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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Plumber's Silicone Used In Butt Augmentation Surgery

You know it is bad when plumbers start doing the work of surgeons. Something serious has to be done about the U.S. economy.

In all seriousness, it has been reported that six women from New Jersey's Essex County had silicone used by plumbers to caulk bathrooms instead of medical grade silicone injected into their butts during enhancement surgery.

The women received a diluted version of nonmedical-grade silicone. The Star-Ledger of Newark reported that the women underwent cosmetic surgery from unlicensed providers.

Gregory Borah, chief of plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, said the incident was "a tragedy."

Using over-the-counter silicone can cause abscesses that he said resemble "a big zit."

Borah, also president of the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the botched procedures underscore the need for patients seeking such enhancement to seek out licensed professionals in a sterile setting, according to the Star Ledger report.

Washington DC First City To Give Away Female Condoms

Washington DC's HIV/Aids population is growing too quickly. The numbers in the city are off the charts. The numbers in DC are so bad that they are higher than some African Nations.

The city will be the first in the country to distribute free female condoms. They will target areas in the city where HIV is very high.

The Washington Post has reported that the distribution could begin within the next three weeks in parts of wards 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, where a study showed that large numbers of African American heterosexuals engage in risky sexual behavior that could easily lead to infection.

Since large numbers of African American heterosexual males are engaging in risky sexual behavior, women should be prepared to protect themselves at all costs. There is no reason for a woman or a male to shy away from condom use if they are not in a committed relationship.

It was also reported that HIV/AIDS infection is the leading cause of death for black women 25-34 nationwide. A 2008 report showed the District's HIV/AIDS rate at 3 percent, or about 15,100 adults, a major epidemic.

It is wonderful that women and men can offer their partner a male or female condom today. Having more than one option will give individuals more power to protect themselves.

If these two options are not acceptable to either partner, there is always the option of being tested together for HIV/AIDS as well as other sexually transmitted diseases.

Another Angry Guy Goes On Suicide Mission Against U.S. Gov't.

Weeks after Joe Stack went on a suicide mission against the government by flying his plane into an IRS building, John Patrick Bedell fired shots at a Washington D.C. Metro subway entrance to the Pentagon on Thursday, wounding two police officers.

John Patrick Bedell was shot and suffered a critical injury the day of the shooting. Bedell was heavily armed carrying a semiautomatic weapon and several magazines of ammunition. He has died from head wounds inflicted during the shootout.

What did these two men have in common? They were both angry with the United States government. There are Americans that have always been angry with the government for one reason or another; however, it appears as though a tipping point has been reached.

Hints of a long a deep-seated mistrust of government emerged in anti-government Internet postings linked to Bedell. The LinkedIn blog contained a two-part treatise on big government, including its vulnerability to being controlled by a criminal organization.

"This organization, like so many murderous governments throughout history, would see the sacrifice of thousands of its citizens, in an event such as the September 11 attacks, as a small cost in order to perpetuate its barbaric control," the blog post read.

His postings also expressed general hatred of Washington and added that exposing the Sabow case would be “a step toward establishing the truth of events such as the September 11 demolition,” according to the AP.

Whatever is causing Americans in 2010 to start to go on these search and destroy suicide missions against American targets must be investigated. If a thorough investigation does not take place, Americans may witness many more of these missions in the near future.

Teachers Being Investigated For Giving Students Pictures Of Rupaul, O.J. Simpson, and Dennis Rodman

Three school teachers are accused of giving children pictures of Dennis Rodman, Rupaul, and O.J. Simpson to display during a parade honoring Black History Month.

The Superintendent has placed the three white male teachers on leave during the investigation. The teachers teach 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School in South Los Angeles.

There were other students that carried pictures of traditional black heroes such as Harriet Tubman as well as leaders of today like President Obama.

Complaints were made to the NAACP and they contacted the school district.

It is difficult to understand why the three teachers choose the two athletes and an entertainer. These three while successful in their chosen fields are not necessarily the kind of people most African Americans want their kids emulating or even honoring during Black History Month.

Even though most African Americans would never choose these three men to represent the best and the brightest of African Americans, the teachers probably have a right to promote them since there were no school policies in place which specified the individuals that could be selected for the kids to display during the parade.

Michael Jackson also had his picture displayed during the parade. Many will argue that he also had a fall from the top or a history that was questionable.

At this point, it is probably best to say that it is premature on the part of those folks that are calling for the teachers to be fired. It is probably more important to put a policy in place to make sure that displaying the photos of African Americans like Rodman, Rupaul, and Simpson never happens again.

Innocent Man Pardoned From Jail after His Death

Another innocent man would have been freed from jail in Texas. Unfortunately, Tim Cole died first. This is the first posthumous pardon for Texas.

In 1985, Timothy Cole was a student when he was arrested and accused of being the Texas Tech rapist. A string of coeds had been raped, and the young African-American man from Fort Worth, who'd never been in trouble with the law before, was convicted largely on the eyewitness account of one rape victim.

Prosecutors offered Cole a plea bargain offer; he would have been exchanged a guilty plea for release and a probation period. Cole refused, and a negligent jury convicted him and imposed a 25-year sentence.

Three things will jump out at anyone who takes a look at some of the facts in the case.

One, the victim claimed that the man that was the rapist had been smoking the entire time that he drove her to the outskirts of town to rape her. Tim Cole had severe asthma and he never smoked.

Two, no physical evidence tied Cole to the crime. Although the rapist drove the car extensively, Cole's fingerprints were not found in the vehicle.

Third, Cole also had a solid alibi. At the time of the rape, he was studying in his apartment while his brother was having a card party in the living room. Several young people testified at trial that Cole was in the apartment with them all evening.

What kind of prosecutor, investigator, district attorney, or human being ignores the facts of their case and is willing to send an innocent man to jail for 25 years because the people demand justice for crimes that have been committed? - Read Story

New Message About Prostate Cancer Screenings Potentially Confusing

The American Cancer Society has decided to zero in on prostate cancer screenings. They are stating that some people are being screened too often which can cause more harm than good.

African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer. They are also more likely to die from the disease. Screening is a key to choice and change.

The new message from the American Cancer Society will be confusing for many patients. Many individuals have been told that regular screenings and early detection will give one the best chances of beating prostate cancer if it was to ever develop.

According to a report by Fox News, a statement from the American Urological Association said it disagreed with the new guidelines.

The Atlanta-based cancer society is perhaps the most influential group in giving screening advice. Its new guidance released Wednesday on prostate cancer urges doctors to:

- Discuss the pros and cons of testing with their patients, including giving them written information or videos that discuss the likelihood of false test results and the side effects of treatment.

- Stop giving the rectal exam as a standard prostate cancer screening because it has not clearly shown a benefit, though it can remain an option.

- Use past PSA readings to determine how often followup tests are needed and to guide conversations about treatment.

Metal on Metal Hip Implants Being Reconsidered

As many Americans reach middle age, they may find themselves talking with a orthopedic surgeon about the constant pain in their hips. It is quite possible that the surgeon will ask the patient to consider a hip replacement.

This is a surgery that has been fairly successful over the years. However, there are those in the medical community that have become critics of metal on metal hip replacements.

If you want to read about some of the concerns related to metal to metal hip replacements being discussed publicly, make sure to click on the link.

There is also a less invasive hip surgery method that is being used today. Those in the position having to think about a possible hip replacement should consider all of their options.

Speaking with a physician about the advantages and disadvantages of the different procedures in the best thing to do.

President Obama Embraces New Poverty Formula

The President has embraced a new formula for determining poverty in America. At the current time, this is only an experiment reports the N.Y. Times, but it should be a step in the direction of eliminating the old formula.

The old formula which is still being used focuses on the cost of food and the cash income a family receives annually.

There are many critics that do not want to change the poverty formula.

Poverty statistics are responsible for how federal dollars are allocated to states and cities across the country. There is a fear by some that changing the formula will increase poverty in some areas and increase their share of federal dollars while decreasing federal assistance to other states.

The new formula will continue to focus on the cost of food while also acknowledging that this amount has become a smaller percentage of a families' total cost. The new one will strive to take the bigger picture into account for a family.

The new formula will also consider government benefits such as food stamps and tax credits which will increase the a families' annual cash income. At the same time, the new formula will consider health care costs, home mortgages, child care, and utilities which would all lower a families' annual income.


The old formula was based on 2 parents and 2 children. The new formula will be based on 1 parent and 2 children which is a more accurate of a family living in poverty today versus the 1960's when the old formula was created.

Nissan Recalls Close To 540,000 Vehicles

The recall affects several Nissan models. Most of the vehicles are in the United States. See the models below.

*Titan
*Armada
*Frontier
*Pathfinder
*Quest
*Xterra
*Infiniti model QX56

If you want to know the specific model years being recalled, click to view the chart.

The first problem deals with the brakes. The brake problem involves a pin in the pedal that can become dislodged, causing a loss of braking. The defect has caused no injuries or accidents, according to a release from the automaker.

The second problem deals with Nissan cars with higher mileage. Some of these vehicles may run out of gas even though the fuel gauge indicates there is still an adequate supply.

Nissan is sending out notices to owners of the recalled vehicles. But if you have particular worries or questions about the recall, Nissan recommends contacting a dealer.

The release from the Nissan company has contact numbers as well as more detailed information if you are interested.

U.S. Post Office Considering 5 Day Mail Delivery

The U.S. Postal Service is experiencing huge deficits and declining revenue from their mail services.

They are predicting that they will deliver less mail in 2020 than in 2010. Since benefits, wages, and fuel costs continue to rise while revenues are shrinking, they will put forward a proposal to only deliver mail between Monday and Friday.

It does not help that many Americans are communicating and paying their bills online today.

The postal service already has a commission that is concluding hearings on a Postal Service proposal submitted in July to close and consolidate more than 100 post offices throughout the United States.

The U.S. Congress will have to approve the latest proposal because federal law requires 6 days of mail delivery.

African Burial Ground National Monument Finally Opens

The African Burial Ground National Monument’s new Visitor Center opened to the public Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 in New York City.

The memorial honors the memories of the estimated thousands of enslaved Africans who were interred in the burial ground during the 17th and 18th centuries.

It has been built with 6,700 square-feet of space and has four exhibit areas, a theater and a gift shop.

The street-level center offers interactive exhibits showing that the African labor force was crucial to the prosperity of Dutch-colonized New Amsterdam in the 1600s, and later New York, governed by the English until the American Revolution.

Historians say one of the world's most recognizable financial institutions actually had its origins in forced labor. Enslaved Africans built a barrier across Manhattan, a wall that would later be known as Wall Street.

About 15,000 African slaves and their descendants were once unceremoniously buried under what is today Manhattan — and forgotten.

The forgotten burial place was rediscovered in 1991, when construction began on the foundation of a federal office building. The remains of about 400 men, women and children were found 20 feet underground.

Finally, the 400 or so slaves found have finally received a proper burial.

The government building was redesigned to accommodate the memorial, and in 1993 the Burial Ground became a National Historic Landmark.

The African Burial Ground National Monument is part of the National Park Service, and there's no entrance fee. Go to their website for directions.

The photograph above is actually a photograph of artwork created by Frank Bender. He is a world renowned sculptor, known for his work on forensic facial identifications, fugitive age progressions and fine art.

The memorial opens daily at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. However, during the winter, the memorial closes at 4 p.m.

GM Recalls 1.3 Million Chevrolets And Pontiacs

General Motors has recalled 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac models in North America for power steering failures that are tied to 14 crashes and one injury in the United States according to the company.


The recall affects the vehicles listed below.


*2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt sold in the United States
*2007-2010 Pontiac G5 models sold in the United States
*2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit vehicles sold in Canada
*2005-2006 Pontiac G4 models sold in Mexico.

A GM executive stated that when the power steering feature fails, a chime will sound and the "Power Steering" message will display to alert drivers.

No one can guarantee that the Power Steering message will display 100% of the time.
Drivers of a recalled vehicle will have to be vigilant if they experience anything abnormal with their car's steering.

If owners notice any problem with their power steering, GM recommends that they take their cars to their dealer to have the steering mechanism checked out.

Pockets Of U.S. Have Higher Rate Of HIV Than Africa

Newsweek has a great post about HIV in America and how it still is a major problem in black and brown America.

Here are a few staggering numbers.

*1 in 16 black men in DC are affected with HIV.
*1 in 40 black men in NY are affected with HIV.

In the general population, this is the approximate breakdown of Aids/HIV in America.

*33% of new cases are from heterosexual relationships.
*50% of new cases are from anal sex between men.
*17% of new cases are from the sharing of intravenous drug needles.

Even though there are many clean needle programs in the country, many drug users still share needles or use dirty needles.

The Newsweek report also mentions that several Urban areas in the US are experiencing as much as a 30% rate of HIV infection compared to 8% in the general population of Kenya and 17% in South Africa.

Black and Latina women make up more than 25% of the new HIV infected. Many of these women are having unprotected sex with black and Latino men.

In 2010, everyone should consider being HIV tested with their partner before they decide to have unprotected sex. Testing at local clinics is usually free of charge.

It has been reported that an estimated 200,000 people in America are unaware of their HIV status.

80 Year Old Arrested Again

The AP has reported that an 80-year-old woman with a criminal record stretching back to 1955 has been sentenced to three years in state prison for ransacking and stealing cash from a Southern California medical office. Doris Thompson thanked a judge Wednesday for not sending her to Los Angeles County jail, which she doesn't like, and said she deserved a longer sentence. She also told the judge, "God bless you."

State records show Thompson, who has used 27 aliases, has repeatedly been arrested during the past 55 years, mainly for petty theft and burglary. She's gone to jail several times.

She actually asked the judge for a longer sentence. You know the economy is bad when someone decides to ask the judge for a longer sentence. It is a tough economy. It is probably easier for some struggling Americans to receive 3 hot meals a day along with a bed and medical care while in jail versus having to find a way to provide these three basic life needs for themselves as a free person.

N.Y. Governor Commits Poltical Suicide

Governor Patterson is not well liked by the media in NY. How else do you explain many newspapers running front page articles based on rumors that a scandal was about to break?

There was no earth shattering news to report about Governor Patterson. What the media did was set the groundwork with voters about changing their minds if they were considering voting for him.

Remember that Governor Patterson was not elected. He won the seat when the former Governor Eliot Spitzer had to step down for a prostitution scandal. There are many powerbrokers in New York who have been rooting for former NY Governor Mario Cuomo's son to run for the governorship. There are others that thought Governor Patterson simply did not have enough appeal to win over New Yorkers.

Governor Patterson should have known that he was a marked man and there are always people watching his every move. After all, there are only two African Americans that have been elected Governor in the history of the Unites States.

Governor Patterson played right into the hands of his opponents supporters. Less than one week after announcing that he planned to run for a full four year term, he had to announce that he was abandoning his campaign.

This announcement came shortly after a New York Times report, which said the governor and a member of his security detail had contacted a woman pressing an abuse charge against a top Paterson aide.

The aide David Johnson who is seen in the picture above with Gov. Patterson had his share of critics. He is from Harlem and it has been reported that he overcame some drug related issues of his younger days to amass a good deal of political power working for the governor. It has been reported that some people resented having to go through Mr. Johnson to reach the governor.

Can anyone figure out why a sitting governor who is gearing up for a reelection campaign would be involved in contacting the wife of an aide who happens to be an alleged victim of domestic abuse about the incident? When people are looking for your missteps, you simply have to have all of your ducks lined up straight.

This is an unwritten rule in politics, especially if you are a black or Latino politician. Hopefully Governor Patterson's political suicide will keep another Brother Connected from making the same mistake in the future.