Google Street View Accused of 'Spying'

An advocacy group is calling on Congress to investigate Google, after the internet giant's popular Street View program reportedly collected the personal information of lawmakers.

Consumer Watchdog wants Congress to hold hearings into what data Google's Street View possesses, BBC News reported Friday.

Street View is a mapping project that captures images of homes and businesses using cameras mounted on vehicles that roam the nation's roadways. Google has admitted that starting in 2006, its vehicles mistakenly collected some information transmitted over personal unsecured wireless networks.

Consumer Watchdog found that by retracing the routes of Google vehicles, it could detect unencrypted networks and access e-mails, photos, and other information people transfer through the Internet.

According to the BBC:

(Consumer Watchdog) found that Congresswoman Jane Harman, who heads the intelligence sub committee for the House's Homeland Security Committee, has an open home network that could have leaked out vital information that could have been picked up by Street View vehicles.
Ms Harman's office has not responded to calls for comment on the issue. Consumer Watch said it did not collect any information but did pinpoint where unsecure networks could be found ...
The experiment found that a further four residences it checked had vulnerable networks in the vicinity that may belong to members of Congress.

"We think the Google Wi-Spy effort is one of the biggest wire tapping scandals in US history," John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog told the BBC.
Google has said that in order for data to be collected, a homeowner would need to be on the Internet just as their vehicles drove by and that the in-car wireless network equipment automatically changes channels roughly five times a second.

In a statement, Google wrote, "as we've said before, it was a mistake for us to include code in our software that collected payload data, but we believe we did nothing illegal. We're continuing to work with the relevant authorities to answer their questions and concerns."

VIA: Politics Daily 

Turning Potholes Into Flower Pots

Guerrilla gardener Steve Wheen is transforming ugly and dangerous road potholes in London into mini spring showcases. Cyclist Steve Wheen decided to plant cyclamen, narcissus and polyanthus in the holes after becoming fed up with the state of roads.

The 33-year-old’s green do-gooding is proving popular as his website – www.thepotholegardener.com – has had 25,000 hits in its first month.

‘I’m a mad keen gardener but I live in a small flat without a garden,’ said Mr Wheen, from Shoreditch, east London.

‘I also wanted to make a point. As a cyclist I find potholes a constant menace. I have almost come off my bike several times.

‘And the roads are in the worst state I have ever known in London because of the snow this winter.

‘I choose smaller roads or pavements with potholes and work early morning or evening so that I don’t get run over while gardening.

‘I prefer to use low plants with bright, colourful flowers in the hope that motorists will see my gardens and avoid them.’

But he admits that his colourful work often falls victim to traffic in the capital.

‘My very first effort only lasted two hours before it was destroyed. They have a short life,’ he said.

And the longest any of my gardens has survived is three weeks so far.

‘But, if I can draw a cyclist’s attention to a pothole so that they don’t hit it, and put a smile on their face, that is enough for me.

‘Now I can’t stop looking at potholes wherever I go.’

Fans are quick to suggest potholes across London for him to turn into small – and short-term – gardens.

‘I am following up some suggestions. One is that I try and turn Edgware Road into Kew Gardens,’ he said, somewhat ambitiously.

www.metro.co.uk.com

Clarence Thomas' Nephew Tasered in Hospital Scuffle

I have a feeling that someone's in big, big trouble.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' epileptic nephew suffered a massive seizure after being beaten and hit with a stun gun during a scuffle at a New Orleans area hospital, his family said.

Derek Thomas, 25, was admitted to West Jefferson Hospital on Thursday after what some news outlets described as a possible suicide attempt. When orderlies asked Thomas to put on a hospital gown, he refused and tried to flee the facility. That's when security guards stepped in, and a scuffle ensued. Details were reported by several news agencies.

One of the guards punched Thomas, pulled out his hair and them shocked him with a Taser, the patient's sister, Kimberly Thomas, wrote in an e-mail to ABC News. Because of the fight, Thomas suffered a serious seizure, she said.

"Security contests it was under doctor's orders to Taser Thomas as opposed to sedating him for restraint even after prior knowledge of his epilepsy," the e-mail said.

A hospital spokeswoman told several news outlets that officials are investigating the matter, but that they're unlikely to be able to release details because of patient privacy laws.

The Supreme Court justice is heading to New Orleans to investigate the incident himself, local TV station WDSU reported. It did not give details or timing of his trip. A Supreme Court spokesman said the justice had no comment on the matter.

Kimberly and Derek Thomas' mother, Dora Thomas, told the Washington Post that she picked her son up from the hospital Friday and that he is resting at home. "He's as well as can be expected," she said.

Kimberly Thomas told WDSU that she's "sickened" by the incident. "I'm sickened by it because my brother is a college student and a small business owner who has not been in any trouble," she said. "He's not violent and yet this is how they are treating someone."

Derek Thomas is reportedly a student at Nicholls State College, and is the son of Justice Thomas' younger brother Myer Lee Thomas, who died in 2000.
VIA: AOLNews

Free Sluprees FROM 7-11 ON 7-11

The famous Slurpee turned 44 years old in June. Actually it’s been around in other forms even longer, sometimes referred to as a slushy or some similar name.

But in 1965, 7-11 bought a machine that made frozen beverages from its inventor, Omar Knedlik and two years later began selling the concoction as the Slurpee. The name allegedly comes from the sound people made while drinking them.

To mark the anniversary, participating 7-11 stores will be giving away free Slurpees in 7.11 ounce cups between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Some healthcare professionals say that people should keep in mind while enjoying cold treats to beware of “spenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.” The better-known term is, a “brain freeze.”

Here’s what that’s about, according to kidzworld.com: “When cold stuff (like popsicles, ice cream or slushies) touches the roof of your mouth it can set off a nerve reaction (in the spheno-palantine ganglion, to be precise), that causes the blood vessels in your brain to swell. When the blood vessels swell, you get a headache. The headache usually lasts less than a minute.

“How can you make the headache go away? The key is to warm the roof of your mouth back up, thereby constricting (narrowing) the blood vessels. The easiest thing to do is to press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. You can also try drinking warm water. In the future, try to eat your frozen treats slowly and give yourself breaks between bites to let your mouth warm up.”

(I think we can all relate to the "brain freeze")

A Tighter-fitting Cap May Be The Answer To This Disaster

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The BP oil leak could be completely contained as early as Monday if a new, tighter cap can be fitted over the blown-out well, the government official in charge of the crisis said Friday in some of the most encouraging news to come out of the Gulf in the 2½ months since the disaster struck.

If the project planned to begin this weekend is successful, it would simply mean no more oil would escape to foul the Gulf of Mexico. The well would still be busted and leaking — workers would just funnel what comes out of it to tankers at the surface. The hope for a permanent solution remains with two relief wells intended to plug it completely far beneath the seafloor.

"I use the word 'contained,'" said retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen. "'Stop' is when we put the plug in down below."
Crews using remote-controlled submarines plan to swap out the cap over the weekend, taking advantage of a window of good weather following weeks of delays caused by choppy seas.

The cap now in use was installed June 4 to capture oil gushing from the bottom of sea, but because it had to be fitted over a jagged cut in the well pipe, it allows some crude to escape into the Gulf. The new cap — dubbed "Top Hat Number 10" — is designed to fit more snugly and help BP catch all the oil. During the installation, the gusher will get worse before it gets better. Once the old cap is removed, oil will pour into the Gulf unhindered for about 48 hours while the new one is put in place, Allen said.

BP also worked on Friday to hook up another containment ship called the Helix Producer to a different part of the leaking well. The ship, which will be capable of sucking up more than 1 million gallons a day when it is fully operating, should be working by Sunday, Allen said.

The government estimates 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons of oil a day are spewing from the well, and the existing cap is collecting about 1 million gallons of that. With the new cap and the new containment vessel, the system will be capable of capturing 2.5 million to 3.4 million gallons — essentially all the leaking oil, officials said.

The plan had originally been to hook up the Helix Producer and install the new cap separately, but the favorable weather convinced officials the time was right for both operations. "Everybody agrees we got the weather to do what we need," Allen said. He said the calm weather is expected to last seven to 10 days.

In a response late Friday to Allen's request for detailed plans about the new cap, the Helix Producer and the relief wells, BP managing director Bob Dudley confirmed that the leak could be contained by Monday.

But Dudley included plans for another scenario, which includes possible problems and missteps for the installation of the cap that would push the work back until Thursday.

The past 80 days have seen the failure of one technique after another to stop the leak, from a huge containment box to a "top kill" and a "junk shot." The latest approach is not a sure thing either, warned Louisiana State University environmental sciences professor Ed Overton.

"Everything done at that site is very much harder than anyone expects," he said. Overton said putting on the new cap carries risks: "Is replacing the cap going to do more damage than leaving it in place, or are you going to cause problems that you can't take care of?"

Containing the leak will not end the crisis that began when the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. The relief wells are still being drilled so they can inject heavy mud and cement into the leaking well to stop the flow, which is expected to be done by mid-August. Then a monumental cleanup and restoration project lies ahead.

Some people in Louisiana's oil-soaked Plaquemines Parish were skeptical that BP can contain the oil so soon.

"Too many lies from the beginning. I don't believe them anymore," oyster fisherman Goyo Zupanovich said while painting his boat at a marina in Empire, La.

www.dailypress.com

A Bumper Crop of Jellyfish This Season

Silent, graceful and luminescent, jellyfish are among the most disliked inhabitants of the Chesapeake Bay.

The scorn is not without warrant; they do, after all, sting the bejesus out of unsuspecting beachgoers, especially now as temperatures rise in the bay's brackish waters.

But take some time to consider jellyfish, said Deborah Steinberg, a professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, and those hard feelings may drift away.

Unlike other feared marine predators, such as sharks, jellyfish travel where currents take them. Sometimes this is far from shore, other times its near docks, beaches and other summertime destinations.

Although eyeless, jellyfish can detect light. Combined with a limited sense of chemicals and touch, this is what they use for guidance. There is little, if any, evidence to suggest the bay's jellyfish seek human flesh.

By and large, jellyfish sting to protect themselves from perceived threats, Steinberg said.

"It's mostly by accident," she said. "They're thinking, 'Whoa, what is that? I need to defend myself.'"

Known for producing painful, burning welts, the sting is essentially a poisened dart fired from the jellyfish's trailing arms. Jellyfish use the poison, actually a protein, to paralyze their prey, which consists of small fish, shrimp and other jellyfish.

Like mosquitoes, the weather plays a large role in determining how many will appear in the bay. Hot and dry conditions, such as those last month, make the water warm and salty — an ideal combination for jellyfish growth.

Yet the number of reported stings, at least in Gloucester and Yorktown, is down from last year, according to representatives from each locality. York County treated 83 people on July 4, a 52 percent decline from last year.

Most jellyfish will disappear near summer's end, when they die or retreat under water to reproduce. There is a winter species, but it doesn't sting.

When jellyfish sting

Three types of jellyfish make their home in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The most common, known as the sea nettle, is reviled for stinging beachgoers.

If stung, wash the affected area and apply vinegar to it. If there is no vinegar, try rubbing sand on it. If pain continues, take an aspiran or seek medical attention.

http://www.dailypress.com/

NOTE: In all my years of swimming with kids and tending jellyfish stings I found that wet sand would work and so did Adolph's Meat Tenderizer.

Crackdown On Aggressive Driving And Speeding

At 25 mph, the Subaru driver managed to stop for "Bobby" — a dummy about the size of a 10-year-old boy — with about 10 feet to spare. At 40 mph, it smashed into Bobby with a sickening thud and enough impact to lift him out of his tennis shoes.

The simulated encounter between vehicle and pedestrian was part of an announcement Thursday by regional law enforcement and highway safety officials of a plan to crack down on aggressive driving — with a special emphasis on speeding and pedestrian safety.

Police officials said the initiative would include increased enforcement of traffic laws in areas with frequent crashes — with tickets to be given to jaywalking pedestrians and law-breaking bicyclists as well as motorists.
It also marked the start of the Baltimore area's Street Smart campaign, which emphasizes the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Thursday's event, including the demonstration on Camden Street outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards, was part of the recurring Smooth Operator campaign, in which police step up their efforts to ticket motorists who commit the offenses that define "aggressive" driving: tailgating, weaving from lane to lane, unsafe passing, running traffic signals and speeding.

It was the last of these — perhaps the most socially acceptable and widely tolerated traffic offense — that received the most attention.

"Make no mistake, speeding is aggressive driving," said Vernon Betkey, director of the State Highway Administration's safety office.

For this campaign, officials stressed the dangers of what are typically viewed as moderately excessive speeds when pedestrians are present. Betkey said that 70 percent of the pedestrians killed in 2008 on Maryland roads were struck on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less.

Excessive speed, Betkey said, increases risks exponentially. The highway safety official was joined at the event by representatives of the Baltimore police, the Motor Vehicle Administration and the Baltimore Department of Transportation.

The main event of the news conference was the demonstration of the results when a driver comes upon a pedestrian at different speeds. Tom Pecoraro, a driving instructor at I Drive Smart who is also a Montgomery County police officer, took his place behind the wheel of the test car and braked at the same spot in each of the tests.

Thomas J. Gianni, deputy director of the SHA Highway Safety Office, said that at 25 mph — the prevailing speed limit on most of the city's streets — the stopping distance is about 16 feet. When he applied the brakes at that speed, Pecoraro came close enough to the wire-frame dummy that it likely would have thrown a scare into a child, but no physical harm would have been done.

At 35 mph, Gianni said, the stopping distance is 44 feet — and that wasn't enough to keep Pecoraro's car from hitting the dummy with enough force that another "Bobby" had to go in as a substitute. "Bobby clearly sustained major and maybe fatal injuries," Gianni said as workers carried off detached limbs.

When a car is traveling at 40 mph — barely above the 12-mph cushion allowed for drivers in 25-mph school zones equipped with speed cameras — the stopping distance increases to 57 feet, Gianni said. And when Pecoraro hit the new Bobby at that speed, the dummy was pushed far down the road as sneakers went flying. The simulation left little question that if the impact had been on flesh and blood, the result would have been fatal.

Jeremy Gunderson, a state highway agency spokesman, said the demonstration was meant to show that even "socially acceptable excessive speeds" can have deadly consequences.

Pecoraro said after the demonstration that the act of hitting the simulated child had set his heart racing.

"Even though I knew it was a dummy and I knew I was going to hit it, it was still a shock," he said.

Pecoraro said pedestrian deaths are among the most difficult to investigate because of the "carnage."

"It's not just vehicles. It's bodies on the highway," he said.

The Smooth Operator campaign, first launched in Washington in 1997 and now including Maryland and Virginia, consists of four "waves" of increased enforcement between June and September. The current wave began Sunday and runs through Saturday.

Officials said the first wave from June 6-12 accounted for more than 90,000 traffic citations. The next is expected to run Aug. 1-7.

www.baltimoresun.com

Something like this a few years ago in Baltimore may have prevented my daughter from being thrown from her bicycle into a mailbox. Let's hope it works.

"Operation Hericaine" Drug Sting

Fourteen Portsmouth residents and one from Norfolk are still wanted in connection with a Portsmouth police drug sting. The sting called "Operation Hericaine" targeted sales of heroin and cocaine in the city.

The operation, which was executed last month, resulted in the indictment of 59 people on 241 felony charges. Thousands of dollars worth of drugs were also recovered, as well as firearms, cars, trucks and even three flat screen TVs.

The suspects still wanted are listed below:

Shawn D. Banks, 32
Lamaar B. Brodnax, 40
Tamara Y. Collins, 27
Tyrone L. Foust III, 34
Marcus L. Franklin, 31
Obie L. Holloway Jr., 35
Allen A. Lawrence, 37
Keon J. Lawrence, 20
Pamela Riddick, 49
James M. Sifford, 39
Robert L. Smith Jr., 41
Derek L. Springs, 27
Stephen D. White, 37
Lamorris E. Wilson, 39
Joe B. Worrell III, 39

If you can help police find any of the suspects listed, call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP

www.wavy.com

SUV's And Vans Being Recalled

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government says Chrysler is recalling about 22,000 sport utility vehicles and trucks to fix brake tubes that could lead to the loss of brake fluid.

Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, is recalling more than 30,000 2010 Transit Connect vans to replace pushpins holding the liners above the driver's head. The company says government testing found it failed to meet federal standards protecting the head.

www.wavy.com

Chrysler says its recall affects certain 2010 Dodge Nitro, Dodge Ram, Jeep Liberty and Jeep Wranglers that could have defective brake tubes. The problem could lead to the loss of brake fluid, making it difficult to brake and posing the threat of a crash.

Ford's recall is expected to begin in July. Chrysler says owners should be notified in August.

Pocomoke Family Connections Closes

Three women poured their hearts, and tears, out for an agency that served as a lifeline for them.

Family Connections, an agency that has been aiding families for 35 years, had to close its Pocomoke City location due to lack of funding.

For some it was a helping hand, but for many families in need, it was like the artery that kept their hearts going even after extreme turmoil.
"Family Connections has helped me bridge a gap in between and help me find out where I could get an apartment," said Rosetta Nunally, a new resident of Pocomoke City.

"They helped me furnish my five bedroom house and I have five children, and I had nothing," said Renee Schoolfield, a resident of Pocomoke City.

Family Connections offers free counseling, in addition to programs for abused children, adolescents in need of guidance, and mental health issues.

They even find housing for residents, helping them financially.
"I don't know how I am going to function if they are not there. One day a week I'm thankful for that, but its not enough. And they are our only source here in Pocomoke," said Michele Voigt, also a resident of Pocomoke.

Over the years Staff say they have built strong bonds with their clients.

"We really want to keep the services in Pocomoke as best as we can and to do that we are going to need the community's support," said Teresa Fields, Executive Director of Family Connections.

Since Berlin is the only current location, the Abundant Life Church has opened their doors to the program, and Pocomoke City residents, for on-site services every Wednesday.

If you would like to support the Family Connections program, donations can be made on their website at gowoyo.org, or directly to their Berlin location.

VIA: WMDT.com 

Editor: I have a problem with a couple statements in the article, I've added my thoughts in bold.
1) "They helped me furnish my five bedroom house and I have five children, and I had nothing," said Renee Schoolfield, a resident of Pocomoke City.

A five bedroom house, A FIVE BEDROOM HOUSE?? I'm sorry I have a problem with helping someone out that has a five bedroom house, the first line of help I would offer to Renee would come in the form of advise, and that advise being, how about owning or renting a smaller house like maybe a three bedroom house Renee? Then maybe you could afford some furniture with the money you'd be saving in overhead. I'm sorry I have no sympathy for someone that has children and goes out and buys or rents a McMansion that they know they cannot afford.   

2) They even find housing for residents, helping them financially.
"I don't know how I am going to function if they are not there. One day a week I'm thankful for that, but its not enough. And they are our only source here in Pocomoke," said Michele Voigt, also a resident of Pocomoke.

Michele doesn't know how she will "function" if Family Connections are not there. At least Michele is thankful for that one day a week but admits that's "not enough" for Michele. Well Michele, how about trying to "function" seven days a week just like most of the rest of us do? How about a JOB, if you do have a low pay job maybe you need to get a second job and work for what you get? 


Good grief people, what has happened to our society? It seams that more and more people are looking for a handout, free lunch, a completely free ride so to speak. Work for what you need, work harder for what you want. I grew-up poor (still am) my parents raised four of us without handouts and we didn't have a five bedroom home either. Whatever we did have, but mostly what we didn't have was still was NEVER "not enough" for us even for "one day a week" we were happy everyday of the week and didn't want a handout. 

We didn't have the finer things in life and we didn't ask for them for FREE. We were dirt poor monetarily (still are) but we were rich with pride. Pride in knowing what we did have we earned it, and we earned it through hard work and we earned it honestly. 

The most valuable thing that anyone could give Renee and Michele and all that are like them is look at the above paragraph, apply that to your lives, be the giver not the taker and you will be rewarded ten fold. You will be rich.  

LCB Defends Promotion, Questioned For Overstating Figures

The Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) defended the liquor promotion that has sparked a new array of investigations and accusations against it in hopes of proving no law was broken.
Unfortunately for the LCB, the supplier who sold it the liquor shot a gaping hole in that defense when it said the numbers the LCB quoted were “severely overstated.”

As per Article 2B of Maryland State Law, the LCB must offer all licensees the same pricing for alcohol and they can’t sell a product for below cost unless the product in question has been discontinued.
In the instance of the March Stoli promotion that has sparked a controversy throughout Worcester County, three licensees claim to have paid three different prices on the same day and the promotion itself came into question when it was argued that selling a bottle of Stoli at $5 a bottle was far below cost, thus making it illegal from the start.

LCB Board member and spokesperson Larry Wilkinson provided the invoices from March 31, 2010, the last day of the promotion, which shows when the vodka was delivered to the LCB’s Snow Hill headquarters from the supplier William Grant & Sons.

The total invoice was for 4,236 bottles of Stoli at $17.17 (gross cost per bottle) or $72,699.08.  However, after a massive depletion allowance/promotional credit of $52,663.98 was allegedly given back to the LCB, according to a summary of the transaction prepared by the LCB, the net cost for the LCB stood at $20,035.10 or $4.73 per bottle.

These numbers would affirm the LCB’s claim that it knew the numbers and didn’t violate any of the laws by setting the price at $5, which is still technically above the $4.73 a bottle that they quoted.
However, William Grant & Sons spokesperson James Curich, who said last week the company had no knowledge of the $5 promotion, said the more than $52,000 in depletion allowances was incorrect.

“That number that they are quoting for a depletion allowance is severely overstated, said Curich via phone interview yesterday afternoon. “Our records show that we paid them significantly less than what they are projecting.  In fact, it was less than $10,000.”

As per the March 2010 Maryland Beverage Journal, a one-liter bottle of Stoli sold to its distributor, Reliable Churchill, was offered wholesale for $22.99. It is estimated that distributor’s tack on anywhere from 28-35 percent for markup, so with that being said, the price of the bottle at cost is in the $15-$17 range when purchased directly from the supplier.

Other distributors throughout the industry, such as Terry Loughlin of Carey Distributors and Robert Kenney of FP Winner Ltd, said that in most cases, the general practice is to credit back a dollar or two per bottle as a depletion allowance or promotional credit.
If the LCB’s numbers are in fact true, then it received more than $12 per bottle in depletion allowance.

“That’s just unheard of to me,” said Loughlin. “I can’t understand why someone would give back basically all the profits in a depletion allowance.”

Historically, industry insiders say that William Grant & Sons is on the conservative side when it comes to such depletion or promotional credits, a claim that Curich confirmed.

It also surfaced this week that a $1 a bottle wine promotion that was also offered by the LCB at the same time as the Stoli promotion left some licensees out in the cold as well, but seething with anger.

“It’s amazing to me that I’ve been one of the biggest sellers of wine in this whole county for a long time and I just keep getting left off the email list when these promotions come along,” said Cheers Owner Chris Denny. “I’ve been in this business for 25 years and I’ve never been offered a bottle of wine for a dollar, and I want to know what it cost them, because it’s not in the beverage journal.”

The $1 bottle of wine promotion was for Stonebarn and Oak Vineyards wines, which are a lower tier brand that is owned by Bronco Wine Company in California, which is part of the huge conglomerate owned by the purveyors of the Franzia and Gallo brands.

Denny said the wholesale price for the aforementioned bottles was more than the $1 the LCB moved the wine for (the wholesale price ranged from $2.88 to $5 per bottle).

The LCB defended the wine promotion as well, claiming that it moved the last 55 of 330 cases of the wine that was purchased at the $1 a bottle special in hopes of “getting people to try the wine and avoid having it sit on our warehouse and spoil”, citing that wine, unlike liquor, has a shelf life.

Just on the Route 50 corridor alone, Trader Lee’s and The Green Room (located next to an LCB retail store) in addition to Denny at Cheers were not offered the deal.

“It’s totally against the law, and they should have alerted everyone,” said Dave Hambury, owner of The Green Room.

Wilkinson said that with wine, the LCB isn’t required to notify everyone personally of the deal, but rather, all it must do is post the deal and make it available for everyone.

The LCB also claims that the $2,210.80 in net profit that it earned with the wine promotion proves that they didn’t sell it below cost. It should be noted that of the 330 cases purchased, 85 cases were sold at retail price ($47.99), 190 cases sold at $31.90 and the remaining 55 at the $12 a case, or $1 per bottle.

However, Ocean Petroleum owner Ed Ellis, who also has the Wine Rack inside his gas stations, said that his company had taken the LCB up on the wine deal and had done well with it, moving a very large amount of that particular wine. Still, Ellis is amongst the growing majority that believes the LCB’s days should be numbered.

“This is a classic case of government run amok,” said Ellis. “It’s an egregious abuse of power in this county and I think it’s nothing but a patronage system. Just because it’s been done like this for years, it doesn’t make it right.”

In both cases of controversy, the products in question are bought direct from the supplier, thus removing the distributor from the equation.

Kenney, a veteran of FP Winner and the industry as a whole for two decades, estimates that in the past five years the business that he used to do with the LCB has been cut by more than 90%.

“That’s like two of my guys,” said Kenney. “The LCB always talks about how if they go away too many people would be out of work. Well, they are trying to put distributors out of work by buying direct, and if they come out and say that they are knowingly making less money because they are buying direct, then why are they pushing a product that they know they are going to take a loss on? I’d like to see the business model that says how they expected to break even on this Stoli or wine promotion.”

One name in the industry that has been dealing in the world of alcohol for more than three decades said that he was one of the biggest supporters of Brian Sturgeon, current head of the LCB, but has since changed his mind.

“When he took over, [Brian] was helping the licensees, and he did a good job to save the licensees a lot of money and he always had my support,” said Don Pelletier, beverage manager at Fager’s Island, “but when he didn’t offer me the Stoli promotion, I was furious, and then he came to me in May, two months after the promotion ended and offered me the deal, and I told him no thanks and that I was done supporting him.”

Source; MDcoastDispatch

~Worcester County~18 Seek County Commissioner Seats-

SNOW HILL – Eighteen candidates filed to compete for the seven Worcester County Commissioner seats by the July 6 deadline.

The most competition has appeared in District 1, with five candidates emerging to contest for Commissioner Bobby Cowger’s seat.

Democrat Jimmy Schoolfield is ensured of competing in the general election, but the other four District 1 candidates must jockey with each other in the September primary for the Republican nomination.

Republicans Jerre Clauss, Merill W. Lockfaw, Jr., Bill McDermott and Larry Ward will fight for the party nomination.

In District 2, incumbent Commissioner Jim Purnell will face Ed Lee in the September primary election for the Democratic nomination. At this point, there is no Republican candidate in District 2.

Currently, Republican Commissioner Bud Church is unchallenged in District 3.

Longtime District 4 Commissioner Virgil Shockley, a Democrat, will face fellow Democrat Tommy Tucker in the September primary. The winner of that contest will go on to face Republican Ted Elder, who lost to Shockley in 2006, taking 38 percent of the vote.

In 2006, District 5 Commissioner Judy Boggs ran unopposed, but in 2010, she must surpass Republican challenger Bob Thompson in the primary. The victor will go on to face Democrat John Bodnar.

In District 6, Commissioner Linda Busick will face fellow Republican Jim Bunting in the September primary.

District 7 Commissioner Louise Gulyas, a Republican, nearly ran unopposed for re-election, until her 2006 opponent, Democrat Ellie Diegelmann, filed at the last minute. In 2006, Gulyas defeated Diegelmann with 65 percent of the vote.

The surprise of the election season so far is the numerous candidates for the District 1 commissioner race.

“People tend to think incumbents have a little bit of an edge and it seems when an incumbent steps out more people file for that office,” said Elections Board Supervisor Patti Jackson.

In 2006, when then District 1 Commissioner Sonny Bloxom decided not to run for re-election to his commissioner seat to run for state office, three contenders emerged for the District 1 seat.

“Everyone has their own idea about government,” said District 1 candidate Ward, when asked why so many candidates chose to run for the seat.

Another change from 2006 is the District 5 race. Four years ago, Boggs ran unopposed. Now she faces two opponents, and almost faced three, but early filer Ray Unger withdrew his candidacy.

“I assume other people have an interest in being county commissioner, and that’s democracy,” Boggs said.

Bodnar said he decided to run because of his concerns about jobs in the county, not because he has anything against Boggs.

“I’ve always wanted to run for that seat,” Bodnar said, who added the time was not right for him personally in previous elections.

While many thought Diegelmann would once again run against Gulyas, her decision to hold off on committing until the last minute had some thinking Gulyas would run unopposed.

“I just figured that someone would file. Why should I have a free ride?” Gulyas said after the late filing. “I thought from the beginning that she would file.”

Diegelmann was the last candidate in Worcester County to file, said Jackson.

“I waited ‘til the very last minute literally because I was hoping someone else would file,” Diegelman said. “I wanted to encourage other people to file.”

Diegelmann said she is a “hopeful optimist” and thought she had a chance to unseat Gulyas, saying that a lot of things change in four years.

www.mdcoastdispatch.com

Burn Restrictions

~~~REMINDER~~~

BURN BANS ARE STILL IN EFFECT IN MOST COUNTIES

Keep our fields an forest safe by obeying these restrictions

Get Your Tickets While They Last

34th Annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake

Wed., July 21, 2010

Held every year on the third Wednesday in July at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, this annual celebration is named in honor of Crisfield native, J. Millard Tawes - the 54th Governor of the State of Maryland. This event, listed in Frommers Travel Guides and other National Event Directories is described as ..... "..an outdoor all-you-can-eat affair featuring crabs, clams, fish, corn on the cob, and watermelon, and in election years, lots of politicians."

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010
12:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Somers Cove Marina - 7th St. - Crisfield, MD 21817

$40.00 - all u-can-eat & drink

ALL YOU CAN EAT MENU

• 
  
  Steamed Crabs


• 
  
  Fresh Fried Fish


• 
  
  Clams: steamed, fried or raw bar


• 
  
  French fries


• 
  
  Sweet potato fries


• 
  
  Corn on the Cob


• 
  
  Onion Rings


• 
  
  Watermelon


• 
  
  Beverages included (soda, beer, bottled water)

$40 Donation - price includes free mug and mallet with customized logo, as long as they last!

This event is recognized as one of Maryland`s finest seafood festivals. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Due to the tremendous response and popularity of this event, space is limited to 6000. Tickets will be sold on a first come - first serve basis.

With a purchase of 30 tickets or more, the Chamber will provide your business or organization with a hospitality space for a fee. Spaces are limited. Please inquire early.

For ticket information, please call the Chamber Office toll free at 1-800-782-3913 or email the Chamber Office Manager.

VCU Exchange Student Jonathan Dorey Still Missing

Richmond, Va. --

The FBI used sonar equipment this week to search the bottom of the James River for Jonathan S. Dorey, a Virginia Commonwealth University exchange student who disappeared more than four months ago, university officials said yesterday.

FBI officials conducted the search Wednesday near Rocketts Landing, in the same area where authorities discovered some of Dorey's belongings March 24 on the river's north bank, VCU spokesman Mike Porter said.

Porter said a different type of sonar equipment had been used to search the area previously.

"VCU police consulted with the FBI, which provided additional resources to do a more complete search of the river bottom in the same area that was searched in the past," Porter wrote in an e-mail yesterday.

VCU police continue to use all available resources in the hope of providing closure to the Dorey family," Porter wrote.
www.timesdispatch.com

FBI spokeswoman Dee Rybiski said the bureau has been assisting VCU police with the search for Dorey all along. She declined to say how else the FBI has helped, noting that VCU police are heading the search.

"Dorey, a 22-year-old exchange student from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel, was last seen March 2 leaving his VCU dorm with his bicycle.

Authorities still say they have no evidence of foul play.

VCU police have said that a witness reported seeing a man matching Dorey's description swimming in the river on the afternoon that he disappeared. His bicycle still is missing.

Body Found In Delaware River Near Boat Crash Site

PHILADELPHIA — Coast Guard officials say a body has been recovered from the Delaware River near the site of a collision between an amphibious tour boat and a barge that left two people missing.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Crystal Kneen says the body was recovered early Friday near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.

A duck boat carrying 37 people was struck and sunk by a barge there Wednesday. Two passengers are missing, 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner and 20-year-old Szablcs Prem. They were part of a group of Hungarian teachers and students aboard the boat.

Kneen says the body has not been identified and authorities could make no immediate connection between it and the missing boaters. Kneen said she did not have information on the sex of the recovered body.

www.timesdispatch.com

DUI Arrest From Vanilla Extract

(Arlington, TN 7/8/2010) 48-year-old Kelly Moss appears has a $4,000 bond for after being arrested on a DUI charge.

Sam Palmer saw it happen.

"It was jumped up over the curb. She had driven it up on the curb. In fact I went to see if she had hit the telephone pole. She hadn't hit that, but she had both wheels on the curb," says Palmer.

Police say Moss had a strong odor of vanilla on her breath and was unsteady on her feet.

They found a nearly empty bottle of vanilla extract and a partially empty bottle of diet coke in her car as well as a receipt for two 8oz. bottle of extract.

The vanilla extract is 35% alcohol.

Moss was arrested.
Sam Palmer doesn't know her, but as a recovering alcoholic, he knows abusers find ways to get their drug.

"Mouthwash, Geritol, Robitussin," says Palmer.

As a drug addiction counselor, Dr. Carolyn Bryant has seen it too.

"Instead of the drug that may be their drug of choice, that may be they have been arrested for or got in trouble about, they take something that will give them that same effect," says Bryant.

She counsels women to admit their problem and seek help.

"I hope she gets in a treatment program or a 12 step program," says Palmer. "She could have hit a telephone pole, could have wiped somebody else out."

This was Kelly Moss' third DUI arrest. No one answered the door at her Germantown home when we stopped by.

She will be back in court August 19th.

www.wreg.com

Former Corrections Officers Plead Guilty To Sex With Inmate

EASTVILLE — Two former correctional officers at the Eastern Shore Regional Jail on Wednesday pleaded guilty to having sex with a woman incarcerated there.

Wayne Shrieves, 47, of Melfa, and Leston Wright, 23, of Exmore, face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500, either or both. They likely will be sentenced in the next term of court after a presentencing report is complete.

Shrieves and Wright remain free on $7,500 bond each.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Bruce Jones said the inmate and the officers had conflicting reports on what precipitated the sexual encounters.

“She did not allege any force,” he said of the victim.

Each of the officers admitted a sexual relationship with the woman.

The charge against Shrieves alleges the offense took place at least once between Nov. 17, 2009, and Jan. 13. Wright is charged with one offense on Feb. 9.

Sheriff Jack Robbins began an investigation after receiving allegations against the two deputies.

The investigation revealed evidence of improper sexual conduct with the woman. Both were fired and were indicted in March by a grand jury.

Judge Glen A. Tyler accepted in Northampton Circuit Court the guilty pleas of having carnal knowledge of a prisoner.

The regional jail, a joint venture between Accomack and Northampton counties, opened in 2007. Both deputies were trained and certified by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

www.easternshorenews.com

Obama's Cairo speech

Barack OBAMA, during his Cairo speech,  said:   "I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of  America 's story."

 

AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RESPONSE:

 

Dear Mr. Obama:

 

Were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed?  Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.

 

Were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day?  Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.

 

Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?

 

Declaration of Independence ?

 

Bill of Rights?

 

Didn't think so.

 

Did Muslims fight for this country's freedom from England ?  No.

 

Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves in America ?  No, they did not.  In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery.  Your own half brother, a devout Muslim, still advocates slavery himself, even though Muslims of Arabic descent refer to black Muslims as "pug nosed slaves."  Says a lot of what the Muslim world really thinks of your family's "rich Islamic heritage," doesn't it Mr. Obama?

 

Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country?  Not present.

 

There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side with Martin Luther King, Jr. or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.

 

Where were Muslims during this country's Woman's Suffrage era?  Again, not present.  In fact, devout Muslims demand that women are subservient to men in the Islamic culture.  So much so, that often they are beaten for not wearing the 'hajib' or for talking to a man who is not a direct family member or their husband.  Yep, the Muslims are all for women's rights, aren't they?

 

Where were Muslims during World War II?  They were aligned with Adolf Hitler.  The Muslim grand mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops and accepted support from the Nazi's in killing Jews.

 

Finally, Mr. Obama, where were Muslims on Sept. 11th, 2001?  If they weren't flying planes into the World Trade Center , the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people on our own soil, they were rejoicing in the Middle East .  No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other cable news networks that day.  Strangely, the very "moderate" Muslims who's asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo , Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent post 9-11.  To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.

 

And THAT, Mr. Obama, is the "rich heritage" Muslims have here in America .

 

Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to mention the Barbary Pirates.  They were Muslim.

 

And now we can add November 5, 2009 - the slaughter of American soldiers at Fort Hood by a Muslim major who is a doctor and a psychiatrist who was supposed to be counseling soldiers returning from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan .

 

That, Mr. Obama is the "Muslim heritage" in America .

EVERY AMERICAN MUST

Hat Tip; Kack 

READ THIS !!

Just One Hospital

Unbelievable! 

Parkland  Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas is a fairly famous institution and for a variety of reasons:

1. John F. Kennedy died there in 1963

2. Lee Harvey Oswald died there shortly after

3. Jack Ruby-who killed Oswald, died there a few years later. 

On the flip side, Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year.  (That's almost 44 per day---every day)!

A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants. That's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas!!! 

According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.

The average patient in Parkland in maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child. She is also an illegal immigrant. By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay.  OK, fine. That doesn't mean they should receive better care than everyday, middle-class American citizens. But at Parkland Hospital, they do. “Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics.  NINE!!!

The Dallas Morning News article followed a Hispanic woman who was a patient at one of the clinics and pregnant with her third child---her previous two were also born at Parkland. Her first two deliveries were free and the Mexican native was grateful because it would have cost $200 to have them in Mexico. This time, the hospital wants her to pay $10 per visit and $100 for the delivery but she was unsure if she could come up with the money. Not that it matters, the hospital won't turn her away. (I wonder why they even bother asking at this point.)  "How long has this been going on? What are the long-term effects?  Well, another subject of the article was born at Parkland in 1986 shortly after her mother entered the US illegally - now she is having her own child there as well. (That's right; she's technically a US citizen.) 

These women receive free prenatal care including medication, nutrition, birthing classes and child care classes.  They also get freebies such as car seats, bottles, diapers and formula.  Most of these things are available to American citizens as well, but only for low-income applicants, and even then, the red tape involved is almost insurmountable.  Because these women are illegal immigrants, they do not have to provide any sort of legitimate identification - no proof of income. An American citizen would have to provide a social security number which would reveal their annual income - an illegal immigrant need only claim to be poor and the hospital must take them at their word.Parkland Hospital offers indigent care to Dallas County residents who earn less than $40,000 per year. (They also have to prove that they did not refuse health coverage at their current job. Yeah, the 'free' care is not so easy for Americans.)

There are about 140 patients who received roughly $4 million dollars for un-reimbursed medical care. As it turns out, they did not qualify for free treatment because they resided outside of Dallas County so the hospital is going to sue them!  Illegal's get it all free!  But U. S citizens who live outside of Dallas County get sued!  How stupid is this? As if that isn't annoying enough, the illegal immigrant patients are actually complaining about hospital staff not speaking Spanish. In this AP story, the author speaks with a woman who is upset that she had to translate comments from the hospital staff into Spanish for her husband. The doctor was trying to explain the situation to the family and the mother was forced to translate for her husband who only spoke Spanish.  This was apparently a great injustice to her.  In an attempt to create a Spanish-speaking staff, Parkland Hospital is now providing incentives in the form of extra pay for applicants who speak Spanish. Additionally, medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern for which Parkland Hospital is the training facility will now have a Spanish language requirement added to their already jammed-packed curriculum. No other school in the country boasts such a ridiculous multi-semester (multicultural) requirement.

(Sorry for the length, but this needs wide circulation particularly to our "employees" in Congress.)

Remember that this is about only ONE hospital in Dallas, Texas. There are many more hospitals across our country that must also deal with this.