It doesn't sound as though Holmes acted alone. Who was this taking a phone call at the Exit door?

Aren't those doors locked from the outside to prevent people from getting in free to the movie? This just sound like Holmes acted alone.


If the police usually man the theaters, were they called away on an emergency or a distraction? I don't believe there was negligence, I believe whomever might be at the theaters would have been killed and not expecting an assault weapon. I would like to think the police were not there and it saved their lives to respond when the gunman turned loose his anger at innocent people. But, I can't help but wonder if the police were called away from the theater for a reason and it could have been a faux report to remove them from that area. It was midnight, though and it could have been shift change. It just seems to coincidental the way this came together in a well thought out plan.


Corbin Dates told Petersen he saw a man take a phone call by the emergency exit and possibly try to signal or look for somebody during the movie's opening credits. After the movie started, the emergency exit door swung open.

"Somebody walks in dressed all in black, helmet, gas mask, black outfit, you cannot see anything but the person's eyes," said Dates, "and there was a gas can that was thrown into the audience behind me. It went off. I thought it was a stunt of the movie, so I didn't think anything serious of it once it went off."

When gunshots went off, Dates and his friend dropped to the floor and started to crawl through the theater, he said.

"I felt the caps from the bullets burn my leg," Dates said.

William Kent, who was in an adjacent theater, said bullets came through the wall but with the action on screen, people didn't realize what was happening....

The guns find their way into the hands of crazy people far too easily. People could have thought it was part of the show.

 "The Dark Knight" took the lives of innocent people during the hours of dark when it was a dark night. It was a New Moon last night. Demented. People are demented.


AURORA, Colo. (AP) – A gunman opened fire early Friday (click title to entry - thank you) at a suburban Denver movie theater, leaving 14 people dead and at least 50 others injured, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said.


The violent and chaotic scene erupted about 12:30 a.m. MT as a gunman stood at the front of one of the Century 16 theaters at the Aurora Mall where the latest Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises was playing, police said.


"Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire," Oates said at a news conference....

There isn't anything 'usual/normal' about the shape of that backpack.

Stopping him is an entirely different story. He has control. Even when authorities realize there is a good chance there is a bomb in the backpack, how do you stop him? It would have to be stun gun or something that paralyzes, but, what happens when he loses control of his hands and falls to the ground? 


It is a very difficult situation. 


Police would have to clear an area around him and then seek to paralyze him and let it happen. If he is successfully stopped and the bomb hasn't gone off then the approach has to be cautious. It would mean bomb squads have to adapt an entire protocol to deal with it. And if the authorities are wrong and the man is innocent, then what? 


Personally, I don't see him as innocent even if he is and it would have to be recognized as a mistake with no charges if authorities are mistaken. It is illegal search and seizure. But, when it comes to public safety that sort of thing goes on. I would think dogs roaming the concourse would solve the problem as well. But, it would only alarm the bomber if the dogs were brought in and not simply patrolling as a standard measure. 


I really think dogs would be effective. If they were present on a regular basis, it would act as a preventative as well as an intervention. But, the dogs would have to have a subtle signal to alert their handler. Nothing that an ordinary person could discern as a signal.


That level of hatred is unknown to me. To kill oneself in order to kill others. What did he think he was going to accomplish by killing so few people? We come back to Anders Breivik again. Young people travel by bus a lot. These self righteous idiots think they are Hitler and can wipe out entire populations if only there are enough of them. 


That is pure stupidity. 


One has to wonder what goes on in the mind of a man ready to kill himself to achieve a goal. Life is not about living to fight in honest political wars to achieve what is best for a society? They need a political platform with an honest debate. They don't stop to realize the reason they can cause harm to others is because there government is one of freedom? 


They are demented. They are demented by the 'idea' of personal power. They can achieve the ultimate ideological definition of their life. There is no mental health in that. Ideological goals are not those of freedom or democracy. A democracy is about community. The goals of a society as expressed through choices of the majority. They are demented by fear of their own ideas of losing identity within a democracy. 


Crazy. That is crazy.

I have a question. Sort of a trivia thing.

Does Willard Mitt Romney have enough holdings in other countries to allow him to become a citizen there?







See, that is how Murdoch became a USA citizen. I think it was 20% of his holdings had to be in the USA in order to apply for citizenship. 


So, I was wondering if the amount of holdings Romney has in other countries, like the Cayman Islands or in Swiss Bank Accounts would provide him the ability to become a citizen there? Not that he would, but, could he based on that reality?

What is impugning the USA economy? The dense use of petroleum in our nation.

We can't afford to continue to use fossil fuels, for more than one reason.


The purchasing power within the nation is consolidating around the cost of fossil fuels. It is impacting the ability of consumers to purchase other products, decreasing the momentum of the economy and decreasing employment opportunity.


By Jim Puzzanghera
July 13, 2012


WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence (click here) has fallen to its lowest level of the year this month as discouraging economic news here and abroad erodes Americans' view of the recovery. 

The preliminary reading for July from the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Survey of Consumers fell to 72 from June's figure of 73.2, the second straight monthly decline, Reuters reported Friday.

Economists surveyed separately by Bloomberg had expected the confidence reading to tick up to 73.5.

The index was dragged down by worsening expectations among respondents about economic conditions in general and their own personal finances over the next six months....


Measuring tourism is an inexact science. Tourism includes international travel. New York had become a shopping destination for Europe. Is that still happening with the issues the Euro is having?

Measuring tourism's impact (click title to entry - thank you)

July 10, 2012 | 02:32 PM

...Having just written my last column on the importance of applying sound statistical methods to study data, I need to point out the inherent difficulties in quantifying the exact economic impact of tourism.

For starters, the tourism industry is not precisely defined, but rather, is comprised of numerous other industries as diverse as hospitality and new construction. As a result most of the data depends on surveys of travelers of how they report spending their time and money....


The US has been experiencing record heat, wildfires and drought. I don't know about you, but, that is not inviting for tourism. It is cooler and more fun in Canada.

Tourism spending in Canada by both Canadians and visitors rose in Q1: StatsCan (click here)

By The Canadian Press  | June 28, 2012

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says tourism spending in Canada rose 0.9 per cent in the first quarter, as spending by international visitors and Canadians touring at home both increased.

The federal agency says it was the 11th consecutive quarterly increase in tourism spending in Canada.

Tourism spending by Canadians at home rose 0.6 per cent in the quarter, continuing an upward trend that began in the third quarter of 2009....
If all those variables aren't enough there are planned layoffs this time of year so the unemployment claims go up, however, this year is a bit different. Adjusting for seasonal averages are inaccurate because there are less layoffs at the auto plants than in past years. 

Jobless Claims In U.S. Rise As Auto Layoff Effects Ease (click here)

By Alex Kowalski - Jul 19, 2012 8:55 AM ET ...Determining whether the labor market is improving or deteriorating has been more difficult in recent weeks because a reduction in the number of auto-plant layoffs typical at this point of the year has thrown the Labor Department’s seasonal adjustment process out of line. It may take weeks to judge the direction the labor market is taking.
“Seeing through the statistical noise, the labor market is pretty soggy, and the claims numbers will reflect that once they settle down,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. in New York and the best forecaster of U.S. economic indicators in the two years through May, according to Bloomberg data. “I don’t think next week is going to be a clean read either, so you might have to wait a little while longer.”...

The point is there is a lot in play. Some of it good, some of it bad and the Labor Department never expected their seasonal averages applied to statistics to be inaccurate.


So, it is difficult to know how we are doing at this very moment in time.


I'll say this much, did you see the commercial for the Chevy Volt? Like, wow.

A man of no regrets and no respect for authority either.

I think Hannity did well with the interview. I think Zimmerman is way out of line with his comments. I didn't hear that Hannity asked Zimmerman if he regretted lying about his cash flow when setting bond. I don't think that came out.


But, the more I hear this man speak at every opportunity, I do believe he is attempting to groom his position in regard to the murder. I also believe he is hoping to pollute the jury pool. But, at point I think he should stick to his story. It is a good story. Believable is a different issue.

Wow, the idea that the Public Trust is as responsible for the success of business hit the Republicans right in the ego, didn't it?

President's words are taken out of context, but, the reaction by Romney and the Republicans is interesting.


President Obama has praised small business owners many times over. He has legislated and advocated that legislation for their growth. So, his record on small business is well intact. His statements were about the infrastructure we all support, from teachers to bridges to tax structures. I doubt seriously Romney can contest the tax structure has supported business growth and wealth accumulation. 


But, that isn't all of it. 


The Republicans don't like to pay taxes and always believe they always pay too much. They believe all the money they make is their's to keep. That is not the case and Mitt Romney clearly illustrates that falsehood in his statements in this film loop.


The Public Trust takes many forms and while it is true Americans pay taxes to support that infrastructure there is one form even the President didn't mention. I was wrong about that, President Obama did make a reference to those "..that made the American system...." That is a reference of a spiritual nature. People that aren't in this life anymore.


Some families in the country have experienced losses of their family, not their money, to support the infrastructure of the USA. 


You know, the stadiums in this country are now named by Wall Street firms for advertisement. I think names of the only real heroes on monuments of this country can be found in Arlington National Cemetery.


I don't like the disrespect Mr. Romney shows of the reference to our infrastructure and those that have sacrificed and served with dollars and/or lives. I really don't. The fact that Middle Class Americans pay taxes in a percentage higher than what he has paid makes it MORE of a sacrifice than he has ever experienced in his lifetime.


He has character issues. I see over and over again.

I think the Romney's have something to hide from their tax returns.

If they were allowed to redact anything they wanted on their tax returns I am sure they would submit any one the electorate wants.

Originally published: July 19, 2012 1:49 PM
Updated: July 19, 2012 4:08 PM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney's (click title to entry - thank you) wife is reinforcing her husband's refusal to make public more of his of tax returns, saying "we've given all you people need to know" about the family's finances....

...She says she believes voters are "going to fire the coach."...

Need to know? We are back to, says who? 

Fire the coach? I guess.

They are satisfied with their campaign thus far. They are confident they can win the election because they can buy it. At least they think they can. They have a convention to go through yet, so they believe once there is a huge uptick of interest after the convention none of these issues will matter. 

This is typical of Republicans. Look at how removed Jan Brewer was during her re-election. Her position is don't provide an opportunity for controversy. That is what this is. 

I think there are a lot of things that would come up on those tax returns. We don't know what 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 say. Romney is Wall Street. Wouldn't be interesting to realize his wealth was virtually untouched during the years Americans were losing their homes all over the country. 

I mean CEOs were still making bonuses. There had to be a reason. Bonuses were based on monies made, not monies 'nearly lost.' The American Middle Class absorbed all the loses of Wall Street, not people Mitt and Ann Romney. I am sure they have a lot to hide.

The "Nuns on the Bus" has potential to help Americans far beyond their tour.

The Nun Habit (black cloak) frequently makes others believe they are all the same. Not so. Sister Corita Kent could easily be appreciated in MOMA.


Below she appears at a showing of her work at the Museum of American Art in New Britain. See, she isn't just a nun that likes to express herself though abstract art, she is an American artist as well.


One of her works found notoriety, "Let the Sun Shine In," a portrait of Pope John XXIII. That is noted in the Washington Post article. A image of the actual artwork is below.


It is safe to say if anyone was to look in a book of a collection of American artists, Sister Corita Kent won't be found. That is really not appropriate for a country that embraces self expression and religious freedom.

Posted at 09:30 PM ET, 06/19/2012

Before there were “nuns on a bus,” there was Sister Corita Kent (click title to entry - thank you)

By Melinda Henneberger

...it’s impossible not to feel both energized by her passion and acutely aware that she walked the same bumpy road many of today’s American nunsare on after Vatican criticism that their work has been infected by “radical feminism.”...

It is my opinion that much of the criticism coming from the Vatican of Americans, American women and American Nuns and Priests (Those furthest from attaining the station of Pope.) is due to their removed interest of the American culture.

The Vatican will seek to support prostitutes in Rome as part of a societal culture needing protection and recognition, but, it won't recognize the beauty of the American spirit and its manifestation in art and the art of freedom of speech. Art is, of course, speech.

So, while the Roman Catholic Church is a global organization and has missionaries in some of the roughest political environments in the world, it does not necessarily embrace the cultures of countries to allow their flock to feel welcome and embraced in return. Somehow, the only aberrations appreciated by Rome are those of beatification and sainthood, while the Lord's flock has many ways of expressing their love of their faith.

Another way of saying it, "The folks at the Vatican are stuffed shirts." You can quote that.


The Nuns on the Bus are wonderful. They are centered on morality and how to sustain human dignity at a time when money is a focus rather than the 'integrity of decency' in the USA. Their voice is extremely important within the borders of the USA during a very difficult political environment. Their wholesomeness is invaluable as is their spiritual expression of upholding morality during times when an aspect of the USA government seeks to put war machines before the survival of their own citizenry. They temper the 'raw attitude' currently in our society that would like to kick the poor to the curb, literally and figuratively. They could not have come at a better time and I dare anyone to contest their intents are outside their faith and love of God.


The Nuns on the Bus may not realize when a message is begun in the USA it takes a long time, up to two years, before that message sinks into the national dialogue in a way that transcends all the capitalism static. There is a great deal of 'money dialogue' in the American culture. For spirituality to find a 'status' in this very busy 'grab attention' lifestyle; the Nuns on the Bus have a lot of work to do. They need to continue to seek 'in roads' with the American dialogue to make morality a priority and not a fiscal liability.


I was thrilled when I first heard of the tour and I strongly support it and it's continued purpose and impact within our country. I thank them for valuing the best side of us.

When Romney heads to the London Olympics, who is paying of it, the campaign?

The horse isn't running for President. I would be surprised if the horse has Secret Service, too, so leave the animal alone.


Blue ribbon first place. Red ribbon second place. Yellow ribbon third place.


His hat keeps flies out of his ears to prevent any distraction from his work.


...When Mitt Romney travels (click title to entry - thank you) to the Olympics in London next week, he is hoping for a round of positive media coverage of the strong leadership he provided in rescuing the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002. But he will be walking a tightrope because his Democratic critics will use the occasion to ridicule him and attempt to undermine his case....

Assad's government is toppling.

The reason Assad is losing his civil war.

Wednesday July 18, 2012

ANKARA: A Syrian general (click title to entry - thank you) and several soldiers crossed into Turkey on Monday, a Turkish diplomat told AFP, bringing the number of defections by generals from Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime to at least 18.

Turkey has become home to dozens of defectors who have crossed the border and formed the Free Syrian Army in opposition to Assad's regime....

The reason Russia has a strong role in the region.

By Editorial Board

...Syria holds one of the largest stockpiles of chemical weapons (click here) in the Middle East, composed of blister and nerve agents, including sarin, for which it has manufacturing facilities. It is believed to have sought out the deadliest nerve agent ever created, VX....

I caution the West to pound away at the idea of WMD, again. There is no current inventories of same from Syria. That last invasion into Iraq was completely unjustified. I might add, civilians were not under siege when the USA and its coalition of the willing invaded a stable and disarmed country. The UN Inspectors doing work in Iraq at the time were finding NO WMD.

VX alone will become inert extremely fast. So, there may be no more effective WMD in Syria. If Syria has a production plant of same, it tells me there are needs to restore their stocks because of degradation of their inventory.

As more and more generals defect from Syria the Assad regime is very exposed to intelligence and attacks at highly secure locations. It is my opinion with the defection of all the military results in a successful attack into Damascus.

If Turkey doesn't have enough intelligence today to completely bomb and dismantle WMD sites without invasion then what the heck are they doing? I am quite confident Turkey is ready to take down the regime in a moments notice no different than in Libya. I am quite sure the Syrian Generals are more than welcome when they show up at the border heading into Turkey. 

I really believe the anxiety level over Syria is inappropriate. Between Russia and Turkey there is more control than we realize. This conflict won't last forever.

The Senate Races considered to be toss ups until today, adding Hawaii according to the US Chamber of Commerce.

Massachusetts


Warren (D)  vs  Brown (R) - evenly divided at 47% each


Indiana 


Donnelly (D)  vs  Mourdock (R) - currently evenly at 42% which reveals a high level of undecided and possibly independent


Virginia 


Kaine (D) 46%  vs  Allen (R) 44% - that leaves about 10% undecided


New Mexico 


Heinrich (D) 46%  vs  Wilson (R) 42% - 10% undecided


Montana


Tester (D) 47%  vs  Rehberg (R) 49% - Not much wiggle room. Low amount of undecided. Tester has been a great Senator for Montana, I am a little surprised.


Dodd - Frank? Rehberg must be lying through his teeth big time. Given the irresponsibility that still exists in the Financial Sector as exhibited by Morgan, Barclays and LIBOR there should be no doubt Senator Tester is doing the right thing. He is being attacked by Rehberg because he is on the Senate Banking Committee. It is a 'designer' focus. Tester has done a lot for Montana, they will be sorry if they don't put him back. Senator Tester needs to speak about some of his best accomplishments for Montana. Seriously, they need him.

Rehberg is attacking Tester for having sponsored a bill that would have delayed limits on debit interchange fees in Dodd-Frank’s Durbin rule.

Whereas Tester "implied it was the six-term GOP congressman who lacked independence as demonstrated by his vote against the Dodd-Frank Act," writes Wack.

"It held Wall Street accountable," said Tester, and Rehberg "opposed it, for obvious reasons."

Got that? In sum: they are each trying to paint the other as beholden to the financial services industry.

"The Montana campaign is getting a lot of national attention because it is one of several races that will determine whether the Senate swings into Republican hands," observes  Wack....


Why would Montana want to vote for deregulation again. Barclays is going to be on the Hill, unless they were there already. Let me see.


I think this article makes an interesting point. It is the institutions failing to act responsibly in the market. They want governments to leave them alone without regulation. That can't be. They haven't proven to be either stable enough or ethical enough. Those are not reasons to deregulate, the complete opposite. Montana doesn't understand that?


Senator Testers experience is important, especially now.

Blame Barclays, not capitalism (click here)

By Jonah Goldberg

7:00 a.m. EDT, July 16, 2012

Why aren't more people furious about the Libor scandal?

That's a question mostly being asked on the political left these days, and they're right to ask it....

...Indeed, a conservative estimate is that some $350 trillion in bonds and loans are pegged to Libor worldwide. That's more than 20 times the GDP of the United States....

Hello? Montana? Are you out there? Crops ain't that good, but, that has nothing to do with the banks directly. I guess it is starting to get expensive to feed the cows, huh? Fuel prices, cost of production. How the loans rolling this year? There are low interest loans this year to help with costs. Diesel. You know I would think cooperatives should be producing their own biodiesel by now. 

The American Research Group has interesting Household Surveys.

There is a big difference in the way Americans are viewing their Household Financial Situation; much better than a year ago.

...When it comes to rating their household financial situations,(click title to entry - thank you) 63% of Americans give an excellent, very good, or good rating and 36% give a bad, very bad, or terrible rating.

Among those saying they approve of the way Obama is handling his job, 80% say excellent, very good, or good and 19% say bad, very bad, or terrible. Among those saying they disapprove of the way Obama is handling his job, 41% say very good, or good and 58% say bad, very bad, or terrible....

Household financial situation	Excellent	Very good	Good	Bad	Very bad	Terrible	Undecided
Jun 2012	10%	15%	38%	25%	8%	3%	1%
May 2012	9%	16%	43%	19%	6%	6%	1%
Apr 2012	10%	14%	41%	24%	7%	4%	-
Mar 2012	6%	16%	52%	15%	5%	5%	1%
Feb 2012	6%	16%	37%	28%	7%	5%	1%
Jan 2012	10%	15%	40%	22%	8%	4%	1%
Dec 2011	3%	19%	45%	23%	3%	6%	1%
Nov 2011	6%	15%	44%	22%	9%	3%	1%
Oct 2011	11%	15%	32%	22%	7%	12%	1%
Sep 2011	10%	13%	48%	24%	1%	3%	1%
Aug 2011	1%	16%	50%	23%	6%	3%	1%
Jul 2011	7%	17%	47%	21%	4%	3%	1%
Jun 2011	4%	14%	45%	25%	8%	3%	1%

There is a consistent change over the last three months compared to one year ago. I find that interesting. The most remarkable change in this survey actually sees their Household Financial Situation as Excellent. A year ago that comfort level was at 4%, in June 2012 it rose to 10% but has not fluctuated much at all over the past three months.


It is a smaller sample size, but, that smaller size is consistent over the year. The methodology to the American Research Group doesn't really change, so their reporting even though it appears to be an outliar, is consistent. I still find it interesting.


The greatest fluctuation exists between the "Good and Bad" ratings, but,that makes sense. There will be more dynamics at those levels. But, the approval rating is shifting up to Excellent. 


Interesting.

Hawaii is in play in the Senate and the Democrats are winning the fundraising.

By Patrick O'Connor

...A new round of polling (click title to entry - thank you) from the business-friendly U.S Chamber of Commerce suggests President Barack Obama’s home state might actually be in play.
Republican former Gov. Linda Lingle leads Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono, 47% to 41%, to fill a seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka, according to a new poll released by the Chamber. Earlier polls show the Democrat with a solid lead.
The Chamber, which rarely discloses poll results, released the Hawaii numbers along with the results of public-opinion surveys for Senate races in Montana and Virginia that also show the Republican candidates outpacing their Democratic opponents....

Senate Fundraising Winners and Losers (Click here)

By Sean Sullivan and Julie Sobel

July 17, 2012 | 6:31 a.m.

During the second quarter of the year, Senate Democrats largely won the fundraising battle, but the power of well-funded Republican outside groups will even the playing field in races with weak Republican candidates for whom fundraising has not been a strong suit.

Individually, the period's standouts were mainly familiar faces who had already demonstrated a knack for hauling in big bucks. The quarter's biggest disappointments also largely had a history of lackluster numbers; but now they also face a race against time with most of the remaining primaries slated for August. With just one more complete fundraising quarter left until Election Day, here are our second quarter Senate fundraising winners and losers:...

Stop the anger, let the university heal.

A plane flying the Penn State University campus in State College, pulls a banner reading "Take the statue down or we will." The Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium has been a point of much contention.

AP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Nabil K. Mark

No, you will not. Penn State is considering closing down the football program. The proper measures will be taken by the school administration. The administration has to be trusted again. The exposure and conviction of the pedophile acted effectively to seek change in the way Penn State conducts its professional staff. 

The decision around the football team is in regard to any rule breaking of the conference. If Paterno proves to be dishonorable in many venues his leadership will be eliminated as an icon for the university in the future.

Paterno’s Alma Mater Takes Name Off Award

By TIM ROHAN

Published: July 17, 2012

...Brown — which Paterno graduated from in 1950 — (click title to entry - thank you) has removed Paterno’s name from a coaching position and an annual award. It is debating his status in the university’s athletic hall of fame in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and Paterno’s role in it....

Patero was of a different generation. One that didn't understand the strength of safety in numbers. Most of the time institutions were not empowering so much as machines of the system. That is what Peterno understood. Either become a 'brick in the wall' or lose your job, your place in the world and a future.


Paterno is a prime example of the failure of power today. People find empowerment among each other. The ease with which danger of any kind exists in the world today, rarely goes unnoticed. That was not the case for Paterno. He handled a pedophile as best he could while building lives and futures for students and staff.


Paterno obviously had success. The people under his tutelage became successful and it wasn't because pedolphilia ran wild among them.


Sandusky was gone a while ago. He was considered a danger to the Penn State Football Program long before he was finally prosecuted and moved out of society. Paterno did something right. No one can accuse him of simply looking the other way, that wasn't the case. If he didn't have the means within his own understanding of his power and prestige enough to move an administration then all anyone can accuse him of is being humble. If he was at a loss to protect young men and boys whom he had little to no influence over, then the only thing he is guilty of is being an innocent by stander.


Paterno is not the monster. He is an unfortunate. He lacked the will to move against the system, he acquired that understanding somewhere.


The problem with Sandusky was the incideous ability he had to acquire young boys for his sexual antics. He formed an entire organization around recruiting disadvantaged young men to satisfy his appetite. He adopted boys to exploit. Was there no measure within the system to stop this man?


There are many other aspects to Sandusky's crimes that needs to be examined to the exploitation of children. Paterno was not as much the problem as the system he lived and worked. Paterno was not omnipotent. He did not control every aspect of the indecency and criminal content of a pedophile. I am sure he was as disgusted as anyone and reflected on it many times. I sincerely believe Paterno simply didn't have the ability to move outside  his own understanding of victimization. 


It is not unusual for professionals to dismiss federal mandates to act against abuse. There is sometimes a lot on the line, too. They can't do it anonymously. They don't have a lawyer's head on their shoulders. They second guess their own conclusions.


I believe all those involved with Paterno, his memory and the appropriate elevation of his career will do the right thing. The administration has to have a chance to sort through it all. Their case for action has to be solid and well considered, otherwise, it will look like as a vengeful propaganda stunt.


I'll tell you what bothers me more; the murder of a man years ago. Sandusky is physically a large and strong man. I would not put anything past him in his belief he was a pedophile's path to success, including murder. Sandusky wrote a 'how to book' for other pedophiles. If one gets to know the pedophile community there is the understanding they have a legitimate right to their lifestyle. Sandusky is an example of that community and he was proud of his accomplishments as a pedophile satisfied with his choices. Believe me there are far larger and more pressing problems than a statue of an unfortunate.

Enough of the killing in Syria. Is there any reason to object to the battle against Assad?

The opposition Syrian National Council issued an ultimatum of its own as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on extending the mandate of the UN's cease-fire monitors in Syria. (click title to entry - thank you)

By Howard LaFranchi, Staff writer / July 17, 2012

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.

With world powers playing a bit of brinksmanship over international action on Syria, Syria’s largest opposition coalition is presenting an ultimatum of its own: Either the UN Security Council passes a resolution with real consequences targeting President Bashar al-Assad and his regime’s violence, or the opposition will turn elsewhere for the means to defend itself and the Syrian people....

The ultimatum is not leveled at any other country or the UN, it is leveled at Assad. The ultimatum simply illustrates a reality Assad has to face. There are people within in Syria that can alter his future plans.

This was a strategic decision. The opposition performed intelligence, found the defense minister and made sure he was dead. That is a well organized opposition. They are ready to take control of their country. They know their enemy. They can defeat it.

Bomb kills Syrian defence minister as Damascus battle rages (click here)

By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis

BEIRUT/AMMAN | Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:18pm IST

(Reuters) - Syria's defence mininister was killed in a bomb attack on a high level security meeting in Damascus on Wednesday, state television said, as the revolt against Bashar al-Assad struck at the heart of the president's inner circle.

State television said Defence Minister Daoud Rajha was killed in a "terrorist bombing".

Lebanon-based news channel al-Maydeen said several senior security officials had been killed in the attack while battles raged within sight of Assad's presidential palace....

There was no terrorist bombings. This was self-defense of their own neighborhoods. The innocent needed a champion, evidently they have found one.

How many more Nazis are out there? He is 97 years old. What a nightmare.

Hungarian authorities (click title to entry - thank you) have taken Nazi war crimes suspect Laszlo Csatary into custody for questioning, prosecutors have said.

He is number one on the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center's wanted list and is accused of assisting in the murder of 15,700 Jews.

Last week, reporters from British newspaper The Sun found the 97-year-old living in Budapest.

Prosecutors reportedly want him to be held under house arrest.

This will enable the authorities to confiscate his passport.

They said that, considering his age, he is in good physical and mental health....

Romney really believes he is entitled.

Al Green's copyright has been enforce equally. If anyone tries to view the clip of President Obama's vocal debut, the links are dismantled because of copyright. So, demanding the Romney campaign FOLLOW THE LAW, is not singling them out or an act of discrimination so much as enforcing what is Reverend Al Green's to protect. The context of a legacy matters and Reverend Green has his standards.

Al Green hasn't released a new album since 2008's Lay It Down, (click title to entry - thank you) but the soul great has been having a hell of a year. In January, President Barack Obama sang 10 seconds of Green's 1971 hit "Let's Stay Together," single-handedly saving the music business. This week, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney responded to an Obama ad that features the former Massachusetts governor's rather pitchy "America the Beautiful" by running an ad depicting Obama's surprisingly solid Green rendition. As tech blog Ars Technica points out (via the Daily Swarm), though, the Romney YouTube ad has been hit with that common, dreaded sight: a copyright takedown notice. The ironing is delicious....