Friday, February 15, 2013

Weekend Blog Break , Retinal implants & the 7 Most Bizarre Objects to Ever Fall from the Sky

Good Day World!

You've probably heard the urban legend about the time it rained frogs somewhere, or seen news stories about a meteorite that crashed through a roof and landed feet away from somebody's recliner. But in the annals of baffling objects that have come raining down from the heavens, here’s some weirder examples ...

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I’m taking a blog break this weekend – Feb. 16th – 17th – and will return on Monday, Feb. 18th

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Here’s some good news that I want to share with you:

FDA approves first retinal implant for rare eye disease

Don’t hesitate to check out the links on the right side of the page. Check out my most recent “As It Stands” columns at the Times-Standard. Take a look at the Learnist links for comprehensive coverage on subjects from politics to society.

Leave comments on past posts that date back till July 2008 when this blog broke into cyberspace for the first time. See ya on Monday.

Time for me to walk on down the road…


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Drone Wars abroad and how they’re coming home to stalk us

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Drones are increasingly on the front lines of combat.

Good Day World!

The 21st Century is producing technological changes so rapidly they’re hard to keep up with.

For years we’ve been hearing about drones. Most Americans think of them as pilotless planes that bomb or spy on an enemy. As it turns out domestic use of drones is increasing.

  The fact is we’ve been using them to spy on activities from vehicle speeders to suspected bad guys in their homes and wherever they go. Drones are controversial for a lot of reasons. I can’t help feeling queasy about their use in the USA. There’s something about the Big Brother aspect in the sky that doesn’t make me feel warm and cozy.

I’ve gathered some current news about drones that you may find interesting:

Holder Spells Out Why Drones Target U.S. Citizens

American drone deaths highlight controversy

Drone Wars: Rand Paul vs. John Brennan

Panetta announces medal for drone pilots

Military weighs cutbacks, shifts in drone programs

Domestic Drones

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mardi Gras 2013 is over…but what a party it was!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wouldn’t you like to be hanging out with Elvis Presley?

Good Day World!

I’ve never been to Mardi Gras. There I said it. I almost feel guilty. Talk about the ultimate party…

Have you ever gone? Share your story here under comments.

I’ve seen movies about this annual festive event and have read about it’s history. Nothing like first-hand experience through. I put together a few links for you if you’d like to know more about what happened during this year’s Mardi Gras. Enjoy: 

GO HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW OF MARDI GRAS

NICE COVERAGE OF FAT TUESDAY BY LA TIMES

MARDI GRAS 2013

CARNIVAL ROYALTY ANNOUNCED

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Armed bad guys on the run in several states…seems too common these days

UPDATE – Cop Killer cornered….story here LIVE FEED

Good Day World! Hardly a day goes by without dangerous people running from authorities and posing a threat to the general public. That is the state of America today. There’s no ignoring it; we are engulfed with violence. Awash in a sea of guns and crazy individuals bent on violent vendettas. Here are some examples for today:

 

Three dead in Utah home shooting; police hunt for 'person of interest'

Three people are dead near Salt Lake City after a shooting on Tuesday morning, police told local NBC affiliate KSL. A fourth individual was taken to the hospital and considered to be in critical condition after the shooting. Police hunted for David Fresques, 25, after the shooting at a home in the city of Midvale. The shootings were reported at 8:06 a.m., according to Salt Lake City's Deseret News.

Police are looking for Alberto Morales, 42.

 

Prisoner on the run after stabbing Florida officer outside Walmart

Authorities are searching for an escaped prisoner who stabbed a Miami-Dade officer outside a Texas Walmart as the suspect was being transported to Miami from Nevada.

Alberto Morales, 42, was being transported by two officers from Las Vegas for a court appearance when they stopped at the store in Grapevine, just outside of Dallas, around 11 p.m.

Ex-LAPD officer accused of killings thought to have fled to Mexico
Cop killer eludes authorities who think he went south of the border.

Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner -- the suspect in three killings that have targeted law enforcement and the subject of a continuing manhunt -- was suspected last week of fleeing to Mexico, according to a federal court document.

The criminal complaint filed in federal court on Feb. 7 charges Dorner with fleeing to avoid prosecution. It states that there was reason to believe he had crossed the border into Mexico. An affidavit included in the complaint (pdf) was written by U.S. Marshals Service Inspector Craig McClusky the same day that the search for Dorner led to his burned out truck in the mountain resort of Big Bear.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, February 11, 2013

Let’s talk about Bias in the Media Today at #Learntalk !

        Good Day World!

 The topic of interest today is about Bias in the Media. We all suspect a certain amount is going on. Many Americans are just not sure where facts and bias leave off after being bombarded by countless mainstream media outlets.

 At 5:00 p.m. PST, (8:00 p.m. Eastern) I’m going to be moderating a Live Online discussion about Bias in the Media at #Learntalk Join me…If you’ve got some thoughts about what the American public is watching on TV and listening to on the radio. Do you think social media like Facebook and Twitter are giving the mainstream media a run for their money? What are your thoughts on the subject?

I’ve put together a comprehensive 3-part series on Bias in the Media at Learnist that you can refer to before the chat:

Part I: History of Information & media http://learni.st/users/dave.stancliff.9/boards/9522-bias-in-the-media-part-one-history

Part II: America’s Media Monopoly http://learni.st/users/dave.stancliff.9/boards/10826-bias-in-the-media-part-ii-america-s-media-monopoly


Part III: Demagogues

 http://learni.st/users/dave.stancliff.9/boards/13022-bias-in-the-media-part-iii-demagogues

If you’ve never gone to a Live Chat online before maybe now is the time to check it out. I’ve never done it before and tonight will be my baptism under fire! If for no other reason than to see how the chat goes…stop by and say hi!

Time for me to walk on down the road… 

 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

As It Stands - Note to GOP: Changing the Rules isn’t Going to Help

          
 By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard

 The majority of Republicans today recognize they have to change the party’s brand if they want to get back into the White House.
  Many are still stunned that their candidate was so decisively beaten in all the demographics that mattered. There are however, a minority of Republicans who would rather change election rules than admit their message didn’t resonate with the majority of Americans. 
The 150 members of the Republican National Committee met on Jan. 23, and re-elected Reince Priebus as their National Chairman. They discussed the best ways for the party to go forward. Priebus appeared to give the okay to some proposed changes to the Electoral College system when the subject came up:
“I think it’s something that a lot of states that have been consistently blue and are fully controlled red ought to be looking at,” he was quoted as saying in the Washington Post.

 The members looking to change the system were from the battleground states the Democrats won in the last two presidential elections. According to the Washington Post, Republicans in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia proposed awarding their Electoral College votes by congressional district instead of the winner-take-all approach used by every state except for two - Maine and Nebraska.

 The reason was blatantly apparent; the proposed changes would have given them a victory against President Obama in the last election, and would be a real advantage for the next GOP presidential candidate.
The Republican Party currently has the battleground states firmly in control at the state level. The cover story for voters is a song-and-dance about smaller communities getting more of a voice in those states.
Since the RNC meeting however, Virginia decided not to join the other states when Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell opposed the idea. Joining him in opposition was Republican Sen. Ralph Smith, Bedford County, and Subcommittee chairwoman Jill Vogel.

 I applaud Virginia for not going along with this naked attempt to change the rules. It goes to show there are Republicans who recognize things need to change, but not by changing the rules.
Everyone within the Republican Party agrees change is in order if they want a future as a viable party. The problem is the leaders are at odds over too many issues.
  In a recent AP interview, Michael Hudome, a national GOP media strategist said, “We don’t look organized, we look chaotic, we look like wussies, like we’re caving in to the President. We’re not fighting properly. The Republican caucus appears fractured.”
  When you look at Priebus’s response to changing the game in those battleground states, you can see even he was torn after initially giving it a nod. He turned around and also said “…those proposed changes are short-sighted for two reasons. One, the Republicans pushing for them are all but acknowledging their party problems heading into 2016 are so significant that they have to change the rules to win. In other words, they are throwing in the towel and trying to rig the system.
“Two, the proposed changes would only speed up efforts to have a popular vote - and not an Electoral College - decide presidential contests, because many would see that as a fair system.”

  The last thing the GOP Party wants is a Presidential election by popular vote. One of the many challenges facing the Republican Party’s re-branding is reaching out to minorities. Even the most stubborn conservative pundits have come to that conclusion. But how to reach out to a majority they hardly know and understand? They can’t afford to rely on angry white men to win in 2016.
 One of the most obvious ways for Republicans to gain people’s confidence would be to quit trying to cheat their way into power. Blatantly changing the rules doesn’t make the GOP look like the people’s party. It’s just another example of why the brand has faded into a group of quarreling ideologues who are more obstructionists than nation builders.
  Hudome’s hope for the GOP’s credibility lies with Congress hanging together in coming negotiations with President Obama and getting “…some serious spending cuts,” in places sacred to the party. He feels that will go a long way in restoring the brand. Maybe so. But I think the brand will need a lot more than that to change most people’s perception. It’s time GOP party members roll up their sleeves and hit the streets if they hope to get the middle class and minorities to vote for them.
As It Stands, I know one thing for sure, if the GOP offers up another slate of reactionaries like this last time they can kiss all their efforts goodbye!

It's Time to Pay Up Donnie!

It's looks like there will be some prime real estate going on the market soon in New York City. Convicted rapist and former president ...