Wednesday, April 15, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/arizona-cop-used-car-ram-armed-suspect-video-shows-n341636

Video Shows Arizona Cop Using Car to Ram Armed Suspect
— Phil Helsel
First published April 14th 2015

DashCam Video – A Marana, Arizona, police vehicle approaches a suspect, Mario Valencia,in a still from a dashcam video.

An Arizona police department released video Tuesday showing a police officer using a car to ram an armed suspect in February.

The video shows a Marana Police Department cruiser slamming into Mario Valencia, who was allegedly armed with a stolen gun and fired a shot in the air on Feb. 19.

The dash cam records a gunshot as the suspect is walking on West Coca Cola Place, and an officer warning, "stand off, stand off, the gun is loaded."

A different police car driven by Officer Michael Rapiejko then roars forward and strikes Valencia sending the man flying into the air.

"Oh! ... man down," the apparently surprised officer in the first car says in the video.

Valencia survived the collision and faces a long list of charges.

Police said Valencia, 36, held up a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tucson, started a fire at a church, and then broke into a home and stole a car and drove to a Walmart in Marana, a town northwest of Tucson.

Valencia allegedly asked a store worker if he could see a rifle and then used it as a club to bash a case and threaten the employee, and ran off with the rifle and a box of .30-30 ammunition, police said. He loaded the weapon and pointed it at an officer before firing instead into the air, and was struck by the police car as he approached a business, police said in a statement Tuesday.

Police said in a statement the officer "[used] his marked police car to stop the dangerous situation Mario Valencia created." Police said that before the incident Valencia had pointed the rifle at his neck.

Valencia's attorney, Michelle Metzger, called the unconventional tactic "shocking," and "clearly excessive police force." She said it was obvious Valencia was suicidal, and that the officer heard in the video appears to tell other officers to back off before the car suddenly slammed into her client.

Lt. Tim Brunenkant said Rapiejko was cleared by the prosecutor's office. He was placed on paid leave for three days but has returned to duty. An administrative review is currently ongoing, Brunenkant said.

Marana Police Chief Terry Rozema told NBC station KVOA that Valencia was hospitalized for two days after he was hit by the police car, and the situation could have ended in the death of Valencia or someone else.

"The guy probably is still alive because the officer took the action that he took," Rozema told the station. "Had he continued to press down the street ... these officers have no choice but to begin firing."

Valencia is jailed on 11 counts that include armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, arson, burglary, shoplifting and theft. He is being held at the Pima County Jail.




“The dash cam records a gunshot as the suspect is walking on West Coca Cola Place, and an officer warning, "stand off, stand off, the gun is loaded." A different police car driven by Officer Michael Rapiejko then roars forward and strikes Valencia sending the man flying into the air. "Oh! ... man down," the apparently surprised officer in the first car says in the video. Valencia survived the collision and faces a long list of charges. …. Police said in a statement the officer "[used] his marked police car to stop the dangerous situation Mario Valencia created." Police said that before the incident Valencia had pointed the rifle at his neck. Valencia's attorney, Michelle Metzger, called the unconventional tactic "shocking," and "clearly excessive police force." She said it was obvious Valencia was suicidal, and that the officer heard in the video appears to tell other officers to back off before the car suddenly slammed into her client. .... "The guy probably is still alive because the officer took the action that he took," Rozema told the station. "Had he continued to press down the street ... these officers have no choice but to begin firing."

This is a highly unusual case, but it isn't the ordinary shooting of an unarmed man who is not really doing anything to deserve death. I tend to agree with the chief that his action probably prevented a worse problem – a man who is deranged walking down the road with a fully loaded rifle, and who had already fired it in the air after pointing it at an officer. It was a sudden decision, but very effective.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-law-officials-personal-information-posted-online-right-wing-group-blamed/

Right-wing extremists blamed for posting top law officials' info
CBS NEWS
April 15, 2015

Federal law enforcement officials are investigating the online publication of home addresses of senior officials and former officials of the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies, CBS News has learned.

Investigators became aware of the incident Tuesday, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues.

Last month, the names and personal information of 100 U.S. military personnel were leaked online by a group claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In this case, however, sources tell CBS News that investigators believe an apparent right-wing extremist group is behind the posting of the information.

In a statement, DHS said: "The safety of our workforce is always a primary concern. DHS has notified employees who were identified in the posting and encouraged them to be vigilant. DHS will adjust security measures, as appropriate, to protect our employees."

A message along with the posting titled "DHS-CIA-FBI TRAITORS HOME ADDRESSES" states:

"LET THESE EVIL NWO SATANISTS KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY FOR THEIR 911 TREASON, AND THEIR FUTURE FEMA CAMP PLANNED PUBLIC CRACKDOWN TREASON ALSO

JESUS IS LORD, ANDTHE PUBLIC IS IN CHARGE, NOT THESE SATANIC NWO STOOGES"

Investigators are trying to track down the source or sources of the disclosure.

The Pentagon was forced last month to notify about 100 service members who appeared on an ISIS "hit list," and bases where they are stationed contacted local law enforcement agencies in an effort to increase police patrols in the neighborhoods where they live, reported CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

ISIS had urged its followers and sympathizers in the U.S. to kill American service members on the list. They were identified with names, photos and addresses.

Pentagon officials said the list appeared to be drawn from public sources -- everything from newspaper interviews to Facebook pages that connected them, sometimes incorrectly, with the war against ISIS.

So far there have been no reports of any members of that list being attacked.




“In this case, however, sources tell CBS News that investigators believe an apparent right-wing extremist group is behind the posting of the information. In a statement, DHS said: "The safety of our workforce is always a primary concern. DHS has notified employees who were identified in the posting and encouraged them to be vigilant. DHS will adjust security measures, as appropriate, to protect our employees." …. "LET THESE EVIL NWO SATANISTS KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY FOR THEIR 911 TREASON, AND THEIR FUTURE FEMA CAMP PLANNED PUBLIC CRACKDOWN TREASON ALSO. JESUS IS LORD, ANDTHE PUBLIC IS IN CHARGE, NOT THESE SATANIC NWO STOOGES." Investigators are trying to track down the source or sources of the disclosure.”

See the Wikipedia website – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_%28conspiracy_theory%29, for the following on NWO.
“As a conspiracy theory, the term New World Order or NWO refers to the emergence of a totalitarian world government.[3][4][5][6][7]

The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that asecretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government—which will replace sovereignnation-states—and an all-encompassing propaganda whose ideology hails the establishment of the New World Order as the culmination of history's progress. Significant occurrences in politics and finance are speculated to be orchestrated by an unduly influential cabal that operates through many front organizations. Numerous historical and current events are seen as steps in an ongoing plot to achieve world domination through secret political gatherings and decision-making processes.[3][4][5][6][7]

Before the early 1990s, New World Order conspiracism was limited to two American countercultures, primarily the militantly anti-government right, and secondarily that part of fundamentalist Christianity concerned with the end-timeemergence of the Antichrist.[8] Skeptics such as Michael Barkun and Chip Berletobserved that right-wing populist conspiracy theories about a New World Order had not only been embraced by many seekers of stigmatized knowledge but had seeped into popular culture, thereby inaugurating a period during the late 20th and early 21st centuries in the United States where people were actively preparing forapocalyptic millenarian scenarios.[4][6] Those political scientists were concerned that mass hysteria could have what they judged to be devastating effects on American political life, ranging from widespread political alienation to escalating lone-wolf terrorism.[4][6][9]




Many conservatives who fear the NWO are distrustful of the UN and NATO and certain US government departments. Many such people believe that 9/11 was actually organized by the US government and not by al-Qaeda and bin Laden. The DHS is mentioned in this news article as having a FEMA trailer camp – apparently another conspiracy theory – and the ATF, FBI, and State of Texas police crackdown on the David Koresh cult has been a point of right wing hatred since the 1993 group were attacked and their compound burned. Many of those people are stockpiling food, arms and munitions for a “race war.” The authorities have always stated that the fire at WACO was an accident caused by gunfire hitting the munitions that Koresh was stockpiling there. The conservative groups believe, however, that the assault was meant to be a massacre propagated by the corrupt US government.

These are people who do not believe in a strong central government at all as we have today. They are anarchists, in other words. The Tea Party organization has emboldened the generally religious far right to move together more closely politically, acting as a leader of sorts for a group who otherwise are amorphous in their actions. Usually they show up as lone wolf actors such as Timothy McVeigh, or the hate-filled Militia groups in various states. After the Tea Party they have been more active in voting in their far rightist leaders, especially in state governments and the US Congress, to block the voting rights of blacks and Hispanics, the teachings of anti-evolution texts in the public school systems, preventing logical and reasonable gun control laws, and create other noxious new laws. Their goal is to take apart, piece by piece, the civil rights and secular basis of the US Constitution. There is an active movement on the right to vote in a federal religious preference for Christianity over all other religions. There is a very active movement against Islam in the US, and I wouldn't be too surprised at laws against Judaism or perhaps my own Unitarian Universalist faith.

Unfortunately the Supreme Court backed one such law that allows states to enact laws against the 1964 Voting Rights Act which safeguards minority voting rights, with the result of a whole new set of voter ID laws. Also some states have made laws that can criminalize the spontaneous abortion of a baby under the claim that the mother purposely caused the loss of the fetus. At least two women have been imprisoned based on that claim.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-arabia-no-evidence-its-agents-directly-helped-911-hijackers/

Saudi Arabia: No evidence its agents "directly" helped 9/11 hijackers
CBS/AP
April 13, 2015

Photograph – Pictures of some of the September 11 hijackers are viewed during a preview of the National September 11 Memorial Museum on May 14, 2014 in New York City.  SPENCER PLATT, GETTY IMAGES

NEW YORK -- Attorneys for Saudi Arabia say a judge should reject claims by families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks that new evidence - including an interview with the man who became known as the "20th hijacker" - shows agents of the kingdom "directly and knowingly" helped the hijackers.

In papers filed in Manhattan federal court late Friday, the lawyers said there is no evidence Saudi Arabia supported or caused the attacks.

They urged a judge to dismiss the claims against Saudi Arabia, saying the lawyers "have had enough chances to make their case."

Saudi Arabia was among the countries, companies and organizations sued in 2002 and afterward by families who claimed they aided al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and other terrorist groups. The lawsuits sought billions of dollars in damages.

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia also urged the judge considering the merits of the civil litigation to disregard claims by al Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui, who is serving a life prison sentence after pleading guilty in April 2005 to conspiring with the hijackers to kill Americans.

They called his comments to plaintiffs' lawyers last year "colorful but immaterial hearsay statements" from a convicted, mentally ill terrorist. Before jurors spared Moussaoui's life, a psychologist testified for the defense at death penalty proceedings that he had paranoid schizophrenia.

Moussaoui says it was a lie that Saudi Arabia cut ties with al Qaeda and bin Laden in 1994.

Lawyers for 9/11 families cited Moussaoui's claims in saying they've unearthed "compelling" evidence that the Saudi government assisted the hijackers.

In papers filed Friday, the plaintiffs' lawyers said the efforts by Saudi Arabia to be dismissed from the litigation "rest on grave distortions of the record, implausible interpretations of the allegations, facts and evidence, and a refusal to afford plaintiffs the obvious inferences to which they are entitled."

Saudi Arabia was dismissed as a defendant in the case once before by a judge who said it was protected by sovereign immunity, but a federal appeals court in December 2013 reinstated it, saying a legal exception existed and the circumstances were extraordinary.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs say they have developed substantial new evidence against Saudi Arabia since the Sept. 11 Commission said in a report a decade ago that it found no evidence that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials individually funded al-Qaida.

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia say the families are relying on the submission of "thousands of pages of inadmissible and irrelevant materials."

They wrote: "If they had a single piece of evidence that would stand up in court, they would highlight it in their papers. Instead, they focus heavily on witnesses manifestly lacking personal knowledge, and on newspaper articles, blog posts, and similar multiple hearsay. They thus reveal that they have nothing better."

Earlier this year, lawmakers and some family members of those killed in the 9/11 attacks pushed for a joint congressional report issued in the aftermath of the attacks to be declassified.

Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) spoke to CBSN about their mission to declassify the 28-page report which raises questions about the relationship Saudi Arabia may have had with the 9/11 hijackers. The pages are part of the larger 9/11 report released a decade ago.

"There is no security reason in declassifying this information," said Rep. Jones. "The 9/11 families and the American people have a right to see the 28-pages and then make the decision for themselves."




“Attorneys for Saudi Arabia say a judge should reject claims by families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks that new evidence - including an interview with the man who became known as the "20th hijacker" - shows agents of the kingdom "directly and knowingly" helped the hijackers. …. Lawyers for Saudi Arabia also urged the judge considering the merits of the civil litigation to disregard claims by al Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui, who is serving a life prison sentence after pleading guilty in April 2005 to conspiring with the hijackers to kill Americans. …. In papers filed Friday, the plaintiffs' lawyers said the efforts by Saudi Arabia to be dismissed from the litigation "rest on grave distortions of the record, implausible interpretations of the allegations, facts and evidence, and a refusal to afford plaintiffs the obvious inferences to which they are entitled." …. Earlier this year, lawmakers and some family members of those killed in the 9/11 attacks pushed for a joint congressional report issued in the aftermath of the attacks to be declassified. Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) spoke to CBSN about their mission to declassify the 28-page report which raises questions about the relationship Saudi Arabia may have had with the 9/11 hijackers. The pages are part of the larger 9/11 report released a decade ago.”

I agree with those who want the report declassified. If there is a connection between al-Qaeda and Saudi Arabia, which enjoys the relationship of trusted nation with us today, the aid should be exposed. It has been over a decade and we need to move forward.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/protests-for-15-an-hour-wages-set-to-expand/

Protests for $15-an-hour wages set to expand
AP April 15, 2015

NEW YORK - The fight to redefine a McJob is heating up.

Protests for pay of $15 an hour and a union for fast-food and other low-wage workers are set to take place around the country Wednesday, marking the biggest effort yet in an ongoing campaign by labor organizers.

The push comes just two weeks after McDonald's announced a pay bump for workers at its company-owned stores, suggesting the chain is trying to take control of its image as an employer.

The Fight for $15 campaign is being spearheaded by the Service Employees International Union and began in late 2012 with fast-food workers. Since then, the campaign has morphed to rally a variety of low-wage workers, including airport workers and home care workers. Adjunct professors will be among the latest to join the demonstrations Wednesday, which organizers say are planned for more than 230 cities and college campuses.

Kendall Fells, organizing director for Fight for $15, said McDonald's remains a focus of the protests and that the company's recent pay bump shows fast-food workers already have a de facto union.

"It shows the workers are winning," he said.

The first national pay policy announced by McDonald's includes a starting salary that's $1 above the local minimum wage, and the ability to accrue paid time off. It only applies to workers at company-owned stores, however, which account for about 10 percent of more than 14,300 locations. That means McDonald's is digging in its heels over a central issue for labor organizers: Whether it has the power to set wages at franchised restaurants.

McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's say they don't control the employment decisions at franchised restaurants. The SEIU is working to change that and hold McDonald's Corp. responsible for labor conditions at franchised restaurants in multiple ways, including lawsuits.

The demonstrations got an early start Tuesday afternoon in Boston, where several hundred people including college students, low-wage workers and their supporters gathered for a rally. In the evening, protesters in Detroit gathered inside a McDonald's, and organizers say three employees walked off the job as part of the protests.

In an emailed statement, McDonald's said it respects the right to "peacefully protest" and that its restaurants will remain open Wednesday. In the past, it said only about 10 to 15 McDonald's workers out of about 800,000 have participated.

In a recent column in The Chicago Tribune, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook described the pay hike and other perks as "an initial step" and said he wants to transform McDonald's into a "modern, progressive burger company."

But that transformation will have to take place as labor organizers continue rallying public support for low-wage workers. Ahead of the protests this week, a study funded by the SEIU found working families rely on $153 billion in public assistance a year as a result of their low wages.

Already, organizers say the Fight for $15 is changing the way people think about low-wage work.

Last year, more than a dozen states and multiple cities raised their minimum wages, according to the National Employment Law Project. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which has also been targeted with protests for higher wages and better treatment for workers, also recently announced pay hikes.

Robert Reich, former Labor secretary and a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, said stagnating wages for lower-income workers are also helping change negative attitudes about unions.

"People are beginning to wonder if they'd be better off with bargaining power," Reich said.




“The Fight for $15 campaign is being spearheaded by the Service Employees International Union and began in late 2012 with fast-food workers. Since then, the campaign has morphed to rally a variety of low-wage workers, including airport workers and home care workers. Adjunct professors will be among the latest to join the demonstrations Wednesday, which organizers say are planned for more than 230 cities and college campuses. …. "It shows the workers are winning," he said. The first national pay policy announced by McDonald's includes a starting salary that's $1 above the local minimum wage, and the ability to accrue paid time off. It only applies to workers at company-owned stores, however, which account for about 10 percent of more than 14,300 locations. That means McDonald's is digging in its heels over a central issue for labor organizers: Whether it has the power to set wages at franchised restaurants. …. The SEIU is working to change that and hold McDonald's Corp. responsible for labor conditions at franchised restaurants in multiple ways, including lawsuits. …. In the past, it said only about 10 to 15 McDonald's workers out of about 800,000 have participated. In a recent column in The Chicago Tribune, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook described the pay hike and other perks as "an initial step" and said he wants to transform McDonald's into a "modern, progressive burger company." …. Ahead of the protests this week, a study funded by the SEIU found working families rely on $153 billion in public assistance a year as a result of their low wages. Already, organizers say the Fight for $15 is changing the way people think about low-wage work. Last year, more than a dozen states and multiple cities raised their minimum wages, according to the National Employment Law Project.”

“Robert Reich, former Labor secretary and a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, said stagnating wages for lower-income workers are also helping change negative attitudes about unions. "People are beginning to wonder if they'd be better off with bargaining power," Reich said.” I have felt strongly every time I see another article about the vast and increasing gulf between the lower paid segments of our society and the wealthy that is was high time for a new upsurge in union activity. I believe that is exactly what is happening now. The argument that raising wages will cause businesses to cut jobs is no longer believed by the workers. In addition to these union actions, several businesses and a number of states have already raised their minimum wages. The tight fist of the management class is loosening. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/15/seattle-boss-raises-entire-company-minimum-wage-to-70000/ is a great article about a Seattle business owner who has lowered his own salary from over a million dollars to $70,000 and raised each and every employee to at least $70,000. Interestingly, he looks strikingly like images I grew up with of Jesus. Go to the Fox site above and read that story.






http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31564683

US first women-only 'mosque' opens in Los Angeles
Alastair Leithead reports
21 February 2015

The first women-only mosque in the US is causing controversy among the American Muslim community and beyond.

The Women's Mosque of America in Los Angeles holds prayers in a building that used to be a synagogue, but is now a multi-faith space.

Founder Hasna Maznavi told the BBC the intention was not to compete with other mosques, but to give women a place where they can "grow inspired and empowered".



http://womensmosque.com/

ABOUT US

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Women's Mosque of America seeks to uplift the Muslim community by empowering women and girls through more direct access to Islamic scholarship and leadership opportunities. The Women's Mosque of America will provide a safe space for women to feel welcome, respected, and actively engaged within the Muslim Ummah. It will complement existing mosques, offering opportunities for women to grow, learn, and gain inspiration to spread throughout their respective communities.

The Women's Mosque of America provides women-led Friday jumma'a services for women and children (including boys 12 and under) once a month in Southern California. In addition, the Women's Mosque of America plans to provide programming, events, and classes open to both men and women that will aim to increase community access to female Muslim scholars and female perspectives on Islamic knowledge and spirituality.

The Women's Mosque of America is proud to be supported by a diverse group of passionate volunteers spread across the country. Read about our outstanding team in our first newsletter.

Salaam everyone,

It's been a month since our last update for the Women's Mosque of America, and we'd like to let you know what's been going on our end since then!

At this time, we are very proud to announce our team of nine brilliant individuals who will be serving on the Women's Mosque Board of Directors. Please take a look at the bios and descriptions below to get to know our amazing team, mashAllah. During our first board meeting, each of these individuals brought their own specific set of skills, expertise, and diverse perspectives to the table, and several different members expressed their desire for the Mosque to become one of the gateways toward an Islamic renaissance in America. We hope you also share this dream of ours, and that you are as excited as we are about moving forward together, inshAllah. 

We are now working actively on filing all our legal paperwork, starting the 501(c)(3) process, writing our bylaws, putting together a web development team, expanding our list of khatibahs, and organizing our upcoming events. We are currently working toward making our first woman-led Friday jumma'a prayer service a reality. We have a tentative date set for November, so look for the finalized date and time in our next newsletter,  inshAllah!

Lastly, the Women's Mosque of America would like to wish you and your loved ones a very beautiful and blessed Eid Al-Adha this weekend. Whichever day you choose to celebrate, we sincerely hope your Eid will be a day filled with joy, peace, and immense gratitude for all of God's blessings. Thank you for all your support on this journey, and may Allah guide us all to increased iman, unity, and strength in the effort to uplift our Ummah. Ameen.

**If you would like to pledge an amount to help us cover the cost of filing for 501(c)(3) non-profit status, please reply to this email and let us know, inshAllah. 
Thank you,
M. Hasna Maznavi & Sana Muttalib
Co-Presidents, Women's Mosque of America

Board of Directors @ The Women's Mosque

M. Hasna Maznavi is Founder and Co-President of the Women's Mosque of America. She is a filmmaker and comedy writer committed to changing the way Muslims are represented in mainstream American media. She holds an MFA in Film & TV Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Art and Mass Communications from UC Berkeley. Hasna looks forward to working with her team to ensure that the Women's Mosque is built upon a solid foundation in the coming years, and she hopes the Mosque will help open the pathway towards an Islamic Renaissance in America.

Sana Muttalib is Co-President of the Women's Mosque of America. She is an attorney who specializes in international anti-corruption law, and she received her JD from the University of Michigan and her BA in Political Science and South Asian Studies from UCLA. While in law school, Sana dedicated herself to studying issues of gender equality in Islamic law, which fuels her enthusiasm for the Women's Mosque of America. In her role as Co-President, Sana plans to work towards building a safe and empowering space for Muslim women.

Logan Siler is Secretary of the Women's Mosque of America. He is from Fresno, CA and is currently an outreach worker and housing navigator for Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena. Logan holds a BA in Middle Eastern and Islamic History from San Francisco State University. He is excited about the creation of a space where his daughter can grow up surrounded by both female empowerment and love of Allah.

Zaiba Omar is Treasurer of the Women's Mosque of America. She completed her BA in Economics at UC Irvine, with minors in Business Management and Psychology.  Zaiba has been working in accounting for nearly a decade, with an expertise in bookkeeping and financial accounting. She would like to help make this mosque an important resource in the Muslim community for future generations.

Nia Malika Dixon is Director of Social and Emotional Health for the Women's Mosque of America. She is a Baltimore, MD native and an award-winning writer, director, & producer of independent films and shows. Nia is also a mother, wife, and graduate student completing a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, and she brings a dedication to strengthening families and the community to the Women's Mosque team.

Amal Rachelle Fawcett is Director of Islamic Scholarship for the Women's Mosque of America. She is a freelance writer and editor, and has written for Al-JazeeraEnglish, The Islamic Monthly, and Azizah Magazine on various issues regarding women in Islam. Amal holds an MA in Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations from Hartford Seminary and a BA in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. She looks forward to helping to create more effective and meaningful pathways to religious education for Muslim women in America.

Zain Shauk is Co-Chair of Marketing and Communications for the Women's Mosque of America. He is a Fulbright Scholar and an award-winning Houston-based journalist who has covered business, politics, crime, education, religion, healthcare, sports and technology for major news organizations. He holds a BA in Print Journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. In his role, Zain hopes to spread awareness for the Women's Mosque of America and build support for its mission.

Mahin Ibrahim is Co-Chair of Marketing and Communications for the Women's Mosque of America. Mahin is from the Bay Area, CA and works at YouTube, where she has witnessed first-hand the rise of digital video and social media. She holds an MFA in Film & TV Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in Business Administration and Mass Communications from UC Berkeley, and she hopes to utilize film and online video to focus on social issues and capture the zeitgeist of our times. Mahin looks forward to helping build a safe place where Muslim women feel empowered and inspired. 

Amie Darboe is Director of Community Initiatives for the Women's Mosque of America. She is a screenwriter and social media consultant from Rhode Island, and she holds a BA in Urban Studies and Political Science from Brown University. Amie looks forward to organizing opportunities for Muslim women to become more civically engaged in American society, and she hopes to help the Women's Mosque provide a safe and inclusive space for people of various backgrounds and worldviews to gather and seek nearness to God.

About the Women's Mosque of America

The Women's Mosque of America seeks to empower Muslim women and girls through more direct access to Islamic scholarship as well as to increase women's participation in leadership within the Muslim community and beyond. The Women's Mosque will provide a safe space for Muslim women of all backgrounds to feel welcome, respected  and actively engaged within the Muslim community at large.

Starting in November, the Women's Mosque of America will provide women-led Friday jumma'a services for women and children (including boys 12 and under) once a month. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more updates on our upcoming events. 






“The first women-only mosque in the US is causing controversy among the American Muslim community and beyond. The Women's Mosque of America in Los Angeles holds prayers in a building that used to be a synagogue, but is now a multi-faith space. Founder Hasna Maznavi told the BBC the intention was not to compete with other mosques, but to give women a place where they can "grow inspired and empowered." It's a shame that women can't attain basic equality in the presence of men, if that is the situation, but I'm so glad to see Muslim women taking on the courage to stand up for themselves. If this is a result of moving to America, it's a great thing. I am not interested in joining a Muslim group, of course, but I am delighted to see women stepping forward from the shadows and into the full sunlight of participation and leadership. I'm willing to bet that with women's voices being heard there will be fewer young men running off to join ISIS or doing bombings here in the US.

There are two males mentioned above in the bios of their leaders, though in secondary roles. M. Hasna Maznavi foresees an Islamic Renaissance in America and Sana Muttalib has studied gender equality in Islamic Law. Lawyers, sociologists, psychologists and students of Islamic/Christian relations, they form an impressive array of talents to deal with what is almost certainly going to be a growing issue as more and more Islamic people migrate to America. There is a right wing element in the US at this time spewing hate speech against Muslims. They seemingly can't wait to fight a war over religion and race. These people at the Women's Mosque give hope for a progressive and enlightened effort that will counter hatred with tolerance and mutual respect.




A LONG, BUT VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE ON SPEAKING OUT


http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/ruskin-mailman-tries-flying-to-capitol-in-gyrocopter-to-deliver-campaign/2225584

Ruskin mailman lands gyrocopter on U.S. Capitol lawn to deliver campaign reform message to Congress
Ben Montgomery, Times Staff Writer
April 15, 2015

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: WASHINGTON — Doug Hughes, the 61-year-old mailman from Ruskin, successfully landed his gyrocopter on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol today.

He was promptly arrested.

Witnesses said the sirens and cars came immediately after Hughes touched down. They said he was composed, calm and surrendered immediately.

Shortly before 2 p.m., police officials were inspecting his gyrocopter with dogs. Investigators moved witnesses a block away from the Capitol.

"We heard him coming. There are a lot of helicopters in D.C. but I could tell this one was smaller," said Gil Wheeler, 53, a pilot from Las Vegas. "It came right down the middle of the lawn. You can tell he knows how to fly that thing."

Wheeler added that Hughes' protest move, urging campaign finance reform and a halt to corruption in the government, raises questions about our country's national security apparatus.

"This is just another question for Homeland Security," Hughes said. "We still have a lot of questions to ask."

Richard Burns, 27, who said he works for a marijuana lobby group in Washington, stood in wonder and solidarity.

"I don't know whatever it was he was doing but I support him."

The Capitol was briefly placed on lockdown during Hughes' landing.

UPDATE 1:33 p.m.: It appears as though Hughes has landed on the lawn of the Capitol. Tweets from Washington congressional reporters indicate Capitol Police hustled out of the building and confronted Hughes at the gyrocopter.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: The Tampa Bay Times called the U.S. Secret Service in Washington D.C. to see if they were aware of Hughes' plans. Public information officers there said they had not heard of the protest. They referred a reporter to Capitol Police. A public information officer did not immediately answer. A sergeant in the watch commander's office said: "He hasn't notified anybody. We have no information."

* * * * *

About 1 a.m. one night last spring, a Secret Service agent accompanied by a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy rang Doug Hughes' doorbell. Lights went on inside his spare little house in Ruskin. The plainclothes agent showed his badge. Hughes stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

The agent asked him questions about his plan to save America, he said, and Hughes was honest in his replies, if not totally forthcoming with details. Yes, he did own a gyrocopter. Yes, he keeps it in a hangar at the small airport in Wauchula. Yes, he had talked of doing something big to bring attention to the issue of campaign finance reform. No, he was not planning to crash into any buildings or monuments in Washington, D.C.

I'm not a violent person, Hughes remembers saying. All I want to do is draw attention.

Someone inside his circle of secrecy had reported him, telling the Secret Service that Hughes was talking about committing a daring act of civil disobedience that also happened to be a federal crime.

The Secret Service won't confirm the agent's visit because there was no arrest. But Hughes says he was questioned for about 45 minutes, and he has an agent's business card. Two days later, Hughes said, the same agent showed up at the post office where Hughes works and asked more questions . He also talked to one of Hughes' colleagues with whom he had discussed his plan. The colleague told the Tampa Bay Times that he, too, answered questions. Hughes even gave the agent permission to talk to his doctor, to assure him he wasn't suicidal or homicidal.

And then, for months, nothing. That was it, Hughes said. No other questions. No other contact. So Hughes, who sees himself as a sort of showman patriot, a mix of Paul Revere and P.T. Barnum, put his plan into action.

He bought a burner cell phone and a video camera, and tested a livestream video feed from his gyrocopter ( tbtim.es/gpa). He built a website offline that explains who he is and why he's doing what he's doing. He bought $250 worth of stamps and stuffed 535 two-page letters into 535 envelopes, each addressed to a specific member of Congress:

"I'm demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence," he wrote in his letters. "As a member of Congress, you have three options. 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform."

He also learned how to fly.

Late last week, he loaded the gyrocopter onto a trailer and headed for an undisclosed location outside the nation's capital.

If you're reading this, Doug Hughes, a 61-year-old mailman from Ruskin, has taken flight. His stated intent: to buzz through the air at 45 miles per hour at about 300 feet up in an ultralight gyrocopter toward Washington, D.C., toward protected airspace, where, if his plan works, he'll land on the lawn of the United States Capitol building and deliver the mail.

Of course, Doug Hughes might be shot out of the sky. He knows this. He has thought about it day and night for more than two years, wrestling with the tiniest details of his insane plan.
"No sane person," he said, "would do what I'm doing."

He decided he wanted someone to tell his story in the event he was hurt or arrested. After the Secret Service visit, he sought out a Tampa Bay Times reporter and explained his plan and motivation. He says he has no intention of hurting anybody and that he doesn't want to be hurt either.

"I don't believe that the authorities are going to shoot down a 61-year-old mailman in a flying bicycle," he said. "I don't have any defense, okay, but I don't believe that anybody wants to personally take responsibility for the fallout."

He has thought through every scenario he can muster.

"Somebody will realize that they've got to modify the playbook and they'll probably scramble a helicopter," he said. "They'll scramble a Blackhawk from Quantico, and there's a 50-50 chance that a Blackhawk at full throttle will overfly me and realize that he's missed and he'll have to come back. Again, I'm going to fly low and slow and these guys are going to have a full head of adrenaline. Eventually, I'm hoping the Blackhawk will catch up with me about the time that the authorities realize that I'm not a threat and knocking me down is not a politically savvy move, and I anticipate having an escort all the way in. I'm hoping for a friendly escort."

He knows what's at stake. He figures he'll lose his job of 11 years. And he could lose his tidy little house across from a pond with a fountain. And he could lose his freedom; he expects to be arrested for landing his flying machine near the steps of the Capitol. That means losing, at least temporarily, his Russian-born wife and his polite 12-year-old daughter who plays the piano and wins awards at the science fair. He has kept them in the dark, he said, for fear they'd be implicated.

Hughes is a slender, soft-spoken, pedantic man, with thinning gray hair and hearing aids. He has no criminal record and it's rare to hear him curse. But he says he needs the show, the very dramatic public act of civil disobedience, to hijack the news cycle and focus the nation's attention on a topic that in most quarters makes eyes glaze over: campaign finance reform. Money, he says, has corrupted the democracy.

At the root of Hughes' disdain is the Supreme Court's 2010 decision inCitizens United v. Federal Election Commission, in which the court decided campaign contributions were a form of "political speech" and struck down limits on how much corporations and unions could give to political contenders. The decision changed the game. Campaign spending went through the roof. In Hughes' mind, there was a parallel spike in favor-dealing and the government is now practically owned by the rich. Hughes likes to point out that nearly half the retiring members of Congress from 1998 to 2004 got jobs as lobbyists earning some 14 times their congressional salaries.

"We're heading full-throttle toward a breakdown," he said. "There's no question that we need government, but we don't have to accept that it's a corrupt government that sells out to the highest bidder. We can have a government that works for the people, that answers to the people, that can only take money from the people in small amounts."

But nobody seems to care. At least, nobody thinks it can be fixed. Polls have shown that 96 percent of Americans said they believe that it's important to reduce the influence of money in politics, but only 9 percent think that it is likely to happen.

Hughes thinks the answers are out there, and they're non-partisan. He points to reform thinkers like political activist Cenk Uygar and Harvard legal theorist Lawrence Lessig, who launched a political action committee to end political action committees. The motto: "Embrace the irony."

"I'm not promoting myself," Hughes said a few weeks ago. "I'm trying to direct millions of people to information, to a menu of organizations that are working together to fix Congress."

How do you get people to look? How do you shake up voters and wrest their attention from the faux political scandals of the day?

His idea began to blossom 2½ years ago, after his son, John Joseph Hughes, 24, committed suicide by driving his car head-on into another man, killing them both. "Police: Suicidal driver caused deadly crash," read the headline in the Leesburg newspaper. He was crushed by grief, and disappointed that his son had killed himself — and someone else — to make a stupid, worthless point.

"Something changed in me," Hughes said. With mourning came a realization. The years Hughes spent thinking about and writing about mundane political issues were for naught if he didn't have a way to make a point. His political frustrations and grief merged. He doesn't condone what his son did, but it offered a lesson.

"He paid far too high a price for an unimportant issue," Hughes said. "But if you're willing to take a risk, the ultimate risk, to draw attention to something that does have significance, it's worth doing."

He has always wanted to fly. Growing up in Santa Cruz, Calif., he used to ride his bike to Sky Park and watch the planes come and go, and read books about the Wright Brothers and Kitty Hawk.

At first he thought about using an ultralight fixed-wing plane, but that felt too threatening. He finally found the gyrocopter, which has un-powered helicopter blades on top for lift but gets its thrust from a propeller on the back. The cockpit, if you can call it that, is wide open. "This is as transparent a vehicle that I could come up with," Hughes said. "You can literally see through it." He can land the craft in a space the size of half a basketball court.

Hughes set up a delayed email blast to alert every breaking news desk at every TV station and newspaper he could find, as well as the Secret Service. He has provided journalists a link to a website which, if the technology holds up, should be broadcasting a live stream video of his flight ( tbtim.es/gpa), called Project Kitty Hawk. He hopes this public broadcast will deter the authorities from shooting him out of the sky.

His biggest fear all along, he said, was losing his nerve.

"I have thought about walking away from this whole thing because it's crazy," he said. "But I have also thought about being 80 years old and watching the collapse of this country and thinking that I had an idea once that might have arrested the fall and I didn't do it.

"And I will tell you completely honestly: I'd rather die in the flight than live to be 80 years old and see this country fall."

Doug Hughes is in the air, trying to deliver the mail.


Times staff writer Zachary T. Sampson and researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Contact Ben Montgomery at bmontgomery@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8650. Follow @gangrey on Twitter.

This is the text of the letter that Doug Hughes wants to deliver to members of Congress:

Dear ___________,
Consider the following statement by John Kerry in his farewell speech to the Senate —

"The unending chase for money I believe threatens to steal our democracy itself. They know it. They know we know it. And yet, Nothing Happens!" — John Kerry, 2-13

In a July 2012 Gallup poll, 87% tagged corruption in the federal government as extremely important or very important, placing this issue just barely behind job creation. According to Gallup, public faith in Congress is at a 41-year record low, 7%. (June 2014) Kerry is correct. The popular perception outside the DC beltway is that the federal government is corrupt and the US Congress is the major problem. As a voter, I'm a member of the only political body with authority over Congress. I'm demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence. As a member of Congress, you have three options.

1. You may pretend corruption does not exist.
2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform.
3. You may actively participate in real reform.

If you're considering option 1, you may wonder if voters really know what the 'chase for money' is. Your dismal and declining popularity documented by Gallup suggests we know, but allow a few examples, by no means a complete list. That these practices are legal does not make them right! Obviously, it is Congress who writes the laws that make corruption legal.

1. Dozens of major and very profitable corporations pay nothing in taxes. Voters know how this is done. Corporations pay millions to lobbyists for special legislation. Many companies on the list of freeloaders are household names — GE, Boeing, Exxon Mobil, Verizon, Citigroup, Dow …

2. Almost half of the retiring members of Congress from 1998 to 2004 got jobs as lobbyists earning on average fourteen times their Congressional salary. (50% of the Senate, 42% of the House)

3. The new democratic freshmen to the US House in 2012 were 'advised' by the party to schedule 4 hours per day on the phones fund raising at party headquarters (because fund raising is illegal from gov't offices.) It is the donors with deep pockets who get the calls, but seldom do the priorities of the rich donor help the average citizen.

4. The relevant (rich) donors who command the attention of Congress are only .05% of the public (5 people in a thousand) but these aristocrats of both parties are who Congress really works for. As a member of the US Congress, you should work only for The People.

1. Not yourself.
2. Not your political party.
3. Not the richest donors to your campaign.
4. Not the lobbyist company who will hire you after your leave Congress.

There are several credible groups working to reform Congress. Their evaluations of the problem are remarkably in agreement though the leadership (and membership) may lean conservative or liberal. They see the corrupting effect of money — how the current rules empower special interests through lobbyists and PACs — robbing the average American of any representation on any issue where the connected have a stake. This is not democracy even if the ritual of elections is maintained.

The various mechanisms which funnel money to candidates and congress-persons are complex. It happens before they are elected, while they are in office and after they leave Congress. Fortunately, a solution to corruption is not complicated. All the proposals are built around either reform legislation or a Constitutional Amendment. Actually, we need both — a constitutional amendment and legislation.

There will be discussion about the structure and details of reform. As I see it, campaign finance reform is the cornerstone of building an honest Congress. Erect a wall of separation between our elected officials and big money. This you must do — or your replacement will do. A corporation is not 'people' and no individual should be allowed to spend hundreds of millions to 'influence' an election. That much money is a megaphone which drowns out the voices of 'We the People.' Next, a retired member of Congress has a lifelong obligation to avoid the appearance of impropriety. That almost half the retired members of Congress work as lobbyists and make millions of dollars per year smells like bribery, however legal. It must end. Pass real campaign finance reform and prohibit even the appearance of payola after retirement and you will be part of a Congress I can respect.

The states have the power to pass a Constitutional Amendment without Congress — and we will. You in Congress will likely embrace the change just to survive, because liberals and conservatives won't settle for less than democracy. The leadership and organization to coordinate a voters revolution exist now! New groups will add their voices because the vast majority of Americans believe in the real democracy we once had, which Congress over time has eroded to the corrupt, dysfunctional plutocracy we have.

The question is where YOU individually stand. You have three options and you must choose.

Sincerely,
Douglas M. Hughes
www.TheDemocracyClub.org

Ruskin mailman lands gyrocopter on U.S. Capitol lawn to deliver campaign reform message to Congress 04/15/15 [Last modified: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 1:57pm] 



THIS WEBSITE IS RECOMMENDED ON THE ISSUE OF CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANDIDATES


http://www.democracyforus.org/

Our democracy is under siege. Money is not speech and corporations are not people. Yet the power and influence of ideologically driven money in politics and corporate influence is unprecedented.

Simultaneously our fundamental democratic value of “one person, one vote” is under attack by a barrage of aggressive attempts to restrict access to the ballot box and undermine voting rights.

As a result of all this, citizen belief and engagement in the system is at an all-time low.

The Democracy Initiative, launched in 2013, seeks to restore the core principle of political equality. Labor, civil rights, voting rights, environmental, good government and other like-minded organizations with broad memberships commit to build a movement to halt the corrupting influence of corporate money in politics, prevent the systemic manipulation and suppression of voters, and address other obstacles to significant reform, including the abuse of U.S. Senate rules that allow a small minority to obstruct deliberation and block action on legislation drafted to address the critical challenges facing our nation.

The Democracy Initiative, launched in 2013, seeks to restore the core principle of political equality.  

Labor, civil rights, voting rights, environmental, good government and other like-minded organizations with broad memberships are committed to building a movement to halt the corrupting influence of corporate money in politics, prevent the systemic manipulation and suppression of voters, and address other obstacles to significant reform, including the abuse of U.S. Senate rules that allow a small minority to obstruct deliberation and block action on legislation addressing the critical challenges facing our nation.

Fix the Senate Now is a project of the Democracy Initiative.

SENATE RULES REFORM – LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING AHEAD
2013 was a watershed year for U.S. Senate rules reform. After years of unprecedented obstruction, the Senate adopted reforms in November 2013 to allow majority votes to end filibusters of most presidential nominees. These changes are good for our democracy.  But more is needed.  

UNPRECEDENTED OBSTRUCTION AND FAILED “GENTLEMEN’S AGREEMENTS”

November’s Senate reforms were not made rashly – far from it. Despite a “gentlemen’s agreement” between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in January 2011, Senate Republicans quickly returned to obstruction-as-usual. In January 2013, despite strong support for reforms backed by the Fix the Senate Now coalition, another handshake agreement between the Senate leaders again failed to end the gridlock.

By mid-2013, it was clear that  well-qualified nominees were being blocked simply to leave the jobs vacant. With Republicans denying “yes-or-no” votes to nominees regardless of their merits, Senator Reid and the rest of the Democratic caucus decided that they had no choice but to embrace Senate reforms.

LOOKING AHEAD – ADDITIONAL SENATE REFORMS NEEDED

The Senate Democrats’ November 2013 rules reforms saw immediate results. However, the Senate still has work to do to fully earn back the trust of the American people and live up to its best traditions. In the wake of the November 2013 reforms, Republicans found new ways to slow Senate operations to a crawl. Areas ripe for further Senate reform include, most notably, the “use it or lose it” provision to addresstime-wasting associated with the hours spent debating a nominee after a vote to end a filibuster.

Throughout the Obama presidency, Senate Republicans have turned 60 votes into the default threshold for nearly every order of Senate business; somethingunprecedented in American history. Until the Senate raises the costs of obstruction to make partisan gridlock a less viable strategy, we will continue to explore additional reforms to fix the broken Senate and improve the health of our democracy.

How to Fix It

Americans deserve a Senate that conducts its business efficiently and fairly, that prioritizes debate and transparency, and that is capable of action on the pressing challenges of our time. Unfortunately, from the start of the Obama Administration,Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has abused Senate rules and procedures to gum up Senate operations. This endless gridlock has often been without regard to the merits of the issue or nominee – just obstruction for obstruction’s sake.

The Senate reforms adopted in November 2013 to allow majority votes for most executive and judicial appointees are an important first step. However, there is more work to be done to improve the functioning of the U.S. Senate and the health of our democracy. Since the November 2013 reforms, Senate Republicans have refused to act on noncontroversial Senate business. As a result, addressing time-wasting associated with nominee floor debate time is an area of potential reform.

The Fix the Senate Now coalition supports potential “use it or lose it” reform in the Senate to address the time-wasting and obstruction that has fueled this nominee backlog. Those dedicated to Senate gridlock and time wasting should have to either use the post-cloture time allotted to debate or discuss relevant matters or else lose the allotted maximum time. Such a reform would cut down on time wasting, prioritize debate and accountability, and help shift the burden of obstruction to those looking to block or slow the Senate’s progress. 

Additionally, a range of popular legislation that enjoys majority support in the Senate has been bottled up by ceaseless obstruction. Raising the costs of obstruction will be an important counter to the fact that 60 votes has become the default threshold for nearly every order of Senate business. Proposals backed by reform-minded Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Tom Harkin (D-IA), such as those outlined in January 2013’s Senate Resolution 4 (S.Res.4), remain a positive vision of a functional Senate.

Continued Senate reform is important for the health of our democracy, independent of the short-term partisan implications of such changes.

Make sure to sign up for our e-mail updates to stay informed about the latest progress.





NOW A HAPPY ARTICLE –


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cats-chat-with-us-using-tails-whiskers-and-winks/

Cats chat with us using tails, whiskers and winks
AP April 15, 2015

Photographs – Japan's Cat Island

When it comes to cats, those meows mean ... well, a lot of things.

With each purr, yowl or even blink, felines are saying, "Hello," "Let's snuggle" or "Beat it, Mom." For the increasing number of pet owners who want to connect with their often-aloof fur babies, experts say there's something to gain from those attempts at communication.

Cats are very independent, and so they are easily misunderstood, says Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA and author of the new National Geographic book "How to Speak Cat." He aims to unravel the mystery by helping people discern what cats are trying to convey.

Crafty kitties can make 16 different meow sounds and usually only unleash them when people are around, he said. Meows can be their way of saying feed me, pet me or let me out, and hardly ever get exchanged between cats.

That's because cats learn they can get something desirable from people if they meow, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. She also wrote the 2003 textbook "Feline Behavior."

The meaning of a scratch or a hiss is pretty clear, but cats can talk in more subtle ways - with their eyes and tails. A slow blink from a feline, for example, is like a wink between friends, Weitzman said.

"Blinking is like a kitty kiss," he said.

And extending their tails straight up equates to a human handshake, he said. A cat perks up that appendage as it approaches to show it's happy to see you.

Susan McMinn, 55, of Tryon, North Carolina, was eager to try the slow-blinking exercise with her Siamese cat, Jade, after reading the book.

"I sat and blinked slowly at my cat, and she blinked right back. I know she loves me, of course, but now I feel I understand her communication even more," McMinn said.

McMinn has owned Jade for 10 years and has had six cats over her lifetime, but she says it's clear she still has a lot to learn. "And I thought I was an expert!" she said.

Even ear and whisker movements signify something worth listening to. If a cat's ears are flat, don't get close because it's scared or facing a fight, Weitzman said.

A kitty is happy, calm or friendly when its whiskers are naturally out to the side. Twice as thick as a human hair and rooted three times as deep, the whiskers guide them, help them with prey and show how they are feeling.

Learning to communicate with cats becomes even important for those who adopt a pet based only on the color or breed they want versus a connection with the animal.

At Happy Cats Sanctuary in Medford, New York, a potential owner might ask for a "white cat with fluffy fur," said Melissa Cox, director of communications and development.

She tells them not to go by looks alone because the true indicator of compatibility is spending time with a cat and getting to know it.

For McMinn, she says she isn't done with the book and plans to use some of its training tips. But now she knows "what to look for in her (cat's) tail and ear movement, whisker positions and in her eyes."




“Crafty kitties can make 16 different meow sounds and usually only unleash them when people are around, he said. Meows can be their way of saying feed me, pet me or let me out, and hardly ever get exchanged between cats. That's because cats learn they can get something desirable from people if they meow, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. She also wrote the 2003 textbook "Feline Behavior." …. "Blinking is like a kitty kiss," he said. And extending their tails straight up equates to a human handshake, he said. A cat perks up that appendage as it approaches to show it's happy to see you. Susan McMinn, 55, of Tryon, North Carolina, was eager to try the slow-blinking exercise with her Siamese cat, Jade, after reading the book. "I sat and blinked slowly at my cat, and she blinked right back. I know she loves me, of course, but now I feel I understand her communication even more," McMinn said.”

I'm fond of dogs, but I love and admire cats as a species, not just because they are my pet. I was delighted with the YouTube video of a somewhat large housecat who frontally assaulted a pit bull mixture which had its little 4 year old master by the foot and was pulling him across the pavement. Taking a flying leap with all four feet he actually knocked the dog's hindquarters to the side. The dog dropped the boy and immediately ran away. The cat ran off after him as though to say “And stay away!”