AZEALIA BANKS - VAN VOGUE

Azealia Banks is on the verge of inspiring some excellent Halloween costume ideas with her recent music video fashion. She’s also really obsessed with mermaids, so it comes as no surprise that the Harlem rapper’s new music video for “Van Vogue” finds her swimming around a pool like Daryl Hannah.

Caught on tape: Teenage mum tries to kill her own baby

A Texas teen mom could face life behind bars after she was caught on camera trying to smother her baby with a blanket and her hands.

Shortly after, Scott takes her hand and puts it over the baby’s nose and mouth for a minute and 14 seconds.
The baby is seen kicking his arms and legs before going limp. Doctors and nurses rush into the hospital to resuscitate Rhaidyn after alarms go off, indicating he has stopped breathing.

Luckily, the baby survived and is now in foster care.”No doubt if it hadn’t been for the hospital staff, he would be dead today,” prosecutor Rainey Webb said.

Shantaniqua Nykole Scott, 18, of Waco was convicted Thursday of injury to a child.She told authorities that she couldn’t handle the stress of being a single, unemployed mom and wanted the 4-month-old “out of my life.

The video is disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Jamaican men are drunks and weed smokers; Mugabe

One of Africa’s most notorious leaders, President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has made a controversial statement about Jamaicans. While speaking at the country’s Research and Intellectual Expo 2012, Mugabe made the damning statements, labeling Jamaican men as “drunks and weed smokers, who are ruled by women’.

“In Jamaica, they have freedom to smoke mbanje, varume vanogara vakadhakwa (men are always drunk) and universities are full of women. The men want to sing and do not go to colleges vamwe vanobva vamonwa musoro (some are dreadlocked). Let us not go there”, Mugabe said.

President Mugabe is also insinuating that Jamaican culture is heavily influencing the people of Zimbabwe. Without doubts Zimbabweans have a strong liking for reggae/dancehall culture, but such an ignorant statement from a head of state will dissuade Jamaican entertainers from performing in the African country.

Several reggae artists have since take time out to weigh in on Mugabe’s controversial statement, including Sizzla Kalonji, who performed at a concert in 2010 in honor of his birthday, Tony Rebel, Cocoa Tea and more.

In response, Sizzla said “Black people are beautiful and courageous, strong, educated and we should keep our heads up and keep sailing high and be determined towards our goals as Zimbabweans and Jamaicans. I personally took no offence to the statement. Marijuana is a holy sacrament being used in the nyahbinghi churcical chanting and singing is a part of our culture from ancient of days, it’s even in the bible where Psalms of David said we should sing and give praise unto the most high”.

“We love the president and he should assist us as black people to overcome the phangs of hell daunted unto us by the slave masters. He should also take the time and look into our educational system and living conditions, and see how best he can help us towards the redemption and repatriation of our people to Africa”.

Lebanon news rape report on murdered U.S. ambassador

The Lebanese news organization Tayyar.org is reporting that the murdered American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, was raped prior to his killing September 11, 2012.

The Lebanese news report cited the Agence France-Presse (AFP) broke the story when given the information by an unnamed senior member of the Libyan Interior Ministry.

Tayyar.com also reported via Google translation from the original Arabic, Ambassador Stevens:

"...was killed and representation of his body in a manner similar to what happened with Gaddafi, such as murder."

According to the BBC, when the former Libyan strongman Colonel Moammar Gaddafi was initially captured:

"Still images from an analysis of amateur video footage taken in the moments after Col Gaddafi's capture appear to show him being sodomised with a pole or knife."

The Washington Times has posted a video clip (left) reportedly originating from the Libyan Free Press confirming the sodomization of Ambassador Stevens prior to his murder.

As translated by The Washington Times, the Libyan reporter stated:

"Libya - USA Ambassador in Bengazi sodomized and killed by his own al-Qaeda puppets."

The Times also has posted an update stating that as of 3:35 AM EST today:

"The Lebanon report on the murdered U.S. ambassador in Libya, Christopher Stevens, remains unconfirmed by the AFP."
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/lebanese-report-us-ambassador-raped-before-murdered?

3rd world war: The Curse of Oil

The world today has become so dangerous to live in. The likelihood of another world war is very much in the offing as the countries of the world trade blames and flaunt weapons of warfare. All of this boils down to one thing; OIL.

From time immemorial, the U.S. has fought various oil wars hiding under the moniker of terrorism/democracy to invade countries rich with oil. Iraq is an example and Libya is a quick reminder. While we were made to believe Libya had been ''liberated'' from the stronghold of Ghadaffi, recent happenings show it's not yet uhuru for Libya or Libyans as they are not out of the doldrums. With tensions rising between the U.S. and the middle east especially Iran, Russia and China waiting in the wings to swing in at any opportunity, it all just sums up to what we all are afraid of. Another war.

The question is will the universe survive another war of WWII ramifications? The answer is no. Another war would wipe out the entire universe and the aftermath might not be close to what happened after the second world war. The reason isn't far fetched. Wars today would be fought with modern weapons. Gone are the days of AK-47s and Kalashnikovs. The U.S. has nuclear weapons so does France, Russia, China and a few other world powers yet the U.S. is contemplating attacking Iran for having the same nuclear weapon. Their excuse is: a nuclear weapon in the hands of Ahmadinejad; the Iranian president, is a weapon of mass destruction. How laughable. It all boils down to oil if a critical look is taken at it. With allies like Saudi Arabia in the middle east, Iran remains the only regional power to be conquered by the U.S. to make their dominance complete and emphasize their brand of being the captain of the world. Russia and China keep talking from both sides of the mouth but they are merely waiting for the first shots to be fired to clearly pitch their tents. No country wants to be held responsible for starting a third world war.

Maybe the world would have been much more peaceful if every country had its own oil or if there had never been oil at all.. Crude oil has become the curse on our dear planet. It comes with many disadvantages than advantages. With Iran goading the U.S., Israel being stoked by Palestine and continued tensions in the middle east, it all just seems to be a ticking time bomb...tik tik tik. When the big boom will happen, no one knows but it sure won't be a peachy experience for us all.

Medical mystery. The girl who cries blood!

There lives a girl in India who cries blood. Now make no mistake about this for it's no vampire movie but a real life scenario. When 14-year-old Twinkle cries, blood instead of tears streams down her face, scalp and feet.

What would you make of it? Miracle, mystery, sorcery or witchcraft? A doctor who has gone to examine her says it could likely be a manifestation of a mental illness called Munchausen syndrome. According to the experienced pediatrician, it comes as a shock to him as he's never seen anything like it in his long years of practice. ''This is really a first for me,” Buchanan told TODAY’s Al Roker Friday in New York. “I can’t tell — I don’t know where [the blood] comes from.”

Even more baffling is the fact that neither Buchanan nor any other except Twinkle's mum has ever seen the bleeding begin nor have they been able to find any wound or lesions in her scalp when the bleeding has occured there.

The story goes on and on. If you're interested to read more, visit  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32797753/ns/today-today_health/#.UFF9Bo3iYYo

The video below could be disturbing for certain people hence viewer discretion is advised.

McDonald's opens first veggie restaurant

Not that there are no McDonald's outlets in India, the gist is India will be the first country to have a vegetarian McDonald's. In this restaurant, you won't find your usual cheeseburgers or chicken nuggets. In India, 42% of the population don't eat meat as they consider the cow to be a sacred animal. There is also a large Muslim population in India which makes eating pork forbidden.

The new vegetarian Mac restaurant was opened in Amritsar in nothern India, where the Golden temple is located. The drift is, since meat is prohibited in or around the temple and there is a steady flow of pilgrims, the best way to attract hungry pilgrims is to open a vegetarian restaurant and McDonald's has just done that. The second restaurant will be opened in Katra, India; which is another pilgrimage site.

So if you've been waiting for a Mac vegetarian meal, here is your chance. India beckons!

Four-legged robot created by Pentagon

Boston Dynamics, which works for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has improved its robo-mule. Now it can move faster and quieter.

The robot has built-in surveillance device, which lets it follow a squad's commander like a dog. The new robo-mule doesn't have to be controlled. The new version moves more silently than its predecessor and carries more than 180 kilos of load. It is able to go 32 km without recharge.

It is believed that robot will be used by the military, to carry military equipment and devices. It'll increase squad mobility. The LS3 robot also acts as a mobile charging station for troops to recharge batteries for their radios, tablets or laptops while on patrol. If everything goes well, a full 18 months of tests starting this summer will end with the robot going out on field exercises with the Marines

Robo-mule is not the only robot developed by DARPA. In 2008 this company, which works for Pentagon, created the BigDog, a device that can move in stiff terrain, climb, carry the load up to 55 kg and move with the speed of 8 km per hour. Later on the basis of the BigDog DARPA created Cheetah - the fastest robot in the world. Average speed of the Cheetah is 29 km per hour, and on the special track it can increase up to 80 km per hour.

U.S. ambassador killed in Libya

The U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed after protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad stormed the U.S. consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

President Barack Obama said in Washington that the United States condemned the attack in the "strongest possible terms" and pledged that the United States would work with the Libyan authorities to find the killers.
"Make no mistake. Justice will be done," he said.
Obama said in an earlier statement that Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, a married father of two, was also killed. The State Department said next-of-kin notifications were still being made for the other two slain individuals.

Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador killed during an assignment since Adolph Dubs was slain in an exchange of gunfire during a kidnapping attempt in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1979.

Earlier, three Libyan officials told The Associated Press that Stevens was killed Tuesday night when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff.

In other related news, it's been reported that the ambassador died from smoke inhalation.

Honeymoon suicide: young couple commits suicide because of money

Tragedy struck in Ukraine today when police found newlyweds hanging from the tree in the forest in Kherson region, southern Ukraine.

The 22-year-old husband and 24-year-old wife were having money problems: Reports say the wife graduated from one of the Ukrainian universities and husband still had to go back to studies this year. Their parents didn't know about the marriage. The couple came to visit wife's grandmother for the summer and was staying in the shed.

In the beginning of September, husband and wife got a consumer's loan at the bank (about 150 USD), with this money they bought food for their last meal and ropes. When the time came, they left a note in the shed, went to the forest and hung themselves on the same branch.

What a sad love story! That wasn't the solution though. It's never over until it's over. Our condolences to the bereaved families.

A town in France called Condom

A condom is generally known to be what it is: a protective covering worn by people to prevent STDs, unwanted pregnancy, otherwise, a contraceptive, and some other reasons but not many people know that there is actually a town in France called Condom.

Condom is a town on the Via Podiensis which is one of the three major French arms of the pilgrimage route, the way of St James. Interestingly, the town is situated on the river Baise and baise is a French vulgarism for a sexual act. More interesting is the fact that the name of the town has nothing to do with the contraceptive as condom in French is ''preservartif''.

The town of Condom boasts of  two castles, both started in the 13th century, a cathedral and various monuments. The town is also known for the production of Armagnac; an international music festival, an international chess tournament and an international chess marathon.

You can include this small but interesting town on your next list of tourist destinations and while you're there, pay a visit to the Condom cathedral and say hello to the Mayor of Condom and the Bishop of Condom.

Two-year-old smokes 40 cigarettes per day!!

 Taking a deep drag on his cigarette while resting on the steering wheel of his truck, he looks like a parody of a middle-aged lorry driver.

But the image covers up a much more disturbing truth: At just the tender age of two, Ardi Rizal's health has been so ruined by his 40-a-day habit that he now struggles to move by himself.

The four-stone Indonesia toddler is certainly far too unfit to run around with other children - and his condition is set to rapidly deteriorate.

But, despite local officials' offer to buy the Rizal family a new car if the boy quits, his parents feel unable to stop him because he throws massive tantrums if they don't indulge him.

His mother, Diana, 26, wept: 'He's totally addicted. If he doesn't get cigarettes, he gets angry and screams and batters his head against the wall. He tells me he feels dizzy and sick.'

Ardi will smoke only one brand and his habit costs his parents £3.78 a day in Musi Banyuasin, in Indonesia's South Sumatra province.

But in spite of this, his fishmonger father Mohammed, 30, said: 'He looks pretty healthy to me. I don't see the problem.'

Ardi's youth is the extreme of a disturbing trend. Data from the Central Statistics Agency showed 25 per cent of Indonesian children aged three to 15 have tried cigarettes, with 3.2 per cent of those active smokers.

Child advocates are speaking out about the health damage to children from second-hand smoke, and the growing pressure on them to smoke in a country where one-third of the population uses tobacco and single cigarettes can be bought for a few cents.

''Jesus is a monkey'' inscription in Israel

Hebrew graffiti, including the phrase "Jesus is a monkey," was daubed on the walls of a monastery near Jerusalem early Tuesday in what police suspect was a so-called 'Price Tag' attack by right-wing, pro-settler extremists, according to reports.

Vandals torched the wooden door of the Latrun Monastery and spray-painted the graffiti on the holy site's stone walls, Israeli police said.
"Police have opened a special investigation into the incident," Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
Israeli security officials had expressed concern about possible acts of retribution by a suspected settler vigilante campaign known as 'Price Tag' for Sunday's court-ordered eviction of 50 families from Migron, a settler site near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Police believe the incident was part of the campaign, the times of Israel  and the Jerusalem Post reported.

This is just blasphemy. Where has the love in our world gone? Why can't we just live and let live. There will never be peace in the world until every man will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character (Martin Luther King Jr). We also add to that- by their religion, educational qualifications or nationalities.
 Show love people!

Clearest photos of Mars from Curiosity rover

Curiosity rover has been in Mars for a while now. So far, it's been proved that men are not really from Mars as we all believed and there are no aliens; at least for now.  According to the news, the weather calmed down a little and Curiosity was able to remove its protective lens. How lonely it must be for Curiosity. We were thinking fella would be popping beer cans with aliens by now. Enjoy...

Air France passengers asked to pay for fuel

Airlines have made it a practice to charge for things like baggage, meals and pillows, but passengers aboard an Air France flight that had to land in the Syrian capital of Damascus were asked if they could chip in a little cash for fuel. The plane was originally bound for Lebanon, but violence near the airport there made it necessary for the plane to divert to Syria. At first, the crew tried to pay for gas with a corporate credit card, but it was rejected due to financial sanctions against Syria. The crew then asked the passengers for a little help. Fortunately, an agreement was reached before customers had to break out their wallets                                                                                and the flight was able to continue on its way.
A couple of days ago, it was Air Nigeria and now it's Air France! This is hilarious yet strange.

What is really wrong with this picture?

Hmmmm. I'm trying to find something in here but I am kinda dazed..can you really spot the difference?

How to deal with manipulative people

Most of us want to believe the best about other people. It’s hard to identify the unhealthy behaviors when we want to believe (and love) someone; but you can learn to spot, and deflect,manipulative behaviors.

Spotting Manipulative Behavior

We are ALL manipulative to a certain extent, and usually we are completely unaware of the behaviors. The extent to which a person is manipulative is a product of how they learned to get what they wanted as children. In short, manipulative behaviors worked then, so they must work now… and usually they do, since the tactics have been perfected over the years. We all fight, in one way or another, for what we want and need. Some people are direct, and others are subtle. However, manipulators put everyone else’s needs beneath their own. Their behavior exhibits an inability/unwillingness to see your side or be sensitive to your needs and wants. The manipulator is completely focused on his or her own agenda!

Try not to be judgmental. Instead, be compassionate while standing firm on your values. Sometimes, recognition of manipulative behavior helps you deal with it.

Beware – the intentions are quite aggressive, even if the methods are subtle and seemingly benign (even disguised as caring and nurturing)!

Covert aggression is the most common tactic (as opposed to overt aggression, which is a power struggle that is open and sometimes physical). Covert aggression is subtle and emotional. Anyone can be vulnerable to psychological tactics. We all have insecurities and weaknesses and if someone recognizes your “buttons” and learns to push them, they can get their way most of the time.

If you’ve ever seen a child harassing parents with incredibly persistent manipulative tactics, you might wonder how it’s possible that the parents don’t know they’re being manipulated and how it’s possible they allow such obnoxious behavior from their child. Manipulators are quick to go for the weak spot – and the victim is often unaware of their own “buttons.”

The Solution

Listen to your intuition. If your gut tells you that someone is trying to have their way or gain power over you, you unconsciously go on the defensive. Be aware of the way your body communicates – it always lets you know when something feels wrong, even if you try to rationalize it!

The problem is, the manipulator’s methods can be so gentle that you second-guess your instincts and give in. It’s easy to doubt and blame yourself for daring to believe what our gut tells us. Learning to listen to, trust and act on your intuition will help keep you from being victimized by a manipulative person.

Develop your intuition, self-mastery and self-awareness using the Silva Method techniques. Do you know your ‘buttons’? Do you have the self-esteem to say no when your intuition waves red flags? Do you recognize destructive relationship patterns?

You do not have to apologize for saying NO. You must uphold your boundaries. No means no! The message to the manipulator is, “I said NO. Have a tantrum if you want but no means no. Deal with it.”

The answer from you is always NO if the request violates your personal boundary, no matter how good (for you) the manipulator makes it sound. If you intuitively feel that it’s wrong, the answer is NO. No apologies. Just NO.

The only way to get the behavior to stop is to train a manipulative person that manipulation don’t work on you. It will stop when the manipulator realizes they’re trying to manipulate a brick wall.

Manipulative people are used to getting their way. They often react with anger or drama when you say no. You can deflect anger by telling them you’ll give them an answer later. Later, the answer is still NO.

Spotting manipulative tactics means training yourself to look beyond the questions, baiting, misdirection and disguised attacks.

1. Confrontational statements intended to start (and win) an argument:

• How could you…?
• I thought we agreed…?
• Why do you/why don’t you…?
• I thought you said you would…?
  
  

These statements are worded to immediately put you in the role of the troublemaker and the manipulator in the role of the victim. You can deal with this effectively by NOT allowing yourself to get dragged into a fight: “Let’s talk about this later when you’re not so upset.”

2. Guilt trips. You’ll get accused of doing or not doing something; again, you’re portrayed as the aggressor and the manipulator as the victim:

• If you loved me…
• A decent person would…
• Don’t you care if…
• I can’t believe you would…

Deal with this by saying, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Or, say nothing, or deflect until later.

3. Questions that don’t offer you a way out – you think you have options, but you really don’t. Unscrupulous salespeople often use these tactics that don’t give you an option to say, “no thanks”:

• Would you like the 10-day program or the 20-day program?
• Shall we make the appointment for 9 or 10 tomorrow?
• Would you like to add anyone to this policy at a discounted rate?

Deal with this by deferring your answer to later: “I need to think about these options.” or, be direct: “No thank you, I’m not interested.”

4. Lying is a skill many manipulators have perfected. Listen to your intuition! It can be hard to spot a lie but you can trip up a manipulator by asking direct questions; if you get hesitation, evasive answers, diversions, anger or quick defensiveness, you’re probably dealing with a lie.

5. Manipulators love to play the victim. They project themselves as the do-gooders and the protectors, yet they always put YOU in the hot seat when something doesn’t go their way. They go from knight in shining armor to damsel in distress to dragon in a heartbeat… all the while using tactics such as covert intimidation, shaming, guilt-tripping and blaming YOU.

The tactics are not always easy to recognize. Trust your intuition. Heed the intuitive red flags. You’ll have more self-esteem, confidence, and a better ability to spot and deal with manipulation.

The poorest President ever!

 Meet Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara, president of Burkina Faso. Thomas Sankara believed that his own example was vital for the success of the revolution. President lived from the salary, which he received as an army captain (450 dollars per month), his presidential salary of $2000 was transferred to the orphans. After Sankara was overthrown and killed, it turned out that his personal belongings consisted only of an old Peugeot car, which he had bought before he came to power, a fridge with broken freezer, three guitars and four bicycles. One of his government's first political innovations was public disclosure of incomes and accounts of all state officials.
Furthermore, Sankara refused to install air conditioning in his study, as he was ashamed to do it when people didn't have means for such luxury. He also refused to sanction putting up his portraits in the publics places and institutions because, as he stated, "there are seven million people like me in our country",

Sankara sold the fleet of Mercedes cars in his government and made the Renault 5 the official service car of his ministers. He also reduced the pay of all public servants, including his own and ordered a stop in the use of government chauffeurs and 1t class airline tickets. Sankara who was a Pan-Africanist to the core redistributed land from the warring landlords and gave ownership directly to peasants.  Wheat production rose in three years from 1700 kg per hectare to 3800 kg per hectare, making the country food self-sufficient. He was completely opposed to foreign aid. In his words ''he who feeds you, controls you.''  He spoke in forums like the Organization of African Unity against continued neo-colonialist penetration of Africa through Western trade and finance also calling for a united front of African nations to repudiate their foreign debt. Sankara argued that the poor and exploited did not have an obligation to repay money to the rich and exploiting.  "Thomas knew how to show his people that they could become dignified and proud through will power, courage, honesty and work. What remains above all of my husband is his integrity", said his widow,  Mariam Sankara.

In Ouagadougou, Sankara converted the army's provisioning store into a state-owned supermarket open to everyone (the first supermarket in the country). He forced civil servants to pay one month's salary to public projects.  He refused to use the air conditioning in his office on the grounds that such luxury was not available to anyone but a handful of Burkinabes.  As President, he lowered his salary to $450 a month and limited his possessions to a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge and a broken freezer.  A motorcyclist himself, he formed an all-women motorcycle personal guard.  He was known for jogging unaccompanied through Ouagadougou in his track suit and posing in his tailored military fatigues, with his mother-of-pearl pistol.

Improving women's status was one of Sankara's explicit goals, and his government included a large number of women, an unprecedented policy priority in West Africa. His government banned female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy; while appointing females to high governmental positions and encouraging them to work outside the home and stay in school even if pregnant. Sankara also promoted contraception and encouraged husbands to go to market and prepare meals to experience for themselves the conditions faced by women. Furthermore, Sankara was the first African leader to appoint women to major cabinet positions and to recruit them actively for the military.

Sankara's administration was also the first African government to publicly recognize the AIDS epidemic as a major threat to Africa.

He was assassinated on October 15, 1987.

For your Sunday morning delight!

We bring you one of the best Sunday Morning songs. Enjoy!