Children's Angel Tree Program

The Child Care staff of Accomack County Department of Social Services is again displaying the Childrens Angel Tree at Peebles Department Store at Four Corner Plaza. These angels represent specific children of the Eastern Shore of Virginia who have been determined to be in need this Christmas.

Please take an angel off the tree, purchase a gift for that child, and attach the angel to the unwrapped gift. Return gifts to Peebles by December 11th and receive a hand-painted ornament as a token of our appreciation. These ornaments have been painted by art students from Broadwater Academy and Chincoteague Combined School.

If you have any questions, please contact Selina Coulbourne at 787-5373.


http://shoredailynews.com/

Swine Flu Vaccine Clinic In Pocomoke

This Friday, Dec. 11, there will be a free H1N1 vaccination clinic in Pocomoke City. It is for high-risk groups, including pregnant women, children ages 6 months to 24 years old and adults 25 to 64 with medical conditions.

Worcester County Health Department will be administering the vaccines at the Pocomoke MAC Senior Center at 400-B Walnut Street. There will be two session, the first from 9 AM to noon, then from 1 PM to 3 PM.

To make an appointment, call 410-632-1100.

VIA

Harvard Professor Says Nancy Grace's Questioning Contributed to Mother's Suicide

OCALA, Fla. — A Harvard professor says a CNN Headline News host's relentless questioning of a Florida mother three years ago contributed to her suicide.

That's according to a filing in a wrongful death case brought by the family of Melinda Duckett. Duckett's 2-year-old son was reported missing in 2006, and CNN host Nancy Grace launched aggressive nightly coverage of the case.

Click here for photos of police evidence.

The family claims that Grace's questioning and CNN's coverage decisions inflicted severe emotional distress on the young mother. Grace interviewed Duckett after speculation had begun about the mother's alleged involvement in the toddler's disappearance.

The next day, Duckett shot herself in the head.

Dr. Harold J. Bursztajn, a Harvard clinical professor of psychiatry writes that the CNN interview inflicted public humiliation and was "a substantial contributing cause" of Duckett's death. CNN and Grace have denied any involvement in the suicide.

Trenton Duckett has still not been found, and his mother remains the only suspect.

VIA

Schools Reject Supplies with Obama Logo

Several Missouri schools are complaining about notebooks and pencils with designs similar to the logos from President Barack Obama's campaign.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that complaints from unhappy officials at three Missouri schools have prompted the supply company responsible for the materials to travel across the state recalling notebooks and pencils.

The design at issue includes a picture of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Above the coins is the phrase: "CHANGE" and underneath it reads: "WE CAN BELIEVE IN." Below the words is a circle used by Obama's campaign, in which the top half is blue and the bottom is red with three white lines cutting through it.

At least one notebook and pencil with the design have been purchased from a school supply machine at a Columbia elementary school. Two families have complained about the design, and Principal Mary Sue Gibson said she planned to complain to the supply company.

"I just don't want to get into that political arena at all," Gibson said.

Greg Jones, a sales representative with Pencil Wholesale, said the design was an accident.

Jones, who delivers supplies to about 800 schools, said he remembers seeing the design but didn't think anything about it. He said the supplies were designed by a different company and that "the art department was trying to be cutesy."

"I wish I could do it over. But, for now, I can just make it right," Jones said.

It's his job to go to schools that might have received supplies with the controversial design and remove them.

Finding what schools the supplies went to has been difficult. From a case of 72 notebooks, three have been found that have a design similar to the Obama logo.

"It's turned out to be really ugly. We're trying to get them out of the schools as fast as we can," said Jones, who identified himself as a registered Republican who voted for John McCain in 2008.

AN EARLY CHRISTMAS REMINDER....

Hey Folks!!!!

Just a reminder..............

There's still time to do your holiday shopping......

There's 19 days before Christmas!!!!

H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Clinics

The Eastern Shore Health District Announces H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Clinics For General Public




The Eastern Shore Health District invites all members of the general public who wish to receive the H1N1 Influenza Vaccination to attend open walk in clinics during the month of December. There are four remaining opportunities for the general public to receive the vaccine at their local health department in 2009.

Monday, December 7 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Northampton Health Department
Tuesday, December 8 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Accomack Health Department
Monday, December 14 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Northampton Health Department
Tuesday, December 15 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Accomack Health Department

Since the vaccine was received in early October of this year high risk groups have been targeted as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control guidelines: healthcare professionals, pregnant women, school age children ages 6 months through 24 years, and adults ages 25 through 64 with underlying health conditions. Eastern Shore health officials have provided weekly walk in clinics, maternity clinics as well as ongoing public and private school clinics in order to reach as many of the targeted groups as possible. Accomack public elementary schools are planned to be completed by Christmas Vacation, with the Accomac public middle and high school H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Clinics beginning in January. Tangier Combined School H1N1 Influenza Vaccination clinic is also planed before Christmas Vacation as well as a Tangier Island walk in clinic for island residents. Northampton County public schools are working with Eastern Shore RUal Health to bring the H1N1 vaccine to their students. Parents ad students fom either public, private, or home schooling situations are welcome to attend the walk in clinics at the health department, whether they missed a planned school clinic, are in need of a second dose, or they would prefer to receive the vaccine sooner than it will be offered at the school. The health department also welcomes any child nine years old and under in need of a second dose of H1N1 vaccine to come to the walk I clinics, regardless of where the first dose was received, but please bring a copy of your record or vaccination card. There is no charge for the H1N1 influenza vaccine at any health department sponsored clinic

The health department appreciates the general publics patience as they have allowed those who needed the vaccine the most to go fist, and now if offering H1N1 Novel Influenza Vaccine t all who are interested in receiving it. For more information about H1N1 Vaccination Clinics, please visit the Virginia Department of Health website or if you have questions about H1N1 Influenza, please call1-877-ASK-VDH3.


http://shoredailynews.com/

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies

1 cup of water 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp salt 1 cup or brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup nuts 2 cups of dried fruit 1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, Pour one level cup and drink. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter In a large fluffy bowl. Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another Cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup Of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off the floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry It loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves A sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can Find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall Over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas !

Hat Tip: Ree

Fewer Rest Stops Add to Travel Woes

Travelers driving during the holiday will find fewer open rest stops along the highways.

Rest areas have been targeted in recent efforts to curb state spending and alleviate budget concerns. What started as a quiet trend this summer has emerged into a much larger movement. To date, a significant percentage of the approximately 2,500 rest stops along interstate highways have been shuttered. Even more stops are slated to be closed as the winter season progresses.

Georgia led the pack, shutting down two service plazas on Interstate 85 near Atlanta this summer. The state is also considering closing more, or, alternatively, keeping them open and limiting their hours of operation.

"We've just got significant budget deficits and are trying to find ways to save money,” said David Spears, press secretary for the Georgia Department of Transportation, reported the Associated Press on November 9th. Spears estimates that each closed rest area will save the state $300,000, but adds that the need for rest stops in Georgia’s rural areas is still valid.

Colorado quickly followed suit, shutting down two of its rest areas as well. The state is now considering shutting down yet another highway stop near Pueblo.

The Arizona Department of Transportation closed 13 rest areas in October, citing a budget shortfall amounting to $100 million.

Virginia is another cash-strapped state that has felt the pressure to shut down rest areas, having closed 19 of its 42 locations. The state estimates that each closed rest stop saves them close to half a million dollars. Other states that have closed stops due to budgetary concerns include: Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, and Vermont.

Other states, like Wisconsin, have managed to ward off closures by cutting back in other areas, such as hours of operation. New Mexico is keeping their rest areas open, but has closed two bathrooms due to insufficient funds.

States that are facing closures in the near future include South Carolina and Colorado.

Some feel that rest stops are no longer necessary due to the proliferation of gas stations and fast food restaurants. Even retailers, like Wal-Mart, are offering the travel-weary alternative places to stay by permitting recreational vehicles to camp out in their parking lots overnight.

Others maintain that the rest stops are vital to modern car travel.

"In a way, rest areas are something that have been taken for granted and are just there," Joanna Dowling, a cultural historian who runs the website RestAreaHistory.org, told the AP. "They have become this natural essential part of American travel."

The American Trucking Association is among the opponents of the recent closures, arguing that privately operated truck stops located off highway exits wouldn’t be able to cope with the excess traffic, reported the Wall Street Journal.

AAA also weighed in by pointing to data showing that 20 percent of highway car crashes involve drowsy drivers—a number that could increase due to disappearing rest stops.

"From a traffic safety standpoint, we are concerned about it,"John Townsend, manager of public relations for AAA's Mid-Atlantic Club, told the AP.

Despite current conditions, some states are bucking the trend by using stimulus money to revitalize rest areas.

Due to their wide-open spaces and distance between shops, drivers in states like Iowa, Texas, and Kentucky depend on rest stops even more than drivers passing through other states. As a result, these states have been investing in rest areas.

After shutting down almost half a dozen older rest stops, Texas opened two new locations in December of 2008 which featured interactive kiosks, playgrounds, surveillance cameras and a police outpost, reported the Wall Street Journal. Additionally, the state has continued making improvements by outfitting each of its nearly 100 rest stops with wireless Internet hot spots.

There are only two states in the Union that are totally unaffected either way—Alaska and Hawaii—both of which never had any rest stops to begin with.

Thinking of driving this holiday season? See below to find out how many are open (and how many may be closing) in your state.

Rest Stops By State

Alabama: 19 Rest Areas and 8 Welcome Centers; None closed due to budget constraints
Alaska: No rest stops
Arizona: 18 Rest Areas; 13 closed in mid-October due to budget constraints
Arkansas: 19 Rest Areas and 12 Welcome Centers; 2 Rest Areas have been closed and are now only being used for truck parking
California: 70 Rest Areas; 17 closed due to budget constraints and remodeling efforts
Colorado: 34 Rest Areas; 2 closed over the summer and another closure is being considered near Pueblo
Connecticut: 7 Rest Areas; None closed
Delaware: 2 Rest Areas; 1 currently closed for renovations
Florida: 53 Rest Areas; None closed
Georgia: 17 Rest Areas and 8 Welcome Centers; 3 closed due to budget constraints
Hawaii: No rest stops
Idaho: 29 Rest Areas; None closed
Illinois: 30 Rest Areas; None closed
Indiana: 30 Rest Areas, None closed
Iowa: 40 Rest Areas; None closed. The state is actually updating rest area facilities at the rate of one every year.
Kansas: 20 Rest Areas; None closed
Kentucky: 24 Rest Areas; None closed
Louisiana: 34 Rest Areas; 24 closed since 2000 (with 4 closed within the last year alone)
Maine: 50 Rest Areas; 2 closed along I-95 in Pittsfield due to budget constraints
Maryland: 12 Rest Areas; 3 closed due to budget constraints, modified hours and other operating changes imposed on other areas
Massachusetts: 20 Rest Areas; None closed, but 5 tourist information centers had cuts to close the state’s $600 million mid-year budget gap
Michigan: 81 Rest Areas and 14 Welcome Centers; 4 closed
Minnesota: 77 Rest Areas and 3 Welcome Centers; None closed due to budget constraints
Mississippi: 11 Rest Areas and 10 Welcome Centers; None closed
Missouri: 30 Rest Areas; None closed
Montana: 52 Rest Areas; None closed
Nebraska: 26 Rest Areas; None closed
Nevada: 10 Rest Areas; None closed
New Hampshire: 17 Rest Areas; None closed
New Jersey: 5 Rest Areas; 3 closed not due to budget constraints
New Mexico: 32 Rest Areas; 2 bathrooms were closed as a result of insufficient funds to restore them after vandalism and age
New York: 35 Rest Areas; None closed
North Carolina: 60 Rest Areas; None closed. The state recently opened an additional rest area
North Dakota: 29 Rest Areas; None closed
Ohio: 55 Rest Areas; 2 closed for reconstruction
Oklahoma: 11 Rest Areas; None closed
Oregon: 63 Rest Areas; None closed
Pennsylvania: 33 Rest Areas and 15 Welcome Centers; None closed
Rhode Island: 3 Rest Areas; None closed
South Carolina: 24 Rest Areas and 9 Welcome Centers; None closed currently, but the state may face closures in 2010
South Dakota: 22 Rest Areas; None closed
Tennessee: 32 Rest Areas; None closed. The state recently opened another rest area.
Texas: 91 Rest Areas; None closed. The state is adding more rest stops and upgrading locations
Utah: 20 Rest Areas; None closed
Vermont: 17 Rest Areas; 3 have been closed and others have had their hours cut
Virginia: 42 Rest Areas; 19 locations have been closed this year due to budget constraints
Washington: 40 Rest Areas; None closed
West Virginia: 18 Rest Areas; None closed. All locations have plans for being demolished and rebuilt in the future.
Wisconsin: 30 Rest Areas; None closed, however budget cuts have led to reduced hours at some locations
Wyoming: 18 Rest Areas; None closed

These facilities are located on the Maryland Official Highway Map and are further described as follows:

Facility	Hours of Operation	Location
US 219 Cove Overlook Rest Area near Keyser’s Ridge	Closing the restroom facilities permanently.	It is located on US 219 approximately 2.5 miles south of IS-68 in Garrett County, Maryland. The site offers spectacular views of the valley. For more information, please call 301-729-8457
I-68 Youghiogheny Overlook in Friendsville	Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., no night hours.	Located on eastbound I-68, 1.5 miles east of Friendsville in Garrett County, Maryland, this site offers an outstanding view of the Youghiougheny reservoir. Ph. (301) 746-5979.
I-68 Sideling Hill Rest Area	Close the restroom facilities January through April.	Located on I-68, approximately 10 miles west of Hancock in Washington County, Maryland. The Site offers spectacular views and geologic history of the Sideling Hill Cut. The interpretive center, located along the westbound roadway is connected to parking and restrooms for eastbound traffic by a pedestrian bridge. Ph. (301) 678-5442.
I-70 East and I-70 West Welcome Centers	These centers are currently being remodeled and scheduled to reopen fall 2010.	The Welcome Centers serve both eastbound and westbound traffic on I-70. They are located in a natural setting on South Mountain between Frederick and Hagerstown in Frederick County, Maryland, near the Washington County Line. Ph. I-70 West. (301) 293-4161. Ph. I-70 East. (301) 293-2526
I-95 South and I-95 North Welcome Centers	Open 24 hours	These welcome centers are located on Interstate Route 95 between Baltimore and Washington in Howard County, Maryland. The Southbound site serves traffic heading towards Washington D.C. and points south. Ph. (301) 490-2444. The Northbound site serves traffic heading toward the Baltimore/Annapolis area and points north. Ph. (301) 490-1333.
Crain Memorial Welcome Center	Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.	Located approximately two miles north of the Potomac River on northbound U.S. 301 in Charles County Maryland, this facility is the gateway into Southern Maryland from Virginia. Ph. (301) 259-2500.
US 301 Bay Country Rest Area near Centreville	open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., no night hours.	This site is located on U.S. 301 in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, approximately 15 miles north of its junction with U.S. 50. The facility is located in the median of U.S. 301 and serves both northbound and southbound traffic. Ph. (410) 758-6803.
US 13 North Welcome Center in Pocomoke	open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., no night hours	This welcome center is located on U.S. 13, northbound, just north of the Virginia State Line in Worcester County, Maryland. It is approximately four miles south of Pocomoke City and is the gateway to Maryland's lower Eastern Shore. Ph. (410) 957-2484.

VIA

Caption not necessary

SALUTE to Denmark.

SALUTE to Denmark. This could very well happen here on our Continent.

Susan MacAllen is a contributing editor for (Family Security Matters.org) Salute the Danish Flag - it's a Symbol of Western Freedom By Susan MacAllen .

In 1978-9, I was living and studying in Denmark. But in 1978 - even in Copenhagen, one didn't see Muslim immigrants.

The Danish population embraced visitors, celebrated the exotic, went out of its way to protect each of its citizens. It was proud of its new brand of socialist liberalism one in development since the conservatives had lost power in 1929 - a system where no worker had to struggle to survive, where one ultimately could count upon the state as in, perhaps, no other western nation at the time.

The rest of Europe saw the Scandinavians as free-thinking, progressive and infinitely generous in their welfare policies. Denmark boasted low crime rates, devotion to the environment, a superior educational system and a history of humanitarianism.

Denmark was also most generous in its immigration policies - it
Offered the best welcome in Europe to the new immigrant: generous welfare payments from first arrival plus additional perks in transportation, housing and education. It was determined to set a world example for inclusiveness and multiculturalism. How could it have predicted that one day in 2005 a series of political cartoons in a newspaper would spark violence that would leave dozens dead in the streets -all because its commitment to multiculturalism would come back to bite?

By the 1990's the growing urban Muslim population was obvious - and its unwillingness to integrate into Danish society was obvious.
Years of immigrants had settled into Muslim-exclusive enclaves. As the Muslim leadership became more vocal about what they considered the decadence of Denmark's liberal way of life, the Danes - once so welcoming - began to feel slighted. Many Danes had begun to see Islam as incompatible with their long-standing values: belief in personal liberty and free speech, in equality for women, in tolerance for other ethnic groups, and a deep pride in Danish heritage and history.

An article by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, in which they forecasted, accurately, that the growing immigrant problem in Denmark would explode. In the article they reported: 'Muslim immigrants constitute 5 percent of the population but consume upwards of 40 percent of the welfare spending.'
'Muslims are only 4 percent of Denmark's 5.4 million people but make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially combustible issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other crimes.'

'Over time, as Muslim immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less to mix with the indigenous population. A recent survey finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants would readily marry a Dane.'

'Forced marriages - promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male cousin in the home country, then compelling her to marry him, sometimes on pain of death - are one problem'

'Muslim leaders openly declare their goal of introducing Islamic law
Once Denmark's Muslim population grows large enough - a
Not-that-remote prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist
Estimates, every third inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.'

It is easy to understand why a growing number of Danes would feel that Muslim immigrants show little respect for Danish values and laws.
An example is the phenomenon common to other European countries and Canada: some Muslims in Denmark who opted to leave the Muslim faith have been murdered in the name of Islam, while others hide in fear for their lives. Jews are also threatened and harassed openly by Muslim leaders in Denmark, a country where once Christian citizens worked to smuggle out nearly all of their 7,000 Jews by night to Sweden - before the Nazis could invade. I think of my Danish friend Elsa - who, as a teenager, had dreaded crossing the street to the bakery every morning under the eyes of occupying Nazi soldiers - and I wonder what she would say today.

In 2001, Denmark elected the most conservative government in some 70 years - one that had some decidedly non-generous ideas about liberal unfettered immigration. Today Denmark has the strictest immigration policies in Europe. (Its effort to protect itself has been met with accusations of 'racism' by liberal media across Europe - even as other governments struggle to right the social problems wrought by years of too-lax immigration.)

If you wish to become Danish, you must attend three years of language classes. You must pass a test on Denmark's history, culture, and a Danish language test.

You must live in Denmark for 7 years before applying for citizenship.

You must demonstrate an intent to work, and have a job waiting. If you wish to bring a spouse into Denmark, you must both be over 24 years of age, and you won't find it so easy anymore to move your friends and family to Denmark with you.

You will not be allowed to build a mosque in Copenhagen. Although your children have a choice of some 30 Arabic culture and language schools in Denmark, they will be strongly encouraged to assimilate to Danish society in ways that past immigrants weren't.

In 2006, the Danish minister for employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, spoke publicly of the burden of Muslim immigrants on the Danish welfare system, and it was horrifying: the government's welfare committee had calculated that if immigration from Third World countries were blocked, 75 percent of the cuts needed to sustain the huge welfare system in coming decades would be unnecessary. In other words, the welfare system, as it existed, was being exploited by immigrants to the point of eventually bankrupting the government. 'We are simply forced to adopt a new policy on immigration'.

'The calculations of the welfare committee are terrifying and show how unsuccessful the integration of immigrants has been up to now,' he said.

A large thorn in the side of Denmark's imams is the Minister of
Immigration and Integration, Rikke Hvilshoj. She makes no bones about the new policy toward immigration, 'The number of foreigners coming to the country makes a difference,' Hvilshoj says, 'There is an inverse correlation between how many come here and how well we can receive the foreigners that come..' And on Muslim immigrants needing to demonstrate a willingness to blend in, 'In my view, Denmark should be a country with room for different cultures and religions. Some values, however, are more important than others. We refuse to question democracy, equal rights, and freedom of speech.'

Hvilshoj has paid a price for her show of backbone. Perhaps to test
her resolve, the leading radical imam in Denmark, Ahmed Abdel Rahman Abu Laban, demanded that the government pay blood money to the family of a Muslim who was murdered in a suburb of Copenhagen, stating that the family's thirst for revenge could be thwarted for money. When Hvilshoj dismissed his demand, he argued that in Muslim culture the payment of retribution money was common, to which Hvilshoj replied that what is done in a Muslim country is not necessarily what is done in Denmark.

The Muslim reply came soon after. Her house was torched while she, her husband and children slept. All managed to escape unharmed, but she and her family were moved to a secret location and she and other ministers were assigned bodyguards for the first time - in a country where such murderous violence was once so scarce.

Her government has slid to the right, and her borders have tightened.
Many believe that what happens in the next decade will determine
whether Denmark survives as a bastion of good living, humane thinking and social responsibility, or whether it becomes a nation at civil war with supporters of Sharia law.

And meanwhile, Canadians clamor for stricter immigration policies, and demand an end to state welfare programs that allow many immigrants to live on the public dole. As we in Canada look at the enclaves of Muslims amongst us, and see those who enter our shores too easily, dare live on our taxes, yet refuse to embrace our culture, respect our traditions, participate in our legal system, obey our laws,speak our language,appreciate our history ... we would do well to look to Denmark and say a prayer for her future for our own.

Chincoteague Christmas Parade

The Chincoteague Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade

Due to the inclement weather yesterday the Christmas parade on Chincoteague which is sponsored by the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, will be held.....

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Main Street, Chincoteague, Virginia

at 7:00 P. M.

The Chincoteague Old-Fashioned Christmas parade will feature floats, marching bands, color guards. the Salt Water Cowboys, fire companies from around the Eastern Shore, and of course last, but never least, SANTA CLAUS !!!!

For more info contact the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce

757-336-6161

'Elf' Jailed Over Alleged Dynamite Hoax

A man dressed as an elf is jailed after police in Georgia say he told a mall Santa that he was carrying dynamite.

Police say Southlake Mall in suburban Atlanta was evacuated but no explosives were found.

Morrow police arrested 45-year-old William C. Caldwell III, who was being held without bond Thursday in the Clayton County jail. He was not part of the mall's Christmas staff.

Police say Caldwell got in line Wednesday evening to have his picture taken with Santa Claus.

Police say when Caldwell reached the front of the line, he told Santa he had dynamite in his bag. Santa called mall security and Caldwell was arrested.

Caldwell faces several charges, including having hoax devices and making terroristic threats.

VIA

3 Hurt in Birthday Shooting at Hotel

Baltimore;

Police investigating a shooting at a downtown Baltimore hotel that left three people critically injured say they have a "person of interest" in custody.

Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says two 18-year-old men who were shot remained in critical condition Saturday morning at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. One had been shot in the head, the other in the torso.

A third person was in critical condition with "facial lacerations," though it was unknown where that person was being treated. None of the victims' names was released.

Guglielmi says a fight erupted at a birthday party at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel around 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Officers found an Uzi submachine gun at the scene.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunfire broke out early Sunday morning during a birthday party at a downtown Baltimore hotel and three people were critically injured, police said.

The shooter was still at large hours later, said Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Officers were called to the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel around 3:15 a.m. after a fight erupted inside the party and someone began shooting. Shortly after police arrived, they found an Uzi submachine gun in a room where the party was held.

One person was shot in the head and another one was shot in the torso, both of them were taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center's Shock Trauma Center, Guglielmi said. The center's nursing coordinator, Henry Paje, said the two were in critical condition.

Guglielmi said a third person had "facial lacerations" and was in critical condition, but he did not know where that person was being treated.

He also did not know the identities of the three who were injured.

Officials have no information on the shooter and police were interviewing about a dozen witnesses, Guglielmi said.

A man who answered the telephone at the hotel said he could not comment on the shooting.

VIA

Swine flu spawns an email phishing scam that'll give you a nasty virus

It's bad enough that the H1N1 swine flu pandemic has caused such widespread public anxiety, and it's worse that the vaccine has become its own source of concern, whether due to the shortage or spurious fears about its safety. Now, the bottom-feeders known as phishing scammers are exploiting the situation, sowing even more fear, anger and mistrust around the swine flu.

It seems that people have been receiving emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requesting that recipients complete a "Personal H1N1 Vaccination Profile" at cdc.gov for the CDC Sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. Of course, there's no such thing.

The CDC writes on its website under the Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors section:

"The CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov. Users that click on the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system."

The email security experts at Red Condor explain how the scam works: When users click on the embedded "Create Personal Profile" link in the email, they are sent to a page that to all intents and purposes looks like the real thing, with a CDC-branded header and footer, including the Department of Health and Human Services logo. From there, visitors are asked to download an "electronic document, which contains your name, your contact details and your medical data." The file is actually an executable that contains a Trojan virus identified as W32/Vacc.A!tr.

Unfortunately, since this is a relatively new phishing scam, it is not being detected by most antivirus programs, "so it is important that people simply delete these messages and notify their IT administrators of the threat," Red Condor says.

The CDC also suggests users to take the following steps to reduce their risk of being victimized by a phishing attack:

• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
• Use caution when visiting untrusted websites.
• Use caution when entering personal information online.

To prey on the public's fear in such a manner truly is a new low even for phishers, especially because this scam is adding to existing concerns and feeding a mindset of mistrust. These scammers should be dealt with seriously and to the fullest measure of the law, preferably with some significant prison time.

There's no better place to get information about seasonal and pandemic influenza and their vaccines than the real CDC website and other health department sites such as Flu.gov. Here's hoping that this phishing scam won't deter anyone from visiting the legitimate sites.

12/5/09 - Tonight Could Be the Season's First Snow

Tonight, forecasters are saying could be the Eastern Shores first snow of the year. An area of low pressure offshore will create breezy and wet conditions. Northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, will elevate tide levels. A cold rain will be likely, off and on, for much of the day. Later, as colder air moves in from the west, rain may mix with wet snow. The best chances for snow will occur on the northern part of the Shore.

Traditionally, the Eastern Shore does not see much snow during the month of December. The lowest temperature recorded on the Eastern Shore on December 5th was 20 degrees in 2000 and the highest was 71 degrees in 2001. Although still a way away, forecasters are predicting snow on two separate occasions over the next two weeks, perhaps well have a White Christmas this year.

VIA WESR

"Merry Christmas" Just say it.

I will be making a conscious effort to wish everyone
a Merry Christmas this year ...
My way of saying that I am celebrating
the birth Of Jesus Christ.
Join me and maybe we can prevent one more
American tradition from being lost in the sea of
"Political Correctness".

Just Say It !!

Funny Christmas Decoration

Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations.

The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year. The bad news is that I had to take them down after only two days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

I think I made him too real this time. But it was fun while it lasted.

Santa's Helper @ The Discovery Center

5 December 2009

Delmarva Discovery Center

Santa’s Helper

Want to get your Holiday shopping done without the kids?


Bring your children to the Delmarva Discovery Center!

Saturday, December 5th
12:30pm – 4:00pm


Children will make holiday crafts, tour the museum, and play games. To top off the afternoon they will watch “The Polar Express” at the Mar-Va Theater!

For ages 5 to 12 years old.
$20.00 per child

Pre registration is required.
410.957.9933
events@delmarvadiscoverycenter.org

www.delmarvadiscoverycenter.org

Santa’s Helper

Want to get your Holiday shopping done without the kids?


Bring your children to the Delmarva Discovery Center!

Saturday, December 5th
12:30pm – 4:00pm


Children will make holiday crafts, tour the museum, and play games. To top off the afternoon they will watch “The Polar Express” at the Mar-Va Theater!

For ages 5 to 12 years old.
$20.00 per child

Pre registration is required.
410.957.9933
events@delmarvadiscoverycenter.org

www.delmarvadiscoverycenter.org

Pocomoke; Detective Scott Mitchell, Allegations of a local minor rape cover-up

First I call BS, if I'm wrong I'm wrong.

The crap slinging against former det. Scott Mitchell I cannot fathom. If this EX-officer is/was involved in a cover-up of the rape of a minor ... well.. he deserves what he gets. If not... well... what will the people spreading this rumor do for him in the end?

This is NOT the fault of the people of Pocomoke as some other scum blog portrays, it is (if true) the fault of the person that committed this horrific crime.

I will investigate and shine the truth on this matter and report the facts.

In the meantime if anyone thinks this is the fault of Pocomoke.... or it's citizens........

"Hey you know what? I got a plan for you, why don't you move?"

Virginia Veteran Gets Extra Week Before He Must Remove Flag or Face Consequences

A Medal of Honor recipient in a dispute over his right to fly the American flag in his yard will have another week before D-Day -- when he'll be forced to take down the Stars and Stripes or face legal action.

Ninety-year-old Col. Van T. Barfoot, a veteran of three wars, initially was given a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to dismantle his flagpole or face a legal battle over violating an order from his townhouse community association in Henrico County, Va.

John K. Honey, who is part of Barfoot's pro-bono legal team, said the homeowner association's board told him Thursday that it would push the date back a week to Friday, Dec. 11, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

"There's not going to be an announcement anytime this weekend," Honey told the paper. "We can all get some breathing room."

SLIDESHOW: Medal of Honor Winner Col. Van Barfoot

Barfoot, who fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, was told in July that he could not put up his freestanding flagpole in his Sussex Square neighborhood — but he installed it anyway.

On Tuesday, he says, he got a letter from the homeowners' association telling him the 21-foot pole he erected in September violates the community's aesthetic guidelines.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has gotten involved in the dispute in the hopes of coming to a settlement.

"We intend to get to work right away to try to come up with a solution that’s acceptable to both Col. Barfoot and to the Homeowner’s Association," Warner's office said on his blog.

The American Legion also has joined Barfoot's fight.

"The association underestimated the fight left in this elderly veteran, and now they have to contend with the determination and persistence of Col. Barfoot's 2.5 million friends in The American Legion," National Commander Clarence E. Hill said in a statement.

But the homeowners' association defended their position, saying the issue wasn't Barfoot's right to fly the flag.

"This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole," the association said in a statement, insisting that Barfoot directly violated its board's July ruling.

"Col. Barfoot is free to display the American flag in conformity with the neighborhood rules and restrictions. We are hopeful that Col. Barfoot will comply."

Barfoot told the Times-Dispatch that he's faithfully displayed Old Glory every day since he served in the Army.

"There's never been a day in my life or a place I've lived in my life that you couldn't fly the American flag," he said.

Click here for Col. Barfoot's Congressional Medal of Honor Citation.

Click here for more from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Soldier Surprises Virginia Beach Girl Scouts

Army Specialist Andrew Dickey had no idea he would be receiving a standing ovation from a group of local girl scouts - especially since he's in town to say thank you to them.

The young girls in Virginia Beach troop 436 and troop 568 collected more than 200 boxes of girl scout cookies and shipped them all to Specialist Dickey and his troop in Iraq.

"The troops do so much for us and we never want to make them feel like they are unappreciated," one girl scout said.

Specialist Dickey just got home from deployment two weeks ago, and to let the girls know their act of kindness didn't go unnoticed, he surprised them at their holiday party with pizza and drinks.

"They did something for us and we usually don't get stuff like that, the least we can do is throw them a pizza party, say thank you for what they did for us," Dickey said.

The girls were very pleased with the pleasant surprise from Dickey.

"I thought it was good because it was special because it was a soldier from Iraq that came," said Haley Maydak, a girl scout.

"We are so proud that they are out there protecting the U.S.A., and it's because of them that we can be free."

The girl scout support for our troops doesn't end with cookies - right now they are making cards to send to troops serving overseas.

http://wtkr.com

"Good Without God"

This electronic billboard near M&T Bank Stadium and three others show messages from the Baltimore Coalition of Reason, the local arm of a national campaign to bring atheists, agnostics and others together. The messages will appear through Sunday. (Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston / December 1, 2009)

Reporter Matthew Hay Brown

Teresa Cherry was out running errands when she saw the question floating over Interstate 95.

"Are you good without God?" the electronic billboard asked. "Millions are."

The Baltimore woman does not believe in the existence of a supreme being. And in that moment, she did not feel so alone.

"My friend and I were just discussing a few days ago whether or not there was a community of others like us in Baltimore," said the 28-year-old Cherry, a student at the Community College of Baltimore County. Checking out the Web site advertised on the billboard, she said, "we found out that there are some local groups, and it's exciting to me."

Which is just what the Baltimore Coalition of Reason wants. The new organization, a collection of atheists, agnostics and others, is introducing itself to the area this week with a billboard campaign aimed at reaching out to nonbelievers while telling the rest of the community that goodness is possible without godliness.

"Sometimes people have negative stereotypes or impressions about people who are atheist or agnostic," local coordinator Emil Volcheck said. "They think that just because they don't believe in God that somehow they're not good people."

Baltimore becomes the latest target of a national campaign, funded by an anonymous businessman from Philadelphia, intended to join atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and other nonbelievers - a diverse lot, not universally inclined toward organization - into something resembling a community, and one that ultimately could wield the sort of social, cultural and political power now enjoyed by the larger religious denominations.

"A lot of people who don't believe in traditional religion or don't believe in a god, they tend to think they're the only ones," said Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason. "And thinking they're the only ones, they tend not to communicate their feelings to others, others don't communicate similar feelings they may have to them, so they don't realize there are groups out there."

Edwords says the organization, which drew worldwide notice last spring with a bus advertising campaign in New York, will have 20 chapters nationwide by the end of the year, in small communities as well as large, in red states as well as blue. More launches are planned for the new year.

The effort comes as atheism enjoys a new vogue. Emboldened by the success of best-selling books by Christopher Hitchens ("God Is Not Great") and Richard Dawkins ("The God Delusion"), and wary of attempts to require instruction in "intelligent design" in public schools, efforts to promote religious messages on government property and other challenges to the separation of church and state, nonbelievers have grown vocal as never before.

Read full story: www.baltimoresun.com