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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Mike Rowe’s Response to a Dying Special Forces Soldier is What Every American Needs to Read to End 2016

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By Tribunist Staff
 In recent months, Mike Rowe has become known for his impassioned and emotional Facebook posts just as much, if not more so, than his string of hit television shows. Today, Mike posted another update to his popular Facebook page about a special forces soldier who is going through a very tough time with ALS.

Apparently, Mike had received a communication from Justin, a former Special Forces soldier who fought for the United States before his body began failing him. Mike wrote back to the young man and it was just recently that he received Mike’s message.
That’s when Justin’s parents sent another letter to Mike and inspired Mike to write another poignant response.
Here is the letter received by Rowe from Justin’s parents:
Dear Mike: I sit here in tears, because of you.
Our son Justin – a strong willed, a special forces military man who fought in countries where most of us will never go, loves to watch and read about you. “Totally an admirable man.” That’s what he always says about you.
Our son is dying from ALS. Later this afternoon, he had a horrible experience causing him great discomfort both physical and emotional. After a little time to calm down, and with the help of his girlfriend, they opened his mail, and found what you sent. It brought tears to his eyes just knowing you took the time out to acknowledge him.
So, from two parents who are watching their son die a slow and horrible death, brought on by defending our freedom in other countries, we send you our deepest gratitude.
Sincerely
Diane Dodson
That’s when the always eloquent Rowe went into another heartfelt Facebook post that likely left thousands of people, not just Justin’s parents, with a tear in their eye.
Hi Diane,
I suspect words like “Merry” and “Happy” are difficult to hear at the moment, so I’ll forego the holiday greetings, and simply say “you’re welcome.”
I was very sad to learn of your son’s illness, and deeply humbled that a man like Justin finds me “admirable.” Please assure him the feeling is mutual.
The truth is, acknowledging Justin’s service is both an honor and a privilege. I know that my freedom and my liberty were bought and paid for by people like your son. I know his freedom is now being removed one day at a time. I know that his liberty is being slowly denied, by an enemy he cannot overcome.
I would like you to know, that your note reminded me of just how tenuous it all is. Our freedom. Our liberty. Our health. It’s all so fragile. And so damn easy to take for granted.
Sooner or later, our bodies will fail us. There are no exceptions. But what Justin did with his body while it was still in his control, has left me forever in his debt, and mindful of what matters most. Because ultimately, there is no greater threat to our freedom, than a lack of gratitude to those who provide it.
Your note is a reminder that acknowledging soldiers like Justin, requires me to count our many blessings, and vow to be a better version of myself. Actually Diane, it’s more than a reminder – it’s a gift. A gift from you and your son.
A gift for which we, the undersigned, are most grateful.
Mike

Here is the full post from Rowe’s page:

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Friday, December 30, 2016

CA - Amid Massive Backlash, DA Drops DUI Charges Against Man Who Tested Positive for Caffeine

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More Cali Shame....
(Excerpt from the article which I completely agree with. And oh btw, SNOPES is NOT a trusted source either)
Schwab’s case, once again, serves as further evidence that given a badge and a title, officers can get away with anything. These mistakes and missteps in policing are costing thousands of dollars for innocent people to defend against, needlessly clogs the court systems, and ultimately ends up solving no crimes.
If a man can be charged with a DUI for having caffeine in his system, no one is safe from police and their lawless quest to generate revenue from bogus charges.


Thanks in part to public exposure brought about by alternative media sites such as The Free Thought Project and others, Joseph Schwab of Fairfield, CA, will not face felony driving under the influence (DUI) charges for operating his vehicle while under the effects of caffeine. Yes. That’s right. Caffeine.
However, police note that they are still charging him with reckless driving.
TFTP brought attention to Schwab’s case on Monday in our first story. And on Wednesday, the Solano County, CA District Attorney Krishna Abrams, announced they were dropping the DUI charges against Schwab. “After further consideration, without a confirmatory test of the specific drug in the defendant’s system that impaired his ability to drive, we do not believe we can prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” the press release reads.
Despite their best attempts to charge this man with a DUI, they were unable to find anything other than caffeine in his system.

According to KCRA, Abrams still believes some drug other than caffeine was in Schwab’s system, but that testing didn’t reveal it.

“Do we wish that it could test for more drugs?” Abrams said of their testing system. “Absolutely, because then we would know what was in his system.”
So, for 16 months these charges lingered over Schwab’s head — based solely on the hunch of a DA.
On Wednesday, Snopes attempted to ‘debunk’ the story by claiming that the Free Thought Project “(implied) his legal troubles were the result of merely drinking too much coffee.”
However, that is not at all what was reported. In fact, the Free Thought Project simply covered the police department’s own admission that Schwab was charged with a DUI and the only drug in his system at the time was caffeine. These two facts are indisputable. However, the supposed arbiter of ‘fake news’ insisted on slandering the Free Thought Project anyway.
John Vibes of TFTP described the arrest which took place in 2015, “Schwab was driving home from work when he was pulled over by an agent from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, who was driving an unmarked vehicle. The agent said Schwab had cut her off and was driving erratically. The officer claims that Schwab cut her off and she gave him a breathalyzer which showed a blood alcohol content of 0.00%. Unfortunately, the officer was still not convinced. So, she arrested him and took him to jail so his blood could be drawn for other drugs. His blood tests came back negative for all illegal drugs. But he did test positive for caffeine. For some reason, this was enough to charge Schwab with a DUI,” Vibes wrote.
Neither a highway patrolman, a county, nor a city police officer arrested Schwab, but rather an Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) agent made the arrest. According to the Daily Republic, Michelle Ott, was the ABC agent who arrested him.

Ott is assigned to the Bay Area field enforcement office and reportedly made 54 arrests in 2014 for “crimes related to underage drinking and 36 other arrests, including for public drunkenness and sales to intoxicated patrons at and around businesses licensed by the ABC.”
While Ott did indeed conduct a field sobriety test, and felt strongly that Schwab was under the influence of some illicit substance, the toxicology report came back negative, and should have immediately resulted in all DUI charges being dropped. But Schwab had to fight the charges for over a year before ultimately not being charged with the crime.
Schwab’s case, once again, serves as further evidence that given a badge and a title, officers can get away with anything. These mistakes and missteps in policing are costing thousands of dollars for innocent people to defend against, needlessly clogs the court systems, and ultimately ends up solving no crimes.

If a man can be charged with a DUI for having caffeine in his system, no one is safe from police and their lawless quest to generate revenue from bogus charges.

USA - FederalReserve

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The #FederalReserve has devalued the currency, acted as the funding mechanism for countless unconstitutional programs - and shouldn't even exist.


After states legalized medical marijuana, traffic deaths fell....

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"Legalization of medical marijuana is not linked with increased traffic fatalities, a new study finds. In some states, in fact, the number of people killed in traffic accidents dropped after medical marijuana laws were enacted."

BABE OF THE DAY

Thursday, December 29, 2016

CA - Devils Ride Postscript

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agingrebel.com
http://www.agingrebel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/devils-ride.jpg

Tommy “Gipsy” Quinn, a star of a “reality “ television show named The Devils Ride which ran on the Discovery Channel from May 8, 2012 until March 10, 2014 has won a legal victory in his attempt to vindicate himself of charges that he molested his ex-wife’s eight and 10-year-old daughters from a previous marriage.
In a video recorded interview with a forensic child psychologist employed by child welfare services, one of the two girls graphically reported being molested by Quinn. Quinn later described the girl’s demeanor during the interview as “bizarre” and “rehearsed.” Quinn was arrested on August 28, 2012 while visiting Carla Sottile, the girls’ mother and Quinn’s then wife at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California.

Gipsy

The television show, produced by Bischoff Hervey Entertainment Television, LLC about a San Diego motorcycle club named the Laffing Devils, was promoted as: “Life inside one of Southern California’s biggest motorcycle clubs doesn’t come easy…but it’s sure intriguing. For the first time ever, The Laffing Devils allows a never-before-seen look into the gritty world of motorcycle clubs.”
The Laffing Devils was a real motorcycle club and Quinn was one of its founders. The club disbanded during the first of the show’s three seasons. During the run of the show, Carla Sottile was a San Diego police officer. The network listed Quinn’s profession as “bounty hunter.”
The initial accusation that Quinn had molested the girls was made by Christopher and Carie Keller. Christopher Keller is the girls’ father and Carla Sottile’s first husband. At the time Keller accused Quinn of molesting the girls, Keller and Sottile were engaged in a longstanding dispute in family court over custody of the girls.

E.D.

After he made bail, Quinn hired a lawyer named Richard Berkon who showed police evidence that indicated Quinn was incapable of the crimes. According to Berkon, Quinn suffered from erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation at the time of the alleged molestation and was suffering from a service related back injury that made him unable to lift more than ten pounds. The charges against Quinn were dropped.
Quinn believes the accusation of child molestation shamed him and caused him to lose his job as the “star” of a television show. After the incident, Carla Sottile also divorced him. And according to the The San Diego Union-Tribune, Quinn is “now working odd jobs.”
Quinn filed suit against the Kellers in August 2014. In general in California, a “person reporting a known or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect shall not incur civil or criminal liability as a result of any report authorized by this article unless it can be proven that a false report was made and the person knew that the report was false or was made with reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the report, and any person who makes a report of child abuse or neglect known to be false or with reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the report is liable for any damages caused.” Quinn thinks he can prove the Kellers “recklessly” accused him.
The Kellers were served with Quinn’s complaint in March 2015. In August of that year, they moved that Quinn’s suit should be dismissed. A trial court first granted then denied their motion, eventually ruling that Quinn could probably prove that the Kellers “had coached” the two girls “to falsely accuse Quinn of sexual abuse.”

The Kellers appealed that ruling. Yesterday, the California Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeal ruled that Quinn could proceed with his lawsuit.

BABE OF THE DAY

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Ventura Ca - Promoter of cyclist toy drive disputes police characterization

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, megan.diskin@vcstar.com, 
805-437-0258
A promoter of a toy-collection event put on earlier this month by a Ventura motorcycle club disputes police allegations that the event was affiliated with gangs.
Jerry Jeffreys was one of a few people to contact The Star saying they disliked that authorities used the word "gang" to describe the motorcycle clubs that attended the event.
Jeffreys, a member of the Sons of Hell motorcycle club, helped organize the Dec. 18 event at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall at 3801 Market St. in Ventura. The event was hosted by the Ventura chapter of Hells Angels, which puts on a toy drive every year, Jeffreys said.
Jeffreys said he helped promote the event by sharing it on social media and contacted the recipient of the collected toys, RAIN Transitional Living Center, a housing program for homeless families.
Local law enforcement agencies conducted high-visibility directed enforcement in the area on the day of the event after seeing a flier stating that Hells Angels was the host and alcohol would be served, said Sgt. Brian Slominski, of the Ventura County sheriff's gang unit.
"Events like these are held every year throughout the country and historically tend to have illegal street racing, alcohol-fueled violence and shootings," the Ventura County Sheriff's Office stated in a news release.
To prevent these illegal activities, the gang unit and Ventura police conducted their enforcement efforts, Slominski said. Five people were arrested on suspicion of drug and weapon violations and 16 traffic-related violations were issued, but not inside the event, he said.
"We were off the property completely," Slominski said.
Make sure to get out and support and bring some
Although these groups use the term "motorcycle clubs," they are motorcycle gangs in the eyes of law enforcement, Slominski said.
Jeffreys said he thinks the term is derogatory and has a negative connotation. He said motorcycle clubs and people associated with these groups should not be looked upon poorly.
"It makes the people who attended feel like they're part of something they're not," Jeffreys said. The toy drive included Christian and veterans motorcycle clubs, Jeffreys said.
Slominski said not all of the people who were at the event were affiliated with gang activity but that based on the information officials had, he stands by the enforcement efforts.
Jeffreys said he understood why law enforcement officers might be in the area during the event but said the high number of uniformed officers was a bit much. He also said that even though officers were not on the property, many of the people at the event were stopped by officers simply because they went to the toy drive.

"That's profiling," Jeffreys said. "That's harassment."

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

CA - DMV Reminds Motorists of New 2017 Laws

OFF THE WIRE
By California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Sacramento December 21, 2016 – With the New Year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to inform the public of several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect on January 1, 2017. The following are summaries of some transportation-related laws taking effect.
Use of Electronic Wireless Devices (AB 1785, Quirk): Driving a motor vehicle while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or a wireless electronic communications device will be prohibited, unless the device is mounted on a vehicle’s windshield or is mounted/affixed to a vehicle’s dashboard or center console in a manner that does not hinder the driver’s view of the road. The driver’s hand may only be used to activate or deactivate a feature or function on the device with the motion of a single swipe or tap of the driver’s finger, but not while holding it. The law does not apply to manufacturer-installed systems that are embedded in a vehicle.
Child Safety Seats (AB 53, Garcia): This law requires a parent, legal guardian, or the driver of a motor vehicle to properly secure a child who is younger than 2 years of age in an appropriate rear-facing child passenger restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches in height (3 feet, 3 inches).
Motorcycle Lane Splitting (AB 51, Quirk): This law defines “lane splitting” as driving a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane. The law authorizes the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to develop educational guidelines relating to lane splitting in a manner that would ensure the safety of motorcyclists, drivers, and passengers. In developing these guidelines, the law requires the CHP to consult with specified agencies and organizations that have an interest in road safety and motorcyclist behavior.
Vehicle Registration Fee (SB 838, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review): This law increases the vehicle registration fee on every vehicle or trailer coach from $43 to $53 beginning April 1, 2017.
Environmental License Plate (SB 839, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review): This law increases the fee for the issuance of Environmental License Plates from $43 to $53, starting July 1, 2017. This law also increases the fee for the renewal, retention, transfer, or duplication of Environmental License Plates (personalized) from $38 to $43, starting January 1, 2017.
Accident Reporting (SB 491, Committee on Transportation and Housing): This law increases the minimum financial threshold for property damage that is required to be reported to the DMV from $750 to $1,000 when a driver is involved in a motor vehicle collision.
Vehicle Safety Recalls (AB 287, Gordon): This law enacts the Consumer Automotive Recall Safety (CARS) Act, and requires the DMV to include a general advisory regarding vehicle recalls and needed repairs on each vehicle registration renewal notice. This law prohibits a dealer or a rental car company from renting or loaning a vehicle with a manufacturer’s recall no later than 48 hours after receiving the notice—until the vehicle has been repaired. This law gives a limited exception for a licensed dealer or a rental car company with a fleet of 34 or fewer loaner or rental vehicles. The law authorizes the DMV to suspend or revoke a vehicle dealer’s license if they violate the CARS Act.
Year of Manufacture License Plates (SB 1429, Nielsen): This law expands the Year of Manufacture (YOM) license plate program to include vehicles and license plates manufactured through 1980. This law benefits owners of vintage motor vehicles who obtain license plates from the year corresponding to the vehicle’s model-year, and wish to use those vintage plates in lieu of regular license plates. Such plates are commonly found from different sources, including relatives, garage sales, estate sales, etc. The program will include the blue and yellow license plates issued for use on California motor vehicles from 1970 until 1980.
Background Checks of Drivers of Transportation Network Companies (AB 1289, Cooper): A transportation network company (TNC) will be required to perform a comprehensive background check of all their drivers. This law also specifies penalties for a TNC that violates or fails to comply with this requirement. A TNC will be prohibited from contracting with, employing, or retaining a driver if they are registered on the U.S. Department of Justice National Sex Offender public website, has been convicted of specified felonies, or within the previous seven years, has been convicted of a misdemeanor assault or battery, domestic violence, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Any TNC in violation of the specified requirements is subject to a penalty of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000 for each offense.
Installing Counterfeit or Nonfunctional Air Bags (AB 2387, Mullin): This law prohibits knowingly and intentionally manufacturing, importing, installing, reinstalling, distributing, or selling any device intended to replace an air bag system in any motor vehicle if the device is a counterfeit or nonfunctional air bag system, or does not meet federal safety requirements. The law also prohibits selling, installing, or reinstalling any device that would cause a vehicle’s diagnostic system to fail to warn when the vehicle is equipped with a counterfeit, nonfunctional, or a case in which no air bag was installed. This violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine and/or up to a one year in county jail.

We are all humans first

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Monday, December 26, 2016

From guns to sex crimes to texting, the new laws affecting California in 2017

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BABE OF THE WEEK MELISSA






Friday, December 23, 2016

CA - 'Bullet Button' Ban And Other Calif. Gun Laws Take Effect On Jan. 1

OFF THE WIRE
Ben Bradford 
California lawmakers and voters approved major changes to state gun laws this year. Some have already gone into effect, some start at the beginning of the new year, while others don’t kick in until later. Here's a brief rundown of major changes.

ALREADY IN EFFECT

As soon as Proposition 63 passed last month, it required gun dealers to report lost or stolen weapons.

The ballot measure also bars a person convicted of stealing a gun from owning a firearm for 10 years and makes the crime punishable as felony. It also becomes a crime to knowingly sell ammunition to a person the seller believes isn't allowed to own it or he or she suspects may trade it on the black market.

TAKING EFFECT JAN. 1

Starting in 2017, state lawmakers are including rifles with “bullet buttons”—that allow users to detach magazines quickly, using the tip of a bullet or other tool—in the state’s assault weapons ban.

In Midtown Sacramento, the staff at M+J Gun Trade have adjusted the stock they order, but perhaps not in the way one might expect.

"We can’t get enough of it," says Manuel Hernandez, a salesman who also does most of the ordering. "Our sales went up three or four hundred percent on that type of item, so anything that would be affected by the law." 

Hernandez calls it a "snowball effect" of the election, Christmas and the new law taking effect.

Owners of rifles that fall under the ban do not have to turn them in, but will have to register them with the state justice department by the end of next year.

Other laws taking effect prohibit gun owners from loaning their firearms, other than to family members, and require conceal carry and law enforcement weapons to be locked away in parked cars. 

IN EFFECT LATER

A ban on ownership of magazines that contain more than 10 rounds takes effect in July, while background checks on ammunition will begin in 2018.

Also starting in January of 2018, most Californians will be prohibited from buying ammunition out-of-state and bringing it back across the state line.

Most of these laws include some exemptions.

6th Circuit Court - : Police can shoot dog if it moves or barks when cop enters home

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By (@LovelaceRyanD)
Barking dogs today....cats meowing, birds chirping, snakes hissing, fish blowing bubbles tomorrow...heaven help those with farm animals.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/court-police-c…/…/2610097…#!
A ruling from the 6th Circuit Court serves as a warning to dog owners: Teach your dog to sit still and be quiet or risk police justifiably shooting the dog.
Mark and Cheryl Brown petitioned the court to hold the city and police officers from Battle Creek, Mich., accountable for shooting and killing their dogs while executing a search warrant of their home looking for evidence of drugs. The plaintiffs said the police officers' actions amounted to the unlawful seizure of property in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The circuit court on Monday agreed with a lower court ruling siding with the police officers.
"The standard we set out today is that a police officer's use of deadly force against a dog while executing a warrant to search a home for illegal drug activity is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment when, given the totality of the circumstances and viewed from the perspective of an objectively reasonable officer, the dog poses an imminent threat to the officer's safety," Judge Eric Clay wrote in the court's opinion.
In the case of the Browns' two pit bulls, the imminent threat came from the dogs barking and moving around. One officer shot the first pit bull after he said it "had only moved a few inches" in a movement that he considered to be a "lunge." The injured dog retreated to the basement, where the officer shot and killed it as well as the second dog while conducting a sweep of the residence.
"Officer Klein testified that after he shot and killed the first dog, he noticed the second dog standing about halfway across the basement," the court's opinion explained. "The second dog was not moving towards the officers when they discovered her in the basement, but rather she was 'just standing there,' barking and was turned sideways to the officers. Klein then fired the first two rounds at the second dog."
After the wounded dog ran into a back corner of the basement, another officer shot the dog rather than seeking help for it.
"Officer Case saw that 'there was blood coming out of numerous holes in the dog, and ... [Officer Case] didn't want to see it suffer,' so he put her out of her misery and fired the last shot," Clay wrote.

The court decided that the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence showing the first dog did not lunge at police officers and that the second dog didn't bark. Clay wrote that Mark Brown's testimony that he didn't hear any barking when the officers approached the residence did not have any impact on whether the dogs were a threat to the officers after they entered the house.

JANUARY 2017 ABATE MEETING

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Since the January meeting falls on New Years’ Day this year, it was unanimously decided at the December meeting that we would cancel the meeting.  I can’t even remember the last time we actually cancelled a meeting and that goes way back to the mid 1980’s. 

BUT, there is another option.  Local 11 has their meeting the following Sunday and has invited us to attend.  Here are the details:

                DATE:                    Sunday, January 8, 2017
                TIME:                    11:00 A.M.
WHERE:                ESCONDIDO MOOSE LODGE
                                25721 Jesmond Dene Road
                                Escondido, CA 92026

QUESTIONS:       Dan Buse             760-807-7294
                                                                buse13@cox.net

They have a really great, inexpensive breakfast at the lodge so come early and enjoy.  Mark your calendars and ride up to join the members of Local 11 for the first meeting of 2017!

Nancy Nemecek
V.P. – ABATE Local 6