Former Chairman of Joint Chiefs: President Clinton Lost Launch Codes, With One Glaring Exception of Course

The card with the nuclear launch codes on it that is always supposed to be near the president is referred to as “the biscuit.”
The former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs claims then President Clinton lost it, and for several weeks. Gee, he wouldn’t have been distracted by anything else, would he?

Gen. Hugh Shelton, who served under Clinton as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tells the story in his just-published memoir, “Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior.”
At one point during the Clinton administration,” Shelton writes, “the codes were actually missing for months. [...] That’s a big deal — a gargantuan deal.”
Shelton claims the story has never been released before, but Ret. Air Force Lt. Col Robert Patterson told a very similar account in his own book, published seven years ago.
Patterson was one of the men who carried the football, and he says it was literally the morning after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke that he made a routine request of the president to present the card so that he could swap it out for an updated version.
“He thought he just placed them upstairs,” Patterson recalled. “We called upstairs, we started a search around the White House for the codes, and he finally confessed that he in fact misplaced them. He couldn’t recall when he had last seen them.”

Somewhere there’s a copy of “Leaves of Grass” with the world’s most potentially dangerous bookmark in it.
I can see where there might have been a misunderstanding. Shelton or Patterson might have asked through a locked Oval Office door, “Mr. President, do you have your hands on the biscuit?” Bill would have said back, “Um, as a matter of fact, yes.”
If he’d have been asked to recite the numeric code, it would have been “oh oh oh oh oh oh!”
Clinton might not have been the first to misplace the nuke codes though:

Consider the old story that Jimmy Carter left his biscuit in a suit that got sent to the dry cleaners. Today, no one will confirm the story, but no one will deny it either.

We can be fairly certain that if the Clinton launch codes ended up where I think they might have, they did not go to the dry cleaners.
The story from ABC News:

By Doug Powers

Olympic champion, Civil Rights hero Tommie Smith falls into a familiar money trap?

By: Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21

Tommie Smith's misfortune is an opportunity for us to rewrite the script on black male athletes

 

My head cocked to the side just a bit when I heard the news about Olympic Champion Tommie Smith deciding to auction off his gold medal from the 1968 Olympics. Tommie, of “black fist” fame, led one of the most significant protests in sports history when he stood, along with John Carlos, holding his fist in the air during the playing of the national anthem. Tommie’s stand for civil rights will never be forgotten.

I wondered what could have led Smith to decide to sell his medal. I couldn’t help but wonder if money played a role in his decision, in light of the financial struggles that he and John Carlos endured after the games were over. Reports are that Smith has struggled financially, (though other news reports deny that money is an issue). Money trouble is nothing new for the experience of the black athlete in America.

For many African American males, the dreams of fame and fortune are morphed into realities of devastating humiliation. We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that the way to get rich is through sports, and find out that it’s nothing compared to what could have been. We put down our books and pencils in exchange for basketballs and footballs, hoping that we can all become the next LeBron James.

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READ MORE:

• A Nobel Prize in Economics doesn't do much for Black unemployment
• How PETA commandeered Michael Vick's story, ignoring another truth
• Three ways the NCAA can be a little less racist

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The end result can be flat out terrible. Another Olympic champ, Antonio Pettigrew, just committed suicide last week. Melvin Turpin, a former star for the University of Kentucky, killed himself. Antoine Walker, who also starred for Kentucky, may be on his way to prison after going broke from gambling too much. When it comes to black athletes, there is no shortage of stories about bankruptcy, suicide, and horrible outcomes. Perhaps it’s time to rewrite the script.

The same tenacity, focus and study it takes to play in the NFL can be used to become a doctor, lawyer or airplane pilot. The same way we can find our way around the criminal justice system or convert kilos to ounces, we can use that same energy to get into Harvard Medical School.

The money from being an athlete is not only surprisingly small, it’s also short-lived. Almost none of the men drafted by the NFL are millionaires when they hit the age of 30. Instead, many of them end up as 25-year-old retirees with a fifth grade reading level. These men are then sent back into our communities, many of whom have as many job prospects as a felon. This does nothing for the African American family.

Black men are smarter than what we’ve presented ourselves to be. We are bold, courageous, focused and capable. We are too great to let the sports world control us, but for some reason, we continue to sign up for slavery.

Read More..

Four solutions to improve the economic status of single mothers of color

 Young single moms are in the worst shape financially

By: Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21

More than half of the moms under 40 have zero or negative net worth.

 

NYU’s Women of Color Policy Network recently released a report citing some disturbing trends in the economic status of single mothers of color. Basically, the report shows that women of color have a median net worth of zero. Yes, you heard that correctly, nearly zippo in the bank account, and maybe a little bit of debt.
The numbers compare with a net worth of $25,000 for single fathers of all races, and a net worth of $6,000 for white single moms. Young single moms are in the worst shape, with more than half of the moms under 40 having zero or negative net worth.

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Read More:

• No Wedding, No Womb: A misguided message
• Tyler Perry's business model and the future of black cinema
• Too broke for marriage

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Almost none of us can say we are surprised to read these results. It’s well-known that while families of color struggle, single parent families have the most hurdles to jump for their survival. The recession has not made things any easier, as job loss for a single parent household can be devastating.

There are a few things that black and brown communities can fight for which might make a difference in the dire condition of single parent homes.

First, we can push for stronger systemic measures to maintain the relationship between father and child. If the father is more directly involved in the life of his child, the entire family benefits financially, socially and emotionally. For those mothers who are not doing all they can to ensure that their child’s father has an equal stake in the child’s life, some adjustment may also be necessary. At the same time, those fathers who are not trying hard enough should be held accountable as well.

Second, there should be continued work toward child support enforcement. Far too many women have been financially abandoned by fathers who refuse to support their kids. Not only should the state take a greater role in enforcing child support payments, but our community should chastise fathers who are creating babies irresponsibly. There’s nothing good about being an irresponsible parent.

Third, there should be stronger legislation to ensure gender equity in the workplace. As of 2011, women will make up the majority of our workforce, and many of those women will be single mothers. A huge concern is the fact that the United States lags behind most other industrialized nations when it comes to protecting mothers from having their careers penalized by choosing to build a family. We’ve certainly got to change that, and the time for that change is now.

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Read More:

• The fate of Democrats is tied to rising Black male unemployment
• If you are over 25 and don't have a retirement account, it's time to catch up
• Is President Obama afraid of AIDS?

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Fourth, there’s almost nothing that some good old-fashioned education can’t fix. Financial literacy in the black community should be improved so that we can learn to take better care of the money in our possession.

Read More..

Blog Home The Media’s Lopsided View on Black Women’s Issues

Recently, ABC’s Nightline aired a segment on single successful African American women. The segment was titled Why Can’t Successful Black Women Find a Man? Nightline featured a panel of so called experts on the subject including comedians Steve Harvey and Sherrie Shepherd, actor Hill Harper, Jimi Izrael  and Jacque Reid. The show presented a face off between the men and women panelists. Actor Hill Harper recognized the seriousness of the issue. He articulated that the issue was really about the breakdown of the black family. So where were the renowned relationship experts who could shed intelligent light on the subject?  Where were the black Dr. Phil’s? Why weren’t they considered in doing the segment?]


ABC’s Nightline bills itself as a late night news program.  It is not a daytime talk show but one where people turn to see more news after the news.  There are black PhD’s and psychologists who are qualified to speak on black relationship topics. The segment would have been balanced and note worthy if someone with the credentials of Dr. Audrey B. Chapman or Dr. Larry E. Davis appeared to shed some intelligent light on the topic. Dr. Chapman is a renowned relationship expert, therapist, author and speaker on relationship issues between black men and women. She has authored relationship books on black men and women and has a weekly talk show aired on WHUR- FM in Washington, DC where she offers professional relationship advice.  Dr. Larry E. Young, professor at University of Pittsburg, with dual doctorate degrees in psychology and social work is a frequent lecturer and author on being black and single. Both Dr. Chapman and Dr. Davis have researched and studied the topic that was presented on Nightline.

Steve Harvey is funny as a comedian. But Harvey as an expert on love relationships is like Sara Palin as a foreign affairs expert because she can see Russia from her house. The media would not use Betty White as an expert in a news segment on aging. Nor would they use David Letterman as an expert commentator on extortion, although he knows something about the subject. Jay Leno loves cars but he has never been called upon to opine on cars as a commentator. That’s because the media wouldn’t even think of using a comedian or actor in those situations.  But, if the story line is on black women, that’s another story.

So, what is attributable to the difference in how the media views commentators on black female topics? It goes beyond the Nighline segment on black women. It speaks to a lack of integrity when it comes to black topics.  I urge ABC and other media outlets, their white and black producers to do a little homework when researching expert sources for topics relating to black women. We might all learn something in the process. A little professionalism goes a long way.

Puerto Ricans Invade Central Florida as Blacks go to Prison

Puerto Ricans Invade Central Florida as Blacks go to Prison

There is an estimated 4.4 million Puerto Ricans on the face of the earth.  About 2.7 million of them live in the mainland.  In 2009 there was about 2 million Puerto Ricans in New York City. Today about 700,000 Puerto Ricans live in Florida.  Of the 700,000 Puerto Ricans about 350,000 live in Central Florida and about 206,000 live in Orlando.  The average age of them is between 25 and 44 years of age.

The Poverty level of Puerto Ricans is at about 30% with about 31% finishing high school.  While there are about 7.1 million people living in Public Housing in the United States, of that 7.1 million over 2 million are Puerto Ricans when you count the home land.  Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico do not pay Federal taxes, yet they have more Project units in Puerto Rico than any state in the Union.
Here in Avon Park, Puerto Ricans almost totally occupy the Housing Projects.  Meanwhile there is a waiting list to move into the Lakeside Community due to the hurricane the occupants of the projects are migrants.

What does this mean to the state of Florida especially Central Florida?  Everybody knows Puerto Ricans are laid-back.  They seem to always find a way to use the system to their advantage.  Though the education level of this community of people is low and I have to say it is a conspiracy by the United States government that created this deadbeat community.  They are survivors. 

Puerto Rico is a strategic place on the map as far as the National Security of the United States. On their homeland location is the world’s biggest telescope.  The occupation of Puerto Rico is very necessary for our nation’s security.  So the United States Government by design created these idle people by handing them welfare, public housing and food stamps.  I am not talking about a few but just about all of them get government checks.

See while the government systemically gives Puerto Rican welfare, food stamps and public housing, they give the black community prison time, homelessness and nervous breakdowns.  It is not fair, but it is a conspiracy.  The Puerto Rican people are never going to be enterprising as long as they are pacified with government checks and public housing.

So what is about to happen in Florida?  They are going to take up all the benefits such as public assistance money, public housing and food stamps and there is not going to be any left for African Americans Community.  They are going to take over the government because they are a powerful voting block (700,000 strong).  Change the laws to free-for-all, cause transgressions and mayhem and run the Negroes out of town. 

But this time they plan to work the low paying jobs, while they occupy subsidized housing complexes.  Therefore on a part time job they will be able to survive on food stamps and cheep rent.  But the Negroes will not be able to stay here, because all that will be available is low paying jobs here in Highlands County. So we will have to resort to crime and end up in prison worst than ever in the state of Florida.  So once again the black community gets the short end of the stick.

Obama’s “Big Lies” Getting Bigger

By Howard Rich
While you can’t fool “all of the people, all of the time,” it is surprisingly easy to fool a sufficient number of them to get elected.

“People will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

That’s an excerpt from a World War II-era military intelligence report — a document which explored the psychological profile of one of our nation’s (and the world’s) most dangerous enemies. It also represents perhaps the most succinct encapsulation of the modern-day propaganda method commonly referred to as “The Big Lie.”

Who was the subject of this particular intelligence report? Adolf Hitler.
And while history is unlikely to witness a repeat of anything approaching the horrific genocidal barbarism perpetrated by the murderous Nazi “New Order,” that doesn’t mean American politicians of both parties aren’t still employing the same propaganda techniques utilized by its reviled leader.

In fact, after Bush Republicans used “The Big Lie” to grow government and rack up huge deficits (while telling us they were for “limited government and less spending”) President Barack Obama is now using it to expand government further and rack up even larger deficits under the banner of “hope and change.”
Of course Americans still searching for “hope” amidst our ongoing economic malaise know that the only real “change” has been the cost of these lies — which keeps adding up at the expense of our liberties.
How many “Big Lies” has Obama told? Frankly, it’s becoming difficult to keep track of them.
Get full story here.

Schumer channels Wall Street cash to troubled Democrats

By Rick Manning
 
The Hill newspaper reported October 20th that New York Senator Charles Schumer went on a spending spree trying to help his Democratic Senate colleagues keep their seats to the tune of over $2 million. Additionally, Schumer gave $250,000 he collected from others to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and cut five figure checks to various state Democratic Party organizations around the country.

The real question is who gave Schumer the money to spread around the country.

OpenSecrets.com reveals that the number one industry donating to Schumer is: the financial services industry — also known as Wall Street. That’s right — Wall Street, the exact people that the Senate Democrats have spent the past two years vilifying. Now, their money is coming to the Democrats’ rescue like the cavalry in an old western.
Get full story here.

“One Nation” Rally Sponsors Escape Criticism as They Fail to Match Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor”

By Kevin Mooney

Left wing activists who organized the “One Nation Coming Together” event at the Lincoln Memorial earlier this month as a rejoinder to Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally fell flat in terms of attendance, energy and enthusiasm. Even the New York Times was forced to concede that liberal demonstrators could not match attendance figures for Beck’s August 28th rally also held at the Lincoln Memorial. The first few paragraphs are sympathetic and supportive of “One Nation,” which was funded and supported by organized labor.

“More than 300 groups organized Saturday’s march to build momentum for progressive causes like increased job-creation programs and to mobilize liberal voters to flock to the polls next month,” readers are told. “The rally’s sponsors, including the N.A.A.C.P., the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the Sierra Club and the National Council of La Raza, said they also hoped to demonstrate that they, not the Tea Party, represented the nation’s majority.”

Tens of thousands were reportedly in attendance on a bright, sunny auspicious day replete with American flags and unifying themes that contrast with what organizers called the “divisiveness” of the tea party. But this is a very debatable assertion. It can be argued that each of the “One Nation” sponsors have advanced divisive polices that are offensive to mainstream sensibilities. This point is not raised here and as a general rule reporters should not interject themselves into the debate. However, The Times has not operated in a restrained, detached manner when reporting on Tea Party activism. As TimesCheck.com has previously noted, reporter Kate Zernik has often invoked race as a way to delegitimize small government activists.
Get full story here.

The Most Significant Election In My Lifetime

By Gary Emineth
In just two weeks, on November 2nd , what I believe could be the most significant election in my lifetime-maybe even in the history of this country- will be in the record books. Some people would say I am over stating this fact. I don’t think so. If things continue the way they are we are on our way to destroying this country.

However, if we regain a voice in Congress, we have a huge task ahead of us. I think most of us here would agree that the government has to be turned back or we are on a collision course with disaster.

Which is why our country is up in arms! Which is why we are here today. Why else would so many people be out here giving up part of their Saturday afternoon?
So what hangs in the balance as the days go by leading to November 2nd is really quite simple.
What hangs in the balance is the future of the America and the destiny of individual freedom and representative democracy on this planet. Sound exaggerated? Maybe.

Get full story here.

Obama To Buy Indian Vote With Our Tax Dollars

American Indian Farmers Are Offered $680 Million
The Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration agreed Tuesday to pay up to $680 million to American Indian farmers to settle an 11-year-old class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who took office promising to address longstanding complaints by minority farmers against the department, said eligible farmers and ranchers can receive up to $250,000 each for showing that USDA discrimination caused them economic losses. However, most farmers will probably opt for a uniform $50,000 payment, which involves less red tape.

In the class-action suit, American Indian farmers allege that USDA bureaucrats denied them the low-interest rate loans given to white farmers between 1981 and 2007.

The American Indian class-action lawsuit has long been overshadowed by similar discrimination litigation brought by black farmers against the USDA. The Obama administration reached a $1.25 billion settlement with black farmers in February, but Congress has yet to appropriate that money.

Unlike the suit by black farmers, the money to settle the litigation by American Indian farmers is coming from an existing federal judgment fund—managed by the Justice Department and Treasury Department—which is used to pay for litigation involving the government.

The amount of money that the federal government will eventually pay to American Indian farmers is far from clear in large part because it is hard to estimate how many farmers will file claims.

According to the most recent USDA census of agriculture, which was conducted in 2007, nearly 35,000 American Indians made the day-to-day decisions for a farm or ranch. Before the 2007 census, however, the population of American Indian farmers is murkier because the government often counted an entire reservation as one farm operation.

Posted by Wild Thing

Rev. Jesse Jackson launches UK civil rights group

American civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is starting a group in the U.K. to oppose what he calls the abuse of police powers to stop and search people.

The group, called StopWatch, wants to stop police from disproportionately stopping and searching ethnic minorities.

Last week, Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission published figures saying 15 percent of those stopped and searched by police were black. Black people comprise 2 to 3 percent of the population.
Members of StopWatch, including activists and academics, aim to work with government to ensure that recently announced policing reforms are fair.

Launching his group Monday, Jackson called for an end to policies that lead to racial profiling on both sides of the Atlantic.

Black patients less likely to survive heart disease

By Zach Gottlieb

NEW YORK | Wed Oct 20, 2010 3:15pm EDT
 

NEW YORK  Adding to previous evidence, researchers have found that black patients with heart disease are less likely to survive than white patients, even those who are younger.

Race-related differences in surviving heart disease-which, according to the American Heart Association, affects 13 million Americans and is the leading cause of death in the U.S.-have been well documented in earlier studies.

But the new study, published in the American Heart Journal, showed that black patients were younger than the white patient group by about 2 years on average, yet still had a lower survival rate over a 15-year period. Black women had the lowest rate of survival, 41 percent, while white men had the highest at nearly 46 percent.
"It's an odd paradox that you see black patients get the disease at a younger age," lead author Dr. Kevin Thomas, of the Duke University Medical Center, told Reuters Health.

Thomas pointed out that the new study expands on prior research because the 15-year follow-up is longer than any other study on the subject. It also only focused on data from more than 22,000 people who had been diagnosed with severe heart disease.

Dr. Ali Sonel, who was not involved with the study, explained to Reuters Health that the difference in survival is partly due to key health differences between the black and white patients. Blacks were more likely to be obese and to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and circulation problems, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
"You would almost expect the black patients to do worse based on their conditions at the beginning of the study," said Sonel, a cardiologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

In their analysis, Thomas and his research team accounted for many of the differences between patient groups, including age, household income, pre-existing health conditions, and initial treatment, yet black patients still had a lower survival rate.

This, explained, Dr. Nakela Cook, a clinical medical officer at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, makes it difficult to determine the individual factors contributing to the disparity.

"I don't think there's one thing we can hang our hat on," said Cook, who was not involved in the study. "There are multiple factors playing a role."

Thomas explained that other potential factors not accounted for in the study include genetic differences and lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise.

Taking control of things like diet and exercise, he suggested, is one way people can increase their chances of survival and could even help avoid the disease altogether.

"You can't control your age or gender, but you can choose how much you eat, you can choose to exercise," said Thomas.

He added that doctors can further improve care by creating guidelines based on the patient's conditions, rather than on race, gender, or age.

"We need to hold physicians and hospitals accountable for getting patients the best possible care," said Thomas. "If we do this, we can start eliminating the disparity in survival."

Deanna Favre Takes One for the Team, Dodges Scandal Questions (Video)

Posted by ebrady

 
Deanna Favre took one for the team this morning!

The breast cancer survivor made an appearance on Good Morning America to talk about how women can find their way through personal struggles.  Although she mostly dodged the questions about her husband Brett Favre’s current sexting scandal, Deanna opened up about using her faith to get through life’s challenges.

“I’m a woman of faith,” Deanna Favre told GMA in her first interview since news of the scandal broke. “Faith has gotten me through many difficult struggles. It will get me through this one.”


While the scandal was on everyone’s minds, Deanna was on hand to talk about her new book and her own battle with breast cancer.   Deanna and co-author Shane Stanford were on hand to talk about The Cure for the Chronic Life which coincidentally is about how to use faith to get through the hard times and how to avoid patterns of unhealthy behavior.  Throughout the interview Deanna did her best to navigate the conversation away from the scandal and stay focused on the message of the book.

Congrats to Deanna Favre for holding her head high and taking one for the team!

US announces $60bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON, October 21, 2010:  Billed as America’s largest- ever arms deal  with a foreign country, US today announced its plans to sell up to USD 60 billion worth of aircraft, helicopters and other weapons to Saudi Arabia apparently aimed at sending a strong message to Iran.

The Obama Administration notified the US Congress of its plans to sell 84 F-15 aircraft, 70 upgrades of existing Saudi F-15s to a more advanced configuration, 70 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters, 72 UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, 36 AH-6i light attack helicopters, and 12 MD-530F light training helicopters.

“We have worked closely with the Saudi Government to identify their full requirements and believe the proposed packages, which include aircraft munitions, support, and training services are sufficient,” Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, Andrew J Shapiro told reporters at a special news briefing.
He said the US was undertaking the sale because it supports its wider regional security goals in the Gulf by deepening its security relationship with a key partner.

Noting that the proposed sale has tremendous significance from a strategic regional perspective, the official said it will reinforce its longstanding security partnership with Saudi Arabia.

“It will send a strong message to countries in the region that we are committed to support the security of our key partners and allies in the Arabian Gulf and broader Middle East,” he said, in an apparent reference to Iran.

“It will enhance Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter and defend against threats to its borders and to its oil infrastructure, which is critical to our economic interests,” the official said.

Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow said the sale will enable Saudi Arabia to be more inter-operable with the United States and its partners in the region.

“By increasing our collective capabilities, not only will our partners be able to take on greater multilateral roles, but specifically the Department of Defense will be able to free up US forces in the region, maximizing the effectiveness of our global force posture,” he said.

Defending the decision, Shapiro said Saudi Arabia has got a number of threats in the region.

“We’ve worked together closely with them on counter-terrorism. It’s a dangerous neighborhood, as you know, and we want to ensure that they have the tools that they need to be able to defend themselves against all manner of threats in the region,” he said.

By KOL News

Rihanna Signs to Roc Nation

According to the Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna is now under Jay-Z’s umbrella.

The Grammy-winning pop singer has parted ways with manager Marc Jordan and is now being managed by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Management.

Rihanna told The Associated Press in a statement Wednesday that she’s “so excited to take this next step in my career.”

The 22-year-old is also launching a new company called Rihanna Entertainment. She says it will “merge all of her businesses, including music, film, fragrance fashion and book ventures.”

Jay-Z signed Rihanna to Def Jam in 2005. The two won a Grammy in 2008 for the hit song “Umbrella.” Earlier this year, the pair picked up two Grammys for the rap song “Run This Town,” which also featured Kanye West.

She’s released four albums and plans to release her fifth CD, “Loud,” on Nov. 16.

Side note: Not. Shocked. I guess he has the hottest girls in the game wearing his chains. Ouch. Def Jam

Beyonce Is Pregnant!!

Music Royalty is about to have off-spring! According to Us Weekly, Beyonce and husband, Rapper Jay-Z, are expecting their first child together.
The source told the tabloid mag,

“B was shocked. She loves kids, but she wasn’t ready to be a mother just yet. She really wanted to get her album done and tour the world again. Beyonce is taking the news in stride. After all, she’s already a doting aunt….She realizes that this is a gift from God and she’s so happy.”

Beyonce has been in the studio finishing her fourth studio album. Should be interesting to see how hard Beyonce work’s during the pregnancy.

Congrats to one of the most amazing celebrity couples out there!
Beyonce and Jay-Z have been married since 2008 and were named last year to Forbes Wealthiest Couple list.

MLB Playoffs: NLCS Game Five, Phillies vs. Giants, Thursday 10/21, 7 pm CT

More photos » Ezra Shaw - Getty Images 

The Giants celebrate after a sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe scored Aubrey Huff to win 6-5 over the Phillies in Game Four of the NLCS during the 2010 MLB Playoffs at AT&T Park on October 20 2010 in San Francisco. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) 

Browse more photos »

The Rangers could have put away the Yankees yesterday... but they still have a pair of games remaining at home, with Cliff Lee available in Game Seven if necessary.

Does this remind you of any particular recent league championship series? The Rangers are only 1-3 at home this postseason, 5-1 on the road. Nevertheless, with Lee going in Game Seven -- probably against Andy Pettitte -- they have to feel pretty good about their chances.

Meanwhile, the Giants can close out the Phillies this evening in San Francisco in a rematch of the Game One starters -- Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum. The Giants have been in the World Series only three times since they last won it in 1954: 1962, 1989 and 2002, all losses. The Rangers, who began life in 1961 as the second Washington Senators, have never been there, setting up a matchup similar to the 2002 Series, where the Giants faced the Rangers/Senators' expansion partner, the Angels, who won it.

At least we know the Cubs won't be hiring the Giants' manager right after the World Series ends.

One more note: I've posted another poll on the right sidebar asking where you live. Please vote in the poll!

7 pm CDT, Fox: Phillies at Giants. Giants lead series 3-1. Announcers: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

by Al Yellon

Sources: Nets still in mix for Carmelo Anthony

The Nets haven’t stopped pursuing Carmelo Anthony. Despite some reports, Derrick Favors still is being offered and the Nets still are in good position to acquire Anthony. According to some reports, the Knicks have gained momentum in a race the Nets have been leading all along. Some league sources believe the Nets still are ahead. “They still have a pretty good feeling that something could get done,” an NBA source said. Since the original four-team trade blew up in September, other teams have tried to get involved. But talks never advanced. Now the Nets are trying to deal with Denver without including a third or fourth team, and are said to be making progress. The sources said the Nets’ latest offer for Anthony is Favors, Troy Murphy, Kris Humphries and two No. 1 picks. The sources also said they expect the talks to pick up. — Bergen Record

Nancy Pelosi Expects To Stay On Top

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is sticking by her story.

Democrats will keep the house and she’ll be speaker after Election Day.

Well let me say why I believe that would be very difficult for the Republicans to takeover the House of Representatives,” Pelosi said on the “Charlie Rose Show,” according to a transcript released by Bloomberg. “Let me tell you right here and now that I would rather be in our position right now than theirs. In order for them to win, they have to win around 38 seats and we’ll win some, and so they’ll have to win in the 40s.

“Our members are battle-ready. Many of them have won two elections that were very tough elections. They’ve won in very difficult districts but in terms of Democratic numbers. And they know how to win those elections.”

Pelosi said she has “every anticipation” that she’ll remain speaker, she brushed back on recent words from the White House and said it was Democrats who worked well with former President George W. Bush – not Republicans.

The California Democrat, who has been the top House Democrat since 2002, did say her party will have “to change that reality” by flipping polls that show Republicans leading among likely voters but trailing among registered voters.

It’s the most detailed vision of the immediate future Pelosi has given in recent weeks. Speculation has swirled as Democratic members have spoken out against her on the campaign trail, and as prognosticators in Washington predict that her reign atop the House could come to an end.
It was a reflective appearance – looking back fondly at the past year of landmark legislation her party has passed.

But she also took some blame. Pelosi said “I agree” when Rose said it was the speaker’s fault that the American people didn’t understand the claim that Democrats have created more private sector jobs than did the Bush administration.

The speaker also said she has similarities with the tea party – they both abhor the special interests in D.C., but added there are “other manifestations of the Tea Party that might not be as benign.”

“And some of it may be — some of the good intentions of some may be hijacked and financed by the Republican party,” she said on the program.

The speaker also addressed President Barack Obama’s claim to the New York Times that there is no such thing as a shovel-ready project. Pelosi said that “we in the House have a different view.”

“If they’re not shovel-ready, they’re bulldozer-ready,” Pelosi said.

Posted By Grizz.

NAACP Report Accuses The Tea Party Movement Of Being Racist: Bookerista Response

Niger Innis: "NAACP Betrays Its Mission Of Uplifting Black Americans By Attacking Tea Partiers" 

The conservative spokesperson for the Congress of Racial Equality opines: "What this potpourri of 'progressive' groups [on a conference call to discuss the NAACP's report] are really trying to do is inspire an uninspired liberal base of voters, days before the predicted November election bloodletting. Over the past month, President Obama has also been putting a full-court press on African Americans to turn out to vote in this mid-term election. Not surprisingly, mainstream media writers are puzzled by the muffled response from what is viewed as the president’s core constituency."

He continues his commentary: "The answer can be found in one number, 49%. That is the unemployment rate for black teens. It is one thing to talk about empowerment, and quite another to deliver it. And the legacy of the Reid/Pelosi leadership in Congress which has been embraced by Obama is that young black people have virtually no hope of finding work. Parents know that when their kids can't find an honest job, all too often the temptation is to make money with one that is not as honest. That is nothing but the furthering of the cycle of poverty, which continues to plague the African American community in our nation."

More: "Unfortunately, the self-appointed spokesmen for blacks, the NAACP, doesn’t view 49% unemployment among black teens as a civil rights issue. Instead, in their partisan zeal, they have become little more than a Get-Out-The-Vote arm of the Democratic Party. In their dying gasps of attempted influence, the NAACP is trying to create a climate of fear in the black community this election season by pushing false visions of white-sheeted tea partiers taking over America. Desperate to regain relevance, they use 1960's imagery to an audience that for the most part hasn't seen it or lived it, and doesn't buy into it. Most African Americans have very familiar wants: safe neighborhoods to live in, a job, educational opportunities, and most importantly, a strong economic future for their children. Instead, the NAACP is attempting to hand us outdated platitudes that play on the basest of fears."

Coby Dillard: a tea party organizer 

Black Tea Partiers: "Why Didn't The NAACP Talk To Us?"

From the news release of Project 21, a black conservative group: "Members of the Project 21 black leadership network are highly critical of a study obviously devised with pre-ordained conclusions and crafted to be a weapon to bring disrepute upon grassroots activism against the liberal big-government policies of the Obama White House and the current congressional leadership. 'Looking at the research that comprises this report, I find it interesting that it appears not a single leader of the mentioned tea party groups was asked for its background,' noted Project 21 member Coby Dillard, a co-founder of the Hampton Roads Tea Party in Virginia. 'Had this research been conducted, the facts would show that two of the mentioned groups are simply capitalizing from the tea party movement and that two others are for-profit enterprises. I fail to see, just as I did this summer when their resolution was voted on, how this report ‘advances’ black Americans or those of any color. The longer the NAACP stays on this path, the more they show themselves unable to provide solutions to the issues most Americans care about.'"

Mychal Massie

More: "'This is gotcha politics, plain and simple. They are using tall tales and hearsay to obscure real concern about the state of our nation. I've read fairy tales with more credibility,' said Project 21 chairman Mychal Massie, who has spoken at many tea party events. 'To drop down to their level, one could cite former NAACP executive director Ben Chavis as a link between the NAACP and the racial extremism of the Nation of Islam. The same could be done regarding IREHR board member Gina Chiala due to her years advocating for a pardon of Leonard Peltier, the radical Indian-rights activist who was convicted of murdering two FBI agents. I’m sure they wouldn’t think that’s fair game — even though both have or held leadership postions — but they’ll play that way when it comes to the tea parties.'"

Posted by Shay Riley

Screw Free Speech, NPR Fires Juan Williams for Muslim Remarks

Posted by P.J. Salvatore

NPR terminated its contract this evening with Juan Williams, who worked with them as a senior political analyst, after Williams appeared on Bill O’Reilly and spoke of a “Muslim dilemma:” The move came after Mr. Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday. On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the notion that the United States was facing a “Muslim dilemma.” Mr. O’Reilly said, “The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet.”

Mr. Williams said he concurred with Mr. O’Reilly.

He continued: “I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”

Mr. Williams also made reference to the Pakistani immigrant who pleaded guilty this month to trying to plant a car bomb in Times Square. “He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning, first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts,”

Mr. Williams said. A taxpaying-funded organization fired someone over their free speech? No! Shocker!

NPR said in its statement that the remarks “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.”