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School Teacher Sends Nude Photos to a Student

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:30:00 +0000

A former New Hampshire high school teacher has pleaded guilty to a charge she e-mailed nude photographs of herself to a 15-year-old student. Forty-one-year-old Melinda Dennehy of Hampstead entered the plea Monday to a misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure. According to police, the ex-teacher sent ‘four sexy shots of herself,’ with her ‘genitals exposed,’ to her 15-year-old male student. The sophomore to which the photos had been sent told police that Dennehy texted him detailing sexual acts she wanted to perform with him.

As part of a plea agreement, Dennehy was given a suspended jail sentence on the condition that she remain on good behavior and have no contact with the child or go to the high school.

source: read more..

Rev. Al Sharpton, a Newsweek Cover Story

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:31:17 +0000

In a Newsweek cover story titled “The Reinvention of the Reverend,” writers Allison Samuels and Jerry Adler give their perspective of the “indefatigable” Al Sharpton.

Read a snippet of the News Week article below

If the Rev. Al Sharpton didn’t exist, he would have had to be invented. In fact, the novelist Tom Wolfe has claimed he did invent him, in the character of the Reverend Bacon, a supporting figure in The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Each generation of black America gives birth to its own incarnation of the charismatic preacher-activist who confronts the white power structure in the streets and talks circles around it on Meet the Press.

Just a few months after the fictional Bacon made his appearance in 1987, the real Sharpton burst onto the national stage as the fiery advocate for Tawana Brawley, a New York teenager who claimed to have been raped by a gang of white men, including a policeman.

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Al Sharpton at the round table

NYC To Pay Sean Bell’s Family $7 Million

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:30:18 +0000

Sean Bell’s daughters and two friends who were with him the night he was killed will receive a $7 million settlement as a result of the federal lawsuit they filed.

New York City agreed on Tuesday to pay more than $7 million to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the family and two friends of Sean Bell, a 23-year-old black man fatally shot by the police in 2006, on what would have been his wedding day.

The decision came after two days of intense negotiations in Federal District Court in Brooklyn. The children whom Mr. Bell had with his fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell, will receive $3.25 million, and two friends of Mr. Bell’s who were injured in the episode will also receive payments, with Joseph Guzman getting $3 million, and Trent Benefield $900,000.

The lawsuit, filed in 2007, accused the police of wrongful death, negligence, assault and civil rights violations. But it had repeatedly stalled as the state and federal governments and city police officials investigated the shooting.

source: read more…

I AM SEAN BELL, black boys speak from Stacey Muhammad on Vimeo.

N. J. Teens Beat Immigrant To Death

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:30:18 +0000

Three teens have been charged with murder in the beating death of a 47-year-old Salvadoran immigrant, in the upscale community of Summit, N.J. Not only that, but authorities say the teens also filmed the attack using a phone video-camera, and then circulated the video among teenagers in the town. To add still further insult to injury, as the father of four, Abelino Mazaniego, clung to life, a nurse in the emergency room allegedly helped himself to the $640.00 that was in the victim’s wallet.

Mazaniego had just finished his restaurant shift the evening of July 17 and was relaxing on a bench when three young men, ages 17, 18, 19, approached and decided to attack the man for no apparent reason. According to The Star Ledger, the video recorded at the scene shows one teenager holding Mazaniego’s shirt in front of him while another punched him in the face.

source: read more…

Is Barack Obama Further Dividing America Along Racial Lines?

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:30:17 +0000

Barack Obama promised a new era of post-partisanship. In office, he’s played racial politics and further split the country along class and party lines.

The ‘Beer Summit’: President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass. police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House, July 30, 2009.

During the election campaign, Barack Obama sought to appeal to the best instincts of the electorate, to a post-partisan sentiment that he said would reinvigorate our democracy. He ran on a platform of reconciliation–of getting beyond “old labels” of right and left, red and blue states, and forging compromises based on shared values.

President Obama’s Inaugural was a hopeful day, with an estimated 1.8 million people on the National Mall celebrating the election of America’s first African-American president. The level of enthusiasm, the anticipation and the promise of something better could not have been more palpable.

And yet, it has not been realized. Not at all.

Rather than being a unifier, Mr. Obama has divided America on the basis of race, class and partisanship. Moreover, his cynical approach to governance has encouraged his allies to pursue a similar strategy of racially divisive politics on his behalf.

We have seen the divisive approach under Republican presidents as well–particularly the administrations of Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. By dividing America, Mr. Obama has brought our government to the brink of a crisis of legitimacy, compromising our ability to address our most important policy issues.

We say this with a heavy heart. Both of us share the president’s stated vision of what America can and should be. The struggle for equal rights has animated both of our lives. Both of us were forged politically during the crucible of the civil rights movement. Having worked in the South during the civil rights movement, and on behalf of the ground-breaking elections of African-American mayors such as David Dinkins, Harold Washington and Emanuel Cleaver, we were deeply moved by Mr. Obama’s election.

The first hint that as president Mr. Obama would be willing to interject race into the political dialogue came last July, when he jumped to conclusions about the confrontation between Harvard Prof. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates and the Cambridge police.

During a press conference, the president said that the “Cambridge police acted stupidly,” and he went on to link the arrest with the “long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.”

In truth, the Gates incident appears to have had nothing to do with race–a Cambridge review committee that investigated the incident ruled on June 30 that there was fault on both sides.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) has said the president told him in a closed-door meeting that he would not move to secure the border with Mexico unless and until Congress reached a breakthrough on comprehensive immigration reform. That’s another indication Mr. Obama is willing to continue to play politics with hot-button issues.

Add in the lawsuit against the Arizona immigration law and it’s clear the Obama administration is willing to run the risk of dividing the American people along racial and ethnic lines to mobilize its supporters–particularly Hispanic voters, whose backing it needs in the fall midterm elections and beyond.

As the Washington Post reported last week, two top White House strategists, speaking on condition of anonymity, have indicated that “the White House plans to use the immigration debate to punish the GOP and aggressively seek the Latino vote in 2012.”

On an issue that has gotten much less attention, but is potentially just as divisive, the Justice Department has pointedly refused to prosecute three members of the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation at the polls on Election Day 2008.

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Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

The Basheer Jones and Company Morning Show — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:17:05 +0000

Join the Radio-One/HotCards Team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Saturday, Sept. 11th at the Wolstein Center in Downtown Cleveland! Simply log on now to newstalkcleveland.com and click the cure button to sign up! Registration is open NOW…Everyone who signs up will receive a Radio-One/Hotcards TEAM SHIRT!

Find our team at the link below.

http://race.komenneohio.org/site/TR/Race/General/545477451?pg=team&fr_id=1060&team_id=21872

Money and Marriage Advocate Announces Premarital Financial Counseling for Engaged Couples

Warren Ballentine — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:25:53 +0000

Denver, CO — His account, her account or our account? What if one spouse brings more debt into the marriage than the other? Money is one of the top reasons for divorce – everything from a communication breakdown about money, lack of money and even overspending.

The National Directory of Marriage and Family Counseling states, the divorce rate in America has hovered around 50% since the mid 80s, however, research has shown that premarital counseling reduces that number by 30%. Premarital financial counseling is essential for a sound marriage.

According to a survey by the Association of Bridal Consultants, more than 67% of newlyweds believe the most serious conflict in their first year of marriage is over money. Dr. Taffy Wagner, Certified Educator in Personal Finances and Money and Marriage Advocate announces she is now offering premarital financial counseling.

“Its time for engaged couples to be proactive about money and marriage issues versus reactive once they say “I Do”, return from the honeymoon and find out their spouse brought debt into the marriage or even has less than perfect credit.”

Motivational Speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Many people spend more time in planning the wedding than they do in planning the marriage”. According to the Work and Wedding survey recently released by TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com and ForbesWoman.com, “Working brides spend an average of 10 hours a week planning their wedding – nearly 30% of which is done at work. For 20% of working brides, more than half of their wedding planning is done at work”.

Wagner says, “A marriage is the responsibility of the bride and groom. Engaged couples should be paying attention to how money discussions are received and handled as they are planning the wedding which truly is a glimpse into what will happen once married i.e. compromise, secrets about money, arguments or even avoidance. Couples should view this as a test run”.

“Dr. Taffy Wagner is not only an informative, inspirational, motivational financial expert, she is a no holes barred transparent communicator who gives advice that lines up with the issues and problems of today’s world. She really understands where life’s financial struggles can lead you and through her instruction and counsel she will ensure that you do not fall prey to these struggles. We have found her advice to be on a practical level that can be understood and applied into practice by millionaires and college freshmen alike. She gives you what you need for your situation in a compassionate way that shows you both the choices that got you to where you are as well as the solution that will take you to where you want to go”.

Every month of the year, couples are standing together taking vows and saying “For Richer or For Poorer”, yet they are not equipped with life skills to handle unexpected financial circumstance, which lead to for poorer. Therefore, money fights begin and some choose to exit the marriage forgetting about those vows. Wagner says, “Engaged couples must do something different in 2010, if they want a different result when it comes to marriage and not be a divorce statistic. Communicating about money openly and honestly during the engagement is the beginning of a financial journey together that can continue throughout the marriage with reduced stress, greater teamwork and a common goal.

“As a premarital educator with a particular passion for the “undiscussed topics”, Taffy is a great asset to the education and wedding world. Using her personal experiences and undying enthusiasm, she manages to talk about money issues that few others do. She focuses on emotions, relationships, and a lot of the “gotcha” moments many of us experience as individuals and in our married lives when it comes to shopping, lending money to family or friends, etc.” Elizabeth Doherty Thomas, President, The First Dance, LLC

Wagner invites couples that are committed to seeing their marriage and money work to contact her for premarital financial counseling. Even for parents of brides and grooms that would like to give premarital financial counseling as a gift, they are welcome to contact Dr. Wagner through her site. She is also available to provide ongoing support and assistance. To secure your premarital financial counseling sessions with Dr. Wagner, contact her through her site at www.moneytalkmatters.com/products.

About Taffy Wagner, DMin and Certified Educator in Personal Finances
Dr. Wagner has been interviewed by The Associated Press, US News & World Reports, Called Magazine, quoted in Black Enterprise, Essence Magazine and Woman’s Day. She is the Financial Expert for Black Bride and Groom Magazine and WeddingDetails.com. She formerly contributed financial advice to OneWed.com, TheManregistry.com, Wednet.com wedding sites. Dr. Wagner is the creator of Money Talk Before The Commitment Walk and The Debt Stops At The Altar financial education program for engaged couples. Dr. Wagner is available to speak at seminars, conferences and small groups. You can contact her through her site at http://www.MoneyTalkMatters.com

“A Few Minutes With Basheer Jones And Company” Podcast for July 28, 2010

The Basheer Jones and Company Morning Show — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:13:01 +0000

Chef Eric Wells calls in with a great side dish using in-season Summer veggies – Zucchini and squash sauté!

The Basheer Jones and Company Morning Show offers an eclectic mix of information and entertainment with a positive, uplifting message every weekday from 6 to 9AM on Newstalk 1490, WERE. “A Few Minutes with Basheer Jones” is just a small taste of this exciting program. With a wide variety of guests, from local and national leaders to authors, entertainers and experts from the worlds of medicine and education, Basheer Jones and Company can start your day on the bright side. Join us Monday through Friday, 6 to 9 AM on NewsTalk 1490 WERE.

Former Ohio State Defender Jack Tatum Dies At Age 61

The Basheer Jones and Company Morning Show — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:23:47 +0000

“We have lost one of our greatest Buckeyes,” OSU coach Jim Tressel said in a statement. “When you think of Ohio State defense, the first name that comes to mind is Jack Tatum. His loss touches every era of Ohio State players and fans.”

Tatum was known as one of the hardest hitters in football history, and the Buckeyes currently honor the best hit of each game with the Jack Tatum Hit of the Week. He served as Ohio State’s honorary captain for the USC game last season

Cleveland.com

“A Few Minutes With Basheer Jones And Company” Podcast for July 27, 2010 (Part 2)

The Basheer Jones and Company Morning Show — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:53:33 +0000

In part 2 of a series of 3, Basheer discusses hope, and the best ways to keep it alive. (Part 3 coming on Friday)