC has ignored the bulk of complaints it has received and acts “more like an arm of the ruling coalition” than an independent agency, honing in only on those who speak out against the Jubilee Alliance, a coalition established in 2013 to support the candidacy of current President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.

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Teaching Math

1. Teaching Math in 1950s:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math in 1960s:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math in 1970s:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math in 1980s:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math in 1990s:
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers and, if you feel like crying, it's okay!)

6. Teaching Math in 2000s:
If you have special needs or just feel you need assistance because of race, color, religion, sex, age, childhood memories, criminal background, then don't answer and the correct answer will be provided for you. There are no wrong answers.

7. Teaching Math in 2020:
Un hachero vende una carrtada de maderapara 100 pesos. El costo de la producciones es 80 pesos. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Feds Win Default Judgment Against Corinthian Colleges Over Predatory Lending Scheme

In September 2014, just seven months before Everest University, WyoTech and Heald College closedtheir doors, federal regulators sued the for-profit colleges’ parent company Corinthian Colleges Incclaiming it duped thousands of students into taking out costly, predatory, and often financially devastating, private student loans to finance their post-secondary education. This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau won a default judgment against the for-profit educator for engaging in a predatory lending scheme.

The CFPB announced today that a federal court entered a final default judgment [PDF] finding CCI liable for more than $530 million in loans taken out by students since July 21, 2011.

However, because CCI filed for bankruptcy in early 2015 and liquidated its assets, the company cannot pay the judgment.

The Bureau says it will continue to pursue relief for consumers harmed by CCI’s unlawful conduct.

“The CFPB remains concerned about efforts to collect on loans made in association with Corinthian’s illegal conduct,” the Bureau said in a statement.

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Why people from India don't rob banks!

This is seriously hilarious... Indian guy robbing a bank

LOL ! This, I approve. Gabriel Iglesias on Indian folks in the US.

Posted by LOL Loved It on Monday, April 22, 2013

Privacy Advocates Concerned As Senate Approves Controversial Cybersecurity Bill

Despite previous failures, Congress just keeps on churning through bills that propose to enhance digital security at the cost of digital privacy. The latest in the series sailed through the Senate with wide approval this week, kicking off another wave of privacy concerns.

What’s the bill?
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (S. 754), commonly called CISA. The Senate approved it this week by a vote of 74 to 21. (Five Senators did not vote.)

What’s it for?
The core idea behind CISA is to prevent cyberattacks through data-sharing. As we’ve seen over and over in the past couple of years, entities — both public and private — in the U.S. are not exactly on the ball with the whole “preventing hacks” thing. So CISA would create a mechanism streamlining the process of sharing user data for the purposes of enhanced security. Businesses would pass data related to potential threats along to the Department of Homeland Security, who would then pass it through to the NSA, FBI, and so on to ward against threats.

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Under Pressure After Debate, Bush Insists He's Not Dead Yet

One candidate came out of Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate with a lot of questions to answer — Jeb Bush.

Supporters were disappointed by his performance and inability to stand out at a critical time for his campaign. As Bush struggles, his chances may come down to the early primary state of New Hampshire.

Bush had a big moment preplanned in that Colorado debate. It was aimed at Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for missing so many votes in the Senate while campaigning.

"Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term, and you should be showing up to work," Bush said. "I mean, literally, the Senate. What is it, like a French work week? You get like three days where you have to show up? You can campaign — or just resign and let someone else take the job."

Rubio was ready. He referenced the 2008 campaign of John McCain, who also missed votes in the Senate.

"I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record," Rubio quipped. "The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."

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What You See Is What You Get


'A Perfect Soldier': Remembering A Warrior In The Battle Against Homophobia

In September 1975, Time magazine featured decorated Vietnam veteran Leonard Matlovich on the cover. His name was clearly visible on his Air Force uniform, and the headline read: "I Am a Homosexual."

Matlovich — who had come out in a letter to his commanding officer before the cover ran — was challenging the military ban on gay service members.

"I don't know a lot of people that called him Leonard," Jeff Dupre, a long-time friend of Matlovich, recounts during a visit to StoryCorps. "Everyone called him Matt. I met him at a Thanksgiving dinner. We were sitting in the living room and we were watching [the] Macy's Day Parade on Thanksgiving Day."

Matlovich was quiet that day, prompting someone to ask him what he was up to.

"And that's when Matt opened up," Dupre says. "He said, 'Well you know they're looking for a candidate to challenge the gays in the military laws. Someone who has a good record to make it legal to be in the service and be open. I've got these awards from the service, I think I can do it.' "

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Know Where Your Donation Dollars Are Going


Snow Day

Roads are closed. School is cancelled. #getouthereGear up at Nike.com/getouthere

Posted by Nike on Thursday, October 29, 2015

BREAKING NEWS: No survivors from Russian plane crash, Egyptian officials say

Egyptian military and security officials tell The Associated Press that rescuers found no survivors from the Russian passenger plane carrying 224 people that crashed into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

BSA 2015 Duty To God and Country Prayer Breakfast

The 2015 Duty to God and Country 
Prayer Breakfast
Del-Mar-Va Council, Boy Scouts of America, Community Members and Stakeholders, Local Government Officials and Veterans

WHAT:         2015 Duty to God and Country Prayer Breakfast
WHERE:      Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, Salisbury MD

WHEN:         Veteran's Day, Wednesday, November 11th 
                          Doors open at 6:45 am
This year's keynote speaker will be Jacob R. Day, Salisbury City Council President and Mayor Elect. Chris Eccleston, President of Delmarva Veteran Builders: an Eagle Scout, Navy Veteran and the Event chairman and is excited about this year's event and the opportunity to celebrate this day in our community.
For over 105 years, Scouts have declared to do their best in their duty to God and their country in the Scout Oath.  The twelfth point of the Scout Law is to always be reverent.  There are currently 10,000 Scouts on the Delmarva Peninsula.       
Levels of Support
EAGLE SCOUT SPONSOR: $5,000
Includes table for 8 (Premier seating), full page ad (prime) and recognition at event.

LIFE SCOUT SPONSOR: $2,500Includes table for 8 (Preferred seating), half-page advertisement and recognition at event.

STAR SCOUT SPONSOR: $1,000
Includes table for 8, program listing and recognition at event.

TABLE SPONSOR: $250. 
Includes eight tickets and program listing.

PATRON SPONSOR: $150. 
Includes one ticket ($30 value) and program listing.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $30 


To Register click HERE

For more information contact Kevin LesCallette 
at 443.523.7639 or by email HERE.

Halloween Sanders


Candidate Jack o’ Lanterns


Like, Whatever


Education Dept. Urges Schools to 'Better Support Undocumented Youth'

The U.S. Education Department is out with a new "Guide for Success" that suggests the "important" ways teachers and school administrators can support the growing number of "undocumented youth" in the nation's public high schools and colleges.

"The Department hopes that educators, schools, and campuses will, as they see fit, draw upon the tips and examples in this Guide to better support undocumented youth and, ultimately, move us closer to the promise of college and career readiness for all," the guidance says.

Undocumented children "represent one of the most vulnerable groups served by U.S. schools," and therefore "it is imperative that educators and other personnel understand the unique needs of these students and receive high-quality training and support on how to best serve them."

The guide reviews the rights of undocumented students; explains non-citizen access to federal financial aid and private scholarships; and offers "tips for educators" on how to support undocumented youth in high school and college.

At the top of the "tips" list: Share information about President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gives temporary legal status to children who were brought to this country illegally by their parents.

More here

Ted Cruz: 'Sure,' RNC Is at Fault for CNBC Debate Debacle

(CNSNews) - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says "sure," the Republican National Committee is at fault for allowing debates where liberal moderators "belittle" and "insult" Republican candidates rather than "help primary voters decide who to vote for."

"Why would our primary debates be moderated by people with an agenda of defeating whoever the Republican nominee is?" Cruz asked on Thursday.

Cruz noted that both the Democrat debates and the Republican debates "are primarily moderated by liberals...it's the same people," but the objectives are different, he told Fox News' Bret Baier.

"In the Democratic debate, they get a ton of love from the moderators, and it's all praising the different candidates, avoiding too much clash. On the Republican side, you look at an awful lot of the media interviewers, their object is whoever the Republican nominee is, to beat up on them, and to have people either stay home or vote for Hillary Clinton.

More here

Caption This Photo 10-30-15


It's Going To Be A Beautiful Day On DelMarVa



Mayor: ‘It’s Not If We’re Going To be Purchasing The Tyson Property, It’s A Matter Of What Date’

BERLIN – The town is set to make its biggest purchase in recent history as plans to spend $2.5 million on the former Tyson property move forward.

On Monday, the town council introduced an ordinance that would enable the municipality to issue and sell general obligation bonds in the amount of $3 million to fund the purchase. A public hearing on the proposal will be held at the Nov. 9 council meeting.

“It’s not if we’re going to be purchasing the Tyson property, it’s a matter of what date,” Mayor Gee Williams said.

It has been not quite a year since town officials first announced plans to buy the long vacant industrial property on Old Ocean City Boulevard for $2.75 million from Berlin Properties North. In an interview this week, Williams said the price had actually been negotiated down to $2.5 million and would include not only the Tyson facility but also a vacant lot on the south end of Flower Street. Closing is expected to take place in February.

“As part of the deal there’s six acres that comes with that sale,” Williams said. “It was part of the negotiations.”

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Pocomoke City Police Press Release 10-31-15

October 24 – October 30, 2015

10-24-2015 Omer Windham, age 47 of Greenbackville, VA was arrested for Theft less $1,000, CDS Possession Paraphernalia and several traffic violations. He was released on his personal recognizance.

10-24-2015 Shanika Schoolfield, age 30 of Pocomoke, MD was arrested for 2nd degree Assault. She was released on personal recognizance.

10-24-2015 Melvin Dew Jr., age 31 of Portsmouth VA was arrested for Handgun in Vehicle. He was released on his personal recognizance.

Oh Boy!


BREAKING NEWS: Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt, reports say

A Russian passenger plane with more than 200 people on board has crashed in Egypt, according to multiple news outlets.

Warning To All


Great Marketing


I Don't Care Who You Are, That's Funny!


Ever Have One Of Those Days?


I Know That Body Shop, Do You?


Update: Arrests Made in Somerset County Death Investigation


(Eden, MD) Maryland State Police investigators from the Homicide Unit arrested three individuals connected to the Somerset County death investigation of Damon Jennings.

The individuals arrested are identified as Elijah Carroll, 22, of the 300 block of North Freemont Avenue in Baltimore, Kevin Nixon, 22 of Princess Anne, and Jazzmine Morton, 21, of the 3100 block of Ferndale Avenue in Baltimore. Carroll is charged with first degree murder. Nixon and Morton are each charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Nixon was arrested last night and is being held at the Somerset County Detention Center. Morton and Carroll were arrested in Baltimore City this afternoon and are awaiting their initial appearances before the court commissioner in Baltimore City.

The victim, identified as Damon G. Jennings, 22, of the 5200 block of Hill Well Road in Baltimore, was reported missing to the Baltimore Police Department earlier this month. He was last seen on the night of October 15, 2015.

Jennings’ body was found around 2:00 p.m. on October 29, 2015 along Backkbone Road near Seatick Road in Eden, Maryland. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Jennings’ death a homicide due to multiple stab wounds.

Police believe all three suspects worked with Jennings in an event promotions business. A motive for the murder has not yet been determined.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators continue to work in cooperation with detectives from the Baltimore Police Department, along with the Baltimore City Missing Persons Unit as the investigations continues.

Do You Know One Of These?