Saturday, May 31, 2014


News Clips For The Day


http://news.yahoo.com/daughter-of-newtown-victim-speaks-out-against-joe-the-plumber-135839094.html

'Joe the Plumber' an out-of-touch gun 'extremist,' says Sandy Hook principal's daughter
'I’m sorry my loss inconveniences you, Joe,' writes daughter of fallen school chief
By  Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo News
May 30, 2014

In a column she wrote for the Daily Beast,Erica Lafferty , who lost her mother in the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings in 2012, ridicules as "disgusting" recent comments Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher made about the Santa Barbara shootings.

Wurzelbacher, who became something of a celebrity during the 2008 presidential campaign after a debate between President Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, recently wrote an open letter to the parents of the University of California, Santa Barbara, college students who were killed earlier this month.

"As harsh as this sounds — your dead kids don't trump my Constitutional rights," Wurzelbacher wrote on BarbWire.com.

Lafferty, whose mother, Dawn Hochsprung, was the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary and one of 27 victims of the massacre, responded, "I’m sorry my loss inconveniences you, Joe. But you’re the one who’s out of touch."

Wurzelbacher's comments, Lafferty wrote, "encapsulate the id of the small faction of extremists who are influencing our country’s gun laws."

Richard Martinez, whose son Christopher was among the six students killed in Santa Barbara, has become an outspoken proponent of gun control. Speaking of politicians who would offer him their condolences for his loss, Martinez said, "I don’t care about your sympathy. ... Get to work and do something."

Wurzelbacher wrote, "Mr. Martinez and anyone calling for more restrictions on American’s rights need to back off and stop playing into the hands of the folks who merely capitalize on these horrific events for their own political ends."

Lafferty, in her op-ed, wrote, "It’s actually refreshing to see his [Wurzelbacher's] comments so unvarnished, so closely removed from this poor kid’s murder. And I wouldn’t have dignified his disgusting comments with a response if it didn’t follow such a disturbing pattern among gun extremists in this country."



http://www.thedailybeast.com/topics/politics.html

Joe the Plumber’s ‘Dead Kid’ Callousness
Erica Lafferty
May 29, 2014

My mother was the principal of Sandy Hook elementary. I’m sorry my loss inconveniences you, Joe. But you’re the one who’s out of touch.

Every day in this country 86 lives are cut short with guns. Multiply that number by 365 and you get more than 30,000 families who suffer from gun violence over the course of a year.

My mother was one of the 86 on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. A gunman entered the school where she was the principal, and in just minutes he murdered 26 children and educators. She died protecting her students, and now there’s a massive void in my family where my mom and my best friend once was. This past week, hundreds of families experienced similar pain—some in Santa Barbara, and many more scattered in communities throughout the country.

In the 18 months since my mom was killed I’ve decided to use my voice to limit the number of families who have to go through what I went through. In my advocacy work with Everytown for Gun Safety I’ve met hundreds of other gun violence survivors who made the same choice.

So as we enter the world of advocacy—making pleas for such “tyrannical” measures as criminal background checks on gun purchases or gun safety precautions to keep toddlers from shooting themselves—what’s the response from the other side? I’ll give you a few examples.

My dear friend Jennifer Longdon, a gun owner herself, was shot in 2004 sitting in a car with her fiancé. The gunshots paralyzed her, but they gave the gun violence prevention movement a fierce advocate willing to travel the country to speak out. Her focus: keeping guns out of dangerous hands and saving lives.

During a trip to the NRA convention this year, a gun extremist recognized her at the Indianapolis airport. He had seen her face on TV, and decided to spit on her as retribution. Years earlier, Jennifer got home from a gun violence prevention event and found another gun extremist waiting for her at her front door. He pointed a water-gun in her face and said, “Don’t you wish you had a gun now, bitch?” before taking off.

There’s also Steve Barton. On a bike trip across the country he wound up in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado to see The Dark Knight, where he was shot in the neck and down his torso. He became an activist and received death threats for his advocacy. Gun extremists claimed his story was fabricated and that he was never in the theater to begin with, even though he had the scars to prove it.

Then there was the statement I saw this week from “Joe the Plumber.” Yes, you may be saying to yourself, “I vaguely recall that name from heaps of media coverage several lifetimes ago.” He’s the Ohio plumber turned Sarah Palin-surrogate turned failed congressional candidate, and this week he told the courageous father of a Santa Barbara shooting victim, Richard Martinez, “Your dead kids don’t trump my constitutional rights.” Never mind that none of the solutions being discussed by Martinez or any other gun violence prevention advocates in any way threaten the Second Amendment.

It’s actually refreshing to see his comments so unvarnished, so closely removed from this poor kid’s murder. And I wouldn’t have dignified his disgusting comments with a response if it didn’t follow such a disturbing pattern among gun extremists in this country.

In fact, his comments quite clearly encapsulate the id of the small faction of extremists who are influencing our country’s gun laws. Your loss doesn’t matter if it inconveniences me one bit. Gun violence may be real—and it may be 20 times worse here than in any other developed country—but I don’t have a solution for it, except to buy more guns and intimidate more victims.

I know the vast majority of gun owners in America are good, smart, compassionate people. I’ve met them in the last year and a half all across the country. Many of them are NRA members whom I spoke with at each of the last two conventions. This isn’t just a hunch I have from small anecdotes; it’s backed up by lots of data. In fact, a poll of gun owners taken by Republican pollster Frank Luntz found that 82 percent of gun owners—and 74 percent of NRA members—support common-sense background checks.

Given how many gun owners are on our side of the debate—not surprising, when you consider 90 percent of the country shares the sentiment—you would think the gun extremists like Joe the Plumber would get drowned out. We need responsible gun owners to stand up and say “enough is enough.” If prioritizing guns over dead kids makes you angry, stand up and drown his words out with action.  

When I watched Martinez’s speech on TV I was struck by his strength and courage. Those of us who join the club of gun violence survivors do it unwillingly. Sadly, membership has never been higher. We join the club in varying circumstances, from different areas of the country, with unique backgrounds. But I think I speak for many of us when I say Martinez’s words could not have been more true: “I don’t care about your sympathy…Get to work and do something.” At Everytown, we’re trying to fulfill his wish by getting Americans to fill out a postcard to send to their elected officials with one simple message: “Not one more.” 

We can all learn from his strength and do our part to save lives.




“Every day in this country 86 lives are cut short with guns. Multiply that number by 365 and you get more than 30,000 families who suffer from gun violence over the course of a year.” Jennifer Longdon, a gun safety advocate and friend of Lafferty has had two harrowing experiences with gun extremists. “During a trip to the NRA convention this year, a gun extremist recognized her at the Indianapolis airport. He had seen her face on TV, and decided to spit on her as retribution. Years earlier, Jennifer got home from a gun violence prevention event and found another gun extremist waiting for her at her front door. He pointed a water-gun in her face and said, “Don’t you wish you had a gun now, bitch?” before taking off.” These are not well-balanced, intelligent actions. They are the sign of a kind of hysteria that the NRA promotes.

All most gun bills are trying to do is prevent nut jobs and criminals from getting their hands on a gun, so they want a background check performed, even at gun shows. They also tend to limit the number of bullets that go into the magazine of automatic weapons, and the power of those guns. Nobody needs an automatic weapon at all, as they are not appropriate for hunting or target practice, and I am for making them illegal entirely. They're only good for drive by shootings and paramilitary organizations.

Years ago the NRA (mistakenly, I'm sure) sent me one of their letters promoting their organization and claiming extreme abuses by the government against gun owners rights. I laughed and threw it away. It was so blatantly radical that it was humorous. I'm sure some people, though, when they get one of those letters, are aroused to such a height of righteous indignation and approval that they will send them a check immediately and join their organization. To me, people like that are not mentally balanced. They're paranoid. The NRA sweeps them up like a magnet does iron filings.

I'm somewhere in between the camps on gun ownership. My father owned a shotgun, a 22 rifle and a colt 45. He built and varnished a gun cabinet with a glass front so he could see and admire his guns, but it was kept locked and the guns were not loaded. He hunted and liked to target shoot with the 45. I was taught how to handle a gun and do a little shooting. I am at this time very little interested in guns, and luckily I don't think I need one for self-protection. I would rather have a dog any day of the week.

Even my father, though, didn't “love” guns like some of these people do. I used to know a woman here in Jacksonville who had a veritable arsenal in her bedroom. There is simply no need for that. You never hear of anyone “accidentally” being killed with someone's bare hands. It takes great fury or fear to do that. Many killings, if the person hadn't owned that gun, simply wouldn't have happened.

Having said that, I wouldn't prevent sane people who don't have a police record from owning maybe half a dozen guns, but these huge collections and paramilitary weapons should not be allowed, in my book. Adam Lanza came from such a home with an arsenal available to him. His mother was a gun enthusiast. Unfortunately she didn't prevent him from getting one of the guns, with which he shot her before going to the school. So much for good parenting skills and responsible gun ownership. The boy had been repeatedly beaten up by students at the Sandy Hook School and broke down, one day, deciding to take vengeance on them. He should have been hospitalized and treated for his mental illness, or given karate lessons, but neither thing happened. Without his mother's gun collection the shooting simply wouldn't have occurred, though. I simply wish our country weren't so full of paranoid people who won't allow common sense gun laws to go through the system and be enacted. It's one of the things about our country that saddens me when I think too much about it. For now, though, I've had my say and I'm going to stop thinking about it! Off to another subject.




http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/black-bear-photographed-lying-hammock-article-1.1811853

A black bear was coolly photographed lying in a Daytona Beach, Fla., hammock Thursday night after an eventful day of knocking over trash cans and scaring residents, WESH reported.

BY NINA GOLGOWSKI 
Friday, May 30, 2014

SEE IT: Black bear photographed lying in hammock — for 20 minutes 

Even bears need to take a load off.

A resourceful black bear was coolly photographed lying in a Daytona Beach, Fla., hammock Thursday after an eventful day of knocking over trash cans and scaring residents, WESH reported.

For an astounding 20 minutes the clever bear was reported as basking on his back by a tip-toeing photographer from about 60 feet away.
Rafael Torres, who bravely snapped the silly photos, said the bear didn't appear to mind.

After a leisurely break, the bear eventually climbed back onto all fours and padded back into the woods around 8:15 p.m.
Torres, who previously photographed the bear prowling around a neighborhood cul-de-sac, said that this was the first time he's seen a bear around the hammock.



You really need to see the television footage of this. The bear is totally relaxed, lying on his back with his legs stretched out. He looks just like a man lying there. It does show how intelligent bears are. However, as cute as this is, it's not a good thing to have bears so fearlessly roaming around in towns, and it's happening more and more. There was also a mountain lion once, and in the city of Jacksonville there are any number of foxes, poisonous snakes, raccoons, once a black bear, many feral cats and once a coyote. These animals carry rabies and will attack if provoked.

I wouldn't like for them to be shot, but they should be tranquilized and moved off into a deep woodland somewhere. They say it happens so much now because the human population pressure is causing our suburbs to move farther and farther out of town into what once was animal habitat. The animals, once they find out what a trash can is, come in and make themselves at home.

I'm fascinated with it, but I don't really like it. A teenager was in the news here tonight for the fact that a fox bit him. He strangled the fox, killing it and it is being tested for rabies, but meanwhile he is taking the shots as a precaution. Every year we have rabies reports here in Jacksonville. There are wooded areas surrounding several creeks that go well into this city, and in those woods are wild animals. It makes me uneasy, but of course I'm safe in this area. There's no water and woods nearby here. Animals are cute, but I want to go out into the woods to see them.




Internal Sheriff's Probe Launched in Isla Vista Massacre – NBC
The investigation comes as officials were called to question over actions made during welfare check of Isla Vista killer

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department has launched an internal investigation into the actions of deputies before and during last week's rampage by a community college student who killed six UCSB students, NBC4's I-Team has learned.

The news comes a day after the department said that deputies knew about disturbing YouTube videos posted by Elliot Rodger three weeks before the rampage, but did not watch them.

Updates: Download the NBCLA News App

In addition to looking at all angles of the department's response, the probe will also examine how authorities handled their first welfare check on April 30 of Rodger, 22.

Six officials -- four deputies, a university police officer and a dispatcher in training -- went out on that call, officials said. Officials said they sent a bigger response because they "were familiar with Rodger" from a call in January in which he alleged his roommate stole candles from him.

During that call, deputies conducted no search of his apartment and determined he was not a threat, saying they found him "to be shy, timid and polite."

When questioned about reported disturbing videos he had posted online, Rodger told them he was having trouble fitting in and the videos were a way of expressing himself.

Typically, the department sends two deputies to a welfare check, officials said.

Rodger stabbed three of his roommates, then shot and killed three others in a spree across the college town of Isla Vista before shooting himself while being pursued by deputies.

Complete Coverage: Tragedy in Isla Vista

Sheriff's officials would not say why deputies did not review Rodgers' videos at the time they learned of them. The videos were the catalyst to generate the call to check on Rodgers' well being.

"We have provided the information we are able to at this time," said Kelly Hoover, a department spokeswoman.

This comes as the county's top law enforcement officer, Bill Brown, is running for re-election on Tuesday.




“The news comes a day after the department said that deputies knew about disturbing YouTube videos posted by Elliot Rodger three weeks before the rampage, but did not watch them.” Rodger said of those videos that he was “expressing himself” about his problems “fitting in.” The police, though they sent six officers out to see him, didn't stay long and didn't intervene. The article said that Rodger had called police in January over a complaint that his roommate had “stolen candles from him,” and that's why they sent so many officers when they went to see him. I have to ask, why was he using candles, why would he get so upset even if they were taken, and why would the roommate take them away? I think the January visit needs to be explained further.

A more important precaution if they suspected Rodger was mentally deranged, would have been for the officers to have had a mental health professional with them when talking to Rodger. Modern police departments should hire such people at least as consultants. In all the murder mysteries I read they do. Of course, real police departments are not as fully funded most of the time as those in mystery books, don't have all those computer professionals to track suspects, and too often still don't really “believe in” mental health issues. Actually, the police have improved over the years, but a police officer from another force was on the news talking about this case and he said that they should have had a psychologist with them, so some cities are doing that. Too bad they didn't in this case.





Baby fever heading for Chinese couples?
By SETH DOANE CBS NEWS May 30, 2014

CHANGSHA, China -- China is hoping for a new baby boom, after a landmark decision to loosen its limit of one child per family.

This week, three more provinces, including Henan, the most populous, said they would join dozens of others and allow some families to have a second child.

CBS News met a couple that is thinking about it.

Cherry Jing and her husband Leo would have faced a huge fine - up to six-times their income - if they had another child in addition to their son Michael.

They were planning on it before the policy changed.

"Maybe he will feel lonely and he doesn't have siblings to share his toys," said Cherry.

China's one child policy was implemented more than 30-years ago. Promoted in propaganda posters.

It was designed to slow population growth and reduce the financial burden of raising kids.

But last November the government announced it was making a change.

China's ruling Communist Party can be vague about why it is making reforms. When it comes to China's "one child" policy it said it is trying to balance population growth and create a younger workforce.

Nearly 200 million people in China are now over the age of 60. And for the first time in history of communist China, the labor force is shrinking.

Now up to 20 million more couples could have a second child.

Although Leo has does not want to have a second child as much as Cherry does.

"I'm not wedded to the idea, because, it brings so much financial pressure," said Leo.

The subject was sensitive enough that Cherry switched to Chinese during the interview with CBS.

"How can you not want (another baby)?" she asked her husband.

Whether this household will exercise their newfound freedom is yet to-be-determined.




“It was designed to slow population growth and reduce the financial burden of raising kids. But last November the government announced it was making a change. China's ruling Communist Party can be vague about why it is making reforms. When it comes to China's "one child" policy it said it is trying to balance population growth and create a younger workforce.” I have been concerned about world population growth for decades – issues like how those people will be fed, not to mention increasing use of fossil fuels and the denuding of lands that were open for natural preservation and forests – but the law in China that each family could only have one child was such an attack on human rights it was appalling. There were stories about women in China aborting their babies when they found out they were girls. In China, as in so many parts of the world, boy children are much preferred. I would like to think that the young family featured in this article will now have a girl to balance out their family. I'm glad to see the Chinese government opening up on this issue, even if it is just a little bit of improvement.





Nursing homes in Germany serve 3D-printed food
CBS NEWS May 30, 2014

In Germany, a company is using 3D printing technology to make food. Actual, real food that supposedly tastes good.

Elderly patients living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities often have trouble chewing and swallowing. So, the European Union is funding a consortium to help further develop 3D-printed "smoothfood" that uses pureed food to create a more appetizing-looking meal.

Smoothfood, originally created by a company called Biozoon, looks pretty much like regular food, and reportedly tastes it, but has a consistency of pureed food that allows elderly patients to eat without choking. Developed in 2010, the concept has been adopted in over 1,000 retirement homes in Germany, according to Wired UK.

There are only six foods available as smoothfoods: Cauliflower, peas, chicken, pork, potatoes and pasta. The food is cooked, pureed, and strained, then mixed with a secret texturizer and "printed" into familiar food shapes. Sandra Forstner, the project manager at Biozoon, assured the food blog Munchies that the 3D-printed food tastes just like normal food.

"It is made from fresh ingredients, so the taste doesn't change," she told Munchies. "One of our goals is not to change the flavor; the texturizing system doesn't change it."

Biozoon is now working with a consortium of 14 companies from five countriescalled PERFORMANCE (which stands for PERsonalised FOod using Rapid MAnufacturing for the Nutrition of elderly ConsumErs), which has recieved over $4 million from the E.U. to develop the supply chain.

Still, there are still obstacles before the smoothfoods concept catches on. Old-fashioned pureed dishes take less time, effort and money -- so many nursing homes have been reluctant to switch.

"We found that because the meals are more appealing in terms of appearance and taste, people look forward to eating again," Mathias Kück, PERFORMANCE project coordinator and owner of Biozoon, said in a press release in April. "This is why PERFORMANCE wants to bring the smoothfood concept to the next level and industrialise it. Only then can we cut costs and also make it available for home care."




“Biozoon is now working with a consortium of 14 companies from five countriescalled PERFORMANCE (which stands for PERsonalised FOod using Rapid MAnufacturing for the Nutrition of elderly ConsumErs), which has received over $4 million from the E.U. to develop the supply chain.” This is one more thing to look forward to as I age. Thankfully, though I have spent a small fortune on bridges and crowns, I still have teeth. Since nursing homes have been cooking and then pureeing the food in their own kitchens, this should become a hit as soon as it becomes less expensive. Unfortunately there are only six foods available right now, but I'm sure that will change as it catches on.





Anatomy Of A Dance Hit: Why We Love To Boogie With Pharrell – NBC
by MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF
May 30, 2014

There's no doubt Pharrell's "Happy" is the biggest hit of the year so far. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the Billboard 100 and inspired hundreds of fan videos on YouTube.

Just a few weeks ago, six Iranian teenagers got arrested for posting a video of themselves dancing to the catchy song.

So what is it about "Happy" that triggers a nearly uncontrollable need to tap your foot, bob your head or move to the rhythm in some way?

It may be more about what's missing from the song than what's there.

Last month neuroscientists at Aarhus University in Denmark published a study showing that danceable grooves have just the right amount of gaps or breaks in the beats. Your brain wants to fill in those gaps with body movement, says the study's lead author, Maria Witek.

"Gaps in the rhythmic structure, gaps in the sort of underlying beat of the music — that sort of provides us with an opportunity to physically inhabit those gaps and fill in those gaps with our own bodies," she says.

A few years ago, Witek set out to figure out which songs got people onto the dance floor.

She created an online survey and gave people drum patterns to listen to. Some had really simple rhythms with regular beats. Others had extremely complex rhythms, with lots of gaps where you'd expect beats to be. Finally there were drumming patterns that fell in the middle of those two extremes. They have a regular, predictable beat, but also some pauses or gaps.

Witek says that people all over the world agreed on which drum patterns made them most want to dance: "Not the ones that have very little complexity and not the ones that had very, very high complexity," she says, "but the patterns that had a sort of a balance between predictability and complexity."

These rhythms offer enough regularity so that we can perceive the underlying beat, Witek and her team reported in the journal PLOS ONE. But they also need enough gaps or breaks to invite participants to synchronize to the music.

So which popular songs on the radio today have this optimal amount of complexity?

"I think the recent single by Pharrell, 'Happy,' is a very good example," Witek says.

The song is layered with predictable beats and complex, syncopated ones. The drums, the piano, the clapping and even Pharrell's voice create inviting gaps, she says.

But Pharrell isn't the only one who knows about this trick. Classic dance tunes in disco, funk, hip-hop and rhythm and blues also hit this sweet spot of syncopation, Witek says.

"Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder — those guys have a lot of tracks which seem to have this balance between predictability and complexity when it comes to the rhythmic structure," she says.

And don't forget about Ray Charles. His 1950s hit "I've Got a Woman" made everybody want to hit the dance floor.

But it's not just a song's syncopation that gets you to go from tapping your foot in your chair to standing up and full-out dancing. It's also the song's layers of rhythm, says neuroscientist Daniel Levitin at McGill University.

"In 'I've Got a Woman,' the drums are keeping a very steady rhythm. The piano is syncopated and the vocals are exquisitely nuanced in time," Levitin says. "It's very difficult to sing along with him [Ray Charles] exactly the way he does it."

So we don't sing with Charles. Instead we want to move with him.

"The more rhythmically complex the music is ... the easier it is to engage different body parts," Levitin says, "because they can be synchronizing with different aspects of the music."

So you're swinging your shoulders with the snare drums. You're bobbing your head with the piano. "And you might be wiggling your hips in half-time or something like that," he says.

Before you know it, you're up out of your chair and doing the twist.




I'm glad to have been young during the musical trends of rock and roll and rock. I did enjoy doing something active, and though I didn't take any dancing lessons or learn all the various “steps” that came out, I could move around and it did bring a sense of happiness. My first husband, with whom I had a basic personality conflict, once said with great rancor “I hate syncopation!” He had no sense of rhythm and simply wouldn't get up and dance. He also hated the freedom of such movements, I think. He wasn't a fan of “freedom” to the degree that I was. He was absolutely irritated by the “gap” in the rhythm instead of attracted by it. He was strictly cerebral, conservative, passive aggressive and inhibited. I have since gravitated toward men who were more energetic and relaxed, assertive and who did have a sense of rhythm, even if they were more likely to try to dominate me.

I am convinced that music goes back to the earliest times, and probably was built into the brain of Homo Sapiens. Rhythms from places like Africa are very complex and intriguing, and are usually accompanied by dancing. Other musical rhythms are likely to induce meditation or simply a greater level of energy and openness. One of the best courses I ever took was called “International Folk Music.” We listened to selections from a wide range of countries, and the textbook included information about classic music forms and musical instruments. That course didn't add much to my job resume, but I do think that the liberal arts courses are one of the most important reasons for a young person to go to college. We need to work toward being a more civilized society, and a music, anthropology or literature course helps that process along. People should make time in their pre law coursework for something humanistic.

Friday, May 30, 2014


News Clips For The Day


Shinseki Apologizes as 'Serious Talk' With Obama Looms – NBC
First published May 30th 2014

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki apologized Friday for what he called "irresponsible and unacceptable" practices at VA health care facilities and announced that he has started the process of firing leadership at the Phoenix facility at the epicenter of the scandal.

'Given the facts I now know, I apologize as the senior leader of the Department of Veterans Affairs," he said at a meeting of the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans in Washington D.C.

"I cannot explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities," he said. "This is something I rarely encountered during 38 years in uniform. And so I will not defend it, because it is indefensible, but I can take responsibility for it and I do."

President Barack Obama is set to meet with Shinseki at 10:15 a.m. ET Friday "to receive an update on the situation at the Department of Veterans Affairs."

Obama has so far resisted pressure to oust Shinseki, but his administration’s early statements of support him have faded in recent days.

Obama said in an interview on ABC’s “Live! with Kelly and Michael” that he intends to have a “serious conversation” with Shinseki about his performance .

Attendees gave Shinseki a warm welcome despite mounting calls for his resignation in the wake of revelations of mismanagement of waiting lists at VA facilities. More than 100 lawmakers, including many Democrats facing tough midterm elections, have said that Shinseki, a retired Army general and Vietnam combat veteran, should go.

And on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to directly answer questions about whether the president still has confidence in Shinseki’s ability to lead the VA, saying that Obama believes there “ought to be accountability” after all the facts of the VA scandal are established.





I'm sure there will be full news coverage this morning on Obama and Shinseki's meeting, although if Obama is waiting for “the facts” of the scandal to be established, that's likely to take weeks to months. Personally, I think Shinseki should go, though the head of an organization is rarely really responsible for the misdeeds of his employees. Most of the time they weren't involved in a conspiracy to cover up the matter. If that should happen to be the case, though, I think Shinseki should be jailed rather than merely fired.

The center of the problem at the VA, I am convinced, is the extreme overcrowding of the VA hospitals due to the Baby Boom generation, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the recent decision – which I understand was Shinseki's – to include agent orange and PTSD patients in the group who will receive care. I agree with that decision, however, as the army should be responsible for massively exposing soldiers to a dangerous chemical, and PTSD is a very clear mental health issue and not a case of malingering.

So the problem is that the VA needs to treat more people than they actually can. One news article recently by Colonel Jack Jacobs on May 15, 2014, NBC, recommends the dismantling of the VA and the absorption of all patients into Medicare and Medicaid, but that would cause the same problem for those programs. Senator McCain recommended simply allowing VA patients to go to private physicians and hospitals instead, with the government paying the bill. That makes more sense to me. It keeps the VA intact and relieves the pressure it is now experiencing.

Update to this story, from the Noon NBC news, Shinseki has tendered his resignation and the president has accepted it. From the CBS story an hour ago, Obama praised Shinseki's work. “'Under his leadership, we have seen more progress on more fronts at the VA and a bigger investment in the VA than just about any other VA secretary," the president said, citing Shinseki's work to reduce homelessness among veterans and help those struggling with post traumatic stress disorder.... The president named Sloan Gibson as acting VA secretary until a permanent successor to Shinseki is confirmed by the Senate. Gibson was previously the deputy secretary of veterans affairs and the president of the United Service Organizations (USO).





Chicago Teacher Killed in Gang Crossfire – NBC

A Chicago teacher was shot as she sat in a south side real estate office, the victim of what police said was a gang dispute outside.

Betty Howard, a teacher at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, later died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"This is an indescribably difficult day," D'Andre Weaver, the school's principal, said in a statement. "Her love for all children, but particularly children with diverse learning needs, was second to none."

Howard's brother, a Chicago police officer, said the crime brings the street violence he sees almost daily even closer to home.

"I feel the pain. I know how other people feel now. We just go to the scene and do what we have to do as a police officer, but now it hitting home and it's such a terrible situation," Orlando Long said.

Family members said Howard was inside the real estate office on the 7900 block of South Evans Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday when a bullet came through the building and struck her in the head. Two others -- a 58-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman -- suffered graze wounds in the spray of bullets. They were treated at the scene and left to go on their way.

Police said the Chatham neighborhood gunfire appeared to stem from a gang conflict that left innocent people caught in the crossfire.

"I'm talking directly to the people they were shooting at," said community activist Andrew Holmes. "You know who was shooting at you. Whether you was shot today, you know who was shooting at you. What you need to do is pick up that phone [and call police]."

Holmes said some members of the community have already gathered $2,000 to offer a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Howard's killer.

Two others were killed and at least eight others wounded in shootings throughout the city on Thursday.





"This is an indescribably difficult day," D'Andre Weaver, the school's principal, said in a statement. "Her love for all children, but particularly children with diverse learning needs, was second to none." Howard's brother, a police officer is quoted in the article, “'I feel the pain. I know how other people feel now. We just go to the scene and do what we have to do as a police officer, but now it hitting home and it's such a terrible situation,' Orlando Long said.”

This is like a shooting from several years ago in a similar city neighborhood, ravaged by gang violence, when a two year old girl was shot and killed while in her bedroom. Just because you are inside a building doesn't mean you are safe. Teachers don't get paid top dollar for their educational attainments and teaching skills, but the community clearly cares about them and values their giving of themselves in so many ways. Teachers are important in young children's lives. I remember most of my school teachers with affection and respect. Hillary Clinton's book “It Takes A Village,” is about the influence of the many adults a kid knows in growing up, and their importance. This beloved teacher has died through no fault of her own, but she will be remembered by many kids, I am sure. May she rest in peace.




Man Charged with Destroying Evidence in Boston Bombing Probe
— Erik Ortiz and Tom Winter
First published May 30th 2014

A Massachusetts man is accused of destroying evidence related to the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings, federal prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed Friday.

Khairullozhon Matanov, 23, of Quincy, allegedly took a “series of steps to impede the FBI’s investigation” into his relationship with bombing suspects and brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, federal prosecutors said. They claim Matanov knew that he would be questioned by the FBI because they were friends and had been in contact with the brothers, sharing their “philosophical justification for violence.”

Investigators said he deleted information from his computer and also made false statements to the FBI.

Matanov has been charged in connection to the investigation of the twin April 2013 bombings, but not for participating in the attack itself.

According to the indictment, he spoke with the Tsarnaevs after the bombings and took them out for dinner on the day of the blasts.

Matanov faces one count of destroying, altering and falsifying records, documents and tangible objects in a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston said in a news release. He also was charged with three counts of making false, fictitious and fraudulent statements in a federal terrorism investigation.

If found guilty, Matanov faces up to 20 years in prison for the destruction of evidence, and eight years for each false statement count. All four counts also carry up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, prosecutors said.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed during a shootout with police after the bombing. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will stand trial in November, and faces the death penalty.




Khairullozhon Matanov, 23, “faces one count of destroying, altering and falsifying records, documents and tangible objects in a federal investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston said in a news release. He also was charged with three counts of making false, fictitious and fraudulent statements in a federal terrorism investigation.” He faces a heavy prison sentence of at least 20 years for the destruction of evidence and 8 years for each false statement count, plus a fine of $250,000.

He almost certainly will be convicted, so he will have time to rethink his participation in the bombing, rather than receiving the “martyrdom” that he was probably hoping for. Al Qaeda and its related organizations are wasting many young lives. I wonder if the average person in Pakistan and similar countries really believes in these “martyrdoms,” or if they just fear the vengeance of al Qaeda. If the national governments were strong enough, these violent groups would be vanquished and the world would be more peaceful.




Snowden Says He No Longer Has Documents He Took From NSA
— Matthew Cole and Erin McClam
First published May 29th 2014

Edward Snowden, in his NBC News exclusive interview with Brian Williams, said that he no longer has the thousands of spying documents he took from the National Security Agency.

“The reality is today, I hold no documents at all,” he said in interview excerpts released Thursday, one day after the extended interview aired in an NBC primetime special.

Snowden told Williams that he wanted the documents out of his hands both because it was a risk to have them in Russia and because it would have gone against his principles to use them for other means.

“Now, I could’ve held on to that and tried to use it to — to threaten the government,” Snowden said. “I could’ve used it to try to sell it or enrich myself. But that would’ve gone against everything that I was trying to do.”

“So the question was, what do I do with it at that point?” he continued. “And the solution that I came up with was to destroy it. To take it out of my hands and entrust it fully to the institutions of the press.”

Snowden said that he did not surrender documents to Russia to win his temporary asylum. He told Williams that he has no connection to the Russian government and has not met Russian President Vladimir Putin, although one analyst questioned that claim.





“So the question was, what do I do with it at that point?” he continued. “And the solution that I came up with was to destroy it. To take it out of my hands and entrust it fully to the institutions of the press.” Snowden appears to be saying two different things in these two sentences. Destroying the information and giving it to the press – which was it? I'll look for another article and see if I can find out. No, there is no other reference to this which says any more or anything different. If he gave everything to the press, however, there will probably be more exposures of information in the news to come. He vows he didn't turn anything over to the Russian government. I tend to believe him. He was very personable and seemingly truthful in the interview.





Al Roker: I start every morning with the 'A-Team' theme song – NBC
By Al Roker
May 30, 2014


As a TODAY anchor and host of The Weather Channel's "Wake Up With Al," Al Roker is already up and at 'em while most of the country is still sleeping. Here, America's favorite weatherman shares his morning routine.

My alarm goes off at 3:05 a.m every morning. I'm not a snoozer — I'm up and out. I might hit the snooze once, but I rarely do.

Then I take care of my "toilette," and while I’m dressing, I’m talking to [NBC meteorologist] Don Tsouhnikas from the TODAY show, going over maps, looking at stuff on the Internet.

I lay all my clothes out the night before; my pocket square — everything — is done the night before. I hang them up in order so that I know, kind of, the rotation. I might mix and match, but I have an idea of when something’s been worn. I get dressed in the bathroom, then head downstairs.

By 4 a.m. I’m downstairs; I’m making my son’s lunch. What goes into it depends on the day — sometimes he likes leftovers. If we had spaghetti and meatballs, his mom will warm that up before he goes to school. 

But they're not awake right now — Pepper (our dog) and I are the only ones up at this point. I let Pepper outside and then I’m on the phone with The Weather Channel for about 20 minutes.

Then I gather everything up, get in the car about 4:30 a.m., and I’m in the office by 4:45 a.m. I haven’t been biking lately, because of my shoulder — I had rotator cuff surgery — but normally, as long as it’s dry outside, I will bike to work.

I check the papers, and check in with [TODAY executive producer] Don Nash to see if anything’s changed. By 5 a.m., I’m in makeup.

See Al Roker channel Mr. T in the 'A-Team' in amazing Halloween costume

By 5:15 or 5:16 a.m., I’m walking across the street to 30 Rock, where I go up to the 6th floor. When I walk across the street, I play the theme song to "The A-Team." Every morning. It gets you jazzed — you recite the opening lines, you go on your way, and boom!

For breakfast, I have two hard boiled eggs. I boil them at the house, and I bring them to work. During the morning, I also snack on almonds. And then I have kombucha [a fermented tea drink]. I have two or three of these in the morning. The other TODAY anchors drink coffee, I drink kombucha.

I started drinking it probably about five years ago — it’s anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and good for digestion. And I feel great! I feel fantastic. I add fresh ginger to the kombucha — I chop it up at home, and I eat the ginger, too. It’s not that hard; the hardest part is that you have this living organism, this thing called a "SCOBY" used for fermenting the tea, and you have to keep making it. So before you know it, you’ve got like 10 gallons of kombucha and you run out of people to give it to.

From 5:30 a.m. til 6:50 a.m., I do "Wake Up With Al" on the Weather Channel.

Then I walk back across, get to the TODAY set, get touched up with makeup, and do the TODAY show.

And there you have it! It’s a pretty set routine — I've been doing this routine for the last five years. Routine is key.

Check out more of TODAY's morning routines:
'Just like my 4-year-old': Willie Geist shares his morning routine
From slippers to stilettos: Tamron Hall's morning routine
'Sometimes I have a necktie crisis': Lester Holt shares his morning routine



Kombucha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kombucha (Russian: chaynyy grib (чайный гриб), Chinese: chájūn (茶菌), Korean: beoseotcha (버섯차)), is a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened black teathat is used as a functional food. It is produced by fermenting the tea using asymbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or "SCOBY". Although kombucha is claimed to have several beneficial effects on health, these claims are not supported by scientific evidence. Drinking kombucha has been linked to serious side effects and deaths, and improper preparation can lead to contamination.[1]

History[edit]

Kombucha originated in Northeast China or Manchuria and later spread to east Russia and from there to the rest of the world.[7] In Russian, the kombucha culture is called chainyj grib чайный гриб (lit. "tea fungus/mushroom"), and the fermented drink is called chainyj grib, grib ("fungus; mushroom"), or chainyj kvas чайный квас ("tea kvass"). Kombucha was highly popular and seen as a health food in China in the 1950s and 1960s. Many families would grow kombucha at home.
It was brought to Russia sometime before 1910 and spread from there to Germany and Europe.[8]

Some promotional kombucha sources suggest the history of this tea-based beverage originated in ancient China or Japan, though no written records support these assumptions (see history of tea in China and history of tea in Japan).

The acidity and mild alcoholic element of kombucha resists contamination by most airborne molds or bacterial spores. It was shown that Kombucha inhibits growth of harmful microorganisms such as E. coli, Sal. enteritidis, Sal. typhimurium, and Sh. Sonnei. [11] As a result, kombucha is relatively easy to maintain as a culture outside of sterile conditions. The bacteria and yeasts in kombucha promote microbial growth for the first six days of fermentation; after that, they steadily decline. Kombucha even has this antimicrobial effect after being heated and at a pH of 7. While this beverage inhibits growth of certain bacteria, it had no effect on the yeasts. This study also found that large proteins and catechins such asEpigallocatechin gallate also contributed to the antimicrobial properties of Kombucha. [12

Another main ingredient found in all fermented foods and beverages areprobiotics which are beneficial bacteria necessary for adequate digestion and absorption of nutrients. They are viable microorganisms that improve gut microflora by secreting enzymes, organic acids, vitamins, and nontoxic anti-bacterial substances once ingested. [18] Probiotics have also been shown to improve metabolism and treat antibiotic associated symptoms such as diarrhea.

Kombucha is typically produced by placing a culture in a sweetened tea, as sugars are necessary for fermentation. Black tea is a popular choice, but green tea, white tea and yerba mate may also be used. Herbal teas or those treated with oils may harm the kombucha culture over time.[30]

Maintaining a correct pH is an important factor in a home brew. Acidic conditions are favorable for the growth of the kombucha culture, and inhibit the growth of molds and bacteria. The pH of the kombucha batch should be between 2.5 and 4.6. A pH of less than 2.5 makes the drink too acidic for normal human consumption, while a pH greater than 4.6 increases the risk of contamination.[34] Use of fresh "starter tea" and/or distilled vinegar can be used to control pH. Some brewers test the pH at the beginning and the end of the brewing cycle to ensure the correct pH is achieved and the brewing cycle is complete.




"See Al Roker channel Mr. T in the 'A-Team' in amazing Halloween costume” For an impressive picture of Roker, go to the NBC website and look up this article, then click on the link here. He dressed up as Mr T and looked really tough, rather than his normal humorous and friendly self. Of course any man in a Mohawk haircut who isn't smiling will look tough. He writes, “When I walk across the street, I play the theme song to "The A-Team." Every morning. It gets you jazzed — you recite the opening lines, you go on your way, and boom!” He really is one of the most energetic people I've ever seen. He's like Robin Williams. He effervesces while sitting still. He needs that much energy to keep up his regularly scheduled activity level. Then there are the days when he goes on the road to a hurricane site or to report other weather news. On one of these weather trips the wind was almost blowing him down. He's not a very large man, though he is bulky. He stood up to it manfully, but looked a little alarmed.

I like him best when he and Willie Geist clown around together. They both are open and utterly without shyness, and the flow of the unscripted dialog leads to some very funny things. I tried to watch the CBS morning show a couple of times and they were stiff, obviously scripted, and just not as entertaining. They're okay, but definitely not my favorite. As you can see, Today, along with a couple of cups of coffee and a cup of yogurt, starts off my day so I can get on the Internet and do this blog, so here I am.





Elon Musk's bid to build NASA's new space taxi
By WILLIAM HARWOOD CBS NEWS May 30, 2014

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- With a showman's flair for the dramatic, electric car builder and rocket designer Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic space capsule Thursday; a sleek reusable ferry craft that could carry astronauts to theInternational Space Station and bring them home to a pinpoint, rocket-powered landing.

"You'll be able to land anywhere on Earth with the accuracy of a helicopter, which is, I think, something a modern spaceship should be able to do," Musk told a throng of reporters and invited guests.

"It will be capable of carrying seven people, seven astronauts, for several days. It has an improved version of our heat shield and it's all around, I think, really a big leap forward in technology. It really takes things to the next level."

The SpaceX Dragon version 2, or V2, spacecraft is Musk's entry in an ongoing NASA competition to develop a commercial crew capsule to carry U.S. and partner astronauts to and from the space station, ending reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft which cost the American space agency more than $70 million per seat under the latest contract.

The SpaceX unveiling came the day after a Soyuz launch that delivered three fresh crew members to the station, including a NASA flight engineer. The mission came amid the most tense standoff between Washington and Moscow in decades, over Russia's actions in Ukraine, subsequent U.S. sanctions and Russian threats to pull out of the station program in 2020 and to stop supplying rocket engines used to help launch American military satellites.

Musk did not mention the Soyuz launch, but the SpaceX unveiling Thursday called renewed attention to NASA's current dependence on Russia for basic space transportation, a situation Musk wants to change with the Dragon V2.

But he's not alone. Musk is competing with aerospace giant Boeing, which is developing its own state-of-the-art capsule known as the CST-100, and Sierra Nevada, which is testing a winged lifting body known as the Dream Chaser that would glide to a runway landing much like NASA's retired space shuttle.

Depending on available funding from Congress, NASA is expected to award one and possibly two contracts late this summer to continue spacecraft development, with the ultimate goal of beginning NASA-sanctioned flights to the station around 2017.

With the dramatic unveiling of the Dragon V2 on Thursday, Musk took center stage, showing off a spacecraft he described as a significant step forward and saying he plans to build it whether SpaceX wins the NASA contract or not. Uncrewed test flights could begin as early as late 2015, he said, with the first piloted test flight anticipated by mid-2016.

The Dragon version 2 builds on the success of SpaceX's Dragon cargo ships, which are already delivering supplies and equipment to the space station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA. The cargo ships are the first commercially developed spacecraft to visit the station and the only U.S.-built vehicle now flying that is capable of bringing cargo back to Earth from orbit.

The Dragon version 2, with an improved heat shield, a propulsive landing system and state-of-the-art computer control, is a major upgrade.

"Going from Dragon version 1, we wanted to take a big step in technology and really create something that was a step change in spacecraft technology," Musk said.

Dressed in casual attire, Musk unveiled the version 2 spacecraft for invited reporters and guests at SpaceX's Hawthorne, Calif., factory, dropping a curtain after a recorded countdown to reveal the black-and-white capsule, prompting enthusiastic cheers and applause.

He said the Dragon V2 will be capable of flying automated or manual approaches to the space station, gliding for docking without needing any assistance from the lab's robot arm, which he described as "a significant upgrade."

And while it is equipped with a rocket-powered landing system, the capsule retains the parachutes used by the uncrewed Dragon V1 cargo ship.

"When it reaches a particular altitude just before landing, it will test the engines, verify that if all the engines are working it will then proceed to a propulsive landing," Musk said. "If there's any anomaly detected with the engines or the propulsion system, it will then deploy the parachutes to ensure a safe landing even in the event that the propulsion system is not working."

He said the capsule could safely land even if two of its SuperDraco engines failed. The engines, designed and built by SpaceX, generate 16,000 pounds of thrust and work in pairs. If one fails, Musk said, the other can increase power to compensate. He said the engines, which also would provide emergency launch abort power, will be built using 3D printing, a first for a production spacecraft.

Being able to land with rocket power is important, Musk said, because "it enables rapid reusability of the spacecraft. You can just reload propellants and fly again."

"This is extremely important for revolutionizing access to space," he said. "As long as we continue to throw away rockets and spacecraft we'll never have true access to space. It'll always be incredibly expensive. If aircraft were thrown away with each flight, nobody would be able to fly."

Showing off the interior of the spacecraft, Musk opened the hatch and climbed in, generating yet another round of cheers from an appreciative crowd. Sitting in the contoured pilot's seat, he pulled down a futuristic video panel where software-generated displays were seen along with a bank of physical controls.

"So there you have it," he concluded, "Dragon version 2, capable of carrying up to seven astronauts, propulsively landing almost anywhere in the world and something that's designed to be fully reusable, so you can fly this multiple times, allowing for potential dramatic reductions in the cost of access to space."

The SpaceX capsule would be launched atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket. Boeing and Sierra Nevada plan to use Atlas 5 rockets built by United Launch Alliance. The Atlas 5 first stage uses the Russian-built RD-180 engine that a Russian deputy prime minister has threatened to restrict.

The threatened ban would affect U.S. military launches and apparently would not apply to civilian missions like piloted NASA flights to the space station.

Musk did not mention launch vehicles during his presentation Thursday, but he has played a major role in the current debate over the RD-180, questioning its use in a lawsuit SpaceX filed challenging a sole-source Air Force contract for more than two dozen United Launch Alliance rockets.

A Pentagon panel has reportedly recommended building a U.S. replacement for the RD-180 and lawmakers are considering funding to begin development. How all that might factor into NASA's crew ferry craft competition remains to be seen.




“Electric car builder and rocket designer Elon Musk unveiled a futuristic space capsule Thursday; a sleek reusable ferry craft that could carry astronauts to theInternational Space Station and bring them home to a pinpoint, rocket-powered landing.” That should solve our international relations problem. Putin threatened to stop bringing our astronauts to and from the space station recently. Of course, the V2 isn't developed yet. “SpaceX Dragon version 2, or V2, spacecraft is Musk's entry in an ongoing NASA competition to develop a commercial crew capsule,” is capable of carrying 7 astronauts to the Space Station and back, landing with precision anywhere the scientists want it to.

Boeing and Sierra Nevada are competing with Musk, entering their own futuristic machines. NASA is expected to select one, or possibly two, of the entries, hoping to have them flying by in 2017. Musk says that he plans to develop his craft whether NASA pays for it or not, developing it himself if necessary, and hopes to have it in operation by 2016. An earlier model by Musk is already under contract to NASA, flying cargo in and out of the Space Station.

Musk's SpaceX capsule is preferable over its two competitors because it does not use the Russian rocket RD-180 as they do. The RD-180 is the subject of a law suit filed by Musk over a “sole source Air Force contract” for some two dozen of the Russian rockets. The Pentagon recommends building our own replacement for the RD-180, and the legislature is considering funding for it. It is clear to me after this conflict over the continued control of Ukraine by Russia, that they are trying to become dominant over Europe again. The Berlin Wall is not something we should forget. We don't need a war, but we do need to proceed with a sufficient amount of assertiveness in dealing with Russia. They aren't capable of being friends to any nation.

Thursday, May 29, 2014


News Clips For The Day


The People Have Tweeted: Is Snowden a #Traitor or #Patriot? – NBC
— Becky Bratu
First published May 28th 2014

Edward Snowden’s exclusive, wide-ranging interview with Brian Williams attracted intense attention on social media Wednesday, with Americans divided on whether the fugitive leaker is a patriot or a traitor — but leaning toward the prior.

Tracking the two terms on Twitter over a 36-hour window (from 2 p.m. ET Tuesday through 2 a.m. Thursday), they were extremely close until Snowden spoke in the hour-long interview, his first with a U.S. television network, and #Patriot spiked. During the broadcast, tweets mentioning #Patriot outnumbered #Traitor nearly two to one.

With the help of Twitter, see how the conversation changed in the below video and chart. On the video, the green dots show those tweeting #Patriot, while the blue dots show those tweeting #Traitor.

The interview was referred to thousands of times on Twitter, and the hashtag #InsideSnowden was trending during the NBC broadcast of the hour-long interview, Snowden’s first with a U.S. television network.

Secretary of State John Kerry, during a live interview Wednesday on TODAY, made his opinion clear: “Edward Snowden is a coward, he is a traitor, and he has betrayed his country.”

Snowden classified himself as a patriot.

“Being a patriot means knowing when to protect your country, knowing when to protect your Constitution, knowing when to protect your countrymen from the — the violations of and encroachments of adversaries,” he said.

On social media, people aired their opinions all day.

Some remained undecided.

Many also referred to Snowden’s demeanor throughout the interview, as he appeared calm and calculated in his responses.

When asked by Williams about how he spends his time in Russia, Snowden mentioned watching the HBO crime TV series "The Wire," which first aired more than 10 years ago. His assessment of the show's second season, which he said was not great, generated more than 800 mentions — few in agreement.

From the Twitter comments:

Nathan Dilla @NathanDilla
Follow
The real question: Isn't it possible Edward Snowden is both a #Patriot to the American people AND a #Traitor to the US gov? #InsideSnowden
10:53 PM - 28 May 2014

Philip Schuyler @FiveRights
Follow
#InsideSnowden Snowden talks like a thinking person rather than a govt bot. SO refreshing.
10:47 PM - 28 May 2014

Spencer Oakes Dawson @EnviroSpence
Follow
Everything about #EdwardSnowden is calculated, intelligent, careful, caring, soulful. He cares about USA. #patriot #InsideSnowden @NBCNews
10:36 PM - 28 May 2014

Haley Ellingson @HaleyEllingson
Follow
So many conflicting feelings on #InsideSnowden. Good for Americans to be aware but gov. deserves secrecy on some topics. #Patriot #Traitor
10:41 PM - 28 May 2014


Bill Gibbons @BillBgibbons141
Follow
#Traitor People give away their personal information all the time. Read any EUA. When the next tragedy occurs, we'll wish NSA was listening.
10:46 PM - 28 May 2014

Michael Duchemin @michaelduchemin
Follow
Edward Snowden is a #patriot. John Kerry is a #traitor as are all politicians like him.
10:46 PM - 28 May 2014




There is one thing I couldn't include on this clip because my “blogger” publication program won't accept pictures, graphs, etc. That is a map of the US showing the origins of the “traitor” versus “patriot” votes. There are only two blue spots representing the “traitor” votes, as compared to nine for “patriot.” The two “traitor” votes are in Louisiana and the northern mid-west, maybe Iowa. The green spots are in the southwest including the northern part of Texas, the southern area of Florida, what looks to be Georgia, coastal and Piedmont North Carolina, Washington, DC, and the northern range from New York to upper New England.

I have been on the fence about Snowden because the CIA, NSA, etc. were definitely behind in their effectiveness about protecting us from terrorists and freaky right-wing/left-wing fringe groups, as witnessed by the felling of the Twin Towers on 9/11. I am one of those who thinks Snowden's courage and caring about the most important of issues in a functioning democracy make him a Patriot, but the intelligence community needs a way to keep track of everything if they have to, so that makes him a “traitor.” In other words, if another terrorist plot emerges they need to be able to link up the interactions between the bad guys and round them up. They do, however, need to be getting court permission for that action each and every time they go into people's personal information rather than keeping a “big brother file.” They will have that with the telephone companies compiling the data, and then giving the intelligence people access to it when they have their court order.

The “big brother file,” accessible immediately and perhaps too frequently, could be used to keep track of political enemies, political parties, street protesters on any number of issues, whistle-blowers, Civil Rights activists, and writers of politically oriented articles and books. Our democracy can't survive with that in place. I remember the 60s and 70s, when people from Martin Luther King to (possibly) President Kennedy were tracked by the intelligence community. A democracy has to allow freedom of speech and political affiliation even when the central government disagrees with their viewpoints. The occasional whistle-blower like Snowden ensures that this can happen. I definitely don't believe he should spend the rest of his life in prison.





Two Teenage Girls Gang-Raped, Hanged in India Village – NBC
- Reuters
First published May 29th 2014

NEW DELHI - Police have arrested one man and are looking for four other suspects after two teenage girls were gang-raped and then hanged from a tree in a village in the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh.

The two cousins, who were from a low-caste community and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their home in the Budaun district of the state when they went outside to go to the toilet on Tuesday evening.

The following morning, villagers found the bodies of the two teenagers hanging from a mango tree in a nearby orchard.

"We have registered a case under various sections, including that of rape, and one of the accused has been taken into custody. There were five people involved, one has been arrested and we are looking for the others," Budaun's Superintendent of Police Man Singh Chouhan told reporters.

Chouhan said a post-mortem confirmed the two minors were raped and died from the hanging. DNA samples have been also been taken to help identity the perpetrators, he added.

The victims' families say the girls were gang-raped and then hanged by five men from the village. They allege that local police were shielding the attackers as they refused to take action when the girls were first reported missing.

It was only after angry villagers found the hanging corpses and took the bodies to a nearby highway and blocked it in protest, say the families, that police registered a case of rape and murder.

A case of conspiracy has also been registered against two constables, said Chouhan, adding that they had also been suspended.

Sex crimes against young girls and women are widespread in India, say activists, adding that females from poor, marginalized, low-caste communities are often the victims.

A report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights in April last year said 48,338 child rape cases were recorded in India from 2001 to 2011, and the annual number of reported cases had risen more than fourfold - 336 percent - over that period.

Women's rights experts and lawyers say rape victims also have to endure harsh treatment from an archaic, poorly funded and insensitive criminal justice system.

Police often try to dissuade victims from complaining and suggest a "compromise" between the victim and the perpetrator, largely because of their insensitivity to sex crimes, but also because police officials are rarely held accountable.

Public outrage over the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi in December 2012 pushed the government into passing a tougher new law to punish sex crimes. This includes sentences of up to two years’ jail for police and hospital authorities if they fail to register a complaint or treat a victim.




“Public outrage over the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi in December 2012 pushed the government into passing a tougher new law to punish sex crimes. This includes sentences of up to two years’ jail for police and hospital authorities if they fail to register a complaint or treat a victim.” This sounds like some places in the US in the 1950's when “poor white trash” or black girls complained about rape. Police have been known to fail to follow up and make charges, and defense lawyers are famous for trying to destroy the woman's honor, criticizing how they are dressed and whether they have boyfriends.

I think that goes on less now. Growing up southern in 1950 did make me very conscious of whether my skirt was too short or not. Prejudice against women is worldwide, but definitely worse in some places and times than others. India needs to bear down on the problem and reform itself. I think they are doing it. It just takes time. A whole culture needs to become sensitized to the issues. I noticed in this article that many times the victims are poor people – from lower castes – so I would say that they need to rewrite some of their laws that don't protect the poor equally. I'll bet they don't get equal rights politically, either. It's an ongoing process, especially as the world sees such cases as this and makes an outcry against them.





Concussion Crisis: White House Summit Tackles Brain Injuries – NBC
BY LINDA CARROLL
First published May 29th 2014

Like every other parent in the U.S., President Barack Obama wants to know more about concussions and how they may affect his kids.

Unlike the rest of us, Obama has the power to push research forward. To help shine a brighter light on the issue, the president convened a daylong summit at the White House Thursday that included researchers, parents, coaches, professional athletes and sportscasters.

The hope is that the summit will help educate parents and focus a spotlight on the need for more research on how to prevent, identify and respond to brain injuries in childrenwhile still promoting the value of team sports.

"The president thinks it's important for his own daughters and kids across the country to participate in sports. But as a parent himself he feels that there isn't enough information about concussions," said White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri.

Obama announced a host of initiatives designed to expand our understanding of concussions, starting with a $30 million project funded by the N.C.A.A. and the Defense Department to study the risks for and treatment of concussions.

"This is the first acknowledgment that concussions are emerging as one of the most important health issues of the decade," Dr. Douglas Smith, a professor of neurosurgery and director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, told NBC News. "It's been the elephant in the room. Now everyone is saying, how long has that elephant been there? Awareness is skyrocketing."

Philanthropist Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants and an Academy Award-winning film producer, has pledged $10 million to the department of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA for the BrainSPORT Program, which has been renamed the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program.

The NFL itself has committed to spending $25 million over the next three years to support projects that will promote youth sports safety, including pilot programs to expand access to athletic trainers in schools.

"The world is a changing place with retired NFL players stating on camera that they wouldn't let their kids play contact sports. This is really bringing it to the level of a discussion for the family at the dining room table," Smith said.




I have long been turned off by the extreme emphasis on team sports, especially football, which Little Leagues, high schools, colleges and now the professional teams place above academics, the band or orchestra, arts teachers, well-qualified teachers of all subjects and just good citizenship among less than wealthy or highly intelligent students. High school used to be a place of status structures with the football team and wealthy people's children on top. I imagine it still is, as long as those rich people are on the school board and are pushing their kids to be stars in school rather than ordinary hard-working students, who may have a part time job on the side or worse, may need tutoring.

It is almost funny that now people have become conscious of the physical threat involved in contact sports, and they are shocked. Our society has almost worshiped team sports. I used to think it was the belief that “being a team player” is the top psychological characteristic a “good citizen” should have in a conservative society, but now I suspect that it is the very violence involved in football that makes it appeal to the masculine sex to such a degree I know I was shocked when I found out on the news that a large number of professional football players have enough brain damage to limit their lives as retired men. It makes me sad to see humans waste themselves in this way. It really is like the boxers of a few decades ago who likewise had “taken too many punches,” and ended up in nursing homes. Sports tend to be rough, but at least the individual sports like tennis are not, and basketball or baseball also are less dangerous. I've always like watching them more than football, anyway. They show more individual skill and I think they are very exciting.




Women are getting fed up with sexism in tech – CBS
By KIM PETERSON MONEYWATCH May 29, 2014

For decades, women in technology have complained of sexist treatment in the workplace -- and it doesn't seem to be getting better.

For nine women in the industry, the harassment and insults have become too much, and so they've recently published a strongly worded manifesto calling for change.

The women say they have all been groped at technology events. They have watched as men first assume they are secretaries or event planners, and then try to turn business meetings into dates. They've been pranked repeatedly, such as the time one left her desk and returned to find graphic pornography on her screen. Online, the women say, they have been called names, criticized for their looks and strongly encouraged to leave the industry.

"We are tired of pretending this stuff doesn't happen and continue to keep having these experiences again and again," the women write. "We keep our heads down working at our jobs, hoping that if we just work hard at what we do, maybe somehow the problem will go away."

The women include employees at Adobe Systems (ADBE), BuzzFeed, Kickstarter, Stripe and Mozilla, as well as software engineers and designers and technology journalists, Business Insider reports.

Women make up only about 30 percent of the technology workforce, according to LinkedIn. And they only hold about 15 percent of software engineering jobs.

Why aren't more getting hired? Facebook's (FB) chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said she has heard plenty of reasons. One executive told her he'd like to hire more women, but his wife worried he would sleep with them. He probably would, he added. Another man said he would hire more women if only he found some that were competent, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The issue surfaced again recently when one woman working for GitHub, a company that runs online communities for coders, quit and said she had been harassed for months. An internal investigation led to the resignation of the company's CEO. Women also say it's hard to find their footing in a "brogrammer" culture that trades in derogatory comments. Take those of start-up founder Peter Shih, who published an online rant that discussed women he called "49ers" -- "the girls who are obviously 4's and behave like they are 9's." And who can forget about Pax Dickinson, the former chief technology officer at Business Insider, who would tweet such insights as this: "Tech managers spend as much time worrying about how to hire talented female developers as they do worrying about how to hire a unicorn."

The women behind the manifesto say they are angry, and that things have to change. To start with, they say they will no longer be quiet when they get abusive emails from men in technology. They won't stand for sexist jokes. They will call out inappropriate behavior when they see it online. The women are asking people in their industries to promote diversity in the workplace for all underrepresented groups, not just women. They want people in technology to donate time and volunteer at groups that are focused on diversity. "We are tired of our male peers pretending that because they do not participate in bad behavior, that it is not their problem to solve," the women wrote. "You might be surprised how few people want to help or engage on this still."

Twitter users seemed to largely support the women's efforts. "If you work in tech you need to read this," wrote one man. "This industry should have no place at all for prejudice." Another Twitter user added this: "You're insane if you don't think the lack of women in tech isn't aggressive marginalization."

But some people had little patience for the group's manifesto on the Hacker Newssite. One man said the women needed to take their crusade somewhere else. "If I get to choose between the male that just wants to develop software and the female who wants to tell me all about how terrible it is working in our industry as a woman, I'm going to pick the male." Another man agreed, saying he didn't care at all about the debate. "It seems that 'the men' can't do anything right and guess what, many of us are (tired) of it and have just checked out," he added, saying it's "not our problem anymore."




As a society we are not yet sufficiently sensitive to group dynamics and concerned about certain kinds of injustices to prevent the marginalization of white women. If they're black, they can bring up the civil rights issues, but if they are white they are the one who reminds the men of their (tiresome) wives and mothers. I am not married for a reason. I'm not “domestic” enough to want to clean house and cook all day long and bring my husband another beer when he shouts for it. I also don't keep quiet when confronted. "We keep our heads down working at our jobs, hoping that if we just work hard at what we do, maybe somehow the problem will go away," the women complain. They said they have been groped, maliciously pranked, called names, treated as secretaries, had their appearance demeaned and urged to get another job. The shocking thing about it is that nobody is hired in a technological job without the credentials for it, so there is no logical reason for the bias that is obviously very firmly entrenched.

There is a war that goes on between men and women in all too many cases, and I personally prefer to keep to myself on a job and do my work. I especially don't want a job that is high on the status ranking scale, like law offices and the medical profession. Sales is also very competitive. I want a job that is detailed and somewhat technical. I want to put most of my energy into the work itself rather than the political relationships on the job.

My favorite job in my life has been library assistant. I love books, so I think I serve society when I work in a library, and the work itself demands my attention and orderliness, but doesn't require a Ph. D. I'm not very theoretically minded without a practical, physical component to the work. I also would have loved being an archaeologist or a biological scientist. My husband was a zoology grad student and I saw none of that anti-feminism among that group of men. Women in biology are in the minority, but there are more of them as time goes on, and they weren't being treated disrespectfully at UNC.

I think what women in the tech fields have to do is study those subjects in larger numbers and write more “manifestos” like this one. They could also band together financially and start their own company. Women's issues have been discussed less in the last twenty years than in the '70s, and men are getting lax again. It's all those young men who still are not being properly trained at home by their mother and father – equally represented in their upbringing, of course. Young men need to help in the kitchen, help clean house, and do their own laundry. Then we will see a change.




Julia Collins Makes ‘Jeopardy!’ History, With Nearly $400K to Show for It – ABC




Julia Collins has racked up more wins than any other woman in “Jeopardy!” history, earning $391,600 in the process.

The success marks a dream come true for Collins, who predicted she’d become a champion on the show in her eighth-grade yearbook, she said.

“I was a pretty nerdy kid,” Collins says. “I liked to shout out the answers to the TV like everybody else does.”

Collins, 31, a resident of the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, made history when she won her 17th straight game Tuesday, and then added another victory Wednesday.

Only past contestants Ken Jennings (74) and David Madden (19) have won more consecutive non-tournament games than this. The show premiered 50 years ago.

Collins' appearances on the show answer a question for her friends and family: Why did she quit her consulting job and take her time finding new work?

"I did a lot of hemming and hawing about why I was less aggressive than I could have been," Collins said, explaining that she was prohibited by the show from talking about the program at all between mid-January, when she started taping them, and April, when they started to air, or the $10,000 to $35,000 she was winning a day.

Beyond financial flexibility, she also finds empowerment in her success. Girls have sent her emails saying they feel like they have to dumb themselves down. Not so, Collins says.

“If someone doesn’t like you because you’re smart,” she said, ”that’s their problem.”




“I was a pretty nerdy kid,” Collins says. “I liked to shout out the answers to the TV like everybody else does.” I think there are some people who just like learning more and more new things. They are smart, but they are also curious and love to exercise their mind. Often they are couch potatoes or otherwise “nerdy.” From their earliest years they have been reading for pleasure above and beyond their school requirements, and have compiled lots and lots of “data.” That's what Jeopardy is about – specific information. It is not theoretical, artistic or philosophical. There are many kinds of intelligence.

Collins, according to her Wikipedia biography, “received a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 2005 and a master's degree in engineering from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010,” so she has been taught a great many facts. She also has very quick recall. Often I will know the answer to a question on Jeopardy after I think for a few seconds, but can't come up with the man's name, especially in time to beat all the other contestants to the draw on their little clicker devices and turn the answer around into a question. I like her because she is a woman doing well, and because she isn't a braggart like two other champions they showed recently. I also like the Asian man Arthur Chu. Both are very good, but relatively modest and self-effacing. Jeopardy really is one of the better shows on television of any kind. I look forward to it every day.





The Divide Over Involuntary Mental Health Treatment – NPR
by KIRK SIEGLER
May 29, 2014

The attacks near the University of California, Santa Barbara, are renewing focus on programs aimed at requiring treatment for people who are mentally ill as a way to prevent mass shootings and other violence.

In California, a 2002 law allows authorities to require outpatient mental health care for people who have been refusing it. Proponents argue that this kind of intervention could prevent violent acts.

But counties within the state have been slow to adopt the legislation, and mental health professionals are divided over its effects.

Do Family And Friends Know Best?

The story behind Laura's Law begins in 2001. In rural Nevada County, near Lake Tahoe, 19-year-old Laura Wilcox was shot and killed by a 41-year-old man with a history of mental illness. He had walked into the county's behavioral health center and opened fire.
Tom Anderson was the county's chief public defender at the time and represented the gunman in court. He recalls that the man's family had tried to alert mental health officials numerous times before the shooting.

"[Officials] were declaiming privacy issues and stuff and wouldn't communicate with the family," Anderson says. "He ... started amassing guns and setting up booby traps around his house, and he had this psychosis of he was going to be attacked any minute."

Now Nevada County's presiding judge, Anderson is also a vocal advocate for Laura's Law, which was passed by the state Legislature in 2002. The law allows counties to compel outpatient treatment for people whose family or friends are concerned about their mental state. It's seen as an intermediate step before someone is forced into inpatient psychiatric care.

Anderson says this tool could be one way to prevent future violent incidents, including mass shootings. And, he says, the patients often respond positively.

"The beauty of the program — the wonderment of it to me — is that roughly about 60 percent of the people that they do outreach to, where they go out to intervene after a person has been referred, voluntarily accept services at that time," he says.

A Question Of Rights

So far, only two California counties — Nevada County and Orange County — have gone forward with implementing Laura's Law. And the state hasn't allocated any funding to it.
The legislation is controversial. There are concerns that involuntary treatment could make mentally ill people vulnerable to civil rights abuses.

"You do have to be conscious that even though these people are mentally ill, they do have rights," says Steve Pitman, board president of the Orange County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Pitman, whose brother dealt with mental illness for 50 years, says family members need more power to intervene and force treatment. He says they're the ones who often know what's really going on, while police or a county mental health official may have just a few minutes to drop by for a welfare check.

"The problem in so many of these cases is that when they're interviewed to see if they meet those kind of threshold requirements, they don't give off any signals of being a danger to themselves or others," Pitman says. "Somebody who's experienced in these kinds of things knows all the right answers to give. They don't want to go to the hospital, so they say all the right things."

That scenario echoes Elliot Rodger's alleged behavior prior to theSanta Barbara incident, in which he allegedly killed six people, then himself.

But Pitman and others are cautious about linking policy changes like Laura's Law too closely to recent mass shootings. For one thing, they say, intervention cases that fall under Laura's Law may take weeks, if not months, to fully implement. And that may be too late.

"I simply don't think that involuntary commitments are going to be an effective tool toward stemming mass shootings," says Jeff Deeney, a social worker in Philadelphia who writes about mental health forThe Atlantic.

Deeney says just a tiny fraction of mentally unstable people are a threat to public safety.
"I think what we don't have that people want so desperately is the program that stops nonviolent non-offenders from committing their first violent crime because of a mental illness," he says.

Deeney wants to see the conversation shift away from involuntary treatment programs like Laura's Law and toward preventive measures at high schools and college campuses.




“In California, a 2002 law allows authorities to require outpatient mental health care for people who have been refusing it. Proponents argue that this kind of intervention could prevent violent acts. But counties within the state have been slow to adopt the legislation, and mental health professionals are divided over its effects.” Laura's Law was named for a murder victim who was innocently working in the county's behavioral health center when her killer walked in and shot her for no reason. He had a history of problems, and his family had tried to notify mental health officials that they considered him to be dangerous. Those officials refused to talk to the family members, claiming “privacy issues.” Bureaucratic BS run amok.

Laura's Law allows counties to compel outpatient treatment when their families or others are afraid of what they will do, and stops short of hospitalization, even if they are personally opposed to getting treatment. Many people “don't believe in psychiatry,” thinking it's all a bunch of mumbo jumbo or even thinking it is against their religion. Therefore they are unlikely to accept mental health drugs and therapy voluntarily. Tom Anderson of the Nevada County court favors the law, stating that the patients, though their treatment was compelled, often do improve very much with care.

Unfortunately, there are a number of counties which have not enacted the law, according to the article, fearing that those so compelled to take treatment are made “vulnerable to civil rights abuses.” I don't see that happening. I also just think that the public good requires efforts to stop these killings. They are in the news much too frequently. The complaint about the law was made, too, that it often takes too long to “fully implement” and the person in question is at a crisis point immediately. Jeff Deeney of the Atlantic Monthly said that what is needed is a way to stop people from committing the first shooting. Until that time they are not identified and the law doesn't step in. Deeney said he wanted to see more emphasis on “preventative measures at high schools and colleges.”

I disagree. Nobody in today's large high schools knows the at risk students well enough to prevent them from erupting in fury when they've been bullied one too many times, and the teachers too often “don't want to get involved.” The mentally ill teenager so often just seems like “a very quiet kid.” The family is in a position to know much more about them and predict the violent episodes. Also, psychiatric drugs are now very well refined in what they do and not subject to the harmful side effects that they used to have. A bipolar or schizophrenic person nowadays under the proper medication will be just like everybody else. In the practical world, it beats Freudian psychotherapy or pastoral counseling all the time.

I don't think such people's “civil rights” are at risk. After all, the aim is to prevent them from buying a gun, so that particular civil right needs to be removed. I agree with Anderson, who says that the patient, 60% of the time, does accept and benefit from the mandated treatment. It's a clear improvement. Their medical records, after all, are under the HIIPA law and should not become common knowledge to be used against them.

The only people I can think of who bear a serious stigma are the sexual offenders, whose name and address are published. They aren't even mentally ill, most of the time, and absolutely must be restrained because they are so dangerous. I have no sympathy for most of them because they have simply allowed themselves to slip into something which is basically “evil,” an unpopular term these days. They are criminals and the ultimate“bully.” Rape is an assault, not sex. They should go to prison and never get out.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014


News Clips For The Day


Chechen Leader Denies Sending Troops to Ukraine
By PETER LEONARD Associated Press
May 27, 2014

DONETSK, Ukraine  As the fighting becomes more ferocious in eastern Ukraine, Chechnya's Moscow-backed leader insisted Wednesday he had not sent any of his famous troops to help pro-Russia insurgents but said some Chechens may have gone there on their own.

Scores of rebel fighters have been killed this week around the major eastern city of Donetsk, and Ukrainian border guards have reported at least one gun battle as they blocked groups of armed men trying to cross into Ukraine from Russia. Ukraine and the West have accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied sending any troops to help the insurgents.

Fighters who looked like Caucasus residents have been seen among the pro-Russia rebels who have seized government buildings, declared independence from Ukraine and are fighting government forces in the east.

In a statement posted on his Instagram, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said two-thirds of the three million Chechens live outside his province in Russia's North Caucasus mountains, so he "can't and mustn't know where each of them goes."

"If someone saw a Chechen in the zone of conflict, he's there on his own," he said.

Kadyrov's pro-Russia forces, known for their warrior spirit and deadly efficiency, helped Russia win a quick victory in a 2008 war with neighboring Georgia. The 37-year old-leader has vowed an unswerving fealty to Putin and has hailed the Russian leader's policy in Ukraine.

In the most furious battle yet, rebels in Donetsk tried to take control of its airport Monday but were repelled by Ukrainian forces using combat jets and helicopter gunships. Dozens of men were killed and some morgues were overflowing Tuesday. Some insurgent leaders said up to 100 fighters may have been killed.

The city remained tense Wednesday, with Ukrainian fighter jets flying overhead. Some gunshots were heard.

In Slovyansk, a city 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Donetsk which that [sic] has seen constant clashes over the past few weeks, residential areas came under mortar shelling Wednesday from government forces. A school was badly damaged and other buildings were hit. Residents told The Associated Press that several people were wounded.

Kadyrov, a former rebel who fought Russian forces in the first of two devastating separatist wars, switched sides during the second campaign when his father became the region's pro-Russia leader. Following his father's death in a rebel bombing, Kadyrov rebuilt the region relying on generous Kremlin funding and squelched the rebel resistance with his ruthless paramilitary forces, which have been blamed for extrajudicial killings, torture and other abuses.

Putin praised Kadyrov last week after he negotiated the release of two Russian journalists arrested by Ukrainian forces and accused of assisting the rebels in the east, earning Putin's praise. The Chechen leader has not said how he got the journalists freed, but has directed threats at the Ukrainian authorities.

"If the Ukrainian authorities want so much to see 'Chechen units' in Donetsk, why go to Donetsk if there is a good highway to Kiev?" he said in Wednesday's statement.

However, he added that he fully supports Putin's policy to help restore peace in Ukraine.



“Ukrainian border guards have reported at least one gun battle as they blocked groups of armed men trying to cross into Ukraine from Russia.... Fighters who looked like Caucasus residents have been seen among the pro-Russia rebels....” Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, has denied sending his troops into Ukraine, but said that some may have gone in on their own. He also said that 2/3 of Chechens live in the North Caucasus mountains of Russia. Of his fighters, the article says they “squelched the rebel resistance with his ruthless paramilitary forces, which have been blamed for extrajudicial killings, torture and other abuses.” The article says that Kadyrov recently negotiated the release of two Russian newsmen. He has threatened the Kiev government, saying “'If the Ukrainian authorities want so much to see 'Chechen units' in Donetsk, why go to Donetsk if there is a good highway to Kiev?'”




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-separatists-beating-in-donetsk-signals-change-in-standoff-with-russia/


Fighter jets drop new reality on eastern Ukraine – CBS
By CHARLIE D'AGATA CBS NEWS May 28, 2014

DONETSK -- If the fighter jets roaring overhead weren't enough of an indication that the situation in Donetsk had changed dramatically, the thundering air strikes that followed erased any doubt.

It was the Ukrainian military's biggest and most rapid response since the unrest began here in the east three months ago.

Their target: pro-Russian separatists who had launched an audacious attempt to seize the city's international airport.

The separatists made their first move on the airport in the dead of night. Pictures emerged of heavily-armed militants in the airport terminals and holding positions on the roof.

By mid-morning, rebel reinforcements were arriving by the truckload, spreading out among the buildings and trees which line the airport perimeter.

As a group of separatist fighters took cover in a cluster of trees at the end of an on-ramp to the airport, three helicopter gunships seemingly came out of nowhere and opened fire, tearing into the woods and the grassy area in front.

The fighters on the ground tried to fight back, spraying gunfire in every direction.

The Ukrainian military operation -- using jet fighter air strikes, helicopter gunships, heavy artillery and a ground assault by Ukrainian paratroopers -- was unprecedented.

Bodies piled up at the morgue. Rebel commanders have said they lost more than 100 fighters. The Ukrainian government said its forces suffered no losses in the assault.

The battle for the airport may prove pivotal for two reasons: it was the highest-profile attack separatists have launched so far, and it triggered the highest-profile response from the Ukrainian military so far.

Pro-Russian separatists have had the run of this region for a number of weeks. Armed gunmen roam the streets freely. There has been virtually no Ukrainian troop presence in Donetsk, and while there are still Ukrainian police here, neither side pays the other much attention -- the local police represent no challenge to the heavily armed gunmen.

Separatists still control important government buildings, and they made good on their vow to ensure that not a single vote was cast here in the country's presidential elections.

While president-elect Petro Poroshenko has called for peaceful negotiations with the separatists, he's compared the armed pro-Russians to "Somali pirates," and said the crisis should be resolved in a matter of hours, not months.

Now Donetsk is bracing for what comes next. Shops and restaurants are closed. Rumors are rife that Ukrainian military units are getting ready to launch an invasion to retake the city.

In an emergency televised address on Tuesday, the Donetsk's mayor warned people to stay indoors, while assuring nervous residents that government forces would not push into the center of the city. At night, this normally bustling city of more than 1 million people, seems virtually deserted.

The large-scale military response signaled a significant change in tactics.

Ukraine's government has been reluctant for months to unleash its heavy weapons against pro-Russian separatists, for fear of provoking a response from Moscow. There are still tens of thousands of Russian troops massed near the Ukrainian border, but U.S. officials told CBS News on Tuesday that about 6,000 of the approximately 40,000 troops near the border had returned to their home bases, and a couple thousand more are getting ready to move.

Moscow announced the planned withdrawal of troops from the border area several days ago, but officials said it could take almost a month for the repositioning to be completed.

The separatists won't last long without Russian backing. On Tuesday, the separatist leader in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, made a direct appeal to Putin for help. He may be feeling more isolated, and increasingly desperate.

The Russian government has demanded an immediate halt to Ukraine's military offensive in the east, but the repositioning of Russian troops away from the Ukrainian border sends a message.

And Ukrainian deputy prime minister Vitaly Yarema said Tuesday that the "anti-terrorist operation" would continue in the east, "until all the militants are annihilated."




“The battle for the airport may prove pivotal for two reasons: it was the highest-profile attack separatists have launched so far, and it triggered the highest-profile response from the Ukrainian military so far.” It is probably no coincidence that Russia has finally started moving its troops back from the Ukrainian border. It is also cheering to see that Denis Pushilin the separatist leader has “made a direct appeal to Putin for help,” and that the Ukrainian deputy prime minister Vitaly Yarema said that the operation will continue in the east “until all the militants are annihilated.” It looks like the Kiev government is going to continue playing hardball now, and I have hope that Russia will continue to become more respectful and cooperative. I would like to see this nation as a member of NATO, a friend of the US, and a democratic and prosperous state.





Renowned Poet and Author Maya Angelou Dies at 86 – NBC
BY REHEMA ELLIS AND ELIZABETH CHUCK
First published May 28th 2014

Maya Angelou, the renowned poet, author and civil rights activist, has died, officials in her hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, told NBC News. The author of the celebrated autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was 86 years old.

Her death comes less than a week after Angelou announced she would not attend the 2014 MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon, where she was to be honored, citing "health reasons." Last month, she also canceled an event in Fayetteville, Arkansas, because she was recovering from an "unexpected ailment" that left her hospitalized.

"The mayor is very saddened to hear the loss of a woman of such renowned phenomenal status as Dr. Angelou. Our prayers are with her family, her staff and all the people she has worked with," Linda Jackson-Barnes, assistant to Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, said.

Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, under the name Marguerite Annie Johnson. She grew up to become a singer, dancer, actress, writer and Hollywood's first female black director.

Angelou had an impressive list of accolades: She was a three-time Grammy winner and was nominated for a Pulitzer, a Tony, an an Emmy for her role in the groundbreaking television mini-series "Roots."

But her success didn't come easily. Angelou's life struggles were fodder for her work.

Her childhood had been marked by sexual abuse, which she detailed in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" — the first of numerous autobiographies she wrote.

Her first big break came as a singer in the 1950s.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.




Maya Angelou's birth name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. “She grew up to become a singer, dancer, actress, writer and Hollywood's first female black director. She was a three-time Grammy winner and was nominated for a Pulitzer, a Tony, and an Emmy for her role in the groundbreaking television mini-series "Roots." “Her first big break came as a singer in the 1950s.” I think of poetry writing and musical ability as being the product of great emotion, often pain. Angelou endured childhood sexual abuse, but apparently lived to adjust to the damage that it always causes, perhaps by means of her art. She obviously had a wide range of talents. I didn't know she was in “Roots,” which I watched spellbound through all its segments. I also am glad to see that she lived in Winston-Salem, NC, about forty miles from my home town of Thomasville, so that gives me a little link to her. Her death is a loss, but she lived a fulfilled and productive life. She was an important addition to the feminist cause and the world of art.





Facebook Users Help Reunite Abducted Baby, Mom in Just Three Hours – NBC
-Alastair Jamieson
First published May 28th 2014

A relieved mother in Quebec expressed thanks Tuesday after her abducted newborn baby was tracked down in three hours thanks to four strangers responding to an appeal on Facebook.

Authorities in Trois-Rivieres, Canada, issued an amber alert late Monday after a young woman disguised as a nurse walked into a hospital maternity ward and took Melissa McMahon’s day–old daughter Victoria.

A description of the suspect’s car was quickly issued by Quebec’s police force, the Surete du Quebec, and shared on social media.

In a desperate Facebook post, the baby’s father, Simon Boisclair, pleaded for friends to spread the description of the vehicle. “Help us please, after one day our daughter has been stolen,” he wrote.

A group of four people who saw the Facebook appeals while sitting at home were spurred into action, deciding to head out in search of the suspect’s car, according to local media.

“We were on Facebook,” Charlene Plante told Canada’s CTV channel. “We just wanted to do something for the night, so we went out to find the car.”

Another one of the four, Sharelle Bergeron, told the Globe and Mail newspaper: “It’s a pretty rare thing that something that exciting happens in Trois-Rivières.”

The breakthrough for the four amateur sleuths came when police circulated a hospital surveillance video picture of the suspect disguised in a nursing uniform. Plante recognized the 21-year-old suspect as a high school acquaintance and former neighbor.

The group headed to the suspect’s apartment and alerted police after seeing a vehicle matching the earlier description parked outside, the National Post reported.

The exact moment when an officer entered the building and removed the missing infant was recorded by the group on cellphone video and posted to Facebook by Bergeron's sister, Melizanne. The infant's entire ordeal lasted just over three hours.

In an emotional post on the site Tuesday, McMahon expressed her gratitude to the authorities and everyone who had helped find her daughter, who she said was “aptly named for this victory.”

“Four wonderful people, who we had the chance to meet, identified the woman through Facebook,” she wrote in French. “This is the reason why Victoria is in my arms right now.”

She added that every click and share on Facebook had “made the difference.”

Boisclair posted a picture of himself with the reunited mother and baby.

“You have to give credit to these young people,” Quebec state premier Philippe Couillard said, according to the Globe and Mail. “They showed a lot of initiative.”




A group of four young people who were reading Facebook saw Boisclair's appeal for help finding the abductor's car and decided to drive around looking for the car. “We just wanted to do something for the night, so we went out to find the car.” One of the four, Charlene Plante, recognized the would-be nurse from the surveillance video as a fellow high school student and former neighbor. The group drove to her apartment, which Plante also knew – must be a small town -- and found the getaway car parked outside, at which point they called the police. The police entered the apartment and removed the baby. What happened to the abductor was not stated. Every now and then a young woman like that abducts a newborn. It often turns out to be a case of mental instability. This whole thing was chronicled on Facebook with expressions of gratitude by the baby's mother. Good story. Hooray for Facebook and all courageous people!





Who’s Singing Lead? Animals Make Music at National Zoo – ABC
By Gillian Mohney
May 28, 2014

The Smithsonian National Zoo is putting together a band cuter (and furrier) than any boy band.

The Washington D.C. zoo provides animals — including otters, bears and apes — with musical instruments as part of the wildlife center’s enrichment program to help them engage different senses and learn certain tasks.

See Stories Of Other Amazing Animals

The zoo posted videos of the experiments online to show everyone how each animal tries their hand (or paw) at the different instruments. While  the sloth bear seems to both enjoy (and fear) the harmonica, the orangutan fearlessly plays a decent set of scales on the xylophone.

When energetic otters get a keyboard they fight for space at the keys. But the music isn’t all fun and games for the otters, the instruments engage the animals’ “sight, touch, and hearing senses.”

And for the great apes like Bonnie the orangutan, music or especially the xylophone can help the ape “participate in critical thinking studies.”
 
Hank, the sloth bear cub, was given a harmonica to encourage the cub to replicate the “natural behavior [of] sloth bears in the wild ”  to suck out and eat termites. While the technique is important for Hank to learn, it means his harmonica playing isn’t going to beat Bob Dylan’s anytime soon.




“While  the sloth bear seems to both enjoy (and fear) the harmonica, the orangutan fearlessly plays a decent set of scales on the xylophone.” Zookeepers have been in the news a number of times for various things they have done to provide “enrichment” for their animals in their boring life behind bars. Everything from cut fruit or meat – appropriate to the species – have been placed in their cages while they are away, for them to find later and enjoy. Lions, in the wild, are not given chunks of meat by humans, but must outwit and overwhelm their prey, which, I feel sure, gives them a sense of success and satisfaction. One lion on Animal Planet was being filmed in the chase and when his prey got away he gave an angry bodily movement and shook his tail like an irritated house cat. You could almost hear him swearing. They're not dumb, but they must live in caged environments and watch the people who are lined up in a row watching them. It always makes me a little sad when I go to a zoo. Still, it's the only way I can see any wild animals.

The most interesting thing I have seen with animals doing amazing things has to do with pots of paint and a brush. The animals, chimpanzees, gorillas and surprisingly elephants, will take up the paint brush (by the proper end), dip it in the paint and make marks on the paper provided. They all three, including the elephant, seemed to be involved mentally in the task and enjoying himself. Koko the famous gorilla, who can “speak” in sign language, painted a pretty good abstract which she called “flowers,” and a portrait of her owner's border collie, likewise naming him. The border collie consisted of a long horizontal black “muzzle” with upright ears and a visible “head.” You can't ask but so much of a gorilla. It was no better art than your average two year old can produce, but I could recognize the dog's head when the narrator gave the title of the painting. The well-known psychologist Desmond Morris did a great deal of work with chimpanzees, and was the first, as far as I know, to give them a paintbrush and watch them work.

I'm glad to see zoos trying to entertain their captives a little bit. In the case of endangered species the zoo population may soon be the only living examples of some of those animals, so there is a legitimate place for zoos in the world. Otherwise, I might be prone to say that we should do away with all zoos and turn all the animals out into the wild so they could be free. Of course, if they are well fed and cared for they may be fairly comfortable. I doubt that many species are intelligent enough to have the conscious awareness of being deprived that is involved with, say, putting a man in prison for his whole life, so they may even enjoy their life on a bright sunny day, and be interested in the crowds of humans who are watching them. There is often evident affection between some animals and their keepers, so maybe they await the daily visit by the keeper. I certainly do hope so.




http://www.npr.org/2014/05/27/316452303/a-killers-manifesto-reveals-wide-reach-of-misogyny-online

A Killer's Manifesto Reveals Wide Reach Of Misogyny Online
by NPR STAFF
May 27, 2014

The misogynistic manifesto written by Elliot Rodger, the 22-year-old who police say killed six people before taking his own life Friday, quickly led to an outpouring on Twitter under the hashtag#YesAllWomen. Women and men alike used the hashtag to share stories and statistics about harassment and sexual assault.

According to the analytics site Topsy, there have been over 1.6 million tweets mentioning #YesAllWomen so far.

In a piece in The New Statesman, writer Laurie Penny says men have long expressed many of the same misogynistic thoughtsRodger conveyed in forums across the Internet.
In her piece, Penny writes, "Why can we not speak about misogynist extremism — why can we not speak about misogyny at all — even when the language used by Elliot Rodger is everywhere online?"

Penny tells NPR's Melissa Block that the language Rodger used to denigrate women online is similar to the verbal attacks and rape threats she's received as a writer.

She was angry, she says, when she heard of Friday's shooting. "I think that anger is politically important," she says. "Women are usually allowed to say that we're frightened or we feel like victims when we are the target of attacks like this. But what we're not allowed to say is that, 'Actually, I'm really, really cross. I'm furious. I want to stop this happening.' "

Interview Highlights

On men's rights forums and misogynistic language online

The language used on men's rights activists' forums is an extreme version of language that you see everywhere on the Web. ... It's not just sites which are dedicated to hating and slut-shaming women — it's online video games; it's YouTube and Facebook.

The ideology seems to be that men are owed sex and respect and love and adoration by women — not because they deserved it, not because that's what human beings need, but because that is their right as men. And if they don't get it, they're entitled to rape, to beat and even to kill, as was the ultimate end of Elliot Rodger's really sad, disturbing manifesto.

On the origin of #YesAllWomen from #NotAllMen

One of the most horrifying [reactions] has been the pushback that "not all men do this," "not all men think like this." Well, of course, not all men are killers, not all men are violent misogynists. But the idea that before we speak about misogynistic extremism we should take men's feelings into account and make sure no man listening to that conversation feels threatened or has his ego bruised, that's really, really dangerous. That's the language of silencing. And that's what the #YesAllWomen hashtag was a response to.

On the impact of a hashtag

Change doesn't happen when one person stands on a platform and says something powerful. Change is about tiny little alterations in mindset, and the Internet lets that happen much, much faster and much, much easier. It makes it impossible to ignore. And personally for me, that's what a hashtag does; that's what it's about. It all happens so much faster, and it happens on a much more intimate, personal level. It's both personal and political, and that's what makes it so powerful.

On the reaction from men to her post

Many men and boys have emailed me, not just to say, oh, my gosh, this is awful, but they're saying: How can I change this? How can I make this different? How can I, as a man, step up and support women and girls and create a better world?

Because they don't want young men to grow up in this world, either. That, to me, is what's really, really heartening about this conversation, as well as the fact that it's enabling women and girls of all ages ... to talk about their experiences in a public forum which is so wide and so broad, it allows them to be braver and be supported.




“Many men and boys have emailed me, not just to say, oh, my gosh, this is awful, but they're saying: How can I change this? How can I make this different? How can I, as a man, step up and support women and girls and create a better world?” This article speaks of “men's rights” websites. I haven't seen them, but I have seen “white rights” websites, and any number of other things that are repugnant, stupid and even damaging in that they influence one or more person's mental thought processes, thus producing a more dangerous and unjust society. The author Penny said that she has had similar things, to what was said in Rodger's “manifesto,” said to her when some men have read her writings, including “verbal attacks and rape threats.”

I looked her name up on the Internet and found a listing of her articles in The New Statesman. They range over a variety of topics, but did sound fairly outspoken and maybe controversial. So some readers got angry at her. Apparently a number of men have expressed their anger at her by threatening to rape her. This is, truly, a sign of a profound misogyny, as it isn't in any way a logical argument to any conceivable question. It does bring to mind a case in the news in one of the middle eastern countries in which a woman was “punished” for her having some viewpoints by a gang rape. I hope men with views like that never “take over” the society in this United States, as they have in some Islamic countries. That's what Sharia law is about. Of course, this article isn't aimed at a middle eastern country, but a sampling of men from across the Internet and, therefore, from across the human race, hence Penny's alarm.

Penny writes, "Why can we not speak about misogynist extremism — why can we not speak about misogyny at all — even when the language used by Elliot Rodger is everywhere online?" Penny's objection to the statement that “"not all men think like this'" was, “well, duhh,” but I would say that in the US, while too many men do think like that, especially in ignorant backwaters, in fact “most” do not. Most young men in the US grow up relatively mentally healthy, I think. As far as I'm concerned, her expression of anger rather than merely fear (an acceptable female feeling) is well within her rights, but there will be too many men who will be opposed to it and call her “bitch,” “slut” and any number of other things. Oh, yeah, I forgot the “c” word. Unfortunately they have a right to say those things because they are within the range of “free speech,” but I personally have no respect for those men and will not waste my time reading their “manifestos.” I'm glad she read Rodger's so she could write about it and now I won't have to read it to see what he said. Thank you for writing your article on this subject, Ms. Penny.