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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Caption This Photo 11-29-11

A County Employee Letter To The Editor

Christmas Bonus – This is just plain stupid!! Wow…where do I start. So he wants to give me a $200 Christmas bonus. You mentioned the furlough days and that’s what frustrates me the most.

Instead of giving me a bonus how about just giving me back what I’ve earned as a part of my salary. It’s crazy that he wants to give me a bonus when I feel its money I’ve earned anyway.

They take out around $30 a paycheck for the furlough days. We get paid bi-weekly so that’s 26 paychecks a year. Do the math and they take $780 a year out. So yeah give me a bonus but make it for $780 and we’ll call it even.

I know Rick feels bad about the county employees being furloughed and various layoffs and I think he thinks this is a real treat for us. No thanks, not really!!

If we have the money to give every eligible employee $200 than just lessen our furlough deductions. But that would make too much sense and Rick wouldn’t get any media coverage about that. I don’t want a bonus I just want the money I’ve earned.

Did You Hear Any Bleeps On PAC 14 Last Night?


Since I was at the Council Meeting last night, did PAC 14 use their time delay to cut out all of the curse words being stated in public comments?

Let's see, from the ones I recall there was "Damned," "Bitching", "Slum Lord", "Hell" and perhaps some others as citizens on both sides weren't very happy.

At the end when Councilwoman Cohen asked if there was anyone else who wanted to speak I instantly said, why, there's no more curse words left for me to get involved.

Could ALL Legal Ads For The Past Year Or So Be Illegal In The Daily Times?


Long time resident Mr. Trader brought up on heck of a major point last night.

According to the City Charter, ALL legal ads for the City of Salisbury must come from a local newspaper PRINTED in the County.

We all know the Daily Times is now printed in Wilmington, Delaware. Technically, the man is 100% correct.

Will Greg Bassett be on his knees in the very near future begging for a charter change? Will Laura Mitchell want to demand an instant charter amendment, or will it go to referendum?

This means all budget, charter amendments, public hearings, meetings, real estate transactions, zoning proceedings and the likes are NOT legal and CAN be challenged in court.

So, that being said, the City Council has ONE opportunity to bring JOBS back to Salisbury by forcing the Daily Times to start running their press again and NOT export jobs to Delaware. Remember Folks, the Daily Times is receiving TAX BREAKS on a piece of equipment their not even using. The have gone from more than 200 employees down to around a dozen.

Salisbury News will be putting some serious thought into our business overnight.

THANK YOU DEBBIE CAMPBELL AND TERRY COHEN



While these two Council Members have been taking beatings year after year, once certain Council Members were REMOVED from Office Debbie & Terry were able to push to restructure the re bidding of several bonds, saving YOU the taxpayers more than $270,000.00!

Kind of makes you wonder WHY former Council Members couldn't be bothered, doesn't it.

Just remember this when Mike Dunn decides to throw his hat into the ring and run for Mayor of Salisbury.

Former Council President Mike Dunn Violates His Own Rules Of Order






Yes, the soft spoken, (light in his loafers) former Council President Mike Dunn, a man who used to have people police escorted out of Council Meeting and or gaveled down with such girlish rants for anyone who applauded during one of his Council Meetings was the first to start clapping and standing for the cameras at last nights City Council Meeting.

Mike Dunn clearly had a previous arrangement with PAC 14 in which Mike Dunn NEVER allowed their cameras to scan the crowd, yet last night PAC 14 did exactly that. There was a pre planned show and the only flaming Idiots that were missing was the Mayor and a former Mayor.
Talk about professionalism though. Council President Terry Cohen never even came close to reaching for the gavel, because she's so above the Mike Dunn, Louise Smith and Lynn Cathcart freak show.

This entire group of Idiots actually thought they'd get up in public comments and try to use a scare tactic by stating they had 2,300 voters that did sign their petition and those 2.300 voters will NOT vote for certain council members in the next election.

ROTFLMAO! We had well more than that, signature wise, when Barrie Tilghman raised taxes but when they were VARIFIED we fell short and dropped it with class. Jim Ireton and Laura Mitchell have run so far from allowing their signatures from being verified because it would be an embarrassment. You see Folks, every time one official looked at each page they immediately dismissed those names because MOST of them were students NOT registered in the City, THEY WERE JUST NAMES!

Want to call me a LIAR, verify the signatures! Until then, Mike Dunn, Louise Smith, Lynn Cathcart, Barrie Tilghman, Lora Mitchell, Jim Ireton and the rest of the DIRTY DOZEN are simply FULL OF CRAP!

Come on Anti Albero Bloggers, Daily Times, prove me wrong. I DARE YOU!!!!! MY sources do NOT lie and I do NOT rely on quotes/lies from a Mayor to make up a story, knowing its a lie.

As far as PAC 14 goes, they're scum with an agenda. That's OK though, it was the people above that actually made so many people stop watching their program anyway. These are the kinds of people that go home and make a video of themselves feeling so proud they broke their own rules of order. I guess THAT'S what makes a man, a man. Right Mikey?

What was done last night, (by Mike Dunn and Louise Smith's own standards and rules) was completely disrespectful. I think I just figured out why Jim Ireton and Mike Dunn are so close.

Rick Pollitt, The Gift That Keeps On Giving

SHHHHHH, DON'T SAY ANYTHING!

While the County furloughs employees, cries the blues that there's just no money to pay for services, County Executive Rick Pollitt proposed full time and part time employees over 20 hours a $200.00 Christmas Bonus.

Folks, that's more than $123,000.00 worth of free money being thrown around to some 600 County Employees. Of course your County Council immediately stopped this proposal before it ever saw the light of day.

Mind you, rather than creating another Post I thought I'd tie another thing into this article. SINCE WHEN IS BLACK FRIDAY A HOLIDAY?

You, the taxpayers, paid each and every County Employee to be off on Friday. I don't care what any one says, this is complete BS. Are you telling me people couldn't be productive on Friday? The County already pays each employee to be off on their BIRTHDAY, which is yet another crock of BS. GROW UP! This accounts for a TON of money. Nowhere in my lifetime have I ever seen such crap.

These Democratic leaders are crying the blues as to why this Country/County is so broke. OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES and see the light. The accountability starts at the TOP.

I want to thank the County Council for actually looking into these issues and in some cases stopping such ridiculous practices before they ever see the light of day. My God, times are tough on just about every one and it's about time something get done about it.

Go Blow Your Own Snow

You know times are that difficult when you pay County Taxes and the County Executive says, sorry Folks, we're not doing it any more.

That's right Ladies & Gentlemen, you are about to learn very soon that your main roads might get cleared, like Old Ocean City Road or Mt. Hermon Road but ANYTHING aside from the main thoroughfare route, Delmar, Pittsville, Powellville, Willards, (you name it) you are on your own.

The state Highway User Funds that are usually given to each Town and usually given right back to the County each year for snow removal, well, Salisbury News has learned two things. One, there are only three drivers left that are certified to actually run the equipment. The other side is, there's just no money.

So, what might you see next. I'll tell you flat out, expect your taxes to go up. There's no other way to cover the expense. Some of what your elected officials try shoving down your throat as being a luxury/services are starting to disappear.

So why aren't you hearing about this anywhere else. Well, it's because Salisbury News is the only real news source on the Eastern Shore and quite frankly we'll have several stories posted today that reference Wicomico County and Salisbury you have NOT heard about.

In fact, I'll publish them one at a time and keep them at the top for the rest of the day because it's important you know the TRUTH. Put your seat belts on today because we're about to take you for a scary ride.

IT IS BECOMING CRYSTAL CLEAR NOW

“GE is Doing What?”

Earlier this week.

General Electric is planning to move its 115-year-old X-ray division from Waukesha , Wis. , to Beijing . In addition to moving the headquarters, the company will invest $2 billion in China and train more than 65 engineers and create six research centers. This is the same GE that made $5.1 billion in the United States last year. but paid no taxes-the same company that employs more people overseas than it does in the united States.

So let me get this straight. President Obama appointed GE Chairman Jeff Immelt to head his commission on job creation (job czar). Immelt is supposed to help create jobs. I guess the president forgot to tell him in which country he was supposed to be creating those jobs.

Please pass this information to others and think about it before you buy another GE product.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/ge.asp

Obama Legalizes Horse Slaughter For Human Consumption

Horse slaughter plants are legal again in the United States. Restrictions on horse meat processing for human consumption have been lifted.

In a bipartisan effort, the House of Representatives and the United States Senate approved the Conference Committee report on spending bill H2112, which among other things, funds the United States Department of Agriculture. On November 18th, as the country was celebrating Thanksgiving, President Obama signed a law, allowing Americans to kill and eat horses. Essentially, one turkey was pardoned in the presence of worldwide media while in the shadows, buried under pages of fiscal regulation, millions of horses were sentenced to death.

Horse slaughter has been prohibited in the United States as funding for inspections of horses in transit and at slaughter houses was non-existent. This worked because the horse meat cannot be sold for human consumption without such inspections. The House version of the bill retained the de-funding language and the Senate version did not. The conference committee charged with reconciling the two opted to not include it. The result is that it is now legal to slaughter horses for humans to eat.

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Facebook Settles FTC Charges Over 2009 Privacy Breaches

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Facebook has agreed to 20 years of privacy audits to settle a lengthy complaint from the Federal Trade Commission, which says Facebook misled its members about its use of their private data.
Facebook "deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public," the FTC said in its complaint.

Satellite Image Confirms Iranian Missile Base Was Destroyed

Today's curious news report posted by Iran's semi-official news agency Fars, which was promptly muted, only to be republished by Israel's Haaretz [5], of a major explosion near the Iranian city of Isfahan, has left many scratching their heads. As Haaretz reports: "Speaking with Fars news agency, Isfahan’s deputy mayor confirmed the reports and said the authorities are investigating the matter. However, after the incident was reported in Israel, the report was taken off the Fars website." Which led many to wonder: is this a real event or merely a provocation designed to make Iranians believe they were attacked? Further complicating matters is the just released news from Washington Post [6]which shows satellite images of the aftermath of another explosion in Iran, this time from two weeks ago at an Iranian missile base. "The image of the compound, near the city of Malard, doesn’t provide any clues as to what caused the Nov. 12 explosion [7], which Iranian authorities described as an “accident” involving the transport of ammunition. But it does make clear that the facility has been effectively destroyed. Paul Brannan, a senior analyst for the Institute for Science and International Security [8], which specializes in the study of nuclear weapons programs, said it’s impossible to tell from the image whether the blast was caused by sabotage, as has has been speculated in this explosion and others [9] at transport facilities, oil refineries and military bases in Iran. Brannan said ISIS had recently learned from “knowledgable officials” that the blast had occurred just as Iran had achieved a milestone in the development of a new missile and may have been performing a “volatile procedure involving a missile engine at the site.” So the question stands: is Iran being systematically attacked with the news being covered up for fear that it can not retaliate and thus seem week; is it being sabbotaged on a weekly basis, or is everything just one big media disinformation campaign designed to provoke Iran to lash out? We will probably know very soon, today's "oversold" and now completely disconnected from reality rally notwithstanding.

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Bachmann’s Plan To Deport 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants Would Cost U.S. Economy $2.6 Trillion


Determined to distinguish herself with the most draconian immigration position in the GOP field, today Michele Bachmann elaborated on her plan to deport every single undocumented immigrant in the country:
[P]residential candidate Michele Bachmann called for 11 million illegal immigrants to be deported from the United States in steps. [...]
Asked by radio host Laura Ingraham on Monday about an earlier statement she made differentiating between immigrants who had recently entered the country illegally from those with longstanding ties to the United States, Bachmann said she was never referring to legalization.
“What I’m talking about is the order of deportation, the sequence of deportation,” Bachmann replied. “It is almost impossible to move 11 million illegal immigrants overnight. You do it in steps.” Bachmann said deporting those convicted of crimes would be the first step.

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Senate Set To Vote On Bill That Defines The U.S. AsAa Battlefield

What the hell is happening to America? Paul Joseph Watson of Prison Planet.com writes:

The Senate is set to vote on a bill next week that would define the whole of the United States as a “battlefield” and allow the U.S. Military to arrest American citizens in their own back yard without charge or trial.

“The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself,” writes Chris Anders of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.

Under the ‘worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial’ provision of S.1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which is set to be up for a vote on the Senate floor Monday, the legislation will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who supports the bill.

The bill was drafted in secret by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), before being passed in a closed-door committee meeting without any kind of hearing. The language appears in sections 1031 and 1032 of the NDAA bill.

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Deaf, Disabled Senior Citizen On Bicycle Deemed Threat By Police, Tased To Death For Not Hearing Cop

I stole the Gawker headline because it says what needs saying.

I've never met a country more in need of Daddy's protection than Right Wing Nation, the country that writes the rules for how America is governed. And what better Daddy than the cop on the beat.

Here's what cops get to do:

COUNCILWOMAN SAMPLE-HUGHES SCHEDULES NEXT DISTRICT ONE CITIZEN’S FORUM FOR DECEMBER 8TH

Wicomico County Councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes will hold the next in a series of District One Citizen’s Forum meetings on Thursday, December 8th at 6:30 P.M. at the new Delmar Municipal Building located at 100 S. Pennsylvania Avenue.

Councilwoman Sample-Hughes said that she will be joined by County Executive Rick Pollitt, a representative from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and Newell Quinton who will speak about the Nanticoke Community Alliance/Drug Free Communities program that encompasses the majority of
District One. Additionally, updates regarding the recent and proposed improvements to Connelly Mill Railroad Crossing will be given.

Wicomico County District One includes Delmar, Hebron, San Domingo, Salisbury-West Side and Mardela Springs. Mrs. Sample-Hughes said the over-all theme of the forums is “Creating Community Connections.” She commented that the purpose of the forums is to provide citizens with an opportunity to speak face-to-face with their elected officials. She further noted that this is the continuation of the fulfillment of her campaign promise to hold meetings throughout District One.

Mrs. Sample-Hughes said that, “I encourage as many of my constituents who possibly can to join us for this important meeting.”

Jon Huntsman: Mitt Romney 'Is In The Hip Pocket Of Wall Street'

During a New Hampshire campaign event on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman had some harsh words for fellow contender Mitt Romney.

As CNN reports, Huntsman said of the former Massachusetts governor, "Anyone who is in the hip pocket of Wall Street because of all the donations they are picking up, like Mr. Romney, is in these days not going to be the change agent who is going to fix the too-big-to-fail banking system." Per MSNBC, Huntsman's comments were delivered to an audience of about 80 people.

Subject Arrested For RAPE


DATE & TIME: 11-22-11 / 1200
Case # 11-273
LOCATION: Berlin, Worcester County

CRIME: 2nd Degree Rape, 4th Degree Sex Offense, 2nd Degree Assault

VICTIM: Christine Dipaola, 33 yoa, W/F, Berlin, MD

ACCUSED: Dawaun Robert Harmon, B/M, 2/19/82, 517 Bay Street, Apt C-4, Berlin, MD

CHARGES:2nd Degree Rape, 4th Degree Sex Offense, 2nd Degree Assault

NARRATIVE:
On November 23, 2011, the Berlin Police Department received a call for a
reported rape. Officers responded to Atlantic General Hospital and met with the
victim. It was learned that on November 22, 2011 at approximately 1200 hours,
the victim and the suspect were at the Quail Run I Apartments in Berlin,
Maryland. The victim was familiar with the suspect only by name. During that
time, the suspect raped the victim and also inappropriately touched the victim.
Due to the nature of the crime, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation was
contacted to continue the investigation.

A suspect was identified and positively identified by the victim as the
perpetrator. With the help of the Berlin Police Department the suspect was
located at his residence on 517 Bay Street Berlin, MD. The suspect was taken
into custody without incident and charged with the above crimes. He was taken
before a District Court Commissioner and held on a $100,000 bond at the
Worcester County Detention Center pending trial.

Why Creative Types May Be More Likely To Cheat

Creative people think "outside the box," a gift of psychological flexibility that, it turns out, may also apply to their ethics, according to the latest research from the American Psychological Association. Creative types, in other words, may be more likely to cheat.


The same enterprising mind that allows creative people to consider new possibilities, generate original ideas, and resolve conflicts innovatively may be what also helps them justify their own dishonest behavior, said the authors of the new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.


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Thanksgiving In Prairie Mississippi

40,000 Troops To Exit Afghanistan In '12

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Drawdown plans announced by the U.S. and more than a dozen other nations will shrink the foreign military footprint in Afghanistan by 40,000 troops at the close of next year, leaving Afghan forces increasingly on the frontlines of the decade-long war.


The United States is pulling out the most — 33,000 by the end of 2012. That's one-third of 101,000 American troops who were in Afghanistan in June — the peak of U.S. military presence in the war, according to figures provided by the Pentagon.


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5 Questions To Ask Your Landlord Before You Sign A Lease

You've spent considerable time and effort hunting for the next place you'll live, and think you've finally found the right apartment. Your instinct urges you to plow through the paperwork and get the move started, but before you commit you need some key information.

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Tearjerker Alert: Former Lab Beagles See the Sun for the First Time

Dog videos never fail to conjure up some sort of emotion. And this one really brings the waterworks. The above footage shows male beagles that were rescued from a lab in Spain seeing sunlight and stepping on grass for the first time.

The rescue mission is the largest yet for the group that undertook the cause, Animal Rescue Media Education (ARME). A total of 72 dogs were rescued in the effort, 32 of them having already been adopted in Europe, according to NBC Los Angeles.

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Judge Rakoff Humiliates Schapiro By Nullifying Citi MBS Settlement, Calls It "Neither Fair, Nor Reasonable, Nor In Public Interest"

Once again Judge Jed Rakoff, also known as the only person in the Southern District of New York who calls out the SEC consistently and routinely on their corruption, has ruined the day for both Mary Schapiro and for Vic Pandit, by making the proposed $285 million MBS fraud settlement wrist slap null and void, and setting a trial date for July 16, 2012 in which Citigroup will actually face a jury and defend itself to peers instead of to future Citi employees in the form of SEC porn addicts. It is unclear if the reversal is a bigger slap in the face for Citi or for the SEC, but one thing is certain: both parties are to be massively embarassed as a result of this ruling which essentially says that both entities are culpable - the first of committing a far greater crime than the $285 mm fine deems fit, and the second of being a complicit enabler of precisely this kind of criminal behavior which it then fines with some token amount and things can continue as they were. And just like in the case of SEC vs BofA, Rakoff crucifies the SEC's worthless organizationL: "the Court concludes, regretfully, that the proposed Consent Judgment is neither fair, nor reasonable, nor adequate, nor in the public interest." He continues: "Most fundamentally, this is because it does not provide the Court with a sufficient evidentiary basis to know whether the requested relief is justified under any of these standards. Purely private parties can settle a case without ever agreeing on the facts, for all that is required is that a plaintiff dismiss his complaint. But when a public agency asks a court to become its partner in enforcement by imposing wide-ranging injunctive remedies on a defendant, enforced by the formidable judicial power of contempt, the court, and the public, need some knowledge of what the underlying facts are: for otherwise, the court becomes a mere handmaiden to a settlement privately negotiated on the basis of unknown facts, while the public is deprived of ever knowing the truth in a matter of obvious public importance." It really, really is time for Schapiro to resign after this gross public smackdown by a member of the court who has just chided her for not doing precisely what she is paid millions to do. That said we can only hope that Rakoff does not drop the ball like he did last time around when he was about to sue Ken Lewis yet pulled out in the last minute. Realistically, what happens is SEC will fine Citi with a much greater fine, probably $500MM or so, and Rakoff will end up approving the settlement, because as the status quo slowly implodes, nothing really changes until everything finally crashes.

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WORLD AIDS DAY 2011 

“Getting to Zero”
Observance will be held on Thursday December 1, 2011 6:00p.m.-7:30p.m. At Grace Tabernacle of Deliverance Church on 136 Brooklyn Ave. Laurel, DE. 19956
Join us as we remember those who have lost their fight to the disease.
Sponsored By:
Kent/ Sussex Counseling Services
For more information please contact: Haley Truitt (302)387-5495 or Constance Johnson

Is Bernanke Leaking Inside Information To Goldman Sachs?

Bloomberg reports:

The biggest bond dealers in the U.S. say the Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus, injecting more money into the economy by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries.

Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and his fellow policy makers, who bought $2.3 trillion of Treasury and mortgage-related bonds between 2008 and June, will start another program next quarter, 16 of the 21 primary dealers of U.S. government securities that trade with the central bank said in a Bloomberg News survey last week. The Fed may buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, based on the median of the 10 firms that provided estimates.
Now how the hell could primary dealers, who include Goldman Sachs and other banksters, know this, unless Fed chairman Bernanke and other Fed officials are leaking this information to the favored elite?

I mean, as a Primary Dealer, do you just one day wake up and say to yourself, "Aha, the Fed is going to buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, next quarter." And 16 primary dealers all had this same vision?

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US Home Prices Decline, Highlighting Fragility Of Market

U.S. single-family home prices declined in September, highlighting the fragility of a market that is struggling to get back on its feet, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday.

The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas fell 0.6 percent from August on a seasonally adjusted basis. A Reuters poll of economists had forecast no change.

Prices in August were also revised to show a decline of 0.3 percent after originally being reported as unchanged.

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COMFORTABLY NUMB

As I observe the zombie like reactions of Americans to our catastrophic economic highway to collapse, the continued plundering and pillaging of the national treasury by criminal Wall Street bankers, non-enforcement of existing laws against those who committed the largest crime in history, and reaction to young people across the country getting beaten, bludgeoned, shot with tear gas and pepper sprayed by police, I can’t help but wonder whether there is anyone home. Why are most Americans so passively accepting of these calamitous conditions? How did we become so comfortably numb? I’ve concluded Americans have chosen willful ignorance over thoughtful critical thinking due to their own intellectual laziness and overpowering mind manipulation by the elite through their propaganda emitting media machines. Some people are awaking from their trance, but the vast majority is still slumbering or fuming at erroneous perpetrators.

Both the Tea Party movement and the Occupy Wall Street movement are a reflection of the mood change in the country, which is a result of government overreach, political corruption, dysfunctional economic policies, and a financial system designed to enrich the few while defrauding the many. The common theme is anger, frustration and disillusionment with a system so badly broken it appears unfixable through the existing supposedly democratic methods. The system has been captured by an oligarchy of moneyed interests from the financial industry, mega-corporations, and military industrial complex, protected by their captured puppets in Washington DC and sustained by the propaganda peddling corporate media. The differences in political parties are meaningless as they each advocate big government solutions to all social, economic, foreign relations, and monetary issues.

There is confusion and misunderstanding regarding the culprits in this drama. It was plain to me last week when I read about a small group of concerned citizens in the next town over who decided to support the Occupy movement by holding a nightly peaceful march to protest the criminal syndicate that is Wall Street and a political system designed to protect them. My local paper asked for people’s reaction to this Constitutional exercising of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Here is a sampling of the comments:

“What are those Occupy people thinking?! The whole concept is foreign to me. There are always going to be the haves and the have nots. Get over it. Blame yourself for not paying more attention in school or not working hard enough. Just wish people would take responsibility.”

“If they worked half as hard actually working as they do being a pain in everyone else’s ass, they’d be rich! Being born does not guarantee success or wealth. Only hard work does. Maybe we should let them all occupy a jail cell or two.”

“If the goal is to irritate hardworking suburban commuters on their way home, that sounds like the perfect time and location.”

“Let’s hope they don’t pitch tents and trash Lansdale. They need to look for a job, not occupy the streets.”

“I work, and even if I wasn’t working I wouldn’t (march); I would be out looking for a JOB!”

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California City Allows 'Hangtown Dummy' To Remain On Street

The historical "Hangtown Dummy" has returned to Placerville, Calif., and local authorities are allowing it to remain dangling in the town square as a reminder of the city's past practice of holding public hangings.


The dummy was put up in the 1930s, and remained a fixture outside the Hangman's Tree Bar on Main Street in Placerville -- called Hangtown from 1849 to 1854 -- until a few years ago when the pub closed. The replica returned in time for Halloween this year and the Placerville City Council said it will stay put.






QUOTE OF THE DAY 11-29-11

“I prefer dangerous freedom to peaceful slavery.”


Thomas Jefferson

Cops: Father Killed 3-Year-Old In Washing Machine

French police charged a man with murder this week after he allegedly put his 3-year-old son into a washing machine and turned it on, according to reports.

Neighbors said the man was punishing the boy, named Bastien, for misbehaving at nursery school, Le Parisien(link in French) newspaper reported.

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If You Want The Best Electronics Deals, Wait A Few Days

Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday grab the headlines, those who wait until the first week of December to buy electronics may score the best deals. According to research by a University of Washington computer science professor, gadgets hit their lowest price levels after the deal-hunting crowds have thinned out a bit.

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'We the People' versus 'We the Corporation': Sentiment Builds for Banning Corporate Personhood, But Tough Road Ahead.

Across the country, momentum has been building for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution declaring that the democratic rights and freedoms granted to people do not apply to corporations and corporate entities.

In November alone, local voters in Colorado, Montana, Maine, Wisconsin and California passed various resolutions to ban corporate personhood. Seven bills have been introduced in the current Congress, including four this month—including amendment proposals. Public interest groups have been gathering petition signatures, all with an eye to the two-year anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling, known as Citizens United, which granted significant new political powers to corporations by ending a century-old prohibition on directly spending money from their corporate treasuries for political campaigns.

Possible Armed Robber On The Loose In Salisbury

Keremore Pharmacy was robbed at gunpoint. A white male, blue jeans, black jacket and a black ski mask in being chased on foot by Police behind the Budweiser Beer Plant.

More to come...

UPDATE: SPD is reviewing video and WCSO has their K-9 out searching for suspect.

UPDATE #2: They have two people detained and witnesses coming out to identify suspects.

Homeland Security Cracks Down On Counterfeit Goods

The Justice and Homeland Security Departments are launching a crackdown on counterfeit goods, according to the Associated Press. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it has shut down 150 websites selling fake merchandise. ICE Director John Morton warns, some counterfeit property poses health and safety risks. Attorney General Eric Holder will announce a campaign later today to warn the public to avoid counterfeit goods. Imitations range from sports jerseys to computer parts.

Cain 'Reassessing' Campaign After Affair Allegation

(CNN) -- Embattled Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain told his staff Tuesday he is "reassessing" the viability of his campaign in the wake of a new allegations he engaged in a lengthy extramarital affair, CNN has learned.
One top campaign source told CNN he expects a decision "within a few days," based on whether Cain's fund-raising dries up.
Another source familiar with internal campaign deliberations told CNN the question now is "money and support." The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the already small campaign operation would likely have to lay off some staffers.

The Fight Over Who Will Hold Terrorists

A new policy would require all suspected terrorists to be held in military custody, the Associated Press reported. But the FBI says that's too restrictive. FBI Director Robert Mueller raised his concerns in a letter to lawmakers. Mueller says the requirement would have a negative impact on open terrorism investigations and discourage detainees from cooperating with the United States. Republican lawmakers disagreed saying the bill was bipartisan and built to create clear lines of authority when it comes to handling suspected terrorists. The policy is tied to a massive Defense bill currently being crafted in Congress.

American Airlines Files For Bankruptcy Protection

American Airlines' parent company AMR Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the company said Tuesday, in an attempt to get costs and debt under control.

"American expects to continue normal business operations throughout the reorganization process, and the business will continue to be operated by the company's management," AMR said in a statement.

The nation's third-largest airline said it would be operating normal flight schedules and honoring tickets, as usual, during the process. It added its frequent flyer program is not affected.

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6 Tips For Avoiding Early Retirement Seminar Scams

The idea of retiring early — putting the workday behind you and living a life of leisure before you're too old to enjoy it — is incredibly tempting and there is no shortage of not-so-nice people out there willing to stoke that pipe dream at seminars where smooth-talking speakers make it all seem so attainable. Alas, it's not so simple and a lot of these seminars will do nothing but leave you with less money than you had beforehand.

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BREAKING NEWS: Dr. Conrad Murray Gets 4 Years Behind Bars for Michael Jackson's Death

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, sentenced to four years behind bars after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the King of Pop.

Source Fox News

Becoming Santa: More Than a Red Suit and 'Ho, Ho, Ho!'

At 5-feet 10-inches and 280 pounds with snowy white whiskers, Jack Sanderson is the embodiment of the classic Coca-Cola Santa Claus.

He reluctantly took on the role after his father died one Christmas, and he couldn't bear the thought of facing another holiday without him.

The real estate agent and actor from Los Angeles enrolled at the Victor Nevada Santa School. He spent $600 on a red suit, learned how to die his real beard white and to artfully avoid promising what Santa cannot deliver.

Safeway Security Guard Bans 4-Year-Old From Store For Eating Dried Apricots

Three decades later, I still have a very vivid memory of the day I learned about shoplifting. My mom was in the checkout line at Acme and I was eye-level with the candy rack and oh man did that Rolo look tasty. So I took it, because that's what I thought you did. I was wrong and was told so by my horrified mother when I offered her some chocolate a few minutes later. She took me back in, paid for the Rolo and explained to me about shoplifting. I'm just lucky I didn't pilfer that treat from the Safeway in Everett, Washington.

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American Adults Are Fatter Than In 1990 And Happy About It

The bad news is Americans are fatter today than they were in 1990, says a new Gallup poll. But the good news is that the average U.S. citizen isn't bumming about it, and instead, we're pretty content with the extra poundage.

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Woman With Terminal Cancer Can't Get Airline Ticket Refund

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- A woman claims a dream family trip is being cancelled because of her terminal cancer, and the airline is refusing to refund the money for her ticket.

The McKain family would have been taking off from BWI Airport leaving to Belize in January. But now they aren't going anywhere and they're out of $4200.

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Fill In The Blank 11-29-11


The BEST gift I ever received on Christmas was ______.

2 men charged with assault after crashing party

MILTON, Del. (AP) -- Milton police say two men are accused of crashing a party and then assaulting three women.

Police said on Monday that charges against 19-year-old Brandon Satchell, of Georgetown, Del., and 19-year-old Brandon Hopkins, of Millsboro, Del., include second-degree assault terroristic
threatening and strangulation. Police say the party was held Nov. 11 and the two men became disorderly.

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Coyote???



Anyone have any information about an unconfirmed coyote killed last night in Pittsville???






NJ officials want answers about Delaware refinery

SALEM, N.J. (AP) -- Officials in southern New Jersey want to know why they weren't alerted when an oil refinery in Delaware released chemicals into the air.

A power failure on Sunday night caused the Delaware City Refinery to burn off 1,000 pounds of carbon monoxide, 10 pounds of toxic hydrogen cyanide, 100 pounds of hydrogen sulfide and 500
pounds of sulfur dioxide.

Residents across the Delaware River in Salem County could see flames from the plant's incinerator towers and feel rumblings during the flaring process.

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My Ride Into Work This Morning 11-29-11

If you were up early enough this morning you also experienced a very heavy downpour. This was east bound Rt. 50 at the Bypass split to business Rt. 50.

Vermont Man Kills Himself After Fatally Shooting Friend In Deer Hunting Accident

A Vermont man took his own life Saturday after accidentally killing his friend in a deer hunting accident, police said.

Authorities said they believe 49-year-old Timothy Bolognani, of Readsboro, Vt., killed himself with a hunting rifle after accidentally shooting his friend, 39-year-old Benjamin Birch, while the two were hunting for deer Saturday morning, the Bennington Banner reported.

The two men were reportedly hunting in woods about a mile west of Howe Pond Road in Readsboro with another friend, identified as Mark Colford.

Police said that when they responded to the scene, they found Bolognani and Birch dead from gunshot wounds, according to the newspaper.

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Stop The Holidays From Putting Stress On Your Relationship

It's the most wonderful time of the year--unless you just got dumped, that is. Unfortunately with the approaching holidays so comes the end of many relationships. So why are the holidays so fraught with break-ups? And what can a newly single gal do to keep her holiday cheer?

We asked Tina B. Tessina, PhD, (aka "Dr. Romance") psychotherapist and author of The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again why so many relationships seem to fizzle out each December.

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Senate Democrats Push Obama Payroll Tax Cut

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democrats are pressing ahead on President Barack Obama's plan to cut in half every worker's payroll taxes next year — paid for by a 3.25 percent tax surcharge on the very wealthy.

The $248 billion plan would trim Social Security payroll taxes from 6.2 percent to 3.1 percent in hopes of propping up the still-weak economy. It also would cut in half the 6.2 percent tax paid by employers on the first $5 million of their payroll.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says Democrats will hold a test vote on the plan later this week.

A 2 percent payroll tax holiday enacted a year ago expires on Dec. 31 and it tops the agenda in the waning days of this congressional term.

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Prosecution Explains Jury Tampering Charge

Julian P. Heicklen, a 79-year-old retired chemistry professor, has often stood on a plaza outside the United States Courthouse in Manhattan, holding a “Jury Info” sign and handing out brochures that advocate jury nullification, the controversial view that if jurors disagree with a law, they may ignore their oaths to follow it and may acquit a defendant who violated it.

Today's Survey Question 11-29-11

Be honest, do you re-gift?

Letter To The Editor (Dunes Manor Hotel Follow-Up)

Hey Joe,

I am writing to say thank you for posting the factual details of my inhumane treatment & horrific experience at the Dunes Manor Hotel.

I'm not sure if you are aware of the recent news of the hotel worker named Joey DeFrancesco. He too worked in an abusive & brutal environment, just as I did, at a Marriott hotel in Rhode Island. He is in a band and he decided to quit with their assistance and videotaped his resignation. He posted the video on YouTube last month that went viral and is nearing 3 Million views. The link to it is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A4UGtM4hDQ

Anyways, since Joey's video was so popular he created a website this month in support of abused hotel workers with hopes of opening the public's eyes and making them aware of the illegal & uncivil treatment that hotel workers across the U.S. must tolerate. He appreciated & admired my story and contacted me to request my permission to post it on his new website. Below is the link if you are interested in reading it:

http://joeyquits.tumblr.com/post/12451855408/dunes-manor-hotel-ocean-city-maryland
Thanks again,
Andy Berges

Ringling Circus Paying Big Fine Over Animal Case

The parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus said Monday that it had agreed to settle U.S. government claims that its handlers had mistreated animals.

Feld Entertainment, which for years has been criticized by animal activists for its treatment of elephants, is not admitting any wrong doing but will pay a $270,000 civil penalty, the largest ever slapped against an exhibitor under the federal Animal Welfare Act.

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Maryland Sales Tax

Joe,

A couple of days ago you had an interesting article on why people shop online to save sales tax.

Today and yesterday I went to Best Buy to purchase a gift for Christmas.I waited a total of 1 hr and 15 minutes and have yet to be waited on or asked if I needed help. Today they were not busy except 2 of the sales people were looking inside another sales assoc mouth to see some dental work she had had done. I told the young girl at the desk on my way out, or simply asked what I had to do to get waited on. Her generic answer was,they are all busy with customers. There were exactly me and another customer, who actually walked out before me.

This is why I will shop online-I don't give a damn about paying the sales tax. When I want the item, I want it.

P. Hurley Vienna Md.

'People's Court' Missing Mom Michelle Parker: Ex-Fiance Named Primary Suspect

The ex-fiance of missing Florida mom Michelle Parker has been named the primary suspect in her disappearance, Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney said in a news conference on Monday.

Parker's mother, Yvonne Stewart, pleaded with Parker's ex-fiance Dale Smith during the news conference.

Breakfast With Santa



Energy In America: No Bridge To Oil

North of the Arctic Circle, the tiny village of Nuiqsut, Alaska, has become the latest flash point in the struggle between oil drilling and environmentalism.


The town, with a population of 400, nearly all Eskimos, sits on the edge of the Colville River and the National Petroleum Reserve, or NPR. How isolated is it? It takes four flights and eight hours to get there from Seattle.

Conoco Phillips wants to build a road bridge and pipeline over the river to connect to the nearby Alpine development, which sits just outside the NPR. But the Army Corps of Engineers rejected the plan telling, the oil company it had to go under the river.


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Think LOCAL This Holiday Season

GO HERE to see more.

Hall's Tidewater Travel

Salisbury In Top 5 Of Most Dangerous Cities To Live

According to a new report, Salisbury, a small city in Maryland's Eastern Shore, is one of the top five of most dangerous places to live in the country.

In cities with populations of more than 25,000 people, the website Neighborhood Scout places Salisbury fourth as most dangerous place to live in the country. Salisbury comes in behind Saginaw, Mich., Chester, Pa. and Las Vegas Nev.

According to the annual report, the chances of being the victim of a violent crime in Salisbury are 1 in 42, drastically higher than the state's average, which is 1 in 159.

In recent years, Salisbury has been battling a large uptick in gang-related violence, crime, and prostitution, but city officials say that crime has actually gone down slightly in the last year, and point to the city's 2010 award as an All-American City -- an honor awarded by the National Civic League.

Still, some folks in this little community of just 28,000 people are shocked and outraged by the report that says Salisbury is only safer than just 2 percent of cities in America.

Source

The Science of Stage Fright: How Stress Causes 'Brain Freeze'

When presidential candidate Rick Perry froze during a recent GOP debate — unable to remember the name of a government agency he wanted to eliminate — his brain was clearly under stress. Now new research helps explain why at moments of peak pressure, virtually all of us are vulnerable to similar failures, finding it harder to recall key words at the right time and almost impossible to focus on the task at hand.

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Incident: First Degree Assault
Date of Incident: 22 November 2011
Location: Westover Drive Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Tyler Alexander Butler, 17, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 22 November 2011
at 7:15 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting. The ensuing investigation revealed that a four year old child and a twelve year old child had been shot with a BB gun. Both children had minor injuries and were treated and released. The suspect, Tyler Butler, was identified by witnesses and was arrested.

Butler was charged as an adult with the below offenses.

Butler was transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner detained Butler in the Detention Center in lieu of $25,000.00 bond.

Charges: First Degree Assault (2 counts)
Second Degree Assault (2 counts)
Reckless Endangerment (2 counts)

Incident: Malicious Destruction of Property
Date of Incident: 23 November 2011
Location: Indian Lane Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Paul Justin Whitney, 21, Salisbury, MD

Narrative: On 23 November 2011
at about 3:34 AM a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a destruction of property. The Fruitland Police had arrested the suspect, Paul Whitney, for DUI. Whitney had driven through several yards causing damage. Whitney was placed under arrest.

The deputy transported Whitney to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Whitney on his own recognizance.

Charges: Malicious Destruction of Property

Incident: Possession of CDS
Date of Incident: 22 November 2011
Location: Beaglin Park Drive Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jason Matthew Boyer, 28, Delmar, MD

Narrative: On 22 November 2011
at 9:26 PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for speeding. The vehicle was operated by Jason Matthew Boyer. Boyer was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant, and was placed under arrest. During the ensuing investigation, the deputy located a baggie of suspected marijuana, two baggies of suspected cocaine, and several pills on
Boyer’s person, and in his vehicle.

The deputy transported Boyer to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, the Commissioner placed a bond of $10,000 on Boyer.

Charges: Failure to Appear for court
Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Cocaine
Possession of Lorazepam