A Viewer Writes: Last night and the Civil War (a highly recommended read)

A Memorable Evening 7/19/2015

By Gary Bullard

After a truly wonderful night of debate with friends over beers last night, I have been reflecting on the discussions and what subjects were and were not brought up during and after my proclamation In front of a mixed crowd that I had a red with a blue “X” Rebel Flag on its way to me in the mail.

A shot was immediately fired across my bow, and the discussion was on!

Being from Springfield, Illinois, “Land of Lincoln” I knew Honest Abe was one of our presidents that was held in this great nation as being really noteworthy and in the top 5 as presidents go, and had done a speech called the “Emancipation Proclamation” making slaves free, but what day and year and never sparked a Civil War play by play study for me. All I knew was that there was no longer a thing called slavery, and that was just fine with me because I had black friends and wouldn’t know how to “place” them other than in my group of friends. I was aware of MLK and a lot of tensions in big cities, but that never happened around my town that I knew of. I had an Uncle Bill that did the civil war re-enactment thing with his buddies, but wasn’t interested in that, either, and to this day have no Idea which uniform he wore during his costume parties. I think he just liked muzzleloaders and flintlocks.

I have also noticed during my busy life that there was a large group of people from all over the US claiming to be “Southerners”’ waving a red flag with a starry blue “X” on it chanting “The South’s gonna do it again” with Charlie Daniels and Lynyrd Skynrd or however you spell it. Do what? Whatever, I have to work in the morning, and no, I had no desire to buy and fly an “X” flag. And, yes, I like “Free Bird” and the CDB because I love my music and my Freedoms!

So, why did I go out and buy a flag? Well, first, they had all been wiped from the internet. Amazon, Ebay, all the biggies, one flag. Period. Nothing else! Buying a rare item is always a good idea. Secondly, NEVER tell me what I cannot do. N-E-V-E-R! I will simply say, “Watch this…”. And third, last I looked, I was a free man, and I can buy anything anybody has for sale and display it as Freedom of Speech no matter what your interpretation of it is! So, that explains that, which then begs the next discussion…

Deposition: Cosby paid women to keep affairs secret

NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Cosby, in sworn testimony a decade ago, said he had paid women after sex to keep the affairs from his wife, suggested he was skilled at understanding nonverbal cues for sexual consent and called one of his accusers a liar.

The New York Times reported the revelations Saturday after obtaining a copy of a transcript from a deposition Cosby gave in a lawsuit filed by a former Temple University employee who alleges he drugged and molested her.

According to excerpts from the deposition released a month ago, and first obtained by The Associated Press, Cosby admitted he procured quaaludes with the intent of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with.
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Veteran stands on bridge with American flag for 4 hours to honor Chattanooga victims

Every year, Ben Kinsey waves an American flag on a South Carolina bridge for 11 hours to honor victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On Thursday, the veteran was seen standing alone on the bridge once again, but he was two months early.

This time he was honoring the four U.S. Marines killed by a gunman who attacked two military facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn.

South Carolina resident Noah Smith was driving home from work when he spotted Kinsey on the I-20 overpass and snapped a photo. Afterward, he shared the man's story on Facebook, and it quickly went viral.

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Single Ladies In 50s And 60s Prime Targets For Online Romance Scammers

Single ladies in their fifties and sixties are really in demand on dating websites. Unfortunately, they’re not popular in the way they might prefer. They’re prime targets for scammers, and victims typically lose $40,000 to $100,000. Once they realize what happened, they’re often ashamed to tell their families. That means word about this crime doesn’t get out.

The money goes straight into the pockets of scammers, who generally work in sophisticated rings in developing countries. Armed with stolen photos, they find good prospects through dating sites or Facebook, and type sweet nothings at them in chats and e-mails. (It probably helps to have multiple lovers going at once: lots of copy and paste.

The scheme targets people of both sexes and all ages, but older women can be lucrative and less savvy targets. The lover usually says that he (or she) is from an English-speaking country but working abroad for some important reason, sometimes even military deployment. After establishing the relationship, they begin asking for money: it could be for a work crisis, a medical emergency, or simply to travel to meet the target.

The scammer might also ask for a financial favor that turns out to be an advance fee scheme, or use their address to receive stolen goods.

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Citing threats to witnesses and drug accusations, judge revokes bail for suspect

Key witnesses who identified the dog owner suspected of taping Caitlyn’s mouth shut this spring grew so concerned about threats they were getting that they left South Carolina, a Charleston prosecutor said Friday.

The development in the abuse case that had animal lovers worldwide rooting for the pup’s recovery came during a downtown hearing to revoke a previous bail arrangement for the suspect, 41-year-old William Leonard Dodson of Quitman Street in North Charleston.

Dodson has been behind bars since his June 1 arrest on a felony charge of ill-treating animals. But when he was jailed in Caitlyn’s injuries, Dodson had been free on $110,000 bail on drug and weapons charges stemming from a March arrest.

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Maryland State Police Investigate Child Death

(Pikesville, MD) Members of the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit continue an investigation into the death of a child in Carroll County.

The infant is identified as Davion Harrison, 2 months old, of the unit block of Charles Street in Westminster. Davion was at the hospital when he was pronounced deceased. Davion did not appear to have any outward signs trauma. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.

Yesterday at around 9:30 a.m., members of the Westminster Police Department responded to Carroll County General Hospital for the report of a deceased infant. The infant was transported to the hospital by his mother who reported the child was provided CPR by a neighbor, but was unresponsive. Investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit were called to the hospital at approximately 11:00 a.m. to assist with the investigation.

Maryland State Police continue to conduct interviews as the investigation continues.

Obama pushes to extend gun background checks to Social Security

Seeking tighter controls over firearm purchases, the Obama administration is pushing to ban Social Security beneficiaries from owning guns if they lack the mental capacity to manage their own affairs, a move that could affect millions whose monthly disability payments are handled by others.

The push is intended to bring the Social Security Administration in line with laws regulating who gets reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, which is used to prevent gun sales to felons, drug addicts, immigrants in the country illegally and others.

A potentially large group within Social Security are people who, in the language of federal gun laws, are unable to manage their own affairs due to "marked subnormal intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency, condition, or disease."

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Heads in the Sand

Column: Obama and Kerry play let’s pretend

The past week has provided a sad but worthwhile opportunity to assess the global elite, the heads of state and government, the bankers and journalists and celebrities, as they worked overtime to preserve a veneer of progress and stability. From Athens to Beijing, D.C. to Vienna, the desire has been to avoid tough decisions, to prolong deliberation, to pretend as though dangerous emerging trends do not exist. To take action, to provoke, to choose, to commit, to fight, to admit reality would be far too disruptive, would cost too much, and would endanger the social positions our best and brightest have worked so mightily to attain. Better for them to wait things out.

The Iranian and U.S. governments, write David Sanger and Michael Gordon of the New York Times, see their nuclear deal differently: “Mr. Kerry described an Iranian capability that had been neutralized; the Iranians a capability that had been preserved.” But the difference of opinion is superficial. Both Secretary Kerry and the Iranians are right. If the Iranians hew to the agreement (a big and damning if) then the best case is that the nuclear infrastructure they have spent decades building will be frozen—“neutralized”—for about 10 years. After which they can resume the activities that so concerned everyone worried at the prospect of an Islamic theocracy obtaining nuclear weapons. Because their fundamental nuclear capabilities indeed have been “preserved.”

The Iran deal is a fabulous artifice, an intricately woven shawl that masks its real intent: the avoidance of military confrontation with Iran and the rise of Persian regional hegemony.
Read more here

BREAKING NEWS: UN Security Council endorses Iran nuclear deal

The U.N. Security Council unanimously endorses the landmark nuclear deal established between Iran and six world powers, in a first step toward ending U.N. sanctions on the country's economy.

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Alexander: A Jihadi Hits Our Home Town

Thursday morning, in my daily email from Barack Obama's White House propaganda machine, was a message to all Americans about Ramadan:

"Michelle and I would like to extend our warmest wishes to Muslims in the United States and around the world celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr. As Muslims mark the end of [Ramadan], they are reminded that [it] is a time to reflect spiritually, build communally, and aid those in need. While Eid marks the end of Ramadan, it marks a new beginning for each individual — a reason to celebrate and express gratitude on this holiday. ... The morning of Eid is marked with the call to prayer echoing through cities and towns across the globe. Millions of people head to local mosques for special Eid prayers followed by festive gatherings, gift exchanges, and feasts among friends, neighbors and families. As Muslim Americans celebrate Eid across America, the holiday is a reminder to every American of the importance of respecting those of all faiths and beliefs. ... Michelle and I hope today brings joy to all of your homes. Eid Mubarak! [Happy Blessed Ramadan]"

A few hours after receiving that email, a colleague was joining me for a board meeting in Chattanooga. At a stoplight near our meeting location, he heard what he assumed were fireworks leftover from Fourth of July celebrations.

Moments later, a vehicle sped by him in the median. That vehicle was driven by an Islamic terrorist assailant, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. He had just fired on one military recruiting center and was on his way to a second military post where he would kill four Marines, including two who were decorated combat veterans. He also wounded three others: A female Navy enlistee who remains in critical condition, a police officer and a fifth Marine — the latter two in stable condition.

I passed by the site of the first assault a minute after my friend — before police were responding to the scene. I regret that I was not there a minute earlier to witness Abdulazeez drive by, because I know the sound of gunfire and had a helluva lot more firepower on board my truck than Muhammad had in his convertible sports car. As it was, police would not catch up with the assailant until after his second assault, where they shot Abdulazeez dead.

The deceased and injured Marines and Navy seaman at both facilities were unarmed.

Read more here

Miss. horse trainer dies at police hands, sparking protests

STONEWALL, Miss. -- Hundreds of people gathered Sunday night at a baseball park in a small Mississippi town to remember a black man who died after a physical encounter with a white police officer and to call for action.

The crowd repeatedly shouted "No justice, no peace!" Lawrence Kirskey, president of the Clark County NAACP, suggested they boycott local businesses because of lack of action in the death of 39-year-old Jonathan Sanders.

Sanders died after crossing paths with part-time Stonewall police officer Kevin Herrington, 25, late July 8. Sanders had been riding in a two-wheeled buggy pulled by a horse.

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WICOMICO COUNTY ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A COOLING CENTER

(Salisbury, MD) Extreme heat will be affecting our area this week. According to the National Weather Service, the heat index will exceed 100 degrees today and Tuesday. County Executive Bob Culver, with the support of Health Officer, Lori Brewster and David Shipley Director of Emergency Services, has announced the opening of a cooling center to operate from Monday, July 20th through Tuesday, July 21st. The cooling center will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located at the Wicomico County Civic Center on500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, Maryland 21804. No pets will be permitted. Residents will need to bring their own food, beverages, and medications.

The MAC Senior Center will also be opened for all individuals over the age of 50 who need shelter from the extreme heat. The MAC Senior Center is located at 909 Progress Circle, Suite 200 Salisbury, MD 21804. The center’s hours of operation have been extended until 8:00 p.m. Residents do not need to be affiliated with the MAC Center.

Anyone needing free transportation to the Civic Center or the MAC Senior Center should call Shore Transit at 443-260-2300.

During these extreme heat conditions, health officials are urging residents to be careful, stay cool, and keep hydrated. While temperatures and heat indices rise to record breaking levels, so does the risk for heat related illness.

“One of the most critical things we can do is to ensure our neighbors and relatives are safe is to check in on them at least twice daily,” says Lori Brewster, Health Officer for Wicomico County. “Infants, young children, young athletes, obese persons, those older than 65 years of age, and those persons with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a mental illness are at highest risk for heat related illness. Family, friends, and neighbors who are at high risk will need extra help and residents should consider how to help someone get to an air-conditioned place, if needed.”

For local and updated cooling center information, facts on heat related illness, or additional tips on how to stay cool, residents should call 211, or visit the Wicomico County Health Department's website atwww.wicomicohealth.org or www.facebook.com/wicomicohealth.

Obama Looks To Ban Social Security Recipients From Owning Guns

The Obama administration wants to keep people collecting Social Security benefits from owning guns if it is determined they are unable to manage their own affairs, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The push, which could potentially affect millions whose monthly disability payments are handled by others, is intended to bring the Social Security Administration in line with laws that prevent gun sales to felons, drug addicts, immigrants in the United States illegally, and others, according to the paper.

The language of federal gun laws restricts ownership to people who are unable to manage their own affairs due to "marked subnormal intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency, condition, or disease” – which could potentially affect a large group within Social Security, the LA Times reported.

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Principal: We Spent Over Half Of School Year On Student Testing

GREENACRES, Fla. – Administrators at a Florida middle school report they’re spending more than half the school year on state standardized tests and district exams.

Officials at Okeeheelee Middle School report that students spent a total of 91 days of the district’s 180-day school year testing students on required exams in 2014-15, and allege the move toward computerized tests will only make matters worse, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

“We’re spending so much time testing (students), I can’t even teach them stuff to get tested on,” Okeeheelee principal David Samore told the news site. “It’s wrong.”

The Okeeheelee staff doesn’t track how many days individual students spend on state and district tests. The 91 day count reflects the number of full or half days students spent taking tests in general, but different students take different tests based on a variety of factors, such as the classes they’re taking and their learning ability.

School officials have spent the last three years tracking test taking with a large magnetic board that plots out the days students spend in testing.

“The months of October, January, February, April and May are almost entirely filled, cluttered with little magnetic strips bearing the subject tested,” according to the Sun-Sentinel.

“In middle school you have to test every child,” Jeff Shocket, Okeeheelee’s testing monitor, told the site.

Beyond the obvious impact the steady testing imposes on learning time, there’s been other ramifications.

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Franklin Graham: End All Muslim Immigration to America

The Rev. Franklin Graham on Friday called for the banning of all Muslims from entering the United States following the shootings in Chattanooga that left four Marines and a Navy sailor dead.

Noting that the shooter, 24-year-old Muhammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, immigrated with his family from Kuwait, Graham wrote on his Facebook page: "We are under attack by Muslims at home and abroad. We should stop all immigration of Muslims to the U.S. until this threat with Islam has been settled."

Every Muslim that comes into the United States has the potential to be radicalized, Graham said, adding, "they do their killing to honor their religion and Muhammad."

He pointed out that during World War II, the United States didn't allow Japanese or German immigration.

"Why are we allowing Muslims now?" he asked. "Let your Congressman know that we've got to put a stop to this and close the flood gates. Pray for the men and women who serve this nation in uniform, that God would protect them."

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Hillary Forbids Young Supporters from Talking to Press

The Hillary Clinton campaign forbade young supporters from talking to the press at an event last night in Iowa:

(video)

Said Susan Page of USA Today.. "She went up to the Clinton supporters -- these are protesters for Clinton -- and they were told they were not allowed to [speak to] a reporter."

Page continued, "Now, why in the world would the campaign tell their own supporters who came out to campaign in favor Hillary Clinton ... these are the young people, college kids, for Hillary, and they've been told they can't talk to reporters. Why in the world would you do that?"

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Outspoken Sheriff Calls Obama’s Reaction to Chattanooga Shootings a ‘Shoulder Shrug’ — but That’s Mild Compared to What Comes Next

In the wake of the shootings that claimed the lives of five U.S. servicemen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, last week, outspoken Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr., took to Twitter on Sunday and explained why he believes President Obama’s reaction to the murders was more or less a “shoulder shrug”:

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BREAKING NEWS: Explosion kills 28 in Turkey

An explosion in Turkey's southeastern city of Suruc, near the border with Syria, kills 28 people and injures nearly 100 others, Turkish officials tell AP.

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What Happens To A Dog In A Hot Car

via AskAVetQuestion.com

Caregiver Charged In Fruitland Woman’s Death

FRUITLAND, Md. (AP) — Maryland State Police have arrested a caregiver in connection to the death of a woman she was caring for.

Police say 44-year-old Becky Long has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, assault, manslaughter, reckless endangerment and abuse of a vulnerable adult in connection to the death of 56-year-old Mary Bonniwell.

Police say Long and Bonniwell were living together in Fruitland, and that Long had been Bonniwell’s caretaker for more than a year.

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