Sandy Socks Maryland Grower Of Big Christmas Trees

A western Maryland grower of giant Christmas trees says he's sending refunds to the World Bank, the CIA and other Washington-area customers because heavy snow from Superstorm Sandy did so much damage to his crop.

Marshall Stacy of Pinetum Christmas Trees in Swanton said Monday he has refunded nearly 70 percent of his orders for trees that were destroyed or damaged by 28 inches of wet snow in late October.

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ODD? ROMNEY GOT ZERO VOTES IN 59 PRECINCTS IN PHILLY, AND 9 PRECINCTS IN OHIO

Mitt Romney’s demographic troubles have, by this point, been well-rehearsed by practically every pundit across the political spectrum. However, even in his most troubled demographic (black voters, where Romney was trounced 94-6), the GOP nominee could probably comfort himself that at least – contrary to some polls – he didn’t get 0 percent.

But what if there are parts of the country where Romney not only got zero percent of the vote (a possibility in the case of vote totals so small that rounding renders them null), but actually got literally zero votes? For the nominee of a major party, that would be truly extraordinary – so extraordinary, in fact, that it would strain credulity.

And seeing as this highly unlikely turn of events happened not in one or two precincts, but in over 59 in Philadelphia, and 9 in Cleveland, that credulity can be safely said to be completely strained, if not broken. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

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O'Malley Speaks Via Google To Service Members

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has spoken with active duty military personnel in Afghanistan to thank them for their service.

The governor spoke via Google online chat Monday morning from the Maryland Statehouse with service members who are taking a speech and writing class with the University of Maryland University College at Bagram Air Field.

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Kevin Clash, Elmo Puppeteer, Accused Of Having Relationship With Juvenile

Kevin Clash, the man known as the voice of Elmo, has taken a leave of absence from Sesame Street in the wake of allegation he had a sexual relationship with a juvenile.

TMZ says Clash denies the claims, but lawyers representing the show have met with the 23-year-old man who says he and Clash began a relationship seven years ago.

Clash has reportedly acknowledged to TMZhe had a relationship with the young man, but says it only took place after the accuser was an adult.

Sesame Workshop officials issued the following statement about their own investigation into the allegations:

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Black Friday Walmart Strike Being Organized By Workers

Black Friday, which is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, may come with serious problems for Walmarts nationwide if a grassroots campaign calling for the store's workers to strike comes to fruition.

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Making Change at Walmart, a campaign aimed at organizing and strengthening the work force the world's largest private employer, is organizing events for Nov. 23 at Walmart stores nationwide to speak out about issues with pay, worker intimidation and retaliation and scheduling issues.

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Possible Union Strike Threatens Red Cross Blood Drives

The Red Cross is facing a strike by D.C.- and Baltimore-area blood drive workers, a move that would hamstring an organization already reeling from Superstorm Sandy.

Teamsters Local 311, which includes about 50 Red Cross drivers and supply clerks who provide blood drive support, sent the organization a notice of intent to strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 16. The strike can be avoided if the two sides reach a contract agreement before then.

"We feel like it's irresponsible," said Red Cross spokesman Anthony Tornetta. "Now is not the time to do something like this."

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D.C. Fireboat Can't Make Distress Calls, Needs Nearly $700k In Repairs

D.C.'s only rescue boat capable of handling large-scale emergencies has expired Coast Guard documentation, a broken communications system and needs nearly $700,000 in repairs, a report obtained by The Washington Examiner has found.

The report was commissioned by D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services in May as a result of a city inspector's report that found the 50-year-old boat, the John H. Glenn Jr., was obsolete. Although the report also said that the 71-foot boat's "firefighting capability is more than adequate," it noted that substantial repairs were needed in order to meet or exceed federal and industry standards.

When asked about the report, FEMS Deputy Fire Chief for Homeland Security John Donnelly on Friday noted the report's positive assessment of the boat's firefighting function.

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Economist Backs Lower Md. Corporate Tax, And Some Legislators Agree

In the midst of America’s fiscal crisis, economist Anirban Basu told members of Maryland’s Chamber of Commerce that it is imperative for the state to lower corporate income tax to create better opportunity to attract capital investment to offset the impact of decreased federal spending.

Speaking at the chamber’s business policy conference in Ellicott City on Friday, Basu said the Free State is three times more vulnerable to the impact of federal reductions than any other state. The number of Americans that work for the federal government is 2.1%, while 5.2% of Marylanders get a federal paycheck. With extensive cuts scheduled for the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health, both staples in Maryland’s economy, Basu said Maryland is in for a “world of hurt.”

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The Morning After

Hagerstown Solar Farm Will Be Largest In Maryland

The array of solar panels all facing south give the appearance of a shimmering lake. And by late December, the 300,000 solar panels, each roughly the size of a 46-inch flat screen television near the Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown off Roxbury Road, are expected to generate a peak of 20 megawatts of power per hour.

The solar farm annually will produce enough electricity to power 4,000 to 5,000 single family homes, according to an estimate by an official at First Solar Inc., the company leasing the land from the state to run the plant.

The solar farm, which is spread over 160 acres, will be the largest in Maryland, and represents one more step toward the state’s goal of generating 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2022.

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Laura Mitchell Is A No Show AGAIN For City Council Meeting

Councilwoman Laura Mitchell is a no show once again for tonight's City Council Meeting. There's also no audio on PAC 14.

UPDATE: Council Meeting ends in just 40 minutes. For the second meeting in a row Council Vice President Debbie Campbell filled in for Terry Cohen and business was simply done as it should be.

Occupy Wall Street Campaigners Buy-Up Debt To Abolish It

A group of campaigners linked to the Occupy Wall Street movement is buying-up distressed loans for pennies in the pound and cancelling them to "liberate debtors at random". 

The Rolling Jubilee project is seeking donations to help it buy-up distressed debts, including student loans and outstanding medical bills, and then wipe the slate clean by writing them off.

Individuals or companies can buy distressed debt from lenders at knock-down prices if it the borrower is in default or behind with payments and are then free to do with it as they see fit, including cancelling it free of charge.

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Starbucks Will 'Pay' For Gay Marriage Support: NOM Pledge

Starbucks' support of same-sex marriage in Washington state was praised by a number of prominent rights activists. But the Seattle-based coffee chain's outspoken opponents seem determined to have the last word.

The Colorado Independent reports that officials from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) have vowed to make Starbucks (along with other companies that support same-sex marriage) pay a “price” in Middle Eastern countries that are hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. The statements were made during a Nov. 8 conference call, scheduled as a discussion of the 2012 elections which saw sweeping marriage equality victories in Maine, Maryland and Minnesota, as well as Starbucks' home state of Washington.

“So for example, in Qatar, in the Middle East, we’ve begun working to make sure that there’s some price to be paid for this," Brian Brown says in audio recording of the conference call, which can heard on the Independent's website. "These are not countries that look kindly on same-sex marriage. And this is where Starbucks wants to expand, as well as India. So we have done some of this; we’ve got to do a lot more.”

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Another Kind Of Veterans Day In Maryland?

O'Malley's Big Win

Reading the local newspapers over the weekend may have given you the impression that Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was the big winner of last week’s election.

Although his name never actually appeared on the ballot, that may not be far from the truth. O’Malley championed the three big initiatives on the Maryland ballot—legalization of same-sex marriages, the Maryland Dream Act, and a gambling expansion—and all three of them passed.

The Washington Examiner had an article headlined “O’Malley stock rises, McDonnell’s drops with election,” comparing how the rivals -- who both head their respective party’s governors associations -- fared last Tuesday. While the GOP lost big in Virginia, O’Malley’s liberal social agenda was approved by voters.

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15 States Including Texas Have Filed A Petition To Secede From The United States

As of Saturday November 10, 2012, 15 States have petitioned the Obama Administration for withdrawal from the United States of America in order to create its own government.

States following this action include: Louisiana, Texas, Montana, North Dakota, Indiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon and New York. These States have requested that the Obama Administration grant a peaceful withdrawal from the United States.

These citizen generated petitions were filed just days after the 2012 Presidential election.

Louisiana was the first State to file a petition a day after the election by a Michael E. from Slidell, Louisiana. Texas was the next State to follow by a Micah H. from Arlington, Texas.

The government allows one month from the day the petition is submitted to obtain 25,000 signatures in order for the Obama administration to consider the request.

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U.S. Shale Goes Boom, Rest of World Goes Bust

OPEC, in its World Oil Report, said there's an overall sense that developing shale oil and natural gas could start to redefine the global energy mix. In the United States, the cartel said shale natural gas production alone grew by more than 60 percent from 2010 to 2012.  For shale oil, supplies in the United States have already passed the 1 million barrel-per-day mark. Though shale reserves may ultimately be a game changer, said OPEC, outside the United States, the sector is in its infancy.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries published its 300-page World Oil Outlook this week. The cartelsaid it was "evident that this resource (shale oil and gas) will contribute to the overall energy mix."  The cartel found total shale natural gas production in the United States increased from 15 million cubic feet for day in 2012 to 25 billion cubic feet per day two years later. There is a clear potential for shale natural gas on the global energy stage, said OPEC, as clean natural gas starts to replace coal as a source of electricity and becomes a major feedstock in the petrochemicals industry.

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Salisbury Chorale Performs Nov. 13

Christmas comes early to Salisbury University this year, courtesy of the Salisbury Chorale. The ensemble presents its winter concert, featuring Rutter’s Magnificat and Holst’s Christmas Day, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 13, in Holloway Hall Auditorium. The chorale and chamber orchestra, conducted by Dr. William Folger, director of choral studies at SU, are comprised of students, faculty, staff and community members.

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VETERANS RESURRECT WWI MEMORIAL CROSS IN CALIFORNIA AFTER DECADE-LONG DISPUTE

 A war memorial cross that once stood on a rocky hilltop in a national park before being deemed unconstitutional and ordered removed has been resurrected on Veterans Day in the stunningly stark Mojave desert site, capping a landmark case for veterans fighting similar battles on public lands.

Henry Sandoz, who cared for the original 1930s cross as part of a promise to a dying World War I veteran, rededicated a new, 7-foot steel cross on the same hilltop. The site is now in private hands as part of a land swap with the National Park Service that ended the longstanding legal dispute, which had become entangled in the thorny issues of patriotism and religion.

“Judges and lawyers may have played their roles, but it was the veterans who earned this memorial, and it is for them it rises once more,” said attorney Hiram Sasser of the Texas-based Liberty Institute, which represented veterans in the legal fight.

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Toward A Republican Economic Agenda

In today's New York Times, Ross Douthat begins the debate, and, in my judgment, very much points in the right direction.

Here's the nub of the argument:

What the party really needs, much more than a better identity-politics pitch, is an economic message that would appeal across demographic lines — reaching both downscale white voters turned off by Romney’s Bain Capital background and upwardly mobile Latino voters who don’t relate to the current G.O.P. fixation on upper-bracket tax cuts.

As the American Enterprise Institute’s Henry Olsen writes, it should be possible for Republicans to oppose an overweening and intrusive state while still recognizing that “government can give average people a hand up to achieve the American Dream.” It should be possible for the party to reform and streamline government while also addressing middle-class anxieties about wages, health care, education and more.

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