It isn't as though the women of the Bible were all about babies.

Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus.

When studying women in relation to religion, it is strongly held there was a change from the women during Jesus life. He changed the covenant with God. He changed it for men and women. 

Mary Magdalene is the second most revered woman in the Bible. The first being Mary the Virgin, mother of Jesus. 

Mary Magdalene tops the list of women when there is a passage about women. In the New Testament. She sort of epitomizes/perfects the 'new woman' under a new covenant. The role model if you will.

This puts it into context.

...How the past is remembered, (click here) how sexual desire is domesticated, how men and women negotiate their separate impulses; how power inevitably seeks sanctification, how tradition becomes authoritative, how revolutions are co-opted; how fallibility is reckoned with, and how sweet devotion can be made to serve violent domination—all these cultural questions helped shape the story of the woman who befriended Jesus of Nazareth....

Mary Magdalene provides impetus to other women to cast off their old selves and find a new way of walking and talking to better align with the new faith.

Mary Magdalene is a consort to Jesus. He allows her frailties to be on exhibition to allow the growth of her own devotion. She is one of the women present when he is crucified and at his resurrection.

There is little discussion of her background. She is just there. She reforms her self, but, it was easy to do. She was provided for while among the company of Jesus. The women of the time were chattel. They were dependent on husbands and sons. If they were alone or cast out of a house they found work being prostitutes. Prostitutes were not necessarily scorned. They did not have the social status of a wife, but, they weren't really an outcast.

In that light Mary Magdalene was that transformer of women. 

And yes there are academic studies of women within the practice of faith and their status and what they meant in that belief. 

The Hasmoneam Dynasty

Just as a point of reference, all the activities that define the Jewish faith does take place in this region of the world. Until the modern day when Israel was created, the land was dominated by empire after empire.

...Following further (click here) Hasmonean victories (147 BCE), the Seleucids restored autonomy to Judea, as the Land of Israel was now called, and, with the collapse of the Seleucid kingdom (129 BCE), Jewish independence was again achieved. Under the Hasmonean dynasty, which lasted about 80 years, the kingdom regained boundaries not far short of Solomon's realm, political consolidation under Jewish rule was attained and Jewish life flourished....

The Second Temple ends.

The Second Temple was from approximately 586 BCE to 70 AD. There is some differences in the time frame or the end of the first temple and the beginning of the second. But, basically there was a change in the status of Hebrews around the middle of the 500 BCE to 600 BCE.

...Because of these unrests (click here) on 39 AD Romans' Emperor Caligula forced Jewish King Herod Antipas and his wife Herodias into exile in Gaul (France). Then, Caligula granted King Herod Antipas's territory of Galilee and Perea to King Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of King Herod "the Great", who was ruling on other part of Palestine since 37 AD. Around 39 AD Emperor Caligula announced that he was God and he wished to be worshipped throughout the Romans' territories. Emperor Caligula sent an army to place his statue inside the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This was a disastrous order which for sure would have caused uprising in Palestine. Luckily on 41 AD Emperor Caligula was assassinated before his order to be carried out....

The time of Jesus was a time when the Hebrew religion was again undergoing a great upheaval. The world was radically changing. The Rome Empire was splitting, the Second Temple was about to be ended. The time of Christ was not really a time of consistency. It was a time of revolution. The people were ready for a new ministry and he offered it to them. There was still peril in his life. Obviously. Rome was still the authority over the life and breath of Jesus. 

The end of a strong and sustained faith doesn't occur in an instant. It occurs over time, so Jesus was in step with the peril people were facing then. He found his greatest support among the wealthier citizens as a Rabbi. 

There was a very long history of Hebrew persecution in the region where Jesus called home.

The First Temple was a time of great joy for Judaism. I am sure there is a cite that can tell it better than I. But, the First Temple of the Hebrew faith existed from 883 BCE to 586 BCE. 

...In the fourth year of his reign, (click here) 833 BCE, King Solomon found himself at peace with his neighbors and began the construction of the Temple. The site chosen by King David was the top of Mount Moriah, where Abraham had once proved his readiness to offer up his dearly beloved son in obedience to G‑d's command....

It would be the Babylonians that would destroy the First Temple. It is interesting stuff if one wants to understand the momentum of history.

St. Matthew

St. Matthew also known as Levi in the books of Mark and Luke. Matthew means "gift of Yehveh." Yehveh (Yehweh) is among the earliest books of the Jewish faith and a name for God. Ultimately, at least that is what I was taught that there is no real word for God. There is no vocabulary. Yehvey is a pathetic expression by human beings to express their concept of God.

In the picture he is inspired by an angle when he writes.

Get this, Matthew was a tax collector for Rome. He collected taxes for a place called Capernaum. Guess where Capernaum is geographically? Capernaum is on the Sea of Gallalee. The people of Capernaum mostly held him in contempt. That isn't new for a tax collector. I'd think Matthew was a rather wealthy fellow. Jesus had no regard for public opinion. I would that rather obvious given the fact he scoffed at the power of Rome. But, when it came to Matthew I can understand why he saw him as a great attribute to his cause. He ran across Matthew and stated, ""Follow me, And he arose and followed him." Matthew (9:9-10).

Matthew was a rather powerful man. He didn't just collect taxes for Rome, he also traded in goods needed by Rome's Legions/military. He managed the collection of port duties, and oversaw public building projects. He was not only wealthy, but, also powerful.

Matthew wrote his book in Aramaic. The Jewish converts spoke that language. He called the teachings to coverts "The Faith of Judaea." He first taught the communities of Palestine. There is no complete record of the area of the world he taught, but, there are some notations he was in Ethiopia. It is also believed he taught the nations of the east such as Parthia and Persia (Iran). 

Parthis is a difficult definition in this time in Earth's history. Historically there is an empire that spans most of the Middle East, but, it occurs much later, about 150 to 175 years later. But, that sort of gives the idea of where he was when he taught. Anytime there is a mention of Persia that is Iran as it is today.

Matthew sincerely and profoundly believed Jesus was the promise to the Messianic Kingdom. He was also a disciple of St. John the Baptist whom is not an apostle. Matthew even falls back into Judaism at one time. That is understandable. He longs for people. He wants to bring them forward in their beliefs, but, he also longs for the life he had.

I found this rather interesting. Matthew didn't leave the area of his birth until Jesus was persecuted by Herod. When reading the text of the Christian Bible there is opposition to Herod, but, that same point of time in the Hebrew text Herod is an agreeable figure. There was a profound parting of the ways with the teachings of Jesus. Remember though Rome split at that time and the Eastern Rome Empire would become very powerful and in majority rejected polytheism. There was a lot going on and separation of ethnicities into autonomous nations of 'belief.'

The best departure by Matthew falls around the Council of Jerusalem. It was a time of new rules and new directions. Literally and figuratively. This was after the death of Jesus and in the years of 42 AD to 50 AD. Paul would build the first church in 50 AD. Interestingly, while Paul is not an apostle in the Catholic Church he is widely recognized Episcopal church. Schisms.

Jerusalem is still intact when Matthew writes his Gospels. The destruction of the city would come about 70 AD. So, from his writings it is fairly certain he and Paul and Peter were sort of together and on the same page in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

He is honored as a martyr but nothing is known of his death. It sincerely is not known if he lived a full life. He may have. He was favored by Rome. He was well known by Rome and for the most part Rome took care of it's own regardless of any activity otherwise. Romans were part gods. They were of pure blood. Therefore those that aided their ruling class were also elevated in social status. 

St. Thomas

St. Thomas is considered a Galilean although there is very little stated about his background. He was also known as Didymus, "The Twin" which is also the meaning of Thomas.

He was a Jew. He was also rather brave and dedicated to the message Jesus was bringing to the world as they knew it. When mounting hostilities were growing that would place Jesus life in danger he asked the apostles to travel with him.

Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus appeared before them after his crucifixion and death. Thomas refused to believe the revelations of the others unless he was able to see and put his hand in the wounds in Jesus side and in the nail wounds of his hands. Thomas was considered the doubter, hence the expression "Doubting Thomas."

Jesus would appear to the apostles eight days later and Thomas was present. Jesus stated he should make the tests he wishes, but, faith is not about proof. A group of in the Malabar coast of India named "the Christians of St. Thomas" claims he evangelized them and in that region of the world. 

It would seem after the weeks of Jesus resurrection and reappearance the Apostles would disperse and travel to evangelize. Pretty interesting really when one realizes there were only twelve apostles. They found themselves in different places and never really crossing paths or returning to a common place.

Thomas went to teach the Parthians, Medes, and Persians. He final destination would be
India, carrying the Faith to the Malabar coast. The region still boasts a large native population calling themselves "Christians of St. Thomas."  It is stated Thomas was martyred in 72 A.D. in Madras and buried in Mylapore. His feast day is July 3rd.

The Malabar Coast of India is on it's southeastern tip. It extends about 150 - 160 miles north from the southern tip. It is famous for trade routes. Here again we find an apostle of Jesus in a wealthier port cities. The methods of the apostles are in many instances predictable. They land in a foreign port, find those of influence and begin to teach them of the words of Jesus. 

CE is an abbreviation for "Common Era." Some would say Chrisitan Era, but, it is the same as AD, Anno Domini ("in the Year of Our Lord"). But, BCE means Before Common Era, or Before Christian Era or Before Current Era. I don't really understand why it is called Before the Current Era. There is definitely a turning point and it was the dawn of a new religion called Christianity. Those that depart from that hold onto their faith as Hebrews and don't really have a reference to time in relation to Jesus. The Hebrew calendar states it is 5774. 

It is always forever. Somehow, every belief system promises we will live forever. Love longs for forever. An interesting paradigm, isn't it? 

I've been waiting forever...

That silly dog will forever chase cars.

He's forever asking silly questions.

All those sentences are a lie. We know they are a lie, but, yet we accept them as a reasonable expression of our exasperating set of circumstances.

It's Sunday Night

Forever by Whitney Wolanin (click here for official website)

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever
And I know Oh Oh
Nothing lasts forever

Who knows what happens at the end
I'm not sure what I believe
But I want you to hold my hand
Follow the light that we can't see

Cause when I wake up 
You're in my dreams
There's no going back
No Guarantees

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever
And I know Oh Oh
Nothing lasts forever

I will love you 
Like there is no end 
Would you hold me
Til there is nothing left

Cause oh, oh, oh, oh
I want to be with you forever 
I can read you like a book
Your words are the versus that I need
You know my life with just one look

I'm you new set of beliefs
Cause when there is no hope and silence falls
I will be the one to sing you home

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever
And I know Oh Oh
Nothing lasts forever

I will love you 
Like there is no end 
Would you hold me
Til there is nothing left

Cause Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh

Cause when there is no hope and silence falls
I will be the one to sing you home

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever
And I know Oh Oh
Nothing lasts forever

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever
And I know Oh Oh
Nothing lasts forever

I will love you like there is no end
Would you hold me like there is nothing left
Cause Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh
I want to be with you forever

I'll be along shortly.

Hamas Ceasefire Talks come to the USA!

The Black Folks in Ferguson, Missouri don't qualify as Americans to carry on the way they do.

The Black Folks in Ferguson are simply protesting night after night to rob and plunder the city businesses that never deserved any anger from them.

The Black Folks in Ferguson are similar to Hamas. They have to behave right and live up to standards set by others in order to receive any PROPER attention to their complaints.

So, as long as the police are facing Hamas in the USA, by damn it, they are going to have military preparedness from Homeland Security.

Perry and the US Senate GOP are guilty of abuse of power and coersion.

There are minimally ethic violations throughout, but, what is most troubling is the Republican Party acts as a unified group to intimidate 'the process' of governing under the USA Constitution. This isn't about a party line vote, it is about federally elected Senators acting to force a specific outcome in a state. That is use of federal authority outside it's right to do so. 

August 15, 2014

...That same month, (click here) a liberal watchdog group, Texans for Public Justice, filed a complaint against Perry, accusing him of abuse of official capacity, bribery, and coercion of a public servant. The judge appointed as prosecutor on the case Michael McCrum, who said “I cannot elaborate on what exactly is concerning me…But I can tell you I am very concerned about certain aspects of what happened here.” McCrum was nominated to be the United States Attorney in West Texas, but withdrew from consideration after Republicans in the U.S. Senate held up his nomination.

The indictment claims Perry violated two laws, the first of which prohibits public servants from consciously engaging in “misuse [of] government property, services, personnel, or any other things of value belonging to the government that has come to the public servants custody or possession by virtue of the public servant’s office or employment.” And the second of which bans coercion to influence “or attempt to influence” public officials in either “a specific exercise of his official power or a specific performance of his official duty” or “to violate the public servants known legal duty.”...

Be defunding an entire department Perry was inhibiting the outcomes of lawful governing processes. He was preventing the progression of justice. He is a party after the fact. The defunding prevents due process and 'the people' are not served.

What is the Criminal Process? (click here)

Why is it police can act against citizens in Ferguson, but, not Arizona?

August 17, 2014
VOA News

...On Friday, (click here) Police Chief Thomas Jackson said the officer who shot Brown initially stopped him because the teenager was blocking traffic as he walked down the street.  Police later said the officer did not know Brown was a robbery suspect....

The police have a right to kill citizens because they are unarmed walking down the street and blocking traffic? Really? There was no threat to Darren Wilson. A police officer can just kill if a black teenager isn't listening? Excuse me? Mr. Wilson needs to be charged and tried.

White America is waiting for the Black Folks to behave. The entire days of demonstration is completely lost while the threat to young black men continues.

White America believes police are above the law as long as they are safe and the police are doing their job. It is what White America pays for. They pay for the police to do their jobs. Good to know they are doing it. The soldiers on the streets have to be safe in order to do that job. 

I have a long way to go in race relations in the USA.

I spoke with several people today. People I know and mostly respect. 

I asked some straight forward questions when negative comments were made about Ferguson. One negative comment was, "As soon as the black officer arrived everything was fine." 

So, I asked, "Do you think there is racism in the USA?"

Answers: "Yes, in the past and still today."

Question: "Do you think Blacks hate Whites." (All those I asked were Caucasian.)

Answer: "Most definitely."

Question: "Do you believe there are bad people in the world?"

Answer: "Yes, there are good people and bad people."

Question: "Was Michael Brown, Jr. a bad person?"

Answer: "He stole, didn't he. Are you going to tell us he was a good person?"

Reply, "Yes, I believe he was a young, black man with great potential and everything anyone states is that he was on the right path to success and a happy life."

Question: "You stated Michael Brown, Jr. was a bad person. Did he deserve to die for stealing a package of cigars, if indeed he did steal them?"

Answer: "No, of course not, but, he did steal and I sincerely don't know the particulars of the circumstances that lead to his death. But, if the police officer felt threatened he would defend himself."

Reply: "The missing cigars was not the reason he died. The officer involved, Darren Wilson, did not know about any theft. Michael Brown was participating in demonstrations and he was wounded with one shot by Wilson when he was walking away from the officer after he was told to stop. After Michael Brown, Jr. was shot the first time he stopped and turned with his hands up and Darren Wilson continued to shot him twice more, one in the chest and one in the abdomen. Michael Brown, Jr. fell to the ground and died on the street without a jury, charges or a trial. He died innocently enough, in fear for his life and without the benefit of an EMT or emergency room. Now, do you think he should have died?"

Answer: "There needs to be an investigation." (all stated the same thing)

Reply: "This problem is not about young, black men, although they are frequently the victim. This is about over use of force in our society whereby innocent people without resources and/or good choices and/or social clout are gunned down like animals about to attack a police officer. This is about who has the power to kill and the use of this power. There have been investigations across this country without any police officer going to trial. What occurs after the deaths of these citizens is a lot of shifting of blame and very little acceptance of responsibility or acknowledgement there is something very wrong in this country. The other reason this is not a high priority is because the majority of victims are black. Do you remember the death of Trayvon Martin?"

Answer: "Yes, that was wrong. Zimmerman should be serving time in prison. He stalked the young man and if I were Trayvon I would have fought Zimmerman, too." 

Reply: "Do you think Trayvon was shot because he was black."

Answer: "I don't know." 

Reply: "If you don't know then how can you say Black People hate White People? Isn't that something you don't know, too."

We have a lot of work to do in this country. Our minorities are poorer and segregated and their importance to any city or town isn't necessarily important. They aren't really neighbors. They aren't seen walking to the public school bus everyday. They aren't seen cutting the grass or trimming the hedges or planting annuals every spring. They are marginalized and when there is 'law enforcement talk' about any questionable killing it is the police officer provided with reasonable doubt and without question. All my personal contacts are people I would consider to be reasonable, open minded and fair. I was completely shocked at their opinions. 

There is a lot of racism yet and the media has to carry their fair share of responsibility for the prejudice and mind think. They are carrying the news, the prejudice is built in.

The Ferguson Police department just indicted itself.

The police officer involved in the shooting stated he didn't know anything about a robbery. AND. A video tape and one sided complaint does not make a robbery either. It is unclear what transpired between the people in the convenience store. 

But, to place that video into the public venue indicts the Ferguson police department in victimizing those they believe to be 'bad people.' There are no bad people in Ferguson, there are people. 

It seems to me the Ferguson police department are afraid of people in the city. To announce the name of the officer involved in the shooting somehow was license to defame the victim of the shooting. The convenience store episode is completely unrelated to the shooting, yet to release that is to say, "Michael Brown, Jr. had it coming." 

The store episode could have been solved by calling his parents and asking them to straighten out the situation. I was called when my sons were younger to bring about an understanding and how to resolve it. A box of cigars? You've got to be joking. What is that a misdemeanor of petty larceny? That is a fine in court not a death sentence.

August 15, 2014
By Yamiche Alcindor, Marisol Bello and Aamer Madhani
USA TODAY

FERGUSON, Mo. — Michael Brown (click here) was identified as a suspect in a strong-arm robbery of a box of cigars moments before he was shot to death by Officer Darren Wilson, police said Friday.

However, in an afternoon press conference by Ferguson, Mo. Police Chief Thomas Jackson, said the two incidents were not related. He said Wilson did not know about the robbery when he confronted and then shot Brown, whose death spurred violent protests and unrest in the St. Louis suburb over the past week.

Wilson stopped Brown and a friend because "they were in the middle of the street, blocking traffic," Jackson said....

I am very worried about this community and it's relationship with the police. There needs to be a change in leadership.

Storms damaged 35% to 50% of homes in Metro Detroit.

By Niraj Warikoo, Christian Hall and Robert Allen 
Detroit Free Press

Aug. 14--The damage done (click here) by Monday's heavy rains and flooding across metro Detroit became increasingly clear today as debris from waterlogged homes continues to pile up.

About 40% of homes and commercial properties in Dearborn were flooded or had sewer backups in their basement as a result of the storm, city officials said. And reports are still coming in. Warren reports about one-third of homes affected, and about 50 percent of Ferndale's homes were flooded, according toFerndale Mayor Dave Coulter's Facebook page.

In cities near I-75 and I-696, among other flood-affected areas, curbs are littered with trash bags, carpeting and countless odds and ends pulled from basements. The tri-county area was declared a disaster area by Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday....

...Dearborn got hit with 6 inches of rain on Monday, the second-highest amount among all cities in metro Detroit, according to the National Weather Service. Earlier this week, more than 75% of "Dearborn's roads, including state, local and county roads and main arteries were flooded and impassable," the city said in a statement.

City Hall has been "extensively damaged" by flooding. And more than 85 cars were towed out of floodwaters....

August 15, 2014
11:32 UTC
MT Satellite of Australia and New Zealand (click here for loop - thank you)

Strong winds and massive tides battered Wellington's south coast last night, causing a fishing boat to break from its moorings and an esplanade to be covered in debris.

The Esplanade in Island Bay was closed for an hour this morning while boulders, rocks and seaweed were cleaned up....

...Gusty southerlies and swells of up to seven metres had caused the debris, MetService meteorologist Liz Walsh said.

"A mean wind speed of 72 km/h was recorded at the airport between midnight and 5am," she said.

"We also recorded gusts of around 100 km/h so it was well into a gale."

A gust of 105 km/h was also recorded further north in the city....

August 15, 2014
1317 gmt
The Weather Channel's Western Pacific Ocean Satellite

There is no consistent ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone).


August 14, 2014
By Robin Burks

A new study (click here) shows that as global warming continues, Antarctica's ice shelves may melt faster than initially thought and add up to 14 inches to sea levels by the end of the century.

The study, done by an international team of scientists, used data collected about Antarctica and climate change and plugged that into computer models. The models showed startling results: Antarctica may soon be the top source of rising sea levels faster than scientists previously believed if greenhouse gases continue to increase at their current level....

August 15, 2014

1326 gmt

The Weather Channel South Pole Satellite

Australia is at 6 o'clock. There are multiple vortexes transferring heat from the Equator into the Antarctica continent.

There are already models for coastal flooding and cities below sea level. The Netherlands and now even Europe have massive dam structures to protect cities. New Orleans is among the newest to enter into this class of city. It's pumping system is world class and protects the city from flooding. There is plenty of information to draw from already proven to work. The USA doesn't have to reinvent the wheel, there exists tried and true methods.

August 15, 2014

It might have been a slow start (click here) to the ski season but snow is falling thick and fast on the ski fields now, forecasters say.

With a full two-metre snow base now on both Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields, Mt Ruapehu's snow trails were looking the best they had in years, operations and trails manager Steve Manunui said....

..."Over the last 72 hours there has been an accelerated and significant snowfall on Mt Ruapehu.

"Both ski areas are wearing their new white winter coats with pride. We've hit the sweet spot in terms of snow levels and with the fantastic forecasted conditions this weekend, now is prime time for skiers and riders to come enjoy the fresh snow."

The whole mountain would be opening this weekend.

MetService said all the ski fields were having the same fortune....

July 22, 2014

Last month (click here) was the hottest June since record-keeping began in 1880, according to a monthly report by US government climate scientists.

The combined average temperature over land and ocean surfaces was a "record high for the month at 61.20 Fahrenheit (16.22 Celsius)," said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration....

Alaska had the 2nd wettest June since 1918 only behind 1980.

34% of the continguous USA experienced drought.

Hurricane Christina (June 9 - 15, 2014) reached 240 km/hr winds, the second such storm in 1918 in the East Pacific.

Antarctica Sea Ice Extent was 9.6 percent above normal since the continental melting distributed larger amounts of frigid water into the circumpolar ocean circulation.

New Zealand had the warmest June (It is winter in the southern hemisphere) since records were kept in 1909.

Australia had significant drought with rainfall 32% less nationally and 72% less in Western Australia.

India has rainfall deficits of 57% nationally with regional deficits of 39% to 74%.

Europe and Africa have experienced a much warmer June with some records reaching in the top 10% of all records.

Taken alone, the ocean's global surface temperature in June was the highest for any month on record, breaking the past record set in 1998, NOAA added.

July 17, 2014

Harsher storms, (click here) worsening flooding and rising seas threaten the public's safety and health across the country, President Barack Obama warned Wednesday as he urged local communities to prepare for the effects of climate change.

Joined by top federal officials and local, state and tribal leaders at the White House, Obama said communities experiencing negative effects firsthand know that climate change is already upon us. He said boosting the nation's resilience and fighting climate change shouldn't be a partisan issue for lawmakers in Washington....

HMNZS Wellington weathers a storm during sea trials in the Southern Ocean

Ferguson, Missouri has international focus.

What so many realize is the failure of freedom, democracy and the USA Constitution. This isn't just about the shooting death of one young black man with a life full of promise, this is about the treatment of an entire segment of American society which cause their premature deaths. The bullets are judge and jury. The streets of the USA are now the courtrooms. This has to stop.

August 15, 2014

...“We want the law (officers) (click here) to keep the law, not break the law,” says fellow protester Denise James, who believes prayers rather than violence will help change race relations for the better. “Officers shouldn’t use their authority in the wrong way – treat people like you would want to be treated.”

Residents of this predominantly African-American community are furious that Brown, who was to start college on Monday, was shot multiple times after an altercation with a police officer. The teenager was known as a "gentle giant" by his Normandy High School teachers. The teenager was wearing shorts and thongs and was clearly unarmed, according to witnesses Tiffany Mitchell, Piaget Crenshaw and Dorian Johnson.

After trying to run away from the officer in a patrol car, witnesses say Brown stopped after being hit by a bullet, before putting his hands up. He was then allegedly shot multiple times by the police officer who had pursued him on foot. His body remained on the street for hours before being removed....

I might add the focus of anger at some convenience stores is not unusual during racial riots in the USA. In past riots when the smoke cleared and angry young black men are able to speak to the reason for the looting and violence lies a pattern within the community of acquiring alcohol from these stores. There is a lot of frustration in these communities with such stores and the reliance on them as a food source as well. The communities try to turn the corner on alcohol addition, but, it is increasingly difficult when incorporated into their lifestyle is a store that is the only source or frequent source of food. That reality may seem silly to some, but, it is a real focus of frustration by the community.