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Friday, November 13, 2015

Have You Seen Him?


I'm reposting public so people can share! Greg Dyess my husband has been missing since about 7am on Wednesday morning....
Posted by Michele Nicole Mudge on Tuesday, November 10, 2015
If you have any information please contact the Berlin Police Department.

Established Veterans Groups Fight To Attract The Next Generation

At American Legion Post 87 in High Point, N.C., the bar is jumping, even though some of the patrons are almost 70 years old.

"The sad part is, some of the older vets, the World War II, the Korea vets, they're passing on," says Fred Iannone, the post's commander. "The Vietnam veterans so far, we're holding our own."

Veterans organizations, like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, are losing their older members and struggling to attract the younger veterans of more recent wars.

Around the country, more than 2,000 American Legion and VFW posts have closed. Those same posts — with their baseball leagues and scholarships — were once deeply woven into the fabric of their communities.

Post 87 won't shrink this year, partly because it's absorbing the members of a nearby post that shut down.

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O’Malley Finds Hardly Any Superdelegate Support So Far

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has almost no committed support so far from Democratic superdelegates in his bid to win his party’s presidential nomination, even in his home state.

While O’Malley has run as a new-generation leader who can point to a list of progressive accomplishments, Hillary Rodham Clinton has swept up eager endorsements in his political backyard from superdelegates who cite her experience.

“Hillary has worn many hats in her lifetime — secretary of state, U.S. senator, first lady, daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, lawyer, public servant, congressional staffer and more,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin said in his endorsement of Clinton in May.

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Budget Switch For Maryland Hospitals Is Starting To Pay Off

Results are in from the first year of a bold change to the way hospitals get paid in Maryland, and so far the experiment seems to be working.

We recently reported on the unique system the state is trying to rein in health care costs. Maryland phased out fee-for-service payments to hospitals in favor of a fixed pot of money each year.

A report in the latest New England Journal of Medicine says the experiment saved an estimated $116 million in 2014, the first year it was in operation.

The state of Maryland and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services struck an agreement that ended payments to hospitals for each procedure, each emergency room visit and each overnight stay. Instead, Maryland hospitals receive a set amount of money — called a global budget – for the whole year, regardless of how many patients they treat.

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Surge In Use Of 'Synthetic Marijuana' Still One Step Ahead Of The Law

A street drug made of various chemicals sprayed on tea leaves, grass clippings and other plant material continues to send thousands of people suffering from psychotic episodes and seizures to emergency rooms around the country.

In 2015, calls to poison control regarding the drug already have almost doubled, compared to last year's total, and health professionals and lawmakers are struggling to keep up with the problem.

Some call the drug K2, or spice. It's also widely known as "synthetic marijuana," because the key chemicals in the spray are often man-made versions of cannabinoids, a family of psychoactive substances found in marijuana.

But the ingredients and concentrations used in this street drug vary widely, and it can be very different from marijuana in its effects.

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Serial scammer sentenced to 70 years in jail

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — Prosecutors say he ripped off companies and taxpayers, filed hundreds of frivolous lawsuits, and falsely claimed he'd been roughed up by law enforcement -- and now he's been sentenced to 70 years in jail.

Kenneth Hinton, 51, of Silver Spring was sentenced in Rockville Thursday after being convicted of 26 counts of perjury and one count of theft.

Prosecutors say such a harsh sentence is incredibly rare -- but so is what Hinton did.

Hinton is accused of filing around 100 frivolous lawsuits in just a year and a half. Over the course of his lifetime prosecutors say he filed many, many more.

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WHITE MEN DYING IN AMERICA

The Population Crash I Warned You About Is Now Obvious

White men are dying in America. Not just your ordinary 40-55 mortality deaths, but something special, ominous and predictable which is a prelude for something much, much worse if we do nothing.

Let me be clear: no death of a person in his/her prime is acceptable. But statistically, white men in America were better fed, better protected and better tended to than other groups and tended, therefore, to have a lower mortality rate than other groups of similar age.

No longer. And the use to which this statistic may be put may change your life, shorten it or simply kill you or the children you care about.

In order to “protect us all”, I predict that drugs will be added to our water and vaccinations and other dangerous measures will be forced upon us without any semblance of Informed Consent. You can, frankly, see (and smell) it coming miles away.

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BREAKING NEWS: At least 100 reportedly killed by gunmen inside Paris concert hall

At least 100 people reportedly have been killed by gunmen inside a Paris concert hall. Two gunmen have been killed, one is in custody. At least 40 other people have been killed in several coordinated attacks throughout the city, with the death toll expected to climb. French President Hollande has declared that France is now under a state of emergency.

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COP HAD BEEN STALKING MAN’S FIANCÉE BEFORE MURDERING HIS 6-YEAR OLD SON

More details emerge on cops who shot 6-year-old while buckled in car

Marksville, LA — More information is coming to light about the two Marksville City Marshals, who ruthlessly shot to death a 6-year-old boy as he was buckled into the back seat of a vehicle.

Officers Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse, Jr. are currently being held, each with a $1 million bail for the murder of Jeremy Mardis and the attempted murder of his father, Chris Few.

Few’s attorney, Mark Jeansonne said Monday, that the body camera video shows the father of this 6-year-old autistic boy who was shot to death in his car, had his hands in the air and did not pose a threat.

After it was revealed that the officers had fabricated a story about Chris Few having an outstanding warrant and being armed, the family is left wondering why in the world he was stopped in the first place.

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REMINDER: Writer's Bloc Fall Open House And Meeting


POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WOULD RATHER HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY THAN CHEAP MILITARY GEAR

“The militarization of local police departments is a genuine concern in our nation"

The Burlington Police Department announced today that the Department has severed its ties with the much-scrutinized “1033 Program,” a Department of Defense initiative that allows aging military equipment to be repurposed for domestic policing. Until this summer, the Burlington Police Department possessed two military-issued night vision devices, which were the extent of its holdings under the Department of Defense (DOD) program.

“The militarization of local police departments is a genuine concern in our nation,” said Burlington Chief of Police Brandon del Pozo. “There are times when military-style equipment is essential for public safety, but they are very rare. Between our partners in the Vermont State Police and the Vermont National Guard, as well as the other federal and local agencies the Burlington Police Department partners with, we have the resources to handle all but the most inconceivable public safety scenarios. Amassing a worst-case scenario arsenal of military equipment results in officers seeing everyday policework through a military lens. When I realized what a small role the military played in equipping our police, I concluded it was better to return the items and let our 1033 Program memorandum of understanding expire.”

The Burlington Police Department has no plans to acquire tactical or military items beyond the types of conventional policing equipment it already possesses.

Mayor Miro Weinberger offered his support of this decision: “Today’s announcement cements the Burlington Police Department’s long-standing practice of avoiding the use of military equipment, in contrast to many other police departments. Our focus instead is on the basics of good policing in the 21st century: foot patrols, strong relationships between the officers and the community, and the use of modern tools to increase public transparency and police effectiveness.”

One thing should be clarified: the 1033 Program is by no means mandatory. “Severing ties” really means just deciding not to participate. The MOU may have expired but it could have run on forever without the PD feeling obligated to order anything from the 1033 catalog.

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Driver’s License Reciprocity Agreement

Today Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford and Deputy Chief of Mission Hiroyasu Izumi of the Japanese Embassy signed a driver’s license reciprocity agreement. The signed agreement allows Japanese citizens living in Maryland to skip the driving and written licensing exams if they are already licensed to drive in Japan. It gives the same option to Maryland residents living in Japan. This agreement will be effective on January 1, 2016. As we get closer to that date, a bulletin will be sent to Field Operations with the specific procedures to follow.

Maryland has similar driver’s license reciprocity agreements with France, the Republic of Korea (South), the Federal Republic of Germany, and Taiwan (Republic of China). The agreement applies only to non-commercial driver’s licenses and still requires drivers in Maryland to pay the associated fees and pass a vision test. Drivers also will have to take a three-hour-long drug and alcohol course as required by statute for anyone obtaining a Maryland driver’s license from outside the country.

This reciprocity agreement is another indication of Maryland’s strong partnership with Japan and I would like to thank all the MVA employees who worked hard to finalize this agreement.

Officials: Maryland’s new voting system used successfully

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland elections officials say the state’s new voting system has been used successfully in recent local elections and a test election.

Linda Lamone, the Maryland state board of elections administrator, said Thursday elections in Rockville and College Park gave voters the chance to use Maryland’s new system, and it was well received.

State and local election officials found a statewide test election last month useful to understanding the new system and identifying areas where procedures and documents need revision for next year’s elections.

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PENTAGON COVERING UP MASSIVE GAY RAPE ALLEGATIONS

BREAKING NEWS: At least 2 dead, 7 injured in Paris restaurant shooting

At least two people died and seven others were injured in an attack in a restaurant in Paris, while a separate explosion rocked a bar near a soccer stadium.

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How Maryland is preparing for snow

WASHINGTON — Maryland is turning to new technology, resources and leadership to help take on the snow this season.

On Thursday the Maryland State Highway Administration hosted its annual “Snow Show.” The agency is responsible for maintaining 17,842 miles of road throughout the state. It has budgeted $56 million for fighting snow and ice this coming winter.

The exhibition was held at the SHA Maintenance Facility off Cheery Hill Road in Silver Spring. On display, Montgomery County’s mammoth duel-wing plow, capable of clearing a two lane highway in a single pass.

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’60 MINUTES’ PUSHES NATIONAL SECURITY PROPAGANDA TO CAST SNOWDEN, MANNING AS TRAITORS

The two whistleblowers were compared to the Washington Navy Yard shooter, who killed twelve people

The television program, “60 Minutes,” aired a segment on Sunday in which it assassinated the character of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, and even went so far as to question their loyalty to America. The two whistleblowers were compared to the Washington Navy Yard shooter, who killed twelve people.

It was part of an examination of what U.S. government officials perceive to be serious flaws in the process by which the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reviews security clearances granted to government employees, but the framing made it seem like architects of “insider threat” programs from U.S. security agencies and politicians, who support total surveillance of government employees in the workplace and while they’re at home, had produced the segment.

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St Francis de Sales Yard Sale Tomorrow


TWO COUNTRIES GET 75% OF ALL U.S. SPENDING ON FOREIGN MILITARY AID

Clearly, the Middle East, at 64% of the pie, is the theme here...

The United States spent a total of $5.9 billion to fund militaries around the world in 2014, according to the government’s 2015 Foreign Assistance report. Of that total, some 75%, or about $4.4 billion, was divided between Israel and Egypt.

Clearly, the Middle East, at 64% of the pie, is the theme here, with Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon also found among the top 10 recipients. Closer to home, Colombia led the Americas with a relatively scant $29 million. Still, that’s enough to place it ninth overall on the list.

To put these numbers in perspective, cost-estimating website HowMuch.netcreated this map, which shows the relative size of each country in terms of the amount they received from the United States. As you can see, Israel is huge, while Mexico barely registers.

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Hebron Volunteer Fire Department Fall Flea Market This Saturday


Salisbury's Young Democrats


POULTRY ASSOCIATION SEEKS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANTS

Writer's Bloc of the Eastern Shore Fall Open House

https://www.facebook.com/PoplarHillMansion/?ref=hl

Stocking Up For The Winter

If there's one thing I really enjoy it's a nice hot Bonfire on the weekend, especially in the winter months. 

Today a neighbor had three very tall and mature trees that needed to come down. We counted the rings, 75 of them. I asked the contractor, you wouldn't be interested in cutting them to 18" long, would you? He said, I'll do one better. I'll bring them to your property and we'll cut them to length on the spot. How cool is that! 

So here's a shout out to thank Cottman Tree Experts out of Princess Anne. When you look east from Salisbury towards Ocean City and you see the sky all light up at night, that would be me. ;-)

Stay thirsty my friends.

BIG SOLAR FIGHT BREAKS OUT BETWEEN UTILITIES, HOMEOWNERS

Fight has the potential to go to the courts and set standards nationwide...

It’s a closely watched fight with broad implications for the solar industry and the push by the Administration to go green.

An Arizona utility that generates and distributes electric power in one of the country’s sun-drenched areas has asked the state’s Corporation Commission for assistance in its fight with homeowners who have installed their own solar power panels, typically on house rooftops.

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Advertiser Of The Day


GERMANY TO SPEND SOME $22.6BLN TO ACCEPT REFUGEES IN 2015

Based on the assumption that 1.1 million people will flee to Germany

According to the statement, the sum includes costs of accommodation, food, creches, schools, German courses, training and administration.

“It [the institute] now expects the costs [of acceptance] to amount to 21.1 billion euros for 2015 alone, based on the assumption that 1.1 million people will flee to Germany by the end of the year,” the statement said on Tuesday.

Previously, the institution estimated the expenditure of German government on migrants up to 10 billion of euros to cover only accommodation and food for a total of 800,000 refugees.Europe, especially Germany, has been struggling with a major migrant crisis as hundreds of thousands refugees flee war-torn regions of the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the head of EU border agency Frontex, some 800,000 undocumented migrants have already arrived in the bloc during 2015.

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Female officers outraged after treated equally to male counterparts


A lawsuit currently headed to federal court claims physical fitness tests issued by police departments are discriminatory towards women.

The incident began when 12 female officers, all over the age of 40, failed to meet the Colorado Springs Police Department’s physical requirements, which include performing 52 push-ups and 45 sit-ups in four minutes time and two running exams.

Responding to the ongoing lawsuit, the department announced this week that officers would be exempt from such tests for the remainder of the year at minimum.

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Angie's List Targeted for Hostile Takeover

Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp launched a hostile bid to buy Angie's List, a move that could combine two of the sites used by consumers to find contractors and other service providers.

IAC (IACI) released a letter that it sent to Angie's List Wednesday saying it was disappointed the board was not interested in engaging in negotiations and that it was therefore making its offer public.

It offered $512 million in cash, which is about 10% above the company's market value at the close of trading Wednesday before the announcement. Shares climbed as much as 17% in after-hours trading on the news, suggesting that some investors thought the final price could be higher. But the trading price later retreated to near the offer price.

Angie's List (ANGI) issued a statement late Wednesday saying it will review and evaluate the offer.

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Preventing and Treating Food Poisoning with Probiotics

If you’ve ever suffered from food poisoning (or foodborne illness) you probably know that absolutely horrible feeling when you’d do almost anything to stop the stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

Food borne illness is caused when parasites, bacteria, viruses or toxins contaminate food through unhygienic food handling techniques, insufficient cooking, inadequate refrigeration or excessive age. Typical cases clear up within 24 – 48 hours, but in very serious cases the food poisoning can lead to organ failure, paralysis, neurological impairment, blindness, stillbirths and even death.

The good news is that many instances of food poisoning can typically be treated at home without the need for antibiotics. Probiotics and a healthy gut micro biome have been shown to PREVENT many cases of foodborne illness; taking probiotics can also treat food poisoning and help sufferers feel better quickly.

Probiotics are the friendly or health-promoting microbes (including both bacteria and yeasts) that typically live in healthy person’s digestive tract. These health-promoting organisms assist in maintaining a strong intestinal lining. This lining in turn helps to prevent harmful substances from crossing from the digestive tract and into the blood stream, where they can cause greater harm.

The large majority of the body’s immune cells are located in the digestive tract and are assisted by the probiotic microorganism that live there. Certain types of probiotic microorganisms can recognize the presence of harmful pathogens and communicate with the immune system, alerting it to the attack. They can provoke or stimulate the body to initiate an immune response to fight off threats.

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SPD Press Release 11-13-15 (Shooting Investigation)

Report: College Is Failing Young US Veterans

Higher education is failing U.S. military veterans despite expansions to the GI Bill, according to a report released today, but some institutions are doing a better job than others.

Less than a third of college graduates who had served in the military said that their university catered to their needs, according to a Gallup-Purdue survey of 3,735 veterans. At private for-profit and private nonprofit universities, the rate was a little higher, at 36 percent. At public universities, only 24 percent felt their needs were met.

Public colleges may be disappointing vets because they are larger, and lack special programs and counseling, said Brandon Busteed, Gallup's executive director of education and workforce development. "Some public institutions have invested a lot to support veterans, but they're having a tougher time delivering satisfaction," he said.

The satisfaction rate jumped to 55 percent for veterans who graduated after the post-9/11 GI Bill expanded its provisions in 2008, but Busteed calls that number inadequate, too.

"I don't think anyone would even be happy with 55 percent satisfaction," he said.

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“Compulsory Labor” to Force Germans to Service Migrants

A German parliament member has called for introducing a “compulsory labor” program under which young Germans would be forced to spend a year in the service of migrants.

Focus.de reports that CDU MP Eckhardt Rehberg provoked “heated discussion” when he suggested that Germany’s inability to cope with the migrant influx could be solved by making university graduates commit to a year of “social service”.

“We need compulsory service, we have no other way to manage the mass of refugees and their integration,” said Rehberg, adding that graduates should be given the choice of one year military service or one year social service.

The plan would relieve aid workers who are struggling to cope with the huge swarm of migrants and are “at their limit of exhaustion,” according to the report, which states that Germans, “would basically be forced to service refugees.”

“Everyone who today says this can’t work will think differently about this six months from now,” said Rehberg.

More here

Here's What Really Happened to the Idaho Rancher Who Was Killed By Police

When the death of Idaho rancher Jack Yantis was first reported, the details surrounding his case were sparse. According to the police, one of his bulls had escaped his property before getting hit by a station wagon on Highway 95. The irate bull was charging at emergency responders and police officers, who were trying to help the injured passengers that were still in the car. So the police decided to contact Yantis, and asked him to take care of his animal.
Yantis showed up to the scene with his rifle as Adams County deputies were preparing to put the bull down. An altercation ensued between Yantis and two deputies, who eventually shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and his wife suffered a near fatal heart attack after hearing the news.
That was the official timeline of events when this story first broke last week. However, that account neglects the fact that Jack’s wife and nephew witnessed the entire incident, and they’ve recently released a very different version of what happened.
Rowdy Paradis, Yantis’ nephew, said that when he arrived at the scene of the accident he found the bull lying in the grass near the driveway of the ranch. Yantis told Paradis to get a rifle so he could put the bull out of its misery, but meanwhile the two deputies at the scene opened fire, wounding the bull but failing to kill it. When Yantis pointed his rifle at the bull’s head to end its suffering, Paradis said, a deputy grabbed him from behind, spun him around, and grabbed the rifle. The rifle may have gone off during the scuffle, and both deputies opened fire, killing Yantis.
Yantis’ wife, Donna, who had a heart attack after witnessing the shooting, confirmed her nephew’s account in a video recorded at the hospital. After the shooting, she said, the deputies “threatened me and my nephew, Rowdy Paradis, threw us on the middle of Highway 95, searched us and handcuffed us, and wouldn’t let us go take care of Jack.” The deputies would not let anyone euthanize the bull either. “The bull ended up lying there for two hours,” Paradis said, “suffocating in his own lung blood because they shot him in the gut.”
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Comptroller plans to examine daily fantasy sports betting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Comptroller Peter Franchot wants to make sure daily fantasy sports betting like FanDuel and DraftKings are operating legally in Maryland.

Andrew Friedson, a spokesman for Franchot, said Thursday that the comptroller wants to ensure taxes are being properly collected and Maryland consumers are protected from any potentially damaging industry practices.

Friedson says the comptroller will convene state officials in the coming months to discuss the issues and ensure that taxpayer interests are protected.

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Video: Rand Paul Makes Trump Look Foolish

Even Haters Agree Paul Came Out As Runaway Winner Of Latest GOP Debate

A strong debate performance by Rand Paul last night earned respect even from those who have been relentlessly attacking him, the highlight being when Paul fact checked Donald Trump and made the frontrunner look like he had no clue what he was talking about.

As Trump was mid way through an aimless rant about China taking advantage of the TPP agreement and manipulating it’s currency to weaken the US, The Kentucky Senator chimed in to remind everyone that China is not a signatory to the TPP.

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Secret Service agent charged with attempting to solicit a minor

A Secret Service agent has been charged with trying to solicit a minor, sometimes while working at the White House, the Associated Press reports.

Agent Lee Robert Moore surrendered Monday to Maryland State Police after being put on leave last week.

The agent allegedly sent obscene photos and texts, once asking for something “exciting” while he was at work, to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl. It turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Source

Bob Dole Endorses Jeb Bush

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole has endorsed Jeb Bush for president and will serve as the former Florida governor's National Veterans’ Chairman, according to the campaign.

Dole said that while almost all of the candidates are his friends, he believes Bush is the most qualified.

“Jeb has the proven leadership skills and executive experience needed to fix the problems facing our country – from the anemic economy to America's weakened standing among world leaders,” Dole said in a statement. “Jeb's conservative reform agenda and forward looking vision on issues including 4 percent economic growth, defeating ISIS and taking care of our veterans are in stark contrast to Hillary Clinton’s strategy to continue the failed policies of the present Administration.”

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Cop Shows up Too Wasted to Receive His MADD Award | The Daily Sheeple

Can you say “hypocrite”?

Pinellas County Deputy Michael Szeliga showed up at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) training event at the Hyatt Regency hotel in July and decided to skip the majority of the training part to get hammered on Jameson Irish whiskey cocktails all day while hanging at the pool and playing “cornhole” beanbag game with other officers according to a newly released 274-page Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office internal affairs investigation. But, “The plot thickens” from there, says a former MADD director and anti-DUI lawyer. “It seems to be a lot worse than originally presented,” WFLA reports.

A sergeant at the event later caught a “pretty drunk” Szeliga in the hotel hallway in nothing but his boxer shorts during a fire alarm. One sergeant told investigators Szeliga’s eyes were glassy and his speech was slurred, though Szeliga denies this, saying he only had two or three drinks. Then again, these are all officers who have no doubt dealt with arresting intoxicated people before, so it’s kind of a silly argument anyway.

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Missouri’s Lesson: the Campus Wars Are about Power, Not Justice

Tim Wolfe, the president of the University of Missouri system, abruptly resigned. Why? The popular narrative is that his “inadequate” response to a series of racist incidents on campus triggered a massive student backlash, including an unprecedented “strike” by the university’s football team, and he finally caved to the pressure.

Yet this explanation collapses under the slightest scrutiny. The idea that Wolfe presided over a racially insensitive educational empire is a sad joke. A timeline of racial outrages in Columbia is sparse indeed, showing two allegations of racial name-calling (on a campus with 35,000 students) and one disturbing incident in which a swastika was drawn on a dorm wall with human waste.

No rational, sentient human being believes system presidents can be responsible for what lunatics do with their own feces, or that they can prevent any given student from shouting racial slurs. Not even the worst communist dictatorships could control the speech of all their subjects. Wolfe couldn’t stop drunk undergraduates from hurling insensitive insults even if he established his own gulag and deployed commissars across campus.

His deposition has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with power. The campus culture wars aren’t about “victims” or “racial injustice” or “safe spaces.” People who shriek in the quad, launch hunger strikes in a blaze of publicity, or stand outside free-speech events and chant for censorship aren’t anyone’s victims. They’re not weak. They don’t need “protection.”

They’re revolutionaries, and the revolution they seek is nothing less than the overthrow of our constitutional republic, beginning with our universities. This is a movement built from the ground up around power and coercion.

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Campus Commotions Show We’re Raising Fragile Kids

It seems like every week there’s a new horror story of political correctness run amok at some college campus.

A warning not to wear culturally insensitive Halloween costumes sparked an imbroglio at Yale, which went viral over the weekend. A lecturer asked in an e-mail, “Is there no room anymore for a child to be a little bit obnoxious . . . a little bit inappropriate or provocative or, yes, offensive?”

Students went ballistic. When an administrator (who is the lecturer’s spouse) defended free speech, some students wanted his head. One student wrote in a Yale Herald op-ed (now taken down): “He doesn’t get it. And I don’t want to debate. I want to talk about my pain.”

Washington Post columnist (and Tufts professor) Daniel Drezner was initially horrified by the spectacle but ultimately backtracked. Invoking Friedrich Hayek’s insights from “The Use of Knowledge in Society,” Drezner cautions outside observers that “there is an awful lot of knowledge that is local in character, that cannot be culled from abstract principles or detached observers.”

As a Hayek fanboy and champion of localism, I should be quite sympathetic. But this time, I think Drezner’s initial reaction was closer to the mark. The notion that the Yale incident is an isolated one defies all the evidence.

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With Town Weighing Future Growth, Berlin Mayor Maintains, ‘We’re Not Trying To Become The Next Salisbury. We Want To Become A Better Berlin’

BERLIN – With plans for an apartment complex on Seahawk Road, the sale of two large properties at the edge of town and a development proposal for the Bay Club, it’s easy to wonder just how large Berlin can grow.

In 1990, the town’s population was 2,600. By 2010, that number had nearly doubled, with just under 4,500 residents calling Berlin home. While growth can be a good thing, increasing the town’s tax base and infusing money into the local economy, some residents are concerned that it will bring too much change to what they consider
“America’s Coolest Small Town.”

“We need to protect this small town,” Council member Lisa Hall said. “Once it’s gone it’s gone.”

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Not Having a Spare Tire Is Stupid and Dangerous

A few months ago, as I was driving down a busy Southern California freeway to catch a flight, I heard a loud noise, followed by heavy rumbling. The car lurched to the left and my spirits took a dive. I had a flat tire and no spare.

Naturally, I was running late and knew that I could have had the tire swapped out in no time if there had been a spare. But like many modern cars, the 2015 Chevrolet Volt I was driving didn't even come equipped with a spare tire in the spare tire-shaped hole beneath the floor of its trunk. It had a big, spare tire-shaped styrofoam block with an electric inflator jammed into it. With little time and few options, I drove two miles on the rim (the cab drivers I called refused to pick me up on the side of a major freeway), found a parking garage, and left the car so I could catch a cab to the airport.

I made my flight, but it could have been worse, as a friend found out while he was driving a new BMW M235i on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. That particular road is known for being sparse on exits, so when his car blew a tire, he was roughly in the middle of nowhere. The M235i was one of a growing number of cars designed without a spare, although most BMWs come with run-flat tires. Not so with M models, which are kitted out with hard-to-find performance tires. The electric inflator kit in the trunk didn't do the trick on that occasion.

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WICOMICO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REQUESTS INPUT ON 2015 COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

Publishers Notes: Please consider filling out this survey. It will go a very long way to better our communities. 

(Salisbury, MD)
Approximately every five years since 1995, the Wicomico County Health Department has worked collaboratively with Worcester and Somerset Counties to complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) with input from county residents on what the most important public health issues are here in Wicomico County.

In order to direct Wicomico County’s Local Health Improvement Coalition (LHIC) planning process for the next 5 years, the community is also invited to participate in a local community health needs assessment survey. The survey is accessible by visiting the following link: http://www.wicomicohealth.org/CHA

“The community health survey is an excellent opportunity for residents to be a part of helping to improve the public health of Wicomico County. I encourage everyone to reflect on the public health issues of Wicomico County, think about where improvements are needed, and let your voice be heard,” said Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. “Input will assist in driving our community health improvement plan for the next five years, and a solid representation of our community’s opinion is critical” said Brewster.
The survey has been extended through February 2016. Residents who are unable to complete the survey online may contact Tammy Griffin at (410) 219-7480 orTammy.Griffin@maryland.gov.

Accused Illegal Voter Was “Confused” Says Attorney

FORT WORTH – The Tarrant County District Attorney and the Texas Attorney General say the indictment of a Grand Prairie woman on voter fraud charges proves there are non-citizens voting in U-S elections. However, it appears the woman is a member of their own party.

The attorney for Rosa Ortega says she has legally been in the country for more than a dozen years.

Domingo Garcia says when Ortega had a child she applied for assistance under the Women Infants and Children program. That’s when Garcia says she was handed a voter registration form and told to fill it out. Garcia says Ortega was confused by it all and if she had known better, she would never have voted.

A Tarrant County Grand Jury accuses Ortega of casting ballots in the November 6, 2012 election and the May 27, 2014 primary election.

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Which 2 Nations Received 75% Of America's $5.9 Billion Foreign Military Financing?

According to the U.S. State Government 2013-2015 Foreign Assistance report, an estimated $5.9 billion was spent on foreign military funding alone in fiscal year 2014. This is equivalent to 17% of the estimated $35 billion spent on total global aid discussed in our previous article [8]. U.S. foreign military aid to countries ranged from $200,000 to $3.1 billion. Of the top 10 recipients, two countries received 75% of the $5.9 billion.

Take a look on the map below to see who is getting the most foreign military financing from the U.S....

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Wicomico Recreation Introduces Youth & Adult Futsal Leagues

Salisbury, MD – Wicomico Recreation is proud to introduce Youth and Adult Futsal Leagues this fall / winter. Registration is open for both leagues now.

The Youth Futsal League is open for team entry for ages U8, U10, U12 and U15. Games will take place at Bennett Middle School from December 5 – January 23 on Saturday afternoons beginning at 1 p.m. (The program will take a two week break for the holidays.) Game play consists of 20 minute halves. The registration fee is $375 per team.

Individual youth players may also register for additional training consisting of specialized sessions led by trained staff. Sessions will be held at Bennett Middle School from December 2 – January 20 on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The registration fee is $30 per player and includes a futsal ball.

The Adult Futsal League is open for team entry for adults ages 16+. Games will take place at Bennett Middle School from December 2 – January 20 on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:30 p.m. (The program will take a two week break for the holidays.) Game play consists of 20 minute halves. The registration fee is $400 per team plus referee fees.

Registration for all futsal programs is available through November 23 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office (500 Glen Avenue, Salisbury; M-F, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.) or online atwww.WicomicoRecandParks.org. For more information, contact Allen Swiger at 410-548-4900 x108 or aswiger@wicomicocounty.org.

Maryland gets 882 license applications for medical marijuana

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —A large number of applications to grow or dispense medical marijuana in Maryland will delay the program's rollout, the executive director of a state commission said Thursday

The commission announced it received 882 applications for grower, processor and dispenser licenses by a Nov. 6 deadline. Hannah Byron, the executive director of the Maryland medical Cannabis Commission, said the panel will extend the application review period and modify the timeline. Licenses initially had been slated to be issued in January.

"The commission will provide an updated program schedule in the near future," Byron said.

Byron also said the high number of applications will ensure the commission has a strong pool of qualified candidates and that the program will be self-funded, as intended by the Legislature.

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The Sometimes Sad State of Voter Registration in America

Automatic and online voter registration have proven to increase voter rolls and save money, yet many states are still using paper.

The United States takes great pride in being one of the largest and longest running modern democracies in the world. Yet when it comes to having a good voter registration system, we have a long way to go.

Today’s voter registration systems vary widely in terms of quality and effectiveness from state to state, according to a recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice. A dozen states still use paper forms to register voters, making their systems costly to run and prone to errors. The states that do use technology differ in how they use computers to register voters, often making the system less effective than it could be.

Until Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, citizens had to seek out the necessary forms to register. The “Motor Voter” law, as it came to be called, made the process easier by putting the forms at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and requiring agency personnel to ask drivers if they wanted to register. But many countries -- including Australia, Chile, France, Germany and Sweden -- make it easier than that to sign up with automatic voter registration.

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Thank God Its Friday 11-13-15

What will you be doing this weekend?

US airstrike targets notorious ISIS militant

The Pentagon said late Thursday it had launched an airstrike in Syria targeting 'Jihadi John', a British national seen in videos depicting the beheading of hostages held by ISIS.

Pitching Health Care In Baltimore's Red Light District

Every Thursday night you can find Nathan Fields making the rounds of Baltimore's red light district, known to locals as The Block.

An outreach worker with the Baltimore City Health Department, Fields, 55, is a welcome sight outside strip clubs like Circus, Club Harem and Jewel Box.

In the early evening before the clubs get busy, he talks with dancers, bouncers and anyone else passing by about preventing drug overdoses and how to stop the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Later on, he'll drop into the clubs to check on the dancers who aren't able to come outside, finding out what they might need.

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Help Wanted: Must Like Heights And High Voltage

Looking for a job? How about working way up in the air, in all kinds of weather, with thousands of volts of electricity?

Working on high voltage lines pays well and doesn't require a degree, but electric utilities are hard-pressed to replace retiring linemen.

If you want to learn about the dedication and character needed to be a lineman, look no further than a place with a super-abundance of line workers: the International Lineman's Rodeo.

Each year, the best lineman from across the country test their skills in a field in Kansas. Picture a forest of closely spaced utility poles — almost like a giant hair brush — with hundreds of burly men, in hard hats and heavy boots with spikes, working furiously.

Throw in lots of tools and American flags and you begin to imagine an annual competition some call a "testosterone vortex."

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Are The Marines Getting Desperate?

The Marine Corps is conducting a review of its physical fitness programs. The review will take into account all physical fitness standards. That includes scoring tables for fitness tests and height, weight and body fat standards for all Marines. The review must provide recommendations to the Marine Corps commandant by July 1, 2016. The review was prompted by feedback from Marines during the commandant’s Corps-wide tour.

Betamax Tapes Going Off The Market: This Post Was Not Written In 1988

You may remember the videotape format wars of the 1980s, where VHS eventually triumphed over Betamax, making that one family on your street who couldn’t borrow videos from everyone else feel very silly. After the format wars ended, Betamax didn’t vanish. Players were still manufactured until 2002, and Sony was still making tapes until very recently. 

Joe’s Crab Shack Tests No-Tipping Policy, Raises Server Wages To $14/Hour

Joe’s Crab Shack will become the first national full-service chain to test a no-tipping policy, following in the footsteps of several prominent New York-based restaurants that ditched gratuity last month. 

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Midwest Crab


3D Printed Car Could Hit Streets Next Year

LAS VEGAS — The 3D-printed car, a thermoplastic car made one-at-a-time by a machine, could be hitting the streets as soon as next year.

Local Motors, a Chandler, Ariz., company revealed a new design for a lower-speed electric car at the SEMA automotive trade show here last week.

The 3D-printed car, dubbed the LM3D Swim, looks a little like a dune buggy. It is intended as a fun car to cruise neighborhoods, its speed limited by law than no more than 35 miles per hour. It is expected to be followed by a more robust highway version, which will go on sale as soon as late next year at $53,000.

It could be a breakthrough. Its chassis would be "printed" on a machine that shoots out ribbons of carbon-fiber reinforced thermoplastics, much like toothpaste coming out of the tube.

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