Be Honorable And Choose Peace

A Love Letter From A Father To His Gay Son

This is a beautiful love letter from my good friend John Marzka to his son Jordan. Since we all perceive messages through our own unique filter based on our belief system and how we were raised, take what you will from this letter. The message conveyed to me is the unconditional love that a parent has for his child. We all want to be acknowledged and understood. Every human being deserves to live their life in a dignified manner. And these powerful messages deserve the attention of my blog being viewed all around the world.

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

OG Bodybuilding Diva Rachel McLish

It is hard to believe that Rachel McLish, the original bodybuilding diva, has turned 62 years old. [For those of you who don't know who she is, she is on the right holding the 2.] Rachel’s beauty and elegance in the competitive world of female bodybuilding made it okay for women to lift weights while still embracing their femininity conquering stereotypes that weightlifting is only for men. Her positive attitude about aging is an excellent example for all people, in particular women, who are getting older to repudiate ageism and not allow it to affect their self-esteem. Aging is a natural progression of life. 

The U.S. Department of Justice National Public Safety Partnership

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Attorney General Sessions Announces Creation of National Public Safety Partnership to Combat Violent Crime

As the Department of Justice continues its efforts to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to reducing violent crime in America, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that 12 cities are joining the Department’s newly organized National Public Safety Partnership (PSP). The announcement came during the opening session of a national summit organized by the Attorney General’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The summit convened federal, state and local law enforcement to discuss how to support and replicate successful local violent crime reduction efforts.

A list of the cities is posted at www.nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org(link is external).

“Turning back the recent troubling increase in violent crime in our country is a top priority of the Department of Justice and the Trump Administration, as we work to fulfill the President’s promise to make America safe again,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The Department of Justice will work with American cities suffering from serious violent crime problems. There is no doubt that there are many strategies that are proven to reduce crime. Our new National Public Safety Partnership program will help these communities build up their own capacity to fight crime, by making use of data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to specific local concerns, and by drawing upon the expertise and resources of our Department.”

The Justice Department created PSP and the task force in response to President Trump’s February 9, 2017, Executive Order charging the agency with leading a national effort to combat violent crime. The partnership provides a framework for enhancing federal support of state, local and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors as they aggressively investigate and pursue violent criminals, specifically those involved in gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence.

Twelve sites have been selected to receive this significant assistance:

• Birmingham, Alabama
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Toledo, Ohio
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Buffalo, New York
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Houston, Texas
• Jackson, Tennessee
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Lansing, Michigan
• Springfield, Illinois

We anticipate announcing additional sites this calendar year.

The Justice Department agencies involved in PSP are the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Office of Justice Programs; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Office on Violence Against Women; and the Office of Community Oriented Policing. 

*Official information in this blog posting is the United States Department of Justice.

Un Bisou Pour Mon Père Au Paradis

A KISS AND ETERNAL LOVE TO MY HANDSOME FATHER IN HEAVEN…

Sylvester Stallone; A Father Without His Son On Father's Day

Bindi Irwin; A Daughter Without Her Father On Father's Day

Samir Bannout On Fuego

My friend Samir... one of the best physiques of all time.

Prince William And Lady Gaga On Mental Health

I am convinced that Almighty God conveys important messages to the masses through people’s fame. Lady Gaga bravely opening up to the world about her mental health has inspired many to be honest about their direct or indirect experiences with mental health issues.

In recent months, my ex-love Christian Evans, who was formerly married to actress and talk show host Ricki Lake, did the unthinkable and ended his own life. In his solitude he was not feeling well and apparently did not seek help for his issues.  

So if you are experiencing abnormal, debilitating or overwhelming feelings, it is important that you understand that as human beings we are not perfect and it is okay to talk about it. Just do so in a safe, judgment free environment with someone you trust.

Ownership Statement: The written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane which is deemed and construed to be original is the sole and exclusive property of the author, Jacqueline Sebiane.  All right, title and interest in and to the intellectual property rights of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane shall vest solely in the author.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of the written content of The Blog by Jacqueline Sebiane, or any portion thereof, is expressly prohibited.  

Positive Vibes By Jacqueline Sebiane

I like what Lady Gaga is doing with her fame so I am sharing the love on my worldwide platform. Her non-profit organization, Born This Way Foundation, has partnered on a meaningful project in an effort to start a kindness movement. Here is the official information about the project:

“On June 26th, 2016 Born This Way Foundation co-founder Lady Gaga joined philanthropist Phil Anschutz and His Holiness the Dalai Lama to challenge America’s cities to be kind. The panel met in front of more than 200 mayors from across the county, where they discussed the role that kindness can play in improving the mental health of citizens, and how current “cities of kindness” – like Anaheim, California – have also experienced a decrease in crime.

As a result of this discussion, the mayors voted unanimously to commit to 100 billion acts of kindness across the country. To help support this ambitious goal, Born This Way Foundation is proud to be a part of City of Kindness – an organization launched with the leadership of Mayor Tom Tait of Anaheim, one of the driving forces behind the kindness movement. Mayor Tait ran on a platform of kindness and won. To hear more about his story, check out his guest post for Channel Kindness.

Cities across the country are embracing the tangible power of kindness, bringing together community leaders, elected officials, and young people to create positive change. Want your city to join the movement? Tell your mayor you’re ready to make your city a City of Kindness!” 

- See more at: https://bornthisway.foundation/city-of-kindness/#sthash.PvkX9abN.dpuf

BFF's Franco Columbu and Arnold Schwarzenegger

Loyalty is a very important aspect of friendship. This glimpse into Arnold and Franco’s friendship of 51 years is adorable. And to those of us who are avid bodybuilding fans, trained at Gold’s Venice and hung around in the streets of Venice Beach and the Venice Beach boardwalk, this video has a more significant meaning. As for me, having proudly done legal work for The Oak along with Patrick Knapp Schwarzenegger, and having been close friends with the late Joe Gold, this video warms my heart just a little extra.

For All The Lovers In The World...

This is a beautiful, meaningful love song and one of my favorite songs of all time. If someone loves you like this, don’t ever take it for granted. And if you love someone so much it hurts and feels good at the same time, hold on to that special feeling forever.

Kiss Your Father By Jacqueline Sebiane

On Father's Day 2015, I traveled to Vegas. My daddy wanted a cologne from the Chanel Boutique at Bellagio as a Father's Day gift. BLEU DE CHANEL is the last gift he received from me before he passed away on 10/9/2015. He was so excited, like a little boy on his birthday, when I gave him this present wrapped up all pretty. The bottle of cologne was left behind in his belongings when he passed. I sometimes take in the fragrant aroma to remind me of my father. And even though he is not physically here, the love he gave me over my lifetime is in my heart forever. If your father is still alive, make sure you hug and kiss your father. Tell him you love him.

Norwegian Viking Challenge

Give Love Not Hate

Have you ever heard the saying every tormentor is your teacher? I learned it from Deepak Chopra. If you’ve ever come face to face with hatred or been the unwarranted recipient of mistreatment, remember how it made you feel and NEVER be like that. Let that experience have the opposite effect on you. Become hypersensitive to how you treat people. Spread kindness and love not evil and hatred.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

My life is like a book; a real page turner. June 15, 2017 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This is a very sensitive subject for me as my siblings have for a period of time been methodically engaging in collusion to take advantage of my elderly mom over what they perceive to be entitlement to an inheritance. Most recently they took her by deception and have been keeping her away from her legal residence for over one month now. This gang of dastardly outlaws includes a Los Angeles Police Officer who should have never worked one day in law enforcement given his past with federal prisoner Colin Nathanson. These not-so-smart cohorts have been taking advantage of my mom's vulnerabilities and having her sign documents while in a diminished emotional and physical state in an attempt to assume a forced fiduciary over her to get at her real property. No one wants to sit idly by and watch an unfortunate situation like this unfold. Know, however, that God leaves no stone unturned. It is only a matter of time before these individuals are held accountable for their actions. 

So even if there are no elderly or dependent adults in your immediate family, please do what you can to advocate for the vulnerable. Here is some information on the L.A. County campaign for Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month:

Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services, in collaboration with the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A), California Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) and other partners, intends to raise awareness of the escalating epidemic of elder and dependent adult abuse by launching a month-long education and resource campaign during June. The month-long campaign coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrated annually on June 15.

We need your support! By working together we can amplify the awareness campaign here in Los Angeles County and ensure that older and dependent adults are given the respect, protection and justice they deserve.

Here are some ways you can support this campaign:

1. Post the “Don’t Miss the Signs of Abuse” poster in your offices and share it with your colleagues and community partners.

2. Wear Purple to work on June 15 in honor of WEAAD.

3. Place the campaign logos in your email signature block during the month of June.

4. Make a difference in the lives of vulnerable adults in your community by spreading the word of abuse awareness to your friends, family and neighbors.

5. Connect with WDACS and other partners during June via Twitter @LACountyWDACS and on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/LACountyWDACS/ and tweet/post using the hashtags #WEAAD2017 and #StopElderAbuse 

Karma By Jacqueline Sebiane

Have you ever been on the receiving end of something that wasn't right? Or perhaps you've witnessed a person, group of people or an organization doing something unsavory, improper or downright illegal. If you have, don’t do anything. Always take the high road. Just sit back and observe. Wrongdoers are most assuredly the masters of their own demise. Karma is real. What goes around, comes around. Enjoy Karma Police by Radiohead. The imagery by performing artists is usually over the top but the message is clear if you pay attention.

Life Is A Gift

On 9/9/2015 my beautiful father had a severe ischemic stroke. For an entire month he laid virtually motionless unable to eat food or drink water until he succumbed to his condition and circumstances on 10/9/2015. The brain injury was sudden, immediate and irreversible. There were no do overs. To look into my hero's his eyes and know that he knew he had no future was devastating. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced and my perspective on life changed forever. Thank you Tim McGraw for these beautiful, powerful messages.

Memorial Day 2017

Tim McGraw Using The Power Of Words

I like what Tim McGraw represents. Finding the good in someone or uplifting a person who is downtrodden is the best feeling in the world.

Like A Stone I'll Wait For You There Alone

A Rock N Roll legend gone in an instant. R.I.P. Chris Cornell.

On a cobweb afternoon

In a room full of emptiness
By a freeway I confess
I was lost in the pages
Of a book full of death
Reading how we'll die alone
And if we're good we'll lay to rest
Anywhere we want to go

In your house I long to be
Room by room patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone I'll wait for you there
Alone

√ Corruption In Law Enforcement Addressed By The DOJ And The FBI

The story of Sheriff Lee Baca is a powerful message to those in law enforcement, especially those in high ranking positions, that covert cowardly acts of corruption will not be tolerated. 

Here is the DOJ's press release about Lee Baca:

Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of CA; Press Release No. 17-100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, May 12, 2017

Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Leading Scheme to Obstruct Investigation into Jails

         

LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who was convicted of overseeing a scheme designed to obstruct a federal investigation into corruption and civil rights abuses at county jail facilities, was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison.

Baca, 74, who also was found guilty of lying to federal investigators, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge Percy Anderson.

Judge Anderson, who presided over a series of trials that led to the conviction of 10 former members of the Sheriff’s Department involved in the scheme to obstruct justice, said Baca “knew what he was doing was wrong, and he had no problem using his office to further his own agenda.”

Judge Anderson ordered Baca to begin serving his sentence by July 25. In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered Baca to pay a $7,500 fine.

“Blind obedience to a corrupt culture has serious consequences,” Judge Anderson said.

Today’s sentencing follows a trial that ended in March when a federal jury convicted Baca on three felony counts: conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and making false statement to federal investigators. The evidence presented at trial showed that Baca was the top figure in the conspiracy, which also involved his right-hand man and deputies who implemented orders from the Sheriff.

“Rather than fulfill his sworn duty to uphold the law and protect the public, Lee Baca made a decision to protect what he viewed as his empire, and then he took actions in an effort to simply protect himself,” said Acting United States United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. “He wore the badge, but ultimately, he failed the department and the public’s trust. Today’s sentence demonstrates that no one is above the law – not even the leader of the largest municipal police agency in the nation.”

“As Sheriff, Mr. Baca should have held himself accountable. He should have corrected the actions of others, rather than shift blame and obstruct a federal investigation,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. “I’m proud of the team of agents and prosecutors who persevered throughout this lengthy and challenging investigation, and grateful to the victims and witnesses who came forward.”

The obstruction scheme began in August 2011 after LASD officials discovered a cell phone in an inmate’s cell at the Men’s Central Jail, linked the phone to the FBI’s Civil Rights Squad and learned that the inmate was an FBI informant. The cell phone had been smuggled into the jail by a corrupt deputy who took bribes. The FBI had developed the informant as part of an investigation into the county jail system, which for years had been the subject of allegations of inmate abuse and subsequent cover-ups. The evidence presented at trial showed that the sheriff wanted to avoid federal scrutiny of his troubled jails.

As part of the scheme to obstruct justice, Baca ordered a criminal investigation of the FBI agents conducting the investigation, and he directed his underlings to conceal the informant from federal investigators. Over the course of approximately six weeks, members of the conspiracy then took a series of steps that successfully hid the informant from federal authorities, engaged in witness tampering in an effort to prevent information from being shared with federal authorities, and threatened to arrest the lead FBI agent on the case. When Baca watched a recording of his deputies confronting the FBI agent, he reacted by stating “it was the best laugh he had in some time,” prosecutors noted in their sentencing memorandum filed with the court.

While Baca put his right-hand man, then-Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, in charge of the scheme, Baca participated in dozens of meetings and phone calls with members of the conspiracy and directed his deputies to approach the FBI agent. Baca participated in the scheme after being warned by a top deputy that the actions would amount to obstruction of justice.

The case against Baca is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is one in a series of cases resulting from the investigation into county jail facilities in downtown Los Angeles that has resulted in 21 convictions.

Baca was the tenth member of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department convicted in the obstruction scheme. Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, who was also found guilty by a federal jury, was sentenced last year to five years in federal prison. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Anderson said Baca would have received a sentence as long as Tanaka’s, except for his medical condition and the former sheriff’s lengthy history of public service.

Eleven other former deputies have been convicted of federal charges, mostly related to unprovoked beatings of inmates and subsequent cover-ups.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Fox, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; Assistant United States Attorney Lizabeth A. Rhodes, Chief of the General Crimes Section; and Assistant United States Attorney Eddie A. Jauregui of the Major Frauds Section.

On The Red Carpet At The Cannes Film Festival 2017

Women Of The FBI

FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation plans to go live. 

Join us on Friday, May 19, 2017 at 3:00 PM EST for a Facebook Live session with trailblazing women who rose through the ranks to top leadership positions in the FBI. Their success stories highlight the Bureau's mission to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. Questions can be submitted to the panelists ahead of time or during the broadcast using #FBILive.

* Official information in this posting is the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Lee Priest And The Roos

I love this picture of my long time close friend Lee Priest. It shows the gentle loving side of him that I have always known. 

Another Day At Work For The U.S. Marine Corp.

Much love to the men and women of the U.S. Marine Corp. who serve the United States of America with selfless devotion.

U.S. Dept. of Defense K-9 Love

DIRTY Lawyer Eric Conn Brought To Justice In Social Security Scam

It is especially reprehensible when people in a position of trust (e.g. judicial officers, cops, lawyers, doctors, etc.) engage in corrupt acts in pursuit of the almighty dollar or some other personal gain. I cannot stand innocent people being victimized by corruption or some fraud perpetrated on a program or system created and implemented to help those in need. Thank you to the FBI for bringing this dirty lawyer (and hopefully his co-conspirators and accomplices) to justice.

Support The Police

Situations like these are proof positive that we need the police. Police corruption is a hot button topic. Note, however, that corruption in and of itself is a separate issue. Law enforcement is a vital function so please show your support for the men and women who risk their lives everyday to protect ours and to maintain societal order.

The U.S. Department of Defense Puppy Family

This is so cute. I am a sucker for certain things and sweet, adorable little puppies are one of them. Oh and this is interesting too.