Tuesday, April 07, 2015

No one is going to tell me this wasn't deliberate. It seems the country can't protect any Black man these days.

April 7, 2015

...Many of the outages were brief, (click here) but some were longer and forced evacuations. Officials said a mechanical failure at a transfer station led to the outages, and terrorism was not suspected. Tens of thousands of customers lost power.
At the White House, the interruption last only a few seconds before backup generators kicked on. The complex quickly went back onto regular power. Electricity in the press briefing room dipped around lunchtime, briefly darkening cubicles and blackening TV screens.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office when the power blip occurred, and they didn’t notice anything unusual.
Power also went out at the State Department during the daily press briefing, forcing spokeswoman Marie Harf to finish her comments in the dark.
Power in the U.S. Capitol building twice shut down briefly, and then came back on by way of a generator....

A piece of metal fell from a power line. It happens everyday, I sure. These are the power lines that feed the federal buildings in the USA. What?

April 7, 2015
By Aaron C. Davis and Julie Zauzmer

A piece of metal (click here) breaking loose from a power line 43 miles southeast of the District momentarily knocked out electricity to the White House, State Department and wide swaths of the nation’s capital and Maryland suburbs early Tuesday afternoon.
But the city barely noticed.
The outage threw scores of public and private office buildings off the grid, but in many cases, the lights stayed on because backup generators quickly kicked in....

Another security breach from foreign government hackers? The President? Again?

April 7, 2015
By Brian Ross, Lee Ferran and Ali Weinberg

Russian hackers penetrated the White House (click here) non-public, non-classified computer system for several months last year, forcing the White House to shut down the system for several days, U.S. officials said.
The hacked system is not used for classified information, but is used by the White House advance and press office, the general counsel’s office, and officials in the budget and legislative liaison offices.
One person briefed on the hacking said the Russian invaders were difficult to detect and difficult to remove from the White House computer network, and some believe the hackers could still be hiding inside the system tonight.
Ben Rhodes, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, declined to confirm the breach to CNN, which first reported it today....

I am grateful for the news coverage of these injustices. I am grateful for the Black voices, too.

I don't see the difference between this murder and the murder of Michael Brown, Jr. I really don't. Both were unarmed, both were involved with very minor charges and both were shot at a distance from the police officer.  

April 7, 2015
By Andrew Knapp

Investigators collect evidence after a North Charleston police officer fatally shot a man Saturday morning.

Monday’s developments (click here) filled in some of the blanks in what was South Carolina’s 11th police shooting of the year. Authorities publicly identified Slager, an officer with the city since December 2009, and gave his reason for the traffic stop that led to the fatal confrontation. Police documents also revealed that Slager announced within seconds why he had fired.
“Shots fired, and the subject is down,” he said into his radio, according to an incident report. “He took my Taser.”
Walter Lamer Scott, 50, of Meadowlawn Drive in West Ashley died soon after the encounter near Craig Street and Remount Road.... 

This murder charge would not have happened without the video. This is the conduct of police and people in the USA now. 

The police are at the very least beginning to be charged, but, that won't necessarily stop this behavior. I really feel helpless about it. The only common factor regarding these killings is the fact they seem to happen in the daylight to Black men.

Mr. Scott was allowed to die. There was no call for an ambulance. There was no CPR. There was nothing done for Mr. Scott to even try to save his life, he was going to die and that was decided. The police officer even had a scenario mapped out for the murder. This murder is very disturbing.  

A broken tail light and he paid for it with his life. It is disgusting. Where were they so far away from the car? The cars are nowhere in the video. Mr. Scott ran? For a broken tail light? He ran from the police officer because of a broken tail light? The police are doing something to escalate a situation out of control and then kills the men. 

I don't want officers engaging minor infractions in the law anymore. People jaywalk at their own peril. The tail light isn't even an issue. Take a photo with the police car video camera and send it to DMV over the internet to write a summons to the owner of the car which is known by the license plate. I want these people to be left alone. In the case of Michael Brown, Jr.; the shop owner should have submitted information to the responding officer and it could be filed for insurance purposes. The insurance is going to be tapped anyway. Or, it's a loss on the business income tax. People are not to pay with their lives anymore for minor charges.

I ask myself how such minor problems in our society can escalate into a death. I don't want dead people anymore over a broken tail light or stolen Cigarillos or vigilantism as occurred with Trayvon Martin. There was a time in the USA when vigilantes would be arrested and tried. That isn't happening anymore.

People need to be left alone, ESPECIALLY, if they are African American Men. Leave them alone, they are not who these police officers think they are. 

Video technology is mandatory now on the streets of the USA. They aren't inexpensive either. The monthly cost can be significant, but, if Americans want justice they have to carry video capable telephones. 
Schumer does this stuff on occassion. Maybe even more than occasion. He's from New York. 

Iran = Israel

There is no reason to worry about it, IF one is paying attention. But, who sits down to listen to the experts on our missile capacity?

Former U.S. military and State Department Officials (click here) participated in a series of panel discussions on modern missile technologies.

Missile technology is at the center of the USA defense. The USA has capacity beyond that and that capacity is important. But, the country has significant assets so long as they work and are staffed with people that actually do their job.

The event was very good. It raised some questions for me, but, I thought it was a really good idea. 

And this is about the Homeland, not the radicals in Israel. Israel's politics is too far to the right. I would think that would be obvious. It is interesting Israel should be this far right in the very same way the USA Republicans have become. Think that might be tied into one understanding about election monies? Yeah, I think so.

April 8, 2015
...The IAEA (click here) already has a presence in Iran. Yet it has been allowed to monitor only Iran's declared nuclear programs under agreements linked to Tehran's ratification of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
That is to change under any June deal.
Iran left the negotiating table in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday with a commitment to implement the Additional Protocol, IAEA's most potent monitoring instrument. In effect in nearly 150 countries, that agreement is meant to allow IAEA experts nearly unfettered access " normally within a day or two " to any site within those nations that the agency suspects may be used for secret nuclear work.
For Washington, lessons learned from Iran's nuclear past made such an agreement indispensable as part of any deal....

Associated Press Vienna Bureau Chief George Jahn has covered Iran's nuclear program since 2002.
Senator Paul needs to stop attacking vaccines and put those words into actions. "When I am in the White House I will put a committee together to examine vaccines and any adverse effects they may have." 

He has to do that with all his campaign standings. He states a position, then back it up. "When I am in the White House, I will..." The stand has to be contextualized in reality. Don't make absolute statements. The absolute statements are a matter of security for 'the vote,' but, it destroys the campaign.

If Senator Paul wants this he needs to be real and not ideological. If he does that he will discover the flaws in his rhetorical politics and quite frankly the serious condition of the people his rhetoric actually victimizes.

"I statements" backed by fact and POLICY.

We are witnessing a majority Senate and House that sets their sights on satisfying cronies and victimizing huge segments of the American population. That is not real, that is idiocy.
"Rolling Stone" and "Rape on Campus." 

There was too much zeal. Rape on campuses across the USA exists. It was unfortunate there wasn't more focus on facts so much as seeing the 'wish to end it.' I don't think it is bad.

I don't know if there is harm to women to come forward to report. It would have been more damaging if "Rolling Stone" didn't dedicate their front page to an apology. No reporting is a problem and has been a problem. Hotlines should be expanded and staffed with professionals very qualified to guide the fear of victimizing the victim into a strong advocate for herself. They don't have to report, they have to go forward and be focused on a happy future. 

I think "Rolling Stone" has an opportunity. They can dedicate a piece about rape in it's context to the USA culture in every issue and bring an audience to the topic. There is no other magazine that carries out such a mission. The mission doesn't have to devour the magazine and should be almost invisible, but, it should be there so women have a permanent place to come to understand the impact of rape.

"Rolling Stone" could have created a scandal in other ways and received as much attention for their bottom line. This was an article they wanted for the right reasons.They need to be THE rape authority for the country. It needs it.

The magazine can settle the obvious case out of court. There could be other damning information about the fraternity to hand to the fraternity in the settlement. This doesn't make the fraternity angles vs the devil. Fraternities are a problem and that is becoming more and more evident.
I am looking forward to Senator Paul's run for office. He is a member of a family that has the affection of an entire segment of the USA electorate. 

What I find most interesting about Senator Paul is the strong influence he has with these Americans. Many are very interesting people in their success in life. He seems to be the enthusiasm of the 30 to 50 somethings. That is an entire generation, but, not enough to ever place him squarely in the nomination's seat.

Some of his focus is too threatening to seniors. He is too alienating to the younger adults in the USA who are profoundly struggling in the USA. They made their investment in the future by taking student loans and receiving an education. 

The "Occupy Generation" have sincere and profound problems. They are completely alienated by their student loans from owning a home. That is a huge drag on the USA economy. Those young people are unable to achieve the American Dream due to lack of employment in their chosen educations. If the past is prolong, the answer to these young Americans is to redevelop the economy to address their educations. They are the future. They are the income in good paying jobs for the US Treasury and the stability of our country. In the past there were jobs for every educated person, but, today they are working in service organizations without hope for that changing. Much of the working poor are estranged from their hopes and dreams and that is a complete failure of the USA.

THE PROBLEMS OF THIS GENERATION HAS TO BE SOLVED, OTHERWISE, THE USA IS LOOKING AT BECOMING A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY UNABLE TO SUPPORT IT'S MILITARY.

But, to Senator Paul, he has a fairly interesting following of dedicated Americans to their political affections. They stick like glue. To speak to these folks, they want what they want for their country and there simply is no one else. They hold on to their standards and like the work to make them succeed. 

I think the "Paul Brand" is somewhat tired to the American electorate. It is there every election and many Americans don't have ears for them anymore.

continued...