The Associated Press
Cops find up to 6 bodies at home; Ohioan arrested
written by Thomas J. Sheeran
Saturday October 31, 2009
CLEVELAND, OHIO — A convicted rapist who fled before police arrived to arrest him on new rape charges was arrested Saturday in his inner-city neighborhood after police found as many as six bodies at his home.
Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said Anthony Sowell was walking down the street on the east side of Cleveland when authorities spotted him and took him into custody.
Sowell initially denied he was the man authorities were looking for but admitted his identity as officers began fingerprinting him, Stacho said. Charges against him on pending.
Officers found three bodies and believe they have discovered three more but are awaiting confirmation from the coroner, Stacho said.
The first two bodies were found Thursday night when police went to Sowell's home to arrest him on charges of felonious assault and rape. Police say he had spent 15 years in prison for a 1989 rape.
Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller identified two bodies as black females and said one had died of a violent death ruled a homicide. No race or gender was determined for the third.
The identities and matter of death for the three had not yet been determined. The decomposition of the bodies meant it would take awhile to determine how they died.
Police established a command post in the neighborhood to take missing-person reports and additional information on outstanding missing persons in the neighborhood.
Teresa Hicks, 48, was among the neighbors who said they were relieved about the arrest but left with a heightened fear of crime. She said she has known Sowell since high school.
"He was crazy," she said from her porch Saturday. "Sometimes he would just go off if he didn't have his way."
Darren Dunlap, 38, frequently visits the neighborhood to see his brother or friends. He said Sowell was known for borrowing money and looking for scrap metal to sell.
Hicks said she didn't think Sowell had a job but understood from conversations with him that he lived on a monthly check. She said she didn't know its source.
Police were checking crime reports to find matches for similarities to the 1989 rape or the most recent allegation against Sowell.
Minutes before the arrest was made, police Chief Michael McGrath tried to reassure parents that it was safe for their children to go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood if they followed standard precautions like avoiding strangers and staying in a group.
Hicks said her daughter would not be trick-or-treating.
Detectives with a search warrant found two bodies Thursday on the third floor of a duplex and began checking a fresh grave dug in the basement. The bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting they'd been in the home a long time.
Police were checking missing-person reports back to June 2005, when Sowell was released from prison.
October 31, 2009
BREAKING NEWS!!! Ohio Serial Killer Has Been Captured After 6 Bodies in His Home Were Found! He Was A Convicted Rapist Let Out Of Prison...
"T'WAS HALLOWEEN NIGHT "
Creatures were stirring, bugs, cats, and a mouse
The pumpkins were carved into faces with care
In hopes that a candle would soon be placed there
With ma in her apron fixing platters of sweets
We'd settled our brains for a long night of treats
When out on the lawn there arose such a roar
I sprang to my feet and ran to the door
And what to my wandering eyes should appear
But a red deviled monster with a big yellow spear
Like a bat from a cave I ran - still he came
I thought I'd escaped but he called out my name
Mr. Thorn - Mr. Thorn - please don't be afraid
It's me, little Jimmy in this masquerade
The moon on the lawn glowed a bright orange cast
And I thought I saw witches on brooms flying past
White sheet like things floated, they looked just like ghosts
But the skeleton with bones clacking, it scared me the most
Someone looked like a vampire his face a ghastly pale hue
I finally realized it was Harry all covered with glue
That kid like a spider so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it was my neighbor's son Nick
One sweet little princess, so lovely was she -
Whatever was she doing in this strange company?
When all of the goblins pulled mask from there head
I knew that this night there was nothing to dread
Then this strange purple monster greeted me
and I said, "Who are you?"
He gave me no answer just hollered Boooooooooo….
And putting a finger aside one large eye
He got in his space ship and flew to the sky
I knew I had never seen anything like that before
I watched him in wonder quickly shutting my door
But I heard him exclaim ere he flew out of sight
Happy Halloween to all - and have a real spooky night!
Do Not Whisper To The Wind ~ by Rayne Avalotus
by Rayne Avalotus
For wind winds far and deep,
Deep down into the shadow land
Where evil creatures sleep.
The echo of thy uttered word
Can wake them, make them creep!
Do not whisper to the wind,
For seething monsters hear;
The winds will carry monologues
To meet their careful ears,
And they will rise up from their tombs
To plague the world with fear.
Do not whisper to the wind
For demons know, they say,
Where rests thy sleepy, pretty head
When darkness swallows day,
And in the night they’ll come on thee
And steal thy soul away!
Do not whisper to the wind,
For evil’s waiting there
With anxious claws and open ears
Just listening to the air.
And waiting for a foolish child
To whisper unaware.
Do not whisper to the wind,
For beasts come leather skinned
With eyes aglow in sickly hue
And figures tall and thinned.
Thou may not, shall not, cannot
Ever whisper to the wind!
The Raven ~ by Edgar Allen Poe
By Edgar Allen Poe
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
only this and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;--vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow--sorrow for the lost Lenore--
For the rare and radient maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Nameless here forevermore.
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me--filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;--
This it is and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door;--
Darkness there and nothing more.
Deep into that darknes peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," I said, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore--
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;--
'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the nightly shore--
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door--
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered--not a feather then he fluttered--
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before--
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never--nevermore.'"
But the Raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God has lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite--respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh, quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted
On this home by horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore--
Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--
By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of the lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!--quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor;
Shall be lifted--nevermore!
October 30, 2009
Mel Brooks Presents ~ Young Frankenstein
I'm enjoying movie fright night on the eve before Halloween! It's time for me to get the popcorn ready, order my pizza and turn off the lights. I always have to set the stage for a goose bump hair-raising night of HORROR movies! Nevertheless, this Mel Brooks classic has always been a permanent fixture on my Halloween movie list. I always have to throw in a little bit of humor. ♥
October 29, 2009
BREAKING: Comprehensive List of Taxes In House Democrat Health Bill ~ Wowee! Bend Over America And Take It Like A Good Citizen Should [/Sarcasm] ARGH!
Comprehensive List of Taxes In House Democrat Health Bill
written by Ryan Ellis
Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:20 PM
H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" has been introduced--all 1990 pages of it. This gargantuan beast contains thirteen new tax hikes. Here they all are, with description and page number (PDF version):
***
Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent ($670,000-$750,000).
Individual Mandate Surtax (Page 296): If an individual fails to obtain qualifying coverage, he must pay an income surtax equal to the lesser of 2.5 percent of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) or the average premium. MAGI adds back in the foreign earned income exclusion and municipal bond interest.
Medicine Cabinet Tax (Page 324): Non-prescription medications would no longer be able to be purchased from health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), or health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Insulin excepted.
Cap on FSAs (Page 325): FSAs would face an annual cap of $2500 (currently uncapped).
Increased Additional Tax on Non-Qualified HSA Distributions (Page 326): Non-qualified distributions from HSAs would face an additional tax of 20 percent (current law is 10 percent). This disadvantages HSAs relative to other tax-free accounts (e.g. IRAs, 401(k)s, 529 plans, etc.)
Denial of Tax Deduction for Employer Health Plans Coordinating with Medicare Part D (Page 327): This would further erode private sector participation in delivery of Medicare services.
Surtax on Individuals and Small Businesses (Page 336): Imposes an income surtax of 5.4 percent on MAGI over $500,000 ($1 million married filing jointly). MAGI adds back in the itemized deduction for margin loan interest. This would raise the top marginal tax rate in 2011 from 39.6 percent under current law to 45 percent—a new effective top rate.
Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339): Imposes a new excise tax on medical device manufacturers equal to 2.5 percent of the wholesale price. It excludes retail sales and unspecified medical devices sold to the general public.
Corporate 1099-MISC Information Reporting (Page 344): Requires that 1099-MISC forms be issued to corporations as well as persons for trade or business payments. Current law limits to just persons for small business compliance complexity reasons. Also expands reporting to exchanges of property.
Delay in Worldwide Allocation of Interest (Page 345): Delays for nine years the worldwide allocation of interest, a corporate tax relief provision from the American Jobs Creation Act
Limitation on Tax Treaty Benefits for Certain Payments (Page 346): Increases taxes on U.S. employers with overseas operations looking to avoid double taxation of earnings.
Codification of the “Economic Substance Doctrine” (Page 349): Empowers the IRS to disallow a perfectly legal tax deduction or other tax relief merely because the IRS deems that the motive of the taxpayer was not primarily business-related.
Application of “More Likely Than Not” Rule (Page 357): Publicly-traded partnerships and corporations with annual gross receipts in excess of $100 million have raised standards on penalties. If there is a tax underpayment by these taxpayers, they must be able to prove that the estimated tax paid would have more likely than not been sufficient to cover final tax liability.
Guess What? Our Government Is GIVING AWAY FREE CELL PHONES, Service And Minutes Using Our HARD EARNED Taxpayer Dollars!!!
Having a cell phone is NOT A RIGHT! If you can't afford a cell phone, then you obviously will not have one. Why does everybody feel they deserve ENTITLEMENTS! A cell phone is a luxury. Besides, there are several charitable organizations that ALREADY DONATE USED cell phones to those in need. Virgin Mobile for example asks their customers to recycle their used cell phones so they can give them to homeless teenagers. Our government has made it their duty to USE PUBLIC FUNDS (taxpayer dollars) for charitable contributions. The PRIVATE SECTOR is responsible for helping out their neighbors in need NOT the government! We, as individuals should be the ones to DECIDE how and to whom we would like to DONATE our hard earned money to NOT the government! These EARMARKS have to be STOPPED!
I have taken the following from Safelink Wireless website where you can read more details for yourself. Please click HERE to be directed to the website.
Lifeline Benefits
Lifeline Assistance is part of a program that was created by the government to provide discounted or free telephone service to income-eligible consumers. To help bring you this important benefit, SafeLink Wireless is proud to offer Lifeline Service. Through our Lifeline Service you will receive FREE cellular service, a FREE cell phone, and FREE Minutes every month! SafeLink Wireless Service does not cost anything – there are no contracts, no recurring fees and no monthly charges.
Any Minutes you do not use will roll-over. Features such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail are all also included with your service. If you need additional Minutes, you can buy TracFone Airtime Cards at any TracFone retailer Walmart, Walgreens, Family Dollar, etc). SafeLink Airtime Cards will be available soon.
Your exact benefits, including the number of free Minutes you will receive, depend on the state you live in. Please enter your ZIP code to get the details for your state.
The Latest House Health Care Bill - H.R.3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCong
House Health Care Bill - H.R.3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act - U.S. Congress - compliments of OpenCongress.org
OpenCongress Summary
This is the big health care reform bill in the House of Representatives that will be debated and voted on during the week of November 2nd. It is the final, reconciled version of the health care bill that was amended by three House committees over the summer. Broadly, it seeks to expand health care coverage to the approximately 40 million Americans who are currently uninsured by lowering the cost of health care and making the system more efficient. To that end, it includes a new government-run insurance plan (a.k.a. a public option) to compete with the private companies, a requirement that all Americans have health insurance, a ban on denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition and, to pay for it all, a surtax on individuals with incomes above $500,000.
Please click HERE to be directed to the LATEST Health Care Bill... Warning the web link takes a long time to load due to the 1,900 pages!!!
October 28, 2009
Why Do I Believe In Karma? Re-post From 1/12/08
Although I would LOVE to see Justice prevail and Angelo et al hanged in public... I know now it is not going to happen. Not with this government and regulators in charge of this once great U.S. of A. Nevertheless, I am a great believer in Karma! What goes around really does come around. People really do reap as they have sown. Angelo et al will, one way or another, be brought to their knees, if not extinguished altogether by a Greater Power!
January 12, 2008 9:27 PM
>>>Princess Mononoke: Nevertheless, I am a great believer in Karma!
January 12, 2008 11:16 PM
I don’t pretend to know everything. In fact, I don’t take credit for the things I write. I sometimes get blown away with the written material that comes out of me.
What I do know however is that God gave us ALL free-will to make our own choices, right vs. wrong. I do know that we have been given the responsibility to genuinely care for one another, to stand up for those who can not. We have also been given the responsibility to care for this planet and everything in it. After all, this planet is our home and every person is our neighbor.
All of those people you mentioned that have caused injustice and iniquity in this World can only continue if WE allow them to continue! These perpetrators will get away with as much as they can as long as WE keep turning the other cheek, turning a blind eye, remain silent and complacent to their actions and existence! We are only victims if we continue allowing them to victimize us and others!
It is OUR duty to shed light on them! Expose them for what they are and stop them from continuing to damage and spreading their dis-ease throughout the World! Don't try to make sense of their actions. These perpetraitors obviously have no conscience or they wouldn't be committing these acts of violence in whatever way, shape or form! You can not rationalize the irrational; why bad things happen to good people. However, WE can do whatever it takes to prevent such events from re-occuring.
As for their fate, only God knows how that will play out. But that is not for us to waste our time worrying about where or when. It is in letting go and handing the situation over to God that we find our inner peace. Besides, there is nothing for us to gain in worrying, by doing so we're simply giving 'them' power over our well-being and yes they win. However, if we can let go and center ourselves, we will be better equipped (by being able to think clearly) in order to continue to fight the good fight of faith and therefore make a difference! Just trust and know that God is ultimately in control... Nevertheless, WE are still held responsible to do our part, to do the 'right' thing making sure such atrocities never happen again!
October 27, 2009
There Can Be MIRACLES When You Believe...
We must come together as a community. Our youth is counting on us to stand up to the awfulness that surrounds them. They NEED us all to do the RIGHT THING and PROTECT THEM! We are the adults and should be postive role models for our youth to follow.
When You Believe
Performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston
Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopefull song
We barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could
There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
In this time of fear
When prayers so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say
There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe
They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way to get through the rain
A small but still resilient voice
Says hope is very near
There can be miracles
(Miracles)
When you believe
(Lord, when you believe)
Though hope is frail
(Though hope is frail)
It's hard to kill
(Hard to kill, Ohhh)
Who knows what miracles,you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
(somehow, somehow, somehow)
somehow you will
You will when you believe
You will when you
You will when you believe
Just believe... in your heart
Just believe
You will when you believe...
Hero ~ by Mariah Carey
This song is so very appropriate after posting my lastest horrific news. I am still deeply disturbed by that news. But mostly I am deeply disturbed at what is happening to the youth in America!!! A month ago a young black male teenager who was an honor student was publicly beaten to death in Chicago, IL by several young men while many young people watched, laughed, applauded and even video taped. Two weeks ago a young white male teenager in Deerfield, FL had gasoline poured on him and lit on fire by several young men because he reported one of them to the authorities for stealing his father's bike. He had 75% of his body burned. And this past Saturday a young hispanic teenage girl gets gang raped for over 2 hours in Oakland, CA while many young people watched, laughed and applauded. The onlookers even recruited others to come watch. Our youth in America is being MURDERED physically, emotionally and spiritually. Their souls are being ripped out right before our very eyes!
This needs to stop and it's up to all of us to come together as a community, the adults and stop this horrific behavior. This should NOT be tolerated by any means! This is UNACCEPTABLE! You have to care, this could easily have been you, your child, your brother or sister, your niece or nephew, your cousin, your friend or even your neighbor. If we, as adults don't do anything, the children in America grow up thinking and believing that it is okay to beat up, rape and murder. We NEED to show them that we indeed care and that it's NOT OKAY! We MUST LEAD by example. It's up to us to turn this tide of evil around. If we don't do anything NOW, God help us ALL when they grow up and turn against society for not giving a damn!
All it takes is one evil person to negatively influence the bunch. Just think of this one evil person as a virus that has the ability to spread and infect others with their way of thinking rapidly. Darkeness cannot exist where there is LIGHT. We ARE that LIGHT!
Hero ~ by Mariah Carey
There's a hero,
If you look inside your heart,
You don't have to be afraid of what you are,
There's an answer,
If you reach into your soul,
And the sorrow that you know will melt away.
[chorus]
And then a hero comes along,
With the strenght to carry on,
And you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive,
So when you feel like hope is gone,
Look inside you and be strong,
And you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you.
It's a long road,
When you face the world alone,
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold,
You can find love,
If you search within yourself,
And the emptiness you felt will disappear.
[chorus]
Lord knows,
Dreams are hard to follow,
But don't let anyone tear them away,
Hold on,
There will be tomorrow,
In time you'll find the way.
[chorus]
That a hero lies in..... you
Ooohh that a hero lies in..... you
A 15-year-old Teenager Was GANG RAPED Outside Of Homecoming School Dance That Lasted For Two Hours While More Than A Dozen People WATCHED!!!
I chose this video created by Oakland Latinos United. He adds his commentary after the news. I just want to warn you that he uses vulgar language to describe his disdain and disgust. Nevertheless, I couldn't agree with him more. This is a HORRIFIC story of a young girl who was pinned down and RAPED by a dozen guys who KNEW DAMN WELL WHAT THEY WERE DOING! They need to be PUNISHED to the full extent of the law. Rape is the same as MURDER! And ought to be treated as such. Oh and those who CHOSE to WATCH and CHEER should be charged with ACCESSORY TO THE CRIME! These onlookers are just as GUILTY as those who committed the CRIME for NOT doing ANYTHING to stop them and GUILTY for NOT reporting it.
Our youth across America NEEDS to be taught and re-trained that this is WRONG to watch a crime being committed and should be reported to an authority figure or dial 911. Just put it this way to them, ask them "What if that was you? How would you want someone else to react if you were being attacked, murdered or raped?" We NEED to teach our youth to treat others the way they would like to be treated and if someone is NOT treating them with RESPECT, then they shouldn't want them to be a part of their life! We NEED to teach our youth that it's NOT COOL to mistreat others or be an observer of somebody else being mistreated. My grandmother used to always say, "Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are."
Another point I would like to make is where the heck was campus security? I mean come on! Apparently, the students were going in and out of the dance giving a minute by minute account of the rape. How could the chaperones (adults) if there were any, NOT NOTICE something going on outside!?!?!?! The school, at least when I went to school used to always have ADULTS present. Whether they were school staff members or teachers observing the dance and making sure there was no funny business going on in or outside of the dance. Where the heck were they? Think about it, if you were asked to be a chaperone at a school dance wouldn't your EYES and EARS be open? I mean if you see students running in and out of the dance telling whomever what's going on outside wouldn't that have RAISED YOUR ANTENNAE? Wouldn't you want to find out what the commotion was and where it was happening and to whom? The school has absolutely NO EXCUSE, this young girl was being RAPED for OVER 2 HOURS. Where the heck were the ADULTS?
*********************************************************************
ABC News
School Official Says It Was Parents' Job to Protect Teen From Homecoming Rape
written by Sarah Netter
Tuesday October 27, 2009
An official with the school district where a 15-year-old girl was brutally gang raped outside the homecoming dance said they were praying for her recovery but also defended school security, saying that when the students leave the dance, "we don't take them home."
Police in Richmond, Calif., believe that more than a dozen people may have either watched or participated in a vicious rape of a 15-year-old Richmond High School girl that lasted for more than two hours in a dimly lit corner of the sprawling campus.
ABC's San Francisco affiliate KGO reported today that police have arrested two suspected rapists but believe that between four and seven people could have participated while as many as a dozen stood and watched.
West Contra Costa Unified School District spokesman Marin Trujillo told ABCNews.com that there were four police officers, five chaperones and a host of teachers to supervise the dance, and that when the event was over a sweep was made of the campus to make sure everyone had gone home.
The corner on the outskirts of school grounds where the girl was attacked, he said, was not part of the search.
According to news reports, the girl left the high school's homecoming dance alone around 9:30 p.m. Saturday to get a ride home with her dad.
Instead, she met up with a group of people who were drinking on the edge of campus.
"The series of events that occurred over the next 2½ hours got more severe and more vicious to where she was ultimately gang raped and beaten, and her injuries were so severe that she had to be sent to the hospital in a helicopter," Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan told KGO.
Trujillo described the mood at Richmond High School is "somber." Counselors and members of the school's crisis team have remained at the school as students -- some who are still not sure who the victim is -- wonder if every absent girl was the one who was attacked.
Trujillo said that parents and students are "understandably scared."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and with the child," he said.
Trujillo said the school district was not notified officially about the incident until the next morning, though some officials had heard about it on the news.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that police were called only after someone not at the scene heard about what was happening.
Police officers, the newspaper reported, found the girl semi-conscious, curled up near a lunch table.
President Obama's Hollow Promise!
President Obama said in a speech yesterday before a group of marines and I quote, "I WILL NEVER RUSH the solemn decision of sending you into harms way. I won't risk your LIVES unless it is absolutely necessary."
Wow! Just WOW! This man has absolutely NO SHAME... He had no problem IMMEDIATELY ESCALATING the Afghanistan war when he became President. Our military troops don't need to hear President Obama's empty promises. NO. They NEED a Commander In Chief that GENUINELY CARES ABOUT THEM and either immediately sends them help in the battle field or brings them back home. It is as simple as that. Our troops NEED President Obama to take DECISIVE ACTION NOW. No more speeches! Now let me explain why I feel this way with some FACTS:
Fact #1: (CNS News 9/30/09) "Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to reinforce U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which he described as war we “HAVE TO WIN.” " [Oh really now? You could have fooled me!]
Fact #2: (CBS/AP 2/17/09) "President Obama approved adding some 17,000 U.S. troops for the flagging war in Afghanistan, his first significant move to change the course of a conflict that his closest military advisers have warned the United States is not winning. [Obama didn't mind RUSHING this decision immediately after he became President.]
"This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires," Obama said in a statement.
"There is no more solemn duty as president than the decision to deploy our armed forces into harm's way," Obama said. "I do it today mindful that the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention and swift action." [Sound familiar?]
That was a slap at his predecessor, former President George W. Bush, whom Obama has accused of slighting urgent national security needs in Afghanistan in favor of war in Iraq."
Fact #3: (USA Today 3/27/09) "President Obama this hour unveiled details of a revised strategy for the battle against terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As has been widely reported, he was expected to say he's sending about 4,000 MORE TROOPS -- on top of the ADDITIONAL 17,000 he's already added to the region.
"I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal," Obama says, "to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That is the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you."
"For the American people," Obama says, the Afghan-Pakistan border has become "the most dangerous place in the world" because of the terrorists' presence there.
Fact #4: (AFP 10/13/09) "President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of an additional 13,000 US troops to Afghanistan beyond the 21,000 he ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY IN MARCH, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The additional troops are primarily support forces -- such as engineers, medical specialists, intelligence experts and military police -- the paper said, bringing the total build-up APPROVED by Obama to 34,000.
"Obama authorized the whole thing. The only thing you saw announced in a press release was the 21,000," an unnamed defense official familiar told the paper."
The maximum number of US forces expected in Afghanistan by year's end -- 68,000 -- would remain the same, the paper said.
Fact #5: (CNS News 9/30/09) "On August 30, General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan (that President Obama SELECTED HIMSELF) sent a confidential war assessment to President Obama, warning that more forces are needed -- soon. General McChrystal requested an additional 40,000 troops." [It has now been 2 MONTHS. What has President Obama been doing since then? Traveling to Copenhagen to campaign for the Olympics to be held in Chicago and non-stop campaigning across the United States since he became President for democrats and health care reform. Oh and playing golf, playing basketball, throwing parties at the White House. EVERYTHING BUT SITTING DOWN AND MAKING A MOST CRITICAL DECISION NOW. Lives are at stake. Wow! Just Wow!]
Fact #6: Our military has suffered the MOST fatalities (deaths) in Afghanistan since President Obama became President and he ESCALATED THE AFGHANISTAN WAR. A total of 267 deaths.
October 26, 2009
Congress Pressed To Act To Curb Child-Abuse Deaths! This My Dear Readers Would Be Taxpayer Money Well Spent...
Congress pressed to act to curb child-abuse deaths
written by Staff
Saturday October 24, 2009 - 6:25pm
NEW YORK -- Armed with grim statistics, experts and activists mobilized this week to demand expanded federal efforts -- including more money and tougher oversight -- to reverse a recent rise in the number of children dying from abuse and neglect.
Child-welfare advocates who gathered for a rally and conference in Washington say America should be embarrassed to have a child-abuse death rate far higher than other wealthy democracies. They cite the latest federal figures showing that an estimated 1,760 U.S. children died from abuse and neglect in 2007 -- up 35 percent from 2001. [This number is ONLY for cases reported. Imagine the number of child abuse cases that go UNREPORTED.]
"Child abuse and neglect are national problems that require national solutions," said Michael Petit, president of the Every Child Matters Education Fund.
"That means federal lawmakers must work with states to address what causes it, be more consistent in how data about it are shared, and increase support for the agencies that work to stop it."
The recession is inflicting a further hit, with many states imposing budget cuts that affect child welfare programs. Abuse deaths are up sharply in some areas -- authorities in Nevada's Clark County, home to Las Vegas, have tallied 37 abuse deaths so far this year, compared to 18 in all of 2008.
Every Child Matters released a report this week contending that inadequate resources are stretching state child-protection agencies too thin to properly serve at-risk children and their families.
The report -- which brings together data compiled by a variety of federal, state and private agencies -- says per-capita spending on child protection varies widely by state, as does the diligence of state agencies in collecting statistics on abuse fatalities.
"The differences between the states are so vast that there's got to be a federal intervention that's stronger than present or these children will continue to die at these high rates," Petit said.
The report cited a survey by UNICEF in 2003 that calculated the U.S. child abuse death rate as three times higher than Canada's and 11 times higher than Italy's.
Among the report's recommendations:
* Up to $5 billion in additional federal funds to support child protection services.
* Adoption of national standards for child protection, to be mandatory for states accepting federal funds.
* Tougher, more consistent rules for how states collect and report data on child maltreatment deaths. The latest federal report on such deaths lacked data from four states, and Petit says other states may not include some fatalities that are in fact caused by abuse or neglect.
* A federal/state public education campaign to encourage reporting of child abuse and neglect.
Every Child Matters organized a Wednesday rally at the Capitol with support from Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.., and stars from NBC's "Law and Order: SVU" -- which often deals with family violence in its plots.
Casey said he hopes the week's activities helped "shine a light" on what he calls an epidemic of child abuse.
"As much of the frontline fight against child abuse takes place at the state level, the federal government must continue to work with states to provide resources," he said. "Especially as budgets are tightened, we must provide states with adequate levels of support."
However, the new report's recommendations were not universally welcomed.
Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform, said any additional federal spending would be better used to support at-risk families so fewer children would need to be removed from their homes in the first place. He contends that the number of child abuse deaths -- while regrettable -- is a tiny fraction of the number of children removed from their homes unnecessarily.
"Their proposal amounts to stealing $3 billion to $5 billion that might go to prevention, family preservation and helping to ameliorate poverty and spending it instead on investigating families and taking away children," Wexler wrote on in a commentary on the report.
Wexler agrees that many states should be spending more on child welfare.
"But all states need to spend smarter," he said. "The net of voluntary help to families should be cast wide. ... The net of coercive intervention into families should be narrow."
One goal of this week's conference was to press Congress to be generous with funds when it soon takes up reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which provides federal money to states to address abuse and neglect.
"We need a bigger investment in case workers," said Rebecca Myers, of the National Association of Social Workers, one of the conference participants. "Caseloads in some jurisdictions are as high as 60 or more, even though national standards recommend 12 or fewer cases per worker."
According to the American Bar Association, child protective services agencies received nearly 3.2 million reports of child maltreatment in 2007 but were able to screen only 62 percent of them for investigation.
"In short," the ABA said, "our nation's child welfare system is stretched far beyond capacity."
Domingo Ferreira, 53 Yrs Old, The Father In Child Abuse Death Case Hangs Himself In Jail. Good Riddance! One Less MONSTER In The World...
The Philadelphia InquirerFather in abuse case dies in jail
written by Troy Graham and John Sullivan
Monday October 26, 2009
He was found hanged four days after Charleeni Ferreira's death at age 10.
Charleeni Ferreira's father, accused with his wife last week in the abuse death of the 10-year-old Feltonville girl, was found hanged yesterday morning in his jail cell at the Curran-Frumhold Correctional Facility.
A guard found Domingo Ferreira, 53, during a routine inspection around 3:10 a.m lying on his bunk with a torn bed sheet tied to the upper bunk. CPR was administered and medical staff responded, but Ferreira was declared dead.
Ferreira, who was admitted to the jail Friday, had been kept alone in a cell in the housing intake unit because of the notoriety of his case.
He had been given a mental evaluation when he arrived and judged not suicidal.
Ferreira and his wife, Margarita Garabito, 43, were charged with murder after Charleeni died Wednesday. Garabito is the girl's stepmother.
Police called the "ongoing torture" of the girl one of the worst cases of abuse they had ever seen.
Charleeni had numerous old and fresh wounds, and she had been sexually assaulted. She died from an infection stemming from untreated broken ribs. A fractured hip caused her to limp, and a large gash in her head had been stuffed with gauze and hidden beneath a hair weave. The wound was months old, and skin had begun to grow over the gauze.
Investigators are awaiting DNA test results before lodging any charges for the sexual abuse they say Charleeni suffered.
Garabito is at the Riverside Correctional Facility. She was informed of her husband's death and placed under observation, jail officials said.
Investigators are still trying to unravel the final months of Charleeni's life. They said they were puzzled by how the girl, the subject of a previous abuse investigation and whose hip injury had recently been the focus of an alleged medical exam, could have died before authorities intervened.
School nurses over four years had either alleged abuse or demanded that the family seek medical attention for Charleeni, a fifth grader.
In May, a nurse at Feltonville Intermediate School asked Charleeni's parents to produce medical records and take her to a doctor after teachers noticed a pronounced limp.
Her stepmother explained the limp by saying the girl had recently gained weight.
Records from the school show the nurse continued to press the parents until they took her to a doctor. But the records do not indicate that the doctor, who supposedly examined Charleeni in September, found anything wrong. The medical examiner has told investigators that Charleeni's injuries should have been apparent.
It was the second time a school nurse had flagged injuries with the child. In 2006 and 2007, a nurse at Clara Barton Elementary School called the Department of Human Services and reported the girl was being abused. But after providing services for the child and her family for five months and taking the girl for two physical exams with doctors who specialize in child-abuse cases, the department closed the case.
After interviewing Charleeni then, a doctor said she had claimed that she was not afraid of her parents and that any evidence of abuse was from old abuse she suffered at the hands of her biological mother, who lived in Puerto Rico, according to sources who reviewed DHS records.
Garabito is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
BREAKING NEWS! FBI Rescues 52 Kids From Prostitution, Including One As Young As 10 And Arrested Nearly 700 People Including 60 Pimps!!! Thank You! ♥
AFP
FBI rescues 52 kids from prostitution
written by Staff
Monday October 26, 2009 at 10:00am
WASHINGTON — US authorities rescued 52 children, including one as young as 10, from prostitution rings and arrested nearly 700 people during a nationwide sting operation over the weekend, the FBI said Monday.
The three-day push in 36 US cities "led to the recovery of 52 children who were being victimized through prostitution" and the arrest of close to 700 others, "including 60 pimps, on state and local charges," the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.
"Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country, as evidenced by the number of children rescued through the continued efforts of our crimes-against-children task forces," said Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division.
The roundup, which officials said took place over the previous 72 hours, was part of a larger FBI program called "Innocence Lost," whose task forces have removed nearly 900 children from the streets since 2003, convicted 510 people and seized 3.1 million dollars in assets, the FBI said.
Agents targeted truck stops, casinos, street corners and websites as part of their hunt for offenders.
"They target areas known to have prostitution," FBI special agent Jason Pack told AFP. "When they find young looking ones they try to find ways to engage the folks and go from there," he said.
The youngest person taken off the street was a 10-year-old girl in the midwestern United States. The other 51 were mostly females under age 18, he said.
The FBI said initial arrests for solicitation typically uncovered larger, more organized efforts to prostitute women and children across the United States.
"It is repugnant that children in these times could be subjected to the great pain, suffering, and indignity of being forced into sexual slavery for someone else's profit," said assistant attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division.
The roundup however "has shown us that the scourge of child prostitution still exists on the streets of our cities."
Nonprofit Group Comes To Homeless Family's Aid The Recovery Network Is Funded By Kaiser Permanente For Supportive Housing And Private Donations!
FYI: Kaiser Permanente Is A Not-For-Profit OrganizationNonprofit group comes to homeless family's aid
written by Bob Pool
October 20, 2009
A 97-year-old homeless woman living with her two sons in a battered 1973 Chevrolet Suburban in Venice has received a temporary home, compliments of a nonprofit Los Angeles housing group.
Bessie Mae Berger and sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62, had parked nightly on Venice Boulevard after losing their home in Palm Springs and failing to find a place to stay in Northern California.
But a Times story on Friday that detailed their plight prompted authorities from the city, L.A. County and the state to step up efforts to assist the trio and led a year-old group, the Integrated Recovery Network, to offer them immediate shelter.
The three are now staying in rooms at the California Villa Retirement Hotel in Van Nuys, Charlie Wilkerson said Monday.
"We can make arrangements for the first three months," said Marsha Temple, the recovery network's executive director. She said her group will also work to obtain additional long-term benefits for the family.
The recovery network is funded by Kaiser Permanente, the Corporation for Supportive Housing and private donations and can provide placements for those who fall through the cracks for governmental services, Temple said.
Medicare Fraud: One Of The Most Profitable Crimes In U.S. Estimated Now To Total About $60 BILLION A Year!
Kaiser Health News
Medicare Fraud: One Of The Most Profitable Crimes In U.S.
written by Staff
Monday October 26, 2009
Medicare "provides a rich and steady income stream for criminals who are constantly finding new ways to steal a sizable chunk of the half trillion dollars that are paid out each year in Medicare benefits," 60 Minutes reports. "In fact, Medicare fraud - estimated now to total about $60 billion a year - has become one of, if not the most profitable, crimes in America." Medicare fraud leaves little evidence: an FBI agent in South Florida said "the only visible evidence of the crimes are the thousands of tiny clinics and pharmacies that dot the low-rent strip malls. You don't even know they're there because there's never anyone inside. No doctors, no nurses and no patients." Yet one of those offices, a "tiny medical supply company" charged Medicare "almost $2 million in July and a half million dollars while 60 Minutes was there in August, but we never found anybody inside, and our phone calls were never returned."
Kirk Ogrosky, a top Justice Department prosecutor, says the Medicare fraud business is now larger than the drug business in Miami. "But it's not just Miami: in March, the FBI arrested 53 people in Detroit, including a number of doctors, and charged them with billing Medicare more than $50 million for unnecessary medical procedures. And in Los Angeles, the City of Angels Medical Center recruited homeless people off the street to fill their empty beds, offering them cash and drugs plus clean sheets and three square meals a day, while billing Medicare tens of millions of dollars for their stay." 60 Minutes also spoke with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as well as a Medicare fraudster who bilked the system of about $20 million (Kroft, 10/25).
Minnesota Public Radio: Medicare fraud is difficult to find and prosecute without whistleblowers, says Minnesota federal prosecutor Gerald Wilhelm. "'Medicare cases are often what I call the death of a thousand ankle bites,' Wilhelm said. 'Every bad claim is a dollar, but there are a billion bad claims so it's a billion dollars, and so to look at all of those claims is impossible.'" While some cases are obvious, "many cases fall into a gray area that mean second-guessing a physician's decisions." But "[t]he Medicare statute itself prohibits the government from interfering with the practice of medicine. Wilhelm said the question with Medicare is often whether a clinic billed the government for a more complex procedure than it performed or than the patient needed. He said it's like buying a Chevrolet and charging the government for a Cadillac" (Stawicki, 10/26).
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports on another type of insurance fraud. One couple in East Bethel says they were 'royally duped' into buying health coverage that wasn't insurance," which is not uncommon. No one knows how many customers have fallen into this trap. But dubious health plans are "spreading like poison oak all over the country," says James Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, a nonprofit watchdog in Washington, D.C. Consumer advocates say companies are taking advantage of the recession and the growing number of uninsured people -- 1 in 5 American adults under age 65 -- to sell 'health coverage' that evaporates when customers try to use it, or provides far less than promised" (Lerner, 10/25).
October 25, 2009
Come to Me ~ by France Joli
I want to share one of my all time FAVORITE songs with you! France Joli is a Canadian singer. "Come to me" was her first single, released when she was 16 and it hit #1 on the US Disco Dance chart in 1979. On the Billboard Hot 100, it was her biggest mainstream hit, breaking the Top 20 at #15. The success of the single put her in demand for talk shows with Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore and a Bob Hope special.
I never get tired of hearing this song. My spirit just loves to dance to this song. Can you hear God? God is knocking on the door of your heart. Will you invite Him in and have a little chat about life? I promise you, His presence alone will transform your life. Instead of imagining someone else singing this song to you or you singing this song to someone else, just try for a moment to hear God's voice singing this song to YOU. Enjoy the lyrics!
Come to Me ~ by France Joli
Come to me
When you're all alone and feeling down
Come to me
When there's nobody else around
Come to me
I'm still waiting open-armed for you
Come to me
'cause I will comfort you
When you've no one to turn to
I will be here just for you
Come to me
When your world is empty and cold
Come to me
When you need someone you want to hold
Come to me
In my arms I will keep you safe and warm
Come to me
I will shelter you from the storm
I'm not one to pretend
Why can't you understand
That I love you
And I love you
And I need you
And I want you
And I love you
And I love you
And I need you
And I want you
Come to me
(instrumental break)
I'm a lonely man
Living in a world of dreams
I've got everything
But the one thing that I really need
Come to me
I'll give you all the love you'll need
'cause I have love just for you
Come to me
When your world is empty and cold
Come to me
When you need someone you want to hold
Come to me
In my arms I will keep you safe and warm
Come to me
I will shelter you from the storm
I'm not one to pretend
Why can't you understand
That I love you
And I love you
And I need you
And I love you
Come to me
I need you
And I need you
And I want you
10 Quotes Made By Plato ~ Know Thyself
- Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.
- Cunning... is but the low mimic of wisdom.
- The highest reach of injustice is to be deemed just when you are not.
- This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.
- Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.
- Entire ignorance is not so terrible or extreme an evil, and is far from being the greatest of all; too much cleverness and too much learning, accompanied with ill bringing-up, are far more fatal.
- The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of character and of wisdom.
- Apply yourself both now and in the next life. Without effort, you cannot be prosperous. Though the land be good, You cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation.
- Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.
- Courage is knowing what not to fear.
BONUS
Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.
BONUS BONUS
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
October 24, 2009
Pocketful Of Sunshine ~ by Natasha Bedingfield
This song goes out to all of the warriors fighting to defend LIBERTY, TRUTH and JUSTICE around the WORLD! The LIGHT of TRUTH is our sword. WE are the LIGHT! Stay strong and whatever you do, don't give up! NO FEAR! This is such a great song! Enjoy the lyrics :)
Darkness cannot exist where there is LIGHT! MAGNIFY THE LIGHT!
Pocketful of Sunshine ~ by Natasha Bedingfield
I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a LOVE and I KNOW that it's ALL mine
Do what you want but you're NEVER gonna break me
Sticks and stones are NEVER gonna shake me
Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place
I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a LOVE and I KNOW that it's ALL MINE
Do what you want but you're NEVER gonna break me
Sticks and stones are NEVER gonna shake me
YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME...
I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a LOVE and I KNOW that it's ALL mine
Wish that you could but you AIN'T GONNA OWN ME
Do anything you can to control me
YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME...
Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place
There's a place that I go that nobody knows
Where the rivers flow and I call it home
And there's NO MORE LIES in the darkness there's LIGHT
And nobody cries, there's ONLY butterflies
Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place
Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place
The sun is on my side and takes me for a ride
I smile up to the sky, I know I'll be alright
The sun is on my side and takes me for a ride
I SMILE up to the sky, I KNOW I'LL BE ALRIGHT
Thank you God, I love you, I KNOW You ARE watching over me
BREAKING NEWS! President Obama Declares H1N1 Virus A National Emergency! Why?
Only 1,000 adults and children have died in America from H1N1 since April that's 6 months. Yet, the CDC reports that 36,171 or more people die from the REGULAR FLU every year in the United States!!! Ask yourselves why DECLARE a NATIONAL EMERGENCY???
The US Census reports that there are 307 MILLION American citizens. Now do the math... 1,000 have died from H1N1 and Obama declares a national emergency!?!? Why is it that President Obama can RUSH to make this critical decision and is so UNABLE to DECIDE whether or not to send military troops to Afghanistan??? The WAR that he in FACT escalated and said needed to be won. The military commander he chose is practically begging him for an additional 40,000 troops and President Obama sits on his hands and grins! Meanwhile, our troops are being KILLED in battle as President Obama continues campaigning across the United States. Let's get real here, we've had more U.S. military troops DIE in Afghanistan than U.S. citizens die from H1N1. Furthermore, even more people are KILLED by GANGS/THUGS/DRUG DEALERS across America every year! Why hasn't President Obama declared that a national emergency?
Washington Post
President Obama declares H1N1 flu a national emergency
written by Michael D. Shear and Rob Stein
Saturday, October 24, 2009; 12:58 PM
President Obama Saturday declared the H1N1 flu a national emergency, clearing the way for legal waivers to allow hospitals and doctors offices to better handle a surge of new patients.
The proclamation will grant Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius the power to authorize the waivers as individual medical facilities request them, officials said.
It says that Obama does "hereby find and proclaim that, given that the rapid increase in illness across the Nation may overburden health care resources and that the temporary waiver of certain standard Federal requirements may be warranted in order to enable U.S. health care facilities to implement emergency operations plans, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in the United States constitutes a national emergency."
White House officials downplayed the dramatic-sounding language, saying the president's action was not prompted by a new assessment of the dangers posed to the public by the flu.
Instead, officials said the action provides greater flexibility for hospitals which may suddenly find themselves confronted with a surge of new patients as the virus sweeps through their communities.
"The H1N1 is moving rapidly, as expected. By the time regions or healthcare systems recognize they are becoming overburdened, they need to implement disaster plans quickly," White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said Saturday.
If GRANTED A WAIVER, hospitals would be FREED from some regulations that guide their behavior during normal day-to-day operations. Cherlin provided the following example:
"Requirements under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act would prohibit hospitals from certain rapid triage or sorting activities and prevent the establishment of off-site, alternate care facilities that could off-load emergency department demand," he said.
Public health experts praised the move, saying it was an important precautionary step that could help hospitals and other first responders care for large numbers of sick people as the outbreak continues.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that the flu was spreading widely in at least 46 states and had already hospitalized at least 20,000 Americans. More than 1,000 confirmed deaths have occurred due to the virus and more than 2,400 additional deaths that were likely associated with it, officials said.
Although officials had hoped at least 40 million doses of vaccine would be available by this time, production problems have delayed the federal government's massive inoculation campaign. Only about 16 million doses have become available so far.
October 23, 2009
Heal the Bay’s Summer Report Card yields high marks for 3rd straight year
Heal the Bay’s Summer Report Card yields high marks for 3rd straight year - BEACH WATER QUALITY STILL ON RISE STATEWIDESANTA MONICA, CA (Wednesday, September 30, 2009) – Marking an encouraging trend, California beachgoers basked in a third consecutive summer of excellent water quality, according to the 2009 End of Summer Beach Report Card® released today by environmental group Heal the Bay.
The group assigned an A to F letter grade to 458 beaches along the California coast, based on levels of bacterial pollution reported from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This summer, 92% of sites received A or B grades during the high-traffic beachgoing season. The grades are slightly better than last year, when 91% of beaches received high marks.
California’s persistent and ongoing low rainfall totals, which limited polluted urban runoff in storm drain systems, played a major role in better water quality. Enhanced infrastructure at several sites also led to rising grades. There were only 36 locations in the state that received fair-to-poor water quality grades, roughly 8% of all graded beaches. Some 21 beaches received failing grades statewide.
The Beach Report Card is based on the routine monitoring of beaches from Humboldt County to the Mexican border by local health agencies and dischargers. Water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources. The better the grade a beach receives, the lower the risk of illness to ocean users.
“Record low rainfall has helped maintain great water quality at the vast majority of California’s beaches for the third summer in a row,” said Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay. “But we can’t become complacent in our efforts to improve water quality in the summer season. We need long-term funding for beach monitoring and to ensure that problem beaches are safe for swimming every summer.”
Los Angeles County once again had some of the lowest summer grades in the state, with only 80% of its 81 beaches receiving A or B marks. This year, 10 beaches in the county earned F’s during the summer, but that marks improvement from last summer, when 19% of sites received failing grades.
On a positive note, Santa Monica Bay monitoring locations fared notably better than last summer, exhibiting water quality of 91% A’s and B’s compared to last year’s 86%. A few Santa Monica Bay beaches still regularly exceeded newly adopted bacteria standards from April 1 to Sept. 3. Santa Monica Municipal Pier, Dockweiler State Beach at Ballona Creek, Surfrider Beach in Malibu, Topanga State Beach and Redondo Municipal Pier were the worst offenders.
Some 40% of monitored Long Beach locations received grades of C or worse, but that marks an improvement from last year, when 48% of beaches scored fair-to-poorly. Of note, there were fewer sites monitored this summer due to budget cuts. Extensive source tracking demonstrates that the vast majority of contamination comes from numerous sources along the 40-mile long, industrialized Los Angeles River, which drains into the ocean in Long Beach.
Orange County once again enjoyed excellent water quality this summer, with 102 out of 103 monitored beaches registering an A or B grade. Despite the installation of a new UV treatment facility at the mouth of Poche Creek, Poche Beach received an F grade. San Juan Creek at Doheny Beach scored an F grade last year but improved to an A grade this summer. All historically poor beaches in Dana Point received A grades.
San Diego County also notched top marks, with 78 of its 79 monitored beaches winning an A or B grade. The county has completed numerous storm drain diversions into its sewage systems during the busy summer months, spurring a trend of steadily improving marks over the past five years. The only dark spot this summer was Pacific Beach Point, which received an F grade.
Overall water quality at beaches throughout Ventura County was excellent again this summer and among the best in the state. All 39 monitoring locations received A grades. But the number of monitoring locations in Ventura County dropped from 54 last year due to state budget cuts.
Water quality at beaches in Santa Barbara County was some of the best on record this summer. Nearly 94% of Santa Barbara monitoring locations received an A or B grade. Arroyo Burro (C) was the only location that did not earn an A or B grade this summer.
Beaches along Central and Northern California almost uniformly earned A grades, including those in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
Two Santa Cruz beaches received the only F grades north of Los Angeles. Authorities have been tracking the high bacteria counts near one of these failing beaches, Cowell Beach, this summer and attribute them to an excess of decaying kelp. Capitola Beach, west of the jetty, received the county’s other F grade.
About Water Testing
In the wake of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2008 line-time veto of funding to support beach water quality monitoring statewide, local agencies had to scramble to pay for this critical public health program this year. The State Water Resources Control Board recently approved 604(b) stimulus funds to extend monitoring throughout 2010. However, there is no secured funding in 2011. Heal the Bay will continue to work with state and local governments to ensure funding for this critical program.
About the Beach Report Card
Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card is made possible by the generous support of The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, simplehuman and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA). Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card program is in its 19th year.
A fact sheet detailing the exact methodology used in determining grades for each location is available please click HERE to view. For a PDF version of this year’s detailed report card please click HERE.
About Heal the Bay
Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. We use research, education, community action and advocacy to pursue our mission.
Contact: Matthew King, Heal the Bay,
office (310) 451-1500, ext. 137; mobile 310-850-1145
A Tale Of Four Cats...
The first man was an Engineer,
The second man was an Accountant,
The third man was a Chemist, and
The fourth man was a Government Employee.
To show off, the Engineer called his cat, "T-square, do your stuff."
T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square, and a triangle.
Everyone agreed that was pretty smart.
But the Accountant said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said,
"Spreadsheet, do your stuff."
Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles of 3 cookies.
Everyone agreed that was good.
But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, "Measure, do your stuff."
Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of milk, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass.
Everyone agreed that was pretty good.
Then the three men turned to the Government Employee and said, "What can your cat do?"
The Government Employee called his cat and said, "CoffeeBreak, do your stuff."
CoffeeBreak jumped to his feet.......
Ate the cookies........
Drank the milk.......
sh*t on the paper.......
Screwed the other three cats.......
Claimed he injured his back while doing so.......
Filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions.......
Put in for Workers Compensation...............and
Went home for the rest of the day on sick leave............
AND THAT, MY FRIEND IS WHY EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT!!
You Work For The Government If...
Compliments of Jokes Warehouse
- You work for an acronym, on an acronym, and your job title is an acronym.
- You can name the project leader of more than 10 projects including your own, but still can't explain in the simplest terms what they do.
- The process becomes more important than the product.
- You've sat at the same desk for 3 years, done the same thing for 3 years, but have had 3 different business cards.
- You don't see anything wrong with attending a meeting on a subject you know nothing about.
- You feel you contributed to the meeting just by being there.
- You realize that a paperless office is impossible. Actually, you believe it is possible, just not in your office.
- You keep documents/manuals on projects that have been long since canceled.
- You stop raising issues/problems because you know you will be the one answering them.
- You fly across the country to attend a conference with 100+ people to discuss the fact that the project does not have enough money.
