A Florida man is in police custody today after authorities say he barraged a Christian radio station and performed a sex act before threatening to rape a host.
30-year-old Donald Destin was arrested in Orange County, Florida after police say he walked into the La Voix Evangelique D'Orlando station Monday around 6 a.m.
A female radio host was on-air at the time and claims that Destin began performing a sex act on himself before trying to rape her.
The Sun-Sentinel reports that the victim led the man outside where she locked herself in her car.
A listener heard the attempted attack on-air and called authorities.
Destin was arrested after stealing the woman's purse and fleeing the scene.
He is facing charges of attempted sexual battery, burglary of an occupied structure and battery.
A Florida man is in police custody today after authorities say he barraged a Christian radio station and performed a sex act before threatening to rape a host.
30-year-old Donald Destin was arrested in Orange County, Florida after police say he walked into the La Voix Evangelique D'Orlando station Monday around 6 a.m.
A female radio host was on-air at the time and claims that Destin began performing a sex act on himself before trying to rape her.
The Sun-Sentinel reports that the victim led the man outside where she locked herself in her car.
A listener heard the attempted attack on-air and called authorities.
Destin was arrested after stealing the woman's purse and fleeing the scene.
He is facing charges of attempted sexual battery, burglary of an occupied structure and battery.
http://www.wftv.com/video/27666779/index.html
The host told investigators she was on the air when a man entered the station without permission. She said he exposed himself, performed a sex act and threatened to rape her. A listener heard the threat and called 911.
The host remained calm and lured the man outside the building, the Sheriff’s Office said. Then she got him to go back inside while she locked herself inside her car and waited for deputies.
All-Time Playoff Records in Striking Distance of the Black Mamba
The playoffs are here and the Black Mamba is on the attack. He's scored 30 or more points in two of the three games so far, bringing his career 30-point playoff game total to 80, second only to Michael Jordan's 109. Kobe Bryant has played in 201 playoff games in his career so he has exceeded the 30-point mark in roughly two out of every fivegames. In order to pass Jordan at that pace, he would need to play another 75 playoff games. To put that in context, the Lakers played 67 games over the last three playoffs. Kobe and the Lakers would need quite a run the next few years to make that milestone obtainable. While the odds may be against Kobe for that record, there are other playoff records well within striking distance.
All-Time Playoff Points Leaders
Kobe currently sits in the 4th spot and will likely move past former teammate Shaquille O'Neal into 3rd sometime during the next round of the playoffs. Perhaps more interesting though is that Kobe has averaged 666 points in each of the last three playoff runs, and if the Lakers play their way into a 4th consecutive NBA Finals appearance he should finish right next to Kareem Abdjul-Jabbar and possibly pass him for number two all-time. If the Lakers can avoid being the victims of an early upset this year and next, Kobe will certainly pass the great Michael Jordan for the #1 spot all time.
It's a spot that Kobe would likely retain for a long time. A few more deep runs in the playoffs and Kobe could finish with almost 7,000 career playoff points, well ahead of anyone else on the list. As for other players catching him, the two closest active players are Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, neither of whom is all that close. In fact, no other active player is even halfway to Kobe's total.
While a scoring record for Kobe is not a surprise, there are other playoff records that may be.
All-Time Made Field Goals, Threes, and Free Throws Leaders
Given Kobe's position on the all-time playoff points list, it shouldn't be a surprise to see him near the top of the list for field goals or free throws. What may come as a surprise to many is his position on the list of three-point field goals made. Kobe currently sits tied in the #2 spot with the all-time regular season leader, Ray Allen. They both trail the previous all-time regular season leader, Reggie Miller. When people think of the NBA's best shooters Kobe Bryant rarely makes the list. as he doesn't exhibit the same sniper-like efficiency of players like Allen or Miller. He does, however, have the ability to get into the zone and catch fire NBA Jam-style and absolutely burn the nets from deep. For instance: Kobe holds a share of the NBA record for threes in a game with 12, something that Allen or Miller do not have.
Kobe will likely finish either #1 or #2 all-time on this list when he retires. He's almost certianly going to pass Miller as he needs only two more deep playoff runs to do so. The biggest challenger he has is Ray Allen, who hits more threes per game than Kobe. Will Ray play enough games in the remainder of his career to hold off Kobe? Only time will tell.
As for field goals and free throws, Kobe is currently #4 in both but will likely finish at the top of the list when he finally hangs it up. He needs two deep playoff runs plus a round or two to finish atop the field-goal list, certainly within reach given the Lakers roster. He will move into the #1 position for free throws sometime in next year's playoffs. The list of current active players also offers no immediate threats to Kobe's standing on these all-time lists.
Steals
Here's a list that many probably didn't realize Kobe was on. Kobe has long been a superb defender, as evident from his 10 All-Defensive team selections. The only knock on Kobe defensively has been his periods of relaxed play on that end. In the playoffs, though, the moments of relaxed defensive focus are few and far between. As a result he's amassed a large number of steals and thus sits 8th on the all-time list. The list is pretty condensed, so Kobe will likely move past Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks and Larry Bird in the second or third round this season. After that there's quite a gap between each of the remaining names. A deep run to the finals this year would put Kobe around 310 steals. He would still be 85 short of defensive ace Scottie Pippen for first all-time. The Lakers would need at least two more trips to finals after this season for Kobe to catch him.
The only two active players even remotely close to Kobe are Jason Kidd and fellow teammate and Lakers bulldog Derek Fisher. Neither is any threat to pass Kobe. While reaching #1 may be a long shot, Kobe is almost certain to finish at worst fourth in this category, right next to fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Assists
This has to be the most shocking list to see Kobe's name on given the media's incessant claims of his ball-hogging nature. Sure he currently resides at only the #11 position, but this list is also rather condensed. Kobe has averaged 123 assists over each of the last three playoff runs. Another trip to the finals would probably yield another 110 assists this postseason and bring his total to around 1,074, which would launch him from #11 all-time all the way up to #4. The only players still ahead of him would be the trinity of arguably the top 3 point guards in history: Magic Johnson, John Stockton and Jason Kidd.
Kobe has no chance at catching either of the first two Hall of Famers, but Kidd could be passed depending on how long he plays and how far Dallas makes it in the playoffs. If the Lakers continue to make a deep run or two over the next few seasons and Dallas continues to play only one or two rounds, there should be enough games in Kobe's favor to move him past Kidd.
Once again there are no other active players currently threatening to catch and pass Kobe. Only two have more than 600 assists, Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker. Billups is an older point guard that will probably retire before Kobe and is not on the type of team to make a deep playoff run. Parker on the other hand is younger and on a solid team, but the gap between him and Kobe is very large and will likely result in Parker falling short.
Summary
It's not surprising to see Kobe charging to the top of the playoff scoring list. Finishing near the top in threes, steals, and assists is more unexpected. Assuming that Kobe and the Lakers were to make the finals this year, the conference finals next year, the second round in 2013, and just the first round in 2014 (the last year of Kobe's current contract), Kobe would likely finish #1 in points (including #1 in the trifecta of field goals, threes, and free throws made), #3 in assists, and #3 in steals.
It's a testament to Kobe's all-around ability as both a scorer and facilitator along with his defensive greatness to finish with such lofty totals. Obviously the all-time playoff stats are greatly influenced by the number of playoff games played and Kobe has been the beneficiaryof playing for teams that have made it to 7 NBA finals and counting. However, he has been the engine (or at least engine 1A) for all of those teams and has driven them to success. Perhaps that speaks to Kobe's greatest strength of all - winning - and why he will likely find himself at the top of one more list when he retires: Most All-Time Playoff Wins.
(CNN) -- Two people charged in a staged Texas bank heist apparently didn't think twice when they typed messages in the "What's on your mind?" portion of their Facebook pages, court documents show.
"Get $$$(;.," wrote bank employee Estefany Danelia Martinez, 19, two days before $62,201 was taken from the International Bank of Commerce in Houston, according to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Kevin J. Katz.
According to the affidavit, filed with a criminal complaint in federal court this week, her boyfriend, Ricky Gonzalez, 18, wrote on his page on March 24, the day after the robbery, "Wipe my teeth with hundereds (sic)."
Those postings, plus an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip on March 30, landed the pair and two others in custody, according to the federal complaint. The tip advised there was information about the heist on Facebook.
Martinez's attorney said Friday the Facebook postings may show his client was immature and deserving of a short prison term or probation.
According to the Katz's affidavit, Martinez told authorities the amateurish scheme was hatched by another teller, Anna Margarita Rivera.
Rivera was a teller during a previous unsolved bank robbery "and believed staging the robbery would be easy," according to the affidavit.
"Martinez advised the plan was for herself and Rivera to pick a date where they would both be working the late shift and they would plan for the staged robbery to take place close to closing time, thus minimizing the chances of any customers being in the bank," according to the affidavit.
Gonzalez and Arturo Solano, Rivera's brother, were recruited, authorities said.
Bank surveillance video showed two masked and armed men entering the bank around 5:45 p.m. on March 23. They jumped over the counter and demanded money. One of the pistols later was determined to be fake.
One robber took money and the other ordered the tellers to place money from the vault in a bag, the FBI agent said. The tellers, the only people in the bank at the time of the robbery, remained in the vault and later called 911.
On March 24, Gonzalez wrote on his Facebook page, "U have to past the line sometimes!! To get dis money," the complaint says. Martinez allegedly wrote, "I'm rich" on Gonzalez's page on March 25.
Lance Hamm, an attorney for Gonzalez, told CNN that his client was not referring to the bank robbery in his Facebook posts. "I don't feel the Facebook thing is as relevant as everyone is making it to be," Hamm said.
"I think it was just young kids talking," said Hamm, adding Gonzalez, who could face 10 years in prison, has been "upfront" with investigators. "He knew he was in over his head."
Hamm said the incident was more akin to an employee theft. Gonzales was not a mastermind and his role "should be mitigated" in any prosecution, the lawyer said.
Richard Kuniansky, who represents Martinez, said the single mother has never been in trouble and likely will enter a plea, arguing her age and maturity should be factors in sentencing.
"They were young and immature and didn't appreciate the seriousness," he said.
CNN also left a message Friday with Rivera's lawyer. An attorney for Solano was not listed in court documents.
Reports are surfacing that a former employee of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the Rainbow Push Coalition has allegedly filed a wrongful termination and discrimination complaint against Rev. Jackson. Tommy R. Bennett, regularly heard on the Tom Joyner Morning show and a member of the Barack Obama LGBT Leaders Council, alleged that Rev Jackson’s propositioned the openly guy Bennett, for sexual favors.
Jackson has denied the allegations in a legal response back in July of 2010, but resurfaced when the Windy City Media Group published a short story featuring Mr. Bennett.
The 55 year old Bennettsays Jackson ridiculed him in front of employees and made him perform humiliating tasks. Bennett also claims that Jackson required him to escort women to his various hotel rooms and making him clean up after alleged trysts. Mr. Bennett also told Windy City Media Group that Jackson asked for sexual favors from him.
Rev. Jesse Jackson has denied each claim by saying, "The Rainbow PUSH Coalition unequivocally deny Tommy Bennett’s false claims of harassment, retaliation and discrimination," the organization said in a statement released late Thursday, adding that it is "fully cooperating with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and expect to be fully exonerated."
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Bennett worked for the Rainbow Push Coalition for more than two years as the National Director of Community Affairs. The complaint states that Bennett endured a string of discriminatory treatment from multiple supervisors, but nothing was done about.
In 2008, Bennett assumed the duties of Jackson's travel assistant. In that capacity, Bennett alleges he would "clean his hotel room after sexual intercourse with women."
Bennett wants $450,000 in compensation for emotional distress and punitive damages. Bennett also wants an amendment to the civil rights organization's non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Jackson, a former presidential candidate, has been married to his wife, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, since 1962, but has had bouts with infidelity. One affair with a staffer resulted in the birth of a child back in 1999.
Rev. Jesse Jackson has five children with Brown, and one illegitimate child that we know of.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is defending himself against sexual harassment and discrimination allegations by a former employee.
Tommy Bennett filed a complaint against Jackson last summer with the City of Chicago Human Relations Commission alleging the reason he was terminated was because he is gay.
Bennett had a full-time job working for Jackson's Rainbow PUSH coalition until he was let go in what the organization says was a budget reduction.
Both sides filed a response to the allegations.
In the complaint, Bennett describes numerous alleged instances of harassment and humiliation he suffered while working for Rainbow PUSH, an organization dedicated to working against discrimination and for equality. He describes one alleged incident during a planning meeting for a national convention: "Mr. Bennett requested a LGBT table and discussion. Mr. Bennett was told by Rev. Jackson that it was not part of the agenda. When Mr. Bennett questioned why not, Rev. Jackson cursed at Mr. Bennett in front of all of the staff. Rev. Jackson was visibly upset during the rest of the meeting."
Bennett says in the complaint that he worked for the Rainbow PUSH coalition for about two and a half years ending just before Christmas in 2009.
Bennett's attorney released a statement saying, "Tommy Bennett stands by all his allegations. Knowing all of the potential repercussions, Mr. Bennett would not have filed his claim against Reverend Jackson if he was not interested in bringing justice to the situation. Mr. Bennett has no doubt that a thorough investigation will substantiate his allegations and has the utmost faith in the Chicago Commission on Human Relations, its investigators, and the process. At this point, Rainbow PUSH can either dig-in its heels or stand on the side of civil rights and equal justice for all human beings by working with Mr. Bennett and the LGBT community."
A spokesperson said, "The Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Rev. Jackson, Sr. unequivocally deny Bennett's false claims of harassment, retaliation and discrimination. We are fully cooperating with the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and expect to be fully exonerated." The spokesperson also said "Rainbow PUSH does not condone or tolerate discrimination. His inflammatory allegations are an attempt to malign Reverend Jackson and the organization."
If the human rights commission rules in his favor, Bennett could be eligible for lost wages as well emotional distress and punitive damages. Rainbow PUSH could also be forced to pay a fine to the city.
Bennett's attorney told ABC7 only that his client stands by the allegations he has made against Rev. Jackson.
(AllHipHop News) New documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) confirm longtime allegations that the Jewish Defense League (JDL) attempted to extort rappers Eazy-E and Tupac Shakur.
The FBI released the documents in response to various Freedom of Information requests for the documents, which until this point had been unreleased.
The new documents claim that members associated with the JDL, which has been labeled a right-wing hate organization, targeted Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur and others with an unsophisticated scheme to dupe the rappers out of cash.
According to the FBI documents, unnamed members of the group would call the rappers and make death threats.
"Subjects then intercede by contacting the victims and offering protection for a fee," the notes read. "The victim and their family are taken to a 'safe haven,' usually a private estate, and are protected by gun-toting body guards associated with the Jewish Defense League."
Former Ruthless Records executive Jerry Heller implied that Eazy-E had respect for JDL in his autobiography, "Ruthless."
According to Heller, Ruthless Records hired Israeli bodyguards to protect the business from Marion "Suge" Knight, who was also allegedly threatening Eazy-E with violence, after Dr. Dre left the record label around 1990.
In "Ruthless," Jerry Heller claimed that Eazy-E liked the JDL so much, that he planned on doing a movie on the organization.
During one office visit Suge Knight allegedly paid to Ruthless Records in the Fall of 1990, Knight warned Heller and Eazy-E to get new bodyguards.
Heller said he hired an Israeli named Mike Klein to head up Ruthless Records' security, since he had a "background in the Israeli security forces."
"The effect was immediate and extreme," according to Jerry Heller. "Somehow, the Suge Knight camp had Klein checked out and realized they were now dealing with a Mossad motherf**ker who didn't fool around. Suge vanished. His crew vanished. An uneasy calm descended."
According to the FBI, after Eazy-E died from complications related to being infected with the AIDS virus, the death threats continued until at least 1996, against Eazy-E's wife and family.
The JDL, which has been labeled a domestic terrorist organization, tried the same tactics with Tupac Shakur, but their efforts allegedly failed.
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Don’t Worry About What Other People Think
Your marriage is just that: yours. You have the right to do with it what you will, it’s your masterpiece. We all spend so much time worrying about what other people think, but you know what other people are thinking about? They’re worried about what you think of them! Don’t spend too much energy trying to conform to some
(2)- Love is Not About How You Feel
It’s about how you make your spouse feel. We have a natural tendency to always be focused on ourselves, but when you live for someone else, beautiful things happen.
(3) – Create the Helpful Habits
Habits make for poor masters, but make for excellent slaves.
(4)- Love is Commitment
When we’re young, we think of love as that overwhelming emotion that sweeps us up and makes us do silly things. While this is a wonderful aspect of love, we don’t live the majority of ours lives young! This is nothing to worry about, just the natural order of things. When you two exchanged vows, you promised to be there for each other. The word “commitment” gets thrown around a lot, so maybe it’s time to re-examine your commitment. When you do something for your spouse, that’s commitment (which is love). When you sacrifice something
(5)- Take a Look at Your Finances -Early and Often
You many have heard that arguments over money are the numero uno reason for divorce. You heard right! Most people don’t have a clue how to manage their money. And why should they? We grow up without any financial training whatsoever, and discussing money publically is taboo. We are bombarded by literally thousands of advertising messages every single day, and we live in a culture that absolutely worships conspicuous consumption.
Furthermore, unless we’re lucky enough to be guided by someone who cares (not someone earning a commission off of our financial decisions), we’re rudderless ships at best.
So what happens to a ship with no direction? It’s cast about any which way the wind blows. Turns out the “wind” in our financial lives is the laser-focused messages of marketers everywhere. If you don’t know how to feel or what to buy at any given moment, there are thousands of well crafted messages vying for your attention and dying to tell you what to do.
The result of this lack of direction is that you’re working your tail off to make money to throw away to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t care about. Vicious cycle, read that again and make sure that isn’t you. If it is, get crackin’ on a solution today. It will literally be one of the best things you’ll ever do for your marriage. This is easily the most important of the successful marriage tips on this list.
Take a look at your household finances as early as possible in your marriage. I highly recommend reading anything by Dave Ramsey and taking a class of his if possible. You have the power to control what may be one of the most important areas of your marriage, take control as soon as possible and the peace you will feel is indescribable.
(6)- Play to Your Strengths
Hopefully by this point is your life you’re not still wasting a ton of energy trying to improve your weakest talents. You’ve always gravitated naturally to certain areas of interest and expertise. Your spouse has also always naturally done this. Set some time aside, alone or as a couple, to look at your strengths.
Are you banging your head against a wall working on something that your spouse is better at? If so, let them handle it or help you out. There may be things that you take joy in that drive your spouse crazy, make sure you handle those things for each other.
By playing to your strengths,
(7)- Stay in the Moment
“We can’t wait to get married, we are so in love!”
“We can’t wait to move into that house, we are really going places!”
“We can’t wait for the baby, he’s going to be so beautiful!”
Other things to plug in here: I can’t wait for the promotion, new car, bigger house, etc.
These are all things I’ve said in my life, and getting to the next step is always fun. You need to bear in mind, however, that the vast majority of your life is lived day to day. To be happy, you need to be happy with the day to day stuff.
If you’re always spending every moment in anticipation of the next big thing, you’re probably overlooking some beautiful moments happening right now.
Stay in the moment. Once a moment is gone, it is absolutely gone forever.
Your baby will never be so small again, enjoy this phase of their life.
You will never again be as young as you are now, enjoy your youth.
No matter how things are going in your life right now, you will look back on them fondly (or at least gratefully) in ten years.
Stay in the moment always, and you’ll have lived a full life when you come to the end of your journey.
(8) – Contribute Regularly to Your Marriage Account
Don’t worry, I’m done dispensing financial advice here. When I refer to your Marriage Account, I’m talking about that invisible level of goodwill you both feel towards each other. When you buy your wife flowers, you’re making a deposit to the Marriage Account. When you go down on your husband (yep, you read that right), you’re making a deposit into the Marriage Account.
There will inevitably come times when unexpected withdraws are necessary (broken promises, mistakes, etc), and having a healthy cushion in the Marriage Account will keep spirits high in your household.
(9) – Write Notes
Who doesn’t appreciate a note telling them how great they are? Would you appreciate this? Yep, you would. Guess what, so would your spouse! What kind of a time investment are we talking about here?
15 seconds.
Here’s a suggestion for the creatively challenged: “Honey, I love you and I love our life together. You’re the best, and you make me happy.”
Not the toughest of these successful marriage tips, but if you haven’t written your spouse a sweet note in the last month, do it today.
(10) – Don’t Air Dirty Laundry
Don Henley had it right: “People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry.”
I don’t know why humans crave juicy gossip, but the popularity of E News proves we can’t get enough. If you’ve got some internal strife going on in your marriage, don’t make it public by complaining about your partner to groups of people.
Doing this makes you look untrustworthy, and the life of whatever tails you tell may be longer than you know. Share your troubles privately with family or close friends, but don’t invite everyone to a spectacle.
If public invitations to spectacles involving your private matters are your way of getting attention, please examine and rethink your sad little life.
(11) -Celebrate Small Victories
You should celebrate all victories, but I’m mentioning the small victories here because somebody needs to stick up for them. Your life is hard enough without you belittling your accomplishments.
Celebrate all of ‘em, you earned it.
(12) – Laugh
When was the last time you had a good laugh together? Hopefully it was earlier today, but maybe not. Laughing is so good for our immune system, and so great for our relationships. Get some laughter however you need to.
If you’re stuck for ideas, prowl the internet to find some funny videos. I can’t figure out why watching others fall down is so funny, but it always is.
(13) – Talk About Any Purchase Over $300
Ah, I told you I was done with the finance stuff, but I lied.
Add some context – we are all far more blessed than we ever realize. It’s very easy to lose sight of this blessing however, and adding some perspective to your life will highlight for you how Lucky you are.
(14) – Learn Each Others Language’
We tend think others think like we do. “Why would someone do ____?” We often ask ourselves. The answer is that the person that just did _____ has a completely different way of seeing the world than you do.
Even though your spouse and you may be very compatible, complimentary, or both, you still are very different people with a billion different life experiences that shaped your unique character.
Spend some time figuring out what makes each of you tick. Catering to your partner’s unique likes and avoiding their unique dislikes is one of the best successful marriage tips you can implement.
(15) – Plan for Sex
Ugh, talk about making something fun a drag! Seriously, when you were 18 did you ever think you’d be pathetic enough to have to schedule sex? Ok, just kidding. But, as life’s responsibilities add up, sex often seems to fall by the wayside. It may not be anyone’s fault, it just kind of happens.
So, when I talk about planning sex I’m not talking about blocking off an hour in your Outlook or iPhone. Rather, I’m advising that you seize the opportunity when you see it. Do you have a few minutes you can spare here or there? If you do, make sex it a priority! True, you may both be tired, but by purposefully taking sex off the back burner whenever you possibly can, you’ll heat your marriage up. It’s also one of the more fun successful marriage tips in this list.Keep it spicy and very interesting always...............
How to Win a Woman Back Without Looking Like a Fool!!!!
After breakup, many guys will find themselves asking “what in the world can I do to win a woman back?”
They may start reminiscing on all the wrong they did, and finding themselves wishing they could go back in time somehow. Oh, if only things were that easy. Often times, guys will result desperate acts out of a need to numb the pain they are feeling.
There are some solid strategies to win a woman back though, and that’s what I discuss here today.
The first thing you need to do is find an outlet for all this negative energy. If you’re trying to figure out everything and analyze it to death right after breakup, you’re going to be wasting a lot of your time and energy.
So, find something else to put your focus on for a few days or even weeks. Sports, travel, hunting, hanging out with the guys, long-lost hobbies, and many other things can be a great replacement for all those negative feelings.
Once you have a little bit better handle on your emotions, you can pursue your strategy of how to win a woman back. The ironic thing is, by moving away from your ex. You actually set yourself up to be in a position to win her back. This time of self-improvement will give you a great opportunity to reflect on yourself and ultimately become a better person.
This may not be easy at first, but it is an absolutely an essential step. However, once you’ve gotten the necessary perspective that time apart gives you, you’ll be ready to swoop in and win her back.
Now is the time when you can be direct when it comes to getting your ex back. While you still may feel emotionally needy, do not let her see this. You might even play hard to get just a little bit, but don’t overdo it. When a woman sees confidence in the man, it’s very attractive. The secret here is the you don’t actually have to feel confident on the inside, you just have to act that way. You could even go so far as to pretend you were acting in a movie, taking on the role of a very confident lead man. Now, don’t get all theatrical and over do it, this looks stupid. Just remember the have a lot more control over your appearance and confidence than you may think. Act as if you feel bold and others will perceive you that way.
Playing it cool, confident, and a little bit hard to get will test you as a man, but these are the traits you must project. Really try not to over think things, and enjoy yourself! Acting this way will really inspire her to think things through and consider the possibility of getting back together with you.
If you two really are meant to be together, now is the time that will start to become clear to you both. Try not to over analyze things and just go with the flow. If this relationship really is meant to be, things will work out fine.
Alright, don’t just let these by words on a page, man! Get out there and win a woman back, Jack!
Did you just lose your girlfriend or wife? Maybe you’re wondering how to win her back? You’ve come to the right place. Take heart, you can win her back, and in this article we’re going to show you how in just three easy steps.
You may have heard that “nice guys finish last,” and “women are attracted to jerks.” While it’s tempting to believe it, this just isn’t true. What women really want is a guy that is confident.
While this may come off as cocky to some people, underneath it all is really to someone who is showing their confidence in an outward manner. Energy and enthusiasm can be a very good way to display confidence without being arrogant.
I’ll level with you here. Nine times out of 10 there’s no good reason why you can’t get your ex back after a break up. You just have to know a few simple steps in the first one is to determine exactly why you two broke up the first place. Look, you can’t change the past but you sure can learn from your experience and move on. You’ll be a better person for it.
Determine the Cause -The break up or it may have occurred for a variety of reasons: it could’ve been one single tragic event or to have been some behavior that built up over the period of weeks or months. Your job is to find out exactly what caused the break up and make sure that it’s eliminated from this point forward. This sounds easier than it is, but if you can really isolate the problem, and you can begin to address it.
The whole reason you want to get her back is to develop some sort of long-term relationship. If this was just a one night stand you wouldn’t care so much and wouldn’t put in so much effort. make certain that all your effort is not wasted, by planning the next couple of moves you will be much happier in the long run.
Step 2 – Don’t be Needy – You can be nerdy all you want, but you cannot come off as a needy guy here. Remember that confident stuff we talked about before? Well, this is where you need to implement it. Even though you feel like you’re dying inside and you’d do anything in the world to get her back, you can’t wear that emotion on your sleeve! We humans, guys and girls, have this natural tendency to avoid people that are under confident and needy.
If you can portray confidence, you’ve just about won the battle.
Step 3 – Don’t Be Tempted to Use Childish Tactics — I know you’re hurting, and your natural inclination is to do something stupid and hurtful to your ex. Acknowledge this feeling, and then make sure you ignore it. You’re only going to do damage by stooping to a low-level childish acts to hurt your ex. You may actually inspire your ex to completely get rid of you forever by using these tactics, so promise yourself that you won’t and move ahead with confidence.
These three steps will really help your covers your goal. Of course, there are lots of other things you can do, but you will really be surprised at how well these tactics work if you truly take the time to implement them.
If you really pay attention to these three tactics and implement them in your love life, then your question of how to win her back will have a much better answer than before.
Definetely food for thought and food for mental and spiritual intake, remember to always keep "GOD" first and foremost!!!!!!!!!!(THA CHILL ONE)
The hypocrisy of military intervention for so-called 'humanitarian assistance'
(FinalCall.com) - The fast moving media discussion concerning the invasion of the North African country of Libya, under the auspices of the creation of a no-fly zone, and the destruction of “military targets” appears more geared toward just satisfying the appetite of John Q Public, than it has to do with providing anything having to do with reality. When President Obama announced the decision to invade Libya, I decided to review his being granted the Noble Peace Prize and discovered the judges awarded the prize based on the possible fulfillment of his glorified future aspirations, not taking into consideration the restrictions of the job. Hold that point.
President Barack Obama is briefed on the situation in Libya during a secure conference call while in Brazil March 23. Photo: MGN Online
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President Obama's visit to Africa later this year might be fraught with difficulty. Not only is he subject to lose his identity as a possible friend of Africa, his apparent regime change policy for Col. Gadhafi—a man that Africa has embraced because of his willingness to invest Libya's oil wealth in Sub-Saharan Africa, may be grounds for separation.
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In this continuing military intervention “episode,” (that includes Iraq and Afghanistan), wrote conservative journalist George Will in the Washington Post, America has intervened in a “civil war in a tribal society, the dynamics of which America does not understand” supporting factions America “does not know.” But, according to the contributor of ABC's, “This Week with Christiane Amanpour,” “then, knowing is rarely required in the regime-change business.”
Following in the footsteps of misinforming the American public is Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry providing the public with “muddled” information, saying that dropping of bombs on a sovereign nation doesn't constitute going to war, and the targeting of Col. Gadhafi's residence/compound doesn't suggest regime change, wrote MSNBC's Morning with Joe host John Scarborough.
The former member of congress wrote disparagingly, even though the administration's inconclusive declarations suggest to the pundits and viewers alike that this is a work in progress, they've already decided on the outcome.
Obama's words discussing the UN Security Council resolution authorizing the military invasion, including the creation of a no-fly zone, to block Col. Gadhafi from waging a war against rebels—minus references to WMDs—echoes Pres. Bush's comments about Saddam Hussein prior to the invasion of Iraq.
The president's ambivalence to his own policies, and allowing himself to be upstaged by his Secretary of State, while spending time in South America with his family, revealed a skeptical president, and possibly a man in a valley of decision.
During the second political debate candidate Obama claimed the limitations of intervention, but in almost the same breath left the door open for the use of intervening militarily for humanitarian purposes. U.S intervention could of stopped the genocide in Rwanda, “that would be something that we would have to strongly consider and act,” he said during the debate,
Recognizing the overwhelming magnitude of embarking on such an operation, the then-candidate observed, “We're not going to be able to be everywhere all the time.”
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, recently appeared on Chicago WVON-AM host Chris Kelley's radio show “warning” Obama about the potential consequences of going to war against Gadhafi got much play on You Tube and Fox News. In fact the Farrakhan interview with the “governor” of Chicago talk radio had reached, last I looked, nearly 500,000 viewers.
Back in the 1980s a much used reference by Farrakhan, directed at U.S. presidents, is how after being somewhat comfortable in their limited domestic policy bubble, they are exposed to past, present and future horrific geo-political imperialist government policies.
According to former House intelligence committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra, Obama's past views of U.S. foreign policy are obsolete. ‘These people run on an agenda of domestic affairs because that's what they know that people care about,” he told the online Capital Hill publication Politico. “And then they get into office,” Hoekstra said. “The twist of events forces them to do things that they probably never comprehended they would have to be facing.”
The fact is the U.S. military is ill-suited for humanitarian intervention. As associate professor of American history at California State University-Sacramento Joseph A. Palermo wrote in a recent Huffington Post article, “Once the violence is unleashed, it inevitably has a tendency to escalate and move in unpredictable directions.” And we haven't even discussed the fact the U.S. Congress—America's only Constitutionally-recognized war making body—was rendered irrelevant.
Still military intervention for humanitarian reasons is a recent phenomenon. America's African Command, known as Africom is the Pentagon's latest venture. In operation for three years it obsessively claims to work directly with the State Department to provide humanitarian assistance, like the removal of land minds and improving H.I.V. awareness. But it was also created to train and assist the armed forces of 53 African nations. It is in charge, under its new head, Gen. Carter F. Ham, of the operation in Libya. (In fact Africom is supposed to hand over the reigns to NATO, but with the infighting in NATO still going on at press time, Africom appeared likely to stay in charge).
But in a documentary called “Africon or Africom,” it was said that you can't have “warriors who are also humanitarians.”
According to Emina Woods, of the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, “Those lines cannot be combined (without disastrous consequences).”
The disastrous effects of American foreign policy interventions show a history of a country run amuck. A small snapshot of the Cold War period provides prime examples and includes the Bay of Pigs attempted invasion and assassination of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, the overthrow of Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. Fifty-one years ago, America arranged for the Congo's only democratically elected leader to be overthrown, handed over to his enemies, tortured and eventually killed.
President Obama's visit to Africa later this year might be fraught with difficulty. Not only is he subject to lose his identity as a possible friend of Africa, as suggested by Min. Farrakhan, his apparent regime change policy for Col. Gadhafi—a man that Africa has embraced because of his willingness to invest Libya's oil wealth in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the N.Y. Times, may be grounds for separation.
The fact that Djibouti, home of Africom, and a stop during Obama's upcoming Africa tour is called the “Bahrain of Africa” speaks volumes. Both Bahrain and Djibouti are home to significant American military commands and run by repressive regimes. During a recent Middle East sparked demonstration, an estimated 30,000 Djiboutians—in a country with only 750,000 people—called for the removal of Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. “They were met,” wrote Steven Roblin in Znet, “by riot police, who violently dispersed the protesters.”
Unlike Egyptians' temporary ability to control Tahrir Square, “state violence in Djibouti successfully repressed the attempt by pro-democracy forces to establish a permanent protest camp in the center of the capital.”
Obama while traveling in Central and South America received severe criticism for his invasion of Libya from several Latin American leaders, who in addition, along with Russian leaders, suggested he return his Noble Peace Prize.
Obama's response shows the hypocrisy of the office he holds, and a willingness to use his words of peace and humanitarian assistance only for political expediency. “I'm accustomed to this contradiction of being both commander-in-chief, but also somebody who aspires to peace,” the president said.
(Jehron Muhammad can be reached at Africawatch53@gmail.com)
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Washington (CNN) -- Federal workers nervously eyed the clock and an American public sharply divided along partisan lines watched from the sidelines Friday as Democrats and Republicans sniped at one another in a budget battle that could shut down the government and idle more than 800,000 people.
Negotiators have until midnight Friday to reach an agreement, or the government's massive gears will begin grinding to a halt.
Should the government shut down, operations from national parks to veterans' clinics would close. The White House visitor center would go dark. Even some government websites would blink out, replaced by virtual closed signs.
But not everything would close.
Essential services such as defense, air traffic control and law enforcement would continue largely unabated, as would Social Security enrollments and payments. The Social Security Administration said a backlog of applications would be crippling.
Medicare payments would also continue, as would health benefits for government employees. Electronically filed tax returns would be processed. And although paper returns wouldn't be reviewed, a shutdown wouldn't equal a tax holiday -- returns would still be due April 18.
The government estimates that 800,000 federal government employees would be sent home to anxiously await an agreement in what could become a lengthy, and unpaid, vacation. Even those who are asked to work wouldn't get paid until after the shutdown ends, and that could include U.S. troops fighting overseas.
But the president and members of Congress will continue to get paid, although Boehner, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and some others have said lawmakers should return their salaries should it come to that.
In the short term, a shutdown -- the first since 1996 -- would frustrate anyone who wants to go camping in a national park, get a passport to leave the country or receive a visa to come in.
It would probably also cost the government millions in shutdown costs, possible overtime pay to recover from the work that would pile up during a shutdown.
In the long term, a shutdown could, President Barack Obama warned, plunge the country's fragile economy back into recession.
The current debate also presages likely battles over raising the limit on how much money the federal government can borrow and the 2012 budget, said Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
Even if a compromise settlement avoids a shutdown, Tea Party supporters will probably feel the need to push even harder on the upcoming fiscal issues. His prediction?
"More end games, more threats, all year," he said.
In the here and now, everyday families -- people who depend on federal government paychecks and those who make use of federal services that would be shuttered -- fretted over how a shutdown would affect their lives.
"I live in one room to save heat, buy limited groceries and struggle to make ends meet," said Chris Cronkite of Bakersfield, California, who said her military contractor husband probably would be furloughed.
"There is a good chance I will be walking out of here with nothing if the money stops flowing," she said. "Basically, loading up the truck with the family photos and going camping."
It's not something Americans appear pleased to see happen. A majority of Americans -- 58% -- want congressional lawmakers to seek compromise to avoid a government shutdown, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.
Those numbers belie a sharp partisan divide on the issue, with 68% of Democrats favoring compromise, compared with 44% of Republicans.
But many Americans seemed tired of the bickering.
Austin Flor of Augusta, Georgia, implored members of Congress to "please stop acting like children and more like the leaders you were elected to be."
So how did it come to this?
When voters gave control of the House to Republicans -- including many backed by the fiscally conservative Tea Party -- in November, the GOP vowed that pushing spending cuts would be a major part of its agenda. With Democrats in charge of the Senate and the White House, the threat of a shutdown has loomed ever since.
Unable to reach a long-term agreement, Congress has since funded the government with a series of temporary spending measures called continuing resolutions. Congress approved the last one on March 17.
It is that measure that expires at midnight, leaving federal agencies with no money to continue operating.
This week, the House passed a bill to continue government operations for a week, cut $12 billion from the budget and fund military operations through the end of the year.
Obama said he would veto the bill even if the Democrat-controlled Senate passed it.
Congressional Republicans, who want to cut $61 billion, say getting spending under control with what would probably be the largest single-year budget cuts ever is critical for the economy's long-term health.
"When will the White House and when will Senate Democrats get serious about cutting spending?" Boehner said Friday.
Democrats say the stalemate isn't about spending, although they have suggested cutting $33 billion. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said it's about an "extreme agenda" to strip funding from Planned Parenthood and other organizations linked to abortion.
But some Americans painted the threat of a shutdown in less ideological terms.
Scott Maxwell was chaperoning an eighth-grade class from Mission Viejo Christian School in California on a Friday visit to Statue of Liberty in New York.
If the government shuts down, his could be one of the last groups to visit the American icon for who knows how long.
"I'm glad we're here today," he said.
The immediate concern is whether the next scheduled paycheck includes only one week's pay instead of two. 'If this goes on too long, I'm going to be hurting big time,' one Marine says. 'So are a lot of guys.'
Few Marines could be found dining at Davina's Cabo Grill and Cantina, or the Rice Garden, or Johnny Manana's. A handful shopped at T-shirt stands or jewelry stores, or sipped beer at favorite hangouts.
Even the line at Regal Cinemas was shorter than usual — though the Marine-centric "Battle: L.A." was playing. The pizza parlor next door was deserted.
For weeks, various commands have been warning Marines on the sprawling San Diego County base that a day of reckoning was coming. Now that day has arrived and Marines appear to be reacting by staying on base, satisfying themselves with chow hall fare and maybe a video rental.
If Republicans and Democrats fail to negotiate a compromise over federal spending reductions, a government shutdown will commence after midnight Friday. Should that happen, military personnel would continue to earn money but would not receive paychecks until Congress appropriated the money.
Defense officials have said that operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Japan and elsewhere would not be affected, nor would training for upcoming deployments. The immediate concern is whether scheduled military paychecks April 15 would include only one week's pay instead of two.
So much of the talk among Marines on this weeknight was not about deployments or new physical fitness rules but about the possible government shutdown and what it would mean for them.
"I've got a mortgage back home in Kansas, and gas and food to buy," said Lance Cpl. Tim Hartman, 29. "If this goes on too long, I'm going to be hurting big time. So are a lot of guys."
At the Dairy Queen, Sgt. Marcus Johnson, 32, who was enjoying chili dogs and ice cream with his wife and their three children, said he's been preparing for a shutdown.
"My finances are in order. We're going to be fine," he said. "We don't live paycheck to paycheck."
Sgt. Joshua Gilbert, 25, also with a wife and three children, said he too would be able to get through a short-term financial squeeze.
"But I'll bet 90% of the privates and corporals are going to be in trouble," Gilbert said. "The young guys tend to get paid, spend it all and then wait for the next paycheck."
At Cabo Grill, some of the strongest comments came from Marine wives unwilling to be quoted by name. Military law makes it a crime to criticize the commander-in-chief, even for his role in a budget fight.
"If they're not going to pay the military, to turn their back on the guys defending this country, then they're going have trouble" recruiting, a sergeant's wife fumed. "I'll personally tell the C.O. that he can…."
Her rant was cut short when her husband told her to "be quiet. Right now."
The wife of a gunnery sergeant, who has made seven deployments in his 16 years, said a possible shutdown is a major topic when spouses congregate on base.
"We're all talking about it," she said. "I've lost sleep over it. They shouldn't treat us like this. Nobody should be treated like this."
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on Wednesday introduced the Ensuring Pay of Our Military Act of 2011 to make sure military personnel would continue to be paid. But the bill will have to clear several hurdles.
Cpl. Sam Rydzynski, 22, out for a stroll with his wife, Samantha, 21, said he refuses to worry about the situation. He noted that there are funds on base for Marines and sailors who find themselves short of cash.
"We'll get through it," he said. "That's what Marines do: They get through tough times."
On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a spending measure that would fund the Department of Defense through September and also keep the government open for an additional week. But President Obama has threatened to veto the measure in a continuing dispute over spending priorities.
Michel Martelly Wins Haiti's Presidential Election
The first round of votes in Haiti's presidential election caused riots in the streets as Mirlande Manigat appeared to be in the lead.
It has now been reported that musician Michel Martelly is the winner of Haiti's presidential election, according to official preliminary results.
Pras Michel, Martelly's Secretary of State pick and former Fugee member threatened more protest similar to Egypt if Martelly doesn't come out victorious. Pras has publicly supported Martelly even when Wyclef attempted to run for office.
Manigat was a law professor with 32 years of political experience while Martelly was a pop singer with a reputation for humor.
There have been rumors of fraud during the first round of votes and the final results are due April 16th. Hopefully they won't burn the country down as Pras promised if Martelly does not win.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Michel Martelly, the presumed president-elect of Haiti, said Wednesday that his landslide showing in an election runoff was actually stronger than was indicated by results released Monday. He said it pointed to a mandate that a “very weak” opposition needed to respect as he moved to rebuild the shattered country.
Popular Carnival Singer Is Elected President of Haiti in a Landslide (April 5, 2011) Although the election commission said Monday that he had won nearly 68 percent of the votes tabulated, defeating Mirlande Manigat, a former first lady and establishment figure, Mr. Martelly said in an interview that his “contacts” at the commission — “I am the president, so people are talking to me” — told him that he had actually won about 85 percent of the votes.
Mr. Martelly, a popular musician given to bombast on stage, suggested that many of the ballot sheets from voting precincts in his favor “were so high they decided they were false.” A commission spokesman did not respond to a message seeking a comment.
Mr. Martelly made the comments as he rejected the notion that a low turnout — 23 percent of voters by the commission’s count, 30 percent by Mr. Martelly’s and that of international observers — deprived him of the political capital needed to push through his intended reforms, including expanding education and housing.
Instead, he said, the low turnout reflected problems with voting registration and irregularities at voting centers, as well as the frustration with the political establishment that had propelled his victory.
“They are weak,” he said of the opposition, which could include the current governing party and its dominance of seats in the Parliament. “The people of Haiti want change. The opposition is part of what made us ask for change, so you can bring your expertise and assist us, but I don’t think the opposition has the power to stop the will of the people.”
Ms. Manigat said Tuesday that she lacked faith in the future of Haiti and she declined to say whether she would accept the election results before they were finalized April 16. Despite that, Mr. Martelly promised to “preach inclusion,” though he said he did not think opposition members should serve in his cabinet unless they were the best qualified for a position.
Without naming names, he said he would make a list of several choices for prime minister, who under the Constitution is the official responsible for administering the day-to-day affairs of state. He said he knew that “the first pick might not be the right pick or might not be accepted by the Parliament.”
He said “probably, some day” he would meet with a longtime rival, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the still popular former president whose return from a seven-year exile two days before the runoff election left the political world guessing about his intentions. Mr. Martelly, who is more conservative than Mr. Aristide, had profanely ridiculed him on stage in the past.
“As a singer in the past I may not have liked someone’s political views or actions, but as a leader, as a president, it is a responsibility for me to take care of every single Haitian,” Mr. Martelly said.
Mr. Martelly was interviewed in his campaign office, busy with people coming and going, including the United States ambassador, Kenneth Merten, who arrived midafternoon for a private meeting.
Mr. Martelly said he and members of his team were reaching out to international donors and aid groups, trying to determine a priority for a variety of backlogged projects and seeking to improve relations that might speed up aid.
The United Nations Office of the Special Envoy to Haiti reported Wednesday that of $4.6 billion pledged last year at an international conference for recovery projects, only about $1.7 billion, or 37 percent, had been distributed.
Mr. Martelly said he and his aides were studying how to make aid flow more quickly. He said they have already met with private- and public-sector investors to develop several thousand low-cost housing units. He also said he doubted the effectiveness of temporary housing for the estimated 600,000 people still displaced by the earthquake last year.
“We have wasted the time where we would have moved those people from the tent to a transitory unit and then to a home,” he said. “We have wasted that time.” He also stood by his plans to expand access to education and redevelop the agriculture industry, to encourage more farming and to decrease the flight from the countryside to the cities. “I will make it happen,” he said.
On Wednesday, President René Préval was at the United Nations, venting his own frustrations. He told the Security Council, The Associated Press reported, that the United Nations, through a series of interventions dating to 1993, had emphasized peacekeeping over development, which has “led to 11 years of military presence in a country that has no war.”
“Tanks, armed vehicles and soldiers should have given way to bulldozers, engineers, more police instructors,” Mr. Préval said. Mr. Martelly has called for an eventual phase-out of the peacekeepers and the re-establishment of Haiti’s armed forces.
Washington (CNN) – Self-proclaimed birther Donald Trump is now so doubtful of President Obama's birthplace that he's sent a team of his own investigators to Hawaii in hopes of getting to the bottom of the issue.
That's according to Trump himself, who, in an interview with NBC, warned his investigators just might uncover "one of the greatest cons in the history of politics and beyond."
"I have people that have been studying it and they cannot believe what they're finding," Trump said an interview that aired Thursday Morning.
Asked if he has assigned people specifically to search in Hawaii, Trump said, "Absolutely."
The business mogul, who in a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll is tied for second place among potential presidential candidates, also suggested the president is involved in an ongoing cover-up over the matter.
"He spent $2 million in legal fees trying on to get away from this issue, and if it weren't an issue, why wouldn't he just solve it?" he said. "I wish he would. because if he doesn't, it's one of the greatest scams in the history of politics and in the history, period. You are not allowed to be a president if you're not born in this country. Right now, I have real doubts."
According to a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll, 72 percent of Americans say that the president was definitely or probably born in the U.S., with one four saying that he was definitely or probably born outside the country. But the survey indicates a partisan divide, with 43 percent of Republicans but only 11 percent of Democrats saying that Obama was definitely or probably born outside the U.S.
In 2008, the Obama campaign produced a certification of live birth that reports his birthplace as Honolulu, Hawaii – a document the Hawaii government says is official evidence of his birth in the state. Among other evidence of Obama's birth there is the fact the hospital where he was born took out ads in two Hawaiian newspapers in 1961 announcing the birth, while current Gov. Neil Abercrombie says he knew Obama's family and remembers his birth.
In the broad interview, Trump also insisted he's more serious than ever about mounting a presidential bid, but said he can't make a final decision until this season of "Celebrity Apprentice" wraps up.
"I hate to say it. I have the No. 1 show on NBC. Is that the correct statement? The "Celebrity Apprentice" is doing great," said Trump. "You're not allowed to have a show on and be a candidate. It's a great show and it's got phenomenal ratings, and until that show is over I can't declare, otherwise NBC would have to take the show off the air and that would be very unfair."
The show is set to wrap up in mid-May.
This guy is insane and hilarious,one of the kings of the spin cycle.
Young Money's Nicki Minaj is far from reaching a truce with Lil Kim and has now unleashed a new record called "Tragedy" taking multiple shots at the rap veteran's career.
A snippet of her track hit the Internet late Friday (April 1) night.
"Eh yo, Pink Friday, Eminem, 8 Mile," Nicki raps, "It must hurt to sell your album off PayPal/Especially when you're in the game, 15-20/You was hot when Shaq teamed up with Penny/Man, you was 'Magic', I mean/Look at you now, h*e, you're just tragic/You a tragedy, you a parody/Last name Ann, first name Raggedy/These goofy b*tches is stupidity personified..." ("Tragedy")
According to reports, the track comes from the hands of a producer named Hit-Boy.
Just when you thought it was over, Nicki Minaj swings back at Lil' Kim on a new diss record. A snippet of the unfinished track made its way to Funkmaster Flex, who reports that it may end up on Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV. This time, the Young Money Barbie doesn't beat around the bush, taking direct shots at the Queen Bee. Hit-Boy confirms that he produced the marching beat and that the final version will also feature production from Boi-1da. It will go by a title other than "Tragedy" in its final form. (Rap-Up)
Last February, Kim talked about the success of her Black Friday retail mixtape's PayPal sales.
"Thanks to you guys!! #lilkimblackfridaymixtape sold 113,000 copies in 28 hours which made me the #1 seller on paypal ever =) !!! THANK U! RT," she tweeted February 15th.
"Sorry 4 the link issue too many hits shut the paypal system DOWN! LOL. We BACK #LilKimBlackFridayMixtape Buy Now! ---> http://bit.ly/gLIYa6" (Lil Kim's Twitter)
In November, Nicki turned heads after dropping her subliminal "Roman's Revenge" on Kim.
It looks like listeners were right all along. While interviewing with Angie Martinez during Hot 97's VIP Lounge earlier today (November 19), Nicki Minaj finally admitted the target for her collaboration with Eminem, "Roman's Revenge" is in fact Lil' Kim. "You gotta be careful when you pick fights," Minaj said, referring to the Queen Bee. "That's what I've learned in this business. I think people mistake me for a real Barbie and forget where I'm from. They forget where I'm from. And if I have to revert back, I can and I will." (XXL Mag)
NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) - Activists here used the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to call out the Obama administration on the persistent issue of discrimination and racial disparity in the United States.
The International Day for Racial Discrimination is commemorated annually on March 21 to coincide with the date in 1960 when police opened fire and killed 69 Black South Africans gathered in Sharpeville for a peaceful demonstration against apartheid, the system of racial segregation and White minority rule in the country at the time.
Youth protests police brutality.
“There are persistent race disparities in almost every sphere of life, especially evident in economic inequality,” noted Ejim Dike, of the Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center, in describing the race divide inside America.
The administration is reluctant to deal with relatively recent disparities that go back to the 1990s, when the U.S. was enjoying a period of prosperity, Ms. Dike explained to The Final Call. Even in the best of economic times for the United States, there was uneven progress based on race. “And the worst part of this is that the administration has made no clear acknowledgement that there is a problem,” she said.
The Justice Center listed some disparities: Blacks hit by a high rate of unemployment, 25.8 percent, as result of the recession, while Latino unemployment stands at 25.3 percent and unemployment for Whites stands at 9.4 percent. Poverty for Black children stands at 35.7 percent—while the national child poverty rate is 20.7 percent. For every dollar of net worth possessed by White Americans, Blacks possess only seven cents.
“We need an effort that will include more than enforcing civil rights laws that we have,” Ms. Dike added.
Human rights organizations in the U.S. want President Obama to adopt a national plan of action to fully implement America's obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, which is also known as CERD.
In 1994, the U.S. ratified the UN-sponsored convention which defines in its Article 1, racial discrimination is “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national ethnic origin, which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.” Activists argue that means looking at racial disparity and taking immediate and committed steps to eliminate shortfalls—and not simply responding legally when civil rights violations are charged.
Demonstrators take to streets after killing of young girl during Detroit police raid. Rights activists say the Obama administration has failed to deal with race or acknowledge depth of the problem. They want a national human rights institution to deal with racial inequity.
On March 18, the U.S. government said in Geneva, Switzerland that it supports recommendations made last November during a review of U.S. race relations and racial progress to adopt a comprehensive national plan of action to address discrimination.
Human rights activists, including Ajamu Baraka of the U.S. Human Rights Network, expressed disappointment with the lack of U.S. action since the review. The Obama administration has not established a national human rights institution to monitor rights compliance, they said.
“The initial response from the U.S. government to the UPR (review) process makes for depressing reading,” Mr. Baraka said, in a statement. “It seems that the Obama administration is simply continuing with the policies of the Bush administration when it comes to human rights, despite pretense of being engaged with the international community on human rights.”
U.S. human rights advocates needs to take a hard look at what consultations and work with the administration actually achieved and go back to the drawing board, Mr. Baraka added.
And, he told The Final Call, the groups should continue to push the U.S. to honor commitments made to eliminate discrimination, racism and its impact.
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, wisely counseled the government of America in his 1993 book “A Torchlight for America” that it is the wrong time to deny just pursuits of liberty.
“It's a dangerous time to play with people whose hunger and thirst is for justice and truth,” Min. Farrakhan wrote.
“It is the purpose of the wickedly wise to hide the truth so that people won't see a way to get themselves out of their present circumstances, so those who rule can continue to dominate and subjugate the people to feed their own lusts and greed,” the Muslim leader noted.
Saladin Muhammad, national chairman of Black Workers for Justice, attended the review meeting in Geneva. He found a “condescending” attitude by U.S. officials dealing with racial discrimination “quite disturbing.”
Mr. Muhammad said the condescending attitude was apparent in the opening statement of Harold Hongju Koh, a legal adviser from the U.S. State Department, who presented the administration's answer to the review: “Our society as a whole is transformed for the better through our work to protect and promote the civil and human rights of its least powerful members. That tradition explains why I, the child of Korean immigrants who came to America to search for a better future, sit before you today to represent our country.”
Mr. Koh's next statement, according to participants, seemingly dismissed the importance of the review.
On March 7, a coalition of human rights organizations sent a letter to the UN Committee on the Elimination of racial discrimination. “People of African descent in the United States continue to face intentional, structural, and de facto forms of discrimination which manifest in unequal access to quality education, housing, health services, employment, electoral disenfranchisement and discrimination in the criminal justice system, among many other issues,” the letter said.
A full text of the letter is available on line at: http://goo.gl/AHmQB
Some of the organizations signing onto the letter include the American Civil Liberties Union, Asian American Justice Center, Center for Constitutional Rights, Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, U.S. Human Rights Network and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“The goal of the letter was to inform the UN committee of efforts by civil rights organizations in the United States urging the government to adopt a coordinated approach to complying with the CERD treaty and by doing so ensure that CERD obligations are integrated into domestic laws addressing racial discrimination,” said Marcia F. Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Voting Rights Project for the Lawyer's Committee, in an e-mail to The Final Call.
Prior to the Geneva meeting, some activists felt with the U.S. officially responding to questions about racism and discrimination, it was a chance to lead by example, not just rhetoric. That opportunity appears to be squandered.
“I came away from Geneva feeling that unless there are extended struggles on the ground, also developing a strong Black Manifesto, what we did on March 18 will be looked at as just a complaint. And that means all of our efforts so far won't be impactful,” Mr. Muhammad said.
Ms. Dike's organization is drafting a petition asking the administration to come up with a timeline for creation of a national plan to end racial discrimination in America. It may help highlight the problem, but doesn't appear likely to push America toward finding solutions.
A restraining order did not protect a Lithonia mother and two of her children who were allegedly killed by her son.
DeKalb County Jail Eugene Quatron McCoy, 21, is charged with three counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault in the attacks on four people at a home near Lithonia.
.The mother and two of her children were stabbed to death and her teenage daughter was critically wounded in a Sunday night knife attack allegedly by her oldest child, 21-year-old Eugene Quatron McCoy, according to police.
McCoy was arrested shortly after police were called around 8:45 p.m. Sunday to a house on Rockland Road by McCoy's teenage sister. She was the only survivor of a vicious attack that left her mother, a younger sister and a brother dead.
Sunday night at the crime scene, police retrieved a knife they believed be the "primary weapon" based on the "preliminary investigation, interviews and statements from the suspect," police spokeswoman Mekka Parish told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.
But 12 hours after the 911 call was placed, a reporter found a second bloody knife on the front porch of the brick ranch where the attacks happened. The knife was under a chair but in plain view. Glass from the broken window was scattered on the porch and a slashed window screen appeared to have been flung onto the steps.
"There is no question that this additional evidence should have been collected when the crime scene was processed," Parish said. "The department will look into this oversight and take appropriate action."
A spokesman for the DeKalb district attorney, who will prosecute McCoy if the case moves forward, declined to comment on the evidence left at the crime scene.
"We want to let the police officers do their jobs and we'll review the case once we get it," spokesman Eric Burton said.
Former DeKalb District Attorney J. Tom Morgan said overlooking the knife could be explained given the crime scene, the number of victims and the amount of blood there.
"In the pandemonium of a triple homicide, even the best CSI [crime scene investigations] personnel are going to make mistakes," Morgan said. "I do not blame anybody for not finding that because it is such a chaotic crime scene with three deaths and a critical injury."
But there could be evidentiary problems once this case reaches trial.
"It's inexcusable and unexplainable and it shouldn't have happened," veteran defense attorney Steve Sadow said.
Police arrested the 21-year-old McCoy as he was walking away from the house Sunday night. According to jail records, McCoy lived at the Rockland Road house even though there was a restraining order prohibiting him from being in contact with his family.
McCoy was booked into the DeKalb County jail early Monday on three counts of murder and one charge of aggravated assault. McCoy's teenage sister escaped and ran through the woods to a house in a nearby subdivision to call police. She was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
While police confirmed the victims were McCoy's mother, brother and sisters, their names were not released.
According to court records, there is a history of family violence.
McCoy has been arrested six times prior to Monday, including twice for allegedly violating family violence orders. All the cases were before DeKalb County judges.
The first arrest was in 2007 when McCoy was sentenced to 12 months' probation for burglary, but that case did not involve family violence.
Last May 26, McCoy pleaded guilty to violation of a temporary protective order and was put on probation for a year and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
McCoy pleaded guilty last Sept. 8 to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to 23 days of confinement and 12 months probation.
Then on Dec. 8, McCoy pleaded no contest to family violence battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail and two years probation.
He was ordered on Dec. 21 to undergo a mental health evaluation.
He also was told he could have no contact with the victim, a different woman, and to attend 12 anger management classes.
His last previous arrest was on Jan. 8 on a criminal trespass charge. Court records show McCoy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months probation. He also was sentenced to jail time but received credit for the 67 days and was released on March 16, the day he enter the plea.
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghans rioted for a second day Saturday to protest the burning of a Quran in Florida, killing nine people in Kandahar and injuring more than 80 in a wave of violence that underscored rising anti-foreign sentiment after nearly a decade of war.
The desecration at a small U.S. church has outraged Muslims worldwide, and in Afghanistan it further strained ties with the West. On Friday, 11 people were killed, including seven foreign U.N. employees, in a protest in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
The protests come at a critical juncture as the U.S.-led coalition gears up for an insurgent spring offensive and a summer withdrawal of some troops, and with Afghanistan's mercurial president increasingly questioning international motives and NATO's military strategy.
Two suicide attackers disguised as women blew themselves up and a third was gunned down Saturday when they used force to try to enter a NATO base on the outskirts of Kabul, NATO and Afghan police said. Earlier in the week, six U.S. soldiers died during an operation against insurgents in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistan, where the Taliban retain safe havens.
President Hamid Karzai expressed regret for the 20 protest deaths, but he also further stoked possible anti-foreign sentiment by again demanding that the United States and United Nations bring to justice the pastor of the Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, where the Quran was burned March 20. Many Afghans did not know about the Quran-burning until Karzai condemned it four days after it happened.
The pastor, the Rev. Terry Jones, had threatened to destroy a copy of Islam's holy book last year but initially backed down. On Friday he said Islam and its followers were responsible for the killings.
In the southern city of Kandahar, the cradle of the Taliban, hundreds of Afghans holding copies of the Quran over their heads marched in protest of the burning. Security forces shot in the air to disperse the crowd, but it was unclear how the protesters were slain, said Zalmai Ayubi, a spokesman for the provincial governor.
The Kandahar governor's office said nine protesters were killed and 81 others were injured in the demonstration that turned into a riot. Seventeen people, including seven armed men, have been arrested, the statement said.
The protests began Friday in Kabul, Herat in western Afghanistan and Mazar-i-Sharif, where thousands flooded the streets.
In Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghan demonstrators stormed a U.N. compound, shooting and killing four Nepalese guards, a Norwegian, a Romanian and a Swede. Afghan authorities suspect insurgents melded into the mob; they announced the arrest of more than 20 people, including a militant they suspect was the ringleader of the assault.
The top U.N. envoy in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, said the organization was temporarily redeploying 11 staff members from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kabul.
"This is not an evacuation, it is a temporary redeployment because the office is not functioning. We will be ready to go back as soon as we can establish an office that is secure enough," he told reporters.
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA, has some 1,500 staff — about 80 percent Afghans — operating in 18 regional and provincial offices across the country and in liaison offices in neighboring Pakistan and Iran.
In late 2009, the U.N. sent about 600 foreign staff out of the country or into secure compounds after three gunmen stormed a Kabul guest house used by U.N. staff and killed 11 people, including five U.N. workers.
Karzai has in recent months increasingly criticized both the international community and U.S.-led foreign forces — the first for being ineffectual and unaccountable, the second for causing unnecessary civilian casualties in its campaign against insurgents.
Some Western diplomats privately say Karzai stoked some of the tension in recent days by making speeches about issues that had not gained much attention in the country, including the Quran burning.
De Mistura, however, said he drew no connection between the riots and Karzai's earlier condemnation of the Quran-burning. He said it takes "two to three weeks for information to percolate. It's not like in the West. Then it goes through the mosque and then through the Friday prayers."
"I don't think we should be blaming any Afghan. We should be blaming the person who produced the news — the one who burned the Quran," he said.
Although the Taliban are responsible for the vast majority of killings in Afghanistan, civilian casualties from coalition operations are a major source of strain in the country's relationship with the United States. The deaths tend to generate widespread outrage and Karzai has said they will no longer be tolerated.
The politicking could be part of an effort to reach out to the Taliban as Karzai tries to build bridges with the insurgents as part of a peace and reconciliation process. He and his advisers no longer refer to the Taliban as insurgents. They are often referred to as armed opposition groups.
The Taliban themselves have no such qualms and openly call for the overthrow of Karzai's government. Last week about 300 Taliban fighters overran the tiny capital of a remote mountainous district in northeast Nuristan province and raised their flag over city hall.
Founders of a northern Michigan group named Order of the Dragon, and organizers of the anti-Sharia law protest scheduled for Apr. 22 at the Islamic Center of America say the event is nothing more than a political demonstration.
The group, which has no more than five members according to Fox 2 News, released the following statement by email to The Arab American News.
"This protest was formed by a few concerned citizens that want to ban 'foreign law, legal code, or system' meaning any law, rule, legal code, or system of jurisdiction outside of any state or territory of the United States.' We are protesting global jihad caused by our Middle East policy, and wish to expose some Israeli/Palestinian lies that we feel need to be approached...to move forward."
According to a report from The Detroit News, Jones received a threat over his plans. Jones says the email was from a Muslim living in the city who warned (that) anyone attending the event would be in great danger, and lives would be at stake. Jones said he reported the threat to police in Gainesville, Florida where he leads the Dove World Outreach Center church.
Earlier this week metro Detroit religious leaders gathered, speaking out against Jones' visit.
"We do not agree with Terry Jones. We do not agree with his philosophy, and we want to continue to keep this region as unified as we possibly can," Rev. Charles Williams II of King Solomon Baptist Church said on local television.
Detroit's religious leaders have also sent letters to Jones, urging him to cancel his trip to Dearborn.
"Everything he is doing here is a violation of the gospel," said Rev. Ed Rowe of Detroit's Central United Methodist Church.
Imam Steve Elturk, of the Council on American Islamic Relations Michigan, says the Muslim community would be willing to meet with Jones if all agreed on peaceful dialogue.
"Too many barriers have been torn down. And so we say today to all that might hear my voice, we love Muslims, we love Jews. We love all God-fearing people," Rev. Charles Williams, Sr. of King Solomon.
Jones still plans on protesting. The 59-year-old who backed down from burning the Qur'an on September 11 last year but then later burned a copy in March, says he realizes there are millions of peaceful Muslims, but said, according to a report, that he wants them to 'honor, obey and submit to the Constitution of the United States.'
Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad says his department has been in contact with Jones' office on getting permits for the event and also said that anyone who comes to the city will be protected in a news report.
