Networks report that Sweat has been captured.

wow, thanks

Yes, shot while fleeing, brought to hospital alive.

Here is an article on Whitey Bulger showing his reply in a letter to high school girls who wanted to do a project about him.

“Don’t waste your time on such as I — we are society’s lower, best forgotten, not looked to for advice on ‘Leadership,’” Bulger wrote.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/0...U9nN/story.html

Wooo.....

That is f n cool.

Olivia de Havilland, last living actor from GWTW is 99 years old today. Wow!! Just, wow!!! Happy Birthday!!


TIS


http://www.today.com/popculture/gone-wind-star-olivia-de-havilland-turns-99-t29601

Gone with the Wind, wow, that is amazing.

She palyed the Sister.

Did you read about what happened in Brooklyn? Lmao people protesting cops and burning flags were confronted by a bunch a bikers and needed the cops to save their asses.

This is what one of the bikers said: “We’re here to f**k up tiny liberal punks,” one biker reportedly declared.

http://nypost.com/2015/07/02/cops-save-anti-nypd-flag-burners-from-angry-bikers/


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/20...-a-whimper.html

"Now youse can't leave."

All UNITED Flights grounded Nationwide.

Waiting to hear why exactly.

They're up and running now.

@Gets,

What are your thoughts on this?

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/29/418641175/...-president-says

@BF,

Thanks for bringing the topic up. I have a sort of complicated opinion about this. I feel that every country has a right to secure her borders and limit immigration to those entering country legally and lawfully.
Big Sugar industries and DR have been exploiting poor Haitian migrants and their labor for decades. When it was in their best interest to have a porous border and people willing to work in slave-like conditions to feed their families,poor Haitians were allowed to cross the border and cut sugar cane(some of the hardest work on earth).

Restricting immigration, and removing those who are recent immigrants is one thing.....what DR is doing....setting a cutoff point of those who were BORN in DR before 1929...and stripping them of DR citizenship and deporting is part of ugly DR/Haiti animosity that is about skin color and "race"


Haitian govt. has allowed their OWN people to be treated like dogs in DR going on decades. When they only left because conditions were dire in their HOME country,and man will always do what he has to do to feed his family.

Current president is making slow progress, and it take decades of stable govt. and slow progress for Haiti to become a functioning country.Hopefully then, Haitians won't have go to DR or other parts of the caribbean and be treated like animals to find work.

Fucked up situation now though.

@ Gets

I didn't know that the political and cultural tensions between DR & Haiti. How much of a ripple effect does this cause in the US Haitian/Dominicans communities? As you know it's very few carribeans in my state.

@BF,

They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and luckily in America...Haitians and Dominicans aren't particularly familiar with each other. I think groups tend to follow the footsteps of similar groups in terms of settling in neighborhoods,etc. So Haitians will move into areas where the most recent similar group,Jamaicans, lived. And DRs will move into areas and churches where Puerto Ricans lived. Mexicans move into former DR areas.

Not much social mingling between Haitians and DRs, but until recently only the Haitians who lived in DR were aware of the level of hatred for Haitians that exist in segments of DR culture. Never personally had a problem with DRs here, but then again...I'm not gonna be in the same circles as the ones who hate Blacks.

audio discussion about the Parsley Massacre of 1937.

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/01/162088692/dominicans-haitians-remember-parsley-massacre

Gets, as our resident expert on Haiti, if you had the hypothetical power to fix Haiti, what changes would you make?

F1,

I only have that title by default, as I'm the only guy here.I mentioned political stability earlier, and coup d'etats, violent transfers of power, have been the norm in Haiti's history.There are a couple of reasons for that. If I could reduce those factors....the first thing I would address is to try to reverse the deforestation that's occurred in Haiti due to (again) govt. incompetence.

here is a view of the Haiti/DR border



I've read numerous estimates but it's safe to say that less than 10% of the trees that stood in Haiti a hundred years ago are up today and the impact on agriculture,climate,etc have devastated the country.

Current president instituted a (fixed)surcharge on money transfers to Haiti that goes towards funding public schools. Step in the right direction. Free public schooling is a foreign concept in developing countries. I'd add MANDATORY English and/or Spanish language instruction. The official language of Haiti, French, is not the 1,2, or even third most spoken language in the Western hemisphere (that would be Eng.Span. and Portuguese in which order not sure)and frankly not speaking any of those languages limits Haitian people in terms of access to information and commerce.Try to open up the world to the youth and future generations.

I'd gradually call for the removal of NGO's and charitable organizations. The Aid industry is mostly made up of scammers and the legitimate ones cripple people's ability to help themselves by giving them things instead of INSTRUCTING them on how to make things or get things for themselves.
Millions of dollars were raised to "help the poor Haitians recover from the earthquake" with Haitians as tv props and no answers on where the money went. It went where it always goes.
I'd try to replace those resources with a partnership with schools in US,Montreal Canada, France and French West Africa to send grad level students trained in different fields to teach courses in French Kreyol to adult Haitians about agriculture, fishing techniques, using solar energy, commerce,etc

Would, try to re establish the once booming Haitian tourism industry. Haiti is a VERY African country..in blood,art, culture,music,food,etc.Except for a few areas in various countries...in W Hemisphere...Haiti stands out and this is what once attracted thousands of tourists a year ..PRE 1980s and Haiti being linked with AIDS. Before the bottom fell out, tourism was one of the thriving industries in the country. American dollar goes quite far in Haiti , as opposed to other Caribbean destinations.Cuba opening up now would put a dent in my plans but I'd try to do it.

Haiti is a poor country but the really bad conditions began in 1957 with Papa Doc.The "every man for himself" mentality that exists in segments of the culture developed as a survival mechanism under brutal dictators throughout our history but ESPECIALLY under the Duvaliers. That mentality would be the biggest hurdle to whatever progress we'd try to make.

It would all be long term planning, the effect would be felt decades from now and the more detailed plans (economics, public policy,etc) would be designed and adjusted current climate.

Gets, I knew you'd provide good suggestions. I can think of a few others, but they probably wouldn't be as popular as your ideas.

*Outsourcing. Many first world businesses outsource to third world countries. Certainly Haiti could be considered a place to outsource to. Outsourcing businesses would train their employees in English or whatever language that would be used. Police would have to take a greater role to prevent vandalism, theft, etc. of these companies and to take a proactive role so that the employees are not crime victims since Haiti has a much higher crime rate.

*Change in legal system. Increase the police forces and root out corruption, but challenging since the country is too poor to cover this.

*Sue France. France refused to recognize Haiti until 1825, after it demanded 150 million gold francs, later lowered to 90 million. Haiti was forced to do this because it was held hostage by an embargo by France with the support of the U.S. and the U.K. Haiti was not able to pay off this demand until 1947 -- 122 years later. This sort of extortionate demand was not made of other freed countries it is primarily due to...yes...racism. It devastated the Haitian economy is part of the reason it remains impoverished today. This is a major reason for Haiti's deforestation since it used timber to pay off the massive debt to France.

*License logging. I don't know if the Haitian government is already doing this, but if it isn't, it should. The government is too poor to watch all the land, so let private loggers do it. Licensed loggers would be required to plant two trees for every one they remove, and they'd be deputized and armed to protect themselves from illegal loggers.

*Change the constitution. This is another one I haven't checked, but if it's based on the Napoleonic Code, then it's got to go. Under the Napoleonic Code people can be guilty before declared innocent. My suggestion would be to change it to be more like the U.S. Constitution, but under God and not secular.

*Change the education system. Teaching English is a great idea (as well as Spanish), but I would add STEM classes and eventually certain useful technology classes (agriculture, wood shop/carpentry, metal shop/metallurgy, electronic tech, health/basic nursing, etc). Also, for a moral foundation, teach the Ten Commandments.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

NO KINDLE



Agree. Currently work from Western companies is outsourced to stable former UK colonies (India,Ghana) with English speaking well educated labor pool, or to China where manufacturing infrastructure already exists. Haiti comes up short by both measures.



Difficult. In USA, with LEGAL system of lobbying, officials STILL get busted for corruption and bribes every day. In poorer, less organized country...you're talking about Tammany Hall level of open corruption for those in power.Also it's corruption + incompetence..And when you have both..you have a situation where, for example, an earthquake destroys structures that were NOT built to code and thousands of people die needlessly.
The cholera epidemic that killed hundreds in Haiti? UN worker from Nepal did bring the disease to the island BUT UN contracted a Haitian waste disposal company to handle the waste from THAT building. Evidence shows that they disregarded ALL accepted protocol for waste disposal and their incompetence DIRECTLY resulted in that waste entering the river...and killing their OWN people. Workers , owner of company, dept that regulates that industry, mayor of the town ALL had no answers.



Several attempts have been made to recover the money.Don't think it's going to happen. In terms of the embargo on newly independent Haiti...US and other countries had to make efforts to suppress a country founded by Africans who defeated their slavers, less it encouraged the enslaved populations in their own countries. The obvious hypocrisy of some of the framers of the constitution and those who lead the French revolution,"enlightened men",... writing about god given rights of men for freedom,etc AND owning other HUMAN BEINGS is not lost. When given the choice, most people choose principal OVER principles.





Interesting idea..the modern deforestation is from rural poor chopping down trees for cooking. DR had a similar problem and they smartly gave their rural people alternatives ..which I will look up. But the stopped the people from doing it and prevented long term problems.




Constitution has been rewritten and amended several times.Much more modern in scope now.



Agree...with adding STEM...and practical technical instruction. I believe in God but organized religion has hampered Black folks across the globe more than it has helped.More on that in a future thread about that topic.

Great post,F1. Complex situation....internal and external factors played a part in current state of Haiti. People of Haitian descent living abroad have been spearheading efforts to do some of the things mentioned in this discussion for decades because slowly but surely they can be done regardless of who is in office.

Thanks to you and BF for the interest in the story.

Gets, it sounds almost hopeless, but it's by God's grace that we don't give up hope. There are ways to move up and out of the extreme poverty in Haiti, but those ways aren't fast nor easy.

Apparently Huntington Beach is closed today because a Great White Shark "bumped" into a surfer. They expect it'll be open tomorrow.




TIS

Does that qualify as a swim by bumping?

I wonder if he ( the shark) will remain in the area until the food source is depleted. If so, don't go in the water

LOL, They said beach is closed and yet reported that people/guards going up/down the beach telling people NOT to go in the water. As for the surfer, he's pretty lucky that Jaws didn't take a bite out of him.

I don't get how they can be so sure it'll be safe tomorrow. What? They're gonna hear from the shark. ha ha ha

It's a popular beach. Tho I hardly go anymore, it use to be the beach my family would go to. My daughter and her family usually go to Huntington too.



TIS

Wow. I would either just stay on the shore or hit a swimming pool. Not interested in being a seven course meal for Bruce the Shark.

I saw a story that the lifeguards are using drones to monitor for sharks. Anyway, it seems it's one thing after another. Wasn't it just last week that we had these strange looking shrimp/lobsters from Tijuana invading the beaches? I might go to Sunset and check things out. The pier is usually too crowded, especially this time of year.

This is friggin Nuts and I wish I took a picture since I actually witnessed this banner flying over the Fire Island Inlet while fishing today......

News

Group flies swastika banner over South Shore
July 11, 2015 5:24 PM


Beachgoers along the South Shore were shocked and angered to see a plane overhead towing a banner with a swastika on it. (7/11/15)
TOBAY BEACH - Beachgoers along the South Shore were shocked and angered to see a plane overhead towing a banner with a swastika on it.
The banner also included a heart and a peace sign, to say "Swastika = Peace and Love." It directed people below to a website called Proswastika.org.
As News 12 has reported, a similar banner was flown over Long Island beaches last year as well. The group responsible says it's the sixth year of what it calls "Swastika Rehabilitation Day."
READ MORE: Long Island Top Stories
The website and the banners are backed by a religion called the Raelian movement. A spokesman says the swastika is a holy symbol that was synonymous with peace throughout history until it was used by the Nazis.
But beachgoers who spoke with News 12 said the banner sent the wrong message. "As a mom with a kid active in the military, I know what fighting for peace is, and this is not it," said Barbara Piccione, of Massapequa.
"That symbol is the equivalent to hatred, and when one sees the swastika, you automatically think of the Holocaust," said Carol Ferrante, also of Massapequa.
Organizers say another banner with the same message was flown over Chicago today. The group says it selected highly populated areas to spread its message.

Say what you will about Fox News but Megyn Kelly goes off on inconsistencies in the current administration

Any of my fellow Southern Californians (I know there's a few; A-Girl, X, Faithful) experience any encounters with coyotes lately? There's been several attacks in the last couple months. They claim the drought and construction/land movement may be the reason. I have, in the past, mostly heard sounds coming from the mountains and every now and then I'd see one walking in the field at a distance BUT I never had an up close personal experience. I live by a Forest area where they are clearing some land to build homes. Yesterday morning I heard what must of been a herd (if that's the proper term for a group) coming from the mountains as I was out for my early morning run. It was very loud. Plus I have a little dog and I'd hate to have them attack her. That would be horrible.

I always thought they ran from people, but reading/hearing recent events, I may do as they say and take a stick with me just in case. TIS The Coyote killer. Ha ha ha

TIS


http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/07/0...acks-on-humans/