"Steel" by Charlotte Martin (click here for official website - thank you)

The lost and insincere
They think I need to hear
What's in their empty eyes, eyes, eyes
We're few and far between
We've hardly been serene
But stand up to their lies, lies, lies

We are steel
We don't feel
Anything at all

He took me in his arms
But then he squeezed too hard
He wouldn't let me breathe, breathe, breathe
It's been too many years
I've hurt too many times
To give up everything, thing, thing

I am steel
I don't feel
Anything at all

The way I've been confused
The way that I've been used
And spit out on your dime
And still you lead me on
And still you tear me down
And say it's in my mind

Well I've seen hell and back
I've hidden in the dark
With no one there at all, all, all
I've scraped us back to life
I've laced up both my boots
So try and twist the knife, knife, knife

I am steel
I don't feel
We are steelWe don't feel

Anything at all, anything at all
Anything at all, anything at all
Anything at all, anything at all
Anything at all

The VX liquid put North Korea over the top of a rouge state.

March 4, 2017

Malaysia (click here) has expelled North Korea's ambassador after he criticised its investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half-brother.

Kang Chol must leave within 48 hours, Malaysia's foreign ministry says.

It demanded an apology after the envoy said North Korea could not trust Malaysia's handling of the probe, but says it did not receive one.

Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of Kim Jong-un, died three weeks ago at a Kuala Lumpur airport.

Malaysia has not directly blamed North Korea for the attack, in which two women smeared the nerve agent VX on Mr Kim's face. But there is widespread suspicion Pyongyang was responsible...

North Korea has been a failed state for some time now. It recovered from the 1990 famine years, but, it still leaned on China for a source of income in the way of coal sales. China has decided to end coal sales from North Korea which returns the country to a dangerous state of disrepair. 

Strategically, North Korea is a problem for China. With a return to food scarcities there is a strong possibilities North Koreas will seek refugee status in China. China may worry about the increased population, but, also the fact South Korea and the USA can push past the DMZ to make the Korean Peninsula a single country. It would be "Korea," with no north or south. 

The ending of trade with North Korea by China and ordering the North Korea ambassador out of Malaysia could prove to increase tensions inside an already rouge ruler. But, the idea North Korea transported VX Liquid to ill Nam, is more than any one country should shoulder.

There have been releases of chemical weapons in places like Japan where a subway was exposed to Sarin gas. To realize how dangerous Kim Jong Un has become to countries with good relations with him is too serious to ignore. North Korea is now very dangerous and not simply a rouge country. North Korea is a very big worry for the global community.

I am trying to understand exactly how "Look up your skirt" law is going to work.

Georgia HB 9
Crimes and Offenses; use of device to film under or through person's clothing under certain circumstances; prohibit



Current Status: Senate Read and Referred (click here)

Official Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses, so as to prohibit the use of a device to film under or through a person's clothing under certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide for exceptions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

It is the for other purposes that really has me stumped. This passed the Georgia House by 62%.

And why is it not also "Look up your pant leg" law? I mean "the law" already can make a person strip search 'in certain circumstances" so why does anyone need this?

This is religious bigotry. WHAT????? Yes, it is true. See everyone wants to be able to look under a burka. That is all this is about and it is driven by ethnic hatred, bigotry and fear.

And there is also this mess for private college campuses.

Georgia HB 37 (click here)

Education: Private post secondary institutions in Georgia shall not adopt sanctuary policies; provide

Current Status: Senate Read and Referred 

Official Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions, so as to provide definitions; to provide that private postsecondary institutions in this state shall not adopt sanctuary policies; to provide for penalties for violations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Here again there is a special status for some people that others are discriminated against. This passed the Georgia House by 52%. "Hot topic."

There are words taking on very upsetting status over others. They are trigger happy political words, like sanctuary that have the purpose to place fear and hatred in the minds of Americans. There is no need for this law. Private institutions in the USA have status that is different from the public realm. This law is unconstitutional. Private schools can act in the best interests of their students and if they want their school to be a sanctuary to an ethnic group it has the right to do so. I see the most aggrieved institutions are going to be affiliated with the Catholic Church.

More gerrymandering in Georgia. It passed the Georgia House by 75%. This is not a minor change in the state's districts (click here). 

Georgia HB 515 (click here)

State House districts; revise boundaries of a certain district

Current Status: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

Official Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend an Act to provide for the composition and number of state house districts, approved August 24, 2011 (Ga. L. 2011, Ex. Sess., p. 3), as amended, particularly by an Act approved February 23, 2012 (Ga. L. 2012, p. 21), and by an Act approved May 12, 2015 (Ga. L. 2015, p. 1413), so as to revise the boundaries of a certain state house district; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

There is going to be a Georgia Senate bill that will once again try to minimize "Blue Laws" on Sunday to facilitate the sale of alcohol. Sunday is a Christian recognition of worship and is just plain religious bigotry.

There is also a Georgia Senate bill for 'upskirting.' The officials carrying out the "Look up your skirt" law should, as a public service, make referrals to plastic surgeons for treatment of cellulite. I mean, that is not a Brazilian butt, honey.

The Georgia Senate passed SB 45 with 69 percent approval. True. 69%. You can't make this stuff up.

Georgia SB 45 (click here)

Invasion of privacy; to film under or through a person's clothing; prohibit the use of a device

Current Status: House Second Readers

Official Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to invasions of privacy, so as to prohibit the use of a device to film under or through a person's clothing under certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide for penalties; to provide for exceptions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

There is that other purposes thing. See, that is a lazy legislature. With a law that will completely insult the sensibilities of the American people, the law should be very specific and not just FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

And Georgia SB 233 simply puts the frosting on the cake, or buttocks which ever one prefers. There wasn't that many enthusiastic about this bill, only 10% voted for it. Interesting. 

SB 233 (click here)

State Government; preservation of religious freedom; provide

Current Status: Senate Read and Referred

Official Summary: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to state government, so as to provide for the preservation of religious freedom; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Then there are those trigger happy gun folks in Georgia. They want guns on campuses without a need for conceal carry. Odd, no sanctuary, but, plenty of guns.

SR 105 (click here)

United States Constitution: religious organizations receive public aid; prevent discrimination CA

Current Status: Senate Read Second Time

Official Summary: A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution, in a manner consistent with the United States Constitution, so as to prevent discrimination in the public funding of social services by allowing religious or faith based organizations to receive public aid, directly or indirectly, for the provision of such services; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.

The Flint River Water Project is ongoing.

I am hoping to return to Flint this spring to make short videos to illustrate the my understanding of the Flint River.

March 1, 2017

The Coca-Cola Company, (click here) Nestlé Waters North America, the PepsiCo Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation have announced that they have partnered to fund an integrated recycling education and awareness initiative for the 10,000 school students affected by the Flint water crisis, led by national non-profit Keep America Beautiful and its local Flint, MI, affiliate Keep Genesee County Beautiful.

In January 2016, the four companies announced they would provide up to 6.5 million bottles of safe and clean drinking water to Flint school students. From the outset of the program, they have been providing for the storage and delivery of the bottled water, as well as the transporting of the empty water bottles for recycling....

I think the Russian businesses were just an enticement to cooperation and it worked. Trump rolled over.

March 3, 2017
By Phillip Bump

In the most abstract sense, (click here) there is nothing noteworthy about a government official meeting with an ambassador from a foreign country. When such an interaction becomes important is when that official is an ally of a presidential campaign that’s got a complex set of possibly inappropriate relationships with other representatives of that ambassador’s country — and when that official while under oath says he did not have communications with representatives of that country.

What we’re going to endeavor to do here is to parse out that complex set of relationships, using the information we have at hand....

Donald Trump has been playing ball with Russia for awhile now. The "Slate" article spelling out the cross Atlantic communication line is at least the known beginning of this. Trump enterprises was involved with communications with Russia when it was illegal according to sanctions drafted in regard to the broken treaty regarding Ukraine.

People don't realize how serious the broken treaty is. The USA and Germany, as a diplomatic country within Europe, could have gone to war with Russia. By invoking sanctions Putin was emboldened to do more mischief and used Russian businesses for the "carrot and stick" to the Republican Elephant. It is those business relationships that Tillerson and Trump are still holding onto as an important part of USA relations with Russia.

Trump was stating NATO wasn't important.

As of today Sweden is experiencing increased pressure with the USA causing confusion over Russia. Sweden has returned to conscription to their country. They have used that before, but, was feeling very safe and strongly allied until Trump took office. All this is not playing well in Europe.

Governor Baker is correct, the states need to step up funding for Planned Parenthood and women's health.

March 3, 2017

By Priyanka Dayal McCluskey

Governor Charlie Baker (click here) is pledging to boost state funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Massachusetts if his fellow Republicans in Washington push ahead with a plan to slash the flow of federal dollars to the organization.

Massachusetts’ five Planned Parenthood clinics stand to lose a total of about $2 million a year, from a budget of $21.5 million, if the federal cuts take place. That money does not go directly from the government to Planned Parenthood; it is paid through Medicaid, the joint federal-state program that provides health coverage for low-income Americans....

...The Republican proposal would effectively block Medicaid patients from receiving women’s health services such as cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and contraception from Planned Parenthood....     

Sympathies to family and friends. His impact to the movie industry will be felt. He was remarkably talented.

March 2, 2017
By Radar Staff

...But Jon Otten, (click here) who is married to Paxton’s sister, Ann, told Radar that the tragedy came as a total shock to family members.

“We didn’t even know he was going to go into surgery,” Otten told Radar. “It’s very tragic and sudden.”

Otten said Paxton was close with family members, which only makes the loss that much more heartbreaking.

“I’m sure his wife knew, but no one in the extended family knew,” Otten claimed.

Just weeks before his death, Paxton revealed that he had suffered valve damage from a case of rheumatic fever as a child. But Otten says it’s not yet clear what caused the stroke.

“We don’t know his condition and how easy it was to fix,” Otten said. “He was healthy from what we knew.”....

Those in glass houses.

March 3, 2017
By Tony Cook

Vice President Mike Pence (click here) routinely used a private email account to conduct public business as governor of Indiana, at times discussing sensitive matters and homeland security issues.

Emails released to IndyStar in response to a public records request show Pence communicated via his personal AOL account with top advisers on topics ranging from security gates at the governor’s residence to the state’s response to terror attacks across the globe. In one email, Pence’s top state homeland security adviser relayed an update from the FBI regarding the arrests of several men on federal terror-related charges.

Cyber-security experts say the emails raise concerns about whether such sensitive information was adequately protected from hackers, given that personal accounts like Pence's are typically less secure than government email accounts. In fact, Pence's personal account was hacked last summer.

Furthermore, advocates for open government expressed concerns about transparency because personal emails aren't immediately captured on state servers that are searched in response to public records requests....

...When public officials fail to retain their private-account emails pertaining to public business, "they're running the risk of violating the law,” Britt said. “A good steward of those messages and best practice is going to dictate they preserve those."

All of the emails provided to IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, were ones captured on state servers.

The emails were obtained after a series of public records requests that the Pence administration did not fulfill for nearly four months before Pence left office.

The administration of Pence’s successor, Gov. Eric Holcomb, released 29 pages of emails late this past week. But it withheld others, saying they are deliberative or advisory, confidential under rules adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court or the work product of an attorney.

Holcomb’s office declined to disclose how many emails were withheld....

..."Clinton did it. The Bush White House was doing it. It’s nothing new. But it’s a bad idea," he said, noting that Pence's account was vulnerable to a low-level hacker.  "If they can get in there, ex-KGB agents can get in there. It’s a bad idea because of the hacking thing and the potential destruction of records."

Lanosga of the Indiana Coalition for Open Government said it's a problem that seems to cross party lines.

"Officials are eager to point the finger at a lack of transparency when it happens on the other side," he said, "but they dodge those issues when it comes to their own side."

This is the level of intolerance in USA society today, "...a man sitting there in a zipped-up red jacket, his hands in his pockets, just sitting there..."

He was just sitting there. Does anyone have an idea of how cold air conditioned offices and classrooms can get?

He was just sitting there and there is an ongoing investigation. OF WHAT!

Rajan Juniku was in an appropriate place outside on a campus where he worked. He was just sitting there ready for some fool to actually think a man in a jacket sitting outside is a terrorist or some kind of sex pervert. Amazing. 

He was just sitting there. I suppose Donaldson and his "Pole-lease" don't have a darn thing to do but investigate NOTHING that happened while a man was sitting outside in a red jacket where he works for a living. Amazing.

This is where we are in the USA. "...He was just sitting there...." Amazing.

It is racism. PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON Mr. Juniku's face. It is spelled R-A-C-I-S-M. Yes, racism. There is no doubt. This is racism and profiling. "See something, say something," even if "...He is just sitting there...."

We have too many "Pole-lease" in the United States of America. TOO MANY "POLE-LEASE!"

March 2, 2017
By Cammie Bellamy

Wilmington -- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (click here) on Thursday released audio of calls to campus police that resulted in a lecturer being searched and claiming he was racially profiled.

UNCW chemistry lecturer Rajan Juniku was searched by campus police Tuesday after a university employee reported a suspicious person on campus. Juniku, whose wife Alicia Juniku said was sick with the flu, was sitting outside Cameron Hall in a jacket at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. In the redacted and voice-modulated call released by UNCW, a caller told a police dispatcher he was concerned by the man's behavior.

"There's a bench there and a man sitting there in a zipped-up red jacket, his hands in his pockets, just sitting there," the caller says. "Now he’s taking a drink from a water bottle. But I just think it’s odd that it’s almost 80 degrees and he's sitting there zipped up in a jacket with his hands in his pockets, watching people walk by. And I don’t know if he’s a 10-60 subject (suspicious person) or just someone who wants to warm up."

The dispatcher asked the caller to describe the man's race: "Can you tell if he’s black, white, Hispanic?"

"Um, from here he almost looks like, Indian maybe," the caller responded.

"Like, Middle Eastern?"...

..."It's just completely erroneous and misplaced. In this case the officer reacted quickly and based on information from dispatch," he said. "The officer really acted professionally, he was courteous, he acted consistent with his training and he remained on task with the mission of public safety."...

This is the level of dignity of "Talk Radio."

March 2, 2017

By Kim Janssen

Rising nationally syndicated conservative talk-radio star (click here) who makes fun of Chicago homicide victims on his show says he is being honored by his bosses at radio giant iHeartRadio as the "Talk Personality of the Year."

Texan Michael Berry mocks Chicago homicide victims in his regular feature, "Chicago Weekend Crime Report," which includes a shooting victim bingo game in which listeners are supposed to guess where in the body victims were shot....

What dignity? Anything other than mockery of base instincts doesn't enter the picture?

This is entitled, "The perfect "angry black man."

The warmer than average seasonal temperature indicates why there are tornadoes.

Intellicast maps for March 3, 2017
11:00 AM EST

The temperatures today are very different than normal. 

The top map shows the US current temperature while the one below it shows the temperature departure from normal.

Degree Departure Scale (click here) with degrees in Fahrenheit

Dark green +30
Dark orange +15 to +20
Orange +10 to +15
Yellow +5 to +10
Light blue -5 to -10
Blue -10 to -15
Royal blue -15 to -20
Deep blue -20 to -25

Yes, + means above normal.

Below and to the right is the National Weather Service map which contains warnings for the (USA today (click here).

This is interesting. Trump holds no Wall Street darlings above the law.

Perhaps this is a signal to all of Wall Street, including the Big Banks, in that none are above the law, not even Goldman Sachs.

March 3, 2017
By Ally Marotti

Years of federal scrutiny (click here) over Caterpillar's overseas business practices and tax strategies came to a head Thursday with a raid on the heavy machine maker's Peoria headquarters.

Authorities from three agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, arrived before 11 a.m. at the headquarters and two nearby facilities. Initially only confirming the raid, Caterpillar later in the day acknowledged it was tied to the same issue that has dogged the company for eight years: its use of a parts subsidiary based in Switzerland and tax-saving practices that sparked a Senate investigation, shareholder lawsuits and a $1 billion penalty.

The raid is the latest shock to a city still adjusting to Caterpillar's January announcement that it would relocate its headquarters from Peoria to the Chicago area.

Long a global and domestic powerhouse in the world of mining and construction equipment, Caterpillar has been under investigation by federal authorities for years....

...In 2014, a Senate investigation found the company had used its Swiss affiliate to take advantage of a corporate tax rate it negotiated and avoided paying at least $2.4 billion in U.S. taxes. Soon after, shareholders filed lawsuits against the company and its accounting firm, PwC, alleging breach of fiduciary duties. That matter is ongoing.

A technical change Caterpillar made in 1999 shifted most of the profits from replacement parts sold outside the U.S. to the Swiss subsidiary, Caterpillar SARL, or CSARL, but "did not ... otherwise change how Caterpillar's replacement parts business functioned on the ground," according to a Senate report....

The American people are tired of the SLICK Wall Street CEO. No different than Alcoa in building a smelter plant in Iceland RATHER THAN digging in and finding answers to CO2 emissions as other countries have. We are sick of it. 

It is called MORALITY, in case there was confusion about it.

It is not a church morality, it is decency and loyalty and responsible citizenship. Wall Street wants to think of itself as people, American people; THEN ACT LIKE IT!!!!!

OMG, the flight suit moment!

How apropos.

Mission Accomplished!

March 2, 2017
By Karoun Demirjian

Washington - President Donald Trump (click here) says he ‘‘wasn’t aware’’ that his attorney general —former Sen. Jeff Sessions — had contact with the Russian ambassador during last year’s White House campaign.

Trump made the comment in Newport News, Virginia, before giving a speech aboard the USS Gerald Ford....

Give me a break. His former cabinet and this cabinet has members that are less than sincere about the security of the USA. This is a president out of touch who thinks he can simply play Halloween dress up and everything is all better.

He does not have control of his administration and he has not had control of his election team before or after the election, either.

This is not about image, it is about the profound security of this country. Trump himself should be giving Sessions another look. This is outrageous. We are not interested in the show, we want a country based on sound values with a sustainable future.

While Emperors of Fake News, Fox News defiles American media, the Neo-Nazis are carry on the crusade elsewhere.

Fox News may not be flying the Iron Cross they are aligned directly with Neo-Nazis.

The Ultra White have no moral compass. They want power. If it comes at a price then let that price be paid in favors to cronies. Simple. But, what cronies don't realize is that once in power, they can fall victim to that power as well.

March 2, 2017

By Jorge Branco

Göring, Keitel, Himmler, Hitler. Three men with Iron Crosses, and one civilian.

A prominent neo-Nazi website (click here) has reviled the Brisbane Times and Fairfax Media in response to a story highlighting a Queensland tradie's move to sponsor the website.

The Daily Stormer, one of the world's most visited neo-Nazi blogs, labelled Fairfax Media "main pig filth", "Tel Aviv's attack dog" and a defender of the "Jew World Order".

The comments came after Queensland electrician and airconditioner installer Simon Hickey emerged as the site's only corporate sponsor, drawing condemnation from a Jewish civil rights organisation.

"The Brisbane Times, which is owned by the biggest fake news media organization in Australia, has attempted to pull the plug on the Daily Stormer's sole corporate sponsor: an Aussie electrician," the Daily Stormer wrote in a post published overnight.

"Fairfax Media, the owner of this bush league rag, is like Tel Aviv's attack dog. It has made a practice of seeking out and defaming anyone that opposes the Jew World Order."

Both Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin and Smerff Electrical owner Mr Hickey refused to answer questions about the original article, although Mr Hickey did send an email criticising the "Lamestream Media Fake News"....

One of the places Americans agree about guns are background checks.

August 13, 2015

Two years (click here) after the failure of Senate legislation to expand background checks on gun purchases, the public continues to overwhelmingly support making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks. Currently, 85% of Americans – including large majorities of Democrats (88%) and Republicans (79%) – favor expanded background checks, little changed from May 2013 (81%)....

That has always been the case, but, because of Republican obstructionism the bills written were never passed into law. Today, the new administration is attacking the provisions that do exist.

February 28, 2017
By Merrit Kennedy 

President Trump signed (click here) a measure into law Tuesday that rescinds an Obama-era rule aimed at blocking gun sales to certain mentally ill people.

The GOP-majority Senate passed the bill by a 57-43 margin earlier this month, following a House vote to overturn the rule.

The Obama administration policy "would have required the Social Security Administration to report the records of some mentally ill beneficiaries to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System," as The Two-Way has reported. "Those who have been deemed mentally incapable of managing their financial affairs — roughly 75,000 people — would have been affected by the rule."

It was strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association, and as NPR's Jessica Taylor reported, "Republicans argued it infringed upon Second Amendment rights by denying due process."...

Got that, if you are elderly you can purchase a gun even though a guardian needs to write the check. Some of that is somewhat reflected in other capacity such as voting. The disabled elderly can vote if proven competent regardless of their guardianship otherwise. But, President Obama didn't bring this to bear to be mean, he did it to save lives.

Am J Public Health. 2012 March; 102(3): 396–400.
By Brian Mertens, BA and Susan B. Sorenson, PhD

In the United States, (click here) more than 17 million people aged 65 years or older own a firearm. They have the highest rate of suicide by a firearm, and recent data suggest that a disproportionate number apply to carry a concealed weapon. At least one new handgun has been designed and marketed for older people....

That designer gun can be fired regardless of paralysis.

In 2008, Constitution Arms, a New Jersey–based firearms manufacturing company, announced plans to produce the Palm Pistol, a single-chamber firing mechanism that could be fired via a squeeze ball instead of the standard trigger...

Where there is a dollar to be made, hell awaits.

There is only one reason to use this handgun. It sure ain't for hunting.

The link to the article doesn't work when transferred. Kindly see addresses below regarding this disgusting product.

Accepted on: Aug 4, 2011

Current Considerations About the Elderly and Firearms

Brian Mertens, BA, and Susan B. Sorenson, PhD

At the time that this article was written, Brian Mertens was with the Health and Societies program, and Susan B. Sorenson with the School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Correspondence should be sent to Susan B. Sorenson, School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, 3815 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (e-mail: sorenson@sp2.upenn.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints/Eprints” link.

Peer Reviewed

Contributors

B. Mertens originated the idea, wrote the first draft, and contributed to revisions. S. B. Sorenson supervised the development of the article, analyzed data, drafted sections of the article, and contributed to revisions.

This is the kind of garbage Americans get from Republicans. They cater to cronies regardless of the unethical and dangerous extreme to our society.

Outlawing this type of handgun from the elderly is a pubic health issue.

The article can also be obtained from the "American Journal of Public Health."

The focus is on marketing vulnerability. The elderly differ as well in emotional status. Basically, it looks as though the Republicans want to resolve the "Baby Boomer" issue through violence.

...MARKET CONSIDERATIONS

To tap into the expanding elderly market, which, as a group, has substantial disposable income, manufacturers and service providers must create and provide products and services that the elderly want and can use. Firearms are no exception. Long guns (rifles and shotguns, which law enforcement officers describe as the weapon of choice for home protection) can be heavy and awkward to handle. Given the various infirmities and physical limitations that develop with age, it may be reasonable to assume that, if an elderly person wants to purchase a firearm, he or she will likely buy a handgun.

In anticipation of a firearm purchase, an elderly person may turn to a variety of informational sources. They may, like many people who are interested in purchasing a firearm, consult their friends and families for advice and information. They may also seek advice from staff at the more than 62 500 federally licensed firearm dealers in the United States or refer to printed sources for information. Some regional newspapers include firearm advertisements in their classified ad section. The United States also has nearly three dozen different monthly or semimonthly magazines about firearms. Photographs, product reviews, and the large print of several magazines make them a useful resource for elders. At least one firearms magazine addresses the elderly directly. The Armed Senior Citizen, a monthly column in Concealed Carry Magazine, is available in print and online. Columns such as “Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks” and “Senior Citizen Defensive Realities” advise senior citizens on how they can protect themselves with a gun....

Now in DC, a Jacqueline E. Lawton inspired play about Valerie Plame.

March 1, 2017

By Alan Katz

AK: Let’s talk about the start of this whole thing; (click here) this play is part of a series, right?

JL: Yes, the Power Plays series.

AK: Which is a series of commissions from Arena. So, what was the mission part of your commission?

JL: When I got the call for the commission, we knew it would be about DC politics and power [which is part of the series]. I knew that I wanted a woman at the center of the play. A woman whose experience influenced the political landscape and shaped the conversations that we have. There’s so many people who that could be.

One important thing that I brought to the play was my family experience: my father and grandfather were both in military intelligence. So I’ve always been transfixed by the CIA and the world of intelligence. When you look at intelligence, it’s all about gathering information so that a decision can be made. But the thing is, those decisions are based on the shape of the intelligence as it is presented. What gets dangerous is when intelligence is influenced by ideology. That’s exactly what happened in 2003 when Bush took us into Iraq.

We went into Iraq based on a series of lies, and there’s no getting around that. It wasn’t like 1991. There weren’t mass graves. They weren’t 6 months away from being able to  launch missiles into Israel. There were no weapons of mass destruction. Then something interesting happened. This diplomat, Joseph Wilson, was sent to investigate something that the government already knew to be untrue: that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Niger. Then he wrote an article for the New York Times called “What I Didn’t Find in Africa,” and because it revealed these administration lies, there was a big effort to retaliate, to embarrass or otherwise discredit him. That’s when this group of powerful men in the administration—Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney—out Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, as a CIA covert operative. And they did so to prove nepotism, which used to be something no one wanted to be accused of in the government....

Freedom of Assembly is now a target for immigration agents.

Ms Vargas is a high profile Dreamer. She was targeted so intimidate others.

As of 2015, (click here) Mississippi had 72,258 people living within it's borders were foreign born. Of that less than two-thirds were noncitizen (without naturalization papers). That number 72,258 equates to about 2.4 percent of all Citizens. 

Ms. Vargas had status in DACA since 2012, renewed in 2014, but, fell short of funds needed (nearly $500) to file again in 2016. She currently refiled with her paid fee and the case is pending. But, technically is not a noncitizen of Argentine origins, although she hardly remembers her native home.

Ms. Vargas is a Dreamer and needs to remain in the USA to carry out her plans of an advanced education that will benefit the USA.

March 1, 2017
By Jennie Jarvie

A 22-year-old immigrant (click here) who was in the process of renewing her status to remain in the country legally was detained by immigration agents Wednesday shortly after she spoke at a news conference of her hope that “Dreamers” and other immigrants be given a path to citizenship.

Daniela Vargas, an Argentine citizen who was brought to the county when she was 7 and later received protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Jackson, Miss., as she and a friend drove from a rally and news conference, according to her attorney, Abigail Peterson.

Two law enforcement vehicles pulled over Vargas and her friend just minutes after they left the event organized by immigration attorneys, pastors and activists outside Jackson City Hall. According to her friend, Peterson said, four officers opened the doors to her friend’s car, took Vargas out, handcuffed her and took her into custody.

“They asked questions like, ‘Do you know who we are?’” Peterson said. “‘You know why we’re here?’”...