Catching Up But Still Behind

Friends, followers, and visitors!

It’s been a week since I published a post.  My, time does fly.  It’s not that I can’t think of anything to write.  In fact, there are about 10 different posts I want to write.  Several are results of trials.  There is an award I need to accept, (thanks, Ilene), and I can’t leave politics out of what is on my mind.

Yesterday, I managed to catch-up on 5 days of blogs that I follow, but there are over 400 Word Press notifications of blog posts in my in-box.  I might not be able to catch-up on those, but try to start fresh this week.  Please forgive me if you’ve not seen me on your blog recently.

Taking a Break

Hello everyone.   There are no words sufficient to express my appreciation for followers, old and new.   Will you accept flowers instead?

 

As most if not all of us know, things are hectic in the United States.  Everyday, Trump has said or done something that stresses the masses.   Remember to vote. 

Assortment of Information and Open Discussion

Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, a certain roach, visitors and friends,

First, a million thanks to all followers and participants.

 

I’ve not written many blog posts lately because my eye doctor has instructed me to decrease the amount of time I spend looking at the computer screen.  This open discussion will probably be the most current post until the end of next week, and then I might reblog as I return to being able to read more online.

I did see a fantastic movie and when I’m back writing, I want to share it with you.

There have been some cases and other news that I’ve been following.  Here are summaries:

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has offered to pay funeral expenses for the 10 victims killed in the Sante Fe High School shooting in Texas, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports. The family of one victim, Shana Fisher, said they accepted his offer.  CBS News has the story. Autopsies are to reveal whether any of the victims were killed by law enforcement or resource officers in the crossfire between them and Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the identified shooter.  More on USA Today.

Feb. 5, 2018 Open Discussion Until The End of The Week

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, visitors, friends and neighbors,

I’m still following the trial of Hugh Barry, the police officer who killed 66-year old Deborah Danner when she was having a mental health episode.  You can follow along at this link.

There are some personal matters that need my attention so other than following the trial, I don’t think it will leave me much time to write blog posts.   This open discussion is intended for sharing news, information, opinions or anything else you might want to share and/or discuss in the comment section below.  I might add to it as time allows.

Have A Joyous Sunday

What I Did During Break

Hello friends and visitors.

The blog has undergone some re-organization.  If you go to the top menu and hover over Cases/Victims, a drop-down menu appears.  You can use the center wheel of your mouse to scroll down the drop-down menu.  The names are in alphabetical order by first name.  There are a few names not on that list.  That’s because they were mentioned in an Open Discussion or other post.

There are over a hundred names.  If you don’t find the name of a person on the drop-down menu but think that there is information on this blog, please use the search engine box on the right-hand border.

While going over the cases, I did some follow-up.  There are so many cases where no one was charged.  Rather than do separate blog posts, I’m thinking about doing one to cover a number of cases and possibly continuing that on a monthly basis.

Documents

Documents are barely visited.  There are also documents that are embedded in blog posts, but not on the list on the right-side border.  I’m thinking about preparing a table with links and posting it under a menu heading for “documents” on the top border, but that will take time.  Once I do get that completed, the list will be removed from the right-side border.  I might add my tweeter feed in that place instead.

Another Change For Comments

The other week, someone submitted a slew of debating comments to posts that were published in 2014.  Some of those they commented to have retired from the internet since then.  Therefore, I have changed the option so that comments cannot be submitted to posts that over a year old.

Thanks to all new and old followers.  I’m still running behind in catching-up on blog posts for those blogs I follow.  Please forgive me.  I’m so far behind that I’m considering starting a new slate beginning with tomorrow.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful week.

 

Sunday, September 17, 2017 – Taking A Week’s Break

Friends and visitors,

Thanks to all for following, visiting and participating.

For several months now, I’ve pondered changing the theme of the blog so people can find posts on cases more conveniently.   I just learned how to add drop-down in the top menu and am currently working under the menu heading “Cases.”  If you hover over “Cases” a drop-down will appear with the names of victims.

There’s about 4 years of names, (I’ve counted 33 and am not yet finished) to add to the drop-down, so it’s going to take me some time to complete this project. If you’re looking for a specific case and it’s not on the drop-down, you can still use the search bar on the right-side border.

While working on that, I must put some time into visiting the blogs of new subscribers.   You are important to me and I want to pay it forward.  If you’re on Twitter, please let me know your handle so I can follow you.  You can do that by either posting a comment below, or following me @XenaBb7.

Along with blog redesigning, there are those things that take up time in life, such as making telephone calls where you listen to 3 minutes of pre-recordings with instructions on what number to press for your issue.  Don’t you just love doing that to end up hearing another recording telling you that all representatives are busy, followed with loud music played for your holding pleasure? And, what about when you get disconnected and have to start all over again?

Technology is good, and it is bad.  It is convenient for businesses, but I find it inconvenient for consumers and clients.  I prefer the old days when a live person answered calls and knew exactly who to transfer you to.

Enough of the soap box for now.

Feel free to use this thread for open discussion.

Have a wonderful week.  I’ll see you soon.

 

A Huge Thank You, Changes, Embedding Videos From Youtube, and Open Discussion

Thanks to all followers new and old, and to visitors.

We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident is approaching its fifth anniversary.  I’m working on changing the top menu to make it more convenient to find posts based on topic.  Since we’ve reported on so many trials, I might change themes so the top menu will have a pull-down section to see the names of defendants and/or victims.  The same is true for the border, particularly for documents.   I do hesitate changing the theme because we’ve had the same theme since this blog opened in 2012.  Let me know what you think.

We are following the bench trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley who killed Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. Stockley was charged last year.  The judge has ordered no electronic communication devices, nor cameras in the courtroom.

Open Discussion – March 20, 2017

Dear friends, visitors, caterpillars, butterflies, crusty moths and a certain roach,

I had out-patient surgery this morning, so am not feeling 100 percent.   There is lots going on, so feel free to post whatever you want to discuss or express in the comment section.

 

A Song Running Through My Head and Open Discussion

Have you ever awakened with a song in your mind, and it stays with you all day?  You hum it, and then you get the CD and listen to it?

That happened to me yesterday, so I thought I would share it.   The words that stuck out to me where “be free”.    Those words are deeper than the surface.

When we go shopping, we cannot purchase what the store doesn’t have.  It’s the same way as individuals.  We can only give to others what we have within us.   “Be free.”  Before we can allow others to be free, whether in their opinions, beliefs, life-styles, etc., we must be free within, and not in bondage.   Conducting warfare, whether verbal or armed, demonstrates the bondage that people have within, because that is what they give to others.

There’s influence, and then there’s bondage.  Effective influence is by example — not by words only.

Feel free to use this for open discussion on any issue or subject that you want to share.

 

10 things you need to know today: November 18, 2016

The Fifth Column

Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

THE WEEK

1. Trump offers Michael Flynn, Jeff Sessions top positions Donald Trump has reportedly asked retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to be his national security adviser, and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to be his attorney general. Flynn is retired from the U.S. Army and resigned as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2014, forced out over his leadership style and, he said, his hardline views on Islamist extremism. Sessions, for his part, has long been tough on free trade and immigration, and has historically opposed prison sentencing reform, legalizing marijuana, same-sex marriage, and curbing the war on drugs. Source: CBS, Bloomberg

2. Trump to discuss possible Cabinet post with Romney President-elect Donald Trump plans to meet with Mitt Romney to discuss a possible Cabinet post for the former Massachusetts governor. Romney, the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nominee, criticized Trump harshly during this year’s…

View original post 1,004 more words

Open Discussion

Caterpillars, butterflies, moths, a certain roach, and all creatures great and small,

Good morning! 

Here’s a heartfelt welcome and thanks to all subscribers and visitors.  Your support and interest is greatly appreciated.  I do try to get around to visiting new subscribers who have blogs as soon as possible, but have fallen behind.  In the last month, we have picked up 50 new subscribers in which the majority are bloggers.  I’ll be around to visit as soon as I can.

I’m not on Twitter much, but when I am I tweet links to other blogs of posts that my Twitter followers might find interesting.   If you have a Twitter account, please consider following me on Twitter @XenaBb7.  I will follow back.

I was humbly blessed by blogger supabutterfly who honored me with a post of accomplishments.  He dug out things I did not know, such as having this blog cited in a footnote in a book published by the University of New Mexico Press.   Here’s a huge thanks to supabutterfly for his encouragement and support.

Michael Jackson Would Have Been 58 Today

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, a certain roach, and all creatures great and small,

I had an out-of-town guess this weekend so am behind in blogging.  Today, I came online to write a post about Michael Jackson.  It seemed like yesterday when the news reported his death.  Then, I read the news about Gene Wilder.  He passed today at the age of 83. When I read the book It’s Always Something by Gilda Radner, it gave me a view about Gene Wilder that I had not known.  Gilda loved him dearly.   I remember the chemistry he had acting along with Richard Pryor and Cleavon Little.   It’s rather strange that on August 29, 2016 as we think about Michael’s birthday, that Gene Wilder would cross over to the other realm.

One of my favorite videos/songs by Michael Jackson is They Don’t Care About Us. It was released in 1996, and today in 2016, I think the song was really saying that Black lives matter.   Michael did two videos for that song.  Here they are.

 

 

Open Discussion – Going on Vacation

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, a certain roach, and all creatures great and small,

First, I want to give special thanks to Yahtzeebutterfly for her commitment in compiling historical data and information for a monthly post on Black American History.  She updates each month’s post in the comment section.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, her posts are under the top menu heading “Black History.”  Her next post for the month of July will be published after July 4^th.

Second, I want to thank subscribed followers.  There have been so many new subscribed followers in the last several months that I’ve not had a chance to visit all of those who have blogs.  I never take subscribed followers for granted and do plan to pay it forward as time allows.

Be Careful What You Repeat

The other day, I read a tweet with a link to a story about a transgendered man who was shot and killed in a public restroom in a department store in Colorado.  The link was to the site Associated Media Coverage.  The story upset me, and I started writing a blog when I realized that the article didn’t meet the 5-W’s standard.  What was missing was the name of the city in Colorado where the killing took place.  When I searched Google for another article ton find the city, I found that the story was fake.  Snopes has since written about it. I found the alleged shooter’s name and that she died in 2012 and also, that the department store named in the article does not exist.

I was sharing this with a friend who recommended that I blog about it.

Open Discussion – May

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, a certain roach, and all creatures great and small,

Here’s sending love to all of our 763 subscribed followers. Although three of those followers are not good-faith followers, I send them love anyway because love covers a multitude of sins.

Yahtzeebutterfly has written a piece for Black American History for the month of May.  My goal is to get it published by tomorrow.  Also, I am working on accepting two blog awards that we have been graced for nomination and hope to have the acceptances posted by this weekend.

Any Discussion Open Thread

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, a certain roach, and all creatures great and small.

Hope that this week finds you healthy and happy, and not yet fed up with politics, politics, and more politics.  There are several things I have to do in the next few days, so I might not be able to blog on any particular issue that comes up in the news.   We can use this open thread to discuss anything; up-date anything.

I found a few very interesting stories.  In the first, Taylor Thyfault was a cadet in police training who was hit and killed during a high-speed chase in May 2015.  Since then, his mother has been texting his old phone as a way to deal with her grief. She never expected a text back.  Here’s the video.

Friday Re-Fill and Open Discussion

It’s been a long week.  Today in my area, it’s cloudy and rainy — not very encouraging for going out.  It’s the way I feel about the news also.  We get a glimmer of hope among the clouds, but the result might be sunshine, or rain, or sleet, or snow.

Today, I figure that others might also need a pick-me-up — a bit of encouragement, so here is Playing For Change’s “A Change Is Going To Come.”

 

 

Happy Holidays – Open Discussion

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

Happy holidays to everyone!

May you have peace and joy in your heart and household. May your every step leave a footprint of love and kindness, and may your life be filled with blessings.

I’m taking a break from posting articles but will still no doubt post comments.   With personal business and the holidays, it means more to do in less time to get it done.   You can post your thoughts, news, and whatever is on your mind on this thread. It will probably run until after the 25^th.

For blogging, it’s been a good and bad year. It was very hard keeping up with deaths.   There are so many killed by gun violence, and by law enforcement, that I can barely memorize one name before there is another name. The media reports in so many bits and pieces that I seldom blog about specific cases unless it is announced that an investigation has completed, or a person charged.

There are some hard working bloggers who do keep up with each little bit, and I generally tweet out links to their posts. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @XenaBb7. My account is protected; not because I tweet out confidential information or great secrets of the universe, but as a good-faith attempt to prevent internet extortionists from engaging me. There’s too much to do; too much to learn; too much to discuss here, so I choose to avoid Twitter drama as much as possible.

Keeping with our tradition, we’re looking to cover trials in the coming year. If anyone has ideas, throw them our way.

By the way, I heard from Kindheart who said for me to tell everyone “hello.” She has not been online in months and does not plan to return. Keep her in your thoughts and if you’re a praying person, in your prayers.

See you in the comment section.

 

Meeting Yourself Coming and Going

A Potpourri of things.

These last few months caused me to think about the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial.  It’s been a time when as soon as I think I’ve completed one thing, something else comes up.   There are times when I long for the old days.  Then, you could go to a general practitioner for almost any ailment, and almost every cure.   There was no need to make an appointment for a blood test because they drew it right there in the office and sent it to the lab.

Truly, I don’t if it’s corporate business or medical malpractice insurance companies that caused the changes, but they are drooling on people who are already ill.   I’ve probably put over a hundred miles on my car in the last few months running to this office, and that office, and back again.

 

Thinking about the old Dunkin’ Donuts commercials caused me to think about the Baby ETrade commercials.  Remember those?

Updates in the News

Dillon Taylor