Rantings of a Creole Princess

IS / ISIL / ISIS <--------- Same Thing

My brother asked me a question this morning.  I thought maybe you might be curious too.

1. IS:  Islamic State
2. ISIL:  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Levant - Eastern Mediterranean made up of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and a part of southern Turkey.)
3. ISIS:  Islamic State in Iraq and Syria

First things first.  All of those are the same thing.  Whether it be IS, ISIL or ISIS...it's the same group.  Cool?  Cool.

For the purposes of this post...I'm going to say ISIS because that's what I refer to them as when I talk about them.

Now...where did they come from?  Remember the big, bad al-Qaeda?  Well...same people.  Kinda.  What was left of them joined up with these folks and other Sunni insurgent groups.  They started wrecking havoc on all sorts of stuff and went too far and then hit a backlash from Muslims.  They laid low-key for a minute and then came back with a vengeance.  To ensure that the Muslims who were against them learned to not question them...they became horrifically violent and started off taking over small pockets of areas by rolling in, doing some horrific stuff to the stronger residents of the area and getting everyone to tow the line out of fear.  Because of how dirty they got down...the actual organization of al-Qaeda backed up off them earlier this year and was like...um...we good over here.  Yall doing too much.  Yes...you read that correctly.  al-Qaeda was like...um...no.  That's too far.  They broke all ties with them.

We can't play with yall no mo'.

Let that sink in.

ISIS proclaimed their group as a caliphate which means that their leader is a successor of Muhammad and that they have power over and therefore should control all Muslims.  Well...obviously all Muslims do NOT agree.

Now...there is some controversy surrounding how ISIS got started because the people in the Middle East who don't want to have anything to do with them say that ISIS was started right here in the United States.  Iran says they have proof that we created the group.  Iran says when we realized we were losing big time in Iraq, we created them so Iran didn't take advantage of the weak Iraqi government.  They haven't released said proof yet but hey...we all know we've given our big cousin from the other neighborhood a $20 and a stick to handle some playground ish before.  That's how things get handled if the law and the people in power seem to be helpless in the situation.  Well...we're going to handle it our way.

I mean...everybody knows that we funded the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan during the Reagan administration.  Well, they became "uncontrollable" and turned into al-Qaeda using our weapons and weapons we paid for.  We also supplied weapons to the Iraqi army and guess who took that?  Yup...ISIS.  They balling outta control swinging M16's around riding on our tanks and whatnot terrorizing people.  

So, this problem didn't just start in February.  This is an ongoing threat that keeps morphing in size, power and leadership.  President Obama didn't create it but I'm sure he feels something has to be done because ISIS is getting bigger, badder and more deadly.

How do they get their money?  Black market oil dealings.  They steal oil from refineries after they seize the refinery and sell the oil to anybody with money.  And they are undercutting everyone and still getting paid big time.  Then?  They pay their people a salary.  YOU GET A CAR!  YOU GET A CAR!  YOU GET A CAR!  And, if the person gets killed or captured?  Their family still gets paid their salary.  Now that's one heck of a deadly union-pension plan.  They pay their rent, bonuses for performance.  All of that.  

They also seized a chemical weapons plant in Iraq that has folks feeling some kinda way and is why the UN is like...hey...we need to handle this swiftly.  And they're right.

ISIS needs to be stopped but I'm confused as to how they are going to be stopped with the current plan.  I guess we just wait and see.  The biggest fear to me is that many members of ISIS have United States passports.  This means they do not have to apply for a Visa to get permission to come here.  All they have to do is buy a ticket and get on a plane.  Imma need them to be identified and not allowed back in the country and...I hope they are identifying those here who are members of ISIS too and deal with them.  How should they be dealt with you ask?  I don't know...and I'm happy I'm not in charge of figuring that out.

Okay...just wanted to clear up that all those group names are the same and that they didn't just crop up out of nowhere.  

Um...if you're new to my writing, I write like I speak so my apologies in advance.  LOL!

 

 

 

 

Big. Black. Scary.

When I get mad, you can't tell me nothing.  You can't dangle a carrot in my face and think I'm going to take the carrot and settle down somewhere.  See...I expect certain things to be unfair and have prepared myself for disappointments so I don't get that darn mad often...but when I get mad fo' real?  POOT.YOU.

Seems to me, this is what's going down in Ferguson right now.  People are mad.  FO.REAL.MAD.  Not the kind of mad where you can have a good meal and get over it after a back rub...but the kind of mad that will make you skip a meal or two because dammit...you're tired.

I've been watching all of the demonstrations and marches going on all across the country in support of Ferguson with ambivalence because I remember the same demonstrations and marches about Trayvon Martin.  I remember the same going on about Sean Bell and Oscar Grant and I remember it going DOWN-T in New Orleans about the Danziger bridge shootings.  And I read and know of so many more.  I touch base with my loved ones and have the same tired azz conversations with them, the males especially, about being careful and learning to detect danger in the presence of authority.

Street smarts is what they call it.

As a Black woman, I've never really had a bad experience with a policeman.  When I was wrong, I was wrong, but they never acted a fool with me.  Probably because my stature and weight didn't pose a threat to them.

Whenever I hear of police opening fire on citizens I try to always remember that police are people too and, just like you and I, they want to get back home to their family alive as well.

It's got to be hard as hell wearing a gun and knowing that there may be cause for you to have to use it to save your life and the lives of those around you.

Because of this, I was cool with them not releasing the name of the officer involved in the Ferguson murder.  I felt that when the FBI stepped in, all was going to be dealt with properly and that officer would be investigated.  I didn't think releasing his name during the riots was a good idea because I didn't want the blood of his family shed.  I hoped they'd put his people in protective custody while they figured this all out.

I hated watching the video of the young man shoplifting earlier that day.  It doesn't mean he should have been killed, but I just hated watching it knowing what it meant public opinion was laying on him.

And I knew that those who decided to release the video knew that too.

"Look...he stole some cigars earlier that day piece of shit thug!"

Not a good person right?

I had a problem with how long the young man's body lay out on the sidewalk for all to see.  I don't know the proper procedure for these things but I feel like 4 hours was excessive.

I had a problem with, if the young man was really trying to take the officer's gun, and the young man was with his friend, and his friend stayed at the scene...why wasn't his friend questioned and/or arrested?  

Lots of big, Black scary guys around I guess.

Autopsy reports say the young man was shot 6 times.  Twice in the head.  From the front.  

Unarmed.

Big.  Black.  Scary.

Able to kill a man with his very presence.

No weapons necessary.

KILL.SHOT.PLURAL.

I remember the protests of the previously murdered unarmed Black men.  The marches.  The t-shirts.  The hoodies.  The uncomfortably heated conversations with White friends and people you THOUGHT understood but who said shit like...Why was he wearing a hoodie?  Why was he walking that time of night? Why did he...

Big.  Black.  Scary.  Wrong.  Blame.  Victim.  Character.  Assassination.  Assassinated.  MURDERED.

I reminded a White friend this past week of some trouble her son had gotten into when he was 14 and then again when he was 16.  They lawyered up quickly and got him off.  No record.  If he did some shit tomorrow, the news would report that he's never been in trouble.  He's a good dude.  Never did a damn thing wrong.

Money is a great eraser.  The big block kind you used to get for the first day of school.

If a kid without parents with money did the same things he'd done...they'd have a record.  They'd have been sentenced.  They might have served some time.

If that kid ever got murdered by the police...the things they didn't have money to erase would be laid out for all the world to see.

The friend just nodded during my tirade.  See...she's tired too.  And it's easy for her to understand the unfairness  but not really know what to do so she just goes back to doing what she does.  Takes care of her family.  Protects them with all she has.

Same as any mother.

Sometimes...it's too much.

I hope the dust settles in Ferguson soon and calmer heads prevail.  I pray the violence stops before more people are hurt and killed.  March if you want but public perception isn't changing.  What YOU know to be true gains skewed outlooks from others.

Because Black men will always be scary to them.

Illegal Undocumented Immigrant Migrant Kids

A long time ago a law was put in place which allowed children who were victims of sex trafficking to come to our country.  We took care of them.  Cool.  No biggie.

Now, we have a situation where the citizens of Central American countries are sending abandoned children to our border unaccompanied.  In many of these cases, the children's parents and other family members are already here.  Since the beginning of the year, over 30,000 of these kids have showed up, literally, on our doorstep. 

The ones without family...well...they become our problem.

We have to feed them.

Educate them.

House them.

Etc. 

All of that costs dinero.

Mucho dinero.

And you KNOW the countries they come from do NOT have mucho dinero.

So...then you start thinking about all of the aid we provide to these countries in order to stimulate their economic growth and, on the backend of it all, we still get kids showing up.  The poor keep getting poorer, violence continues on, death tolls rise.

The kids gotta go or they just might die.

Now, I'm not one to play race cards but I can't help but think about the parallels between these kids and the kids we keep hearing about in Chicago where crime and deaths continue to rise and yet...nobody has put a kid on the border and attempted to send him somewhere else to be raised.  I don't have a solution for that...it's just the kind of thing I think about.

I think the kids should be helped, but I think their government needs to foot the bill for said help. We have our own ish going on that needs money thrown at it.  I think, sometimes, there is no solution where we can actually help without creating additional problems for ourselves.

What do YOU think should be done? 

On Elliot Rodger's Bullshit

Like most women, I have had the uncomfortable experience of having a guy who made me feel some kinda way, let me know he "liked" me.  Like most women, I've let him know, graciously, that I wasn't interested.  

These situations can go well or they can go horribly, horribly wrong.

I've had a time or two that have gone wrong and it was pretty scary thinking that someone had this unhealthy obsession with getting me to like them when I knew it was never going to happen.  Once, a guy had a picture of he and I in a frame and told everyone that I was his girlfriend who lived in another state.  Turns out, it was one of those situations in your 20's at a party and he asked could he take a picture with me.  Cool.  No biggie.  To know that I was his girlfriend in his head and didn't even know his name and never seeing him again ever...was kinda weird for people in their 20's ya know?

Yeah...you know.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/elliot-rodgers-previous-attacks-women-couples/story?id=23879620

When I read about the murderer Elliot Rodger I wondered if knowing about his crime before, would have caused me to take a different course of action when I was dealing with a creep.  Would it have made me to nicer to the creep?  Would I have felt scared enough to spend time with the creep hoping that it would mean he would let me live even though I didn't go out with him?  

Would Elliot Rodger and the lack of proper response from the police when THE BOY'S MAMA CALLED THEM, make me tell creepy dude...Sure, I'll go out with you.  Anytime.  Here's my number.  Call me any.time.

Answer?  NO.

This fool thought his behind should only get to date the hot chicks and the lack of interest of the hot chicks caused him to hate women.  No telling how many nice, lovely regular chicks who may have been interested in him...he only wanted the HOT.CHICKS.  I mean...where does this COME.FROM?  How does this manifest?  I mean...you'd think he was solo on this right?  WRONG.  Dude had a community of men he empathized with.  They straight up seriously took the "I Hate Rachel Club" to new levels.

 

This dude straight up KILLED people because he couldn't get laid by a hot chick but folks get nervous labeling him as a woman hater?????????????  GTFOOHWTBS!  DUDE HATED WOMEN!  His lil crew?  They hate women too! Dude straight up wrote a MANIFESTO ABOUT HIS HATRED OF WOMEN!  HE WAS STILL MAD 'BOUT SOME JUNIOR HIGH SHIT!  WHERE DO THESE PEOPLE COME FROM??????????????????????????????????

I said all of that to say...nothing much.  I'm just wondering out loud I guess.  

Have you ever attracted the attention of a creep?  How did it end?  Did it change you in any way?  Do you warn your daughters about creeps like this one?

Hood Disease?

Inner City Oakland Youth Suffering From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

Scenario: Where do you go from here?

An 11 year old brings home a bad progress report.

He gives it to his grandmother.

She begins to read it.

He knows it's bad.

He goes to her bedroom and gets her .22 and shoots her in the back of the head.

She calls 911.

She's taken to the hospital.

He's arrested.

She lives because the bullet is lodged in the back of her head.

What does one do after their 11 year old grandson has tried to kill them?

From:  http://www.newson6.com/story/25495716/police-investigate-south-tulsa-shooting

The whacks heard around the world...

Well, by now you've seen or heard about Solange swinging on Jay Z in the elevator of the Standard hotel in New York.  The video was obviously a recording of the security camera footage as it played on the monitor either during the altercation or afterwards while they watched it.  Someone made themselves a bit of money and I'm sure there are some jobs available over there this week.  Hotels like that pride themselves on privacy so yeah...allowing this to happen to the biggest celebrity couple on the planet right now is probably going to be problematic for a business which caters to clients who can afford their business.

Yup.

No more major events there I'm sure.

N.E.WAY...

Folks have been speculating on why it went down like it did.  Mrs. Carter didn't really get involved and I'm wondering if it's simply because she had security there and expected security to do his job and neutralize the situation.  She's been in the public eye her entire life and knows the ends and outs of camera placement in elevators I'm sure.  She'd know they were being watched because, even if there aren't cameras they are ALWAYS being watched because people want to touch them, see them, be seen with them.  Mrs. Carter is seen talking to her husband calmly while security is holding her sister back.  He is responding.  Then...Solange goes off again seemingly because he didn't say the right thing.  

After the initial shock of seeing this go down, I was impressed that Mr. Carter didn't pop her back after she kept coming for him because I think it's a natural reaction to defend yourself and when you don't there are generally a few good reasons.

1.  You love and respect the person hitting you and you wouldn't hurt them no matter what.

2.  You've been taught, as a man, all your life to NOT.HIT.WOMEN. 

3.  You know you were dead damn wrong about some ish and felt you deserved what was going down.

4.  You are used to this and it's just par for the course.

At least...in my opinion.  

Now, my husband would NEVER hit a woman, let alone my sister so if my sister was swinging on my husband, knowing he'd never hit her back...I would stop her from hitting him.  UNLESS...

1.  He was dead damn wrong about some ish and I felt he deserved what was going down.

2.  You are used to this and it's just par for the course.

3.  I expected the security that I pay to neutralize the situation without my physical involvement.

When they exited the event and got in the cars, the swift convo between security and Jay Z which directed Jay Z to another car...had to either have been expressed during the walk from the elevator by Mrs. Carter or security just KNEW and didn't want to take any chances that Solange wouldn't start kicking him in the car for all the world to see.  He couldn't hit the emergency lock button as he did in the elevator.  So yeah...now that I think on it, dude was just probably doing his job to keep things under control and they trust him so they don't question his split second decisions.  Kinda like my father telling us that if he says to hit the ground no matter where we are, we'd better hit the damn ground because it might save our life one day.

I'm more interested, however, in how it's going to go down at the Standard.  I mean...this is BADDDDDDDDDD in celebrity world.  Heads are going to straight up roll and I wonder if they are going to survive all of this.  I mean can you IMAGINE some of the stuff that's gone down in those elevators before now?  Can you imagine the amount of calls from lawyers they've received since this broke yesterday?

And TMZ...folks are always up in arms about Big Brother this and Big Brother that when TMZ is doing stuff like this.  I guess it's okay if the Big Brother takes on the form of entertainment and exposes celebrity ish huh?  It's just REGULAR people they shouldn't be watching right?  

Instrastin...

I know I've had a few of those family moments  in private/public that I'm glad isn't being blasted and I'm sure I'm not the only person who has been directed by an elder as in, "You'd better fix your face..." before someone noticed something was amiss within your family circle.

Oh well...it happened.  We'll never know why I'm sure.  Mrs. Carter keeps it all on lock.  That's why she deserved that "Time" magazine cover and deserved to wear whatever the hell she WANTED to wear on it.  She provides her narrative and, for the most part...it works.

Just for the record, I'm the Solange in my immediate family.  Folks try to keep ish from me so I don't go smooth off.  I can't even sit here and tell you that I haven't been involved in a situation pretty much almost exactly like this before (except I was held back and couldn't connect).  I mean...there's just certain ish you might need to be dealt with behind you know?

Yeah...you know...

What were YOUR thoughts?

Spring 2014

Range Rover Vs. Motorcycles Scenario

I'm trying to wrap my brain around what actually happened here.

At 0:26, we see a biker almost come to a complete stop in front of the SUV.

Inside the SUV is a man, his wife and their child.

Outside the SUV...a lot of bikers apparently riding together.

Then...it appears the SUV hit the biker and stopped.

So did the bikers and traffic.

Everybody stopped trying to figure out what the hell.

We don't know what's actually happening because dude with the helmet camera is up a ways.

No.

Crocodile Hid Under Bed In Zimbabwe Lodge While Blissfully Unaware Man Slept (PHOTOS)

Syria?

Are you following?  What do you think?  Do you think we should intervene?  What did you think of what the President decided to do?

Kardashian / Couric Lamb (Cuz it sure ain't beef.)

Katie Couric said she didn't understand why them people famous.  

Then...she supposedly sent Kim this gift.

Kim posted the above pic to Instagram with this hashtag:

 #IHateFakeMediaFriends#MayIHumblySuggestYouNotSendGiftsThenTalkShit

What say you?  Who's wronger?  LOL!  (I can't even believe I typed that about a layette from Barneys.  ROFL!)

On Hannah Anderson

Whatchall thinking?  Hannah Anderson letters found at kidnap suspect's home

Life Without Parole

Plus 1,000 years.

That's the sentence for dude who kidnapped the teenagers in Ohio.  The 1,000 extra years confuses me.  Are they concerned he's going to cryogenic-ally preserve his body?  Are they imprisoning ghosts now too?  Just a green-mile walk with spirits only?

Sometimes the law is weird.  

Too weird.

Oh...and yall see this Hernandez football dude done killed three people and had shot someone else while in college?  Dude just been killing and chilling playing football.  DA HELL????????????

Dear Rolling Stone:

Jahar's World

Unlike, OBVIOUSLY, many others, I actually read the story about the Boston bomber in your magazine.   Personally I think it's important to show him as the normal, regular looking dude he appeared to be so we all know to stay aware and be alert because of potential wolves in sheep clothing so I guess that's why it made sense to me. The boogie man doesn't often look evil. 

I'd think more people would feel that way and am honestly confused to find they don't.  I guess it's just as simple as realizing that people don't read anymore.  They match a soundbite to a visual and VIOLA!  Outrage.  Most of the time the soundbites are from people who didn't read as well or from people who were PAID to read it and CRAFT the soundbites which would deflect from the REAL STORY.  

Just like the Paula Deen fiasco.  Folks saying she made a mistake years ago by using that word...obviously didn't read the full transcript of her deposition.  Cuz yeah...there was far more going on than her using a bad word years ago.  

"Thank you for shopping at Costco.  I love you."

What's your take on this?

Boycotting Florida?

What do you HONESTLY think about the cries to boycott Florida?

SIP DELETES...Hashtag #Trayvon

I did a lot of unfriending on FB since Saturday.  I was slicing folks left and right.  

No tears for thugs?  DELETE.

Using that word I DESPISE?  DELETE.

Talking about rioting and the revolution?  DELETE.

DELETE.DELETE.DELETE.

I didn't want to hear shit.

One young man used the word I despise twice.  All caps.  He was mad and calling for folks to rise up and get mad.

DELETE.

Justice for Trayvon?

Are you watching the trial?  How are you feeling so far?

What Serena Said

She adds, "I'm not blaming the girl, but if you're a 16-year-old and you're drunk like that, your parents should teach you -- don't take drinks from other people."

And Williams is also quoted as saying: "She's 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn't remember? It could have been much worse. She's lucky. Obviously I don't know, maybe she wasn't a virgin, but she shouldn't have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that's different."

From:  Serena Williams: The Great One

Thoughts?  In YOUR opinion...did she say anything wrong?

Abercrombie & Fitch Bruhaha

Earlier today, one of my Facebook friends said something along the lines of starting a boycott against Lane Bryant because they don't sell clothes under a size 14.

Interesting.  

I mean...we all know that stores like Lane Bryant exist because there was a need for fashionable clothing for plus sized women seeing as though other stores tried to make it seem like plus sized women weren't interested in being fashionable.  Just covered up.

So I guess I call foul on that.

Mr. Charles Ramsey

WHAT CHARLES RAMSEY AND AMANDA BERRY KNEW

Current Events

Do you mostly READ about current events or do you discuss them as well?  Who is your go-to person to discuss current events?  Do you have different people you discuss different subjects with?

President Obama in Boston

Everyone is well aware of what is going on in Boston today, I'm sure.  You can't get away from it and well...maybe you shouldn't.  I like to be informed.  I just don't care for the constant talking about nothing pretending you're talking about something.  And...I don't like seeing  pictures of bloody and/or dead Americans.

Especially babies.

This morning I heard that Boston is on a straight up for real lock down and two things popped up in my head.

1.  I knew that shooting at MIT last night before we went to bed was related.

2.  Wait...WASN'T PRESIDENT OBAMA IN BOSTON JUST YESTERDAY FOR THE MEMORIAL SERVICES AND THESE TERRORISTS ARE RUNNING AROUND WEARING BOMBS AND SHIT?????????

And the latter REALLY disturbed me.

The manhunt for the 19 year old terrorist is ongoing and I'm confident they are going to get him. They are not playing around.  I feel like the terrorist is going to try and go out with a bang but honestly...I hope they catch him alive because he probably has so much more information that would be useful.

See look...you've seen the pictures.  They weren't trying to hide.  They looked pretty confident in those pictures.  For them to be that way while pulling this off and then carjacking people and trying to use their debit card for cash and robbing a 7-11 sounds to me like somebody didn't uphold their side of the plan and left them hanging so they were desperate.

I want the authorities to know who those people are too.

Quickly.

This is the world we live in where these people are sleeper terrorists in plain view and well...there is nothing we will ever be able to do about that.  When we find some of them, however, we should try and find as many of them as possible and eradicate those cells.

In my opinion.

And yes...I'm just a housewife.

What do YOU think?  Dead or alive?

 

 

Boston Marathon Tragedy

By now we all know what happened.  I have so many family, framily and friends who run and take such joy in running.  I know people who have never run before and now do it as often as possible.  It's not a fad...it's a way of life for them.  A healthier life indeed.

As with anything that happens we can't allow events to make us scared.  We're Americans.  We don't know who did this or why.  We don't know if it was an American or not.  We do know they are a terrorist.

And we don't let terrorists control our lives because again...we're Americans.

I watched some of the news coverage with a heavy heart thinking of the marathon The Robinator and Veggie Bee ran in January.  I thought about all of my F friends who post their race day pictures with pride holding their finisher medals and rocking their colorful socks.  

And I thanked God this has never happened before and I prayed it will never, ever, ever happen again.

You have to stay diligent when you're out and about.  You don't let it stop you from doing...you let it make you be more aware of your surroundings.  If you see something...say something.  

Always.

We're going to be okay and everyone is going to keep running.

 

The Rico Report:

Hi,

Low confidence in this forecast.  The American Models are still telling 2 stories, one of mostly snow and the other a mix bag of slop.  So I've tried to blend them and I'll continue to do so with this update.  Total liquid precip amounts are still high (from 1.5 -2.0" ending Thursday morning) so that's been consistent.  The contention continues to be the near surface temperatures. The time of year and the time of day, would favor the warmer scenario however high precip rates can bring colder air down to the surface. At any rate the snow that falls will be wet and that leads to compaction when accumulating and accumulations will be dependent on the surface temperatures at any given location.   I expect temperatures throughout the storm to range between 32 and 35 degrees.    Today's warmth should disappear once precip begins because the atmosphere is pretty dry and the precip will evaporate at the beginning which will lead to cooling. 

So precip should start this evening as a mix of rain and snow or just plain rain and gradually change to wet snow as the night progresses.  Snows will accumulate  mainly on grassy surfaces, car tops and roofs.  With 1" or less in the cities, Charles and Calvert counties down to Fredericksburg and 1-3" for the rest of us.   Streets should be just wet Wednesday morning but in Loudoun and Frederick counties there may be slushy areas.  Precip  will change to a mix of rain/snow b4 sunrise and then change back to all snow Wednesday afternoon.  In Charles, Calvert, St Marys, Va's northern neck ( including the fredericksburg area) it will probably change to all rain in the morning b4 changing back to snow.   During any period of heavy precip in the morning, the rain/snow mix may change to all snow for a time and where it's raining, snow should mix in.  It all ends Wednesday evening.  Once the precip changes to all snow, it may a while for it to start accumulating again.

Best guesses of  total  wet snow amounts ( mainly on grass, roofs, car tops  );

West of Loudoun & Frederick counties:   12-18"
Loudoun & Federick counties:  6-12"
Fairfax, Montgomery, Howard & Baltimore counties: 4-8"
PG & AA counties: 3-6"
Charles & Calvert & Fredericksburg area & inside beltways:  1-3"
St. Marys down to the northern neck of Va : 0-1"

I think streets tomorrow will be mainly wet but again it's a low confidence forecast and I hoping for bust in the snowy direction....

  Have a good one.

  -Rico

$350 Million ANTI-CHEATING CLAUSE?

REPORT: Tiger Woods Asked Ex-Wife Elin Nordegren To Re-Marry Him

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/tiger-woods-asked-his-ex-wife-elin-nordegren-to-re-marry-him--enquirer-2013-1#ixzz2ILLPPq4Q

 

Whatchall think about her alleged clause?  

SIP:  Elin is apparently no dummy.

Rico's Update

Hi all,

Precip is struggling to advance northward.  Rain continues to fall from southern AA and PG counties thru Charles Co and Prince William Co Va westward to the mountains.   There is precip falling above the DC metro but it's not reaching the ground because of the dryer air which infiltrated the area at the lower levels.
Precip is still expected late this afternoon and evening  to reach the immediate metro area but it will not be much. For the southern burbs the rain will continue and slowly change to snow after sunset and end later tonight.   Since it's still raining, snow accumulations will have to be cut again. So here goes:  

  NADA  for Frederick, Carroll, Baltimore Counties
    0-1" for   Mont., Fairfax, DC, PG , AA, Arlington, and Loudoun Co Va ( I'm praying for ground coverage at least)
    1-2" for  Charles,Calvert in Md, PRince William in Va 
    2-4" for St Marys in Md, Stafford and  Fredericksburg Va. areas


Any precip that falls should make streets  just be wet during the rush hour but, in this area, there are traffic troubles with sunshine and, with snow/rain falling, expect a longer commute home.

BTW, got a report of sleet falling in Fairfax Co.   The lower atmosphere is finally moistening up

Have a good evening and a safe drive home

 -Rico

Rico's Update

Hi Folks,

   Well this forecast has high bust potential.   This mornings models still have us getting our first significant snow.  However the precip gradient is tight.  The Pa border gets almost nothing whereas St Marys and Stafford counties get close to an inch of liquid precip. With DC at the half inch mark. So any change in track will drastically change precip amounts.  Models have also not been real good at forecasting the current rain.  This afternoon was forecasted to be dry.    So here goes.   Precip will re-energize tomorrow and end tomorrow evening.   Forecast temperature profiles do indicate precip starting as a rain/snow mix which changes to all snow by late afternoon. However, the surface temperatures are forecasted to be in the 32-34 range for most of the event so it will be a wet snow.  Hence accumulations will be hard to come by during the day on the streets and will mostly be on car tops and grassy surfaces with snow not accumulating on the streets until sunset.  Snow tomorrow evening tapering to flurries tomorrow night.

Here's my revised accumulation guesses:

    0-3" for Frederick, Carroll, Howard, north Montgomery & Baltimore Counties, Loudoun Co Va
    3-6" for  south Mont., Fairfax, DC, PG , AA, Arlington, Charles, Calvert Co
     4-8" for the areas south of Fairfax Co va and Charles Co Md ( including Fredericksburg Va.)

Again this will probably change.  Pass the Pepto.

Be prepared for a long drive home tomorrow night.   Temperatures are forecasted to go below freezing tomorrow night so any untreated roads will have icy patches.  

-Rico

The Rico Weather Report for DC Metro

Yall know our boy is ALWAYS accurate so take heed.

Hi folks,

I'm sure you've heard about the weather changes on the morning news reports and  sure enough, the storm than was going to our south in yesterday's models  has taken a more northernly track.  At first glance, the DC metro area should be mostly snow with a more of a chance that the precip with start as rain or rain /snow mix and then change to all snow the farther south and east one goes. The total amount of precip will decrease the farther north and west one goes.  Snow amounts are preliminary.

DC metro ( Fairfx,Mont, PG, AA,Arlng, Alex, Charly counties):  rain/snow mix will start in the early afternoon change to all snow by mid afternoon and taper to flurries tomorrow evening.  Snow accumulations 4-8"

Frederick, Loudoun, Howard, and  Baltimore County:  rain/snow mix will start in the early afternoon change to all snow by mid afternoon and taper to flurries tomorrow evening.  Snow accumulations 3-6"   North and west of these areas expect 1-3" of snow.

South of Fairfax & Charles Counties ( ie., fredericksburg va):   rain/snow mix will start in the late morning ,change to all snow by late afternoon and taper to flurries tomorrow evening.  Snow accumulations 3-6"

Needless to say tomorrow nights rush hour is going to be a lot of fun.

No doubt more changes will be forthcoming this afternoon.

What say YOU?

Twinkies Maker Hostess Going Out of Business

 

Creflo Dollar Church Shooting

Man shot at Creflo Dollar’s World Changers Church

What say YOU now?

What say YOU?

NYC gym teacher claims 6-year-old student beat him up

What say YOU?

Does he deserve life in prison?  

Cops: Christian Fernandez, 13, fatally beat toddler brother in Fla.

From Po' Shelly

They can't leave the house and have no 'lectric.  Oh...and the 'lectric people not gonna come out until the water is gone.

Snoop Lion

Snoop Dogg Changes His Name to Snoop Lion

 

Straight from the news...

I just finished reading an article that a friend on FB posted.

Here's the article:  Family Of Twelve Needs Your Help

My reaction to the article surprised me and I'm trying to come to grips with why.

Yall know I'm usually the first person to have empathy for my fellow man.  I normally don't worry about the why's or how's of a particular situation...I just help when I can.  If it's something as simple as giving a bit of money...I don't have a problem with that either if I'm compelled to do so.  I do it and hope the energy from my giving is received, processed and returned to the Universe by their future movements.

I read that article and I thought to myself, almost immediately, where is the father of her children?  Why can't he help pay for them to have a place to live?

CNN STILL GIVING JOY!

Grace Jones...Age 62

Mommy Blogger and the Hitman!

Wife Blogs ‘What a Guy!’ As She Plots to Kill Husband, Cops Claim

Yall know how I feel about those fake, perfect people.  Yup...they are the most diabolical.  LOL!  This chick probably never gave her husband a public o_0.  LOL!  Now we know it was cuz she was plotting to kill his azz.

Wow...just wow.  LOL!

Yall know any Perfect Patty's?  Watch ya back if you do. 

What say YOU?

Target yanks greeting card mocking Whitney Houston's preference for 'bad boys'

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/target-yanking-greeting-card-slams-whitney-houston-bobby-brown-article-1.1030437#ixzz1nnvjPHdp

Whitney's Homegoing

Did YOU watch?

What did you think?

The Rico Report - Saturday Update on Sunday's Storm

Hi Again,

  I have to update.  Last nights and this morning models indicate that the storm  will pass further to the south.  Hence,  I'm dropping snow amounts to the 0-2" range.  The most snow will fall in  the southern burbs.   There will probably be a sharp cut off to the snow.  I don't expect the counties that border Pa to get much of anything.  Fredericksburg Va  across to southern Maryland will  have the best chance of seeing 2".  And even there surface temperatures will be above freezing so just the car tops and grassy areas will have accumulations.  Precip starting times are pushed back to the early afternoon for the immediate DC area.  Further south precip will start in the morning.  Any precip that is falling should end during the evening.

I can't wait for this sorry excuse for a winter,  to end.


Have a good one.

-Rico

The Rico Report

Hi folks,

   It looks like we will see snow on Sunday but as usual some questions remain, mainly on the amount of moisture thrown in our direction .   At this point it doesn't look like a major storm.     Models still advertise that a storm will form over the Gulf coast states Saturday and move NE  to be off the coast of North Carolina Sunday evening and then out to sea.  Precip will start Sunday morning after sunrise and end Sunday evening.   Southern parts of the area will have more precip than the northern parts.  Areas north of the MD/PA border should receive little or no precip.  Current forecast temperature profiles indicate a mostly snow scenario for the area.  Temperatures are expected to hover in the low 30s on Sunday.  At this point I'll say 2-4" of snow for this storm.     As usual, a storm track shift or an intensity change  would easily alter this forecast.  

Have a good one.

-Rico

The Rico Report

Hi folks,

   We have the potential of some snow this Sunday and it COULD BE a major snow.   Everything is still in flux modelwise as far as the all important track.  Currently model consensus is that a storm will form over the Gulf coast states Saturday and move NE  to be off the coast of North Carolina Sunday evening and then out to sea.  Precip looks to start Sunday morning and end Sunday evening.  Current temperature forecasts  indicate that precip will start as rain and then change to snow.  Too early for snow amounts. 

Have a good one.

-Rico

Celine Dion on Ms. Houston

Everyone has been giving tributes to Ms. Houston since she left us on Saturday.

Nice, sweet, tributes.

This morning on GMA...Celine Dion went OFF.

She basically was pissed off because, in her words, Ms. Houston put drugs over being a mother, over love for her family, over her career.

She went on to say that people taking drugs to go to sleep, drugs to wake up, drugs to relax, drugs for this that and the other is crazy.  She said it's why she is scared of "show business" and why she stays away from it.  She says that your life should be about family and love and that's what she tries so hard to make hers about.  She pointed out that this isn't the first time it's happened and won't be the last and people really need to stop messing with drugs and don't put show business above your family and love.

Celine seriously went OFF!

What say you?

Too much truth too soon?

Was it insensitive?

 

The Rico Report

Hi all,

    The situation hasn't changed since yesterday.  The coastal storm won't get it's act together until it's north and east of us.  Rain should begin this evening and change to rain/snow mix or all snow before ending by dawn.  Not much will fall and areas north and west of the metro area will have the greatest chance of seeing a covering of snow.  Most of  Saturday will be dry  until the arctic front comes thru late tomorrow afternoon.   Snow flurries and heavier snow showers will accompany the front and will last into the evening. Visibilities will be low in the heavier snow showers.   I think most places will see a covering.  The big thing will be the winds and cold temps tomorrow night and Sunday.  So the snow will blow around. Highs around freezing on Sunday.

Have a good weekend.

  -Rico

Shelly is going to LEAVE.ME.ALONE!

Shelly: Her face doesn't change during this EN-TIRE timeline! 

The Rico Report

Hi all,

      I'm sure you've heard about tomorrow's snow.   Snow will start tomorrow around lunchtime and continue into the evening.  This is not a big storm so snow accumulations will not be big.   Furthermore,  temperatures will hover close to freezing (32-35 range) during the snow. Thus helping to keep the snow off of the roads during the day.  However it will be snowing during the evening rush and caution should be observed.   Snow will accumulate mainly on the grass, car tops,roofs etc.   Snow  may start to accumulate on the roads after sunset.   Snow will end tomorrow evening.   Snow accumulations on grassy surfaces should be in the 1-2" range in areas north and west of the metro areas ( Upper Montgomery,Frederick, western Howard and Baltimore Counties in Md and Loudoun Co Va). Areas outside the Washington beltway  (PG,lower Mont., Fairfax, Northern AA, and eastern Howard)  maybe an inch.  Inside the beltways a covering to a half an inch. Southern Maryland (Charles, Calvert, St Marys) to the Fredericksburg area will have generally lower amounts of precip and somewhat warmer temperatures. Hence I expect a covering to a half inch of snow in those areas.

Temperatures will fall below freezing Wednesday night so any untreated roads will have icy spots.

Have a good one.

 -Rico

From Shelly:

Shelly:  Look at his mama.