Another Monday morning here on California’s north coast — as it is all over — and we begin a work week again. At least, the weather lately has been about near-perfect for this area of warm sunshine styled by a cool breeze.
Time might be flying, but there’s still five work days ahead of toil and trouble.

This past weekend has been a bit on the chaos side, with George Zimmerman walking and the shit hitting the old fan. Peaceful demonstrations quickly turned nasty all over the US in the wake of the verdict — yesterday was quiet in Oakland after Saturday night’s mini rampage of fires, tire slashings and bricks through windows of several downtown businesses, while other incidents in Boston, Los Angeles and elsewhere were fairly calm.

(Illustration found here).

George, however, is now more scared of living than jail.
From CBS:

“He has always feared for his safety, and we have always feared for his safety and our safety as a family,” Robert Zimmerman, Jr., Zimmerman’s brother, told CNN.
“Clearly, he is a free man in the eyes of the court, but he’s going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life.”
…
During court proceedings, Zimmerman didn’t disclose where he was living for more than a year, and ventured outside only in disguise, CNN reports.
The 29-year-old discussed purchasing bulletproof vests for himself, his wife Shellie and lawyer O’Mara in a recorded jailhouse conversation last year.
And in a 2012 interview with Fox News television host Sean Hannity, Zimmerman said he had received multiple death threats.
“Do you feel your life is in jeopardy?” Hannity asked.
“Yes, sir,” Zimmerman responded.

George just needs to not wear a hoodie, for sure.
And supposedly he will be able to get his gun back — the one used to kill Trayvon Martin — if authorities have no objection. If the feds bring a case forward, then the situation might change.
The US DOJ released a statement yesterday, which said, in part: Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.
I don’t think they’ll go through with it — too much pressure. Then again, that pressure could force some action.
Who the fuck knows?

This whole episode is horrible drama –tragedy beyond scope, and despite George getting a free pass, the incident will continue sparking sore spots all across this gun-infested nation. The US has a gun problem, a big, big, big gun problem — now eight months after the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary, and not a shit-ass item has been done about the whole armed camp of Americans.
President Obama, worthless as ever — he really has become a dickhead — called for people not to get rowdy, but to keep a quiet anger brewing until this too passes.
His reaction to George walking, in part:

I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.
And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.
We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis.

You should be asking yourself that — what have you done yourself?

Charles P. Pierce at Esquire had a real-good post yesterday on the verdict, and outlined a tongue-in-horrible cheek basis for life in this dangerous US of A and worship of the gun-toting hero.
The money quote:

Calm is prevailing.
For now.
At least, that’s something.
There will be much for George Zimmerman to do.
Things may be a little rough back home, but there will be the victory tour on Fox.
And the inevitable book deal.
There will be the long career as a hero to the people in the communities that feel themselves besieged by assholes and fucking punks in their hoodies.
There will be a long, lovely ride surfing the strange and wonderful celebrity that will befall him now because he stood up to the people who defend the rights of asshoes and fucking punks to walk in their hoodies through neighborhoods where they don’t belong, according to him, George Zimmerman, American hero.

Let us blast off this Monday and work hard through the week — live and let die with soothing meditation.