Watts' best friend

That’s an image of travel writer Lauren Fern Watt and her 160-lb English Mastiff, Gizelle. When Gizelle was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, Watt decided to spend her last days with Gizelle in a unique way:

Determined to stay strong for the sake of her dog, who didn’t like to see her cry, Watt decided to make the most of the rest of their time together by embarking on an extraordinary bucket list adventure of everything they wanted to do before Gizelle died.

“It was my mission for us to indulge and explore life’s joys,” Watt says. Together, the pair went on a journey that took them around New York City, across New England, and even to coastal Maine. They experienced new things side by side, like riding in a canoe and going on a road trip, but also made sure to save time for familiar cuddles and quiet reflection. With so little time left, Watt found a touching way to cope with her grief while creating wonderful memories and beautiful last moments for her best friend.

“Doing a bucket list for Gizelle not only helped me cope with losing her, it was also one wild ride,” Watt wrote in her essay on Yahoo! Travel. “It helped me live in the present and see life for what it truly is: a sweet, simple, precious adventure.”

Watts’ novel idea saw the two of them visit Times Square, go on a road trip, eat ice cream on a dock, and find the best donut in the world:

Head over to My Modern Metropolis for more images.

Watts' best friend
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“What football team are you rooting for?”

To the best of my memory, I first heard that question as a bartender when I worked at Bob Baumhauer’s Wings Sports Grill (which was waaaaay back in the halcyon days of 1999). In the 7 years I worked there, I can’t tell you how many times I got this question. Mostly it was men asking me, but I had more than a few women pose the question too. It wasn’t an outrageous question to ask, given that I was working at a sports themed restaurant, but I found it mildly annoying that people would assume that I was interested in football. Over the years and across multiple jobs, I’ve had the question asked many more times. Hell, at my current job, I was asked just last week.

Here’s the thing: I don’t like USAmerican football. It just doesn’t appeal to me at all. And that’s not from lack of exposure. Growing up, two prominent pop culture touchstones were often found in our household. The first was sports; specifically basketball, baseball, and yes, football. My father was all about sports, and could really get into his games. Talking (sometimes loudly) to the television in response to a play, a referee’s decision, or a player’s conduct? Yeah, that was my pop. You know those things you did deliberately as a child to annoy your parents? Those things you knew would irritate them?  No, I never did anything like that. I was a model child. I have no idea what my father’s face looks like if I stand between him and a football game. For all that football was a regular presence in the house, I never took to it. I did take to the second pop culture touchstone; thanks to dad, I found myself fascinated and utterly enthralled with USAmerican comic books.

My father was the one who bought me my first comic book- Marvel Tales #155, a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #17 (by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko). I think I still have it in my enormous comic book collection (its north of 10K) that I really need to pare down. Sorry. Digressed. My memory of my childhood is spotty, but I think the next comic book I owned was Superman Vol. 2 #3 (writing and art by John Byrne).  If memory serves, this comic was in my Christmas stocking in 1987. The next year, my father (who was in the military) was shipped off to north Alabama. That’s when I began collecting comic books. I remember there was a convenience store across the street-Circle K, I think-from the military installation we lived on. On a regular basis, I’d take my allowance and ride my bike to the store and buy a comic book. I also found myself buying comics from private collectors who would set up shop outside the Post Exchange (a shopping center on the base). My collection began to increase substantially when I turned 16 in December of 1991. With a vehicle (my parents bought me a 1984 Mazda B2000) I was able to visit actual comic book stores, and boy did I ever-it was during the 90s that I bought most of my 10K+ collection.

So if there’s a story featuring dueling superhero teams and you ask me which team I’m rooting for, chances are I’ll have an answer.  But if you ask me which football team I want to win, don’t be surprised when you hear “I don’t follow football. I’m not rooting for any team.”

That’s what you’d hear any other year.

This year is different though. This year, for the first time in my 39 years on this several billion year old planet, I’m rooting for a team to win the Super Bowl.

The good-natured Super Bowl rivalry between Captain America star Chris Evans and Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt has moved beyond a charity bet to inspire a charity T-shirt.

As CBR noted last week, Boston native Evans and Seattle resident Pratt dug in for their own Civil War:  If New England wins Super Bowl XLIX, Pratt will don a Patriots jersey and make an appearance at Christopher’s Haven in Boston, which provides a home away from home for young cancer patients and their families while they undergo cancer treatments at nearby hospitals. but if the Seahawks win, Evans will dress as Captain America and visit Seattle Children’s Hospital while carrying a 12th Man flag.

Now TeeFury is getting in on the action with a “Chris Vs. Chris” shirt, featuring the familiar helmets of “The Outlaw” and “The Patriot.” Proceeds from sales benefit Christopher’s haven and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The shirts are available for purchase through Feb. 10.

Who am I backing?

Well, Chris Evans is hotter than Chris Pratt, so I lean toward the Patriots, but really…I want Evans to visit Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and I want Pratt to visit Christopher’s Haven. Because I think that would be an awesome present to the children in both places. Can both teams win? No? Shows you how much I know about football. Maybe they’ll both take up their respective challenges no matter which team wins.

“What football team are you rooting for?”

"What football team are you rooting for?"

To the best of my memory, I first heard that question as a bartender when I worked at Bob Baumhauer’s Wings Sports Grill (which was waaaaay back in the halcyon days of 1999). In the 7 years I worked there, I can’t tell you how many times I got this question. Mostly it was men asking me, but I had more than a few women pose the question too. It wasn’t an outrageous question to ask, given that I was working at a sports themed restaurant, but I found it mildly annoying that people would assume that I was interested in football. Over the years and across multiple jobs, I’ve had the question asked many more times. Hell, at my current job, I was asked just last week.

Here’s the thing: I don’t like USAmerican football. It just doesn’t appeal to me at all. And that’s not from lack of exposure. Growing up, two prominent pop culture touchstones were often found in our household. The first was sports; specifically basketball, baseball, and yes, football. My father was all about sports, and could really get into his games. Talking (sometimes loudly) to the television in response to a play, a referee’s decision, or a player’s conduct? Yeah, that was my pop. You know those things you did deliberately as a child to annoy your parents? Those things you knew would irritate them?  No, I never did anything like that. I was a model child. I have no idea what my father’s face looks like if I stand between him and a football game. For all that football was a regular presence in the house, I never took to it. I did take to the second pop culture touchstone; thanks to dad, I found myself fascinated and utterly enthralled with USAmerican comic books.

My father was the one who bought me my first comic book- Marvel Tales #155, a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #17 (by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko). I think I still have it in my enormous comic book collection (its north of 10K) that I really need to pare down. Sorry. Digressed. My memory of my childhood is spotty, but I think the next comic book I owned was Superman Vol. 2 #3 (writing and art by John Byrne).  If memory serves, this comic was in my Christmas stocking in 1987. The next year, my father (who was in the military) was shipped off to north Alabama. That’s when I began collecting comic books. I remember there was a convenience store across the street-Circle K, I think-from the military installation we lived on. On a regular basis, I’d take my allowance and ride my bike to the store and buy a comic book. I also found myself buying comics from private collectors who would set up shop outside the Post Exchange (a shopping center on the base). My collection began to increase substantially when I turned 16 in December of 1991. With a vehicle (my parents bought me a 1984 Mazda B2000) I was able to visit actual comic book stores, and boy did I ever-it was during the 90s that I bought most of my 10K+ collection.

So if there’s a story featuring dueling superhero teams and you ask me which team I’m rooting for, chances are I’ll have an answer.  But if you ask me which football team I want to win, don’t be surprised when you hear “I don’t follow football. I’m not rooting for any team.”

That’s what you’d hear any other year.

This year is different though. This year, for the first time in my 39 years on this several billion year old planet, I’m rooting for a team to win the Super Bowl.

The good-natured Super Bowl rivalry between Captain America star Chris Evans and Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt has moved beyond a charity bet to inspire a charity T-shirt.

As CBR noted last week, Boston native Evans and Seattle resident Pratt dug in for their own Civil War:  If New England wins Super Bowl XLIX, Pratt will don a Patriots jersey and make an appearance at Christopher’s Haven in Boston, which provides a home away from home for young cancer patients and their families while they undergo cancer treatments at nearby hospitals. but if the Seahawks win, Evans will dress as Captain America and visit Seattle Children’s Hospital while carrying a 12th Man flag.

Now TeeFury is getting in on the action with a “Chris Vs. Chris” shirt, featuring the familiar helmets of “The Outlaw” and “The Patriot.” Proceeds from sales benefit Christopher’s haven and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The shirts are available for purchase through Feb. 10.

Who am I backing?

Well, Chris Evans is hotter than Chris Pratt, so I lean toward the Patriots, but really…I want Evans to visit Seattle’s Children’s Hospital and I want Pratt to visit Christopher’s Haven. Because I think that would be an awesome present to the children in both places. Can both teams win? No? Shows you how much I know about football. Maybe they’ll both take up their respective challenges no matter which team wins.

"What football team are you rooting for?"

The weird, wacky, and bizarre (NSFW)

(Please note the use of the Oxford comma in the title of this post. Oxford comma FTW!)

A deer hunter in Wisconsin found out the hard way that deer don’t like being hunted. The 72-year-old man was hunting with family members when he shot and wounded a deer with a crossbow. What happened next was quite…interesting:

According to the Fond du Lac Reporterthe man was out hunting with some family members on a trail near the town of Taycheedah, when he shot and wounded a doe with a crossbow. It seems the deer was still mobile enough to get away after being shot, and the hunter was unable to find her.

Fond du Lac Sheriff’s officer Jeff Bonack says that the hunter went back later to try and track the deer, when he received what was, no doubt, the surprise of his life. Bonack describes what happened.

Apparently the man was going through some thick brush and the deer leaped out and went after him. The doe struck him in the leg with her head.

The man was taken to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac on Friday evening. There is no word on his condition. Bonack says, “I’m guessing the deer got away.”

Having read many a response by gundamentalists in the wake of various shooting tragedies over the years, I think I know the proper response to this story. The only way to stop a bad guy with a crossbow is to…

Arm all deer!

* * * *

 Mother sees stars

…on the back of a school bus and thinks they are a sign of Satan.

One Mid-South, Memphis, Tennessee mother is all in a tizzy about stars in the taillights of a school bus. She considers them signs of Satan.

As if public schools don’t have enough to worry about, am I right?

Robyn Wilkins was so worked up over the “signs of the devil” that she made sure to take a picture of the bus’ evil taillights when it was stopped in Cordova. She stated:

Anyone who fears a God, if not God and Jesus Christ, should be outraged.

According to Wilkins, any good Christian should be gnashing their teeth with outrage over the stars. After all, how could the school system allow such a thing? Pentagrams on school buses? Forget that they are also harmless five-pointed stars as depicted on the American flag, of all things. No, these stars are EVIL because they’re upside down. Uprights stars are patriotic and should be saluted, pledged to at the beginning of each school day, but flip them upside down and place them on the taillights of a school bus transporting those kids to school and suddenly they are riding in Satan’s sled to fire and brimstone. It’s blasphemy!

The absurdity of it all doesn’t stop there, though – parents are also fighting it out online over social media. Some claim the taillights are hilariously subliminal messages from God’s fallen angel, while others realistically dismiss it as a nothing – a design without intention, malice, or evil symbolic significance.

None of the concerned parents need worry about anything. By the time they are school-aged, most children have already gone through enough religious indoctrination to ward off the demonic power of schoolbus taillights.

* * * *

The moon.

If it was a star, life as we know it wouldn’t exist.

If it was a planet, don’t you think we’d have learned that along with Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto? 9 planets ring a bell?

Not for two QVC hosts:

Recently, if you happened to surf passed the QVC home shopping network, you may have been treated not to discount clothing lines or low, low prices for cookware, but instead two people, both seemingly average, adult humans, yelling at each other about whether the Moon is a “planet” or a “star.”

While showing off a series of floral patterned cardigans, QVC’s Shawn Killinger inexplicably tells her guest, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, that one of his products looks like “what the Earth looks like when you’re a bazillion miles away from the planet Moon.”

At first you may charitably assume that Killinger simply misspoke, but rather than correct herself, she digs deeper by asking Mizrahi “Isn’t the moon a star?”

Mizrahi disagrees. “No, the moon is a planet, darling.”

They start to squabble, before Killinger demands to know if the sun is a star. Mizrahi: “I don’t know what the sun is. We don’t know what the sun is.”

We do. The sun is a star.

At this point, with the camera still awkwardly focusing on a blouse that nobody is paying attention to, the set has devolved into Mizrahi, Killinger, and the combined efforts of the QVC staff scrambling to find out what the moon is.

* * * *

Designer Rick Owens’ new collection lets you rock out with your cock out

In what looks like a bid to take street harassment to a whole new level, designer Rick Owens has a new collection out–one that involves drapey cloaks and penii.  See for yourself:

* * * *

Kentucky lawmaker thinks he is above the law, cites archaic 1891 law to justify driving drunk

[Ke]ntucky state Sen. Brandon Smith’s (R) lawyer argued in court on Wednesday that he should not be charged with driving under the influence because of a provision in the state constitution, WKYT-TV reported.

Smith was arrested on Jan. 6, the opening day of the legislature, and charged with speeding and a DUI after allegedly blowing a .088 on a preliminary breath test. He was also reportedly caught driving at 65 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone.

But attorney Bill Johnson filed a motion to drop the charges saying that, according to Section 43 of the state constitution,Smith should not have been arrested in the first place.

“The members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance on the sessions of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House they shall not be questioned in any other place,” the section reads.

Johnson told the Associated Press that the provision was added to state law in 1891 to “keep legislators from being bothered by people who would arrest them during sessions.”

As the Frankfort State-Journal reported,authorities said that Smith refused to take an official breath test after being taken to jail.

However, Johnson said that his client was “told that he had ‘refused’” after trying to reach him on the jail’s phone for 15 minutes and failing because the phone did not work.

Under state law, Smith’s driver’s license would be revoked if he refused to take a test. But Johnson requested that Smith keep his license until a decision is reached on his motion to dismiss the charges. The senator’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 12.

Ah, the laws only apply to the plebes.  Gotcha.

The weird, wacky, and bizarre (NSFW)

Pro-police supporters act like jack-booted thugs

In protest of the country’s growing police state
Activists gathered on a warm winter date
With satire as a tool, they did peacefully demonstrate
Only to be met with bullying and hate.

In the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and the failure of the grand juries in both cases to indict the officers involved, USAmerica’s criminal justice system is facing mounting public criticism. That criticism has been leveled at the country’s prison-industrial complex, its racially-biased courtrooms, and the increasing number of incidents of police behaving badly.  In what began as a peaceful exercise of their constitutional right to assemble, a group of ignorant (at best) or apathetic (at worst) pro-police activists in Arizona recently decided to express their blind support for jack-booted thugs law enforcement officers. They did not remain peaceful for long and their hostility was captured on video.  From Addicting Info:

A video, uploaded to youtube  on January 18, exposes supporters of the police state for what they are: out of control bullies who use physical force and intimidation to violate the rights of citizens, rather than protecting and defending them.

About 20 counter-protesters exercised their right to peacefully demonstrate during the recent pro-police rally. Two of the counter protesters, one dressed as Adolph Hitler and the other as a Nazi officer, used satire to highlight the mentality of the ‘pro-cop’ supporters. The counter-demonstration obviously struck a nerve with the pro-police bullies, who went out of their way to prove that everything the counter-protesters suggested about them is absolutely true.

The video shows police supporters threatening, pushing and attempting to physically intimidate anyone who is willing to stand up to or speak out against the police state. Because the demonstrators are wrong to characterize them as bullies, Nazis or out of control pigs who think they have the right to push everyone else around?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Whoever “they” are, they need to add a caveat; imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but you ought to give some critical thought to the people you emulate. Imitating authoritarian thugs makes you an authoritarian thug. Watch the video below to see for yourself:

Pro-police supporters act like jack-booted thugs

Irresponsible Gun Owner Link Round Up 1.22.15

Multiple choice quiz:

Which of the following four options is an irresponsible use of a firearm:

A. Self-defense

B. Target practice at a firing range

C. 3-volley salute at a military funeral

D.  Pointing a firearm at children and admonishing them for not picking up the trash

If you picked ‘D’, then congratulations, you’re not an asshole. If however, you think ‘D’ is an example of a responsible use of a firearm, as William Lee Brokar apparently does, then you shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun:

Schools locked down for about an hour as a precaution Thursday while sheriff’s deputies investigated a report of a man pointing a gun at two youth who declined to pick up trash in a vacant lot.

Deputies responded and initially couldn’t find the man.

They later located William Lee Brokar, 67, who matched the suspect description, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said Brokar told some kids to pick up trash in the vacant lot next to the community market. The youth went inside to report what happened.

Deputies arrested Brokar on charges of menacing, kidnapping, coercion, pointing a firearm at a person, carrying a concealed knife and carrying a concealed pistol.

The nearby school was locked down for about an hour.

* * * *

5-year-old Missouri boy kills 9-month-old brother with gun found in parents’ bedroom

[A 5]-year-old Missouri boy found a handgun and accidentally shot and killed his infant brother.

The boys’ mother initially told Nodaway County sheriff’s deputies the older boy had shot his 9-month-old brother in the head with a paintball gun, reported WDAF-TV.

But deputies determined the boy had found a loaded .22-caliber Magnum revolver on a shelf built into the headboard of the master bed.

The infant was in a playpen in the same room when he was shot, reported KCTV-TV.

The gun belonged to another family member and not the mother, authorities said.

* * * *

 Young girl hospitalized because her father is a gundamentalist who does not treat firearms seriously

Colleyville spokeswoman Mona Gandy said the girl’s father was showing visitors his handgun at his home on Douglas Avenue when the gun discharged just before midnight. The bullet went through a wall and struck his 10-year-old daughter, who was in another room, in the hand, Gandy said.

The girl’s mother drove her to a nearby emergency room in Colleyville and the girl was flown to the hospital for treatment, Gandy said.

Police arrested the girl’s father, Steven Johnson, 53, on a charge of injury to a child, Gandy said. Johnson is at Keller jail.

Wouldn’t a responsible gun owner ensure that the gun was not loaded before showing it off?

* * * *

Oath Keeper Sheriff  calls on New Yorkers to defy the law

Sheriff Thomas Lorey told a gathering of Oath Keepers that he volunteered Fulton County to take part in a pilot program for a new state system for updating handgun licenses.

“They’re going to send out 500 invitations in my county, and that’s all they are is invitations,” Lorey told the group. “The invitation is going to ask if you’d like to renew early and go online and get on their Facebook page or whatever it is and renew your permit. I’m asking everybody to gets those invitations to throw them in the garbage, because that’s where they belong.”

Lorey, an outspoken Second Amendment advocate, believes the law is unconstitutional.

“They go in the garbage because, for 100 years or more, since the inception of pistol permits, nobody’s ever been required to renew them,” the sheriff said. “It’s a ridiculous way that’s going to cost you money at some point in your life, even when though they say it isn’t.”

The NY SAFE Act, passed in 2013, requires all handgun permit holders to be recertified by 2018 and then update their permits every five years with their local county clerk or sheriff.

“I want everybody to understand if you get a letter like that, don’t do it,” Lorey said. “Let’s have everybody’s permit expire on the same day and let them see what they’re going to do with it.”

Oath Keepers are made up mostly of retired or active-duty law enforcement or military personnel who have pledged not to enforce or obey gun restrictions or other laws they deem unconstitutional.

Lorey said he expected a court to eventually strike down at least portions of the law, which has been challenged by gun-rights advocates.

“In the meantime, I want to assure you that everybody in Fulton County has nothing to fear from the sheriff’s office,” Lorey said. “We have real criminals and real crime to occupy our time with.”

Makes me wonder what other laws this sheriff chooses not to obey or enforce.

* * * *

 Florida 2-year-old fatally shoots himself after finding gun in dad’s car

The Pinellas County sheriff said 2-year-old Kaleb Ahles was placed in the car by his father about 4:45 p.m. as they moved out of their home, reported WFLA-TV.

The boy found a .380 caliber handgun his father kept in the vehicle, investigators said.

Kevin Ahles heard a gunshot, turned around, and saw his son bleeding from a wound to his chest, the sheriff said.

“It’s just one of those things that happens where everything lined up the wrong way where we had a 2 1/2-year-old that was able to take a gun, pick it up, turn it around, and he shot himself dead center in the middle of the chest,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

The boy’s mother, Christina Nigro, and his aunt performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but the child was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Irresponsible Gun Owner Link Round Up 1.22.15

Police Behaving Badly 1.21.15

‘Caught up in the moment’, deputy beats wheelchair bound inmate

According to a press release from the sheriff’s office on Tuesday, the incident occurred when 47-year-old Deputy Raymond Ferrio was escorting an inmate to the infirmary on Oct. 1, The St. Petersburg Tribune reported.

The inmate, who was in a wheelchair, had tried to resist being moved by putting his feet on the floor. The press release said that Ferrio put his arms around the inmate’s neck, and threw him to the floor. The impact caused the inmate’s dentures to shatter.

The statement said that Ferrio punched and kicked the inmate while he was on the floor. The inmate was then secured with restraints.

According to the sheriff’s office, the inmate never posed a threat to Ferrio or other staff members.

Ferrio later admitted that he had not been justified in using force. He explained his actions by saying that he “got caught up in the moment,” the press release said. He had been an employee of the Department of Detention and Corrections since July 2000.

* * * *

 A Columbia, SC police officer is caught on camera repeatedly punching man who’s lying face down on pavement

The video, uploaded to facebook Sunday morning, quickly got the attention of media and the Columbia police department. It shows Investigator Tyrone Pugh, an eight year veteran of the CPD, allegedly involved in a severe case of excessive force.

Chief Skip Holbrook learned about the video through social media and started an internal investigation. Upon seeing the video, Pugh was placed on suspension, pending an internal investigation.

Officials say five off-duty police officers were in the parking lot of Sound Stage, off Blanding Street, around 2 a.m. when a fight broke out.

That’s when an onlooker captured video of officers arriving to the scene and trying to control the crowd.

As Pugh brutally hammers down on the man, a woman can be heard screaming, “Why are you punching him?”

“Back the f*ck up!” Pugh shouts back.

“I know there are multiple sides to the story,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin told The State Monday. “(The video) left me gravely concerned as to what the possible circumstances might have been, and I shared that with the chief and he acted accordingly.”

There may be multiple sides to the story, but that doesn’t mean each side is equal.

* * * *

Police assault and handcuff wrong man. But it’s okay, they they “Did it in good faith”

Police in a town just outside of St. Louis recently assaulted and handcuffed the wrong person during a high speed chase. 22-year-old Joseph Swink was driving down the road, minding his own business last week, when his car was hit by a vehicle that was in a high speed chase with police.

Swink’s car was hit by the fleeing suspect, who continued to speed down the road after the collision. Instead of following after the suspect, police stopped the car that had been hit. Then they proceeded to assault and detain Joseph Swink, thinking that he was the man they were after.

As police arrived on the scene of the crash and saw Swink, they came after him as if he was the person that they were chasing. He then tried to explain to them what happened, and who he was, but according to the police department this could be considered resisting arrest. Police tackled Swink to the ground and handcuffed him as he attempted to explain the situation.

Police Chief Aaron Jimenez admitted to the incident and apologized in a statement to reporters.

“We did put handcuffs on the wrong guy, and I apologize for that. But they did it in good faith. It was literally an accident. He gets out and runs toward the back of the car, so they grab him, toss him on the ground. They didn’t Tase him. They didn’t use batons. They didn’t kick him in the face. They definitely put him on the ground and were trying to get handcuffs on him while he’s squirming around. And he’s resisting arrest because he’s trying to tell the police that it’s not him,Jimenez said in a statement.

The police department refuses to accept any responsibility in the matter, in fact, Chief Jimenez has blamed the assault on the suspect, and said that the officers will not be disciplined because they “made an honest mistake.”

“I apologize for the mistaken identity, I am sorry he got put into that situation because of the suspect,” Jimenez Said.

However, Swink wants the officers to lose their jobs for such indiscriminate use of force.

“I don’t know what they were thinking. I’m just shocked that all of this happened,” Swink said.

According to the St. Ann Police Department, the actual suspect who was being chased was 32-year-old Anton Simmons, who was later arrested after crashing his car again a few miles down the road.

Dear Police Chief: that was what we call a not-pology.

* * * *

 ‘Freeloader’ cops ignore most calls on Florida campuses where they live rent-free

[Th]e Resident on Campus Security (ROCS) program — which allows police officers to live rent- and utility-free in trailers on Broward County Public Schools campuses — is coming under fire after an internal audit determined that the program is “not adequately supervised,” “operating with an expired lease agreement,” and that almost 91 percent of the emergency calls from ROCS campuses are answered by local police departments instead of ROCS officers.

The ROCS program was founded in the 1980s to address theft, vandalism, and trespassing on school campuses, but according to the school board’s chief auditor, Patrick Reilly, even if it were adequately overseen, it would still be unnecessary.

“The existing technology of alarm systems and fire alarm systems, along with the implementation of single point of entry, surveillance cameras, [Broward District Schools Police Department] staff on call and an Alarm Monitoring Unit that monitors security alarms at all school sites 24 hours a day, 7 days per week,” makes the ROCS officers an expensive luxury.

According to WPLG, the program is “in shambles.”

The audit revealed that no data was compiled or maintained about the program since 2013, and that it has been operating with expired lease agreements since 2010. Moreover, ROCS management personnel had no means of determining whether the officers it oversaw complied with the terms of their agreement with their host school.

At one of the trailers, believed to be on the grounds of a Coral Springs elementary school, the officer moved out without notice — and rented it out to people without performing a background check.

Andrew Ladanowski, chair of Broward County Schools Facilities Task Force, told WPLG that “obviously, they couldn’t provide anybody security on site. I don’t think it’s appropriate use of facilities — these trailers have taken valuable recreational space, and in some cases, created additional challenges to the facilities department when additional classrooms are required.”

“The only beneficiary I see,” he added, “is the freeloader living in these trailers.”

* * * *

Man invokes 5th Amendment, Cops tell him to “throw all legal mumbo jumbo out the window”

Dilshod Tulyoganov, was accused by a Georgia State Trooper of not coming to a complete stop before making a turn. As the driver of the vehicle, Tulyoganov is required by law to produce identification. When asked for his ID Tulyoganov complies and hands the officer his Georgia driver’s license.

From this point on is where the stop begins to turn ugly.

“I flexed my rights and he ignored it,” Dilshod told the Free Thought Project. “Because I didn’t kiss his boots he humiliated me in front of people.”

Because of the SCOTUS ruling in Salinas v. Texas, you are now expected to know that you have a right against self-incrimination, and unless you specifically and clearly invoke this right, anything you say or do not say, including your mannerisms at the time you stop talking, can be used against you. You actually have to say, “I do not answer questions.”

Don’t concern yourself with what kind of interrogation you’re in. Don’t worry about whether Salinas applies in your particular situation. Just invoke your 5th Amendment right immediately, verbally, and clearly.

When Trooper Johnston asks if his address on the license is correct, Tulyoganov specifically invokes his 5th Amendment right and replies by stating, “I’d rather not answer.”

He states this several times before Johnston tells him that “you don’t have a choice [but] to answer.” Apparently trooper Johnston feels that the right to remain silent does not apply in this instance. However, Tulyoganov stands his ground and Johnston eventually backs down.

Johnston then proceeds to tell Tulyoganov that he stopped him for not coming to a complete stop when he came off of the interstate and then goes back to his unit to write the ticket.

Several minutes pass before Johnston returns to the vehicle and demands that Tulyoganov get out of his car; approximately 5:20 in the video. Tulyoganov tells Johnston that he’d rather stay in the car to which Johnston replies, “you don’t have a choice,” and pulls open the door.

Let’s recap, Tulyoganov was pulled over for a minor traffic offense and was going to be issued a citation for a rolling stop. There was no need for Tulyoganov to exit his vehicle in order to receive this citation. So, whether or not the order by Johnston for Tulyoganov to exit his vehicle was lawful is up for question.

Rightfully so, Tulyoganov requests a supervisor. While they wait for the supervisor to arrive Johnston clearly becomes agitated with this man, who is calmly and politely asserting his rights.

“I don’t think you understand, this is MY traffic stop…..all you had to do is do what I ask.” Apparently asking and demanding are similar words in the vocabulary of trooper Johnston.

When Tulyoganov tries to close his door Johnston has enough and assaults Tulyoganov by ripping him out of his vehicle and placing him in handcuffs. The entire time Tulyoganov proclaims that he is complying because he is under duress.

At this point the video goes black as it was put into Tulyoganov’s pocket as he’s cuffed. For several minutes the discussion is inaudible but we can here Tulyoganov tell Johnston several times that he believes he is being kidnapped.

At 14:20 in the video, the supervisor, apparently clueless as to what is actually going on, arrives on the scene and can be heard clearly. The supervisor thinks that Tulyoganov has refused to provide his identification, which was not the case at all. Once the supervisor realizes that they have a man in handcuffs for no reason whatsoever, he attempts to justify trooper Johnston’s actions by hypothetically explaining that he would have done the same thing.

During this entire series of events, not one time do the officers actually show any knowledge of Tulyoganov’s right to remain silent. Instead of acknowledging the man’s rights the supervisor makes an attempt to justify their unconstitutional actions by telling Tulyoganov,

 

“If you have nothing to hide…let’s throw all the legal mumbo jumbo out the window sir. Let’s play on big boy terms. Let’s not play the lawyer game and ‘my rights are violated’ game or none of that bullcrap today.”

Apparently, to these two Georgia state troopers, the constitution is “legal mumbo jumbo” not worthy of discussion.

Tulyoganov held out for as long as he could while being shaken down by two armed men who are seemingly ignorant of the law, but after their relentless barrage, he begins to answer.

Police Behaving Badly 1.21.15

The Fabulous Art of: Emma Rios

Emma Rios Maneiro is a comic book artist and illustrator based in Spain. Her first work in the U.S. market was for the BOOM! Studios title Hexed.  Rios has gone on to illustrate several Marvel Comics titles, including Strange (a 2010 miniseries featuring Dr. Strange), which was my introduction to her work. Below is some of her delightful artwork:

A convention sketch for Callum Wilson.

You can check out more of Emma Rios’ work on her Flickr page.

The Fabulous Art of: Emma Rios

What would YOU like to ask the White House?

Imagine sitting down with the President to discuss the issues of the day while munching on a piece of a 1,400 pound block of cheese. Hard to conceive eh? That’s exactly what happened back in February, 1837. President Andrew Jackson did just that-holding an open house in the White House foyer for thousands of citizens and his staff. Last year, the Obama administration-ostensibly in an effort to make themselves appear more open and transparent-resurrected this charming (tho a bit antiquated) idea in the form of ‘Big Block of Cheese‘ Day.

Here at the White House, we’re dedicated to making President Obama’s administration the most open and accessible in history. That’s why, for the second year in a row, we thought it’d be a gouda idea to brie-unite a certain cast of characters to help us bring back a tradition that dates back to the days of President Andrew Jackson.

On February 22, 1837, President Jackson had a 1,400-pound block of cheese hauled into the main foyer of the White House for an open house with thousands of citizens and his staff, where they discussed the issues of the day while carving off slabs of cheddar.

This year, we aim to do even feta. On Wednesday, January 21, in fromage to President Jackson (and to President Bartlet, if you’re a fan of The West Wing), we’re hosting the second-annual virtual Big Block of Cheese Day, where members of the Obama administration will take to social media to answer your questions about the President’s State of the Union address and the issues that are most important to you.

Log on to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, and ask away using the hashtag #AskTheWH. We’ll do our best to answer as many questions as we can.

So be sure to visit WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU to watch the State of the Union address on January 20, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET and check out the schedule of all the ways you can engage on the following day, January 21. We camembert to think you’d miss it.

While I’m sure there will be more than a few people asking snide or ridiculous questions (coughcoughteapartynitwitscoughcough and coughcoughrepublicandunderheadscoughcough), there are plenty of legitimate questions one could ask of the Obama administration. For each of the blocks of time conveniently set aside by the White House for a specific topic, I’ve come up with a question (or two) I’d love to hear an answer for:

9:15 a.m. ET: Housing in America

Instead of continuing with plans to create a fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Jets, why not spend that money on housing every homeless person in the United States?

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET: General Overview and State of the Union Themes

  • Director of the Office of Public Engagement Paulette Aniskoff – @PAniskoff44

  • Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary – @Schultz44

  • Associate Communications Director Stephanie Young – @Stephanie44

  • Deputy Communications Director Amy Brundage – @Brundage44

Contrary to the beliefs of Republican or Tea Party officials, the Democratic Party doesn’t lean left very much and is definitely not progressive. What, if any, efforts are underway to shift the Party platform in a more progressive direction?

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET: Education, Immigration, and Latino Issues

  • Dr. Jill Biden – @DrBiden

  • Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz – @Cecilia44

  • Executive Director of Reach Higher Eric Waldo – @ReachHigher

  • Director of Hispanic Media Katherine Vargas – @Vargas44

  • Deputy Director of Hispanic Media Antoinette Rangel – @LaCasaBlanca

  • Department of Education – @USEdGov

Given the importance of an educated populace, what efforts are underway at the federal level to assist the 30+ states who-having slashed their budgets during the Great Recession-still provide schools with less funding per student than they did 7 years ago?

In 2013, the Obama administration deported a record 438,421 undocumented immigrants. In what way (if at all) does the United States benefit from deporting immigrants?

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET: Climate, Energy and Conservation

  • Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz – @ErnestMoniz

  • Special Assistant to the President for Energy & Climate Change – @Utech44

  • Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell – @SecretaryJewell

  • Department of Interior – @Interior

  • Environmental Protection Agency – @EPA

  • Department of Energy – @Energy

Despite vague and often unsubstantiated claims of overreaching regulations, the EPA is a vital agency that provides important public protections and resources, so why does it keep getting its funding slashed?

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET: Economic opportunity, infrastructure, minimum wage, and women’s economic agenda

  • Member of the Council of Economic Advisers Betsey Stevenson – @CEABetsey

  • Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget – @DeeseOMB

  • Secretary of Labor Tom Perez – @LaborSec

  • Department of Labor – @USDOL

  • Department of Transportation – @USDOT

  • Counselor to the President John Podesta – @Podesta44 (climate)

In 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the United States a D+ on its infrastructure report card. While the President urged lawmakers to fund upgrades to U.S. infrastructure, what concrete efforts is the Obama administration making to improve the infrastructure of the country?

Why is there not a fair (and tied to inflation) minimum wage applicable to all 50 states and why are states allowed to set their own minimum wages?

One of the effects of intimate partner violence is a reduction in productivity of women in the workforce. Why has the Violence Against Women Act not been passed yet?

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

  • Director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy Dr. John Holdren – @WhiteHouseOSTP
  • U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith – @USCTO
  • OSTP Assistant Director for Strategic Communications and Senior Policy Analyst Kristin Lee – @Lee44

The United States has fallen far behind other industrialized nations in math, science, and technology. Reducing (or eliminating) the unique barriers women and People of Color face in higher education (such as stereotype threat and the opportunity gap) is important if the US is to truly compete in a global economy. What efforts are underway to push back against these barriers?

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Foreign Policy

Like his predecessor, President Obama has engaged in an overseas Drone War.  Seven countries have been bombed, with civilians and suspected terrorists being killed indiscriminately. What evidence exists that killing one’s opponents is an effective means of reducing the threat of terrorism? Moreover, how can the United States condemn terrorism when they engage in the same tactics as the people they consider the “bad guys”?

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Health Care

  • Assistant Press Secretary Jessica Santillo – @Santillo44

  • Department of Health and Human Services – @HHSGov

While the Affordable Healthcare Act has brought healthcare to millions of USAmericans, all human beings are entitled to healthcare. When will the United States government stop focusing so much on the profits of corporations and start paying attention to the needs of its citizenry in matters of health?

For some reason, I don’t think I’d get open and transparent answers to my questions.

What would YOU like to ask the White House?

YouTube fan creates awesome trailers for movies that will never happen

YouTube user and comic book fan Alex Luthor has a penchant for creating unique movie trailers. Through a melding of movies, television shows, video games, and even unseen TV pilots, Luthor has created trailers for comic book movies that will probably never be produced by Warner Bros. or Marvel Studios. Still, that makes me appreciate the effort he took to create believable trailers like the following:

Marvel vs DC

Avengers vs the X-Men

and his most recent video, which pits the heroes of the Marvel and DC universes against a powerful force:

YouTube fan creates awesome trailers for movies that will never happen