A Note To Readers

I want to start off with a heartfelt apology to everyone about sounding like a broken record saying GO VOTE constantly. I want all to understand that voting in a midterm election is as important as voting in a presidential cycle.

Even if you don't support President Obama, or you do, it's no reason to stay home. We need to understand that by not voting we're giving our silent approval to let Washington remain broken and ineffective, and this is what many on the right want, unfettered access for corporate special interests.

They've done very well, these corporate special interests, and it's time for us to stand up and say HELL NO to these interests who will continue to racebait in order to distract us.

Paul Krugman And The Republicans Hatred Of The Unemployed

Here's something I'm trying to understand, how is it that the +GOP continues to think they have no open microphone to the public whenever they make racist or other hate-filled comments about the unemployed? This never seizes to intrigue me.

Look, everyone knows this as an unwritten rule about interacting with others, going back to at least middle school: never kick someone when they're down. That's like one of the many unwritten rules that governs our lives. Apparently, I have to see the +GOP get that memo. More on that another time.

Anyway, I read an Op-Ed article on +The New York Times written by +Paul Krugman, attempting to explain the raging hate of the unemployment by the right-wing. Read it for yourselves, and repost it. Also go to Paul's page on either +Google+, +Facebook, or +Twitter, and tell him what you think.

This is +Jgsf1987 

Dealing wth Interstate 280

I have to say that I'm absolutely heartened by the fact that +California Highway Patrol is going to look into my concern over drivers going too slow for safe transport on Interstate 280 in San Francisco, specifically between the I-280/US-101 interchange and the I-280/CA-1 interchange.

Even better is that +Stanley Roberts of +KRON 4's also in on the action. That's from messaging him on +Facebook this morning.

Enclosed is the exchange I had with the +California Highway Patrol on +Twitter:

@chp_hq @chp_goldengate I think there needs to be some enforcement for impeding traffic on I-280. Drivers are going too slow for conditions.
— jgsf1987 (@jgsf1987) September 19, 2014

@jgsf1987 Thanks for your concerns! Which portions of I-280?
— CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) September 19, 2014

@CHP_GoldenGate The portion of 280 that runs between 280-101 junction at Alemany Blvd in SF & 280-1 junction at John Daly Blvd in Daly City.
— jgsf1987 (@jgsf1987) September 19, 2014

@jgsf1987 Sending your information to @CHPSanFrancisco. If you don't hear anything in a week, please let us know. Thank you
— CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) September 19, 2014

@CHP_GoldenGate @CHPSanFrancisco Great thanks, I just worry about an accident happening.
— jgsf1987 (@jgsf1987) September 19, 2014

@jgsf1987 @CHPSanFrancisco Thank you!
— CHP Golden Gate (@CHP_GoldenGate) September 19, 2014

Google On Net Neutrality & Other News Stories

If there's anything to be ecstatic over, it's that Google came out wholeheartedly in favor of net neutrality. This speaks volumes, especially because now the various Internet Providers (Comcast, AT&T, etc.) will have to rethink their attempt to hold the rest of us hostage for higher profits. That's not going to happen now that Google stepped in, and I can now say with 100% certainty, Big Telecom/Big Cable may back off from killing net neutrality. Reminds me, this pic shows the reaction to Big Telecom's scheme:

In other news, yesterday was the 13th anniversary of 9/11, a day that many of us will remember for our entire lives. It should be a reminder to everyone that there are always individual actors with nihilistic ideologies seeking to kill innocents, but mainly that there are always new opportunities to connect with people of all walks of life. This is what America should be: Individuals seeking to build a more inclusive and perfect union. That's why we need to worry about ISIS becoming strong enough to really cause mass murder.

Why We Need To Pull Together For Net Neutrality, Our Civil/Voting Rights, And Cracking Down On Corporate Tax-Cheating/Tax-Dodging

Everyone, this is almost do-or-die time, as the election on November 4 is coming up very soon, in a little more than 2 months. I have 3 important issues that I think need to come under consideration here, and why they need to be our driving force to vote.

To start off, we need to understand as to why we need Net Neutrality. Various groups like the +Electronic Frontier Foundation, +Fight for the Future, +rootsaction, and +Netroots Nation have been fighting tooth and nail to preserve reliable access to all content across the internet and are teaming up with other various groups like +People For the American Way and +Common Cause, to preserve a balanced playing field. If companies like +Comcast and +AT&T continue their war on net neutrality and succeed, it has the potential of causing the economy to come to a virtual standstill. To put it in a simpler way: a lot of business is currently conducted on the internet, and slow speeds will have an adverse affect of causing small businesses and independent entrepreneurs (i.e., musicians like +Connie Lim and +KatieColeOfficial) to lose more opportunities to conduct sales and/or be able to make ends meet.

Next, I think this is an issue that really needs to come up, and come up with a strong sense of urgency. For those who've read and/or watched the news on Michael Brown/Ferguson, I'm sad to say that it's not a one-time incident to see a young African American (Black) gentleman killed by a cop, especially one who is European American (White), or that young Black men are grouped together as a class of criminals. Let me say this, most are not. However, the most disgusting part of the whole picture is that this overblown police militarization has also started showing signs of returning White supremacy. This is completely bogus and is starting to head into the area of bringing the Black community back into second-class citizenship. No way is this a form of progress.

The incident in Ferguson gave us a real wake-up call following the Trayvon Martin murder simply by giving us an insight into how badly we've strayed from our core value of equality under the law. We still have ways to go, and it's telling us that we need to fight to reclaim our civil rights. It's also exposed the true character of the +GOP in that they've started moving towards re-implementing Jim Crow. Part of this is through vote suppression, which we've seen in states like Texas and Florida.

Lastly, we need to start doing something about corporate inversion, specifically to dodge US corporate income taxes. As we've all seen, +BURGER KING just inverted its corporate citizenship to Canada. This practice needs to be reined in now! We can't get anywhere to solving this with the +House Republicans holding control of the House of Representatives.

This is +Jgsf1987 with a simple message: Go Vote This November 4.

Why Comcast Should Be A Raceiteering Influenced Corporation

Gah, +Comcast has about the worst of all services available both for customers and their internet/telephone/television. Seriously, it's time to get them indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) since they do nothing, but handle their business dealings in an almost criminal manner.

And now look at them! They're trying, along with +AT&T and other cable giants, to kill net neutrality. Killing net neutrality is about the stupidest thing they could do. What's the point in paying more to have slow internet, and then almost impossibly more for reasonable access? This is absolutely nuts and would have an almost adverse affect of bringing small business to its knees. Believe it or not, 97% of all businesses in this country are small, not big, and slow internet will undoubtedly kill their ability to continue operations. In addition, no private consumer will be able to afford any kind of access. And this affect will be even worse. Seriously, it's time to stand up to Comcast and AT&T, and their cohorts, and tell them HELL NO!

+Jgsf1987

Comcast & Big Cable's Big Mistake

Well, seems as if +Comcast and company, via Big Cable, have thought that they could scam us into a two-tier payment system for internet access. Dead wrong, and now they've woken a sleeping giant in the American people and various groups fighting to keep net neutrality. That's right, I'm talking about groups like +Fight for the Future, +Electronic Frontier Foundation, etc. Hell, let's throw +rootsaction in, just for argument's sake. Anyway, the point is this: it's time to tell companies like Comcast, +AT&T, +Verizon FiOS, +Time Warner Cable, that it's time to end the games and to keep the net the way it is, open for everyone at the same dang speed. 

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

I've been seeing a lot of videos on YouTube on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, with various celebrities taking it on and passing on the torch. I've been touched by the videos and their huge effect on raising awareness of ALS, which stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (the actual name of Lou Gehrig's Disease), since a close friend of mine was inflicted with this terrible condition. I feel that I must do a special shoutout to figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Katie Cole, and say thanks for doing your part to help raise awareness.

I haven't decided if I'm going to do the challenge or not, but I can say that I'll think about maybe doing a fund-drive or looking for a charity to donate to. I'll post my final thought when I'm done thinking it out.

This is Jgsf1987.

Mideast quiets down

I'll say with a degree of cautious optimism that the fighting in the Mideast has ended and that it won't reflare for a short while. Still, it's important to note that unless Israel under +Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership changes course in terms of the settlements, and attempts to occupy both the West Bank and Gaza, another flare-up will happen. Israel has weakened Hamas, but not very fully, as it still has some strength to fight another war. However, demographics are not on Israel's side long-term, as there are fewer Jews than Arabs giving birth in the area known as Israel/Palestine. Additionally, many Israeli Jews are leaving Israel primarily to avoid serving in the +Israel Defense Forces. Others are leaving from being fed up with the Orthodox rabbinate kowtowing to the Ultra-Orthodox community on social and economic issues.

To those who are not familiar with Israeli politics, let me say this: the damage done by +Likudnik - ליכודניק and other right-wing parties in Israel is very similar to that done by the +GOP and other right-wing groups here in America. Many in Israel have quit trusting Likud primarily because they see Israel becoming more isolated from its primary ally on the world stage. Think about it, +Barack Obama's administration has become less and less willing to blindly follow Israel's foreign policy objectives in the Mideast. As a matter of fact, the Obama Administration has been more outspoken about Israeli militarism to the point of almost directly calling Netanyahu to task of explaining why Israel will continue to sabotage any further peace talks.

Reason to Renew the Export-Import Bank Charter

To all those who work in small business, or are just trying to put their mark on the global economy, watch and listen to +Barack Obama in this week's weekly address. President Obama couldn't be clearer in explaining that letting the charter for the Export-Import bank expire would give many of you a harder time getting your goods and/or services abroad, either in big business or small. Just understand that should the +House Republicans and +Senate GOP not allow any renewal, it could end up hitting you very heavily in your wallets.

It's time to join the President in telling Congress, specifically the Republicans in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to do their jobs.

This is +Jgsf1987.

Video Source: +The White House