A Tribute to Nelson Mandela

(July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013)

When I heard on Thursday December 5^th that Nelson Mandela passed away, my heart hurt. It hurt for the struggle he endured throughout his life and for the passing of one of our great leaders in this crazy mixed up world of ours. All that day, I was remembering February 11, 1990--the day he walked out of prison, after serving 27 years for encouraging black South Africans to go on strike and battling South African apartheid with non-violent protests. I remember standing in a crowd of 58,000 people in the middle of the field, at the Oakland Coliseum July 1, 1990. When he approached the stage, the crowd went wild. I started to cry; and so did everyone around me. When the crowd finally calmed down, Nelson Mandela began to speak. A quiet calm came over the 58, 000 people-- everyone was hanging on his every word. I remember how in awe I was at this man who had endured so, but forgave his captors. He said ''Despite my 71 years, at the end of this visit, I feel like a young man of 35. I feel like an old battery that has been recharged. And if I feel so young, it is the people of the United States of America that are responsible for this." He also said, he had to come to the Bay Area because cities such as Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco were among the early adopters of ordinances calling for divestment of stocks in American companies doing business in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was a man that we should all inspire to emulate. He will live forever in my heart. Nelson Mandela changed the world with his actions. His life journey will always be beacon of equality & hope for all. My favorite quote from Nelson Mandela is:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” R.I.P. President Mandela.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Remembering-Mandelas-Bay-Area-Visit-234660701.html

President Obama’s State of The Union Speech

The nation was glued to their televisions and computers on January 25, 2012 6p.m. to hear what President Obama had to say about our State of the Union. President Obama talked about us working together as Americans not as republicans or democrats. He is right.  The republicans called his speech a class warfare.  No that is not true. President Obama wants everyone to get their fair share and play by the same rules. I agree because it is not fair for the rich to be taxed at 14 percent when the middle class are getting taxed at the 20 percent rate or higher that does not make any sense. When President said that people making 1,000,000 dollars a year or higher should be taxed at least 30 percent, the republicans sat there clinching their greedy teeth. What really moved me was when President Obama talked about how we can put people back to work if businesses would come back to America. It does not make any sense that American businesses get all the tax breaks just because they do business in other countries. President Obama wants to give American businesses the credit for coming back to America and for operating in areas where factories have been shut down for years. President Obama talked about the housing crisis that happened in 2008. I think that it was one the biggest conspiracy of greed that I have ever seen. President Obama wants an economy that is built to last with woman getting equal pay for equal work, supporting entrepreneur’s and expand tax relief for start up companies. President Obama kept saying to congress you all agree on these issues put it in a bill and I will sign it. I don’t know what in the world are they waiting for. Is it that the republicans won’t pass anything President Obama suggested, so they can blame him for being a bad president that is the way I see it. President Obama wants to combine six government agencies into one so it can be quicker in helping the American people. This is a good idea. I don’t think that will happen in my lifetime if the republicans have anything to say about it. President Obama put congress on notice, he told them that they should stop fighting among themselves and come together on common sense ideas. President Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln, “The government should do for people what they cannot do by themselves and no more.” Presidents Obama’s State of the Union speech was in my opinion one of the most powerful State of the Union speeches I have ever heard. I know a lot of people would agree. I just hope congress takes it to heart and stop all their foolishness and come together and get some of these bills passed so we as a nation can get back to being the most powerful and productive nation on earth. As for the republicans rebuttal on the President’s State of the Union speech it was the same old mess Obama has not done anything to improve the economy and he is moving to slow. Blah Blah Blah!

LM

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/01/25/2012-state-union-address-enhanced-version

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2091737/Obamas-State-Union-address-2012-Full-class-warfare-promises.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Sex-Ting Is A Bad Idea

 Now days with social media network sites people are putting their business out there for the world to see. Grade school children are using face book and twitter for sex-ting and bullying. 

Congressman Anthony Weiner sent explicit photos of himself on twitter and then lied about it saying someone hacked is account. Then he cried like a punk a-- baby when he admitted he sent the pictures to the wrong site. How stupid is Congressman Weiner, first of all he should not have lied he should have manned up and told the truth. Now he is probably going to be investigated by the House Ethics Committee. As far as getting reelected or running for Mayor of New York, I think he blew his chances. If I lived in New York I would not vote for him, if he lied about this then what else does he have to hide? Some people are loosing their minds on these social networking sites, they don’t think about the repercussions of their posts. Maybe you posted something on face book two years a go and it comes back to haunt you in the future. All I can say is what my mother use to say “What you do in the dark always comes to the light”. Come on people you never know who’s watching you.


LM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110606/pl_nm/us_usa_politics_weiner;_ylt=Am0wBmZ9viusDrjHJfGWNpas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNxZmRtcGxkBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTEwNjA2L3VzX3VzYV9wb2xpdGljc193ZWluZXIEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM2BHBvcwMzBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDY29uZ3Jlc3NtYW53

STORMS POUNDING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

STORMS POUNDING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Rain! Rain! go away come again another day, is what we said as kids so we could go out and play. California needs the rain desperately, but this storm has been causing havoc. Lighten storms and high winds causing trees to fall on power lines, knocking out power all over the Bay Area. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland airports has had delays since this storm started due to high winds. Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz mountains is a nightmare. There is a down Oak tree blocking road way mud slides and flooding and  that’s just the beginning the accidents have not started yet. San Mateo County has had one severe storm warning already and high surf warnings.  Petaluma has a flash flood warning  in affect. San Jose is having trouble on highways 280 and 101 with flooding and accidents. San Jose is keeping a eye on Guadalupe River for possible over running its bank. The City Of Oakland Public Works Department is providing sand bags to residents to help with flooding. Redwood City has experienced significant flooding. The hillsides above Belmont and San Carlos has had mudslides. Felton in Santa Cruz has a flash flood warning residents advised to evacuate. Monterey County high surf warning. With all this rain we so desperately need,  be vigilante of your surrounding. If your on the roads slow down give your self enough time to get were you’re going so the accidents can be kept down.


LM