Month: March 2014

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Featured News Politics

It Gets Worse – Marissa Alexander Could Face 60 Years in Prison

A 33-year-old woman could end up in prison for 60 years when she’s retried for firing a shot in the direction of her estranged husband and two of his children.

Marissa Alexander was convicted in 2012 on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years — three counts served concurrently. An appeals court tossed the conviction, saying the judge made a mistake in shifting the burden to Alexander to prove she acted in self-defense.

Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei told the Florida Times-Union the state is simply following sentencing laws in seeking 60 years. The same court that ordered Alexander’s retrial ruled that when a defendant is convicted of multiple counts from the same crime, judges must make the sentences consecutive.

Critics say it’s outrageous to seek triple the original sentence.

Categories
Politics

Eye Rolling Lindsay Graham Blames Obama For Putin’s Decisions

Remember to saying, “politics stops at the water’s edge?” Well that saying only applies when theres a Republican sitting in the White House. It’s open season on the president if he’s a Democrat.

On Sunday, Lindsey Graham went on CNN’s State of the Union with Sandy Crowley and he did what Republicans are known for these days – Attacking Obama for things Obama can’t control.

CROWLEY: The president has come out and said very forcefully on Friday about consequences. The U.S. has made it clear that is disapproves of what Russia has done. You’ve been Tweeting about strong statements. What more do you want from President Obama at this point?

GRAHAM: Well, number one, stop going on television and trying to threaten thugs and dictators. It is not your strong suit. Every time the president goes on national television and threatens Putin or anyone like Putin, everybody’s eyes roll, including mine. We have a weak and indecisive president that invites aggression.

President Obama needs to do something. How about this — suspend Russian membership in the G-8 and the G-20 at least for a year starting right now. And for every day that they stay in Crimea, add to the suspension. Do something.

Someone should remind Lindsey that Osama bin Laden is not around to roll his eyes anymore,  neither are the record number of terrorists killed on Obama’s orders.

Categories
Celebrities Entertainment Movies the oscars

Best Supporting Actress Award Goes to Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o won the Oscar for best supporting actress on Sunday for her role as the hardworking slave Patsey in drama “12 Years a Slave,” capping a breakout awards season for the Yale-trained Kenyan actress.

Nyong’o, 31, won the Oscar in her first feature film role, earning a thunderous standing ovation from the Hollywood audience. She beat fellow frontrunner Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of a loopy housewife in caper “American Hustle” in one of the most closely-watched Academy Award races this year.

“Yes!” the actress exclaimed when accepting the award after hugging her brother, “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen and other actors in the film.

“It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s, and so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey, for her guidance.”

Nyong’o, who earned the same award from her peers at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, was chosen for the role from some 1,000 young actresses who auditioned

She received plaudits from critics for her depiction of suffering as a field-working slave and the object of sexual desire from her master.

Categories
Featured Politics Racism

Teaparty Nuts Create Cartoon Showing President Obama Being Assassinated – Video

There are some sick people out there, and some of them think it’s funny to create a cartoon showing the president of the United States being assassinated. Or maybe they’re not trying to be funny at all. Maybe, just maybe they’re serious, and they’re hoping that their cartoon depiction becomes real.

And that’s why the Secret Service is investigating.

The creators of the YouTube series Conrad the Constitution complained to Infowars that their graphic depiction of President Obama being cowardly Second Amendmented in the back of the head ‘Abraham Lincoln style’ in a theater has earned them and their families visits from the Secret Service.

“I just wanted to let you guys know the Secret Service has been in contact with my family and is coming to interview me sometime soon about our latest episode. If I end up disappearing you’ll know why,” the ridiculous and paranoid e-mail read.

In the video, Conrad the Teabagging Constitution, Conrad steals Ron Paul’s time machine from his bunker and embarks on a mission to kill President Obama, who has shredded his future self. At the instruction of Ron Paul and his shredded self, Conrad travels back in time, sneaks up on the President, and shoots him in the back of the head.

These sickos relish in getting their content seen. Bad press is good press for these right winged hacks. You don’t have to view their content, but I included the video below.

Categories
Foreign Policies military invasion Russia

Russia Could Lose Membership in G8 Soon

WASHINGTON — After Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine, the G8 might become the G7 again.

Russia is set to host the next summit of the Group of Eight — the (mostly) western economic powers of the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan and Russia — in Sochi in June, and the U.S. has broken off its participation in planning meetings in protest of Russian forces’ presence in Crimea, where they have reportedly surrounded military bases.

About 6,000 Russian forces have “operational control” of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, a senior U.S. official told reporters.

After a U.S.-led push, all members but Russia have announced they will boycott planning meetings for the Sochi summit.

In a joint statement disseminated by the White House on Sunday, the leaders of the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan all pledged “to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G-8 Summit in Sochi in June, until the environment comes back where the G8 is able to have meaningful discussion.” They also “condemn[ed] the Russian Federation’s clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

U.S. officials offered not-so-veiled threats that the G8 could kick Russia out altogether.

The incursion “puts at question Russia’s capacity to be within the G8,” Secretary of State John Kerry told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” Sunday morning.

Categories
Egypt Foreign Policies News Politics Russia United States war

The World Gets Dangerous

You can’t say we weren’t warned that Vladimir Putin might try to flex some muscles in Ukraine. After all, the Olympics are over, there were no terrorist attacks, Russia won the most medals, and Viktor Yanukovych turned out to be better suited for the summer games, beating a hasty vamoose from Kiev all the way to Moscow. Perhaps we could have a Dictator’s Marathon in Rio come 2016. I’d watch “Baby Doc” Duvalier run from shouting crowds. And you would too. After all, you watched Curling, right?

Let’s move on.

The latest is that Russian security forces are now in the Crimea and are asking Ukrainian forces to defect. They’re also trying to neutralize and reverse the events of last week when crowds in Kiev forced the President from his post. Putin is painted as the bad guy here, but the West has a problem on its hand that is similar to what happened in Egypt last year. A democratically elected government has been overthrown in a decidedly non-democratic manner, but since the people who have taken over are seen as a better alternative, the western powers are accepting the change. This is dangerous.

Of course, Yanukovych made this problem worse by leaving. Had he stayed and honored the agreement he made with the opposition, then the system would not be under such strain. And I suppose he could be invited to come back as part of a Putin-sponsored deal that restores the legitimately elected government and keeps Yulia Tymoshenko out of jail. I don’t expect this, but I didn’t expect the Crimea to become a world headline and another part of the world that most Americans can’t find on a map.

President Obama and John Kerry will need to finesse this so that we don’t look weak, but that we also don’t get involved in a shooting war. I trust that they’ll hold off the Republicans who want us to refight the Cold War with hot weapons and show Vlad the Invader what a real country does with its taxpayer-bought arsenal.

Maybe we can use Governor Christie’s expertise and cause a traffic jam that bottles up the Russian forces until we can get the UN to negotiate an exit.

This one bears watching, and is a reminder that we need to be thankful that we have a level-headed team in the White House to see us through.

For more please go to:
www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and Twitter @rigrundfest   

 

Categories
Celebrities Music Sports

Confrontation – 50 Cent Gets In Steve Stoute’s Face at Knicks Game

Watch what you say! 50 Cent confronted Steve Stoute during a Knicks game at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday (Feb. 28). Photos surfaced of the two men in what appears to be in a heated conversation.

50 Cent may have not taken to kindly to Stoute’s unflattering remarks about his career while chatting with Hot 97 DJ Angie Martinez. During their conversation, the former rap manager-turned-advertising executive believed that Fiddy isn’t an influential artist.

“50 hasn’t had a hit in a really long time,” he told Martinez. “He has not made anything musically that has changed anything in a really long time. I feel like he’s always gearing up for something that never happens.”

50, a guy who doesn’t take smack from anyone, was photographed confronting Stoute during the Knicks game against the Golden State Warriors (see above).

Judging by the pics (posted at HipHop-N-More), it looks like the G-Unit leader was making sure he got his point across while Stoute was trying to diffuse the situation and explained himself.

Categories
Celebrities Music Relationships Robin Thicke

Robin Thicke, You Can Cry All You Want, But Paula Patton Is Looking for More

Robin Thicke can cry all he wants on stage about his love for Paula Patton … but it’s not going to change her mind about leaving him … sources tell TMZ. For that … he has to do something else.

Sources connected with the couple tell us … Paula is unimpressed with Robin telling both TMZ and thousands of concertgoers he’s trying to win her back.

Here’s the good news for Robin.  Although she TOLD him she wanted a divorce, she hasn’t hired a divorce lawyer yet and she’s open to reconciliation.

BUT … before she takes him back, Robin has to prove his loyalty to her … by his actions.  She’s keeping tabs on him at his concerts, watching who he hangs with, which parties he attends — especially the after parties — and what photos surface.

We’re told Paula knows photogs have their cameras trained on Robin, and she views the paparazzi are her private detectives. 

You know the drill, Robin.

Categories
Politics

This Joe McCarthy / Ted Cruz Comparison is Right on Point

Who was Joe McCarthy? One of the most ruthless, lying Republicans ever to be in th United States Senate. And thats saying a lot. The man was so ruthless, that on December 2nd, 1954. he was censored by both parties.

One newspaper, the Louisville Courier-Journal, reported that: “In this long, degrading travesty of the democratic process, McCarthy has shown himself to be evil and unmatched in malice.”

Can anyonw say Ted Cruz?

Categories
gun control Politics shooting

#GunsUp – Boy Accidentally Kills His 8-year-old Brother Thinking Gun Wasn’t Real

An 8-year-old boy in Ohio died over the weekend after being shot by his older brother who found a loaded handgun, but thought it was a BB gun.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Police Department officials determined that the boys were visiting their uncle on Saturday when the shooting occurred.

“We walked in through the front door here that’s in to the kitchen area and the child was laying on his back with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was conscious and alert at that time,” Cincinnati police Sgt. Jim Perkins told WXIX.

The gunshot victim died shortly after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

Lt. Don Luck recalled that one sibling “kept telling the story of how it happened, over and over again.”

“It’s so sad,” Luck said.

The shooting has been classified as a homicide, but authorities said that they believed it was an accident. An investigation was ongoing.

Categories
Celebrities Movie Movies

“12 Years a Slave” Star says she Prayed to God for Lighter Skin

“12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o says she repeatedly prayed to God asking for lighter skin during her adolescence … because she thought having dark black skin was a curse.

Nyong’o was honored with an award on Thursday at a luncheon for Essence … and said she was teased growing up for her “night-shaded skin” … so she prayed God would change it.

Lupita says she was so ashamed she couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror … adding, “Every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I had been the day before.”

The actress says supermodel Alek Wek — one of the first dark skinned supermodels — helped boost her confidence … because people like Oprah praised her as a beautiful woman.

Nyong’o says she ultimately learned that beauty comes in all shades … and hopes to be an inspiration to other young girls with similar concerns.

Categories
Politics Rape Republican sexual assault Wisconsin

Top Wisconsin Republican Lawmaker Accused of Sexual Assault

“Republicans are the party of family values.” Remember that old lie? Well based on the news these last few years, you wouldn’t be wrong to call the Republicans the party of cheaters, rapers, and child molesters.

The Majority Leader of the Wisconsin Assembly, Bill Kramer, may resign his leadership position as a result, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Sources said the allegations against the 49-year-old Republican lawmaker involve a 33-year-old female lobbyist and at least one other woman. The Journal Sentinel has decided not to name the women.

Kramer, 49, could not be reached for comment and was not at his Waukesha home Friday night. His chief of staff, Cameron Sholty, said the lawmaker would be meeting with staff Saturday and would be talking with fellow Republican lawmakers over the next 48 hours. He declined to comment further.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos issued a statement calling the alleged conduct “reprehensible.” He said the issue would be resolved quickly

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