Stay out of the media!

Enough is enough with the Eddie Long saga. Now one of his accusers, Jamal Parris, has spoken publicly about the abuse. He spoke with a local Atlanta television station, Fox 5, without the consent from his attorney BJ Bernstein.

Parris states that he loves his “Daddy” and always will. Bishop Long was a father to him and the other accusers & they looked at him as their father, but his actions toward them have scared them for life.

Ok, I am all for the truth being told & Long, if he is guilty, be held accountable. But young man STOP the interviews. You have filed your lawsuit. Your attorney is now your mouthpiece. Just like Bishop Long have said what he is going to say this past Sunday during his church service, there is no need for him to speak publicly about this case anymore.

Running your mouth, can and will cause a delay in finding an impartial jury to try your case. We all know this case is getting national attention. If you want closure & Bishop Long exposed, sit your azz down & talk through your attorney.

The effects of abuse will not go away quickly but standing in front of a camera & microphone does not help your case….Lets let the justice system do its job.

Here is Parris interview…
http://www.youtube.com/v/e3ghX644NIk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell….Shhhhhh

The Don’t Ask…Don’t Tell Policy of the military has struck again but this time a judge is not buying it. A federal judge has ordered that Major Margret Witt be reinstated back into the Air Force with her full rights. This comes after her dismal from the military due to the governments “don’t ask don’t tell” policy.

Major Witt was a 20 year flight nurse with an impeccable record and was a year from retiring when she was honorably discharged in 2007.

The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy enacted in 1993 prevents gay men and lesbians from openly serving in the military and bars officials from inquiring into a service member’s sexuality. Maj. Witt, at the time of her dismal, was having a lesbian affair with a civilian. A spokesman for the Air force states that “Witt’s discharge was fully consistent with the law”.

The Air Force is disappointed in the ruling but holds hope of an appellate court understanding and siding with them for the betterment of the military interests.

“The application of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to Major Margaret Witt does not significantly further the government’s interest in promoting military readiness, unit morale and cohesion,” he [Judge Leighton] wrote.

The debate of the don’t ask, don’t tell policy is an ongoing debate. Just this week the Senate temporarily set aside any discussions of repealing this legislation, but for now Maj. Witt has won a slight victory!

President Barack Obama is pushing for a repeal of the controversial policy. A bill that would overturn the measure after a Pentagon review is completed in December is currently before Congress.

More than 12,500 gays have been booted from the military since “don’t ask, don’t tell” went into effect.

Source

McDonald’s beating

Most teenagers’ first job is in a fast food restaurant & McDonald’s is a favorite. Jerelle Gray was no different than any other teenager in his senior year of high school at Bolton High. He was working, making his own money, and preparing to graduate in May. However, in February, Jerelle Gray was brutally beaten up by his manager while he was at work. Gray worked at McDonalds on Austin Peay in Memphis, TN.

Jackson Martin-McDonalds Manager

Jackson Martin, then McDonald’s manager, got into a verbal altercation with Gray over a shift change. The verbal assault led to a physical assault where Gray received substantial head and nose injuries.

Gray was a dedicated employee of McDonalds. Often times, he would work extra shifts as needed to assist with the shortage of workers. This particular night was no different. Gray came in on his off day to assist & was left to work the store alone with no manager. When Martin did arrive to work, late, he pursued to harass Gray and the fight began.

Gray attorney, D’Army Bailey, has filed a civil lawsuit against McDonalds for failure to protect Gray, an employee, and robbing him of his senior year in high school. Gray’s attorneys want a jury to hear the case.

Finally, maybe the Gray family can put this horrific incident behind them.

Source

Stop being defensive…

Ok, I was attempting to report on the news topics as they happen. The hottest news topic in the South is the Eddie Long sex scandal. This story is causing an outpouring of opinions and heated discussions.

Eddie Long is a highly respected pastor of a mega church. He has sat at the table with dignitaries and influential people; however, that does not negate his actions towards young boys.

Regardless of his position, touching, kissing, fondling young boys is outright wrong. As an adult, he should have been protecting the boys not trying [did] to have sex with them. When his followers stop and think about it, he had to do some of the things the boys are say he did.

No one in their right frame of mind would oust a Mega Preacher & didn’t have their shit together. Let’s look at the facts: 4 boys alleged [Eddie Long] had inappropriate relations with them; there is a paper trail of him [Long] spending money on the young men; they did attend his church & was under his direct supervision. There are many more facts….

So the questions New Birth Missionary Baptist Church members should be asking is Bishop Long please explain your actions? He must address these allegations & address them right.

It’s not me who put him out here in front of the media but his own actions. If he had used a few of the scriptures to tame his fleshly wishes then he probably wouldn’t be in this mess. He is a member of the clergy & knows the bible back & forth. He also knows that when the flesh is weak the best defense is to go to God in prayer & to remove himself from the temptations. Did he do that? NO!

He continued pasturing the church & getting more and more boys into his double life. Wrong is wrong people…If this was a Catholic priest, you would be saying castrate him, but since its your minister, a black man, & a well connected man you are saying people are judging him to harshly, he didn’t do it, leave him alone.

Where are your words of sympathy for the victims or the true victims in this case: Longs wife & children?

So before those diehard followers for the man [LONG] get their panties in a wad you need to address your pastor and how he has disgraced his family, GOD, and the church. Stop chastising those of us that are asking the hard questions.

Shedding vs Breakage

Understanding the difference between breakage and shedding is an important part of any healthy hair regimen. Ladies normaly use these words incorrectly to describe why they are noticing hair that is falling out or left in the comb; however, hair shedding and hair breakage is two different things.

Hair shedding is hair that has reached the end of its growing cycle and NATURALLY falls from the scalp along with its root attached. The root is a tiny white bulb on the scalp originating end. If a hair does not possess this white bulb, then it is not a naturally shed hair, rather, a broken one. Shed hair tends to be longer in length than broken hairs which are generally short pieces of varying lengths.

If you have stretched your relaxer for a great number of weeks, your shed hair will have the curly new growth present on the area next to the bulb, and you will be able to see where the relaxed hair begins. Some find that garlic shampoos or products with garlic extracts help curb shedding. But remember, shedding is a natural, internal process and may not respond to topical, external treatments. So don’t be alarmed if nothing works for you. Changes in diet, hormone imbalances, birth control pills, and pregnancy can also affect the rate at which hair is shed.

Breakage on the other hand is not natural, and is an indication of an imbalance of important forces within the hair strand. Broken hairs do not fall naturally from the head, but are typically a sign of mishandling or abuse. The proper treatments, will help stop breakage in its tracks.

Hopefully, now you can recognize if your hair is shedding or breaking….

Thanks to the stylists at Salon de Sol (915 E. McLemore Ave. Ste 103, Memphis, TN 901-791-2622) for being the guest bloggers today.

Lindsay Lohan 9 Lives

Lindsay Lohan has been in more trouble than we can keep up with but she obviously has 9 lives or some fairy god mothers looking after her because late Friday she was granted bail that will allow her to leave jail.

CNN reports: Lohan can leave jail after she posts a $300,000 bond, but she must be fitted with a SCRAM alcohol-detection bracelet within 24 hours, Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini said.

How many times will this young lady get a slap on the hand for her behavior? She was sentenced before to jail and rehab because of her drug and alcohol abuse but due to her notoriety she did not complete her sentence. Lohan was originally sentenced to 90 days in jail followed by 90 days in a drug rehab program. She only spent 2 weeks in jail and less than 3 weeks in rehab. Upon her arrival and evaluation in rehab the doctors determined that her condition was not grave enough to be in rehab so she was released. Now, the doctors license should be revoked because they were obviously wrong.

Lohan failed two drug test which resulted in her probation being revoked and sent back to jail. Her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley filed a writ of habeas corpus on Friday. Once those papers were filed Judge Schnegg granted her bail and Lohan was released.

Now we are back to square one….Her probation hearing is set for October 22. We shall see if they hand her a tough sentence and make her serve the sentence.

Source

Bishop Long Breaks his Silence

Everyone that has been paying attention to the news were waiting on Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, to hold his press conference on yesterday but it was cancelled due to a third allegation being levied against him. However, today he held a phone conference with a few of his parishioners & WGCL, an Atlanta news station was on the call as well.

The call was just a way for Bishop Long to reassure his followers that he is just as shocked as they are about the allegations that he had sexual relations with 3 former teenage boys that attended his mega church.

Long said he was in the middle of a battle.

“We will arise through this situation, and go forward, and we are moving forward,” Long said.

WGCL reports that Long said several times that he didn’t know who was on the call, so he had to be careful what he said because the case is in litigation. He also said he would not take any questions. With that his statements were methodical & well thought out to keep from saying something that could be used against him later in court.

Long ask the listeners to pray for his wife, his children, the church, and the accusers. He labeled himself [Long] a person that “always operate in the spirit of love.” 

This story is long from over & will get uglier before its all over and done with…Just remember there is always two sides to every story & we need to pray for all involved especially the silent victims: Bishop Long wife & children and the accusers family.

Source

Statistics….is it just a song or a way of life?

Lyfe Jennings penned a song to help women understand men. The song Statistics is/was a number one hit, but for some reason, Lyfe wants to be a continuous statistic himself.

Just this past Wednesday, Jennings plead guilty to several charges, including discharging a firearm, firearm possession by a convicted felon and attempting to elude police. He was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison.

In 2008, this superstar decided to visit the home of his ex-girlfriend mother of his children & fire a gun into the door & kick the door in. His children was at home during this altercation & Jennings did not let that deter him from firing the gun into the house.

When will these superstars learn to stop being stupid & think before they react. TI, Lil Wayne, & now Lyfe Jennings are all spending time in the clunker LOL…..

Check out the full story here

Is Snitching Ever Justified?

Snitching is not a term of endearment. Normally when you hear someone being called a snitch, your face frowns and you may even shake your head. This is all before getting the information on why the person snitched.

Recently, The Commercial Appeal, a Memphis based newspaper, reported that famed Civil Rights photographer Ernest Withers was an FBI informant during the civil rights movement.

Ernest Withers was very handy with the camera. When Blacks civil rights were violated, Withers were there to capture the moment on film. Withers was well known and expected to be in the company of the most powerful civil rights leaders of that time. He would capture their movements and interactions on film to document history. So when Dr. Martin Luther King was shot & killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, there was no surprise that Withers would be somewhere close & would have his camera in hand. But what’s wrong with capturing, what was at that time, the unjustice being bestowed upon his race, you may ask? 

Well nothing if it was at all that simple. Per Marc Perrusquia, a Commercial Appeal reporter, Withers was not just snapping pictures he was snapping information to report back to the FBI. Yes, it is being claimed that Ernest C. Withers was (dare I say it) a SNITCH informant.

 Per FBI documents, found here, Withers was reporting back to the FBI agents every step Dr. Martin Luther King and others were taking and every meeting they were having.  The night before the fatal shot, Withers reported to the FBI agents about a meeting that King had with suspected black militants.

But that wasn’t the first report Withers had given.  It is documented in FBI files that informant ME 338-R, later to be identified as Ernest Withers, had been a paid informant from 1968-1970. He supplied the FBI with the informantion they needed against those they considered a threat to the well being of the country. You know, anyone that did not follow the rules set by “them”. So Withers reported on anyone that was about changing the way Blacks were being treated. He shared pictures, conversations, and locations with the FBI.

The report is filled with high profile names of leaders of the Civil Rights and today. Details concerning Bishop G.E. Patterson, Jerry Fanion, Vasco and Maxine Smith and others are interactions during that period of time is documented by the words of informant ME 338-R.

Withers was a paid informant. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Did Withers know that he was helping the FBI & the government build a case against those that were fighting for our rights? Is it really a bad stigma to be called a SNITCH?

Or should his actions be deemed necessary due to the fact that he was attempting to give them a neutral view of  what Blacks were thinking in regards to politics, business, government, and just everyday living as a Black citizen in the South?

What are your thoughts? Join me in a lively discussion with Notorious Spinks on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 on BlogTalk Radio as we discuss Snitching. The show will air at 8pm CST. Follow this link Sol Searching BlogTalk Radio show to tune in. We would love to hear your views as well…The call in number is 347-989-1786.