Saturday, June 20, 2009

Toothpick City Took 34 Years to Build

A California man has spent the last 34 years building a model of San Francisco out of toothpicks.
Scott Weaver, 49, has used a million tiny sticks to construct the city and its many landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf. "Rolling Through the Bay" also features entry points where ping-pong balls can be inserted to run along tracks. The sculpture is 9 feet tall and 7 feet wide, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.



Embedded video from CNN Video


"I always had a dream that I would build the world's largest toothpick sculpture," Weaver told the paper.
Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum offered him $40,000 for the sculpture, but he turned down the offer. Weaver said it belongs in the city that inspired it.
Weaver told KGO-TV the hobby began in the 4th grade, when his teacher asked students to build a sculpture.

WTH: For Today


Barrel ‘monster’ gets N.C. student arrested

RALEIGH, N.C. - When Joseph Carnevale chopped up three stolen orange and white traffic barrels from a construction site to create a massive sculpture of a roadside monster thumbing a ride, the North Carolina college student said he saw it as a form of street art.

Raleigh, N.C., police just saw vandalism.

They dismantled the 10-foot "barrel monster" and arrested Carnevale. Hundreds of online supporters want the charges dropped and the publicity has turned the history major and part-time construction worker into a local celebrity.

Even the construction company has become a fan, and wants the 21-year-old to create a replica of the figure that led to his arrest on June 10.

"It's surprising how many people have called attention to it," Carnevale said.

'It was something I had to do'
The college junior hadn't spent much time planning when he set out the night of May 31 and snatched the barrels from the site near the North Carolina State University campus where he studies.

"I had the idea in class that morning, and it kind of grew in my head, until it was something I had to do," he said. He went back to his Raleigh apartment and in an hour and a half returned to the site to assemble the freshly painted pieces before driving away.

What emerged was a hulking figure that seemed to extend a thumb, seeking a ride from passing cars. The next morning Raleigh Police dismantled the creation and took the pieces in for evidence while they searched for the perpetrator.

Although photos quickly spread on the Internet featuring the "barrel monster," it was an N.C. State newspaper article that offered enough clues to lead police to a Web site that identified Carnevale. Police charged him with larceny and destruction of property, both misdemeanors, and he's scheduled to appear in court next month.

Carnevale, an Indianapolis native, prides himself on his street art, but said he's most interested in guerrilla photography — making art and snapping images from restricted locations.

"If you can break the rules, and no one knows they were broken in the first place, then there's no point," he said.

His apartment walls serve as a canvas, covered in various hues of paint, with images on the walls and doors of sharks, hollow skulls and even Gandhi. His 1997 Volkswagen Jetta is almost completely covered in hot-glued beer bottle caps.

Carnevale has made other street art pieces with stolen barrels, including an alligator and caricatures with small arms.

'It's been positive publicity for us'
Hamlin Associates, the construction company whose barrels were turned into a monster, doesn't want to press charges.

"We've had a fair amount of vandalism, but never anyone turn it into art," Company President Steven Hussey said. "I actually thought it was pretty neat."

Hussey said the value of the publicity his company has received is well above the $365 cost of the traffic barrels that Carnevale used.

"It's been positive publicity for us," he said. "If we'd known he'd do that good of a work, we'd have given him the barrels."

Carnevale said he's weighing Hussey's offer to reconstruct the monster for the company's offices in Climax, N.C., possibly for pay. Meanwhile, at least three Facebook support groups have formed to support Carnevale, including "Don't Charge Joseph Carnevale," boasting more than 800 members.

Raleigh police spokeswoman Laura Hourigan said the charges won't be dropped, despite the company's stance.

The Doctors Contract; The Rest Of The Story (Update)

Ok, now that I have composed myself from the phone call I received from the Doctors wife about the contract I can write and explain why I wont sign that contract and why I and my family will not be going back to Dr Whittakers office.

This is probably going to be a long post but I urge you to read it in it’s entirety as this could be important to you and/or your family.

As I stated in a previous post I am on some strong pain meds do to severe nerve damage, I went to a pain management specialist that I didn’t like and I asked Dr Whittaker if his office would consider taking on the task of managing my pain in which they gladly agreed.

Pain management is a simple task for a Dr as they just prescribe you pain meds and change them until they find the right combination of medicine that keeps you the most comfortable.

So, a couple of months ago I signed a contract with Dr Whittakers office that I would agree to only using one pharmacy and only use one doctor to prescribe pain medication. I understand why they need to do this and I had no problem with that contract.

Doctor Whittakers office is a little screwed up when it comes to getting a refill on your meds because it can take up to 72 hours through their automated system in which you must use to gain a refill on any prescription he writes. Still I had no problem with that and timed it so I had my scrips.

This Tuesday I had an appointment to see the Dr again for a check-up and follow-up on the pain and other problems, again my pain meds need an adjustment so Jen his PA which is a wonderful caring person that will go out of her way to help you made some minor changes for me to try for a month, this is normal procedure.

Here’s where the problem started, a associate came in the room with a new contract for me to sign. This new contract had added from the previous contract that the Doctor at will and at anytime can call you in for a blood or urine test at random.

This was explained to me that the Dr had to resort to this to make sure his patients were actually taking the medication or not doing other drugs along with the medication.
Well this didn’t settle with me very well and I refused to sign that new contract. It’s a violation of our rights and it’s definitely unconstitutional.

Later that day the Doctors office called and I explained again why I would not sign the contract in the way it is worded now, I told her that if the Dr would like to get together with me maybe we could come to some compromise on how this contract is worded as not to offend. The young lady politely agreed with me and said she would have someone else call later.

The next day the Doctors wife called and started right off with “what is your problem?” she was very, very nasty and said I needed to stop calling their office to “bitch” about the way they do business, I kept my cool and told her to hold on a minuet, I have NOT called their office it was their office that kept calling me trying to get me to sign their contract.
She then went right into (with broken English) “well then you need to keep your wife out of your business” this is when our discussion turned sour, my wife as has never been in my business other than calling in the past for refills.

The Doctors wife, I think her name was Sue, just kept rambling on things that made no sense at all, throwing out several curse words and accusing me of doing things I shouldn’t be doing if I was “afraid” to sign their contract.

She then said I had an appointment coming up on the 30th of the month and if I came in the office and even mentioned “pain” I would be escorted out of their office. Then she asked if I wanted to keep the appointment because she didn’t need my business.

I told her that the way she just handled this situation I wanted to cancel that appointment and would promptly look for another Doctor, in which she replied “good we don’t want your kind here” and she went on to say if I did choose another Doctor she would be sure to charge me for any records that they had to forward to the new doctor.

There are many things I have left out of our conversation as to not totally embarrass the Doctor and his wife as he may not even know about her conversation with me.

I will urge everyone NOT to sign that contract, no doctor has the right to submit you to a random drug test to treat you, all Dr’s take an oath to keep you from pain. This is clearly a violation of the oath and a violation of your rights.

You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update:
My son just went to the post office and brought home a letter from Dr Whittaker.
it says.

Effective July 18, 2009 we are unable to continue to serve you as a patient of this practice due to patient/doctor conflict of interest which we can not seem to resolve.
we will gladly see you for acute visits only up to July 18, 2009.

LOL DUH! I already fired you Doc.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Super Walmart in Onley

Boy this will put a dent in Pocomokes Wal*Mart.
I'm glad to finally see it happen, if you look around in pocomoke Wal*Mart parking lot there are as many if not more Virginia cars as it is Maryland.

This will greatly benefit those that drive 35-40 miles and more to shop at the Pocomoke store.
It's long overdue for the Virginia locals.


The bid process for construction of a Super Walmart in Onley is underway.Larry Forbes, director of economic development in Accomack, said Wednesday that work could begin at the site along Lankford Highway in a month.The company invited four contractors, the ones that usually build the mega-stores, to bid on the project this week. Forbes said Walmart gives the businesses two weeks to present their proposals, generally awards the contract in the third week and construction begins in the fourth.Forbes distributes flash drives with the names of more than 400 local companies whenever a company shows an interest in the county. Those businesses will likely compete for subcontracting jobs at the site, he said.There was a delay in the schedule earlier this year when the discount chain enlarged the grocery section of the store.

WTH: For Today

Los Angeles marijuana store robbed of pot, cash

Robbers in ski masks got away with pot and cash in a stickup at a Los Angeles medical marijuana store.

Police spokesman Richard French says three gunmen held up the Gourmet Green Room dispensary shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday.

The robbers took about $15,000 in cash and an undisclosed amount of marijuana and fled in a silver Cadillac driven by a fourth man.

Authorities say customers were in the store at the time but nobody was hurt.
Investigators are trying to determine if the crime is linked to a similar holdup at a medical marijuana facility in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

"the Gourmet Green Room" Now That's Funny!!

Sharpton seeks help in Ariz. sheriff's abuse probe

Al Sharpton is a sick individual.
This Arizona Sheriff, 'Joe Arpaio' is a hero, if we had more law enforcement officials like Sheriff Joe are country would be in much better shape.
California could maybe build schools fast enough if they had a Sheriff Joe.

Emergency rooms wouldn't be packed full across the nation if we had more Sheriff Joe's.

We wouldn't be paying astronomical medical bills to make-up for the non payments of illegal aliens if we had more Sheriff Joe's

Our uninsured motorist insurance would be reasonable or non-existent if we had more Sheriff Joe's

The list is endless of the money we spend on illegal aliens not to mention the crime rate.

We need more Sheriff Joe's Mr Sharpton and wouldn't you say if there is any "profiling" going on it's Al Sharpton doing it?

Thank You Sheriff Joe, Keep Up The Great Work


PHOENIX -The Rev. Al Sharpton called Friday for opponents of an Arizona sheriff who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration to videotape alleged racial profiling by the sheriff's office.

The civil rights leader said the videos will help the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation of alleged civil rights abuses by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office. Sharpton was scheduled to meet with Arpaio later Friday.

"We're gonna start some freedom rides around this county, to show how people of a certain skin color are treated different than other people," Sharpton told a crowd of several hundred people at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix.

The meeting Friday joins two figures known for outsized egos and media antics, but Sharpton said the meeting had a serious message. In April, Sharpton called for Arpaio to resign or be removed from office.

"I will not fly all the way across country to engage in the personality of Sheriff Joe," Sharpton said. "But I will fly anywhere to protect the rights of Citizen Jose and Citizen Jamal."

Critics said sheriff's deputies have racially profiled people during immigration and crime sweeps in some Latino areas in metropolitan Phoenix.

Arpaio had said people pulled over in the sweeps were approached because deputies had probable cause to believe they had committed crimes.

The sheriff has taken a hard line against illegal immigration and strongly enforces Arizona's employer-sanctions law, which punishes businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. He worked with Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to use the state's human-smuggling law to charge illegal immigrants for conspiring to smuggle themselves into the state.

The sheriff has publicly clashed with other local law enforcement who said Arpaio was damaging a delicate relationship between the police and the Hispanic community.




First Car Made In Detroit by Government Motors

Thursday, June 18, 2009

NASA Max Launch Abort System

The Max Launch Abort System launch which had been scheduled for June 20 from Wallops Flight Facility, has been moved to Monday, June 22. The launch window opens at 5:45 a.m.

The unpiloted test is part of an effort to design a system for safely propelling future spacecraft and crews away from hazards on the launch pad or during the climb to orbit. This system was developed as an alternative to the launch abort system chosen for NASA’s Orion crew capsule. Orion, part of a new spacecraft system being developed by NASA’s Constellation Program, is undergoing design reviews in preparation for flying humans to the International Space Station in 2015 and, later, to the moon.

The Max Launch Abort System is being tested to provide experience in flight testing a spacecraft to NASA’s Engineering and Safety Center, which leads the project from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton. The 33-foot-high launch vehicle will travel to an altitude of approximately one mile to simulate an emergency on the launch pad. A full-scale mockup of the crew module will separate from the launch vehicle and parachute into the Atlantic Ocean.

Would You Call This Obaminoes?




Students at a Westfield, Mass., school have completed a two-month project to build a mural
of President Barack Obama from 24,000 dominoes.

The Franklin Avenue Elementary School students, working in tandem with Westfield State College mathematicians, said the "Obaminoes" mural was created to honor the nation's 44th president -- and to learn a bit about linear programming math, WWLP-TV, Springfield, Ma., reported Wednesday.

"We were the only elementary school to do this and to have a piece of artwork of our 44th president, the only African American president. It means a lot," said Marissa Costa, fifth-grader and one of the hundreds of students who contributed to "Obaminoes."

Mayor Breaks Up Fight, Calls Kid 'Fatso'

No, it wasn't here in Pocomoke.

Online video shows an Ohio mayor who was biking through a city park step into a fight to break it up, yelling at the teens and calling one a "fatso."
A video posted on YouTube shows 70-year-old Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner wading into the midst of about 20 young people.




He is heard yelling, "Come here, fatso" and "Tubby, get your butt out of here."
The mayor's spokeswoman says Finkbeiner was alone in late May, saw the highly charged situation and took action to stop it.
It's not the first time Finkbeiner has stepped in to keep the peace.
He once chased down a motorist who had driven through a red light and gave the driver a citizen's complaint.

WTH: For Today


Man Ticketed 170 Times for 'Nothing'


Tom Feddor racked up 170 parking ticket notices in the last two years -- but his car was not even present at the scenes of the alleged infractions.

Feddor is not a rogue city driver. He's the holder of a unique license plate number that became the target of a Chicago Department of Revenue glitch, the Chicago Tribune reported.

It turns out parking attendants had been using the number 0 as a test case for new electronic ticketing devices. They had no idea that 0 was an actual assigned plate number nor that it belonged to Feddor and that he was receiving the phony tickets.

Low license plate numbers are typically reserved for state VIPs, but Feddor's 0 plate is a family heirloom. The plate number has been in the Feddor family for almost 40 years, originally assigned to Feddor's grandfather in 1971 for special service to then-Illinois Secretary of State John Lewis.

When the deluge of parking tickets began, Feddor assumed an Illinois higher-up had launched a campaign to get his plate number. But when judges advised him to change his plates as the mistaken tickets began piling up, Feddor was not interested. According to the Tribune, the 39-year-old realtor enjoys having a lower plate number than the governor.

The city is taking measures to ensure registered plate numbers are no longer used for test cases. Feddor will receive refunds on any mistaken tickets he has already paid.

Accused Principal Arrested Again on New Child Sex Charges

What the sam-hill is wrong with people today?
A principal that was recently discovered to have sexually assaulted a 14 year old student has now been found to have sexually assaulted another, this one a 13 year old student.

Personally I don't know how the parents restrain themselves against these disgusting deviants that shouldn't be classified as human. If I were the parent of one of these children I really don't know what i would do had my child been molested by such a vile waste of air. What even makes it worse as if it could be worse is that these children entrusted and had to interact with this person on a daily basis.



CENTREVILLE, Md. - Maryland State Police say a school principal charged with having sexual relations with a 14-year-old turned himself in on Thursday after learning of new charges involving having sexual relations with a 13-year-old.

According to investigators, Lowell S. Litten, Jr., 39, of Sudlersville, Md. turned himself to police at the Centreville Barrack around 1 p.m. on Thursday.

He is currently being held at the Queen Anne's County Detention Center. Litten now faces up to 45 years imprisonment for the offenses arising from Queen Anne's County. In Queen Anne's County, Litten is now charged with second-degree attempted sex offense, second-degree sex offense and sex abuse of a minor in connection with a 13-year-old female. If convicted, Litten now faces up to 45 years imprisonment for the second offense.

MSP say they started the investigation on Monday evening, when police at the Centreville Barrack received a complaint of possible inappropriate sexual relations involving a 14-year-old in Kent County.

According to detectives, information received revealed an ongoing and inappropriate sexual relationship between Litten and the juvenile victim. Police also say they learned that Litten is employed as the principal of Eastern Shore Junior Academy in Sudlersville. Previously, he was employed at the John Nevins Andrews School in Takoma Park, authorities say.

State Police and the Kent County State's Attorney investigated the case and executed an arrest warrant the same day. Litten was then charged on three counts of illegal sexual conduct. He was held at the Kent County Detention Center and then later released on a $25,000 bond that evening.

According to authorities, on Tuesday, an additional juvenile victim, from Queen Anne's County, came forth. Police say one of her relatives contacted state police to report the crime.

WBOC

Berlin Man Chosen to Fly U.S. Air Force Drones

What an honor it must be for young man Greg Groves, 21, of Berlin, it is an honor for our for out little piece of the Contry. Greg has been chosen from what TDT says was just a handful of young pilots from across the nation to fly a growing fleet of unmanned aircraft for the U.S. Air Force.

Groves started his training in Colorado this week.

His father, Joe, said Greg will be flying the planes by remote control, often a half-a-world away in Nevada.

"He'll be flying that plane and not necessarily be in it," he said. "From a parent's perspective, he's a lot safer sitting somewhere else than actually sitting in that plane."

Greg will be flying planes like the Air Force's Predator and Reaper drones, which fly daily missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each costs millions of dollars and are often armed with missiles and bombs.

Pilot Brian Seeba, who flies small planes locally, but has never flown an unmanned aircraft, said he believes young pilots might be better-suited to flying the planes.

"I think the younger people will have the advantage there with video games. With the exposure they've had to video games and the aptitude there," he said.

Joe Groves said CNN will be featuring a special documentary on the future of unmanned aircraft in August of which his son was interviewed.


Although the first paragraph is a bit confusing to me that Greg has been chosen to "fly" an "unmaned" craft maybe someone can explain that to me.

OAK HALL -- At large: Suspect wanted in kidnapping, robbery

Two suspects have been arrested and a third remains at large in the June 9 kidnapping and armed robbery of an acquaintance.

Martese J. Creekmore, 18, of New Church and Demetrick D. Downing, 22, of Temper-anceville, were arrested June 11 on charges of robbery, abduction and grand larceny of a vehicle. Both remain incarcerated in Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

The third suspect, Richard Lebryant "Spiderman" Copes, 29, of Withams, remained at large at press time. Copes is described as a black male, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds.

Felony arrest warrants have been obtained by the Sheriff's Office charging Copes with robbery, abduction, grand larceny of a vehicle and two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Copes also has been entered into the Virginia Criminal Information Network and the National Crime Information Center as a wanted person.

Accomack County Sheriff Larry Giddens reported his office received a report about 1:30 last Tuesday afternoon that a man had been abducted and robbed at gunpoint in Oak Hall.

Further investigation revealed that the three suspects were acquainted with the victim, who was not injured in the incident. The suspects took an undisclosed sum of cash and the victim's vehicle outside an Oak Hall bank, where the victim escaped from his captors.

The vehicle later was found abandoned nearby.

Anyone with information concerning Copes' whereabouts is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666.

Source: The Daily Times

POCOMOKE CITY Two awarded ROTC bronze medals


The General Levin Winder Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently awarded ROTC bronze medals to graduating students in Junior ROTC programs at Worcester County high schools.

The DAR has awarded ROTC medals since 1967 because the ROTC is an important source of trained officers for our armed forces.

Recipients must have demonstrated loyalty and patriotism, and earned a record of military and scholastic achievement during their participation in an ROTC program.


Local recipients were senior Bryanna Hall, Pocomoke High School and William Bowen, Snow Hill High School. The General Levin Winder Chapter also presented each medal recipient with a $50 United States Savings Bond.

Does Your Company Provide You a Work cell Phone?

If they do be prepared to pay tax on your company provided phone.


The Internal Revenue Service proposed employers assign 25 percent of an employee's annual phone expenses as a taxable benefit. Under that scenario, a worker in the 28 percent tax bracket, whose wireless device costs the company $1,500 a year, could see $105 in additional federal income tax.

The IRS, in a notice issued this week, said employees could avoid tax liability if they showed proof they used personal cell phones for nonbusiness calls during work hours. The agency also could decide on a set number of phone minutes as "minimal personal use" that would be untaxed.

In a third option proposed by the IRS, employers could use a statistical sampling to determine what portion of workers' cell phone use is personal and how much is work-related. Workers would be taxed on the difference.

The IRS move, which is spurring efforts by the wireless industry and others to kill the idea, would mark a stricter enforcement of an existing rule that classifies employer-provided cell phones as a taxable benefit, rather than a 24-hour-a-day work tool.

Under a 1989 law, workers who use company-provided mobile phones for personal calls are supposed to count the value of those calls as income and pay federal income taxes accordingly.
But businesses and workers have long ignored the requirement, prompting the IRS to consider steps the agency said would make it easier for businesses and workers to comply.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/12/tax-mans-targets-work-mobile-phone-use/

Now The Shoe Is On The Other Foot

the libs are going nuts over the letterman thing huh?the liberal left has be trying to stifle the right wing talkers for years, now that the shoe is on the other foot and they are getting a taste of their own medicine they are going berserk.Gotta love it, do as I say not as I do. What's the word I'm looking for? hmmm?

Yesterday, 15 people gathered outside the Ed Sullivan theater to call for the firing of David Letterman. The long anticipated rally, created to protest a joke David Letterman made about Sarah Palin's daughter, turned out to be a dud despite mountains of media attention. On Monday, Letterman apologized to Palin and she accepted, which rendered the feud obsolete. Apparently 15 people didn't get the message.

Last night, Letterman responded to these critics the best way he knows how: mockery. He had writer Joe Grossman wander out on stage looking for the protest, then did a top ten list of things overheard there. He graciously kept the list self-deprecating, joking that CBS had catered the affair, that his old friend Regis attended, and that his hair looks like a toupee.


VIDEO HERE

Hussein Calls For Summer Of Service

Although I agree with helping out wherever possible I don't believe in being forced to unless there are certain circumstances.
Now this video and article does not mention that anyone will be forced into community service hussein has said in the past that he will implement a mandatory volunteer program for every citizen to complete a minimum number of hours per year, every year.

This could very easily be solved without "every citizen" being required to do community service. Look at the people on welfare and unemployment, if he wants to mandate volunteer service start there, you want welfare? work for it, you get unemployment? How about a few hours per week as a volunteer that could lead to a new job? It should definitely be mandatory for welfare recipients to do community service for the complete time they receive benefits.

I like
THIS service and I am going to submit an idea that I have had for some time now, my idea would be great for the youth of Pocomoke and help clean up the corners and hopefully change the ways of some of our young. If I can save just one it would be justified.






Obama Calls For Summer Of Service

If you would like to get involved or find a group near you or even if you have a good idea to start your own service check out serve.gov HERE

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The States Are Fighting back

Hopefully more States will follow suit and tell the fed to shove it.
I'm so glad that some of the people have had enough and are taking their rights back from the federal nanny government.
The liberal democrats will soon learn that their ways of my way or the highway do as I say not as i do will not be tolerated much longer the "gun tote'n Bible thumpers" and the "regular people" are going to prevail.



Montana Gun Law Challenges Federal Powers

A new Montana gun law puts the state at the forefront of a national bid to restore states' rights by attacking up to a century of federal court decisions on Washington's power.


Two other states - Alaska and Texas - have had favorable votes on laws similar to Montana's, declaring that guns that stay within the state are none of the feds' business. More than a dozen others are considering such laws, and more-general declarations of state sovereignty have been introduced this year in more than 30 legislatures.


The federal courts may not respond well to these laws in the short term, but backers who acknowledge this say that regardless, they intend for the laws to change the political landscape in the long term. They hope these state laws will undercut the legitimacy of contrary federal law - as has happened with medicinal marijuana - and even push federal courts to bend with the popular wind.


"What's going on is that people all over the country have decided, 'Enough is enough,' " said Kevin Gutzman, a professor at Western Connecticut State University and the author of "Who Killed the Constitution?" "This is supposed to be a federal system, but instead Congress seems to think it can legislate anything it wants."


In May, Montana became the first state to approve the Firearms Freedom Act, which declares that guns manufactured and sold in the Big Sky State to buyers who plan to keep the weapons within the state are exempt from federal gun regulations.


According to the act's supporters, if guns bearing a "Made in Montana" stamp remain in Montana, then federal rules such as background checks, registration and dealer licensing no longer apply. But court cases have interpreted the U.S. Constitution's Interstate Commerce Clause as covering anything that might affect interstate commerce - which in practice means just about anything.


So if this law sounds ripe for a court challenge, well, that's the idea, said Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Sports Shooting Association, the state's largest pro-gun group.


"The Interstate Commerce Clause has grown and grown until the government asserts authority over everything under the sun," said Mr. Marbut, who wrote the original firearms legislation. "How much water you have in your toilet. Almost all environmental laws. Maybe one-third of all federal regulations are asserted under the Commerce Clause."


Even if the Montana law, or similar bills already being pushed in other states, don't produce a blockbuster decision overturning a century's worth of economic rulings, supporters hope it will change political conversation and make federal intrusion on state matters politically unpalatable.


The federal government, said Mr. Marbut, "is a creation of the states, and the states need to get their creation on a leash."


In that sense, the law is only nominally about guns. "Guns are the object, but states' rights are the subject," he said.


Even so, gun-control groups have blasted the law. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, called it "wrong from the constitutional side and wrong from the policy side."


But it's catching on with state legislatures. Five states have introduced their own versions of the law, while lawmakers in a dozen more are considering it.


In Alaska, the state House approved the Alaska Firearms Freedom Act by a vote of 32-7, but the Legislature adjourned before the bill could reach the Senate. In Texas, a similar bill sponsored by state Rep. Leo Berman won approval in the Public Safety Committee on a 5-0 vote, but failed to reach the floor before adjournment on June 1.


The three other states to see bills introduced were Minnesota, South Carolina and Tennessee. Lawmakers in Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Washington are considering an in-state gun law of this sort.


Passing the Montana law was just the first step. Supporters are now working to ignite the legal battle by choosing a manufacturer willing to construct a "Made in Montana" line of guns, then contacting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to see whether the firearms can be sold without dealer licensing.


If the bureau declares such sales illegal, backers say they plan to pull the trigger on the lawsuit.


That's when the entire enterprise threatens to collapse. Even supporters say it's a long shot that a federal court will overturn a century of legal history to rein in the Interstate Commerce Clause.


The Rehnquist court issued two decisions that limited congressional power under the Commerce Clause, though both decisions concerned law-enforcement matters.


The 1995 U.S. v. Lopez ruling struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which made it a federal crime to have a gun near a school, and the Violence Against Women Act was nixed in the 2000 case of U.S. v. Morrison. The court decided that neither school crime nor sex-based violence qualified as interstate commerce.


But the "local only" approach hasn't been as successful.


As far back as 1905 (Swift v. U.S.), the Supreme Court upheld federal regulations of meat dealers who bought and sold locally as permitted by the Interstate Commerce Clause. In Wickard v. Filburn in 1942, the justices ruled that even wheat that never left the farm - the farmer fed his cattle with it - affected the interstate wheat trade and thus was subject to federal regulation - in that case, production quotas.


One design flaw with the Montana Firearms Freedom Act is its focus on firearms, said Mr. Helmke, of the Brady Campaign. There aren't that many federal laws regulating guns, apart from those requiring dealer licensing, banning machine guns and prohibiting felons from buying firearms, he said.


Mr. Helmke added that the courts were unlikely to side with Montana, describing the Interstate Commerce Clause as "settled federal law."


"In effect, Montana's trying to turn back the clock to pre-New Deal times, or even pre-Civil War times," Mr. Helmke said.


That may be true, but Mr. Marbut thinks public opinion in favor of such a change is growing. He pointed to the popularity of state sovereignty laws, which have been introduced this year in more than 30 states. And where the public goes, the judiciary often follows.


"The courts do pay attention to something they call 'emerging consensus.' It means the natives are getting more than restless," he said. "Hopefully, because there are so many clones of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act being introduced in other states, the courts will recognize this as an emerging consensus."

Judge: Dirty Bomber Padilla Can Sue Over Alleged Torture

Is this wonderful or what?
Now our enemies can sue us for alleged enhanced interrogations in a time of war or terror. What are we becoming?


SAN FRANCISCO – A man serving a 17-year prison sentence for terrorist activities has been given the green light to sue a former US government lawyer who wrote memos that allegedly led to his torture, US media reports said Sunday.


Jose Padilla, a US citizen arrested in 2002 for an alleged "dirty bomb" plot only to have the charges dropped three years later, was jailed in January 2008 for separate charges of providing support to the Al-Qaeda terror network.


Lawyers for Padilla have filed a lawsuit against John Yoo, a former lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, arguing that he was responsible for crafting the legal memos which led to his detention and harsh interrogation.


Padilla, who was held in solitary confinement as an "enemy combatant" for more than three years at a US Navy installation in Charleston, South Carolina, alleges he was tortured.


Padilla's lawsuit, which demands Yoo be held accountable for his treatment, alleges he suffered "gross physical and psychological abuse at the hands of federal officials as part of a systematic program of abusive interrogation intended to break down Mr Padilla's humanity and his will to live."


Yoo, part of Bush's war council and deputy attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel from 2001 to 2003, wrote several memorandums endorsing harsh treatment.


Yoo has argued that the suit should be dismissed because it has not been established that Padilla's treatment was unconstitutional.


However San Francisco Federal Court Judge Jeffrey White, who was appointed by Bush, said in a written ruling released late Friday that Padilla's case can proceed.


White found Padilla "has alleged sufficient facts to satisfy the requirement that Yoo set in motion a series of events that resulted in the deprivation of Padilla's constitutional rights."


Tahlia Townsend, a member of Padilla's legal team, described the ruling as a "a significant victory for American values, government accountability and our system of checks and balances."


Padilla and his mother, Estela Lebron, are seeking one dollar in damages and a declaration by the court that his treatment was unconstitutional.


Yoo, who is being represented by the Justice Department, so far has declined to comment on the case.


Padilla, 38, dubbed the "Puerto Rican Taliban," was arrested in May 2002 at Chicago's O'Hare airport after returning from Egypt and was taken to a US Navy prison in South Carolina.


At his 2007 trial, prosecutors said the former Chicago gang member and Muslim convert traveled abroad to train as a "jihad" fighter, and had asked to receive "violent jihad training" while in Afghanistan in July 2000.


US authorities justified his detention without charge, saying he was an "enemy combatant" who allegedly planned to explode a radioactive bomb in the country.


But when he was transferred to the civilian justice system after three-and-a-half years in military detention, the indictment made no mention of the so-called "dirty bomb" plot.


During the trial, his defense team claimed Padilla had been tortured while in military detention and that the alleged ill-treatment left him unable to participate in his own defense.

Will People Ever Come Together and Say Enough is Enough?

RE; My previous post on Are There Any Doctors that Actually will Listen? CLICK HERE


Why do people just sit back and put up with these types of controlling events to happen? Well not me and I will do all i can to have this kind of thing abolished, it's comes down to one and only one thing. Nanny government control of our personal lives.

The document mentioned in the article linked above can very easily be re-worded and I would gladly sign it and encourage everyone else to do so also. If they would simply ask that the patient purchase their medication at a single pharmacy and that under penalty of law that the patient not distribute their medication to anyone other than themselves and/or attempt to acquire more of the same medication from any other physician.

The problem lies in that nanny government our the physician himself does not trust that their patient and feels the need to an invasion of privacy. Privacy is something that all physicians are supposed to hold at the very highest standard.

This is only a step in the direction of nanny government inflicting their power in the private medical practice. I could rant on and on forever about what this simple "contract" between the patient and Doctor requiring the patient to sign this "contract" so as to subject a patient to a random piss test anytime the government, the insurance company, or the Doctor so desires. The big question is why?

Look at the people on welfare. I think before the government starts worrying about if a sick person is actually taking their medicine how about checking welfare recipients via random piss test to see if they are using drugs? OR even alcohol for that matter.

So the next time you at the Doctor and they bring out the contract please make sure you read it. If it requires you to be subjected to a random piss test... refuse to sign it until it's re-worded.

My guess is that y'all think I'm nuts for not being able to have my pain medication prescribed because of a paragraph in a "contract" and I may very well be, but I'm standing up for you and your children with or without the help of others. Oh I'm going to be hurting in a few days but I will do everything in my power to have this violation of your privacy re-worded or dismissed all together.

I hope you're with me. Today it's a nanny government piss test contract for medication, tomorrow it's a piss test to see if your cholesterol is ok so you can buy a cheese burger.

Enough is enough.

Slow Today

Hello folks, I'm doing my best to post some decent news today but I'm not having much luck.
many of the sites and sources I use will not respond and I'm having trouble with all internet connections.
My guess is that because it's Pocomokes first day of summer for the school children that they are burning up the lines and I can't say I blame them.

Enjoy your days of summer kids and if you have anything of interest or events please send me a line and I'll be sure to post it.

As soon as the internet starts cooperating I'll be getting some good stories up and out.

New Hydrogen Car is Eco-Friendly

Here it comes folks, the future is here.
I'm all for a replacement fuel, not an "alternate fuel" that the liberal government keeps preaching. There's no such thing as an "alternative fuel" if you think about it.
Now soon these little tiny things will be everywhere in the mix with those of us that are Dino's that simply refuse to give up safety for fuel mileage and don't buy into the the liberal theory that the world is coming to an end because we use Dino fuel.
What's going to happen when I decide to be courteous and back my big truck up on the corner to let someone turn in on the street I'm at the corner of and one of these things are on my bumper? I can tell you, I'll run over it and never know it was there, or how about if someone driving one of those baby buggies pulls out in front of a Chevy suburban running 60 down the highway, it sure wont be pretty.

So lets save the oil and cause the price of Dino crude to skyrocket and kill millions driving these baby buggies for the sake of drilling here in the USA where we have enough oil to supply us for many thousands of years.


The first hydrogen-powered car launches and will allow drivers to travel with a conscience and save money.
Embedded video from CNN Video

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Are There Any Doctors that Actually will Listen?

I have been having ongoing health problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and few other things that are fairly normal in today's high paced high fat world.
I have been diagnosed with a couple of strokes, and several TIA's (mini strokes) 'they think' what I don't get is "they think"

I have had endless cat scans, sonograms, x-rays, blood work etc. etc. etc. it's still "they think".

Well the worst part is I have severe pain, I have been sent to a number of neurologist and neurosurgeons for this. I finally found a good neurologist in Berlin, Dr Yonkers, I really like her, she at least found some of the problems that cause me such pain. Now she is a great Dr but she is also limited in what she can do after a diagnosis so she has to refer me to others that again... "they think" this has been going on for a number of years.

Just over two years ago "they thought" so long that I'm now disabled do to severe pain and "they think" a couple of strokes.

I have also found a PA I really like and she wants to help so bad but again, she's a PA so she can only do so much because she has to listen to her boss, the Dr that "thinks"

Now to the meat of the subject. Why do I say and title this post "Are There Any Doctors that Actually will Listen?"

Because they wont, not one Dr I have ever been to since I have started having problems will listen when I say I am very tolerant to drugs, ALL drugs. VERY tolerant.
I explain that I have had a couple operations that required Anesthesia and the Anesthesiologist actually became upset because they had other appointments and I would not respond to the medicine, I would not go under and I was making them late for their next victim.

In one case the paralyzing drug took affect and the Anesthesia DID NOT and I could not move, blink, or talk to tell them I could feel everything they were doing while they were slicing and dicing, I think I passed out in shock during that operation.

Now what I mean about this whole thing is after I tell every Doctor this they go to a book and look at the medicines that they think I need to try and they always start with the lowest dose, again after I have stated it wont work. I have gone as far as telling the doctor to look in the book for the highest dose, double that, then lets see what happens. They wont listen.

Here's an example for those of you that take or have taken for example strong pain medicine. lets use vicodin, they moved me up to 750/7.5 vicodin the strongest you can get by law. I can take 4 of those at once with absolutely zero effect.
After finally convincing them that the vicodin was equal to taking M&M's candy they finally moved me up to Oxycontin, the lowest does again. That did absolutely nothing.
Then they told me take the Oxycontin and wait a couple hours and take a vicodin.

Ok, I followed those directions and again, refer back to the M&M's comment.

I was then sent to a pain management specialist, what a piece of work she was. I explained everything I could remember and gave her a list of my medication and results of what they "think" is causing my pain. Now believe it or not this pain management specialist said to me and I quote, "If you came to me for medicine to help with pain you're in the wrong place, I could care less about your pain"

I know what you're thinking right now but that's the truth, I was stunned and started to walk out but the wife was with me and convinced me to stay and listen to what she had to say. By the way, that quack that calls herself a pain management specialist is Dr. Jafferys in Salisbury. She told me I would be doing physical therapy under her care and would never be medicated for the pain.

Ok again, I complied with Jeffery's orders and went to therapy and even the therapist thought Jeffery's must be nuts, they put some hot towels on my neck and back and said they wouldn't do any more until I had a positive diagnoses as it could cause more damage.

Now back to the Dr today because I've been getting sick and things are just falling apart and getting worse, I cannot do any regular life chores NONE if you get my drift. At this point I have no life outside being able to type on this stupid computer and that's even a chore because I also have glaucoma and my chair does not hurt me to set for a short period of time.

Trying to explain to my favorite PA (I wish she was a doctor) that there is really no way to describe my pain and that unless I can get the strongest pain meds to even help ease the pain is fruitless, I really think she understands and does her best but the Dr is another story, he's only going to write a prescription that he "thinks" (there's that word again) will work because it works on 99.9% of other folks.

So today I come home with a lower dose from what I previously had and will be expected from the Dr that they will last as long as the prescription before. Look, when you hurt like I do I could care less if the bottle says take every 6 hours or not, I'm going to take them when I hurt, I have too, this is not a toothache. Sure I wait as long as I can before the next dose and then some because I know I'll run out to soon and will not have anything to curve the pain and government has made sure that you wont get a refill if you do run out a day or even an hour early.

Now this gets me to the other subject. Today I was presented with a new "contract" now I'm familiar with these contracts that you have to sign that says you wont sell these medications and that you must use one and only one pharmacy for the purchase and refills of narcotic pain medications to help deter fraud. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the new "contract" has an added clause, the patient and/or receiver of the prescription will now be subject to a random piss test by the Dr. or his office. I assume this is for a few reasons.

1) to make sure the patient is taking the prescription and not selling it.

2) that the patient is not using any other illegal drugs.

3) that the patient is taking this drug as prescribed.

4) that the patient is not taking another prescribed narcotic possibly from another doctor.

5) Liberal democrats don't think we have enough personal responsibility and have a need to control every aspect of our lives.

6) use your imagination.

I REFUSE to sign such a contract as it is completely and totally unconstitutional, it's a violation of our rights and imposes on personal life.+


So, at this point I guess not only has my pain medications that is almost non affective the dosage has been lowered by a Dr that's to busy to look back at his notes I will not be able to even receive any when this prescription run dry.

That's my rant for today, looks like I'll be strapping myself down in a couple of weeks while my body goes berserk from uncontrollable pain.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Eastern Shore Robotics visits Cypress Festival

Eastern Shore Robotics, FRC Team 1829, led by Chris Thompson, Chip Choquette, and Patti and Todd Winfield, visited the Cypress Festival on Saturday. Eastern Shore Robotics started as a team at Arcadia High School, and then Eastern Shore Robotics took over, thanks to the supervision and time given to Chris Thompson of SCSC (Surface Combat Systems Center). The main goal of ESR is to spread out around the shore gaining awareness in engineering and technology. They had the robot on location and also doing demonstrations throughout the day beside of their booth. The robot is made of a material called Carbon Fiber. Carbon Fiber was picked because of it's lightweight and duriability. Demonstrations showed just how the robot worked, and gave the kids at the festival a little fun, and freak out the people at the food stands. They were able to see exactly how it worked, and got to play witht the balls that it shot out. The robot was made for FRC's game called LUNACY. LUNACY is played on a 54' x 27' low friction field. Robots are equipped with slippery wheels and payload trailers. LUNACY game pieces are “Orbit Balls” designated as Moon Rocks, Empty Cells, or Super Cells. Two three-team robot alliances collect and score Orbit Balls in trailers attached to the opposing teams’ robots. Human players are positioned around the perimeter of the arena and can score from their stations. The team won the XEROX Creativity Award for the design of the robot as well as the Regional Engeneering Inspiration Award which allowed the team to go from the NASA/VCU Regional competition in Richmond, VA (March 19-21) to the World Competition in Atlanta, GA (April 16-18)

ESR is currently trying to start a LEGO League (Middle School, age 9-14) to gain awareness in more than just high school students, and to prepare people for the FIRST Robotics Comeptition.

If you would like to help out Eastern Shore Robotics, please visit http://www.esrobot.org/ to learn how to help.

Having trouble with the digital switchover?

Getting ready for the digital switchover we got and installed cable boxes, I know we didn't need them being on cable but as I said in a previous post you will get more channels with a cable box.

But here's the deal, if you have any of the old connectors or splitters in-line you MUST replace those with digital satellite splitters/connectors.

You can tell by connecting a TV to the single main line coming into the house, check and compare the channels you receive on a TV connected directly to the main line that has no connections to any TV's that are added to that line by any connectors.

I got my satellite splitters at radio shack here in Pocomoke, Kenny knows just what you will need, they are heavy splitters with rubber waterproof connectors and they are the splitters that they use when installing their satellite systems.

They are not on the shelf and you have to ask for them, it was hard for me to believe there was a difference in the way a splitter works but trust me, there is.

I also picked-up a digital amplifier at wal*mart that helped greatly for 30 bucks. Be careful of the amplifiers because they still have the old ones for simple cable, the amp MUST be for digital signal, I believe it also works with cable internet service if you get the right amp, the old style amp will kill the signal so if you have one in-line now take it out.

Hope this helps with the new digital to get the most from the change.


Below is what you will need if you have more than one TV. Trust me, you might think your new digital signal is working OK and you may well be right, but if you are using cable boxes I can almost garantee you that you will recieve more channles if you use these items. If not you can always return them to the store.

This is the splitter, notice how heavy it is made compared to the standard cable splitters.











This is the amplifier, note the wording on it. This is a MUST, you cannot use the old style amp.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Happy Birthday US Army

Today, June 14th is the birthday of the United States Army. Founded by an act of the Continental Congress on the 14th day of June 1775 the US Army actually is over one year older than the United States itself. The first battles of the revolutionary War were fought in April, 1775 and just two months later the US Army was born.