Sunday, March 27, 2016

"Good Night, Moon"

March 1, 2016
By RT

A mysterious fireball (click here) made a dramatic entrance into the Scottish sky, lighting up the night and making a loud rumbling noise, which left residents somewhat confused. The object is believed to have been a meteor, though that has yet to be confirmed.
Police in Scotland said they received a flood of calls at around 6:55pm on Monday, after a bright flash was seen dancing across the sky, Mail Online reported. Residents said they spotted blue, white, and green lights, with many saying they heard a rumbling sound.
The fireball was filmed by several dashcams, with drivers posting the footage online....

Annex B

It is my intention to also look at all the countries and their particular contributions and problems.

Party and Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment (percentage of base year or period)

The ambition of the protocol was not a minor attempt. As noted in the pledge of the Parties of the Agreement, there was sincere dedication to the best outcomes. Iceland even stated it would reduce it's greenhouse gases by 110 percent. Iceland is primarily geothermal (volcano). The sky and the land are beautiful. 

Australia 108 
Austria 92 
Belgium 92 
Bulgaria* 92 
Canada 94 
Croatia* 95 
Czech Republic* 92 
Denmark 92 
Estonia* 92 
European Community 92 
Finland 92 
France 92 
Germany 92 
Greece 92 
Hungary* 94 
Iceland 110 
Ireland 92 
Italy 92 
Japan 94 
Latvia* 92 
Liechtenstein 92 
Lithuania* 92 
Luxembourg 92 
Monaco 92 
Netherlands 92 
New Zealand 100 
Norway 101 
Poland* 94 
Portugal 92 
Romania* 92 
Russian Federation* 100 
Slovakia* 92 
Slovenia* 92 
Spain 92 
Sweden 92 
Switzerland 92 
Ukraine* 100 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 92 
United States of America 93 

* Countries that are undergoing the process of transition to a market economy

The United States of America did not ratify the treaty nor ever achieved a goal of 93 percent.

Annex A

I'll take these lists apart and learn the importance to the climate dialogue

Greenhouse gases

Carbon dioxide (C02) 
Methane (CH4) 
Nitrous oxide (N20) 
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) 
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) 
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) 

Sectors/source categories 

Energy 

Fuel combustion 
Energy industries 
Manufacturing industries and construction 
Transport 
Other sectors 
Other 

Fugitive emissions from fuels 

Solid fuels 
Oil and natural gas 
Other 

Industrial processes 

Mineral products 
Chemical industry
Metal production
Other production
Production of halocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride
Consumption of halocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride
Other

Solvent and other product use 

Agriculture

Enteric fermentation
Manure management
Rice cultivation
Agricultural soils
Prescribed burning of savannas
Field burning of agricultural residues 
Other

Waste

Solid waste disposal on land
Wastewater handling
Waste incineration
Other 
It's Sunday Night

Tonight will be abbreviated due to he holiday.

"Happy Easter"


In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade.
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade.
On the avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade


Written by Irving Berlin

There are unpaid guards, unsafe infrastructure and Oklahoma won't raise taxes.

President George W. Bush with Joe Allbaugh, thendirector of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (right), speaks in the Eager, Arizona, High School cafeteria to people displaced by the Rodeo fire in June 2002. 

February 11, 2016
By Barbara Hoberock


...During his first weeks on the job, (click here) Allbaugh has been visiting prisons.
And he has seen a lot: low morale among underpaid correctional officers; programs that work but don’t have enough support; doors and locks on cells that don’t work but still house offenders; individuals at community centers and halfway houses that are not supervised properly; a draconian paper filing system to keep track of offender histories; holes in fences; and a system at 122 percent of capacity.
He described the bare bones staffing at the correctional officer level as “unnerving.”
“The overriding story is that there is a problem in the Department of Corrections,” Allbaugh said. “And the governor, Legislature and society as a whole have ownership of this problem.”
He points to mandatory sentences that send offenders to prison for long stays.
He supports sentencing reform but said it is not the agency’s “bailiwick.”
“That is not what we do,” he said.
While he said he is not a fan of using private prisons, given the state’s situation, they are a relief valve for the state, he said.
“Right now, (the private prisons) are saving our bacon,” he said.

Private prisons in Sayre and Watonga could be used to help relieve pressure on state prisons, he said....
March 27, 2016
By Andrew Knittle

Oklahoma City — Last year, (click here) a pair of out-of-state private prison companies received a record $92.7 million from the state Corrections Department for housing Oklahoma inmates, a necessary expense to deal with the state’s persistent overcrowding problem, agency officials say.
Since 2004, the state has spent roughly $975 million on contracts with the two for-profit corrections enterprises operating in Oklahoma, based in Florida and Tennessee.
So far this fiscal year, which ends June 30, the two companies have received roughly $55 million.

Recent spending trends, as well as comments made earlier in the week by interim DOC Director Joe Allbaugh, suggest that number will continue to climb.
I betcha everyone in the state legislature and governor's office is being paid. Oklahoma is where some of the wealthiest petroleum companies and stockholders in the world live and the people of Oklahoma can't even pay their guards at it's prison facilities.
March 27, 2016
By AP
Oklahoma City — As leaders in the Oklahoma House and Senate (click here) struggle to close a $1.3 billion budget hole, Republicans behind the scenes are jockeying for powerful state government positions that will be vacant after this fall’s election.
Leadership in the Senate is likely to pass from President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman of Sapulpa, who is term-limited, to No. 2 Republican leader Mike Schulz of Altus, who has two years left on his term. But in the House, a spirited race is developing to replace outgoing Speaker Jeff Hickman of Fairview.
Besides overseeing their chambers’ operations and developing policy, the speaker and president pro tem are responsible for negotiating with the governor on how to divvy up roughly $6 billion a year from the state’s General Revenue Fund. Neither position has served as much of a springboard to higher office: Of those who held the positions in the past two decades, only former Speaker Todd Hiett won another election....

Sandra Bland would be alive to defend herself.

Today, there are intersection cameras connected to a police department. Those camera's are set up to record any traffic violation at the intersection including the vehicle, the driver and the license plate of the vehicle. With that information a citation/summons would be sent to the registered owner and what follows is resolution of the summons. 

Sandra Bland's lane change without signaling was picked up by a camera. All the officer needed was to be sure the license plate was plainly seen. With that she could have continued on her way without being stopped while the police could issue a summons for a court date for her traffic violation. Sandra Bland would still be alive today, would have a new job and would have the opportunity to see her traffic violation online to decide if she should pay the fine or make an appointment for court.

That is all that was needed and it would end the police contact that lead to aggravate the circumstances that lead to her death. Sandra was cooperative with police and what good did it do her? The arresting officer didn't like her tone of voice. What did that ever have to do with a lane change? 

Citizens are allowed to have a bad day. That is not against the law.

There is simply no reason for police contact. Everything that formed the break in the law was on video.

In advocating for homeless (people in transition) or experiencing prejudice that costs them their life it was plainly obvious police cannot be trusted with innocent or unarmed people.

Andre Harris, whose brother, Eric Harris, died after being shot by Tulsa County Reserve Deputy Robert Bates, pauses Tuesday at his brother’s memorial.

Tulsa, Oklahoma had to take on the awareness things were terribly wrong. They refused the stereotypes and saw a man with a history of public service be charged with murder and they witnessed for themselves the unnecessary death of Eric Harris. The Harris Family was now without a relative due to wrongful behavior with a gun. Tulsa, Oklahoma is different today and they don't want to go back. 

The chase was never necessary. The camera picked up every bit of information, including the money paid for the gun. That information would validate charges a police officer could swear out an arrest warrant. With an arrest warrant Eric Harris could have been picked up at his place of residence without violence. He might have run, but, knowing he would need a public defender because of his income the entire issue could have been avoided.

Police need to realize their methods are deadly when they don't have to be. A public defender could be the first contact with a person charged with a crime and bring them in. Police do not have to put themselves in perceived danger in order to have a person served. If governments would assume most, if not all their warrants will be served on people unable to afford a lawyer; having them served through a public defender's office is far better than high speed chases or a chase that ends in death of the person that will never have a fair hearing in court. 

Currently, police and sheriff and deputies are acting as judge and jury. Our criminal justice system is broken. It has to be viewed in that reality.

Unless the police officer is intervening to prevent danger to citizens, I don't consider petty theft of Cigarillos as appropriate for a death sentence. The owner of the store just had to file a complaint with the police department. With that a public defender could be assigned until it is known through affidavit one is not needed. If every arrest warrant was given a public defender assigned with reaching the defendant to explain to him or her their civic responsibilities to move any complaint to resolve with a court date. Once the defendant was reached by the public defender, representation begins to file an affidavit for continued assistance in representation. 

It will be an asset to those defending their rights to at least be met with a public defender for the initial right to council. They can answer simple questions even if they don't qualify for a public defender. Sometimes that is all that is needed. Facing a warrant to be arrested is a devastating reality. Citizens should be empowered to act swiftly to make a court appearance with confidence to the direction they are seeking relief from the crime, if there was a crime at all.

I don't think, considering the militarization of the police, a warrant has to be served by anyone other than a public defender. There has to be a city interested in attempting this paradigm of justice that can accurately report to it's ability to reduce police deaths and injuries and resolving outstanding complaints. Public defenders care about the people they represent. They can begin mediation of any criminal charge with a sentence that might actually begin with attendance at meetings of Narcotics Anonymous.

There are too many people falling through the cracks and the police are too dangerous to apprehend any defendant, especially young black men.

March 27, 2016
By Corey Jones

Shooting death sparked a string of revelations that have left mark on family, community. (click here)


SuperPac Immunity

Ted Cruz wants everyone to believe his SuperPac is out of control and does not reflect his values. I don't think so.

Let's begin at the beginning. During the presidential race of 2004 an equivalent of a SuperPac called the Swift Boaters relentlessly attacked then US Senator Kerry over his service record. It is difficult to believe it was an issue at all because John Kerry had far more battle experience than "W." As a matter of fact, "W" never had any battle exposure. 

There was a point in time when people believe the "Swift Boaters" (prequal to a Superpac) were defaming a war veteran and there was some talk about danger to Senator Kerry's life. "W" was asked to simply make a statement that would end the actions of a 501(d)4. "W" would not do it. He stated he had no control over the "Swift Boaters."

Following that election there was a significant growth of 401(d)3s. Every election cycle since has seen more and more of these SuperPacs which turn the election process in the USA on it's head.

In recognizing the danger to the country in the election of 2016 there are two candidates running for president without the support of a SuperPac. There are two candidates with SuperPacs. 

I think it is fair game to retaliate when a SuperPac turns on a candidate not supported by their own SuperPac. In the case of Ted Cruz is stated he has no control over the SuperPac, but, we have also witnessed Vice President Biden exerting his clout in public against his own SuperPac and the reaction was significant from that particular pac. 

If Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders speaks out against vicious ads by a SuperPac they have every right to retaliate against the message and the unwillingness of the SuperPac to end their attack or listening to a message for them to do so. SuperPacs are based on supporting a stated candidate. I would think there would be some degree of respect for the candidate. 

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump do not support the idea of SuperPacs and they are the only person that can counter such attack. There is no immunity for SuperPacs and I would think that would apply to any SuperPac.
US Senator Ron Johnson states on CNN the USA needs to put the "Coalition of the Willing" back together again. He wants Europe to come on board. He is wrong. 

Europe needs to worry about Europe. And we don't need to escalate any conflict in the middle east.

Tucker Carlson on FOX says there are good Americans such as their chef or their Easter table. If there are good Americans then there must be bad Americans. This is a direct regression back to "W"s administration.

Belgium is dispersing crowds at the memorial at the train station. I think Belgium is rightfully worried about large gatherings of people. As much as honor those dead and injured, there are other ways to do it. Indoor arenas where entrance to the venue can be controlled can be entertained to help with the people of Brussels. 

The US Media in some instances are keeping the arguments about candidates alive even though Donald Trump has not been on the campaign trail for 9 to 10 days. Today is Easter and I would be surprised if he showed up today. It is the media that is hooked on ratings brought by the mention of Donald Trump and not the candidate himself. This is ridiculous. The statements reflected in the media is old news but it is the only one they have now. Donald Trump doesn't have to campaign when he is all over cable media. He is their leading story and he is not even in the public realm.

I would think the Muslim community would file suits against the media that continually invokes their controversy with a candidate who's comments are well over a week old. If the Muslim community is experiencing fear, it is the media responsible.