"No Latinos, No Tacos" Flashing Highway Sign Greeted Drivers on Miami-Dade Palmetto Expressway

Talk about road rage. According to NBC Miami, drivers on the Palmetto Expressway, in northwest Miami-Dade, were greeted with a highway sign flashing, "NO LATINOS NO TACOS." Hackers managed to alter the sign early Tuesday morning.

According to NBC Miami, the sign was in the northbound side of the 826, right near the Northwest 25th street exit. The signs were reportedly password-protected, but that doesn't mean a hacker can't get in. It's amazing that someone took the time to alter the signs. This isn't a political statement. It's one steeped in ignorance.

Christian Newswire's Gary McCollough Says Ratings Drop of American Idol Due to Addition of Lesbian, Ellen DeGeneres

The self-rightous right wing evangelicals are at it again. According to Christian Newswire's Gary McCullough, the ratings drop at “American Idol” is attributable to the the addition of Ellen DeGeneres, and that network television is on “a pro-homosexual bender.” Wow. It seems to me that the show was on the wane because it's is becoming monotonous and has served its time. I didn't like the show's decision to add Ellen DeGeneres because she is not qualified to judge another contestant on his or her singing abilities because that isn't her line of work. I would certainly not state that her sexuality has anything to do with the show's ratings.

McCullough referred to an earlier column in which he wrote:

“I am confident that the producers of American Idol will be shocked when their market share has cratered, and will in all honesty find a dozen other reasons for the drop in ratings. After all, what successful television producer could have a clue what wholesomeness is as long as they see promoting homosexuality as a virtue.”

According to McCullough, the addition of a lesbian to the show is “driving away market share.”

DeGeneres’ “Yes, I have loved a woman,” comment from the May 11th show, was the most obvious lesbian-one-liner, but it wasn’t the only one, and it is hurting the show’s ratings. I can hear the bloggers loading their homophobe-blasters, but think this through with me. If one of the judges was an abortion activist, or a political right winger — and continued to insert comments in line with their activism — the same criticism would be true, and the show would suffer. The advice, “Shut up and sing!” comes to mind.....

Network television producers may or may not stop promoting homosexuality; but for certain they will learn to keep homosexual activism separate from the cash-cow of "family entertainment."  There is of course the insane possibility that Hollywood will forsake ratings - and the dollars that follow - and continue down the path of change.  Perhaps next we will see the pro-pedophilia group NAMBLA use its influence in Hollywood to have "Dancing with the Stars" seat Roman Polanski as a judge. 

What a hypocrite. How many times have we heard of these religious rights being outed for sexual improprieties? Since when is being a lesbian a disqualifier from being on any show, much less "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars?" R&B legend, Patti Labelle, also criticized the show. Ms. Labelle stated that there are judges on the show who know absolutely nothing about singing. That's a fair and accurate criticism. How can Ellen DeGeneres give any of the contestants tips for singing? She can't sing and does not have one clue about music.

Kwame Kilpatrick Sentenced to Up to Five Years for Violating Terms of Probation

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sentenced to five years in prison for violating the terms of his probation. This is a sad end to a life that was promising, but got side-tracked by a big ego and self-interest. According to Detroit News, Kilpatrick was chastised by Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner for engaging in "contemptible behavior" by hiding assets from the court.

"Probation is no longer an option. The terms of your earlier probation no longer apply; that ship has sailed," Groner said. "This is all because of the actions of you, Mr. Kilpatrick. You were convicted ... all because you lied under oath. That lie ... was part of a broader attempt to cover up your misdeeds while serving as mayor "You challenged this court's authority," Groner said. "You attempted to utilize semantics and exploit loopholes. The broader context of this issue is that your family living expenses -- including living in a million-dollar home, driving a brand new Escalade and purchasing elective surgery for your wife -- you have made it perfectly clear that it's more important to pacify your wife than comply with my orders." Source: Detroit News

Kwame Kilpatrick got what he deserved. You can't break the law, get probation and expect to get a slap on the wrist when you flagrantly violate the terms of your probation. He chose to focus on material things -- plastic surgery for wife and purchasing an Escalade. His actions prove that Kwame Kilpatrick is an egotist who thumbed his nose at the law. Prison will teach him a valuable lesson and voters will send his mother home from Congress.

Deaths of Sgt. Wayne Henriques & Constable Jason Davis Speak to Culture of Corruption Dogging Jamaica

Let me pay tribute to the fallen police officers in Kingston. Their families are now left with an enormous hole in their hearts. The officers have been identified as Sgt. Wayne Henriques and Constable Jason Davis, both worked in the Motorized Patrol Division, according to the Jamaica Observer. It is never easy to accept a police officer dying in the line of duty. I am most saddened by the fact that the killers may never be brought to justice for this reprehensible act. They died because this tenuous situation was poorly handled by the political parties poorly from the start. The Jamaican government has failed these two men and their families.

Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, in condemning the murder of the policemen, advised members of the constabulary to take swift and decisive action to protect themselves in the face of orchestrated attacks on police personnel and facilities by gunmen supporting Coke. The lifelong love affair both parties have had with criminal elements in their constituencies must come to an end immediately. The current Police Commissioner Owen Ellington recently told police officers,

"Do not hesitate to respond quickly and take decisive action when attacked by these criminals as it is now patently clear that they are hell bent on causing mayhem in the society by their calculated, vile and cold actions against police personnel."Police personnel have the full backing of the high command to take any response to protect themselves, their colleagues and the law abiding citizens of Jamaica." Source: Jamaica Observer

Really? Isn't this the same vileness being spewed by rogue police officers? This is the same vileness that has been tolerated in Jamaica for decades and this urban war was bound to occur at some point. The families of the fallen police officers and soldiers need more than just condolence from the Mr. Ellington. They, like many Jamaicans, want the culture of violence and corruption to end. The brazen criminals were created by that culture and the lawlessness must come to an end. The Jamaican leadership needs a cleansing.

The reality is that the outbreak of gun violence in West Kingston, Jamaica, was a long time coming. When have you ever heard of police stations being attacked, pillaged and burnt, as was the case at the Hannah Town Police Station, as well as the Fletcher's Landing, Darling Street and Denham Town stations in western Kingston. The Jamaica Gleaner has also confirmed that the Spanish Town and Cross Roads stations were also fired on. The Peoples National Party and the Jamaica Labor Party both have a hand in coddling dons like Christopher "Dudus" Coke. No matter how Opposition Leader Portia Simpson-Miller tries to spin this, she is just as complicit as Bruce Golding in this mess. She picked up where her predecessor, P.J. Patterson, left off -- utter mismanagement of Jamaica's resources. Under her leadership, Jamaica was not better off. Instead, conditions worsened, including crime and unemployment rates.

To utter the sentiments of Malcolm X, the chickens have come home to roost indeed. I can aver that the Dudus affair is comparable to the detonation of an explosive device to Prime Minister Bruce Golding's political career. He is now a political liability and his political capital is toxic. He will not win a second term and should not be allowed to even entertain the thought of running. It is a sad commentary that tribal politics managed to take root in Jamaica and has wrecked the island. It is incredulous that an island that is so gifted with brilliant people could sink into a weak civil society, deficient of foresight, wisdom and a deep conviction to do the right thing. Instead we have a society in which corruption and crime rule the day. This isn't the Jamaica I spent my formative years. It is equally reprehensible that Bruce Golding is no where to be seen since the war began.

Thanks for PM Michael Manley for starting Jamaica on a downward spiral with his democratic socialism experiment in the 1970s. He started Jamaica down a dangerous path of reliance on the government and ended the notion that national sacrifice and collective responsibility were guiding tenets. The reality is that it is time for new leadership in Jamaica. The country needs new leaders who do not ascribe to the tenets of former Prime Ministers Micheal Manley, Edward Seaga, Percival J. Patterson, virago Portia Simpson-Miller and Bruce Golding. It is time for a paradigm shift in Jamaica and that will only occur with new leaders. Let me end by echoing the words of Sam Cooke's song, "a change is gonna come." Yes, Jamaica needs a change right now.

Civil Unrest in Parts of Kingston, JA, Causing Fallout in Tourism Sector, Cancellations Expected to Mount

The civil unrest in Jamaica will, undoubtedly, take a toll on tourism. According to Radio Jamaica, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President Wayne Cummings said with the international attention that Jamaica has been receiving there have already been fallouts in tourist arrivals.

He says several persons who were scheduled to arrive have not turned up while others have begun cancelling their trip. Mr. Cummings says the state of emergency is a topical issue in the travel industry. Some hotels are still running high occupancies while others are doing relatively well but the JHTA President is unable to quantify the level of cancellations so far. Mr. Cummings emphasized that the situation being as it is, the country should allow the security forces to do their jobs without loss of innocent lives. He adds that the JHTA and Jamaica Tourist Board have been liaising with the travel industry to keep them abreast of the situation in Jamaica. Mr. Cummings is continuing to assure the travel industry that Jamaica remains open for business and there is no immediate threat to visitors. Source: Radio Jamaica

This is not good. The island depends heavily on tourism and many Jamaicans who work in the industry will be adversely affected. For all those supporters of Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who would prefer to see the country descend into anarchy are doing themselves a great disservice. It is time for this madness to end. Too many innocent people are caught in the crossfire.

On a personal note:

I have devoted much of my blog posts in the past several days to bringing my readers breaking news in the continuing saga of Dudus' extradition. I take a personal stake in this because I spent my formative years in western Jamaica. It really breaks my heart to see parts of Kingston descend into anarchy as the police and soldiers try to combat the forces of evil roaming the streets in support of a known criminal. I would implore all to pray for the innocent people caught in the crossfire of this series of events.

According to Radio Jamaica, some airlines are cancelling or diverting flights.

Several airlines with routes in and out of the Kingston based Norman Manley International Airport have cancelled flights. Senior Vice President of Operations at the Airports Authority of Jamaica, Paul Hall, says some flights have also been diverted from Kingston to Montego Bay.

“It appears that some of the airlines are canceling flights coming into Kingston. British Airlines is contemplating diverting to Montego Bay. We haven’t heard from Virgin but a couple of Air Jamaica flights are going to be cancelled,” Mr. Hall said. Air Jamaica has cancelled three flights due to the unrest in Kingston.

Teacher Catherine Ariemma Allow Four Students to Wear Ku Klux Klan Outfits in Reenactment at Georgia High School

Catherine Ariemma, a history teacher at Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega, Ga., was placed on administrative leave Monday after she allowed four students to wear Ku Klux Klan outfits in a historical reenactment. The Lumpkin County Schools superintendent Dewey Moye told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that the teacher "used extremely poor judgment."

Ms. Ariemma reportedly teaches an advanced placement history class. According to the AJC, her students were filming reenactments of various historical periods and four wore KKK outfits. The incident sparked outrage after students from other classrooms saw them as they walked down a hallway. The parents of an African American student at the school complained.

There is absolutely no excuse for anyone using such poor judgment.  This is so disturbing and on so many levels. She should have known that allowing the students to dress in KKK garb would spark outrage. She should be fired for being so dumb.

Heavy Explosions in West Kingston as Police, Soldiers Converge on Dudus Tivoli Gardens Stronghold

Police and soldiers told to shoot agitators on sight! For the latest from Jamaica's limited state of emergency in Kingston & St. Andrew, see below:

From the Jamaica Observer:

HEAVY explosions are ringing out in West Kingston as a large contingent of police and soldiers have converged on the volatile community of Tivoli Gardens in an effort to bring in reputed don, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

Plumes of smoke can also be seen rising from the area. Until now the security forces have taken a soft-handed approach even in the face of constant attacks by gunmen which resulted in the deaths of two cops and the injury of six others.

The cops were attacked as they attempted to clear a roadblock at Mountain View Avenue. Stung by the deaths of their colleagues lawmen have launched on offensive on Tivoli Gardens, Coke's stomping ground and the power base of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's West Kingston constituency. There were also reports that the violence had spread to sections of a community known as 'Southside' near to the Kingston Central Police station. Jamaica Defence Force soldiers and police have been deployed to that area to quell the disturbance. Gunmen and police were also engaged in a running gunbattle in the Central Kingston community of Woodford Park.

The police and soldiers have been given permission by the Jamaican government to shoot agitators on sight. I am getting first hand information from a relative in Kingston.

Click here to read Christopher "Dudus" Coke's indictment.

UPDATE#1:  Two Jamaica Defense Force soldiers were shot after taking on gunmen during an offensive against Tivoli Gardens Monday.  Both are expected to survive.

UPDATE#2: One soldier killed, four shot in shootout with thugs. Violence continues.

UPDATE#3:  According to Radio Jamaica,  ( 7:34 p.m. EST)

The US Embassy has alerted its citizens of escalating violence, shootings and unrest in a number of neighborhoods in the Kingston and Spanish Town. In an email sent to its citizens, the embassy has warned Americans in the Kingston and Spanish Town areas to stay at home until an all-clear has been announced in the local media. It said that because of the instability of the situation, they are advised to defer non-essential travel to the greater Kingston area. The email also advised that access to the Norman Manley International Airport is being blocked on an intermittent basis by gun battles between criminal elements and police.