'Dear Santa' sign stirs up controversy at local department store
Katie Johnson
5:38 PM, Nov 10, 2014

A holiday decoration is making its rounds on social media, and it's not for a good reason.

A sign that reads "Dear Santa, this year please give me a big fat bank account and a slim body. Please don't mix those two up like you did last year. Thanks," was spotted in the girls' section of the Dillard's store at the Mall at Wellington Green last Friday night.

A mother of three spotted the sign while shopping with her kids. She posted it on her Facebook page and since then it's been shared nearly four hundred times.

"It's kinda funny because a woman who wants to wish for that should make it happen for herself," says Sally Stewart. She was shocked to hear about the incident. "What would a little girl want with a bank account? It gives the wrong message about having a slim body. That's not the message we want to give our kids," Stewart says.

UPDATE: Dillard's has now directed all stores to completely remove the sign from the sales floor.

October 15, 2014 at 9:10 AM, updated October 15, 2014 at 11:47 AM

State Rep. Marty Flynn fired two shots down a Harrisburg city street as he and another legislator was being held at gunpoint late Tuesday, his chief of staff said.

Thom Welby said Democratic lawmaker from Scranton was walking back to his apartment with Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-Erie, when they were stopped by two suspects.

"The one put the gun on him and told him to give him his money, to which Rep. Flynn responded with some expressive language that they're not getting anything from him," Welby said.

Flynn, who was armed at the time, initially reached for his gun but backed off when a third suspect from across the street warned the first two that the lawmaker "has something."

USS America: The Navy's Newest Flattop Can't Decide What The Hell It Is

Yesterday, as part of San Francisco's Fleet Week festivities, the US Navy had a high-profile commissioning ceremony for the USS America LHA-6, the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name and the first in a new class of amphibious assault ships that are really more like aircraft carriers, yet somehow, compromised as both.

Although her maiden voyage — a delivery cruise from Louisiana to her home port in San Diego — went well, the America Class remains a controversial defense program that is tied directly to two of the most controversial defense programs of all time. Those being V-22 Osprey and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The America Class, although based largely on the final Wasp Class vessel, USS Makin Island LHD-8, and slightly larger by displacement, greatly differs from it and recent big deck 'amphib' designs of last few decades in one major way. Recent big deck amphibious assault ships, such as the Tarawa and Wasp Classes, are as much floating docks as they are aircraft carriers, with huge hangar-like floodable garages located on their sterns. These "well decks" are where everything from small boats to massive Land Craft Air Cushion hovercraft operate from. The new America Class on the other hand was designed without this key feature, instead her focus will be on aviation, specifically the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the MV-22B Osprey.

Many have argued that this aviation focus basically makes the America Class strictly an aircraft carrier. This is true to some extent, although the Wasp and Tarawa Classes that came before her were also larger than the vast majority of 'aircraft carriers' operating around the world, but their well decks and large parking garage like cargo spaces were clearly a differentiating factor. One thing is certain, the USS America is all about vertical envelopment of the enemy, and will largely leave the surface logistics and sea-born assault aspects of Marine expeditionary warfare to her San Antonio Class, Whidbey Island Class, Harpers Ferry Class, and Austin Class cousins when operating as the centerpiece of an Expeditionary Strike Group.

have a good reason for carrying, like for example people transporting bags of money

[Go for the low hanging fruit]on gun control. UBC, safe storage requirements and accountability to the owner for misuse of guns. Most of this is in place and widely supported. Note, the second someone says AWB or magazine limits or for a start, the proposal is DOA. The first two have debatable benefit but much less support and the last reveals that there is a icy slope just ahead.

Gun use is a valid early target. MADD has shown the way to success. Have a focused, teen & YA targeted ad campaign to change the attitude that guns make you tough and solve problems. That demographic thinks of immediate gratification and needs to be repeatedly reminded that actions have consequences.

Another educational/ad campaign targeted at a step younger audience teaching that violence is the worst solution to conflicts. Equality is a better route to empowerment than domination.

Invest money into youth programs and community activities. These have shown past successes in bringing groups together to compete and bond in athletics rather that posture and fight out of boredom.

Last, most expensive and most difficult is investiture in the social safety net. We need to limit how far people can fall to a level higher than despair. When people pass that level those who would prefer to be law abiding will turn to crime.

To bring it home, Democratic losses at the top, gun control level, where they have the least effect cascade down, preventing success at promoting the lower level polices. It is the base policies where we will have the greatest success at the reduction of violence and helping the most people.

These are just sample ideas. I'm sure more savvy people can come up with far better than my simple brainstorm.