This Sunday – Potpourri

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, and all creatures great and small,

Here’s a shout-out an appreciation to our new subscribed followers.  Here’s another shout-out to those on Twitter who tweet out links of our blog posts.  Your support is greatly appreciated.   If you’re not following me on Twitter, my handle is @XenaBb7.

NEED YOUR PRAYERS AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS

Those of you familiar with our writers and comment participants may have noticed that Towerflower has been absent.  She gave me her approval to share this.  Whatever your path, whether prayers, positive thoughts or good wishes, she needs them.  Her sister and her mom both had strokes on the same day.  Her sister is now out of the hospital, but her 89 year-old mother is having problems.  Her mom had been taken off blood-thinners in preparation for a surgery, and that is when she had the stroke.  She has days of speaking clearly, and days of slurring her speech.  There are days when she just sleeps.   Please keep towerflower in your thoughts.

I’m not one who talks much about politics.  However, I did watch the Democratic debates.  In my opinion, it was not a debate as much as an introduction of the candidates.  My mind was made-up long ago that I will not vote for Hillary Clinton in the primaries.  In 2007-2008, she went dirty against Barack Obama and Sarah Palin used some of that dirt when she campaigned.   There is not one Republican candidate I want in the White House.  If by chance that Clinton should win the nomination, it will force me to vote for her.  Truly, I would prefer looking closely at the Independents, but am afraid that a vote for them will take a vote away from the Democratic candidate.

Well, why should I worry?  I’m in Illinois and Illinois always carries the Democratic candidate for president.

20 Year Old Temple University Student Sues Atlantic City Police

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES

A Temple University student has filed a lawsuit that claims he was wrongfully arrested and beaten by officers of the Atlantic City Police Department.

On June 15, 2013, 20 year old David Connor Castellani of Linwood, was told to leave the Tropicana Atlantic City casino for being under aged.  David, who admitted that he was drunk, left the casino.  Being separated from his friends, he called from his cell phone so they could leave Atlantic City and go home.  About 4 police officers standing outside said something to David, who said he then asked them for directions to where his friends said they would pick him up.

David crossed the street, but rather than ignore the cops, he exchanged words with them. David was then rushed by at least 5 cops, taken to the ground, and beaten with fists, kicked and hit with night sticks. It didn’t stop with that.   A canine unit pulled up.   The officer exited the police SUV with a German Shepherd dog that immediately began biting David on the head and back of his neck.  Surveillance video shows that David was on the ground at the time, still constrained by the cops.  David has said that he was handcuffed as the dog bit him, and each time the dog dragged him off the curb, the cops pulled him back and continued beating him.

The incident was captured on surveillance video.

“I look at that video and I know I am lucky that my son is alive. I don’t want any other parent to have to go through this; I don’t want any other kid to go through this,” Terri Castellani said.