Censored Protest at Ground Zero Americans Stand Up Against Radical Islam in New York – We Will Not Submit!

Stop the Mosque at Ground Zero

 

June 16, 2010, New York , N.Y. ,   –  by El Marco

Americans Stand Up Against Radical Islam in New York – We Will Not Submit!

 

Not one major network sent a satellite truck or camera crew to this event. Without bloggers, this newsworthy event would have remained unknown to the public and history.

On Sunday, June 6th, a multi-ethnic, multi-racial coalition of Americans opposed to Islamic violence and intolerance rallied at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

9/11 families were joined by immigrants from India, Russia, Egypt, Israel, Africa, Iran and Europe to show opposition to the construction of a mega-mosque at Ground Zero. Others flew in from overseas to speak or just to share their particular ethnic communities’ experiences at the hands of Muslims.

These are parents and spouses of firefighters killed on 9/11. The rally took place just a minute’s walk from Ladder 10 Firehouse, where their loved ones were stationed for duty that terrible day. Ladder 10 lost seven firefighters.

Crowd estimates ranged from 5,000 (NYPD) to 10,000. The crowd overflowed the police barrier enclosures that ran the full length of two city blocks. This photo shows the enclosure in front of the stage at the intersection of Liberty and Church Streets. The second enclosure ran the length of the next block and can be seen on the other side of the traffic lights.

Thousands of additional participants filled the treed area of Zuccotti Park .

Robert Spencer and  Pamela Geller are the founders of STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA, which sponsored the rally. Ms. Geller is a citizen journalist and blogger who runs the human rights web site Atlas Shrugs. Mr. Spencer is the author of several books on Islam and head of the influential web site Jihad watch.  Pamela Geller:

“Ground Zero is a war memorial, Ground Zero is a burial ground. We are asking for sensitivity…It is unconscionable to build a shrine to the very ideology that inspired the jihadist attacks at Ground Zero, right there. We are asking the imam Rauf and Daisy Khan to be sensitive. For mutual respect and mutual understanding that is demanded of us every day.

There’s a hair-trigger sensitivity in the Muslim world, you can’t run the cartoons, you can’t say Mohammed, this is offensive. This is an offensive mosque. To build a shrine, an Islamic flag of conquest on the sacred ground the cherished site, of a conquered land. This is historic, this is Islamic history. It’s what they do. The St. Sofia in Turkey , the al-Quds, at the holiest Jewish site in Israel. Not here. This is where we take a stand. We must take a stand. We must say no.”

I do not believe that the landmarks commission, controlled by Mayor Bloomberg, is going to stop this mosque. It’s not going to happen. Here’s Omar Muhamedi, on his human rights council, a CAIR lawyer, who sued the airlines and the Jane and John Does that saw something and said something on those airplanes, if you remember. That’s who’s on his human rights commission. It ain’t gonna happen with Bloomberg. We have to make it happen. You have to get involved.” ( Pamela Geller)

Police enclosure on left, with crowd flowing out of park on right. The new Tower 7 and World Trade Center site are in the background. The green tent, center, is located immediately behind the stage.

Port Authority and NYPD officers kept watch over the rally and were well aware of the need for heightened security at this event. One of their own Port Authority officers, WTC Sergeant Alan T. DeVona was on duty at the World Trade Center on 9/11, 2001, and was one of the first to help victims of the terrorist attack. He spoke these words to the SIOA rally:

“It’s almost nine years. I’m hoping that America is watching. I’m hoping that America is remembering. Because, make no mistake, September 11 was an act of war. And thank the military that has lost almost 5,000 troops from that day, defending us. I don’t know what to say to jar America’s memory. I want America to remember."

Port Authority Police and FDNY firefighters are seen here gathered beneath this banner

The issues at stake will certainly affect the heart of American freedom, democracy, cultural values and tolerance. America is a tolerant country that allows for the free worship of all its citizens. But our tolerance has limits. Do we have to tolerate intolerant Islamic ideology and Muslims who preach intolerant Islam?”

Hindu human rights activists Narain Kataria, Prasad Yalamanchi and unidentified friend came from Mississippi and Chicago with banners and flyers highlighting the radical statements of imam Rauf and his jihadist roots.

Stephen Dyer and Gary Jules journalism students at York College, with Pamela Geller. Not one major network sent a satellite truck or camera crew to this event. Without bloggers this newsworthy event would have remained unknown to the public and history.

Pamela Geller is greeted by Hindu human rights activists Prasad Yalamanchi and Narain Kataria.

Bhupinder Singh Bhurji, Pamela Geller, and Robert Spencer. Singh Bhurji is the president of the  NAMDHARI SIKH FOUNDATION. The foundation is a member of the Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam (HRCARI). HRCARI is a coalition of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians from Sudan, Egypt and Iraq, moderate Muslims and Jews — who are victims and targets of radical Islam around the globe. He said, at another rally:

“Radical Islamists are killing people in India, trying to dominate that nation. And here too they come with violence against “infidels.” We are “infidels united,” standing together, brown, black and white, against this epoch’s fascist movement. Radical Islam wants to dominate entire world. They want everyone to surrender. Islam radical or otherwise. They want to put the Islamic flag on White House.”

Because of Islamic terrorism, America and the world have seen massive new security measures become a way of life. Anyone openly critical of Islam, or terrorist ideology, must surround themselves with security, or live in hiding. Those courageous enough to confront Islamism are criticized by the cowards and appeasers of the left who seek safety by supporting the enemy. Moderate Muslims were silent when Theo van Gogh was brutally murdered in Amsterdam, just as moderate Muslims in the United States are generally reluctant to speak out against violent Islam. Moderate Muslims also face great danger in speaking out.

Geller and Spencer will press on despite the danger. They hope to inspire Americans to stand up and say enough of political correctness and work to stem the galloping islamization of America and Europe.

Hat Tip; Eric

Man Shoots Neighbor's Puppy

I had a neighbor very similar to this a**hole at one time. It was never pleasant. People that react like this around animals usually don't get along very well with people either. It's just a shame you can't take a garden tool to the heads of people that do these things.

Varina, Va. A Varina man told police he chased down and shot a neighbor's dog last week after it strayed onto his property,Henrico County authorities said.

Mack Donald Hudson, 79, of the 8600 block of Osborne Turnpike told police he was afraid for his life Friday when he saw Grace, an 11-month-old Australian shepherd, on his property with another dog.

But Grace's owners say their dog simply went outside to wander the wooded area around their unfenced property and use the bathroom.

Grace's co-owner, Heather Sheffield, said her boyfriend let Grace outside Friday about 10:30 a.m. A short time later, he heard a shot, and he found Grace bleeding a few dozen yards from their house, she said.

Hudson's property is near Sheffield's, though neighbors' lots buffer between the two.

Hudson told police he was doing yardwork when he saw two dogs running loose. One of the dogs ran off when he yelled at it, but Grace did not, he told police.

Hudson told police he went inside his house, got a 12-gauge shotgun, and went outside to find the dog. When he couldn't find it, he got in his truck and found the dog on the rear of his property, Henrico police Lt. Eric Owens said.

He told police, "I was in fear ofmy life and I shot it," Owens said.

A woman at Hudson's home yesterday said the family had no comment.

Grace remains under observation at the Veterinary Emergency Center in Carytown, where she is expected to recover.

Dr. Robert Fulton, who admitted Grace to the clinic, said she had been shot in multiple places, with two pellets or bullet fragments in her body.

Even worse than the gunshot wounds was the blunt-force trauma to her skull, caused perhaps by a garden tool, that gave her a concussive injury, he said.

The wounds all were consistent with one attack, Fulton said.

Sheffield said Grace would not have been aggressive toward Hudson.

"She's an Australian shepherd. They don't go up to strangers. She's barely 20 pounds," she said. "Her favorite thing to do is play Frisbee.

Mack Donald Hudson was charged Saturday with misdemeanor cruelty to animals, according to - Online Court Records" He is scheduled to appear in court in August.

www.timesdispatch.com

Assateague Lighthouse Undergoing Renovations

CHINCOTEAGUE -- The historic Assateague Lighthouse is undergoing renovations after serving as a beacon for more than 100 years.

After ownership of the building passed from the U.S. Coast Guard to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2004, a $1.5 million, multi-phase restoration project began. The lower gallery deck has already been replaced, allowing visitors to walk on the deck -- approximately 130 feet in the air -- for the first time.

The second phase in the restoration project involved removing and replacing the glass windows at the top of the lighthouse to seal water leaks.

Funded largely by grants and entrance fees visitors pay to climb the lighthouse, these two projects together cost almost $400,000.

Now, fundraising for the remaining phases of the lighthouse restoration is under way. These include replacing the rest of the lighthouse windows, recentering the stairwell, renovating the upper gallery deck and eventually giving the lighthouse a new coat of paint.

"We don't want to change the fabric of the building, but we want to make sure it can withstand visitors going up," said Refuge Manager Lou Hinds.

Because the lighthouse is a registered historical structure, restoration efforts are being overseen by a Virginia historical official "to ensure the work is correct," Hinds said.

International Chimney Corporation is now working to replace the windows, which are bowing out due to pressure exerted by the wrought iron frames that are expanding as they rust.

"If we don't take steps fairly quickly, additional windows will break, and that is a loss because some of those are original windows," said Hinds.

The Chincoteague Natural History Association is working on a capital campaign to raise funds for the continued restoration of the lighthouse. The association "wanted to be involved in the restoration of the lighthouse, so they began saving money many years ago. That's what's given us such a great start on the restoration," Hinds said.

The CNHA leads tours of the lighthouse, and this summer, five interns from as far away as California have been employed to help.

"Our interns this summer are ... relaying the cultural importance of the lighthouse," said Park Ranger Melissa Perez. "They'll be ... explaining why we're doing what we're doing with the restoration."


She hopes the tours will gives visitors a deeper appreciation for what the lighthouse symbolizes, rather than a single-minded goal of climbing the 198 steps to the top -- although the view of the island from 142 feet is breathtaking.

Perez said education is an important step in gaining public support for the CNHA's capital campaign, and Hinds agreed that "it's the community's lighthouse ... so having community support is important."

The CNHA is currently working with the Curtis Group, a Virginia Beach-based organization that aids in nonprofit fundraising, to survey the public about attitudes regarding the lighthouse and restoration "to find out what fundraising approaches will work best," said CNHA Executive Director Beth Hanback. The CNHA aims to raise $1.5 million for the restoration project and to establish an endowment fund for the future maintenance of the lighthouse.

In addition to the study, which Hanback hopes will be completed in three to five weeks, the CNHA is working to plan events including National Lighthouse Appreciation Day on Aug. 7 and a lighthouse benefit concert on Oct. 2.

The timeframe for the remainder of the restoration project depends on funds received. The final step of the process will be stripping the lighthouse of its old, lead-based paint and applying a new coat.

"Literally the icing on the cake is going to be when the lighthouse is repainted," Hanback said.

The lighthouse was completed in 1867 and had six keepers until the lens was converted to electric operation in 1933. The Coast Guard still operates the lens.

Visitors can go inside the lighthouse Thursday through Monday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. -- but those wishing to climb to the top should arrive by 2:30 p.m. Adults pay $4 to climb, and children under 12 pay $2. All entrance fees contribute to restoration efforts.

Anyone wishing to donate to the restoration project can send checks to the Assateague Lighthouse Restoration Fund, P.O. Box 917, Chincoteague, Va. 23336. Call the CNHA at 757-336-3696 for more information.

"In the end, it takes the public and donations from the public ... to help us achieve our goal of complete restoration," Hinds said.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/

Campaign Strategy

You have to give Keith Stouten credit for trying, even if his cutting maneuver with a large Ehrlich for Governor sign may still run afoul of Baltimore County rules.

Last month, the Dundalk man who owns Stouten's Bear Creek Marina received a notice from the county that he had to remove the 4-by-8-foot campaign sign from his front porch on Wise Avenue because it was four times too big for that particular area, where political signs are limited to 8 square feet. He said he did a bit of research and came up with what seemed a solution.

"I thought I'd have some fun with it," said Stouten. "I took a razor knife and cut it into four pieces I knew would be 8 square feet" each.

Then, spacing the four panels a few inches apart, he mounted the sign back on the porch rail, where it once again announced his support for Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who hopes to unseat Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley in November.

That seemed to fix the problem, Stouten said, or at least he never heard anything further from the county. But the county's inspector returned, took a photograph of the altered sign and noted in the case file: "Sign cut into 4 pieces and install(ed) on front porch."

Timothy M. Kotroco, the county's director of Permits and Development Management, said the razor tactic might satisfy the size limit, but it still falls short of another requirement that signs be spaced at least 12 inches apart. That way, it's more clear what is one sign and what is several signs.

Still, Stouten is safe for now from a citation that could mean $200-a-day fines for not removing the sign.

Because another county resident has taken a dispute over his 4-by-8 Ehrlich for Governor sign to U.S. District Court, Kotroco said, the county is pulling back enforcement on political signs. Unless there's a question of public safety — such as a sign blocking a motorist's view of the road ahead — the county will respond to complaints by issuing a notice, but won’t pursue the matter further if a sign is not removed.

"We're not going to be pressing charges pending the outcome at federal court," said Kotroco. He added that he's seen the sign-cutting move before, during one political season or another. Campaigns can never be over soon enough for his taste.

"In our world we look forward to the day when these signs go away," said Kotroco.

www.baltimoresun.com

Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Has Died

The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 13, 2010; 10:05 AM

NEW YORK -- The Yankees say owner George Steinbrenner has died. He was 80.

Spokesman Howard Rubenstein said he died Tuesday morning. He had a heart attack, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died at about 6:30 a.m, a person close to the owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.

Steinbrenner, who celebrated his birthday July 4, had been in fragile health for several years.

Flags were immediately lowered to half-staff at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training complex. The Yankees says many employees there were in tears.

The death comes two days after the team's beloved public-address announcer Bob Sheppard died at 99.

www.washingtonpost.com

Worcester County Burn Ban Still ln Effect

July 7, 2010 - Worcester County Places A Burn Ban In Effect

Written by Jeff McMahon Wednesday, 07 July 2010

Update: Monday, July 12, 2010 - BURN BAN STILL IN EFFECT

Effective immediately (July 7, 2010), outdoor burning is banned for an indefinite period of time in Worcester County.

Worcester County Fire Marshal Jeff McMahon issued the burning ban today, July 7, 2010 after dry weather and 12 outdoor wildfires occurred in Worcester County during the past 30 days.

The ban applies to all outdoor ignition sources, including campfires, bonfires, fireworks, leaf, brush, grass and trash burning and other similar methods of open incineration.

The ban does not apply to public permitted fireworks displays with fire company personnel assisting or Assateague beach campfires.

Since the beginning of June, the County has experienced an increased number of brush, field and woods fires,” said McMahon.

“These fires cause safety concerns for area residents and responding personnel. -The ban will remain in effect until the dry conditions dissipate.

For further information contact Fire Marshall Jeff McMahon at 410-632-5666.

Did Somebody Say Cake?!

OH this story just keeps getting better and better!

VIRGINIA BEACH —

— The Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said Monday that "it could just be a coincidence" that a federal probation officer restricted Michael Vick's travel within days of a prosecutor recounting a confrontation Vick had with a cake-wielding man outside his June 25 birthday party.
"No one in our office has talked with the federal probation officer," said Marcie Pridgen, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office. "They have not called us."

Ralph Pacy, the deputy federal probation officer in charge of the Hampton Roads region, said Monday he could not discuss the Vick case or the reasons for the travel restrictions. Virginia Beach police also declined to say whether they spoke with Vick's probation officer.

Vick was supposed to attend two events over the weekend, a charity golf event in Georgia and an appearance at a youth football camp in Raleigh, N.C.

The travel restrictions — imposed over the weekend — led to both events being canceled Sunday. The football camp's director said Vick's people promised as late as Saturday that he would be on hand, while the golf tournament's organizers said Vick told them on Friday that he'd be there.

An Associated Press article Monday said the decision to restrict the quarterback's out-of-state travel "followed" the prosecutor's earlier statement about the cake incident.

Virginia Beach's top prosecutor, Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey L. Bryant, said late last week that Vick got out of his car outside the Virginia Beach club where a birthday party had been held and "intended to confront" a man who had shoved cake in his face inside the nightspot.

But Bryant told the Virginian-Pilot that Vick's friends surrounded Vick, and the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback "correctly" got back in his car.

"He's an athlete and an entertainer, but he's also a human being, and things that would tick you and I off would tick him off," Bryant told the Pilot. "But he extricated himself … and left with the help and encouragement of some of his friends and supporters."

Witnesses at the birthday party have told the Daily Press that the cake-wielding man was Quanis Phillips — the same man shot in the leg four minutes after Vick's car left the parking lot. Bryant said the shooter hasn't been charged because the victim and witnesses aren't cooperating.

Phillips was a co-defendant with Vick in the 2007 dog-fighting conspiracy case that sent Vick to federal prison.

In the interview with the Pilot, Bryant said that Vick got out of his car "as if he intended to confront someone in the crowd," before getting back in the car and leaving. "All of this is before any shooting occurs," Bryant said.

www.dailypress.com

Gingrich Considering Running For President

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday he's seriously considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination and will announce his decision early next year.

Gingrich, 67, told The Associated Press that he would focus on helping Republican candidates through the midterm elections in November, then decide in February or March whether to seek the GOP nomination.

"I've never been this serious," Gingrich said.


It's fair to say that by February the groundwork will have been laid to consider seriously whether or not to run," he said.

Gingrich, in Des Moines for a fundraiser and workshop for local Republican candidates, predicted President Barack Obama would be a one-term president. Obama's poll numbers have dropped below 50 percent, and Gingrich predicted they would continue to fall, making him vulnerable in 2012.

Unlike President Bill Clinton, who rebounded from first-term problems by pushing for welfare reform and budget balancing changes that pleased moderate voters, Gingrich argued that Obama shows no inclination to move toward the center.

"He's not like Bill Clinton," Gingrich said. "Bill Clinton was an Arkansas, Southern Baptist, sort of understood middle American. While he had some Yale overtones being liberal, the truth is Bill Clinton was quite happy to move to the right."

Gingrich has been mentioned as a possible 2012 presidential candidate along with other Republicans, including former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Gingrich had a long congressional career and was House speaker from 1995 to 1999. He was given much of the credit for the Republican takeover of the House in 1994. But he abruptly resigned from Congress in 1998 after his party faired poorly in midterm elections. He also was reprimanded by the House ethics panel for using tax-exempt funding to advance his political goals.

The former speaker, who championed a family values agenda, spearheaded efforts to impeach Clinton for perjury over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Gingrich later admitted having an extramarital affair of his own in 1998 with a former congressional aide, Callista Bisek. He married Bisek after divorcing his second wife, Marianne.

After leaving Congress, Gingrich created American Solutions for Winning the Future, a tax-exempt organization that promotes conservative causes. He acknowledged considering a White House run in 2007 and said he also thought about a run against Clinton before deciding it wasn't possible.

"You couldn't be the first Republican speaker in a generation and engage in a contest with Bill Clinton for setting the direction of the country and run for president," said Gingrich. "It wasn't physically doable."

Gingrich said he would to return several time this year to Iowa, where precinct caucuses lead off the presidential nominating process. He said he planned to lay the groundwork for a campaign by working hard for Republicans in the midterm elections.

Gingrich is known for his frequently harsh rhetoric, and he didn't hold back in speaking about Obama.

"I think he will replace Jimmy Carter as the worst president of modern times," said Gingrich.

Thanks to Obama's performance, Gingrich said he expected that whoever wins the Republican nomination would win the White House.

"He is a disaster," Gingrich said of Obama. "His principles are fundamentally wrong. The people he appoints are more radical than he is and less competent."

Despite his fiery personality, Gingrich said he wasn't worried that his comments would turn off moderate voters. At a time when the economy remains fragile, Americans want results and aren't worried about personality, he said.

"I think likable is a word you have to think about a lot," said Gingrich. "If people believe their country is in trouble, they want a captain of the lifeboat, they don't want a fraternity brother."

www.dailypress.com

18 Year Old Shot By Police Was Armed

Reported 7/12/10

NORFOLK--A man killed by police during a chase early Sunday was raising a handgun when officers fired, the Police Department said today.

Jamarr Hassell, 18, was shot about 2:23 a.m. after officers tried to pull over a Ford Explorer he was driving. About five officers had responded to the 7100 block of Sewells Point Road for a report of gunfire.

Hassell ran from the Explorer and was shot by police during a foot chase, "Prior to shooting, officers verbally challenged suspect, instructing him to drop his gun. Suspect turned toward officers and began to raise his weapon when officers fired," a police statement said.the department said.

Two officers have been put on administrative duty while the shooting is investigated, which is routine in such cases.

The gunfire report was made at 2:17 a.m. A second caller five minutes later said a man in a Ford Explorer was firing a gun into the air near Johnstons Road and Chesapeake Boulevard, police said.

Officers tried to stop an Explorer on Sewells Point Road; when it stopped, Hassell ran from it, police said.

The officers at the scene were not aware that Hassell was wanted on charges of robbery, carjacking and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with a Wednesday incident, police said. In that case, four people tried to carjack a man about 1:40 a.m. in the 7400 block of Fenner St. Police allege that Hassell was one of the carjackers and fired at the victim as he ran.

The Ford Explorer that Hassell was driving had a North Carolina license plate that did not match the vehicle, police said. Chris Amos, a police department spokesman, said investigators believe it was stolen.

He was wanted in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Norfolk police said. In Chesapeake, Hassell was facing charges of vandalism, two counts of grand larceny and failure to appear, police said. The Virginia Beach charges came while Hassell was a juvenile, and a police spokesman said he couldn't comment on them.

On his Facebook page, Hassell said he liked comedian Martin Lawrence, and he listed his interests as "money" and his activities as "Smoking weed."

16 Year Old Ellicott City Girl Injured In Uganda Terror Attack

As Emily Kerstetter and her fellow church mission members enjoyed a meal at an Ethiopian restaurant in Uganda, the 16-year-old Ellicott City resident told her new friends that she wanted to stay and work through the rest of the summer.

She had already extended her trip once, opting out of her original flight that departed five days earlier. She was ready for more.

Minutes later, a suicide bomber struck outside the restaurant, one of two attacks in the Ugandan capital of Kampala that killed at least 74 people and wounded 85 others, including Emily, her grandmother and three other members of her group. Ugandan police believe an al-Qaida-linked group, al-Shabab, is behind the bombings at the restaurant and a rugby club. At both locations, crowds had gathered to watch the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands outdoors on a large-screen TV.

Emily sustained a serious leg injury, but was in stable condition on Monday, said Liskovec, who was in contact with U.S. government sources. Joanne Kerstetter, her paternal grandmother and traveling companion, had an elbow injury but was in good enough condition to accompany her granddaughter to Johannesburg, South Africa, for surgery. Her parents, Matthew and Jennifer Kerstetter, took a Monday afternoon flight to meet them.

The other four members of the party, a mission group organized by Joanne Kerstetter's Selinsgrove, Pa., church, sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Rev. Kathleen Kind, pastor at Christ Community Church.

Joanne Kerstetter asked her granddaughter earlier this year to accompany her on the trip, said Liskovec. But the elder Kerstetter warned her granddaughter it wouldn't be easy. Emily would have to raise $4,000 to finance the mission.

The then-sophomore at Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville contacted family, friends, relatives and anyone she could think of to support her cause, said Liskovec. In a newsletter for Mount de Sales Academy, Emily asked her community at the private school for help. "I am feeling that God is calling me to reach out to those who are less fortunate," she wrote in April. "I have been presented with this opportunity to grow in charity toward others." At that point she had raised only $1,000.

Chantel Hunter, a classmate, said via e-mail yesterday that Emily is known as a caring person who "is always thinking of others before herself."

Liskovec said neither she nor Emily's parents have been able to contact the girl but have received word of her condition from the State Department and FBI.

Such a deadly attack came as a shock to the missionaries. Kind said her church has sent members on mission trips to Uganda for years. Eight other members of the church's party had returned on the flight last week.

Kind said Joanne Kerstetter has been a part of several trips, and considers her to be a pillar of the church. "Before she left, she asked every child in the church to pray for her," Kind said. "That comes from a place of sincerity and deep faith."

In Washington, President Barack Obama spoke with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday to express his condolences for the loss of life in the bombings. Obama offered to provide any support or assistance needed in Uganda, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs said that, while the FBI is assisting in the ongoing investigation, the U.S. believes that there is "no clearer signal of the hateful motives of terrorists than was sent yesterday."

A California-based aid group said one of its workers, Nate Henn, 25, of Brandywine Hundred, Del., was among the dead, the only confirmed American casualty.

One of the leaders on Emily's team, Lori Ssebulime, told the Associated Press the members had arrived early at the restaurant for dinner to get good seats to view the soccer match. After the blast, Ssebulime said, she scrambled around the bodies, found Emily and got her inside a minivan.

"Emily was rolling around in a pool of blood screaming," she said. Ssebulime added, "The blast happened. It was total chaos. I fell over backward. Everything was gray. Five minutes before it went off, Emily said she was going to cry so hard because she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay the rest of the summer here."

"A couple of people have said, 'Man if she'd only come home,' " said Nikki Liskovec, a family friend and former next-door neighbor of Emily and her parents. "But if you'd seen Emily's face, she loved doing this work. You'd understand why she was there."

www.baltimoresun.com

U. of Del. Alum Among 64 Killed in Uganda Blasts

Del. (AP)- A California-based aid group says its worker who was killed in the Uganda explosions had attended the University of Delaware.

Invisible Children of San Diego that helps child soldiers, identified the dead American as Nate Henn, who was killed on the rugby field. The group says Henn studied psychology at the University of Delaware, where he also played rugby.

Jason Vanterpool, who played rugby with Henn, says Henn got along with everyone and was always smiling. He says Henn only played the sport for about a semester and a half due to an injury.

Henn was among at least 64 people killed when explosions tore through crowds watching the World Cup final at a rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant. Police feared an al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group was behind the attacks.

www.wboc.com

Johnny Strand- Slain Manager of Pizza Hut To Be Honored

Slain Pizza Hut Manager Johnny Strand will be memorialized this

Saturday, July 17 at 11:00 AM

at his former restaurant in Onley, Va.



The public is invited to the event.


A plaque honoring Strand will be mounted in the dining room in the Onley Pizza Hut. Plans for a scholarship fund in honor of Strand are currently being talked over and will be announced soon.

Strand was found murdered at his Melfa residents on May 1st after he did not report to work. Fernando Carrillo Sanchez, 23 of Accomac, was arrested on May 5th in connection with Strands death and charged with 2nd degree murder. Sanchezs preliminary hearing will be at 11:00 AM on August 6th in Accomack's General District Court.

Difference between potentially and realistically.

                            

 

 

 

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, 'Dad, what is the difference between potentially and realistically?'

 

The father thought for a moment, then answered, 'Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars.

 

Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a Million dollars, and then ask your brother if he'd sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that.'

 

So the boy went to his mother and asked, 'Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?'

 

The mother replied, 'Of course I would! We could really use that money to fix up the house and send you kids to a great University!'

 

The boy then went to his sister and asked, 'Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?'

 

The girl replied, 'Oh my Gawd! I LOVE Brad Pitt I would sleep with him in a heartbeat, are you nuts?'

 

The boy then went to his brother and asked, 'Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?'

 

'Of course,' the brother replied. 'Do you know what a million Bucks would buy?'

 

The boy pondered the answers for a few days and then went back to his dad.

 

His father asked him, 'Did you find out the difference between 'potentially' and 'realistically'?'

 

The boy replied, 'Yes, 'Potentially' , you and I are sitting on Three million dollars .

 

But 'realistically' , we're just living with two hookers and a queer. 

 

Hat Tip; Eric

4 Worms Church Sermon!

For those of you who missed church on Sunday, here is a recap!
Four worms and a lesson to be learned!!!!

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.

The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.

The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.

The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

The first worm in alcohol- Dead

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive. 
So the Minister asked the congregation - 
What did you learn from this demonstration???

Maxine was sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,

'As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!' 

Hat Tip; Kack

Arsenic Levels Rise Around Gulf of Mexico

British scientists warned that the oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, and could further add to the devastating impact on the already sensitive environment.

BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig has been spilling between 3,681,500 litres and 911,454,000 litres of oil into the sea per day since it exploded on April 22.

The spill is already being labeled as America's worst environmental disaster and has turned into a economic and PR nightmare for the British company.

Seventy-five days into the spill, the oil has fouled some 715km of shoreline in four southeastern US states, killed wildlife and put a massive dent in the region's multi-billion-dollar fishing industry.

The clean-up operation, which has already cost, $US3.12 billion ($3.7 billion), is expected to rise even further after efforts were hampered by technical setbacks to cap the leak and adverse weather conditions.

In a further blow, an operation to permanently cap the ruptured well on the seafloor far below the surface cannot begin until engineers finish drilling relief wells, in mid-August at the earliest.

Imperial College London researchers warned the effect on the environment could worsen unless clean up efforts were hastened.

Researchers published a study which found oil stops the ocean’s natural filtering process of arsenic.

They said the arsenic then gets “magnified” up the food chain, as fish eat small amounts of the deadly poison and may eventually impact humans, researchers said.

Professor Mark Sephton said arsenic, which is found in seawater, was normally filtered out of the ocean when it combined with sediment on the sea floor.

“But oil spills stop the normal process because the oil combines with sediment and it leads to an accumulation of arsenic in the water over time," he said.

"Arsenic only needs to be a 10th of a part per billion to cause problems.”

He added: “Our study is a timely reminder that oil spills could create a toxic ticking time bomb, which could threaten the fabric of the marine ecosystem in the future.”

Prof Sephton called for a comprehensive mapping of arsenic levels around the world which would allow authorities to consider banning oil drilling in areas with dangerous levels of arsenic.

The findings were published this month in the journal Water Research.

The warnings come after Hurricane Alex sparked a five-day shutdown, raising new questions over how BP would pay for the mounting costs.

Meanwhile, cleanup workers arrived back on Grand Isle, Louisiana by the hundreds, spilling off school buses that shuttled them in from around the state with one worker claiming it's the most oil he had seen so far.

However, while skimming operations resumed in Louisiana, rough seas kept vessels tied up in harbour in three other southeastern US states and no controlled burns were being carried out.

Skimming was suspended last week as Tropical Storm Alex, which later became the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2010 season, entered the Gulf.

BP is now pinning its hopes on the giant Taiwanese supertanker A Whale exponentially boosting the amount of oil and water mix being scooped up from the surface of the gulf.

The tanker should be able to vacuum up 78.75m litres of oily water a day, separate it and spit the seawater back out.

Tests on the 275-metre tanker-turned-skimmer were expected to be completed by Monday before officials decide whether to deploy it.

It also emerged last night that BP is now turning to rival oil groups and sovereign wealth funds to fend off a possible hostile takeover bid.

The National, an Emirati newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, reported that sovereign wealth funds in the oil-rich Middle East have proposed making a strategic investment in BP, which has pledged to place $US20 billion ($A23.74 billion) in an escrow account to pay for the cleanup in the Gulf.

The firms were also allegedly mulling buying key assets from BP and financially backing any capital the oil company might plan to raise after the British energy giant lost over half of its stock market value and saw its shares plunge in the wake of the disaster.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meanwhile expanded the area closed to fishing in the Gulf beyond the current northwestern boundary off Louisiana, bringing to the closure to 210,258 square kilometres or 33.5 per cent of the Gulf's federal waters.

www.allvoices.com

Pocomoke Water Treatment System

POCOMOKE CITY -- The Pocomoke mayor and council agreed to additional work on the sewer plant upgrade that will change the way that the town's sewage is disinfected before it's released.

Presently, the sewage is disinfected by the addition of chlorine. When the new system is completed, waste will be treated with ultraviolet light. City Manager Russell W. Blake said that this system will not only be less expensive for the town but will be safer, too.

The state is urging towns to use a method of disinfectant other than chlorine so that the chemical can be eliminated from the Chesapeake Bay, Blake said.

Once the new plant upgrade is completed, Pocomoke City will have a "state-of-the-art plant, as good as or better than any on the bay," Blake said. He said that the Pocomoke City system is one of 33 plants in the Chesapeake Bay watershed governed by a stricter set of regulations. The costs of the upgrade should be almost 100 percent covered by state and federal grants, he said.

An additional bandstand at Cypress Park is another town project expected to be covered by state funding. The addition is planned to include restrooms and a concession stand for use during functions on the bandstand.

Blake said plans include a sound system on the bandstand that would require the town to purchase an amplifier, microphones and speakers as well as other equipment. B&B Sound Design proposed to supply the system at a cost of $8,633. The expenditure was approved by the council and is also expected to be covered by state funding.

Another project in the pipeline is an addition to the ambulance garage. The town has three ambulances but only has space for two in the headquarters building. The addition would make room for the third ambulance as well as extra room for storage. The cost of this building would be about $100,000, of which $50,000 will be covered by a grant.

www.delmarvanow.com

Michael Vick A No-Show

TUCKER, Ga. - Michael Vick was a no-show at his celebrity golf tournament Sunday after probation officials restricted travel for the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback this weekend.

Vick spokeswoman, Judy Smith, said that Vick's travel has been at the discretion of his probation officer since he was released from prison in a federal dogfighting case in May 2009.

The restriction follows a prosecutor saying this week that while Vick wasn't involved in a shooting after his 30th birthday party in Virginia Beach, Va., that he was in a confrontation before the incident.

Vick missed the Michael Vick Celebrity Golf tournament in Georgia and also did not make a scheduled appearance at a youth football camp in Raleigh, N.C., this weekend.

Spokespersons for both events say they were notified Sunday morning that Vick would not be attending.

"They called early, like 2 o'clock in the morning, telling us he's not coming," said Cornelius Corprew, director of Camp Elite Sports' two-day football camp. "And then we couldn't speak to him. It was through one of his associates.

"We're not crazy. No state agency is communicating at 2 o'clock in the morning that he's not allowed to come. I think that was a selfish act."

Corprew, who said that he was told Saturday by Vick representatives that the NFL star would be there Sunday. He said Vick was paid a $2,000 deposit of a $4,000 fee. He said the camp was built around Vick's appearance, and that campers paid $175 each and were promised packages that included photos and autographs.

"I'm upset because our camp is built on integrity and character and that's what we teach to our kids," Corprew said.

Rema Miller, whose Atlanta-based company promoted the charity golf tournament, said she spoke with Vick on Friday and he indicated at that time he was meeting with the Eagles.

On Sunday, Vick told event organizers he could not appear.

"He was coming at the time, but unfortunately he had to go meet with Philly for a team meeting," Miller said. "He did send a message that he hates that he could not be here, but he appreciates everybody coming out to support the charities."

Terance Mathis, a former Vick teammate with the Atlanta Falcons, played in the golf tournament. He said he was disappointed Vick wasn't there, but admires Vick's charitable efforts.

"He's still doing a great thing, trying to raise money for charities and help the community," said the former NFL wide receiver. "It's an unfortunate thing that happened, and when that happens, law enforcement does what they have to do. But it doesn't change how I feel about the guy and what he's trying to accomplish."

Though the events were scheduled on the same weekend, Corprew said he was assured that it would not present a problem. He said he was told not to worry about the golf tournament — that Vick would take care of them first.

Corprew said Vick missed an opportunity.

"You talk about second chances," he said. "You're given a great second chance and this would've been the perfect place to show he appreciated being given a second chance."

The victim in the June 25 shooting has not be identified by the police, but Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, said it was Quanis Phillips — a co-defendant in the federal dogfighting case that landed Vick in federal prison. Phillips was treated at a hospital and released the following day.

Woodward said Phillips, who was sentenced to 21 months for his role in the dogfighting operation, was not an invited guest at Vick's birthday bash.

Vick remains on three years' probation and is not allowed to associate with anyone convicted of a felony unless granted permission to do so by his probation officer.

Police said Vick is not a suspect in the shooting.

www.startribune.com

What's For Breakfast At Your House???

I truly wonder sometimes just who exactly are the people that eat a good healthy breakfast.

Well, I can tell you that I don't!! But wait! It depends on my mood. Sometimes cereal with banana is fine. Some mornings just toast........and maybe an egg.

But there are just those mornings when I've just gotta have

CAKE!

Community Trying To Cope With Murder Of This Wonderful Woman

Sharone White Bailey was known for her selfless giving and volunteer work in her small, tight-knit Northampton community.

She regularly helped needy people get eyeglasses and medication, and she bought food for struggling families in the area.

Last month, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce named Bailey its Citizen of the Year because of her volunteerism.

But her love of helping others ended Friday.

Bailey, 57, was stabbed at her home in the 11000 block of Occohannock Neck Road on Friday afternoon, according to the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office .

Derrick Demond Epps, 36, was charged with first-degree murder, entering a house with intent to commit murder, and assault and battery of a law enforcement officer. He is being held at the Eastern Shore Regional Jail without bond.

Northampton authorities say the case is under investigation.

Bailey’s husband, Roland “Butch” Bailey, a local mechanic, said Epps had lived with his mother across the street from the couple for about a year.

He said family and friends don’t know what the motive was for the stabbing, but he said he knew Epps had mental health issues.

“She didn’t expect he would be that violent,” Bailey said. “He needed help and apparently he didn’t get it quick enough.”

Family and friends were shocked and saddened by Sharone’s death. Still, they gathered at Butch’s Cars and Parts Inc. on Lankford Highway on Saturday evening to celebrate the business’s 25th anniversary.

Bailey said his wife had helped him plan the celebration, so he still wanted to hold the festivities in her honor.

“I know she would want me to do it,” he said, perched in a chair in the corner of the shop. “I just have to go ahead and take care of business.”

Family friend Charles Kellam described Sharone as a popular, active member of the community.

“She was always trying to make people better,” he said Saturday. “She never caused anyone any trouble.”

The Baileys were married for 20 years.

Sharone never had any children of her own, but she had two stepdaughters.

She received a degree in social work from Norfolk State University and her master’s from Ohio State University.

She was a board member of Eastern Shore Rural Health System and part owner of Therapeutic Intervention, where she worked with at-risk kids.

Sharone sang in the choir of Macedonia A.M.E. Church in Accomac, where she had been a member since childhood.

She was an avid gospel and jazz listener and had a fondness for old-fashioned love songs by Roberta Flack and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

On Friday, Roland Bailey said she had “I’m Blessed,” by the Rev. Clay Evans, in the CD player in her car.

www.pilotonline.com

Boy, 8, Tells Minn. Council: Crack Down on Crooks

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) - Eight-year-old Logan Fisher is fed up with crime. And he's making sure the leaders of his Minnesota city know it.

Logan was ticked because thieves broke into his Brooklyn Park home last month and stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics, not to mention his wallet filled with quarters.

So the soon-to-be fourth-grader climbed a stool and took the podium at this week's City Council meeting. The Star Tribune reports he wrote out his speech in pencil, then had his mom type it up.

He said, "We need to get mean and we need to mean it."

Deputy Police Chief Craig Enevoldsen agreed with Logan on neighbors watching out for neighbors and stepped up police patrols. But he said the boy's idea to put an armored SWAT vehicle on the streets to scare criminals away wasn't so practical.

VIA: Parentdish

~~Good Things To Do With Your Feet~~

Ahhhhh!! Summer rain...............

There's nothing in the world like a cool mud puddle after a summer rain to make the "inbetween" of your toes giggle....................

........and make your heart and soul all fuzzy.

Go ahead! Try one on!

Lesser-known Candidates Want To Be Governor Too

One is a bartender in Annapolis. Another has been imprisoned for spray-painting political slogans on government buildings. A third is a former commodities trader who owns a company that markets Maryland's official state dessert.

They haven't held elected office before, but they're aiming to start at the top — as Maryland's next governor.

While Democratic incumbent Martin O'Malley and Republican Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. command nearly all of the attention in this year's gubernatorial race, theirs won't be the only names on the ballot. A colorful selection of seven people — mainly political outsiders — offer an alternative to voters unsatisfied with the two main choices.

These second- and third-tier candidates lack name recognition and a track record. But they nonetheless describe their operations as serious campaigns.

Their motivations for running are diverse: A self-styled teacher wants ethics reform; a man who has been locked up for failing to pay child support wants to change paternity rules; and the bartender articulated a vague wish that O'Malley would adhere more closely to the U.S. Constitution.

The major parties have coalesced around O'Malley and Ehrlich, meaning that the three challengers whose names will appear on September primary ballots face an uphill climb. The rest of the lesser-known candidates are affiliated with smaller parties that have posted few, if any, successes, even in local elections. Of the 3.4 million registered Maryland voters, only 13 percent identify with the state's four smaller parties — Constitution, Green, Independent and Libertarian.

Republican Brian Murphy, a former Constellation Energy derivatives trader, is by far the most organized of the pack. He is the lone candidate seeking to wrest the Republican nomination from Ehrlich and is attacking the former governor from the right.

"I'm not here to make a point; I'm here to win," he told members of the Campaign For Liberty, a Tea Party-affiliated group at an event last week at which he blasted Ehrlich for "reckless spending." Murphy, 33, told the audience that he's had "a lot of success" in business and focused his presentation on pocketbook issues. He pledged to end the state's income tax on corporations and to keep other taxes level.

Controversial topics that the main candidates have avoided emerged during a question-and-answer session. Murphy told the audience he opposes abortion, supports gun rights (though he doesn't own a firearm) and said illegal immigration is "immoral." He drew applause when he said that "being an American citizen is not a right to every person on this planet."

When a voter who described himself as a military veteran proclaimed that he was "sick and tired of what is going on" in Iraq and Afghanistan, audience members hooted in agreement. But Murphy hedged, saying, "I agree with everything you are saying, in theory."

Murphy, a Chevy Chase resident, is slim and appears not to eat much of the calorie-laden Smith Island Cakes produced by a baking company he owns. An ethics disclosure filing shows that he owns two other companies: the Plimhimmon Group, an investment firm, and Virginia-based Triumph Products, which markets shaving oil and other men's grooming supplies.

He has not yet filed a campaign finance report, so it is not possible to gauge the money behind his organization.

His campaign stumbled in June when his initial selection for lieutenant governor, former Carroll County Del. Carmen Amedori, withdrew from the ticket shortly after joining it, saying she did not think the team could win the primary. Still, she said in an interview that Murphy offers a good alternative to Ehrlich and predicted that he would receive much of the conservative vote in September.

O'Malley faces two Democratic challengers. Former Calvert County Del. George W. Owings III bowed out of the race in June, citing health problems. The remaining Democrats are unknown even to some veteran political watchers.




Ralph Jaffe, 68, is so unfamiliar with state government that he did not initially recognize that the man he stopped on the street recently to ask directions was O'Malley. Jaffe was on his way to the Board of Elections to file to run against him.

Partway through the conversation, Jaffe realized that he was talking to the man he hopes to unseat. "He's a charming man," Jaffe said. "I just don't think he's a good governor."

Jaffe lives with his sister and chose her as his running mate. He calls himself a teacher but does not hold a paying job. He runs an untraditional and unaccredited school out of his sister's home in Pikesville.

The candidate says he's disgusted by the mingling of money and politics and wants elections to be free from campaign donations. He plans to promote his candidacy via free media and word of mouth. Jaffe rails against "paid professional lobbyists," who he believes corrupt the political system.

O'Malley's other primary challenger, James P. Cusick, 54, said he has been imprisoned five times — twice for failing to pay child support and three times for spray-painting government buildings with adages such as "Thou shalt not steal." Cusick describes himself as a "political prisoner," contending that he was locked up for an act of protest against the state. He was charged with destruction of property and trespassing.

Cusick, who rents an apartment in Hollywood in Saint Mary's County, said he once worked at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant. He has sought elected office twice before, unsuccessfully taking on Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. in 2006 and then challenging Rep. Steny H. Hoyer two years ago.

He says he became disabled after his most recent prison stint, a three-year sentence for tagging the State House with anti-child-support graffiti. Cusick does most of his campaigning via Internet forums.

Maria Allwine, 57, the likely Green Party candidate, is making her fourth bid for office, though it is her first run for governor. She received 17 percent of the vote when she ran for Baltimore City Council president in 2007. She is a legal secretary with no experience as an elected official — but plenty in rankling them.

Allwine, a Baltimore resident and prolific letter writer to newspapers, has protested against the Iraq war, sometimes standing on street corners in a black robe to evoke the infamous image of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.

"Our state is in dire straits. They talk about closing the budget deficit, but they won't close corporate tax loopholes," she said in reply to a question last week about why she is running for governor. "They just won't do it. They want to be a friend of business at the expense of ordinary people."

Before her name can appear on the ballot, the Green Party must officially nominate her, because there is another party contender for governor. But party faithful say Corrogan Vaughn, who until Tuesday was filed to run for U.S. Senate as a Republican, is trying to take advantage of the Green Party's ballot slot.

Vaughn wrote in an e-mail message to The Sun that "a number of businesspersons and friends" had suggested recently that he could be more effective as a governor than a senator. "After prayerful consideration, and counsel of those we respect, we believed they were right," he wrote.



He said he wants to help build the Green organization as a credible third choice in Maryland. The state now has 8,200 registered Greens.

Maryland's tiny Constitution Party will be represented by Annapolis bartender Eric D. Knowles, 32, who said he is running because he does not believe that O'Malley is upholding the U.S. Constitution. Asked for an example, he said: "I can't come up with one offhand."

Susan J. Gaztanaga, who lives in Baltimore and is running as a Libertarian, did not reply to several e-mails sent last week to the address she listed on her campaign filing papers. She left no phone number. An occasional writer of letters to the editor, she protested an increase in the city's income tax and expressed dismay over the government's handling of the deadly showdown in 1993 between federal agents and the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas.

Any candidate for Maryland governor can get on the ballot by paying a $290 filing fee; a similar fee applies for lieutenant governor. There is no requirement to collect signatures on a petition or otherwise demonstrate a foundation of support.

www.baltimoresun.com