Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke Shooting Video of Laquan McDonald Is Appalling

As a mother of a thirty year old son I worry every day that he is safe out there in the mean streets of San Jose California. Being an African American male or a person of color in this country is like being a turkey, at a turkey shoot. The definition of a Turkey Shoot is (a situation, typically in a war, in which one side has an overwhelming advantage). The reason I feel this way is, that some police officers who put on a badge think that it gives them a license to do whatever they want. Even to kill and hide behind the good ole statement “I feared for my life”.
This was the case of Police Officer Jason Van Dyke for a whole 13 months he tried to justify the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. On October 20, 2014 Laquan McDonald was running and then walking down the middle of a street in Chicago carrying a 3 inch knife. Police officers supposed to have been following him because he was suspected of breaking into cars. I’m not calling Jason Van Dyke police officer anymore, he proceeded to get out of his police car and within seconds started shooting. Jason Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald the first time while he was walking away and then proceeded to walk over to him while he was lying on the ground and shot him 15 more times. I don’t know what Jason Van Dyke was thinking at the time he killed Laquan McDonald but I think it is fair to say he had hatred in his heart. To shoot someone 16 times you have to have hate in you. I’m so glad that the video was shown it tells the whole story it is appalling. Some police officers have gotten away with the murder of so many people for hundreds of years. Enough Is Enough!

LM
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/25/us/laquan-mcdonald-chicago-shooting-main/
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/us/laquan-mcdonald-chicago-shooting-video/

Turner Construction Fired from The Santa Clara Valley Medical Hospital Expansion Project

I live around the corner from Valley Medical Santa Clara Hospital in San Jose California. The company I work for Streetwise Special Delivery Courier Service in Gilroy, California has done business with some doctors there. One of the services we provide is medical courier, so we picked up blood and tissue samples and delivered for them. I remember when they broke ground on this expansion project in 2009. It has been almost 7 years now and it’s still not finished, it was supposed to be finished in September 2015. Santa Clara County officials were fighting Turner Construction Company in San Jose California, who was working on the expansion project. Turner Construction is the biggest construction company in the Santa Clara County they are accused of delays and costing Santa Clara County and its taxpayers $100,000 a day or some $36 million a year. I personally don’t care who’s at fault, they just need to get it done. Well, Santa Clara County fired Turner Construction. Santa Clara County officials have brought in the Bolt Company out of Wisconsin for $440,000. They are a general contractor reported by Santa Clara County staff to, “conduct a comprehensive assessment of the status of the project prior to engaging a replacement contractor, which will include an estimated cost to finish the job.” Santa Clara County officials haven’t hired the Bolt Company, but they have a good chance to get the project. They finished a project in 2009 which was the Sutter Health project in Sacramento. After Turner and Sutter parted ways. What I don’t understand is why Santa Clara County officials did not due their due diligence and find the right contractor in the first place. They were probably thinking Turner Construction because they are from San Jose and from Santa Clara County. Well that came back to bite them. This project has increased steadily since construction started in 2009. The original $290 million bid Turner was charging, jumped to $350 million. There were about $31 million in change orders incurred over the years and brought the budget to $380 million according to the county. It is unfortunate for us the tax payers but Santa Clara County officials were trying to do this project on the cheap. Like my mother used to say you get what you pay for. Just maybe sometime in 2016 this expansion project will get done. I guess we have to wait and see.

LM
 http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/10/06/new-general-contractor-to-examine-troubled-valley.html
http://abc7news.com/health/county-considers-firing-contractor-after-delays-in-sj-hospital-expansion/964446/

Is ISIS Bombing Of Paris The Beginning Of World War III?

Friday November 13, 2015 was a wretched night in Paris history that shocked the world. The terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the six attacks in Paris. These three groups of cowards set off bombs, went on a shooting rampage and took hostages. These places were, The Stade de France near entrance D & H, restaurants Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge, outside the bar A La Bonne Biere,  the restaurant La Belle Equipe, the restaurant Comptoir Voltaire and concert venue Bataclan. At the Bataclan Eagles of Death Metal an U.S. band from Palm Desert, California was playing. The gun men took some of the concert goer’s hostage. When the police raided the Bataclan three terrorist were killed and one of the terrorists was a 30-year-old French national from the Paris suburb of Courcouronnes. He had a criminal history and was identified as having been radicalized in 2010. Someone forgot to keep an eye on this individual and look what happened. He helped ISIS carry out their plans five years later. When these very repulsive people finished their carnage, over a 100 innocent people were dead. 

Is ISIS bombing of Paris the beginning of World War III? I sure hope not but it could be. ISIS terrorist cells are everywhere. You have ISIS sympathizers all over the world. Maybe all the countries that are fighting with each other, will band together to eliminate ISIS. I don’t think sending drones to bomb ISIS strong holds is going to be enough. Unfortunately every country that has had enough of ISIS, is going to have to put troops on the ground as well. By that I mean not only military but be more diligent in towns, cities and countries. If there is any suspicion of someone being affiliated with terrorist groups, keep a close eye on them. Do whatever needs to be done to stop them, so an attack like the one in Paris could have been avoided. ISIS is recruiting every day and their numbers are growing. The nations of the world should come together get rid of this cancer on the world. 

LM
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/14/world/what-happened-in-paris-attacks-timeline/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/16/paris-attacks-what-we-know-now/75857842/

The Beginning of El Niño Is In Northern California

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Well it’s about time the rain is here! As I sit here looking out at the rain. It reminded me of the Dramatics song “I Wanna Go Outside In The Rain”. This is some good sleeping weather. San Jose is getting thunder and lightning with a steady down pour of rain, we so desperately need. Yes, the start of El Niño is here in Northern California. I have heard of El Niño over the years but I did not really know how came about. Well forensic meteorologist Jan Null is the founder of the Saratoga-based Golden Gate Weather Services consulting firm. He first encountered El Niño in 1982 and again in 1997. Null says, "El Niño, very simply, is a periodic warming of the tropical waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean," he explained. "That warming water influences some global weather patterns, and with the exception of the seasons. El Niño is probably the single most influential weather factor that happens on the planet." He also goes on to say, "The bottom line is it's a very strong El Niño. The stronger it is, the more it tilts to a wet winter in California in general," Null said. "The signal is less confident in Northern California, but as El Niño gets stronger the odds increase because a stronger El Niño pushes the boundary between at normal and above normal rainfall farther north." What does this mean for Northern and Southern California it could defiantly help with the drought situation? It is going to be mudslides and flooding in some areas in California because of all of the wild fires. Everyone get ready for a wet winter. For all you commuters slow down and take your time the streets and highways are slick.
LM
 http://www.mercurynews.com/los-gatos/ci_29072774/saratoga-los-gatos-meet-csi-weather-forecaster?source=infinite-up