Taken At Just The Right Moment (Part 3 of 3)

Becker's School Supplies, Inc. Closing Six Locations, Retail Store Closing Sales Begin Friday, November 28

Retail store closing sales will begin at six Becker's Parent / Teacher stores in Pennsylvania and Delaware on Friday, November 28. In time for the holiday season, just about every item in every department at all retail store closing locations will be reduced.

Teachers, parents and students will receive significant discounts of 20% to 40% off the lowest ticketed price on thousands of items including school supplies, classroom decorations, arts and crafts, puzzles, games, toys, easels, curriculum materials, workbooks and much more. Store fixtures, furniture and equipment at all closing retail stores will also be available for sale.

Becker's School Supplies is currently in its 86th year of business. As a family-owned business, Becker's values tradition but also embraces change when it makes us a stronger company. In a recent announcement, company president George Becker stated that the company has made a strategic move to close 6 of its 7 retail stores.

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NYC Officials Misspent Nearly $200 Million Of Sandy Relief Funds

A recent government audit has found that New York City officials misspent $183 million in Hurricane Sandy relief funds, using the money to cover salaries and fringe benefits for hospital employees — some of whom weren’t even working.

The funds, dispersed as part of a $4.2 billion disaster relief package passed in 2013, were given to the city-run nonprofit Health and Hospitals Corporation. In its own words, HHC operates the “public safetynet healthcare system of New York City.”

The audit, conducted by the Housing and Urban Development Department’s Office of the Inspector General, found that HHC spent the money on ineligible “salary, fringe benefits, and utility expenses incurred by Bellevue and Coney Island Hospitals,” both of which closed for significant periods of time after the storm.

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Bye-bye, U.S. fracking profits? By Ray Wallace

Oil has fallen to its lowest price since 2010. So why have OPEC nations decided not to lower their oil output?

To make it even more unprofitable for rival frackers in the U.S.!

"The major strike is against the American market.”

-- Billionaire Russian oil baron Leonid Arnoldovich Fedun,

as quoted in

“OPEC Decision Likely to Crash U.S. Fracking Industry,”

by Anastasia Pantsios, at this November 27, 2014 EcoWatch site: 

http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/27/opec-crash-fracking-industry/

This may be a mixed blessing for victims of fracking pollutions. When frackers lose profits, they expect corrupt, climate-ignoring U.S. politicians to force taxpayers to make up the difference.

__________

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy.

What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait 

til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”

--Thomas Edison

Prime Minister Says Iraqi Army Has 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' On Payroll

Iraq's Prime Minister said Sunday that the country's army has been paying salaries to at least 50,000 soldiers who do not exist, the latest sign of corruption in a force that the U.S. hopes to help contain the Islamic State militant group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told the country's Parliament that the practice was revealed as part of a preliminary investigation, and that further probes would likely show "more and more" false names.

"Ghost soldiers" refer to people whose names appear on military rolls and who are paid salaries, but are not in military service. The Washington Post reported that the practice is often carried out by officers, who pretend to have more soldiers on their books then they really do and pocket the extra salary.

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A Better, Brighter Wicomico County?

The future of Wicomico County begins tomorrow!  At 11:30 AM, Tuesday, Wicomico County will witness the swearing-in of its second County Executive – Bob Culver.  While Culver can seize upon several opportunities, he faces a great number of steep hurdles.  Is he up to the task?  We hope so.

Show Me the Money

More than most places, the relationship between Wicomico County government and its citizens focuses on money.  We have the revenue cap.  Voters seem to believe that taxes can be cut, perhaps ad infinitum, with little or no impact on services.  As with most localities, the bureaucracy at the local Board of Education (WCBOE) equates quantity of money spent with quality of education.  For the last several years Wicomico’s county council has refused to cut spending requested by the outgoing county executive while that same County Executive has refused to trim the county payroll despite cutting back on services.  Rather than maintain its existing physical plant, the local Board of Ed wants to build more schools and the county government (both executive and council) have acquiesced.  Wicomico County keeps borrowing while debt and pension obligations keep growing.  Despite the wishful thinking of some, there are no easy solutions.

We would suggest Mr. Culver attack low hanging fruit first; while planning for the more difficult tasks ahead:

1. Cut the Budget NOW!
2. Require Accountability from the Board of Education
3. Implement Zero-Based Budgeting
4. Make Voters a Part of the Solution
5. Pension Reform
6. Grow the Local Economy

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Bucket List

MY BUCKET LIST FOR 2014,15,16...

We are getting old and our tickers aren't what they used to be... 

so here is Our Special Bucket List for 2014,15,16....

HERE IS ALL WE WANT....

1. Obama: Gone! And NO Clinton in his place!!!

2. Put "GOD" back in America !!! 

3. Borders: Closed! 

4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else.

5. Congress: Obey its own laws NOW! 

6. Language: English only! 

7. Culture: Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! 

8. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare! 

9. NO freebies to Non-Citizens! 

10. Balance the budget. 

11. Stop giving away our money to foreign countries! Charge them for our help! We need it here.

12. Fix the TAX CODE! 

And most of all.

13. "RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!!" 

We the people are coming!

Obama Signs Executive Order Indicting Officer Wilson!

The White House has announced that President Obama will sign an Executive Order indicting Officer Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown. True to form, President Obama was quoted as saying “The hell with the Constitution, double jeopardy be damned!” This comes as no surprise given his total disregard for the Constitution of late and his willingness to act unilaterally more like a King, than an equal third of a government, designed to provide a system of checks and balances representative of all American’s.

President Obama boldly stated in his last State of the Union address that he had a pen and a phone and would act on his own in instances where he could not get the cooperation of Congress. With the full backing, support, and protection of the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, President Obama apparently feels he can now extend his Executive Powers into matters typically reserved for individual states, directing the Attorney General for the State of Missouri, by Executive Order, to arraign Officer Wilson on murder charges.

As if a move like this is not ludicrous enough, Eric Holder has already announced that this move by the President will not interfere with his ongoing civil rights investigation of Officer Wilson and the Ferguson Police Department. With Al Sharpton occupying more time in the ears of President Obama and Eric Holder than Valerie Jarrett of late, you can bet finding a way to make this about race is a top priority!

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Editor's Note: Please read the entire story before commmenting.  

What Does Jeb Bush do for a Living?

As speculation about whether a third Bush will run for president in 2016, people are starting to wonder what exactly it is that Jeb is doing now.

Bush, the former governor of Florida, has four businesses registered to the same address in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables that don’t appear to have conducted any business anywhere, according to an investigation by ThinkProgress. Bush also has a consulting firm, Jeb Bush & Associates, registered to that address.

But while the four companies’ purpose is a mystery, Bush’s other activities have been more public. Some of his business ties are with companies that might give him some of the same problems faced by Mitt Romney in his 2012 quest for the White House. Another company based at his Coral Gables office, Britton Hill Holdings, has a private equity deal with a Chinese company to acquire a firm involved in shale oil and gas shipping, according to Bloomberg.

Bush is also on the board of Tenet Healthcare, from which he has received more than $2 million in cash and stock since joining it in 2007. Tenet has “paid more than $1 billion over the last decade to settle a series of fraud, overbilling, kickback, and other allegations by its biggest customer: the federal government,” according to Don Michak of the Journal Inquirer in Connecticut.

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TWO OCPD OFFICERS TAKE FIRST AT MARYLAND STATE PISTOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reserve Officer Mark Doyle

(December 1, 2014) – Two Ocean City officers recently finished first place at the Maryland State Pistol Championships in Frederick, MD. Reserve Officer Mark Doyle and Police Officer 1st Class Daniel Jacobs finished first place overall as a two man team taking the State Champion title scoring higher than other competing municipal, state and federal law enforcement officers from across the state. To earn the title, RO Doyle and Pfc. Jacobs shot varying numbers of rounds from several positions at distances of 7, 15, 25 and 50 yards with semiautomatic and revolver handguns.

Police Officer 1st Class Daniel Jacobs

RO Doyle also took third place overall for the “distinguished semi-automatic” competition, third place in his class in the “open revolver” competition and first place in his class in the “open semi-automatic” competition. Pfc. Jacobs earned second place overall for the “distinguished revolver” competition, first place in his class in the “open revolver” competition and second place in his class in the “open semi-automatic” competition. In distinguished competitions, the firearm may not be modified whereas the open competitions allow modifications to the firearm.

Both officers are eligible to compete in the National Police Combat Championships in New Mexico. The event was hosted by the Maryland Police Combat Association and is registered through the National Rifle Association. For more information about the competition, visit www.ppc.nra.org.

STONE ON LBJ

Westboro Baptist Church Gets Punked With Thanksgiving Avian Flu Turkey Prank

Aw, poor Westboro Baptist Church!

The vehemently anti-queer group, which infamously protests the funerals of American soldiers and the concerts of super stars like Cher because it believes those events promote pro-queer sentiment, found itself the butt of a Thanksgiving prank.

The National Report, a satirical website, published a story earlier this month warning readers of a turkey recall due to avian flu.

"...It appears that the virus has recently developed the ability to move from bird hosts into humans... The results could be disastrous," The National Report stated. "The handling, preparation, and eating of these turkeys could infect millions of people during the Thanksgiving holiday," a CDC epidemiologist supposedly told the site, which cheekily bills itself as "America's #1 Independent News Source."

The site encouraged readers who were worried about their turkeys to contact the "Turkey Safety Hotline" in order to determine if their birds were affected by the recall. However, the phone number printed by The National Report didn't belong to a turkey hotline, it belonged to Westboro Baptist Church.
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Fredrick Wilson II is one smart young man!

Structure Fire In Salisbury

Fire units have been dispatched to 925 South Salisbury Blvd for a structure fire.  The original call was for an appliance fire at Popeyes.  Please use caution if you are planning to be in this area. 

The situation has now been placed under control

Md. officer charged with leaving accident scene

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) -- A Prince George's County police officer has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

Details of the Sunday accident weren't immediately released, but police say there were no injuries. Officer Mark Samuels-Thompson was arrested soon after the accident. Police say he was off duty at the time and in a non-departmental car.

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Hillary Clinton now commands $50,000 more than Bill for public speeches

And has a long list of demands including a backstage menu of diet ginger ale, hummus and fruit

Former first lady Hillary Clinton is now charging more for public speaking engagements than her husband - and has an extensive list of demands, it has emerged.

The 67-year-old reportedly charged a staggering $300,000 'special university rate' for a guest lecture at the University of California at Los Angeles on March 5, 2014.

This is compared to the $250,000 her spouse and former president, Bill Clinton, requested for his appearance at the same university in 2012, it is said.

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Ray And Janay Rice Confronting Public For The First Time Since Scandal

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Ray Rice and his wife Janay break their silence after the former Ravens running back won an appeal of his indefinite suspension from the NFL.

Janay Rice gave an extensive interview to ESPN, published Friday, describing the night her fiancee, now husband, hit her in the elevator of an Atlantic City hotel and casino.

“We got into the elevator and what happened inside is still foggy to me,” she said to ESPN. “The only thing I know—and I can’t even say I ‘remember’ because I only know from what Ray has told me—is that I slapped him again and then he hit me. I remember nothing else from inside the elevator.”

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Crowd capture ‘thief’ by wrapping him in clingfilm after he allegedly tries to rob an old man at knifepoint in Chile

A Chilean man who allegedly attempted to rob an elderly man at knifepoint ended up at the pointy end himself after he was spotted mid-thievery and caught by the crowd.

The alleged thief, named locally as Valentino Abeyta Barrera, was caught by bystanders, disarmed, stripped naked and tied to a lamppost.

Crowds gathered round as 32-year-old Barrera had his clothes torn off and his underpants pulled down, before he was wrapped in clingfilm during the incident in the Chilean capital Santiago.

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SPD Press Release - Shoplifting Arrests 12-1-14

BREAKING NEWS: 4 dead following 3 shootings in West Virginia, police say

If you know the whereabouts of this vehicle, do not approach, call 911 or WV State Police. (via Monongalia County Homeland Security Emergency Mangement Agency)

• Approximate 2011 Black Ford F150 Extended Cab
• Unknown type sticker in back window
• Black Tonneau cover over bed
• License Plate blacked out – unreadable

West Virginia state police launched a manhunt Monday for the suspect in three shootings that left four people dead, prompting schools to go on lockdown.

State police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous says two of the shootings happened in the Westover area and the other occurred in the Cheat Lake area in Monongalia County.

Baylous identified the two victims from the Cheat Lake shooting as 39-year-old Sharon Kay Berkshire of Westover and 28-year-old David Frum of Maidsville.

911 director Mike Wolfe says police are searching for Jody Hunt in the case. Hunt may be driving a black Ford F-150 pickup, model year 2011 or similar, with a sticker in the window and a blacked-out license plate, authorities told The Charleston Gazette.

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