Saturday, January 19, 2013

Discriminating Military Spouses Group Offers Lesbian ?Guest Membership?

Ashley Broadway, Lt. Col. Heather Mack, and Carson

The Association of Bragg Officers? Spouses, the military spouses group at Ft. Bragg, has offered a ?guest membership? to Ashley Broadway, the same-sex spouse of Lt. Col. Heather Mack who they blocked last month from joining. In fact, the group arbitrarily changed its rules to require an active ID card?? a benefit same-sex spouses are not currently afforded?? specifically to keep her from being eligible. In the letter offering the guest membership, the Association of Bragg Officers Spouses (ABOS) claimed it has been reviewing its by-laws since July 2012, but the timing is definitely suspect.

Though the ?guest membership? may provide temporary relief for Broadway, it is not a workable solution to the discrimination at hand. Stephen Peters, executive director of the American Military Partner Association, offered this reaction to BuzzFeed:

PETERS:?Ashley is not a ?guest? military spouse. She is a military spouse, plain and simple.?So the idea that the organization, in order to end the negative attention they are getting because of their outright discrimination, wants to give her a ?guest membership? is not only offensive, but ridiculous. The ABOS openly admits a military ID card is not listed as a requirement, yet they continue to deny her full membership.

Both the Ft. Bragg leadership and Pentagon have refused to take accountability for allowing the spouses? group?s discrimination to persist and the Army has remained silent. The organization is private and is not obligated to abide by the Defense of Marriage Act, so the anti-gay discrimination is totally of its own accord. Meanwhile, the Marines responded by prohibiting such discrimination on their bases.

Source: http://thinkprogress.org.feedsportal.com/c/34726/f/638927/s/27a8c34e/l/0Lthinkprogress0Borg0Clgbt0C20A130C0A10C180C14678410Cdiscriminating0Emilitary0Espouses0Egroup0Eoffers0Elesbian0Eguest0Emembership0C/story01.htm

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African-American rescues lost tribal treasures

Courtesy of William Holland

African-American genealogist William Holland, dressed in traditional garb, shows off the ceremonial masks he bought on eBay. He plans to return the masks to the tribes from whence they came during a trip to Cameroon.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

When family researcher William Holland flies back to his ancestral homeland in Cameroon next week, he'll be bearing gifts: ceremonial masks that were taken out of Africa decades ago, purchased by Holland in online auctions, and now destined to be returned to the tribes from whence they came.

It's an unusual exercise in citizen diplomacy, but one that's fitting for Martin Luther King Jr. Day ? an occasion that celebrates the late civil-rights leader's legacy and encourages volunteer service.


"You're always supposed to give back," Holland said. "Even if you have nothing, at least try to give something to somebody so they can move ahead, even if it's something as simple as a book. Now I'm able to do what's right and return these items that were stolen. And I hope that it leads the way for other people to give back as well, whether it's to a school, or an organization, or to society."

'Roots' for the 21st century
Holland has spent more than a decade fleshing out his ancestral connections. He's used documents, DNA tests and extensive interviews to trace his family back through the slave era in the South, back to Cameroon in West Africa, and maybe even back to Syria in ancient times. He's learned how people from Cameroon's Oku clan were kidnapped by slave traders in the 1700s, rounded up and sent to America. Those were the people who passed down their genetic heritage to Holland.

Now he's giving back, thanks in part to eBay.

The Atlanta businessman's project began when he learned about a statue of Ngonsso, the founder of Cameroon's Nso dynasty, which was taken from the country in the early 1900s during the colonial era and ended up in a German museum. Cameroonian officials have been working for years to get the statue repatriated, and Holland was looking for ways to support the campaign. During his research, he and his contacts in Cameroon came across items of cultural interest that were coming up for sale on eBay auction sites.

"Throwing knives, caps, many things from the palaces are on sale here in the U.S.," Holland said.

Holland decided to spend his own money to buy some of those items, including the masks. "One has been identified as an Oku mask, the other is Nso," he said. The Nso mask, depicting a colorful elephant, was said to be used by a secret society in their ceremonies, while the humanlike Oku mask was worn during funerals.

The masks were apparently taken from Cameroon in the 1970s or 1980s under murky circumstances, Holland said. Now he's gotten both of them back, along with some Cameroonian throwing knives, at a cost of more than $1,000 (including shipping).

"I'm doing this on my own, because it's the right thing to do," Holland said. "This is hopefully a preface to the return of the Ngonnso statue. It's not fair that you sell something that's sacred to the community."

Holland also plans to bring a set of slave-era shackles he bought on eBay, to use them as a visual aid when he tells his distant Cameroonian relatives the American side of the story surrounding his ancestors' abduction. "I don't think many of them know what happened during that time," he said.

What's in it for him?
In addition to forging better relations with his presumed relatives, Holland hopes his eBay diplomacy will lead to a role in future development projects, such as U.S.-supported programs to upgrade Cameroon's water and sanitation facilities?and preserve the remains of a historic slave-trade port in Bimbia. He's also looking into starting a tour business that would be focused on his ancestral home in Oku country, with a twist of genetic genealogy added to the mix.

For Holland, this isn't just a business proposition. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, he has a dream: that the sons and daughters of former slaves will be able to work together with their African kin to make Africa ? and America?? a better place.?

"I'm glad that my eyes have been opened," Holland said. "I've learned a lot, and now I can do something to help change cultural awareness here in the U.S. and also in Cameroon. Now is a good time to do it."

Previous chapters in the African saga:


Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/18/16589861-african-american-repatriates-tribal-treasures-through-ebay-diplomacy?lite

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US, UK defense chiefs bemoan deaths in Algeria

(AP) ? The U.S. and British defense chiefs said Saturday the hostage crisis in Algeria ended with more deaths, but that details remained unclear. They blamed the militants who seized the natural gas complex in the Sahara, and not Algeria's government for its rescue operation.

At a joint news conference in London, British Defense Minister Philip Hammond called the loss of life appalling and unacceptable.

"It is the terrorists that bear the sole responsibility," he told reporters.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said much remains "sketchy" about what happened at the remote Ain Amenas gas field.

"We know that lives have been lost," he said.

According to Algeria's state news agency, special forces stormed the complex Saturday in a "final assault" to end the four-day-old hostage crisis. The report didn't say whether any hostages or militants remained alive, and it didn't give the nationalities of the dead.

Asked how many Americans were in danger and what happened to them, Panetta said he knew Americans were still being held hostage earlier Saturday. On what happened to them, he said, "we need to get better information."

Panetta was scheduled to return to Washington later Saturday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-19-US-Algeria/id-9fe930533747446594778fa8add0bbae

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Friday, January 18, 2013

Basketball coach fired for 'take out' order

An assistant basketball coach at a Massachusetts high school has been fired for telling one of his players to 'take out' another team's coach.

Eric Wheeler was fired Thursday by Amherst Regional High School following an investigation into Monday's incident in which an Amherst player is seen on video pushing South Hadley High coach Jeff Guiel? to the ground from behind. Gueil was out of bounds.

School officials say Wheeler was apparently frustrated because game officials had not penalized Gueil for stepping out of the coaching box and thought contact with a player would result in a technical foul.

Amherst officials determined that head coach Jim Matuszko had no knowledge of the situation. The 16-year-old player also faces punishment.

Gueil, an attorney, says he is "exploring all the options."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Thebostonchannel/local/~3/8L1frIetEG8/index.html

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Mcallen, TX 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Used Truck Mission, TX Corpus Christi, TX Payne Rio Grande City Ford for $19,994

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*The advertised price does not include sales tax, vehicle registration fees, finance charges, documentation charges, and any other fees required by law. We attempt to update this inventory on a regular basis. However, there can be lag time between the sale of a vehicle and the update of the inventory.

EPA mileage estimates are for newly manufactured vehicles only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

Before purchasing this vehicle, it is your responsibility to address any and all differences between information on this website and the actual vehicle specifications and/or any warranties offered prior to the sale of this vehicle. Vehicle data on this website is compiled from publicly available sources believed by the publisher to be reliable. Vehicle data is subject to change without notice. The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors and/or omissions in this data the compilation of this data and makes no representations express or implied to any actual or prospective purchaser of the vehicle as to the condition of the vehicle, vehicle specifications, ownership, vehicle history, equipment/accessories, price or warranties. 2008 Chevrolet Weslaco, TX 2008 Chevrolet McAllen, TX 2008 Chevrolet Brownsville, TX

Source: http://payneweslacomotors.com/2008-Chevrolet-Silverado-1500-Mcallen-TX/vd/12983308

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Insurance and retirement needs often overlooked in divorce ...

Washington residents going through a divorce are often advised by a divorce attorney to get a handle on their finances. While many individuals plan for monthly expenses such as rent, food and cellphones; there are often several other important expenses that are forgotten.

Matters related to insurance are typically overlooked by many divorcing individuals. There are those insurance policies that may have been carried by a spouse such as health, dental and vision. When a couple divorces, it's up to each ex-spouse to now provide for their own insurance. Spouses that do not work are often able to either elect continuation of coverage through COBRA or obtain a policy through an independent insurance provider. These options, however, are often more expensive than employer-supported plans.

Other insurance matters frequently overlooked in divorce relate to home and car insurance. Oftentimes couples opt to bundle home and car insurance with one provider. When a spouse moves out of the family home and must obtain their own home and vehicle, however, they must also obtain new insurance policies. The monthly premiums may be higher on these new policies which may catch some individuals off guard.

Retirement and employer-provided 401(k) s are another often-forgotten financial consideration during a divorce. Again this most impacts individuals who have either not worked outside the home or have chosen not to start their own employer-provided 401(k). An individual who was previously relying on the retirement accounts of a spouse will need to take steps to start their own retirement savings. When possible, additional monies should be funded to new retirement accounts to make up for lost time.

Going through a divorce often presents many financial challenges. Being prepared for unexpected costs associated with insurance and retirement matters, however, can benefit an individual while negotiating a divorce settlement.

Source: The Huffington Post, "Six Unexpected Expenses Divorcees Face," Susan Saper Galamba, Jan. 8, 2013

Source: http://www.vancouverwashingtonfamilylawattorney.com/2013/01/insurance-and-retirement-needs-often-overlooked-in-divorce.shtml

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Payroll Tax Hike Not Seen by Some Workers Yet

Published: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013 | 12:10 PM ET

ADP CEO on Processing the Payroll Tax

Carlos Rodriguez, Automatic Data Processing CEO, discusses how his company was able to handle the expiration of the payroll tax cut.

Not all American workers have seen the higher payroll tax in their paycheck yet, particularly those employed by small businesses, Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of Automatic Data Processing, the largest US payroll processor, told CNBC Tuesday.

That's because the Internal Revenue Service deadline for the increase, which took effect Jan. 1, is still a month away, and it may take smaller companies that long to make the updates.

"February 15th is the official deadline the IRS has for people to make the changes," Rodriguez said on "Squawk Box." "But all of our systems were updated. Every company we process for has the right tax tables."

The payroll tax, which funds Social Security, was raised back to its 2010 level of 6.2 percent as part of the "Fiscal Cliff" deal. The higher tax is already being blamed for slowing consumer spending and has cut some estimates for economic growth this year.

(Read More: Payroll Tax Hike Will Affect Your Paycheck and the Economy)

ADP processes paychecks for 1 in 6 American workers ? 24 million of them. Eighty percent of Fortune 500 companies are clients of ADP and more than 90 percent of the Fortune 100.

"Small businesses typically use desktop software and that is probably going to take a little longer for them to update," Rodriguez said.

As for how much the payroll tax increase will cost average workers, a single person making $60,000 a year will see about $40 less per bi-weekly paycheck.

(Read More: Think Only the Rich Will Pay More Taxes? You're Wrong)

Some people may look to offset that cost. "Making adjustments to their withholdings. They're doing a lot of things to offset the decrease they may be seeing," Rodriguez said, but adding that seeking professional tax advice on these type of moves is recommended. "You don't want to have a nasty surprise next April as a result of owing more."

(Read More: 5 Ways to Counter the Impact of the Payroll Tax Hike)

?By CNBC's Matthew J. Belvedere; Follow him on Twitter @Matt_SquawkCNBC

Not all American workers have seen the higher payroll tax in their paycheck yet, particularly those employed by small businesses, Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of Automatic Data Processing, the largest US payroll processor, told CNBC Tuesday.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100381019

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Movie worker training, Old Metairie and planner meetings - NOLA.com

Gretna-filming.jpg

In 2003, the former Texas-Pacific railroad station in downtown Gretna was transformed into a fish market for the filming of a Nissan commercial by a Los Angeles production company. (Photo by The Times-Picayune archive)

Jefferson Parish is promoting free training for local residents who want work in the motion picture industry. Details are here.

The Jefferson Planning Advisory Board meets Thursday at 5 p.m. in Gretna. Four West Bank cases are up for discussion.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/jefferson_parish_politics_link_6.html

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

US condemns comments from Egypt's Morsi

In this image released by the Egyptian Presidency, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, right, visits a victim receiving treatment following a train crash in Badrasheen, 40 Kilometers (25 miles) south Cairo at a military hospital in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. At least 19 people died and more than 100 were injured when two railroad passenger cars derailed just south of Cairo, health officials say. The accident comes less than two weeks after a new transportation minister was appointed to overhaul the rail system, and just two months after a deadly collision between a train and school bus. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

In this image released by the Egyptian Presidency, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, right, visits a victim receiving treatment following a train crash in Badrasheen, 40 Kilometers (25 miles) south Cairo at a military hospital in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. At least 19 people died and more than 100 were injured when two railroad passenger cars derailed just south of Cairo, health officials say. The accident comes less than two weeks after a new transportation minister was appointed to overhaul the rail system, and just two months after a deadly collision between a train and school bus. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

(AP) ? The Obama administration on Tuesday gave a blistering review of remarks that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi made almost three years ago about Jews and called for him to repudiate what it called unacceptable rhetoric.

In blunt comments, the White House and State Department said Morsi's statements were "deeply offensive" and ran counter to the goal of peace in the region. The State Department, noting that a senior congressional delegation is now visiting Egypt, said the remarks complicated efforts to provide economic and military aid to Egypt.

"We believe that President Morsi should make clear that he respects people of all faiths and that this type of rhetoric is unacceptable in a democratic Egypt," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

Morsi was a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood in 2010 when, according to video broadcast last week on Egyptian television he asked Egyptians to "nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred." Months later, in a television interview, Morsi referred to Zionists as bloodsuckers who attack Palestinians, describing Zionists as "the descendants of apes and pigs."

"We completely reject these statements as we do any language that espouses religious hatred," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. "This kind of rhetoric has been used in this region for far too long. It's counter to the goals of peace."

A group of senators, including Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Christopher Coons, D-Del., is currently in Cairo. Nuland said she expected they would make their views known to Egypt's leadership.

Morsi's remarks and the Obama administration's rebuke marked a new point of tension in the complex relationship between the U.S. and Egypt's fledgling democracy.

Since being elected in June of 2012 in the aftermath of the revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, Morsi has promised to abide by Egypt's decades-old peace treaty with Israel. Morsi was also instrumental in facilitating a cease-fire in November between Israel and Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, despite his refusal to speak directly with Israeli officials.

The White House and State Department did acknowledge Morsi's willingness during that crisis to work with the U.S. toward mutual goals, and said Egypt's continuing commitment to its peace treaty with Israel is essential for U.S. relations with Egypt.

Egypt receives more than $1 billion a year in military and development aid from the U.S. as part of a package linked to its historic 1979 peace deal with Israel. The peace accord is a cornerstone of U.S. Mideast policy.

Nuland said Morsi's actions as president in support of the peace treaty with Israel are laudable but only one part of picture.

"We will judge him by what he does," she said. "What he has been doing is supporting that peace treaty, continuing to work with us, and with Israel on common goals, including in Gaza. But we'll also judge him but what he says. And we think that these comments should be repudiated and they should be repudiated firmly."

An official in Israel, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an issue of such sensitivity, said the comments were a "big concern" but that Israel did not want to fuel tensions with Egypt.

The two sets of comments were first reported on Tuesday by the New York Times.

A Muslim Brotherhood official in Egypt reached by The Associated Press refused to comment on Washington's reaction to Morsi's remarks. Repeated requests to respond to Morsi's comments received no response.

The silence reflected the deep sensitivity of the issue for Morsi and the Brotherhood, which is fiercely anti-Israeli and anti-U.S.

__

Aya Batrawy in Cairo, Donna Cassata in Washington and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-15-US-Obama-Egypt/id-73581e1c266840e2aef90b4f4e27a757

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Vatican rejects calling Jews 'enemies of the church'

(JTA) The Vatican rejected comments by the head of a breakaway traditionalist group calling Jews ?enemies of the church? and reiterated that it was committed to dialogue with the Jewish world.

?It is impossible to speak of the Jews as enemies of the Church,? Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Monday. He said the Catholic Church ?is deeply committed to dialogue with Jews? and stressed that the Vatican?s position on this was ?clear and well-known.?

Source: http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/vatican-rejects-calling-jews-enemies-of-the-church/

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Several hundred Charlotte finance workers laid off after settlement ...

Several hundred finance contract workers in Charlotte lost their jobs this week as a side effect of the $8.5 billion settlement Bank of America, Wells Fargo and eight other mortgage servicers entered into Monday.

The jobs stemmed from a 2011 settlement in which each bank was required to hire a consulting firm to conduct an independent review of the loan files of homeowners in foreclosure. Thousands of contract workers were hired around the country, with a significant presence in Charlotte.

That foreclosure review came to a halt Monday when the 10 banks agreed to make cash payments to borrowers and help others with loan modifications. That meant the contract workers were no longer needed.

At least several hundred were in Charlotte, working on loan reviews for Bank of America, said Debra Cope, a spokeswoman for Promontory Financial Group. Promontory was hired by both Bank of America and Wells Fargo to conduct their reviews. Cope said she was unable to give specific numbers due to confidentiality agreements.

Neither of the two banks responded to requests for comment.

The majority of the workers made professional-level wages and included lawyers, loan analysts and forensic reviewers. Similar job losses were confirmed in Tampa, Fla., Denver and Orange County, Calif.

One Charlotte worker who lost his job said the Promontory teams at the BB&T Center and Transamerica building uptown were called into meetings around noon Monday and told they were no longer needed and could all go home.

Bank of America?s part of the settlement includes $1.1 billion in cash payments to borrowers and $1.8 billion in mortgage relief. About 1.25 million of its customers are eligible, meaning their home was in foreclosure during 2009 or 2010.

Wells Fargo is paying $766 million cash and $1.2 billion in relief.

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/09/3774665/several-hundred-charlotte-finance.html

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10 dream matches that actually happened

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-dream-matches-that-actually-happened

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