President Obama has one picture with the Late President Mandela. But, this picture was of the First Lady when she visited him with her daughters.

David Jackson, USA Today

5:31 p.m. EST December 6, 2013

President Obama (click here) will travel to South Africa next week to attend services for Nelson Mandela, the White House said Friday.

"President Obama and the First Lady will go to South Africa next week to pay their respects to the memory of Nelson Mandela and to participate in memorial events," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. ...

...Other prominent officials are also expected to travel to South Africa next week, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The office of President George W. Bush has confirmed that he will also be flying to South Africa, aboard Air Force One with Obama....

Politick-Speak. This is what it sounds like.

President Obama was addressing the car industry in the USA when referred to "Detroit," including the very successful policy of "Cash for Clunkers." The idea President Obama was talking about the City of Detroit is nonsense. It is all Politick-Speak. 

If Senator Paul sincerely had a plan that would work, he should have proposed it a long time ago. The real truth is that the Republicans in the House and Senate have obstructed legislation that would have created jobs in construction, the tech industry, education and first responders. Now that the filibuster is busted there are all kinds good ideas by Republicans, because, if they don't put forward some kind of legislation they will be the do nothing party.

Wow, all of a sudden Rand Paul has a radical plan for the City of Detroit. 

TOO BIZARRE, TOO LATE. (Especially with a National Debt the Republicans seek to shrink.)

Nelson Mandela carried the mantle for South Africa.

Ronald Reagan is a bigot, the Right Wing is simply afraid to day it. He worshiped wealth, not justice and not freedom.

So, let's get this straight about Reagan. He attacked those that would cause a shift in the economic engine of Wall Street. He attempted to create scapegoats to his priority of sequestering wealth among the few.

By Sagar Jethani
14 hours ago
Ronald Reagan was angry. (click here) It was October 1986, and his veto against the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act had just been overridden — and by a Republican-controlled Senate, at that.
He had appeared on TV a month earlier to warn Americans against the Anti-Apartheid Act, decrying it as "immoral" and "utterly repugnant." Congress disagreed, and one month later, it produced the two-thirds majority needed to override Reagan and pass tough new measures against South Africa's apartheid government. These measures included a ban on bank loans and new investments in South Africa, a sharp reduction of imports, and prevented most South African officials from traveling to the United States. The Act also called for the repeal of apartheid laws and the release of political prisoners like African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela, who had spent the last 23 years in prison....

Wright Predicts A Speedy Override In House, Senate (click here)
March 17, 1988
By George E. Curry, Chicago Tribune.

WASHINGTON — President Reagan, setting the stage for a showdown with Congress on civil rights, Wednesday vetoed a bill that would restore federal protections for minority groups, women, the elderly and the physically disabled.

It had been anticipated that Reagan would veto the Civil Rights Restoration Act even though it had been passed by wide margins in the House and Senate. The President said the act would ``vastly and unjustifiably extend the power of the federal government over the decisions and affairs of private organizations.``House Speaker Jim Wright (D., Tex.) predicted Wednesday that the House and Senate would quickly override the veto.

``President Reagan may want to turn the clock back on civil rights, but the American people do not,`` he said....

The Republicans simply don't believe in freedom or equality. The current US House proves that. They really don't believe in the US Constitution. Tom DeLay proved that. The Right Wing extremists that identify with Reagan is proof of their loyalty to wealth first and the fear of disrupting that wealth by actually instilling democracy and freedom. They chronically look to act to protect wealth and not the rights of the people of the USA. They allow impoverishment instead of increasing the minimum wage. They cut support to food stamps without proving a safety margin to the lives of hungry Americans. 

Republicans hate the Middle Class and the Unions that provide for their stability. 

Reagan was about wealth. The imprisonment of the former President of South Africa for a fifth of his life was about wealth, not freedom. President Nelson Mandela was scapegoated in order to maintain the status quo. The ruling class in South Africa didn't care if the citizens of South Africa were killed instead of recognizing their own hate of them and their allegiance to greed.

The Anti-Apartheid Movement which included disinvestment was the ONLY pressure that worked. Losing their wealth was and is the deepest fear of the power brokers.

The lessons of Nelson Mandela are many and aren't isolated to South African freedom and democracy. It ignore that at his death would be a travesty to his life.

A life of courage. He was and will always be loved.

Another view as to why inequality is a legitimate problem in the USA.

The rewards of capitalism is about excellence, but, in the wrong hands it lends itself to immorality. It is my understanding that Pope Francis is addressing the problem faced in inequality. Pope Francis is a breath of fresh air in the USA. This is from the Atlantic Journal Constitution.

Mr. Limbaugh has no credentials to challenge the insight of Pope Francis. It is just that simple. Limbaugh has his credentialing in exploiting words and sentence structure in creating myths otherwise known as lies. He is an immoral man wrapped in commercialization of politics at the cost of others. He doesn't offer a service benevolent to our society. "Freedom of Speech" should not cost the people's it's balance of need vs wealth.

By Leonard Pitts

I like capitalism. (click here)

Specifically, I like the idea that if I write a better book, have a better idea, build a better mousetrap, I will be rewarded accordingly. A system where everyone gets the same reward regardless of quality or quantity of work is inconsistent with excellence and innovation, as the mediocrity and inefficiency that beset the Soviet Union readily proves.

The woman who is successful under capitalism gets to eat steak and lobster whenever she wants. That’s never bothered me. What does bother me is the notion that the unsuccessful man who lacks that woman’s talent, resources, opportunities or luck should not get to eat at all. There is something obscene in the notion that a person can work full time for a multinational corporation and earn not enough to keep a roof over his head or food on his table. The so-called safety net by which we supposedly protect the poor ought to be a solid floor, a level of basic sustenance through which we, as moral people, allow no one to fall — particularly if their penury is through no fault of their own.

Maybe you regard that opinion as radical and extremist. Maybe it is. But if so, I am in excellent company.

Martin Luther King, for instance, mused that “there must be a better distribution of wealth and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism.”

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15, that it’s wrong for some to live lives of ease while others struggle. “The goal is equality, as it is written: ‘The one who gathered much did not have too much and the one who gathered little did not have too little.’” In Acts 4:32, Luke writes approvingly of the early church that: “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”...

...Pope Francis writes that poverty must be “radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality…”

One other thing. Hm?

In the Sandoval Quarry of the ejecta blanket, 298 km from Chicxulub Pto. (click here)

I am trying to imagine where in the Yucatan or the region of the Yucatan there is a geological structure that would be suitable to storing nuclear waste.

See, now that the news is out, the entire area where Mexico disposes of it's waste will be scrutinized by the cartels.

The problem I am having with this entire issue of Third World nuclear storage is the actual facility itself. See, the Yucatan has a karst geological formation. The karst geology is porous. If the containment facility in Mexico is in this area and isn't well lined and protected, there is a chance sea water could cause corrosion of the containers.

Sorry to make more of this nightmare than it already is, but, better to address all the concerns than just one.

Loose Nuke Diplomacy

Samples of radioactive cobalt-60 isotope cast a blue glow from underneath deep water. (click here)

By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD and RICK GLADSTONE

Published: December 4, 2013

MEXICO CITY — A truck stolen near Mexico City (click here) with a load of a dangerous radioactive isotope used for medical purposes was found on Wednesday by the police after a two-day search, but some of the cargo was missing, a senior nuclear-safety official said....

The First World needs to secure these dangerous commodities from the Third World. Knowing Mexico the most dangerous scenario would be if the drug cartels got their hands on the Cobalt. But, they would have to have suits and the ability to handle it and I doubt they would. Not in time enough to know what they actually had without killing everyone in the neighborhood.

Now that the word is out, there will be incentive to find any loose material. But, to PREVENT this, the First World needs to take custody of radioactive material for disposal in a secure site.

This started in Tijuana and the shortest distance to a safe site was north to the USA and not southwest to the Yucatan. There needs to be policies with Third World nations having these capacities to secure this material. If the material was secured and removed by a First World nation, this would not be a problem. First World nations could afford security and equipment in the kind of condition that would prevent such problems. 

People have died in Mexico because they were naive. There is a lot of incentive for Third World nations and any other country that feels compromised with the need for such security, to have allies and friends that can prevent such a very preventable tragedy. Sorry to hear this happened.

I would expect any First World nation volunteering to help would be responsible for the cost without burdening another nation that struggles to help it's people.

This is off the cuff, but, it occurred to me safety doors could be added to classrooms.

Something occurred to me while I was thinking about Sandy Hook and it would not be an inexpensive fix for enhanced safety for children.

This is Weston Elementary School in Manville, New Jersey.

It is where my sisters and I attended school for K through 6th grade. 

The Kindergarten was located at the front of the school. It was tangent to the Main Office / Principal's Office. The building is one story throughout. The picture below is fuzzy because I enlarged it to see what design existed for the Kindergarten. 


The Kindergarten had four classes a day. Two in the AM and two in afternoon. There were two rooms for the Kindergarten classes. The Kindergarten also had their own playground immediately outside the safety glass door (There was wire throughout the door in the structure of chicken wire in case the glass was damaged. It would not shatter). It was set up that way to prevent disruption to the rest of the school when they came and went. And they were the 'little guys' and shouldn't be on the same playground with bigger and taller children. 

Interesting enough those glass doors were never a problem and actually let more sunshine into the school room. Those doors opened from the inside, so the children would line up outside after being called as they were probably busy on the playground and then they would walk into the classroom on time to class.

Above to the right is the door. It is immediately the first dark area that goes from top of the windows to the ground. The other classroom was the same except it was at the far end of this area of the school.

When I was thinking about Sandy Hook and when I was a 'little guy' I thought about those doors. The children in those classrooms had fire drills and were exited out those doors to firemen "The Good Guys" waiting outside. I can't help but believe if classrooms had fire doors or safety doors like this they would be able to get away from a gunman.

Just a thought.

Freedom of Information. The judge had no choice.

The question is will this make a difference? It probably will. One of the reactions to the dispatcher was an innate understanding this was "Like What?". 

The Sandy Hook School shooting was out of the blue. There were probably a minute or two that passed before responders actually came to grips with the event. 

This method places a person at a station listening for evidence of gun shots. They expect it when their system lights up. Then when the response from the monitor is sent out, it immediately shows up on the screens of the police anywhere within the area. There will be an earlier response by minutes, however, the first police on the scene may have a disadvantage of possibly being out gunned. That is possibly the case anyway. So the best use of this system is to have a walk through in training to respond when the schools are out of session. It is new technology, there will be glitches and quite possibly dangers no one considers. 

If minutes would have made a difference at Sandy Hook, I am sure it would have the endorsement by any parent. So, this may be an improvement. Something was learned from the 911 tapes that actually could bring a difference in saving lives of students as circumstances exist today in the USA.

Jill Tucker

Published 6:01 am, Monday, November 11, 2013

A gunman walks into a school and starts shooting. (click here)

It's that rare, worst-case scenario, one that all police prepare for and every parent prays will never happen.

But if it happens at one Oakland charter school, a person 25 miles away, sitting in a small, dark room on the second floor of a building in a Newark business park, will hear the gunshots and - within seconds - push a button to notify police.

The information will hit police car computer screens instantly and include a floor plan of the school showing which classroom the shots were fired in, the type of gun used, and which direction the shooter or shooters appear to be moving. If more shots are fired, police almost instantly will know the exact location....

They advocated for the poor and called out the government in their policies that victimized and abandoned the people that should be their responsibility.

Their experience and that of Pope Francis is unique, insightful and worth hearing. When the church seeks to minister it wants to be able to instill a sense of hope, upward movement and self-sufficiency. That is the foundation of the USA. There is absolutely nothing wrong with their message.

When Food Stamps were cut a huge burden transferred to charitable organizations and they are not able to completely fill the gap. 

"God is not on our side."

Stuart Varney (click here) net worth: Stuart Varney is a British-American journalist who has a net worth of $10 million dollars. Born in Derby, Derbyshire, England, Stuart Varney went on to graduate from the London School of Economics, and then began working as a broadcast journalist at KEMO-TV in San Francisco in the 70s. 

This is the FOX RANT. FOX uses the excuse that capitalism is the only methods of economics that actually provides democracy. That is not the case. Capitalism is alive and well in Europe, but, the governments when it comes to the 'care of their people' are socialistic. As a matter of fact, in his growing up years Mr. Varney has never known medical cost at all.

It is about time someone as compassionate and connected of the Poor has rattled the cages of these war mongers. I am quite sure Iraq is still wondering why their streets are not paved with gold and capitalism yet.

Pope Francis is a well educated man. He has lived with impoverishment of people for a long time. He knows exactly what inequity is and the suffering it causes. He is advocating for those that cannot speak for themselves and be heard. They sure won't get it from Varney.

Tuition to London School of Economics in 2013 (click here)
Students ordinarily resident in England and EU students do not have to pay 
any tuition fees up front. Instead, the cost of tuition is covered by a non-
means tested government loan which you will only start to repay once you 
have left university and are earning over £21,000 per year. 

The lost generation has been very successful in moving into their own economy.

This is a food truck, called "The Tamale Spaceship."

...On the face of it, Hernandez, (click here) a former manager at Adobo Grill, embodies the account spun by the city and optimistic foodies, both of whom have advanced a millenarian vision in which independent-minded restaurateurs and entrepreneurs, finally unshackled, will change the way we eat....

I guarantee you there are no food trucks on the stock exchange. See, the personality of the owner and operator is as important as the food and the truck itself. One might notice the face masks on the counter help.

Those most disappointed in the loss of their AMERICAN PROMISES have developed their own priorities and their own social status. These trucks sometimes congregate together in fields and/or parking lots with the knowledge of the city and sell their inventions. Many of their customers are within the same generation they are and don't have a lot of money to spend on social engagements. So, the product being sold is frequently under $10.00 including a beverage. 

What is so amazing about these food truck gatherings is that rarely is the product in duplicate. So, the crowd goes from concession to concession to SAMPLE the products and pass on opinions online.

The really interesting thing is that the monies are spent happily and in unison and remove them from any formal setting found in the city or town where they might be gathering. Yes. They are taking a new direction, literally and figuratively, making it work, finding LOYALTY among their customers and build on the opinions of their customers. They are all creating their own market share that is unique and powerful. Those opinions and that loyalty grow 'a base' for the concession and those that "Like" it become friends and share the same views of life and inclusiveness.

Like I said, they are smart folks.

I am going to assume these young people were sampled from across the nation.

If that is the cause then a full 33% are at least leaning conservative. That is the base of the GOP and some may be attracted by Libertarians, but, this poll doesn't really impress me. It is good know and Harvard is a quality study, but, besides being too early to tell what the nation actually thinks of the law; many of these folks are already covered by their parent's plan.

...A solid majority, 56 percent, disapproved of the law when it was called the Affordable Care Act. Just 17 percent said the measure would improve the quality of health care; 78 percent said quality would either stay the same or get worse. Half said the law would increase costs, while 46 percent said costs would decrease or stay the same.

The survey, of 2,089 18- to 29-year-olds, was conducted between Oct. 30 and Nov. 11 and had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. It is the latest in a series of two dozen polls that Harvard has conducted of young voters since 2000.

Some real statistics according to a young Democrats organizaton:

This generation will be about one third of the electorate by 2015, so it is important to get it right with them. This generation was about 21% of the electorate in 2012. They have generational priorities that do not carry through with older voters, not even their parents necessarily. I want to say first, I like them. They are free willed and frequently volunteer so I would expect them to be INVOLVED in politics at the grassroots level more than other generations.

This generation of voters are more diverse; in 2012 the percentage of non-white was 39%. 

The voters were majority college educated or getting a college education. Where this generation was not college educated, only 35% voted in 2012. Where they were college educated 66% voted in 2012.

Going back to 2008 there was an increase of 104% compared to 2004 that voted in primaries. In the general election of 2012 their numbers were 23 million.

This generation are joiners. They like social circumstances and hold very strong political opinions. It is my opinion they see government as a method to solving problems and tend to vote in their best interest. I think social media has brought out the activist side of this generation and they refuse to be left out of the debate and insist on being heard and COUNT in the direction of the country.

They have in past voted Democratic, but, I also believe they are very open minded to all opinions and consider them with brevity IF the opinions are based in fact. I don't believe they are easily steered from the truth. I think they seek it and adhere to the reality the truth presents and then work on solutions.

I also believe the younger members of this generation trend toward being naive. They trip over themselves a lot. BUT, their learning curve is good. In some ways they have to learn the ropes about life themselves because their circumstances are unlike those of previous generations. I think they are also innovators and are very capable of leadership EVEN if they are naive about their own brevity.

From what I have witnessed and heard from this generation they rely first on ideology and manufacturer their opinions out of the ability to imagine with some degree of fantasy. There lives are so new to the American landscape they have to rely on imagination to bring about a new reality. This was the lost generation. The ones that the ESTABLISHMENT forgot and found themselves homeless and in the cold after 2008. They have every right to move through life differently while building sustainable work with sustainable employment or entrepreneurship. They are not the folks that will seek information or direction by other and older generations. They learned their lesson of generational forgetfulness all too well.

If they are miffed at President Obama it is because their operational ideology was violated. They seek to be perfect in a world far to difficult to live in. If they are not perfect they do not get hired. When leaders, such as the President, are imperfect their own ideas of who they are and how hard they have to work is rattled. I don't blame them.

Much of their disillusion is due to GOP propaganda. They are targeted with hate speech and have commercials made about them to victimize their own body images and sense of privacy, so why wouldn't they be disillusioned and angry? So, while Harvard counts numbers what they don't count are the lives they live and the reality they are seeking to change. 

Disillusionment empowers this generation and they move on what they know and what they believe. The opinions they hold today will change as they feel more control and direction in their favor. 

The opinion polls of this generation is a moving target because they problem solve as quickly as possible and move in the direction of their best interest. They are smart folks.

Old Saint NIck is the emblem of generosity.

Here is some imagineering of the beauty of the spirit of Christmas. A world of peace and generosity. That is what Santa represents, by the way. Generosity. Gift giving and the benevolence of a people to each other. This is NOT a national security issue.

In case anyone sees the emblems in this well done video and reacts negatively, that is unfortunate. Faith is very much a part of the Christmas holiday and ΑΩΑ  is "Alpha-Omega-Alpha." Alpha Omega Alpha is the  Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. My guess is they are the ones that funded the video.

The USA is about diversity. Faith is a dividing line in many of our values. It is allowed and I would expect at this point in our history diversity is embraced by most Americans.

No one in this country is going to make a war of Christmas, a sacred season of benevolence and peace.

I've had enough of the government plotting against the people of the USA.

Propaganda

:  the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person

:  ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to

damage an opposing cause; also :  a public action having such an effect

The entrapment of children into a net of fear is a bridge too far. I am appalled at the willingness of the USA military to carry out a campaign of indoctrination of young minds in this country. The American people are not the enemy.

Never in my wildest imaginations would I expect such aggressive and insidious use of the American military against the people of this country. We are the country, the military is not the country and in a growing paradigm the people of this nation are becoming OBJECTS and not human beings. 

The people are not targets of STRATEGIES to provide a clear demand by the military to accept a national security state for our own good. THE MILITARY DOES NOT MAKE THE RULES in this country.

The need for defunding and dismantling of these PLOTS and those that carry them out has to go forward. The military day by day is losing the trust of the people and rightfully so. 

I don't care if control freaks like Hayden are sitting in DC squirming in their seats at the disruption in the world and fearing any minute now there will be another 911. They need to go. They are paranoid and cause more problems than they solve and NOW they want to pollute the minds of our children with ideas that their imaginary heroes, like Santa, are in danger along with them. It is disgusting. The USA military is too big with too much money. And to think a private contractor, namely Microsoft, is throwing in with them is simply outrageous. Never did I think it would ever come to this. Microsoft in this capacity is a plague on the country.

The National Security State

Psy-Ops

It is corruption. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

Make it their reality when they are young and they will accept any aspect of invasion of privacy from here out. 

Money, money, money.

Microsoft in Government (click here)

Stuxnet Helps Make the Case for Good IT Security Hygiene

By Steve White

Cybersecurity Architect, Enterprise Services 

“Stuxnet is the Hiroshima of cyber-war.” That evocative closing line, which ran in the April 2010 Vanity Fair article on last year’s most infamous cyber attack, makes my blood freeze every time I read it....

This is a joke, right? Big Red One is 1st Infantry Division of the US Army. NOT FUNNY!

Pull the funding on NORAD'S Santa Project. Microsoft has a very strange idea of fun.

The jerks militarized the Santa Tracker. The mountains even look like chocolate frosting. This is the most disgusting actions NORAD and Microsoft could have done.

Santa's getting some new digital digs. (click here)

In 1955, after a Sears ad mistakenly listed its number as Santa's, the Northern American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) began receiving calls from children asking about the whereabouts of Mr. Claus. Ever since, the agency has continued to provide the status and location of Santa on Dec. 25, and this year, it will do so with the help of Microsoft and a flashy new website.

Visit http://www.noradsanta.org/ today and you will be brought to a brand new site that not only counts down the days until Santa will begin delivering presents but lets you visit the digital North Pole and play various games. Every day, NORAD will release a new game on the site; currently you can help Santa shoot hoops or help light the tree by solving a maze.

On Christmas day, the site will monitor Santa and the reindeers' whereabouts on a map and keep a running tally of the number of gifts delivered.....

Children don't need a militarized Santa. It adds fear to their lives and for some children it could be traumatic at a time when losses of a parent are felt more deeply during the holidays. I can't believe NORDA and Microsoft are this stupid. This is stupid.

Children and Fear of War and Terrorism (click here)

Tips for Parents and Teachers

National Association of School Psychologists

Terrorist attacks in our country and threats or realities of war are frightening experiences for all Americans. Children may be especially fearful that threatened or actual military action overseas will result in more personal loss and violence here at home. Because repeated scenes of destruction of lives and property are featured in the news media, they understand that “enemies of the United States” can cause harm in this country....

...Emotional Responses

Emotional responses vary in nature and severity from child to child.  Nonetheless, there are some similarities in how children (and adults) feel when their lives are impacted by war or the threat of war:

• Fear:
• Loss of control: 
• Anger: 
• Loss of stability: 
• Isolation: 
• Confusion: This can occur on two levels. First, children  may feel confused about terrorist attacks and war, what further dangers might arise, and when the violence will stop. Second, children may have trouble understanding the difference between violence as entertainment and the real events taking place on the news. Today's children live in the world of Armageddon, Independence Day, Air Force One, and cartoon Super Heroes. Some of the modern media violence is unnervingly real. Youngsters may have difficulty separating reality from fantasy, cartoon heroes and villains from the government soldiers and real terrorists. Separating the realities of war from media fantasy may require adult help. 

This is just what parents and family need on Christmas Eve, fear and worry over Santa arriving at all. Who came up with this one, Hayden?

What Can Parents and Teachers Do?

Help children to feel personally safe:

• Try to maintain normal routines and schedules to provide a sense of stability and security. 

I can hear it now:

Child: "Why does Santa need a jet?" 

Parent: "Ahhhh, I guess there is a lot of traffic tonight." 

Child: "Is Santa going to be, okay?"

Parent: "Of course he will, NORAD is giving him an escort."

Child: "NORAD didn't prevent 911."

Parent: "How did you know that?" 

Child: "Everyone knows that."

Parent: "You know something, this is just a cartoon. The government really doesn't know Santa has better radar than they do and doesn't need anyone but Rudolph in bad weather. Let's have some cookies and milk."

I hate to say he told you so, but, he did tell you so.

From the very beginning of the passage of the law President Obama stated, "This law will bend the cost curve of health care down in the USA." He said it and everyone that cared to comment argued and argued that he was naive and wrong. 

Guess who is "W"rong now?

Posted Dec. 3, 2013 @ 1:45 pm
Canandaigua, N.Y.

...But the news is better (click here) on another major health care front: reining in the rising costs that have made American health care the most expensive in the world.

A report released last month by the Council of Economic Advisers pronounced health care spending growth at record low rates. “According to the most recent projections, real per capita health care spending has grown at an estimated average annual rate of just 1.3 percent over the three years since 2010,” the report says. “This is the lowest rate on record for any three – year period and less than one-third the long-term historical average stretching back to 1965.”...