Can the Emerald Triangle Teach Us How to Fix our Economy ?
people seem to be unable to translate the value of economics to tangible crops in todays' market. this video is great because it breaks it down, and shows you the floating market for Marijuana in Mendecino County. it explains the dollars and sense of why people take the risk; and what that risk translates to financially for their families.
The economic issues bring us back to asking the question, why is it still illegal to grow such a cash ready in demand crop. Michigan Medical Marijuana Initiative advocates the legalization of the Tax Stamp Program for Michigan Growers.
We Support that tax stamp movement, and hope that our legislators consider the economic implications - in a state that is on the verge of bankruptcy.
get your favorite beverage and kick back; watch the whole video and then tell us what you think about the Cash Crop Initiative,
that Could Save America - because the market exists.
Decriminalize Marijuana and Save the Economy Immediately,
We Are The Gorgeous, The Abundant, The Delicious, We Are The True Amazona's Baby
This is Ms. Wendy Williams, a glamarous amazon from Daytime TV.
she ditched her 20 years in radio, for her own nationally syndicated
hourlong talk show. Wendy is Hot, Brassy and Buxon and she makes
No Apologies. Girls Get With the Program - "How You Doinnnn?.."
Who else but the Hotness Herself, Ms. Jackee Harry.
She' Gorgeous and Sexy at sixty plus. Jackee is Sexxxxxx....
Her co-starring role in 227 blossomed into a career for this bronze bombshell.
she worked on major film projects, television and is presently doing
stage work. she's on Broadway six days a week - Glamming it Up.
the next time you see Jackee, just say - "Heyyyy Marryyyyyy,"
I'm sure she'll smile. Sexy but Never Trashy that's Our Jackee
Look at Ms. Jennifer Hudson - Shes' One Hot Momma
the recently married mom has her own style and sexiness that ooozes.. right off the screen. singing her way into our hearts on American Idol - this winner has pushed the envelope from songs to stage. recently giving birth to a son, Jennifer seems headed for stardom and much more success. Her Style and Elegance let us know that She Wears Her Style like the true Amazona she is. "Hot Chocolate in a Phat ass cup.." that's Jennifer Hudson.
Bey Bey Beyyyyy,, Golden Glamour in a modern package.
Mrs Carter is a glamazon. she's not even 30 yet so she's just starting
to fill in her curves. lets see what she looks like in 10 years. we've seen her mom
and she has the curves that stop traffic from Amsterdam to Zurich. this golden beauty has the brains, bucks and body to control the show.Her marriage to rapper Jay Z made them the most powerful couple in popular music today. their combined net
worth exceeds 150 million. That's A Whooooooooole Lotta Beyyyyyy, Baby.
Yes it's the Foxy Ms.Vivica A Fox
Auntee Viv is everybody's favorite pin up. sexy, sassy and oh so amazona.
This chica has busted hearts from 50 cent to 6'9. Auntee Viv ain't nothing to mess wit fellas. Vivica has showcased her style in Movies, on Stage, Television and of course The Red Carpet. roles as a badgal seem to fit her steelo like a glove. she icy hot. Its Rumored that her "Steamy Hot Cougar Status makes her one of Hollywoods' Most Wanted"
we can see why. Keep it Trill Ms. Fox cause you run tings baby.
Meet Niecy Nash - some of you may remember her as Bernie Mac's Sister.
she's bubbly, beautiful and has played a host of roles from disney to
the sound stage. Niecy has the curves, the class and the cash to put her into
a whole new class of Amazons - chicks with power. her role in Ice Cube's Next Friday pushed her career into high gear, and it been Niecey on Red
Carpets and Premiers globally from that point forward.
"You Work it GirllllllCause You Are Marvelous Ms. Nash.."
Ms. Loretta Devine, a beautiful face and foxy curves;
Ms. Devine is and always will be one of our most favorite classy amazons.
her acting roles have ranged from comedic to dramatic and never left us disappointed. don't let the pretty face fool you - this is an award winning actress, director and producer.
Most of us remember her from her role in Waiting to Exale; She left us breathless as she walks away in the final scene of the movie, as her new man is unloading his truck.. Our Ms. Loretta is truly Divine.
Ms.Oprah Winfrey is the epitome of Glamour and wears her Amazon proud.
We've watched her go from the big screen to the little screen, Oprah rules them all. a multi billionaire shotcallin momma, Ms. Oprah struts her curves with the confidence that only a true amazon can posess. Television Producer, Movie Producer, Broadway Producer, Movie Star, Philanthropist, Talk Show Host, Entrepreneur; Mentor; there isn't enough time in the day to showcase Our Star Amazon, Oprah. You just gotta give it up to the baddest Amazon on the block.
And Our Cape Wearin Queen of the Amazons, is none other than the baddest catwalka around, Tyra Banks.
She ain't called Ms. Banks for nothing. This chica has legs that reach to the ceiling, and a boo-tay on top. she's made men swoon and toss millions at her feet; from the time she was discovered at 14 years old, to her retirement from the catwalk a few years ago - Tyra Has Ruled. Producer, Model, Designer, Talk Show Host, Reality Show Host, and Swimsuit Model. What Doesn't She Have ? Tyra has parleyed her brains and beauty into big bucks. she's talked openly about the struggles to reach her career goals. she makes no apologies and pushes her guests to be the absolute best they can be, on all her shows.
The Tyra Show, Her award winning daytime talk show returns this fall with a whole new look - when we see Ms. Tyra Without Her Weave for the First Time. I can hardly wait.
She's opened up doors for women of all sizes, ages and abilities with her internationally syndicated reality show - Americas' Next Top Model; which has spawned other Top Model Shows globally. Ms. Banks continues to show the world - that we can accept a wider range of Beauty, than was previously defined. We Love Tyra for Keeping It Glamourous and Amazon - cause US Big Girls Have More to Work With - And Love.
Just so you know A Big Beautiful Woman Writes This Blog Proudly. We Love ALL Of Our Visitors and wanted you to know that Glamour, Brains and Body have Made Our Blog possible today. The Next Time You see a Big Beautiful Woman, walk right up and say "Hey Girllll You Know You Lookin Good". trust me, we won't fight ya off unlike them skinny camera hatin heffas. we'll probably give ya a hug and show ya some love. just so ya know -
If You Love Big Girls, Shout It Out in the Comments,
Michael Jackson left us too soon. his genius and spirit were like a fire that ignited generations. we are remembering him today, by playing
Michael Jackson on BadGalsRadio this entire weekend - we're spinning more than 100 Michael Jackson Tunes in 24 hrs. some favorites, some new, some old but all Classic Michael Jackson.
we hope you'll join us in celebrating what should have been Michaels'
51st Birthday August 29th, 2009.
Michael Left us a wealth of great videos - we selected a few just for today. many of them are old favorites and some are just shots of The King of Pop at his best, with his adoring public.
Feel free to repost this video player and share it with a friend.
Michael, You Taught Us So Much, and we shall never forget you because of it. Long Live the King of Pop.
Do You Remember where you were when Hurricane Katrina made land in New Orleans on August 29, 2005 ?
We will never forget it, because "IT" changes our lives forever;
We ask you to remember with us, and help to fix the gulf coast.
Yes Four Years Later - We Are Still Not Finished.
Many families are still stuck in trailers, as they've received
little to help them return to their pre storm living conditions.
the government told many tall tales in the early days of Katrina.
Much of it Pissed People off and put action into movement by PEOPLE.
Well WE PEOPLE Still Need to Help the People left victims to our governments'
lies and tricks. the court cases, lawsuits and murder cases have proven that
the government had more options than they used; and were complicitors
in the aftermath. that's the bottom line, we are ALL left holding the bag.
How Long Can We Let This Pile Sit as though we don't see it ?
Today is The DAY to Do Something. Take a Moment and click the link
to the KIN - they are working it out, without government bs or games.
This Is US, People Helping People. Don't Forget Katrina, Ever Please..
It Cost Me My Heart,
Greetings!
All over the country, there are events commemorating August 29, 2005, the fateful day Hurricane Katrina made landfall. We remember the abandoned families and lost loved ones. We have witnessed the public neglect and private profiteering and four years later, as some media and many aid organizations have "moved on", we are committed to keeping up the fight for a just recovery in the Gulf -- until resources go where help is needed, until everyone is home.
With new challenges looming around the Census and dwindling resources, families in the gulf need your support now more than ever. That is why Katrina Information Network (KIN) is commemorating the anniversary with an extensive events calendar and our new 5 for 5, five actions you can take that take less than five minutes to keep just recovery on the public agenda.
Should workers have to worry about losing their job if they are forced to evacuate in the face of a hurricane? If you think not, please sign Restaurant Opportunities Center's petition to get workers seven days to get home after evacuation orders are lifted. Evacuees are already worried about their lives; they shouldn't have to worry about their jobs.
Make a commitment to be there when evacuees need us. Join the People's Evacuation Plan network by signing up to be a resource. The Greater New Orleans Organizers Roundtable is calling on people of goodwill to help establish safe places and resources for evacuees in the cities where many residents go before disaster strikes. The Plan is being developed as a way of helping residents avoid the discrimination and criminalization they often face from traditional aid agencies. If you, your faith community or other organization can help, please sign up today.
As we remember those who have passed, the hundreds of thousands still displaced and those still suffering the effects of those fateful weeks in 2005, we thank you for staying the course. Thanks to you, we can keep the pressure on and make just recovery a reality.
In solidarity,
The KIN Team
We're Poppin Champagne with Venus and Serena, cause they are the First Blacks to ever own a stake in an NFL Team. The First Women of Tennis take the keys and drive right into NFL HERSTORY.
FYI - In addition to the 18 Grand Slam titles, the Williams sisters have combined for nine Grand Slam doubles titles, 62 WTA Tour titles and three Olympic gold medals. These Girls are WINNERS Across The Board. Having them as Minority Owners will undoubtably increase the Dolphins worth in the largest segment
of sports fans - Women. Yes Women. Women are taking to football in record numbers, and we're glad. maybe this will help to degentrify the ownership ranks of all major sports teams.
We're as Proud as Punch and Offer you an Open Bar on Thirsty Thursday compliments of the Williams Sisters. Let the Champagne Flow, We've Seen a Goal.
You ever watch Big Valley; Nick, Jarred, Heath, Audrey and Miss Victoria Barkley. The Williams move was a Ms. Barkley move. It insulted the other big time cattlemen in the NFL Ranchers association who can’t be too happy these "gals" got into their exclusive country club.
The NFL roundtable, like board rooms across the land, are not lily white . . . because of happenstance. One of their unspoken rules; Women, gals of color, should be seldom seen and hardly ever heard. . . . .
Forgive me, but the contempt, the scorn . . . the envy harbored for these two lovely ladies . . . would require hours to spell-out and break down, but it is rooted primarily in the fact they are Black women, rich Black women.
On top of that, their appearance is not of the preferred house Negro "mulatto" look, you know; Lena Horn, Dorothy Dandridge, Dianne Carroll, Vanessa Williams, Mariah Carey or Beyonce.
They were being called nappy headed hoes . . . long before the Syracuse women were insulted.
They are, more then full featured women, one lean, fluent and eloquent, the other thick, explosive and curvaceous. Too much woman for some guys. See "Field Slave."
The type of Ebony beauties which created the . . . once you go Black. You never want to go back. Ask Vanessa’s man. . . . Or maybe a little more accurate, the darker the berry, the sweater the juice . . ..
Lip and hip implants . . . don’t need em’ born with em’ baby.
Here’s the curve ball – Black American’s color, flavor and features - span the spectrum, primarily due to the European’s uncontrollable desires . . . Call it Jungle fever.
I just like to make sure I state that fact, because this country is successful at slighting the Black woman’s vast beauty, while coronating Sandy-the-Snowflake as the worlds standard of beauty.
MIAMI — American tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams have bought an ownership stake in the National Football League's Miami Dolphins.
"We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners," owner and managing general partner Stephen M. Ross said Tuesday.
"They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis.
"Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."
Details of the minority purchase were not released.
In addition to the 18 Grand Slam titles, the Williams sisters have combined for nine Grand Slam doubles titles, 62 WTA Tour titles and three Olympic gold medals.
Teddy - We Shall Never Forget You. RIP Sen. Ted Kennedy
Teddy Kennedy survived many tragedies in his 77 years; yet he continued to fight for the social good of his american people - even from his deathbed. just this week he sent a message instructing that a replacement be installed in the event of his death. maybe that was the signal. there is no doubt in my mind that the place he established in history shall be bright and set an example for causemakers in many generations to come.
"This is what we do," he proclaimed. "We scale the heights; we reach the moon."
By Joe Holley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 1:56 AM
Edward M. Kennedy, one of the most powerful and influential senators in American history and one of three brothers whose political triumphs and personal tragedies captivated the nation for decades, died at 77.
Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, was the last survivor of a privileged and charismatic family that in the 1960s dominated American politics and attracted worldwide attention. As heir through tragedy to his accomplished older brothers -- President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.), both of whom were assassinated -- Edward Kennedy became the patriarch of his clan and a towering figure in the U.S. Senate to a degree neither of his siblings had been.
Kennedy served in the Senate through five of the most dramatic decades of the nation's history. He became a lawmaker whose legislative accomplishments, political authority and gift for friendship across the political spectrum invited favorable comparisons to Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and a handful of other leviathans of the country's most elite political body. But he was also beset by personal frailties and family misfortunes that were the stuff of tabloid headlines.
For years, many Democrats considered Kennedy's own presidency a virtual inevitability. In 1968, a "Draft Ted" campaign emerged only a few months after Robert Kennedy's death, but he demurred, realizing he was not prepared to be president.
Political observers considered him the candidate to beat in 1972, but that possibility came to an end on a night in July 1969, when the senator drove his Oldsmobile off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Mass., and a young woman passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned.
The tragedy had a corrosive effect on Kennedy's image and eroded his national standing. He made a dismal showing when he challenged President Jimmy Carter for reelection in 1980. But the moment of his exit from the presidential stage marked an oratorical highlight when, speaking at the Democratic convention, he invoked his brothers and promised: "For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on. The cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Instead of a president, Kennedy became a major presence in the Senate, which he had joined in 1962 with the help of his politically connected family. He was a cagey and effective legislator, even in the years when Republicans were in the ascendancy. When most Democrats sought to fend off the "liberal" label, the senior senator from Massachusetts wore it proudly.
Kennedy was at the center of the most important issues facing the nation for decades, and he did much to help shape them. A defender of the poor and politically disadvantaged, he set the standard for his party on health care, education, civil rights, campaign-finance reform and labor law. He also came to oppose the war in Vietnam, and, from the beginning, he was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq.
Congressional scholar Thomas E. Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, described Kennedy's mark on the Senate as "an amazing and endurable presence. You want to go back to the 19th century to find parallels, but you won't find parallels. It was the completeness of his involvement in the work of the Senate that explains his career."
Republicans repeatedly invoked Edward Kennedy for fundraising causes. They portrayed the hefty, ruddy-faced Massachusetts pol as the ultimate tax-and-spend liberal, Big Government in the flesh.
Despite that caricature, he was widely considered the Senate's most popular member and was on congenial terms with many of his Republican cohorts. On a number of issues, he searched for compromises that could attract GOP votes.
He collaborated with a Republican president, George W. Bush, on education reform, with a Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), on immigration reform and with arch-conservative senator J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina on major crime legislation. Only Thurmond, who died in 2003 at age 100, and Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) served longer in the Senate than Kennedy.
Kennedy's congeniality and his willingness to work with the opposition were at the core of his legislative ability. "He was fun; he was considerate to his colleagues," Mann said. "He would take a 20th of a loaf compared to getting nothing."
Kennedy and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) forged a lasting friendship that began in 1981, when Hatch became chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. With nine liberals and seven conservatives on the committee, Hatch knew he needed Kennedy's help -- and he got it.
"We have passed so much legislation together," Hatch told a Salt Lake City reporter in 2008. He noted having worked with Kennedy on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, an effort to prevent undue governmental burdens on the exercise of religion, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Kennedy made health care a major focus of his career, terming it "the cause of my life." His legislation resulted in access to health care for millions of people and funded cures for diseases that afflicted people around the world. He was a longtime advocate for universal health care and was instrumental in promoting biomedical research, as well as AIDS research and treatment. He was a leader in the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and the 1996 Kennedy-Kassebaum bill -- with Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) -- which allowed employees to keep health insurance after leaving their job.
Health care reform is "a defining issue for our society," Kennedy told fellow senators during a 1994 debate. "Do we really care about our fellow citizens?" It was a question he asked countless times, in one form or another, during his long Senate career. He faced opposition from most Republicans and more than a few Democrats who insisted that Kennedy's proposals for universal health care amounted to socialized medicine and that they would lead to bureaucratic sclerosis and budget-breaking costs and inefficiencies.
Diagnosed in May 2008 with a brain tumor, he rose from his hospital bed that summer and cast a dramatic vote on the Senate floor in favor of legislation preventing sharp cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. Several Republicans were so moved by his presence that they switched their earlier votes on the bill, giving it a veto-proof majority.
His family had been touched by cancer even before his own diagnosis. His son, Edward Kennedy Jr., lost a leg to bone cancer at age 12 in 1973. His daughter, Kara Anne Kennedy, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003.
A list of major laws bearing his imprint, in addition to health care, fills pages. In 1965, he led the successful Senate floor battle that passed what was popularly known as the Hart-Celler Act, landmark legislation that abolished immigration quotas and lifted a 1924 ban on immigration from Asia.
"This bill really goes to the very central ideals of our country," Kennedy said on the floor of the Senate. The legislation, the most significant immigration reform in four decades, passed both the House and Senate by overwhelming margins.
He was long the Senate's leading voice on civil rights, including the 1982 Voting Rights extension, as well as efforts to advance the concept of equality to include the disabled and women in the workplace.
In 1972, he was a key supporter of Title IX, an amendment requiring colleges and universities to provide equal funding for men's and women's athletics. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, he played an important, although indirect, role in the 1973 investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard M. Nixon's resignation. In 1996 and again in 2007, he was the lead Senate sponsor of legislation increasing the minimum wage.
In the 1980s, when a Republican president and Senate mounted a major campaign to roll back programs he had championed, he led the fight to save them. Even in the minority, he worked to expand government's role in providing health care to children, making loans available to college students and extending civil rights to the disabled, among many other embattled initiatives.Known as Teddy, the youngest son in a powerful family, Kennedy was first elected to the Senate as a 30-year-old. Despite a reputation for callow recklessness and immaturity, he seemed destined for higher office from the beginning. Such a fate seemed even more assured after the assassinations of his brothers in the 1960s.
His oldest brother, Joseph, who was probably headed for a political career, died in a plane explosion while serving in World War II. Brothers John and Robert were killed in their 40s. So it was that the youngest Kennedy, and the last Kennedy brother, was thrust into the role of family patriarch and, ultimately, of elder statesman.
Overcoming an early reputation as a vacuous young man of privilege, as well as a string of debilitating personal tragedies and burdensome expectations that he would fulfill his brothers' broken legacies, Kennedy became his own man in the Senate.
Edward Moore Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass., on Feb. 22, 1932, the ninth and last child of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. His maternal grandfather, John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, was a mayor of Boston. His paternal grandfather, Patrick J. Kennedy, served in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature.
His father made millions in real estate, banking, Hollywood films and Wall Street, as well as in liquor during Prohibition. The elder Kennedy served under Franklin D. Roosevelt as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, then as head of the Maritime Commission.
His mother, a devout Roman Catholic, was exposed to the boisterous world of Boston Irish politics early, campaigning as a young girl with her father, the mayor, and meeting presidents Grover Cleveland and William McKinley. Decades later, she became an accomplished campaigner for her sons.
Joseph Kennedy was away during much of his young son's early years, and Ted stayed with his mother in New York, where the Kennedys had moved in 1926. The family was reunited in London in 1938 when Joseph Kennedy was named U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James's, where -- as legions of Kennedy-haters would never forget -- he was an outspoken opponent of America's entry into World War II.
From his mother, Ted Kennedy learned the core values of the family's Catholic faith; from his father, he learned to compete. "We don't want any losers around here," Joe Kennedy would tell his children. "In this family, we want winners."
As the Kennedy family shuttled between London, Boston, New York and Palm Beach, Fla., Ted Kennedy studied at a number of private boarding schools before enrolling in 1946 at Milton Academy outside Boston. He was an undistinguished student, although he was an excellent debater, a good athlete and popular with his classmates.
From Milton, he enrolled at Harvard. Joe Kennedy once warned his youngest son to be careful, Kennedy biographer Adam Clymer wrote, because he was the kind of person who would always get caught. The warning went unheeded. As a freshman, Kennedy asked a friend to take a Spanish examination for him, Spanish being one of his weaker subjects. Both students were expelled.
Afterward, Kennedy enlisted in the Army and served two years in Europe during the Korean War before his discharge in 1953. Jack Olsen, author of "The Bridge at Chappaquiddick" (1970), observed that Kennedy volunteered for military service "with much the same attitude as a European youth joining the French Foreign Legion."
Welcomed back to Harvard, he was able to indulge his passion for football and was a first-team end in 1955, his senior year. Kennedy received an undergraduate degree in history and government in 1956 and received a law degree in 1959 from the University of Virginia.
He plunged into politics in 1958, managing his brother John's successful campaign for reelection to the U.S. Senate. Two years later, he coordinated his brother's presidential primary campaign in 13 Western states.
Following John Kennedy's election to the presidency in 1960, Edward Kennedy became an assistant to the district attorney of Suffolk County, Mass.; he was paid a dollar a year. He also began laying the groundwork for his own political career. Traveling at his own expense, he accompanied members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a fact-finding tour of Africa in 1960.
Before taking office in January 1961, John Kennedy urged Massachusetts Gov. Foster Furcolo to appoint Benjamin Smith II to his vacated Senate seat until a special election scheduled for November 1962. Smith, the mayor of Gloucester, Mass., and the president-elect's college roommate, was immediately labeled as a placeholder until Edward Kennedy reached 30, the minimum age for a U.S. senator under the U.S. Constitution.
That was exactly what happened. The youngest Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination three weeks after his birthday, and Smith stepped aside.
His chief rival for the nomination was Edward J. McCormack Jr., the state attorney general and nephew of John W. McCormack (D-Mass.), speaker of the U.S. House of Representativesat the time.
Although Kennedy avoided a potentially damaging campaign issue by revealing his expulsion from Harvard before his opponent could mention it, the primary campaign was bitter. McCormack repeatedly reminded voters that Kennedy had never held elective office and questioned his judgment and qualifications to be a U.S. senator. In the first of two "Teddy-Eddy debates," McCormack tried to turn the Kennedy name against his opponent. "And I ask you," he said, pointing a finger Kennedy, "if his name was Edward Moore -- with your qualifications, with your qualifications, Teddy -- if it was Edward Moore, your candidacy would be a joke. Nobody's laughing, because his name is not Edward Moore, it's Edward Moore Kennedy."
McCormack's attacks backfired, and Kennedy won by a margin of more than 300,000 votes. He went on to defeat the Republican nominee, George Cabot Lodge, and was sworn into office in January 1963.
As a freshman senator, Kennedy deferred to his more venerable peers, concentrating on legislation of local interest. That approach began to change on Nov. 22, 1963. He was in the chair, in the absence of the vice president, presiding over a desultory debate concerning a library services bill.
A press aide ran to the floor with a bulletin he had ripped off a teletype machine in the lobby and handed it to the first senator he reached, Spessard Holland (D-Fla.). Then the aide cried out to Kennedy: "Senator, your brother has been shot."
Kennedy turned pale, gathered his papers together and rushed out to the lobby, where he began making phone calls to the White House and to his brother Robert, the attorney general. Confirming the news of the shooting, Edward Kennedy hurried home to Georgetown and told his wife Joan, who had heard nothing.
That night, he and his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, flew from Washington to Hyannis, Mass., where their father lay half-paralyzed with a stroke. The family had not told him; in fact, they tried to keep the news from him. Only when he asked that the television be turned on the next morning did Kennedy tell his father that his eldest surviving son was dead.
John Kennedy's assassination helped make his youngest brother's reelection almost inevitable, despite his relatively sparse Senate record, but he almost lost his life in the process. Flying to Springfield, Mass., to accept the nomination of the state's Democratic convention, his twin-engine plane crashed in an apple orchard seven miles short of its destination. The pilot died instantly, and Kennedy was pulled from the mangled wreckage with a broken back, three broken ribs and a collapsed lung. An aide to Kennedy also died in the crash.
The first doctor who saw him cautioned that he might be paralyzed for the rest of his life. After a few days, doctors determined that he had suffered no permanent nerve damage.
His wife, mother and Kennedy family functionaries campaigned for him as he spent long months of recovery lying on his back. After his fellow Democrats nominated him by acclamation, he won the general election against a relative unknown, by 1,129,000 votes.Kennedy's initial foray into health care issues came in 1966 after he became aware of the difficulties facing Boston public-housing residents who had to rely on the city's teaching hospitals. Although they lived only four miles from the hospitals, it took them up to five hours to get there and back on buses and subways, including the time it took to wait in an emergency room.
In August 1966, he visited a community health clinic opened by two Tufts University medical school professors on two renovated floors of an apartment in the housing project. Within a couple of months, Kennedy managed to get money through Congress for a program of community health centers. By 1995, there were more than 800 centers in urban and rural areas, serving about 9 million people.
As a brother of a president on the front lines of the Cold War, he initially expressed "no reservations" about the American military commitment in Southeast Asia. That support began to wane after two trips to Vietnam and as U.S. involvement escalated toward the end of the decade.
He said years later, as quoted in Clymer's 1999 biography of the senator, that a trip he made to Vietnam in 1968 was the turning point. It left him troubled, he said, by the casualties the United States was causing and "the failure of the Vietnamese to fight for themselves." He came to believe that the Vietnam War was "a monstrous outrage."
By 1968, his brother Robert, then the junior senator from New York, had become the standard bearer of the antiwar movement. Some antiwar Democrats were urging Robert to run in Democratic primaries against President Lyndon B. Johnson. Edward Kennedy, who had grown close to his brother during their time in the Senate together, advised against it. He argued that a run in 1968 could not succeed and that it would damage his brother's chances for the 1972 nomination. Privately, he also was afraid that his brother would be assassinated.
On March 15, 1968, Robert Kennedy announced that he was running not "merely to oppose any man but to propose new policies." On June 5, 1968, Sirhan B. Sirhan, a Christian Palestinian outraged by Robert Kennedy's support of Israel, shot him in the head in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
After the assassination, Edward Kennedy temporarily withdrew from public life. He delivered the eulogy at his brother's funeral in New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral and then spent the next 10 weeks sailing, often alone off Cape Cod, brooding about the loss his family had endured. He considered leaving politics altogether.
Returning to his senatorial duties in August 1968, he made ending the Vietnam War his top priority. He offered a four-point plan that included an unconditional bombing halt in North Vietnam and unilateral reduction of American forces.
Over the next few years he made scores of antiwar speeches around the country. He condemned President Nixon's "Vietnamization" strategy -- in which the South Vietnamese took over more responsibility for military operations -- as "a policy of violence" that "means war and more war."
He supported every end-the-war resolution that came before the Senate until the U.S.-backed Saigon government fell in 1975.
In 1969, he wrested the post of Senate majority whip from Russell B. Long, a powerful Senate veteran from Louisiana. Winning by five votes, Kennedy at 36 became the youngest majority whip in the history of the Senate.
He lost the position to Byrd of West Virginia in 1971, in part because tallying votes and tending to tedious detail were not among his strengths, but also partly because of his preoccupation with a scandal two years earlier that claimed the life of a young womanand changed forever the arc of his political career.
On July 18, 1969, Kennedy attended a small get-together of friends and Robert Kennedy campaign workers on Chappaquiddick, a narrow island off Martha's Vineyard.
Late that night, the car he was driving ran off a narrow wooden bridge and plunged into a tidal pool. His only passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, one of the "boiler room girls" in Robert Kennedy's 1968 campaign, drowned.
Kennedy, who failed to report the incident to police for about nine hours, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident. He received a two-month suspended sentence and lost his driver's license for a year.In a televised speech on July 25, six days after Kopechne's death, Kennedy confessed to being so addled by the accident that he was not thinking straight. "I was overcome, I'm frank to say, by a jumble of emotions: grief, fear, doubt, exhaustion, panic, confusion and shock," he said.
Kennedy's public statement did little to quell rumors about what actually happened. For years, speculation about the multi-layered mystery was almost as intense as that surrounding the assassination of his brother, the president.
Although Kennedy denied rumors of intoxication or a "private relationship" with the young woman, lingering doubts about the incident ended, at least for a few years, any presidential ambitions the senator might have had.
He easily won reelection in 1970, and by the late 1970s, the Chappaquiddick incident had faded enough that Democrats were again talking about a Kennedy challenge to a faltering Carter presidency. A 1978 Gallup poll showed that rank-and-file Democrats preferred Kennedy over Jimmy Carter the incumbent by 54 to 32 percent. Kennedy decided to run, but his brief, inept campaign managed mainly to wound the Democrat already occupying the White House.
The fatal wound to Kennedy's presidential hopes came during an hour-long interview with Roger Mudd on Nov. 4, 1979, when the CBS journalist asked him the most basic of questions: "Why do you want to be president?" His muddled, stammering response -- Kennedy "made Yogi Berra sound like [Israeli statesman] Abba Eban," columnist Mark Shields observed -- made the question moot from that moment on.
He stayed in the race until the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York's Madison Square Garden, where the party faithful got a glimpse of the candidate who might have been when he delivered one of the great speeches of his career. In powerful, ringing tones, his "dream shall never die" speech called on the party to recommit itself to vintage Democratic values.
"Programs may sometimes become obsolete, but the idea of fairness always endures," he proclaimed. "Circumstances may change, but the work of compassion must continue. . . ."
He congratulated Carter and then concluded his speech with the passion and defiance that had become vintage Kennedy: "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Delegates leaped to their feet. Their uproarious demonstration lasted more than half an hour.
With the White House out of reach, Kennedy gave himself to the Senate and relied on a staff that most Senate observers considered the best on Capitol Hill. His aides stayed longer than most assistants in other offices, in part because Kennedy entrusted them with responsibility and relied on their expertise. Occasionally he supplemented their salaries from his own funds to keep them from leaving.
In 1987, he took the lead in opposing President Ronald Reagan's nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court. Kennedy portrayed Bork, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as a right-wing activist and helped doom the nominee. "In Robert Bork's America," Kennedy said, "there is no room at the inn for blacks and no place in the Constitution for women; and, in our America, there should be no seat on the Supreme Court for Robert Bork."
His unsuccessful opposition to the high court nomination of Clarence Thomas in 1991 was less vocal, partly because he was preoccupied by an incident in which a nephew, William Kennedy Smith, was arrested and charged with rape in Palm Beach, Fla. (Smith was acquitted.)
The senator and his wife, Joan Bennett Kennedy, who struggled with alcoholism for many years, divorced in 1982 after 24 years of marriage. Tales of public drunkenness, womanizing and loutish behavior dogged him for the next decade. At the same time, he conscientiously carried out his role of family patriarch. As the oldest surviving Kennedy male, he was not only father to his own three children but also surrogate father to more than two dozen nieces and nephews.
In a 1991 speech at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Kennedy made an apology of sorts for his personal misconduct. "I recognize my own shortcomings, the faults in the conduct of my private life," he said. "I realize that I alone am responsible for them, and I am the one who must confront them."
Kennedy seemed to regain his footing, personally and politically, after his marriage in 1992 to Victoria Anne Reggie, a lawyer from a Louisiana political family. She survives, along with three children from his first marriage, Kara Anne Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.).; two stepchildren; and grandchildren.
In 1994, Edward Kennedy defeated a Senate challenge by Republican businessman Mitt Romney and never faced another serious battle for his seat.
Although his party lost the White House six years later, Kennedy remained in the thick of the legislative action. President Bush's signature piece of domestic legislation, the No Child Left Behind bill, was going nowhere in early 2001, when Kennedy, who had put his mark on nearly every education law since the 1960s, declared his support. He considered the bill a worthy effort to increase public-school accountability through rigorous standardized testing.
With Kennedy and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) corralling skeptical Democratic votes, the most important education legislation in decades became law in early 2002.
Six years later, the law's renewal faced widespread opposition from those who considered No Child Left Behind a balky and unworkable intrusion into local control of schools. Kennedy again came to its rescue, despite his deep and bitter opposition to the Bush administration on a number of issues. He argued that the law had made schools better but that it had flaws that needed to be fixed.
On most other issues, most notably the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Kennedy was bitterly opposed to the Bush administration. He once said that his proudest Senate vote was his 2002 vote against authorizing Bush to use military force against Iraq.
"There was no imminent threat," he said in a 2004 speech at the Brookings Institution. "This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud."
In January 2008, at a rally at American University, Kennedy endorsed the presidential candidacy of another early opponent of the war, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Declaring that "it is time for a new generation of leadership" in America, he passed over his friend, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who also sought the Democratic nomination for president. Kennedy campaigned for Obama until suffering a seizure that May.
Three months later, Kennedy left his hospital bed and flew to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Slowly making his way to the podium to the cheers, and tears, of 20,000 rapturous fellow Democrats, he proclaimed, in a voice still strong, "a season of hope."
Delegates of a certain age heard echoes of his brother's 1961 inaugural address and of his own impassioned speech in Madison Square Garden nearly three decades earlier.
"This is what we do," he proclaimed. "We scale the heights; we reach the moon."
May the Road Rise to Meet You; May the Sun always Be On Your Shoulder, and The Wind at Your Back Teddy, God Speed Old Soldier - you shall be remembered well by all
I received this note tonite from a dear friend, and decided to forgo todays prepared post in favor of this very powerful One To One Message of Unity.
do you realize that some of our legislators work as little as 45 days total for the year, and claim upwards of a quarter of a Million Dollars Yearly Until They DIE. this happens after they serve just ONE TERM.
I invite you to join me in a mass repost of this message - with an email to your legislators. let them know that you think that it's time they addressed The Real Golden Fleece.
Let them know that You Want Them to Stand Up and Do The Right Thing NOW.
No More Delays on the Righting of this wrong. BadGals and Our Entire Posse' will be reposting this message on our blogs over the course of this week; to let everyone know where we stand on the Real Fleecing Of America.
How Can Legislators Ask Us for More when They are Taking More From Us ?
LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT!
KEEP IT GOING!!!!
Propose this in 2009:
START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
------------ --------- --------- ----
SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it
You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.
In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan.
For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. .... ALSO YOU ONLY HAVE TO BE ELECTED FOR ONE TERM TO COLLECT THIS BENEFIT.
For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000..00 during the last years of their lives.This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.
Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.
Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!!
This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds;
"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!
From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer), We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month after retirement.
Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!
Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
That change would be to Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. . Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
Then sit back.....And see how fast they would fix it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people can YOU send this to?
Better yet......How many people WILL you send this to ?
How much do you really know about Human Trafficking ?
Would you recognize the signs of a slave if you saw them ? Do you know what You Can Do to help stop this inhumanity ?
Take a moment today, think of those who hide in plain site; those who are silent and in bondage; those who will never know freedom. Commit to knowing the truth about Human Trafficking - and why there are more slaves today, than at anytime in history.
We Know your heart will bleed when you think of those 3 and 4 year olds sold into a life of forced bondage and brutality; never to know the simple freedom of being able to just sit and play.
Child Sex Slaves are the fastest growing segment of the abused population. unbelievable.. even the constant police stings, television show dragnets and numerous talk show set ups don't seem to deter these crimes. Why ?
there are children in America who are slaves, yes.
The Internet is said to have increased pedophilia more quickly than at anytime in history. there are more new registered sexual predators than at anytime in history; and many of them are children themselves. these children are the collateral damage because they were more than likely abused themselves before they became abusers. international child sex rings have proliferated so quickly that law enforcement agencies are hard pressed to keep up with even a fraction of their traffic and trade in pictures, movies and other items of exploitation.
BadGals will spend this week focusing on the America that Loves. we start by Asking You to Share Some Love, and Help to Free the Slaves.
Next Installment - a little frank talk about why abuse happens netstyle. we point to some troubling trends and danger signs. we let you take the test and see if you're setting yourself up to be a victim of netsploitation.
If We Don't Talk About it Who Will ?
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Prevalent even in the United States, it's one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world and is not going away without our help!
Human trafficking subjects victims to violence, fraud and coercion for sexual exploitation or other forced labor. Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of victims in the U.S. The traffickers buy and sell humans, often targeting homeless women and children, stripping them of all their freedom.
Hidden from sight there are dangerous predators -- pimps, gangs and pornographers. But thankfully you can help break down these brutal criminal networks and stop the violence of human trafficking by learning to identify victims and report incidents.
Yeeee-aaaaaaahhh, it's the SUSSSSS.. luscious and lacivious as ever on a fry-day. today is all about the nastiness of people who just dont' get it. why do you put yourself out there like this fam ?
Lady D and Mama ASID Cruci-fry and Crisp up the craziness in 29 minutes. it's a flash show and you're invited to spread the word, to all ya peeples.
The trial date was set in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday following a hearing at which the singer was absent.
His attorney, Delano Franklyn, told the court that his client was sick and could not attend court.
Luciano, born Jepther McClymont, is charged with harbouring a criminal, following a gun battle between a wanted man and the police at the artiste's studio on Westminster Crescent in St Andrew.
According to reports, about 4:45 a.m., the police went to the complex in search of Andrew Senior, also called 'Conqueror' who was reportedly wanted for several counts of shooting and murders.
There was a reported shoot-out in which three policemen were shot and injured and Senior fatally shot.
The singer's wife and children, who were in the house, escaped injury.
The police subsequently alleged that Luciano knew that Senior was wanted but still harboured him as part of his security team.
A blind 53-year-old shopkeeper is now in police custody after he was accused of getting a 14-year-old girl pregnant.
It is further alleged that the man was in a sexual relationship with the minor since she was 12 years old.
Sources disclosed to THE STAR that the man was linked with the youngster since February 2007. It is alleged that after the young girl's first sexual encounter, she was given a bag juice and $150.
four times each month
The allegations are that the blind man, who is also the father of a five-year-old girl, had sex with the teen at least four times each month. Information states that a condom was never used.
THE STAR learnt that the teen's mother became suspicious about her daughter's activities after observing changes in her bodily structure. She subsequently gave her daughter a pregnancy test and discovered that the child was pregnant.
It is further alleged that after hearing of the rumoured involvement of her daughter and the old man, the enraged mother confronted the accused who operates a shop from his house.
During the confrontation, it is alleged that the elderly Blind man came outside wildly swinging his machete and the child's mother had to run for her life.
A report was made to the police about the situation and the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse apprehended the accused man and slapped him with carnal abuse charges.
The man is set to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on August 12.
Investigators declined to give any comments on the case when their offices were contacted, stating the accused was currently being interviewed.
Two years after she was reportedly sexually assaulted and Scotch bonnet pepper rubbed inside her vagina, the family of a 12-year-old girl is still trying to bring to justice the persons behind the attack.
The child, who was staying with a female relative in St Ann, was allegedly being molested by that relative's son. It is alleged that the assault began when the child was only 10 years old and her alleged attacker was 28.
During the time that the child was staying with her relative, it is alleged that the 28-year-old molested her for about a year and a half. It is reported that after she made a report to the female relative, she was accused of lying and the Scotch bonnet was rubbed inside her vagina, allegedly as a means of punishment.
The child's stepmother, Mitzy* told THE STAR that when the child came to Kingston to spend time with them, she told them of the incident. The matter was reported to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) on August 13 last year.
heard nothing
Her family, however, told THE STAR that since then, they have heard nothing more of the matter.
"Wi made the report and everything and the medical was done. It confirm the abuse and everything, but we haven't heard anything from the police." They are concerned that the attackers might be allowed to go free after committing such an act.
Investigators from CISOCA, however, told THE STAR that because the incident happened outside of the Corporate Area, the investigation was being handled primarily by the CISOCA office in that parish. She explained, however, that the police were having difficulty locating the woman and her son as they were only given a general address. The investigator explained that the district was a very big one and was also very rural, where houses were not properly numbered. She advised the family to visit the police in the community and help them to identify the attackers, whether by providing more detailed addresses or by actually pointing them out.
The police say they are ready to prosecute as soon as the suspects are held.
The Gully/Gaza feud that has divided both the entertainment world and society, in general, has seemingly gone to a frightening new level.
While it has almost become the norm for the feud to rear its head at parties and for party-goers and even some selectors to choose sides, innocent householders are now being dragged into the dispute.
The latest incident, inspired by the Gully/Gaza madness, reportedly took place in St Andrew about three weeks ago. THE STAR was informed that the householder, a female we will call Milli, was at home listening to a mixed tape featuring both Vybz Kartel and Mavado. It is alleged that she was approached by some supporters of Vybz Kartel, who demanded that she turn down the music because a Mavado selection was being played.
This incident would not be the last in the community either, as about two weeks later, a motorist visiting someone was also subjected to the 'no Mavado law'. A source told THE STAR, "Dem tell him fi turn off di music 'cause dem nuh play dem bwoy deh song dem. So im seh dem can't tell him wha fi play inna him car." He was reportedly slapped across the face for disobeying and questioning the order.
Although the divide has been making headlines for months and has caught the attention of many, our source believes that it has got out of hand if innocent people cannot listen to the music of their choice. He told THE STAR, "I don't like Gully or Gaza because of the whole violence thing. They are using it to separate people. Cause if you seh Gaza and me seh Gully, wi a nuh fren. That's how dem looking at it."
When THE STAR contacted Vybz Kartel, he dismissed suggestions that his 'followers' were using violence to intimidate others and to dictate who or what they listen to . He said, "No one in my immediate surroundings as it relates to entourage, so to speak, has any desire to dictate what people listen to nor do we care. And in the same breath of air, I want no one who is a Gaza supporter to be intolerant to other people's choice of music, much less react in any violent way, shape or form, 'cause that's not what the Gaza is about."
*Name Changed.
Please Do Not Try to Get Ganjah out of Jamaica as Fish, it won't work. especially if it smells "Fishy" - get it, Kingfish. yeah right..
A bail application on the behalf of 32-year-old Canadian woman accused of attempting to smuggle ganja through the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) was last week denied in court as the forensic certificate in that matter was still outstanding.
The accused woman, Veronica Kelly, will now remain in custody until August 7 when the case returns to the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.
THE STAR was told that the woman was about to board a flight destined for Canada when sniffer dogs at the airport brought the attention of security personnel to an igloo she was travelling with.
vegetable matter
The container, which had fishes in it, was searched and vegetable matter resembling ganja was found. She was subsequently arrested for the offence.
In court last week, the woman's lawyer said that she was given the fish in the igloo to take back home for her friend and had no idea it was padded with the illegal matter.
His comments did not deter the judge's ruling, however.
It was a stand-off that would have made any cowboy proud. Two women, one 63-year-old and her 24-year-old rival, drew their weapons in broad daylight.
The only difference between the scene in Chapelton, Clarendon, on Sunday and an old western movie, however, was that the women were armed with bottles of urine.
When the dust cleared, both parties were left soaked and the stench of the stale urine floated through the air.
THE STAR heard that the women battled each other after an incident that happened almost a month ago. The younger woman had allegedly slapped the older woman's stepson in the face.
The 11-year-old child is said to have visited a friend's house where the 24-year-old woman also lives.
too noisy
Both kids were reportedly playing in the yard but were told to stop by the woman who allegedly complained that they were making too much noise.
The kids are said to have ignored the woman's request but were soon verbally attacked by the woman who became enraged.
She also allegedly threw a pan of water at them, and the 11-year-old retaliated by throwing water back at her. The child was then slapped across the face.
After returning home, the child told his mother about the incident, who then visited her child's alleged attacker but did not find her as she had gone to work.
THE STAR also heard that the 63-year-old woman tried on a number of occasions to confront the younger woman. Each time however, the woman was said to be at work.
The woman would leave the home each time promising that she was going to douse the woman in urine upon seeing her.
According to Corporal Desmond Powell of the Area 3 police that confrontation occurred on Sunday evening.
The corporal told THE STAR that based on what eyewitnesses report, both women upon seeing each other were quick to draw their weapons.
After a brief exchange of words, including a string of expletives, the wetting began.
They also got into a tussle which left them both topless, the police said.
"When the police arrived on the scene, the women were still quarrelling and topless," Corporal Powell said.
They were arrested by the police but later freed after a stern warning.
It was a quite a sight yesterday at the Kingston Public Hospital when two teenage girls got into a brawl over a man who was at the facility under police guard, THE STAR has learnt.
The fight is said to have started after 4 p.m. on the Mary Seacole Ward when the 15-year-old girlfriend of the man turned up at the hospital and encountered her 14-year-old matie.
"They started fighting on the ward and the security managed to get them off. We got the call about the situation, so we came here," one policeman said. The lawman told THE STAR that the man the teens came to visit was recently injured in a shooting incident. He has since been in hospital under police guard as he in someone of interest to the police.
Information reaching this newspaper is that the man had called the 15-year-old and advised her to not visit him that day as the police would detain her if she did. This, the policeman said, seemed to be a plot to keep both girls from facing off as the 14-year-old was already on her way to see the man.
scratches and blows
A friend of the 15-year-old, however, convinced her to visit the hospital nonetheless, and that was when all hell broke loose. Both youngsters allegedly exchanged harsh words, scratches and blows in full view of the entire ward.
A source also disclosed that the 15-year-old got pregnant when she was 14 years old. The pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage, however.
The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse could not immediately confirm if the man in custody was someone of interest to them. The unit, however, promised to make checks and provide a later update.
It is common to hear of men making sexual advances to women that walk pass them; however, in a section of Grateful Hill in Red Hills, St Andrew, things are a bit different.
THE WEEKEND STAR has learnt that a group of women from the community have been posting themselves on corners and have been preying on other women as they pass by.
Residents claim that the actions of these women are not limited to just words. They even go as far as to touch the passing women on their buttocks.
The situation, residents say, is becoming annoying and dangerous, to say the least. According to them, it is only a matter of time until someone gets seriously hurt.
As a matter of fact, at least two women have already been injured during altercations with those who tried to 'hit' on them.
THE WEEKEND STAR got a chance to see the women in action last weekend during a visit to the community.
A party which was in session received little attention from the team after two women were seen locked in a corner, while one whispered in the other's ear.
One of the women did a good job of trying to look like a male clad in a baseball cap, T-shirt, baggy jeans, high-top sneakers and a kerchief which hung from one of her back pockets.
During further inquiries, one resident, 22-year-old Keisha Williams said, "Yu waa come ya one next day when di whole a dem siddung pon di corner ... . Yu frighten fi hear dem a look di woman dem jus like how any man woulda do it ... dem disgusting man."
Another resident, Sherine Panton, 24, added, "Is like dem don't care, dem jus sit down pon di corner 'bout six a dem and call to di woman dem weh pass ... Dem seh anyting dem feel fi seh and dem nuh fraid fi seh weh dem waa do wid dem."
Both women say they come across the troublemakers on a daily basis and some times resort to alternative routes just to avoid them.
THE WEEKEND STAR managed to source a contact number for one of the women involved in this behaviour and she admitted to being a lesbian. However when asked about their bold actions, the 22-year-old said, "A our business dat, nobody nuh seh nuttin when man a look woman."
The police say they have heard of the situation but only became aware after a stabbing incident occurred approximately three weeks ago.
alleged lesbians
"We have heard talks about it. We heard they were two stabbing incidents which stemmed from it, but the women who were stabbed were alleged lesbians and they are said to be the ones who provoked the other women, so no report was made," said Inspector Travis McCalla from the Area five police.
Although no actual reports were made, the police say they heard that a woman had been walking in a section of the community when she was approached, her hand held and sexual advances made at her. The woman is said to have become upset and during a dispute one of the persons was cut on the hand.
Two weeks prior to that incident, another woman was stabbed in her back during a fight which began after she reportedly pinched another woman on her buttocks.
The police say they will be warning the women about the dangers of their actions as the two stabbing incidents could have ended in fatalities.
"Knives were drawn in both instances, so things could have been deadly ... . We will be looking to warn these women about their actions because it sounds simple until some enraged person takes matters into their own hands," Inspector McCalla told THE WEEKEND STAR.
The lives of a pig and an 18-year-old youth from a Westmoreland address will never be the same after Sunday, July 12.
Locals in the Harvey River district of Hanover area are alleging that they caught the teen in the heights of ecstasy with the animal along a river bank recently.
The Lucea police say that a report was made and they have since arrested and charged a man of a Westmoreland address with the offence. The man faced the court yesterday on a charge of bestiality.
Reports reaching THE STAR are that the incident took place sometime in the afternoon. One resident said that the 14-year-old son of the owner of the pig made the discovery.
This newspaper was told that a man who was nude was seen by the eyewitness and his nephew washing the rear section of the pig. The alarmed nephew attempted to scream but was restrained by his uncle.
It is alleged that the man proceeded to have sexual intercourse with the pig. It was at this point that the 14-year-old summoned other family members via text messaging.
ran leaving his pants
When they arrived, an alarm was raised and the man ran leaving his pants and underwear behind.
The accused was later held and hauled to the square where a mob was waiting, some to catch a glimpse of him and others to execute judgement.
He is said to have received several machete slaps before a female resident in an attempt to save his life laid on top of him until the police came.
In the aftermath of the incident, there is a claim that the pig is pregnant and residents are anxiously waiting to see the offspring.
Montego Bay-based media boss and political analyst Lloyd B. Smith was the victim of a recent attack that police say resulted in him being stabbed a number of times.
Sources yesterday told THE STAR that a report made to the police on June 26 by Smith, managing director and editor of the Western Mirror newspaper, states that he was at the Texaco service station at Fairview, Bogue, around 9:30 p.m. when he was attacked.
Ian Croll, 26, a man said to be known to Smith, was arrested and charged with assault at common law following the incident. He was released on bail yesterday and is set to attend court in the matter on July 27.
ratchet knife
Allegations are that Croll, who THE STAR has learnt is a freelance writer of Johnson Town, Hanover, opened the front-passenger door of the vehicle and used a ratchet knife to stab Smith a number of times.
Earlier this week, this newspaper received a copy of a letter being circulated by the accused attacker, addressed to Prime Minister Bruce Golding. In the document titled 'Young man sexually exploited needs help from PM', the man raised several allegations and questions about the publisher.
Efforts by THE STAR to contact Smith proved futile up to press time.
An unidentified man who held up and attempted to rob passengers on a Coaster bus was set upon and beaten to death by his would-be victims and citizens at River Road, St Catherine on Saturday. A firearm was handed over to the police following the incident.
The dead man is believed to be in his mid 20s, is of dark complexion, stout build, about 172 centimetres (5feet 8inches) tall and was dressed in a short black jeans pants, black and yellow shirt and black shoes.
Reports from the CCN's liaison officer for St Catherine North are that about 3:15 p.m., the bus was en route to Ocho Rios from Spanish Town when a man brandished a firearm and tried to rob passengers. He was overpowered but managed to escape from the vehicle.
He was then chased and beaten by citizens before being rescued by police officers and taken to the Spanish Town Hospital where he died. A Taurus revolver - serial number illegible - and five spent shells was handed over to the police.
A St Catherine pastor is claiming that extortionists have been targeting his church and he now fears for his life as well as those of his congregation.
The pastor, who requested anonymity, said that his place of worship is now being told to pay a monthly sum of $50,000.
According to Pastor Joe, the thugs have contacted him on several occasions over the past two weeks in an attempt to collect the money.
The problem he said began after he gave the thugs money on two occasions after they came begging.
"They visited me at the church two times before begging me for some help and I helped them out. Two times to be exact and gave them $40,000 totally out of the kindness of my heart," he said before adding: "It was money from my pocket not the church because the church cannot afford to give so much money away."
As a result of his kindness, Pastor Joe said he believes the men came up with the idea to extort the church.
"Is like they took my kindness for weakness. They asked two times and they received, so it's like they want to continue receiving," Pastor Joe said.
In the meantime, Pastor Joe said that the situation has forced him to consider moving the church elsewhere.
"Fifty thousand dollars is what they say they want every month end and there is no way the church can pay that. Not only that, but I have to think about my people as well as my own life. We're living in some serious times," he explained.
When THE WEEKEND STAR contacted the Area 3 police, Inspector George Kingsley said that they had heard of the situation and the pastor has scheduled with them for a meeting next week Wednesday.
"It is not something we have looked into just yet. The pastor contacted us and we are to speak with him next week, after that we most definitely will be investigating," the officer said.
A St Catherine woman who is accused of organising for a man to be robbed of more than $80,000 after having sex with him was granted bail when she appeared in court yesterday.
The woman of a Spanish Town, St Catherine, address was offered $60,000 bail when she appeared to answer robbery charges.
money and cellphone
Constable Gregory McLeod of the Spanish Town Police Station told the court that on Thursday, July 29, about 8:30 p.m., the complainant was walking along Young Street when he was robbed of his money and two cellphones.
He added that the complainant and the accused went to a local hotel and during their business transaction he paid her $2,000 for her services.
Her demands for more money were not met, although the complainant had a large sum of money in his possession.
business
The complainant allegedly told her that the money was to be used to do business. It is alleged that the accused made a number of calls and sent several text messages while they were in the room.
The policeman told the court that his investigations revealed that the accused was connected to the robbery of the complainant.
The accused woman's lawyer successfully made a bail application for his client after stating that she knew nothing of the robbery and had been cooperating fully with the investigation.
Beatin - Twin of Twins claymotion movie - weeeeee !!!!
The fraud charge against dancehall group Twin of Twins was yesterday dissolved in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court after the lawyer for the complainant, Andre Minott, said his client did not wish to pursue the matter.
Allegations are that the twins, real name Paul and Patrick Gaynor, took $50,000 from an upcoming artiste under the guise that they were able to give him the opportunity to go the United States of America to perform.
It is further alleged that they failed to deliver on their promise and subsequently refused to return the complainant's money. The act is alleged to have taken place earlier this year and was reported to the police in February.
The twins were subsequently taken into custody by the Half-Way Tree police on reasonable suspicion of fraud.
The entertainers' lawyer pointed out to the court that the situation was nothing more that a misunderstanding between the parties. He said his clients were actually on tour and attempts by the complainant to contact them regarding the agreement were unsuccessful. As a result, the complainant made a report to the police. The attorney added that his clients made repayments to the complainant after they returned from their tour. However, the police were not advised, hence they acted upon the report that was made initially.
Resident Magistrate Georgi-anna Frazer subsequently made a no-order ruling in the case and warned the complainant not to waste the state's time if he had no real issue.
The Twin of Twins are known for their comedic routines featuring witty social commentary and jabs at popular figures in the entertainment and political worlds.
Their latest release, Trial and Crosses, has been getting rave reviews from fans.
Tuesday morning started off normal for the police personnel attached to the Manchioneal Police Station in Portland. Before long however, with a gunshot, the day turned into one they will remember for years to come.
Shortly after 7 a.m., while officers were issuing morning meals to the prisoners in the lock-up, 59-year-old District Constable Neville Afflick, also called 'Texas Ranger', shot and killed himself with a colleague's pistol by the entrance to the cell block.
According to reports from the parish's liaison officer, Corporal Debbie Ellis, a colleague who was about to enter the cell block asked Afflick to hold his service pistol, as officers are not allowed to enter with their weapons. Moments later, a single gunshot was heard and Afflick's body was seen sprawled outside the cells with a gunshot wound to the head.
expressed disbelief
As news of the tragedy spread, Afflick's colleagues and family, and in essence the entire community were plunged into a pit of sadness, disbelief and despair. His brother, Clement, could not hold back the tears as he expressed disbelief at his brother's death. He said he could not believe that he had taken his own life.
Inspector Pauline Wood, head of the station, told THE STAR that she was shocked to hear of Afflick's death as when she last saw him he was in good spirits. She said, "It is a total shock to me and other members of staff here, he was in good spirits when I left him and I was expecting to come back and see him very much alive."
Afflick, his colleagues and residents say, was a devoted lawman, who had served as a sergeant for 13 years in the Jamaica Defence Force. He was also a devout Christian and lay preacher who gave his last sermon at the Scotts Run Seventh-day Adventist Church on Saturday. Residents who gathered at the station described him as a "Christian and a very good man". Many wept openly and bitterly.
The lawman leaves behind a wife and several children , including a two-year-old daughter.
Published: Wednesday | August 12, 2009 Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator
Fraud Squad detectives have been called in to investigate apparent financial irregularities at the Jamaica Police Academy (JPA) in St Catherine.
The investigators are hoping to shed light on the circumstances under which $1.5 million was allegedly transferred from the coffers of the JPA to the personal account of a senior officer
The Gleaner has learned that the alleged irregularities were uncovered during an audit conducted by the Inspectorate of the Constabulary, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Charles Scarlett, the inspector general.
Money sent back
It is alleged that after persons got wind of the transaction, the money was transferred back to the JPA's account in two instalments - first $1 million, then $500,000.
"I did some administrative investigation and based on the investigation, the matter was turned over to the Fraud Squad. That is all I am prepared to say at this time," Scarlett told The Gleaner yesterday.
At the time the alleged irregularities were uncovered, Senior Superintendent James Palmer was the officer-in-charge of the JPA. Responding to questions about the alleged discrepancies at the academy, Palmer referred The Gleaner to Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin.
A staff member at the JPA who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity said thousands of dollars from the canteen or kitchen and a chicken-farm programme were unaccounted for.
Director of communications for the JCF, Karl Angell, confirmed the audit. He said it began about three weeks ago, but declined to say anything further until the results of the audit are available.
KINGSTON - Fraud Squad detectives have been called in to investigate apparent financial irregularities at the Jamaica Police Academy (JPA) in St Catherine.
The investigators are hoping to shed light on the circumstances under which JAM$1.5 million (BDS$ 34 880) was allegedly transferred from the coffers of the JPA to the personal account of a senior police officer.
The Gleaner has learnt that the alleged irregularities were uncovered during an audit conducted by the inspectorate of the constabulary, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Charles Scarlett, the inspector general.
It is alleged that after people got wind of the transaction, the money was transferred back to the JPA's account in two instalments - first $1 million, then $500 000.
"I did some administrative investigation and based on the investigation, the matter was turned over to the Fraud Squad. That is all I am prepared to say at this time," Scarlett told The Gleaner on Tuesday.
At the time the alleged irregularities were uncovered, Senior Superintendent James Palmer was the officer in charge of the JPA. Responding to questions about the alleged discrepancies at the academy, Palmer referred The Gleaner to Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin.
A staff member at the JPA, who spoke to The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, said thousands of dollars from the canteen or kitchen and a chicken farm programme were unaccounted for.
Director of communications of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Karl Angell, confirmed the audit. He said it began about three weeks ago, but declined to comment further until the audit results were out. (Jamaica Gleaner)
A police constable from the parish of Hanover had to be rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital on Sunday after he shot himself in the leg.
The 26-year-old policeman shot himself with his MP5 sub-machine gun, which was carrying 60 rounds, THE STAR learnt.
The incident, which took place close to 2 a.m., left his colleagues in shock.
car was stopped
A source disclosed that the constable and others were conducting spot checks in Hopewell in the vicinity of the Shell service station. A car was stopped and the four occupants on-board searched. After the travellers were allowed to continue their journey, the constable and his colleagues boarded their service vehicle and explosions were heard, followed by a distressing shout by the policeman. Checks by colleagues revealed that the man had shot himself in his left leg.
rushed to hospital
The wounded policeman was rushed to hospital where he was treated and released, THE STAR was told.
Reports are that the firearm at the centre of the incident has since been tagged, taken out of service and sent for testing in the event that malfunctioning may have caused the accident. Investigations continue in the matter.
Following a number of incidents in the Newlands area of Portmore in St Catherine and the adjoining communities of Southboro, Naggo Head, Portmore Lane and Cumberland, the police have identified eight major persons of interest.
They are:
1) Luke Young
2) Ricky Trooper
3) Patrick Morris, otherwise called Max
4) Rasania Alexander, otherwise called Dutty
5) Tafari
6) Dudu
7) Parrie
8)-Devon Williams, otherwise called Dego
These persons are being asked to immediately contact Operation Kingfish at 811.
Residents of Newlands, Southboro, Naggo Head, Portmore Lane and Cumberland who have information on the whereabouts of these persons are also being asked to contact Operation Kingfish at 811.
A policeman from Clarendon is currently under probe following allegations that a high-powered weapon went missing from the station after he was the last person to have had access to it, THE STAR was told.
Information is that at the time when the firearm was discovered missing, log information was also torn from the record books arousing further suspicion. THE STAR has also learnt that the same policeman was an alleged suspect in the case of a missing pistol sometime ago.
delicate
One policeman from the May Pen Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) with whom THE STAR spoke confirmed that a colleague was at the centre of such an investigation but declined to give details as the matter was very "delicate".
This recent case comes after a special constable attached to the New Kingston Police Post was arrested last month after it was alleged that he sold a colleague's service weapon to gunmen.
check-off procedures
According to police reports, that incident took place on Sunday, July 12, at the New Kingston Police Post during a scheduled handover-and-takeover procedure. It is said that a Glock 9mm pistol was unintentionally left out of check-off procedures and put in a locker for safety by a supervising officer before stepping out to amend the error. The accused special constable is said to have removed the firearm without the consent of the supervisor and left the premises. The weapon was discovered missing shortly afterwards.
Speculations are that the gun was sold to men from the August Town area for a $150,000. Police are now seeking the public's assistance in retrieving the weapon.
The director of public prose-cutions last week ruled that criminal charges be laid against the special constable.
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer Residents gather around an ackee tree which has captured the interest of citizens in Burnt Ground, St Elizabeth. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
An ackee tree which "miraculously rose from the dead" in the middle of the afternoon last Thursday has left scores of residents of Burnt Ground in St Elizabeth thoroughly mystified.
Awestruck community members, who seemed rooted to the spot where the 'resurrection' is alleged to have taken place, said the tree was felled by the wrath of Hurricane Ivan five years ago. The tree, they said, had lain unprovoked at the same spot where it surrendered to the fury of the winds and rains.
When a Gleaner news team visited Burnt Ground 48 hours later, the tree stood erect, with an intricate network of knobbly roots.
The brown earth around the massive root system had clearly been recently disturbed, an indication that the tree had been uprooted.
Unable to contain their excitement, the villagers came out to tell of the incident that has gripped their little community.
>The common theme: Behold a mystery or a miracle! Before their very eyes, the tree rose from its horizontal position of half a decade and stood firm, to the utter amazement of many!
"There was nothing, no earthquake, no breeze," it jus stan up!" one elderly woman declared, as mesmerised as others around her.
"Ten of us couldn't lift it," another chimed in. "It get up an' stay the same it was when it was alive." Shocked
Charmaine Dockey, who lives a stone's throw away from the now-popular tree, told The Gleaner she actually witnessed, in speechless amazement, when the old tree stood.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when it jus' took its time and just stan' up," she declared. "It got up and set back himself the same way him used to stay," she said.
However, amid the consternation, a young man named Dwayne Wray calmly sought to demystify the situation.
"The roots which held down the tree after it was blown down seem to have broken free, releasing the tree from its grasp."
Wray believes the branches had, over the years, been chopped and used for firewood.
"As a result, the tree became lighter and when the roots broke the upper part returned to standing position," he added.
But many of the residents of the quiet, agricultural district located in Jamaica's Breadbasket Parish were not prepared to listen to such theories.
"It is a time sign of the times," one elderly woman declared. "It is showing us that we must repent."
Published: Tuesday | August 11, 2009
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
Wendy Mitchell (left) and Carmen Wilson, residents of Huntley, Manchester, show off equipment for the conveyor belt to be assembled for a juice factory in the community. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Wendy Mitchell, a resident of Huntley, Manchester, has for 10 years, through rain and drought, been involved in the establishment of a juice factory in the community.
Corine Richards, Veta Cowan, Jasmine Dwyer and Iredel Rattray, who cultivated a strong interest in community development, planted the all-important seed in the psyche of the people of the small agricultural district.
Great anticipation
Cowan has not lived to witness the day of harvest when something bigger materialised from her dream, but it is clear that her legacy lives on.
A decade later, after much hard work, trying times and a host of other challenges, the three women are among a community of people who wait with bated breath as any day now the conveyor belts will begin to chug juice into containers to be sold.
Mitchell recounted how, after the women took the idea to a community meeting and it was accepted, they wrestled with the next big challenge - finding the money to finance the project, estimated to cost in excess of $17 million - an expensive expenditure by the standard of a struggling farming community.
Ready assistance
Mitchell recalled that the idea was submitted to and accepted by the Agriculture Support Service project to the great joy of community members.
"They liked the idea and decided to assist the community by providing 80 per cent of the financing if the community would find the other 20," Carmen Wilson, another community member, explained.
"This means that the community would find labour, material and other costs associated with construction of the factory."
Mitchell revealed that the project commenced at a snail's pace, but the community's devotion to the cause never wavered.
"Building started more than five years ago," she said.
The deadline for start-up of the operation of the factory has passed and patience threatens to wear thin at times but, until the machine begins to function, Mitchell said the adrenaline of the people will continue to pump in anticipation of the big day.
"We are now doing the electrical work and most of the machinery has already been purchased," Wilson declared. She said these included the conveyor belt and cold-storage facilities.
She said that 40 members of the community had already bought shares in the company and a management team, under the direction of an experienced general manager, was being established to operate the facility.
Veteran and champion donkey rider John Dawkins leads in one of the races at the Annual Emancipation Day Donkey Racing in Top Hill, St Catherine. - Ian Allen
While it may be said that numerous local pastimes are being replaced by foreign activities with the advent of the Internet and cable television, the sight in Top Hill, St Catherine, last Saturday would have made Ms Lou proud.
The community celebrated it's 10th annual Donkey Race Extra-vaganza. And, as expected, the culturally charged event lived up to it's expectation pulling out hundreds of spectators to the streets to witness the ass jockeys gallop down the racecourse. Among the persons in attendance was Member of Parliament Robert Pickersgill.
'turbo-charged' animals
Bets flew in from left, right and centre as 'the beasts of burden' took centre stage at the show and each race sparked new excitement, sending fans searching for every vantage pointthey could find to get an upfront and unobstructed view of the 'turbo-charged' animals.
"Yes, dem ready fi start the race now, so clear the track," came the initial word from the microphone.
The first race began and was won by Speechless, which was ridden by Everton Robinson. Many betters cashed in on the sprint.
But as if the first run was not exciting enough, the second leg, won by Kirkland Jones on his mount 'Blue', was even more thrilling. The rider told THE STAR in an interview afterwards that he used good riding technique to outsprint his competitor. Jones would again get the better of Robinson in the third race and by the end of the day's activities he was the day's top rider with three wins, from four rides.
ass to victory
The excitement went to fever pitch, however, when veteran rider John Dawkins piloted his ass to victory.
The 60-year-old Dawkins said he has been riding for 20 years and has much love for it. ''Is a long time now me a ride donkey and none of de lickle bwoy dem can't ride more than me, because the experience goes a very long way man," Dawkins remarked while drinking a cold Dragon Stout.
Patrons who spoke with The Star said the annual donkey show was one of their favourite pastimes and they wanted the function to get better in upcoming years. One such person, Cyrel Crosby, said: ''I travelled from Toronto, Canada, to the racing each year for the last four years and it is really good that the rural folks are finding entertainment in their own unique way.''
The organisers of the event said they would be doing all they can to make it a household function for Top Hill.
Kirkland Jones leads Everton Robinson in one of the races.
Episode : August 21, 2009 Duration : 30:00 Mins Format : 128K Digital Downloadable MP3 / 44.1 mhz. joint format
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The Badness Continues.. Rite-chere Rite Naawwww
general, has seemingly gone to a frightening new level.
-- Entertainers Twin of Twins
