Solange Magnano, a former Miss Argentina, has died from complications after undergoing cosmetic surgery on her buttocks. Dang. She died of a pulmonary embolism Sunday, after three days in critical conditions following a gluteoplasty, which involves placing implants in the buttocks to improve their outline in Buenos Aires.
Magnano, a 38-year old mother of twins, won the crown in 1994. According to media reports, Roberto Piazza, a close friend, said the procedure involved injections and the liquid "went to her lungs and brain.""A woman who had everything lost her life to have a slightly firmer behind," he said.
Dr. Gonzalo Cortes y Tristan said she arrived at his hospital with an acute respiratory deficiency. Her condition deteriorated until she suffered the embolism.
According to News Limited, there were about 50,000 plastic surgery procedures performed in Argentina in 2008, a 60 per cent increase over 2003, with a growing number of foreigners seeking inexpensive cosmetic enhancements accounting for much of the increase.
Not that this comes as a shock, but ABC News is reporting that Chelsea Clinton is engaged to her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky. Clinton, 29, and Mezvinsky, the son of former Rep. Ed Mezvinsky (D-IA) and former Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (D-PA), became friends in Washington DC and become closer when they both attended Stanford University.
The couple sent out an email the morning of Friday November 27 saying: "We're sorry for the mass email but we wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving! We also wanted to share that we are engaged! We didn't get married this past summer despite the stories to the contrary, but we are looking toward next summer and hope you all will be there to celebrate with us. Happy Holidays! Chelsea & Marc."
Congratulations to the happy couple and to former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Nearly a year into his presidency, it seems that President Obama's gift for controlling his image shows signs of strain. There are several anti-Obama storylines gaining traction and that's clearly not the message the White House wants to get out. According to Politico, the Obama White House argues that all of these storylines are inaccurate or unfair. In some cases these anti-Obama narratives are fanned by Republicans, in some cases by reporters and commentators. Here are two of the more pointed storylines that have concerned me about the Obama Administration:
Too much Leonard Nimoy
People used to make fun of Bill Clinton’s misty-eyed, raspy-voiced claims that, “I feel your pain.”The reality, however, is that Clinton’s dozen years as governor before becoming president really did leave him with a vivid sense of the concrete human dimensions of policy. He did not view programs as abstractions — he viewed them in terms of actual people he knew by name.
Obama, a legislator and law professor, is fluent in describing the nuances of problems. But his intellectuality has contributed to a growing critique that decisions are detached from rock-bottom principles.
Both Maureen Dowd in The New York Times and Joel Achenbach of The Washington Post have likened him to Star Trek’s Mr. Spock. The Spock imagery has been especially strong during the extended review Obama has undertaken of Afghanistan policy. He’ll announce the results on Tuesday. The speech’s success will be judged not only on the logic of the presentation but on whether Obama communicates in a more visceral way what progress looks like and why it is worth achieving. No soldier wants to take a bullet in the name of nuance.
He sees America as another pleasant country on the U.N. roll call, somewhere between Albania and Zimbabwe
That line belonged to George H.W. Bush, excoriating Democrat Michael Dukakis in 1988. But it highlights a continuing reality: In presidential politics the safe ground has always been to be an American exceptionalist.
Politicians of both parties have embraced the idea that this country — because of its power and/or the hand of Providence — should be a singular force in the world. It would be hugely unwelcome for Obama if the perception took root that he is comfortable with a relative decline in U.S. influence or position in the world.
On this score, the reviews of Obama’s recent Asia trip were harsh. His peculiar bow to the emperor of Japan was symbolic. But his lots-of-velvet, not-much-iron approach to China had substantive implications. On the left, the budding storyline is that Obama has retreated from human rights in the name of cynical realism. On the right, it is that he is more interested in being President of the World than President of the United States, a critique that will be heard more in December as he stops in Oslo to pick up his Nobel Prize and then in Copenhagen for an international summit on curbing greenhouse gases. Source: Politico
To be honest, President Obama is starting to look very vulnerable and the cracks in his image as a young idealist who stood for hope and change are starting to show. To read the entire Politico article, CLICK HERE.
Remember that profanity-laced tirade tennis pro Serena Williams went on at the U.S. Open in September? Well, she has just received the stiffest fine in the history of Grand Slam tennis -- $82,500 and two years probation. Williams lashed out at a lineswoman after a foot-fault call at the end of her U.S. Open semifinal loss.
According to media reports, Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock said could be suspended from that tournament if she has another "major offense" in the next two years. He said she faces a "probationary period" at Grand Slam tournaments in 2010 and 2011.
Serena will be walking on egg shells for the next two years. If she has another incident at a major championship in that time, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the following U.S. Open.
Babcock said the previous highest fine for a Grand Slam offense was about $48,000 to Jeff Tarango in the 1990s.
UPDATED 6:32 A.M. Police surround home in Seattle, about 30 miles from crime scene. Police say a suspect is holed up at a Seattle house, wounded and possibly dead. Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer says negotiators are still trying to communicate with Maurice Clemmons.
UPDATED 11:04 P.M. The judge associated with this case is Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck. Shame on you judge for letting a violent criminal out on the streets even though he had an open warrant in the state of Arkansas. The prosecutor, Angelica McGaha, failed to get this man kept behind bars where he belonged.
Have you seen Maurice Clemmons? The 37-year old Tacoma man is being sought by law enforcement in the execution-style shooting of Mark Renninger and three other police officers at the Forza Coffee shop near Parkland, Wa., Sunday morning. Court records show that Clemmons, who was recently released from prison, has an extensive criminal record in Pierce County and Arkansas. He is wanted in Arkansas and faces eight criminal charges in Washington state. There is a connection to this man and then-governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, who commuted his sentence nine years ago over the protest of prosecutors. This man's criminal history dates back to when he was 17 years old.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Department has identified a person of interest in the November 29, 2009, murder of four Lakewood Police officers. The person of interest is Maurice Clemmons, a 37 year old black male from the Parkland area of Pierce County. Clemmons is 5'8" tall, 235 lbs., with black hair, brown eyes, and a mole on his left cheek.
Clemmons has extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas, including aggravated robbery and theft. He has also recently been arrested and charged in Pierce County for Assault 3rd on a Police Officer and for Rape of a Child.
Clemmons should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If the public has any information on his whereabouts, call any tips to the Sheriff's Department tip line at 1-866-977-2362. Source: The News Tribune
If you encounter this man, who is described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, between 5-feet-7 inches and 5-feet-10-inches, and ran north on Steele Street South after the shooting. He was wearing a black coat over a gray hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans, do not hesitate to contact law enforcement immediately. Anybody with information is asked to call 253-591-5959 or 866-977-2362. I will update this story with a picture of Maurice Clemmons as soon as one is available.
UPDATE#1: The information is coming in fast and furious on this criminal. Nine years ago, Clemmons was granted clemency by then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protestations of prosecutors. If this man is guilty of the horrific murder of four police officers, plus the rape of a child, he will literally become a political liability for Mike Huckabee's aspirations to enter another presidential campaign.
Clemmons' criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed. Clemmons had been in jail in Pierce County for the past several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child. He was released from custody just six days ago, even though he was wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Arkansas and was staring at eight felony charges in all out of Washington state. Source: The Seattle Times
Which judge signed off on his release from prison even though he was wanted on a fugitive warrant? That is unconscionable. When will judges learn that you cannot reform a career criminal who has a violent history. He should have been incarcerated for life.
The Lakewood police officers killed today have been identified. Sgt. Mark Renninger was first identified on Facebook and WFMZ's web site. He grew up in Lehigh Valley, Pa., and was born in Bethlehem. He served in the military. According to WFMZ, he is one of six siblings. He was a member of the Lakewood SWAT team.
Renninger and three other officers lost their lives this morning. No other persons in the Forza Coffee shop were hurt. A Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman says one man fled on foot and he may have had an accomplice. One of Mr. Renninger's brothers, Matthew Renninger, is a former Easton police officer who accidentally shot and killed fellow Officer Jesse Sollman back in 2005. Mark Renninger is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar publicly identified the four slain police officers and issued the following statement:
“All four of our slain officers had been with this department since it started five years ago. Sergeant Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronald Owens were police veterans when they started and all have been outstanding professionals. This is a very difficult time for our families and our officers. The families will have many challenges ahead of them and we ask that their privacy be respected. Please keep our families and Lakewood Police in your prayers.”
Officer Tina Griswold was 40. She had 14 years of law enforcement experience. She is survived by her husband and two children. She's a former Lacey police officer. She was awarded a lifesaving medal in July.
Officer Greg Richards was 42. He had eight years of law enforcement experience and is survived by his wife and three children. He's a former Kent police officer.
Officer Ronald Owens was 37. He had 12 years of law enforcement experience and is survived by a former wife and a daughter. He used to work for the Washington State Patrol.
The Lakewood Police department said all four fallen officers joined the Lakewood Police Department as it was forming. "They are good people. They will be missed," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said.
This has been a weekend marred with so much tragedy. State police said four children ages two to 14 were among five people killed when a minivan packed with children rolled on a Louisiana interstate, and seven others remained in critical condition. Police identified the dead as the driver,Mona Hines, 38; Ricky Hines Jr., 2; Lachante Floyd, 12; Edward Barnes, 14 and Ashley Hines, 14. The van blew a tire, clipped a delivery truck and rolled on Interstate 10 near Baton Rouge. All 13 children were thrown from the vehicle. Two adults were wearing seatbelts but not of the children were.
Louisiana State Police said two other children and the GMC Safari's adult passenger were in stable condition. The surviving children ranged from less than a year old to 14. Alcohol was not suspected as a factor in the crash. The police said seven people remain in critical condition.
The Louisiana Legislature recently passed a law making it mandatory to wear seatbelts in both the front and back seats. This tragedy is a good illustration of why they did this, though the van reportedly did not have enough seatbelts for the 15 passengers. It is obvious that the vehicle was over capacity.
For the third day in row, professional golfer Tiger Woods has canceled an interview with the Florida Highway Patrol about the early-morning crash that sent him to the hospital. A spokeswoman for Florida Highway Patrol said the agency was contacted at about 1 p.m. from prominent local attorney Mark NeJame, who said he is now representing Woods. Tiger Woods has released a statement on his website and has claimed responsibility for the accident and denounced rumors that have surfaced about the incident. The statement reads:
"As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.
This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be. "
Tiger Woods and his wife should be afforded some privacy in this matter. It is obvious that something has transpired in his private life, but it does not rise to the level of constant coverage by the mainstream news outlets. I am sure his statement will continue to fan the flames of controversy and the rumors of infidelity will not diminish.
Four police officers from Lakewood, Washington, have been shot to death in an ambush at the Forza Coffee shop near Parkland Sunday morning. Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer told The News Tribune in Tacoma one or two gunmen burst into the coffee shop and shot the four uniformed officers as they were working on their laptop computers, then fled the scene. He said investigators believe the officers were targeted and it was not a robbery. The four officers were about to go to work, Troyer said. He said officers were looking for a male suspect who fled on foot, and "at this point we may be looking for another person." He could not immediately say what agency the officers were from. The coffee shop is near McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, about 35 miles south of Seattle.
Pierce County deputies are working at the scene with Tacoma Police, Lakewood Police and the Washington State Patrol. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information in the killings. The amount is expected rise, Troyer said. The suspect is described as a black male, 5'8 to 5'9 and in his 20s or 30s. He had scruffy facial hair with a black coat and blue jeans. He used a handgun.
According to the News Tribune, police investigators have identified three of the four officers -- three men and one woman. All are from the local area. The fourth officer they are still trying to identify. The Sheriff's Department is in the process of notifying next of kin and coworkers. What a way to end the holiday weekend. This is a tragedy of untold proportions. Tips can be called in to (253) 591-5959 or 866-977-2362.
Professor advises underwater homeowners to walk away from mortgages Brent T. White, a University of Arizona law school professor, says that it's in the homeowners' best financial interest to stiff their lenders and that it's not immoral to do so. Doing so, he suggests, could save some of them hundreds of thousands of dollars that they "have no reasonable prospect of recouping" in the years ahead. Plus the penalties are nowhere near as painful or long-lasting as they might assume, he says.
10,000 Albinos In Hiding After Killings In East Africa The mistaken belief that albino body parts have magical powers has driven thousands of Africa's albinos into hiding, fearful of losing their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make up to $75,000 selling a complete dismembered set.
York, Pa., torn by racial strife elects black mayor A little girl who trembled in her house as a National Guard tank rumbled past during York's chaotic 1969 race riots has grown up to become the first black mayor of the central Pennsylvania city. Kim Bracey, 45, an energetic veteran of the struggling manufacturing city's improvement efforts will take office in January, to the delight of many African-Americans who thought they would never see a black mayor.
Angelo Faliva, Italian chef, missing at sea on Caribbean cruise Italy's foreign ministry says a chef from the country is missing from a U.S.-flagged cruise ship and the FBI is investigating. Angelo Faliva was last seen in the kitchen of the Princess Cruises "Coral Princess" at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday while he was working his dinner shift.
Police: Murderous Swedish Moose A Suspect In Death Of Agneta Westlund Swedish police say they've cleared a man who was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after deciding the culprit was most likely a moose. Police spokesman Ulf Karlsson says "the improbable has become probable" in the puzzling death last year of 63-year old Agneta Westlund. She was found dead after an evening stroll in the forest.
Jeremy Greenstock, UK Diplomat, Says US Was 'Hell Bent' On Iraq Invasion Jeremy Greenstock, British ambassador to the United Nations from 1998 to 2003, said that President George W. Bush had no real interest in attempts to agree on a U.N. resolution to provide explicit backing for the conflict. The ex-diplomat, who served as Britain's envoy in Iraq after the invasion, said serious preparations for the war had begun in early 2002 and took on an unstoppable momentum.
Iran authorizes 10 new nuke plants, state news agency IRNA says Iran's Cabinet has authorized the construction of another 10 uranium enrichment plants, the state news agency IRNA announced Sunday, further defying international calls to halt its production of nuclear fuel. The Iranian Cabinet approved existing plans for five more facilities similar to its current plant at Natanz and ordered planning for five more to begin, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The dispatch quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying that the new plants will be used to produce fuel for civilian nuclear power stations.
MARTINSVILLE, Ohio — With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children. It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.
Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare.
While the numbers have soared during the recession, the path was cleared in better times when the Bush administration led a campaign to erase the program’s stigma, calling food stamps “nutritional aid” instead of welfare, and made it easier to apply. That bipartisan effort capped an extraordinary reversal from the 1990s, when some conservatives tried to abolish the program, Congress enacted large cuts and bureaucratic hurdles chased many needy people away. From the ailing resorts of the Florida Keys to Alaskan villages along the Bering Sea, the program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day.
Black Friday wasn't totally incident-free. In fact, Sonya Gayle Powell, 42, was killed in a hit-and-run accident while crossing Baychester Avenue in the Bronx, as she returned from Christmas shopping on Friday. She was mowed down by an ex-con, Sheldon Reid, who has four license suspensions. Reid pleaded not guilty at his arraignment hearing Saturday night and is being held on $20,000 cash or bond. I am stunned that his bond is so low in light of the fact that he is no stranger to the penal system. This coward served two years for shooting a man twice in the chest in 2004 and finished his parole in March of this year. We must press for tougher sentences for repeat offenders. His license should have been revoked for the multiple suspensions.
Reid is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. There's more. The Department of Motor Vehicles records show that his license was suspended Monday for defaulting on a summons payment. According to the NY Post, it was also suspended in March for the same reason and on February 24, 2007, for an incident involving injuries and property damage. He was stripped of his license in September 2008, for failing to pay a ticket after being caught going 80 mph in a 50 mph zone. When will judges stop giving these criminals a slap on the wrist for driving with multiple traffic violations? His license should be revoked and because he has a criminal record, he should have been held without bail.
I used to live in the Baychester section of the Bronx and I remember that was an extremely busy street and a dangerous place for pedestrians to cross.If I recall correctly, the traffic lights were far apart on this long thoroughfare. Powell was pronounced dead at Jacobi Hospital. Reid was arrested two hours later at his home. We must press for tougher sentences for repeat offenders. This woman's life is certainly worth more than a $20,000 bond, especially since the perpetrator fled the scene of the accident, drove with a suspended license and has a rap sheet.
Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike Penner, who announced two years ago that he was a transsexual and was changing his name to Christine Daniels, has died and it is suspected that he committed suicide. He was 52 years old.
In his 25-year tenure with the Los Angeles Times, he covered Major League Baseball, the National Football League, World Cup soccer, tennis and other sports. He worked at various times as a reporter, columnist and the newspaper's Los Angeles Angels beat writer.
Penner revealed that journey on April 26, 2007, when he wrote a story for the Times headlined "Old Mike, New Christine," in which he revealed he was taking a few weeks vacation and when he returned to his job as a sports writer it would be as a woman named Christine Daniels. "I am a transsexual sports writer," Penner wrote. "It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words."
At the time of his announcement he was married, and he declined to discuss his family situation. He said he was undergoing female hormone treatments but declined to say whether he planned to undergo a sex-change operation. Source: Huffington Post
At the time of his death he was writing a column for the Times called Totally Random that focused on offbeat, lighthearted and historic moments in sports. The last one appeared in the paper on Nov. 15.
Ayalis Clay Oliver, 76, has been arrested and charged with shooting his 49 year old son, Keith Oliver, to death in an argument over chores during a Thanksgiving Day gathering at his home in Security, Co. Oliver is being held without bond in the El Paso County jail. Deputies arrested him on suspicion of first-degree murder at his home where the shooting occurred. According to the arrest affidavit by Detective Ralph Losasso, the father and son had been arguing for most of the day Thursday about the son not doing chores. It is unknown what chores they were arguing about. Marjorie Oliver, the mother of the deceased, asked her son to leave the home at some point on Thursday and he refused to do so, Losasso stated. The detective stated that father then went to an upstairs bedroom, retrieved a .357-caliber revolver from the nightstand drawer and confronted his son in the garage.
At about 3:25 p.m. Thursday, deputies were called to the home where they found Keith Oliver of Denver dead with a gunshot wound to the head, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lt. Lari Sevene said Friday. Ayalis Oliver told detectives that he exchanged about “five words” with his son before shooting him once. The father told detectives he was “pissed” when he went for his gun.
He confirmed that his son’s final words – overheard by the mother – was that he was trying to stand up like a man and for that his father was going to shoot him. A detective said Oliver did not remember saying anything to his son before firing the shot. After shooting his son, the father told investigators, he sat down on the steps, still holding the gun until his wife asked him to put the weapon down. When deputies arrested Oliver, he was breathing heavily. Oliver said he was OK, but that he had harmed his son. Source: The Gazette
I won't condone what this man did to his son, but it seems unconscionable that he is paying the rent and making car payments for his adult twin sons, one of whom was the shooting victim. The man was probably just tired of being pushed around by his son and he just snapped. Oliver made an initial court appearance on Friday before El Paso County Judge Jonathan Walker, who set the next court date for December 2.
UGLOVKA, Russia (Pravda) — At least 39 passengers were killed and about 96 were injured when the Nevsky Express train #166 derailed at 18:34 GMT Moscow time at Bologoye, between Moscow and St. Petersburg, an emergencies ministry source said Saturday. The FSB has confirmed that the derailment was caused by a terrorist bomb.
Just prior to the accident, the train driver had applied the brakes. The last four cars out of thirteen left the rails. Witnesses speak of a loud explosion just before the train derailed and claim that a crater with a diameter of one meter appeared in the track.
Aleksandr Bortnikov, Director of the FSB, declared to President Dmitry Medvedev that a bomb with the equivalent of seven kilos of TNT was detonated and caused the incident.
A mobile field hospital was being flown to the accident site, near Bologoye, 200 miles from Moscow, to render assistance to injured passengers. Ambulances, Federal Security Service officers, law enforcement, emergency services and railroad specialists are already at the site.
Thirty injured passengers have been sent to hospitals in Bologoye, Alyoshinka and Borovichi. Another 20 injured were sent to Uglovka. Twenty-three people died instantly and 2 others in hospital. The train was carrying 682 people – 653 passengers and 29 crew – coach attendants and engine drivers.
Russian Railways said trains will move along a bypass route to keep railroad travel between the two largest Russian cities running. Several dozen trains currently on their way to St. Petersburg from Moscow will be delayed by at least 8 hours. It takes Nevsky Express trains, that can travel at 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), around four hours to travel the approximately 650 kilometers from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
It seems as though there is a Tiger Woods soap opera that is playing out before our eyes. According to TMZ, the injuries he sustained Friday morning were reportedly not caused by the accident, but by his wife Elin Nordegren. He has yet to be formally interviewed by the Florida Highway Patrol, which is expected to occur this afternoon, but TMZ is reporting that he had a conversation with a "non-law enforcement type" and stated that his wife had confronted him about his jump-off, you know his skank. Did Miss Elin go postal on her man?
We're told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up. We're told it was then Woods beat a hasty retreat for his SUV -- but according to our source, Woods says his wife followed behind with a golf club. As Tiger drove away, she struck the vehicle several times with the club.
We're told Woods became "distracted," thought the vehicle was stopped, and looked to see what had happened. At that point the SUV hit the fire hydrant and then hit a tree.
We're also told Woods had said during the conversation Friday he had been taking prescription pain medication for an injury, which could explain why he seemed somewhat out of it at the scene. Source: TMZ
Tiger Woods has managed to stay relatively scandal free during his career, with a propensity to using profanity on the golf course, but nothing of this nature. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming days. If his wife really did this, then she had no right to do so and she needs some a serious anger management session with a professional. If Tiger Woods is cheating on his wife, he should realize that the grass isn't greener on the other side, especially since the woman, Rachel Uchitel, has a history of dating married men. This rumor has been circulating on the Internet, spurred by gossip-monger Media Take Out and it is unconfirmed.
URGENT: Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car wreck in Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol said Woods hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway early Friday in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle.
He was taken to Health Central Hospital. While his condition was not immediately known, the news release said his injuries were serious.
The highway patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. It is not clear against whom charges are pending. However, the highway patrol said the crash was not alcohol-related.
UPDATE#1: According to CNN, a statement was issued by Woods' publicist and Health Central Hospital and it called the accident "minor," and said Woods was "admitted, treated and released today in good condition."
UPDATE: MICHAEL MERHIGE CAUGHT IN KEY WEST, FLA. ARRESTED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
Have you seen Paul Michael Merhige, 35, of Miami? A manhunt is underway for him at this time. Four people, including a six-year old Makayla Sitton in bed, were shot to death during a family Thanksgiving gathering and he is suspected in the slayings. Police said that 17 relatives were in the house when the shootings were reported around 10 p.m. Thursday in Jupiter, a small coastal town about 90 miles north of Miami.
The others killed were all women. They were named as Raymonde Joseph, 76, Carla Merhige and Lisa Merhige. The two women were 33-year-old twin sisters, and sisters of Paul Merhige. Authorities said a fifth victim, Patrick McKnight, was being treated at a hospital. His condition was not available.
Pascarella said police received a 911 call from a neighbor shortly after 10 p.m. Police then received a second 911 call from someone within the home. Pascarella says the shootings took place inside the house. "What led to this incident, we're not quite sure," said Pascarella. "It did not appear there was any altercation prior to this shooting."
Police said the home was owned by Jim Sitton, a photojournalist for WPTV-TV and father of the little girl killed. Sitton told WPTV his daughter was in bed when she was shot. He was at the party at the time of the shooting but was not wounded. The relationship between Sitton and Paul Merhige was unclear, police said.
Police across South Florida and the U.S. Marshals Service were searching for Merhige. Pascarella said Merhige is believed to be driving a blue 2007 4-door Toyota Camry with Florida license plate W42 7JT. Source: Miami Herald
What transpired in that home is a real tragedy and I hope Mr. Merhige is caught alive quickly. It is amazing that we cannot get through one holiday without tragedy visiting an unsuspecting family.
Tyler Perry has been sued by Susie H. James, the personal representative of deceased gospel singer/songwriter Bertha James, who claims Perry used too much of the goodness of Jesus in his movie, "Madea Goes to Jail," at least according to a new federal lawsuit. The suit claims Perry lifted an entire verse from a song James wrote in 1950 -- "When I Think of the Goodness of Jesus."
According to TMZ, the suit also claims Perry stole the verse and used it in "Madea," specifically, "incorporating the entire chorus in a monologue delivered by the main character in 'Madea" referencing her deliverance from a jail sentence and leniency for repetitive criminal conduct, in a staged court proceeding presided over by 'Judge Mabeline.'"
Bertha's estate, which is also suing Lionsgate Entertainment, wants unspecified damages for copyright infringement. This is amazing. The more money this man makes, the more people come out of the woodwork to sue him. Doesn't this remind you of what happened to the late Michael Jackson?
Allmir Lekperic, 26, is a cowardly man in every sense of the word. He killed an elderly couple, Peter Sabados, 78, and his wife, Lillian, 77, Wednesday night, as they were on their way to church to donate canned goods for the needy. What ensued in the aftermath of this horrible accident was what Lekperic did. He tried to cover his tracks in the hit-and-run accident that cost the couple their lives. After ditching the white Ford Econoline van about a mile and one half away from the deadly scene, he reportedly enlisted his sister's help to say that the vehicle was stolen, deliberately misdirecting the investigators.
According to media reports, Lekperic was behind the wheel when the elderly couple attempted to cross New Dorp Lane in Staten Island, NY, on their way to evening mass at Our Lady of Peace Church.
Horrified church members looked on as the driver sped off. A priest sprinted outside and administered last rites. Mr. Sabados was pronounced dead on arrival at Staten Island University Hospital, while his wife died early this morning. To add insult to injury, Mr. Lekperic's driver's license had been suspended at least 29 times since 2006, according to an article in the NY Times. The same law enforcement official also said, Mr. Lekperic had also been stopped at least four times for not wearing his seatbelt, as well as for talking on his cellphone while driving, following another car too closely and driving without a license.
Lekperic, who turned himself in and was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with fatalities and driving with a suspended license. What a dirtbag. He was brave enough to drive on a suspended license but too coward to face the music for his actions. His sister should have been charged with making false statements to law enforcement. She knew exactly what she was doing when she agreed to lie for her cowardly brother.
UPDATE#1: The suspect was released on $50,000 bail yesterday. Lekperic fled for more than five hours and allegedly persuaded his sister, Mirsada Nikezi, to tell cops the van had been stolen. Nikezi, 30, was arrested last night and charged with filing a false report, police said.
Photo credit: Allmir Lekperic, Chad Rachman/N.Y.Post
How in the world were two uninvited guests to President Obama's first state dinner able to gain entrance, dodging layers of security? Well, apparently Tareq and Michaele Salahi managed to do just that. According to the Washington Post, the aspiring reality television stars (morons is more like it) from Northern Virginia mingled with the likes of Vice President Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. The couple was seen arriving at the White House and later posted on Facebook pictures of themselves posing with VIPs such as D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife, Michelle; Katie Couric, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and the biggest security breach of all, inside the dinner tent cozying up with Robin Roberts from ABC, Bollywood composer AR Rahman, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, President Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, and yes, with Vice President Joe Biden. They even shook hands with President Obama.
According to the Washington Post, a White House official reportedly said the couple were not invited to the dinner, not included on the official guest list and never seated at a table in the South Lawn tent. The White House has offered no official explanation and this appears to be the first time in modern history that anyone was able to crash a White House state dinner. The uninvited guests were in the same room as President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the guest of honor.
Considering that terrorism is a constant threat to the welfare of Americans, this is a blunder of enormous proportions and heads should be rolling at the White House and in the ranks of the Secret Service. Ed Donovan, spokesman for the Secret Service is quoted as saying, "Everyone who enters the White House grounds goes through magnetometers and several other levels of screenings.""That was the case with the state dinner last night. No one was under any risk or threat."He said a preliminary internal investigation Wednesday identified "a Secret Service checkpoint which did not follow proper procedure to ensure these two individuals were on the invited guest list." This should never have occurred and someone needs to be fired immediately. How hard was it for these Secret Service agents charged with verifying that the guests were on the guest list? That seems pretty basic to me. It is a federal crime to lie to a federal officer, so these two might be facing criminal charges.
Mitchell "D.J." Maxwell, 11, was shot and killed by a teammate with a .177-caliber pellet gun during a sleepover at their coach's house. Felicia Thomas, the boy's mother, said in an interview with WSB-TV, that he sixth-grade son was at a sleepover with two other boys at the coach's home when he was shot. Ware County (Ga.) Sheriff Randy Royal said the three boys were playing a PlayStation 3 video game when one of the boys picked up what he thought was an unloaded pellet rifle and pretended to shoot it, then handed it to a 12-year-old who apparently shot Maxwell in the chest from point-blank range. After trying to stop the bleeding themselves, the children notified two adults watching television in the next room that Maxwell was hurt, but did not immediately say he had been shot. This begs the question of why this gun was lying around carelessly for a child to find? The 12-year old child that fired the gun is old enough to know that was dangerous and you shouldn't play with guns, period.
According to the police report, the paramedics didn't know the boy had been shot until they got to the hospital. They thought he was having an asthma attack. In the 911 calls, the caller told the operator the boy was gasping for air and that he had a history of asthma. "He's unresponsive but he's breathing," one of the callers told 911. "Do you know if he has a history of asthma or anything?" the 911 operator asked.
"He's one of my football players, and his cousin's here now and says he does have asthma," the caller said. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Monday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Savannah office. Royal said the case remains under investigation and the results would be turned over to the district attorney's office for review and any further action. Source: WSB-TV
These boys are old enough to know that you do not play with any type of gun, much less pull the trigger. Where was the adult supervision of these children? I am also amazed that the paramedics did not realize the child was bleeding and the adults in the home did not alert them that a child was shot. Seems like this case warrants a serious investigation because too many people seem to have dropped the ball.
You know it's a slow news day when all Matt Drudge of The Drudge Report can come up with is President Obama leaving the White House clutching a copy of GQ Magazine, with his picture on the cover. So, I am guessing Drudge is inferring that Obama is being egotistical? What gives?
Surely Matt Drudge and his team can come up with something more important than this.
Ten North Naples Middle School students were suspended last week after district officials said they participated in “kick a Jew day.” District Spokesman Joe Landon said a student told the dean of students at dismissal on Thursday that she was kicked because it was “kick a Jew day.”
According to Naples News, Principal Margaret Jackson asked that anyone with information on the incident come to the office and speak with her or the assistant principal as they investigated the incident. It was determined that 10 students should be punished. The students received a one day, in-school suspension, which was served today. The parents of the 10 students were also called and conferences with the parents followed the phone calls, according to Landon.
The actions of these 10 students are deplorable and patently anti-Semitic. The Jewish students were singled out, harassed and assaulted for no other reason but because of their ethnic background. These students should be punished for violating Florida's new anti-bullying law and if they were physically assaulted, then it rises to the level of criminal misconduct and they should be punished as such.
FLOTUS Michelle Obama was a vision of beauty tonight at the first state dinner held by her husband's administration. Mrs. Obama wore a strapless silhouette with the beads forming an abstract floral pattern that was custom-made by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. Mrs. O wore a matching wrap, a stack of bangle bracelets on her wrist and dangling earrings. The guests of honor at the dinner were Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, making Mrs. Obama's choice of the Indian-born, U.S.-based designer seem very appropriate.
Of course, the naysayers will find fault with her attire and the fact that President Obama could throw such a lavish spread while the country is in the throes of a recession, but all I can say is, work that gown Mrs. O! Naeem Khan did a wonderful job and I am sure he will reap the rewards for his labor.
Well, the fallout from American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's disgraceful American Music Awards performance has begun. According to Newser, he won't be appearing on "Good Morning America" tomorrow. He had the hubris to say that the reaction can be considered discriminatory and that's too bad. I was more enraged by the simulation of oral sex than I was over the kiss. I am really surprised that the gay and lesbian community has been very quiet on his actions.
TVNewser has learned ABC News canceled the concert after Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards Sunday night. Lambert led men on leashes, dragged a woman by her foot, and smashed a man's head into his crotch, all while singing his new single "For Your Entertainment."
ABC, which aired the awards show, received about 1,500 phone calls from people complaining about the performance, a number ABC calls "moderate." An ABC News spokesperson tells TVNewser, "given his controversial live performance on the AMAs we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning."
Lambert performed as part of GMA's summer concert series in August, and it was in a "20/20" interview that Lambert came out, telling Chris Connelly, "I am gay, and I'm very comfortable with it." Source: TV Newser
I have no issue with this man being gay, but to simulate oral sex on stage during a show that is widely watched by children is disgusting and disgraceful. He hasn't even reach the pinnacle of his career and he is already turning people off. I was equally disgusted when Madonna was lip-locked with Brittany Spears during an appearance on an awards show. We have lost all sense of decorum in this country and people who are upset about Adam Lambert's raunchy performance need to speak up.
Joblessness for 16-to-24-year-old black men has reached Great Depression proportions -- 34.5 percent in October, more than three times the rate for the general U.S. population. And last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment in the District, home to many young black men, rose to 11.9 percent from 11.4 percent, even as it stayed relatively stable in Virginia and Maryland.
The jobless rate for young black men and women is 30.5 percent. For young blacks -- who experts say are more likely to grow up in impoverished racially isolated neighborhoods, attend subpar public schools and experience discrimination -- race statistically appears to be a bigger factor in their unemployment than age, income or even education. Lower-income white teens were more likely to find work than upper-income black teens, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, and even blacks who graduate from college suffer from joblessness at twice the rate of their white peers. Young black women have an unemployment rate of 26.5 percent, while the rate for all 16-to-24-year-old women is 15.4 percent.
To read the entire article in the Washington Post, CLICK HERE.
What is it with President Obama and bowing to other foreign leaders? Here's a picture in which he is making a bowing gesture to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his recent visit. This is happenening far too frequently for Obama not know that it is causing an uproar in the United States. I guess he just doesn't care. How else can you explain this?
NYPD officers fatally shot Queens teen Dashawn Vasconcellos Saturday night after he ignored orders to drop his weapon. Vasconcellos, 18, reportedly pointed a loaded semiautomatic at them and the cops responded by hitting him will 11 bullets. The teen and two friends were leaving Bayswater State Park in Far Rockaway at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday night when four cops from the gang unit spotted them. Sorry, but if you are in a closed park that time of the night, it's safe to say you were up to no good.
The youths all tried to flee, but one of the cops was able to grab two of them, police said. Vasconcellos managed to run away. The other three officers chased the teen, who suddenly spun around and aimed the 9mm weapon at them, according to police. When Vasconcellos ignored repeated orders to drop his gun, the cops opened fire, police said. Three bullets struck him in the back, one in the chest, one in the right arm and the rest in the legs. Vasconcellos was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital about 45 minutes later. Police said he had an arrest record for robbery and trespassing and that his gun was recovered at the scene.
Vasconcellos' mother was too distraught to talk to reporters yesterday at a vigil near the entrance to the Beach 41st Street Houses, where he lived. Family friend Arleaner Cannon said, "He was a good kid. He would not pull a gun at cops. If he had a gun, it was for protection. He's not crazy." "He's not the kind of person who would point a gun at anyone," the neighbor said. "Why would you do something crazy, almost suicidal?" Source: NY Post
I will concede that 11 shots sound excessive, but the cops have to protect themselves as well. It's amazing that people will say that the victim was a good kid, but refuse to state why he was in the park, which was closed, at that time or why he had a semiautomatic gun? What reason could he possibly need to have a gun to protect himself, unless he was engaged in questionable behavior. I hope an autopsy will be performed to see if this young man was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol that could have impaired his behavior.
Another Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer has found himself in hot water. He was captured on video forcing the head of an unruly man, Michael Joseph Gibson, 37, into a heavy-duty glass window, which shattered, during an arrest at a passenger station, authorities said. Gibson, appeared disgruntled and gestured while on a train at the West Oakland station, is pulled off the train by an officer, who has the man in an arm grip. This could not come at a worst time for BART, which is in the middle of a criminal investigation stemming from the shooting death by officer Johannes Mehserle of an innocent man, Oscar Grant III.
The officer forcibly walks the man toward the station wall, which is topped by large windows, and one window shatters as the officer appears to force the man against it. The incident happened about 5:40 p.m. Saturday (8:40 p.m. ET), according to a statement from BART police Sunday. The officer sustained facial lacerations and a concussion, while Gibson suffered cuts to his hand, forearm, palm and a cut to his head. Both were treated at a hospital.
After Gibson was released, he was booked into the Santa Rita County jail. He faces a litany of charges of battery on a police officer with injury and resisting arrest, which are both felonies, as well as and public intoxication, a misdemeanor. The officer was placed on leave due to his injuries, authorities said. Mr. Gibson's sister says he is bipolar.
Here's an interview with CNN's Don Lemon on the matter:
I tried to make it through the entire telecast of the American Music Awards show and I must say that singer Jennifer Lopez, popularly known as J. Lo, was a leading contender for the worst performance of the night. Never mind the fact that her lips did not quite match her words.With the fake boxing ring, she was hyped as "the main event," which she wasn't. Her comeback performance of her new single "Louboutins" was silly and she sounded "auto-tuned" for the entire performance. She attempted a big jump and fell down on her butt while performing. To her credit, she got right back up, got into a costume change and finished her performance. I guess the shoes she wore will sell, so retailers might be stoked. She should take a tip from her husband Mark Anthony, who can actually carry a tune without lip syncing. By the way, I rate her performance as a big F. Watch J.Lo falling on her butt at the AMAs YouTube video above! Start at the 2:35 mark…
American Idol runner up, Adam Lambert's performance was a disgrace and the choreography was horrible. What has me steamed about this raunchy performance is that he was quite aware that there were children watching his nasty simulation of oral sex by grinding a dancer's head against his crotch, kissing a male band member and flipping his middle finger. He also took a tumble. His performance had no place on prime time television. I give him an F. Janet Jackson also grabbed her crotch and one of her male dancers' crotch, which I also found to be very tacky and unbecoming for a woman of her caliber. It always bothered me when her brother, the late Michael Jackson, did it as well.
Here's how I grade some of the performances:
Carrie Underwood. She was sporting some kind of half-dress, half-lingerie outfit, and the band was nowhere to be seen. This performance clearly wasn't about the song. It was about her ridiculous strutting around onstage. C
Lady Gaga. A hot mess. Gaga makes for entertaining television, no doubt, but at some point she's going to need more than just crazy masks, pryo and fake blood. D
Mary J. Blige. She kept it real. Her "I Am" isn't a knock-out, but it's the type of ballad she delivered perfectly and could have done it in her sleep. A-
Whitney Houston. She received a standing ovation, and it was well-deserved. With "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," Houston, it is obvious her voice isn't what it used to be, still delivered in classic style. She can still silence a room. It was a powerful moment and I felt she has finally been liberated from all those demons in her life, including Bobby Brown. A
Eminem and 50 Cent. The censors worked overtime in this collaboration for "Crack a Bottle," as there was more silence than music. The performance was disgraceful. Can't these rappers take a page from KRS-One and stop the profanity laced tirades? F
Janet Jackson. If this was the bang that the American Music Awards were going to open with, then I must say that I was a little disappointed. Though I must say that I am glad that it wasn't another tribute to Michael Jackson. Janet's performance was largely a commercial for her "Number Ones," in which the singer, in a tan outfit that looked like it was ripped straight from the racks at Dick's Sporting Goods Store or REI, performed a medley of her hits. It was a safe opening, but by no means as solid as it could have been. I like Janet Jackson a lot, so I guess I will give the sister some credit, so B-
Kelly Clarkson. Yes, she had an album this year and she sold it well tonight with a solid take on "Already Gone." Her performance was solid and good. It was a stark reminder of a time when "American Idol" didn't make all artists think they had to over-sing. B+
Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. Keys and Jay-Z performed their pandering "Empire State of Mind." This was fine the first time we heard it on an award show, at the MTV Video Music Awards, and it was fine at the World Series, but it has worn out its welcome. I would have given Alicia Keys a B+, but Jay-Z just messed it up for her. Side-note: What was the deal with Alex Rodriguez introducing the artists chewing gum? Tacky. Totally unprofessional.D
Rihanna. Sorry, but this was a hot mess. That bondage look was definitely not working. Was she singing or talking? Patti Labelle, where are you when they need someone who can really sing? C-
To echo the Huffington Post, "Saturday Night Live" combined Sarah Palin and the disaster movie "2012" last night to imagine a world in which Palin had won the presidency. They used footage from the '08 race and Palin's recent publicity blitz along with the trailer for the John Cusack post-apocalyptic action film to create a harrowing end-times scenario in which Glenn Beck is one step away from the presidency.
A small group of Ku Klux Klan nutjobs wanted students at University of Mississippi to know that they are fans of the song "From Dixie With Love," so less than a dozen of their members gathered at the school to show their support of the song, which was banned by the school. Their gathering was planned ahead of an Ole Miss football game. The demonstration lasted for about 10 minutes. The counter protest drew an even bigger crowd. The members of the KKK are a bunch of cowards who hide behind a mask.
'"From Dixie with Love' is one of Ole Miss’ traditional songs on game day, and the student section has chanted 'the South will rise again' during the song for years, said Brian Ferguson, alumni chairman of the Colonel Reb foundation," The Daily Reveille, a Mississippi student newspaper, reported.
The school's chancellor banned the song after the Ole Miss Associated Student Body voted to replace chants of "the South will rise again" with "to hell with LSU." While the student body's vote was not enacted, Chancellor Dan Jones firmly agreed with the sentiment.
The reality is that the vast majority of Americans do not share the sentiments of such home grown extremists. The short-lived KKK protest was originally planned to last an hour. An estimated 250 counter-protesters turned out, many wearing shirts which read: "Turn you back on hate."
Here we go again, another anti-Obama billboard has sparked controversy. Now President Obama is being called a jihadist and is somehow responsible for what happened at Fort Hood. The billboard is also questioning the authenticity of his birth certificate. Haven't we been down this road before and the claims that he isn't a natural born American citizen have been refuted in a court of law?
Phil Wolf stands below billboard with caricature of President Obama (David Zalubowski)
The latest billboard was erected at Wolf Automotive, a car dealership located in Wheat Ridge, Co., which is about seven miles west of Denver. The billboard has a caricature of Obama as a turban-wearing jihadist and has sparked a boycott and death threats. The sponsor, Phil Wolf, says he has received a lot of support. He said the billboard asks a legitimate question about Obama's alleged lack of documentation of his American birth. "President or Jihad?" the billboard reads. "Wake up, America! Remember Fort Hood!" "This man is not telling the truth," Wolf said. "He should prove he's an American."
Mr. Wolf is a moron and to compare the President Obama to terrorist is not only wrong, it is reckless. This is just a tactic being used by Phil Wolf to sell more cars, especially since we are in the middle of an economic nightmare.
Historically black Lincoln University has instituted a new requirement for graduation -- overweight undergraduates must take a fitness class in order to receive their degrees. This has raised the hackles of students and has stunned health and legal experts. Who is the idiot who instituted this ridiculous policy? Isn't this a breach of the students' rights? School officials said that they are simply concerned about high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community. James L. DeBoy, chairman of the university's department of health, physical education and recreation said, "We know we're in the midst of an obesity epidemic." "We have an obligation to address this head on, knowing full well there's going to be some fallout." Really? Does that obligation include ostracizing some students?
Shouldn't these officials be worried about the school's abysmal graduation rate, which was 40% in 2006? They are not doing a good job in equipping African American students for the future. Sorry, but this latest move amounts to nothing but profiling. Cultivating good eating habits is paramount, but tying one's weight to achieving a college degree is just plain wrong and has legal implications. The execution of this mandate by the school is deplorable and insensitive.
The mandate, which took effect for freshmen entering in fall 2006, requires students to get tested for their body mass index, a measure of weight to height. A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Students with one that's 30 or above, considered obese, are required to take a class called "Fitness for Life," which meets three hours a week. DeBoy said the course involves walking, aerobics, weight training and other physical activities, as well as information on nutrition, stress and sleep. As of this fall, DeBoy estimated about 80 seniors, or 16 percent of the class, had not had their body mass index tested nor taken the fitness class.
For me, the bigger issue is the fact that the HBCUs just cannot compete with other institutions of higher learning. According to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, at 20 historically black colleges and universities, two thirds or more of all entering black students do not go on to earn a diploma. The lowest graduation rate was at the University of the District of Columbia, where only eight percent of entering freshmen go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. At Texas Southern University in Houston, 15 percent of entering students complete college.
So, one has to ask why is this the trend at these schools? Well, the study attributes the low graduation rates at black colleges to a number of reasons.
Many of the students enrolled at these institutions are from low-income families, often ones in which there are few books in the home and where neither parent nor grandparent went to college. In addition, the black colleges on the whole have very small and totally inadequate endowments. They often lack the resources necessary to generate funds for student financial aid. Often they are unable to furnish sufficient aid packages for upperclassmen to permit them to stay in school. This circumstance appears to be a major factor in accounting for the low black student graduation rate at these schools.
But probably the most important explanation for the high dropout rate at the black colleges is the fact that large numbers of African-American HBCU students do not come to college with strong academic preparation and study habits. The graduation results at the HBCUs are worsened by the fact that flagship universities in the southern states often tend to shuttle the lowest-performing black applicants into the state-controlled black colleges in their states. Source: Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
So, excuse me if I don't see the benefit of tying a fitness class to attaining one's college diploma if one is overweight. President Ivory Nelson, Mr. DeBoy and the officials at Lincoln University need to focus on improving these horrible statistics, improve the programs being offered and seek ways to enlarge its endowments.
Jamar Pinkney Sr., 37, was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in the shooting death Monday of Jamar Pinkney Jr. in the Detroit, Michigan, enclave of Highland Park. The father was reportedly irate over hearing his 15-year-old son had sexual contact with a three-year-old girl. A relative said he made the teen strip at gunpoint, marched him to a vacant lot and shot him to death despite pleas from the boy and his mother.
Defense attorney Corbett O'Meara said prosecutors should consider evidence of the father's state of mind over the sex abuse report.
"If something were to happen that would cause a reasonable person to lose control of himself, that is something the prosecution would have to take into account," O'Meara said outside Highland Park District Court.
Judge Brigette Officer entered a not guilty plea for Pinkney, who's also charged with assault, and ordered him jailed without bond until a preliminary examination Dec. 1.
"This is something that's hard to deal with for all the parties concerned, including the police," police Chief Ted Caldwell said afterward. "Highland Park is a small city. These are people who have been members of the community for years."
The shooting happened Monday night in a vacant lot in the once-prosperous city of 16,000, where decay, abandonment, fires and demolition have eaten away at many of the sprawling homes. Highland Park recently exited years of state financial oversight.
It is obvious that his son has a problem and it is very disturbing that he would molest a three year old child, but putting a gun to his head and killing him will certainly not solve the problem. I would gladly give my life for my kids, not murder them. Mr. Pinkney should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. No bond for him.
It is a disgrace that University of California regents have approved a 32 percent student fee increase for undergraduate students at UCLA for the next school year. They voted to approve this enormous increase despite protests by hundreds of demonstrators outside the regents' meeting at UCLA. By next fall, undergraduate fees will be boosted by $2,500, sending the average annual education cost at a UC campus to more than $10,000. The regents say they had to raise fees because the cash-strapped state government can't meet the university's funding needs.
As the economic woes continue, with mounting unemployment and foreclosures, many students will find a higher education less appealing because they simply cannot afford it. If the students can't get a college education at an affordable rate, then the university will also suffer adversely. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan lament that the educational standards in the United States have fallen. Gee, I wonder why? It will continue to nosedive unless something drastic is done. That includes giving students the financial resources to get a good college education as well.
The decision came as hundreds of students chanted and marched outside the meeting hall to protest the measure. Some students also took over another UCLA building and chained the doors shut. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) is proposing a bailout for the postal service, but what about a bailout for Main Street? Why not freeze tuition increases and implement a moratorium on foreclosures for a year? President Obama, the United States Congress and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, as well as Larry Summers have failed the average working class American miserably. Stop handing Wall Street a blank check to do as they please. How about helping the millions of people, students included, who are suffering due to no fault of their own?
Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, deserves to be gassed immediately for what he did to five year old Shaniya Davis. He has been charged with first degree murder and rape in the death of this precious child. The child died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary autopsy results released tonight. Charges have not been upgraded against the child's mother, scumbag Antoinette Davis, who is also pregnant. What is reprehensible is that the state of North Carolina has failed its residents. Three weeks before Shaniya Davis disappeared on November 10, Superior Court Judge Jack Thompson allowed McNeill to end his supervised probation six months early. There is no reason this man should have been walking free because of his long rap sheet. He deserves the death penalty for the heinous acts he committed against this precious child.
McNeill appears to have been treated with leniency for years by an overburdened court system. This child rapist has a rap sheet as the freeway running through Fayetteville, North Carolina, and he should never have been a free man roaming the streets. McNeill shot Roland Lee Mays in the face, neck, shoulder, chest and stomach on June 17, 2001. The court records indicate that he injured two other people that day. He was charged with multiple counts of assault inflicting serious bodily injury. A year later, while awaiting trial in the shootings, he was charged with possessing marijuana and trying to manufacture and sell it. The charges from the two cases were consolidated and he was allowed to plead guilty to lesser counts. He was sentenced to 40 to 50 months of supervised probation in June 2003.
McNeill violated terms of his probation in August 2003 by failing to notify probation officers of his whereabouts. He was sent to prison. Records show that he entered the prison system in October 2003 and was released in May 2006. He got in trouble shortly thereafter. Records show that three months after his release, he was charged with possession with intent to sell marijuana and cocaine and with maintaining a vehicle for drug use. He pleaded guilty to reduced charges - a misdemeanor offense of maintaining a vehicle for drug use - and again was placed on supervised probation, on Jan. 1, 2007. As part of the plea deal, District Court Judge Kim Tucker told McNeill that he could go on unsupervised probation if he tested negative for drugs three consecutive times. He still managed to get in trouble again, while on probation. He was charged in April 2007 with possessing cocaine and was charged in September 2007 with hitting Fayetteville police officer R. Grimm with his vehicle while trying to flee from a street corner. McNeill was charged that day with trying to elude arrest, reckless driving and assault on a government official. Two months later, on Nov. 30, 2007, another judge gave him a slap on the wrist. Superior Court Judge Jack Thompson allowed McNeill's probation status to be changed from supervised to unsupervised, records show.
Could someone please tell me why this vile POS was still out on the streets? People have done far less and have been incarcerated for far longer. Something drastic has to be done to reform sentencing guidelines and probation in this country. Former Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was given a 13 year sentence for corruption, but this POS was just slapped on the wrists for repeatedly breaking the law. This scumbag had no reason to be given a light sentence by any judge. He deserved the maximum sentence, considering he was a repeat offender. Sorry, but the judges who let Mario McNeill off the hook with these light sentences are enablers and are complicit is his continued criminal behavior. My heart breaks for this child and the fate she met. She was failed by too many people, including the Department of Children's Services that has had an encounter with the family before.
You can always depend on the Rev. Jesse Jackson to put his foot in his mouth by making political issues based on race. During his appearance at a reception held by the Congressional Black Caucus Wednesday night, he criticized Rep. Arthur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats’ signature healthcare bill. He said, “we even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill,” Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night. “You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.”
Of course, the remark stirred a murmur among those in attendance at the reception, held by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation as part of a series of events revolving around the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s run for president. Several CBC members were in attendance, including Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who’d introduced Jackson.
Davis, who is running for governor, is the only black member of Congress from Alabama. He is also the only member of the CBC to have voted against the healthcare bill earlier this month. Davis referred to Jackson’s 1988 run for president in a statement, issued through his office, that said he would not engage Jackson on his criticism.
“One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader,” Davis’s statement said. “The best way to honor Rev. Jackson’s legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race.” Jackson said later that he "didn't call anybody by name and I won't."
He added that he wasn't saying that black lawmakers must vote a certain way. Instead, they should vote the interests of the people in their districts, and he said the healthcare bill would help Alabama because it's one of the poorest states in the country.
"The poorest people need healthcare protection," Jackson said. "They have the highest infant mortality and the lowest life expectancy. They're dying from lack of access." Other members of the CBC found no fault in Jackson's words. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) was in the audience. He called Jackson's criticism of Davis "accurate," but said he did not hear Jackson say "You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."
"If it is an issue that disproportionately impacts black folks, race has to be considered," Cleaver said. Jackson, he added, "is expected by his constituency to call balls and strikes."
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called the remarks "vintage Jesse Jackson," but said Davis's vote against healthcare was consistent with a voting record more conservative than many CBC members."Artur Davis has a more conservative constituency," Waters said. "Since he's running for governor of Alabama, he reflects an even more conservative constituency."
Davis said he voted against the healthcare bill because "House leadership's approach is not the best we can do." He said he preferred a version passed by the Senate Finance Committee because it reduces subsidization of the healthcare industry, taxes high-value health plans instead of wealthy people, and is more effective in getting employers to help with health coverage. Source: The Hill
While I believe that there are some legitimate concerns about race in America, Rev. Jackson has no right to state that black politicians should vote in overwhelming numbers to support the health care reform. When will Rev. Jesse Jackson & Co. come to the realization that you can't pull the issue of race into every dogfight.
I came across a very interesting article on Time magazine's online version. Günter Wallraff sprayed his face with dark paint and put on a black curly wig and dark contact lenses, he discovered how it felt to be black in Germany today.
Wallraff, who filmed his experiences as a black man as part of a new documentary, Black on White, has made a career of this sort of daring, investigative reporting. In his 40 years as a journalist, he has worked undercover at a tabloid newspaper, industrial plants and fast-food chains to expose the conditions the employees faced. In the 1980s, he posed for two years as a Turkish "guest worker" and wrote a best-selling book revealing shocking examples of discrimination and exploitation. But Wallraff's latest project may be his most controversial yet. His attempt to address racism in Germany by donning blackface makeup has drawn strong criticism from black Germans, some of whom see his movie as patronizing, if not racist itself.
This is a very fascinating article and I would encourage all my readers to read it in its entirety.
President Obama dropped a bombshell during an interview with CNN's Ed Henry in China. He alluded to the possibility to not running for re-election in 2012 -- something that no president has done since Lyndon Johnson.
He said:
"You know, if - if I feel like I've made the very best decisions for the American people and three years from now I look at it and, you know, my poll numbers are in the tank and because we've gone through these wrenching changes, you know, politically, I'm in a tough spot, I'll - I'll feel all right about myself," Obama told CNN's Ed Henry.
"I said to myself very early on, even when I started running for office, I don't want to be making decisions based on getting re-elected, because I think the challenges that America faces right now are so significant," the president also said.
"Obviously, if I make those decisions and I think that I'm moving the country on the right direction economically, in terms of our security interests, our foreign policy, I'd like to think that those policies are continued because they're not going to bear fruit just in four years."
If President George W. Bush could take his case to the American people and win a second term, I am sure President Obama could do the same, especially if some of his big initiatives bear fruit. I am disappointed, but not surprised by his statements. This sounds like typical cut-and-run tactics. You know, like Sarah Palin who couldn't finish her term as governor of Alaska. So, all his critics have another reason to continue to pound away at him. He's nearly one year into his first term and he's already saying there's a possibility he won't run.
Solange Magnano, a former Miss Argentina, has died from complications after undergoing cosmetic surgery on her buttocks. Dang. She died of a pulmonary embolism Sunday, after three days in critical conditions following a gluteoplasty, which involves placing implants in the buttocks to improve their outline in Buenos Aires.
