Michelle Moquin's "A day in the life of…"

Good Morning!

Olenka: Sorry to make that mistake about your name.

Yes, I read about the Russians and their drug use. One of the US Olympic swimmers Lilly King has been pretty verbal about not being happy with the IOC’s decision to let the Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova compete after being linked with a World Anti-Doping Agency report into systematic government-backed doping in Russian sport.

Bridget: I agree with Zen Lill. That tape was over the top. Why anyone still listens to him is shocking. Oh yeah…sorry forgot he is white. That seems to be the common thread lately between those that get away with shit or are pardoned, and others…let me be clear…OTWs, that don’t. That’s a nod to you Lori.

Horace: I’m with the guy in the red behind Trump – aghast. And Thomas: I’m not buying his BS either. We all know what he meant. It’s amazing how much he gets away with because of white privilege.

I think this is a perfect time to introduce today’s topic.

Yes, it’s been in the news but in my opinion, not enough. Thanks to a dear friend who brought it to my attention, I decided to blog it. I mean c’mon, this is a man who is running for president.  

From The Huff Po:

Why The New Child Rape Case Filed Against Donald Trump Should Not Be Ignored

Readers: This is stunning, right? I mean are we really allowing a man who is accused of sexual harassment and rape to run for president? As the article states…a man seeking to lead the free world?

We hear so much about Clinton’s “emails” but so very little about Trump being charged for “rape.” This is just sickening knowing that this is out there, and women are still voting for him. Women! We’re the majority of the vote and we can’t even get women to see this man for who he is.

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of Clinton, to vote for this man who is accused of sexual harassment and  rape, has repeatedly dissed women in horrific ways by name calling and making misogynist and sexist remarks (yes, I know these words are the same but I use them both to make a stronger point) who blatantly objectifies women…and now threatening Clinton…this just so puts me in a pissy mood because I am so dumbfounded and irritated by the fact that people support him. As much as I know men are going to, the fact that so many women are is just disheartening.

What more needs to happen before women come together and say “Enough mother fucker, I’m with her?” #WomanUp

George, WP: sigh…Will you ever get over the fact your wife dumped you for many a pleasurable ride on a BIG BLACK dick?

Ira: Your sentiments cannot be said enough. At best because so many are ignorant, and at worst because they’re racist and refuse to be accountable for the actions…uh..lack of actions. Ditto Silvia.

Kendricks: Again, something that cannot be stated enough during this crazy election. Because we have that open appointment and a SCOTUS appointment is for life, this election is probably even more important that we get coattail than it was with Obama.

I just love it when people make silly and stupid comments to me about Obama as if I’m ever going to change my mind about what I think of our president. I haven’t been doing my blog for over 9 years in support of him because I know absolutely nothing about him, his values, smarts, integrity, his feeling about “country,” intelligence…(I can keep going) Really?

Say all you wish as this is an open forum, but don’t expect me to cower to your derogatory comments, or think for one minute that I’m going to change my mind about a president, that in my opinion, is the best we’ve ever had to date.

Bob:  Let’s make sure you have this straight. I never said, I’d like Obama to forget about Congress and make like a king. Please don’t put words into my mouth. Anything and everything Obama has not been able to do is because we have a republican Congress. Period.

They, and I am going to assume you are part of the party, are the party of no and obstructionism is the name of the game…where the players’ main goal, since Obama got into office, was to block him for accomplishing anything. That is the MO of repubs: block Obama at all costs and then bitch because he doesn’t get anything done. It’s amazing to me just how much he actually did get done in spite of that.

Read Andrew’s comment and then I suggest you go read my blog post on civics because it seems you are totally confused on how our government works.

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 :)

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 2008-2016

“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"

Good morning.

Another unnecessary killing of an innocent black man. Just released from the Wash Po:

It was not yet dawn when the armored vehicles, black and hulking like Batmobiles, rumbled into the residential neighborhood in Compton, Calif. A carjacker had stolen a vehicle in Los Angeles, exchanged gunfire with sheriff’s deputies and then ditched his prize, disappearing on foot into a dense patchwork quilt of pink houses.

The armored vehicles — and the heavily armed deputies inside them — were there to find and capture the armed carjacker.

Instead, they found a different black man, Donnell Thompson.

As the carjacker hid in a house several blocks away, Thompson slept in a stranger’s yard. He was 27 years old but possessed the mental faculties of a much younger man. He loved Uno, Michael Jackson and the Lakers. He was so gentle and shy he went by the nickname Little Bo Peep, his family told the Los Angeles Times. He had a clean record and was unarmed.

From inside one of the armored vehicles, however, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies knew none of this. When Thompson didn’t respond to commands, the deputies detonated flash-bangs. When he still didn’t move, they hit him with foam bullets.

And when he allegedly ran toward them, a deputy atop the armored vehicle opened fire with an assault rifle, striking Thompson twice in the torso.

Thompson died. At almost the same instant, the real carjacker was arrested.

That was July 28. For almost two weeks, the Sheriff’s Department insisted that Thompson was a second suspect in the carjacking.

On Tuesday, the department admitted it had killed an innocent man.

“No question this is a terribly devastating event,” Capt. Steve Katz said during a news conference. He said there was “no physical evidence” connecting Thompson to the carjacking or shootout and promised a “thorough” and “complete” investigation into the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

Thompson’s relatives said they wanted more than an investigation, however. They wanted charges for the deputy who killed Thompson.

“I wouldn’t treat an animal this bad,” his sister Matrice Stanley told the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, according to the AP. “How is this justifiable?”

Matrice Stanley, center, sister of Donnell Thompson, speaks to reporters about her brother’s death outside Los Angeles County Hall on Tuesday (Nick Ut/AP)

The incident is the latest in a string of fatal officer-involved shootings of black men across America. As in the recent police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., the shooting in Compton has prompted accusations of racial profiling and excessive force.

Stanley said she thought her brother’s race played a role in the shooting.

The incident also raises questions about the militarization of law enforcement, as departments across the country increasingly use armored vehicles and assault rifles to fight crime.

“In a civilian neighborhood, they bring an urban assault vehicle,” Brian Dunn, an attorney representing the Thompson family, told the Huffington Post. “The BearCat, it’s like a tank. Their response to this situation was so aggressive. Their tactics were so aggressive.”

The tragedy began in the early hours of July 28 when Robert Alexander, 24, allegedly stole a Honda Civic in Los Angeles, taking the car at gunpoint from its owner.

Fifteen miles to the south, in Compton, a sheriff’s deputy later spotted the Civic traveling erratically and decided to pull it over, according to the Los Angeles Times. The license plate showed the car was stolen. As a second patrol car arrived, the Civic drove off, punching through an elementary school’s fence.

As the car sped through Compton, Alexander allegedly shot at deputies, causing them to return fire. After the Civic crashed into a parked car, Alexander escaped on foot.

As he ran along Slater Street, the carjacker threatened two people on a front porch, according to the Times. He then entered the house, threw his gun under a couch, took his clothes off and climbed into a bed where an elderly woman — a complete stranger — was sleeping.

Despite the ruse, deputies found him and arrested him at 4:59 a.m.

Seconds later, a man living a few blocks away called 911. He told dispatchers he was taking out his trash when he spotted a figure lying in his front yard, the Times reported.

Although authorities already had Alexander in custody, there was confusion over whether he was the carjacker. A deputy who responded to the 911 call, meanwhile, saw that the figure in the man’s front yard resembled the carjacking suspect: a black man between the ages of 20 and 30 wearing dark pants or shorts and a basketball jersey.

The deputy radioed that he had found the carjacker who had fired at police, and the armored vehicles quickly arrived.

Matrice Stanley, at left in black, and family members appear before Los Angeles County supervisors Tuesday to protest Donnell Thompson’s fatal shooting by a sheriff’s deputy. (Nick Ut/AP)

Thompson didn’t respond to commands, instead remaining motionless with one hand under his head and another concealed near his waist. An object that looked like a gun lay nearby, Katz said. When flash-bang explosives failed to wake Thompson, SWAT deputies shot him with foam bullets.

At that point, Thompson suddenly pushed himself to his feet and ran toward an armored vehicle, Katz said. An officer in the vehicle’s turret shot Thompson twice in the upper torso with an M4 assault rifle, the Times reported.

Stanley, Thompson’s sister, said she thought her brother didn’t respond to commands because he was afraid and confused, the AP reported. She called for the deputy to be fired, questioning why he opened fire when he was protected by the armored car.

Dunn, the family attorney, accused the Sheriff’s Department of a series of “tactical blunders” and called the shooting a “mistake.”

“We’ve done our own investigation and have not heard anything to suggest that Donnell Thompson was in any way acting in an aggressive manner or in any way demonstrating that he posed a threat to anyone,” Dunn told the Huffington Post. Dunn also claimed: “He hadn’t committed a crime, he was not wanted, he had not done anything wrong, he was legally authorized to be where he was, he was legally authorized to be doing what he was doing, he wasn’t breaking the law and he wasn’t armed ― when you take that backdrop of facts it’s just not only a tragedy, but it’s a homicide, in every sense of the word.”

The attorney said he had filed a federal civil rights claim against Los Angeles County and was preparing to file a lawsuit as well.

Experts cautioned, however, that just because the Sheriff’s Department had admitted Thompson was innocent doesn’t mean the shooting will be declared unjustified.

“The commands being ignored, they used less-lethal force that was ineffective, the guy was running away. … Those factors are very relevant in leading them to believe, ‘This guy has done something wrong. This is our guy,’” Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County sheriff’s deputy and attorney who advises several law enforcement agencies in the state,told the Times.

Adding to concerns over the incident, however, are two other shootings of unarmed men by the same department in the past two weeks. A homeless man was shot on Aug. 2 while running from deputies. And a man caught tagging a house with graffiti was shot while hiding in a shower. Those shootings are also under investigation, the Timesreported.

But it is the death of Thompson that has stirred anger and spurred protests.

“His age was 27, but mentally … he was probably 16,” Stanley told the Times.

“He was soft-spoken. He was gentle. What was the threat?” said cousin Larmar Avila, according to the AP. “I’m upset, I’m angry, I’m passionate, I’m emotional. It’s so much. All in one. And how do you expect us to act, when we’re patient, and we’re waiting and we’re waiting. We’re not going crazy. We’re waiting. Patiently. Twiddling thumbs. I’m shaking. I’m scared. I’m scared for my brothers. Scared for my family members. And it shouldn’t be like that.”

“Black lives matter,” said another sister, Antoinette Brown. “I just want justice for my baby brother.”

✌🏽&❤️

Readers: My heart hurts for another family, another community, who has to endure another loss of a loved one wrongfully killed by thugs with guns. Just who are the gangs now?

Thoughts? Blog me.

PS: On another note…Woo hoo to the US Gymnastics team for the winning of the Gold! Congratulation girls! So proud of your hard work and dedication to being exceptional athletes! 🇺🇸

Peace & Love

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 2008-2016

“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"

Hello… and a good morning to everyone.

There are so many things happening in this world…many wonderful and many not so wonderful. In the midst of the not so wonderful, I work on having faith that people will do the right thing.

Sometimes I come across something that pulls at my heartstrings more than I anticipate, for whatever reason. Perhaps I’m just more sensitive at the moment of the read, or perhaps the writer has a way of speaking to me that just gets to me more than I expected.

This morning I read this write about the deportation of immigrants. I felt compassion for these men. They are alone, unsure of their future, straddling two places…one they would like to call home and one they may be deported back to, with no one to reach out to, many without friends and family.

And then I felt anger after reading the inhumane treatment these men had to endure. Being treated like animals (Not that I feel it is OK to treat animals this way either) instead of the human beings that they are.

From Think Progress:

The Mass Deportation Of Black Immigrants That You Haven’t Heard About

A repatriation flight carrying 80 immigrants to their home country in 2012. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/MATT YORK

Last month, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency quietly deported dozens of African immigrants who were trying to seek asylum in the United States.

Sixty-three men who were unable to secure visas to stay in the country legally on humanitarian relief claims, according to a source within ICE who spoke to ThinkProgress on condition of anonymity. Activists who spoke with deported individuals said they were sent back to Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.

Immigration activists believe that number may be closer to 90. They also say many of these men shouldn’t have been targeted by ICE in the first place because they had already passed their credible fear interviews — a preliminary step in the asylum process to determine whether immigrants would be placed in grave danger if they’re returned to their home countries.

Some lawyers say that black immigrants have the odds stacked against them in the immigration court system. ICE generally requires immigrants to have a sponsor who’s a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. The agency also has stringent requirements for identity documents, which is problematic for immigrants from countries like Somalia where the government didn’t always have the ability to issue those documents, according to Jessica Shulruff Schneider, a supervising attorney at the Americans for Immigrant Justice.

“Many of the individuals that are Africans don’t have close family members or friends to assist them from the outside,” said Shulruff Schneider. “It makes it virtually impossible to fight your case.”

One man deported back to Ghana, who asked for his name not to be published, did have that kind of support. He had a sponsor in the United States ready to take him in. Nonetheless, an immigration judge threw out his asylum claims and deported him from the Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida.

He’s just one of many African immigrants who began appearing at the Krome Detention Center in the weeks leading up to their deportation around mid-June. Activists like Ellen DeYoung, a volunteer with the immigrant detention center visitation group Friends of Orange County Detainees, quickly noticed this troubling trend.

Immigrants are flown back to their home countries on repatriation flights. CREDIT: AP Photo/Matt York

DeYoung had been visiting an immigrant detainee from Ghana who wants to be identified only as N.M. since last summer as part of a visitation program to prevent detainees from feeling isolated near her home in Orange County, California. But in early June, she says N.M. was transferred away from that detention center to Krome.

“When he called me from Krome, he said that Africans were coming in from all over the country — everywhere,” DeYoung recalled. “He continued to call saying, ‘please help us, please help us, they’re going to deport us on Tuesday.’”

According to DeYoung, the conditions that N.M. was subjected to at Krome were “nightmarish, like something out of a movie.”

“He said two people were given injections and put into wheelchairs. He saw somebody rolled up and tied into a canvas and put into the plane. Some of them were pepper sprayed and I didn’t get a clear answer on that on how and why they were sprayed,” DeYoung said.

ThinkProgress was unable to verify DeYoung’s disturbing account of abuse, but it tracks with some of the allegations of physical abuse documented in numerous lawsuits brought against the Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency that oversees immigration enforcement.

The national spotlight typically isn’t focused on black immigrants from African and Caribbean countries. In the conversation about deportation, it’s often exclusively portrayed as a Latino issue.

But deportation is part of the reality of the black immigrant experience. According to forthcoming report by the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and New York University Law School’s Immigrants Rights Clinic, black immigrants make up 7 percent of the total immigrant population (roughly 3.4 million people) and 10.6 percent of all immigrants in removal proceedings between 2003 and 2015. In the 2014 fiscal year, the ICE agency deported 1,203 African immigrants.

Black immigrants from Africa and the Carribean (sic), are largely ‘invisible-lized’ in the public’s consciousness.

“One of the challenges that we at BAJI face in our work is that black immigrants from Africa and the Carribean (sic), are largely ‘invisible-lized’ in the public’s consciousness, so the face of the immigrant is often a Latino face,” Carl Lipscombe, policy and legal manager at Black Alliance for Just Immigration, told ThinkProgress. “Largely these immigrants are in deportation proceedings as a result of a criminal conviction, or some sort of criminal contact. And that can be anything from possession of a small amount of marijuana to petty larceny, some sort of theft of something of little value. Any of those types of offenses can result in someone being detained or deported.”

Since 1996, many immigrants with minor criminal convictions have been caught up in civil deportation proceedings thanks in large part to a pair of legislation known as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) and Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA). These federal laws made it mandatory for immigrants to be deported after they serve out prison sentences if they had been charged with aggravated felonies, as well as expanded the list of crimes that qualify as aggravated felonies.

Racial factors contribute to black immigrants coming into contact with the criminal justice system in the first place.

“[Black immigrants] tend to live in urban areas,” Lipscombe said. “They tend to live in lower-income areas and they tend to live in neighborhoods that are heavily policed for whatever reason. As a result of policy, like ‘Broken Windows’ or ‘Stop and Frisk,’ many black migrants — like black Americans — get arrested and end up with a contact with the criminal justice system at some point in their lives, many at a young age.”

Though the deportation of black immigrants likely won’t stop, advocates are hoping that people will begin talking about them as a group in the same way that they are folded into other movements.

“When we talk about Black Lives Matter, that includes black immigrants and black people worldwide,” Lipscombe said.

*****

Readers: Are you familiar with this happening? My wish is for those that don’t have a voice, or experience that their voice is not heard, they get to have their day too.

I don’t know enough about it but my gut tells me this perhaps has to do with the republicans having control of Congress and a lack of funding in this area. (Homeland Security)

Thoughts?

Blog me.

Joseph: Yes, a small price to pay considering how much O’Reilly brings FOX. Still, I despise men getting away with sick behavior with such little repercussions. In May of this year O’Reilly planned to sue his ex-wife whom he also accuses of having an affair while they were married.

O’Reilly eventually lost custody of his two children as the result of his divorce, due in part to allegations that he had been violent with his ex-wife on at least one occasion. Leaked documents cited by the Washington Times described an incident witnessed by O’Reilly’s daughter in which he allegedly dragged his wife down the stairs while holding on to her by the neck.

Why am I not surprised?

Eric: Oh…your comment made my day. I’m so excited you adopted from a local shelter – big kudos to you and your family! How lucky the little love has a new mom and your mother has a little one to look after. A perfect union. 👩🏻+🐶 =❤️

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 2008-2016

“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"

Good morning!

As if we haven’t had enough of the sicko men from FOX News, here’s another hypocrite exposed.

From Blog Critics:

Whatever Happened To The Bill O’Reilly/Andrea Mackris Sex Scandal?

In October of 2004, the words “loofa” and “falafel” were mainstreamed into our sexual vocabulary. To the shock of some, and to the entertainment of millions, religious right wingnut Bill O’Reilly was accused of sexually harassing coworker Andrea Mackris with explicit phone conversations that were allegedly taped. Besides the use of loofas and falafels as sex objects, Bill O’Reilly had also revealed homoerotic desires to use vibrators on himself, fantasies of explicit Caribbean vacations, and a desire for Ms. Mackris to perform oral sex on him, but not finish. He also revealed some disturbing news about what Fox News was planning to do to Al Franken. To Bill O’Reilly’s enemies, this news was God sent.

The reason people were fascinated with this story is the same reason they are fascinated with Rush Limbaugh’s drug use, Matt Drudge’s allegedly gay affairs, and the penisification of underage boys by anti-gay activist and idolized Republican Mark Foley: we love exposing hypocrites! Bill O’Reilly has used his highly rated program, The O’Reilly Factor, to criticize sexuality in the media. His favorite targets have been rapper Ludacris, Janet Jackson, porn stars, and all the other “immoral” Hollywood stars. The only Hollywood star whom he constantly praises (or at least used to praise) is Mel Gibson, the director of the anti-Semitic Passion of the Christ. The fact that Mel Gibson was going to turn Bill O’Reilly’s soft-porn epicThose Who Trespass into a movie certainly helped.

On October 28, 2004, O’Reilly and Mackris reached an out of court settlement, and dropped all charges against each other. It was widely rumored that O’Reilly paid Mackris close to ten million dollars to “shut up” and destroy the tapes. The fact that the story disappeared from the media soon afterwards remains a mystery that people should question.

If the media was as liberal as conservatives claim it to be, this case would not have disappeared so quickly. Did O’Reilly pay media outlets to “shut up” just as he did with Andrea Mackris? Was the media too afraid to go after O’Reilly, who is given almost the same status of Jesus Christ among right wing fundamentalists? Did O’Reilly’s lawyers stop the media from doing any more damage? The Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal lasted years after the hearings, which backfired on conservatives. Dan Rather is still dogged by his mistakes which happened two and a half years ago. Even though Michael Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges, the case still dogs him two years later. It seems quite odd that Bill O’Reilly’s matters suddenly “disappeared.”

The Bill O’Reilly/Andrea Mackris scandal not only begs for questions about it’s “sudden” disappearance, but reveals, once again, how hypocritical and morally corrupt the right wing religious fanatics in this country are. Bill O’Reilly’s audience not only aggressively defended him, but maintained their viewership over the years. Fellow right wing pundit Michelle Malkin, who freaks out at the mention of the words “gay” or “sex,” didn’t issue any condemnation of Bill O’Reilly’s immoral behavior. Michael Savage, who was fired from MSNBC for wishing AIDS and death on a homosexual caller, seemed rather silent about the situation. Rush Limbaugh, who ended up being exposed as an illegal drug user after condemning illegal drug users, defended O’Reilly. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, and other darlings of the right wing didn’t issue any condemnation either. On October 21, 2004, the fiercely heterosexual Matt Drudge tried very hard to smear Andrea Mackris.

Even though Bill O’Reilly’s ratings are still high, his relevancy in the political world is arguably fading. He successfully served as the Joseph McCarthy of his time, as well as George W. Bush’s media protector. But even after he fades into history, the type of behavior he exhibited towards Andrea Mackris will continue unless both political parties condemn it.

*****

Yeah, good luck with that ever happening. But, hey, I can be optimistic too. As you can see, this write has been buried deep for many years, so I decided to shed some light on it. Perhaps with the posting on our blog, we can get it back in the news again. Why not? The hypocrite O’Reilly still talks to this day as if he is holier than thou. I think he deserves another round of this surfacing, don’t you? Feel free to share it.

Something to say? Have at it. :)

Blog me. 

Alycedale: I just read the repartee between you and the supposed doc today. Let me just say…I enjoyed it.

Eric: I’m a huge animal lover. Domestic animals do so much for the elders. I am so delighted to hear that your father is getting your mother a sweet little love. I know it will help her. Please give your mom my best. Thanks.

Kevin: I haven’t met a Main Coon that I haven’t adored. And Rots are another fave. Actually most pets steal my heart. Sounds like you have a wonderful family, non furry ones included. :)

Robert: Thank you. All I can say is that when I was doing it, I absolutely loved it. Cherished the team of girls I got to compete with too. Speaking of…

Olenka: Thank you. Nice to meet a fellow gymnast! From Russia, yes? Your country is fierce competition for the Americans. Did you watch last night? Enjoy the competition!

Owen: Thank you. I wish you had asked me to dance. I never turn anyone down for a spin on the dance floor. I adapt to those I’m dancing with. So, if you have two left feet, don’t worry, I’ll match you with two right feet. :) Next time you see me, please ask me to dance.

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 2008-2016

“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"

Good morning!

Yes, Alycedale, it was a quick switch, and I’m switching again this morning. :)

I started doing gymnastics at age 7. My father built me a balance beam so that I could practice at home during the days when I wasn’t in the gym training. I was a competing gymnast for many years so watching gymnastics during the Olympics is always a special and exciting time for me.

It’s changed a lot since my time in the sport.

From The Huff Po:

Here’s The Real Reason We Love Watching Olympic Gymnastics

The sport stretches our expectations about women’s bodies and women’s sports — but only as far as we’re comfortable.

Gabby Douglas practices on the uneven bars during a training session on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.

Among Americans, gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic sports. In 2012, over 38 million people watched the USA women’s team take gold in London, and the “Fab 5,” led by America’s third consecutive Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas, returned home as celebrities. This year, with a similarly dominant team that includes Douglas and 2012 veteran Aly Raisman, as well as three-time world champion Simone Biles, NBC can reasonably expect similar numbers.

It’s not just Olympic viewership where the sport is popular, either; across the nation, at hundreds of clubs, close to 74,000 American girls and women are doing artistic gymnastics (the official name for the version of the sport that involves vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise), according to numbers provided by USA Gymnastics.

It might not be the NFL or the NBA, but gymnastics is big here. Americans love gymnastics, and the popularity of the women’s side of the sport considerably outweighs that of the men’s.

Some of that popularity is due to the breathtaking daring involved: There are few things more thrilling than watching a gymnast launch herself into a tumbling series on the 4-inch-wide balance beam, or watching her whip her body around the high bar into a dazzling dismount followed by an improbable rock-solid stuck landing. Gymnastics, as gymnasts and coaches know, is physics; it’s governed by the rules of inertia, momentum and rotation, like the rest of the world. To outside viewers, though, it can seem more magic than physics ― how else to explain how these young women manipulate their bodies into feats that ought to be physically impossible? No wonder it’s a must-watch on NBC every four years.

There are other reasons why gymnastics is one of the most beloved sports at any Games, though, and they’re less about the magic of the sport than they are about how gymnastics stretches cultural norms around women’s bodies and women’s sports only as far as we’re comfortable. They’re less about the delight viewers feel at seeing a gymnast stick a galactically high vault than they are about how the sport walks the fine line of pushing boundaries while compensating for its transgressions against gendered expectations.

Lauren Hernandez trains on beam ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

In her new book The End Of The Perfect 10, gymnastics journalist Dvora Meyers documents the sport’s shift to a new scoring system with theoretically limitless scoring, in which the difficulty of a gymnast’s routine and her execution of it are evaluated separately, with the two scores added together to produce a final score. The goal of the new Code of Points was to find a way to reward gymnasts for attempting increasingly difficult routines and discourage them from playing it safe in order to perform perfectly ― and to recognize when routines were being performed well. It was implemented in 2006, and 10 years on, one thing is clear: The sport has become dramatically more athletic.

Gymnastics has also tended toward increasing difficulty; the vaults that were being performed by Olympic champions in the 1970s and 1980s are now considered easy enough for lower-level gymnasts to perform. Watch a video of Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut vaulting at the 1972 games and a video of American Carly Patterson vaulting at the 2004 Games, the last to be held under the old Perfect 10 scoring system, and it’s clear that there’s been some difficulty deflation.

But the new scoring system, Meyers argues, has accelerated that phenomenon, because the new Code of Points puts a greater emphasis on acrobatics and tumbling over the dance elements that used to be common on floor and beam. The result, says Guardian sports journalists Elizabeth Booth, is that “gymnasts have become athletes.” The ideal body shape for the sport has changed, yet again, from improbably strong but short and skinny, or with long, balletic lines, to spectacularly muscular, with an even greater emphasis on the strength of lower body muscles required for explosive tumbling and vaulting.

Aly Raisman competes in the floor exercise during day two of the 2016 P&G Gymnastics Championships at Chafitz Arena on June 26in St. Louis.

Gymnasts have become athletes. Crucially, some of the more difficult vaults and tumbling tricks are ones that were pioneered by male gymnasts and that women are now attempting and mastering. And as the sport has become more difficult and the gymnasts more undeniably, mind-bogglingly strong, the aesthetics of the sport have changed to emphasize their femininity, as if to compensate and reassure those who view femininity and athleticism as contradictory.

For one thing, if you watch the Games this week, you’ll notice that the gymnasts are heavily made up, as they are in most competitions. Until recently, the U.S. gymnastics team had a sponsorship deal with CoverGirl. Sometimes, the team will compete in matching bold red lipstick, as they did earlier this year at last year’s World Championships in Glasgow. Gymnasts have long worn makeup in competition, and when you consider the number of cameras being pointed at them, beaming close-up images of them around the globe, you can understand why. But in recent years, watching gymnastics competitions has left me wondering ― especially since makeup was prohibited in meets when I was a gymnast in the late ‘90s and early 2000s ― when they find the time on meet days to apply so much of it.

Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina displays the gold medal for her performance on the uneven bars during the artistic gymnastics women’s apparatus finals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

So it goes for jewelry, which was similarly prohibited when I was a gymnast. We were not permitted to wear jewelry of any kind ― no earrings, no necklaces, no navel rings, nothing. At the risk of bearing too close a resemblance to an old man yelling at a cloud, I would say this seems like a necessary rule, for obvious reasons. Jewelry gets caught on things, it bumps against your body and distracts you, it can come off and go missing in the gym. An earring on a gymnast always looks like a bloody mess waiting to happen ― what’s to stop it from getting caught on a coach’s sleeve while she’s spotting you and tearing out of your earlobe? Yet earrings are now permitted in international competitions, provided they’re studs, and they’re commonplace.

And then, there’s the sparkles. As the New York Times documented this week, international gymnastics is experiencing something of a sparkle arms race, with leotards becoming increasingly crowded with crystals. In 2008, the Times noted, Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin won her medal in a leotard that featured 184 crystals. Four years later, Douglas’ leotard had 1,188 crystals. This year, the Team USA leotards have 5,000 crystals ― each.

The combined effect ― of the makeup, the jewelry, and the glitter ― is an impression of a concerted effort to convey that these girls may well be athletes, but they are still girls.

Gold medalist Simone Biles, left, celebrates with silver medalist Gabrielle Douglas after the women’s all-round final at the World Gymnastics Championships in Scotland in October 2015.

Meyers agrees that a desire to compensate for athleticism with sparkling displays of femininity may explain the Swarovski surge. She also allows that there may be other factors at play; elite gymnasts tend to compete longer and therefore be older than they once were, “so maybe they can express their aesthetic preferences a little better.” The same goes for makeup, she says: Because the gymnasts are older, “they’re given a little more permission to play with makeup than they used to have, and they’re a little older, so maybe they’re allowed to assert themselves a little better.”

All the same, the dramatically increased difficulty of the sport has coincided with a noticeable shift in the gendered self-presentation of gymnasts, and the two would appear to be connected.

Recent changes aside, there are other reasons why gymnastics appeals so widely that have less to do with the sport itself and more to do with cultural expectations of girls and women. For one, as Meyers notes, gymnastics is not strictly adversarial: The athletes compete against each other, but each routine, each gymnast’s performance, exists independently of all the others. They aren’t chasing and tackling each other to gain possession of a ball or aiming shots at each other’s goals. They’re competing against each other, but there is no physical contact of any kind, and each routine is a performance that, in theory, shouldn’t be influenced by the rival who performed immediately before.

It’s probably no coincidence that one of America’s most popular women’s sports is one in which athletes perform more than they compete. This is a form of feminine athletic involvement we’re comfortable with; even though they’re throwing themselves around in skin-tight leotards that show every line in their six-packs, they’re competing in an appropriately feminine way. This may also account for the relative unpopularity of men’s gymnastics, which is similarly non-adversarial; America’s most popular men’s sport is one in which athletes pummel each other to the point of causing permanent and debilitating neurological injuries.

Gymnast MyKayla Skinner poses for a portrait in Los Angeles in November 2015. 

Finally, there’s the ways that media coverage of gymnastics encourage viewers to focus on gymnasts’ bodies, muscled and athletic though they are, in ways that are perfectly in keeping with a culture that objectifies the female body and often undermines women’s abilities and achievements by emphasizing their physical appearance. It’s evident in press shots of gymnasts wearing leotards but with their hair down and flowing, instead of pulled back tight as is necessary for training and competition ― as if to reassure the viewer that they’re athletes, but they’re also women.

It’s evident in the ways that commentators comment on and compare the size and shapes of gymnasts’ bodies, in terms that have varied, over time, from excessively frequent to downright creepy. And it’s obvious in the tendency of media outlets to feature photos of gymnasts with their legs wide open and their crotches facing directly to the camera. Clearly, these photos are spectacular ways to convey the strength and flexibility of gymnasts, but the widespread reliance on the “crotch shot” to communicate that idea suggests at best a lack of imagination, and at worst a sexualization of world-class athletes, some of whom are very young indeed.

There are ways to show how strong and flexible a gymnast is without aiming a lens directly at a teenager’s barely covered crotch.

In short, one of the ways in which gymnastics is made palatable to ― and wildly popular with ― a mainstream audience is by making it more closely resemble the rest of the world, where women are valued not for what their bodies can do but for how they look. It’s a world where women’s achievements, be they athletic or intellectual, are often perceived to be at odds with their ability to perform a particular kind of femininity. A world where women and girls often feel pressure to cushion the transgressive impact of their excellence in athletic or intellectual fields ― long viewed as the province of men ― by emphasizing that femininity, with sparkles and lipstick.

There are many reasons to love gymnastics. For me, the love is rooted in memories of my own gymnastics career, and in my awe at the strength, tenacity and fearlessness of little girls, whether or not they grow up to be Olympic champions. It’s easy to enjoy the sport for its death-defying tricks and its sparkly glamor. But as we tune in to watch this year’s highly anticipated competition, we should remember there are other, less savory reasons for the sport’s appeal: Even as it challenges us to see girls and women as exceptional athletes, it reassures us that ultimately, they will be kept in their place.

*****

Readers: In my opinion gymnasts were always athletes. I always considered myself an athlete when I was doing gymnastics. I certainly trained and was dedicated just like any other athlete. My body benefitted big time (I had muscles to prove it), and paid for it (Hello later hip problems and two frozen shoulders).

The tumbling tricks that I performed then were dangerous (You try doing back flips on a 4″ wide piece of hard wood) and required a lot of strength. If you didn’t build those muscles you wouldn’t last in the competition. And like many sports, the degree of difficulty has grown which makes it that much more exciting to watch. I love that these women are stretching (no pun intended) themselves to greater heights (again no pun…), and pushing their bodies to perform incredible feats of athleticism.

What about the huge increase in glitz and glamour? Yeah, I’ve noticed. It has gotten a whole lot more glamorous and glitzy then when I was competing when leotards were just a basic one or two colors. And jewelry? Forget about it – too dangerous. No thanks to the make-up too. Who wants all of that on your face when you’re out there sweating? The “made up” face especially on the younger girls in my opinion is too much – I find it distracting.

Who started this? Women gymnasts don’t need to justify their femininity in any manner. They’re athletes, female athletes. The focus should be on their talents and athleticism in their sport, not how they look in their leotards.

Speaking of… I agree that all the crotch shots are lacking imagination when it comes to showing just how incredibly strong, and flexible these girls are. I too think it’s sexualizing, and sickening. Women have come a long way athletically in this sport but it looks like we still have a long way to go when it comes to shedding the sexual objectification of women and it’s not just in gymnastics.

What’s your thoughts?

As always, the topic du jour is whatever anyone feels like talking about regardless of what I post. So nothing is ever off topic. I think that’s what makes this blog a place people want to visit and hang out at for awhile. So, please go at it as you please.

Delighted to hear a few of you have little loves in your life that bring you joy. Happy Sunday! So good to have you all here with me.

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 :)

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 2008-2016

“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"