CNN) -- Brazil's new president-elect vowed to continue her predecessor's move to fight against inequality and promote human rights and fight poverty in her victory speech Sunday night.
"My mission is to eradicate poverty," Dilma Rousseff said after the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal declared her the winner in Sunday's runoff election.
As the nation's first woman to hold the office, Rousseff said she has a mission to fight for more gender equality in Brazil.
"I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say yes, women can."
Rousseff -- President Luiz Inacio da Silva's right-hand woman -- has served as his chief of staff.
Previously, as energy minister, she claims to have helped turn Brazil into one of the world's leading energy giants.
A left-wing guerrilla fighter during the military dictatorship rule in the 1960s, Rousseff said during a congressional hearing that she was "barbarically tortured" after she was charged with subversion by the military regime.
Her opponent, Jose Serra, also suffered persecution during Brazil's military rule and was forced into exile during the 1960s.
A centrist politician, he served as health minister during Fernando Henrique Cardoso's government. He recently left his job as governor of Brazil's richest state, Sao Paulo, to run for presidency.
Millions of voters lined up across Brazil's vast territory to vote in the heated runoff.
In 60 Brazilian cities, voters used their thumbs instead of ballots on a newly launched biometric system, where voters scan their fingers to log in and vote.
TSE officials said all regions, however remote, will have the ubiquitous electronic voting machine. In indigenous areas in the Amazon, these voting machines were delivered by boats and helicopters. It costs the state of Amazonas 5 million reais. (U.S. $3 million) to place the voting machines.
One of the most challenging trajectories, officials said, is the one to Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira, a densly-forested area in the Amazon.
"There, our electronic machines first leave Manaus by plane," said Pedro Batista, TSE Director for the Amazon.
"It's loaded onto a helicopter, and then travels by boat before being carried on some one's back for a long walk to a remote village," he said.
In Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, voters faced heavy rains and threats of flooding.
Cable television's talking heads were the primary targets of Saturday's Rally to Restore Sanity, which drew tens of thousands of people to Washington, D.C. From video montages of news programs' doomsday prophecies to introducing citizens who remained "rational" under pressure, hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert repeatedly went after the media's extremist positions.
Stewart said, "We live now in hard times, not end times." He continued, "The country's 24-hour [news cycle] did not cause our problems but its existence makes solving them that much harder. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing."
The rally's themes of unity, comedy and tolerance were reinforced with a slew of musical guests like Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), Kid Rock and John Legend.
Backed by the Roots' house band, Islam sang his 1971 hit "Peace Train" but was interrupted by Colbert, who introduced Ozzy Osbourne. The rocker launched into "Crazy Train," and went back-and-forth with Islam until they were both sent off stage by the O'Jays and "Love Train."
The proceedings began with introductions from Stewart and Colbert, followed by a benediction by Don Novello as his "Saturday Night Live" character Father Guido Sarducci, who when comparing Muslims and Jews said, "They don't eat pork, you don't eat pork, let's build on that."
Billed as "the most reasonable seeming man in America," "Law & Order" star Sam Waterston read a tongue-in-cheek poem credited to Colbert that included lines like "Did you hear that? No? You're probably going deaf. It's your kids back home cooking up crystal meth."Musical guests included Mavis Staples and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy performing "You're Not Alone," and Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow singing an original song by Kid Rock, which included a green screen appearance by T.I. NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also made an appearance.
Stewart gave medals of reasonableness to Armando Galarraga, the Detroit Tigers pitcher who forgave the umpire who blew his perfect game this summer, wrestler Mick Foley, Velma Hart, for a civilized exchange with President Obama during a town hall meeting, and Jacob Isom, the Texas man who snatched a Koran from the hands of an evangelist preacher intending to burn it.
Colbert handed out "Fear" Awards to Anderson Cooper's tight black t-shirt, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and news organizations like National Public Radio, ABC and the New York Times who banned employees from attending the rally
Nancy Heche openly discusses her personal experience and shares helpful tips to Christian leaders and families on dealing with homosexuality in her recently released book, The Complete Christian Guide to Understanding Homosexuality: A Biblical and Compassionate Response to Same-Sex Attraction.
Heche is all too familiar with the homosexual community as well as the Christian one, although her understanding of homosexuality, she says, took a while.
“I grew up in a church and family that didn’t talk about it,” she told The Christian Post.
Heche’s husband, who died of AIDS, led a secret homosexual life which she knew nothing of until his death close to 30 years ago. Heche spoke of her lack of knowledge on the lifestyle and the hurt it caused her family.
“It was a secret life so we didn’t know much about AIDS or homosexuality,” she said. “It was a huge betrayal and entering a world that we never would have chosen, which is pretty much every family’s experience. We come to the kingdom for such a time as this, and we come to the kingdom of homosexuality, usually not by our own choice. But here we are and what is God going to do in our lives around this.”
After the tragedy of her husband’s death she chose to ignore the issue and not face the questions she had.
“I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t have any support when my husband died, so I pretty much ignored the whole thing,” she recalled.
But Heche couldn’t ignore it for long. Her daughter, actress Anne Heche, went public with her homosexual relationship with comedian Ellen Degeneres in 1997.
“She became sort of the poster child for coming out and bringing the whole homosexual issue into the public eye and even glamorizing and humorizing it, laughing about it, making it just another kind of love relationship,” the author said.
After two family members admitted their controversial sexuality, Heche had to step up and attempt to understand the issue.
“God gives us a second chance to get it right. Or at least two, three, or four chances to get it better,” she said. “Because I hadn’t dealt with the issue of homosexuality at the time of my husband’s tragic death, now I was forced to deal with it.”
“If God wants us to heal something He brings it up again,” Heche continued. “The Complete Christian Guide to Understanding Homosexuality offers that healing along with vital information. The book offers scriptural background of the causes of male and female homosexuality.
“Once someone hears valid teachings and causes of homosexuality, it is such a relief. Hearing the truth is such a help and comfort. Families get insight from the book.”The 485-page book offers insight on homosexual relationships from a biblical perspective as well as from a personal one. Stories of real people and real situations are included to better help parents, spouses, and teens dealing with homosexuality, and people who have lived homosexual lifestyles. It gives readers some encouragement while guiding Christians to live in consistency with the values they promote when responding to those who support or participate in the homosexual lifetsyle.
She emphasizes in the book, "God has a winning strategy regarding homosexuality. That strategy is love
The Christian community, Heche says, is hesitant to show compassion to homosexuals.
“They are just waiting for someone to give them permission to be kind and just to homosexuals,” she pointed out. “When they read the book it gives them permission.”
The book debunks the thought that many homosexuals have about the Christian community.
“Most homosexuals, men or women that I talk to and ask them what they think the church’s position is, 100 percent of them will say the church hates homosexuals, Christians hate homosexuals and God hates homosexuals,” Heche said.
The book, however, speaks out about God’s love for the homosexual community. It talks blatantly about there being no hierarchy with sin. And it also addresses how God is bringing His church to a place of ministry to homosexuals, not condemnation.
“God loves the world. Jesus came to die for sinners and we’re all sinners,” she stressed.
Heche’s co-author is Joe Dallas, a counselor, minister, author, and founder of Genesis ministry, which specializes in "sexual addiction recovery and homosexuality.” In the book, he offers his experience as well as his knowledge in theology. Dallas, who struggled with same-sex desires and is now married to his wife, Renee, focuses on healing sexual addiction, responding to pro-gay theology, ministering to parents of lesbians/gays, developing ministerial responses to homosexuals, and apologetics approaches to the “gay debate.”
Dallas, Heche stressed, is very objective. “He’s going to present the truth and if this is unfamiliar or unpopular truth for some people, he presents it very gently,” she noted.
(CHRISTIAN NEWS)
Matt Barnes had just put his fingerprints on the game again, this time helping the Lakers out on defense, tipping a lob pass away to prevent a dunk by Phoenix Suns forward Hakim Warrick .
A few seconds later, there was Barnes again delivering another big moment, knocking down a three-point shot that gave the Lakers a 13-point lead and forced the Suns to call a timeout.
When Barnes reached the Lakers' bench, Kobe Bryant greeted him with a high-five, a signal to the 6-7 small forward that he was starting to find his niche with the Lakers.
"In a situation like this, everyone knows how important the bench is," Barnes said after practice Saturday. "Our bench is definitely a talented bench. But we've got to build our chemistry. I think we're headed in the right direction. When you go to the bench, you really don't want to have any drop-offs."
Barnes did his part to make sure that didn't happen.
He was solid on offense, scoring 11 points on four-for-eight shooting, three for four on three-pointers, in 18 minutes.
He did his part elsewhere, getting five rebounds and one steal.
"I think he kind of wants to have a feeling that he can do what he wants to do out there, play at a level he's comfortable," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm interested to see how he plays [Sunday] night against another team he played for."
Barnes has played for eight teams over his eight-year career, including Phoenix and Golden State, Sunday's opponent.
Inside game
For some reason, Jackson mused, his team has this poor habit of getting away from its powerful inside game.
The Lakers are successful when they go inside to Pau Gasol , Lamar Odom and Bryant.
When Andrew Bynum returns from his right knee injury, he'll give the Lakers another post presence.
Jackson said the stats his coaches kept against the Suns had the Lakers going inside 12 out of 16 times in the first half.
"So we have a real high percentage off our inside game," Jackson said. "Yet we were still taking outside shots. So I kind of had to nail that home and then they went out in the third quarter and took some more [outside shots]. Didn't have much influence."
The Lakers did make 44% (12 of 27) of their three-pointers against the Suns.
After two games, the Lakers are making 43.8% (21 of 48) of their three-pointers, but Jackson still wants his team to pound the ball down low.
Walton update
Luke Walton sat out the first two regular-season games after re-aggravating his strained right hamstring in the final exhibition game.
He felt good during three-on-three workouts Saturday and is hoping to be ready to play Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
I didn't feel anything today," Walton said. "As long as I don't feel anything, we're making progress."
(NBA.COM)
NEWARK, N.J. -- LeBron James said he has no regrets about ending up in Miami, but did say he would handle his decision differently if given another chance.
James has been heavily criticized for announcing his free agency choice during an hour-long ESPN special. The Ohio native did not specifically say what aspects of "The Decision" he would have changed.
"If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different," James said. "But I'm happy with the decision I made. There's always going to be a misunderstanding. I don't know what I would [have done], but I definitely would have changed it."
James joked Sunday that it's not too soon for teams to start recruiting him for the 2015-16 season after his current contract expires.
Barring injuries, James would still be in his prime when his six-year contract ends, although there are options that would allow him to enter free agency a year or two earlier.
"I'll be 30, I'll be alright still, too," James said before the Heat played the Nets at the Prudential Center. "I'm here. I'm a Heat, man. So we'll see what happens."
The Nets were one of six teams that met with James when the free-agency recruiting period opened in July. He also received visits in Cleveland from the Heat, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and the Cavaliers. The Nets, partially owned by hip-hop mogul and James' good friend, Jay-Z, had the first meeting with James.
But James said Sunday he never established a ranking or order of preference beyond the Heat.
"Not really," James said. "It was some meetings that were better than others. But at the end of the day, this was the team I felt like I had the best opportunity to win for a long period of time. I didn't have a list, one through six or one through five, whatever the case was."
James said his summer sit-down with Nets officials, including owner Mikhail Prokhorov and coach Avery Johnson, was a positive experience.
"I'm here in Miami, but it was a great meeting," James said. "I left with definitely respect for this organization, respect for Avery Johnson, respect for the owner and for everyone that has anything to do with the Nets. Nothing bad from that meeting and nothing bad I have to say about this organization. It was great."
The two-time MVP also said the Nets' record last season didn't automatically eliminate them.
"No, you can't go off that. They're 2-0 now, so I don't think they won their first game until mid-December last year. So you can't go from previous years," James said. "If that's the case, this Miami Heat team won like 15 games [in 2007-08]. Before I got to the Cavs, they only won 17, even though I didn't have anything to do with that because of the lottery. But you don't take a team's past year and based on what the following year could be."
The Nets' case could have been strengthened if they were already in Brooklyn, but their planned move has stalled and they are now scheduled to play two years in Newark before the Barclays Center opens.
James said he didn't know if that hurt New Jersey.
"I think this place is great," he said. "Brooklyn is a great city also. But I've never been in Newark, I've never been in Brooklyn, so I don't know if it would have helped the case or not."
James was booed frequently in the first half, though there were loud cheers after a pair of powerful dunks.
Michael Wallace is an NBA writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SHANGHAI (AP)—Lee Westwood had little reason to think one year ago he could be No. 1 in the world, a position that looked “unattainable” the way Tiger Woods had been dominating golf for so much of the decade.
Golf can take some peculiar turns, though, which Westwood knows better than most.
Westwood reached No. 1 on Sunday for the first time. He ended a record run by Woods, who had led the world ranking for 281 weeks.
“Everyone thought it was unattainable,” Westwood said during a conference call. “People go through different things in life, and form comes and goes. I know as well as anyone you can lose your form.”
Westwood, at No. 266 in the world seven years ago while fighting through a severe slump, became only the 13th player to be No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986, and the first European since Nick Faldo in 1994.
The 37-year-old Englishman is only the fourth player to get there without having won a major.
For now, this feels like one.
“Whenever you can sit down and say, ‘I’m the best in the world right now,’ it’s a dream that everybody holds,” Westwood said, calling it the most satisfying achievement of his career.
The final step was anticlimactic.
Westwood, who has finished only one tournament since the British Open while recovering from a calf injury, knew he would go to No. 1 as long as PGA champion Martin Kaymer did not finish among the top two at the Andalucia Masters in Spain.
Kaymer tied for 21st, and when the German walked off the 18th at Valderrama, champagne began pouring in Westwood’s home in England, where he shared the moment with his parents and about 20 friends.
Westwood is followed in the rankings by Woods, Kaymer, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker.
“Growing up, when people ask what you want to achieve, you turn around say, ‘I want to be the best in the world,”’ Westwood said. “Right at this very moment, I can show people the world ranking and say, ‘Look, I’m the best in the world. I’m the best on the planet for golf at the moment.’ It’s a fairly large achievement when you look at the people who were No. 1 in the ranking.”
For the longest time, that was Woods.
Woods has been introduced as the world’s No. 1 player since June 12, 2005, the week before he finished runner-up in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. He won the British Open a month later, and his ranking has rarely been threatened since.
The gap was as large as ever less than a year ago. When Woods won the Australian Masters, his points average in the world ranking was 16.17. Westwood was No. 5 at 5.92 points.
It all changed so quickly for Woods, who struggled through his worst season on and off the course. Woods took a five-month breath to cope with confessions of extramarital affairs, which ended in divorce, and his game has not been the same. He has not finished better than a tie for fourth—in the Masters and U.S. Open—and he has lost more ranking points than any player has earned.
Westwood could not have imagined getting to No. 1 without having at least won a major, but he’s not surprised he was the one who replaced Woods. He was runner-up in two majors (Masters, British Open), tied for fourth at The Players Championship and won the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.
How long Westwood stays at the top remains to be seen.
He was to leave Monday for the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, where four players—Westwood, Woods, Kaymer and Phil Mickelson—will have a chance to be No. 1 in the world. For Mickelson, it will be his 13th straight tournament with a chance to be No. 1, the difference now that he is chasing Westwood, not Woods.
This could be very exciting for the game of golf,” Westwood said.
It was reminiscent of June 1997, when Woods, Ernie Els and Greg Norman all reached No. 1 in a three-week span.
As much as this represents the end of Woods’ reign, it completes a remarkable turnaround for Westwood. He struggled through a slump so severe that he fell as low as No. 266 in the world on May 25, 2003. He gradually began to work his way back toward the top, and Westwood has been surging the last couple of years.
“When you get that low … it’s a very difficult process,” he said. “You take it a step at a time and rebuild the whole thing. And that’s what I tried to do.”
This is the 10th time Woods has lost the No. 1 ranking. The longest he was out of the No. 1 spot was 26 weeks toward the end of the 2004 season and beginning of 2005, when Vijay Singh went on a great run and Woods was in the middle of a swing change.
“You just keep playing,” Woods said in August, as his hold on No. 1 became more tenuous. “Winning golf tournaments takes care of a lot of things, and being No. 1 is one of them.”
Woods had an exhibition in Japan on Monday before going to Shanghai for the HSBC Champions, which starts Thursday at Sheshan International. Mickelson is the defending champion.Westwood, meanwhile, becomes only the fourth player to reach No. 1 without winning a major. Ian Woosnam reached No. 1 in 1991 the week before he won the Masters, and Fred Couples was at No. 1 in two separate weeks a month before he won the Masters. David Duval was No. 1 for 15 weeks in 1999, and won the British Open two years later.
Westwood hopes a major is coming soon for him.
“It’s a confidence boost if anything,” he said. “It’s confirmation I’m working on the right thing.”
(YAHOO SPORTS)
Speak Now Could Result in Sales of a Million PIeces...............
And a 20-year-old came to save them.
Country crossover star Taylor Swift won't be of drinking age until Dec. 13, but she's already celebrating, as Christmas comes early for the record industry.
The voice of a teen generation released her third album this week, Speak Now, on Scott Borchetta's Nashville-based Big Machine label along with Universal Republic, which has the industry partying like it's 1999, and we don't mean the sale price for a deluxe double album.
Between physical sales and a record-setting pace for digital downloads, the album forecast is between 900k and the magic million mark. The race to that milestone, the first album to do so since Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III in 2008, will provide a measure of suspense to next week's HITS sales chart, based on the response from those music retailers who haven't turned their storefronts into local Tea Party headquarters.
It would also be the largest first week for a Country artist since Shania Twain's Up sold 874k in Nov. 2002, and the first Country artist to go over a million since Garth Brooks' Double Live moved 1.085m in the good old days of Nov. 1998.
Swift's Speak Now is also approaching the year's top digital sales week, held by Eminem's Recovery, behind only Coldplay's Viva La Vida. The album immediately becomes a contender to topple the hip-hop-star's release for the year's best seller, which is now at 2.86m and counting. The album immediately becomes a contender to topple [Eminem's] release for the year's best seller, which is now at 2.86m and counting......................(HITSDAILYDOUBLE)
The Black Eyed Peas are reportedly being sued for alleged plagiarism for a second time.
According to E!, Texas based Bryan Pringle filed a lawsuit in federal court in Santa Ana, California, claiming that the band plagiarised his song 'Take a Dive' in their 2009 hit 'I Gotta Feeling'.
A second lawsuit, originally filed in January, was also re-entered in federal court in LA, alleging that 'Boom Boom Pow' used elements of Phoenix Phenom's song 'Boom Dynamite'.
Plaintiff lawyer Ira Gould said: "A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics."
Other defendants named in the two suits include Interscope, UMG Records and EMI April Music. The plaintiffs are claiming monetary damages, including all net profits from the respective tracks and future royalties.
Will Smith is already lining up his next project, even though he’s busy with “Men in Black 3” currently.
Allegedly the “Hitch” star is in line to star in a remake of the 1970 film “Colossus: The Forbin Project.”
Deadline had the news.
Per Digital Spy: “’Colossus’ tells the story of the first self-aware computer and the man who takes control of the world due to its special powers.”
Ron Howard plans to direct the film which was scripted by Jason Rothenberg. Howard recently weathered a storm of criticism from social groups for the trailer of his upcoming romantic comedy “Dilemma” which featured a gay joke in it.
Rihanna pretty much had her role for ‘Battleship’ nailed before she was even chosen for the part thanks to her younger days.
The singer reveals that she didn’t need firearms training for this role because she had gun handling experience as a teen, states Digital Spy. “I was weapons trained in the cadets as a teenager. I march. I shoot. I do drill,” Rihanna said about how she already had everything down.
And as far as other aspects of the role? Rihanna knew she’d have to bring it but that wasn’t a challenge: “I am a bad ass in real life.”
Are you looking forward to seeing Rihanna in Battleship?
Minister Sharrieff Muhammad............Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad was born William Ephraim Johnson, May 5, 1952, in Brunswick, Georgia, to the proud parents of, Evelyn and Ephraim Johnson. Minister Sharrieff is the dedicated husband of over 25 years to Sharrieffah Muhammad, and the proud father of six children, Valencia, William Jr. , Joshua, Miriam, Naeemah, and Rashad, as well as fifteen grandchildren.
Minister Sharrieff first experienced The Life-Giving Teachings of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1981. Minister Sharrieff, (then Brother William), a very dedicated and disciplined soldier, quickly rose through the ranks of the Nation of Islam’s Mosque No. 4. He received the holy name Muhammad in 1984. In 1986, he advanced in the local ranks as Captain, and was then promoted to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Captain in 1987. For many years Minister Sharrieff traveled extensively with The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan throughout the United States and the World as a part of his personal security team.
In April of 1988, Brother Sharrieff led a group of dedicated men into the drug infested Mayfair Mansions in northeast Washington, D.C., and within a 24-hour period, it was transformed from the largest open-air drug market in Washington to a drug free zone. This spawned the birth of the N.O.I. Security Agency, Inc. (formerly known as the “Dope Busters”).
On May 26, 1991, Brother Captain William Muhammad (Minister Sharrieff) was inaugurated as the Supreme Captain, the highest military position in the Nation of Islam. Minister Sharrieff was in-charge of the personal security of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. He held
this position for nine years, where he traveled to and throughout six of the seven continents.
Over the past 10 years, Minister Sharrieff has spoken extensively throughout the United States and given seminars on the following subjects:
• Male/Female Relationships
• Keys to a Successful Marriage
• The Damage of Verbal Abuse
• Keys to Eliminating Domestic Violence
Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad continues today as an aid to The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, where he now serves as the Southern Regional Representative, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a gifted and spirited, motivational speaker which has brought about tangible results. He has rekindled the spirit of the Brothers and Sisters and as a visionary he saw Muhammad Mosque #15 reflecting what he knew The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan desires for us.
Since Minister Sharrieff’s arrival in Atlanta, he did not only spark the remodeling of Muhammad Mosque #15 within the first 90 days, to mirror Mosque Maryam in Chicago, he has been working very diligently to implement the Economic Development program of The
Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in the Southern Region. Under his leadership Muhammad Mosque #15 opened the Muhammad University of Islam, fine dining at Your Salaam South , books and tapes at the Respect for Life, Your Hand Car Wash (which is being duplicated in Tennessee, Alabama and other parts of Georgia), the Bowl of Life Bean Soup, Your Salaam South Bean Pie, Your Salaam South Catering Services. Minister Sharrieff is the founder of Your Enlightenment House, a counseling center for families and individuals suffering from physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse. He has been ministering and counseling at-risk youth and adults. He has a strong passion for the healing of individuals and families. He has begun to implement more Economical Development for the South with business such as a Your Fish Distribution Program, Everlasting Water Distribution Center, and Your Women’s Style and Fashion, with beautiful and modest attire.
Minister Sharrieff is working very hard in our communities, and was called by William (Bill) Cosby, to ask for a meeting on helping our young black males. Mr. Cosby recognized Minister Sharrieff’s work ethic and his reputation preceded him, (“Dope Busters”) and invited him to a private meeting as well as the 100 Black Men conference. Minister Sharrieff was also invited to the Salute to Black Fathers celebration hosted by the Concern Black Clergy. The National Association of Black Law Enforcement requested Minister Sharrieff Muhammad to be a keynote presenter at their annual conference.
In addition to the daily works of Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad, he also makes sure that he is in the community, and visiting neighborhood churches. This generated the “Stop the Killing” tours and a ‘Kairos’ moment in his meeting and forming a beautiful relationship with Rev. Jasper Williams. This relationship resulted in the birth of “The Benefit Of Unity Coalition”, and the adoption of Bowen Homes.
Minister Sharrieff continues to serves as a Beacon of Light to the City of Atlanta and the Southern Region, with a vision of a Regional Center which will include a Mega Mosque and Muhammad University grades K-University level.
Minister Sharrieff was also invited to the Salute to Black Fathers celebration hosted by the Concern Black Clergy. The National Association of Black Law Enforcement requested Minister Sharrieff Muhammad to be a keynote presenter at their annual conference.
In addition to the daily works of Minister Abdul Sharrieff Muhammad, he also makes sure that he is in the community, and visiting neighborhood churches. This generated the “Stop the Killing” tours and a ‘Kairos’ moment in his meeting and forming a beautiful relationship with Rev. Jasper Williams. This relationship resulted in the birth of “The Benefit Of Unity Coalition”, and the adoption of Bowen Homes.
Minister Sharrieff continues to serves as a Beacon of Light to the City of Atlanta and the Southern Region, with a vision of a Regional Center which will include a Mega Mosque and Muhammad University grades K-University level.
On the eve of the release of Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls,” BET.com sat down with Kerry Washington to discuss her role in the upcoming film, crazy internet rumors, aid to women in need and possibly dressing up as Nicki Minaj for Halloween!
There was some talk about Tyler Perry taking on “For Colored Girls." Did you have any hesitations joining the film?
No. To be honest with you, something that we’ve all talked about, all of the girls, is who else could have done it. He has built up all of this capital in the industry that he is one of the very few people who could get this project done. So I really more than anything felt grateful that he was interested in bringing this material to a larger audience.
Do you have any words to share with the naysayers?
No, I think people will see it. One of the things that is so special about Tyler is that he is fearless. He is very courageous and he does not let other people’s doubts get in the way of him taking risks and scaling new heights -- I think that’s huge. It is really important and I have enormous respect for his willingness to continue to expand his own repertoire.
What is your personal connection with your character Kelly?
I actually really did a lot of research. I spent time with a family member who works in child services. I spent time with her and did a lot of research about both training to be a therapist or social worker and also about what it is like in the field. When I first started the film I was on Broadway eight times a week playing this very intense, strong, fierce, aggressive and smart woman on stage. One of the things that attracted me to the role was that I felt like Kelly in "For Colored Girls" was almost the opposite. She is not in your face and aggressive. She is kind of a silent witness, just this walking emotional person. I feel as if she is there feeling for people. So I liked that she was kind of the opposite of what I had been doing on stage for six months.
Kelly desperately wanted to be a mother. Do you have babies on the brain?
No, not really. I mean, it is something that I think about, but I don’t identify with her real need with an urgency of it.
I call that the “Halle Berry Plan."
Oh, what does that mean?
That’s when you wait until you are about 40-something and find a “sweet, young thing” and have a pretty little baby!
Right! [Laughs]
As a self-proclaimed urban hip-hop child, if you could play any hip-hop artist who would that be?
Gosh, I’ve never really thought about that. What a great question! I don’t really know, maybe Spinderella, she is so cool. I don’t know how much drama there is in her life, but she was always so cool to me!
Girl, I thought you were going to say Nicki Minaj!
Nicki Minaj is amazing! If I were going to get dressed up for Halloween this year, I would want to be Nicki Minaj!
Your “Night Catches Us” co-star Anthony Mackie had this to say about rappers-turned-actors: “I don’t go to the hospital and let the janitors perform surgery on me.” What is your take on that?
[Laughs] Oh, dear! [Pauses] I don’t like it when people put me in a box and limit my potential or decide what I am capable or not capable of. So, I try not to do that to other people as well. To me, the main thing is if you are going to move into a new territory and do something -- you respect it. So I don’t have a problem with whatever people have done before they decided to be actors, as long as they come to the table ready to be committed to the craft and to learning and growing as an artist. I think what bothers a lot of people is the arrogance that people have that they think they can just show up and be actors, that there’s not a lot of work involved. As long as people are committed to the work, I don’t have a problem with it.
What is the craziest internet rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself -- do you go to the blogs?
I don’t personally go to the blogs but every once in a while a girlfriend will tell me something hilarious that she’s read. But there is this crazy rumor, I think it might be on my IMDB or Wikipedia or something that I speak like seven languages and that is not true. [Laughs] It’s totally not true!
You’ve worked with Spike Lee, Robert Benton and Keenen Ivory Wayans. Seeing that you’ve worked with that very eclectic group, what makes Tyler different as a director?
Well one thing is the amount of power that he has cultivated in this business because it’s his studio. He owns the process in a different way, which is really wonderful because you know that his vision is going to be the final product. You don’t worry about another studio coming in and editing or paraphrasing his vision. Every director is completely different. I would also say that he is also very sensitive and intuitive, he really understands people.
You are doing remarkable work with the V-Counsel to end violence against women and girls. “For Colored Girls” helps brings this issue to the forefront. What is your advice for women and girls who are finding themselves in violent relationships?
That is such a nightmare. [Pauses] There is help out there. There are resources for help. You can go online to www.vday.org. There is lots of information about what you can do to join in the efforts to end violence against women. I think you need to ask for help and to remember that even though you feel alone, that you are not alone.
What are your words of encouragement when you find yourself having one of those days and the rainbow isn’t enuf?
I pray a lot, to be honest with you. I pray a lot! Often I will pray for the wisdom of what to say to myself. “Universe, God, Great Creator, give me the right language or the right feeling to feel toward myself.”(BET)
"For Colored Girls" is in theaters Friday, November 5th.
Visit Kerry online at: KerryWashington.com
Follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/kerrywashington
BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers confirmed a locker room fight occurred between reserve guards Delonte West and Von Wafer following Friday's morning shootaround, but didn't care to elaborate much on the topic.
"There was a fight and that's all you need to know," Rivers said. "I'm going to leave it alone. Obviously, I'm not real thrilled that it happened, but we'll handle it."
The two players were guarding each other in a game of three-on-three when West repeatedly fouled Wafer, according to a report on Hoopsworld.com, which first reported the incident. Wafer headed to the locker room in the team's practice facility in Waltham, but was later followed by West, who threw the first punch and the two wrestled, according to the website.
Inside the Celtics' locker room at the TD Garden, most players punted on the topic, including Wafer, who held a 90-second briefing with the media in which he six times referred reporters to Rivers and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, all while denying any sort of incident.
I don't know what's going on, you'll have to talk to Doc and Danny about that," Wafer said. "I don't even know what's going on. What happened?"
Wafer, clearly playing coy on the matter, also suggested that he didn't tweet anything hinting at a possible incident. Wafer, who has previously admitted to tweeting on the handle @VonWafer13, wrote early Friday afternoon: "Today was a test! ... I am a professional and will continue to conduct myself as one ... God has a plan for me."
West and Wafer got into a dust-up following practice Sunday during a game of two-on-two. West went at Wafer aggressively and when Wafer became agitated, West yelled, "Do something about it."
Tempers reportedly flared again Friday, leading to the locker room scuffle.
The original report in Hoopsworld cited unidentified sources as saying that the Celtics were considering releasing West due to this incident and other like it
Ainge said that wasn't accurate.
"I did read that story [from Hoopsworld] and there was a lot of lies in that story," Ainge said, according to the Boston Globe. "Things were twisted. It's not true. We're not releasing Delonte. There have not been any other of these altercations that have happened this year.
"Guys trash talk and that kind of stuff but I'm not aware of any other altercation among any players at all during the course of the year. These things happen. It's not acceptable behavior. We'll just handle it internally and that's it."
The Celtics re-signed West, their former first-round draft pick, this offseason after he had been plagued by off-court issues in recent years. He is suspended for the first 10 games of this season after being found guilty of weapons charges in Maryland.
West has averaged 10 points and 3.7 assists per game in six seasons with the Celtics, SuperSonics and Cavaliers.
Rivers seemed more upset that details of the brawl emerged from the locker room.
"It should have stayed inside the locker room," Rivers said. "It didn't and that's OK. We're just going to leave it alone."
Pressed on how often these type of fights occur, Rivers admitted they do occur.
"Some are fine and some are not," Rivers said. "I'm not going to say one way or another on this one. Let's just talk about [Friday's opponent] the Knicks. I would prefer that."
As did Wafer, who provided a light moment at the start of his confab, when asked if he could, "get past this."
"Get past the Knicks?" he deadpanned. "Yeah, if we play good, we can beat the Knicks."
Celtics guard Ray Allen said he didn't expect there to be lingering animosity.
"I've seen a lot of fights. You'd be amazed," Allen said. "It doesn't change the dynamics of the team. Sometimes guys are just angry and have a bad day."
Chris Forsberg covers the Celtics for ESPNBoston.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
MIAMI -- Where's Don King when you need him?
Actually, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic are doing just fine on their own stoking the flames of a simmering in-state rivalry that's reached inferno status entering Friday's showdown at AmericanAirlines Arena.
"Our personal relationships are great," Magic center Dwight Howard insists, despite rolling his eyes at every mention of the Heat during the offseason. "But when we step on the floor, we're not friends anymore. And we're trying to take their heads off."
Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? By a show of hands, who doesn't get the urge at least four times a year to decapitate a best friend?
Don't worry, Dwight. The Heat feel just as fondly about the Magic. Welcome to unconditional love in the Sunshine State, where the Heat and Magic are about as harmonious these days as Democrats and Republicans and have as much in common as South Beach and Downtown Disney.
But the teams share at least one vital thing in common, something that finally makes this rivalry meaningful not just geographically, but on the court. For the first time since the NBA planted two teams within 250 miles of one another in the bottom half of Florida, Orlando and Miami are championship contenders in the same season.
Now, Pat Riley's slick is matched by Stan Van Gundy's wit. Miami unveiled a new $400 million roster starring LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Orlando opened a new $400 million arena to give the franchise another boost toward a championship breakthrough.
Said Heat forward Udonis Haslem: "They got a team that's been good and is built pretty solid for the next four or five years, and we've got a team built to be the same way. It can definitely build up to that level of one of those fierce rivalries. Plus, when you add in some of the things that have been said back and forth this summer about LeBron, about us, it's there even more."
If this were a prizefight, you could trace the venom between the teams back to July 8. That would be the day Orlando president of basketball operations Otis Smith stepped onto the free-agency scale and weighed in on James' "Decision" to abandon Cleveland for Miami.
Smith hopped in line with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley among those who questioned James' competitiveness after the league's reigning two-time MVP bolted a title-contending team in Cleveland to latch onto the best team free-agency money could buy in Miami.
Smith thought James was "more of a competitor" than that. Then came the verbal sparring. Riley called Smith's comments "stupid" and criticized other front-office critics for sniping at the Heat. Then old scab wounds were peeled as Van Gundy entered the fray.
That would be the same Van Gundy who, five years ago, was escorted out of his job as head coach of the Heat the last time Miami had title aspirations. That 2005-06 Heat team proceeded under Riley to win a championship with Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.
That would be the same Shaq who once paraded through Miami-Dade County with the Larry O'Brien trophy that never made its way through Orange County in central Florida when O'Neal played his first four seasons with the Magic a decade earlier. Yes, the Heat and Magic have taken below-the-belt shots at one another since the late 1980s. But the temperature has never been this frigid.
There's a strong perception that even the coaches have maintained a frosty distance. Van Gundy and Erik Spoelstra, groomed together as assistants under Riley in Miami, used to have playful food fights on the team plane when one grew tired of trying to convince the other of a point in a schematic debate.
Even after Van Gundy's departure -- and through the first two seasons of Spoelstra's coaching tenure with the Heat -- the two would text one another after games to offer support and advice. But amid the chilly summer between the teams, the back-and-forth banter essentially ceased. The two attended a Florida Marlins baseball game, and Van Gundy said they had dinner together in Chicago during the NBA coaches meetings in September. Otherwise, there's been little communication.
"I wouldn't read too much into when and how often we talk," Spoelstra said. "We're both totally focused on the job we have at hand."
Van Gundy agreed. "He's somebody that I worked very closely with, I like a great deal and have a lot of respect for. But that won't stop us from competing very hard against each other."
Spoelstra said the perception of controversy is stronger than the actual reality. But he's not bothered by the soap opera this matchup has become on and off the court.
"That only makes it more competitive," Spoelstra said. "We have respect for them and I'm sure they have respect for us. But I also anticipate some heated moments."
As if either side needs any more of those. Orlando has dominated the series in recent seasons, having won 15 of the past 20 against the Heat. Even the Heat's marquee newcomers haven't had much meaningful success against the Magic. Orlando got to the NBA Finals two seasons ago after dusting off Bosh's Toronto Raptors in the first round and James' Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
They've gotten the better of us the past few years," Wade said. "But we feel like we've got a team good enough to get some of that back, and be right there with the Orlandos and Bostons."
Domestic unrest also ranks among the subplots. Wade is as close to Magic swingman Quentin Richardson as he is to anyone in the league. But Haslem, Wade's closest Heat teammate, took exception to Richardson's "[Expletive] the Heat, with all due respect" quote on his way out of town.
No, these teams don't really like one another. There's tolerance between them along the Florida Turnpike. But there's also too much at stake to temper the antagonism that exists. That tension only intensified last week, when an exhibition game between the teams in Tampa was canceled because of slippery court conditions.
"We're not competing against the Miami Heat," Howard said. "That's where people get it mixed up -- that we're trying to beat the Heat. They're not the only team in the league. If we just try to concentrate on beating the Heat, we'll lose focus on what our real goal is."
Wade, likewise, looks beyond the team on the other end of the Florida Turnpike for motivation. But that didn't stop him from anticipating Round 1 of the regular-season clash three months in advance. It was at that July 9 introductory media conference when Wade, James and Bosh sat behind a podium and strained to bite their tongues when asked about some of the critical shots about the hype surrounding the Heat.
"Man, they're going to make us come out of these suits [right now]," Wade said in July.
With the Dolphins, Jaguars and Buccaneers mired in NFL mediocrity, Miami, Florida and Florida State on the outside of the national championship picture in college football, and Major League Baseball a mere afterthought here, the Heat and Magic are the biggest stories in Florida sports.
There's nothing standing between the teams now.
Not time. Not talent. And Friday, hopefully, not even any trouble with a slippery court. Otherwise, the Heat and Magic just might have to settle this thing in the ring.
Again, just in case, where's Don King?
(NBA.COM)
It’s time for another “quotes” article.......What is it that is so fascinating about break up quotes anyway?
First of all, they help us to realize that we are not alone out there. People have suffered from broken hearts back through hundreds of years.
Thinking that you are alone with your break up is not as absurd as many of you perhaps might think. One of the main characteristics of break ups is that we are overcome with overwhelming loneliness. Knowing that other people have had this problem too, and survived, gives you comfort and strength to hang in there.
On the other side, it’s always helpful to see another angle. Artists especially seem to have a different view of the world and life – their gift is to enliven the unaware. They help us to understand what we may already know in our minds, but the feelings in our heart resist believing.
So, I’ve collected the 10 most inspiring break up quotes for you, which not only sound good, but actually make you feel better and more positive about the future if you are going through a break up right now.
Here they are:1.“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
—Alfred Lord Tennyson
Everyone who has suffered from a broken heart at any time has heard this quote. Unfortunately it does not give comfort at the beginning, only years later will you realize its profoundness and value.
2.“If you really love something set it free. If it comes back it’s yours, if not it wasn’t meant to be.”
—unknown
I heard this the first time in the movie Indecent Proposal. It illustrates the necessity of detachment, of “letting go” after a break up.
3.“You have to forgive to forget, and forget, to feel again.”
—unknown
There is no moving on without forgiveness, and more importantly: there is no new beginning while carrying “old emotional baggage”.
4.“Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart do not know how to laugh either.”
—Golda Meir
Experiencing the negative emotions is part of life. Only if we are able to go through them with our full consciousness can we also appreciate and benefit from the positive ones.
5.“Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together.”
Sometimes relationships can’t be fixed. That is when it’s better to move on. Sad, but very often true.
6.“Some people think that it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go.”
—unknown
Only when you are able to completely detach yourself, can you be free. After a break up, and elsewhere in life. Be a leaf floating in a river, not knowing where it might take you. This is true freedom.
7.“The loss of love is not nearly as painful as our resistance to accepting it is.”
—Tigress Luv
Acceptance is one important step in healing from a break up. This is part of the painful first phase.
8.“I’m going to smile and make you think I’m happy, I’m going to laugh, so you don’t see me cry, I’m going to let you go in style, and even if it kills me – I’m going to smile.”
—Lone StarThis is actually some great break up advice in two ways: first you are not being needy in front of your Ex, you demonstrate strength and your Ex may wonder if s/he has made the right decision.
Also, constant smiling despite the fact that you feel terrible is a great way “to trick” your mind. By smiling, the body sends signals to the mind that you are happy, even if you are not. Eventually the mind WILL accept the state of the body.
This is simple neuro-linguistic programming.
9.“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
—M. Kathleen Casey
This is a great one.
It means that you have the choice to accept the pain and not allow it to turn into suffering.
One of the main reasons that mental pain turns into suffering is continual mental reasoning. We can break that vicious cycle by learning to control our thoughts.
10.“I don’t miss him, I miss who I thought he was.”
—unknown
It is a great accomplishment to realize that we loved a concept, a picture we had in our minds, rather than the person himself. When we break up, it’s this concept we miss, and what causes the pain is the failure of the same.
These were some of the best inspirational break up quotes I could find; I hope you’ve enjoyed them.
They teach us about detachment, the necessity to forgive and let go, to live life to the fullest with all its dark sides, acceptance, neuro-linguistic programming, mental control and the existence of false pictures.
All virtues for overcoming a break up, and you are now one step closer to finding the secret of how to get over a break up.
For that arduous task, I wish you all the best.
(EDDIE C.)
Lady Gaga has another crown to add to her many incredible titles as she became the first artist to reach one billion views of her music video on YouTube.
Gaga has beat out Justin Bieber who will likely hit the mark in the next month or so, reports Digital Spy. The singer made sure to thank all her little monsters over Twitter.
Gaga has had a number of milestones, although Justin Bieber is always close behind.
Do you think she deserves all the views?
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information
(FOXNEWS)
With less than a week to go before Election Day, widespread dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the country combined with negative views of the economy and frustration with the government point to major trouble for the incumbent majority Democrats. In addition, a Fox News poll released Friday shows President Obamas job approval has hit a record low.
The new poll finds if the election were held today, 50 percent of likely voters would favor the Republican candidate in their House district and 37 percent the Democratic candidate, with 10 percent still undecided.
When it comes to enthusiasm, more Republicans (76 percent) than Democrats (65 percent) are extremely or very interested in the elections, and more Republicans (91 percent) than Democrats (83 percent) plan to vote for their partys candidate.
Yet votes for the Democratic candidates look more solid: 87 percent say they will definitely vote for the Democrat, while 12 percent could change their mind.
Among those favoring the Republican, 82 percent are definite they will vote that way and 16 percent may change their vote.
Among the 18 percent who have already voted, ballots have been evenly cast between the Republican and Democratic candidates.
The national telephone poll was conducted for Fox News by Opinion Dynamics Corp. among 1200 registered voters from October 26 to October 28. For the total sample, the poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. For the subgroup of 764 likely voters, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 points.
The Obama Factor
Two-thirds of voters are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today, and more than not think Barack Obamas presidency has made the country weaker (45 percent) rather than stronger (37 percent).
The presidents job approval among registered voters is currently 41 percent, a record low.
This compares to 43 percent in mid-October and 46 percent in early September. Half disapprove of Obamas performance. Among likely voters, negative sentiment is even stronger: 40 percent approve and 55 percent disapprove.
Frustrations are high. Most voters feel dissatisfied (51 percent) or even angry (25 percent) about the way the federal government is working. Just one in five is satisfied (22 percent), while 2 percent are enthusiastic. Angry voters are backing the Republican candidate by a 65-point margin.
Nearly half of likely voters -- 46 percent -- say they will cast their vote to express opposition to Obama administration policies. That shouldnt be surprising given almost all voters rate economic conditions negatively, only a quarter thinks the stimulus plan has helped the economy, and fewer than one in five wants the new health care law to remain intact.
About a third of likely voters say they will use their vote to express support for Obama policies, and 20 percent say the president will not be a factor in their vote.
Forty-seven percent of likely voters approve of the job their own representative is doing. Even so, most -- 76 percent -- disapprove of the job Congress is doing overall.
Nearly equal numbers of voters have a positive view of the Democratic (42 percent) and Republican (44 percent) parties. By a six-point spread, more voters have a negative view of theDemocratic Party.
Congressional Voting
Independents favor the Republican candidate in their district by 41 percent to 27 percent, with 32 percent saying they will vote for a third party candidate or are still undecided. This raises the question of whether these independents really will show up at the polls Tuesday.
Men back the Republican candidate by a wide 30 percentage point margin. Among women, the vote splits more evenly: 45 percent back the Democrat and 42 percent the Republican.
Eighty-seven percent of likely voters who support the Tea Party movement are backing the Republican candidate
FOX NEWS IS THE MOST RACIST IN WORLDWIDE NEWS!!!!!!
Southern rapper T.I.'s wife, Tiny, has reportedly been charged for her role in their Los Angeles arrest earlier this month for drug possession.
Prosecutors charged Tameka "Tiny" Cottle with possession of ecstasy on Friday and she is due in court for an arraignment on Nov. 1 in Beverly Hills. The 35-year-old was arrested along with her husband on Sept. 1 during a traffic stop. Prosecutors on Monday declined to charge T.I., citing a federal judge's decision to send him to federal prison for 11 months for violating his probation on weapons charges and the small amount of drugs found on him. A charge evaluation sheet said deputies found four ecstasy pills on the Grammy Award winner. (Washington Post)
Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, tells E! News that the count is a misdemeanor and Cottle is unlikely to do any jail time. "Nobody ever goes to jail here. They usually go to rehab," said Robison, citing a California law that sends first-time offenders to drug diversion. (E! Online)
T.I. will be returning to the exact same federal Arkansas jail next week that he cohabitated as part of his sentence for his 2008 gun conviction. According to the Associated Press, the King of the South will be entering Forrest City's low-security premises on November 1, where he will begin an 11-month sentence for violating his federal probation. (XXL Mag)
MEXICO CITY -- The director of a maximum-security federal prison notorious for the escape of Mexico's top kingpin was arrested for alleged ties to drug gangs, authorities said Friday.
Francisco Javier Gomez Meza was arrested Thursday on suspicion of links to organized crime while he was a top official at the federal Attorney General's Office, according to a statement from the Public Safety Department. It did not elaborate on the allegations or give any indication that Gomez engaged in corruption as director of the Puente Grande prison in the western city of Guadalajara.
Between 2001 and 2008, Gomez was in charge of police deployments at the Federal Investigative Agency, a now-defunct police force tied to the Attorney General's Office. Before that, he was in charge of arrests and federal prison transfers.
An official at the Attorney General's Office said Gomez left the agency in 2008 because
he was under investigation as part of "Operation Clean House," a sweeping corruption probe that led to the arrest of several top security officials for allegedly protecting the Beltran Leyva drug cartel. It was not clear if Gomez, who had not been charged at the time, resigned or was fired.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gomez was appointed director of the Puente Grande prison in early 2010.
Officials at the Public Safety Department -- which oversees the federal prisons -- declined to comment on how Gomez was named to such a high-profile post.
Puente Grande has in the past been notorious for scandals including the 2001 escape of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel. Guzman, one of the world's most powerful drug traffickers, broke out of the prison by hiding a laundry truck. Several guards have been convicted of helping him.
The prison holds several infamous inmates including Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug cartel leader who is serving a 40-year sentence for the torture-murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
Corruption at all levels has been a relentless obstacle in Mexico's drug war, despite continuous attempts to purge municipal, state and federal police forces.
President Felipe Calderon replaced the Federal Investigative Agency with the 30,000-member Federal Police in an attempt to create a new, better-trained force.
Some 3,200 federal police have been dismissed this year for failing routine background checks and other tests designed to detect corruption, and the government touts the firings as evidence that it is rigorously trying to keep the new force clean.
Gomez's arrest came at the end of a particularly violent week in Mexico's drug war. More than 50 people were killed in five apparently unrelated
massacres, including the shooting of six young men in a gritty Mexico City neighborhood -- an attack that fueled fears of the capital falling prey to the cartel-style violence has terrorized other parts of the country.
The bloodshed continued Friday with the discovery of a man shot to death and left in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, according to a police report. He was found with a threatening message -- two days after Mayor Jose Luis Avila Sanchez warned people to stay indoors after dark because of rising violence in Acapulco.
Six people were killed in the city Wednesday, including three men and a woman found with their hands bound and tied.
Authorities in Acapulco are also investigating the disappearance of a Canadian businessman who disappeared there last week.
In western Michoacan state, meanwhile, soldiers arrested five people traveling in two cars with weapons and marijuana. Among those detained was the former mayor of the town of Tzitzio. A Defense Department statement said they are suspected of having ties to La Familia drug cartel.
WASHINGTON – Authorities on three continents thwarted multiple terrorist attacks aimed at the United States from Yemen on Friday, seizing two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues and packed aboard cargo jets. The plot triggered worldwide fears that al-Qaida was launching a major new terror campaign.
President Barack Obama called the coordinated attacks a "credible terrorist threat," and U.S. officials said they were increasingly confident that al-Qaida's Yemen branch, the group responsible for the failed Detroit airliner bombing last Christmas, was responsible.
Parts of the plot might remain undetected, Obama's counterterror chief warned. "The United States is not assuming that the attacks were disrupted and is remaining vigilant," John Brennan said at the White House.
One of the packages was found aboard a cargo plane in Dubai, the other in England. Preliminary tests indicated the packages contained the powerful industrial explosive PETN, the same chemical used in the Christmas attack, U.S. officials said. The tests had not been confirmed.
In the U.S., cargo planes were searched up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and an Emirates Airlines passenger jet was escorted down the coast to New York by American fighter jets.
No explosives were found aboard those planes, though the investigation was continuing on at least two.
Obama's sobering assessment, delivered from the White House podium, unfolded four days before national elections in which discussion of terrorism has played almost no role. The president went ahead with weekend campaign appearances.
The terrorist efforts "underscore the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism," the president said. While he said both packages that contained explosives originated in Yemen, he did not explicitly assign blame to al-Qaida, which is active in the Arab nation and long has made clear its goal of launching new attacks on the United States.
Authorities in Dubai intercepted one explosive device. The second package was aboard a plane searched in East Midlands, north of London, and officials said it contained a printer toner cartridge with wires and powder. Brennan said the devices were in packages about the size of a breadbox.
While Obama didn't specifically accuse Yemen's al-Qaida branch, Brennan called it the most active al-Qaida franchise and said anyone associated with the group was a subject of concern.
The radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who now is in hiding in Yemen, is believed to have helped inspire recent attacks including the Fort Hood shooting, the Times Square bombing attempt and the failed Detroit airliner bombing last Christmas Day. Another American hiding in Yemen, Samir Khan, has declared himself a traitor and has helped produce al-Qaida propaganda.
Most of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing investigation.
Brennan later told reporters that the explosives "were in a form that was designed to try to carry out some type of attack," but he provided no further details.
"The forensic analysis is under way," he said, adding, "Clearly from the initial observation, the initial analysis that was done, the materials that were found in the device that was uncovered was intended to do harm."
Intelligence personnel had been monitoring a suspected plot for days, officials said. The packages in England and Dubai were discovered after a Saudi Arabian intelligence picked up information related to Yemen and passed it on to the U.S., one official said.
U.S. intelligence officials warned last month that terrorists hoped to mail chemical and biological materials as part of an attack on America and other Western countries using the mail. The alert came in a Sept. 23 bulletin from the Homeland Security Department and obtained by The Associated Press.
In the hours following the discoveries, Yemeni officials and Scotland Yard were investigating and the U.S. issued a 72-hour ban on all cargo from Yemen.
"As a precaution, DHS has taken a number of steps to enhance security," the agency said in a statement. "Some of these security measures will be visible while others will not."
U.S. authorities conducted searches of aircraft in Philadelphia, Newark, N.J., and New York City.
Since the failed Christmas bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner, Yemen has been a focus for U.S. counterterrorism officials. Before that attack, the U.S. regarded al-Qaida's branch in Yemen as primarily a threat in the region, not to the United States.
The Yemen branch known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has since become a leading source of terrorist propaganda and recruiting. Authorities believe about 300 al-Qaida members or cells operate in Yemen.
The Yemeni government has stepped up counterterrorism operations, with help from the U.S. military and intelligence officials. Mohammed Shayba, general-director of the state airline's cargo department, said the government is conducting an investigation.
"Those in charge are in constant meetings and they are investigating and taking the issue seriously," he told The Associated Press.
