I think the girls look absolutely adorable.

I didn't want to comment because the criticism was enough to cause a justified outcome to exonerate the girls from being FAULTY.

The Obama family has been one of the youngest in the White House in recent years. I think the only other was the Kennedy's young children. At the time President Obama took office Sasha was very young and her sister not much older. 

It has been delightful watching them grow up. I think the First Lady and the President are great parents. Up to now most of their formal appearances to the public have been obviously supervised. The last time they were in public with the President and the First Lady in a campaign they looked like Miniature Michelles. No criticism intended, just a matter of fact.

The First Lady and the President allowed the girls their freedom to dress as they wished for this ceremony. As a mother of teenagers now grown up, it takes a great deal of patience to allow young people growth into adulthood. I think the girls are no longer girls, but, young ladies. They are becoming beautiful women and they aren't afraid of being a fashion statement or perhaps simply a statement of culture. I congratulate them for showing off their favorite apparel and being unafraid of the press corp. 

They have arrived.

The Policing Commission

Something has to be done. I believe President Obama when he states he will personally see to the changes made by the commission. 

The militarization of the local police has to stop.

There are generals and commanders in Afghanistan that regularly walk among the people without bullet proof vests and unarmed. They do that deliberately to build a relationship with the people of trust. They even attend local meetings with leaders of the government. They apologize for mistakes and make financial amends to the families aggrieved.  

The people of color in the USA are compromised and I know they are correct. This process will take 90 days. There will be others that die during that time. I encourage everyone to write The Policing Commission and make real life facts known to them. It is important not to leave a stone unturned. The facts, not the myths. Also the fear is important. The Policing Commission has to understand these complaints are NOT empty that they come from within an American community of people of color that profoundly believe their children are compromised before they are old enough to speak. That compromise comes as a birth right in some ethnicities in the USA and it is completely unacceptable.

This is their chance to be heard and make a difference. Do it. Don't think twice about retribution or fear. This information will be confidential for the most part, although part of the permanent record. Perhaps the Commission will seal the personal records if stated in the letter.

Ninty days is not long. Young Black Men should write and state their concerns especially. It is important and this Commission proves how important it is.

Participate.

Sister cities might be a good idea. One with plenty of experience with ice and high wind and one with less.

Nov. 17, 2014
By Nicole Tschetter

Winter Weather Survival Week:How cities and counties prepare (click here)

Kindly remember World AIDS Day (click here). We have come a very long way with this virus, but, we still have work to do.

Donate to your favorite charity if you can.

Concussions are brain injuries. Brain injuries come with emotional instability.

Missing Ohio State football player Kosta Karageorge with his mother after the Buckeyes' game against Indiana on Saturday.(Karageorge family)

December 1, 2014
By Terrence McCoy

...What’s better understood: (click here) the link between depression and concussions – especially among the young. One study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in January of this year found repeatedly concussed teens are three times more likely to develop depression. A separate paper, published in PLoS One last spring, suggested teens with a history of head injury are at “significantly greater odds” of attempting suicide and “engaging in numerous violent behaviors.”...

This is a tough one to solve, because, once a brain is injured it is permanent. Brains are also complex. What occurs with one person is not necessarily repeated by another. Basically, no one injury happens in the same way or with the same results. Where science has found success is understanding concussions and depression. Science also knows in the elderly, if depression is not treated it can result in dementia at higher percentages. 

Let's be on the safe side and work toward supporting anyone suffering from concussion and depression. As soon as a young person, college or younger experiences a concussion, there needs to be intervention to prevent depression. How that exactly translates to football players is up to physicians and medical research, but, obviously let to their own to cope with any depression or brain injury the outcome is not good. We need to turn the corner on the outcome of those that fall into this category and preserve quality of life.

November 30, 2014
By Doug Lesmerises

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One by one (click here) they strode out of the dark to stand at the feet of William Oxley Thompson. A few fought tears. More couldn't hide smiles. They came to talk about Kosta Karageorge.

And it quickly became clear. This is a guy that you tell stories about....

Everyone loves a hero and we want to keep them here among us to continue to elevate our interpretation of life and purpose. 

With the Iran talks in the public eye, I will remind Iran was an important partner to Iraq's new government.

Iran pledges $1 bln loan, security help to Iraq
23 Nov 2005 13:49:54 GMT
Source: Reuters

TEHRAN, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Iran has pledged to give Iraq a $1 billion loan and help with tackling insecurity, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said at the end of a ground-breaking visit to the Islamic state.

Talabani's three-day visit, the first by an Iraqi leader to Iran for nearly four decades, followed heightened accusations by Western and some Iraqi officials that Shi'ite Muslim Iran was linked to insurgent attacks in Iraq. Iran denies the charges....

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23550883.htm

When I discuss foreign policy of the USA, I base it in the best knowledge available to me, not populous political hate rants by the political right wing to drive scared to death American to the polls. 

What would happen if Former Secretary Clinton ever said, "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran?" I guarantee you no one would be applauding.

I remind!

Ferguson, Missouri is not crime central. This is a community of 21,000 people of which a majority are single women families.

The crime statistics in Ferguson do not reflect a city riddled with crime. There was one murder this year and it didn't include the death of Michel Brown, Jr.

There is absolutely no reason for a police department manager to be that insulting to an entire community. He needs to apologize or resign or both.

I might mention, "Thug," has become the latest word out of the political right wing for the "N" word.

Enough.

Speaking of the NFL. Is there any reason to believe they condone the deaths of innocent young Black men as themselves?

December 1, 2014
By Sean Fizgerald

On Sunday afternoon, (click here) inside a domed stadium about 20 kilometres from Ferguson, Mo., a group of five St. Louis Rams players walked onto the field before a game with their arms in the air, a symbolic gesture meant to “let the community know that we support them,” according to receiver Kenny Britt.

A video shows Britt and fellow receiver Tavon Austin on the field first, their hands in the air, followed shortly by receivers Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens and tight end Jared Cook amid the lights and the smoke of the pre-game festivities.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters. “I was still in the tunnel.”...

I think this is rather telling about Ferguson's police department.

December 1, 2014

By Charlotte Alter

'Violent thugs' (click here) don't buy NFL products, warns St. Louis Police business manager

The St. Louis Police Department condemned St. Louis Rams football players who ran onto the field Sunday night with their arms raised in the “hands-up, don’t shoot” pose. The gesture has been seen in demonstrations across the nation this week in the wake of the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict a white cop for shooting and killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown in August....

This is what exoneration of violent police officers causes. It deepens the divide between 'the guns' and community. The trust is gone and even the Ferguson police department manager is out of control in his assertion of the people in his community. Now, if this is the manager, what do you expect in police conduct?

I think the Rams were more than correct to connect with the public and display their disapproval of the events in Ferguson. There should be more of this, too. There is absolutely no doubt young, black men are being killed by police officers, there is no excuse. What happened to Michael Brown, Jr. is outrageous and is heinously violent when one considers the power police have in preserving life and not taking it.

I'll put it this way, if the police freely use gun violence in law enforcement, what happens next? The young, black men that are the victim of such violent law enforcement will decide to carry guns. There are clear definitions of when a police officer can use exceptional force and PROVOKING an altercation as Wilson did is not one of them.

Drunkenness is no excuse for domestic violence.

One moment in their lives (click here for video) brought Ray and Janay Rice into the public eye for all the wrong reasons. While Ray Rice has now been reinstated, and is looking for a team, his life off the field, and that of his wife Janay, are forever changed by what happened in that elevator....

This interview was the first time I learned they were drinking heavily. I realize drinking alcohol is something that is legal and occurs socially, but, when a couple or person realizes when they drink heavily there is a potential for violence, they should not go there.

I don't dispute the appeal, I am not one to understand the underpinnings of the NFL, it's rules or decisions; but, when violence results when drunkenness occurs, where does it stop?

I have a great deal of respect for Mr. and Mrs. Rice in their earnest pleadings with the public to prove they had a bad night and it should not disturb Ray Rice's career. I think they are well married. She is a beautiful woman, graced with the understanding of a public life and they obviously are involved with each other. I hope their marriage celebrates 100 years. But, they need to be able to look at each other over the breakfast table and say, "We really should not have gone there at the casino, honey." I want them to say that to each other and mean it. Because their drunkenness sparked outrage and rightfully so. The outrage was not about the spectacle, it was about the safety of Mrs. Rice.

They can obviously forgive each other, but, when it comes without a lesson learned there is no reason to believe it won't happen again only with greater consequences. 

I wish them both the best and considering Mrs. Rice has made this effort to reach the public and put everything into context proves she deserves the trust of the NFL. She and Ray still need to work through some personal issues, but, what couple doesn't. If Ray Rice has the talent the NFL needs, no owner should be so worried about his public image that he doesn't get a job. Keeping Ray Rice out of employment is further compromising the happiness of this marriage and no one wants that.

This is ridiculous. This is police harassment.

...It may be freezing in Pontiac, Michigan, (click here) but if you’re a black man out for a walk it’s probably best to keep your hands out of your pockets. Or else risk getting stopped by the police because your actions make people nervous. Brandon McKean posted a difficult-to-believe video on his Facebook page and YouTube that shows his interaction with a white police officer who briefly detained him on Thanksgiving while he was out for a walk....

I think people are getting their jollies in complaining about black men and calling the police to watch what happens next. The police should have asked to help the man by calling a taxi or something. This is completely out of line.

There was absolutely no reason to even dispatch police to a black man walking down the street with his hands in his pockets. He was not a threat to anyone and the neighborhood watch was a danger to him.

Why wasn't a black officer dispatched? Because Pontiac may be another Ferguson. The population of Pontiac, Michigan is about two and a half times that of Ferguson and the population demographics shows 52.1 percent African Americans. Here we go again.

These statistics came from Wikipedia (click here).

As of the census of 2010, there were 59,515 people, 22,220 households, and 13,365 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,980.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,150.7/km²). There were 27,084 housing units at an average density of 1,356.2 per square mile (523.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 34.4% White, 52.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 6.2% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.5% of the population.

Having officers use video to record their actions doesn't seem to be a burden. This white police officer pulled out his personal white mobile phone to record the interaction.

There were 22,220 households of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.4% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.28.

Ferguson 2.0 - "White people behaving badly."

November 30, 2014

This is not a game, kindly think outside the box.

A truck negotiates its way through a flooded Stony Road, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, in Lancaster, N.Y. Western New York has localized flooding from melting snow following last week's snowstorms. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert) 

What happens when the frigid air returns and the waters aren't completely receded?

November 30, 2014
By Nick Wiltgen

...A very strong bubble (click here) of high pressure, associated with very cold arctic air, will slide southeastward from eastern Montana into the Dakotas Sunday night into Monday. The pressure difference between that high pressure center and a powerful low-pressure system over Hudson Bay in eastern Canada means blustery winds will buffet the same areas seeing temperatures well below zero Sunday night.

As a result, actual temperatures that are already mercilessly cold -- in some cases approaching 20 below zero -- will feel like 35 to 45 below zero even with modest wind speeds of 10 mph....

This is very serious and the scenarios can be devastating. Low lying areas of town and cities have to be evacuated with such extremes happening this close together. Safety cannot be guaranteed after a severe storm dropped so much snow, followed by the melting and runoff. When, not if, the frigid air mass returns most areas will still be saturated with water. That means water is now in the ground and will freeze as well as any flood inundated areas.

Areas of high ground won't have this same problem. The runoff will allow minimal amount of saturation. It all depends on where the water went and where it is now saturated. Ice will expand and cause damage. The rapid changing temperature will result in profound icing problems if the water is not receded from the streets.

Remember what occurred in Georgia and the highways were swamped with cars and trucks unable to move. Circumstances became dire very quickly. Preparation for these events need to be in place to avoid putting people in danger.

The railways are some concern if the tracks are/were under water and there was any undermining of ground.

This is the new climate we are facing. This is micromanagement of severe weather. It is up to communities to know their ability to cope.

December 1, 2014

0745 gmt

The Weather Channel Current Temperature Map