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Posted on Monday, November 12, 2012 12:43 PM
Our Blog Question Of The Day... Do you think Patreus should have resigned? |
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Cruz Inc: Posted on Monday, October 22, 2012 8:47 AM
Beachwood Police department filed disorderly conduct charges against bus rider Shidea Lane. In conjunction, Lane has filed assault charges against Artis Hughes with the Cleveland police department. Lane was floored by a powerful uppercut from, bus driver Artis Hughes. Multiple witnesses reported Lane hit the driver while at the wheel. One other witness reported Lane spit and hit the driver. Tom Breckenridge, journalist for " The Plain Dealer" reports, during a press release William Nix heading the union representing RTA bus and train operators, Nix had this to say: "She got in his face and spit on him." Nix said. "He has a right to defend himself." There was no mention as to whether guidelines define limits in defense. Another passenger had been video taping the incident when Hughes stopped the bus, returned a short fury of verbal assault before delivering the blow that caused another video viral sensation. The incident was the topic of numerous debates nationwide on the subject of "men hitting women." Many men and women both agree there should be an inherent moral ethic that men should not hit/fight women due to their physical advantages in most cases. However, many also concede that men have a right to defend themselves. Our question that we would like to pose to our readers: Do men have the right to defend themselves against women? When is it appropriated; or is there is an appropriated time? What do we teach our boys to do, if they are assaulted by a girl? |
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Cruz Inc Media : Posted on Monday, October 22, 2012 8:19 AM
Domestic violence continues to rise. Over the last three weeks, we have seen 2 national shooting sprees where there people killed or injuried as a result of domestic violence. In both cases there were court order restraining order in place or being sought. Here is another cause where a restraining order failured: Brookfield police identified 45-year-old Radcliffe Franklin Haughton, of Brown Deer, as the suspect on Sunday afternoon.Haughton is reportedly the estranged husband of one of the hair stylists who works at the spa. Online court records showed a temporary restraining order was issued against Haughton in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Oct. 8 because of a domestic abuse complaint. We would like to pose this question to the readers of this blog. Why do you feel or think the reason is that restraining orders aren't working in many cases? |
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Staff: Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2012 7:31 AM
You tell that times are tough when Memphis Police Officer is arrested for "pimping". Yes, that's right...the very person who took an oath to serve and protect; is serving up sex!  A 30-year-old Memphis police officer had been arrested and charged by the FBI for allegedly transporting five women across the Mississippi state line in interstate commerce for purposes of prostitution, the US Attorney General's office said Monday.Sean McWhirter is a five-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department and was serving as a patrolman at the time of his arrest.According to the US Attorney's Office and the FBI, Patrolman McWhirter had agreed to transport three women across the Tennessee-Mississippi state line to Tunica on Sept. 13 for the purposes of prostitution.Three days later on Sept. 16, while off duty McWhirter transported two more women from Memphis to a Tunica hotel, but upon entering the hotel room he was taken into custody by FBI special agents and task force officers, the US Attorney's office said. According to an affidavit, Patrolman McWhirter had been under investigation by the FBI since May 2011."Human sex trafficking is a horrific crime that has a devastating impact on its victims and the community," said U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III. "What makes this case worse is that the alleged perpetrator is a law enforcement official who was sworn to protect and serve. Those who betray the public trust insult the integrity and honor of all law enforcement officials who risk their lives upholding the law."Patrolman McWhirter made an initial appearance Monday before Magistrate Judge Charmaine G. Claxton. "You would think the message would be loud and clear by now," said Police Director Toney Armstrong. "We will do this as often as needed in order to rid this department of those who can't make up their minds as to whether they want to be a police officer or a thug."McWhirter, who is assigned to the Union Station precinct as a patrol officer, is facing up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. |
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Cruz: Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012 10:02 AM
Do you hate it when people complain? It turns out there's a good reason: Listening to too much complaining is bad for your brain in multiple ways, according to Trevor Blake, a serial entrepreneur and author of Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life. In the book, he describes how neuroscientists have learned to measure brain activity when faced with various stimuli, including a long gripe session. "The brain works more like a muscle than we thought," Blake says. "So if you're pinned in a corner for too long listening to someone being negative, you're more likely to behave that way as well." Even worse, being exposed to too much complaining can actually make you dumb. Research shows that exposure to 30 minutes or more of negativity--including viewing such material on TV--actually peels away neurons in the brain's hippocampus. "That's the part of your brain you need for problem solving," he says. "Basically, it turns your brain to mush." But if you're running a company, don't you need to hear about anything that may have gone wrong? "There's a big difference between bringing your attention to something that's awry and a complaint," Blake says. "Typically, people who are complaining don't want a solution; they just want you to join in the indignity of the whole thing. You can almost hear brains clink when six people get together and start saying, 'Isn't it terrible?' This will damage your brain even if you're just passively listening. And if you try to change their behavior, you'll become the target of the complaint." So, how do you defend yourself and your brain from all the negativity? Blake recommends the following tactics: 1. Get some distance "My father was a chain smoker," Blake confides. "I tried to change his habit, but it's not easy to do that." Blake knew secondhand smoke could damage his own lungs as well. "My only recourse was to distance myself." You should look at complaining the same way, he says. "The approach I've always taken with complaining is to think of it as the same as passive smoking." Your brain will thank you if you get yourself away from the complainer, if you can. 2. Ask the complainer to fix the problem Sometimes getting distance isn't an option. If you can't easily walk away, a second strategy is to ask the complainer to fix the problem. Recommended Videos What a Serial Entrepreneur Can't ResistHow a Disaster on Everest Inspired an EntrepreneurLeader in Motion: How Choreographer Bill T. Jones Collaborates "Try to get the person who's complaining to take responsibility for a solution," Blake says. "I typically respond to a complaint with, 'What are you going to do about it?'" Many complainers walk away huffily at that point, because he hasn't given them what they wanted, Blake reports. But some may actually try to solve the problem. 3. Shields up! When you're trapped listening to a complaint, you can use mental techniques to block out the griping and save your neurons. Blake favors one used by the late Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros during a match against Jack Nicklaus--a match the crowd wanted Ballesteros to lose. "He was having difficulty handling the hostility of the crowd," Blake says. "So he imagined a bell jar that no one could see descending from the sky to protect him." Major League Baseball pitchers can sometimes be seen mouthing "Shields on!" as they stride to the mound, he says. He adds that his own imaginary defense is "more like a Harry Potter invisibility cloak." A related strategy is to mentally retreat to your imagined favorite spot, someplace you'd go if you could wave a magic wand. "For me, it was a ribbon of beautiful white sugary sand that extended out in a horseshoe shape from a private island," Blake says. "I would take myself to my private retreat while people were ranting and raving. I could smile at them and nod in all the right places and meanwhile take myself for a walk on my private beach." Blake first saw the picture of the island in a magazine, and the image stuck with him. Eventually, he got a chance to try it for real. "It turned out the island was for rent, and it was the same one I'd seen," he says. "So I rented it for a week. And I got to take that walk." |
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Staff: Posted on Thursday, August 02, 2012 10:17 AM
 Chick-fil-A is now serving up more than just chicken and fries. The Georgia-based fast food chain is at the center of some heated politics and the DMV area hasn’t escaped the controversyIn case you missed it, here’s a quick rundown of what’s been unfolding with Chick-Fil-A these last couple weeks: The company’s president, Dan Cathy, said in The Baptist Press that his family-owned company is against same-sex marriages and is supportive of the biblical definition of the family unit. This sparked outrage from the left and some big city mayors, including Mayor Vincent Gray, who said the food chain is not welcome in their cities. In response, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, said the company has a right to its own beliefs and called for people around the country to eat at a Chick-fil-A Wednesday to show their support as part of Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day. And that brings us to yesterday, when thousands of people lined up to eat at Chick-Fil-As across the country to show their support. In Maryland, The Post reports that customers packed a Chick-Fil-A in Prince George’s County. A manager of a chain in Carroll County, according to the Carroll County Times, said she expected a 12-15 percent boost in sales Wednesday. "Their place of business saw traffic from both directions backed up several blocks on Lee Highway, people parking at other establishments across the busy highway and then hiking over 6-8 lanes of traffic to the restaurant, and many just walking over with strollers, bikes, etc." Things were relatively quiet in D.C. because the only location Chick-Fil-A has in the District is on the grounds of Catholic University (There is also a new Chick-Fil-A food truck). On Twitter recently, Mayor Gray said he would not welcome the chain in to the city and referred to its food as “hate chicken.” On the other side, Viriginia Gov. Bob McDonnell this week defended the company’s traditional values and its right to sell food. "I love chicken. If we start having governments issue permits or zoning changes, or withholding those because of someone's political or religious beliefs, we are going down a very bad road. I think people have an ability to start and grow a business regardless of their political beliefs," he said on WTOP's Ask the Governor. What are your thoughts and comments? Which side of this issue do you stand. All comments are welcome, please respect the opinions of others. |
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Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2012 11:52 AM
IF
THERE WAS EVER A TIME FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO LET THERE VOICES BE
HEAR, NOW IS THE TIME!!! OUR URBAN BLACK WOMEN ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE
AND IT'SGOING TO GET WORST IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, EDUCATE AND FIND
SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT IT!! WHAT IS IT? THE DANGER OF PROMISCUITY AMONG BLACK WOMEN...
JOIN ME THIS SUNDAY AT WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM/4URADIO OR CALL 323-693-3317. LOOK AT THIS ALARMING INFORMATION BELOW:
A national team of AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere say they
are surprised and dismayed by results of their new study showing that
the yearly number of new cases of HIV infection among black women in
Baltimore and other cities is five times higher than previously thought.
The data show that infection rates for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,
among this population are much higher than the overall incidence rates
in the United States for African-American adolescents and
African-American women. The data come from an ongoing, larger
series of studies supported by the HIV Prevention Trials Network, and
reflect testing and analysis of at-risk women in six urban areas in the
northeastern and southeastern United States hardest hit by the global
AIDS epidemic. The so-called “hotspots” are Baltimore; Atlanta;
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Newark, N.J.; and New York City.
Researchers plan to present their findings March 8 at the 19th annual
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle.
Specifically, the team found that among 2,099 women ages 18 to 44, 88
percent of whom were black, 1.5 percent (32 women) tested positive at
the outset of the study and were not enrolled, while among those who
remained, 0.24 percent tested positive for HIV within a year after
joining the study. All study participants were HIV negative, including
more than 200 from Baltimore, when they volunteered for the study.
Experts say this rate of infection, or seroconversion, is five times
previous estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention for urban African-American women. |
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Cruz Inc Staff: Posted on Friday, March 09, 2012 10:16 AM
 Newswise — A national team of AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere say they are surprised and dismayed by results of their new study showing that the yearly number of new cases of HIV infection among black women in Baltimore and other cities is five times higher than previously thought. The data show that infection rates for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, among this population are much higher than the overall incidence rates in the United States for African-American adolescents and African-American women.
The data come from an ongoing, larger series of studies supported by the HIV Prevention Trials Network, and reflect testing and analysis of at-risk women in six urban areas in the northeastern and southeastern United States hardest hit by the global AIDS epidemic. The so-called “hotspots” are Baltimore; Atlanta; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Newark, N.J.; and New York City. Researchers plan to present their findings March 8 at the 19th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle.
Specifically, the team found that among 2,099 women ages 18 to 44, 88 percent of whom were black, 1.5 percent (32 women) tested positive at the outset of the study and were not enrolled, while among those who remained, 0.24 percent tested positive for HIV within a year after joining the study. All study participants were HIV negative, including more than 200 from Baltimore, when they volunteered for the study.
Experts say this rate of infection, or seroconversion, is five times previous estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for urban African-American women.
“This study clearly shows that the HIV epidemic is not over, especially in urban areas of the United States, like Baltimore, where HIV and poverty are more common, and sexually active African-American men and women are especially susceptible to infection,” says principal investigator for the Baltimore portion of the study, Charles Flexner, M.D., a clinical pharmacologist and infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins.
“We, as care providers and policy makers, have our job cut out for us in devising HIV prevention programs targeted to sexually active men and women in Baltimore and other cities,” says Flexner. He says prevention tactics should include more counseling about sexually transmitted infections, distribution of condoms, and intensive education about safer sex practices. Flexner is a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.
In Baltimore, the study conducted from May 2009 to July 2010 asked participating women who about their safe sex practices and other health issues, then asked them to come to The Johns Hopkins Hospital for HIV testing at no cost. Those who tested positive were offered counseling and treatment.
“While we have always known that African-Americans had a higher risk of HIV infection than other American racial groups, this study confirms it and underscores the severity of the national and local problem, especially in cities,” says Flexner.
Flexner says women of all races account for a quarter of the 50,000 new HIV infections each year in the United States, which adds to the more than 1 million men and women already known to have tested positive. Sixty-six percent of the women newly infected each year are black, even though African-American women represent only 14 percent of the U.S. female population. The national age-adjusted death rate for black women in the United States is nearly 15 times higher than that observed for HIV-infected white women.
The new study, formally known as HPTN 064 Women’s Seroincidence Study, was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The study site leader was co-investigator Anne Rompalo, M.D., Sc.M., an infectious disease specialist and professor at Johns Hopkins.
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Posted on Friday, May 20, 2011 2:15 PM
HAVE BLACK WOMEN BECOME MORE DOMESTICALLY LAZY? While out eating yesterday in Newport News, Virginia, a white female was having a conversation with a black male. The conversation was rather general at first, obviously they knew each other. She asked about several people, how he was enjoying not being at their previous place of employment. It wasn't very loud in the restaurant and they were sitting in the booth in front of me. She was waiting on her carry out order as he dined in; she proceeded to ask him more questions. She asked how was he wife and the rest of his family; the gentlemen informed her that he and his wife were now divorced. She asked him what happened. He mentioned several things and also included that his wife wasn't cooking and cleaning anymore etc... This next statement was both surprising and interesting. The white female then stated to the gentlemen, "Yeah, I know how you feel, I have heard that black women have become more domestically lazy...they don't really take care of their homes and their men". All the brother said was, "yep". With that being said, I wanted to ask the question, "Are Black Women Now More Domestically Lazy When Compared To Other Races? This will not only be the topic for this log, but it will be the topic of conversation for our Monday night web radio show. I would like to know know your thoughts on the question I posed and on the comments of the female. |
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Staff Blogger: Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2011 12:17 PM
 Sources say Evelyn Lozada is quitting Basketball Wives. According to TMZ, Lozada believes producers committed an intentional foul against her by divulging sensitive information regarding an illicit relationship from her past. No word yet from Evelyn, but insiders claim she has already sent producers a scathing email because she thinks they revealed this affair tidbit solely to incite a confrontation between her and another woman on the show. Weird. That doesn't sound like a reality TV trick at all! Our Editorial: Evelyn, it's not good to be like an IHOP restaurant, "Doors that never close". If it is fame you sought, now you have it; you are now know as another celebrity "door knob" being turned by multiple high profile guys. Smashing the homies is never a good look...and no real man would marry a woman who has been publicly "turned" by various guys. When will you will learn, you can't keep opening your legs to man after man and then "bitch" about being disrespected!!! Seems like your girl "Executive Producer" of BBW slam dunked you; here the question of the day for you.... To Whore or not to be a Whore...that is the question... |
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Ghost: Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2011 9:26 PM
Chris Brown will be on SNL. He is over-coming the turmoil and has made s resurgence!!! Perhaps more importantly, it appears Rihanna has frogive Chris... Has Rihanna forgiven ex-boyfriend Chris Brown for the 2009 felony assault that landed the "Deuces" singer on probation? Maybe so. The red-headed pop star extended a gesture this week: She approved Brown's request to have his restraining order modified, an attorney for the "S&M" singer told E! News.Brown, who was praised last week by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge for successfully completing his required domestic violence courses, must return to court to have the restraining order terms amended. Under the new guidelines, Brown will be allowed to interact with Rihanna as long as he does not annoy, molest or harass her. Rihanna's support of lifting the restraining order may surprise some who believe she has been holding a grudge against Brown and conveying messages of retaliation in her songs and videos, "Hard," "Love The Way You Lie," and "S&M." UCLA clinical psychologist Dr. Gail Wyatt, who has done extensive research on domestic violence and sex therapy, is concerned that Rihanna's music is sometimes "over-interpreted" by the public and media. "I don't think that it's very easy to understand how a person feels in public," she said. "So it's difficult to assume that her behavior or experience is being lived out through certain music unless she says it is." Wyatt added that the shocking imagery and messages in the music Rihanna has released since the altercation with Brown could merely be a way to maintain media coverage. "We really don't know whether it's connected to her own personal experience or a need to find something different to sing about in order to keep a person in front of the media," Wyatt said. Rihanna has expressed her desire to help young girls in tumultuous relationships. Making a public service announcement could be an effective way of raising awareness. "Rihanna can help people make that leap by doing ads and saying, ‘Don't let what happened to me happen to you'," Wyatt said. Wyatt feels celebrity gossip distracts people from their own problems and she advises anyone facing domestic violence to seek out professional help. "You really need to sit in a private room and talk about what you've been through, what you've seen, and have a professional who is trained in sex therapy to help you break the cycle of violence in your own relationship." Rihanna and Brown have worked hard to turn their lives around in the two years since the incident. On Saturday, Chris Brown will be appearing on "Saturday Night Live," and Rihanna will be performing at the Grammys on Sunday. |
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Ghost: Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2011 10:45 AM
Jennifer Williams the star of the show “Basketball Wives” is reportedly filing for divorce from her husband Eric Williams. Eric Williams a former NBA player, 38 and his wife Jennifer are divorcing according to Life & Style.
The couple apparently got into some problems which were captured on the VH1 reality series. Jennifer Williams stated that she planned to file for divorce within the next couple of weeks, exclaiming that it’s a new year and she wanted to put things behind her.
It was Eric Williams’ reported admissions of infidelity that caused the couple to separate in December after 3 years of marriage. Jennifer went on to discuss how she had hoped to have handled their marriage but that Eric’s behavior made the union unlikely to continue. |
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Posted on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 1:01 PM
Trey Songz has been dealing with rumors of being bisecksual for quite awhile now, so we weren’t surprised when we heard the latest rumor that he’s involved with a male employee of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
According to Bossip there is a new man in Trey’s life: 24-year-old Brandin Deida, an employee of RocNation.
Brandin is an NYU graduate who worked at Sony in their A&R department before getting his gig at RocNation. According to a Bossip inside source, Trey and Brandin met in Los Angeles on September 12 — a day before the MTV Video Music Awards.
“They’ve been inseparable ever since,” says the source, “but everything is very lowkey.”
The two have avoided being photographed together thus far, but Trey is always visiting Brandin at the 1411 Roc building in NYC where he works since Trey has spent a great deal of time in New York since finishing his Beacon Theater dates on 10/14 and 10/15 when his tour with Monica wrapped up.
“Trey is in Seattle right now preparing for the OMG Tour which starts tomorrow,” the insider tells Bossip, “and Brandin is there also, presumably on “business”.”
Apparently Trey and Brandin have been trying hard to cover their tracks and have a set routine for the hotel stays. The pair are currently staying at the same Seattle hotel where Brandin has a room to himself and Trey does as well. Our source tells us that despite the separate rooms, Trey and Brandin often end up being together for the night.
“Everything they do is very elaborate,” the source says of their attempt to cover up.”They don’t ride in the same cars either.”
Alledgedly Trey and actor/model Dorian Standberry (College Hill Atlanta) were intimate in the past until Trey dumped him for (allegedly gay) rapper Drake. Now this was just the word on the street, so we can't confirm this to be a fact. But the rumors and allegations haven't quit...
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Posted on Friday, October 22, 2010 2:03 PM
As early 1980, the number of who were open with their sexuality regarding their attraction to women could on be seen in adult movies. Now some 30 years later, it has become the norm or has it? We see more women engaged in intimate scenes during prime time TV than ever before. However, there are still a great deal of women who are homophobic surprisingly. Heterosexual women seen to be less than accepting of women who are attracted to other women. You would like that women would be more tolerant of female to female relationships. Of course many men want to date curious or bi-curious females, but find it hard to marry them. There is a sense taboo and stigma that still prohibits some women from being open about their sexual orientation for fear of being misunderstood by women and hunted prey by men. Many women, like many men suffer daily, not having objective friends to confide in or relate to. As the case often is with fear, we always fear what we don't understand. Remember, people are people regardless of their sexual orientation, they desire to be treated with the same dignity and respect. |
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