Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Foreclosure Robo-Signer Speaks Out


Tam Doan says that he didn't have time to actually read the paperwork he was signing, and in some cases, he didn't even know what documents he was putting his pen to.

It only took him a second to sign each foreclosure document.

That's how good Tam Doan got at his job in Bank of America's pre-sale foreclosure department in Southern California. Read the full story.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tea Party Candidate Says, Black Men Prefer Drug Dealing To Education


Al Reynolds is considered the Tea Party candidate in Illinois' 52nd District. He has stated publicly that African American men preferred dealing drugs to going to college because it is easier.

"I've been in the city and the dichotomy of the women and the men in the minorities, there is a difference in the fact that most minority women, either the single parent or coming from a poor neighborhood, are motivated more so than the minority men," Reynolds said, when asked what he would do to increase diversity at state colleges. "And it's a pretty good reason. Most of the women who are single parents have to find work to support their family. The minority men find it more lucrative to be able to do drugs or other avenues rather than do education. It's easier." Read the full story.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

1 Gun Store Sells Guns Tied To 2,500 Crimes


Since 1992, more than 2,500 guns recovered by police and tied to crimes in the Washington D.C. area have been traced back to their original sale at Realco Guns in Forestville, Md. The total is four times that of the dealer with the next highest number of gun traces.

A Washington Post investigation found that a small percentage of gun stores sell most of the weapons recovered by police in crimes. This reinforces a major finding in studies that came out before federal gun-tracing data were removed from public view by an act of Congress in 2003. Read the full story.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Will Obama Sign Bill Making It Harder To Challenge Foreclosures

Challenging foreclosures could become more difficult for homeowners if the president signs a bill that passed through the Senate last week. The little-noticed bill comes at a time when the validity of foreclosure proceedings across the nation have been called into question.Read the full story.

The White House stated that they have some concerns about the bill that easily passed in the House and Senate with little public attention according to Reuters. Read why the the White House has concerns about the bill.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Discrimination Causes African Americans To Suffer Disproportionately From Foreclosures

African Americans suffer more disproportionately with foreclosures than others due to predatory lending practices and discrimination according to a new study.

The new study (pdf file) is called,"Racial Segregation and the American Foreclosure Crisis".

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Police Shoot And Kill Unarmed, Handcuffed Black Man In Back


As a group of young men questioned why they were being detained on an Oakland, CA train platform, and grew irate when they saw a transit officer manhandle one of their friends, Oscar Grant tried to reassure them everything was going to be OK.

"'Just be cool,'" Jackie Bryson recalled Grant saying to him. "'We are going home tonight.'"

Grant, 22, never made it home. He was shot and killed by officer Johannes Mehserle, who worked for Bay Area Rapid Transit and has been charged with Grant's murder on New Year's Day 2009 reported the AP.

The officer who has pleaded not guilty claiming that he thought he was using his taser.

Grant was lying on his stomach handcuffed when he was shot. Grant's friend Bryson has testified that officer Mehserle stood up and said '(expletive) this' and then he shoots Grant."

It has been reported that Bryson may have tainted his testimony because he made it clear that he had a general mistrust for police and even prosecutors. The truth is that too many young black men living in America do have a general mistrust of the police.

The mistrust comes from stories like this one that spread throughout the black communities across this country when brothers are murdered by the police. It does not help when one finds out that the victim was face down on the ground with his hands handcuffed behind his back and the police obviously in total control of the situation.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Top 200 Jobs Based On Top Salary Earned

The 200 jobs are listed based on the average top salary earned for the position. The list starts out with the job paying the highest amount (Surgeons) and ends with the position which pays the lowest amount (Dishwasher).

The list does not include celebrity and professional athlete jobs like actors, baseball players, singers, etc.

200 Jobs Organized by Top Salary 1

The 200 jobs are listed based on the average top salary for the position. The list starts out with the job paying the lowest amount (Dishwasher) and ends with the position which pays the highest amount (Surgeon).

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Historic Picture Of Slave Children For Sale Found In Attic


This photograph of two slave children and an accompanying document were purchased at a garage sale in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This photograph is rare because so many photos of slaves showed them in submissive positions, illustrating the brutality of their condition, and some even showing the scars on their backs from whippings.

One thing is for sure about this photograph. It does not show a hint of happiness anywhere in the eyes or faces of these two children.

The accompanying document mentions that John is for sale for $1,150 in 1854.

"I buy stuff all the time, but this shocked me," Keya Morgan, who bought the photo, told The Associated Press. Morgan, a New York art collector, said he paid $30,000 for the album containing the photograph and another $20,000 for the document.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Wake Up! Stats About Black Males

It should be easy to understand why many people believe that the more things change for blacks in America, the more things stay the same. It will be a good day in America when blacks do not fare the worst or toward the bottom in categories such as education, housing, health care, incarceration, income, and employment.

The statistics on black males below are staggering. On another note, black women who are more reluctant to date and marry outside of their race than women of other races do not have to look any further than the data posted below to understand one of the main reasons why there is a shortage of brothers.

1. In 1990 the United States had the highest prison population in the world. In July 2003, the prison population surpassed 2 Million. More than 10,000 inmates in adult institutions are under the age of 18.

2. According to the Justice Department: (i) 10.4% of African American males between 25-29 are incarcerated; (ii) 2.4% of Hispanics; and (iii) 1.2% of White males.

3. In 1980, 143,000 African American males were in prison while 463,000 were in college. By 2000, 791,600 African American males were in prison while 603,032 were in college according to a new study from the Justice Policy Institute. .

3a. Before the prison boom, black men in college outnumbered black men behind bars by a ratio of 3 to 1. After twenty years of harsh criminal justice policies which basically started in the 1980's under a U.S. President (1981 - 1989) and with the popularity of crack cocaine in the 1980's, this ratio has become approximately 1 to 1in favor of black men behind bars when compared to black men in college and universities.

4. According to the Department of Education 46.8% of White 10th graders go to school where there are security guards; 71.2% for African Americans

5. According to the Department of Education 3.3% of White 10th graders pass thru metal detectors to go to school; 21.3% for African Americans

6. According to the Department of Education 1.7% of White 10th graders attend class where windows are barred; 9.3% for African Americans

7. 63% of youth suicides occur in fatherless homes

8. 85% of children with behavioral disorders are in fatherless homes

9. 80% of all rapists are from fatherless homes

10. 71% of high school drop outs are from fatherless homes

11. 75% of children in chemical abuse centers are from fatherless homes

12. 85% of youth in prison come from fatherless homes

13. For every 100 females, between the ages of 20-24 who commit suicide, there are 624 males

14. For every 100 females, between the ages of 18-21 in a correctional facility, there are 1,488 males

15. A black man is the President of the United States.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Marriage And Divorce In America - In Black And White

Marriage and divorce in America are statistics that are almost impossible to find based on race. Interestingly, marriage and divorce are not two categories where blacks are always on the bottom and whites are on the top.

Since marriage in some states is as young as 15 years old, the U.S. Census calculates the marriage and divorce data below based on people in the U.S. who are 15 years old or older.

The numbers are below are from the U.S. Census Bureau SIPP, 2004 Panel. The results below show percentages that are all rounded up or down accordingly.

Percentage of people that have NEVER been married.

Black women - 44%, Black men - 46%
Latina women - 30%, Latino men - 39%
Asian women - 23%, Asian men - 33%
White women - 22%, White men - 28%

Percentage of people married more than one time. Individuals in this group could have married two, three, or more times.

White women - 19%, White men - 17%
Black women - 11%, Black men - 11%
Latina women - 9%, Latino men - 7%
Asian women - 6%, Asian men - 5%

Percentage of people who have been divorced at least one time in their life.

White women - 25%, White men - 23%
Black women - 20%, Black men - 19%
Latina women - 15%, Latino men - 11%
Asian women - 10%, Asian men - 7%

Mystery Man Wins S.C. Democratic Senate Primary


This is history in the making. A brother named Alvin Green actually ran in the Democratic Senate primary without making his identity known during the campaign.

He is an unemployed military veteran who did not set up a campaign website or raise funds for his campaign. Alvin Green spent 13 years in the Air Force and Army before leaving the Army in August.

Green could not explain his win against a four term state lawmaker named Vic Rawl. Alvin shocked South Carolina's Democratic Party leadership by capturing the nomination Tuesday, and he will face Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint in November.

Senator Jim Demint is a Republican Tea Party favorite who is running for a second 6 year Senate term. Alvin is hoping he is a winner again in the fall.

Alvin Green wants to continue to make history and get South Carolina back to work. South Carolina had an unemployment rate of 11.6% in April 2010 versus the Southern region rate of 9.6% according to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Surgery For Back Pain Rarely Cures

The shocking question came from a respected spine surgeon tracked down by Keith Swenson, who was still in severe pain after an earlier back operation.

He didn't know what to believe. Two other surgeons had urged more operations, different ones.

And Swenson, who's from Howard Lake, Minn., is far from alone. Even though only a fraction of people with back pain are good candidates for surgery, complicated spine operations are on the rise.

So is the hunt for any relief.

By one recent estimate, Americans are spending a staggering $86 billion a year in care for aching backs - from MRIs to pain pills to nerve blocks to acupuncture. That research found little evidence that the population got better as the bill soared over the past decade.

Please read the rest of this very informative post by the AP because it speaks to the untold number of Americans opting for back surgery based on a doctor's opinion when back surgery is not the best available option for the patient. Surgery is invasive and can be painful when it does not cure. It is also costly whether the patient pays out of pocket or a health insurance company has to pay.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Marrying Between Races - See The Numbers

In 1967,the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws banning interracial marriage.

A record 14.6% of all new marriages in the U.S. in 2008 were between people of different races or ethnicity. The percentage was 6.7% in 1980 according to a Pew Research Study. It took nearly 28 years for intermarriages of newlyweds to double.

Rate of increase from 1980 thu 2008 of intermarriages as a group.


Blacks - tripled
Whites - doubled
Asians - the same
Latinos - the same



Percentage of Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites who married outside of their race or ethnicity as a group.

Asians - 31%
Latino - 26%
Blacks - 16%
Whites - 9%

Percentage of Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites who married outside of their race or ethnicity by gender.

Asian women 40%, men 20%
Latino women 26%, men 26%, identical for Latino men and women
Black women 9%, men 22%
White women 9%, men 9%, identical for White men and women

Regional intermarriage rates in the United States in 2008

West 21%
Northeast 13%
South 13%
Midwest 11%

Intermarriage types in 2008 of newly married couples (280,000)

White/Latino - 41%
Both Mixed Races or at least one spouse of Mixed Race or American Indian 17%
Both Non-white 16%
White/Asian - 15%
White/Blacks - 11%

Asian and Latino intermarriage rates when foreign born versus American born.

Latino American born - 39%
Latino foreign born - 12%

Asian American born - 46%
Asian foreign born - 26%

In response to how one would act if a family member was going to marry someone of a different race.
There is a much greater acceptance level if someone in the family marries a white person versus a black person. 81% said it is okay if the person is white versus only 66% if the person is black.

Percentage of people that found ACCEPTANCE with the idea.

White - 81%
Asian - 75%
Latino - 73%
Black - 66%

When asked if one has a close relative or family member from another race or ethnicity, the percentage that say YES are listed below.

ALL 35%
Non White 50%
White 29%

Arizona Elementary School Will Whiten Faces Of Mural - UPDATE


An elementary school in Arizona called Miller Valley Elementary School hired artists to work on a school mural. The mural project caused a lot of racial controversy as well as a racial debate.

The “Go on Green” mural covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, and it aims to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, and a Hispanic boy as the predominant figure.

The Arizona Republic reports that faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott.

Here is a quote from the Councilman Steve Blair who was not happy with the original theme of the mural.

"I am not a racist individual, but I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who's President of the United States today and based upon the history of this community, when I grew up we had four black families -who I have been very good friends with for years - to depict the biggest picture on that building as a black person, I would have to ask the question, Why?"

According to R.E. Wall, Director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, as the mural was being worked on for two months, there were people driving by in their cars hurling racial slurs for blacks and Latinos even when there were young African American and Latino students of the school painting on the mural with the artists.

Initially, the school's administrators bowed to pressure and the decision was made to whiten faces in the mural.

UPDATE: Good news - Jeff Lane, the Principal of Miller Valley Elementary School, and Kevin Kapp, the school Superintendent showed up at a protest to apologize for initally giving in to the crazy racists. They have decided that the mural's finished look will reflect its original theme.

It is also being reported that Councilman Steve Blair has been fired from his KYCA AM radio show which he used as a platform to speak out against the mural.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Police Punished For Stopping Doctor En Route To Hospital For Delivery Of Baby


Two Pulaski, TN Police officers involved with the arrest of Doctor Terry Wynn on May 5 have been suspended without pay.

"Simply put, they did not weigh the actions of Doctor Wynn versus the immediate medical attention that was needed for her patient," Police Chief John Dickey told the Board of Mayor and Alderman.

The City of Pulaski called in an outside law firm to investigate the arrest. According to the police chief, racism was not an issue, but the officers should have used better judgement when determining the seriousness of the situation.

The police pulled over the doctor who was driving faster than the speed limit. She explained that she was on her way to the hospital to deliver a baby. She pulled off driving less than a mile to the hospital.

The police officer followed her to the hospital parking lot and arrested her. Fortunately, a relative of the expecting mom was able to call the police station and explain everything to the chief.

The chief agreed that the doctor should be able to deliver the baby and freed Dr. Terry Wynn before she was booked.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Defendant Miranda Rights Eroded

The Supreme Court by the typical 5 to 4 vote with the same justices usually falling into the same camp deciding that a suspect will now have to clearly declare that he wants to remain silent and cannot simply be silent during questioning.

The court addressed what happens when a suspect declines to answer hours of questions, then makes a potentially incriminating statement and later says he had wanted to remain silent and that his statement was not made freely.

With the new ruling, a suspect must be very clear that he wants to remain silent or anything he says can be used against him in the court of law.

Below are a few frequently asked questions and answers about the Miranda law.

1.When Will The Police Read Me My Miranda Rights?
The police must advise suspects of their "Miranda Rights" - their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and the right to an appointed attorney if they are unable to afford counsel - prior to conducting a custodial interrogation. If a suspect is not in police custody (i.e., "under arrest"), the police do not have to warn him of his rights.

The police are very aware of when they have to read suspects their "Miranda Rights." The police will frequently question a suspect, specifically telling the suspect, "You are not under arrest, and are free to go. However, we would like you to answer some questions." After the suspect voluntarily answers questions, and sometimes if he refuses, he is arrested. The questioning, being voluntary and non-custodial, is usually admissible. After arrest, the police may have no interest in further questioning, and thus may not ever read the suspect his "Miranda Rights."

2.If The Police Don't Read Me My Rights, Can They Still Use My Statement?
Sometimes, a suspect will make voluntary statements after he is arrested. The police do not have to warn suspects not to make voluntary statements, as long as they do not deliberately try to elicit those statements through statements or conduct. Sometimes, suspects will express their surprise at being caught by the police, with statements to the effect of, "You got me." At other times, suspects will try to justify their actions to the police after they are arrested, with statements such as, "I don't know why I did it," or, "The drugs weren't mine - I was carrying them for a friend." Those statements, if made spontaneously by a suspect, will almost always be admissible in court. Additionally, if a statement leads to the discovery of other evidence, even if the statement itself was taken in violation of the Miranda ruling the police may be able to use that evidence.

3.Can My Silence Be Used Against Me In Court?
When a person chooses to remain silent after receiving his Miranda warnings, that silence cannot be used against him in court. However, if a person has not received his Miranda warnings, and remains silent, it is possible for that "pre-Miranda" silence to be used against him. For example, if a person is arrested for murder, or is told that he is a suspect, a typical innocent person will express disbelief and may even try to present an alibi. It would be unusual for a person to simply remain silent, after being informed that he is being wrongfully charged with murder - even people who know their right to remain silent will often express surprise. A prosecutor may subsequently argue that the "pre-Miranda" silence resulted from the fact that the defendant was not surprised that the police "figured it out."

4.How Do I Protect Myself From Having My "Pre-Miranda" Silence Used Against Me?If you are under investigation for a criminal offense, you can prevent "pre-Miranda" silence from becoming an issue by stating, "My attorney told me never to talk to the police without talking to him first. Do I have to answer your questions?" Once informed that you have the right to remain silent, no negative inference can be drawn from your exercise of that right. There is nothing wrong with making your attorney responsible for your choice to remain silent -- it looks a lot more suspicious if you simply refuse to answer questions than if you present the explanation that your attorney gave you standing advice not to answer questions.

5.If I Remain Silent Or Ask For A Lawyer, Won't The Police Think I Am Guilty?
The police tend to draw a negative inference from the fact that suspects refuse to answer questions, or where suspects hire attorneys ("lawyer up") before they are charged with crimes. However, there are many cases where the only evidence against a defendant is his confession, or where an innocent person finds that the police have misinterpreted his statements. In one notable case, a police officer was a criminal suspect -- he made a taped statement, expressing his innocence. Subsequently, he was shocked to hear his tape recorded "confession" used against him in court. As it turned out, his statement was recorded on a used tape, which contained a confession from a different case. Part of the old recording, immediately after the end of the police officer's statement, was presented as the defendant's "confession." If that can happen to a police officer, obviously it can happen to you.

If I Choose To Remain Silent, Or Request An Attorney, But Later Decided To Answer Questions, Can They Use My Statement?
If the police do try to question you after your arrest, they are supposed to cease interrogation if you exercise your right to remain silent or request an attorney. It should be noted that the request for an attorney is "more powerful" than a request to remain silent. Courts tend to view police claims that a suspect changed his mind about having an attorney with much more suspicion than claims that the suspect changed his mind about remaining silent.

The police use numerous techniques to get suspects to change their minds about remaining silent. One very simple technique is to use silence against the suspect -- the officer explains, "You don't have to make a statement, but I still have to write up this report, describing what everybody says that you did." The officer, in front of the suspect, then starts to type out his report, saying nothing to the suspect. It is common for the suspect to break the silence, and to choose to make a statement.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Venus Williams Wears Lace Tennis Outfit


Venus Williams has done it again. She has people talking about another self designed tennis outfit. This one was made for the French Open.

For her opening two games of the tournament which were both wins, Venus choose a lace outfit with skin tone body shorts which look as though she is not wearing anything under her tennis outfit. She also designed the undershorts.

Anyone who follows the sport of tennis knows that sexy outfits and very short tennis dresses are part of the game for women.

High Risk Black Patients Targeted For Unapproved Use Of Drugs


The Huffington Post reported that in a stunning whistleblower lawsuit, the world's largest pharmaceutical company is being sued over the dangerous practice of illegally promoting a kidney transplant drug for unapproved uses -- and targeting African-Americans, even though they are at high risk of complications.

Pfizer Rapamune is a giant in the pharmaceutical industry; however, they should know that these kind of off label practices will probably cost them a lot of money in the end.

The Obama administration has been very aggressive going after companies involved in the off label promotion of drugs. There have already been a series of federal indictments and settlements related to these matters.

One Of Top Companies For Working Moms Must Pay $250 Million For Gender Discrimination

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. must pay $250 million for gender discrimination. The class action lawsuit was filed by 5,600 current and former female sales representatives for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. who charged that the company discriminated against its female employees in pay, promotional opportunities and pregnancy-related issues.

The ruling is in regard to a class-action lawsuit originally filed in 2004. The jury of four men and five women found Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by paying its female sales force less than its male employees and by denying them the same opportunities for promotions as male employees. The jury also found the U.S. unit discriminated against women who became pregnant with respect to terms and conditions of their employment.

It has been reported that The jury at Manhattan's Federal Court was told about the case of Holly Waters, a sales rep who was one of the best in the team and recognized as such by her boss. That all changed when she told him she was expecting - he began punishing her for taking sick days for severe morning sickness and wrongly accused her of falsifying sales calls. With no chance to defend herself, she was fired and lost her health insurance and benefits at a time when she was seven months pregnant.

The Obama administration has been very aggressive when it comes to gender discrimination and equal pay issues. This is one of the hundreds of reasons why it matters who is the President of the United States.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

N.Y. Firefighters Who Won Discrimination Case May End Up Losing


Former New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau has been selected by a federal judge as a special master to help force the city to improve the hiring of black firefighters. He is 90 years of age.

This is the same person that as DA of New York, consistently was involved in cases spanning his 35 years in the position where minority men were killed, shot, or attacked by the police rarely received justice through the legal system.

It is appalling that this guy would now be assigned to push the N.Y.C. Fire Department to revamp its hiring practices to end discrimination against black applicants for firefighter jobs. The New York City Fire Department only has about 350 black firefighters out of 11,500 total or a paltry 3 percent.

What are the Black leaders in New York saying about this appointment? What about this retired DA's history makes him qualified to find a balanced and just solution to this issue?

This is important because the livelihood of African American men are at stake. No one should think for a moment that how he managed the office when it came to black victims over the decades will make him sympathetic to being fair and balanced with helping the black firefighters in New York find equal hiring opportunities.

Below are links to a couple high profile cases in which African American crime victims received no justice when Robert Morgenthau was DA in New York for 35 years. If a family member was killed during his time as DA, the DA's prosecution team had an almost impossible chance of winning a trial against the civilian killing police officers.

No Trial For Dorismond

All Police Acquitted After Firing 41 Shots and Killing Unarmed Amadou Diallo.

Interestingly, black men are finally in a position based on discrimination by the NYC Fire Department to receive more job opportunities, and an ex-New York DA that many minorities felt were privately hostile to the community and it's civil rights during his tenure as DA is selected to take the lead for the black firefighters.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Whites Now 95K Richer On Average Than African Americans


The Brandeis's Institute on Assets and Social Policy reviewed data from the years 1984 to 2007. The results while not surprising are disturbing if you are African American in America and thought that as a group, the wealth gap was closing.

Their report mentions that one quarter of African American families do not have any financial assets to protect themselves from financial ruin. The average white family now has accumulated $95,000 more in total wealth than the average African-American family.

The Brandeis institute's report also has reported why the wealth gap has grown 375% in the last 23 years.

*Public Policies - tax cuts on investment income, inheritances, redistribution of wealth and opportunities

*Tax Deductions - home mortgages, retirement accounts, and college savings - These tax deductions tend to benefit wealthier families.

*Discrimination - housing, credit, and labor markets - For example, African Americans and Hispanics were at least twice as likely to receive high cost home mortgages as whites with similar incomes. These reckless high cost loans unnecessarily impeded wealth building in minority communities and triggered the foreclosure crisis that is wiping out the largest source of wealth for minorities.

Apple Refuses Cash For iPad


Diane Campbell saved up her money and went to Apple to buy an iPad. She was not allowed to buy the iPad. She was told that the store only accepts a debit card or credit card for purchases of iPads.

Of course she thought that the employees at the Palo Alto store were kidding. An employee explained to her that the policy was Apple's way of reducing piracy customers who are interested in buying large amount of iPads and selling them overseas.

Apple's sales policy states that the iPad must be purchased by credit or debit card, according to ABC News. See their news video report.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Indiana Congressman Resigns After Extramarital Affair Exposed


A Congressman from Indiana has resigned because he had an extramarital affair with a woman working for him. The Republican, Mark Souder was elected to Congress on a family values platform.

The Congressman was known as a hard line conservative that promoted family values as well as abstinence education. It appears as though he did not believe in abstinence for his staffer.

Hopefully, others that consider following in his footsteps will learn a a lesson or two from this experience.

Mark Souder's made a public statement regarding his resignation.

"It is with great regret I announce that I am resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives as well as resigning as the Republican nominee for Congress in this fall's election. Diane and my family were more than willing to stand here with me. We are a committed family. But the error is mine and I should bear the responsibility. I sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff. I am so shamed to have hurt those I love."

Monday, May 17, 2010

Top 20 Growing Jobs By Employees From 2008 thru 2018

For individuals that are not interested in attending college, there are jobs that will be available in the future that will not require a 4 year college degree.

Below is a list of the occupations that are projected to hire the most employees between the years 2008 and 2018.


Friday, May 14, 2010

Google Search For President Obama Is



When doing a Google search, you never would imagine that doing a search for President Obama is would turn up such ridiculous results.

A Google search for President Bush is results in the listing below.


1. is an alien
2. what is he doing now
3. why he is a bad person
4. issues

Thursday, May 13, 2010

History Of Facebook Privacy

Facebook has been constantly changing their policies regarding privacy. They believe that Facebook users should be willing to share more about themselves.

Facebook CEO, Mark Mark Zuckerberg announced that in his view, the age of privacy is over.

Thanks to Matt McKeon, the charts below clearly show Facebook's privacy policy and how it has evolved over the years.



Saturday, May 8, 2010

Seattle Detective Apologizes For Racial Slur Caught On Video

A Seattle police officer offered a tearful apology after being caught on camera kicking an innocent man and using a racial epithet.

The video shows a group of officers standing around three men who are lying on the ground. Seattle Police Detective Shandy Cobane shouts, "I'm going to beat the [expletive] Mexican [expletive] out of you homey! You feel me?"

Cobane later kicks the man in the head and another cop kicks him in the hand.

The police were investigating a robbery. The individual whose civil rights were violated by the police were not involved in the robbery.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

NJ Governor Ousted Only Black Supreme Court Justice


NJ Republican Governor Chris Christie has not reappointed Justice John E. Wallace to the N.J. Supreme Court. This is the first time that a justice was not reappointed by a governor in the state.

New Jersey Supreme court justices must be reappointed to the bench after serving for 7 years. Many are asking if this is about race or politics. Either way, anyone of these two are wrong for New Jersey.

Wallace will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 in two years, but Christie couldn't wait. The governor will get at least three more chances to put his stamp on the court as other terms expire in the next three years, but Wallace had to go now.

Christie has chosen a resident of his own town of Mendham Township and someone who has spent much of her career in corporate litigation defending product liability cases. The woman named Anne M. Patterson, who is white, was selected as Justice Wallace's replacement.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the governor has his next opportunity to reappoint a justice. The next justice up for reappointment is the only Latino on the bench.

Monday, May 3, 2010

She's Notre Dame's 1st Black Valedictorian


Katie Washington, a biological sciences major from Gary , Ind. , has been named valedictorian of the 2010 University of Notre Dame graduating class and will present the valedictory address during Commencement exercises May 16 (Sunday) in Notre Dame stadium.

Washington, who earned a 4.0 grade point average, has a minor in Catholic Social Teaching. She has conducted research on lung cancer at the Cold Spring Harbor labs and performed genetic studies in the University’s Eck Institute for Global Health on the mosquito that carries dengue and yellow fever. She is the co-author of a research paper with David Severson, professor of biological sciences.

Washington directs the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir at Notre Dame, is a mentor/tutor for the Sister-to-Sister program at South Bend’s Washington High School and serves as the student coordinator of the Center for Social Concerns’ “Lives in the Balance: Youth Violence and Society Seminar.”

She has definitely made her family proud and is following in their footsteps. Her father is a doctor, her mother and sister are nurses, one brother is completing his residency and another brother who works for British Petroleum.

Upon graduation, Washington plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D program at Johns Hopkins University .

Monday, April 26, 2010

Was Obama A Target?


Joseph Sean McVey, 23 had his car parked at a North Carolina parking lot and it was outfitted with police equipment.

According to the Citizen-Times, he was carrying a handgun and listening to police radio frequencies near the runway around the time President Barack Obama's flight was leaving Asheville Regional Airport.

Police charged him with going armed to the terror of the public, a misdemeanor offense, but investigators haven't yet determined whether he was attempting to target the president.

President Obama was flying out of the N.C. airport after a brief stay in the area due to the memorial service in West Virginia for the 29 coal miners who were killed in an explosion earlier this month.

There was a sticky note found in Joseph McVey's car with formulas for rifle scopes, authorities said. Police have not spoken publicly about what the formulas might mean.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Health Insurer With Female CEO Dropping Breast Cancer Patients


How can a company drop women from their health insurance plans because of breast cancer? This kind of situation shouts no moral compass and maximizing profits at all costs.

What is worse is the fact that the head of Wellpoint is a woman. One would think that the benefit of having women as the top executive of the company would eliminate this kind of discrimination.

I guess this is similar to an African American man owning a very popular cable music network that years ago allowed too many music videos of drive by shootings and lawlessness in the hood to be showed on an endless loop everyday.

What will it take for these kind of Executives to find a balance between making profits for the business and the greater good for society when structuring their business policies?

Reuters reported on Thursday that WellPoint, the largest U.S. health insurer by enrollment, was using a computer algorithm that automatically targeted patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a letter dated April 22 to Angela Braly, WellPoint's chief executive, Department Of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she was "surprised and disappointed" to learn from a Reuters report that the company has specifically targeted women with breast cancer for aggressive investigation with intent to cancel their policies.

Update: WellPoint, based in Indianapolis, is the company that became a focal point for debate in February after complaints spread about planned rate hikes that average around 25 percent for individual insurance policies sold by the insurer's Anthem Blue Cross subsidiary in California.

Apple Has Passed Microsoft


Apple is now the second largest company listed on the S&P 500 index.

Apple reached a market cap of $241.5 billion; when trading stopped Thursday, Microsoft's market capitalization was $239.5 billion. That put Apple in second behind Exxon.

Technically speaking, only about 87% of Microsoft's shares are publicly traded so they are still bigger, but Apple is coming on strong.

With their strong line up of iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Macs, Apple is clearly the technology leader. These Apple products are hot, hot, hot. Even my 10 year old son knows that Apple and Steve Jobs are at the top of their game as he explained to me recently.

Microsoft's Windows is still on about 90% of computers worldwide, but their numbers are dropping slowly but surely. Microsoft will be around for a long time to come; however, they are becoming like General Electric.

Microsoft is almost always number one or two in every sector that they invest or buy into but they are having a hard time leading the pack with new, cutting edge products that comes from their own design, engineering, and creative operations.

Apple received a big push on Tuesday when they reported a profit increase of 90 percent and an increase of 49 percent in revenue. Microsoft was unimpressive when it reported a 35 percent increase in profit and 6 percent jump in revenue.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

African American Farmers Still Not Paid $1 Billion For Past Discrimination Settlement

Once again, the government was involved in making it difficult for African Americans to be successful in this country.

CNN has an interesting post regarding the Pigford Case which established a longstanding pattern of discrimination at the U.S. Agriculture Department against African-American farmers who had applied for farm loans and support from federal programs.

The farmers settled the case with the government, but Congress has not come up with the money to pay the African Americans for experiencing racial discrimination.

To read more about this story, go to CNN.com.

Harvard University Is Free If Family Earns Less Than 60k


Harvard University has changed their student financial aid policy.

According to their website, their new financial aid policy has dramatically reduced the amount families with incomes below $180,000 are expected to pay, and parents of families with incomes below $60,000 are not expected to contribute at all to college costs.

They no longer consider home equity as a resource in our determination of a family contribution, and students are not expected to take out loans, which have been replaced by need-based Harvard scholarship.

This new program has reduced the cost to middle income families by one-third to one-half, making the price of a Harvard education for students on financial aid comparable to the cost of in-state tuition and fees at the nation’s leading public universities according to Harvard's Financial Aide office.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Judge Cites Ex-Detroit Mayor For Violating Probation


Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is learning the hard way that once the system comes after you, it will seem like an unending nightmare.

The ex-mayor Kilpatrick pleaded guilty in 2008 to misconduct after sexually explicit text messages became public. He lied under oath about an affair with a staff member. The 39-year-old resigned, served 99 days in jail, agreed to give up his law license, repay the city $1 million, and stay out of politics for five years.

Newsweek reported that a bodyguard for the the mayor reported that the mayor's personal police posse was running amuck, crashing cars and racking up overtime. Then an investigation was started by a Deputy Police Chief. The Deputy Police Chief was fired weeks later.

The Deputy and the bodyguard decided to bring a whistleblower lawsuit against the mayor and the city. The city settled for 9 million. These two guys did well for themselves.

When asked about the affair under oath, Kilpatrick basically said it never happened. He did not realize that the sexual texts that he sent on his city owned pager could be accessed.

According to the Free Press, one text sent from his city owned pager read "I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for three days,." "Relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love."

First of all, he should have known that text messages and cell phones records are accessible. Second, he should also known that firing a police officer conducting an investigation of him and his staff is stepping over the line.

The ex-mayor made a deal to pay back the city 1 million dollars, and he is currently paying 3 thousand a month. The judge cited him for not being completely upfront about his assets even though he was making regular and timely payments. The judge may send him back to jail over this violation of probation.

I am sure that Kwame Kilpatrick feels like he cannot win and he is right.

Tylertown Mississippi Resegregating Schools

One could think that this was 1960 instead of 2010 based on what is happening in some school districts across the country. In Tylertown, MS a federal judge has ordered the Walthall school district to change its attendance policies because they amount to racial segregation.

The Obama Administration's Justice Department has been aggressively going after school districts that they believe are seriously violating court orders from decades ago that have ruled against segregating school.

Prosecutors have said that the district was sending about 300 white students out of the district to an identifiable white school called Salem every year. At the elementary level, students are being clustered in classrooms that basically result in all black or all white classrooms in Tylertown.

The two high schools are actually very average schools based on test scores reported on the site Great School.com.

The Act scores which are a national college admission and placement examination are basically identical in Math, Science, English, and Reading. Both schools have a composite score of 17 with the state average being 19 and the national average being 21. The test is scored from 1(lowest score) up to 36 (highest score).

Based on the school test scores, there does not seem to be any educational benefit of attending one school over another school.

According to an article in the Washington Post, some white parents have justified the transfer to the mostly white out of district school by stating that kids would be more comfortable at Salem.

According to the federal judge, allowing the white kids to attend the mostly white Salem through the transfers created racially identifiable schools which is against the law.

Government Appliance Rebates

The Federal government has set aside about $300 million in rebate money to encourage American consumers to buy appliances. The money is being given to all states and some U.S. territories as well.

The federal government is hoping to encourage residents to buy furnaces, clothes washers, refrigerators and other appliances with the government’s Energy Star label.

This program is similar to the government's cash for clunkers program where people where encouraged to trade in their older vehicle and receive a generous trade in value toward a new car.

If you are interested in buying a new appliance and want to find out how to receive a rebate from your your state, click here.

This is a very popular program. It has already closed in eight states.

Rebate Programs Have Closed in These States or Territories As Of 4/20/10:
•Florida
•Illinois
•Iowa
•Kansas
•Minnesota
•Rhode Island
•South Dakota
•Texas

Monday, April 19, 2010

Will Your College Bound Daughter Fall Prey To Raging ?


Raging is a recurring, drunken activity that requires consuming large quantities of alcohol before or at a party, and then the night could end in making out with a stranger or acquaintance.

These kind of casual hook ups fueled by alcohol are the norm at many college campuses. Unfortunately, there are emotional devastation experiences for many students that are into these hook ups.

Some students even have their hearts broken by the hook-up scene. This will happen when one person expects more to come from the hook up.

The term "hook up" is ambiguous, usually defined as a no-commitment, physical encounter with a stranger or acquaintance. Hooking up can range from just a make-out session all the way to sex. Other lingo for the no-commitment sexual encounters are "booty calls" or "friends with benefits."

There is a Jennifer Nicholas who had sex while experiencing a friends with benefits relationship with a guy. When she was 22, she was at the doctor's office and was told, "Surprise! You've got herpes."

Too many people trust their friend without really knowing their sexual history. Since everything about a person's sexual history is rarely shared, a false comfort level can be created that often times leads to unsafe sex. This is how Jennifer Nicolas caught herpes from her friends with benefits relationship.

Unsafe sex should not take place without STD (sexually transmitted diseases) testing. The testing only takes minutes and the costs are inexpensive.

This could be the difference between a lifetime disease like herpes or a deadly disease like HIV/Aids.

Friends that do not understand a position of no hook ups unless there is romance and traditional dating are probably only a friend because they want the benefits without the commitment. At the same time, there are some people that do not respect themselves enough or have low self esteem that will make them feel as though friends with benefits are cool.

Lexus Recalls GX 460 Vehicles


Toyota Motor Corp. which owns Lexus has announced a recall of 2010 model year Lexus GX 460 SUVs. The recall is related to an increased risk of rollover.

The recall covers approximately 9,400 SUVs. The vehicles are in the United States.

Consumer Reports was the first to report the problem. The magazine urged car shoppers not to buy the GX 460 until the problem is fixed.

Toyota says Lexus dealers will update software which controls the Vehicle Stability Control, or VSC.

VSC, also commonly called Electronic Stability Control (ESC), is a computerized system that controls the brakes and accelerator to help maintain vehicle control in abrupt maneuvers.

The software updates required to fix the problem will be available by the end of April. Toyota is offering free loaner vehicles to GX 460 owners who do not want to drive their vehicles because of the problem.

Owners of the GX 460 will be asked to bring in their vehicles at the end of April. The work is expected to take no more than one hour per vehicle.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Copycat Announcement: All Blacks Leave Store

Police in Northern Edgewater, New Jersey said that a 14-year-old girl grabbed a Whole Foods supermarket microphone and announced, "All blacks leave the store."

The same thing happened in Southern New Jersey at a Walmart store recently.

Edgewater police are investigating this incident as a possible copycat situation. According to police, the announcement was made over Whole Foods public-address system Saturday afternoon.

The girl, whose name was not released because of her age, is charged with bias intimidation and harassment.

The 16-year-old boy in the Walmart case faces the same charges as the this young girl after police said he twice ordered all blacks to leave the store.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Free Credit And Money Management Workshops

Operation Hope which is a non-profit, public benefit organization, was founded immediately following the civil unrest of April 29, 1992 in Los Angeles.

HOPE is an American provider of economic tools and services. HOPE is an effective facilitator, lender, advocate and educator for and on behalf of the other America.

The workshops will include:

1. Budgeting
2. Understanding Your Credit Score
3. Permanently Removing Derogatory Credit From your Credit Report
4. Paying Off Debt And Saving Money
5. How To Settle For Pennies On A Dollar

For information about the free workshops, visit Operation Hope's website for dates and locations.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Legalizing Marijuana Will Be On California Ballot In November

This November, voters in California will have a chance to vote on legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults as well as personal possession of marijuana.

Marijuana is a popular recreational drug. It has been studied, argued, and reported that it is less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol. Many African Africans are in prison or on probation because of nonviolent marijuana possession. In many of these cases, the individuals were using marijuana for their personal use.

Until marijuana sales and possession become legal, African Americans will continue to be disproportionately impacted. US marijuana policies, which rely primarily on criminal penalties and law enforcement, have basically been ineffective at controlling the use and sale of marijuana.

NORML which is a foundation that is working to reform marijuana laws has studied this issue and concluded in a report that while adult African Americans account for only 8.8% of the US population and 11.9% of annual marijuana users, they comprise 23%of all marijuana possession arrests in the United States.

The Huffington Post has a great article with more facts and details about marijuana.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Saggy Pants Billboards


A lawmaker from Brooklyn, NY has been inspired by the Larry Platt song, "Pants on the Ground." According to Platt who is an American idol and Youtube sensation with almost 6 million hits, says that he was inspired to write the song when he was walking one day and saw a guy with his pants on the ground and a baby bottle in his mouth.

State Senator Eric Adams has a message for the youth of America: Stop the Sag! The State Senator has installed six billboards in the borough. The ads show two men, with their underwear showing above their low sung jeans. “We are better than this!” the billboards read. “Raise your pants, raise your image.”

Saggy pants is a trend that has been copied from prison inmates. Inmates have saggy pants because they cannot wear belts in prison. Since belts can be used as weapons and they can also be used to hang oneself, prison inmates are not allowed to have them. This is why the prison inmate pants sag.

Freedom is more valuable than being locked up so it is confusing to many why something that originated in prison for those that have lost their freedom has been emulated by the teenagers and adults that are free.

Since there is no value in having a prison guard control an inmate's every waking hour, inmates should be emulating free men instead of it being the other way around.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Camden Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy, 185 Cases Dropped

185 cases have been dropped or overturned because a Camden NJ police officer pleaded guilty for his role in an operation where he used illegal search warrants, created false reports, and planted evidence on people that he would later arrest.

Former Camden Officer Kevin Parry, 29 entered the guilty plea about his role in the conspiracy and that there were at least four other police officers that were involved with him.

It really makes a difference when you have a Justice department that is willing to investigate these cases. If the President of the United States and the federal Attorney General are not interested in going after criminals when they happen to be police officers, these kind of cases against officers will not be prosecuted.

It appears as though we have a President and Attorney General in Eric Holder that have a zero tolerance policy for police misconduct that results in false arrests as well as police cover up for the killing of innocent civilians.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Top Ten Immediate Benefits of Health Care Reform Bill

As soon as health care passes, the American people will see immediate benefits. The legislation will:

1.Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans.

2.Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool.

3.Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans.

4.Lower seniors prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole.

5.Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage.

6.Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans.

7.Require plans to cover an enrollee’s dependent children until age 26.

8.Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing.

9.Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions.

10.Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

Information supplied by the House Democrat's website.

Former NBA Bobcats and BET Owner Calls Charlotte Anti-black


Bob Johnson who sold the Charlotte Bobcats to Michael Jordan and also is an ex-founder and owner of BET called the city of Charlotte anti-black to business.

Surprisingly, Bob is an African American billionaire, and he is dealing with perceived race related issues in America.

Charlotte is a very, how would I call it, close-knit, arrogant, sometimes incestuous town," Johnson, told the Urban Leadership Institute after receiving an award from the organization. "It's close-knit, and if you come to this town, and you look like you're one of those people that might break some glass ... it's going to be tough for them to relate to.

"The thing that concerns me is that I'm just surprised that the city doesn't do more for African-American small businesses. And I don't really understand that." -
Read the story

Student Loan Bill Passed Is Historic


Once again, President Obama has accomplished one of his top priorities. The Student Loan program will change in ways that will benefit students across the country.

The Student Loan bill which was attached to the Health Care Reform bill to give both the best chance of passing will significantly decrease the reliance of private lenders including banks to make loans to students.

President Obama wants to use the savings to send approximately $4 billion to historically black colleges and community colleges.

According to Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, the chairman of a House higher education subcommittee, moving to the federal government's direct loan program, we will put the best interests of students first and make college loans more reliable and affordable.

The Huffingtonpost reported that the bill rewrites a four-decades-old student loan program, and the savings will direct $36 billion in new spending to Pell Grants for students in financial need.

Many private lenders have promised to continue fighting this bill. They have also stated that thousands of jobs will be lost.

A Black Man And A Woman Were Needed To Reform Health Care


Health Care Reform required the leadership of a black man in President Obama and a woman, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to do what Democrats have been trying to accomplish since Social Security and Medicare were passed by Democrats decades ago.

This is probably the Republicans biggest defeat in decades. They have promised to repeal the Health Care Reform bill once they have the majority again. This will be very difficult for a number of reasons.

One, Republicans will have a hard time explaining why the doughnut hole should be opened again now that is has been closed. For 2010, the doughnut hole for the total true out-of-pocket expenses for seniors increased to $4,550. Once drug costs reach $4,350.25, Medicare pays 95 percent of the cost and the beneficiary pays 5 percent.

For too long, seniors in Medicare have struggled with the rising cost of prescription drugs and closing the so called doughnut hole lowers a seniors out of pocket costs for prescription drugs.

Two, insurers have denied coverage to people with pre-existing conditions including children. In one particular case, a newborn baby was denied coverage because of his weight at birth.

Three, young adults can now stay on their parents insurance plan until their mid-twenties. This one will be very popular with parents of teenagers and young adults.

Four, it is being projected by the respected and independent CBO that 32 million more Americans will have health care coverage because of the Health Care Reform bill. How would the Republicans justify repealing coverage for millions of Americans if they really tried to repeal the bill.

Even if the Republicans could find the votes needed to repeal this bill, they would still need a president who was willing to sign it. Everyone can agree at this point that President Obama would not even consider it.

Although the Health Care Reform bill is not perfect, it will be better than the status quo. This bill is seen as historic. The President and Speaker of the House should be applauded.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Maryland Wants To Secede From The South

Many people in Maryland feel that they have more in common with Northern states than Southern states today.

Lawmakers have successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region. This will allow Maryland to trade ideas with other Eastern Region states like New York and Pennsylvania.

The council is a place where states within the same region can share ideas on issues suck as transportation, public security, environment, etc. Switching regions does not happen often; however, Missouri switched to the Southern Region from the Midwestern Region back in 1994.

Some residents of the state feel as though Maryland has a makeup of the South and the North. Politically, the state is a solid blue state with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 2 to 1.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

African American Charter School Sends 100 Percent Of Students To College


Urban Prep Academy is an all male charter school in Chicago. It has done what many thought was impossible. Every single senior attending the high school has been accepted into a 4 year college or university. This is the school's first graduating class.

What is most impressive is that this school is operating in an area where poverty is high and most of their students are considered low income. According to their website, 82% of their students are low income in a district with 85% and a neighborhood with a 93% low income rate.

Furthermore, the school is a public high school open to anyone. They use a lottery system to select the students. The 2010 graduating class started out 4 years ago with only 4% of students reading on grade level.

Since the school offers an 8 hour school day, students typically put in more than 170 extra school days per year than many high schools. The students must take a double period of English every day and 4 years of Math, Science, and Social Studies. Everyone must also take 3 years of Foreign Language.

This charter school could potentially be a model school for schools in this country that are low performing. School administrators should consider sending their diplomats to the school to find out the main reasons for Urban Prep Academy's success.

High levels of low income students in a school generally translates into poor performing schools. Urban Prep Academy has beaten the odds and one has to hope that they have found a formula that can be duplicated and will prove to be successful over time.

ABC News named the school "Person Of The Week."Read the story.

States May Hold Onto Tax Refunds For Months

Due to the difficult economic times, some states have decided that they may need to delay sending out tax refund checks. These are very difficult times for many states and the recession has caused many states to consider making taxpayers wait up to five months for their refund.

It has been reported that New York, hit with a $9 billion deficit, may delay $500 million in refunds to keep the state from running out of cash according to Gov. David Paterson.

Officials in the following states say they have had to delay issuing refunds or consider doing so because the state might not have the cash on hand to cover the checks.

* Hawaii
* Alabama
* North Carolina
* Kansas
* Idaho
* New York

Health Care Reform Is Very Near?

The Health Care Reform bill will be voted on this weekend. The CBO has projected that the health care bill will save $138 billion in the next decade while expanding coverage to 32 million uninsured.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government. It is a government agency that provides economic data to Congress. The CBO was created as an independent nonpartisan agency by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.

When the Republicans or Democrats argue against the CBO findings, it generally means that the political party is not in support of a bill being proposed by the other party.

Many thought that President Obama and the Democrats were not up to the task of moving Health Care Reform forward. This is a big moment in the U.S. It is probably the equivalent of passing Social Security and Medicare which Republicans also opposed decades ago.

The Democrats still do not have all of the votes needed but they are fairly close. Since African Americans and Latinos are typically at the bottom of the economic ladder in this country, this bill if passed will be good for both groups.

Health Care Reform will also benefit those individuals who find themselves without a job because they have been laid off due to their company going bankrupt or when the company simply decides to down size. Furthermore, reform will make it easier for someone to leave a job for another one without having to worry about losing health care coverage.

Too many small business' have not been able to buy health care insurance because of the prohibitive costs. Health Care Reform is suppose to lower the costs for business owners in this situation.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Honda Recalls Odyssey And Element


The recall includes 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

Honda said in a statement that over time, brake pedals can feel "soft" and must be pressed closer to the floor to stop the vehicles. Left unrepaired, the problem could cause loss of braking power and possibly a crash, Honda spokesman Chris Martin said.

"It's definitely not operating the way it should, and it's safety systems, so it brings it to the recall status," he said.

The automaker is still preparing a list of affected vehicles. After April 19, owners can determine if their vehicles are being recalled by going to http://www.recalls.honda.com or calling 800-999-1099 and selecting option number four.

Man Lured By Ex, Sodomized

The definition of a scorned woman has taken on a new meaning. Women are showing that they can be quite vicious and revengeful when the relationship ends.

This is a moment for Brothers Connected to take note. Breaking up and simply walking away does not seem to be as easy as it used to be in the past.

A 29 year old guy spoke with his ex and they booth decided that they desired to reconnect and have sex. His ex, 28 year old Renada Williams had another plan.

The guy goes went over to her place and when he was undressed and ready for love when two guys ages 16 and 20 come from another room and beat him with a broomstick. The two guys also sodomized him with the stick according to police. Read Story.

This kind of revenge is becoming more common. In the recent past, a woman was dating Charles Phillips for many years. He is a brother who was an Obama advisor and Oracle software executive. He thought he was able to make a clean split with his mistress until he found out that she was paying for billboards in major cities outing him and their relationship. Read More

We cannot forget the professional football player Steve McNair. He was another brother cheating on his wife. He ended up being killed while he was asleep last summer. He suffered a fatal gun shot wound to the head. His mistress was also found dead in the residence and the police have said that she took her own life.

The game has changed forever whether one has a mistress or a girlfriend. Breaking up on the best possible terms has always been the best option. Unfortunately, this option is not always good enough because someone within the relationship is usually not ready for the end when it comes.

NJ Wal-Mart Probes Racial Comment Over Announcement System

According to the AP, Wal-Mart officials are reviewing security tapes after an announcement was made for "all black people" to leave a Washington Township, southern New Jersey store.

Shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, a male voice came over the public-address system at the Route 42 store in Washington Township and calmly announced: "Attention Wal-Mart customers: All black people leave the store now."

Management later apologized.

Washington Township police and the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office are investigating the incident as a possible bias crime.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Ashley Hardie says the incident was "unacceptable." The retailer is looking to prevent it from happening in the future.

Designer Vaginas - A New Trend?

Women are increasingly turning to vaginal rejuvenation to correct issues developed during childbirth. Other women are using this fairly new procedure to correct what they believe Mother Nature made imperfect.

During these difficult economic times for surgeons and many other professionals in America, Sherman Leis who is a Bala Cynwyd, PA based plastic surgeon gives some credit to vaginoplasties and labiaplasties for his practice's success.

Vaginoplasty is suppose to tighten the vaginal canal and muscles stretched out by childbirth. Labiaplasty involves cutting uneven, hanging, beefy, or an discolored labia that a woman might think is uncomfortable or unpleasant to the eyes.

The procedure costs are approximately $4,000 on average. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported fewer than 800 vaginal rejuvenations in 2005. By 2009, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery tallied more than 2,500.

Hymenoplasty or Revirginization are also procedures that are available today. Theses procedures are suppose to restore a woman's hymen. The Lansdale-based Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Philadelphia offers "the G-Shot," in which a doctor injects collagen into a woman's G-spot to enlarge it.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has warned against such procedures. In September 2007, The ACOG urged physicians to advise patients that procedures such as "vaginal rejuvenation, designer vaginoplasty, revirginization and G-spot amplification" have not been scientifically proven as safe or effective. Doctors should inform women about potential complications such as infection, altered sensation and scarring, the ACOG said.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

New Sticking Plaster Seen As Skin Cancer Cure

The high-tech device contains a small light that combines with a chemical cream to kill skin cancer cells.

The Ambulight plaster has already been used on 50 patients with a success rate of up to 90 percent. It is suppose to be less painful than surgery and leaves no scar.

The treatment is called photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a drug, called a photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent, and a particular type of light. When photosensitizers are exposed to a specific wavelength of light, they produce a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells.

In addition to directly killing cancer cells, PDT appears to shrink or destroy tumors in two other ways. The photosensitizer can damage blood vessels in the tumor, thereby preventing the cancer from receiving necessary nutrients.

Utah Politican Resigns Because He Spent Time In Hot Tub With Naked Teenager


Kevin Garn resigned as Utah's majority leader in the legislature after it became public that he spent time in a hot tub with a naked teenager.

Even though the event took place 25 years ago, Mr. Garn now 55 years old paid the women $150,000 to keep quiet in 2002.

It has been reported that the woman in this story who was a teenager at the time began contacting reporters about the incident during Kevin Garn's unsuccessful bid for a congressional seat in 2002.

Despite a confidentiality agreement, the now 40-year-old woman named Maher began contacting local news media last week to retell her story about being naked with Garn when she was 15.

We have to thank Kevin Garn for showing everyone the path not to take if you plan to run for politics in the future. He will go on with his life, but it will be extremely tough for him to hold a public leadership position in the future.

Supreme Court Justice's Wife Involved With Tea Party


Anyone who follows politics, knows that Clarence Thomas is a Supreme Court justice who typically votes with the conservative side of the legal argument. Conservatives in America love him because his votes for conservative issues are very reliable.

Many people do not know that his wife is involved in advocating for conservative issues as well. Virginia Thomas recently spoke during a panel discussion to Tea Party leaders in Washington.

The Los Angeles Times reported that In 2000, while she worked at the Heritage Foundation which is a conservative think tank, she was recruiting staff for a possible George W. Bush administration as her husband was hearing the case that would decide the election. It is interesting that this was not reported before Gore versus Bush was decided by the Supreme Court.

The L.A. Times also reported that Virginia Thomas talked about counting herself among those energized into action by President Obama's "hard-left agenda" during her talk with Tea Party Leaders.

These are interesting observations and it makes a person wonder why these historical firsts are happening now that President Obama is in office.

1. Was there ever a time when a major news network (i.e. Fox) launched an all-out assault, including helping to organize an uprising, against a sitting President?

2. There was never a Congressman like Joe Wilson who interrupted President Obama during the State of the Union Address to call the President a liar.

3. A Supreme Court Justice's spouse publicly announces her effort to undermine the agenda of the President of the United States of America.


Read the full story.
 

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