IED Blasts Spike In Afghanistan War As The Wounded Flow Home

WASHINGTON -- Roadside bombs in Afghanistan are taking a growing toll on American troops this summer as blasts from improvised explosive devices tear off arms and legs of soldiers and Marines, including one who survived the traumatic amputation of both arms and both legs.

 
 The wounded arrive at Andrews Air Force Base from Afghanistan. (Photo By Sara Kenigsberg)

They are the latest of almost 50,000 Americans wounded during 11 years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, including some 16,000 catastrophically wounded. IEDs and other blasts have shorn off 1,653 limbs during the two wars, according to Pentagon records. Among the wounded are five who lost all four limbs.

USDA meets with Mexico, ‘slow-walking’ Congress on food stamp outreach to immigrants

While it is already known that personnel from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) met with Mexican embassy officials this year to discuss nutrition assistance outreach efforts to immigrants, the agency is “slow-walking” a U.S. Senate effort to obtain information about the USDA’s partnership with Mexico to get more people enrolled in nutrition assistance programs.

According to both the USDA and the Mexican embassy, USDA personnel meet “periodically” with officials from the Mexican embassy to discuss nutrition “assistance and education” pertaining to 15 domestic nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps.

Bronx Councilman Convicted in Corruption Case

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

City Councilman Larry B. Seabrook, center, with his wife, Maria Diaz, and one of his lawyers, Anthony Ricco, outside federal court in Manhattan on Thursday.

City Councilman Larry B. Seabrook was found guilty on Thursday of orchestrating a broad corruption scheme to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in city money to his relatives, friends and a girlfriend through a network of nonprofit organizations that he controlled.

A federal jury in Manhattan, which deliberated for over three days, convicted Mr. Seabrook, 61, on 9 of the 12 counts he faced, including wire and mail fraud and conspiracy. Each of the nine counts carry maximum sentences of 20 years. 

Mr. Seabrook, a fixture in Bronx politics for three decades, will also automatically lose his Council seat, a legal expert said.

In a statement, Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan, said that Mr. Seabrook had “abused the power of his office to influence public contracts and to fund his own corrupt friends and family plan.”

It's Called "FOOD Stamps' For a Reason! NOT porn stamps, liquor stamps, lottery stamps . . . Foooooood!

Say What? New Welfare Restrictions Target Booze, Tattoos

BOSTON — Taking aim at what they call an abuse of the taxpayers’ money, a growing number of states are blocking welfare recipients from spending their benefits on booze, cigarettes, lottery tickets, casino gambling, tattoos, and strippers.

“If you’re not abusing the program, then you should really have no problem with these reforms,” said state Rep. Shaunna O’Connell, a Republican pushing for restrictions in Massachusetts.

While the crackdown has strong populist appeal in Democratic and GOP states alike in this era of tight budgets and Tea Party demands for fiscal discipline, advocates for the poor argue that the restrictions are based on stereotypes about people on welfare, and they say the notion of any widespread abuse is a myth.

Most people on public assistance, they contend, are single Mothers struggling just to get by.

The movement has been spurred in part by Congress. Under legislation signed by President Barack Obama in February to extend a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, welfare recipients are barred from using their cash assistance in strip clubs, casinos, and liquor stores. States must change their own laws to conform by 2014.

States from Arizona to Maine have been going even further on their own, adopting or considering legislation to block people from using their benefits to buy other items deemed frivolous. Among them: porn, cruises, and psychic readings.

Read more of this article - click on the headline title, or click here.

Paul Gaylord Recovering From Rare Case Of Plague (PHOTOS)

This photo supplied by the Gaylord family taken July 11, 2012, at a hospital in Bend, Ore., shows the blackened hand of Paul Gaylord as he recovers from the plague. Gaylord contracted the disease when he tried to pull a mouse out of the mouth of his cat, Charlie, because it was choking on the rodent.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- One look at Paul Gaylord's hands shows why the plague is referred to as "Black Death."

The welder's once-strong hands have been withered by the cell-killing infection and darkened to the color of charcoal. Doctors are waiting to see if they can save a portion of his fingers, but the outlook is grim for the man who needs them for his livelihood.

"I don't think I can do my job," Gaylord said in a phone interview from a Bend, Ore., hospital. "I'm going to lose all my fingers on both hands. I don't know about my thumbs. The toes – I might lose all them, too."

Gaylord, who turns 60 next month, contracted a rare case of the plague trying to take a mouse from the jaws of a choking cat at his home in Prineville, in rural Oregon.

Startups crowd crowdfunding starting line

Raising capital for small business is about to get easier.

The SEC is preparing rules to allow companies to raise up to $1 million a year from just about anyone in return for equity.

It won’t be until the end of the year or the beginning of 2013 that those rules are in place, but entrepreneurs will be able to raise up to $1 million per year from an unlimited number of people. Investors who make less than $100,000 a year will be able to put up to $2,000 per year. Those who make more will be able to invest 10 percent of their income up to $100,000.

Crowdfunding, as the new system is named, could prove to be fertile ground for entrepreneurs. But even the smartest observers of the entrepreneurial ecosystem can’t be sure just how the crowdfunding experiment will play out.

“The world’s about to change a lot in the funding arena,” said Wil Schroter, the chief executive of Fundable.

Precocious 2-year-old shows signs of musical genius

Lavinia Ramirez has been hailed as a mini Mozart, understanding and playing piano with skills beyond her years.

David Hedges"/SWNS.com

Lavinia Ramirez, aged 2, is being hailed as a mini Mozart.

Two-year-old Lavinia Ramirez might be on her way to becoming a musical genius. The toddler from Devon, England, played a perfect version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" at her first concert in front of around 200 audience members - an amazing feat for her young age.

Lavinia was among the 21 performers at Derriford Church Hall for Plymouth Piano School's end of term concert, reports the Daily Mail. Although most of the students were around 10 years of age, others were in their 50s. Lavinia, certainly the youngest, has received the media attention.

Supreme Court Allows Immigration Checks

The Supreme Court upheld a key part of Arizona's tough immigration law, ruled against life sentences for juveniles and rejected corporate campaign spending limits. Jess Bravin wraps today's decisions and looks ahead to the eagerly awaited decision on on the 2010 federal health-care law. Photo: AP.

Top court's decision on Arizona will affect other states, too

The Supreme Court's decision on Arizona's attempt to legislate immigration is likely to have far-reaching effects on other states' efforts to enact similar legislation and underscores the need for federal action, experts said Monday.

The decision is "a resounding defeat for the legislators of Arizona and other parts of the United States who think that immigration can be regulated at the state level," said Charles H. Kuck, managing partner at Kuck Immigration Partners in Atlanta.

He predicted Monday's decision will affect Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, Utah as well as Arizona. The court's message to each state is the same, he said: "This is a federal issue."

Supreme Court mostly rejects Arizona immigration law

The big question now, he said, is what Congress will do to fix the immigration problem. But he doesn't expect any immediate movement. "I would guess they won't touch this with a 10-foot pole until after they come back after the election."

Supreme Court permits no limits on state campaign funds

In a blow to those trying to restrict corporate spending in U.S. elections, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled against a century-old law in Montana that set limits on business spending for political campaigns in the state.

Supreme Court rules juvenile life without parole cruel and unusual

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday limited the use of life terms in prison for murderers under 18, ruling that judges must consider the defendant’s youth and the nature of the crime before putting him behind bars with no hope for parole.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court struck down as cruel and unusual punishment the laws in about 28 states that mandated a life term for murderers, including those under age 18.

The justices ruled in the cases of two 14-year-olds who were given life terms for their role in a homicide, but their decision goes further. It applies to all those under 18.  It does not automatically free any prisoner, and it does not forbid life terms for young murderers.

Nonetheless, it is an important victory for those who have objected to imposing very long prison terms on very young offenders.

Government wants more people on food stamps

The federal government is running radio ads to boost enrollment in food stamps.

More than one in seven Americans are on food stamps, but the federal government wants even more people to sign up for the safety net program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been running radio ads for the past four months encouraging those eligible to enroll. The campaign is targeted at the elderly, working poor, the unemployed and Hispanics.

The department is spending between $2.5 million and $3 million on paid spots, and free public service announcements are also airing. The campaign can be heard in California, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and the New York metro area.

"Research has shown that many people -- particularly underserved seniors, working poor, and legal immigrants -- do not understand the requirements of the program," said Kevin Concannon, a USDA under secretary.

The radio ads, which run through June 30, come amid a bitter partisan fight over the safety net program. Republican lawmakers want to reduce funding for the benefit or turn it into a block grant program, which would also minimize the cost. Democrats, however, are not willing to make major cuts.

"Millions of low-income seniors struggle to afford life's necessities like food and medicine," said Stacy Dean, vice president for food assistance policy at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Enrolling in SNAP can help ease that struggle."

Adidas Cancels Controversial ‘Slave’ Sneaker

Many AIDS cases, few HIV specialists in South

ATLANTA – The South has emerged as ground zero in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the USA.

Roughly half of all new AIDS diagnoses are occurring in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to federal estimates.

Overlying that dismal reality is another: There's a severe shortage of HIV specialists in the South, which exacerbates access to treatment for people living with the disease in the region, according to one of the nation's leading AIDS advocacy organizations.

"This disease is no longer a metropolitan problem," says Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a host of the roundtable. "In fact, infection rates in the rural South are among the fastest-growing in the country."

 

WTH? Republicans Want Food Stamps Cut By Billions

WASHINGTON — The 1,000-page “farm bill” being debated in the Senate is somewhat of a misnomer. Four of every five dollars in it – roughly $80 billion a year – goes for grocery bills for one of every seven Americans through food stamps.

Adidas Cancels Controversial ‘Slave’ Sneaker

German sports apparel maker Adidas has canceled the release of the controversial JS Roundhouse sneaker, which featured rubber ankle shackles, after a huge public outcry, reports CNN.com.
 
The advertising for the shoe premiered on the Adidas Original Facebook page on June 14 with the caption:

“Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?”

“Wow obviously there was no one of color in the room when the marketing/product team ok’d this,” said a commenter identifying herself as MsRodwell on nicekicks.com.

Adidas defended the shoe’s designer Jeremy Scott by saying that he was just being “quirky” and “lighthearted,” but Rev. Jesse Jackson is but one of the leaders in the Black community who disagrees:

“The attempt to commercialize and make popular more than 200 years of human degradation, where blacks were considered three-fifths human by our Constitution is offensive, appalling and insensitive,” Jackson said in a statement Monday.

It's Official: Arsenio Hall Returning to TV With Late-Night Talk Show

The late-night talk show from CBS Television Distribution has already been sold in all top 10 markets and 17 of the top 20, covering 52 percent of the country.

It's official: Arsenio Hall is returning to television, partnering with CBS Television Distribution for a late-night talk show.

The project will see the former host of The Arsenio Hall Show reteam with CBSTVD, whose previous incarnation, Paramount Domestic Television, oversaw his syndicated late-night talker that ran from 1989-94.

"We're excited to welcome Arsenio back to the family and partnering on his new, late-night syndicated talk show,” CBSTVD president John Nogawski said in announcing the news Monday.

********************
Publisher's Note:


It's amazing how some of the news media outlets have conveniently omitted the fact that the reason why Paramount (named at that time) started to give Arsenio Hall a bad time back then is because of a particular guest he had on his show . . . namely, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.   




And to this date, this is why I continue to respect Mr. Arsenio Hall for what he did!  

So, please, let us not forget the history of Hall's television demise by a company who is now accepting him back after all of these years.  

Just keeping it real . . . and you should too!

5 Signs You Have Cataracts

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world. In fact, there are more signs of cataracts worldwide than there are of glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy combined.

If you have cataracts, you probably won’t experience pain or redness because most cataract symptoms are related instead to vision problems.

What are Cataracts?

8 Herbs That Help Heal

(BlackDoctor.org) — For anyone with type 2 diabetes, the goal of treatment is to control blood sugar levels. In many cases, exercise and diet is enough to regulate these levels, but when it is not, medicine is available. But even beyond traditional medicine, there are more options still.

As with many other ailments, people often look to natural remedies and herbs to assist with their treatment. Because of this, several botanical and herbal supplements have been studied as alternative treatments for type 2 diabetes, including ginseng, cinnamon and aloe vera. Read onto find out if trying them might work for you.

Click here to learn more.

Many Foods You Buy From the Supermarket Have Medicinal Plants, Fruits, Vegetables and More To Be Use For Both External and Internal Health!  Buy "How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Food You Buy at the Market!"

Detox Your Skin!

A multilevel approach to caring for your beautiful Black skin is more than just a diet. The average person is exposed to thousands of chemical substances every day. On top of that, a poor choice in what you eat, lack of exercise, insufficient nutrition and let’s not forget a lack of water can overload your livers ability to properly detox your body.

What do you think the results will be for you? Fatigue, depression, sluggishness and guess what else? A dull complexion!

Looking For Work? Several Job Fairs Scheduled This Week

If you’re looking for a job, there are plenty of opportunities to apply this week.

At least five job fairs will be held.  Open positions range anywhere from office work to warehouse labor.

Quality Control and Assemblers and Material Handlers

SC Works of Greer is hosting RL Enterprise & Associates Tuesday.  They will be interviewing for temp and temp-to-hire quality control positions with client employers in the Duncan and Spartanburg areas.  They are also accepting applications for assemblers and material handlers in Easley.  The job fair takes place April 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the SC Works Greer office on North Main Street.  Organizers ask that you bring your resume and references.

Temporary Office Support

SC Works of Greenville is hosting a job fair for Bi-Lo, Inc. Tuesday.  Organizers are looking to fill temporary office support positions.

If you are interested, go to the SC works Center-McAlister Square on South Pleasantburg Drive April 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Bring your resume and be prepared for a pre-screening interview.

Wide Variety Of JobsUp to 250 new positions are now open in the Upstate.  Marketplace Staffing is holding a job fair Wednesday.  Organizers are looking to hire entry level and experienced positions.

The staffing and human capital solutions firm says the jobs include assembly, packers, warehouse support, material handlers, forklift operators, machine operators, general labor, maintenance technicians, and CNC machinists.  The positions are located across the Upstate including Clinton, Fountain Inn, Laurens, Greenville and Spartanburg and will be on all shifts.

Applications will be accepted for all positions between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Hampton Inn in Clinton, on E. Corporate Center Drive.

Follow-up interviews will be scheduled soon after.

Distribution and Warehouse

SC Works Spartanburg and Phillips Staffing are teaming up to hold a job fair Friday.  Organizers say they are looking to hire for several positions including pickers, packers, forklift driver, shipping/receiving associates, material handlers, inspection associates, assembly associates, and inventory control associates.

Applicants must be 18-years-old and have six months experience in distribution or warehouse work and have a high school diploma or equivalent.

If you are interested, the job fair will be held April 27 between 10:30 a.m. and noon at the Spartanburg SC Works office.

Job Placement
Jobs are available immediately through ResCare, an employer that helps needy families and puts welfare recipients back to work.

Organizers say there are jobs open in several different areas across the state.

You can see all of the jobs posted and apply online by clicking here.

Those selected will start a two-phase training period.

16 Facts About Walmart That Will Blow Your Mind

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/crazy-facts-about-walmart-2012-4?google_editors_picks=true#ixzz1st6pcumA

How This Little Kid Became The Hottest Entrepreneur In America

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/caines-arcade-2012-4?google_editors_picks=true#ixzz1st76sWXg

Foods that Whiten Teeth

A surprising number of foods in your fridge can counteract dental dinginess and actually whiten your teeth.

How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Foods You Buy at the Market

A lot of the foods you buy at the market using your food stamps (EBT card) can also be used for external health benefits, such as your face, hair, teeth, and more.  Learn more about how basic condiments and spices are very useful to be used to achieve both internal and external beauty saving you money and time.   

‘Oh Wow’: What Do Steve Jobs’s Last Words Really Mean?

“Oh wow.” Two words that can have many meanings.

Steve Jobs’s sister Mona Simpson has a moving tribute in the New York Times detailing some of his final moments and his last words.

According to the article, titled “A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs,” Jobs’s last words were “OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.” (The words were rendered in all capital letters in the essay.)

People are fascinated by last words. They can be viewed as a summing up of a life. Because the person saying them has nothing left to gain (except in terms of their legacy), they can be seen by some as an honest a representation of a person’s true opinions as one can get in this life. And there’s a mystical quality to last words–we hear them and wonder if the person saying them can give us any insight or information about what’s really on the other side.

Fed downgrades growth forecasts, sees high unemployment for years ahead

The Federal Reserve sharply downgraded its projections for the U.S. economy Wednesday, warning that weak growth and high unemployment will be the norm for years.

The Fed expects that the unemployment rate will be around 8.6 percent at the end of next year, down only slightly from 9.1 percent today, and will still be between 6.8 percent and 7.7 percent in late 2014. In their June forecast, Fed officials said joblessness would come down faster, to around 8 percent by the end of 2012, when the next presidential election will take place.

Different State, Same Hate

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against South Carolina to block the implementation of SB 20, a divisive and dangerous anti-immigrant law signed by Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) earlier this year. If SB 20 does take effect on Jan. 1, 2012, the law will create a new $1.3 million immigration enforcement unit for South Carolina and provide local law enforcement with overly broad authority to investigate residents' immigration statuses. As NCLR (National Council of La Raza) has repeatedly pointed out in the past, when other states attempted to pass similar bills, these anti-immigrant laws not only promote racial profiling and discrimination, but also violate the Constitution.

5 things you didn't know about the first black NBA player

Earl Lloyd was the first black person to play in the National Basketball Association. Lloyd made his historic debut in the NBA on October 31, 1950, during a time when many American institutions were still segregated.

Lloyd is remembered for being a trail-blazer for African-Americans in the NBA. What other contributions did he give to the world?

Food Stamps: Democrats In Congress Attempt To Eat On $4.50 A Day To Protest Potential Budget Cuts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) along with eight other congressional Democrats are eating on a budget of about $4.50 a day to show solidarity with food stamp recipients who receive $32.59 a week.

The personal thrift, which is part of a challenge organized by Fighting Poverty With Faith, was reported by Pacifica Patch. The site also listed the food items that Speier was now buying.

The number of people relying on food stamps has risen as a consequence of the recession. Over 40 million individuals and 19 million households used the program in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Foods You Buy at the Market!

How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Foods You Buy at the Market!

[Ebook, PDF Format]

Food Stamps: Democrats In Congress Attempt To Eat On $4.50 A Day To Protest Potential Budget Cuts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) along with eight other congressional Democrats are eating on a budget of about $4.50 a day to show solidarity with food stamp recipients who receive $32.59 a week.

The personal thrift, which is part of a challenge organized by Fighting Poverty With Faith, was reported by Pacifica Patch. The site also listed the food items that Speier was now buying.

The number of people relying on food stamps has risen as a consequence of the recession. Over 40 million individuals and 19 million households used the program in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Foods You Buy at the Market!

How To Look Good Using Food Stamps: Beautify Yourself with the Foods You Buy at the Market!

[Ebook, PDF Format]

Poorest poor in US hits new record: 1 in 15 people

The ranks of America's poorest poor have climbed to a record high — 1 in 15 people — spread widely across metropolitan areas as the housing bust pushed many inner-city poor into suburbs and other outlying places and shriveled jobs and income.

New census data paint a stark portrait of the nation's haves and have-nots at a time when unemployment remains persistently high. It comes a week before the government releases first-ever economic data that will show more Hispanics, elderly and working-age poor have fallen into poverty.

Owner of car dealership labeled "Taliban Toyota" wins millions

The owner of a large southwest Alabama car dealership derided as "Taliban Toyota" by a competitor has been awarded $7.5 million in damages after a jury trial for his slander claim.

Iranian-born Shawn Esfahani, owner of Eastern Shore Toyota in Daphne, Alabama, sought $28 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Bob Tyler Toyota, claiming employees at that Pensacola, Florida-based dealership falsely portrayed him as an Islamist militant to customers.

"The feeling I received in the courtroom for the truth to come out was worth a lot more than any money anybody can give me," Esfahani told Reuters on Tuesday.

4 million borrowers eligible for foreclosure review

More than 4 million borrowers who have faced foreclosure since early 2009 will have the chance to have their cases reviewed for potential wrongdoing, federal regulators and some of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers announced Tuesday.

The reviews stem from a deal forged earlier this year in which 14 servicers agreed to hire independent consultants to evaluate whether borrowers suffered financial injury during the foreclosure process. If a review finds errors or abuses by the financial firms, the consultants will determine what recompense wronged homeowners deserve.