Tuesday, March 31, 2015

You might be surprised at the historical figures you didn't know were black

BETTY BOOP
They might have drawn Betty Boop white, but her history is black. The character was actually stolen from Cotton Club singer Esther Jones — known by her stage name “Baby Esther” and the baby talk she used when she sang songs like “I Wanna Be Loved By You (Boop- Boop-BeDoo). Her act later “inspired” cartoonist Max Fleischer to create the character Betty Boop and Esther tried to win the rights back to her character until the day she died.
J. EDGAR HOOVER
Hitler’s Jewish ancestry isn’t the strangest twist in racial history. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover — the man who plagued the black liberation movement from Marcus Garvey to the Black Panther Party — was known by his peers as a passing black man.

His childhood neighbor writer Gore Vidal famously quoted, “It was always said in my family and around the city that Hoover was mulatto. And that he came from a family that passed.”
And apparently that was a closely-guarded secret. Millie McGhee, author of Secrets Uncovered: J. Edgar Hoover Passing For White, said,
“In the late 1950’s, I was a young girl growing up in rural McComb, Mississippi. A story had been passed down through several generations that the land we lived on was owned by the Hoover family. My grandfather told me that this powerful man, Edgar, was his second cousin, and was passing for white. If we talked about this, he was so powerful he could have us all killed. I grew up terrified about all this.”

THE MEDICI FAMILY

It’s hard to get through any school lesson about the Italian Renaissance without talking about the Medici family. What history doesn’t like to talk about is that the financial ruler of the western world — Alessandro de Medici, Duke of Penne and Duke of Florence and commonly called “Il Moro” (Italian for Moor — a term commonly used to describe anyone with dark skin) — was born to an African-Italian mother (a servant) and a white father (who would later become Pope Clement VII).

JACQUELINE ONASSIS
Was Michelle Obama our first African-American First Lady? Or was it Jackie O? Jacqueline Onassis is a member of the van Salee’s family, famous for their “mulatto” heritage.
Jackie O’s ancestor John van Salee De Grasse was the first black American formally educated as a doctor; her socialite father was nicknamed “Black Jack” Bouvier because of his dark complexion.
More fun van Salee facts?: Both actor Humphrey Bogart and journalist Anderson Cooper are descendants of that famous family.
ANATOLE BROYARD
American writer Anatole Broyard passed as white his entire life. It wasn’t until his daughter, Bliss, published One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life — A Story of Race and Family Secrets was the truth revealed: The famous New York Times book reviewer was born to light-skinned black parents in New Orleans and started passing once he grew up and moved out of his predominantly black Brooklyn neighborhood.
QUEEN CHARLOTTE
This 18th century painter got into hot water when he painted Queen Charlotte’s features a little too realistically. The painting stirred up long-standing rumors about King George III’s wife’s African heritage.
And those rumors turned out to be true. Queen Charlotte was the member of a Portuguese royal family begun by Alfonso III and his lover Madragana “a moor“.
Because this makes Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince William technically mixed race, many historians have tried to cast doubt on the nature of Queen Charlotte’s heritage.
But her personal physician has noted her “true mulatto face” and the public report released before Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 acknowledges the monarchy’s African heritage.
ALEXANDER PUSHKIN
The man considered the father of Russian literature was the great-grandson of an Ethiopian prince named Ibrahim Gannibal. Among Pushkin’s more famous unpublished works (left after his death in a duel) is an unfinished novel about his Ethiopian great-grandfather.

You might be surprised at the historical figures you didn't know were black.

BEETHOVEN
The famous classical composer’s mother was a moor. It’s a fact that became popular again after this cast of his African facial features contradicted the “idealized” paintings of the man history likes to re-imagine.
KING TUT
The Boy Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt is often depicted as fair skinned. But these images recovered from his tomb (in addition to several other artifacts) have identified him as a black African.

SANTA CLAUS

Or at least Saint Nicholas (270 – 343 AD), the saint that the legend is based on. Old Saint Nick was born in what’s now considered Turkey (at the time a metropolis for people of African descent).
HANNIBAL
Hannibal of Carthage — one of the greatest military strategists in history is often depicted with much… narrower features. But these coins depicting Hannibal and his famous army of elephants leave little doubt in the minds of many historians of his African ancestry
SAINT AUGUSTINE
No course covering Philosophy 101 is complete without referencing Christian theologian Saint Augustine. What’s less commonly covered is his African origins and birth place of (modern-day) Souk Ahras, Algeria;
THE AUTHOR OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS AND THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
Alexandre Dumas was the son of the General Dumas born in 1762 to a white father and an enslaved mother. General Dumas was such a good general that he made his rival — Napoleon Bonaparte — nervous. Thanks to Napoleon’s machinations, the General ended up imprisoned in a dungeon for years — the story that inspired Alexandre to write The Count of Monte Cristo about his father.
THE MAN ON THE $10 BILL
For black history buffs, it’s really all about the Hamiltons. Alexander Hamilton isn’t just the man on the $10 bill, he was the United States’ first Secretary of the Treasury.
His mother, Rachel Fawcett Lavain, was said to be of “mixed blood” and his father was the son of a Scottish Duke. Alexander’s older brother was dark-skinned and treated as black. But Alexander was light enough to pass and went on to establish the first national bank in the American colonies, founded the U.S. mint and wrote most of the Federalist Papers.

CLARK GABLE
The original “tall, dark and handsome” actor didn’t hide his Black and Native American heritage. And when he saw “colored” and “white” bathrooms on the set of Gone With The Wind, he refused to continue working until all of the cast members were treated equally.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Best Celebrity Divorce Announcements : These couples took separation to the next level

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin
The couple, who got married in a quiet ceremony in 2003, announced their separation in March 2014 on Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP website, under the heading “Conscious Uncoupling.”
What They Said: "It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate. We have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate. We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been. We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and co-parent, we will be able to continue in the same manner. Love, Gwyneth & Chris”Paltrow faced a veritable online feeding frenzy over the use of term “consciously uncouple,” though the couple have seemingly remained friends, despite moving on to consciously coupling with other people.
Giada De Laurentiis and Todd Thompson
After 11 years of marriage, the Food Network star and her fashion designer husband announced they were calling it quits. De Laurentiis took to her own Facebook page to make the announcement.
What They Said: "After an amicable separation since July, Todd and I have decided to end our marriage," she wrote. "Although our decision to separate comes with a great deal of sadness, our focus on the future and overwhelming desire for our family's happiness has given us the strength to move forward on separate, yet always connected paths."
As if she took a lesson from Gwyneth Paltrow’s divorce playbook, De Laurentiis also announced her divorce on her own platform and coined an equally ridiculous term: “separate, yet always connected paths.”
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston married in 2000 in a lavish Malibu wedding, but their marriage quickly became Internet fodder. Things heated up when Pitt starred opposite his future wife Angelina Jolie in 2005 film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Turns out the speculation was right, and the couple announced their split after five years of marriage.
What They Said:In a statement released by the couple, they said, "For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any speculation reported by the tabloid media—this decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another. We ask in advance for your kindness and sensitivity in the coming months."
Despite the couple’s assurance they’d remain committed and caring friends, their acrimonious split played out in the media for years to come, proving actors are good at making believe even when announcing their divorce.
Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
The two beautiful pop stars turned reality TV stars proved that few celebrity marriages can survive reality TV. After three years of marriage, which included endless scrutiny, the couple released a statement in November 2005 announcing their split.
What They Said: "After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways. This is the mutual decision of two people with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other. We hope that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."
Yes, couples who divorce always split because they have enormous amounts of respect and admiration for another, right?
Courteney Cox and David Arquette
When the gorgeous star of "Friends" married quirky actor David Arquette, a few of us scratched our heads and went, “Hmm.” But over the years, their quirky antics made them seem like a strange but perfect match. Sadly, nothing could have been further from the truth. The couple split after 11 years of marriage in October 2010.
What They Said: “We have agreed to a trial separation that dates back for some time. The reason for this separation is to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage. We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply.”
Is anyone else thinking that the best time to think about what you’re looking for in a partner is before you get married? Oh, those quirky actors!
Katy Perry and Russell Brand
Katy Perry referred to Russell Brand as a “magical man” when she met him, but the marriage quickly went sour. The couple split after 14 months of marriage. Though Perry didn’t initially comment on the split, Brand wasted no time releasing a short, sweet statement all on his own.
What They Said: Brand released his own statement, saying, "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends."
Since Brand’s statement sounds more like a page out of someone’s yearbook rather than a heartfelt divorce announcement, it makes sense. In an interview with Vogue Magazine, Perry revealed Brand informed her of his plans to divorce via text message and that she hasn’t spoken to him since. I’m guessing they didn’t remain friends, despite Brand’s statement.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie
The Material Girl and her film director husband split after nearly eight years of marriage. They had two children together—Rocco and adopted son David. But after years of speculation, the couple finally pulled the cord on their marriage.
What They Said: Together the couple released the world’s most terse divorce announcement, which read, "Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven and a half years of marriage."
Years later, Ritchie would say he didn’t regret the marriage, but felt their life had become a circus. Meanwhile, Madonna finally opened up about the end of their marriage, admitting that the divorce made her question if true love really existed. With those kinds of digs, it’s probably better the couple kept their announcement short and not sweet.
Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock
Actress Pamela Anderson and singer Kid Rock had a wild wedding ceremony on a yacht in St. Tropez in 2006. The bride wore a white bikini. By November of the same year, they had both filed for divorce.
What They Said: Rock didn’t have much to say, but Anderson kept it short and sweet on her own website with this divorce announcement :
“11/27/2006
Divorce
Yes, it's true.
Unfortunately impossible.”
Anderson went to marry, divorce and remarry Rick Solomon. Meanwhile, Kid Rock finally opened up about his marriage to the "Baywatch" star, saying the relationship took a toll on his son. Ouch.
Heidi Klum and Seal
Who didn’t love the story of Seal meeting Heidi Klum while she was pregnant with someone else’s child and still falling in love? The "Project Runway" host and the singer seemed madly in love, even renewing their vows every year. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to keep the seven-year union together.
What They Said: The couple gave an exclusive to People magazine, saying, "While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul searching we have decided to separate.”
Klum quickly moved on to date her security guard Martin Kirsten, causing Seal to have some less than amicable words to say about his former wife. Apparently when it came to being loving, loyal and happy, these two said, “Auf Wiedersehen.”

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

No bond for millionaire Robert Durst on New Orleans weapons charges

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A magistrate on Monday ordered millionaire Robert Durst held without bond on weapons charges in Louisiana and said the man accused of killing his friend 15 years ago in California was both a flight risk and a danger to others.

Durst, 71, was seated beside his lawyers, his hands shackled to his sides in padded cuffs. He has been in a prison's mental health unit for nearly a week. Jail officials have called him a suicide risk.

Magistrate Harry Cantrell set a preliminary hearing in the weapons case for April 2.

Durst is accused of killing Susan Berman in 2000, but his lawyers say his arrest was illegal and orchestrated to coincide with the finale of an HBO series about his links to three killings.
He was arrested March 14 at a New Orleans hotel on both the weapons charges and on the Los Angeles County warrant accusing him of murder.

On Monday, defense attorney Dick DeGuerin said he never expected the magistrate to set bond.
"We were able to get a lot of information we didn't have before," DeGuerin said after the hearing. "... I think all in all we had a very good day."

One of the weapons charges alleges that Durst had a .38-caliber revolver; previous felony convictions make that illegal. The other charge alleges he had the weapon and illegal drugs: more than 5 ounces of marijuana.

Prosecutors have not said whether they will bring those charges before a grand jury.

None of Durst's previous convictions was serious enough to merit the felon in possession charge, his attorneys say.
Durst had registered at the J.W. Marriott Hotel under the name Everette Ward, and a search of his hotel room turned up his passport, nearly $43,000 in cash, a gun, and a rubber or latex mask that could cover his head and neck, according to a search warrant for his Houston condo.

Durst, a member of a wealthy New York real estate family, was charged with murder in California for the December 2000 shooting death of Susan Berman.

His arrest came one day before the finale of "The Jinx," the show about his links to his first wife's disappearance in 1982; the death of Berman, a mobster's daughter who acted as his spokeswoman after his wife went missing; and a 71-year-old neighbor in Texas whose dismembered body was found floating in Galveston Bay in 2001. Durst has been tried only for the Texas killing, and he was acquitted of murder.

Durst waived extradition in New Orleans but is being held on the weapons charges.

During Monday's hearing, DeGuerin asked that prosecutor-turned-TV-host Jeanine Pirro be removed from the courtroom as a potential witness. He said he wanted to question her.
"She's here because she's been participating in the dogging of Mr. Durst for years," he said.
But Cantrell ruled that Pirro would not testify.

Pirro -- a Fox News Channel host and former district attorney in New York's Westchester County, where she investigated the still-unsolved disappearance of Durst's first wife -- returned to the courtroom with a small smile.
After court, Pirro said requests for comment would have to go through her employer.

Bombshell Confession! Ex-Police Chief Admits Officers Mishandled JonBenet Ramsey Case— ‘Confusion At The Scene’

 The former Boulder police chief who was in charge of the JonBenet Ramsey case now admits that he and his officers may have irreparably mishandled the investigation from the start.
“It was the Christmas holiday and we were short staffed, we faced a situation as I said earlier that no one in the country had ever seen before or since, and there was confusion at the scene as people were arriving before we had enough personnel on the scene,”Mark Beckner wrote in an “Ask Me Almost Anything”session for Reddit.

The 6-year-old beauty pageant queen, JonBenet, was found dead in the basement of her family’s Colorado home on Dec. 26, 1996. Hours before the discovery of her body, Patsy Ramsey had made a frantic call to 911 saying she discovered a ransom note demanding $118,000 for her daughter’s return.

Suspicion eventually fell on Patsy and her husband John, but Beckner confessed on Reddit that during the “perfect storm type scenario”he and other officials failed by not immediately separating the missing child’s parents to get their individual statements.

Beckner now regrets doing the Reddit interview, insisting he had no idea that the forum was available for anyone to see online. “I talked to the organizer, and my impression was that this was a members-only type group that talked about unsolved mysteries all around the world,”the 59-year-old told The Daily Camera.

However, he does reiterate what he said in the forum.
“I tried to be honest and fair,” Beckner said, “and I think the only thing I would emphasize is that the unknown DNA [from JonBenet’s clothing] is very important. And I’m not involved any more, but that has got to be the focus of the investigation. In my opinion, at this point, that’s your suspect.”

“The suspect is the donor of that unknown DNA, and until you can prove otherwise, I think that’s the way you've got to look at it,” he continued.
No one has ever been prosecuted in JonBenet’s murder. Patsy died of a heart attack in 2006, and, two years later, former District Attorney Mary Lacy exonerated the late mom and her husband, John, based on DNA found on JonBenet from a still-unidentified party.

Saturday, March 21, 2015


Welcoming Spring......   Aline♥

Oh, Spring is surely coming,
Her couriers fill the air;
Each morn are new arrivals,
Each night her ways prepare;
I scent her fragrant garments,
Her foot is on the stair.

 ~John Burroughs,
 

Friday, March 20, 2015

Is Bobbi Kristina Brown being moved to rehabilitation center?

After seven weeks in a medically-induced coma, Bobbi Kristina Brown's family may be moving her from Emory University Hospital to an undisclosed rehabilitation facility in Atlanta, a source close to the family told ET.

The family is hoping for improvements in Bobbi Kristina's condition, the source said, but she remains in a coma.

Brown, who was resuscitated after being found unconscious face-down in a bathtub on Jan. 31, has been on a ventilator since shortly after arriving at North Fulton Hospital in Roswell, Ga. She was later transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. She turned 22 on March 4.

Brown's mother, Whitney Houston, died three years ago after accidentally drowning in a hotel bathtub in Los Angeles. The effects of heart disease and cocaine use were also found to have contributed to her death.

Bobbi Kristina's family, including father Bobby Brown and grandmother Cissy Houston, has been at the hospital and by her side, and though doctors have told them to prepare for the worst, they have been optimistic.

"Krissy will be good. Everything will be alright," Bobbi Kristina's nephew Shane Brown told ET in an exclusive interview in February. "She's getting better. We just ask for people to continue to pray."

Legally, it is Bobby's decision whether or when to remove his daughter from life support measures, but sources told ET weeks ago that the family was discussing together -- and struggling to come to terms -- with the decision.

Doctors told ET that a medically-induced coma could allow a more consistent flow of oxygen to Brown's brain and heart, but also cautioned that the longer she stayed on life support, the less likely that her body would be able to function on its own. There is also a danger of damage to the brain stem.

While Brown's family has been by her side during this ordeal, her boyfriend Nick Gordon -- who was previously reported to be her husband, but those claims have since been refuted -- has not been allowed to see her.

According to lawyers for Bobby Brown, "Mr. Gordon was offered an opportunity to potentially visit Bobbi Kristina and he declined to meet the terms of any possible visit."

Recently, Dr. Phil staged an intervention for the emotionally distraught Gordon, who also addressed reports that he has threatened to commit suicide, telling Dr. Phil, "If anything happens to Krissy, I will."

Sources told ET last month that in the event that Brown died, funeral services would be held in Atlanta, where she grew up, but that her body would be laid to rest in New Jersey next to her mother.

Bobbi Kristina is the sole inheritor of Houston's entire estate, which was estimated at the time to be worth nearly $115 million. According to Houston's will, if she does not have surviving children, the estate will pass on to her mother, Cissy Houston.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The Roving Reporter :What Really Motives Obama Haters

                                                           Jerry Harkness
Obama haters claim it is Obama’s “bad policy” and not race that fuels their hatred for the president. That’s about as believable as the Easter Bunny. If it wasn't for bad policy the last white president George W. Bush would have had virtually no policy at all and I have never heard Obama’s critics question Bush’s record. All that is needed to debunk their “bad policy” claim against Obama is the truth and a contrast between the records of Bush and Obama.

When Bush took office America had a $235 billion budget surplus. Instead of continuing President Clinton’s successful policies Bush rolled out the Republican Party’s poisonous “trickle down” scheme and as usual the result was disaster. Bush squandered the Clinton surplus, gave big tax cuts to the wealthy, waged the Iraq war on the credit card and refused to provide government oversight in the mortgage-backed securities market which precipitated an economic crisis.

Bush’s legacy is the worst recession since the Great Depression. The auto industry floundered and the housing industry virtually collapsed. According to Market Watch the S&P 500 dropped 40 percent, the Dow Jones dropped 25 percent and the NASDAQ dropped 48 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the country had a net increase of only 1.3 million private sector jobs during Bush’s entire eight years and the unemployment rate rose to 7.8 percent. Moreover the Bush administration sent almost 5,000 young Americans to die in Iraq in an unfunded war based on deception about weapons of mass destruction. And all the while Osama bin Laden, the real perpetrator of 9/11, walked free. Instead of leaving a budget surplus for Obama, Bush left a $1.2 trillion deficit.

Contrast that with Obama’s record. According to the Congressional Budget Office the Bush rate of deficit spending has been cut in half from 10 percent of GDP under Bush to about 4 percent of GDP under Obama. Over 10 million private sector jobs have been created during 59 straight months of job growth and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.7 percent.

According to Market Watch major stock indexes have averaged gains of more than 142 percent during Obama’s presidency. Under Obama the Bush recession has ended and the auto industry is strong and employing millions of workers directly and in supplier companies. The housing industry is recovering and corporate profits and stocks are at record highs. Gas prices are now about half as high as they were under Bush. Obama ended Bush’s unfunded $7 trillion war in Iraq and eliminated 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. More terrorists have been killed or captured under Obama than in Bush’s entire eight years.

So if it is bad policy and not race that has the Obama haters’ socks in a knot why don’t they hate the white president with the bad record instead of the black president with the good record? Obama is not perfect. No president is perfect and there’s nothing wrong with honest opposition. But the disgraceful Obama haters on the radical right who lie about his record and question his religion, his citizenship and his love of country are not honest opponents. They are petty bigots and they don’t have the courage to stand up and admit it.





Jerry Harkness lives in Shreveport.
Thanx           Jerry
The  Roving  Reporter 

Monday, March 16, 2015

WORLD EXCLUSIVE COVER STORY: “ARREST ROBERT WAGNER!” NATALIE WOOD SISTER DEMANDS JUSTICE

HOMICIDE detectives should arrest Hollywood star Robert Wagner and question him over the death of his late wife, Natalie Wood, her sister told The National ENQUIRER in a world exclusive interview.

On the eve of the 33rd anniversary of Natalie’s mysterious death, a furious Lana Wood declared: “R.J. should be arrested and taken in for questioning like any regular Joe!
“Because he’s Hollywood royalty, they’ve treated him with kid gloves. I want to know what really happened to Natalie so this case can be closed and she can rest in peace.”

Lana, 68, added: “If they find proof that he (Robert) was directly involved in her death, then he should be charged.”
Natalie, star of “West Side Story,” was 43 when she died Nov. 29, 1981. She and Wagner, now 84, had been entertaining her “Brainstorm” co-star Christopher Walken aboard their yacht, “Splendour,” off California’s Catalina Island.

While Wagner has admitted arguing with Christopher that night, he claimed Natalie left them and went to the yacht’s master cabin. Her body was later found in the water.

Now, in a stunning declaration, her still-grieving sister has penned a heartbreaking “open letter” to Wagner, which was obtained exclusively by The ENQUIRER.
Authorities have not yet labeled Wagner a suspect, and his lawyer, Blair Berk, has said the former “Hart to Hart” star “fully cooperated” with police.

But Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide division told The ENQUIRER that Wagner has dodged investigators’ questions for nearly three years.
If he “is innocent, then he has nothing to fear” from talking to detectives about that night, Lana told The ENQUIRER.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Alleged Cosby victim testifies before Nevada Legislature

                                      Lise-Lotte Lublin 
                                  Gloria Allred 
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - A woman who says Bill Cosby victimized her decades ago asked Nevada lawmakers on Friday to support a bill removing the state's statute of limitations on sexual assault - a provision that prevented her from pursuing a criminal case against the comedian.

Lise-Lotte Lublin, 48, fought through tears while telling lawmakers she passed out in the Las Vegas Hilton in 1989 after Cosby gave her two alcoholic drinks. The former model said she remembers Cosby stroking her hair, and then she woke up at home.

It was only after hearing similar allegations from other women that she concluded something happened to her while she was unconscious. She said she filed a police report on the incident in January, but was told Cosby couldn't be charged because too much time had passed. So she and her husband went to the bill's sponsor and urged her to draft the legislation.

"I want to empower victims, period," Lublin said, "regardless of what happens for me."

Cosby's publicist, David Brokaw, did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment on Friday. More than 20 women have stepped forward in recent months to level various accusations against Cosby, ranging from unwanted advances to sexual assault and rape. Cosby has not been charged with a crime and has denied some of the allegations through his attorneys.

Nevada law dictates that sexual assault charges cannot be filed more than four years after the alleged incident. The bill would remove that restriction and bring sexual assault in line with murder and terrorism as crimes without a statute of limitations.
Democratic Assemblywoman Irene Bustamante Adams, who is sponsoring the bill, said the legislation would help sexual assault victims who often face severe emotional and social trauma and can take years to feel comfortable before filing a report with police.

Vanessa Spinazola, a lobbyist for the ACLU of Nevada, said statutes of limitations help ensure cases are reviewed before witnesses die and memories fade.

"They permit both the prosecution and the defense to try the case before evidence is stale," Spinazola said. "As more time lapses, it becomes increasingly difficult for the accused to prepare a meaningful defense."

Attorney Lisa Rasmussen said there's an unlimited statute of limitations for prosecuting a sexual assault when a police report is filed within four years of the incident.
"You also have to think about whether or not you would want to be in a position where someone is saying '35 years ago, someone did this to me,'" Rasmussen said.
The bill wouldn't apply retroactively due to constitutional concerns.


The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual assault as a matter of policy, but Lublin went public with her allegations. Despite Lublin identifying Cosby as her attacker, committee chair Ira Hansen asked that witnesses not use names during their public testimony and refer to him as "the perpetrator

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Harrison Ford Continues to Heal Following Plane Crash

 Actor Harrison Ford remains hospitalized, continuing to heal after his World War II-era plane crashed on a California golf course, as investigators try to uncover the cause of the accident.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Patrick Jones said authorities hope to speak to Ford, 72, about the Thursday incident. There’s no indication the plane’s fuel was bad, investigators said.
Ford’s wife, Calista Flockhart, visited him at the hospital Sunday. His son Ben also shared updates about his father’s status online over the weekend, thanking fans for their concern and saying Ford has “the best care possible.” The tweet was later deleted.
Harrison Ford Credited for His Handling of Plane Crash
Harrison Ford Plane Crash Described by Golfing Spine Surgeon
Harrison Ford Hospitalized After Crashing Small Plane Near Los Angeles
The movie star’s publicist, Ina Treciokas, has described the actor's injuries as non-life-threatening.
Photo : Airplane sits on the  ground after  crash landing at Penmar Golf Course in Venice , Los   Angeles ,  March 5 , 2015.

Ford reported engine trouble shortly after  taking  off from the  Santa Monica Airport on Thursday  and asked  for  an immediate return , Jones  said . The  tower then reported that the plane  came  up short  of the runway , according  to air traffic controller  transmissions  from LiveATC.net.

ABC News aviation consultant John Nance believes  the  golf  course's conditions  contributed  to Ford's injuries .
"The  airplane Harrison  was flying  was an old  model . It  was  built for  slow  speed  and  maneuverability . I think  what  happened in this  instance is  the wheels  dug into  the wet  ground  and  that made the  aircraft stop too  quickly ," Nance  said .

A very speedy  recover  Harrison  Ford ... from the PICs.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Pat Houston on Bobbi Kristina Brown's 22nd Birthday: She's "Still Fighting the Battle of Her

Life"On Bobbi Kristina Brown's 22nd birthday, her aunt Pat Houston released a statement on Whitney Houston's official website telling fans that she is "still fighting the battle of her life."
Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Bobbi's battle continues. Pat Houston released a statement on Whitney Houston's website on Bobbi Kristina Brown's birthday, Wednesday, Mar. 4, providing the latest update on her niece's condition.

"Today is Bobbi Kristina's 22nd birthday," wrote Houston. "And we ask you to continue to keep her in your prayers as she is still fighting the battle of her life."
The sister-in-law of the late Grammy winning superstar signed her note: "Patricia Houston, President, The Whitney Houston Estate."

Pat's update was also accompanied by an old photo of Whitney and her daughter, laughing together in an affectionate mother-daughter embrace.

As Bobbi Kristina fights for her life, another battle has been brewing between Brown and Houston family members. An insider told Us Weekly last month that money has become a "big point of contention" between the in-laws, while the music scion remains in a medically induced coma.
Whitney Houston with her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown onstage during a concert in 1999.
Credit: L. Busacca/Larry Busacca/Wireimage

Making the situation even more complex are several Brown family members who have requested payment — plus other perks — to do press interviews, prompting Bobbi's father Bobby Brown to call them out by name.

In a statement to Us last month, Bobby's lawyer Christopher Brown noted: "The integrity of the events that led to the hospitalization of Bobbi Kristina must remain uncompromised. Various members of the family have provided media interviews, however, none of them are approved visitors to see Bobbi Kristina. None of them have firsthand knowledge of Bobbi Kristina’s treatment and the medical staff at Emory University Hospital has not communicated with them."

Bobbi Kristina was found face-down and unresponsive in her Roswell, Georgia home on Jan. 31. Police have said the incident is being treated as a criminal investigation.

Meanwhile, both Houston and Brown families have gathered at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, where all sides continue to pray for her recovery.

Hello Folks ,
Yes  I'm back  sitting  in for  'Witchy'  . 
Not  to worry , Witchy will be  back  soon ,  around  midnight  hopeful . 
Hurry home  Baby ,  you are  missed .

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Roving Reporter :Biracial twins look wildly different

Lucy and Maria Aylmer, from Gloucester, U.K., are often faced doubt and shock whenever they tell strangers that they are, in fact, twin sisters. The biracial twins, who were born to a white father and a half-Jamaican mother in 1997, look wildly different from one another at first glance.
While it’s not uncommon for any family with African heritage to present a range of skin tones, hair colors, hair textures, and eye colors, twins like Lucy and Maria are still pretty rare. Lucy is fair-skinned, with reddish hair and blue eyes, while Maria has a light brown complexion, with more textured hair, and brown eyes.

Their different appearance was a huge shock to both of their parents. The twins even have older siblings who resemble another, but are darker than Lucy and lighter than Maria.
Lucy and Maria have even taken to carrying their birth certificates with them in case they might need to prove that they actually are related. But, the two young women are very close, despite what strangers might say about their different appearance.


“Now we have grown older, even though we still look so different, the bond between us is much stronger,” Lucy said. “Now we are proud of the fact that we are each other’s twin sister. Maria loves telling people at college that she has a white twin – and I’m very proud of having a black twin.”





The Roving Reporter     G.

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Roving Reporter : Missing in Action -- If you find him --- Keep him OK !

 Gov. Bobby Jindal meets the press — and it doesn't go well 
SCREENCAP FROM MSNBC 
Gov. Bobby Jindal's appearance on Morning Joe was the capper on a week of disastrous profiles, skeptical reporters and bad economic news. 

When you’re running for president, you have to do a lot of things you’d rather not do. Tops on that list if you’re Bobby Jindal is talking to the press, something he’s been loath to do during his seven-plus years as Louisiana’s governor. Because Jindal is officially contemplating a run for president next year (in truth, he can’t wait to run), he met a room of skeptical reporters at a Washington, D.C., breakfast earlier this week to start rolling out his policy bona fides.

By all accounts, it did not go well.

The Jindal who met the press this week was actually the latest iteration of our governor, who in recent weeks has reverted to his old policy wonk shtick. Among other things, he talked at length about education, bolstered by a new report from his nonprofit policy group America Next. It was a change from two of Jindal’s recent incarnations: the foreign policy upstart decrying “no-go zones” in Europe and offering his thoughts on Cuba; and “Bubba” Jindal, pal to the Duck Dynasty Robertson clan, tweeting photos of himself shooting a gun; sending Christmas cards featuring him in full camouflage; and wearing an oversized cowboy belt buckle at a prayer rally. Clearly, Jindal is a political chameleon who will say or do anything to blend in with whatever constituency he’s wooing.

But even the ever-calculating Jindal couldn’t foresee the disastrous run-up to his D.C. media breakfast. In the wake of his trip to Europe — and his “no-go zones” debacle — several profiles of Jindal appeared in the national press. All were highly critical.

Jindal’s staffers could easily dismiss The New York Times’ piece as just another example of “leftist bias,” but not so a story in The American Conservative titled, “How Bobby Jindal Wrecked Louisiana.” The latter was written by Rod Dreher, a Louisiana native and prolific political writer who once supported Jindal. “I keep telling my friends in the national media that if you think Bobby Jindal has a chance in hell of becoming president,” Dreher wrote, “send a reporter down to spend a few days in Louisiana, seeing what condition he’s leaving his state in.” Most of what Dreher reported (fiscal disasters in higher education and health care) wasn’t news to Louisianans, but it was an eye-opener to the national conservative audience Jindal is courting. It certainly couldn’t be written off as a leftist screed.

Then there was Tyler Bridges’ profile of Jindal in Politico, which noted Jindal’s two Achilles heels. First, he inherited a nearly $1 billion surplus from his predecessor, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, and turned it into a $1.6 billion (and growing) deficit. Second, Louisiana’s unemployment numbers have nearly doubled under Jindal, in contrast to the national trend under President Barack Obama, whose leadership he enjoys criticizing.

All this was a prelude to Jindal’s press breakfast, which was not exactly a PR triumph. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank began his report by saying, “Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal took his presidential campaign-in-waiting to Washington on Monday trailed by an unwelcome, unsavory and downright unpleasant companion: his record.” That record, of course, was the one thing Jindal didn’t want to discuss with the national press. He mostly talked about his “new” education plan, which was a rehash of cliches that Louisianans had heard before: “parent choice” (diverting taxpayer funds to private schools); bashing Common Core (which Jindal once championed); and busting teachers’ unions (which he calls “setting teachers free”). According to Milbank, the first question came from The Christian Science Monitor, which hosted Jindal: “Is there some irony in your talking about ramping up education while you’re cutting it in Louisiana?” 

Even the normally welcoming Morning Joe program on MSNBC proved a minefield. Host Joe Scarborough zeroed in on Jindal’s Common Core flip-flop (“How did that happen?”) and asked specifically about LSU’s potential 90 percent tuition hike in the face of Louisiana’s budget crisis. Jindal dodged the question, saying LSU has “one of the lowest tuition rates in the entire country.” When asked how much it costs to attend LSU, the governor said it cost “less than $10,000” a year for tuition, books, meals and housing. It actually costs more like $20,000. 


No wonder Louisiana’s public universities are starving, and no wonder Jindal avoids the press. He’s clearly unprepared to handle either challenge — the presidency all the more so.

Vote  wisely  my friends .


The  Roving  Reporter