The Thomas Tribune brought to you by Cheri Thomas

Wrongful Death Settlements: Mesothelioma

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:37:00 +0000

I recently wrote an article on wrongful death settlements as they relate to the Mesothelioma class action asbestos law suit. Please fee free to check out this article, along with my other writings here.

As always, thanks for your support!

Interested in a Medical Billing and Coding Career?

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:19:00 +0000

This evening I wrote an article about medical billing and coding schools for people who want to take medical billing classes. The article discussed schooling options and credentialing bodies. The emphasis is on selecting the best school for overall career success.

Please check it out when you have a chance.

Medical Billing Classes: Spotlight on Medical Billing and Coding Schools

The Connection Between Hammer Toes and Diabetes

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:38:00 +0000

I recently wrote an article entitled "Hammer Toes: Are they Caused by Diabetes?" in which I discuss the connection between hammer toes and diabetes. If you have a chance, please check it out!

Hammer Toes: Are they Caused by Diabetes?

T.I. Wins BET Awards From Prison

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:26:00 +0000

"ATLANTA — T.I. didn't need to attend the BET Hip-Hop Awards to win two trophies on Saturday.

The rapper, who is locked up in an Arkansas penitentiary on a federal weapons conviction, won the best collaboration award with Rhianna for the song 'Live Your Life' and the album of the year award for 'Paper Trail.' His fiancee Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle accepted his awards at the ceremony in Atlanta and read a letter by the rapper, who began serving a yearlong sentence in late May.

'Although I'm not there with you all, I'm there in spirit,' Cottle quoted the rapper as writing. 'My road to redemption is almost over. ... Thanks for the support.'" - Source: Huffington Post

I had the opportunity to watch a documentary on T.I.recently, and I can truly say that it changed my opinion of him. He is paying, and will continue to pay for his mistake that led him to prision. However, this mistake shouldn't be held against him forever, and he should be able to reap the rewards of his artistic talent and hard work.

For this reason, I'm glad that T.I. was not blackballed from the awards ceremony. In case you want to check out the show, it's set to air on October 27th on BET.

Daley's New Anti-Violence Plan: More Police Patrols, CTA Stops, Parking Meter Money Diverted

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:35:00 +0000

It's no secret that Chicago's youth violence has been out of hand in recent months. Following the recent beating death of Derrion Albert, it looks like Mayor Richard Daley is trying to do something about it:

"CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he's proposing several plans to curb youth violence, including adding more police officers at schools during dismissal times and increasing funding for after-school programs.

Daley's proposals comes a day after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited Chicago to discuss teen violence following the beating death of a 16-year-old student.

During a news conference at a youth art center, Daley called for more communication between police and schools. He says he plans to use $1 million from the city's parking meter revenue for an after-school jobs program." - Source: Huffington Post

It seems to me that Chicago needs to take a closer look at how the school closings and redistribution of students across gang territories are affecting these youth. One positive thing is that the Olympics in 2016 won't be coming to the city, which will hopefully keep attention on issues like the gang violence.

Let me know what you think about this...

True Blood: Sookie and Bill are engaged in real life!

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:30:00 +0000

For all of you True Blood fans, it looks like life is imitating art and the two actors who play Sookie and Bill on the series are engaged!

"It's true love for True Blood couple Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. The two are engaged to be married, reps for both actors on the HBO vampire series confirm to PEOPLE exclusively." Source: People.com

Teacher Forces Student To Smoke 42 Cigarettes In Four Hours

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:14:00 +0000

This is clearly abusive, and the teacher should be removed at once. Such tough love type punishments should only take place at the discretion of a child's parents, not a teacher!

"KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A Malaysian teacher forced a student to smoke 42 cigarettes for four hours as punishment after a cigarette and lighter were found in his locker, a news report said Thursday.

A school official confirmed that the English teacher subjected the student to the unusual punishment, but said the teenager was made to smoke fewer than 42 sticks. He declined to elaborate.

He said the teacher was upset when she found her model student, Mohamad Alif Arifin, had a cigarette and lighter in his locker in the school in the northern island of Langkawi.

The boy was also smelling of cigarette, said a school official, who declined to be named citing protocol.He said the school apologized to the boy's uncle who lodged a police report when he found out about the punishment.

'This is not normal. We don't do that often,' he said." Source: Huffington Post

Jay Severin, Right Wing Radio Host for Boston's WTKK-FM, Suspended After Calling Mexicans "Criminaliens," "World's Lowest Primitives"

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Right wing talk show host Jay Severin, of Boston's WTKK-FM radio station, was suspended yesterday after calling Mexican immigrants "criminaliens," "primitives,""leeches" and exporters of "women with mustaches and VD," among other mean comments. He was suspended indefinitely from his afternoon drive-time show. There is an ugly movement underway within the right wing community to smear the Mexicans for this flu outbreak -- Michelle Malkin, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz and others. It is mean spirited and amounts to hate mongering and racism.

In one of his broadcasts this week, Severin said: "So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico - women with mustaches and VD - now we have swine flu."Later, he described Mexicans as "the world's lowest of primitives."

"When we are the magnet for primitives around the world - and it's not the primitives' fault by the way, I'm not blaming them for being primitives - I'm merely observing they're primitive," he said. He added that Mexicans are destroying schools and hospitals in the United States. He also criticized their hygiene. "It's millions of leeches from a primitive country come here to leech off you and, with it, they are ruining the schools, the hospitals, and a lot of life in America," he said.

He added: "We should be, if anything, surprised that Mexico has not visited upon us poxes of more various and serious types already, considering the number of criminaliens already here."

In a previous broadcast this week, Severin argued that the Obama administration wasn't taking sufficient action to seal the border. "The usual 5,000 criminaliens that come across the Arizona border will probably be 8,000 tonight, and maybe tomorrow it will be 12,000, because even Mexicans are going to be trying to get out of Mexico at a greater rate." Source: Boston Globe

If this isn't racist then I don't know what else is. This should not be tolerated and he should be fired from his job and not merely suspended for making such comments. Apparently he is no stranger to controversy. During a 2004 broadcast, he compared U.S. Muslims to a fifth column and when a caller suggested that the United States should befriend Muslims, Severin responded: "You think we should befriend them; I think we should kill them." He is also a fraud, who like Rush Limbaugh, seem to forget that people remember their shortcomings as well. He falsely stated that he had won a Pulitzer Prize and that he earned a master's degree from Boston University. All the advertisers should pull their commercials from that statement until he is fired, not apologize, fired.

First 100 Days - Celebrate/Recognize As President Obama Continues To Move Our Country Forward

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:09:00 +0000

Hollaback! Politics:

First 100 Days Celebration - Change Is Now - Video Viewing Party

Join Ivy Writer Media & Stratus Digital Marketing in this one of a kind, online video viewing party, in honor of President Barack Obama's 100th day in Office on April 28, 2009.

The President has been hard at work, taking us from "Yes We Can" to "Change Is Now" , putting his campaign promises into action! It's going to take more time, after all he does have four years to put all of his goals and vision into place, so let's be patient.

Let's back him up and continue to show our support by hanging in there with him through the ups and downs of this recession and by continuing to be inspired by his message of change as he moves our country forward.

And what better person to lead the charge than the legendary Stevie Wonder with his new single, "All About The Love Again", from the Change Is Now CD from Hidden Beach Recordings. For the first time ever, Stevie Wonder departs from his label, Motown Records, to assist in this commemorative project, and offers viewers a fun, animated, refreshing, and reflective video. You can get your copy of the Change Is Now CD at http://www.hiddenbeach.com/changeisnow

CHANGE IS NOW: Stevie Wonder - All About The Love Again

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amAWRHdWoEk]

Visit Hidden Beach: http://www.hiddenbeach.com/changeisnow

Visit Ivy Writer Media: http://www.ivywritermedia.com

Visit Stratus Digital Marketing: http://www.stratusdigitalmusic.com

You can also join the Facebook Event:
http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=77640112074&ref=mf

Michael J. Mitchell, African American Teen, Shoots Dan Azeff Because he Wore Hat with Confederate Symbol and Carried Confederate Flag

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Wearing the Confederate Flag as a fashion statement may not be a good idea. Well, at least not to Michael J. Mitchell. According to the Sun Sentinel, Mitchell and a group of friends were hanging out at a popular nighttime gathering spot in Sarasota, when they ran into Dan A. Azeff, who was also hanging out with his buddies. Azeff, however, wore a hat with the Confederate symbol and carried a Confederate flag, which reportedly measured about five feet by three feet. Mitchell reportedly shot Azeff in the chest as a result of the confrontation.

Michael J. Mitchell and a friend asked Azeff about the hat and flag and then asked if he was a racist. Azeff told them no, he was just exercising free speech. The fight escalated and the groups exchanged racial slurs. Mitchell reportedly pulled out a handgun and shot Azeff once in the chest, then ran off, reports the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Azeff was fascinated by the rebel flag, his grandfather said. "But he did not know what it truly meant. To him it was just a flag."

So, Azeff just accessorized with the Confederate flag oblivious to its meaning, good and bad? Wow. That's akin to wearing a swastika without a clue who Adolf Hitler was? Kid, do yourself a favor and take up a history book some time. His grandfather made reference to the fact that he seem to be hanging around the wrong crowd, hence the Confederate symbols and to many, that is considered race baiting. Well, his actions fall within the freedom of speech clause in our Constitution, and though totally disgusting, his actions were legal.

To Michael Mitchell, would you like someone to shoot you in the chest because of a flag? This young man is a student at the Sarasota Military Academy and his coach, Sgt. Major Mike Collis, said that Mitchell's involvement in the scuffle was "completely unexpected and completely out of character." Really? Why is this teen running around with a gun and why would he carry one to hang out with his friends, unless of course, he was looking for trouble? He needs to be held accountable for the shooting of this man. Pulling the trigger on a gun is no way to solve conflicts and I guess this begs the question of whether or not his parents knew he had a gun to begin with.

President Barack Obama Makes Cover of The Washingtonian Magazine's May Issue "Shirtless," Magazine Motivated by Money

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:12:00 +0000

We are about to see President Obama shirtless on the cover of the May issue of The Washingtonian magazine. Some folks will do anything to hawk their wares. Never mind that fact that it is totally inappropriate, especially in light of the fact that we are in the throes of an economic crisis of untold proportions and two wars, one totally uncalled for. The last thing we need to look at are President Obama's pecs. According to ABC News' Jake Tapper, the magazine's excuse is that the pec pic illustrates the #2 reason (out of 26) to love living in the nation’s capital: “Our New Neighbor is Hot.” The monthly style and culture magazine is motivated only by money. Why couldn't they have shown him clad in a suit? This picture was taken during the then president-elect's Christmas vacation in Hawaii last year.

Long before that, in February 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama complained that a different beach pic got the media's attention instead of his policy positions, which he blamed on the meme that he was a lightweight.

“The problem's not that the info's not out there," Mr. Obama said. "The problem is that that's not what you guys have been reporting on. You've been reporting on how I look in a swimsuit."

Garrett Graff, editor-at-large at The Washingtonian, told ABC News the idea for the cover came during a discussion among the magazine’s staff about how, with the arrival of the Obamas, came a “celebrity aspect that has brought energy to the city and the attention of the paparazzi.”

“The Obamas are the center of attention here and the whole world is looking to Washington now in a way we haven’t seen in years,” Graff said, calling it “a real golden age of Washington.”

Graff demurred on that question but acknowledged it was a different type of cover than the magazine usually does. He said they were trying to “capture the energy and excitement” over the Obamas in Washington and “have a little fun.”

“It’s a unique time in Washington and this photo helps capture all of the reasons why,” Graff said. “It’s not a normal way to look at a president of the United States but this is not a normal president.”

Graff said the magazine used the photo to illustrate two things: first, the president himself is hot – “you have a buff president and the paparazzi like taking shirtless photos of him,” Graff said – and second, the Obamas’ presence in Washington is “really hot.” Source: ABC News' Political Punch

As you will recall, the Obama transition team was not pleased when the pictures were taken by paparazzi photographers during the family's vacation on Oahu and appeared on the celebrity gossips sites such as TMZ. But it doesn't seem that his team is upset over this latest use of the picture. Maybe they welcome the diversion since the president has come under heavy criticism for his interactions with Venezuelan nutjob Hugo Chavez last week in Trinidad and Tobago. We also had to live through the mainstream media's nauseating coverage of Bo, the president's new dog. I guess they have more fodder to literally make us sick to the stomach with for another week -- President Obama, Pec-in-Chief!

Philip Markoff, Pre-Med Student at Boston University, Dubbed the "Craigslist Killer" Arrested for the Murder of Julissa Brisman

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:09:00 +0000

On first glance, Philip Markoff, the 22-year old pre-med student dubbed the "Craigslist Killer" doesn't fit the bill -- a murderer and a thief. Some say he's too clean-shaven. He's too decent. He's engaged to be married to Megan McAllister. He has way too much going for himself to resort to such behavior. But wasn't Scott Peterson clean-cut and suave too? Of course, a person is innocent until proven guilty, but I have to wonder if the cops could have made such a terrible mistake and arrest the wrong guy? What do you think?

Last night, Boston cops named Markoff the cold-blooded "Craigslist Killer," who murdered New York masseuse Julissa Brisman and attacked at least two other escorts in hotels. Markoff attends Boston University, which I sure does not welcome this sort of publicity, and lives in Quincy, a harborside town 10 minutes south of Boston. He will be arraigned on murder charges today. According to media reports, the brainy blond doctor-to-be grew up in upstate Sherrill, N.Y. and attended SUNY Albany for his undergraduate studies. He has no rap sheet, but they believe he has been preying on sex workers for quite some time. Yes, they are branding him as a predator. He was arrested after cops tailed him for several days. Markoff will also be charged with kidnapping and robbery in an attack four days earlier in another luxury Boston hotel on an exotic dancer who advertised online.

I don't condone what he did by any means, but people who advertise their services on the Internet, whether it be as an escort or a masseuse, are asking for some serious trouble. You are opening yourself up to potential criminals bent on doing bodily harm, as this man has been accused of doing.

Markoff seems to have grown up with a great deal of privilege, which makes his alleged actions seem incredulous, but not impossible. He is the son of a Syracuse dentist and engaged to marry Megan McAllister, a fellow med student he met while they were at SUNY Albany. According to the NY Daily News, a Web page devoted to their planned wedding later this year recounts how they volunteered together at an area emergency room and enjoyed their first date on Nov. 11, 2005. McAllister could not be reached for comment. Still, that doesn't mean this man couldn't have been leading a double life. Think the BTK Killer, for example, who terrorized people in Kansas City for many years, but was a seemingly upstanding member of the community and a family-man.

Residents of the sprawling 800-unit High Point apartment complex where Markoff rented a third-floor flat earlier this year mostly described Markoff, who was on the golf and bowling teams in high school, as an average Joe, but several said there was something not quite right about him.

"The guy was friendly enough. He'd say hello when you saw him and he supposedly had a girlfriend," said John Uva, who has lived in the building for two years. "But he was never really around much, and there was a creepy factor to it." Source: NY Daily News

For now, it seems that his girlfriend and his close friends are sticking by him. I can't say I blame them at this stage, but somewhere in the back of their minds a seed of doubt should be taking root that maybe they ought to revisit their interactions with him to see if there has been any inconsistencies in his behavior or his statements. If he's in fact proven to be the killer, there had to have been signs that his girlfriend, especially, should have seen. For those who think this man has too much going for him to commit such a crime ought to revisit history and take a look at "Preppy Killer" Michael Chambers, Michael Skakel, a Kennedy offspring, Kansas City's "BTK Killer" Dennis Rader, Scott Peterson, O.J. Simpson and I could go on and on.

Chanton Jenkins, Struggling to Use Cellphone While Driving, Reportedly Fails Sobriety Tests After Car Slid into Swollen Ditch, Five Children Drowned

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:44:00 +0000

Driving under the influence of alcohol and struggling to use a cellular phone is a deadly combination by any stretch of the imagination. That's just what Chanton Jenkins has been accused of doing as he lost control of his car yesterday and slid into a ditch. The sad reality is that there are always victims that don't deserve the fate they are dealt. You see, five children drowned as the car slid into a rain-swollen ditch near Greens Bayou. Houston Police Department spokesperson Kese Smith said Jenkins is expected to be charged with at least one count of intoxication manslaughter. If you ask me, if he is proven to have been driving under the influence of alcohol, he should be charged with the deaths of all five children.

Three of the children's bodies -- males ages four, seven and 11 years old -- have been recovered from the car, but the other two -- girls ages one and three -- are believed to have been swept away in the fast moving current. Jenkins is reportedly the father of four of the children. Houston Fire Department Assistant Chief Omero Longoria told reporters that rescue workers found the car in a drainage ditch filled with nine feet of water at approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday, almost 100 feet from where the driver lost control more than two hours earlier at approximately 5 p.m.

The car, possibly a Lincoln Continental, was caught up in a flash flood as thunderstorms moved through Houston. It is believed some of the passengers, including at least two adult brothers and one child, were able to escape the vehicle before it fell in.

Police confirm that the driver did fail a field sobriety test after officers say they smelled the odor of alcohol on his breath. Cannon said his blood alcohol level would be verified to determine if he was intoxicated. The man who was the passenger told investigators that his brother was struggling to hold a cell phone when he allegedly lost control of the car. Source: My Fox Houston

We have to wait to see if the allegations of intoxication are true, but people have to realize that using a cellphone while driving, especially in inclement weather, can have disastrous results. I have seen too many people driving extremely slow because they are on the cellphone and cannot operate the vehicle normally, essentially holding up traffic. That's an accident waiting to happen. It is unfortunate that this man is being accused of reckless driving that resulted in the deaths of five children. That's a burden no-one in their right mind would want to bear. These children died senselessly and if he is in fact guilty of driving under the influence, he should be charged with the deaths of each child, not just one count of intoxication manslaughter. Sorry, drinking and driving and using a cellphone is a deadly combination

J-HUD OK 'AS LONG AS PEOPLE DON'T BRING IT UP': Singer tells fans, 'I don't want you to cry.'

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:43:00 +0000

"*Jennifer Hudson is still not speaking publicly about the murders of her mother, brother and nephew last fall, but she does talk to Entertainment Weekly about interacting with fans who feel her pain.

'The other day this lady came up to me and got really close to me,' she says in the magazine's latest issue, 'and I thought, 'What is it that makes people want to ... embrace me?' I don't like it when people get all emotional. I don't want you to cry.'

But she does want you to smile. "To see that love from fans," she says, is "one of the most beautiful things."
Hudson's childhood friend and longtime assistant Walter Williams III says the singer continues to cope with the tragedy.

"It was so, so horrible what happened, and she's still hurting," says Williams. "But she's a strong girl and she knows her family is in a better place. I really think she's going to be okay." Source: EURweb.com
"

Seal: Heidi Klum Is Pregnant

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Looks like Heidi Klum and Seal have another bun in the oven:

"On Thursday night, Seal announced that his wife Heidi Klum is pregnant, reports Us Magazine.

The singer made the big announcement during a concert in NYC, says the mag.

'[The] topic of debate outside our hotel is, 'Is Heidi having another baby?'' Seal told the audience. 'Heidi and I are having another baby!'

'I mean, Heidi is doing all the work,' he jokingly added.

Klum, 35, and Seal, 46, have two sons together -- Henry G�nther, 3, and Johan Riley, 2. The couple are also mom and dad to 4-year-old Leni, whose father is Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, but who was later adopted by Seal." Source: ET Online

South Dakota finds clinic reused single-use supplies on patients

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:24:00 +0000

Having worked in numerous medical facilities in the past, I am truly appalled at the accusations against this South Dakota Clinic.

The question I would ask the workers would be, if that was your mother, or father, or brother, or sister, or child,would you have reused potentially contaminated medical supplies on them?

The answer is simple; if you wouldn't do it to your own family or loved one, why on earth would you do it to someone else's?

Of course the clinic claims that they believe the risk of infectious disease transmission is minimal, we have yet to see if anyone contracted an illness from their irresponsible practice.

The clinic management and involved employees need to have criminal and civil action taken against them.

"(CNN) -- More than 5,000 patients at a South Dakota urology clinic may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV after the facility reused single-use medical products on them, state health officials said.

The Siouxland Urology Center in Dakota Dunes has been ordered to contact nearly 5,700 former patients treated at the facility since 2002.
A routine inspection found the facility was reusing sterile saline bags, tubing and other medical supplies from cytoscopies, a diagnostic procedure that looks at the lower urinary tract.
"We witnessed the practice while we were in the facility," during a January inspection, said Barb Buhler of the South Dakota Health Department. Siouxland Urology has since been put under a provisional license and has been very cooperative, according to state officials.
"Although the risk of infection from our past procedure is very minimal and we are unaware of any blood infections in our patients caused by the cystoscopy practice we previously used, as a precautionary measure and at the request of the South Dakota Department of Health, we have notified our patients directly of this concern.," the facility's Web site said.
The clinic, which primarily serves clients from South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska, is offering free blood tests to those possibly affected to rule out the presence of viruses." Source: CNN

If you're obese, rethink flying United!

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:44:00 +0000

United has joined the many airlines who are now wanting to make obese people buy two tickets. I don't agree with them and will boycott the airlines just as I have done Southwest Airlines since they implemented a similar policy.

Although I can fit into a single seat on an airplane, I think that what United Airlines is doing amounts to discrimination against the obese.

Just think about it, do we charge physically challenged people extra?

Do we charge people with loud crying babies extra? Or what about tall people who kick your seat, do we charge them extra?

If airlines were so concerned about the experience of their passengers, they would impose a fine on any passenger that infringed on another passenger's ability to enjoy the flight.

Seriously, have you ever been on a plane with a crying baby? I'm convinced that the analysts over at United have an exact dollar amount attached to what they think they can make by charging obese passengers for two seats.

They won't be getting a cent of my money in the future, so I guess I'll be cashing in my frequent flyer miles on a hotel stay.

"United Airlines will start charging obese passengers for a second seat or a class upgrade if attendants can’t find them two open seats, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The airline, a subsidiary of UAL Corp., said it received more than 700 complaints last year from passengers who said they didn’t have a comfortable flight because of the size of the person sitting next to them.

“We’ll first try to re-accommodate you on another seat on the flight” without charge, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said about the new policy.

If the flight is full, then the airline will try to put the passenger on another flight with open seats or the passenger will need to pay for a second seat or an upgrade." Source: CNN

Carlie Becker, Casa Roble High School Cheerleading Coach, Fired After Playboy Photos Online Entitled "Cyber Girl of the Week" Surfaces

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:49:00 +0000

If this isn't a reminder that we must be careful what we put online, then I don't know what else is. Casa Roble High School coach Carlie Becker, 21, has been fired for fired over her Playboy pictures taken before she began coaching for the team. She was fired, after the school came across online Playboy pics taken under the alias of “Carlie Christine.” Her pictures were uncovered when Playboy online named Carlie Christine “Cyber Girl of the Week.”

Apparently she was honest from the beginning and openly admitted to her previous modeling before being employed. She had assured that all of the photos were taken before being employed the California high school. Lady, nothing you put on the Internet is ever truly gone when you think you have deleted it.

According to media reports, Becker's firing has shocked her cheerleaders and their parents alike. Parent Richard Spradling explained to Associated Press that the incident was brought on by “jealousy issues or whatever between parents and other students.” I guess what these parents have neglected to tell their kids is that they must be careful what they post online because it can follow you all the way through your life. This is a learning experience for all involved. I guess the bigger question is how long should one be judged by one's past? She said that the pictures were a part of her past life, though she still wants to continue her modeling career in some capacity. Do you think she should have been fired? Well, the incident has generated a lot of publicity for her and at this rate, she won't need her coaching job. I am sure Playboy would be only too happy to have her pose again for them.

Ashton Kutcher first to reach 1 million in Twitter battle with CNN

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Since so much of the news tends to be gloom and doom, I though that it would be cool to cover something light hearted and fun!

Ashton Kutcher aka Mr. Demi Moore, recently challenged CNN to a race to reach 1 million followers on the popular micro blogging site, Twitter.

Well, last night Ashton met the mark only 30 minutes before CNN:

"Kutcher reached 1 million about 30 minutes before CNN passed the mark.

Kutcher had challenged CNN to the Twitter race, saying he would donate 10,000 mosquito bed nets to charity for World Malaria Day in late April if he beat CNN, and 1,000 if he lost. CNN agreed to do the same.

The battle gained much attention on Twitter, with fans pulling for both sides.

About 2:13 a.m. ET (11:13 p.m. Thursday PT) Kutcher's Twitter account crossed the 1 million mark, beating CNN, which had 998,239 followers at the time.

CNN passed the mark at 2:42 a.m. ET.

Web junkies could watch Kutcher on a live video stream. Kutcher celebrated with champagne, surrounded by his wife, Demi Moore, and friends.

'We are over a million. CNN is still trying to get there. And that is just how it goes,' Kutcher said as he popped champagne and his friends screamed. 'There are a million people that need to be thanked for this.'

Kutcher danced a victory dance with Moore as Kool & the Gang's 'Celebration' played." Source: CNN

Over 1,500 Farmers in India's Chattisgarh State Commit Suicide After Being Driven to Debt by Crop Failures

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:48:00 +0000

I was shocked to learn that over 1,500 farmers in India committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure. These farmers were in the agricultural state of Chattisgarh and were hit hard by falling water levels. Nearby forest depletion and poorly planned government dam projects contributed to the falling water level. Combined with the vicious money-lending schemes that are prevalent in the region, many farmers felt that death was the only option in the face of insurmountable debt. Yeah, scumbags are always trying to get over at the expense of the poor. This is nothing new to India. Apparently last year one district recorded 206 farmer-suicides. This is very troubling indeed.

"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine.

"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well." Mr Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress. Source: The Independent

Almost every village in Punjab has witnessed a suicide in their once-prosperous farming families, the BBC reported. According to the BBC, each year before the harvest, the small farmers of Punjab, who make up nearly 85% of the state's farming community, borrow from local rural moneylenders at exorbitant interest rates to meet production costs, including fertilizers and electricity for irrigation. Some rich folks will do anything to milk the last penny out of an impoverished person. So, while the Indian government is determined to add sophisticated armaments to its war chest, it has lost sight of its role in the lives of its citizens.

National Crime Records Bureau statistics say close to 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India since 1997. The Punjab government says the state produces nearly two-thirds of the grain in India. But the state has faced many economic crises since the the mid-1990s. Source: BBC News

It is also very interesting to note, that while India has its issues with farmers committing suicides, this latest tragedy bears a grim resemblance to a similar problem in Australia's agricultural sector, where many of the country's farmers are committing suicide in response to the severe droughts, heat waves and wildlife fires that have been ravaging the country for the last several years. According to the Huffington Post, it is estimated that one Australian farmer commits suicide every four days. The severe weather changes are a direct manifestation of global warming. Australia has long been called the Lucky Country, and with good reason, at least years ago. You see, generations of castoffs tamed the world's driest inhabited continent and created an enviable and robust economy. Australia bills itself as a place of captivating landscapes, brilliant sunshine, glittering beaches and an enviable lifestyle, but at what cost? The country has been dogged by prolonged drought and deadly bush fires in the south, monsoon flooding and mosquito-borne fevers in the north, widespread wildlife decline, economic collapse in the agricultural sector and killer heat waves, all brought on, as many say, by global warming. This Australia continues to fly under the mainstream media's radar.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that our lives are so intricately woven in the fabric of global wellness. Once droughts hit, all hell will break loose eventually and the poor will always be the first victims. We have to address this love-hate relationship between nurturing the Earth and being self-destructive through a tangled web of pollution, global warming, human rights, wealth, production, among other things. Surely we can put aside our appetite for the finer things in life to help our impoverished brothers and sisters who are just trying to get by.

'Dog' says he doesn't want to forget racial slur

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:54:00 +0000

Of course Dog the Bounty Hunter wants us all to forget his use of the "N" word in a call recorded by his own son, Tucker.

My position on this is that people are always sorry when they get caught. The bottom line is that Dog wouldn't have apologized if his entire career wasn't on the line.

A the end of the day I'm not gonna loose sleep over this another piece of trash that probably still uses the "N" word in private:

"HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- It's been more than a year since a racial slur threatened to end the television career of Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman. But the incident still weighs heavily on his mind.
A&E briefly suspended his top-rated reality show in late 2007, and his reputation was on the line.
Now, with his show back on the air and at the top of the network's ratings list, Chapman insists that he does not want the controversy to be forgotten.
"They said, 'It'll pass,' and I said to the guy, 'You know what? I won't let it.' "
Chapman, 56, spoke candidly about accusations of racism on a recent windy Saturday afternoon on the sidelines of 8-year-old son Garry's baseball game.
It was his other son, Tucker, who recorded a profanity-laced conversation with his father and reportedly sold the recording -- which included Chapman repeatedly using the "n-word" -- to the National Enquirer in 2007.
Some African-American leaders called for the cancellation of his show.
Chapman said he was advised to lay low for several weeks, but he refused." Source: CNN

Maersk crew returns to U.S. to warm welcome

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:37:00 +0000

I know that a lot of families are happy to see their loved ones who made it home from the most recent voyage of the Maersk Alabama:

"MOMBASA, Kenya (CNN) -- The crew of the Maersk Alabama, the U.S.-flagged cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates last week, arrived in the United States early Thursday. Hours later, the ship's captain arrived in Kenya.

Crew members touched down at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just before 1 a.m. ET in a chartered Airbus A319.
With broad smiles across their faces and some pumping their fists in the air, the men walked down the steps to the tarmac and were engulfed by family and friends.
Families were later whisked off to a hotel to continue their reunions, completing a day-long journey that began in Africa. " Source: CNN

Memorial service set for slain 8-year-old girl

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Memorial Services for Sandra Cantu have been set for today. My heart still goes out to her family. I cannot imagine what they must be going through right now.

I can only hope that seeing justice done will help to ease their pain, although it won't bring little Sandra back.

The woman accused of this heinous act deserves to die for it. It's just that simple:

"CNN) -- Eight-year-old Sandra Cantu will be remembered at a memorial service Thursday in the central California community where she lived and was later found dead.
The girl, who police say died at the hands of a Sunday school teacher, was last seen alive March 27 in the mobile home park where she lived with her family in Tracy, California. Police found her body April 6, stuffed into a suitcase and submerged in a pond at a dairy farm in the area.
Police arrested Melissa Huckaby, 28, and charged her with killing and raping Sandra, who was a friend of her 5-year-old daughter. She faces charges of murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14, and rape by instrument.
Huckaby, a Sunday school teacher at Clover Road Baptist Church, lived in the nearby mobile home park that Sandra's family lived in.
If convicted, Huckaby would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, San Joaquin County District Attorney James Willett said this week.
The service for Sandra is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at a high school in Tracy. " Source: CNN

Jennifer Lea Burton, Orangefield Junior High Teacher, Resigns After Indictment for Sexual Relationship with Female Student

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:45:00 +0000

On the heels of the scandal involving teacher Tamara Hofmann and the stabbing death of her student, Samuel Valdivia, with whom she was having a sexual relationship and was killed by her lover, Sixto Balbuena, a former student, comes another scandal that has flew under the national radar. Jennifer Lea Burton, 39, a teacher at Orangefield Junior High School, has tendered her resignation after being indicted for her sexual relationship with a female student. This is unconscionable because she took advantage of this student -- a minor.

Burton was indicted last week on three charges of sexual assault and three charges of improper relationship between educator and student. According to media reports, the charges stem from an alleged relationship between Burton and an Orangefield Junior High student. The indictment alleges the incident occurred from September to November of 2008. Burton was a teacher and coach at the junior high school.

I am really sickened by the numerous incidents of sexual relationships between teachers and their students. These teachers are no better than the dirtbag pedophiles roaming our streets looking for their next prey. As a parent, it naturally concerns me a great deal. I don't advocate violence, but one of these dirtbags needs a really irate parent to take a baseball bat to their head.

This behavior will be deterred when judges hand down severe sentences for these crimes for the violation of these children. There should be zero-tolerance for teachers who engage in sexual relationships with minor students. They should be locked away for a long time. Teachers are in a position of trust on all levels and they should not take advantage of children and get a slap on the wrist. Had this been a male teacher, he would probably not even be released on bond. Some of these women are just as vile as the sex offenders running around and they should be treated as such. Our children deserve far better than this.

Who said the death business is recession proof?

cherisblog@gmail.com (Cheri Thomas) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Looks like the recession has hit the funeral business, and people are opting for cremations to save money on funeral costs:

"NEW YORK (CNN) -- The saying goes, 'Nothing is certain but death and taxes.' But the current troubling economic times has even the 'death' industry feeling a bit lifeless, as families look to cut funeral costs.
More than 21,000 funeral homes are in the U.S., employing some 105,000 people, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The $11 billion-a-year industry is largely comprised of privately run firms, with 89 percent of all funeral homes being owned by families, individuals or small independent corporations.
One such family-run business is the John Scanlan Funeral Home in Pequannock, New Jersey, which has been assisting families with funeral preparations since 1954.
John Scanlan's daughter, Kiera Scanlan-Wespestad, is the current funeral director, and she explained that her business prepared 248 funerals in 2008. As for the cost of a full service funeral, "you're probably looking at around $6,000-$7,000 depending on how large the newspaper notices are or how many limousines you want," said Scanlan-Wespestad.
The funeral directors association said an estimated cost of an adult funeral was approximately $6,195 in 2006." Source: CNN