Southern California wildfire forces evacuations

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wind-driven brush fire burning out of control in a drought-parched Southern California wildland on Wednesday forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in the northern part of suburban Rancho Cucamonga, officials said.

The wildfire, which sent smoke billowing down the foothills toward large suburban houses, comes amid hot weather and fierce Santa Ana winds blowing in the region that had already prompted the National Weather Service to issue a wildfire-related "red flag" warning for much of the area.

The so-called Etiwanda Fire marks one of the first major wildfires of the year in Southern California, and comes just ahead of the hotter months between, May and October, when the blazes most frequently break out.

The blaze broke out in the San Bernardino National Forest at about 8 a.m. and quickly spread across 800 acres, driven by winds of up to 80 miles per hour (129 km/h), which is extremely gusty for the region, officials said.

Television news footage showed bright orange flames in the brush, near towers for power transmission lines. Parents and students rushed away from local schools enveloped in smoky air, their hair and shirts flapping in the wind.

The blaze east of Los Angeles prompted authorities to issue mandatory evacuation orders for an area in northern Rancho Cucamonga that has 1,100 homes and 2,500 people living in them, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Chon Bribiescas. Rancho Cucamonga is a largely middle class suburban city.

Officials have deployed 30 fire engines against the blaze, according to wildfire tracking site InciWeb. But because of the high winds, officials have not been able to deploy aircraft to fight the fire.

California officials have kept staffing levels for wildland firefighters at elevated levels since last year because the state is in the midst of its worst drought in decades.

Governor Jerry Brown has issued emergency proclamations related to the drought, calling on residents to avoid washing their cars and watering their lawns.

Hundreds rescued from floodwaters in Fla., Ala.

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — People were plucked off rooftops or climbed into their attics to get away from fast-rising waters when nearly 2 feet of rain fell on the Florida Panhandle and Alabama coast in the span of about 24 hours, the latest bout of severe weather that began with tornadoes in the Midwest.

On Wednesday, roads were chewed up into pieces or wiped out entirely and neighborhoods were inundated, making rescues difficult for hundreds of people who called for help when they were caught off guard by the single rainiest day ever recorded in Pensacola.

Boats and Humvees zigzagged through the flooded streets to help stranded residents. A car and truck plummeted 25 feet when portions of a scenic highway collapsed, and one Florida woman died when she drove her car into high water, officials said.

Near the Alabama-Florida line, water started creeping into Brandi McCoon's mobile home, so her fiance, Jonathan Brown, wrapped up her nearly 2-year-old son Noah in a blanket and they swam in neck-deep water to their car about 50 feet away.

Then, the car was flooded. "Every which way we turned, there was a big ol' pile of water," she said. Brown called 911 and eventually a military vehicle picked them up and took them to a shelter.

Kyle Schmitz was at his Pensacola home with his 18-month-old son Oliver on Tuesday night when heavy rain dropped during a 45-minute span. He gathered up his son, his computer and important papers and left.

"I opened the garage and the water immediately flowed in like a wave," he said. "The water was coming up to just below the hood of my truck and I just gassed it."

In Alabama, Capt. David Spies of Fish River/Marlow Fire and Rescue said he was part of a team who found two women and a young boy trapped in the attic of a modular home.

Spies said they received the first call of help before midnight Tuesday but they couldn't find the group until about 8 a.m. Wednesday. By then, the water was 2 feet below the roof. A firefighter used an axe to punch a hole through the roof and free them.

"They were very scared, they were very upset. I would've been, too," Spies said.

11 Ingenious Uses for Eggshells

1. Add them to your compost pile.
Eggshells quickly decompose, and add valuable calcium and other minerals to the soil in the process.

2. Control pests in your garden.
Scatter crushed shells around your plants and flowers to help deter plant-eating slugs, snails, and cutworms without using pesticides. Plus, deer hate the smell of eggs, so the shells also help keep Bambi away from your begonias.

3. Include them when you make coffee.
Add an eggshell to coffee grounds in the filter, and your morning cup will taste less bitter. Afterward, toss the filter, grounds, and shells into your compost bin.

Related: 5 "Green" Words That Don't Mean What You Think

4. Start seedlings.
Fill eggshell halves with potting soil to prep seedlings for the garden. Try starting a dozen tomato seedlings in carton on your windowsill before transplanting them to the garden in the spring.

5. Clean your house.
Shake crushed eggshells and a little soapy water into hard-to-clean items like thermoses and vases. Crushed eggshells can also be used as a nontoxic abrasive on pots and pans.

6. Get crafty.
Blow out the inside of a raw egg and decorate the hollow shell so you can display a DIY piece of art. Pieces of egg shell are also great for mosaic art projects.

Related: The Biggest Mistakes You Make Recycling

7. Mold Jell-O or chocolate.
Carefully fill blown out eggshells with jello or chocolate to make unique egg-shaped treats. Peel away the shell mold before serving, or serve as is and let your guests discover the surprise inside.

8. Keep your drain clear.
A couple crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer will trap solids, and keep them from clogging your pipes. And as the shells gradually break up, they'll scour your pipes on their way down the drain.

9. Don't forget the membrane.
The super-thin membrane inside the eggshell has long been used as a home remedy for everyday ailments, like protecting cuts and treating ingrown toenails.

Related: 11 Chemicals You Might Have Already Eaten Today

10. Treat skin irritation.
Dissolve an eggshell in a small jar of apple cider vinegar (it takes about two days) and use the calcium-rich mixture to treat minor skin irritations and itches.

11. Put on a mask.
Pulverize dried egg shells with a mortar and pestle, and combine the powder with an egg white to use as a skin-tightening face mask. Allow it to dry before rinsing it off.

Cuomo orders flags to half-staff statewide to honor fallen Accord soldier

ACCORD, NEW YORK -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed flags on state government buildings to half staff Thursday to honor Sgt. Shawn Farrell, an army soldier from Accord who died in Afghanistan on Monday.

Farrell, 24, died in Nejrab District, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire while on dismounted patrol, according to a release by the governor's office.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my deepest sympathy to the family, friends and fellow soldiers of Sgt. Shawn Farrell,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of this young man, who served our state and nation with honor. We will remember his service with pride."

Farrell joined the Army in September 2006, according to a release from Fort Drum. After training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas. He arrived at Fort Drum in May 2010 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from March 2011 to March 2012. Farrell deployed with his unit in November 2013 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Farrell's awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and two Afghanistan Campaign Medals, along with others.

He had 108 days left on tour before he was to return home.

I erased all my comments, and once I got started they were extensive, so I just sit here, with tears in my eyes, shaking my head, wondering, why? May he be resting in God's loving arms ...... and his friends and family, comforted, in that thought ..........

The EPIPHANY ....

I had an epiphany a little while ago: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience............. while eating a bowl of raisin bran cereal.

We had Easter dinner here and while shopping at Walmart we realized we always ran short of silverware, so we checked out what they had. They had a whole tray of stuff, very plain, knives, forks, spoons, big spoons, little forks a plethora of eating utensils, the whole thing for around $9, so we got it. 

Now, my epiphany. In that same drawer this morning was a silver plated spoon, and an old, antique, silver spoon, but on top, the "cheepie" we got at Walmart last week. The purpose of the spoon was to transport food, from the bowl it was in, to my mouth. Any of those three choices would have worked .... equally well.

So, why the expensive stuff, EGO satisfaction, thus a small Chevy and a BIG Caddy, EGO satisfaction. They both perform their appointed intended purpose. We do live in an ego motivated world, and what is the "trigger" that fires that gun, advertising and marketing. We purchase what we are told, and whether we can afford it or not, we want the best. 

For example, in '58, at the Primm in Reno, I was elevated from being a dealer, to being a boxman, wearing a suit, not just a suit, a Louis Roth expensive suit, with tailored white on white shirts, alligator shoes, silk ties, white gold and diamond cuff links on that white on white monogrammed french cuff shirt, and the watch, with 33 cut diamonds around the face. When I left the club, I drove home in a Chrysler Imperial, and I was still in my late 20's. not even 30 yet.

Some of that can be attributed to my "impulsive spendthrift with ADD" tenancies and a super inflated EGO on the kid from Ohio, working in the gambling joints in Nevada .... and being a boxman. 

I was very impressed with myself, "Oh, hi Harry," that was Harry James, the bandleader .... "Oh, hey Sam" that is Sam Butera who is with Louie Prima, they are up from Vegas working on new material since Keely left the group. 

What time is it, you ask, check this out .... I do a clever turn of the left wrist, exposing the half inch of linen of my expensive shirt, slowly pull back the cuffed sleeve of my expensive suit, exposing my Gensler Lee diamond watch and, and ..... the diamond cuffllinks and my diamond ring, I forgot that ..... I'll point to the diamond watch with my right hand, exposing my diamond and onyx "pinky" ring.

Does that not impress you, my time inquiring friend, it sure does me ............... EGO, you bet.

Will it ever end?

Adam Silver, National Basketball Association  Commissioner, announced this morning, in a surprise move, that the NBA was also suspending the California Drivers License of Donald Sterling. He stated, "We feel we should do all we can, it is not a black and white situation, there are other considerations involved, other sanctions will be forthcoming.

Our legal department is exploring other avenues we have at our discretion. We are considering a ban on his travel to Mexico, and we are in the process now of contacting those involved, which we hope will produce a ban from his shopping at Walmart, and a lifelong ban from purchasing, or procuring in any way, chicken from Colonel Sanders. We also demand that he sell his shares of Dark and Lovely.

One irate California legislator is considering introducing legislation that would revoke Sterling's California Citizenship and would necessitate his moving to another state. He went on to say,  "We be doin all we can to get dat som bitch, ain't nobody gonna say nutin bout the "magic man" and get way wif it."

An attorney for Sterling indicated that negotiations may be underway for a trade agreement, where Sterling would give up his Clipper rights, in return for ownership of the Harlem Globetrotters.

And, again tonight

One more quick thought before I head to bed.

I was born in '32, grew up and remember WWII well. I saw all the newsreel footage of damage in England during the "Blitz." Scenes of fires, firemen streaming water on the flames, cities just demolished. I often wondered how it felt to live like that. Spending the night in a shelter, not knowing if your home would be standing in the morning, if you would lose friends, how much damage there would be.

Now, every morning I watch the news, here in the USA, damage, heavy damage, people killed homes destroyed, buildings destroyed, all by weather, every day. Some of in tonight is very close.

We are not being bombed, but, a little trepidation when going to bed each night, and, a little prayer ... about, a safe night ...

Donald Sterling banned for life by NBA, fined $2.5 million

I have to wonder why this has become such an issue and gotten to this point. What he said was stupid, racist, yes, all of that, but the were ..... just words, spoken by an obvious historically bigotted man. He has to be aware of the fact that his team is predominately black and is dependent upon their talent to generate his income. Is he stupid, yes. Was Imus stupid, all the others who have made stupid comments and done stupid things.

What oath did Sterling take, when did the NBA acquire such authority? What if Sterling disguises himself and sneaks into a game, and he is found out. Will they arrest him, call the police, take him to jail. "I want this man locked up officer, he went to a basketball game ..... and we said he shouldn't."

What if the head of GM, a lady now, I think, stated, "No more black cars!" Would that create an uproar. Who has authority over them, AAA?

"OK, Taylor here, AAA, you guys here at GM have produced some really bad cars, you have to stop now. And, we are fining you $1000 per bad car, OR ... you can choose one of curtains on the stage, and take your chances with whatever penalty is behind them. Do you want curtain one two or three?"

My wife, choose to watch "Wolf of Wall Street" the other night. Did SAG come and threaten the producers or anyone connected with that ..... thing. Out of respect for the departed movie industry folks, I cannot call it a movie. I just watched a little of it, and I was insulted, my intelligence was insulted, my eyes and ears were insulted. I felt more insulted just watching one scene, than the entire black community felt over Sterling's comments.

I like Magic Johnson, I shook hands with him once. I imagine in his long illustrious career, he has been insulted on a greater scale than  these few off hand comments. I might sue him. I saw him at the Lansing, Michigan airport, he was coming in, after a championship series. I had paper and pencil ready .... "I am really tired, could we just shake hands?" I even had a Gold Cross for him to use.

The comments made by Sterling were uncalled for. One odd thing, though. Here we have a man and his mistress and his wife, and his comments get  more attention than the mistress. Maybe V. Stiviano can sue the network for not giving her more attention. Maybe she could ban television from ever coming into her home, and, anyplace she goes could not have a television turned on.

Sterling has a big mouth, wealth does that to some people. I doubt that he is too upset, he has his 1.9 BILLION to fall back on. "Who the what, they are going to do what, get the jet ready, V and I are going to the Bahamas for a few days, oh, she can come along if she wants. Do we still have that damn black pilot. I really like him, double his salary, I call him Snowball, he loves it."

Sadly so very true ...thanks Gil, I passed mine on ...

Email Shows Adviser Urged Rice to Blame Video for Benghazi Attack

Pass this on ...... it is something that ALL should be made aware of. It is apparent that this administration will stoop to ANYTHING to keep its image alive.

An email obtained by the government watchdog Judicial Watch shows that a senior White House official advised then-National Security Adviser Susan Rice to blame a spontaneous protest from a YouTube video for the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Fox News reported.

Fox's chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reported that the Sept. 14, 2012, email shows that White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes advised Rice to focus on a YouTube video as the cause of a spontaneous protest, though transcripts have since been revealed to show that senior defense officials had informed the administration on the night of the event that the assault was a terrorist attack.

Rhodes outlined a number of talking points for Rice, with the advice "to underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy."

"Now we know the Obama White House's chief concern about the Benghazi attack was making sure that President Obama looked good," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.

"And these documents undermine the Obama administration's narrative that it thought the Benghazi attack had something to do with protests or an Internet video. Given the explosive material in these documents, it is no surprise that we had to go to federal court to pry them loose from the Obama State Department," he added, referring to the organization having obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Among the top administration personnel who received the Rhodes memo were White House Press Secretary Jay Carney; Deputy Press Secretary Joshua Earnest; then-White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer; then-White House Deputy Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri; then-National Security Council Director of Communications Erin Pelton; Special Assistant to the Press Secretary Howli Ledbetter; and then-White House Senior Adviser and political strategist David Plouffe.

The Rhodes communications strategy email also instructs recipients to portray Obama as "steady and statesmanlike" throughout the crisis. Rhodes also says in the message that one of the goals is to "reinforce the president and administration's strength and steadiness in dealing with difficult challenges."

So true, so true ..... Thanks to Ernie in California ..

Yep, the new one is out! Brand new edition of...
"You know you're a redneck when......"

1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.
2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.
3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.
4. You burn your yard rather than mow it.
5. You think "The Nutcracker" is something you do off the high dive.
6. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.
7.You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.
8. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.
9. You come back from the dump with more than you took.
10. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.
11. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.
12. Your grandmother has "ammo" on her Christmas list
13. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.
14. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.
15. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.
16. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.
17. You have a rag for a gas cap.
18. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.
19. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-room's so clean.
20. You can spit without opening your mouth.
21. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it.
22. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
23. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say "Cool Whip" on the side.
24. The biggest city you've ever been to is Walmart.
25. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.
26. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.
27. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.
28. You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.
29. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.
30. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65.
  

NBA Bans LA Clippers Owner Donald Sterling "For Life" After Confirming He Made Racist Remarks

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned "for life" and fined $2.5 million after the NBA said it confirmed he made racist comments in a conversation that was recorded and leaked online.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement Tuesday in New York. He said he was also urging the Board of Governors to force Sterling to sell the team.

TMZ Sports released an audio recording on Friday of a conversation the 81-year-old Sterling had with his then-girlfriend V. Stiviano. In the recording, a man can be heard telling a woman not to "broadcast" that she was "associating with black people."'

TMZ said the man made the comments after she posted a photo with Magic Johnson on Instagram.

“Yeah, it bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people,” the man says in the recording.

“You can do anything, but don’t put him on an Instagram for the world to have to see,” he adds. “And don’t bring him to my games.”

Silver said the NBA had confirmed that the man on the recordings was Sterling.

"The views expressed by Mr. Sterling are deeply offensive and harmful," Silver said. "That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my personal outrage."

The leaked comments drew protests on and off the court, backlash from Clippers sponsors and calls for action from current and former NBA stars.

The team said in a statement Tuesday that "we wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision" and added, "now the healing process begins."

New York moves to classify cheerleading as sport

BUFFALO, N.Y. — With its pyramids, tosses, and tumbling, cheerleading would be classified as a high school sport in New York under a measure recommended by state education officials Monday that would require coaches to be properly trained and schools to follow common safety standards.

The Board of Regents is expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday, following its unanimous approval by a Regents committee Monday.

New York has been considering classifying cheerleading as an interscholastic sport since 2009. State officials say 34 states and the District of Columbia currently do so.

"This is a great step for the progress of cheerleading and tomorrow's vote by the Board of Regents could be historical," said Robert Zayas, president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which would implement coaching and safety standards.

Right now, there are no limits on the length of seasons, time between contests or required practice days.

"The athleticism of competitive cheerleading requires that coaches are property trained in stunt spotting and understanding the fundamentals of conditioning," the state Education Department's proposal to the Regents said.

If approved, the recommendation would take effect with the 2014-15 winter season.

Now, Cheer leading Coaches can make five million a year ........ finally. Just what we need, more coaches. Will TV soon have a "Cheer leading Analyst" sitting in the booth? "Can we get a replay of that last move .... did you see how she did the flip, great one." They will soon have numbers on their backs so the "booth" can put a name on them ..... "Look at the moves on Number six there, great hip action................."

HS Students Say Pledge In Arabic: ‘One Nation Under Allah’

"No comment!"

The principal at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, is facing a hailstorm of criticism from some very angry parents and residents.

The school recites the Pledge of Allegiance weekly, on Mondays. Last Monday, a member of their “Cultural Arms Club” led the student body in an Arabic version of the pledge, replacing the words “under God” with “under Allah.”

Principal Tom Lopez denies any attempt to push an Islamic agenda, saying, “These students love this country. They were not being un-American in trying to do this. They believed they were accentuating the meaning of the words as spoken regularly in English.”

Principal Lopez doesn’t make any sense. Speaking unintelligible words in Arabic in some way accentuates their meaning? That is an extremely weak argument in defense of an ill-advised decision.

Deep Purple

Deep Purple is playing, makes me think back to Billy Ward and his Dominos. It was one of their Hit songs, they played it every set, along with Sixty Minute Man.

I got to know him when he was playing the Golden Hotel in Reno. Had seen the group a number of times, even had my entrance to the room acknowledge with a "Hi Joe" from the stage. I forget how it happened, but we became friends in a way. In those days he was not allowed in the "room" after his show. They had rooms in the hotel, which was rare in those days, so I don't remember how we got together. I guess I invited them out to the apartment for dinner, I did that a lot in those days. Not in a "racist" way, I mentioned that I did a great fried chicken, they acknowledged their fondness for it also, .... "Hey, come out to the house for dinner," they agreed, and that was how it happened.

In those days there were few to none, places we could eat together The New China Club was about it then. Anyway, they came out for dinner, and after that we got together a few times. It was a great ego builder to walk in to their room while they were playing, and they would all stop playing and singing and give me a "Hi Joe." .... great for the ego.

"Sixty Minute Man" was one of their hits, with Bill Brown on the lead. I got to know him rather well, we hit if off. We even corresponded a few times after I left Nevada.

I had a friend, who had a friend. That friend saw Billy's photograph in an entertainment section and she wanted to meat him. He was very good looking. We had to be very careful, I "snuck" them up into the Golden Hotel to his room, they met, and I think, later married. She was white and he was black, and in those days that was a "no no." Jeanette was her name, she had a daughter from a previous marriage, and we talked much about that being a problem for the daughter. Race was a big issue in those days. I heard that they did, in fact, get married, and Jeanette moved to California. She had been a dealer at Harolds Club. Not positive, but that is what I had heard.

The Golden had a "Slot Bar." Slot machines at each stool, under the bar, I forget where the "handle" actually was, perhaps in the front, not sure. It was a great "local" bar, many locals, dealers and entertainers met there. It was not uncommon to be sitting next to a "star" or a celebrity of some kind. The Golden had their own "Chorus line" of young ladies who appeared in their stage show. They headed to the slot bar after changing, that brought in a big crowd. I went in one evening sat down, ordered, and when I glanced to see who I was sitting next to, realized it was John Derek, we chatted for quite a while. He seemed more interested in my being a dealer than I was at his being a movie star, at that time, he mentioned, he was married to Ursula Andress. He later married Bo Derek.

Reno was like that in those days.

a rainy, dreary tuesday ...

Tuesday Morning, raining in Ohio, cloudy, supposed to have a few days of it. Will have the SAG light on shortly. Easy Instrumentals playing on the TV in the background. Have checked the news, shootings, war threats, Obama is doing his impersonation of an "important" person around the world. If and after he leaves office, I say "If" .... I am sure the most grandiose "library" will be erected to his memory, one the likes we have never seen before. It will become one of the "Wonders of the World."

I am awed by the "flap" created by the remarks made by the NBA team owner, who is apparently a know racist, yet receives awards for his contributions to fighting the cause. But then, most of his "contributions" have, in fact been contributions. Money has a way of doing that. And, we are in a slow news cycle so that has something to do with it.

I did listen to part of a hockey game last night. Columbus, Ohio has a hockey team, the Bluejackets, not sure where or why that name came from. I was a Bluejacket, in the Navy, so not sure of any association. Anyway, they made their way into the playoffs, and if they had won last night they would have continued on, but they lost, so their season is done. I got caught up in the hype. All over the news, first time they have gone this far, Columbus is wild with excitement, people are camping out to get tickets. I know little to nothing about hockey. They wear skates, played on ice and they use a puck, a hard black disc, which they hit with a stick. I was a fan, last night, for a little while.

Yokohama, you say, yes, I remember that incident. 1954, in the Navy, my first trip to Japan. Entering the water leading to Yokohama. I went up on deck. There were many "relics" of the recent war, not even ten years ago, yet there were sunken ships from a war I had watched in the newsreels at a theater, back home. And here I was, seeing this, it was very surreal. The war was very far away, when I was in Ohio. Now, here I was in Japan seeing the ..... war. It was an awesome experience for me.

"Beyond the Sunset" is playing now, has much greater importance to me in my advanced age, actually, bringing a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes .... I know that the road ahead is much shorter than the road behind .... rainy and dreary outside and I am inside dwelling on the end of my life. At least, NCIS is on tonight, and I think if is new, so things are looking up ..................

Disappearing Trash Cans A City-Wide Problem

COLUMBUS, Ohio - There were nearly 2,000 reports of missing or stolen trash cans in the City of Columbus in 2013.

When a number of homeowners were recently told they were going to have to pay for missing trash cans, they called NBC4 to investigate.

“We don’t know what happened, it just disappeared,” said homeowner Florence Booker.

Booker says she called the city a couple of weeks ago to see if they knew what had happened when her trash can disappeared.

“You know, I called the 311 number that you call the city for trouble, but she didn’t know and she asked me and I said I don’t know what happened to it,” said Booker.

Another homeowner caught the disappearance of their trash can on camera.

Thanks to a home surveillance camera, a truck operator was caught on video placing the trash can on the lift to the truck. When the arm lowered, the trash can was missing, according to the video.

For nearly 10 seconds, the truck operator seems to be contemplating what to do, before giving up and moving on.

The driver was supposed to report the incident, but when the homeowner called the city, he was told there was no report of the missing can. He was told he would have to pay $100 for a new can – that’s when he took his surveillance video to city hall.

A spokesman for the Department of Public Service says sometimes mechanical failures cause the cans to fall into the truck. Now the driver and the incident are under investigation and the owner was given a new can at no charge.

The trash-related complaints are among the most common calls to the city’s 311 Service Center. The City’s interactive website demonstrates it well. A 30-day map shows how big of a problem trash collection is.

Car bomb attack in Syrian city kills 36

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A Syrian government official says a car bomb has exploded in a predominantly Alawite district of the central city of Homs, killing 36 people.

The official says Tuesday's bombing also wounded more than 85 people, most of them civilians.

The official, who is in Homs, spoke to The Associated Press over the telephone on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media.

Syria state TV only said that a car bomb exploded near the Zahra district of Homs, causing "a large number" of casualties. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 13 people, including five children, were killed and that more than 40 were wounded in the bombing.

Different casualty tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of large bombings.

Dad Caught on Tape Kicking Son Down Skateboard Ramp

A man who was caught kicking his son down a skateboard ramp has been banned from a Florida skate park temporarily after a video of the act taken by another skater went viral.

The Florida Department of Children and Families is also looking into footage of the incident, which has elicited angry responses from the Internet and other parents who regularly skate with their children at Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Fla.

"It kind of hits right here when you are a parent to see someone do that to a kid," said one father, TJ Smith, who watched the footage later on his phone at the park. "That is somebody who got way too aggressive."

In the video, the child, who is about 6 years old, is seen hesitating with his skateboard near the top of the ramp. The father seemingly becomes impatient with his son and kicks him over the edge.

It was another child, named Stephens, who confronted the father and demanded to know why he did it.

"I asked him why is he doing this, and then he said 'because he needs to learn,'" Stephens said. "I was like, 'Pushing him down is not teaching him how to drop in.'"

Although the boy was reportedly not injured and got back up to skate, according to onlookers, the park's operator, Martin Ramos, said he warned the father not to come back for a while.

"Unfortunately parents get so enthusiastic about their kids and their abilities and sometimes they take it a little too far," Ramos said. "[The father] said he was just caught up in the moment, he seemed very remorseful, he certainly understands the gravity of the situation."

Police: 6 injured in shootings at Ga. FedEx hub

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) -- Police say at least six people are injured after a shooter opened fire at a FedEx center north of Atlanta.

Cobb County police spokesman Michael Bowman says an active shooter was reported early Tuesday at the FedEx package sorting facility in Kennesaw. He says police have surrounded the building and are working to clear it. He calls the situation "active and fluid."

Marietta police spokesman David Baldwin says six injured patients were taken to nearby Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, one of them with potentially critical injuries. Police didn't' immediately say if anyone has died.

FedEx spokesman Scott Fiedler says the company is cooperating with authorities.

It had to happen ..........

Well, it finally happened today, I was concerned that it was nearing, and today, on the way to Walmart, it happened.

We live in Ohio, and I knew that this year could be the year, the way the weather has been, and today, around 3:30 today, we left our apartment, got in the van, backed out, then into Drive and the van, with a surge of power, started moving forward.

I looked around the van, checked the weather outside, and then, realized that something was wrong, dreadfully wrong. I knew what I had to do.

I reached for the dashboard, that middle dial that is visible at the top there, and turned it, from BLUE to RED. It faltered, it was tired, used well beyond its intended time. Red one day, blue the next, then red, then blue, every day another color, sometimes, red in the morning and blue in the afternoon. It could take no more.

I started blaming General Motors, Chevy, anyone, then I realized, the blame was on the Ohio weather. No hot season and cold season, just every day, red or blue, that switch has lived far longer than anticipated by those engineers at GM.

In NYC, a $185M tunnel that leads nowhere, for now

NEW YORK (AP) — Taking shape on Manhattan's West Side is a $185 million, federally funded tunnel that leads to nowhere, for now.

The 800-foot-long, 35-foot-deep concrete trench could someday lead to two new commuter rail tunnels under the Hudson River to New Jersey, if the billions needed to build them ever materialize.

The access tunnel is being built now because the massive Hudson Yards development with six skyscrapers, the tallest being 80 stories, will soon be built on top of it. Trying to dig such a huge trench through the bedrock after those buildings are completed, officials say, would be an engineering and financial nightmare.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., was among the lawmakers who pushed Congress to approve Superstorm Sandy relief money for the planned flood-resistant access tunnel, calling it mitigation to protect infrastructure from future storms. But he argued it would have to be built now because the skyscraper developers could not be delayed indefinitely.

"We asked them to delay months, but if we asked them to delay years, they may have said no," said Schumer, referring to The Related Cos., the main Hudson Yards developers. "Sandy relief funding was there, available, the criteria fit, and the money was getting through quickly and fit the timetable."

The access tunnel is expected to be completed in fall 2015.

Fla. military mom on trial for killing kids

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A military wife whose husband was deployed to the Middle East shot her 13-year-old son twice in the head for talking back, authorities said, then returned home and shot her 16-year-old daughter in the face as she studied.

Now she's on trial, and whether she spends life in prison hinges on a key question for jurors: After years of profound mental illness, was she unable to realize what she did was wrong, as her defense attorneys say? Or did she plan the January 2011 killings over at least several days, as prosecutors say, complaining at one point that the three-day wait to buy a gun would "delay the massacre"?

Jury selection began Monday morning in Julie Scheneker's case. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Those on the jury will see many disturbing images and hear hours of troubling evidence. They will see several sides to Schenecker, a former military linguist and wife of a colonel.

They will see an attentive suburban mom, cheering from the sidelines as her kids played soccer. They will also see a woman who bought a gun the weekend before the killings — and who complained in a letter that a three-day waiting period would "delay the massacre." They will see the handcuffed inmate, escorted by officers, who walked rigidly into jail following her arrest, her face contorted and eyes empty.

Schenecker, 53, looks older and vastly different than pictures that emerged of her as a blonde, athletic mom in the years before the crime. She sat in the courtroom Monday, flanked by her public defenders, who plan an insanity defense.

Knicks great calls for all black league

Knicks executive and former player Larry Johnson had a decidedly different but still strong reaction to the racially insensitive remarks Clippers owner Donald Sterling is alleged to have made.

On Saturday night, Johnson tweeted: “Black people your Focusing on the wrong thing. We should be focusing on having our own, Own team own League! To For Self!!’’

The initial indication was Johnson was calling for an all-African-American league complete with black ownership. It wasn’t the first time Johnson, who is black, concerned himself with the fact the NBA’s ownership is mostly white while its players are mostly black.

It has come full circle, now, a call for ALL BLACK leagues. They are predominately that already. What if someone, say Larry Bird, called for an ALL WHITE league. The UPROAR would never die down, he would probably have to leave the country.

Remember the old ALL BLACK baseball leagues, and finally, a breakthrough, the "barrier" broken, all was well. Now, Johnson wants to go back to that. I wonder what percentage of the NBA is already black?

Who actually runs the NBA? Honestly, TV and they don't give a damn what color the players are, they are looking to sell ADVERTISING and that is what drives the ship. I have been an avid basketball and sports fan all of my life. I watch little to no NBA. Like a floor full of multi millionaires is really going to care who wins or loses. College I watch, high school and the ladies ... not them there millionaire, pros. 

"Hey, bro, we be thinkin a startin are own league, and all black league, not as much money, but we all be together."

"Whas that bout the money?"

In your car when a tornado strikes? Here's what to do

Sunday's deadly tornadoes that struck the central and southern United States left at least 16 dead and many more injured or dealing with devastating property damage.

While many who found themselves in the paths of the storms took refuge in safe rooms or shelters,

others were caught behind the wheel, in a car. If this happens to you, what are you supposed to do?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Weather.com offer similar tips on how to stay as safe as possible. One of the main rules: Don't hide under the embankment of an overpass. While it may seem like a safe move, you're actually increasing your risk of injury or worse, according to Weather.com. You're more likely to be struck by debris, the wind is stronger than at ground level, and the wind will change direction as the vortex passes, according to a1999 presentation from the National Weather Association.

Other things to remember: Get to shelter if you can, which is the preferable option.

But assuming you're in the middle of nowhere in your car with no other options, the National Weather Service recommends one of the following two actions, depending on specific circumstances.

1. Stay in your car with the seat belt fastened. Slump down below the windows and cover yourself with a blanket. Weather.com advises you to keep the car running so airbags will deploy if necessary.

2. If you think you can safely get lower than the roadway, "exit your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands," according to NWS. Be sure to get far enough away from the car so debris, or the car if it gets tossed by wind, is less likely to hit you.

For more tornado safety tips, consult the experts at FEMA, the National Weather Service and Weather.com.

We are in good hands ... Thanks Ernie.....

"I don't know whether to run for Mayor and get in to Politics or get on the Fire Department."

He chose the Fire Department.

He even thought of being an Engineer when he was in High School.

"Hey we don wan nobudy hurtin them hoses"

OH, now I understand ...............

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro, now known as Nancy Pelosi, the youngest of six children was born into affluent, political surroundings. She has spent her entire life in politics, even as a child.

They were close family friends with the Jordan-Keiths. The Jordan-Keiths were well known breeders, and their famous award winning stud, King Arthur, was well known throughout the industry, and his services were much in demand. Lady Gillian was one of their prize female breeders.

One December Sunday afternoon, the D'Alesandro's were visiting their friends, the Jordan-Keiths, had a lovely lunch on their outdoor patio, and were visiting the kennels. During the tour, Lady Gillian somehow got out of her cage, and was roaming around the grounds. She was playfully romping around the grounds, saw the Jordan-Keiths, and went running in their direction. In her playful enthusiasm, she jumped upon an unaware Nancy D'Alesandro, knocking her down, and banging her head on a fence post and knocking her out.

Her Mother heard the commotion and went running to the scene. As she approached, she saw her daughter stretched out on the ground. Seth Jordan-Keith saw her coming and tried to hold her back a bit, "Don't worry, it was nothing, she was just knocked over by the BITCH Lady Gillian.

Now you know, it has affected her whole life.

dictionary.search.yahoo.com

n. noun

1. A female canine animal, especially a dog.
2. A woman considered to be spiteful or overbearing.
3. A lewd woman.

v. verb

1. To complain; grumble.
2. To botch; bungle. Often used with up.

Pelosi is Italian-American and was born Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest of six children of Annunciata M. "Nancy" (née Lombardi) and Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., who was a Democratic party U.S. Congressman from Maryland and a Mayor of Baltimore.^[3][4] Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also a Democrat, was mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971, when he declined to run for a second term.

Harry Reid and his "Engram"

Harry Reid lived his early life in Searchlight, Nevada, in very meager surroundings. His mother was a laundress and his father was a miner.

On one occasion, Harry was taking some laundry in to town for his Mother. They had a donkey they called Tonka, named after a famous Indian chief of the Kiowa tribe. Even though young, Harry could easily handle the sometimes obstinate mule. As they were leaving the yard, a rattle snake reared its head from behind a rock, rattled, and scared the Mule. His movement threw Harry from the small wagon to the ground, and under the stomping fee of Tonka. One glancing blow caught Harry on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious.

His Mother, Inez, heard the commotion and went running to her son.

"What happened, she cried?"

"The JACKASS kicked him," came the reply, "The JACKASS did it."

Now, we know the "why" of his actions, and made the man what he is today.

Simple, when you know the truth

Follow up on my last blog. I did some research into the childhood and life of some of our politicians in an attempt to find what and where such "engrams" might have originated, I did find some.

William Jefferson Clinton, in 1950, at the age of four, was playing with some friends in his living room in Hope, Arkansas. His stepfather, Roger, was on an occasion or two, abusive to his Mother Virginia. One Saturday afternoon, Billy and his half-brother Roger were caught up in an argument, which degenerated to a fight, with fists flying. His step-father, attempting to break it up, slipped, and an arrant right cross caught young Bill on the chin, temporarily knocking him "unconscious" and falling to the floor.

His Mother came rushing in to the room after setting her groceries down. She ran to the unconscious boy, with Roger, the step-father claiming, "It was an accidental "BLOW TO THE HEAD." He repeated that statement a number of times, in close proximity to the now semi-conscious Billy.

The Engram which entered William's head was, "Blow to the Head." Years later, as we all know, it manifested itself in the Oval Office of the White House. That explains it pretty well.

I know why, and now, you will also .....

Is there at least one ...... POLITICIAN ..... that you respect. I must admit none come to my mind. There is some quality that a person possesses, perhaps a flaw, that leads them down that path. Peeping Toms can't stay away from windows, pedophiles from parks, criminals, out of jail, and there is some innate, inborn flaw, in the genes of some people, that draws them to ........ politics.

L. Ron Hubbard, wrote Dianetics:
In Dianetics, the unconscious or reactive mind is described as a collection of "mental image pictures," which contain the recorded experience of past moments of unconsciousness, including all sensory perceptions and feelings involved, ranging from pre-natal experiences, infancy and childhood, even the traumatic feelings associated events from past lives and alien cultures. The type of mental image picture created during a period of unconsciousness involves the exact recording of a painful experience. Hubbard called this phenomenon an engram, and defined it as "a complete recording of a moment of unconsciousness containing physical pain or painful emotion and all perceptions."

The  politician is not aware of these engrams. At sometime, unaware as they are, they have acquired an engram ... they have heard ... "It's not mine, spend it."

So, as a politician, faced with a decision to make, his unconscious kicks in, and he spends. 

True story. I knew a girl, in Reno, 21 dealer, had bad eyesight, big thick glasses, some problems seeing cards, which is not a good thing dealing 21. She sought help from a therapist in Reno, who was working with Hubbard's theory. She went through the "regressive" therapy. In her childhood, she had hit a tree on her bike, nothing serious, but very bloody. Her Mother was elbowing her way through an assembled crowd, some were saying, "Don't look, don't look, she is not hurt, don't look, let us clean her up, don't look, yet."

The girl, my friend, was semi conscious and heard those remarks ..... under therapy, that "engram" .... don't look, was revealed to her conscious mind, her eyesight improved, she quit wearing glasses. She made me a believer.

Something happened in the life of a politician to implant that engram, "spend it" in their mind, and they do. There are other words that become engrams that linger in their unconscious also, the list would be too long. Just work backwards from one of their actions, and you will know what it was. And now, you know why. Unfortunately, some of them are still "unconscious" and they are loaded with engrams. Perhaps therapy should be a "must" before entering politics.

Spend some time, take just one politician's actions, then, imagine what happened in their youth to plant that engram there .................. "Oh, I see!"

Video shows ferry captain abandoning ship

Not going to post the video, the ad is quite long, the footage of him getting off the ship is short, it is him, and he abandons his ship ..... life in prison is not enough for him ....... he should go in to politics .............. he has what it takes.

Newly released footage from the Republic of Korea Coast Guard shows Captain Lee Jun-seok abandoning his sinking ferry with the help of rescue personnel.

The ferry capsized on April 16 off the coast of the island of Jindo. A total of 476 people were on board the ferry, many of them high school students. Nearly two weeks later, officials have confirmed the deaths of 187 passengers, but many are still unaccounted for and are presumed to have drowned. Including the captain, 174 people were rescued.

In the video, Lee can be seen wearing a dark sweater and underwear. The ferry appears to be at a steep incline as the captain is assisted onto a rescue vessel. The footage is only a few seconds long.

Lee had 40 years of experience at sea at the time of the sinking. He has said he is "deeply ashamed" of his actions. He was arrested and charged with negligence of duty and violation of maritime law. He faces life in prison.

Lee has drawn heavy criticism from all sides, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who called Lee's actions “tantamount to murder." But the captain is not the only one facing blame. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hung-won announced he will resign from his position. He has faced intense criticism over the government's early handling of the disaster.

The "cries of the families of those missing still keep me up at night," Chung said in a statement.

Sarah Palin stands firm on ‘waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists’ line

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin isn’t backing off the remark she made at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting this weekend that if she were in charge, people “would know that water-boarding is how we baptize terrorists.”

“Would I make it again? Why wouldn’t I? Yeah, absolutely,” she told NBC News. “Terrorists who want to annihilate Americans, innocent Americans, our children — whatever it takes to stop them. If I were in charge, I’d be stoppin’ em.”

After speaking at the NRA’s “Stand and Fight Rally” Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis before a crowd of thousands, Mrs. Palin hit the stump for Iowa Senate candidate Jodi Ernst Sunday at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in west Des Moines in front of a much smaller crowd of about 300 people.

“Watch out Washington — Joni Ernst, she’s a mama grizzly ready to take a stand against the Russian bear,” Mrs. Palin said. “She knows what she’s talking about when she talks about freedom, what it takes to protect it.”

Mrs. Ernst is running for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat.

Possibly jumping to conclusions .... could NSA be involved?

My thoughts after reading about the incident. He jumps on racial issues quickly. If anyone should not be a racist, it would be the owner of a professional, or any, for that matter, basketball team. He would have no team without the help of the black community. Sterling must be tolerant, he is in the company of a woman who allegedly stole over a million from him, and could possibly be a "gold digger." Why else would she be with him. I hope they find that they were NOT his comments, maybe NSA did it, they do anything they want to .... possibly more to it than we are presently seeing .........

A celebrity gossip website posts a recording of a conversation between an allegedly racist, septuagenarian basketball team owner and a former 20-something girlfriend, and the President of the United States, 9,500 miles away in Malaysia, weighs in with another race speech?

When asked about Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s conversation with someone named V. Stiviano, Obama jumped right into the question without any firsthand knowledge of the situation.

The Harvard-trained lawyer based his opinion on the mainstream media news story which based its story on a gossip site. Did Obama speak to the parties involved before he commented on the incident? Before the voice was even confirmed to be Sterling’s, Obama called the remarks “incredibly offensive.”

The president certainly does rush to judgment a lot when it comes to race issues. The Cambridge police were “acting stupidly” in the Gates case, Trayvon Martin, whom Obama had never met, could have been his son if he had one, and now we have Obama using the Sterling issue to talk about the racial divide.

Funny, how no reporter asks about Steve Utash, the 54-year-old white guy in Detroit beaten into a coma by blacks or random “knockout game” attacks by black youths on whites. It just never seems to come up at these press conferences.

But an audio recording of a white sports team owner telling his former African-American-Mexican girlfriend, currently being accused of embezzling $1.8 million from the Sterling family, not to bring blacks or Magic Johnson to Clippers games, has prompted Mr. Obama to deliver yet another history lesson on the black experience.

I learned something today .................

I have been watching The Price is Right for many years.

We are having rain today and having some problems with the TV.

I did not realize they gave away those prizes, I wonder when they started doing that.

Who is the new guy, what happened to Bob Barker, I liked him in that movie when he slugged that other golfer.

They ask questions and everything, I guess I just never realized that ... and they give those prizes away. Drew what?

How to prepare for a tornado

The National Weather Service forecasts that a series of severe tornadoes and thunderstorms is likely to hit the South Plains this weekend, affecting areas from Texas to Tennessee. Veterans of extreme weather can tell you there are some basic steps when preparing for a potentially catastrophic event such as a tornado: shelter, food, your address book and, now, a tornado app.

“The data shows that unfortunately a lot of people still don’t know what to do when a tornado or other extreme weather hits,” Russ Paulsen, Red Cross executive director of community preparedness, told Yahoo News. “Preparedness can literally mean the difference between life and death.”

The Red Cross recently debuted its Tornado App, which you can download for free on the iPhone or Android devices. The app is meant to be an all-in-one resource, including a to-do list of reminders in advance of a tornado strike. But the coolest feature has to be the app’s siren, which emulates an actual tornado siren.

“It’s actually quite loud,” Paulsen said. “And it tells you when a tornado is close to the device you are using and what you need to do. It has literally already saved lives." The Red Cross Tornado app offers local alerts when a storm is about to hit. The app connects to information from the weather service and triggers the siren as soon as an alert has been issued. The timeliness is essential as most people have only a few minutes warning before a tornado strikes.

If apps aren't your thing, Paulsen still highly recommends a number of classic preparation tools, most of which are free:

- Be aware of whether a "Tornado Watch” or “Tornado Warning” is in effect. The latter is more severe and means an actual tornado or tornadoes have been spotted.

- Before a tornado warning is issued, families, businesses and individuals should share contact information and a plan for how they will reach one another. For businesses and other individuals, this is also a good opportunity to organize essential documents

- Make note of the closest evacuation center and have an easy-to-follow plan of action for reaching the center on short notice. “The best thing you can do is get somewhere inside that’s safe,” Paulsen said.

- If you anticipate being stuck at home during a tornado, multiple guides suggest having an emergency kit on hand and a safe room. Along with first aid, the kit should include basic supplies such as food, water, flashlights and maps.

- Safe rooms are best located on the ground floor or in a basement and should be kept away from windows. Turn off all the utilities before the tornado strikes to avoid potential gas leaks.

- If you are stuck outside when a tornado strikes, do not hide under a bridge or overpass. If you’re in a car, it’s best to stay low and cover yourself in a blanket if possible to protect from shattered glass windows and other debris.

- Mobile homes provide little to no security during a severe tornado. Paulsen says that for people living in mobile homes it’s even more important for them to have an early alert system and to know where the nearest shelter is located.

- Have your radio tuned to a station carrying National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local weather alerts and have the NOAA website bookmarked on your computer or tablet device.

- And finally, once your plan is in place, regularly conduct drills.

Monday morning thoughts

I have touched on this subject before.
 "Lead us ........"

Water, in bottles. "Honey, I have a great idea, I am going to sell water, in little plastic bottles." He was divorced within a month. "OK, wallet, car keys, briefcase, water." I have seen carts FULL, leaving the store, full of water. How great a selling job was that?

What is the purpose of a car? Transportation. Henry produced a simple, basic automobile, used for transportation. Who was it then, that saw the value of the "ego" and produced the Lincoln and the Cadillac? Can you say EGO? Years ago, I was getting our little Chevy washed and bumped in to an old friend who had recently inherited some money. "This is my ...... cost me 56 thousand." Great job, marketing and advertising. What is even better, they produce a car that will do over 100 miles per hour, much more than all posted speed limits. Now, even better, there are many ads, programs, etc., suggesting people don't text while driving, and keep the eyes on the road. That public service ad may have been payed by a car manufacturer who has placed so many things in the center console, GPS screen, radio controls, etc., etc., etc., impossible to take your eyes off of all those gadgets.

Spring flowers, flower gardens, green lawns, how great was that idea? And, in the Winter, they all die out and you have to do it again next Spring. Even better, look at what we use to mow the grass today. I mowed most of my early life with a push mower, probably $20. Not today, look at all the ads for those fancy mowers, fast, fancy mowers. A guy will think nothing of paying 3 or 4 thousand for a mower, to cut grass, that cost him money each year, in fertilizer, seed, etc.

We are great people. Really, who does a vacation benefit? Is it really necessary to "get away" for a week or so? Who benefits from taking a cruise to the Bahamas, other than the cruise ship people and the people in the Bahamas. I took many "cruises" when in the Navy, none of which I considered a "vacation." Why would anyone promote travel to France, for example? Well, the travel agency, the airlines, France itself, the advertising agencies, etc., etc., etc. What did that trip to Paris produce ..... memories for someone.

I remember once, seeing a photograph of a homeless family, watching, from a distance, people boarding an elaborate cruise ship. I guess it is what makes the economy work.

Bah, bah, bah, yes we are ....... Can you say .............. advertising?

Obama, black leaders blast Sterling's alleged comments

Black leaders joined President Barack Obama on Sunday in speaking out against racist remarks reportedly made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, and urged the NBA to act quickly.

During a news conference in Malaysia, Obama called the comments — revealed in an audio recording obtained by TMZ — "incredibly offensive" and "racist."

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk," Obama said when asked about Sterling's reported statements.

"The United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation, that's still there, the vestiges of discrimination," the president continued. "We've made enormous strides, but you're going to continue to see this percolate up every so often. And I think that we just have to be clear and steady in denouncing it, teaching our children differently, but also remaining hopeful that part of why statements like this stand out so much is because there has been this shift in how we view ourselves."

The NBA, Obama added, has "an awful lot of African-American players, it's steeped in African-American culture. And I suspect that the NBA is going to be deeply concerned in resolving this."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league was working to confirm authenticity of TMZ's tape, and promised a swift investigation.

"All members of the NBA family should be afforded due process," Silver said Saturday. "Which is why I'm not yet prepared to issue any potential sanctions against Donald Sterling. We will move extraordinarily quickly. We plan to have this wrapped up in the next few days."

The Rev. Al Sharpton said unless Sterling proves it's not his voice on the tape, the NBA must move "today."

"I think that clearly the National Basketball Association must suspend him, or must say that, 'We're going to remove any kind of imprimatur we have on this team if he's the owner,'" Sharpton said on NBC's "Meet The Press." "You cannot have someone own an NBA team in this country and have these kind of attitudes.

"This is about the NBA saying that it's acceptable or excusable to behave like this," Sharpton continued. "And we've seen where sports can unite a country. We just hung a plaque to Nelson Mandela at Yankee Stadium. He used rugby to bring South Africa together after apartheid. This is the exact opposite of that."

The Clippers owner, Sharpton said, "needs to state unequivocally, 'That's not me on the tape.' If it is him on the tape, [the NBA needs] to move today, or we're going after advertisers."

Sharpton's National Action Network is planning a protest outside Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday, when the Clippers face the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series.

Sterling, the longest tenured NBA owner, had been set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the NAACP's Los Angeles chapter on May 15 "for his generosity, inspiration and leadership." But NAACP interim president Lorraine Miller said Sunday that's not happening.

"He is not receiving a lifetime achievement award," Miller told "Meet The Press."

In the audio tape published by TMZ, a male voice is heard asking a female associate — identified by the site as Sterling's girlfiend, V. Stiviano — “Why are you taking pictures with minorities? Why?” (Stiviano recently posted a photo of herself with Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson to her Instagram account. The photo was later deleted.) The male then advises her not to bring Johnson to Clippers games.

"I will never again set foot in Staples Center when the Clippers are playing," Johnson told the Los Angeles Times. "I know where I'm not wanted.

"Something has to be done," Johnson continued, "and if that means him losing the team, then that has to happen. The league has to come down hard and make a statement."

"He shouldn't own a team anymore," Johnson said on ABC's playoff pre-game show Sunday. "I had a friendship with him. So for him to then make these comments, or alleged comments, about myself as well as other African-Americans and minorities, there's no place in our society for it. There's no place in our league, because we all get along. We all play with different races of people when you're in sports. That's what makes sports so beautiful."

Sterling did not attend Sunday's game between the Clippers and Warriors in Oakland, Calif., which the Clippers lost 118-97. Before the game, Clippers players wore their warm-up t-shirts inside out in a silent protest against Sterling.

In a statement released Saturday, Clippers President Andy Roeser said the organization does not know if the tape "is legitimate or it has been altered," and that Sterling "is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life.”

In 2009, Sterling agreed to pay $2.73 million to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit alleging he refused to rent apartments to Hispanics and blacks and to families with children in Los Angeles' Koreatown.

In a another discrimination lawsuit filed by former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor, Sterling was accused of racism and employing "a Southern plantation-type" ownership structure. That suit was dismissed in 2009.

"Donald Sterling's racial history is on the record," Bryant Gumbel, host of HBO's "Real Sports," said on "Meet The Press." "It has cost him money. It cost him his reputation long before this. And so I'm kind of amazed that anyone is surprised at this."

Tornadoes kill 16 in Arkansas, 1 in Oklahoma

VILONIA, Ark. (AP) — Three years after a tornado devastated the Little Rock suburb of Vilonia, its residents again huddled in storm cellars as the most powerful twister this year carved an 80-mile path of destruction through suburbs north of the state capital, killing at least 16 people.

Emergency officials began to pick through the rubble to look for survivors as the sun rose Monday morning. The tornado that touched down around 7 p.m. Sunday about 10 miles west of Little Rock grew to be half a mile wide and remained on the ground for much of that route, authorities said.

It was among a rash of tornadoes and heavy storms that rumbled across the center and south of the country overnight. The National Weather Service warned that the destructive storms were expected to continue Monday in the South and Mississippi Valley.

Karla Ault, a Vilonia High School volleyball coach, said she sheltered in the school gymnasium as the storm approached. After it passed, her husband told her their home had been reduced to the slab on which it had sat.

"I'm just kind of numb. It's just shock that you lost everything. You don't understand everything you have until you realize that all I've got now is just what I have on," Ault said.

The National Weather Service in North Little Rock said it was virtually certain that the storm that hit Vilonia and nearby Mayflower would be rated as the nation's strongest twister to date this year.

"It has the potential to be EF3 or greater," said meteorologist Jeff Hood. EF3 storms have winds greater than 136 mph. "Based on some of the footage we've seen from Mayflower and where it crossed Interstate 40, things were wrecked in a very significant way."

Rep. Michael Grimm Surrenders to FBI to Face Criminal Charges

New York Rep. Michael Grimm surrendered to the FBI Monday morning and was arrested on federal criminal charges, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the case.

Grimm is believed to be facing charges related to a private business deal that he made prior to being elected to Congress that involved an Upper East Side health food restaurant.

He's expected to be arraigned in federal court later Monday.

The exact charges have not been made public, but last week Grimm's lawyer, William McGinley, confirmed in a statement that prosecutors said they intend to file criminal charges.

"We are disappointed by the government's decision, but hardly surprised. From the beginning, the government has pursued a politically driven vendetta against Congressman Grimm and not an independent search for the truth," McGinley said. "Congressman Grimm asserts his innocence of any wrongdoing. When the dust settles, he will be vindicated."

Grimm, a former FBI agent and U.S. Marine, is serving his second term representing Staten Island.

The federal charges relate to deals involving Healthalicious; Grimm sold his stake in the restaurant before running for office.

One of Grimm's fundraisers was arrested earlier this year by the FBI and is accused of using straw donors to funnel more than $10,000 into the Republican’s campaign.

Grimm has not been accused of any wrongdoing in that case, which is still under investigation.

In January, Grimm erupted at a local TV reporter on camera and threatened that he would "break you in half, like a boy" after the State of the Union address when he was asked about the federal investigation into his campaign finances.

Oh, if the world could be this way ...

Watch all the way through ... the ending is fantastic .....

May the Peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you now ..... and forevermore.....

Biker looks for false teeth on busy Spain highway

MADRID (AP) — A motorcyclist brought traffic to a standstill on one of Madrid's busiest highways after he pulled over to look for his false teeth, which flew out of his mouth when he sneezed, according to local media reports.

Two municipal police officers approached the motorcyclist Saturday and ordered him to resume his journey for his own safety and that of other drivers on the capital's M-30 highway, Europa Press reported. It wasn't known if the man found his dentures.

City police weren't immediately available to confirm the report and provide more details.

Elizabeth Warren Hopes Hillary Clinton Makes 2016 Run But Declines to Endorse Her

While Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she hopes former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a run for the White House in 2016, she declined to explicitly endorse Clinton's candidacy today on "This Week."

"You know, all of the women - Democratic women, I should say, of the Senate - urged Hillary Clinton to run, and I hope she does," Warren responded when asked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos if Clinton was her candidate in 2016.

"Hillary is terrific," she said when asked again if she would endorse her in the event Clinton makes a run for the Democratic nomination.

Stephanopoulos also asked Warren about her past as a registered Republican in the 1990s and why she left the party.

"I was originally an independent. I was with the GOP for a while because I really thought that it was a party that was principled in its conservative approach to economics and to markets and I feel like the GOP party just left that," Warren said.

"They moved to a party that said, 'No, it's not about a level-playing field, it's now about a field that has gotten tilted,' and they really stood up for the big financial institutions when the big financial institutions are just hammering middle class American families. You know, I just feel like that's a party that moved way, way away," Warren said.

Connecticut high school girl killed in apparent prom dispute

By Richard Weizel

MILFORD, Connecticut (Reuters) - A 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death on Friday by a classmate at their Connecticut high school, and authorities were investigating reports the boy was enraged that she had rejected his invitation to the prom, police said.

The victim, Maren Sanchez, a junior at Jonathan Law High School in Milford, was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the 7 a.m. attack, Milford Police Chief Keith Mello told a news conference.

A police statement later on Friday said a 16-year-old boy was charged as a juvenile offender with her murder. His identity has been withheld because of his age, and he remains in custody, police said.

He is accused of stabbing Sanchez near a stairwell in the school and lacerating her neck, chest and face with a knife that was recovered at the scene, the police statement said.

"There was blood on her neck. It was awful," said 16-year-old Sam Garcia, a junior at the school, as he walked home after officials closed the school soon after the incident. "I saw the girl lying on the stretcher when they took her out."

The incident took place on the morning of the junior prom, which was set to begin at 7 p.m. at a banquet hall in nearby Stratford. Because of the incident, the prom will be rescheduled, school officials announced.

Police were investigating reports from students that the girl had turned down the boy's invitation to the prom.

The boy, who is also a student at the school, is expected to be arraigned on Monday at the juvenile court in New Haven, police said. The Milford Superior Court will rule on whether the boy will be prosecuted as an adult or a juvenile, police said.

Edward Kovac, a cousin of Sanchez, read a statement from the victim's family Friday afternoon, saying: "We are shocked and devastated."