Tag: Florida

More Important Than The Trial

Closing Thought–21Jan20

The country is laser focused on the Senate impeachment trial but there are events that should be more important…why?

The trial will be a silly exercise in the absurd.

One of the “Rights” we have is the right to vote for who we like or better yet as a citizen I have the right to vote without worry…..

Back in the old Jim Crow days in the South Blacks had to pay a “poll tax” to vote….or they we not allowed to exercise a right……but thankfully those days are gone…..not so FAST!

Florida’s state Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of denying convicted felons the right to vote if they do not pay fines and fees associated with their incarceration, a decision that was immediately assailed by rights activists as an unconstitutional and immoral poll tax.

In a statement condemning the ruling (pdf), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund said the ruling “does not—indeed, cannot—alter what the U.S. Constitution requires.”

“A federal court has already held that the state cannot deny people the right to vote because of their inability to pay financial obligations,” the groups said in their statement. 

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/01/16/its-2020-and-floridas-supreme-court-just-ruled-favor-poll-tax

This is sick!

Trying to eliminate people from voting……

This will probably go to the US Supreme Court…as it should,,,,but I have NO confidence that this will be struck down by a mostly conservative court.

If not then this idea will spread throughout the South especially…..and the areas the the GOP has successfully purged voters from the rolls.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The “South Beach” Life

Good morning my friends……we are expecting lots of rain and wind today so the garden adventures may be out for the day.

In keeping with tradition I found something completely different than the posts I usually do during the week.

South Beach……the Southern Florida lifestyle that so many want to be part of…..we have a the South Beach diet and of course it is sold on TV by this babe in a bikini (what else?)…..South Beach is a beach experience and all its trappings like Volley Ball, girl watching, sun bathing, etc.

Formula One is considering adding a Miami Gran Prix to the world championship schedule (I will be bitching about this at a latter date)……

All the high life and glamorous aspects of South Beach…there is another industry there that seldom gets talked about….

At just 20 years old, Kandie Monaee earns good money, works a few days a week from home and even gets gifts mailed to her by adoring clients.

She is a success in a Florida industry that is consistently on the cutting edge of technology, generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue each year and aspires to move into the mainstream.

Monaee’s job: web cam model.

Her on-line sessions run up to six hours, mixing small talk and teasing with sex acts. Hundreds of viewers log onto a free website called Chaturbate and type her messages, awarding her virtual “tokens” as tips that she redeems for money. On a good day, Monaee — a Tampa mother of one who wanted to be identified only by her web cam name — says she will pull in about $300.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/-Cam-Con-exposes-a-booming-biz-Florida-doesn-t-talk-about-selling-live-sex-online_168673077

Do you know how hard it is to rite a post using only one hand (LOL)

Thanx for stopping by my friends….hope all have a good day…..will be back to “normal” tomorrow…….chuq

Who’s To Blame?

I have been watching and listening to all the finger pointing surrounding the attack in Orlando……my first reaction was to ask why all the accusations not much is said about the attacks in South Carolina last year…these “people” bring up the Boston bomb and the attack in California but nothing on the attack in SC….I have a good idea why but refuse to be part of this…..

Some blame Muslims while others blame the guns……and few put the blame where it belongs…..the FBI.

The FBI is grappling with the aftermath of what a former Homeland Security counterterrorism coordinator calls one of its “great nightmares: someone they looked at who ultimately goes out and carries out a successful attack.” The FBI—which investigated and cleared gunman Omar Mateen twice—also investigated but failed to stop Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Texas gunman Elton Simpson, leading some experts to say the agency is hampered by strict guidelines and limited resources, the Washington Post reports. The FBI’s initial probe of Mateen, which began when colleagues at security firm G4S reported suspicious statements in 2013, took 10 months and involved phone surveillance, interviews, and the use of informants. It found no evidence of radicalization, but experts now wonder if more clues could have been found if more agents had been used.

The FBI is hampered not just by guidelines, but by the sheer volume of counterterrorism tips, with up to 10,000 investigations open at any one time, reports the New York Times. Sources say the agency is currently investigating more than 1,000 suspected “homegrown violent extremists,” a task that involves thousands of agents and analysts. Authorities say they’re trying to determine whether any leads were missed in the Mateen case. He was no longer on an FBI watch list when he bought the weapons used in the nightclub massacre, meaning the agency was not alerted, and Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates says authorities are considering changing the system to ensure the FBI is notified when somebody previously investigated for terrorism links buys guns. (The FBI is considering charges against Mateen’s wife, who may have known about the attack beforehand.)

To try and change the conversation the government and the media have thrown suspicion on the present wife….

This is a typical story…..just change the name of the location and it would be the same worthless information it always is…..

Drawing Wrong Lessons

I apologize for today is my day for all the doctors to poke and probe…..so I will be posting articles with a little opinion thrown in….hopefully I can return to my normal posting schedule tomorrow….

Since this is the story en vogue for now…I will spend today posting on this situation….after that I will move on……

The big argument these days is the horrendous attack in Orlando……it is not about the victims but rather the terminology on the attacker……and of course someone has got to mention assault weapons and the Right-osphere will go batcrap crazy…..

America’s mass shootings, especially those linked to Islamic terrorism like the slaughter in Orlando, Florida, prompt a reflex of responses, but some reactions are particularly unhelpful, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.

Here we go again. Another terrorist incident, and another iteration of the depressingly familiar suite of responses we hear each time in the subsequent surge of rhetoric and commentary. Much of what we hear is what careful consideration of the circumstances and evidence associated with many of these incidents would show to be wrong.

And this is even without including most of the politically driven reactions that have become common amid the partisanship of contemporary America and that one ought to be able to see through without the need of careful consideration.

Source: Drawing Wrong Lessons from Orlando – Consortiumnews

There were 50 deaths and over 50 injured…..and the best we can do is argue about terminology……that is just sad….

I prepare myself for the endless justification over terminology……and none of which addresses the real problem…..until we are serious about the problem then maybe someone can spend some quality time finding solutions for this violence.

But the big question is….How long will Disney allow the kid taken by gator to be a news item?

Bad Day At Black Rock

By now everyone has heard or read about the dastardly attack in Orlando’s night club…..

Sunday morning’s bloodbath at Pulse Orlando nightclub was far bloodier than police initially indicated, with the city mayor now confirming at least 50 casualties in what is now the worst mass shooting in American history, reports the AP. At least 53 people have been hospitalized. “There’s blood everywhere,” Mayor Buddy Dyer told a news conference. The gunman has been identified as Omar Mateen of Port St. Lucie, Fla., an American citizen born to Afghan parents, reports ABC News, which characterizes Mateen as “on the radar” of authorities, though not on a specific watchlist or subject of an investigation. “It appears he was organized and well-prepared,” Orlando’s police chief tells CNN, adding that Mateen had an assault weapon, handgun, and “some type of (other) device on him.” Florida Gov. Rick Scott is en route to the scene and says in a statement that “We will devote every resource available to assist with the shooting in Orlando.”

To tell you the truth I have more interested is seeing what the comments from those of slower mental processes over this bloody attack.

Let me explain…..first, this was committed by a person of “Arabic” descent and second it was an attack on a gay club….now those two factors will make for some outrageous accusations and comments…..

Already there has been one from an extreme anti-gay person……

Anti-gay Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick tweeted a Bible verse from Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” early on Sunday morning as news was breaking across the nation that dozens had been killed in an overnight massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Patrick has been an outspoken opponent of LGBT rights, telling Texas judges that they may refuse to marry same-sex couples, applauding the defeat of Houston’s LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance HERO, and defying President Obama’s direction to schools on transgender rights, among other things.

Texas should be proud that they elect such unfeeling SOBs….

Now I await the inevitable digs at Arabs over this attack…..keep in mind this is NOT a refugee he is an American citizen…just like the California attack of several months ago….

The MSM is speculating its ass off over this attack…..and as usual they bring forth the “profilers”….which in my opinion are nothing more than bullshit artists.

I am sure there is more to this attack than we are aware of as of today……I will keep an eye on the situation.

And while I was watching for updates….this came in……

An Indiana man armed with three assault rifles and chemicals used to make explosives was arrested in Southern California on Sunday and told police he wanted to do harm to a gay pride parade—an event that annually draws hundreds of thousands of people, authorities say. The early-morning arrest in Santa Monica of James Wesley Howell, 20, came just a few hours after at least 50 people were shot and killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando Florida, though authorities said they had found no evidence of a connection between the suspects, the AP reports. Residents called police to report suspicious behavior from Howell, who was parked facing the wrong way in a white sedan, police say. When officers arrived they apparently saw an assault rifle sitting in Howell’s passenger seat.

That prompted them to search the whole car. They found two more assault rifles, high capacity magazines and ammunition, and a five-gallon bucket with chemicals that could be used to make an explosive device, police say. Authorities would answer no further questions on Howell or his motives. The FBI has taken over the lead of the investigation from the local police. Heriberto Gomez, a lifelong resident who says he watches over the neighborhood, says he stepped outside at 3am Sunday and saw Howell’s white four-door Acura sedan in the street. Gomez says the man then ran across the street and hid in bushes and overhanging trees. It appeared the man was looking back at him. “I was looking at him for a minute, for a long minute,” Gomez says. “He didn’t want to come my way because he seen me standing right here.”

There are two things that will be certainties……one the media will have a feeding frenzy and two, somewhere this will be all Obama’s fault.

Florida’s Greek Geeks….Good-Bye!

Last week I wrote about a disgusting incident where a bunch of Frat rats disrespected some vets and others….these Greek Geeks were from the Univ of Florida…….if you would like to refresh your memory here is my post…….

Veterans: Welcome Home

I am pleased to announce that there has been a turn in the events around this incident…….

Future pledges interested in joining Zeta Beta Tau will have to go somewhere other than the University of Florida. The Gainesville Sun reports that the school’s chapter of the fraternity is now closed in the wake of an April 17 incident in Panama City Beach in which ZBT members were accused of spitting on veterans and their service dogs, throwing beer bottles at them, and urinating on an American flag. During its investigation, the university had suspended the frat, already on probation for a hazing incident last fall. “I continue to be saddened and disappointed by the reported mistreatment and disrespect of our military veterans,” UF President Kent Fuchs said in a statement. “Our university has always honored, and will always honor, the service of veterans.” Due to privacy laws, the college says it won’t reveal the fates of individual ZBT members.

The head of ZBT’s national org also piped in. “We are absolutely disgusted by the accusations that have been made regarding the behavior of certain members of this chapter,” Matthew Rubins said in a release, per My Fox Orlando; he adds that while conclusive evidence about some of the worst accusations hasn’t been found, the group believes some members made “irresponsible decisions.” ZBTers from Emory University were also alleged to have harassed the veterans, though that college has said in a statement that “to date, no evidence has been found to implicate Emory students,” WJHG reports. The founder of the charity retreat where the abuse allegedly occurred, an all-expenses-paid vacation for combat-wounded veterans and their families, adds, “They were being treated like the Vietnam veterans were treated.

Am I pleased?  Not in the least!  These pricks deserve much worse and the Frat that allowed this type of creep in deserves no consideration……there can be NO excuse for the disrespect these toads showed…………there is NO explanation other than they are worthless lumps of crap…..and this incident should follow them throughout their lives…..there should be NO second chances for these demented little toads.

Thoughts?

Climate Change: Speak No Evil

How many times do we hear about the consequences of our actions concerning the planet…….and how many arguments against any changes that would possibly effect the globe?

Hell, there is a whole network, media type, that has made its living off all deniers……but we are all free to say and believe what we want about the ups and downs of climate change….all of us……….. with the exception of state workers in Florida……

At Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, employees whose jobs include preparing for the effects of climate change and sea-level rise say life got a little tougher after Rick Scott took office in 2011 and the use of terms like “climate change,” “global warming,” and “sea-level rise” was banned. Past and present DEP employees say the “unwritten” policy has been bad for educational efforts and public policy, according to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. One former employee tells the FCIR that she was told orders had come down from the governor’s office that they were “not allowed to discuss anything that was not a true fact” and the terms should be avoided. She says a suggested replacement for “sea-level rise” was “nuisance flooding.”

A former attorney with the DEP’s Office of General Counsel tells FCIR that “sustainability” was also on the list of terms he was told not to use in meetings or on state documents; he thinks the issue is about more than just a dispute of phrasing, it is “an indication that the political leadership in the state of Florida is not willing to address these issues and face the music when it comes to the challenges that climate change presents.” Gov. Scott, a Republican who was re-elected last year, refuses to say whether he thinks there is a link between human activity and climate change, and has said, “I’m not a scientist” when asked about it, the Guardian reports.

With all the rumblings and mutterings about our rights to say what we think……is this not somehow a violation of that right?

The problem will go away if the name is not spoken?

God I love Florida!  (Sarcasm in the n-th degree)

Florida Replaces Gerrymandered Congressional Maps With Nearly Identical Gerrymandered Maps | ThinkProgress

Ever have one of those days where the chaos around you keeps you from focusing?  That is my day!

Today I am pressing articles that I have found and well I am too lazy to turn them into a post (honesty)…..there has been a wealth of accusations of the different GOP organizations that are trying to pick their voters and gerrymandering has been one of the tools used to gain unfair advantage at the polls……

Florida was recently told to redraw their maps….and this is what they came up with in their attempt….

 

Florida Replaces Gerrymandered Congressional Maps With Nearly Identical Gerrymandered Maps | ThinkProgress.

 

And the courts in Florida accepted the re-draw…….go figure.

It’s Voter Fraud! Or Is it?

How long have we heard the GOP talking point about voter fraud?  And where they are in charge they have done deals to curb the non-existent fraud…….but about the only fraud I know of is the fraud committed by GOP operatives….like the guy that registered people and threw away the ones that registered as Dems…..or the massive amount of gerrymandering where the candidates get to pick their voters not voice versa……speaking of gerrymandering……..

Republicans “made a mockery” of recent Florida constitutional amendments requiring lawmakers to draw fair political districts, a state judge ruled yesterday, ordering that two particularly egregious districts be redrawn—and with them, probably all districts that touch them. “Republican political consultants or operatives did, in fact, conspire to manipulate and influence the redistricting process,” Judge Terry P. Lewis wrote in a scathing 41-page ruling. He noted that lawmakers had destroyed a suspicious number of documents related to the redistricting process, and even quoted George Washington’s admonition to beware “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men,” the New York Times reports.

Florida voted in 2010 in favor of two amendments requiring districts to be drawn in an impartial, non-partisan fashion. The judge ruled that the GOP-controlled legislature failed to do that. Republicans currently hold 17 of Florida’s House seats to the Democrats’ 10, even though Democrats have an edge in overall voter registration. The judge didn’t specify if the districts have to be redrawn by this year’s midterms, Politico points out, and the state is likely to appeal. “Everyone in Florida is holding their breath,” one redistricting consultant said, predicting that the changes would ultimately wait until 2016.

What are the chances that the GOP will not mention this form of voter fraud?

BP Must Pay!

From the VOMITORIUM

From time to time there are some things that happen in the political world that can be best described as a………..BLOWJOB!  And now it has Florida on its knees…..(pun intended)

It seems that Florida’s governor, Charlie Crist has a new idea:

Gov. Charlie Crist authorized property appraisers Wednesday to calculate lost real-estate values caused by the Gulf oil spill, so homeowners and businesses can send the tab to BP.

The governor signed an executive order authorizing property appraisers in 26 counties under threat from the oil spill to give property owners an updated assessment on their homes and businesses if they believe they have lost value because of the spill. Property owners could use the document to file a claim for damages against BP, although they wouldn’t necessarily have their tax bills lowered.

“It is logical to predict that the oil spill will result in declining property values,” Crist said at a news conference. “Businesses and families of the Gulf Coast did nothing to warrant this loss, but they bear the burden of it.”

State law requires property to pay taxes based on the value of their property in January. But in many cases — particularly for hotels and businesses dependent on the beach — their property values have dropped as much as 30 percent since then.

His action drew approval from some affected property appraisers, although staff time and cost of reappraisals will be tough on cash-strapped counties.

This is a helluva idea, right?

This is just plain stupid!  It is just another political ploy to gain votes in Crist upcoming election against Rubio.  This will probably never happen….why?  Florida has suffered much from the economic meltdown…how does one prove that the oil spill is the cause of loss of value?

If you read my stuff you know that I think that BP should be held accountable for their damage because of the oil spill….but this idea is just plain moronic…..does that mean that I can sue AIG or Goldman-Sachs for the loss of value of my property because they gambled with my money?

This is all so much political theater….after all, he has an election to win.