The Sun Shines Again in the Sunshine State

In the July 2013 Dome article “Way Out of Control in the Sunshine State,” we first reported the plight and unjust conviction of Marissa Alexander.  The mother of three and a resident of Jacksonville, Florida was sentenced to a mandatory 20 years for firing a warning shot to avert the assault of her abusive husband.  

Ms. Alexander’s case, which was denied the use of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Laws,” received an abundance of attention in the wake of the acquittal of George Zimmerman and public outcry against Florida's controversial “Stand Your Ground Laws.”

In September’s “A Re-Trial for Marissa,” The Dome was elated to report that Ms. Alexander had been granted a new trial.  It is widely suspected the new trial was granted in response to the efforts of Ms. Alexander’s family and the “Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign” an advocate group demanding Ms. Alexander's freedom and the repeal of Florida’s SYG Laws.

Released after more than 3 years, Ms. Alexander spent Thanksgiving with her family.    

Bob Self, Florida Times-Union/AP

Ms. Alexander was issued a date of March 31, 2014 for her re-trial and on Wednesday November 27, 2013, just in time for Thanksgiving, she was released from jail on approximately $200,000 bond.

It appears this Thanksgiving the sun is again shining in the Sunshine State, ... Well, at least in the Alexander household.  Congratulation Marissa.

I'm not hatin, I'm jus sayin...

Wrath Among Titans

When I first heard about Miami Dolphins’ Jonathan Martin walking off in response to being bullied by teammates, I was dumbfounded.  I initially responded, “How can a 315 pound professional football player be such a punk?”  However as more and more of the circumstances were revealed and Richie Incognito was suspended indefinitely, I found myself in a state of disbelief.  After all, Incognito was a play-maker on a team that for the first time in recent memory was showing the promise of days gone by.  I wondered why a severe fine would not suffice and the team could be kept intact. 

Jonathan Martin walked away from Miami Dolphins practices
after being bullied by teammates last week.                           AP

Then while watching the Monday Night game, halftime rolled around and ESPN's Chris Berman did a story regarding the incident.  In the story the below excerpt from an Incognito voicemail to Martin was released.  I was stunned.

"Hey, wassup, you half n----- piece of s---. I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. [I want to] s--- in your f---ing mouth. [I'm going to] slap your f---ing mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face [laughter]. F--- you, you're still a rookie. I'll kill you."

After seeing Chris’ story, Jonathan Martin no longer looked quite like a punk.  As I picked my jaw up off the floor, I realized all had been made clear.  From my days managing employees I realized Richie Incognito was in some very serious trouble. 

Richie Incognito identified as the ring leader
among Miami Dolphins team bullies.           AP

He has violated federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws which stipulate all individuals have a right to work in an environment free of harassment. 

In Richie Incognito’s case, he has done far worse than simply harassed Martin.  He has racially slurred and slandered Martin and has additionally communicated threats to Martin’s person as well as Martin’s mother.  

Given the number of NFL players who have committed murder or have been implicated in violent crimes it’s no wonder why the Dolphins organization and the NFL have released Incognito.

Richie Incognito, who states he considers Martin a teammate and a friend is not alone in this “rookie hazing behavior” but, has been clearly identified as the ring leader.  He has been suspended indefinitely for behavior detrimental to team operations. While some are alleging Martin is somewhat oversensitive to his teammates' "pranks," I don't know that I would consider racial slurs and threat against my mother to be very friendly. 

In NFL circles he is reported to be one of the dirtiest players in the league. But in the trenches, there are those that would rather have no one else.  As the Dolphins and the NFL continue their investigation into this incident it is almost certain other players and members of the organization may be implicated and possibly subject to litigation. But with a spotted history and trouble maker reputation both in college and in the pros, it is fairly certain Richie Incognito’s professional football playing days may be behind him.  Only time will tell

I'm not hatin, I jus sayin...

There Are No Winners Here

White House Chief of Staff welcomes
employees back to work.   NYdailynews.com

It’s Thursday October 17^th. Federal employees across the country returned to work and in D.C., many were greeted with smiles, cheers and accolades. The government shutdown came to an end at approximately 11:28 p.m. Wednesday night, some 30 minutes before the debt ceiling deadline. The world breathed with a sigh of relief. But this is only a short term and temporary fix, we could all experience this again early in 2014.

As President Obama addressed the nation he opened with, “there are no winners here,” and without specifically pointing fingers or identifying individuals, he scolded those responsible for this self-made catastrophe.  To paraphrase, he said there is no place for this behavior in a democracy.  If you want to make changes or are displeased with the status quo, argue your point, get votes, win elections. But don’t

"don’t brake what our predecessors have
spent 2 centuries building."        CNN.com

brake what our predecessors have spent 2 centuries building.  The President emerged looking very much like a chief executive. 

In addition to those furloughed who are anticipating being paid for missed wages.  According to Standards and Poor’s and CNN an estimate in excess of $24 Billion was the cost of the shutdown.  So clearly the loser here was the American economy, the world’s faith in the American system and the American people.

Why did all of this happen? Who is responsible for this fiasco?  In the minds of many Americans, many people don’t really seem to understand.  Many of the common people are caught up, lost and confused by rhetoric spewed with the intent to cloud vision and perception.  

Do organizations such as Koch Industries and The Heritage Foundations, have too much influence and involvement in our political process?  Do corporate sponsors and special interest groups have the well being and benefit of the people in mind? Or perhaps, do these organizations have another agenda? I for one found myself nervous when Republican party members appeared to be having their strings pulled by these entities.

When the shutdown went into effect, shouldn’t the salaries, benefits and services to congress have been the first to go?   What can we, the people, do to ensure this will not occur again? Should congress as a whole be penalized for this entire fiasco?  Who can the American people hold accountable for this? 

Rep Herrera Beutler (R-Wash)
Huffingtonpost.com

The one major noteworthy observation to stem from this Capitol Hill cluster was the performance of many our elected women.  With the likes of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), both Democrat and Republican women worked together to resolve this mess created by what appeared to be schoolyard boys bickering and bullying each other.  

Perhaps it is time for the cooler and calmer feminine heads to prevail.  Maybe it is time for a woman president.


I'm not hatin, I'm jus sayin...

Who Is Running the Republican Party?

As the government shutdown closes out its 13th day, the question every American should be asking these days is, “Who is running the Republican Party?” Does anyoe really know?

House Speaker John Boehner R-OH AP

Last Sunday, while speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) blatantly refused to bring up any debt ceiling vote.  He clearly stated, “We are not going to pass a clean debt limit increase.” 

Is the Speaker of the House, the voice of the GOP on Capitol Hill?

 Sen. Ted Cruz R-TX
AP

Per the ranting of Ted Cruz (R-TX), the government shutdown was tied to the attempted repeal of the “Affordable Care Act.” This however has not been boding very well for the Republican Party.  It would appear, shutting down the government is not the pivotal backbreaker the Tea Party expected it would be.  

In the meantime, Senator Cruz is being shunned by many, including members of the Republican Party.   However on Friday, while speaking at the “Values Voter Summit” in a Washington, D.C. hotel, the junior senator was met by heroic cheers only to be heckled moments later on immigration issues.  

Does Senator Cruz speak for the right wing and is he helping or hurting the Grand Old Party?

Only two things are certain about this shutdown, first it is self-inflicted and second, America is outraged about it.  Maybe it was the World War II vets that visited the monuments on the Mall in the opening days of the shutdown, only to be denied access to the WWII Memorial.  Or maybe after congress partially funded the government, sadly they did not realize that funding the defense department did not automatically fund death benefits for our fallen military. Maybe it’s the loss of services for no apparent reason to all Americans dependent upon their government.  

Americans are speaking out, from private citizen making donations to temporarily fund various federal operations to the CEO of Starbucks gathering signatures on a petition, demanding the end of the shutdown and addressing the debt ceiling issue.  Whatever the case, the expressed displeasure and shame of the people is being demonstrated in various forms.  It is also reflected in various polls.  And the polls say, the Republicans are taking it in the shorts.

By Wednesday, at the urging of Koch Industries and the Heritage Foundation, the GOP seemed to be altering their stance. Stating the failure to approve a debt ceiling increase would be a disaster, Koch Industries suggested House Republicans should present a clean six-week debt ceiling extension that does not include a plan to fund the government.

David Koch           AP

At a press conference Thursday morning, House GOP leadership did just that, announcing their “new strategy.” This is one day after Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham admitted the group will “give the speaker some flex on a short-term debt limit increase,” in order to extend the shutdown over Obama care. On Wednesday, Koch officials increased the pressure with a letter for inquiring members who “have asked what our position is on this issue” that claims the conservative billionaires never supported withholding federal government funds over Obama care.  Both groups, who are the driving force during this debt ceiling and shutdown fiasco, are responsible for putting Tea Party members in Congress.  

So are the Heritage Foundation and Koch Industries actually running the Republican Party?  Should corporations be determining public policy?  Is that what the founding fathers intended; to allow financiers to shape the future of this country?  Is that a Democracy?

Thursday afternoon President Obama extended an invitation to all of the republican members of the House.  The leadership responded, only select members would be in attendance.  It is alleged this

small group came prepared to address the debt ceiling with a temporary measure.  In the “new strategy,” the GOP proposed funding a 6 weeks temporary partial fix.  This would theoretically postpone this debt ceiling issue until approximately Thanksgiving and the Holiday shopping season. 

House GOP members visit the White
House for discussions.                 AP

Unfortunately, this did not address the government shutdown.
President Obama has remained absolutely willing to discuss and negotiate any issues, but not while under threat.  In other words, he will not discuss anything before the government is funded and returned to work. After the meeting, it remained uncertain whether any headway had been made.  However the fact that members did not exit the meeting and promptly find themselves in front of news cameras spoke volumes.

Paul Ryan the voice of
the GOP?               AP

On Friday President Obama again extended invitations to all House Republicans. That afternoon, buses transporting the entire republican body of the House arrived at the White House.   From a laymen’s perspective, the President wasn’t content to just speak with the leadership.  Perhaps, that’s because no one seems able to speak for the entire party, however former

vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan seemed to emerge as the voice of reason for the Republican Party.  Is Paul Ryan the messiah of the GOP?

After the West Wing meeting, while no resolution could be clearly identified, but both parties reported progress had been made.  The very mere fact the President and House Republican were finally talking was viewed as very favorable.  The Dow Jones Indicator (DJI) reflected an optimistic outlook as we observed a rise in stock prices.

On Saturday, it became evident President Obama was sticking to his guns, he was standing firm.  While he is talking, he is not negotiating, at least not while the government is stalled.  The conservatives on the other hand appear poised to fold, as Senate Republicans are posturing to undermine House Republicans.  The Grand Old Party in the House appears to be crumbling before our very eyes.  Is this the end of the Republican Party?  Will the Republicans go the route of the Federalist, Whig and Libertarian Parties, effectively into extinction?  Perhaps, it time to revamp the political party system.

On this Sunday's morning Washingtonian talk shows, all seem to agree with 4 days remaining before the debt ceiling deadline, a resolution to this national mess is within sight.  Polls across America indicate, if possible all members of the house would be voted out of office and replaced.  Americans are fed up in the wake of this national embarrassment.  I for one remain optimistic.

I’m not hatin, I’m jus sayin…

Self-Inflicted Wound: Day 7

It’s Monday October 7, 2013, many morning news stations are all a buzz about how a 9 year boy slipped by TSA, boarded a flight and flew to Las Vegas; or maybe two American military covert anti-terrorist actions in Libya and Somalia; or the horrific Grand Prix racing accident or perhaps even Miley Cyrus’s lauded Saturday Night Live performance.  While all these stories are of great interest, they are all mere distractions from what’s troubling more than just a few Americans.  

Furloughed government workers protest outside
the office of Sen Ted Cruz R-TX                  AP

In the mind of many Americans, it is “The Shutdown” of the federal government, now in effect for 7 days.  Additionally, and perhaps more potentially devastating, we’re approximately 10 days away from a critical collapse should congress fail to raise the debt ceiling. 

The shutdown was intentionally orchestrated by disgruntled Republican congressmen in an effort to cripple the Affordable Care Act, a program already voted into law. Why is every Senator and congressmen not working to support the successful roll-out of this program?

House Speaker Boehner appeared on ABC’s "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday

House Speaker Boehner

morning.  Speaker Boehner agreed that the risks of failing to raise the debt ceiling would be “catastrophic,” leading credit markets to freeze, the dollar to lose its value, and interest rates to skyrocket. Conservatively speaking, this would potentially develop into the worst financial crisis in the history of man.  Speaker Boehner insisted that “the President is putting the nation at risk by his refusal to have a conversation.”

President Obama in a news conference recorded at FEMA, continues to honorably stand his ground.  He states he is willing to sit down with any Republicans but cannot sit down "under threat."  I agree with the President and find his behavior more than respectable.

Mr. Speaker, you’re wrong.  It is not the President that has created this mess.  It is not the President who intentionally shut down the government (partial or not).  And it is not the President who is within 10 days of a financial disaster worse than the Lehman Brothers collapse.  And should the government’s shutdown, result in the debt ceiling not being raised and America forfeits on the payment of it’s debt, President Barack Obama will not be held responsible.  As an American citizen, I for one will view John Boehner, Ted Cruz and select members of the Republican Party as responsible for this self-inflicted wound.
   

It's time Americans take control over the
manner our congress conducts business.  

I ultimately view our entire congressional body accountable for this manufactured fiasco.

It’s time the American People take control over the manner in which our congress conducts business.

Wall Street is showing concerns as at the time of this article, the Dow has dropped 115 points.  Whether we are feeling it or not, every citizen that owns stock or has a 401K is being negatively affected.

Warren Buffett suggests that playing with the national debt ceiling is like playing with a nuclear bomb.  That using the debt ceiling as a leverage tool should be strictly forbidden.  I am inclined to agree with Mr. Buffett.  As America’s economy is the backbone of the economy of Planet Earth, it is to critical to play with.  

Economic experts around the globe are all indicating, if the shutdown is not resolved by the end of this week and the debt ceiling is not raised, global reactions will be unavoidable and it won’t be pleasant.

Mr. Speaker, would you have the American citizenry follow your lead and not pay their bills?  The average citizen would be held criminally liable.  I believe if this nonsense continues, congress should be held criminally liable too.

I'm not hatin, I'm jus sayin...

Government Shutdown: An Act of Treason

After listening to approximately three weeks of rhetoric, repeated threats and nursery rhymes from Capitol Hill, Republicans made good on their intent to shut down the government.  Monday September 30, 2013 at approximately 11:45 p.m., I tuned in to C-SPAN to find out just what I might awaken to the following morning.  It became painfully obvious; the government was destined to shut-down.

Senator Charles Schumer D-NY, said at 12:15 a.m., federal employees, the military, folks on social security and the American public should not be penalized because Congress cannot come to a happy medium.  I fully agree and propose, if Congress cannot resolve their issues and pass a budget, it is the body of Congress that should be penalized. Cut off their pay, privileges and benefits.  And cut them immediately!

 

WWII Vets cross police lines and barricades to visit the WWII Memorial.        TheGrio

Unfortunately, it is the everyday American that is experiencing the brunt of the first government shutdown in 17 years.

The Lincoln Memorial closed to visitors due to Government Shutdown.    TheGrio

The American People are sick of this ineptness from Capitol Hill. Last year America’s credit rating was forfeited.  Earlier this year we endured “The Sequester” and now this.   At the bottom of all of this nonsense is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare.

The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare went into effect even those 

congress has not approved funding for it.                               TheGrio

The ACA has survived dozens of votes to repeal it in Congress.  Two presidential elections were fought over its existence and the Supreme Court almost ruled it unconstitutional.  Finally after a Republican reconstruct, the ACA was signed into law.  Let me say that again. It has been signed into law.   

Now Tea Party Republicans refuse to approve a budget to fund this program and want to pull strong arm tactics to force a repeal of the ACA.  

I view this behavior of Republicans to stalemate the government as an act of treason.  It is the responsibility of Congress to work with the President to resolve issues, not create more. Congress works for the People, not corporate sponsors or special interest groups.  They seem to have forgotten that.

It's time Congress quit screwing the nation over and get America moving again.  The People are sick of this.

We need to reform the way Congress works and we need to reform it now.  I urge every American to call, write, email and fax your congressional representatives.  Express your displeasure.  Voice your opinion.  Let Capitol Hill know “The People” are tired of this nonsense.

This is beyond ridiculous! 

I'm not hatin, ... I'm jus sayin…

Who Remains Winless

Week four of the 2013 NFL season continues to present one surprise after another.  Who would have thought several of the historically stronger teams in the league would be performing so poorly? 

While one might be able to contemplate a Tampa Bay Buccaneers or a Jacksonville Jaguars remaining in the loser column at this point in the season.  The Buccaneers fell to the Cardinals 13-10, while The Jacksonville Jaguars succumbed to the Indianapolis Colts 37-3. 

Coach Mike Tomlin only knows, "This is
not Steeler football."      USA TODAY Sports

More difficult to have envisioned is the Pittsburg Steelers or New York Giants winless after four weeks of play.  And it’s even worse in the case of the Steelers, they lost all of their pre-season games too.  Things continued to look less than favorable as the Steelers endured a spanking in the annual London NFL demonstration falling to the Minnesota Vikings 27-34. The New York Giants were devastated by the Chiefs 7-31 in yet another waxing.

The Washington Redskins, who have struggle thus far, were successful in gaining their first “W” this season as they defeated the Oakland Raiders 24-14.

Other surprises might include the unprecedented play of Peyton Manning.  The Bronco’s signal

Peyton Manning playing at a record setting pace. USA TODAY Sports

caller has for years been compared to Tom Brady and Drew Brees when trying to determine the league’s best quarterback. 

At this point in this season, Peyton Manning clearly has this title. He has thrown 16 Touchdowns with 0 interceptions while leading the Broncos to a 4-0 season.

In last Monday Night’s game Manning lead his Broncos to an uneventful spanking of the Oakland Raiders 37-21.  But in the Sunday afternoon match-up against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles Peyton threw for 28 completions in 34 attempts and 4 touchdowns.  The Eagles were thoroughly pummeled 52-20.  Needless to say, the Denver Broncos remain undefeated in regular season play thus far.

In other play this weekend:

49ers 35              Ravens 20                           Bengal 6                             Bears 32             Rams 11             Buffalo Bills 23                   Browns 17                           Lions 40

                                                                                                                                       
Colts 37              Seahawks 23                        Cowboys 21                       Jets 13
Jaguars 3            Texans 20                             Chargers 30                       Titans 38

                                                                               

Tom Brady verifies yet another first down.      Keith Nordstrom

In the Sunday Night late game in what had to be the match-up of the day, the Atlanta Falcons faced off with the visiting New England Patriots. 

This game seemed fairly one sided until the 4^th quarter when Matt Ryan and the Dirty Birdz started to show some signs of life.  The Falcons were able to close within 7 points. Unfortunately, with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game, after a successful onside kick and a Brady sack or two, the Falcons weren’t able to capitalize. 

Final score in this edge of your seat match-up was Patriots 30 to the Falcons 23.  New England climbs to 4-0 while Atlanta slips to 1-3.

The Monday Night match-up has the Undefeated Miami Dolphins (I have such a hard time saying that) and the undefeated New Orleans Saints.  The “Stand Your Ground” Phins as “Her Swaa Mee-Ness Bev” refers to the only good thing coming out of Florida these days, will travel to the Big Easy to challenge Drew Brees and the boys in the Super Dome. 

This will be my first chance to get a good luck at Miami since the regular season began.  Can't wait to see that one!

A Re-Trial For Marissa

Major Kudos are to be extended to Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville, Florida who has been granted a new trial.  A mother of three, Ms. Alexander received a mandatory 20 years sentence for firing a warning shot to thwart her husband’s physical abuse during a domestic altercation.  Her case has been used extensively by critics of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Laws” to demonstrate the ineffectiveness and frequent misuse along racial lines of these laws.

Marissa Alexander was denied the use of a
Floridian "Stand Your Ground" defense.  AP

On August 1, 2010, Alexander had secured restraining orders against her abusive husband, Rico Gray.  Although they had a child together nine days earlier, Alexander was determined to leave Gray. Believing he was gone, she returned to the home they had shared to retrieve the remainder of her clothes.

While at the house, Gray returns and an argument ensued. Rico becomes enraged and threatens to kill her.  Alexander said she feared for her life when she retrieved her legally owned handgun from the garage.  She turned to find Gray blocking her exit.  Although Gray saw the weapon he angrily approached Alexander.  She then fired a single warning shot which lodged in the ceiling.

Gray testified that he saw Alexander point the gun at him and looked away before she fired the shot. He claimed that she was the aggressor, and that he had begged her to put the weapon away.  Gray also proudly admits to have been physically abusive with the mothers of all his children.

The judge, who threw out Alexander's "stand your ground" self-defense claim, noted that she could have run out of the house to escape her husband.  Also the firing of the weapon inside the home could have struck one of the children in other parts of the house.  This sounds oddly like the judge, in this case, required Alexander to retreat rather than stand her ground.  A jury deliberated 12 minutes before convicting her.

Drawn to the attention of the nation in the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin, Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Laws have since been intensively scrutinized as well as the subject of public outrage and protest.   Ms. Alexander’s case rose to the forefront, first as she, like George Zimmerman, was prosecuted by State’s Attorney Angela Corey.   Secondly, although Ms. Alexander’s case appears specifically designed for Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" legislation, she was denied its use.

The overturning of this decision not only constitutes a possible victory for Ms. Alexander, it also gives hope to countless others Floridians disproportionately misrepresented.  Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, called the ruling a "welcome development in a case that represents the double standards in our justice system."

"From the streets to the courthouse, race continues to influence the judicial process, and it certainly seemed to have played a role here," Jealous said in a statement issued by the historic civil rights organization.

Whatever the case may be, it seems either it’s time for Stand Your Ground to either go away or to be redefined and executed with equality for all.

I’m not hatin, I’m jus sayin…

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Superman views Metropolis 1939
DC Comics

Those of us that were kids in the age before cable television, video games and computers frequently relied on comic books and a vivid imagination to waste away the hours.  Some of the best comic books featured superheroes like Batman and Superman, arguably the first two superheroes.  

Over time there was the advent of sidekicks and with the arrival of multiple others with super powers, the logical next step was the development of teams of superheroes combating equal groups of super villans.  

There was “The Justice League,” “The Avengers,” “The X Men” and then, there was The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement & Logistics Division, better known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D.  is the fictional secret government agency created from the genius of Stan Lee for Marvel Comics.  This espionage agency, which manages the efforts of super heroes combating those bent on undermining peace, justice and the American way, is headed by Colonel Nicholas Joseph “Nick” Fury. Fury is the former World War II hero and former CIA operative.  He is non-aging and among other things as the Director of SHIELD, a recruiter of superheroes.

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  ABC Promotional Photo

This fall a new television series premiered called “The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”   This old school comic book junkie was secretly thrilled to learn of this new series.  I envisioned weekly appearances from various superheroes and super villains performing various amazing feats in real world scenarios. 

I envisioned for example, Aqua man summoning a pod of Killer Whales to thwart a fleet of pirates off the coast of Africa preventing the hijacking a cruise ship with government VIPs on board.  Or maybe like the latest of the X-men movies was tied in to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  You get the general idea.  And with the magic of today’s CG (Computer Graphics) technology, I imagined it was all very do-able.

Then I saw the first episode of this new series.  Trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, I watched it again On Demand. The special effects were decent and the storyline wasn’t that bad either.  There was comic relief in abundance but, to the point It was really kind of hokey.  And none of the superheroes I was already familiar with made an appearance.  By the end of the second viewing, I felt I needed a shield to protect me from the extremely poor writing and worse acting.

To say the least, it was somewhat of a letdown.  If I were Siskel and Ebert, I’d cut off my thumbs and call it a day.  While I fully expect to watch it at least once more, unless there is a significant improvement in the next episode, I don’t anticipate this show surviving more than six weeks.  View at your own risk of intense boredom.

An Autumn Favorite: Funnel Cakes

Ingredients
1 egg, beaten                           2/3 c milk

1 tsp baking powder                   1 ¼ c all purpose flour

2 Tsp sugar                             ¼ tsp salt

Powdered sugar for topping         Oil for frying, enough to cover bottom of the skillet 

Green Eggs and Ham Have No Place on Capitol Hill

This is the worst example of a member of congress wasting tax dollars I have ever seen.  Our country has multiple problems that need immediate attention and repair.  Our elected officials have no time to be spending on nonsense like this.

The Horseman Rides Again

The past several years, prime-time television has been overrun with the curse of unintelligible and mindless entertainment, better known as “Reality TV.”  At long last this genre appears to be losing its momentum as talented writers and somewhat reasonable plots again take hold.  The world of entertainment appears to be stepping back to the vintage with the likes of “Dracula,” “Once Upon A Time” and now, “Sleepy Hollow.”

The Case of Jonathan Ferrell

Today, I encountered an article entitled “The Killing of Jonathan Ferrell.”  Jonathan Ferrell was the former FAMU football player killed by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer as Ferrell sought help after having an auto accident.  The piece was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates for “The Atlantic.” A variation of the article entitled "Police Shooting of Former FAMU Student Not Necessarily Wrong" was re-posted on “The Root.”

Week Three: Full of Surprises

Let’s start with the Monday Night match up, the Battle of the Ohio River. The Pittsburg Steelers traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals who were not having any nonsense in their house. 

The Bengals thoroughly thwarted the Steelers 20-10 in what would prove the first of many upsets for the week.

Thursday Night saw Andy Reid and his charged up Kansas City Chiefs travel to Franklin Field to challenge Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles.  In his first return after being released by the Eagles, Andy Reid walked away with a sweet 26-16 victory.

In the Sunday afternoon line-up, the surprises just kept the fans startled and sitting on the edge of their seats.  What do I mean by surprises?  How about the Carolina Panther running up 38 points and shutting out the New York Giants?  Ouch!