Mobtown Shank

Ed Schrader Reporting Live At The Storm

 
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Gulf Shrimp Gone Bad

Remember that BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2010? If we believe the commercials the corporation has been running fairly regularly on news channels, it may be easy to convince ourselves that despite the millions of gallons of crude and dispersents dumped, that everything is honky dory in the water.

Evidently, it's not. A new study from the journal Environmental Health Perspectives reveals:

... the 2010 BP Gulf oil disaster resulted in widespread contamination of Gulf Coast seafood with toxic components from crude oil.1 In fact, levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in shrimp were found to exceed the FDA’s established thresholds for allowable levels [levels of concern (LOCs)] for pregnant women in up to 53% of Gulf shrimp sampled.

So, when eating seafood, you may want to pass on the gulf shrimp, unless tumor laden, eyeless shrimp sounds like a healthy choice to you.

More.

A Look At Hampden-Area Liquor Stores The City Is Proposing To Shut Down

Last week, the Shank reported on a new Baltimore city proposal from city health officials that would shut down 130 local businesses by changing city zoning that previously grandfathered in some liquor stores so that they would no longer be allowed to do business as liquor stores in the communities they have been serving for decades.

Proponents of this policy are trying to paint this as a picture of the city trying to shut down predatory, bulletproof plexiglass cash wrap liquor stores.

In the greater Hampden-area (including Medfield and Woodberry), here are the 3 stores the city has targeted for shutting down - none of them are of the bulletproof plexiglass cashwrap variety.

Roland Park Liquors (Roland Ave.) - Next to the Wine Source, my favorite North Baltimore liquor store. In a limited amount of space, they fit in a good variety of interesting beer, wine and spirits.

The Wine Underground (Evans Chapel Rd.) - One of the more popular liquor stores in the neighborhood. Regularly hosts wine-tastings.

JT's (Falls Rd.) - JT's could be prettier, but it's not just a liquor store, it's also a market and carryout, so it provides the neighborhood with food. In fact, I've ordered lunch from them several times - and those lunches were salads.

If you haven't already done so, please contact your city council representative and urge them to continue to honor the decades old grandfather clause that allows these liquor stores to exist in our community.

Mary Pat Clarke
Nick Mosby
Baltimore City Council Directory

Number Of Americans In Extreme Poverty Up 50%

Since 2000, the number of Americans living in Extreme Poverty has increased 50%.

Extreme Poverty is an income of less than half the federal poverty line.

In 2000, 4.7% of Americans lived in extreme poverty.
In 2007, 5.2% of Americans lived in extreme poverty.
In 2010, 6.7% of Americans lived in extreme poverty.

Source.

Corporate Profits Highest Ever, Wages Lowest Ever

According to The Business Insider, corporate profits are at an all-time high and wages are at an all-time low.

Last year, corporations made a record profit of $824 billion - the highest profit in the history of humankind.

So keep this in mind when:
1. You hear Republicans bemoan Obama's anti-business practices
2. You hear Republicans whine that that government (regulation) has to get out of the way of job creators (the rich)

Also, nothing should more clearly illustrate the importance of unions and higher wages for the working class.

If corporations are making the highest profits in the history of mankind, why are we living in an era when local governments are bankrupt?

Why are public schools suffering? Why are conservative leaders telling us we can't afford public services and social safety nets when corporations are making the highest profits they ever have in the history of humanity?

Why, in Baltimore, are we being told we can't afford rec centers and fire departments?

Because they don't pay their fair share of taxes, and they don't pay just wages.  And it's our economic activity, not theirs, that funds our communities.

At some point, we are going to begin to recognize that corporations, as they function in the US today, are parasitic. That the aren't acting in the public interest - they are only acting in the interest of a select few - at the expense of everyone else.

Source1.
Source2.

Most Americans Don't Know Obama Is A Christian

According to a new Gallup poll,
Only 1 in 3 Americans can correctly identify President Barack Obama as a Christian.
44% of Americans say they don't know his religion.
11% of Americans think Obama is a Muslim.
18% of Republicans believe Obama is a Musliam.

Of course, religion really shouldn't matter when it comes to electing representatives, but to many Americans it does, and they're getting it wrong.

Source.

Madam 8-Ball's Horoscope: Bad Judgments

by Madam 8-Ball

SHOULD YOU EXPECT AN UNFAVORABLE RULING THIS WEEK?

AQUARIUS: It is decidedly so.
PISCES: Yes - definitely.
ARIES: My reply is no..
TAURUS: Yes - definitely.
GEMINI: Ask again later.
CANCER: My reply is no.
LEO: It is decidedly so.
VIRGO: Cannot predict now.
LIBRA: Concentrate and ask again.
SCORPIO: You may rely on it.
SAGITTARIUS: Yes.
CAPRICORN: It is certain.

Specialty Bonus Sign
OPHIUCHUS: Better not tell you now.

Republican King Blames Muslims For Most Of US Terror Acts When It's Actually Right Wing Extremists

Republican Rep. Peter King (NY) is the House Homeland Security Chairman. And he believes 90% of terrorist acts in the US are carried out by Muslims:

What I am very concerned about is that while the overwhelming majority of Muslims are good people, the fact is even though Muslims are 1 percent of the population, almost 90 percent of the terrorist crimes are carried out by the Muslim community. And there are not enough people in the community willing to step forward and speak out against this and cooperate with law enforcement.

However, the facts show:
right wing extremists are responsible for 56% of terrorist attacks in the US

ecoterrorists are responsible for 30% of terrorist acts in the US

Islamic extremists are reponsible for 12% of terrorist acts in the US

And Muslim Americans are 89% more likely to reject violence (higher than any other US religious group)

And 92% of Muslim Americans have no sympathy for Al Qaeda.

Rep. Peter King is terrible at his job.

Source.

How Americans Think About Distribution Of Wealth

The bottom row is what Americans say the ideal of wealth distribution should be in America.

The middle row is what Americans say they think wealth distribution in America is.

The top row is the actual distribution of wealth in America.

This graphic shows not only how far away the real wealth distribution in the US is from the public's ideal, it's also way off from what the public thinks it actually is.

New Study Finds Republicans Don't Accept Reality

One way to understand why Republicans think the way they do about things is to come to the realization that Republicans simply don't share our reality.

That is to say, Republicans don't believe the truth.

A new poll by Dartmouth finds:

63% of Republicans still believe Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction.

It did not.

64% of Republicans have always believed or have come to believe that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

He was born in Hawaii.

So when debating with Republicans, keep in mind you are trying to have a rational discussion with someone who, chances are, actively refuses to subscribe to reality.