Month: July 2013

Categories
Immigration Immigration Reform Politics

John McCain: Without Immigration Reform, “the Republican Party cannot win a national election”

Arizona Republican Senator John McCain is finding his Mavericky ways again. He has begun to buck his party’s wish to go against everything President Obama wants with the goal or hope that the president fails, and McCain is actually working with other Senate Democrats to get things done. So it’s no surprise hearing this Mavericky Senator warns his fellow Republicans, telling them that doing nothing on Immigration will seal the party’s fate as a loser in future national elections.

“I think this fall is very important,” McCain said at a forum hosted by AFL-CIO and the Economic Policy Institute. “It’s very important because we get into 2014 — the next election cycle. I think the issue really has ripened to the point that enough Americans are aware of it, we are either going to act or not act.”

On PBS Monday, McCain said that if immigration reform is not passed, the Republican Party will never again win a national election.

“Let’s say we enact it, comprehensive immigration reform — I don’t think it gains a single Hispanic voter, but what it does, it puts us on a playing field where we can compete for the Hispanic voter,” McCain told PBS’ Gwen Ifill. “If we don’t do that, frankly, I don’t see — I see further polarization of the Hispanic voter and the demographics are clear that the Republican Party cannot win a national election. That’s just a fact.”

McCain compared the current system to “de facto amnesty because they are not leaving” and said that in his experience and from polls he’s seen, most Americans support the pathway to citizenship as long as the undocumented pay a fine, learn English and get on the back of the line.

“It (immigration) has a broader spectrum of support than any I have ever seen in my political career,” he said. He said that the broad range of groups and communities that support immigration reform “can galvanize” in the coming months to make passage a reality.

Categories
Sports

Alex Rodriguez Has Become The Villain

Alex Alex Rodriguez has effectively turned himself into MLB’s public enemy number one. He is now Baseball’s Villain.

It’s been almost six months since we first heard about the Miami based anti aging clinic that was allegedly pedaling performance enhancing drugs to more than 20 MLB players. And here we are, waiting with bated breath to find out exactly how Major League Baseball will deal with these dopers. We have already seen Ryan Braun served with a 67 game suspension that will cover the remainder of the 2013 season. Now word is Nelson Cruz will be suspended this week. Braun’s suspension doesn’t hurt the Brewers because they are not in a pennant race. Cruz’s absence is much more noticeable for a Texas team that seems playoff bound.

But what about the big fish? The 1,000 pound marlin that Bud Selig would love to reel in and mount on his wall of shame. The word around the baseball universe is that the amount of evidence the league has on Alex Rodriguez far surpasses the amount they had on Braun. The analogy has been used that the league has “a skyscraper of evidence on A-Rod compared to a Lego they had on Braun.” It seems as though Bud Selig is absolutely fed up with Alex Rodriguez because insiders are claiming that Selig is getting ready to put the final nail in Rodriguez’s coffin.

Commissioner Bud Selig poses with child wearing an “A*ROID shirt.

The team A-Rod has hired to defend him has said that they will fight any suspension handed down to Alex. This was stated just after word had leaked that the commissioner’s office offered Rodriguez a deal. Accept a plea of a suspension for the rest of this season and all of next season and Selig would not seek to ban him for life. Now that it seems Rodriguez will fight the ban instead of taking the deal, Selig is no longer messing around. A-Rod could appeal the ban based on the collectively agreed drug policy and he would still be eligible to play during that appeal process. Selig wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.

The commissioner now plans to use the Collective Bargaining Agreement to ban Alex Rodriguez rather than the drug policy. What’s the difference, you ask? Well, according to Article XI Section A1b of the CBA, the commissioner has the ability to ban a player for life based on preserving the integrity of the game of baseball. In this situation, Rodriguez can still appeal but he would not be eligible to play through the process. Also, instead of having an arbitration hearing to decide his fate, A-Rod would instead be appealing to very man that enacted the punishment, Mr. Bud Selig. Needless to say, Rodriguez would lose the appeal.

A-Rod could then take MLB to court but at that time, MLB would move to ban Alex based on the drug policy, to which he could also appeal. So Rodriguez and the MLB would be locked into a court case and an arbitration hearing. So lets talk scenarios.

Best scenario for Alex: He wins the court case and the CBA ban is dropped and then the arbitrator rules in his favor for the drug policy ban. No way the arbitrator lets him walk with the mountain of evidence he has against him. He still serves a severe suspension but is able to attempt a return to the game after a certain amount of time and look to collect on the remaining $60-75 million left on his contract.

Worst scenario for Alex: He loses the court case so therefore the arbitration hearing is moot and he is banned from the game for life. Never being eligible for employment in any regard by Major League Baseball. Plus he loses the rest of his money and the Yankees get out of a major contract.

It’s hard not to ask yourself why this man would even consider fighting at this point. Selig isn’t f**king around.

Categories
Bill O'Reilly Racism

I don’t want to have a conversation about “black on black crime.”

“The criminal black man is an ethnic stereotype in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries according to which black males are expected to be criminal and dangerous.” 

 

I don’t want to have a conversation with Bill O’Reilly, or anybody else for that matter, about “black on black crime.” Not unless we can have a serious conversation about “white on white crime”. Or “Asian on Asian crime”, “Latino on Latino crime”. Hell, let’s talk about “Native American on Native American” crime.

Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?

Of course any crime committed by one person against the other should be met with justice, fair and swift. Especially when it concerns a loss of life.

But let’s be real Bill. The idea that there is something degeneratively defective about the black race and its culture that causes it to prey on its own like no other race is — at best– science fiction.

The terminology “black on black crime” is a code to encourage public policies that treat black people as malignant cancers on the society-at-large. Explaining the tragedies and criminality that befall some black enclaves in this country as exclusive only to those enclaves is not only wrong, its dangerous.

At this juncture in our history — a history that now includes the dismantling of a key component of the Voting Rights Act — its become imperative that we cease and desist in using the separatist term. That includes black people too, particularly our politicians.

And after all, Isn’t this really about proximity? There’s a reason why the majority of white victims of crime are victimized by other whites. Does Mr. O’Reilly see this as an endemic to white communities? Does he want to have a real discourse on the prevalence of white on white crime in the suburbs, in trailer parks or on Park Avenue?

Still sounds ridiculous doesn’t it?

As I mentioned earlier, criminality is a scourge on all of society as whole. No particular race, creed or culture is any more prone to criminal behaviour than another. We are all surrounded by an actively violent society that needs to be rectified with intelligent, open and honest reflection and actions.

I believe that O’Reilly is conscientiously aware of this. whether he’s really ready to have a conscientious discussion about it — well, that’s another story altogether.

 
Categories
Politics

President Obama to Republicans – Where’s Your Jobs Plan?

After leading Republicans swiftly rejected President Barack Obama’s new “grand bargain” proposal, which would lower corporate tax rates in exchange for more spending on infrastructure, the president responded Tuesday by calling for a substantive counter-offer.

“I am laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot in a 21st-century economy,” Obama said in a speech on the economy in Chattenooga, Tennessee. “Now it’s time for Republicans to lay out theirs.

“Putting all your eggs in the basket of an oil pipeline that may only create about 50 permanent jobs, and wasting the country’s time by taking something like 40 meaningless votes to repeal Obamacare isn’t a jobs plan,” he added.

Categories
Domestic Policies Healthcare News Politics

The Endgame

Here’s what’s clear: the success of President Obama’s second term will come down to the next few months of 2013 and early 2014 in the form of immigration reform, the success of the health care law, and the rising economy. There probably will be no grand bargain on the debt (thank heavens), tax reform is a long way off, and the Republicans don’t believe enough in real science to have a discussion about energy and the environment. So we’ll have to be happy from small victories.

The health care law is the most important. The GOP has staked its past, present and future on the law’s failure, (and has threatened to shut down the government rather than accept it) but that’s probably not going to happen. Will there be problems? You bet, and the right wing will loudly report each and every example of someone who has to pay more, or accept coverage that they don’t need or want, or how doctors and hospitals are suffering, but in the end, the law will cover more people and result in a healthier society.

It might even result in more people finding less costly insurance through the exchanges than through their employers. That would be a tremendous coup because then businesses will be relieved of the pressure of covering their employees and people will not have to stay in terrible jobs simply for the benefits. I don’t see this happening quickly, but if the market (you remember the market. This is a law all about the market.) makes it less expensive to buy from the exchanges, then that’s what people will do. betting against health insurance is a losing proposition.

Immigration reform will probably not pass the House in its Senate version, but I do have a sneaking suspicion that a more comprehensive bill than the House purports to disdain will come out of the legislature. The Republicans can talk tough, but I do think that they see the electoral graffiti on the wall and understand that passing nothing will do them great harm. Perhaps the gerrymandered districts will allow them to keep the House, but that’s a flimsy wall to hide behind for a party that’s lost the popular vote in all but one national election since 1992.

The Republican Party is clueless, but it’s not, you know, clueless.

During the past presidential election cycle, I wrote repeatedly that the conservative wave was crashing and that the GOP would become dangerously radical. I hate to say that I was right, but we are now living in the extremist bubble and it’s not going to pop for another two or four years. During that time we can look forward to more attempts at voter suppression, curbs on reproductive rights and a call to eliminate or severely cut back on social programs such as food stamps, unemployment compensation and Medicare. If the Democrats can hold the line against the tide, they can slowly turn the country back in a less dangerous direction. Then we can truly address the problems we have in a pragmatic, sensible manner.

Until then, we’ll be playing defense.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and on Twitter @rigrundfest

Categories
Music

Authorities – Drugs Found on Justin Bieber’s Tour Bus

The name of his tour is “Believe,” like I believe that this kid is officially out of control based on his recent antics and the so-called “friends” he hangs out with. An intervention may be necessary.
Justin Bieber tweeted “I’m a lucky guy” on Tuesday morning — and it may have been because he narrowly escaped a drug bust over the weekend.

The embattled pop star’s Believe Tour has been riddled with headline-grabbing bad boy antics since the beginning, the latest of which came Sunday as Bieber was on his way to perform in Detroit.

U.S. border agents found marijuana on one of the “Baby” singer’s tour buses as it crossed into Detroit from Windsor, Canada — but Bieber wasn’t on it.

The bus was stopped as it attempted to enter the U.S. on the Ambassador Bridge, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Ken Hammond confirmed to the Detroit Free Press.

Categories
Education News

Philadelphia Playground Site Of 3,000 African-American Graves, Archaeologists Find

Just days after archaeologists on Maryland’s eastern shore uncovered what they believe to be the oldest settlement of African-Americans in the United States, another team in Philadelphia unearthed what may be the resting place of nearly 3,000 others under a playground in the city’s Weccecoe Park.

On Thursday, Douglas Mooney, senior archaeologist for URS corporation and his colleagues dug up a single white gravestone belonging to 26-year-old Amelia Brown, who was likely a member of the Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, who bought the burial site as a private cemetery in 1810 and used it as such until 1864.

 

Categories
News Politics

Anthony Weiner Publicly Scolded

This video is super awkward … Anthony Weiner was put on BLAST Friday by an ex-school teacher for his raunchy, sexting ways … and it all happened while cameras rolled.Weiner was visiting homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy, when he walked into a s**t storm himself … in the form of Peg Brunda a retired teacher, who went off on him.

Read more: TMZ

Categories
Express Yourself teenagers teens

I Could Care Less

If teenagers are amazing at one thing, it’s for us to just not seem to care or at least to put up a facade that we could care less. If you were to look at my Facebook news feed on the normal day you’ll read constant statuses about people ranting on about how they “don’t care anymore about so and so” or how they wish they just didn’t care about anyone, these of course are followed by some stupid hash tags.

It’s an understandable phase we all seem to go through, as people seem to go through so many short romances when we’re teens. Teenagers are an emotional wreck from the start and we understand that if we show that we care about someone, we’re just opening ourselves to be hurt or the chance to be hurt. One minute we can be so in love with someone and all can be right in the world, fast forward to next week and we’re sitting on the couch crying our eyes out with a gallon of ice cream. I’ve been there, minus the ice cream part, and have seen many others go through the same trouble; it’s not fun to watch it all happen and even less fun getting back on your feet.

The goal seems to be then that we want to reach the point where we just don’t give a sh*t (sorry I’m lacking better words here). Life is a journey in itself and through it everyone has to go through many obstacles, this being one of them. Going from being in love to being heart broken isn’t something anyone wants to sign up for right away but it’s something that will happen to everyone at least once. If you are the type of person who just doesn’t seem to care or doesn’t want to get hurt, you’ll never have to face this challenge because you will sit there and convince yourself you don’t need to. You’ll convince yourself you’re fine on your own, doing you, but you’re not alright.

To love someone is just being human. Last I checked I am a human and whoever is reading this is just as much a human as I am. To convince yourself you don’t need someone to care for you is just..well is convincing yourself you’re not human. We all need someone by our side, a good friend, a significant other, or even a family member; we all need somebody who will be there for us. When you act like you don’t give a dam about anyone or anything, people will start to believe you and treat you as such. I’d rather love and be hurt than be treated like I really could care less about you and myself.  Nothing should stop you from showing how much you care about someone. As far as I know there is no such thing as “loving someone too much”, if there is well it doesn’t exist in my books.

A message to all teenagers of the world: Go out there into the world and show that you care about yourself and others. Go out there and fall in love. Go out there and let your heart break. It’ll all be okay and so will you.

Categories
Featured News

White Mother Lied on Innocent Black Boys; Murdered her Own Son in Georgia

Brunswick, Ga. resident Sherry West, 42, mother of baby Antonio Santiago slain on March 14, 2013, told CNN’s Piers Morgan she wants the alleged teen killers to die during an on-camera interview. “A life for a life,” she said.

De’Marquis Elkins, 17, and Dominique Lang, 15, were arrested and charged with murdering the 13-month-old. Their trial was set for this August but their public defender, Jonathan Lockwood, uncovered some shocking evidence.

She lied! The gunshot residue was found on both West and baby Antonio’s father, Louis, who was initially reported no where near the crime scene.

Back in March, West told police that while on her way home from the post office two black boys attempted to rob her. When she told them that she didn’t have any money, they shot baby Antonio in the face, then shot her in the leg before running away.

The state forensic report says, “This supports the possibility that [Louis Santiago] discharged a firearm, was in close proximity to a firearm upon discharge, or came into contact with an item whose surface bears GSR [gunshot residue].

”Remember, accused Elkins’ mother Karimah Aisha Elkins, 36, and aunt Katrina Latrelle Elkins, 33, were arrested and charged with making false statements.

A gun was found but authorities never indicated it was a murder weapon.Also, West’s daughter Ashley Glassey, 21, said she didn’t want to wrongly accuse her mother but had her doubts because her stories were conflicting and she may have committed the murder for insurance money.

Police have not named Sherry West or Louis Santiago suspects in their son’s murder; however, Santiago is in jail for aggravated stalking of West.“He went nuts … he was throwing things through the window and terrorizing me, saying that I killed my baby and it should have been me,” West tells CBS

h/t – rollingout

Categories
Technology

Nokia Lumia 1020 Phone with a 41 Megapixel Sensor

 

 

The big, circular bump on the back of the Lumia 1020 is impossible to miss. Place the phone on a table and it rests at an angle, slightly propped up by the protrusion. Hold it in your hand and you’re always fondling the circle’s edges.

But the phone’s uniquely shaped backside isn’t without reason. In fact, it’s there for a really great reason:Nokia’s Lumia 1020 packs the best smartphone camera available, one with a gargantuan 41-megapixel sensor, Xenon flash, six physical lens elements, and the software to support it all.

The Finnish company had previously trumped all smartphone cameras with its 41-megapixel PureView 808last year. It won accolades and plenty of press buzz. The actual Symbian-powered phone, however, was mediocre. And where the Lumia 1020′s raised back looks fairly elegant and sleek, the PureView 808 looks as if somebody had just slapped an extra piece onto an already bulky phone’s back.

 

h/t – wired

Categories
News

Youth Pastor and Pregnant Wife Among Those Killed in Bus Crash

A youth pastor, his wife, who was eight months pregnant and a third person were killed after a bus returning from a church summer camp crashed off an Indianapolis interstate.

A total of 19 people were hurt in the accident Saturday afternoon, but health officials said early Monday that a teenager who was critically injured was now in “good condition.”

Thirty-seven passengers were on the bus when it overturned just a mile from the Colonial Hills Baptist Church, where the bus was headed, according to The Associated Press.

On Sunday, church deacon Jeff Leffew identified the deceased as youth pastor Chad Phelps and his wife, Courtney, who was eight months pregnant. Both were in their mid-20s, Leffew said.
The third victim was identified as Tonya Weindorf, 51, he said. Weindorf had taken her son, who has special needs, to the church camp.

According to Leffew, the Phelps’ 2-year-old son was briefly held at a hospital before being released. Weindorf’s son remains among the hospitalized, the church deacon said Sunday.

Leffew, 44, of Fishers, Ind., who had sent four daughters to the camp, said the children on the bus “saw some difficult things” that they’d never had to experience before. “Their biggest pain is what they saw,” he told The AP

“All these folks are special to us as members here, as friends. Our church grieves now,” he told NBC station WTHR. “They’re with God in heaven. We know that without a doubt, but we grieve the fact they’re not here with us. We miss them. We ask for your prayer and support. We ask for your respect for the families that have lost loved ones.”

Witnesses told police that the bus was exiting I-465 and trying to make a left onto southbound Keystone Avenue, WTHR reported. The bus driver later told a witness that his brakes failed, WTHR said

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