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Parul Sehgal: An ode to envy

Posted by Michelle Moquin on November 2nd, 2013

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Good afternoon!

Howie: Zen Lill is correct. The powers that be+ is usually the reason why there are no comments. I know all of my loyal readers are out there reading and many trying to post. Don’t be discouraged – they are out there.

I accept the is-ness of it. And really, my life is happily full these days. I used to look forward to seeing lots of comments because I had more time to read them all and respond. It’s not that I don’t still love seeing all of the dialogue, (I do! – I am very grateful for everyone choosing to be here!) My frustration lies in not always having the time to read and respond the way I would like to.

This blog means the world to me, and life is not giving me much time to play here – darn. Again, I accept the is-ness, do the best that I can, and roll with it, enjoy it as much as I can. I find that like many things in life, something is much more fun and easier to do when it rolls the way we want it to or we accept the way it is and we just go with it. I’m going with it right now. I am still here doing it, and still loving it. All is how it should be. :)

And…It is nice however to have you back with us again! I HOPE that whatever was pulling you away is OK now. There is a nice comfort in knowing that my long time regulars are still here with me too. So thanks to you and ZL, and the rest in no particular order – Social Butterfly, Anna and Peter of Guam, Robert,RT, Mike,TM, Lea, Anonz, Ruth,SM, Harris, Prism Princess, George,WN (Yes, because you illuminate another viewpoint!), and of course the various newbies, LeTa0…for continuing to put your time here. It too means the world to me. Did I miss anyone? My apologies if I did. 

So…dear Readers, wha’at’s up this Saturday morning?

Well for me, I found this write while perusing the net. I found the speaker’s take on jealousy interesting.

Parul Sehgal: An ode to envy

What is jealousy? What drives it, and why do we secretly love it? No study has ever been able to capture its “loneliness, longevity, grim thrill” — that is, says Parul Sehgal, except for fiction. In an eloquent meditation she scours pages from literature to show how jealousy is not so different from a quest for knowledge.

Parul Sehgal is an editor for “The New York Times Book Review.” No scorn, no condescension. We read first for distraction then consolation then for company. And finally to be worthy of the company we kept,” writes literary critic Parul Sehgal, whose reviews are as delicious and delightful as the books themselves. Sehgal is an editor at The New York Times Book Review. Previously the Books Editor at NPR.org and the Senior Editor at Publisher’s Weekly, Sehgal is the recipient of the 2010 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing and the 2008 Pan African Literary Forum’s OneWorld Prize for fiction. She lives in New York City.

*****

Readers: What are you thinking? Blog me.

Happy Saturday – Peace & Love. 

Do you Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Entertainment & Laughter, Good Reads and Good See'ds, Love, Sex & Relationships | 13 Comments »

Aliens And Republicans

Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 31st, 2013

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Unfortunately it’s not a story of alien abduction, nor even a horror story. Darn.

Good morning!

The good news is, there are a few Dems that will be running to replace Paul Ryan. Here’s the write from Mother Jones:

Paul Ryan’s Democratic Opponent Is Alien Conspiracy Theorist, 9/11 Truther

Amardeep Kaleka produced and directed a documentary that claims September 11 was an inside job designed to distract the public from ET revelations.

sirius

When 35-year-old Amardeep Kaleka recently declared his intention to run for the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in 2014, most news coverage focused on one facet of his story: his father was one of the murder victims of the 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. That murder convinced Kaleka to run as a Democrat and advocate for enhanced gun control.

But during a recent interview with the Madison Capital Times, Kaleka, who is not the only Democrat looking to run against Ryan, revealed another side of his biography: conspiracy documentary filmmaker. Kaleka directed the 2013 film Sirius, a documentary that purports to uncover evidence of extraterrestrial life on Earth and suggests that the September 11 terrorist attacks were a “false flag” operation. Kaleka is also listed as editor and director of photography and shares credit for the documentary’s “story idea.” The film has slightly better production values than your typical conspiracy diatribe, but it hinges on some far-out concepts.

Kaleka founded Neverending Light, the studio that produced Sirius. He couldn’t be reached for comment in time for publication, but he told the Capital Times, “I don’t think that any knowledgeable human would say that extraterrestrials don’t exist.”

Here’s a short trailer for the movie:

The film, which is posted below, is based on Hidden Truth: Forbidden Knowledge, a book by Steven Greer, an osteopath who now leads searches for evidence of extraterrestrial life on Earth. Greer mixes a bit of made-up science with a strong vein of spirituality in explaining why aliens have visited our planet. “When we started detonating thermonuclear weapons, atomic weapons, and developing these sort of destructive technologies the civilizations that have been watching this planet for millennia said, ‘Oh my god, these people are going way off the reservation. They are now an existential threat to themselves, but also to other planets potentially,’” Greer says in the film.

Sirius includes a number of confusing scenes during which Greer and his companions, including Kaleka, are filmed stargazing, claiming to spot alien aircraft. “It’s got a path,” Kaleka says in one such scene , as he looks at the sky. “It’s got like a movement. And then it’s gone.” Onscreen text describes the congressional candidate as a “UFO Witness.”

The movie also features a dose of 9/11 trutherism. “The question, on some people’s minds, is whether or not this disaster was exploited, or worse, engineered,” the narrator says midway through the movie. He asserts that 9/11 was a “false flag” operation mounted by the government a few months after a major conference of alien watchers in order to distract the public and suppress the truth, and he likens the 9/11 attacks to the Gulf of Tonkin incident during the Vietnam War. The movie goes on to suggest that the Bilderbergers and Rockefellers were behind a series of global conspiracies.

Kaleka’s documentary highlights a six-inch-long body that an amateur archeologist discovered in a ghost town in the Atacama Desert in Chile in 2003. One of the film’s experts refers to it as an EBE—that is, an extraterrestrial biological entity. Siriusshows footage of the supposed alien being dissected; its lingering cranial material autopsied for DNA. The organism appears otherworldly, yet the truth is far more mundane: according to Science magazine, an immunologist from Stanford determined that the skeleton is from our planet, and probably a mummified stillborn fetus.

Kaleka’s film is not an examination of those who believe in extraterrestrials. It’s a sympathetic vehicle to promote their views to a wider audience. Ufologist Greer anchors the film by pacing a stage and giving a lecture, as if he’s channeling Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth. Near the end of the movie, Greer states that there have been over 4,000 cases of extraterrestrial vehicles landing on Earth.

If aliens definitely are among us, why don’t most people know about it? According to Kaleka’s film, it’s all the military-industrial complex’s fault. “The problem is not proving that UFOs exist, it’s when you begin to expose the energy and propulsion systems of how they’re getting here,” Greer says. “You’re talking about unveiling a new science that would replace oil, gas, coal, nuclear power, public utilities. This is the $600 trillion dollar problem.” If the public knew about alien visitors, Greer contends, a whole new world of technologies would become available, including “inertial shielding” and gravity manipulation. But the “petro-fascists” (as he calls them) controlling the government hide alien discoveries to maintain their oil oligarchy. “These sciences have been out there for decades; they have been ruthlessly kept secret because of the power of a centralized petro-dollar,” Greer maintains.

Kaleka’s film fits into that sweet spot where the fringes of left-wing and right-wing ideology overlap. At one point, the narrator ominously states that  the US government doesn’t actually manage the Federal Reserve Bank. Instead, viewers are told, the Fed is “owned by a private banking cartel.” To back up this claim, the film cuts to a scene of Ron Paul berating Fed chairman Ben Bernanke at a congressional hearing.

Sirius hints that several extraterrestrial researchers have contracted diseases, apparently because the government is trying to stymie damning ET revelations. “I don’t take anything for granted, frankly,” Greer says, “so each time that I do a presentation or lead a group. I think, ‘This may be the last time.’”

The New York Times reviewed the film in May. “It perhaps exceeds the earthly purview of a humble film critic to evaluate claims of extraterrestrial life, but it’s definitely unwise to bury the audience in suggestive statements and footage without dwelling long enough on any one thing to persuade,” reviewer Nicolas Rapold wrote. “Though the would-be mini-alien yields some suspense, Mr. Kaleka’s film feels a bit like wandering into a hotel convention hall full of true believers who have been chatting for hours.”

Kaleka won’t necessarily face Ryan in the general election. Rob Zerban, Ryan’s 2012 opponent, announced last week that he will run again.

*******

Readers: Interesting? Thoughts? Blog me. If you want to watch the entire movie click here.

Happy Halloween Everyone!! Be scared but be safe. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Aliens, Political Powwow | 7 Comments »

Rick Perry Is Actually Encouraging Texans To Enroll In Obamacare

Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 30th, 2013


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Good morning!

There are some mornings where my life is so full that I don’t have more than a moment to do my blog…or even eat for that matter.  This is one of those mornings.

From Think Progress:

Rick Perry Is Actually Encouraging Texans To Enroll In Obamacare

BY IGOR VOLSKY ON OCTOBER 17, 2013 AT 12:58 PM

gty_rick_perry_angry_nt_111018_wblogAfter years of trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act, Texas lawmakers are suddenly embracing President Obama’s signature domestic policy accomplishment. On Thursday, the Texas Tribunereported that the state is shuttering a state-based health care program and encouraging Texans to sign-up for coverage in the federally-run health care exchange.

Texas’ high risk pool program, which opened in 1998, provides coverage to individuals and families with pre-existing conditions who couldn’t find insurance in the individual health care market. But since the ACA’s exchanges began enrolling beneficiaries, the state deemed the program obsolete, arguing that Texans could find a better deal in the federally-run exchange:

The state has deemed the high-risk pool obsolete, as the Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies participating in the federal marketplace, which launched on Oct. 1, from denying coverage to Texans with pre-existing conditions. Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 1367 in June, scheduling the pool’s abolishment.

The pool will close Jan. 1, and the 23,000 people currently participating in the pool must sign up for coverage on the insurance exchange by Dec. 15 or find coverage elsewhere to avoid a lapse in care.

The shift may help beneficiaries — state health experts project that “people are going to have many more options and many better options in the marketplace ” — but it undermines Gov. Rick Perry’s (R-TX) entire health care philosophy and contradicts the GOP’s claim that states are best suited to take care of their uninsured populations.

Throughout the 2012 presidential campaign, for instance, Perry supported complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act and suggested that states should take the lead in crafting health care policy. “If we can get the federal government out of our business in the states when it comes to health care, we’ll come up with ways to deliver more health care to more people cheaper than what the federal government is mandating today,” Perry said during a 2011 GOP primary debate. Two years later, he appears to have changed his mind.

UPDATE

In June, Perry also signed a Republican-backed bill that requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to inform individuals applying for certain state health services about “private health care insurance coverage and the health insurance exchange.”

*******

Readers: Now… I must go eat. Blog me.

xoxo

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Health & Well Being | 9 Comments »

Undercover Cops Make Millions Selling Cocaine

Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 29th, 2013

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Good morning!

Sometimes on Tuesdays I post about finances. You could say today’s write covers that topic.

Since it is in your sunshine state, this one is for you Howie.

If you think that police officers are just thugs with guns…well, this write won’t change your mind.

How Undercover Cops in a Florida City Make Millions Selling Cocaine

Oct. 9, 2013

Police in a Southern Florida community outside of Fort Lauderdale have been using a controversial tactic to conduct cocaine sting operations and have been raking in millions of dollars in the process.

For years, the Sunrise, Fla., police have been conducting what are called “reverse stings.” Undercover police detectives play the role of cocaine dealers and try to lure in potential buyers who drive or fly in from all over the country with wads of cash. If the stings are successful, informants can receive large payouts and police can seize cash, cars and other non-monetary assets. The busts have pumped millions of dollars into local coffers.

The Sun Sentinel was the first to report the Sunrise Police’s lucrative sting operations after the newspaper conducted a six-month investigation into the department’s drug seizures.

“The police are not actually finding these drug dealers on their own but they rely on paid and unpaid informants to tell them about people that might be looking for cocaine, and it became obvious to us that the reason they are doing this is because of the money,” said Megan O’Matz, one of the reporters who broke the story.

Sunrise, Fla., is a bedroom community, home to one of the country’s biggest shopping centers and mile after mile of identical, coral-colored condos. But millions of dollars’ worth of undercover drug commerce has occurred in this unlikely setting.

Gus Borjas, a nurse by profession and a father of four from Homestead, Fla., got caught up in one of the Sunrise Police’s cocaine stings. Lured by a paid informant he had known for years who promised to repay an old debt, Borjas agreed to bring a satchel filled with $23,000 in cash to a parking lot and, when he got there, he walked straight into a trap, Borjas said.

Undercover video from the case shows a second paid informant aggressively drawing him into the action.

“In order for them to keep the money they have to make … it look like I’m buying the drugs, obviously, you know,” Borjas said.

Eventually, the female informant placed a kilo of cocaine in Borjas’ bag to establish possession.

Suddenly, Borjas was now a drug offender and facing a possible mandatory 15-year minimum sentence for narcotics trafficking.

“As soon as I got arrested, as soon as they– Just, everything clicked in my head,” he said. “‘Why this? Why that?’ They set me up.”

According to Miami attorney Alan Ross, who defended Borjas in court, the scale of the Sunrise Police cocaine stings seemed almost industrial.

“It’s a huge business,” Ross said. “It’s a multimillion dollar business. It’s been going on for years. It’s been a daily event in the city of Sunrise.”

Over the past two years, the police department has netted $5.8 million in seized money, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The money was used to purchase new equipment and to pay officers involved for overtime. Some officers even doubled their salary in overtime pay alone, and in Florida, the laws also permit police to seize non-monetary assets from suspects, the paper reported.

“They can take their cars, jewelry,” O’Matz said. “One fella told us a cop said, ‘Hey, I like the sunglasses you’re wearing,’ and snatched them, so there is a real profit motive for the police.”

Informants in these stings can also make a lot of money. According to Sunrise police reports, one informant not connected to Borjas’ case was paid a total of $800,000 over five years for bringing drug buyers into sting operations.

Sunrise Mayor Michael Ryan defended the practice and the police’s tactics, denying that the stings were about the money.

“I do dispute that was going on here was trying to do anything other than fighting crime,” he said. “They’re doing the best they can do, and it happens throughout all of law enforcement.”

When asked if the Sunrise Police seemed overzealous in trying to bring in potential drug dealers, Ryan called it an “unfair” allegation.

“There are occasions when errors are made. There are occasions when somebody goes too far and it doesn’t go perfect,” he said. “The reality is, hundreds of arrests were made, hundreds who pled. There were cases that were made, there were additional informants built up in further cooperation with the DEA and others. This was part of the operation to stop cocaine. It was an effort to stop cocaine and heroin from getting back to other communities and it worked.”

Ultimately, Borjas got his $23,000 back and the prosecutor gave him a plea deal on a solicitation to purchase cocaine charge, because the female informant may have gone too far.

“These people only get paid if the deal goes down,” Ross said. “Gus isn’t the one who pulled off his backpack and opened it up. The informant did. She takes his backpack off, she unzips it, she’s reaching in for the money. Gus isn’t the one who took the cocaine, she took a kilo of cocaine stuffed it in his backpack. ‘Here’s the backpack, go get arrested.’”

“It’s very unfair,” he said. “Why should you go to jail if you’re not a criminal? Why do they have to make up cases? Only criminals are supposed to go to jail, you know.”

Ryan said that since reporters have revealed informants’ identities and undercover locations, the reserve stings have stopped. He said the Sunrise Police Department will go back to what it always did — fighting crime in Sunrise.

 *****
Readers: Blog me.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

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Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

Killer Gadgets

Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 28th, 2013

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Good morning!

I realize that all of our gadgets are supposed to keep us connected. And yes they do, to a certain degree. Yet, so much of the time I feel so disconnected from the world when I am out and about during my day. It is because people don’t connect with each other in face time; it is all done in cyberspace over gadgets, that it seems, so many are obsessed with.

I am not one who is checking every minute to see if someone called me, or Facebooked me or that God awful texting. I know that texting is quick and easy, but for anything more than a “Yes” or “No” answer, or to send a short message – no response other than “Thank you,” is required, or to tell someone “I am busy with a client – will call later,” in my opinion, is a waste of time.

I can’t tell you how many times I have texted a response only to wish that I had just had a conversation which would’ve taken at least half the time. If you think things are misconstrued via e-mail, texting is much worse. I avoid texting but some of my friends simply refuse to contact me any other way, so I deal with it as best as I can.

Although texting may not be my thing, and staying hooked into my gadget 24/7 is also not habit for me, for so many it is. And now because all eyes are focused intently on small gadgets in their hands, instead of connecting with people and their surroundings, a young man has been shot in the back and killed.  The killer flashed his gun quite a few times, in front of a dozen people, but sadly no one was paying attention.

Here’s the write:

Gadget-Absorbed Commuters Failed to Notice Gun Before Fatal Shooting

Gadget-absorbed passengers on a San Francisco train were too distracted to notice a gunman brandish his firearm before he allegedly shot a 20-year-old man to death, the district attorney said.

Justin Valdez of Garden Grove, Calif., was allegedly shot in the back of the head as he exited a train last month by a man who flashed his .45-caliber pistol several times on the train, authorities said.

Officials came to that conclusion after they reviewed Sept. 23 footage from a surveillance camera on the San Francisco Municipal Railway car. Authorities have not released the surveillance video to the public.

Suspect Nikhom Thephakaysone, 30, has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and assault with a semi-automatic handgun. He is expected to appear in court Nov. 20. Thephakaysone is being held without bail.

The footage, according to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, shows Thephakaysone brandishing the gun “at least three or four times” and at one point he raised the gun near his face.

“You can see people sitting or standing around him and they are busy working with their tablets or their mobile smartphones, completely distracted,” Gascon told ABC News.

Valdez was standing across from Thephakaysone with his back toward him and didn’t appear to notice the gun either, according to Gascon.

“We’re not seeing the entire car but there were easily eight to twelve people right in that immediate area within probably two to three feet away from him at the time,” Gascon added. “It’s very disturbing because the lack of awareness of your surrounding is so blatant in this case.”

Thephakaysone stepped out of the train slowly when the train came to a stop and allegedly fired one shot to the back of Valdez’s head, Gascon said.

“[Thephakaysone] ran away and people started reacting but, unfortunately, prior to that people were completely distracted and not seeing what was occurring,” he said.

Police say the two men didn’t know each other and the shooting was unprovoked.

“My brother was completely innocent and there was no reason for him to be killed. He was too young to die,” Valdez’s sister, Jessica Labidi, told ABC News.”I always try to stay strong and I know that God has a reason even though it seems completely random and unexpected.”

Officials arrested Thephakaysone four hours later at his home where they allegedly confiscated assault rifles, $20,000 in cash, ammunition and “some survivalist type clothing and equipment,” Gascon said.

*****

Readers: My life is full and abundant. I love connecting with people. As much as I like social media, I see the blank faces of people as they are zoning out to whatever is on their gadget.  In my opinion, for many, these gadgets are just a replacement for television, and should be given limited time.

That’s my two on the subject, what’s yours? Blog me.

Howie: Funny, you remember that dialogue. It was probably over 5 years ago, but obviously I remember it quite well too. Did you ever think we would be here this long? I certainly didn’t.

That is an interesting story about your friend. It doesn’t surprise me. But oh, how I wish it did.

How is Carr? I HOPE both of you are doing good. Al too.

Peace out. 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Health & Well Being | 2 Comments »