Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Pirate Party's North American Debut
adonoman writes "A 25-year-old Winnipeg businessman is the first Pirate Party of Canada candidate to run for federal election. At the same time, the US and UK pirate parties have put out an open letter to Anonymous requesting that they cease Operation Payback's DDOS attacks and focus on taking a legal route to fix intellectual property law."
Friday, November 26, 2010
Bishop Eddie Long Update: Trial Date Now Set for Next Summer
Filed under: News
Attorneys in the DeKalb County courtroom gathered for both sides to determine the status of the case. A tentative trial date has been set for July 11, 2011. There will be mediation before that time, set to take place in February.
Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, and Spenser LaGrande are arguing that Bishop Long used his influence over them to coerce them into sexual relationships. They claim that the relationships took place during their teen years, and that inappropriate contact occurred during some of their trips together. Long's church, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, hasn't argued for Long's innocence or guilt. Instead, they've simply acknowledged that Long did share hotel rooms with some of the young men and that they did take trips together.
Long's case is further complicated by the fact that he has preached against homosexuality for a very long time. In fact, his anti-gay marriage campaign was one of the cornerstones of his ministry. The black community's response to Bishop Long's allegations has been mixed, with some people supporting him and some arguing that he is a hypocrite. To date, Long has not specifically stated that he is completely innocent. A consistent denial of the stories being told by the young men would put Long in an awkward spot if it is proven that he did indeed have an extramarital affair with any of the men in his church.
Long's allegations of hypocrisy are also quite telling in light of the some other things going on around the country. Pastor Cedric Miller of New Jersey was found to have had a four-way affair with his wife and male assistant after condemning his congregation for using Facebook. Bishop Steven Arnold in Little Rock, Arkansas was asked to resign after it was revealed that he'd had an affair with the wife of a young man he was mentoring. It seems that 2010 has become the year of exposing corrupt pastors in African American churches, so perhaps this represents a new day in the black church community.
While we don't know what's going on in every church across America, we do know that what's been unearthed is probably the tip of the iceberg. Many of us in the African American community know of the pastor who sleeps with a slew of young women, young men or even young children in the church. I am an advocate of the New York City campaign against terrorism, which says "If you see something, say something." So, rather than sitting idly by as some of our spiritual leaders engage in egregious abuses of power, it's important that we open our mouths.
All the while, it must be remembered that not every pastor is corrupt or sexually irresponsible. Also, most of us make mistakes or bad choices in our lives and pastors are no different. While our human short-comings can't be used as excuses for socially-deviant behavior, we can't write off the good works of seasoned pastors just because their flaws are exposed. I will always be convinced that Bishop Eddie Long has done some good things for others in his life, and that is why so many people still support him. But even if he turns out to be a good man who made some bad decisions, he must be held accountable like the rest of us. Perhaps he will get his day in court and his congregation will get the truth that they deserve, but deep down, I sincerely doubt it.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/22/bishop-eddie-long-has-his-first-day-in-court/
Recount Ordered in Minnesota Race
The Associated Press reports that Minnesota's canvassing board is ordering a recount in the state's closely contested gubernatorial race between Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Emmer (R).
Certified vote counts show Dayton with a less than 9,000-vote lead, which is within the half point margin needed to force a recount under state law. The recount will start Monday and finish by mid-December; the new governor is to take office on Jan. 3.
Certified vote counts show Dayton with a less than 9,000-vote lead, which is within the half point margin needed to force a recount under state law. The recount will start Monday and finish by mid-December; the new governor is to take office on Jan. 3.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/RHSECQvchvc/recount_ordered_in_minnesota_race.html
Sunday, November 21, 2010
US May Disable All Car Phones, Says Trans. Secretary
gambit3 writes "The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile-phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers. 'I think it will be done,' US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said on Wednesday morning. 'I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones.' LaHood is on a self-described 'rampage' against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he's all for it."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Cholera Crisis: Disease Confirmed in Haitian Capital
The coming weeks will be the toughest for Haiti since the January earthquake devastated the island-nation.
Cholera has been confirmed in a 3-year-old Port-au-Prince boy suffering from severe dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea -- the crippling and potentially fatal effects of the disease that has killed more than 500 people since the outbreak hit six weeks ago.
The spread of cholera to Haiti's capital means that millions of homeless people are now at risk for catching and spreading the disease.
Think for a second.
The magnitude of the international crisis boggles the mind if this already vulnerable population falls prey to the disease by the thousands.
The floods triggered by Hurricane Tomas could exasperate the disease, which is spread by consuming tainted water.
About 8,000 cholera patients are in hospitals now around the country. Health officials believe there are 30 cases in Port-au-Prince, even though only one case is confirmed.
If the disease does spread to significant numbers of the population, it will be interesting to see how the international community pitches in to help.
Lots of nations, including the United States, made big pledges of billions of dollars in reconstruction aid for Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, but delays in distributing the aid have left the Haitian people in peril.
Let's hope that the heroic actions of health professionals on the ground are enough to avert a crisis. After seeing how international countries failed to deliver on their promises before, I hope they aren't put to the test again.
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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/09/cholera-crisis-disease-confirmed-in-haitian-capital/
Monica Bill Barnes: What's So Funny About Dance?
Monica Bill Barnes: What's So Funny About Dance?Choreographer Monica Bill Barnes, described by Deborah Jowitt of The Village Voice as "one of the wittiest young choreographers around", joins Jacob's Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Maura Keefe to discuss dance making and humor. Topics include the role of empathy, sincerity and failure in Barnes' work and responses to the Christopher Hitchens Vanity Fair article 'Why Women Aren't Funny'.
EXCERPT from PillowTalk: What's So Funny About Dance? Recorded July 29, 2010.
PillowTalks feature world-renowned choreographers, dancers, authors, filmmakers, historians, and critics in live hour-long moderated discussions of the cultural forces shaping the field of dance. Curated by Jacob's Pillow Director of Preservation Norton Owen and moderated by Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence, PillowTalks use dance as a prism to explore the world at large.
For more info on Jacob's Pillow please visit www.jacobspillow.org
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Location: Becket, MA, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance
Program and discussion: http://fora.tv/2010/07/29/Monica_Bill_Barnes_Whats_So_Funny_About_Dance
Source: http://fora.tv/2010/07/29/Monica_Bill_Barnes_Whats_So_Funny_About_Dance
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