Talk Delaware Online http://www.talkdelaware.com/ Talk Delaware Online Forums is your source for chat, news, and information in Delaware en Fri, 18 May 2012 00:07:19 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.talkdelaware.com/images/misc/rss.png Talk Delaware Online http://www.talkdelaware.com/ Online Betting Bill Advances in Delaware House http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19893-Online-Betting-Bill-Advances-in-Delaware-House&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 20:32:22 GMT *DOVER*, Del. (AP)- A bill authorizing online betting in Delaware and allowing more sites for sports wagering and other gambling is headed to the... DOVER, Del. (AP)- A bill authorizing online betting in Delaware and allowing more sites for sports wagering and other gambling is headed to the state House for a vote.
The House Gaming and Parimutuels Committee voted Thursday to release the bill, despite objections from anti-gambling advocates and complaints from the state's harness racing industry that it would not get its fair share of gambling money.
In addition to online gambling, Gov. Jack Markell wants to expand keno beyond Delaware's three existing casinos to at least 100 other sites, and to authorize betting on NFL games in at least 20 more venues.
Officials say the expected revenue would allow them to eliminate $4 million in slot machine fees paid by the casinos and cut their table game fees by more than $3 million.
http://www.wboc.com/story/18502671/o...delaware-house ]]> Delaware News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19893-Online-Betting-Bill-Advances-in-Delaware-House Donna Summer dead at 63 http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19892-Donna-Summer-dead-at-63&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 16:25:22 GMT "Queen of Disco" Donna Summer has died at the age of 63, a family source tells E! News.
TMZ first reported that the singer was reportedly suffering from cancer and passed away in Florida.
She shot to fame in the 1970s singing a string of classic disco hits, including "Love to Love You Baby," "Bad Girls," and "Hot Stuff."
During her 40-year career, she scooped five Grammy Awards, and her last single, "To Paris with Love," topped the U.S. dance chart in 2010.
No further details of her death were available as WENN went to press.
RIP She was one hell of a singer and I have many memories of dancing to her music with friends. She was fairly young too, so sad. ]]> General News motherof3 http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19892-Donna-Summer-dead-at-63 Savannah Animal Hospital offers 24-hour help http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19891-Savannah-Animal-Hospital-offers-24-hour-help&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 15:56:03 GMT ​I hope no one in our TD family ever needs to know this.
Middle-of-the-night pet emergencies will be treated in the Cape Region starting June 1, when Savannah Animal Hospital begins around-the-clock service for pets.
Pet hospital owners Dr. Robert Pedigo and Dr. Andrea Richter realized visitors and pet owners in the Cape Region need a vet who can care for animals in an emergency.
New veterinarians Dr. Amy Revenis and Dr. James Kozelka will join the Savannah staff starting next month to provide the 24-hour help to all pet owners.
“We have been doing on-call service, and we wanted to improve it,” said Richter. “This will allow people to come here at any time and receive care for their pets.”
Pedigo said in addition to two new vets, Savannah Animal Hospital has also hired four veterinary technicians to provide 24-hour service.
In the past, owners of established patients could call the Lewes-area animal hospital and meet the vets at the facility, but often patients would have to wait. In many cases, Savannah doctors talked owners through emergencies on the phone.
“During the course of the week we would probably see 10 to 15 emergency cases,” Richter said. “With the new service, we expect that number to grow.”
Common emergency issues include gastroenteritis, car accidents, lacerations, dog fights, bloating and acute problems that escalate, Richter said.
The animal hospital will serve established patients, area residents and tourists and their pets. Richter said appointments will still be during day hours, but in cases of emergency, a pet owner can call the office and a staff member will answer to help them through the situation and decide if an office visit is necessary. Pet owners are encouraged to call ahead to let staff know they are on their way in an emergency. Emergency charges may apply.
Opened in 1988, Savannah Animal Hospital serves about 3,300 patients per month.
In 2011, the hospital served nearly 33,000 dogs and more than 22,000 cats.
“We hope this new service will add to what we already provide and be as successful,” Richter said.
“People are traveling more with their pets, and pets are really a big part of many lives, so we are hoping to fill that need here,” she said.
Savannah Animal Hospital will start serving clients 24 hours a day on June 1. Call for rates. Regular office hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 302-645-8757 or go towww.savannahanimalhosp.com.
http://capegazette.villagesoup.com/b...ur-help/821232 ]]> Pets longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19891-Savannah-Animal-Hospital-offers-24-hour-help Del. inland bay dredging not likely this year http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19890-Del-inland-bay-dredging-not-likely-this-year&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 12:18:53 GMT MILLSBORO, Del. (AP) - A Delaware official says there isn't any money in the budget for dredging of smaller inland bay waterways.
David Small, the deputy secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, says that because of attrition of staff and equipment, the state's ability to perform the work has also decreased.
Local representatives met with DNREC officials this month about the issue. Rep. John Adkins says he would like to see a permanent funding source so mud flats and sand bars don't emerge at low tide. The lawmaker says boating is declining because boat owners can't get in and out at low tide and boat slips are a significant revenue source for Millsboro. Adkins says many restaurants also serve patrons who arrive by boat.

http://www.wmdt.com/story/18479018/d...kely-this-year ]]> Delaware News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19890-Del-inland-bay-dredging-not-likely-this-year Father,Daughter inspire Trappe Woman to Lose Weight to Become Organ Donor http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19889-Father-Daughter-inspire-Trappe-Woman-to-Lose-Weight-to-Become-Organ-Donor&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 12:14:17 GMT TRAPPE, Md.- It's no secret – America's waistlines are growing. And it seems the pool of potentially life saving organs is shrinking. There is concern the nation's obesity epidemic could lead to a shortage of kidney donations nationwide.
One local woman is so inspired by the issue, she is making huge lifestyle changes to make a difference.
When Gloria Faulkner was just 19-years-old, she lost her father. He had been waiting for a kidney for years.
"It instantly felt like my world fell apart. I couldn't control anything and it felt like, I broke. Just literally broke in half and I stayed broken for a really long time," she said.
Yet out of that pain, Faulkner found inspiration.
"Immediately, everybody was, we wanted to be donors and I encouraged my friends to be donors. I told them, if more people donated, my father might still be alive," she said.
In 2009, Faulkner's daughter was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder, which attacks her liver. One day, she may need a transplant.
But Faulkner was hit with the reality that she might not be able to step in and help.
"I've always advocated being a donor, being a donor but then I'm overweight and I was like, 'What if my daughter needs a transplant? What if any of my kids need a transplant or my sister's kids need a transplant and I'm already hurting myself by being overweight?' But then I would hurt them."
So Faulkner made some changes: she started eating healthier, walking and working out at the local YMCA.
She has lost 35 pounds so far and wants to lose about 60 more.
It is something fitness director Paige Canterbury is happy to see. Her cousin, a diabetic, had a kidney transplant and became diabetes-free.
"It's something that we can all become involved with, keeping ourselves healthy, taking care of our own bodies but sometimes those bodies break down and it's a very simple thing to choose organ donation, to use your life to better someone else's," she said.
And that is something Faulkner is determined to make happen. She said losing weight has not been easy. But her advice: if you slip up today, just concentrate harder tomorrow.
http://www.wboc.com/story/18440993/f...me-organ-donor ]]> Health and Wellness longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19889-Father-Daughter-inspire-Trappe-Woman-to-Lose-Weight-to-Become-Organ-Donor Maryland cops giving $1 to drivers with seatbelts http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19888-Maryland-cops-giving-1-to-drivers-with-seatbelts&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 12:04:46 GMT
BOWIE, Md. — Some police officers in Maryland will be out Thursday giving cash to drivers wearing their seatbelts. But beware: they may give you a ticket if you don't.
Prince George's County police will be at Route 301 and Ballpark Drive in Bowie starting at noon watching passing vehicles. Officers and safety advocates will distribute $1 bills to drivers who have all occupants properly buckled. Those riding without seatbelts will get educational materials and face being fined.
A local bank and the police department are sponsoring the money giveaway.
The program is an extension of the Click It Or Ticket campaign that is run in Maryland and other states.

http://www.delawareonline.com/viewar...news|text|Home




]]> General News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19888-Maryland-cops-giving-1-to-drivers-with-seatbelts <![CDATA['Piggybackers' steal trips through tolls]]> http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19887-Piggybackers-steal-trips-through-tolls&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:19 GMT
Greg Stone thought nothing of crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge a few weeks ago, passing through an E-ZPass lane at the toll plaza as he'd done many times.

He was perplexed to later find a $30 charge appear on a summary of his E-ZPass account. The toll for Stone's black Volkswagen should have been $4.
"I called the E-ZPass Service Center, and they told me it was for a truck," said Stone, of Boca Raton, Fla.
He then phoned the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the bridge, and learned about a little-known scheme that likely accounted for the system mistaking his four-door sedan for a six-axle tractor-trailer.
Officials call the problem "poaching," said James Salmon, a spokesman for the DRBA.
A driver, often a trucker, follows the passenger car in front of it through an E-ZPass lane closely, causing the system's sensors to misread two vehicles as one. The first driver is charged at a commercial rate, and the piggybacking tailgater pays nothing.
Stone felt little comfort at this explanation.
"If they know this is a problem, then why aren't there safeguards in place? Why aren't the cops enforcing the tailgating at the plaza?" he said. "If it's happening to me, it's happening to other people."
E-ZPass and transportation officials say the problem is not widespread and that customers can best protect themselves by closely reviewing their E-ZPass statements for accuracy and reporting unusual or suspicious charges to their administrator.
Salmon couldn't quantify how many bridge travelers are affected by poachers, he said.
"I don't know of the number of instances. It's very infrequent," he said. "If there's not significant space between the vehicles as they went through, it could happen."
The organization doesn't publicize the potential for poaching because "we don't want to educate people about how to do the wrong thing," he said. Plus, the presence of police at the bridge helps deter would-be toll evaders, he said.
Poaching isn't limited to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, where 67 percent of travelers use E-ZPass to pay their tolls. It can happen at any E-ZPass toll booth. But if other drivers have encountered the problem, few are reporting it to AAA Mid-Atlantic or the Delaware Department of Transportation. Neither have received complaints, according to representatives.
read full article

http://www.delawareonline.com/articl...nclick_check=1






]]> General News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19887-Piggybackers-steal-trips-through-tolls Insurers pay $109M for dog bite claims http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19886-Insurers-pay-109M-for-dog-bite-claims&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 11:44:47 GMT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dog bites man does not get a lot of attention in the news, but it costs insurance companies hundreds of millions in claims every year.

State Farm Insurance, one of the nation's largest home insurers, paid more than $109 million on about 3,800 dog bite claims nationwide last year, spokesman Eddie Martinez said Wednesday. In 2010, there were about 3,500 claims and $90 million in payouts.
The Insurance Information Institute estimated that nearly $479 million in dog bite claims were paid by all insurance companies in 2011, spokeswoman Loretta Worters said. In 2010, it was $413 million.
It's no surprise that California — home to more dogs and people than any other state — led the way in 2011.
Martinez says 527 claims were filed in California and victims received $20.3 million, a jump of 31 percent over 2010.
State Farm is still working to determine reasons for the spike, Martinez said.
About 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year and more than half of the victims are children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. About 800,000 people seek medical attention for the bites. Less than half of those people require treatment and about 16 die, the agency said.
After children ages 5 to 9 years old, the agency said that seniors represent the largest group at risk, followed by letter carriers.
Nationally, about 5,600 U.S. Postal Service letter carriers were attacked by dogs each of the last two years, said Los Angeles spokesman Richard Maher.
In California, a carrier was attacked in March and died of complications four days later after she suffered a stroke likely caused by trauma, Maher said.
read full article
http://news.yahoo.com/leading-insure...214445007.html




 ]]> Pets longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19886-Insurers-pay-109M-for-dog-bite-claims Kalmar Nyckel, Tall Ship of Delaware, to visit Lewes May 17 and 18 http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19885-Kalmar-Nyckel-Tall-Ship-of-Delaware-to-visit-Lewes-May-17-and-18&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 20:11:43 GMT

Photo by: Andrew Hanna
Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware's Tall Ship, is shown with all flags flying.


Kalmar Nyckel, Tall Ship of Delaware, departed Wilmington May 15 for a stop in Lewes followed by visits to Portsmouth and Cape Charles, Va., and Solomons Island, Md., before returning to her home port of Wilmington in late June - just in time for the second annual Wilmington Pirate Festival Saturday, June 30, at Tubman-Garrett Park.
During her stay in Lewes, Kalmar Nyckel will be hosting school groups for education tours as well as offering public sails from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, May 17 and 18. Friday’s sunset sail will be the first Pirate Sail of the season in Lewes.
The ship will participate in OpSail 2012 Virginia and will be berthed in Portsmouth the weekend of June 8-10. She will then head to Cape Charles, boarding passengers June 12 for the Parade of Sail up the Chesapeake, a six-hour sail with the other tall ships, many of which will be continuing on to Baltimore, Md. Kalmar Nyckel will return to Cape Charles for public sails the weekend of June 15 and to Solomons Island for sails the weekend of June 22. Public sails will be offered in Wilmington on the Christina River July 1-15. The Wilmington Pirate Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 30.
Kalmar Nyckel is an authentic re-creation of a 17th century Dutch-built vessel, one of America’s pioneering tall ships that brought some of the earliest permanent settlers to the Colonies. The ship’s historical accuracy reflects the sailing methodology of the early 1600s, which passengers can experience for themselves. The ship has eight sails, eight miles of rigging and a crew of dedicated volunteer sailors to make the trip exciting for all.
“A sail on the Kalmar Nyckel is a unique way to learn about the ship's maritime and cultural history as well as experience what it is really like to sail a tall ship,” said Catherine Parsells, Kalmar Nyckel Foundation executive director.
Voted Best Living History Lesson by Delaware Today magazine in 2011, Kalmar Nyckel serves as a vital education resource for schools and the community. In the last two years, the ship has hosted more than 5,800 students for its ship and shipyard education programs.
The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is a volunteer-based organization, with more than 300 active volunteers. These volunteers contribute on average 40,000 hours per year to maintain and sail the ship as well as serve as program educators.
The original Kalmar Nyckel sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638, leaving her passengers to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley at Fort Christina in present-day Wilmington. Because of her historical accuracy, Kalmar Nyckel was featured last year in National Geographic Television’s “Return of the Ghost Ship,” which aired in 124 countries around the world. This documentary explored a ghost ship from the 1630s found intact at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
To celebrate the beginning of this year’s sailing season, the foundation is offering the opportunity for passengers to buy three tickets and get one free for the sails in Lewes May 17 and 18. Tickets are $60/adult and $40/child and depart from Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal dock.
For tickets and more information for all sails except for the Parade of Sail in Cape Charles, contact the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation office at 302-429-7447 (toll free at 866-659-7447) orwww.kalmarnyckel.org.
For the Parade of Sail up the Chesapeake from Cape Charles, go to tallshipscapecharles.com/about-opsail-2012r.../event-schedule. Tickets are $200 per person for the six-hour excursion and include a box lunch.
http://capegazette.villagesoup.com/c...-and-18/824542



 ]]> On the Town longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19885-Kalmar-Nyckel-Tall-Ship-of-Delaware-to-visit-Lewes-May-17-and-18 Man sought in Pike Creek bar assault surrenders to police http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19884-Man-sought-in-Pike-Creek-bar-assault-surrenders-to-police&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 20:05:51 GMT A 26-year-old Newark man wanted for assaulting two bar patrons last Thursday has surrendered to police to face charges. Shawn C. Bottjer was charged...
A 26-year-old Newark man wanted for assaulting two bar patrons last Thursday has surrendered to police to face charges.
Shawn C. Bottjer was charged Monday with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony and conspiracy in the incident Thursday that occurred in the parking lot of McGlynn’s Pub, at 8 Polly Drummond Hill Road in Pike Creek.
Bottjer is accused of shouting profanities at a 22-year-old woman and 30-year-old man as they left the bar/restaurant.
He then allegedly pulled out a knife in an attempt to stab a man who was assaulted with a bottle by another man and in so doing, cut a woman who attempted to intervene in the fight.
The two victims were treated at Christiana Hospital for their injuries.
The investigation is continuing as troopers attempt to identify the other man involved in the assault.
Bottjer, meanwhile, was released after posting $11,100 secured bail.
http://www.delawareonline.com/articl...nclick_check=1





]]> Delaware News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19884-Man-sought-in-Pike-Creek-bar-assault-surrenders-to-police FTC: Skechers deceived consumers with shoe ads http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19883-FTC-Skechers-deceived-consumers-with-shoe-ads&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 18:38:56 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government wants you to know that simply sporting a pair of Skechers' fitness shoes is not going to get you Kim Kardashian's curves or Brooke Burke's toned tush.
Skechers USA Inc. will pay $40 million to settle charges by theFederal Trade Commission that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg and stomach muscles. Kardashian, Burke and other celebrities endorsed the shoes in Skechers ads.
Wednesday's settlement also involves the company's Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes. Skechers made deceptive claims about those shoes, too, says the agency.
Consumers who bought the shoes will be eligible for refunds, though it's not clear how much money people will get. The FTC says that will depend on how many claims are received in the eight-month filing period. Most of the $40 million will be returned to consumers, the commission said. A small amount of the money will be used to administer the payouts.
"The FTC's message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims," said David Vladeck, director of the agency's consumer protection bureau. For millions of consumers, he said, "the only thing that got a workout was their wallet."
The commission settled similar charges with Reebok last year over its EasyTone walking shoes and RunTone running shoes. That $25 million agreement also provided customer refunds.
Skechers billed its Shape-ups as a fitness tool designed to promote weight loss and tone muscles with the shoe's curved "rocker" or rolling bottom — saying it provides natural instability and causes the consumer to "use more energy with every step." Shape-ups cost about $100 and are sold at retailers nationwide.
Ads for the Resistance Runner shoes claimed people who wear them could increase "muscle activation" by up to 85 percent for posture-related muscles and 71 percent for one of the muscles in the buttocks, said the FTC.
The commission says Skechers falsely represented that clinical studies backed up the company's claims about its toning shoes. The settlement bars Skechers from misrepresenting any tests, studies or research on its shoes in the future.
In Wednesday's court filing, Skechers says it disputes the charges and is pursuing additional studies. A call to Skechers seeking additional comment was not immediately returned.
The settlement is part of a broader agreement also announced Wednesday — a settlement resolving a multi-state investigation led by the attorneys general from Tennessee and Ohio and involving more than 40 states. The company, based in Manhattan Beach, Calif., will provide $40 million for customer refunds in the federal case and $5 million to the states.

:1yes:​Great Now if they woould go after the political ads this way.......

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ftc-sk...151356627.html



 ]]> General News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19883-FTC-Skechers-deceived-consumers-with-shoe-ads AAA Reveals Memorial Day Travel Forecast http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19882-AAA-Reveals-Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 14:33:37 GMT
WMDT 47 NEWS -
NEW YORK (AP) — Cheaper gas won't be enough to get many more Americans on the road this summer. They're still too worried about their jobs and the economy.
Economists and tourism experts are expecting only a small up tick in summer travelers. Gas prices are lower, but still high enough to keep some Americans off the road. The job market is improving, but still shaky. And household debt remains high.
Those who do travel won't feel free to splurge. The bulk of road trippers, experts say, will take shorter trips and reduce food and entertainment spending to conserve cash.
"Travel is about security," said John Larson, Vice President for IHS Global Insight, the firm that analyzed the AAA study. "If you feel less secure about your future, you may be less willing to take this trip."
For Memorial Day weekend, auto club AAA estimates that 34.8 million Americans will take trips of at least 50 miles. That's a half-million more than Memorial Day 2011 but equal to the number who traveled two years ago. Roughly 30.7 million — or 88 percent of those traveling — will drive, up 1.2 percent from last year, AAA says. Memorial Day tends to be a good indicator of summer travel overall.
Gas prices may keep some low-wage earners home. But for the most part, Americans will buck up for gas, assuming they can afford to take a trip in the first place.
Douglas Frechtling, chair of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management at George Washington University, says broader economic concerns far outweigh gas prices for most Americans when considering summer vacations. Slowing job growth is likely rattling some families, and rent, car payments and other bills take priority over vacation.
Gas was averaging around $3.85 per gallon when AAA spoke with 315 would-be travelers from April 20 to 24. The survey showed that those making under $50,000 a year will make up about a quarter of all Memorial Day travelers, down from nearly a third a year ago. Higher gas prices eat up a larger share of lower-income families' household budgets.
AAA says the 66 cent increase in the average gas price from January through early April made many people skittish about taking long road trips. The average trip will be 642 miles this Memorial Day, compared with 792 miles. Half of those surveyed said they'll travel less than 400 miles.
Some travelers will drive this summer because they can't afford to fly.
Jennifer Padilla of Santa Fe, New Mexico says her family is shelving a planned trip overseas this summer with family because her husband took a pay cut. Instead, the couple, their 3-year-old son and a friend will visit the sites in Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley, Utah in their Honda CRV.
The average roundtrip domestic airfare this summer is expected to be up 9 percent to 10 percent from last year, according to Travelzoo. That's on top of a 5 to 7 percent increase between 2010 and 2011. AAA estimates that 5.5 percent fewer people will travel by plane this Memorial Day. The industry trade group Airlines for America is somewhat more optimistic about summer as a whole, predicting a slight 0.2 percent decrease in air travelers.
AAA and IHS found that Americans with incomes over $100,000 a year will make up a greater percentage of travelers than a year ago — 36 percent compared with 30 percent. Middle-income Americans will account for 38 percent, down from 39 percent.
Families will carefully budget travel spending. Sixty-five percent of Memorial Day travelers surveyed by AAA say they'll cut back on entertainment costs during the weekend. Spending per person is expected to rise just $10, to $702, although falling gas prices could give travelers a few extra bucks to spend.
The U.S. Travel Association estimates Americans will spend about $725.4 billion on travel this year, up 3 percent from 2011, but less than half the increase between 2010 and 2011. Frechtling says about half of all trips are taken in the summer and the period accounts for about 40 percent of the year's spending.
http://www.wmdt.com/story/18430993/a...ravel-forecast ]]> Social Scene longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19882-AAA-Reveals-Memorial-Day-Travel-Forecast Turkey Probes Dead Bird It Suspects Is Israeli Spy http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19881-Turkey-Probes-Dead-Bird-It-Suspects-Is-Israeli-Spy&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 14:10:16 GMT

It's a bird! It's an Israeli spy! It's a — well, it's probably a bird.
Turkish authorities are investigating a dead bird they think could might be an Israeli spy, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
According to the report, a farmer found the dead European bee-eater and noticed that its leg was banded with a ring that said "Israel." (Bird-banding lets ornithologists track migration routes.)
He handed the bird's body over to the government, and security officials investigating it found what they reportedly considered cause for alarm: Its suspiciously sized nostrils.
The nostils were large enough for Israeli intelligence agency Mossad to have implanted a surveillance device inside, according to the report.
But a bird expert told Yedioth Ahronoth that the bee-eaters often pass through Israel and Turkey during their migration from Europe, and a conservation society confirmed that the bird under investigation was banded four years ago.
Birds banded in Israel have triggered suspicion in the region before. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, last year Saudi Arabia detained an Israel-banded vulture carrying a GPS transmitter with Tel Aviv University's name on it, suspecting it of an espionage plot.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/weird...151681355.html



]]> National and World News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19881-Turkey-Probes-Dead-Bird-It-Suspects-Is-Israeli-Spy GM to stop buying ads on Facebook? http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19880-GM-to-stop-buying-ads-on-Facebook&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 12:46:34 GMT
General Motors just made a dramatic update to its status on Facebook.
Just days before Facebook's expected initial public offering, spokesman Tom Henderson said GM is "reassessing" the value of buying ads on the social network site. He wouldn't provide details, saying "We regularly review our overall media spend and make adjustments as needed."
His comments came after The Wall Street Journal, , citing "people familiar with the matter," reported today that GM would quit buying paid ads on Facebook and rely on engagement with Facebook users through content on its free-to-use profile pages. The sources said GM executives found the paid ads had little impact on car buying.
Henderson said that, "in terms of Facebook specifically, we are reassessing our advertising and remain committed to an aggressive content strategy with all of our products and brands, as it continues to be a very effective tool for engaging with our customers" with the sharing of sharing images, videos and comments with users.
GM has spent about $40 million on its Facebook presence over about a year and a half, with about a fourth for paid ads and the rest to create and maintain content on free pages.
The GM talk comes at an awkward time for Facebook, as its business model investors ahead of its IPO on Friday, predicted to be the biggest Internet IPO ever. Facebook declined to comment.
"The timing of (the GM report) feels like it's intentional," says Steve Goldner, a senior director at digital-media agency MediaWhiz. "It reflects that GM does not know how to integrate social-media into a winning marketing play. And it shows Facebook has done a poor job of explaining how they are part of a social-media play."
GM's Facebook spending is a tiny slice of the social site's ad revenue. Facebook has said it had $1.06 billion in revenue in the first quarter, with $872 million from advertising.
Investors aren't likely to read much into GM's rethinking, says Brian Blau, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner. He says Facebook is focused on making its site appealing to users and can work on its ad systems later. "I'd be careful to not read too much into this," he says.
Additionally, large advertisers routinely shift their spending. "Big clients come and go," he says.
However, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter says that GM's decision could prompt other marketers to rethink their paid ads on Facebook. "GM (is) one of the bigger advertisers, and if in fact they did their homework, that is going to have a ripple effect,"
Some large, brand-name advertisers already have made public doubts about the effectiveness of Facebook as a vehicle to sell goods. Gap, Nordstrom, Gamestop, JC Penney and Old Navy have shuttered virtual storefronts on Facebook when they didn't spur sales. Some snidely suggest the F in what some call F-commerce stands for "failure."
Also, the Google Display Network is trouncing Facebook in key ad areas. Google banner ads, for example, are more than 10 times likely to be clicked on than Facebook ads, according to research from WordStream, a maker of search-engine marketing software and services.
Meanwhile. a new poll from The Associated Press and CNBC finds that 57% of Facebook users say they never click on ads or sponsored content. About another quarter say they rarely do so.
]]> General News longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19880-GM-to-stop-buying-ads-on-Facebook $50,000 in perfume stolen from outlet store near Rehoboth Beach http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19879-50-000-in-perfume-stolen-from-outlet-store-near-Rehoboth-Beach&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 19:07:25 GMT Burglars made off with pricey perfume when they broke into an outlet store near Rehoboth Beach two weeks ago, police reported today.Sometime between...
Burglars made off with pricey perfume when they broke into an outlet store near Rehoboth Beach two weeks ago, police reported today.
Sometime between 3 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on May 3, burglars broke into the Perfumania Outlet, at 35016 Midway Outlet Drive, pried open the front door and helped themselves to $50,000 worth of perfume from the display area, said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier.
In breaking in, the burglars damaged the alarm system which kept the alarm from activating, Fournier said.
The burglary was discovered when employees arrived to open the business for the day.
The next day, a break-in was discovered at a Perfumania Outlet store at Rockvale Square shopping center in Lancaster, Pa.
In that burglary, the culprits broke in through a rear door and stole a safe and an undisclosed amount of perfume.

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]]> Lewes, DE. longnecker http://www.talkdelaware.com/showthread.php?19879-50-000-in-perfume-stolen-from-outlet-store-near-Rehoboth-Beach