[This page is dedicated to the news articles formerly posted on the front page. To keep all of the articles on the front page would cause problems for the readers in terms of scrolling down the page. So I got rid of the page all together - really because I couldn't keep up with finding the news everyday. I hope to one day bring the page back. If anyone is interested in interning with the Weekly BlackOut, please contact me at rrmiller83@gmail.com and we can take it further. If there is any article that you would like to revisit, you can find it here. This page only provides text of the articles and not pictures.]
THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
RANGEL UNDER INVESTIGATION
U.S. Congressman, Charles Rangel, Democrat from New York City [Harlem], is under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee for possible financial ethics violations. According to Politico.com, the inquiry is reportedly focused on allegations that the chairman [Rangel] misused congressional letterhead to solicit contributions to an institute named in his honor and that he failed to disclose income from rental properties. The Democrats have stood by Rangel through the probing process by the committee. According to Politico.com, last week, the GOP attempted to sanction Rangel, a resolution to strip him of his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee, but the Democrats shot down that attempt on a 246-153 procedural vote. Stay tuned as the investigation continues.
NO COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR SENIORS
According to the Obama Administration, There will be no cost of living increase for more than 50 million Social Security recipients next year, the first year without a raise since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. In response, President Obama called for a second round of $250 stimulus payments for seniors, veterans, retired railroad workers and people with disabilities. Unsure if this $250 stimulus will be enough to compensate for the lack of an increase this year, seniors will have to again, figure out alternative ways of surviving under the current economy. According to the Associate Press, the average monthly Social Security payment for all Social Security recipients is $1,094. Is that enough? The President and Congress continue to debate how to fix this situation.
FLU SHOTS—A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR DRUG COMPANIES
In a story for all my conspiracy theorists out there, here is another reason not to get the swine flu shot – according to ABC News, drug companies have sold $1.5 billion worth of swine flu shots, in addition to the $1 billion for seasonal flu they booked earlier this year—these inoculations are part of a much wider and rapidly growing $20 billion global vaccine market. Your Congress has set aside $10 Billion dollars for H1N1 monitoring, flu virus research and flu education to the public. According to ABC News, taxpayers are footing the $1.5 billion check for the 250 million swine flu vaccines that the government has ordered so far and will be distributing free to doctors, pharmacies and schools. Which drug companies are making out: Glaxo Smith Kline, Novartis and Sanofi-Pasteur. I haven’t had a chance to do the research, but I am sure that there are congressmen attached to some of these companies…follow the campaign donations.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
READ THE HEALTH CARE REVISED BILL FOR YOURSELF
I advocate for everyone to be informed so that there is nothing that the people in charge can do to violate your rights and privileges as Americans. Politicians always go out of their way to overcomplicate and make super complex legislation designed to help people—I am speaking specifically about this health care reform bill. Yesterday, the Senate Finance committee approved a revised bill via vote of 14 to 9. What is the big story that the media is promoting??? A republican voted with the Democrats. The real news should be the contents of the amended bill. If you are interested on seeing exactly what these guys voted on and cut out of the bill, visit the following link: http://www.finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/100209_Americas_Healthy_Future_Act_AMENDED.pdf
Take a look at this thing and draw your own conclusions and I urge all of you to contact your local representatives if there is a question that you have or a concern that you have. We need to be informed and properly represented
TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
COLLEGE JUST GOT A BIT…LONGER?
We all know that college takes time. We all know that life gets in the way of classes, focusing on studies and life even gets in the way of graduating all together. But now, the recession has just jumped totally in the way of progress.
10 years ago, you could still get a job paying $13 to $15 dollars an hour with a high school diploma. Now, a BA is the new high school diploma. So, more and more people are attending college nationwide. But what happens when you add more people to a system with depleting resources? You get havoc and frustration. Nationwide, major budget cuts plus a shrinking of government funding is causing universities to reduce staff, lay off instructors and eliminate classes. This is a problem.
Calls from as high as President Obama have come calling for state colleges to move students through the system as efficiently and effectively as possible, yet the chances of that is made tougher when school budgets shrink, and continue to shrink. If you don’t know about how college works, here’s the situation. You have a major but in addition to that, there are core classes that the whole of the university must take. Usually, these courses are offered once an academic year. If class time or the number of classes is eliminated in any core area due to the budget, the course offering may go from once a year to once every three semesters or once every two years. That means everyone and their mom will register for the class and some won’t be able to take it until the next time it is available, prolonging their stay at the university. This can also come about when there aren’t enough professors available to teach a specific course.
According to a federal study of 1999-2000 graduates found it takes students roughly 4.5 years on average to earn a bachelor’s degree – about two-thirds of traditional-age college students who finished got through within five. According to the Associated Press, the 450,000-student California State system — the nation’s largest public university system — the average is longer, in part because of large numbers of low-income, part-time and transfer students; A 2007 study of students who entered 12 years earlier found they took an average of 5.7 years. Officials say that number was probably falling slightly before the current cuts hit.
First our kids have a tough time finding a job when they graduate, now they have a tough time graduating. Pray for our high school and college students. We’re getting to the point where public education will no longer be free in opportunity – students will compete for the best spots and opportunities…a class system is in the works.
CHANGE IN RICHARD PRYOR BIOPIC
In the hotly contested and highly awaited Richard Pryor biopic, there has been a change. When the project was in the infancy stages, it was assumed that Eddie Murphy would be Richard Pryor. Why? Because Pryor was Murphy’s idol and all of that. He portrayed Pryor during a skit in one of Murphy’s comedy specials, Raw. Murphy got a chance to create the movie of his dreams, working alongside Pryor in Harlem Nights, with legends Redd Foxx and Della Reese. Later, Eddie Murphy got the job and the honor of playing Richard. Now, he’s decided to not portray his idol in film.
The film titled, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said, will be directed by the same guy who directed Dreamgirls, Bill Condon. Things seemed to fall in place for Eddie, seeing as though he was working with the same director from the only movie he received an Oscar nomination from. I am sure that Eddie Murphy, or any one for that matter, wouldn’t receive an Oscar nomination just because this is a biopic – if anyone thinks that this could be a Jamie Foxx/Ray Charles situation, I am not sure because the person portrayed can have as much to do with Oscar selection as does the acting. I am sure that it’s not farfetched to say that Ray Charles is a bit more endearing to society than Pryor – the antithesis to America’s favorite Black comedian Bill Cosby.
Murphy has dropped the film citing conflicts with Paramount Pictures. Who is playing Pryor now…Marlon Wayans. That’s right…you cannot get rid of those Wayans brothers no matter how hard you try. Wayans 13 minute tryout sealed the deal. Adam Sandler and Chris Rock will produce the film along with Pryor’s widow. Shooting starts spring of 2010.
MONDAY OCTOBER 12, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: A violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him into the way that is not good.
THE TRUTH BEHIND COLUMBUS DAY
Normally, mediums such as mine will have recognition of a holiday at the very top of its page, celebrating it and wishing the best of wishes for mankind. Well, today is “Columbus Day” but there is no real reason to celebrate. If you aren’t aware, Christopher Columbus was a tyrant and a guy not worthy of all the accolades and appreciation that he receives. Fact of the matter is that Columbus set sail to find new lands to conquer. He landed in many parts of the Caribbean, served as a tyrannical leader [governor] in certain lands and brought back with him to Spain some of the Native Peoples.
How did this day become a recognized holiday in modern times? New York City held the oldest known Columbus Day celebration in 1792. Colorado held celebrations as well, but it was President Franklin Roosevelt that made the day official nationwide. Roosevelt decided that the depression needed a holiday to cheer folks up and he chose October 12th as the day to celebrate Christopher Columbus in 1937. Under Richard Nixon, the holiday got moved to the second Monday in October.
Yet according to the Wall Street Journal, 22 states currently do not recognize the holiday. Protestors of the day claim that Columbus’ journey marks the beginnings of the dark days of European colonization, and that the belief in Columbus’ early navigation is false due to the earlier navigation of the Scandinavian Vikings who came to the Americas centuries before. I really don’t care, because Columbus was really a guy that wasn’t welcome to come and visit, and he’s really not a great guy. He is just a guy who was a tool for folks to further an agenda. But I will say this, if the President can make a federal holiday because of bad economic times, and Obama loves Roosevelt, then Mr. President, I say that you sir create a federal holiday that must be observed by everyone…so we can all have another day off. You can have off as well.
NORTH KOREA FIRES SHORT RANGE MISSILES
This morning, North Korea fired 5 short range missiles off of its eastern coast. According to the Yonhap news agency who cited an unidentified South Korean government official, the North test-fired the missiles on Monday afternoon from its eastern coastal launch pad.
As this story continues to develop, we’ll have updates throughout the day.
NFL PLAYERS UNION OPPOSE THE LIMBAUGH BID
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, NFL Players executive director DeMaurice Smith on Saturday made a move to solidify the union against a bid by conservative talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh as part of a group that aims to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Rush Limbaugh is a part of a group, including current St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, seeking to purchase the team from its current ownership. Limbaugh has made it clear that he is a fan of football. ESPN hired Limbaugh in 2003 as a part of its Sunday morning NFL Countdown program as a special analyst. He was later fired for his comments that the media wanted Black quarterbacks to succeed and thus they are overhyped to be better than what they are.
According to Mortensen, Smith sent an email to the player union executive committee saying, “I’ve spoken to the Commissioner [Roger Goodell] and I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred.” On Sunday, Smith elaborated, On Sunday, Smith briefly elaborated, “This communication is more about what we stand for than the reality of our role in any franchise sale. While it’s true the subject matter was related [to Limbaugh's bid], I do understand that the NFL does not present ownership bids to me or the NFLPA. I encourage our players to express their views.”
7 NFL players have already openly offered their disapproval of any possible move by Limbaugh to by a league team. Smith has encouraged other players to speak their minds on the subject and voice their opinion. Stay tuned as this situation unfolds.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
SOUTH JERSEY TALENT SETS PHILLY ABLAZE
I normally do not do this. But I believe that we must support each other. Contrary to public opinion, South Jersey does have some talent people. We do have some talent in the area. Last night, my wife and I got an opportunity to check out some of that Good South Jersey talent.
Comedian Derek Gaines, 25, a local product from Lindenwold, NJ, performed at the Laff House in Philadelphia last night. A product of Overbrook Regional High School, Gaines gave the crowd a great show. He had the crowd laughing over topics ranging from how to win the war in Iraq, racism, and the gangster breakfast conversation. There was a point when one of the jokes didn’t register with the crowd, but Gaines calmly dealt with the crowd and kept the jokes coming. One of my personal favorites of the night was his joke about the locker room speech prior to entering the club with your boys. Indeed a lot of us have heard that speech and some of us had to take one for the team. Gaines had the crowd captured with his clever jazz riffs integrated in his jokes as well as his rendition of a Latino dance, as he explained to us that Latino’s cut to the point in church to get to the celebration and more dancing. The integration of music, poetry and current events will leave you laughing, crying and with a headache form all of the laughing and crying.
Gaines is indeed on the come up and he is indeed destined to make his own dreams a reality for the world to see. If you have an opportunity, check out Gaines tomorrow night at the Laff House at 7:30pm at the special Christian Comedy Show. Although he was cussing tonight, he is just as funny clean. You can buy tickets at the website – http://laffhouse.tix.com/Schedule.asp?OrganizationNumber=111. You can also check Gaines out on this season’s Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes. He can be seen on Saturday October 24 at 10:00pm on TVOne. You can even Google Gaines…Yes, he can be googled and you can find some great material on YouTube. Also, he’s on Facebook and you can search under his name – Derek Gaines.
One issue that we have in our community, the Black Community, is that we don’t support each other as we should. And when we do support our folks, it’s when they already have blown up. We never want to support folk when they are on the come up. This guy is trying to make his way in the society by taking our mind off of the horrible conditions of life by making us laugh. Kudos to Mr. Gaines for all of his hardwork in mastering his craft. Derek Gaines: indeed a star on the rise. You have the support of the BlackOut family brotha. Keep up your hustle.
IF YOU ASK, I CAN TELL YOU NOW
President Obama reaffirms at a homosexual rally in Washington D.C. that he will end the military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, although he didn’t give a firm timetable on when exactly he would end the military policy. Obama is working with the Pentagon and the Congress with ending the policy created by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
“We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country,” Obama said. “We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage … especially when we are fighting two wars.” According to the Associated Press, Obama also called on Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits and He [Obama] also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners.
Our President has received a lot of flack for making promises with no timeline for completion of the various goals he has promised. The Gay and Lesbian community indeed question his genuineness regarding his efforts to address the concerns of their community, just as the Latino community holds Obama accountable for failing to address the Immigration issue. We’ll see how Obama responds in the coming days and weeks.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 9, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: He that refuses instruction despises his own soul: but he that hears reproof gets understanding.
OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
President Barack Obama was award the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The news was stunning to both the White House and President Obama. President Obama won due to his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.
According to the Associate Press, Obama’s election and foreign policy moves caused a dramatic improvement in the image of the U.S. around the world – A 25-nation poll of 27,000 people released in July by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found double-digit boosts to the percentage of people viewing the U.S. favorably in countries around the world. Also, according to the Associated Press, the award appeared to be a slap at Bush from a committee that harshly criticized Obama’s predecessor for his largely unilateral military action in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks; the Nobel committee praised Obama’s creation of “a new climate in international politics” and said he had returned multilateral diplomacy and institutions like the U.N. to the center of the world stage.
Congrats to President Obama. We finally have a guy that is working to make things a bit better for our country and our world. But does anyone think that this was way too soon? I do. No knock on Obama, but he hasn’t been in office for a year, and I am not sure when rhetoric earned you a peace prize. I caution President Obama, there is more work to do…starting with this health care situation. Guaranteeing that all will be insured sounds great, but this plan in Congress seems nothing more than more people paying the same crooks. Mr. President, I urge you to continue to address your international peace efforts and domestic policies designed to promote justice for all.
WATER ON THE MOON?
NASA successfully launched a rocket to the moon’s surface this morning in an effort to see if there is any water on the moon. According to CNN, the mission cost $79 Million. NASA believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency’s quest to explore the solar system.
I think that exploring the Solar System isn’t the end of what American is looking to find out. I believe that our nation is looking for water so that (1) they can possibly transport water from the Moon to the Earth and/or (2) people can live there. That may seem farfetched, but I doubt that it is. Stay tuned people.
NCAA STRIKES AGAIN STRIPPING A POTENTIAL TOP TEN PICK HIS SEASON
In an interesting story from the world of sports, the NCAA has suspended indefinitely Oklahoma State standout Wide Reciever Dez Bryant for a NCAA rule violation. The infraction was that Bryant, “fail[ed] to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU.”
According to ESPN Radio’s Doug Gottlieb, a former Oklahoma State basketball player, [Oklahoma State ]Cowboys coaches told him last year that Bryant would “disappear” for days at a time to train with Primetime — who operates his own camp for NFL hopefuls, “Prime U,” — in Dallas, and found Sanders evasive when they tried to contact him about his relationship with Bryant. Bryant visited the home of Deion Sanders last summer to do some offseason training. Bryant will make his appeal to the NCAA for leniency next week.
According to Deion Sanders, here is how the whole thing went down: “The kid panicked, man…He panicked. He thought it was a violation to come over to my house and it isn’t. He said no, that he hadn’t been over here, and I said, yeah, he had been over here. I don’t lie and he panicked.” With that being said, Bryant’s college career is over. The NCAA strikes again. Bryant shouldn’t have lied. But the NCAA doesn’t have to be too strict. NCAA…get over yourself.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
$829 BILLION FOR HEALTH CARE
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the latest version of the Senate Finance Committee proposal would expand coverage to 94 percent of all eligible Americans at a 10-year cost of $829 billion. Also, the Congressional Budget Office also notes that the legislation would reduce federal deficits by $81 billion over a decade and could lead to continued reductions in federal red ink in the years beyond.
Unfortunately, the 6 percent left uncovered in this new plan amounts to 25 million people – 17 million who are U.S. citizens. The full rollout of the plan will be in effect by 2019. Currently, 50 million people are uninsured in the United States. According to the Associated Press, beginning in 2013, Americans would be required to get health insurance, through an employer or a government program or by buying it themselves – Failure to obey the requirement would result in penalties of up to $750 per family. Purchasing health insurance individually from a company can be tough to do in terms of finding the best deal for the best price. The Administration would have helps in place to help those families/individuals purchasing insurance themselves.
According to the Associated Press, The legislation also would ban current insurance industry practices that deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and restrict companies’ ability to charge vastly higher premiums on the basis of age, gender or other factors. Democrats hope to hold votes on both the House and Senate floors in the coming weeks.
BAREFOOT BURGLAR
Since November of last year, Washington State had to deal with someone crashing small airplanes after he stole them from where they sat. The last plane to be crashed was worth a reported $500,000. Who does the County Sheriff suspect, a college kid.
18 year-old Colton Harris-Moore has been on the radar of the police for years, starting with his arrest when he was 12 years old for burglary. “Colt” as he is affectionately called has a fan page on facebook. He is dubbed the “barefoot burglar” because of course, he burglarized homes barefoot. According to CNN, Harris-Moore dropped out of high school and police believe he spent his teens burglarizing unoccupied homes on Camano Island, a vacation community of about 15,000 people off the Washington state coast. Before the age of 15, Harris-Moore had been arrested nine times. Harris-Moore is considered a suspect in the recent crashing and stealing of planes in Washington State. Authorities are investigating the various reports and hope to arrest Harris-Moore soon. They might have a hard time finding him…he lives in the woods. Good look to the cops.
NFL ROOKIE AND IRAQ VETERAN DIES
Tony Fein, a veteran of the recent Iraq war and an NFL rookie linebacker, recently passed away from an unexplained causes after collapsing at a friend’s house in what his agent said appears to be “an accidental situation,” according to the Associate Press. Fein, 27, was an undrafted rookie from the University of Mississippi. He was recently cut from the Baltimore Ravens at the end of Training Camp.
According to the Associate Press, Fein was lying face down and unconscious, vomiting and barely breathing when medics arrived at a house outside Port Orchard on the Kitsap Peninsula just before 9 a.m PDT Tuesday. There is no suspicion of foul play, drugs or alcohol associated with the death.
According to the Ravens website, Fein played quarterback for South Kitsap High School before graduating in 2000. At age 19 he enlisted and spent 3 1/2 years in the Army, including duty in Iraq as a 19 Delta reconnaissance scout. He later enrolled at Scottsdale, Ariz., Community College, became one of the nation’s top junior college recruits and played for Ole Miss in 2007 and 2008. In two seasons at Ole Miss, he had 136 tackles (77 solo) in 24 games, according to the club’s Web site. On behalf of the BlackOut staff, our sorrow and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Fein.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother
NOTE TO OBAMA: NO MORE D’S
According to the Institute of Southern Studies, 50 local leaders from the Gulf of Mexico region gave the Obama Administration poor grades when it comes to the Katrina Recovery effort in the gulf region. According to the study, Gulf Coast leaders give the Obama administration’s recovery efforts a grade of D+ and the only area where Obama ranked higher than a D was in the administration’s willingness to “publicly acknowledge the challenges facing recovering Gulf Coast communities,” which earned a C-. Also, according to the study, the Gulf Coast leaders didn’t report much improvement over the previous administration: The Obama’s grade of D+ was only slightly higher than the D- grade for President George W. Bush.
Note to the Obama Administration – I know that you got a lot of initiatives going on with the country and I commend you for your hard work: Let’s not forget the Gulf. To see the report, please visit this link: http://www.southernstudies.org/ISSKatrina%204YearReport.pdf
CONGRESS TO GIVE YOUR UNBORN CHILD MONEY
Yes, the United States Congress are actually debating giving your child a bank account upon their birth with the goal of promoting savings that would later be used for education, a first home, or retirement. It is called the America Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement and Education Act.
According to Yahoo finance would give each child born in the United States a $500 savings account. Recipients could then use that money once they were older to pay for education, a first home, or retirement; Low-income children would receive additional funding, and all participants could add to their accounts over time. This idea already has bipartisan support and other than the hurdle of fiscally accountability and how this thing is gonna be paid for, this might pass in Congress. This is an awesome idea because maybe, just maybe, this could be a springboard or inspiration for families, who wouldn’t do so otherwise, to save for the future of their kids. Kudos to the government for investing in the nation’s unborn. Folks, now you have a reason to make those babies.
KWAME KILPATRICK: STILL LIVING LARGE
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could be on his way back to jail if he is not too careful. The man is living in Texas and is on Probation from his scandal back in Detroit. To refresh your memory, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to assault and obstruction of justice charges for his role in firing the city police chief, not to mention he cheated on his wife with his chief of staff, which was what got him in trouble with the federal charges in the first place: they found emails and texts that came into question which broke open the scandal.
Detroit prosecutors are upset that Kilpatrick has been reported to have a Cadillac Escalade and living in a million dollar mansion in Southlake, Texas…He owes 1 million dollars to the city of Detroit, so to have the house and Caddy is a bit suspect to the courts. His lawyer argues that the car was a gift and the house is being paid for by Kwame and a “friend” and that the scrutiny is only because it is Kwame Kilpatrick. According to Black America Web, several black professionals said Kilpatrick could find himself back in jail if he’s not careful. “This could get ugly,” said one Detroit political observer who has had previous associations with the Kilpatricks. Kwame…brotha…get it together. Let the likes of Marion Berry and O.J. Simpson teach you that you only get 1 “negro get outta jail free card.”
TUESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
WINNERS AND LOSERS IN OBAMA-CARE
The Senate Finance Committee will take a vote this week on legislation designed to overhaul the nation’s health care system, as proposed by President Obama. Drugmakers, hospitals and clinical laboratories are the winners in the newest version of a plan to expand Americans’ access to health care. According to Bloomberg News, Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest drugmaker, and hospital companies including Community Health Systems Inc. are benefiting from agreements with President Barack Obama that will limit any threat to their profits. What it all means is this: It will cost $4 Trillion…$4 TRILLION DOLLARS people…to overhaul the current health care system. Why are drug companies so happy? They only have to contribute $80 billion to the overhaul. That is only 2% – collectively from all the drugmakers…one hell of a bargain. Laboratories and hospitals benefit in other ways. The losers are the middlemen – drug retail managers and medical device makers, having to contribute more profits than the drug companies. You find a mixed bag for the insurance companies.
Basically what happened was that folks in Reagan’s Administration met with Alexander Sosa and they brokered a deal so that he could bring the yayo to the U.S. – all in moderation, with kickbacks to the politicians. That was sort of a raw analogy, but that is what happened. The drug cartels (Drugmakers) met with the government to discuss how to fix the system so that more people can get their drugs, masquerading it all as “helping” Americans receive health care. In reality, they will get health care, but the cost have been given to other entities other than the drug companies, organizations who will suffer in the process, so although folks my get coverage, the system will continue to suffer, in other ways – All so that there is no public option…The moral of this story is that people don’t like “socialism” not because restricting capitalism restricts freedom, but because it restricts greed. And the people suffer.
AFGHANISTAN IS NICE THIS TIME OF YEAR
According to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Sec. of State Hilary Clinton, we won’t be leaving Afghanistan anytime soon. According to Sec. Gates, the Taliban has the momentum in this fight meaning that to take over the Taliban would enable Al Qaeda to be more powerful as a terrorist network.
In a quote from Sec. Gates told to CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour, “Because of our inability and the inability, frankly, of our allies to put enough troops in Afghanistan, the Taliban do have the momentum right now.” According to CNN, Gates made clear that no matter what Obama decides on immediate troop levels, the United States will remain in Afghanistan to continue efforts to dismantle terrorist organizations and help with economic development and nation building. It seems like we gave up Iraq for Afghanistan. Afghanistan is where our attentions should have been in the first place. And we’re still in Iraq, even if in a limited capacity.
Folks, our nation has invested heavily in the Middle East/South Asia areas. Our troops should prepare to be there for a long time…it is just a part of being an empire, trying to maintain what little power or influence it has over the rest of the world.
LETTERMAN APOLOGIZES TO WIFE
I cannot put this in the Superstar Negro column, because Letterman isn’t a Negro, but David Letterman is in some trouble here. He put himself on blast last week so that he couldn’t be extorted for 2 million dollars. Wise move. I’d rather put myself out there then have to live in secrecy and lose money in the process. But the issue is that had the threat of the blackmailing never come up, he wouldn’t have told his wife.
But, it did and he finally “apologized” to her. Here is a quote from Letterman that he gave last night, according to Yahoo News:
“And at that point, there’s only two things that can happen: either you’re going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you’re going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me.” [Letterman said he was] “terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position. Inadvertently, I just wasn’t thinking ahead … my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in.”
Indeed he does. Trust me, all men understand that temptation is strong. Many of us have failed in one way or another regarding being true to the one we are with, myself included. It is tough, particularly when you exert power, authority or influence in order to get what you want. But we must do the best we can to resist temptation. And only by the grace of God can you do that. I feel for Letterman and his family. I hope they can get through this. That is more important than his job and his money. Without the money, he’ll still have his family. Without his family, he’ll feel as though he has nothing.
MONDAY OCTOBER 5, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
SUPREME COURT CASES TO WATCH
I know that many of us don’t keep up with the news as we should, let alone keeping up with what cases end up in the Supreme Court of the United States, but here are some cases for us to pay attention to as the Court begins to resume business.
- American Needle v. NFL – American Needle contracted with the NFL to make hats, jerseys and other sportswear, but in 2000, the NFL signed a deal with Reebok to be the exclusive producer of such sportswear. American Needle thus filed a suit against the league. This is big because the suit challenges the NFL immunity from the Sherman Antitrust Act. Because the league is currently immune, they can grant exclusive licenses on apparel production and make decisions on a league-wide scale. They can do this because they are a single entity. American Needle will essentially be asking the court to consider the league as a house for 32 private businesses (Teams). It will be interesting to see how the court rules.
- Graham v. Florida / Sullivan v. Florida – The issue here is whether or not life imprisonment for juveniles on non-homicide charges constitute cruel and unusual punishment. The Court will essentially be asked to define cruel and unusual punishment in relation to two cases: a 13 year old sent to prison for life without parole for the sexual assault of an elderly woman (Sullivan) and a 19 year old violating his parole by attempting armed robbery (Graham), who was also sentenced to life without parole.
- Salazar v. Buono – At issue is whether or not the government can display a crucifix on public lands as per the establishment clause. The establishment clause, which establishes the separation of church and state, will be tested here. Basically, a crucifix sits on a national Indian reserve. The crucifix was to be removed after Buddhists were denied the chance to make their own memorial on the same land by the U.S. Park Service. Congress stepped in and passed a law making it illegal to remove the cross. Is such a law unconstitutional? The Court will decide.
NFL COACH ARRESTED?
Oakland Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable could be facing an arrest and possible jail time. The Oakland Raiders are already one of the worst teams in the NFL, the last thing that they need is for more negative publicity. Tom Cable could be arrested due to an alleged assault on a Raiders Assistant Coach.
Raiders Assistant Coach Randy Hanson told police that he was assaulted by Cable on August 5th during team training camp. Police aren’t in a rush to make such an arrest, citing that arresting someone in this case isn’t as easy as some might think. Whatever the case, the Oakland Raiders don’t need this sort of trouble. They have enough trouble winning this year. Yesterday the team lost to the Houston Texans 29-6. The quarterback isn’t playing well and neither is the defense. The coach should be able to fix this, but not when he’s worrying about possibly getting arrested. Get it together Oakland.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS 9.8% FOR SEPTEMBER
The unemployment rate finished at 9.8% for September, the highest since June of 1983…Employers continue to cut jobs despite the economic forecast calling for the recessions end being soon. According to the US Labor Department, the economy lost 263,000 jobs last month. The forecast was only 180,000 jobs to be lost. The Labor Department also said that 15.1 million people total are out of work in the US and more that 7.2 million jobs have been eliminated since the start of this recession in December of 2007. Folks, although we’re told that we aren’t in a recession any longer, businesses don’t seem to agree.
CHICAGO LOSES OLYMPIC BID
The 2016 Olympic games will be held in either Rio de Janeiro or Madrid. Chicago is out of the running. All of that hard work…gone. Of the four cities vying for a spot (Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid) Chicago was eliminated first. Toyko was eliminated second. All the talk was about Chicago and Rio being in the top two…Madrid was on the come up because the former president of the IOC vouched for his home country. Sorry Chicago…sorry Barack, Michelle and Oprah. Maybe now, as my colleague so aptly put it, the city can concentrate on some other important matters, like violence against the youth.
TD BANK, MESSING WITH YOUR MONEY?
Yesterday, TD Bank had an issue…Direct Deposits weren’t showing and thus, folks could not get a hold of their money. Why such a big deal? Yesterday was the first and many people receive paycheck on the first of the month. The first of the month is also when rent bills are due and mortgage bills are due. You can see the issue with this development.
The problem stemmed from TD Bank finally converting Commerce Bank accounts into TD Bank accounts. There was a technical glitch which caused account postings and accessibility after Wednesday to be unavailable. When people began calling customer service, the department stopped answering calls. People grew fearful and thus a mass panic started. As of today, the problem is being fixed by TD Bank officials. Any charges incurred by TD customers will be reimbursed. But in the future, keep your eyes on your bank. It may just save your life.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
CAPITALISM HONORS COMMUNISM?!?
Today’s news might seem like more opinion than news, but this is a bit interesting. Yesterday, in honor of the 60th anniversary of communist rule in China, red and yellow lights were displayed at the top of the Empire State Building at dusk. Why?
Now the building is often lit to mark anniversaries or special events…tributes and stuff like that. When Rutgers football was actually doing well for the first time ever, the building was lit red in honor of them. So, the NYC is known for this. But communist China??? This would have never happened under Eisenhower’s watch or even Kennedy’s watch. I just wonder why the U.S. is honoring communist China. Is it to look good to a place that we owe a boat load of money to? Is it so that we can coarse them to join with us to pressure Iran to get rid of their nuking capability? China is a communist ruling country. Personal freedoms and such are a no no. They have a system of separating the worthy from the unworthy, in terms of their worth to the country. Totalitarianism folks…this is China. I just find this interesting don’t you?
Many politicians were pissed at this development. But according to the Associated Press, the building manager Joseph Bellina called the lights a high honor and said he was proud of the relationship between “our countries and our people.” Let’s look into the business of the Empire State Building for a second. It is owned by Malkin Securities, the top real estate syndication company in the U.S. The President, Anthony E. Malkin, is a friend to the Democratic Party. How much of a friend, according to Watchdog.com a friend to the tune of $136,650 donated between 1996 and 2007 to Democratic candidates and campaign committees. That might not seem like that much but the amounts he gave were the maximum levels for an individual donor. What does he have to do with the agenda of the Democratic Party or even President Obama’s political agenda? I am not sure, but this man is a part of Wall Street, he is a friend of the Clinton’s and who knows what other connections that he has, but I am willing to guess that he has some ties to folks that have a political agenda that we are not aware of.
I have to do more research on this thing, but I’ve been doing some research on these various conspiracies and I’ll bring my results to you at a later time. I just find things interesting on how the world seems to be drawing closer. Folks talk about globalization…we already know that the economy is globalized, as with technology – the globalization of government isn’t too far away. Please educate yourselves and be on the lookout. As the old church goers always say, watch and pray.
SAVE YOUR GOLD
I just want to draw your attentions to the many advertisements to sell your gold. It is in the newspapers, magazines and on television, particularly during the times many working class or poor people, who have gold, are watching… Maury, Wendy Williams, Jerry Springer, Cheaters…yeah, those shows…The commercials are also on cable too. VH1? Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kendra, and a host of other reality shows. They are on the Cartoon Network, ESPN; they are everywhere.
Why are they so prevalent? I am not sure. But I have a hunch. I think that the Power Structure wants you to get rid of your gold, because there is no worth in paper money. Money is supposed to be backed by gold. So then where is the gold? Who has the gold? 9 times out of 10, the Federal Reserve does. But why would they want us to sell our gold, what sense does that make? Well, I am not completely sure. I just know that the Federal Reserve Bank is not a “Federal Bank.” It is separate and apart from our federal government…yet they control the money. They make monetary policy in our country; they control the rates of inflation and deflation, yet Congress cannot regulate them. In an interview a few years ago, Alan Greenspan, former Fed chairman, said that the Fed was above any government regulation, meaning that government cannot control it. That is scary.
Congressman Ron Paul has a book out – End the Fed. I urge you to get it. Learn about the Federal Reserve Bank, which was created years before the Great Depression – bailed out the United States – And has been paid back ever since. How? I’ll let you do the research, so that you don’t take my word for it. Folks, if you have gold, keep it. Years ago, I purchased a chain and a charm in gold, because I wanted to be fly. All the Rappers did and continue to do it. Well, it seems like the Rappers maybe on to something here… Keep your gold; trust that I will not be selling mine.
NEW JERSEY – HERE IS YOUR MONEY
Hey New Jersey…want to know where your tax money goes? Visit http://php.courierpostonline.com/taxcrush/TaxMachine.php
If you get pissed, call your state representative and let them know how pissed you are.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
EARTHQUAKE TRIGGERS TSUNAMI
A massive earthquake and tsunami hit the South Pacific; Samoa, American Samoa and other islands, yesterday. As of now, the death toll is 99. Dozens more are missing. The earthquake registered at 8.0. Tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) high roared ashore on American Samoa, reaching up to a mile (1.5 kilometers) inland according to Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa.
President Obama has declared a state of emergency for American Samoa and has enlisted the help of the U.S. Coast Guard and FEMA to assist with health and recovery efforts on the island. Please keep these folks in your hearts and prayers.
DESPITE LOSS, DEMS VOW TO FIGHT
Yesterday, The Senate Finance Committee defeated the proposal for the public option within the future health care reform bill. The amendments of Senators Schumer of NY and Rockefeller of WV were not enough to gain the support of the committee; Max Baucus, committee chairman and senate Democrat, joined with Republicans to vote against the proposal.
The public option is the biggest point of contention between the parties. Many Democrats agree that the public option is needed to keep insurance companies honest and maximize competition within the insurance market. Republicans believe the opposite, citing that the public option will do more to hurt competition rather than reinforce it. Senator Schumer said that he is confident that a bill will be passed including the public option and that he feels that support is growing for the measure. Folks, stay tuned in this debate. President Obama and those in favor of the public option have a lot of work to do if they want to get this passed with the public option component.
My thoughts on the issue are simple; I believe that everyone deserves to be cared for. Health care should be provided for all. But, health care cost money and health care in a free market means that folks will make money off of caring for other people. Having said that, while I agree that all should be cared for I question the genuineness of the public option in a society that capitalizes on the plight of people. I want to believe that my government cares for me and wants to protect me. On the other hand, who is running my government and is there an intention for the public option that we don’t know about. TANF was to bail out the backs, but remember folks, when Henry Paulson got his hands on the money, the Federal Reserve Bank decided to change how the funds would be dispersed. Not trying to sound cynical, just being real.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts
SENSELESS KILLING IN CHICAGO
People get sad when good kids get killed. But it is sad when any kid gets killed, good or bad. Good kids are the ones that the community and families got a hold of. The so called bad kids are the ones that families and the community couldn’t hold onto for one reason or another. Simply put, the city of Chicago lost more kids last week.
Last Thursday, 16 year old honor student Derrion Albert was killed as he walked in the middle of a gang fight. The 16 year old was beaten and stomped to death. Saturday, September 19, 17 year old Corey McClaurin was murdered while sitting in his car. Regarding the death of 16 year old Albert, all the suspects involved are teens and are being charged as adults, according to the Chicago Police Department.
2009 has been a tough year for youth in Chicago. According to Chicago Police Department records reviewed by BlackAmericaWeb.com, 20 people between the ages of 10 and 16 had been killed by the end of August; the number in the next category – ages 17 to 25 – jumps dramatically to 123 for the first eight months of the year and the majority of the murder victims – 75 percent – are black with a majority of the suspects – 71 percent – are black. This is our community folks. We continue to do this to each other. Something has got to give. We have got to take a stand and decide to do something. We don’t need to march in the streets. We simply need to take care of our families, specifically, the men need to take care of our families – society continues to try and strip Black men of their manhood, but we must fight it, and stop this nonsense from destroying our communities.
EAST CLEVELAND MAYOR IS A CROSSDRESSER???
Eric Brewer, mayor of East Cleveland Ohio is in the middle of an election year. There is the game of dirty politics to be played but what happens when the media gets a hold of some damaging photos? What happens when there are pictures circulating the internet with pictures of you as a cross-dresser? Ask Mayor Brewer.
Mayor Brewer’s response, it is gutter politics being played by the police during election time. The police department’s response, the mayor is turning his racy photos into an attempt to attack the police for department corruption. The mayor’s opponent says that he had nothing to do with the leak of these photos. It’s a lot of he said, she said going on in this case. The fact of the matter is, these “two people” look striking similar. You look at the photos and judge for yourself. At the end of the day, it really shouldn’t matter if a mayor cross-dresses in their spare time. If they do a good job as mayor, then they should be allowed to continue to serve or be reelected.
But still, this is nasty. For more on this story, visit http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-mayor-scandal,0,5392472.story
FACEBOOK REMOVES OBAMA KILLING POLL
Facebook recently removed a poll asking Facebook users if they think that President Obama should be killed. There were four responses to choose from: (1) Yes, (2) No, (3) Maybe, and (4) Only if he cuts health care. Facebook officials had no idea who was behind the poll, attributing its creation to a third party developer. The Secret Service confirmed that it has launched an investigation into the matter. For those of you who did not know, it is a crime to threaten the life of a President. But Secret Service officials also said that tasteless comments usually don’t merit legal action.
This is another case of poor taste and ignorance. But it goes to show that most forums allow anyone to say just about anything or create anything no matter how offensive. It is one thing to have your opinion about the ability of one person to do a job or have an opinion about the office of the President, but to incite something like asking if a man should get killed, that is uncalled for. None of us are God. None of us has the power to judge. As Jesus said to the Pharisees as they sought to stone Mary Magdalene, “Let those of you without sin cast the first stone.” I didn’t care for George Bush, but I never thought the man should have been killed. Folks may disagree with Obama or think him as a puppet; there is no need to ask a question like that.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
CONGRATS TO MR. & MRS. ODOM
Yesterday, as we all know, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom tied the knot in Los Angeles. The pair met at a party held by newly signed Laker Ron Artest over a month ago. In attendance at the wedding was close family and friends. Sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian served as the maids of honor. Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Lakers Superstar Kobe Bryant were also in attendance.
Unlike the many celebrity couples gone wrong, we here at BlackOut Weekly wish this couple the best of luck. We hope that this marriage last like Will and Jada rather than Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson.
DEMOCRATS FINALLY – PUSHING THE PUBLIC OPTION
It seems as though the Democrats in Congress will finally go ahead and push for the public option. The Senate Finance Committee will be taking a vote tomorrow on the public option insurance program. According to Bloomberg News, Senators Chuck Schumer of NY and Jay Rockerfeller of WV are pressing the issue after the committee’s chairman, Senator Max Baucus of Montana, endorse more limited more limited health cooperative in a bid to draw Republican support.
The insurance industry is meeting this news with opposition and anger. “A new government-run plan would dismantle employer coverage, bankrupt hospitals, and increase the federal deficit,” said Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans in Washington. “The American people want policymakers to enact reforms that will ease the burden of rising health-care costs, not new taxes that will increase the cost coverage for families and small businesses.” According to Bloomberg News, Rockefeller and Schumer will introduce amendments to include a public plan in a finance panel draft; Baucus has opted to eliminate the provision, as Republicans argued that its federally backed buying power might drive private insurers out of business.
Folks, I urge that you call your local Congressmen and urge that they push for meaningful healthcare reform. Personal, I am unsure of the best answer, but what needs to happen is that all get the opportunity to have quality care without the financial barriers put in place because of insurance companies. Also, watch your Congressmen…U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey represents Merck & Co., one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. Continue to be informed.
KUDOS TO BROOKS BROTHERS & PA STATE REPRESENTATIVES
In a great story from Fox29 News in Philadelphia, a group of homeless rights who made an appearance in front of Capital Hill was received so well, they were invited to the Congressional Black Caucus Ball. Since they were homeless, they had nothing to wear to the Ball. One of the homeless gentlemen made a request to Brooks Brothers for a donation of suits for this ball. Brooks Brothers answered the call. They provided each man (4) with suits, shirts, ties, shoes and other accessories. Congressman Chaka Fattah paid their way to the event. The ball was held over the weekend and the gentlemen were well received; speaking and engaging with folks including CA Congresswoman Maxine Waters, NFL great Jim Brown and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.
This is a great story of good will and perseverance in spite of one struggle. Peace and blessings to these men and the great folks who helped them out with this endeavor. For video coverage, please visit the link on this webpage under the VodPod tab.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2009
PROVERB OF THE DAY: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
ANOTHER BANK SHUTS DOWN
Friday, U.S. regulators shut down another bank. Georgian Bank is the 95th U.S. Bank to fail this year due to loan defaults. More banks are expected to close before the year is out. The state of Georgia alone has had 19 bank failures.
The FDIC took over the bank in July to try to right the ship, along with a South Carolina based bank, yet there wasn’t much that could be done to save the Georgia bank. Both parties agreed to share in Georgian Bank’s losses – over 2 billion.
According to the Associated Press, hundreds more banks are expected to fail nationwide in the next few years largely because of souring loans for commercial real estate. The Associated Press also says the number of banks on the FDIC’s confidential “problem list” jumped to 416 at the end of June from 305 in the first quarter; that’s the highest number since June 1994, during the savings-and-loan crisis. Last month, Guaranty Bank, the second largest U.S. Bank, failed and was shut down – the tenth largest in U.S. history; Colonial Bank, a major real estate vendor, failed last month as well. It was the largest failure this year and the sixth largest in U.S. history with $25 billion in assests.
Folks, big business – blue chip businesses – are feeling the pinch from the economic downturn. But I do believe that this issue runs deeper than what we see on the surface. I suggest that everyone take time out to see Michael Moore’s new movie – Capitalism, A Love Story. It is in movie on Friday and if you know anything about Michael Moore movies, you know that he will bring the real. I am not sure if we can trust our government with all that is going on. We certainly cannot trust big business. Who can we trust??? We must learn to trust ourselves and be informed.
IRAN + NUKES = UH OH
This morning, Iran test-fired a handful of short-range missiles as part of a large scale military exercise planned over the next couple of days. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Sunday the exercise, called “Great Prophet 4,” was being carried out to assess “recent development and tactical progress” in Iran’s missile-defense systems, according to Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami, an IRGC spokesman quoted by state news outlets.
Last week, President Obama made his plea to the United Nations to work as a group to help create a world without nuclear weapons. He asked that the UN get tougher in regards to sanctions against nations with nuclear programs, this includes Iran. Yesterday, President Obama said that he would approach Iran with diplomatic measures in an effort to cease their nuclear program. With all of that said, Iran continues to carry out their nuclear program. Is that because they do not take the UN or President Obama seriously? With troops in Afghanistan and other Asian territories fighting terrorism, Obama must be careful not to spread his resources too thin, when dealing with Iran and North Korea and the nuclear programs problem. If Israel seeks to defend itself based on its intelligence, Obama may be forced to send troops to the Middle East to help the alley. It is bad enough that man other nations don’t want to help the U.S., Israel must not polarize the U.S. via acting hastily with defending itself from Muslim nations, particularly Iran. It has taken Obama time to get countries like China and Russia, an ally of Iran in a number of initiatives, to join the U.S. in calling for sanctions. Scripture has a lot to say about these things. This is a situation that needs to be watched.
TAX INFO
For those of you who live in New Jersey, the Courier Post is running an 8 day report titled “Fighting New Jersey’s Tax Crush.” New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. Gannett New Jersey takes a hard look at why property taxes are so high — and what can be done to fix them. This is some interesting stuff.
For more info on the story, visit: http://php.courierpostonline.com/taxcrush/dayone.php
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
MIKE VICK IS BACK
After two and a half years of missing football, Michael Vick will return to regular season action this week as the Philadelphia Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in Philadelphia. The game is scheduled for 1pm and will be broadcasted locally of Fox29.
Michael Vick pleaded guilty to dog fighting charges in 2007. He served 20 months in a federal prison. He was released in July. The Philadelphia Eagles signed the embattled quarterback in August. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Vick for the first two weeks of the football season. Eagles coaches informed the press yesterday that Vick would play. How much would depend on the flow of the game and the way the offensive plays would be called.
I for one am excited for Michael Vick and Philadelphia Eagles fans. There was a lot of fan fare regarding his signing to the team and there was opposition as well. The man paid his debt to society and I am excited to see Vick get some action for the regular season. What Vick did was horrible and stupid. As a professional athlete, he should have kept his nose clean. Instead, he got caught up with his friends and it cost him his freedom, years of his football career and millions of dollars. Hopefully, Vick learned his lesson and he will serve as an example for the many young adults out there that good decision making is essential to success in anything. I am not an Eagles fan, but I wish the Eagles good luck and I especially wish Vick the best of luck. Besides, McNabb always gets hurt…we may see more of Vick this season.
Kudos to the Eagles for signing Vick; kudos to Vick, as he travels on his road of redemption.
A POSSIBLE CURE FOR AIDS
According to researchers, there is new hope in the war against AIDS. Scientists have conducted a HIV study in Thailand with a prototype vaccine. The results – the vaccine protected one in three from getting HIV. The medicine is lauded as the first successful AIDS vaccine. Many scientists and researchers never thought that this day would happen due to many setbacks in the chemical fight against the deadly virus.
According to the Associated Press, the study used two vaccines that work in different ways, and that may be one reason the strategy worked, even though neither vaccine did when tested individually in earlier trials, scientists say — the combo cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the study of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok.
Although scientists are cautious saying that this vaccine is not ready for worldwide use, the optimism for this breakthrough is far reaching in the scientific world. If this vaccine proves to be worthwhile, it could be the hope of people all around the world. According to UNAIDS, a United Nations Agency, 7,500 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; 2 million died of AIDS in 2007. In the African American Community, AIDS has had a devastating impact. If this thing is for real, finally, we can see some relief for the millions of folks suffering with this disease, especially in Africa, where a vaccine is long overdue. My prayer and sincerest hope is that the scientists and researchers working tirelessly on this get it right. With all of the pain and the hurt going on in the world, something like a cure for AIDS is well needed good news. And if they don’t find the cure via this vaccine…just call Magic…cause he has the cure.
For more on this story check out: http://health.yahoo.com/news/ap/med_aids_vaccine.html
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
OBAMA SAYS NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS
With President Obama presiding over a historic session, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a U.S.-sponsored resolution Thursday committing all nations to work for a nuclear weapons-free world.
This week, President Obama has spent time in New York City, to speak with world leaders regarding the change in U.S. foreign policy as it pertains to terrorism and terrorist activities. According to the Associated Press, the resolution calls for stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote disarmament and “reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism.” With the support of Russia, China, France and the U.K., President Obama and the Security Council hope to reach the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons materials within the next four years. These aims to rid nuclear weapons are clearly directed at North Korea and Iran.
Iranian officials refuted any accusations against the nation and said that they were ready willing and able to work with other nations in negotiations regarding nuclear weapons. This is a tough situation for Obama and the rest of the folks seeking a nuclear free world. Countries like Iran and
North Korea make a lot of money from producing these materials and/or weapons. They also like to have the option to bomb an enemy.
The UN, as a sanction based body, haven’t had a lot of success influencing the actions of other nations positively. I sincerely hope that this resolution is successful at ridding the world of these deadly weapons. Am I sincerely optimistic that this will happen, no.
NO JEW, NO MONEY
Interesting story here from the Associated Press; the Illinois Supreme Court gave a Jewish Dentist from Chicago the okay to impose a guideline to his grandchildren regarding his will – they wouldn’t receive a dime of his money if they didn’t marry a Jew.
Max Feinberg, apparently a proud Jew, caused family feuds and tension. But at the end of the day, the will was contested and after too defeats from the circuit court and the appeals court, Feinberg got his victory from the Supreme Court, overturning the decision of the lower court. According to Justice Rita Garman, “Equal protection does not require that all children be treated equally … and the free exercise clause does not require a grandparent to treat grandchildren who reject his religious beliefs and customs in the same manner as he treats those who conform to his traditions.”
How many of us could see our parents doing that if we came home with a White person, an Asian, or Tyrone from apartment 6C from the Washington Park Projects in Inner City USA? Thankfully for many of us from working class and lower-middle class families, our parents don’t have the types of money to demand crazy things like that from us. The worse thing that I’d have to deal with from my parents if I bought home a White girl would be occasional smart ass comments and crazy looks.
But I am no hater…If I had stacks like that maybe I’d do the same.
Check out this story at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_re_us/us_illinois_inheritance_jews_only
Leave a comment
Comments feed for this article