November 10, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fast-food-workers-strike-again-nationwide-for-15-an-hour/

Fast food workers strike nationwide for $15/hr
CBS/AP
November 10, 2015

Photograph -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio makes an appearance in support of low wage workers, many in the fast-food industry, as they join with supporters to demand a minimum wage of $15 an hour on November 10, 2015, in New York, United States. SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES


NEW YORK -- Hundreds of fast food workers are striking nationwide Tuesday, joining other workers in pressing for a more livable wage.

Billed as the largest rally to date, there are 270 demonstrations scheduled nationwide. Workers have gone on strike nationwide repeatedly in the last few years demanding higher pay. According to organizers, more than 60 million Americans are paid less than $15 per hour.

In New York City, rallies are being held in Harlem, the Financial District and Brooklyn in support of efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, reports CBS New York.

In Los Angeles, the local protests are organized by Service Employees International Union, and include fast-food, home-care and child-care workers, along with other "underpaid" employees, reports CBS Los Angeles.

"Is this the America we believe in? When someone works all day long and they still can't get by," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during an early-morning rally in Downtown Brooklyn. "Does anyone believe that it's easy to get by in New York City on less than $15 an hour?"

Critics say a $15 minimum wage would obliterate opportunity and usher in higher taxes, but de Blasio said the opposite is true -- with more money to spend, low wage workers contribute more to the economy.

"Every time there is a minimum wage increase proposed we hear it's going to cost jobs and set back the economy. What happens in the end? The opposite," de Blasio said. "It actually improves the economy, it strengthens the economy, increases employment. Why? Because you need money in the economy for it to be strong."

A year from the presidential elections, demonstrators are hoping that presidential candidates will recognize the 16 million Americans who make less than $15 an hour as key voting block.

"$10 an hour, can't do anything," home health worker Sonia Duncan told CBS New York. "$15 an hour will go a good way."

"We need a living wage," said fast food worker Jorel Ware. "We want to be able to take care of our families."

With grandchildren to care for, Sabrina Montaleb is trying to get buy on $10 as a home help aide.

"You do have to make choices," she said. "You have to have a roof over your head, and if you need to go to the doctor, you got to make that co-payment or whatever."

But while some say $15 is a minimum needed to survive, some business owners say dishing out more pay would leave them struggling to keep their doors open.

"We can't afford it, obviously we can't afford it," said restaurant owner Jay Wise. "Look at how many places are closed right now."

Earlier this year, the Cuomo administration approved a plan to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 for workers at large fast-food chain restaurants in New York.

Cuomo also announced he will push for raising the wage for all workers to the same level over several years. Currently in New York, the minimum wage is $8.75 and is set to rise to $9 at year's end.




“Billed as the largest rally to date, there are 270 demonstrations scheduled nationwide. Workers have gone on strike nationwide repeatedly in the last few years demanding higher pay. According to organizers, more than 60 million Americans are paid less than $15 per hour. In New York City, rallies are being held in Harlem, the Financial District and Brooklyn in support of efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, reports CBS New York. In Los Angeles, the local protests are organized by Service Employees International Union, and include fast-food, home-care and child-care workers, along with other "underpaid" employees, reports CBS Los Angeles. "Is this the America we believe in? When someone works all day long and they still can't get by," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during an early-morning rally in Downtown Brooklyn. "Does anyone believe that it's easy to get by in New York City on less than $15 an hour?"


I’m glad to see that in specific expensive locations the minimum wage is being raised voluntarily, but I don’t personally believe it would happen without labor union actions. Legislators don’t even look up an pay attention without it. I applaud De Blassio and Cuomo for their responsible decisions, and hope more will follow in their tracks. I have taken to giving back about fifty cents to whoever reaches their hand out of the Wendy’s drive-by window and hands me my baked potato. They smile broadly and thank me.




MORE ABOUT RACIAL ISSUES IN MISSOURI AND NOW YALE



http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/11/10/455452623/our-favorite-word-diversity-is-under-the-microscope-at-mizzou-and-yale

Our Favorite Word — 'Diversity' — Is Under The Microscope At Mizzou And Yale
Kat Chow, Digital Journalist, Code Switch
NOVEMBER 10, 2015


The word "diversity" gets thrown around a lot in these parts, and recently, it has come under a lot of scrutiny; it's easy to invoke, but what does it actually mean? Over at The New York Times Magazine, Anna Holmes recently pondered how the word gets used in corporate culture, and Aisha Harris at Slate looked at how it comes up in the entertainment industry. And last week, my Code Switch pal Gene Demby tried to assign some action items to the term.

We're seeing this conversation erupt publicly at college campuses this month, with a couple of notable situations that raise more questions about "diversity," what it means in practice, and the "right" to feel comfortable wherever you are.

This week, University of Missouri's president and chancellor stepped down after protests over campus racism. "It is my belief we stopped listening to each other," president Tim Wolfe said when he announced his resignation. "We have to respect each other enough to stop yelling at each other and start listening, and quit intimidating each other."

Referring to one of the protesters who started a hunger strike to oust him, he said, "This is not ... how change should come about." Of course, that leaves the question of how that sort of change — the stated desire for a more inclusive space — should come about.

While the events at Mizzou are dominating the news, halfway across the country, Yale University has been embroiled in its own controversies around race. Last month, a Yale fraternity allegedly banned black women from a party, spurring instant backlash.

In an unrelated event, after Yale's Intercultural Affairs Committee called on students to not wear culturally insensitive Halloween costumes, a faculty member and student residence administrator named Erika Christakis sent a note to hundreds of Yale students asking, "Is there no room anymore for a child or young person to be a little bit obnoxious ... a little bit inappropriate or provocative or, yes, offensive?" She also wrote that American universities have evolved into places of "censure and prohibition."

Some folks claim that Christakis was trying to engage in conversation and push students to think for themselves. But other students at Yale immediately challenged her email, protesting that she had dismissed something they experience as a very real problem every day.

"Giving 'room' for students to be 'obnoxious' or 'offensive,' as you suggest, is only inviting ridicule and violence onto ourselves and our communities, and ultimately comes at the expense of room in which marginalized students can feel safe," Ryan Wilson, a Yale student, wrote in an open letter.

The Yale debate plugs directly into the bigger, more meta conversation we're seeing around "diversity." One group argues that their right to free speech is infringed upon; another says the school promised them — and they're paying for — a welcoming, inclusive environment.

As Yale made headlines for these incidents, its officials announced something that received far less attention last week: The school will spend $50 million in the next five years to increase diversity of its faculty. That money will go toward recruitment, implicit bias training for employees involved in faculty searches and tenure decisions, and fellowships for graduate students aimed at expanding the pipeline into academia. It's a tall order; in the 2014-15 academic year, just 22.5 percent of the university's 4,410 faculty members were minorities, according to CNN Money, while almost 43 percent of the students enrolled at Yale are minorities.

But the conversation about diversity initiatives in corporate culture and Hollywood — and Holmes' and Harris' convincing arguments that existing tactics aren't working — raises the question: Will a browner, more diverse faculty lead to a better atmosphere for college students hungering for more inclusion?

Part of the problem seems to be that institutions — tech companies, media organizations, TV networks, schools — often frame their pursuit of diversity as an achievement in itself. They unveil breathless new initiatives and pat themselves on the back without investigating how existing internal cultures — and their own attitudes — are getting in the way of authentic inclusion.

As Gene wrote last week, diversity "can't be productive unless there's real thought about how to invite and productively metabolize pushback against accepted norms, because that pushback is going to come."

Yale and Missouri are struggling to find their feet under enormous waves of pushback right now. We'll have to wait and see whether Yale's new plan to diversify its staff and the turnover at the top at Mizzou will actually do anything to chip away at the tensions they're seeing on campus.


MIZZOU – “Referring to one of the protesters who started a hunger strike to oust him, he said, "This is not ... how change should come about." Of course, that leaves the question of how that sort of change — the stated desire for a more inclusive space — should come about.”

YALE – “Last month, a Yale fraternity allegedly banned black women from a party, spurring instant backlash. …. "Giving 'room' for students to be 'obnoxious' or 'offensive,' as you suggest, is only inviting ridicule and violence onto ourselves and our communities, and ultimately comes at the expense of room in which marginalized students can feel safe," Ryan Wilson, a Yale student, wrote in an open letter. The Yale debate plugs directly into the bigger, more meta conversation we're seeing around "diversity." One group argues that their right to free speech is infringed upon; another says the school promised them — and they're paying for — a welcoming, inclusive environment.. It's a tall order; in the 2014-15 academic year, just 22.5 percent of the university's 4,410 faculty members were minorities, according to CNN Money, while almost 43 percent of the students enrolled at Yale are minorities. But the conversation about diversity initiatives in corporate culture and Hollywood — and Holmes' and Harris' convincing arguments that existing tactics aren't working — raises the question: Will a browner, more diverse faculty lead to a better atmosphere for college students hungering for more inclusion? Part of the problem seems to be that institutions — tech companies, media organizations, TV networks, schools — often frame their pursuit of diversity as an achievement in itself. They unveil breathless new initiatives and pat themselves on the back without investigating how existing internal cultures — and their own attitudes — are getting in the way of authentic inclusion.”


I agree with former Pres. Tim Wolfe that both sides need to “stop yelling at each other,” but the big boss, Wolfe himself, has to institute and enforce rules against the abuses that have been described. One female student is quoted in an earlier article as saying that on more than one occasion whites had “pretended” they were going to run her down in their cars while she walked beside the road. Maybe there was no sidewalk? Whether there was or not I visualize her as keeping over to the side to avoid the roadway. She also should have been walking facing the traffic in accordance with most laws in this country. Drivers doing that, however, are going beyond teasing (and why would they even tease someone who is minding their own business) into the area of making a violent threat. Likewise the fraternity at Yale who made a rule banning black women from their parties is also way out of line. These things are more than “a little bit obnoxious,” as a faculty member at Yale phrased it. Besides, if such events predominate on these two campuses they will become known as very unwelcoming environments, and as such may well lose students even among their gold standard wealthy white clientele. White people aren’t all behind racist behavior these days. This isn’t 1960.



http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/missouri-s-gary-pinkel-on-boycott---it-was-about-supporting-my-players-when-they-needed-me-233808990.html

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel on boycott: 'It was about supporting my players'
By Sam Cooper, Dr. Saturday
November 9, 2015

Photograph -- COLUMBIA, MO - NOVEMBER 9: University of Missouri-Columbia head football coach Gary Pinkel speaks to the media …


Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel and athletic director Mack Rhoades met with reporters Monday afternoon, hours after Missouri System President Tim Wolfe resigned amid protests and outcry for his removal after several incidences of racism on campus in recent months.

Among those joining in on the protests were several African-American football players on Saturday night.

The entire team met a day later and Pinkel (and later with Rhoades in a joint statement) sent a tweet voicing support for his players, who vowed not to participate in football activities until Wolfe stepped away.

When addressing reporters Monday, both Pinkel and Rhoades maintained that their goal was not to get Wolfe fired, but it was to support the football players and save the life of student Jonathan Butler, who had been on a hunger strike for nearly a week.

“My players called me and told me they were going on campus,” said Pinkel, who noted he’s life a father to his players. “Guys were emotional and concerned about (Butler’s) life.

“It was about supporting my players when they needed me. I did the right thing and I would do it again.”

Added Rhoades: “Our student-athletes decided to get involved and we supported them. They decided to be leaders in this issue to save the life of a fellow student.”

In response to a question about a report that quoted an anonymous white Tigers player who was opposed to the boycott, Pinkel said he was sure there were some who felt that way. However, Pinkel said many who may have been unsure went along with their teammates anyway because the team is a “family.”

“I’m sure there were some players who went along to support their teammates,” Pinkel said. “I’m not naïve to think there were players who put their hands up and said, ‘I’m in,’ because they care about their teammates.”

Pinkel, who mentioned that he’s had a few players tell him about experiences with racism during his 15-year tenure as head coach, said he and the team discussed if there were other alternatives to express their viewpoints, including a potential march through campus or to put some sort of sticker on the team’s helmet. However, Pinkel said, the team was adamant about the boycott.

“They wanted to stick with what their plan was,” Pinkel said. “The situation was very serious and very emotional and I was very concerned about our players.”

The team did not practice on Sunday and had its normal day off on Monday. If the boycott were to continue into Tuesday (when the team will return to practice), Pinkel said he had a “small talk” with his staff, but was unsure about what would happen next in terms of the status of Saturday’s game at BYU.

The players expressed to him that they wanted to play the game, but felt “strongly that they needed to make a statement and try to really help Jonathan Butler.”

And in terms of the financial ramifications ($1 million) that would come with a cancelation, Rhoades said it was not the focus.

“These are very unusual circumstances and I’ve been doing this a long time,” Pinkel said. “I have been a part of nothing like this and feel we did the right thing – without question.

“We’ve got problems, but they exist on every campus in America. We are going to learn from this and become a much better place.”

For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.

- - - - - - -

Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/online-threats-hike-tensions-at-university-of-missouri/

Mo. man, 19, arrested after threat to "shoot every black person"
CBS/AP
November 11, 2015

Play VIDEO -- History of racial tension at Mizzou
Mug Shot -- Hunter Park KMOV-TV
Photograph -- Garrett Bergquist @GarrettKRCG13
MUPD patrolling MU campus after threats. MSHP assisting @KRCG13
12:49 AM - 11 Nov 2015
Play VIDEO -- What's next at the University of Missouri?


COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri police on Wednesday arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of posting online threats to shoot black students and faculty, adding to the racial tensions at the heart of the protests that led to the resignations of two university leaders earlier this week.

Campus police arrested Hunter M. Park, 19, in Rolla at 1:50 a.m. and took him to jail in Columbia, about 75 miles to the northwest. He was booked on a preliminary charge of suspicion of making a terrorist threat and hadn't been formally charged as of mid-morning. His bond is $4,500.

Police said earlier the suspect was not on or near the university's Columbia campus when the threat was made. Officials later said Park is a student at one of the school system's other campuses.

Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla confirmed that 19-year-old Hunter M. Park is a student there. He was arrested Wednesday at a residence hall on the Rolla campus. The school says no weapons were found. Park was taken by University of Missouri police to Columbia, where he is jailed. Formal charges haven't been filed.

"We had additional officers on patrol last night and the campus remained safe," Major Brian Weimer said in a statement. "We investigated a number of reports and tips and take every one of them seriously."

In a statement Wednesday morning, University of Missouri Police said they had apprehended "the suspect who posted threats to campus on YikYak and other social media."

The university's statement came after at least two users posted threats on the anonymous location-based messaging app Yik Yak.

One user threatened to "shoot every black person I see."

There were other threats, and authorities didn't say if additional arrests are possible.

Another said, "Some of you are alright. Don't go to campus tomorrow." The message seemed to echo one that appeared on the website 4chan - a forum where racist and misogynistic comments are frequent - ahead of a deadly shooting at an Oregon community college last month.

The posts were widely disseminated across the Internet and local media.

Campus police Capt. Brian Weimer told The Associated Press additional officers were already on campus before the university learned of the threats. University police were working with other state and local agencies to ensure the campus was secure, he said.

CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz reports the student protest campsite was taken down overnight. The plan had been for protesters to remove all their belongings but leave the tents up. But it appears the threats led them to completely vacate the protest area.

On Tuesday night, the school's online emergency information center tweeted, "There is no immediate threat to campus," and asked that student not spread rumors.

CBS Jefferson City, Missouri affiliate KRCG-TV quotes Weimer as saying there was also a threat called in to the Black Culture Center on campus. He said someone answering the phone and perceived the phone call as a threat. Weimer wouldn't elaborate on what that threat was.

After the call was received, the doors to the Black Culture Center were locked as a precaution, the station says.

KRCG reporters saw several cars from the school police force and Missouri State Highway Patrol on campus Tuesday evening.

The school newspaper, the Missourian, said Weimer told it no campus buildings had been evacuated on campus as of 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The paper added that the MU Legion of Black Collegians tweeted it wouldn't hold a senate meeting Wednesday. "Stay home, Stay safe," the tweet read.

The paper also reported that, "MU's Army ROTC sent an email telling its students to dress in civilian clothes on Tuesday and Wednesday; Wednesday is Veteran's Day. The ROTC canceled its Wednesday morning physical training session."

Gaby Rodriguez, a senior, said she was at work when she heard about the online threats.

"It's really disheartening and proves the point of why these protests and boycotts were necessary," Rodriguez said. "I don't think I've ever felt this unsafe at Mizzou," she said, referring to the college by its nickname.

A student newspaper, The Maneater, tweeted late Tuesday that two sororities, Phi Mu and Tri Delta, were on lockdown.

The developments were the latest in a tumultuous week for the flagship campus of the University of Missouri system.

The student government president's accounts of having racial slurs shouted at him from a passing pickup truck helped spark a weeks-long protest movement. A graduate student's hunger strike then led to a two-day walkout by more than 30 members of the Missouri football team. Those developments came to a head Monday with the resignation of university system President Tim Wolfe, who had become the target of many of the protests. Hours later, the top administrator of the Columbia campus, Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, was forced out.

A plaza that had been the site of a sit-in by protesters was entirely empty Tuesday night and only a handful of students were seen walking around campus. Police officers from the campus department and city of Columbia were on patrol.

David Wallace, a spokesman for the student government group Missouri Students Association, said the group asked university officials to cancel classes Wednesday in light of the threats.

Gaby Rodriguez, a senior, said she was at work when she heard about the threats.

"It's really disheartening and proves the point of why these protests and boycotts were necessary," Rodriguez said. "I don't think I've ever felt this unsafe at Mizzou," she said, referring to the college by its nickname.

Some students, faculty and alumni have said the protests and top leaders' resignations are the culmination of years of racial tension.

Among other recent events, members of the Legions of Black Collegians, whose founders include a recently retired deputy chancellor, said slurs were hurled at them by an apparently drunken white student while practicing for a homecoming performance.

The university has promised changes.

Chuck Henson, a black law professor and associate dean, was been appointed Tuesday he university's first-ever interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity.

The university system's governing body, the Board of Curators, also announced a number of other initiatives, including more support for the hiring and retention of diverse faculty and staff and a full review of all policies related to staff and student conduct.




“Campus police arrested Hunter M. Park, 19, in Rolla at 1:50 a.m. and took him to jail in Columbia, about 75 miles to the northwest. He was booked on a preliminary charge of suspicion of making a terrorist threat and hadn't been formally charged as of mid-morning. His bond is $4,500. Police said earlier the suspect was not on or near the university's Columbia campus when the threat was made. Officials later said Park is a student at one of the school system's other campuses. …. "We had additional officers on patrol last night and the campus remained safe," Major Brian Weimer said in a statement. "We investigated a number of reports and tips and take every one of them seriously." In a statement Wednesday morning, University of Missouri Police said they had apprehended "the suspect who posted threats to campus on YikYak and other social media." The university's statement came after at least two users posted threats on the anonymous location-based messaging app Yik Yak. One user threatened to "shoot every black person I see." There were other threats, and authorities didn't say if additional arrests are possible. Another said, "Some of you are alright. Don't go to campus tomorrow." The message seemed to echo one that appeared on the website 4chan - a forum where racist and misogynistic comments are frequent - ahead of a deadly shooting at an Oregon community college last month. …. CBS Jefferson City, Missouri affiliate KRCG-TV quotes Weimer as saying there was also a threat called in to the Black Culture Center on campus. He said someone answering the phone and perceived the phone call as a threat. Weimer wouldn't elaborate on what that threat was. After the call was received, the doors to the Black Culture Center were locked as a precaution, the station says. …. "It's really disheartening and proves the point of why these protests and boycotts were necessary," Rodriguez said. "I don't think I've ever felt this unsafe at Mizzou," she said, referring to the college by its nickname. …. Some students, faculty and alumni have said the protests and top leaders' resignations are the culmination of years of racial tension. Among other recent events, members of the Legions of Black Collegians, whose founders include a recently retired deputy chancellor, said slurs were hurled at them by an apparently drunken white student while practicing for a homecoming performance. The university has promised changes. Chuck Henson, a black law professor and associate dean, was been appointed Tuesday he university's first-ever interim vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity. The university system's governing body, the Board of Curators, also announced a number of other initiatives, including more support for the hiring and retention of diverse faculty and staff and a full review of all policies related to staff and student conduct.”


I’m glad to see police and administration doing useful things to stop the apparently very high incidence of white on black racist events, and putting those in jail who are caught doing it is an important first step. A police officer posting on a law enforcement website a number of months ago said that he thought the equally problematic behavior by racist and generally violent policemen continues in so many city police forces primarily because the officers who do those things are not punished in a significant way. I agree with him. I do despise bullying, abusive people in all walks of life.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kansas-jewish-center-gunman-frazier-glenn-miller-mocked-death-sentence/

Kansas Jewish center gunman mocked his death sentence
CBS/AP
November 11, 2015

Photograph -- Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., convicted in August of capital murder, attempted murder and other charges, gestures as Johnson County deputies remove Miller from the courtroom during the sentencing phase of his trial at the Johnson County District Court in Olathe, Kans., Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. JOE LEDFORD/THE KANSAS CITY STAR VIA AP, POOL
Play VIDEO -- Kansas City shooting suspect preached white supremacist message
Play VIDEO -- Hate crime charges for Kansas City shooting suspect


OLATHE, Kansas - The avowed anti-Semite sentenced to death Tuesday for the fatal shootings of three people at Kansas Jewish sites got his stated wish by entering death row, and was defiant when he learned his fate.

Johnson County District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan imposed the sentence for Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., who was convicted of one count of capital murder, three counts of attempted murder, and assault and weapons charges for the April 2014 shootings in suburban Kansas City. The same jury that convicted him in August recommended that Miller be sentenced to death.

"Your attempt to bring hate to this community, to bring terror to this community, has failed," Ryan said sternly before sentencing Miller to die by lethal injection. "You have failed, Mr. Miller."

Upon Ryan's announcement, Miller yelled "Heil Hitler" and was removed from the courtroom.

On the way out, Cross said, "One day my spirit will rise from the grave and you'll know I was right. I'm a happy man."

Miller said he shot his victims because he wanted to kill Jewish people before he dies. All three of his victims were Christians.

Earlier, CBS affiliate KCTV in Kansas City reports Cross told jurors in defense of his heinous crimes: "It was the Jews, stupid the Jews, stupid the Jews, stupid."

Cross, who insisted he needed a wheelchair, practically danced around the court room to display a picture of his wife and children as he told jurors he wanted to die for his cause, reports KCTV.

He suffers from chronic emphysema and has said he doesn't have long to live. A doctor testified during the trial that Miller is ill and likely has five to six years left.

He killed William Corporon, 69, and Corporon's 14-year-old grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. He then shot 53-year-old Terri LaManno at the nearby Village Shalom retirement center.

Thirteen people addressed the court Tuesday afternoon either in person or through written statements, including family members of the victims.

One of them was 13-year-old Lukas Losen, Reat's brother and Corporon's grandson, who said he spent his 13th birthday at a psychiatric center. Few eyes in the crowded courtroom stayed dry as he described watching his grandmother "try to exist with a broken heart."

"On that afternoon, I lost my childhood in a split second," Lukas said, his voice quivering as he brushed tears away.

Corporon's wife, Melinda Corporon, described the love her husband had for his family and his work as an emergency room physician. She said he cared for people no matter their religion, financial status or political beliefs.

"It's hard without my best friend of 51 years," she said. "The evil that entered our lives that Sunday in April can't be denied. I'm here today to make sure this voice of evil is silenced permanently."

Several witnesses, including Corporon's son Will and LaManno's husband, William LaManno, looked directly at Miller and called him a coward for ambushing Corporon and Reat and killing LaManno even as she begged for her life.

Alissa LaManno, Terri's daughter, said every happy milestone she will have in her life will be a mixture of happiness and pain because her mother won't be there to experience them with her.

"I wish I had one more hour with her," Alissa said, her voice trembling. "Just one more hour."

Miller glanced at most of the speakers intermittently but didn't keep eye contact, instead sitting silently with his hands clasped in front of him and his head bowed.

After the victim statements, though, he became defiant and spent nearly an hour talking about how Jewish people were running the government, media and Federal Reserve. Family members and supporters of the victims walked out of the courtroom as he spoke.

He said his conscience forced him to do what he did, and he would attack more people if he ever got out of prison.

"I thrive on hate," he said. "If I didn't thrive on hate I would go crazy."

Also known as Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., Miller is a Vietnam War veteran who founded the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in his native North Carolina and later the White Patriot Party. He also ran as a fringe candidate for the U.S. House in 2006 and the U.S. Senate in 2010 in Missouri, each time espousing a white-power platform.

Miller, from Aurora, Missouri, represented himself at the trial and frequently disrupted procedures with outbursts at the judge, prosecutor and the jury. He said during his closing argument in August that he didn't care whether he was sentenced to death.

"I can't get a fair trial because of you. This court, it is because you're under rule of the Jews, and you support yourself accordingly," Miller said in court Tuesday, according to CBS affiliate KCTV.

Kansas has nine other inmates on death row. Although the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, Kansas waited nearly 20 years before reinstating it. And the state's current law is extremely narrow and allows for death sentences in only a handful of circumstances.

Five of the state's current death row inmates had their sentences overturned by the Kansas Supreme Court, but the cases have since been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court or sent to lower courts for resentencing. The other three inmates have not had first rulings from the Kansas Supreme Court.

On Friday, the court upheld a death sentence for the first time, in the case of a convicted serial killer who investigators said lured some victims with promises of work or sex and stuffed some of their bodies in barrels on his rural property.




“The same jury that convicted him in August recommended that Miller be sentenced to death. "Your attempt to bring hate to this community, to bring terror to this community, has failed," Ryan said sternly before sentencing Miller to die by lethal injection. "You have failed, Mr. Miller." Upon Ryan's announcement, Miller yelled "Heil Hitler" and was removed from the courtroom. On the way out, Cross said, "One day my spirit will rise from the grave and you'll know I was right. I'm a happy man." …. Miller glanced at most of the speakers intermittently but didn't keep eye contact, instead sitting silently with his hands clasped in front of him and his head bowed. After the victim statements, though, he became defiant and spent nearly an hour talking about how Jewish people were running the government, media and Federal Reserve. Family members and supporters of the victims walked out of the courtroom as he spoke. He said his conscience forced him to do what he did, and he would attack more people if he ever got out of prison. "I thrive on hate," he said. "If I didn't thrive on hate I would go crazy." …. Although the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, Kansas waited nearly 20 years before reinstating it. And the state's current law is extremely narrow and allows for death sentences in only a handful of circumstances.”


"If I didn't thrive on hate I would go crazy." As far as I’m concerned this man already is crazy, but here is some professional opinion on who hates and “thrives” on it.



http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/hate-crime/pages/motivation.aspx

National Institute of Justice
What Motivates Hate Offenders?

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, race is the most common motivating factor in hate crime offending reported to the police (61 percent), followed by religion (14 percent), sexual orientation (13 percent), ethnicity (11 percent), and victim disability (1 percent). In racially motivated offenses, 60 percent targeted blacks and 30 percent targeted whites. [1]

One study classified hate crime offenders into four categories that differ with respect to the psychological and situational factors that lead to hate crime offending. [2] This typology is widely used by law enforcement for training officers in the investigation and identification of hate crime.


Hate Crime Offender Typology --

Thrill-seeking. Motivated by the desire for excitement.
66
Defensive. Commit hate crimes to protect their neighborhood from perceived outsiders.
25
Retaliatory. Acting in response to a hate crime — either real or perceived.
8
Mission. So strongly committed to bigotry that they make hate a career.
1


Next section: Responses to Hate Crime

Responses to hate crime range from changes in legislation to law enforcement training aimed at improving responses to these crimes; to investigation, prosecution, and prevention of hate crimes; to victim support programs; to diversity and tolerance education programs.[1] Most States and metropolitan areas have some form of government-sponsored hate crime initiative involving criminal justice agencies. Municipal police departments in many large urban areas have hate crime units within their department, and police departments are often involved as members of State or regional hate crime task forces.

The Federal Government has also supported several initiatives to address hate crime. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), for example, has provided funding for the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence at the University of Southern Maine to produce a series of reports on BJA-supported initiatives and State and local demonstration projects. Many recommendations and "best practice" suggestions for how to effectively address, prevent, and respond to hate crime have emerged over the past 15 years. Although these recommendations are derived from practical experience and expert opinion and appear well-conceived, none of the myriad criminal justice responses has been subjected to rigorous empirical evaluation.


Next section: Research Needed on Hate Crime.

An NIJ-commissioned report reviewing hate crime literature and legislation was completed in 2005. [1] The report, along with a followup meeting of experts in the field, helped identify key gaps in research. Some of these include —

Estimating the prevalence of hate crime accurately.
Evaluating the impact of hate crime legislation on deterrence, punishment, enforcement, training, and reporting.
Understanding the varied motivations behind hate crimes, and developing empirically based offender typologies.

Exploring the effects of hate group membership, affiliation with hate groups, and reading materials produced by hate groups on the commission of hate crime acts.
Learning how hate crime incidents affect victims and their communities.

Evaluating programs designed to prevent hate crime or assist hate crime victims.

The report further called for the development of a central Federal repository of hate crime information to better address the inconsistencies among groups in defining hate crime and in data collection, measurement, and analysis. See also Proceedings from the Hate Crime Workshop Meeting (pdf, 10 pages), hosted by NIJ, November 15, 2005.

Trends in Hate Crime Against Immigrants

In late 2009, NIJ was tasked by Congress to "evaluate trends in hate crimes against new immigrants, individuals who are perceived to be immigrants, and Hispanic-Americans, and to assess the underlying causes behind any increase in hate crimes against such groups." [2] NIJ has funded Abt. Associates to conduct this evaluation, which is ongoing.


Next section: Other Resources on Hate Crime.

NIJ does not exercise control over external Web sites. Read our Exit Notice.

Federal Government
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hate Crime Statistics Page

Hate Crime Statistics presents data regarding incidents, offenses, victims, and offenders in reported crimes that were motivated in whole or in part by a bias against the victim's perceived race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Office for Victims of Crime

Enhances the Nation's capacity to assist crime victims and provides leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all crime victims. OVC's Hate and Bias Crimes Web pages link to numerous resources about, and organizations that serve hate crime victims.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

A federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide. Spotlight on Hate Crime provides information about bias legislation, grants, publications, and training and technical assistance.


Other National Hate Crime Resources

Anti-Defamation League

ADL fights against anti-Semitism and other types of bigotry; helps victims of discrimination or bias-motivated violence achieve redress of grievances through mediation, administration, or judicial means; and trains law enforcement agencies on responding to victims of bias crimes.

Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence

CPHV produces research-driven reports on bias, discrimination, and violence against targeted groups, and develops and implements training and education programs to assist businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, and law enforcement agencies in preventing hate crimes.

Southern Poverty Law Center

Provides legal services in hate crimes, civil rights, and class action cases and works to educate the public through films and publications. Its Intelligence Report monitors white supremacist groups and hate crimes in the United States.

Date Modified: June 11, 2010




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-charged-in-alleged-plot-vs-synagogues-black-churches/

2 charged in alleged plot against synagogues, black churches
CBS/AP
November 11, 2015

Photograph -- Ronald Beasley Chaney III WTVR-TV


RICHMOND, Virginia -- Two men described by authorities as white supremacists have been charged in Virginia with trying to illegally buy weapons and explosives to use in attacks on synagogues and black churches.

Robert C. Doyle and Ronald Beasley Chaney III tried to buy an automatic weapon, explosives and a pistol with a silencer from three undercover agents posing as illegal firearms dealers, FBI agent James R. Rudisill wrote in an affidavit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

Doyle, 34, and Chaney, 33, are charged with conspiracy to possess firearms after being convicted of felonies, according to the affidavit.

An associate, 30-year-old Charles D. Halderman, is accused of plotting to rob a jeweler and use the money to help Doyle buy land and stockpile weapons for "an impending race war," the affidavit says. He is charged with a robbery conspiracy.

Doyle lives in Chester, a few miles south of Richmond. Court records did not list addresses for Chaney and Halderman. The defendants' attorneys did not respond to telephone messages Tuesday.

Meanwhile, CBS Richmond affiliate WTVR-TV cited sources as saying and neighbors as confirming that two area homes were raided almost simultaneously Sunday by federal agencies and local police.

The station says Beasley Chaney III's father, Ronald Beasley Chaney Jr., and his wife were arrested on weapons and drug charges.

According to Rudisill's affidavit, Doyle and the younger Chaney "ascribe to a white supremacy extremist version of the Asatru faith," a pagan sect that emphasizes Norse gods and traditions. The affidavit says the FBI learned that Doyle planned to host a meeting at his home in late September to discuss "shooting or bombing the occupants of black churches and Jewish synagogues, conducting acts of violence against persons of Jewish faith, and doing harm to a gun store owner in the state of Oklahoma."

FBI surveillance determined that the meeting took place as scheduled, and about a month later, Doyle and Chaney met for the first time with an undercover agent to discuss buying weapons. Doyle placed an order for the weapons, despite Chaney's suspicions. The FBI recorded Chaney saying that the meeting with the agent "sounds like ATF to me."

The transaction was completed Sunday, and Chaney was arrested on the spot. Doyle was arrested later that day and, according to the affidavit, admitted that he and Chaney arranged for the gun purchase.

Police executed a search warrant at Doyle's home and recovered more than 30 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition from his truck, the affidavit says. One of the guns Doyle ordered was a .45-caliber pistol with a silencer.

In a telephone interview, FBI agent Michael Schuler in Richmond declined to say whether authorities believe attacks were imminent before the men were arrested. He also would not say whether they believe others are making similar plans.

All three defendants have multiple felony convictions, according to the FBI's affidavit.

The men are being held in custody until their initial court appearances. Doyle and Chaney are due in court on Thursday and Halderman on Friday.



“Meanwhile, CBS Richmond affiliate WTVR-TV cited sources as saying and neighbors as confirming that two area homes were raided almost simultaneously Sunday by federal agencies and local police. The station says Beasley Chaney III's father, Ronald Beasley Chaney Jr., and his wife were arrested on weapons and drug charges.”

According to Rudisill's affidavit, Doyle and the younger Chaney "ascribe to a white supremacy extremist version of the Asatru faith," a pagan sect that emphasizes Norse gods and traditions. The affidavit says the FBI learned that Doyle planned to host a meeting at his home in late September to discuss "shooting or bombing the occupants of black churches and Jewish synagogues, conducting acts of violence against persons of Jewish faith, and doing harm to a gun store owner in the state of Oklahoma." See below a fascinating article on the Asatruar. (I just love the Internet!!)



https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=asatruar

Who Are the Asatruar?

There are many names for the kind of people I call "Asatru": Norse Pagan, Heathen, Odinist, the Troth, Theodish Belief, even "the religion of the Vikings." Some of us insist on one term and reject the others. In any case, we are the folk who are "true to the Aesir"--the literal meaning of Asatru. We worship the ancient Gods of the Germanic people of Northern Europe: Freya, Thor, Odin, Frigga, Balder, Hel, Sif.

We are not Wiccans. We believe in many Gods, not a God and a Goddess; we meet in Kindreds, Hearths, and Garths, not covens and circles. An Asatru priest is called a gothi; a priestess is a gythia--though in some groups, they may be called elders. We have a Bible--more than one actually. We use the
Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and the other ancient sources, such as the
Germania of Tacitus, to understand the true roots of our faith.

Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Pagan-and-Earth-Based/2001/04/Who-Are-The-Asatruar.aspx#E7pLFFxCcxhoD0fc.99
Reprinted with permission from "The Seeker Journal," December 2000.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-singles-day-alibaba-jd-com-breaks-record-number-of-sales/

In China, "Singles Day" dwarfs Cyber Monday
CBS NEWS
November 11, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Jack Ma brings Alibaba to America


In Chinese, the word for "single" is "bare sticks," written like the number "one." Nov. 11 - eleven-eleven - marks "Singles Day" in China, which was initially launched in 2009 as an "anti-Valentine's Day" for singles to pamper themselves.

But over the years, it has been co-opted by online retailers, transforming it into the world's biggest online shopping day of the year -- nearly five times larger than Cyber Monday in the U.S.

China's e-commerce giant, Alibaba, says it sold $5 billion worth of merchandise in the first 90 minutes overnight, reports CBS News correspondent Seth Doane.

Online retailer JD.com has already seen a record number of orders. According to China's government figures, in all, Singles Day will generate $760 million in shipments.

JD is dispatching tens of thousands of its signature red trucks and three-wheelers across China, all to satisfy the capitalist urges of this communist country.

"It's sort of a man-made holiday... or retailer made," said Shen Haoyu, a JD executive. "We prepare for this for a long time. We have plans for the unexpected. What if one warehouse - the number of orders for one city exceed our expectation? It's a pretty complicated math problem for us."

It's a complicated math problem with very big numbers. In 2014, online shopping on Singles Day reached close to $10 billion, well over some $2 billion in sales on America's "Cyber Monday."

At JD's high-tech warehouse on the outskirts of Shanghai, everything from diapers to computer equipment almost magically whipped into place on a conveyor belt. The warehouse has some of the most sophisticated sorting technology in the world, with a capacity to sort 16,000 packages an hour with an accuracy of 99.99 percent.

All this sorting and shipping - and promising, in most cases, to get it there in 24 hours - is to lure folks like 25-year-old Xing Zaozao on the other side of the order form.

Days in advance, she was filling her online cart with shoes discounted 50 percent.

Xing, who incidentally is single, assured us this is not retail therapy, but called waiting to shop on Singles Day "smart shopping."

"Because the price is cheaper than the other days. Get a good deal," she said.

It's estimated more than 90 percent of Singles Day sales -- $9 billion - went to Alibaba last year. The Internet giant is more of a "marketplace" along the lines of Ebay, connecting buyers and sellers.

Alibaba even threw a glitzy variety show to mark the day, with cameos by Daniel Craig and Kevin Spacey playing "House of Cards" president "Frank Underwood."

"And if I were allowed to shop on your Singles Day, I wonder how cheap I could get a new burner phone for example," Spacey said.

In the fierce rivalry for online shoppers, JD hopes to cut into Alibaba's bottom line. JD filed a complaint and now, China's government is investigating Alibaba for pressuring companies to sell only on its platform on Singles Day. Overall, JD's sales are growing almost three times as fast as Alibaba's using a different model - buying from suppliers and shipping to customers.

"In a lot of ways, we're similar to Amazon," said Haoyu. "What's different between us and Amazon is we have trucks - our own trucks - and our own delivery employees."

The idea is the delivery person at your door is a company employee who can answer questions and manage returns. In this high-stakes bid for business, companies try every angle to get ahead, even blasting "inspirational music" in the warehouse that motivate people to work "faster and to have that spirit."

"Because this is such an important shopping," said Haoyu.

One popular Chinese musician played over those loudspeakers is Wang Feng, whose lyrics are about "achieving more in life," which translates to the very capitalist concept of shopping on Singles Day.

JD tells us they will get so many orders on Singles Day that in some places, they have to hire employees to stand outside of shipping centers to guard the boxes that will invariably pile up.




“In Chinese, the word for "single" is "bare sticks," written like the number "one." Nov. 11 - eleven-eleven - marks "Singles Day" in China, which was initially launched in 2009 as an "anti-Valentine's Day" for singles to pamper themselves. But over the years, it has been co-opted by online retailers, transforming it into the world's biggest online shopping day of the year -- nearly five times larger than Cyber Monday in the U.S. …. JD tells us they will get so many orders on Singles Day that in some places, they have to hire employees to stand outside of shipping centers to guard the boxes that will invariably pile up.”


I am reminded of a Black Friday at a Walmart store several years ago where a mob of shoppers were waiting at the door to be let inside. They had spent the night out on the sidewalk or in tents in many cases, and were totally hyped about saving money on the before Christmas sales there. A temporary employee was sent to open the door, and as he hesitated slightly about doing so the crowd surged forward and trampled him to death. Too much emphasis on money and worldly goods exists in this country. I think when people eschew higher values this kind of thing can result. It’s not unlike the lynch mobs of days gone by. Many, many people the world over just don’t care much at all about their fellow man!





https://www.yahoo.com/health/wealth-may-give-advantage-for-getting-organ-150138270.html

Wealth May Give Advantage for Getting Organ Transplants
The Associated Press
November 9, 2015

Related: 5 Beliefs About Organ Donation That Are Totally Untrue
Photograph -- Dr. Raymond Givens speaks during an interview at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, Tue …

A study released on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, finds that wealthy people are more likely to get on multiple waiting lists and score a transplant, and less likely to die while waiting for one. (Torsten Kjellstrand/The Oregonian via AP, File)

You can’t buy hearts, kidneys or other organs but money can still help you get one. Wealthy people are more likely to get on multiple waiting lists and score a transplant, and less likely to die while waiting for one, a new study finds.

The work confirms what many have long suspected — the rich have advantages even in a system designed to steer organs to the sickest patients and those who have waited longest. Wealthier people can better afford the tests and travel to get on more than one transplant center’s waiting list, and the new study shows how much this pays off.

“Multiple-listed patients were more likely to get transplanted and less likely to die,” said Dr. Raymond Givens at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

“It’s a rational thing to do” from an individual patient’s point of view, but it raises fairness questions, and the policy should be reconsidered, he said.

He led the study and gave results Monday at an American Heart Association conference in Orlando.

More than 122,000 Americans are wait-listed for an organ, including more than 100,000 who need kidneys. As of July, only 18,000 transplants have been done this year.

The United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, the agency that runs the nation’s transplant system under a government contract, assigns organs based on a formula that considers medical urgency, tissue type, distance from the donor, time spent on the waiting list and other factors.

UNOS has considered banning or limiting multiple listings three times, most recently in 2003, said spokesman Joel Newman. But some people think patients should be free to go wherever they want to improve their odds, and UNOS now requires that transplant centers tell them about this option.

“It takes money and knowledge … traveling can make a huge difference in how quickly you get an organ,” said Robert Veatch, a medical ethicist at Georgetown University Medical Center and a longtime member of the UNOS ethics committee who thinks the policy should be changed.

“Steve Jobs is the classic example,” he said. The former Apple chief was on a transplant list in Tennessee and received a new liver at a hospital there in 2009 even though he lived in California. It’s not known if he was on more than one waiting list, however.

Patients on multiple lists often must pay for a new set of tests, which can range from $23,000 for a kidney to $51,000 for a heart, one study estimated, plus be able to get local housing or travel on short notice if an organ becomes available.

An Internet database— the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients — gives average wait times, success rates and other details on every transplant program in the nation.

Many people from New York, where organs are scarce, seek a second listing in California, where organs are more plentiful.

Steven Taibbi, 62, who lives in Huntington on New York’s Long Island, is on a wait list for a heart at Columbia, but is seeking a second listing in Los Angeles. Taibbi, who once helped head an international charity for organ donation, said: “I’m decimating my retirement account to do this. I’m not a rich guy.”

It can pay off, though. Givens and colleagues studied UNOS records from 2000 to 2013 and found that multiple-listed patients had higher transplant rates, lower death rates while waiting, were wealthier and were more likely to have private insurance.

Highlights:

—Multiple listing occurred among 2 percent of those seeking a heart, 6 percent seeking a liver and 12 percent seeking a kidney.

—Death rates while waiting for an organ were higher among those on a single list versus multiple ones: 12 percent versus 8 percent for those seeking a heart; 17 percent versus 12 percent for a liver, and 19 percent versus 11 percent for a kidney.

—Compared to people on just one list, multiple listers were younger (52 versus 54), more likely to have private insurance (59 percent versus 51 percent) and less likely to be covered by Medicaid (6 percent versus 10 percent).




“You can’t buy hearts, kidneys or other organs but money can still help you get one. Wealthy people are more likely to get on multiple waiting lists and score a transplant, and less likely to die while waiting for one, a new study finds. The work confirms what many have long suspected — the rich have advantages even in a system designed to steer organs to the sickest patients and those who have waited longest. Wealthier people can better afford the tests and travel to get on more than one transplant center’s waiting list, and the new study shows how much this pays off. …. “It’s a rational thing to do” from an individual patient’s point of view, but it raises fairness questions, and the policy should be reconsidered, he said. …. The United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, the agency that runs the nation’s transplant system under a government contract, assigns organs based on a formula that considers medical urgency, tissue type, distance from the donor, time spent on the waiting list and other factors. UNOS has considered banning or limiting multiple listings three times, most recently in 2003, said spokesman Joel Newman. But some people think patients should be free to go wherever they want to improve their odds, and UNOS now requires that transplant centers tell them about this option.…. Patients on multiple lists often must pay for a new set of tests, which can range from $23,000 for a kidney to $51,000 for a heart, one study estimated, plus be able to get local housing or travel on short notice if an organ becomes available. An Internet database— the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients — gives average wait times, success rates and other details on every transplant program in the nation.”


Getting an organ transplant to me is like having both my breasts removed because I had a certain gene. No, thank you!! I don’t fear death itself, or breast cancer in particular nearly enough to do that. I do plan to go into hospice or get hospice care at home if such a situation occurs. I am 70 years old and have enjoyed many things during that time. With simple gratitude, I would like to try to “put my affairs in order” and prepare my mind for a peaceful death.





http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/news/local/bats-force-baymeadows-mother-and-son-out-apartment/npKHr/

Bats force Baymeadows mother and son out of apartment
By Jenna Bourne
Monday, Nov. 9, 2015

RELATED: Tenant says he had to leave apartment 1 month before lease ended due to mold


Jessica Allen said bats have been crawling around in her walls for months, even getting into her bedroom and flying over her head.

She said when she complained, the landlord at Avesta Baymeadows on the Southside tried to evict her.

“They carry diseases. They're nasty. I don't like bats. They're scary," said Allen.

Allen said each squeak and click makes her worried they'll chew through the wall and get inside again.

“I freaked out because it was flying over my head in my bed," said Allen.

A board covers the hole Allen said bats had chewed through her wall.

“There were bats in the toilet, bats on the floor dead, bats still like actually moving around,” said Allen.

They're not just living in the bat house Allen said maintenance installed on her building last month; they're flying out from under the gutter.

She said the landlord was court-ordered to let her out of her lease with no penalties on Monday.

Action News Jax reached out to the apartment manager about whether there are plans to remove the bats before the next tenant moves in. We have not heard back.



“She said when she complained, the landlord at Avesta Baymeadows on the Southside tried to evict her.” I can truthfully say I love animals, but I don’t love them all equally. Bats are among the spookiest looking – up there with 12 inch wide tarantulas, leeches, hyenas, and komodo dragons. In addition to that they are thought, according to a scientific article, to be the original species to house the rabies virus, and lately Ebola as well. They are at least as bad as rats about carrying disease. I know, they eat insects! The problem with them is that they don’t always have a convenient cave to go to and they go to attics and in between the walls of human dwellings instead. It is fascinating that this woman’s landlord didn’t want to get rid of the bats. Lazy, cheap, heartless slum landlords operate like that. Thank goodness she has broken the lease and left. The landlord hasn’t promised to get rid of the disgusting things. It’s not location, location, location, it’s money, money, money. It will cost probably quite a few thousand dollars to do the job, but the city should force him to do it or stop being a landlord! See the most interesting article below about bats and how to get rid of them.



http://www.thebatguy.com/generalbatinfo.html

Bat Information -- Myths & Facts

Bats are often persecuted due to the fact that most people have no understanding of bat ecology and the important role they play in controlling night-flying insects. Bats are not blind, and they do not intentionally get tangled in your hair. Many people seem to think that all bats have rabies. This is not true. Quite the contrary, as less than 1% ever contract rabies, and it is highly unusual for a bat to contact a person, though a sick bat may have no fear of a human or other animals. Almost every person who gets bit does so because they pick up a sick or injured bat. Like any other wild animal, bats should never be handled at any time, especially when found on the ground or in a home.

If a bat is found in your home and you are not able to contact a wildlife control operator, always wear thick leather gloves and use a net, towel, plastic container, or other method for capturing. NEVER try to catch a bat with your bare hands! Unless you are 100% certain the bat in your home had no contact with anyone, bats found inside your home should be taken to your local health department for rabies testing. Even though rabies in bats is not common on a statistical basis, rabies is a deadly disease. If anyone in the home was unknowingly bitten or scratched, by the time rabies symptoms appear it is too late for help. IT IS A FATAL DISEASE. Every state has different protocol regarding bats found in homes, so before releasing them outside call your local health department or animal control for information.

Bats are not rodents, and have little in common with mice or rats. Bats are not filthy little critters. They are meticulous about keeping their fur clean and groomed. The smell associated with bats is due to the accumulation of guano and urine below their roosting areas. They have tiny little teeth, but are still able to inflict a bite to human skin. This would occur when a bat is picked up or otherwise mistakenly contacted. If a bat would accidentally land on you, your reaction would most likely be to brush it off. The bat would bite only as a defensive action. They are not aggressive.

The bats most commonly found using homes for roosts are the Little Brown Bat and the Big Brown Bat. Don't let the "big" name fool you, as a Big Brown only weighs about 1/2 ounce, but has a wingspan from 11 to 13 inches. This makes them look much bigger, especially if one is flying around inside your home. To most people they look like an eagle or condor when cruising around in their house. They are about 4.5" in length when roosting. When feeding, the flight pattern of a Big Brown is fairly straight, and they usually fly from 20 to 30 feet high, often emitting a chatter while flying.

The Little Browns only weigh about 3 to 4/10ths of an ounce, and are only 3 to 3.5 inches long when roosting. Their wingspan is from 8.5 to 10 inches, which still makes them appear large when they are flying indoors. Their outdoor flying pattern when feeding is a very erratic pattern, usually darting back and forth and making quick direction changes. Both Little Browns and Big Browns often emit a chattering sound as they get ready to exit their roosting areas at sunset to begin feeding. The sound is similar to a cricket or katydid noise. I also compare it to the squeaking sound made by quickly rubbing pieces of Styrofoam together.

There are no vampire bats in the United States, although they can be found in South America and there are a few in Central America. The bats in our neighborhoods are insectivores, which of course means they live on insects. They consume a tremendous number of night flying insects every night during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Since bats consume extremely high numbers of mosquitoes and other night-flying insects, they are very beneficial to have around. Many homeowners are installing bat houses on their property to provide a natural method of insect control and reduce the need for pesticides. Bat houses do not increase the chance of having bats in your home. If bats find your home favorable to them as a roosting site, they are already in there. Bat houses are not a solution for a bat problem in a structure. Bats are not going to "move" from your home into a bat house.

Bats do not attack people, and a fear of bats is caused by a lack of education about them. Their echolocation system enables them to locate a tiny insect flying in total darkness. How could anyone think they would run into a person? When people are outdoors at night, insects are attracted to us by heat and smell. The reason bats sometimes appear to be swooping towards us is due to the fact they are simply zoning in on the insects we attract. The next time you see a bat pass close by, you should be thankful. It may have just eaten a West Nile Virus infected mosquito that was about to bite you!

Bats only become a problem when they decide to use an attic or other section of a home or building for a roosting or nursery colony. Most people do not tolerate that idea very well, and it becomes necessary to evict the bats and repair the structure as needed to prevent them from entering in the future. Accumulations of their droppings (guano) can cause odor and bug problems, which is the primary reason bats should be excluded from a structure occupied by people. Bats may use caves or old mining shafts for roosts, but many of those areas are becoming scarce. Bats are adapting by using man-made structures for roosting and nursery colonies. They are able to locate very small openings into homes and buildings, and it seems churches are one of their favorites. Bats do not chew their way into structures! They only use gaps and holes that already exist, and locate them by sensing air currents and temperature. They are simply opportunists. Taller structures are more likely to receive less maintenance due to a lack of access for repairs. People seldom notice small cracks or gaps on higher buildings, but a 1/2" crack in a mortar joint 30 or 40 feet off the ground becomes a superhighway for bats to enter a structure. Since they are nocturnal and for the most part very quiet animals, they often use attics for years before the odor from the build-up of droppings alerts us to their presence.

Never seal your home without performing an exclusion!

Most people will panic when they discover bats are living in their home. The first reaction is to immediately seal all the holes on the structure. It is the absolute worst thing you can do, but unfortunately the most common step that is taken. People who fail to research the subject will usually seal the holes during the day when the bats are roosting inside. The first night after a homeowner closes all access holes becomes quite a memorable experience, as the bats usually find their way into the living quarters as they desperately seek a way out of the structure. Now instead of an odor problem, you have a colony of stressed-out bats flying around in your house. If they are not able to find their way into your living quarters, they die in the attic. You can guess how pleasant that becomes after a week or so.

Understanding basic bat behavior helps us realize what causes them to enter the living quarters of our homes. Bats are very sensitive to air currents, and the cool air which enters an attic after sunset is what triggers the bats to exit the structure and feed each night. As an attic cools down, cool outside air is drawn into any cracks or holes, and the bats follow the air currents to the exit holes. It is very common for bats to find their way into the living quarters of homes, usually during warmer summer temperatures when we use our air conditioning. The cool air from your home can escape into the attic through very small cracks and holes, and the bats simply follow the currents to the source, accidentally ending up in your living area. They do not want to be in your home, but are simply reacting to cool air currents on instinct. They are simply looking for is a sky full of flying insects. Sometimes the bats that enter the home are young ones trying to find their way outside for the first time.

Until an exclusion can be performed, the problem of bats entering the living quarters can be solved or minimized by sealing all holes and cracks leading from the attic into your living areas. Holes along TV cables, water pipes, and cracks in drywall or gaps in ceiling tiles are all possible entrance points. Gaps under doors leading to attics and closets are common entry points. Remember, it is illegal to kill bats, as most are state protected and some federally protected. It is also illegal to use any type of poisons or chemicals for bats.

Bat exclusion measures should not be performed from mid-May through early-August, as there may be young bats in the colony that are still unable to fly. The young bats would die without their mothers, and an attic full of dead animals is much worse than having the bats roosting there. The infestation of ecto-parasites and other insects attracted by the dead bats can cause problems even more serious than the bats living there.

Bats will sometimes appear in your home during the winter months. They hibernate from late fall (Oct/Nov) until spring arrives (Mar/Apr). It was previously believed bats migrated to caves or mines for hibernation, but we now know many will hibernate inside homes and buildings. Temperatures above 45 degrees are suitable, and it is common for Big Browns to hibernate in homes and buildings. Contrary to most bat research, Little Browns will also hibernate in structures. Working in the wildlife control business has allowed me to see this first hand. Bats hibernating in homes may move down between the walls in the winter, and sometimes scratching or squeaking sounds will be heard when they are moving around or disrupted. They sometimes find their way into basements for the winter hibernation period. They may even accidentally find their way into your living quarters during the winter months. There are a couple factors that may cause these winter appearances in a home. Hibernating bats may respond to a sudden warm-up in outside temperature, which may be a false signal that spring is near. Some bats will come out of hibernation a couple times during the winter to rehydrate, as they may sometimes be seen flying outdoors in December through February. These are usually one-day "awakenings" to get a drink. This may explain the sporadic incidents of bats in your home during the winter.

Another change that will sometimes get bats moving inside a home or building during the winter is the arrival of an arctic cold blast. If the temperature drops rapidly to a level much below about 45 degrees where the bats are hibernating (attic, etc), they will attempt to locate an area inside the home or building with more favorable temperatures. They often crawl down between walls or down along plumbing or wiring, and commonly find their way into basements. I have found scratch marks from bats (in the dust) inside furnace and air conditioning ductwork in a home and also an apartment complex, and both sites had experienced bats "appearing" from the register vents in mid-winter. The presence of a bat in your home during the winter could be an indication you have a colony of bats living in your home. Certain bat species may hibernate in groups or "clusters", so a single bat appearing in your home during the winter could possibly indicate there are more bats hibernating in the structure. It may be wise to arrange for an inspection in the spring. We offer bat removal services for most of Illinois and some areas in adjacent states.

Bat houses are becoming much more popular, as the trend towards natural pest control is growing. Bats consume tremendous numbers of night-flying insects, and will work long hours for free if you simply provide them a home. The concerns relating to the West Nile Virus are prompting homeowners to install bat houses to help control mosquitoes. The combination of mosquito reduction along with less use of chemicals is a win-win situation. For those who have attracted bats by installing bat houses, watching the bats exit the houses at sunset to feed is a very enjoyable experience. Viewing their nightly feeding frenzy in the sky becomes a favorite evening activity for many homeowners.

Placing bat houses in the best location will increase the chance for bats to find and use the house. Much information can be found at the Bat Conservation International website. Go to batcon.org and check out the criteria for bat house locations. There is a great deal of information on their site about bats, and also links to many other related sites.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-substitute-teacher-banned-naked-and-afraid-reality-show/

Fla. substitute teacher banned for showing "Naked" reality show
CBS NEWS
November 11, 2015


GOLDEN GATE, Fla.- Second graders at Golden Gate Elementary in Florida went to the computer lab recently, and instead of learning about coding or formatting, they were introduced to blurred images of naked bodies.

CBS affiliate WINK in Fort Myers reports a substitute teacher has been banned from the Collier School District after showing, "Naked and Afraid," a reality show about two strangers forced to survive in the wilderness together without clothes from the Discovery Channel. It is aired with their bodies partially blurred.

After the substitute showed the kids some of the show in a computer lab class, she was dismissed, and an investigation launched. The teacher is now banned from the school district.

The principal was forced to call every parent of second grade students and explain the situation in three different languages, WINK reports, and some parents didn't understand what had happened until they watched some of the reality show themselves.

The Collier School District would not release the name of the substitute teacher for privacy reasons.




I do believe in a certain amount of freedom in the classroom, but not anything like this. Just because it’s on Discovery doesn’t mean it’s a high quality film. I can’t imagine what the scientific theory would be behind a show about “two strangers forced to survive in the wilderness together without clothes.” Second grade kids generally, at least, aren’t ready for what is essentially pornographic material. They should be told the facts of life by that age, yes, because some of those girls will go into puberty by the time they are 9 or 10 and they will be needing to know it for a very practical reason. Some kids, in experimentation, “go too far,” without knowing exactly what “too far” is and end up pregnant. Parents need to get up enough courage to tell them. I did see a very good documentary showing nudity by the best-selling scientific author Desmond Morris, and it certainly wasn’t porn, but I wouldn’t show it or any other nude production to a seven year old.