Celebs and Their Wonderful Kids

For some celebrities it really is difficult to manage their careers and spend that time with kids. It is nice to see that through all the madness they do find that time to lend a little normalcy to their lives.

XZIBIT AND HIS ADORABLE SON GATELYN

Congrats Halle Berry

I see why Halle Berry has been lashing out so heavily at the press lately. She is in "mama cub" mode

TMZ reports that Halle Berry is pregnant and the baby is a boy. (video below).

I truly hope though the paparazzi leave her and her growing family alone. I don't know sometimes the price of fame is NOT worth it. At 47 it will be a challenge but she looks to be in fine shape. 

Mom wants Mattel to have party favors for black-themed barbie

I personally would not be fighting Mattel for products they do not want to carry. I can't remember how many times I wanted to buy  my daughters black barbies an the store was out. Why? The fact is many black Barbie is considered a "collector's items" for many people. I never realized there were no party accessories if you were a person of color and wanted a themed party with black Barbie.

Currently Karen Braithwaite is spearheading and online petition on Change.org calling for Mattel to offer a more multicultural range of Barbie accessories. The petition currently has over 2,600 signatures.

Philly mayor has harsh words for shooter that left 3 children dead

Mayor Michael Nutter had strong words for the individuals that left 3 children dead in Philadelphia on Jan. 11.

I don't blame him these kids were out looking for trouble. I wonder where the parents of these children were.  There were approximately seven young adults roaming the streets unsupervised, on a school night,   looking to get into a fight. The kids were between the ages of 14 and 16 years old.

Michelle Obama getting her groove back

The first lady made an appearance at the Hayfield Secondary school in Fairfax county Virginia with the "ICarly," the cast from the Nickelodeon Television show. She was promoting and upcoming episode of the show where she thanked military families for their contribution.

Wesley Again Bro?

CNN.com writer Lisa Respers France  states that a judge ruled  that "The Defendant, Wesley Trent Snipes, is ordered and directed to surrender himself for execution of sentence upon receipt of notice from the United States Marshal or the Bureau of Prisons as to where, when and to whom he should report for that purpose."

Prosecutors had argued that, for almost a decade, the actor avoided paying income taxes to the tune of millions of dollars and he was convicted of three misdemeanor counts of failing to file tax returns and sentenced in 2008. In July of this year, a federal appeals court denied actor Snipes' claim that his three-year prison sentence for tax evasion was "unreasonable."

 Come on Wesley, you should have just paid the money an get on with your life. Now you gonna be looking like this in Jail

After being in the system for 3 years..

Gang Rape Defendants Trial Begins

Many of you might remember the young lady that was raped outside of the high school in Richmond , California (RAPE). On October 27, 2009 as much  as many as 20 people were involved in or stood and watched the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a California high school homecoming dance. 

Now this young girl has to relive that pain because the 7 defendants are standing trial and hopefully justice will prevail.

The first man arrested in last year's Richmond gang rape was the essence of belligerence, telling police that the 16-year-old victim wanted to have sex and threatening to kill the officers involved in his capture, a police officer testified Tuesday. This according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Richmond high school officer, Gary Lewis testified,

"He said he was going to stab us all, going to kill us all," Lewis said. "He was resisting arrest from the moment I contacted him.

Police who arrived at the rape scene in a courtyard on the north side of the school found the victim, bleeding and vomiting, draped over a bench with her purple dress pulled up above her waist, two officers testified Monday.

One, Officer Gunnar Googins, testified that Ortega said of the victim, "'I just wanted to pimp her out." 

This is a sad testimony of the world today. It is a sign of the times. We have youth who don't have any value for themselves, much less for any other life. You often wonder where did these young men go wrong in their life?  Did they stop once to think suppose this was happening to their sister, mother? Just sad

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/16/BASO1GCUV4.DTL#ixzz15ZnybR1H

Ethics trial continues after Rangel Walks Out

Charles Rangel thought by saying, "I have no lawyer," that would postpone the trial. WRONG!!

According to yahoo news, "WASHINGTON – Shortly after veteran Rep. Charles Rangel of New York walked out of his trial  in protest, a House panel began closed-door deliberations Monday, on 13 counts of alleged financial and fundraising misconduct that could bring formal condemnation.

The panel met for several hours before quitting. Deliberations were to resume Tuesday.

Only recently one of the most powerful members of Congress, Rangel was reduced to pleading in vain for colleagues to give him time to raise money for a lawyer before taking up the charges. The 80-year-old congressman left even before they said no, and the rare proceeding — only the second for this type of hearing in two decades — went on without him.

It is white collar crime that is hurting America, not stuff like smoking a stick of weed. 

For more on the story----> Click Here

Prince Rocks Dubai

Prince really turned Dubai out. I was telling my friend the other day that Prince would be the only one I would spend any amount of money to see his concert.

Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal was born April 24th was sentenced to death for the murder of Daniel Faulkner on December 9th 1981. He is one of the most celebrated prisoners today on death row. His sentence is argumentatively the most debated as well.

Since his conviction, his case has received international attention. He supporters disagree that he received a fair trial.

During his imprisonment he has published several books and other commentaries, notably Live from Death Row.

In 2008, after a fierce judicial battle, Abu-Jamal's death sentence was commuted to life in prison over procedural irregularities during his trial -- the jury was mistakenly led to believe it could not consider mitigating factors against a death sentence.

The state of Pennsylvania appealed the decision and the Supreme Court in January ordered a court of appeals to review the commutation.The Philadelphia federal appeals court now can either reinstate Abu-Jamal's death sentence, uphold his current life sentence or call for a new jury and sentencing hearing.

Source: AFP

Friend Got Caught In Riots

My girlfriend got caught in the riots in Oakland. She was trying to get home from work and she just couldn't get out of there in time. She said it was pretty scary.

Below a demonstrator lies on ground in protest after Johannes Mehserle (below) was sentenced to two years for killing Oscar Grant.

Georgia Teen's Mother Calls For Justice

"My son did not die in vain," said Monique Rivarde, mother of 18-year-old Bobby Maurice Tillman. "Something will be done about these children attacking each other for nothing."

More of the story here -------> CNN

Michael Jackson Album Due Out In December

It looks like Sony Records in collaboration with Michael Jackson's estate has announced that they'll be releasing "Michael" on Dec. 14. The album is billed as "newly completed recordings" from the pop legend who died last year. The first single is called "Breaking News" and will soon be streamed on MichaelJackson.com.

Wow, is this gonna be like Elvis and Tupac where folks dead for years but their music is still going strong?

The first single is called "Breaking News" and will be streamed on www.michaeljackson.com starting Monday for one week. A teaser of the song will appear on the site Friday. 

BART officer gets 2 years in fatal shooting

Well, for those of us who live near Oakland California, it is indeed a sad day for us. We realize now that justice is for those who truly have the means to buy it.

Johannes Mehserle will get credit for time he's already spent behind bars since he was charged in the shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant on a train platform on January 1, 2009, a judge ruled Friday.

Okay we gave a 22 month sentence to Michael Vick for what he did to a dog and 2 years (with only possible 7 months served) for a man shooting someone.

What is wrong with that picture?

Mehserle told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry before sentencing Friday that he would be willing to go to prison if the sentence made his city and family safer.

"I shot a man," he said. "I killed a man. It should not have happened."

Inspiration for my fellow blogger "Regina's Family Season."

This is to Regina over at "Regina's Family Season," and for anyone else who now has had so many burdens and trials to overcome. I have overcome so many things in my life and GOD will always be my passage. 

So big (((HUG))) to anyone out there who needs it today.

I am still gonna rise

You may write me down in history
with your bitter, twisted lies,
you may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my confidence in life upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But Get thee behind me obstacles

because , like air, I’ll still rise.

As recently as two years ago Mike Tyson was Tyson was convicted of felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor DUI in Arizona. He was placed on 3 years probation. One of the conditions -- Tyson can't violate any laws. So here we go again. Mike,  Mike whatcha doing man? Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook had said the boxer was traveling with his wife and 10-month-old child on November 11 when he was attacked by overly aggressive paparazzi following which the 43-year-old acted in self-defense to protect his child.

An airport police spokesman had said the incident happened at a United Airlines ticket counter and that the photographer accused Tyson of hitting him.

Currently Arizona is now looking into the possibility that this altercation might be grounds for violation of his probation. I think if you are a boxer, sadly your hands are viewed as lethal weapons. Reports are the photographer got jacked up. Sad for Mike  (especially after the recent death of his daughter). Many in the entertainment field can empathize with him.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/12/mike-tyson-arizona-probation-dui-arrest/#ixzz0Wkwse9LS

Fort Hood Killings- Are Psychiatric Screenings Necessary?

Everyone by now has heard about the massacre that occurred November 5 on the army post, Fort Hood. Major Nidal Malik Hasan was charged yesterday with 13 counts of premeditated murder. Here was one man (himself an Army psychiatrist) who went into a medical facility (where there were men/women who had just returned from overseas deployment) and shot to deat 4 officers, 8 enlisted soldiers and 1 civilian, 29 additonally were wounded.

So here is a man who is entrusted with the job of making sure these men/women have a good transitional period back home, through his own personal angst, decided to take out these same people

So again, intial question is should "everyone" (including longterm soldiers) be subjected to annual or even bi-annual mental health screenings? 

My daughter, who is about to enter military life, I am scared for her. If the real terror is indeed internal, then my fear is very real. The term the "enemy is among us" is a sad analogy.

For more of this news story click------> HERE
  

20 gang raped this girl near my location, no one helped

I know by now many of you have read the story of the 15 year old that was gang raped outside the high school in Richmond California. I don't know if any of my readers have any religious affliations, but I do. If this is not a sign of the last days, I don't know what is. 

How have our children evolved so much that they can callously (not to mention even participate) in a rape of a young girl who just turned 15. Did these young boys not have sisters? mothers? aunts? grandmothers?

There were as many as 10 people who participated in the Oct. 24 attack on the girl in a dimly lit courtyard on campus. The school dance was going on in the high school. The victim was found naked and semi-conscious after the nearly two-hour assault.

Investigators believe as many as 20 people may have watched the rape without calling police. I have a friend who knows the family. Immediately there were members of that family who wanted swift justice, thankfully calmer heads prevailed. You can't fight violence with violence.

Today a 6th suspect was picked up and charged. Contra Costa County prosecutors According to a  1999 California law. it is illegal not to report a witnessed crime against a child, but the law applies only to children 14 and under.filed rape charges against five others, ranging in age from 15 to 21. Time for this and MANY other laws to be revised.

Source: CNN NEWS

Katt Williams- Tell the Truth. Are U on Crack?

Why the heck would an established entertainer with so much in their future ruin it? The "Wild 'N Out" cast member, is in custody at a facility in Coweta County,

The Associated Press, states, Williams is expected to go before a judge on Monday afternoon (November 9) to answer to charges. The "Wild 'N Out" alumnus, who has made appearances in movies alongside Ice Cube and Eddie Murphy, is in custody at a facility in Coweta County, Georgia. A representative with the prison would only confirm to MTV News that Williams was being held on felony and misdemeanor charges. Georgia. 

 I mean is it for attention? Are they bored? I mean there are other ways to cure boredom. I think he needs a psychological evaluation. I am serious. Lately we seem to have so many entertainers who I believe the combination of the pressure of the job and life are taking a toll on them. Of course some were on the "other side" of the law before they became famous and doing some of the same (sad to say) illegal activities. 

More of the story ---------> HERE

York Pennsylvania, First black Mayor elected

York Pennsylvania was a city that has survived many racial milestones. Democrat and Republican candidates are African-American, with Democrat Kim Bracey, York's former director of community development and a relative newcomer to politics, the favorite to win in a city where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1. In 1969 their was the tragic murder of a white police officer and and African-American woman. This incident cause much rioting and unrest in the city.

In 2001, York's mayor, who had been a police officer during the unrest, was charged with murder for allegedly inciting white gangs involved in killing the African-American woman. The mayor resigned before being acquitted in 2002. Others were convicted of murder, in separate cases, of the woman and the police officer.

So here we are in 2009, and we have two candidates that are black. York is known as one of the poorest cities in Pennsylvania. The new Mayor will indeed have her share of challenges.

Read More of the story-----> HERE