Dennis Brown Lands International Success With 'Money In My Pocket'

Published: Sunday | July 27, 2014 Shereita Grizzle, Gleaner Writer
Beginning his career in the late 1960s, as early as age nine, Dennis Emmanuel Brown went on to record more than 50 albums, establishing himself as a pioneer in the Jamaican music industry.
Dennis Brown - File
Dennis Brown (File)
Born on February 1, 1957, Brown had quite a successful career, one that earned him the title, 'The Crown Prince of Reggae'. And although he started out very young and was enjoying local attention, Brown did not break onto the international scene until 1971 when he recorded and released the single, Money in My Pocket. The song found huge success in the United Kingdom, climbing the charts and reaching the top 20.
The song was produced by Joel Gibbs, more popularly known as Joe Gibbs at the time. Clearly proud of this particular achievement, Gibbs gushed about it to The Sunday Gleaner in an October 2013 article where he made mention of Winston 'Niney' Holness, who was also a huge part of the song's success. "Niney brought Brown to me about 1970-71, and told me he had potential and that I should take care of him.
We became very close. He came with a song to record, but I had this song, Money in My Pocket, which I co-wrote with a guy from MoBay. I told him it would be a hit, so he shouldn't play with it," he was quoted as saying. The rest of the story was told through the song's success. Brown went on to record a host of other hits which also enjoyed international success, including No More Will I RoamShould ISilhouette and If I Had the World. more

Alia Atkinson wins to advance to 100m breaststroke semis as she goes after her second swim medal for Jamaica

Sunday, July 27, 2014 | 7:26 AM    
GLASGOW, Scotland - Alia Atkinson won her heat of the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Tollcross Swimming Centre a short while ago to book her spot in the semi-final scheduled for 8:05 pm (2:05 pm Jamaica time).
Atkinson, who won Jamaica’s first medal at these games when she copped silver in the 50-metre breaststroke on Friday, clocked 1:07.95, the second fastest time going into the semi-finals.
Australia’s Sally Hunter had the fastest time of 1:07.77, topping a race that involved Jamaica’s Zara Bailey who touched the board seventh in 1:14.49.
Bailey was also in action in the women’s 200m individual medley finishing sixth of seven competitors.

Digicel Foundation supports families of children with special needs in JAMAICA....NEARLY 400 caregivers of students have benefited from a specialised training seminar

Sunday, July 27, 2014    
NEARLY 400 caregivers of students with learning difficulties, physical disabilities or emotional and behavioural problems have benefited from a specialised training seminar hosted by Digicel Foundation between July 19 and 24.
The training seminar was hosted by the Digicel Foundation in partnership with Irish Autism Action, which seeks to improve the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism.
Shannon Eidman, community outreach co-ordinator
 at Irish Autism Action, encourages caregivers of children
 who have learning disabilities at the seminar.
The training was designed and developed following a visit to Jamaica by Irish Autism Action in 2013 to a number of Digicel Foundation partners across Jamaica.
A needs assessment conducted identified two key areas for support -- training for parents and siblings of a family member with special needs; and training for developed individuals who work with persons with special needs.
Over the course of the training seminar, participants benefited from a wide range of interactive sessions on behaviour management, facilitating language and communication, promoting independence in daily living, self-care and wellness for parents of children with special needs and supporting siblings of children with special needs. more

Jamaica take silver in girls’ sprint relay, boys get bronze medals.... Jamaica's medal count at the IAAF World Junior Championships increased to five

BY PAUL A REID Sunday Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, July 27, 2014    
EUGENE, Oregon — Jamaica's medal count at the IAAF World Junior Championships increased to five after the sprint relay teams won medals in their respective events yesterday evening at Hayward Field here.
The girls' team took silver in 43.97 seconds with Sashalee Forbes, Kedisha Dallas, Saqukine Cameron and Natalliah Whyte.
The USA won in a World Junior leading time of 43.46 seconds, the fifth-fastest of all time and second best by an American team, while Germany was a surprise third in 44.65 seconds.
The men's team of Raheem Robinson, Michael O'Hara, Edward Clarke and Jevaughn Minzie took the bronze in their race in 39.12 seconds.
The USA won the double, again in a World Junior leading time of 38.70 seconds, the second-fastest time ever, while Japan was second in 39.02 seconds.

PAUL CAMPBELL meets RULA BROWN on SULTRY SUNDAY SLOW JAMZ to talk about his new movie "JAMAICAN MAFIA" on Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 3-7pm ET on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com. The 3 mins trailer of the movie received over 100,000 views & 1,467 shares on the Facebook page, "BringBackOurJamaica"


Award winning actor, Paul Campbell stars in Jamaican Mafia
















Since the release of a 53-second teaser in March of this year, many have been waiting with bated breath for the release of the official trailer for the original movie, Jamaican Mafia. Well, the wait is over, and the trailer is now available for viewing viaYouTube.
Unlike the release of the teaser, which was also uploaded to YouTube, organisers decided to debut the trailer via social media and made the announcement on their official Facebook page.
When questioned on this decision, co-producer Orville Matherson said it was a no-brainer.
"Our fans have been loyal to us on Facebook, so it was only natural. Besides, we are in the social-media age, so there's no better way of creating a buzz about the trailer than on social media," he said.
Users were encouraged to log on to the movie's official Facebook page, where they were given a link to view the video on YouTube.
Since its release, the three-minute-long trailer has amassed more than 8,000 views. Mattherson told The Sunday Gleaner that since last Wednesday, he has had positive feedback on the film. Based on these reactions, the co-producer expects the film to do extremely well both locally and internationally.
"I'm confident that this movie will win numerous awards and it will go all the way to the top," he said.
Anxious viewers may not have long to wait before they see the film in its entirety, as the official release date is fast approaching. In the coming months, producers will be turning the wheels on the promotional bus a bit faster, as the highly anticipated movie is set for an August debut.
Actor Paul Campbell
Actor Paul Campbell on set
Additionally, several tour dates have been set as the film is expected to be shown in cities across the United States. The tour kicks off on August 8 and will run until September 2, making stops in New York, Boston, Miami, Washington, and Atlanta.
A local premiere is also in the pipeline.
"We are planning to have a grand premiere in Jamaica and we are currently talking to sponsors who are interested in being a part of the event. We want the premiere in Jamaica to be very special and we are excited about the plans." Source: Jamaica Gleaner

After winning silver in 50m race, Jamaica's Alia Atlinson books spot in 200m breaststroke, other swimmers move forward

Saturday, July 26, 2014 | 8:26 AM    
GLASGOW, Scotland --- Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, fresh from her silver medal performance in the 50-metre breaststroke at the Tollcross Swimming Centre at the XX Commonwealth Games here on Friday, is in with a shot for the elusive gold medal Saturday evening.
Alia Atkinson
Atkinson, who won Jamaica’s first medal at these games, has booked a spot in the final set for 7:36 pm (1:36 pm Jamaica time), even though she finished fourth in her heat of the women’s 200m breaststroke. She earned her spot with the eighth best time across the heats. She did 2:28.33 minutes in a race won by Australia’s Taylor McKeown in 2:26.38.
In the final, the Jamaican will match with Scotland's Hannah Miley, Canada's Martha McCabe, Australia'sTaylor McKeown, Kierra Smith of Canada, England's Molly Renshaw and Australia's Sally Hunter and Tessa Wallace.
But there were preliminary wins for other Jamaicans. Trudiann Patrick topped the field in the women’s 50m butterfly in 28.76 seconds and has advanced to the semi-finals later Saturday at 8:00 pm (2:00 pm Jamaica time).
Jevon Atkinson won heat one of the men’s 100m freestyle in 52.03 seconds to progress, but Dominic Walter finished last in the men’s 200m butterfly and was eliminated. more 

Jamaican woman, Nerene Erica Harrison, 32 y-o, of St Ann's Bay, convicted for marriage fraud in US...After her visa expired, Harrison offered Cruz, a United States citizen, US$6,000 to marry her. She now faces 5 years in prison.

Saturday, July 26, 2014    
FLORIDA, USA (CMC) — The United States Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agency says a Jamaican woman has been found guilty of marriage fraud by a US federal jury.
Court (File photo)
The ICE reported Thursday that Nerene Erica Harrison, 32, of St Ann's Bay, Jamaica, faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23.
Harrison was indicted on November 13, 2013, along with Robert Kenneth Scott Cruz.
"Every marriage fraud scheme corrupts the integrity and fairness of our nation's immigration system," said Susan L McCormick, special agent in charge of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Harrison came to the United States in 2007 on a temporary work visa. After her visa expired, Harrison offered Cruz, a United States citizen, US$6,000 to marry her.
They were married August 15, 2011, and subsequently petitioned for Harrison to receive lawful permanent resident status, based on the marriage.
Cruz who pleaded guilty March 27 also faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been set for November 11. Source: Jamaica Observer.

AM STILL LAUGHING AND CAN'T STOP : Woman Leff her man in Jamaica and gone a Manami

SHEONAE GRANT of St. Thomas, Jamaica : Law Student at UWI-Mona with 4.0/4.0 GPA....President of the inter-school fellowship, member of 4 major teams Volunteers at Bustamante Children Hospital 18 CXC/CAPE passes with 15 distinctions (15 ones)....2014-15 PALAS TOP PERFORMERS STORY (5 of 5)

SHEONAE GRANT of  St. Thomas, Jamaica : Law Student at UWI-Mona with 4.0/4.0 GPA... President of the inter-school fellowship, member of 4 major teams Volunteers at Bustamante Children Hospital 18 CXC/CAPE passes with 15 distinctions (15 ones). She attained 27.3 out of a possible 30 points on the PALAS evalution of her application package.

Below she writes in her essay to PALAS...

I attend the prestigious University of West Indies-Mona. It was a realization of mine that life could be tracked by a series of numbers from date of birth to the tax registration number. It was frightening that one’s legacy could be reduced to numbers on documents. However, I am challenged by the words of Marcus Garvey: “Whatsoever things common to man, that man has done, man can do”. Great people of history, like Nelson Mandela, have ‘done’ so then I too can ‘do’. Therefore I posit the idea that I, Shéonae Grant, am the ideal representative for what any recipient of the prestigious 2014 PALAS Scholarship should possess: a zeal for academic excellence driven by unyielding dedication.
As a Christian, I am guided by the scripture, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (1 Peter 4:10). With this in mind, I perform the duties of Deputy Head Girl, president of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship of Wolmer’s and Treasurer of my church’s Youth Department. I volunteered my time at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital where I engaged patients whose parents could not be present. I am a member of the Volleyball team, Debating Society, Science Club and Peer Counseling Body. In all this I learned how satisfying servitude could be, the art of patience and selflessness which helped me to develop qualities like being diligent, humble and teachable. 
I aspire to be a lawyer because I have a passion for the administration of justice and equality for all who seek it. I became aware of issues concerning equality for persons with disabilities. I admire the law profession for the incredible platform it would allow me to influence necessary legislative reform in this particular area since the last National Policy on Disabilities was passed in 1999. I intend to press for a greater sensitization towards persons living with disabilities. This would be my first contribution towards helping Jamaica attain sustainable development. more

World Junior Champs: Michael O’Hara on track for medal in 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships after easily winning his semi-final heat in a new personal best 20.45 seconds

Michael O'Hara
PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, July 25, 2014 | 1:34 AM    
EUGENE, USA -- Michael O’Hara stayed on course to be the third Jamaican man to win a medal in the 200m at the IAAF World Junior Championships after easily winning his semi-final heat in a new personal best 20.45 seconds (1.4m/s) Thursday evening on the third day of the Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The final is set for Friday evening.
O’Hara beat Nigeria’s Ejowvokohene Divine Odudru (20.66) seconds and Cuba’s Reynier Mena, a bronze medalist behind O’Hara at last year’s World Youth Championships where the Jamaican struck gold.
It was the end of the road for the other Jamaican Jevaughn Minzie after he ran 20.77 seconds for fifth place in his semi-final won by Great Britain’s Thomas Somers- 20.37 seconds (1.9m/s) and Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes- 20.38 seconds, both of whom also advanced to the final.
Meanwhile, both Jamaican women’s 400m runners Tifanny James and Yanique McNeil failed to make it to Friday’s finals; James was a gallant third in her semi-final in 54.06 seconds while McNeil who advanced as one of the fastest losers on Wednesday, was sixth in 54.98 seconds in her heat. Source Jamaica Observer

Falmouth, JAMAICA: Pregnant cop, 35 y-o Camile Spencer dies on job....Colleagues mourn sudden death of cop. "She was a fun-loving person, very kind. She was one of the persons who always kept the office happy. She has gone too soon; that's all I can say," added the police inspector.

BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, July 25, 2014 
 FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The sudden death of a pregnant policewoman, who collapsed while on the job yesterday, has left her colleagues here in western Jamaica in mourning.
01
Camile Spencer
The Jamaica Observer learnt that the policewoman — Detective Constable Camile Spencer, 35 — who was three months pregnant, in recent days complained of shortness of breath. The detective's condition, a police source said, worsened during the wee hours of yesterday while she was on duty at the Falmouth Police Station. She was taken to the nearby Falmouth Public General Hospital where she was pronounced dead about 6:20 am.
Spencer, who enlisted in the Jamaica Constabulary Force 10 years ago, was assigned to the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) in Area One (western parishes).
A distraught Inspector Radcliffe Solan, head of the Area One MIT, said Constable Spencer's sudden death has sent shockwaves, not only throughout the MIT, but also the entire Police Area One.
"It is a very sad situation. Members of staff are in deep mourning. Nobody expected this," said Inspector Solan. "She was a fun-loving person, very kind. She was one of the persons who always kept the office happy. She has gone too soon; that's all I can say," added the police inspector.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Woman Constable Collette Reynolds, who is assigned to the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station, where Detective Spencer previously worked.
Reynolds told the Observer that when she last saw Spencer on Tuesday, when the detective attended the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate's Court, she complained of not feeling well.
"We are very devastated at this time," said Reynolds, as tears rolled down her face. more

WEST BANK RISES: Several Thousand Demonstrate In West Bank... Israeli Soldiers Shoot And Kill At Least 1 Palestinian Protester... 200 Wounded...



Amid the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, the West Bank has risen.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians marched with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement from the West Bank city of Ramallah toward Jerusalem to protest Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of nearly 800 Palestinians, many of them civilians.
Thousands protest Israeli brutality
The protest appears to be the largest mass demonstration since the 1980s. The uprising promises to be different from previous intifadas, partly because it comes in the wake of the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street and other mass protest movements around the globe. But the way in which the world engages with protest has also evolved, due to the advent of Twitter and cell phone video, which can focus attention on raw conflict in a way that bypasses the mainstream media. Today's march is being live tweeted at the hashtag #48kMarch.
Reuters reported that protests also broke out in Jerusalem itself, near the old walled city and outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. more

Usain Bolt blasts officials for reducing Tyson Gay's doping ban fter he tested positive for an anabolic steroid last year..."I'm not really happy with the situation and with how it was done,"

Thursday, July 24, 2014    
GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC) — Sprint super star Usain Bolt has criticised anti-doping officials for reducing Tyson Gay's doping ban after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid last year.
Gay and Bolt's fellow Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, both 31, failed drug tests for oxilofrine, in July 2013.
Gay was given a one-year ban and Powell was initially suspended for 18 months.
BOLT… you are pretty much telling
people that this is a way out, it's
a way of beating the system
"I'm not really happy with the situation and with how it was done," Bolt said.
"I think for someone like [fellow Jamaican] Asafa [Powell] to get a ban of 18 months for that [stimulant oxilofrine] and then Tyson Gay get just one year because of cooperating, I think it is sending a bad message into the sport that you can do it [dope], but if you cooperate with us, we'll reduce the sentence."
Powell claimed his ruling was "unfair and unjust", and said a legal supplement he took, Epiphany D1, was contaminated.
He appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and his ban was subsequently reduced to six months.
Former 100m and 200m world champion Gay could have been banned for up to two years, but received a lighter penalty because he co-operated with the US Anti-Doping Agency.
"I don't think that's the right way to go," Bolt insisted.
"... because you are pretty much telling people that this is a way out, it's a way of beating the system."
Both Gay and Powell have now returned to action.
Bolt is scheduled to race for the first time this year in the Commonwealth Games 4x100m relay next week.

NEW SKY SCARE: FLIGHT GOES MISSING : Air Algerie Plane Missing: Flight AH5017 Disappears From Radar

PARIS (AP) — France's transport minister says the Air Algerie flight carrying 116 people vanished over northern Mali.
The flight was traveling from Burkina Faso to Algeria's capital when it disappeared from radar early Thursday. Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier spoke Thursday from a crisis center set up in the French Foreign Ministry. Source : Huffington Post

PALAS UPDATE: PALAS to award 70 new scholarships in 2014-2015..... Hon. Lisa Hanna & Attorney Patrick Campbell to deliver keynote addresses at awards presentation at University of the West Indies (UWI)-Mona Campus, Sat Aug 23, in JAMAICA. Reggae singer, Winsome Benjamin will provide the entertainment.."33 other students who met our criteria regrettably will be bypassed due to lack of funds." Stats; 17 male & 53 female students, 29 high school & 41 university students, there were 140 applicants....One-hundred eighty-five (185) total scholarships awarded in 4 years....We are still seeking donations at www.PALAS1.org.


 ATLANTA, GA – July 23, 2014 (Update): Peace and Love Academic Scholarship, Inc. (PALAS) will award seventy (70) new scholarships for the academic year 2014-2015 to worthy, but economically challenged high school and University/College students  in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. Honourable Lisa Hanna, Minister of Youth & Culture and Attorney Patrick Campbell of Washington D.C will deliver the Keynote addresses at the 4th annual award ceremony - UWI in KingstonJamaica on Saturday, August 23, 2014, commencing at 5:00pm. Reggae songbird, Winsome Benjamin will provide the entertainment. The Master of Ceremonies will be Mr. Winston Cowans.

PALAS, the Atlanta-headquartered charity organization, has received the support of various corporate bodies and individuals to support the students. The stated mission of the group is to recognize and honor outstanding academic performances of under privileged students residing in the Caribbean region.
Hon. Lisa Hanna,
 Minister of Youth & Culture

The PALAS program was established in December 2010, to honor the memory of young Vanessa Campbell, an aspiring Jamaican artiste who was a casualty of the burgeoning crime and violence problem in Portmore, Jamaica. After Vanessa’s untimely death, an initial scholarship program was created as the SSSJamz/Vanessa Campbell Academic Scholarship to assist high school students from her alma mater, Bridgeport High School. To sustain this effort PALAS has been soliciting funds from all quarters.

Since the inception of the program, PALAS awarded 185 scholarships valued approx. J$8.1 million (US$80,000.00), 20 computers and mentoring for some of the students. Some highlights over the 4 years are; 1,415% increase in scholarships, 376 applicants including Medical Students, Science & Engineering, Law students, Nursing, Business/Accounting and Liberal/Fine arts student applicants. The program is available to students residing in the Caribbean region. The students range in age 12-32 years old from various high schools, UWI, UTECH, NCU, EXED, Shortwood College, UTECH-Guyana and AAIMS Medical School. 
Patrick Campbell, Attorney

PALAS continues to strive for “Preserving Young Minds for Posterity”; we would like to thank all the supporters of these most deserving students who are aiming to reach above the sky. The PALAS scholarship application process for the 2014-2015 academic years was opened April 1, through May 30, 2014. 

Founder, Rula Brown said “the unfortunate news about PALAS’s effort is that, there were an additional thirty-three (33) students who met the criteria for scholarships, but due to the lack of funds we could not assist at this time.”  You may Partner with PALAS (PWP) to have a scholarship in your name, loved one or business by donating a minimum of US$350.00.

Please make a donation to the PALAS program before July 31st. by sending a check to:

PALAS or Peace and Love Academic Scholarship
P.O. Box 5461
Alpharetta, GA 30023-5461. USA
Email: peaceandlovescholarship@gmail.com

Or donate online at www.PALAS1.org with PAYPAL, VISA, MASTERCARD or Check.
Singer, Winsome Benjamin will
entertain and present the
WINSOME BENJAMIN ACADEMIC
 SCHOLARSHIP to a student at event

About Peace and Love Academic Scholarship, Inc.
Peace and Love Academic Scholarship is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization in Atlanta, Georgia founded by Jamaican-born Rula Brown. PALAS’ mission is to help improve the health, education and general well-being of less fortunate children residing in the Caribbean region.

Since its formal launch in December 2010, PALAS has dedicated its resources, human and financial, to help make a difference in the lives of underserved children in Jamaica, West Indies as the well as the wider Caribbean region. For further information about PALAS including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.PALAS1.org.

For additional information contact:
Rula Brown, PALAS Exec. Director
rulabrown@gmail.com or (770) 715-0224
Or send email to peaceandlovescholarship@gmail.com

BREAKING NEWS: 2 MORE PLANES SHOT DOWN BY RUSSIAN REBELS

UKRAINE KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Two Ukrainian military fighter jets have been shot down in the east, according to the country's Defense Ministry.

The Sukhoi-25 fighters were shot down 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday over an area called Savur Mogila. Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksiy Dmitrashkovsky says the planes may have been carrying up to two crew members each. Source: Huffington Post

9-Year-Old South African Boy, Sanele Masilela Marries Elderly Woman, 61 y-o Helen Shabangu who has 5 kids of her own.

July 23, 2014
It's not legal, it's not sexual, but it is still disturbing.
A woman in her 60s, who is a mother of five, renewed her marriage vows with a 9-year-old boy in a wedding ceremony in South Africa earlier this month. Helen Shabangu wed Sanele Masilela in a second ceremony in as many years on July 12 in Kildare Village, Ximhungwe.
The couple got married last year after Masilela said his dead ancestors told him to, according to Barcroft Media.
Story continues below ...
nine year old groom
The second ceremony took place because the boy wanted to make it "official," though members of both families made it clear that the marriage was not legally binding, the pair do not live together and, as the Independent reports, they don't have sexual relations.
In fact, Shabangu is a married mother of five, according to South Africa's Daily Sun,where the story appears to have originated. But, the Sun reports that some villagers found the ceremony disgusting.
“I am shocked. This is wrong," Tressy Mathebula told the Sun. The wedding was also attended by Shabangu's husband, Alfred Shabangu, who spoke out in support of the wedding.
"My kids and I are happy because we don't have a problem with her marrying the boy -- and I don’t care what other people say,” Shabangu said, according to the Mirror.
Masilela's mother, Patience, defended the wedding, as well, in a press release obtained by BuzzFeed.
"People keep asking will they live together, sleep together, have babies, but I keep telling them that after the wedding, everything went back to normal –- nothing changed," she said. "All this ceremony is for making ancestors happy. We are playing.”
Masilela told Barcroft he would marry a woman his own age when he got older.
His parents shelled out about $1,700 for the ceremony, according to Barcroft.
With these stories that come from far-off lands and are pitched by photo agencies, there is often cause to be skeptical that they are, in fact, what they appear to be.
The Huffington Post reached out to Joel Samoff, a professor of African studies at Stanford University in California, who called the story "possible" but not "significant."
"I suppose it is possible. But it is certainly not significant. Perhaps in the realm of carnival side shows -- the lady with the heavy beard, or twelve fingers and toes," Samoff said in an email to HuffPost.
The professor also said that having two ceremonies was not unusual.
"On ceremonies, just as in the U.S., sometimes the two families prefer to organize two ceremonies, for example, in a Christian/Jewish marriage, or when the two families live far apart," Samoff said. "That, too, seems neither very unusual nor very significant."
Source: Huffington Post

CHRONIXX - "Here Comes Trouble" on The Tonight Show

Nico & Vinz: "Am I Wrong" Video on The Tonight Show

Racist Man Slaps & Spits at 79-year-old Elderly Black woman, Arnette Hubbard.....Called Her Rosa Parks, He Didn’t Realize That She Was A Cook County Judge!!!!!

 A North Side business owner slapped a 79-year-old Cook County judge in the face, spit on her and called her “Rosa Parks” after becoming angry that she was smoking near him outside the Daley Center, authorities said.
Racist Man Slaps & Spits at Elderly Black woman, Called Her Rosa Parks, He Didn't Realize That She Was A Cook County Judge!!!!!
Racist, David Nicosia (left) and
Judge Hubbard (Right)
Monday’s attack outside the courthouse came as a shock to friends of Judge Arnette Hubbard, a silver-haired African-American jurist who was the first female president of the National Bar Association and Cook County Bar Association, both black lawyers’ groups.
“She’s an icon in our community,” said Delores Robinson, past president of the Cook County Bar Association, who noted that Hubbard, a former commissioner on the Cook County Board of Elections, had been an international election observer in Haiti and South Africa and had long been a voice on civil rights and women’s issues.Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday that Hubbard was outside the Daley Center smoking a cigarette when she walked past David C. Nicosia, 55, who became angry that she was smoking near him.
The two argued and Nicosia, who is white, stepped near her face and said, “Rosa Parks, move,” and spit in her face, prosecutors said. As he walked away, the Law Division judge followed him and called out for assistance.
Nicosia then turned and allegedly slapped the judge on the left side of her face with an open hand, prosecutors said. He was then arrested by sheriff’s deputies and charged with four counts of aggravated battery and a hate crime.
Judge James Brown ordered him held on $90,000 bail Tuesday.
Chief Judge Timothy Evans, whose offices are also in the Daley Center, declined to comment. A representative said judicial rules of conduct barred Evans from speaking about a pending criminal case.
Born in Arkansas, Hubbard graduated from Southern Illinois University and John Marshall Law School and began her legal career in 1969 working on civil rights cases, according to online biographies. As part of the city’s African-American power structure, she spent several terms on the city’s election board as well as the cable commission.
Hubbard was appointed to the bench in 1997, re-elected to a six-year term the following year and retained since in two more elections, most recently in 2010.
Nicosia, who state records show is president of an IT consulting business, has no prior Cook County convictions. His attorney did not return a message seeking comment.
Friends of Hubbard were left shaking their heads Tuesday.
“People of good common sense and decency, people of good hearts should be outraged by this,” Robinson said. “Not just because of who she is but that this happened to anybody.”
“I’m still in shock,” said longtime friend Geraldine Simmons, 75, also a past president of the Cook County Bar Association, who questioned whether deputies acted quickly enough

Source:  Chicago Tribune

Two Republican Judges Gut Obamacare, Threatening Health Care For Millions....5 Million Could Lose Insurance Support... Affects More Than Half Of Country... 'Punishing Millions Because Of A Typo'... White House To Seek Revote... UPDATE: Separate Court UPHOLDS Obamacare On Same Challenge...

WASHINGTON -- Two Republican judges on the D.C. Circuit Court have ruled that the equivalent of a typo is enough to strip health care subsidies from up to five million people, dealing what would be a death blow to the Affordable Care Act if the decision is allowed to stand. The one Democrat on the panel dissented.
The three-judge panel ruled in Halbig v. Burwell that people in the 36 states that use the federal health insurance exchange are ineligible for subsidized insurance. The decision would also affect those who purchased insurance through the exchange but don't receive subsidies, as reneging on the payments would lead to a rapid increase in insurance rates for everyone.
The White House said Tuesday the decision will be appealed to the entire D.C. circuit court -- what's known as an en banc review -- where Democrats hold a majority that is nearly certain to overturn the GOP judges' aggressive move. The next step could be the Supreme Court, which already upheld the Affordable Care Act in a separate case two years ago.
The U.S. courts have never been entirely above the political system, but under Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, whose court routinely strikes down longstanding precedent along 5-4, strictly party-line votes, they are becoming little more than another legislative branch -- one that holds itself above the branch that was vested with lawmaking powers by the Constitution.
The majority opinion was not without a comedic interlude. "We reach this conclusion, frankly, with reluctance," Judge Thomas Griffith said of the opportunity to achieve a longtime GOP goal.
The two judges seized on text within the law that said subsidies would be provided to people who purchased insurance on exchanges established by the states. But 36 states declined to set up their own exchanges, and chose to rely on the federal government's exchange instead. Because the law doesn't specifically say that people who bought insurance on the federal exchange also get subsidies, the law's opponents argued that therefore such subsidies are illegal. more

Fleeting Bolt : Bolt’s visit could be key to Glasgow Games....the Jamaican is restricting himself to the relay in Glasgow, with just a heat and inevitable final.

 BY ROB HARRIS AP Sports Writer  Monday, July 21, 2014 
COMPETING in just one event, Usain Bolt is likely to race in Glasgow for less than 20 seconds. Just convincing the sprint star to come to the Commonwealth Games, though, should go a long way to elevating the status of a sporting spectacle that might seem anachronistic.
BOLT
Two years after the exuberance of the London Olympics, where Bolt left with three gold medals, Britain is welcoming the world back this week — or former members of the British Empire at least — for Scotland's largest-ever multi-sports event.
Across 11 days, 4,500 athletes will be competing in 17 events as the 20th Commonwealth Games is broadcast for the first time to television audiences in all 71 competing nations and territories. How full the venues will be on those screens remains unclear, with the insatiable appetite for Olympic tickets in London not appearing to have been matched north of the border.
The ticket website shows "high availability" still for many events, including Wednesday's opening ceremony, headlined by rock star Rod Stewart at the home of his beloved football club Celtic, and Susan Boyle, the church volunteer whose soaring voice turned her into an overnight reality TV star.
Even track and field events, which start Sunday at the Hampden Park national football stadium, have tickets still on sale for all but two of the 10 sessions. Not though on August 1 and August 2 when Bolt will appear for the first time.
Unlike in London when he swept the 100, 200 and 4x100-metre relay titles, the Jamaican is restricting himself to the relay in Glasgow, with just a heat and inevitable final. Organisers should be relieved Bolt is participating at all, given his lack of action this season due to a foot injury.
"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event," said Bolt, who skipped the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. more