The Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire in Oakland was a Ticking Bomb

 



                                  


Chor Nar Siu Ng bought the warehouse known as the Ghost Ship in 1988. She owns several other properties in the Bay Area. Credit Jim Wilson/The New York Times

                                    


                                   Photo: David Butow/Special To The Chronicle

Back in the 70’s in San Jose, I use to go to this converted warehouse to dance and party. It was called studio 47. I’ve never been to a place like the Ghost Ship Warehouse in Oakland. I don’t think, I would have gone to a place that was so cluttered with junk. All that stuff would have gotten on my nerves. Yuck!

Photos before the fire show a one-of-a-kind an elaborate, eclectic exhibit of carvings, mannequins, paintings, second-hand furniture and tapestries. (www.oaklandghostship.com)


On December 2, 2016, the Ghost Ship Warehouse in Oakland caught on fire with about 50 people inside, killing 36 and injuring others. From the pictures of the place before it caught fire, it was filled with stuff everywhere. It had illegal artist studios and dwellings. It was a ticking time bomb. It was a place that looked like if a fire broke out it would go up in flames, like a piece of paper. Regrettably it did. Most of the people who died were on the second floor. To get to the second floor you had to climb these make shift stairs, made from wood pallets. I’m not being insensitive but common sense would tell you that is not safe and to stay on the first floor. People probably have been going to places like this for years and nothing like this has happened until now. The owner should be a shame of himself and anyone who worked for him. I hope he gets prosecuted to the fullest magnitude of the law. They knew this place was not safe. There were numerous complaints to management about the conditions. This was a case of pure greed. The City of Oakland should be a shamed as well. There were a number complaints going back for years about the Ghost Ship Warehouse being unsafe. Yes, the City of Oakland dropped the ball on this one and it cost 36 lives. If you know someone or you plan on going to these unsafe warehouses, make sure you know your exit plan when you step through the door.
LM
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/12/11/oakland-fire-ghost-ship-last-hours/

Pescadero One of California’s Last Frontiers has been invaded by Silicon Valley Billionaires

                                                

The Stars and Stripes flies above the rooflines of Pescadero, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Growing up in San Jose California, I have seen a lot of change over the years. I remember my parents taking my siblings and me on day trips to places like Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco and Pescadero. My dad had an aunt who lived in Pescadero on a small farm with horses, pigs, chickens and a couple of cows. I loved going there because we got to ride the horses. There was nothing like playing hard and eating the delicious food. Pescadero was like stepping back in time, back then.

Pescadero has remained a little part of nostalgia for years. Say it’s not so.  Pescadero one of California’s last frontiers has been invaded by Silicon Valley Billionaires. Locals say there are some problems to the invasion of tourists and outsiders, some of the Moneybags are committed to maintaining the agricultural character of the place. Where goat cheese-makers, artisans, intellectuals, farmers, ranchers and other rugged individualists exist in rustic harmony. Are they really?

I don’t think so. Tom Steyer retired hedge fund manager and ecological activist and his wife, entrepreneur and contributor Kat Taylor, own a 1,800-acre grass-fed cattle ranch in Pescadero. They consider it a learning laboratory for sustainable animal agriculture. Steyer said, “It is kind of magic, I think, the idea that there would be that much open space, that much wild space, that close to Silicon Valley and San Francisco,”.  “It’s pretty incredible. So we feel a lot of responsibility to make it available to as many people as possible.”

Okay, that’s all good but what about the middle class and the farmers in the area. Are they going to be push out to make way for other CEO’s? One of Google’s top executives is said to have a 1,500-acre ranch in Pescadero, where he has partnered with Pie Ranch. Where he sources food for the Mountain View campus from the sustainable Pescadero farm. What about Signe Ostby, the wife of Intuit co-founder Scott Cook? She breeds horses on her 2,220 acre ranch. Why didn’t she respond to the interview requests? What does she have to hide? Venture capitalist John Doerr owns nearly 1,400 acres. This is another community where gentrification will push out non wealthy people and families. The end of an era. In 5 years you probably won’t recognize the town of Pescadero and the rents will be out of this world.

LM
 http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/16/silicon-valley-discovers-the-south-coast-the-peninsulas-final-frontier/

Donald Trump the 45th President Protest Break Out

Well first of all I’m glad this joke of an election is over. I saw all of this coming from the start. It was just like when that Bush character ran against Gore. The powers to be, did not want a democrat in office again so they fixed the election. The popular vote does not count. The people’s voice was not heard. The system of electoral vote should be abolished. You mean to tell me that the electoral votes in those small little counties counted more than the popular vote. Now we have our new racist, sexual deviate and the biggest bully for president. Donald Trump is our 45th president what does it all mean?

This means if Trump has his way, all you illegal aliens who don’t have your papers in order you better be scared. Donald Trump is coming for you. He’s going to round you up and ship you back to where you came from. Nobody is going to get in the country, so you might as well don’t even try. There will be no more illegal Mexicans, Asians, Middle Eastern, Europeans or Africans to work in the hotels, hospitals, tech jobs, farms, construction of roads buildings or bridges across America. He wants to put Americans back to work and make it great again. Is it going to be enough Americans qualified to do these jobs? No! For the African American male in the United States it’s going to be open season now. With the stop and frisk policy, this bigot wants to implement is totally outrageous. Like it’s not already horrific. With the police shootings of African American males for hundreds of years just because of their skin color. Is Trump going to be a puppet for the republicans to get their agenda passed? The biggest fear is if he doesn’t get his way with other nations he will start a war. The other fear that should be on everyone’s mind, is he going to be a puppet for the Russians. Yes!

This racist president of ours has truly divided our nation. As soon as he was elected, people took to the streets from the East coast to the West coast. People are raising up and protesting from New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Oakland. Thousands of people were causing traffic jams on streets and highways. There has been hundreds of arrest from coast to coast. This whole thing reminds me of those countries where civil wars have broken out because of an election. The people don’t want a president that is a sexual deviate, who does not respect women. Let alone one that wants to send Muslims, Mexicans and any other illegals back to where they came from. Even if they have been living here for years contributing to our society. I just have this to say, Donald Trump is going to keep this nation in chaos and we definitely don’t need this.

LM
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/thousands-us-protest-president-elect-donald-trump/story?id=43427653
   

Millennium Tower

San Francisco is a famous city in California, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world visit the city by the bay in a year. It’s is known for its attractions like, Lombard Street the crookedest street in the world. Then you have the world famous Fisherman’s Wharf, China Town and Alcatraz. Now it has the Leaning Tower of Millennium. Not!

This 58 story building was completed in 2009 on Market Street on the Southside. It was supposed to be the tallest building in San Francisco. Since its completion it has been sinking and leaning. It has sunk 16 inches and it has titled 2 inches. What the heck! In 2009 Raymond Lui chief building Inspector at the time, sent a letter to the Millennium Towers engineering firm. Concerned about the “larger than excepted settlements” and “what was being done about the sinking and if the building’s structural safety could be affected.” Just like those big firms being greedy and all about the money. They sent a reply from DeSimone Consulting Engineers, that the building had already unexpectedly settled 8.3 inches. But the engineering firm concluded, “It is our professional opinion that the structures are safe.” When Aaron Peskin the City Supervisor convened a hearing on the matter and asked Lui why the building was then certified safe for occupancy. He said, “We felt they had it under control.” Now 8 years later the founding partner of Millennium Chris Jeffries said, “We did this building the right way,” and “The building is 100 percent safe.” Now it’s the blame game. Jeffries blames the building’s problems on a neighboring building site where a city rail terminal is being built. He says the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, the public agency is building the $4.5 billion transit hub, dug a 60-foot hole to create a dry construction site and forced out millions of gallons of groundwater that wound up compressing and weakening the soil under the Millennium Tower. Transbay says the tower’s “inadequate foundation is the sole cause of the excessive settlement and tilt.” It released a statement saying the building had sunk 10 inches and started to lean before the agency broke ground in 2010. All those wealthy ones who couldn’t wait to own a piece of the Millennium Tower are probably thinking twice. Like Jerry Dodson, an attorney and engineer who paid $2.1 million in 2009 for his two-bedroom apartment on the 42nd floor. The Penthouse sold for 10 million.

All I know I couldn’t live in something like that and especially in San Francisco. With the big earthquake that is bound to come. Look what happen in the 1906 earthquake 3000 people lost their lives. I couldn’t even imagine how many loss of life there will be. They better fix this problem before something horrific happens.

LM

http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/24/tilting-sinking-san-francisco-high-rise-raises-alarm/

NBC's Steve Schmidt Excoriates GOP's "Intellectual Rot" For Empowering Donald Trump

Steve Schmidt, MSNBC Analyst, former advisor to John McCain had the best take down of Trump and the Republican Party this morning on Meet the Press.
Steve Schmidt: Over the course of this campaign the Republican Party has been a disgrace to this country by empowering Donald Trump since it is painfully obvious that he has no idea of what it takes to be President. Trump has no dignity to hold office and lacks the capacity to be commander in chief.
Schmidt went further by saying that this race has exposed the intellectual rot and hypocrisy in the GOP and the need for a lot of soul searching if they want to rebuild the Republican Party.
“Over the course of this last year, these GOP candidates have repeatedly put their party before their country,” Schmidt exclaimed. He continued, “Ignoring what is so obviously clear to anybody who is watching his complete and total manifest unfitness for office.”
Although I’m not a Republican I admire Steve Schmidt to honestly tell it like is about Trump and the Republican Party. The debate tonight is must see television.
The video and text of Steve Schmidt’s comments:
http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/10/09/nbcs-steve-schmidt-excoriates-gops-intellectual-rot-empowering-donald-trump/213660

Carol T. Ealey

Bacteria Super Bug found in a woman in Pennsylvania is resistant to the most powerful U.S. Antibiotic Colistin

When I heard that there is a bacteria super bug in the U.S. resistant to the most powerful antibiotic we have, I became worried. If Colistin doesn’t work, what will? I thought how it would affect someone with a comprised immune system, like myself. How is the bacteria super bug transmitted? What I could do to prevent becoming affected with this.

The first case of this bacteria super bug was detected in a 49 year old woman in Pennsylvania, back in May of 2016. Apparently the Defense Department researchers determined she was carrying a strain of E. coli, resistant to the antibiotic Colistin. The case in Pennsylvania is supposed to be no cause for panic, says Health officials. They say the strain found in the woman is treatable with other antibiotics. If it’s resistant to Colistin the strongest antibiotic we have, is the other antibiotics they are talking about really helping the woman. Yet researchers are worried that this colistin-resistance gene, known as mcr-1, could spread to other bacteria and elude other antibiotics. Here they go again, downplaying the gravity of the situation. In November 2015 public health officials worldwide responded with fear when Chinese and British scientists found colistin-resistant strain in pigs and raw pork and in a small number of people in China. This fatal strain was later discovered in Europe and elsewhere. Yet there is no cause for panic. Sure!

Everyone needs to know about this, because it’s in some of the meats we consume. The Agriculture Department and the Department of Health and Human Services tested hundreds of livestock and retail meats. This testing turned up the same Colistin-resistant bacteria in samples from a pig intestine in the United States. We can get this bacteria super bug in the pork and meat we eat. This has me really thinking about giving up meat. If I caught this bacteria super bug, I know my immune system could not fight this. I guess we all have to consider whether or not to eat meat and hope we don’t contract this bacteria super bug.
LM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/26/the-superbug-that-doctors-have-been-dreading-just-reached-the-u-s/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/03/superbug-known-as-phantom-menace-on-the-rise-in-u-s/?tid=a_inl

Projectile Bolt Size of a Baseball Kills Man while Driving Northbound on Highway 101 in Palo Alto

Driving on the highways is always an uncertain thing for drivers now days. You’re literally at the mercy of other drivers and not to mention all the debris that litter our highways. Drivers have to avoid this debris, while driving at a high rate of speed. Then there are somethings that are unavoidable.

Unfortunately on September 16^th around 1 p.m. 82-year-old Louis Schaefer was a victim of a projectile bolt the size of a baseball. He was struck in the neck, when a bolt came crashing through his windshield killing him. He was driving his van on highway 101 northbound in Palo Alto, like he probably did numerous times. CHP is asking anyone that saw anything thing to please contact the CHP.

This tragic incident could have happened to anyone. I work for Streetwise Special Delivery Courier Service as a dispatcher. One of our drivers happened to see the aftermath of this accident. He said he saw a Cal-Tran water truck broke down on the highway by where the accident occurred. You never know what’s going to happen while driving on the highways or driving period. All I can say is be safe and hope for the best.

LM

http://abc7news.com/traffic/man-killed-in-freak-accident-in-palo-alto-identified/1515410/

Colin Kaepernick – National Anthem Controversy

Colin Kaepernick – National Anthem Controversy

By Carol Ealey

Now that the regular football season starts on Sunday the Colin Kaepernick flag controversy has created a real dialogue about what the flag represents and racial injustice in America. When I heard that Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States, my first reaction was what is he thinking? Why risk your career especially since his tenure on the team was still in question at that time.

Now three weeks into the controversy, I have learned a lot about the history of the flag and I have more respect for Kaepernick. He’s not just a stupid jock but someone who feels deeply about this country and the mistreatment of minorities and the unjustified killings of African Americans by the police.

Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

By taking a stand for civil rights, Kaepernick, 28, joins other athletes, like the NBA's Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and several WNBA players in using their platform and status to raise awareness to issues affecting minorities in the U.S.

Kaepernick has received support from President Obama, Steph Curry, Megan Rapinoe USWNT soccer star, and this Sunday the Seattle Seahawks are expected to show their support for Kaepernick by locking arms when the national anthem is played.

However, one of the best expressions of support came from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who wrote in The Washington Post:

What should horrify Americans is not Kaepernick’s choice to remain seated during the national anthem, but that nearly 50 years after [Muhammad] Ali was banned from boxing for his stance and Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s raised fists caused public ostracization and numerous death threats, we still need to call attention to the same racial inequities. Failure to fix this problem is what’s really un-American here.

But many others have criticized Kaepernick, including the Santa Clara, CA, police union, which has threatened to boycott 49ers games. Kaepernick has been booed and heckled at recent games by fans that see his behavior as disrespectful and inappropriate.

What I have learned about the national anthem is that “The Star Spangled Banner” contains racist language, most notably in its third stanza, which is seldom sung today. (Most performances stop after the first stanza.) The third section states: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave / from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave …”

The line is believed to refer to black slaves who were promised freedom if they fought on the side of the British during the War of 1812. The song “casts aspersions on black people. It does a disservice to black people today,” said Gerald Horne, chair of history and African-American studies at the University of Houston. He said performing the anthem today is the equivalent of saying that “things should never change and remain frozen in aspic. … It’s a war-mongering song that’s totally inappropriate for 2016 and people need to get over it.”

Kaepernick started this dialogue regarding social injustice and I hope it continues, however, my fear is that if Kaepernick does not play well and is ultimately released by the 49ers the issue will fade. I hope Kaepernick has a great season and wins the starting quarterback position with the 49ers so that he can continue the fight.

***

A Tale of Two Conventions by C. Ealey

I watched both the Republican and Democratic convention over the past two weeks and I must admit the Republican convention was hard to watch. Much has already been said about the dark dystopian view of this country by the Republicans and their spineless concession to nominate Donald Trump as the standard bearer of their party. What happened to the “Never Trump Movement”? Apparently, it fizzled out the first day because of backroom trickery by the RNC rules committee. So disappointing but just what you’d expect from Republicans. The attendees at the RNC didn’t look like America either with only a few people of color and the arena was not completely filled. Many national GOP leaders boycotted the convention and refused to endorse Trump. Those who endorsed him did so either because they felt they had no choice or because they retained a vague hope that should he win, their congressional leaders would be able to limit the damage that might occur in an unrestrained Trump presidency. Adding to the fractiousness of the GOP’s situation, significant components of another insurgent group, prominent leaders of the religious right, also refused to endorse Trump creating negative press with a walkout on the first day followed by a prime time rejection by Ted Cruz on day three. And we can’t forget Melania Trumps plagiarism of Michelle Obama’s 2008 DNC speech on the first night. With most GOP leaders not in attendance, the key Trump endorsement speeches were given by his children. While Trump had promised a “blockbuster”, the Republican convention was a lack-luster affair bringing together a strange collection of minor “celebrities” and drew headlines for a series of unforced errors. Overall, the Republican convention was a pathetic show filled with hate.

In contrast, the Democratic National Convention was well produced and, despite moments of tension and controversy, was a nearly flawless affair. The convention hall in Philadelphia was filled to the rafters with people of all colors, religions, and ethnic backgrounds, young and old, gay couples, and people with disabilities. It looked like America; everyone was represented in the audience and on the stage. Hillary Clinton was able to receive validation and support from President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice-President Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, leading progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren, and most of the Democratic Party’s Senators and Members of Congress. In addition, there was a host of major celebrities who performed at or addressed the event.

As political and policy events, the Democrats’ convention had the clear advantage. Both parties spent considerable time in attacking the others’ nominee. But the Democrats were better at telling their story, presenting their candidate and their programs, and creating optimism that they had made progress in the last 8 years and would continue to make positive change in the years to come. Bravo Democrats!

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DNC: First Lady Michelle Obama Written by: Rajada Ealey

Fourteen minutes and forty-five seconds. It only took fourteen minutes and forty-five seconds for the first lady to give a powerful speech which was truly amazing. Hearing the hope and passion in her voice made this year’s election promising. As she talked about her daughters, Hillary Clinton, and hope, I can definitely say my eyes were glued to my computer screen as I listened closely to every word she exhaled. I thought to myself, “How can the first lady have such hope in our country at a time like this? Is this real? Or is it just her job?” I sat and pondered these questions as I continued to watch. We all know the world is a little chaotic right now, so hope and optimism is just what we need right now. Though America has elected Obama to serve two terms in office, which definitely made a mark in history, who’s to say what space we’re now holding in our history books. Will it be for a woman or for the reality TV host? But Michelle made it very clear in her speech “[she’s] with Hillary.”

The heart of Michelle Obama’s speech centered around the youth. She begins to emphasize how her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, spent a huge portion of their life in the White House. She claimed that it would “form the foundation of how they would become,” and how her and Obama would think about this everyday. Michelle tells us it is not just their words and actions that impact their kids but also kids around the world. A role model-- An important job for both the First Lady and President. A role model is what they had to be and a role model is what America needs in future Presidents. Michelle states, “...that is what we’re deciding. Not democrat or republican. Not left or right…[but] who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives.” The concept of voting for the best role model, I think, is an interesting way of putting it but I understand the passion she carries for the younger generation. Kids today can be very impressionable and what they see happening in the world and on TV plays a huge role in what they might say or do. It takes a certain type of President to be a role model and there “is only one person who [she] trust with that responsibility” and that is Hillary Clinton.

I continue to listen closely to Michelle as continues on with praising Hillary Clinton. Letting all of America know that she is the voice for children, that she takes her job seriously, and that she is well informed. She constantly repeats “I want a president who…” Which is very moving. It shows Michelle’s passion about this year’s election and having Hillary Clinton for President. As she begins to talk about how we’ve moved our country, Michelle’s speech quickly turns towards touchy topics such as the Dallas shooting and the shooting in Orlando. Telling us that could've easily been anyones child during the protest or in the nightclub. Michelle Obama is a great speaker and it touched me personally when she compared Hillary Clinton’s strive and perseverance to the slaves who also had hope for something better. Waking up in a house built by slaves only reminded her of the hard work they put in. She’s recognized that same hope and hard work in Hillary Clinton which lead her to believe she can ignite the strive in our younger generation, and you know I’m starting to believe she can too. We have a very interesting election ahead of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZNWYqDU948

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Is On Its Last Leg

 

I remember when BART was open back in 1972, it was all the rage. It linked San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont and then Concord and Pittsburg. BART is coming to the San Jose in 2017. It’s about time.The only drawback is that BART is on its last leg in the North Bay. The system is 44 years old and the ridership has increased immensely. 100,000 more people ride BART than they did five years ago. This means BART carries about 440,000 passengers on an average weekday. People that ride BART daily are upset with BART because of the delays due to mechanical problems, over packed trains, price increases and run down stations. One line that is having major trouble is the Pittsburg-Bay Point and North Concord stations, it will be shut down intermittently  due to electrical surges on the tracks. It’s about time BART fixes the problem and stop putting a band aide on it. In November BART officials are planning to place a bond measure on the ballot for $3.5 billion to pay for fixing tracks, power systems, stations, other structures and the mechanical systems. Yes, people will be in an uproar because their taxes might get raised but they want it fixed.

I feel that all the people who ride BART should stop their whining and let Bart fix the whole system. I know it’s going to take some time but when it’s done think how smooth and easy your ride will be. One last thing, it’s better safe than sorry how about that!

LM

http://patch.com/california/sanleandro/bart-shut-down-fremont-line-repairs

http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-shutdown-underscores-aging-system-s-6916061.php

The Republican Presidential Candidates Are a Joke and Trump Is The Main Clown

I have never in my 37 years of voting witnessed a Presidential race as absurd as the one the Republicans are running. These grown men are acting like little junior high school boys especially Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Their standing up during a presidential debate, in front of millions of viewers insulting each other’s manhood. Rubio made a statement talking about Trump’s “small hands” in other words his penis size. I expected this from Trump because he has insulted Democrats and Republicans since this presidential race began. Rubio let Trump take him out of his character and that is a shame. Trump has made a mockery out of the presidential race. There are people who actually support him and are just as looney tunes as he is.

Republican presidential nominees criticized Trump for not renouncing David Duke’s statement that Trump is, “by far the best candidate.” After the back lash from the other Republican nominees Trump lied and had the nerve to say, “Well, just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke” and he went on to say “I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.” He said in an interview with CNN. Hey right! We all know that he has not been living under a rock all his life?

The Chicago Police held back protesters on Friday outside the University of Illinois where Donald J. Trump was scheduled to have a campaign rally. The event was canceled because of security concerns. Credit Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times

Trump is the main clown of the Republican candidates. Trump has preached division, keeping immigrants out and deporting all of them. It is no wonder at his rallies people are fighting each other because of their different views. When a white man sucker punches an African American man and the African American man gets arrested. This goes to show you what kind of people are feeding into the sewage he is spilling. Everyone has the right to protest that is what America was built on. Trump has alienated all the people of color. His own party doesn’t even want him. Wow! Trump is one disgusting man.

LM

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-small-hands-marco-rubio/

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/28/donald-trump-declines-to-disavow-david-duke/

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/us/trump-rally-in-chicago-canceled-after-violent-scuffles.html

Train Derailment In Alameda County Due To El Niño Weather

Mother Nature is beautiful and she can also be very destructive. This year she is pissed off, so she brought us El Niño. El Niño has brought floods, strong winds, rain down pours and mudslides to California with a vengeance. Mother Nature is so unforgiving.

On Tuesday March 8, 2016 the last commuter ACE train No. 10 was headed from San Jose to Stockton, with stops in Fremont, Pleasanton, Livermore, Vasco, Tracy and Lathrop. The 214 passengers on board were traveling home after a long work day in the San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Mt. View areas. Probably thinking what they were going to have for dinner, how was the family and how they had to do this again tomorrow. Little did they know they would be in a train derailment? The train was traveling on the Altamont pass between Fremont and Pleasanton.Then all of a sudden the lead train car hits a mudslide derails and falls into the Alameda Creek 1 mile west of Sunol. The second train car is also derailed but not into the creek. Out of the 214 passengers on board, it’s a miracle no one was killed. Nine people were hurt. Four people suffered serious injuries and five people suffered minor injuries. The passengers on board who weren’t hurt showed compassion and courage. By helping their fellow passenger escape the derailed train. It was first thought that a down tree or human error caused the derailment. Upon further investigation the cause was a mudslide on the tracks.

El Niño Weather is truly here, some people are already complaining about it. California needs all the rain El Niño is bringing and then some. So all you who are complaining stop it, could get worse.

LM

http://www.kcra.com/news/officials-mudslide-likely-caused-train-derailment-in-alameda-county/38398440#comments

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29613003/ace-train-derailment-passengers-recount-harrowing-night-fear?source=infinite-up

Chris Rock Tackles Issues with 2016 Oscar’s With Humor

I’m not a person who gets all excited when the Oscar’s are getting ready to come on. I think it is the most boring thing to watch. As boring as watching paint dry. This year I taped it because of all the controversy, of how it was an all-White Oscar. How African Americans were not nominated in any category? I am glad I taped it because Chris Rock’s speech was great. I enjoyed how he handled the Oscar boycott topic in his monologue. He touched on some real issues. Black people getting shot, cops and racism. I was looking at the audience when they showed them and I saw a lot of uncomfortable looking faces. People contemplating on whether it was alright to laugh. One thing that really stuck out was the short film with Whoopie, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Leslie Jones. How African American’s can only play roles in film as janitors and animals. Yes, there needs to be more diversity in Hollywood, but it has been this way for almost a century. I don’t see it changing anytime soon and personally I don’t care. The Academy in my opinion doesn’t pick the best movies. There has been a number of times when I have rented movies just because it was nominated or won an Oscar and it sucked. What a joke!

LM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyYZQeQjUW8

97 Year Old Marie Hatch Cancer Patient of Burlingame Gets Evicted after 66 Years

                                 

Living in someone else’s property and paying rent is a terrible thing. I say this because your living situation is literally at the mercy of the landlord. You don’t know when you are going to be evicted. It doesn’t matter that you have been renting for years and have been a model tent. This happened to my family in 2007. In the mail came an eviction notice out of the blue. It was because new owners and the property manager wanted the apartment we were living in. I just received a double hip replacement and was on Dialysis but that didn’t matter. We had to go. This is a common occurrence for families living in California.

When I heard about 97 year old Marie Hatch was being evicted after 66 years of tendency. It really brought back awful memories. When her landlord and friend Vivian Kruse, gave her lifetime tendency it was a good thing. Marie could live in the cottage until she died. After 66 years Kruse is dead, her daughter is dead, and her granddaughter is dead. They each passed down the lifetime guarantee of tenancy to Marie. The verbal agreement died when the granddaughter died. The new landlord said that’s why he’s evicting. I don’t believe that is the reason. He wants to get thousands of dollars instead of the 900 dollars Marie and her roommate are paying. The new landlord David Kantz says “he feels terrible that he is evicting Hatch, but the trust left behind by his wife — the third of the previous landlord women who are now deceased — expires in July, and he is duty-bound to sell the property on behalf of his two sons”. Bull, he is all about the money. This is a sad situation and it doesn’t have to be this way. Friends of Hatch’s started a GoFundMe account, and by Monday evening it had raised more than $11,000. https://www.gofundme.com/mjqf7pjw

What really gets me is, that the Federal guidelines indicated rent is unaffordable when it exceeds 30 percent of a household’s income. This means that in San Mateo County, a household must earn at least $106,000 to afford the average current monthly rent of $2,648 for a two-bedroom unit, according to the county study. U.S. census data show that about 35 percent of renter families in San Mateo County are paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing. This is not the only county that people are paying more than 30 percent for housing. Santa Clara County is another one. To live here in California you have to pay to breathe the air, especially living in Silicon Valley where I live. Rents are steadily going up and it is a shame. It really has me thinking about moving out of California. I refuse to pay $2,600.00 or more for the place I’m living in, it’s not worth it.

LM

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/97-year-old-evicted-tenant-in-a-tough-spot-but-6847769.php

http://web.stanford.edu/dept/csre/reports/report_2.pdf

Should Apple Build a Back Door to Get around a 4 digit Encryption Code?

Technology is what keeps civilizations moving on since the beginning of time. Nowadays it’s moving so fast. You buy the newest Tech device and a year or two later a new verge of the one you just bought comes out. This is especially true for the iPhone’s.
Well Apples in a massive possible ground breaking precedence with the Federal Government. United States Judge Sheri Pym order Apple to help the FBI to recover the pass code of Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone 5. This would require Apple to build some kind of back door to get around the encryption code of the IPhone 5. Apple is saying they don’t even have the capability to make something like this happen. The 4 digit code on the San Bernardino terrorist iPhone 5 has a fail-safe. If you try more than 10 times all data will be lost. Everyone is in an uproar because of privacy issues and not wanting the government to have that much power.
I see it both ways. My privacy is one thing I value. For the Government to have Carte Blanche over anything I do is frightening. The N.S.A. is already monitoring us and I know they have a lot of power. On the other hand with all these crazy radical people in this world, especially the ones who hate on the U.S. I would feel safer. Can the U.S. government be trusted to use such a powerful tool responsibly? This would open the door for other countries to do the same. It’s a catch 22.
LM
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_29529387/apple-set-epic-showdown-fbi?source=rss
   

Denver Bronco Rookie Ryan Murphy Bucks Is Way Back To Denver

                                             

Most men would give just about anything to have the opportunity, to play in a Super Bowl game. Then you have some men who have that opportunity but they do something they think is so innocent. Denver Bronco Rookie Ryan Murphy got caught up in a prostitution and human trafficking sting. This happened at the Motel 6 at Brokaw and North First Street in San Jose on February 2, 2016. Police held an alleged female for prostitution. The woman said to the task force members, “I have to go to that parked car in the gas station to retrieve some property”. In the car she was going to was Ryan Murphy and his brother. Ryan was questioned and released. His brother and the alleged prostitute were sited. Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak released a statement Tuesday night that read: “Although practice squad safety Ryan Murphy was not cited by police, we decided it was best for the team if we continued our preparations for Super Bowl 50 without him”. Murphy wasn't arrested or cited. The cop just told him to have a nice day. This is a case of guilty by association. I think the NFL has double standards. Like you can get caught deflating footballs before a game and not be banned from the NFL. It really pays to be white. What a joke. Ryan Murphy bucked his way back to Denver for his thoughtless action.

LM

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/02/02/sources-denver-broncos-safety-murphy-involved-in-prostitution-sting/

Tragic Greyhound Bus Accident On Highway 101 At Northbound Highway 85 Turnoff In San Jose

I woke up yesterday thinking this is sleeping weather. While I lay there listening to the down pour of rain not wanting it hit me. I had too because I had so many things to do. I turned on the news like I always do and heard that a Greyhound bus had crashed. Among the injured and deceased was one man seriously injured, nine others with minor injuries including the driver and two women were killed. I could only imagine how the passengers felt. To be so close to your destination after a long bus ride and not to get there because of a crash is frightening.

At 6:38 a.m. on January 19, 2016 a Greyhound bus coming from Los Angeles crashes in San Jose. The bus final destination was supposed to be Oakland. The roads were wet from the down pour of rain when the Greyhound bus approached the Highway 85 turnoff on northbound 101. A driver that was behind the bus saw the bus change lanes. Then unexpectedly the bus struck the impact barrels at the divider and landed on its side, the driver told CHP Officers. Officer Chris Miceli with the Hollister-Gilroy CHP office, said the Greyhound bus driver recalled "striking the median barrier and then the next thing he remembered was the bus at rest on its side and that's about all he could tell us." An investigation into what happened is underway. The two women who died were ejected out of the buses front window. According to CHP the bus had seat belts. I wonder why the two women were not wearing seat belts or were they and the belts failed?

What this meant for the people who commuted from Hollister, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Martin on highway 101 northbound? Serious delays on all the connecting highways and roadways. I work for Streetwise Special Delivery Courier Service out of Gilroy as a dispatcher and the driver that was dispatched from Gilroy was delayed 2 hours for his pickups and deliveries. All the other commuters decided to take alternate routes and alternate routes were clogged as well.

My prayers go out to the families of the two women who lost their lives and to the others who were injured.

LM

http://abc7news.com/traffic/two-women-die-in-san-jose-greyhound-bus-crash/1165019/