errrr ... that would be "Angelou"

Medicare ban on sex reassignment surgery lifted
 

By LISA LEFF
41 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Medicare can no longer automatically deny coverage requests for sex reassignment surgeries, a federal board ruled Friday in a groundbreaking decision that recognizes the procedures are medically necessary for some people who don't identify with their biological sex.

Ruling in favor of a 74-year-old transgender Army veteran whose request to have Medicare pay for her genital reconstruction was denied two years ago, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services review board said there was no justification for a three-decade-old agency rule excluding such surgeries from treatments covered by the national health program for the elderly and disabled.

"Sometimes I am asked aren't I too old to have surgery. My answer is how old is too old?" the veteran, Denee Mallon, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said in an email interview before the board issued its decision. "When people ask if I am too old, it feels like they are implying that it's a 'waste of money' to operate at my age. But I could have an active life ahead of me for another 20 years. And I want to spend those years in congruence and not distress."

Jennifer Levi, a lawyer who directs the Transgender Rights Project of Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders in Boston, said the ruling does not mean Medicare recipients are necessarily entitled to have sex reassignment surgery paid for by the government.

Instead, the lifting of the coverage ban means they now will be able to seek authorization by submitting documentation from a doctor and mental health professionals stating that surgery is recommended in their individual case, Levi said.

No statistics exist on how many people might be affected by the decision. Gary Gates, a demographer with The Williams Institute, a think tank on LGBT issues based at the University of California, Los Angeles, has estimated that people who self-identify as transgender make up 0.3 percent of the U.S. adult population. Over 49 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare.

The cost of gender reassignment surgery varies, but typically ranges from $7,000 to $50,000, according to the Transgender Law Center in Oakland, California.

In Friday's ruling, the appeals board said that HHS lacked sufficient evidence in 1981 when it made a "national coverage determination," or NCD, holding that Medicare recipients were ineligible for what it then called "transsexual surgery" because the procedure was too controversial, experimental and medically risky.

The panel went on to say that regardless of what the record showed then, studies and experts have since shown the efficacy of surgical interventions as a treatment for gender dysphoria, the diagnosis given to people who experience extreme distress due to the disconnect between their birth sex and their gender identity.

"We have no difficulty concluding that the new evidence, which includes medical studies published in the more than 32 years since issuance of the 1981 report underlying the NCD, outweighs the NCD record and demonstrates that transsexual surgery is safe and effective and not experimental. Thus, as we discuss below, the grounds for the ...exclusion of coverage are not reasonable," the civilian panel said.

The appeals board's decisions are binding on HHS unless they are appealed in federal court. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency within HHS that manages Medicare, opted not to defend the transgender surgery exclusion before the five-member board and had initiated the process for lifting it on its own before Mallon filed her complaint.

The ruling does not apply to Medicaid, which provides health coverage for individuals and families with low-incomes and is regulated by the states. Some states have exclusions on sex reassignment surgeries and the sex hormones transgender people often take during their transitions, while others evaluate claims on a case-by-case basis.

Transgender health advocates said that because private insurance companies and Medicaid programs often take their cues from the federal government on what is considered medically necessary, elective or experimental, the decision could pave the way for sex-reassignment surgeries to be a routinely covered benefit.

Mallon was born a man and has lived as a woman on and off since she was a teenager and full time since 2009. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must eliminate its blanket exclusion on transition-related surgeries within 30 days and re-evaluate Mallon's medical claim in light of the change, the HHS board said.

"This decision means so much to me and to many other transgender people. I am relieved to know that my doctor and I can now address my medical needs, just as other patients and doctors do," Mallon said in a statement Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/medicare-ban-s...184352761.html

Ravens cut running back Ray Rice after domestic violence video is released
 

All the support the Baltimore Ravens gave Ray Rice this offseason as he dealt with his domestic violence incident evaporated after TMZ released video of the running back knocking out his wife.

The team cut him on Monday afternoon.

That's how powerful the video of the incident is. There was no way they could keep Rice around any longer.

Just a few months ago, members of the Ravens roster and front office were singing a different tune:

Haloti Ngata, defensive tackle, according to the Ravens website: “He’s a great guy.Always been a great guy. Jokes around, has fun. He’s the same guy.”

Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager: "We respect the efforts Ray has made to become the best partner and father he can be. That night was not typical of the Ray Rice we know and respect.

John Harbaugh, head coach, in March: "He will be part of our team. He's a person of character. The thing that's really important is to be able to support the person without condoning the action. He makes a mistake. There's no justifying what happened. When you drink too much in public, those kind of things happen."

Those are supportive comments from three different levels of the organization, and they're just a sampling. The Ravens went out of their way to support Rice this offseason, even after he was suspended two games by the NFL.

Maybe public pressure on Monday got to the team. The outrage over Rice was fierce on Monday after the video was released by TMZ. Maybe the Ravens didn't realize how ugly the incident was, although that's dubious considering everyone knew for many months that Rice knocked out his then-fiancee, and it's tough to think the team didn't realize that a NFL running back knocking out a woman was a disgusting act before seeing the video of it.

Whatever the reason for the 180-degree turn in support, the Ravens gave up on Rice on Monday. It's hard to imagine, after the video came out and current and former NFL players strongly spoke out against Rice, that any other team would welcome him in its locker room.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...183053516.html

------------------------------------------------------


The video was deliberately not included in this post. If you have the need to see it, follow the link. if you have a weak stomach or trigger issues, I strongly advise you do not watch it.

Ray Rice update
 

I am quite glad he was cut and suspended for good! I like the new NFL rules, though. I don't care if you are a celebrity aka football player and make tons of money, domestic violence and any other form of rule breaking, etc. you deserve to be banned/suspended or sit out games!

Ray Rice
 

Thank you Kobi for posting this today. RE: Ray Rice aka Wife beater supreme.

I will just expand to address many, many comments I read on the internet, as well as sports commentators making light of this attack, and more than enough blaming her.

FOX morning news blowhards thought it funny to say 'she should take the stairs' next time. *This assault was in an elevator.

The meme of "Why did she marry him?" "She gets paid enough to be with him." Blaming the victim is status quo and rather ordinary these days. "She started it!" I also read. "They both should be charged!"

"Why did she stay with him?" is the big one. Here are some reasons why:



Do not underestimate the effects of domestic violence on its victims. Abused women experience isolation, shame, embarrassment, and humiliation. Women may not immediately leave an abusive relationship because:
•They fear their abusers will become more violent—perhaps fatal—stalking them if they leave.
•Friends and family may not support their decision to leave.
•They fear being a single parent with little money.
•There are periods of calm, nurturing and love between incidents of violence (see The Cycle of Abuse).
•They may be unaware of sources of advocacy and support.
•They may be unaware of shelters and other resources that offer safety and support.

The reasons women stay in abusive relationships typically fall into three categories.

Lack of resources
•Most abused women have at least one minor child.
•Many abused women are not employed outside the home.
•Many abused women don't have property that is solely theirs.
•In many cases, abusers have cut off access to cash or bank accounts.
•Most abused women fear losing joint assets and custody of their children.
•Abused women fear a lower standard of living for themselves and their children.

Responses by services and authorities
(See How Professionals Can Respond)
•Often, clergy and social workers are trained to "save the family" rather than to stop violence.
•Police often treat incidents of domestic violence as mere "disputes" rather than as serious crimes in which one person is physically assaulting another.
•Police may try to discourage women from pressing criminal charges.
•Attorneys are often reluctant to prosecute cases. Justices rarely assign the maximum sentence or fine possible.
•Restraining orders and peace bonds (see Stalking) do little to prevent abusers from repeating their violent patterns of behavior. Sadly, there are too few shelters to keep women safe.

Traditional thinking
•Many women don't view divorce as a viable alternative.
•Many abused women don't accept the notion of single parenting. They believe a bad father (or in the case of a lesbian relationship, a bad partner) is better than none at all.
•Many women are conditioned to believe they are responsible for making their marriage or relationship work; that if the relationship fails, they have failed as women. Society has often taught these women that their worth is measured by their ability to get and keep a man.
•Many abused women feel isolated from their families and from society. Isolation is either the result of the abuser's possessiveness or jealousy, or it may be an attempt on the part of the victim to hide signs of abuse from the outside world. Either way, such isolation leads many victims to feel they have nowhere to turn.
•Many victims externalize or rationalize the reasons for their abuser's behavior, casting blame of circumstances such as stress, financial hardship, job stress, chemical dependency, etc.
•Between violent episodes, there are periods of calm during which the abuser is charming, nurturing, and caring. Those traits which initially attracted him/her to his/her victim resurface and the victim sees her abuser as a loving person, thereby reinforcing her decision to stay.

This entire scenario has been bugging me.

I wish I could say kudos to the Ravens and the NFL for taking decisive action, for recognizing the importance of dealing with domestic violence head on, for enforcing the player code conduct, for doing the right thing.

As more and more is revealed as to how this played out with the Ravens and the NFL, my gut says they both did what they did for damage control, not out of conviction.

My gut also says that doing the right thing for the wrong reason sends the wrong message.

Indeed Kobi
 

As a victim of DV myself, in the past, I stayed because I had no other place to go.

However my feeling is that his wife, can get out and leave but I think she stays because of the money he had, since he has lost all his endorsements.

My heart goes out to you JDeere. You and so many victims are dealt that hand. So many, many reasons a victim stays in an abusive relationship, yours is one of numerous.

Here is to hoping you are in a better and safer and peaceful place now.

(((hugs)))

Thank you HGL, I am in a way better place and safe, very peaceful time in my life, for a change!

(((hugs )))

Re: Ray Rice
 

I'm finding this situation emotionally draining to keep on top of but I'm glad it's prompting larger conversations, at least for now. Time will tell what the long term effect(s) will be, if any.

I thought the segment they had on Democracy Now! this morning was really insightful and made some powerful points, which you can see here.
[TW: they DO show the video footage of the incident several times during the broadcast]

Maddow also had a good segment on it as well and mentioned the atrocious reactions by the Fox News hosts which Happy_Go_Lucky alluded to (atrocious even for Fox News). Video is available here.

I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the NFL did this as a mad dash to save face and to avoid bad PR (and potential loss of ad revenue and ticket sales) as opposed to any human moral convictions. They have a long, notorious history of covering up violence against women committed by their players and the whole reason it's getting attention now and didn't so much when it first came to light is because of this most recent video tape showing "objectively" what happened - because the victim's word is never good enough. :censor:

They knew for months what happened, knew he knocked her out cold, knew he was arrested, knew there was footage. If it was done out of personal conviction by the NFL, why wait until the video came out and was leaked to the public?

Furthermore, the Ravens' own official Twitter account posted that Janay Rice "deeply regrets the role she played the night of the incident." That tweet has since been deleted (only as of 24 hours ago), but hey, screencaps:


The Ravens also staged a press conference where Janay Rice was made to sit beside Ray Rice and apologized at Ray Rice's goading: "I think my wife has something to say. I don’t want to be the only one who [speaks]. We’re in this together." Cue the forced apology from the woman who was abused... by her abuser.

You can find the written transcript from their conference if you don't want to watch the video here.

One of the points worth mentioning that I've heard is how the NFL's resultant new policy for dealing with DV cases (resulting in suspensions and bans for the players, depending on the number of offenses) may actually discourage women from coming forward as it threatens their primary source of income in what is an already typically short-lived but lucrative career. I don't have a perfect alternative solution to this but I think it's something worth considering.

One silver lining I've found in this is the sort of conversations which are happening, especially on social media. On Twitter specifically, there are currently two main hashtags, #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft, which are full of women (and men) writing about their own experiences with DV. There's also a #WhenILeft hashtag which is talking about the things which happened after they left their abuser. I've been seeing it all over my Twitter timeline since this story gained momentum and have seen tweets with those hashtags retweeted by people I never would have expected to retweet them. I have also seen people I know personally opening up about their stories for the first time and engaging in hard conversations and putting their face to the issue for the people in their lives in a big way. So, I see that as one big positive to come out of an incredibly negative situation.

I'm very cynical when it comes to professional sports culture and women (and frankly, after Penn State, children) and I suspect this will not be the last public outcry from this kind of incident, but if nothing else I'm glad people are talking, even (especially) if the NFL won't.

Misogyny, sports-flavoured!
 

Offfff course they are... :mad:

Thanks for bringing this up. I hadn't heard this bit of news yet.

I think that's what makes me the most angry, having it confirmed time and time again how truly systemic and institutionalized this all is. It's rarely a case of "oh, we fucked up, but now we've grown as people and an institution and are doing our best to move forward." It's more often than not "quick, let's give them some of what they want to shut them up for now then quietly revert back to the way things were and hope no one notices." It's one thing to not act or to act insufficiently when something like the Ray Rice case is placed in your lap. It's quite another to, after months and months of intense public scrutiny and abuse allegations and convictions and public national and international condemnation, quietly renege on your commitment to the victims.

Where there's money to be made by a bunch of young men throwing around a ball, by god, nothing gets in the way of profits. Not women. Not children. Not human rights abuses. Not lifetime imprisonment. Nothing.

They really do hate us.

:angry:

(I need a hug.)

What the .....
 

If only Home-Depot handed out military grade flame retardant clothing for all their shoppers, and armed them with tanks. It's all the rage.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/26494760...ower-in-escape


Home Depot shoplifter uses flamethrower in escape








SAN DIEGO (NBC) -- A shoplifter trying to smuggle high-end items out of a San Diego Home Depot used an improvised flamethrower to ward off employees while his wife and baby waited in a getaway car outside, San Diego County Sheriff's investigators told NBC 7.

Ignacio Lorenzo Brambila, 37, of Lakeside told NBC 7 in a jailhouse interview Monday that he does not remember a lot of what happened Saturday night around 10 p.m., when he allegedly went to the Home Depot in the 12000 block of Tech Center Drive in Poway.

"Things just kinda went, went a little the wrong way," said Brambila. "Things didn't happen right. I mean, everything that got put on me and [his wife]-- I think they try to put anything they can on you, everything they can on you."
Sheriff's department spokesperson Jan Caldwell said Brambila was pushing a stroller, and he put expensive tools from the store in it.

As Brambila neared the exit, workers noticed the suspect had equipment, not a baby, in the stroller and confronted him.

Poised with an aerosol can and lighter in hand, Brambila sprayed the flammable contents over the flame, creating a "street flamethrower" in a large fiery blast aimed at the workers, Caldwell said.

The employees backed off, and Brambila ran to the parking lot, authorities say. There, his wife of 17 years, Sarrah Brambila, 34, waited in a vehicle with their 18-month-old child in the backseat, according to Caldwell.

More at the link

Oscar Pistorious
 

NFL's next Ray Rice crisis is already here with Greg Hardy, Panthers
 

While the NFL drowns in a flurry of speculation about who in the league office saw the Ray Rice tape and when, another domestic violence crisis grows ever more pressing.

Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Greg Hardy was declared guilty by a North Carolina judge of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nicole Holder, in an incident that allegedly involved hair-pulling, slamming a toilet seat on her arm, and putting his hands around her neck. While he awaits the next step in his legal process, a jury trial, Hardy played in the team's season-opening game last weekend, and is scheduled to play this Sunday.

Hardy had an excused absence from Panthers practice Wednesday, but is expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, coach Ron Rivera told reporters in a conference call.

On Wednesday night, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson tearfully defended himself and his franchise at an awards dinner in his honor – an event that commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly cancelled out of.

"I stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple,” Richardson said. “To those who would suggest that we've been too slow to act, I ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. Over the course of our 20 years, we have worked extremely hard to build an organization of integrity.”

Richardson was given an “award against indifference” on Wednesday, but indifference is what’s coming through. The league has frozen when confronted with red flags, rather than acting proactively in response to a clear warning. Doing nothing, as the Baltimore Ravens chose and as the Panthers are choosing, is not enough. Not anymore.

That's painfully clear in a letter Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti sent to season-ticket holders and sponsors on Tuesday. He began by saying the people of Baltimore "deserve an explanation," and yet he didn't provide one.

"Why didn't we act earlier?" is the right question, but it's never answered. Here is the key paragraph:

"In March, the prosecutor dropped the case against Janay [Palmer], but elevated the charge against Ray from simple assault to aggravated assault. At this point, we decided to defer action until completion of the court proceedings. We stopped seeking to view or obtain a copy of the video. We halted our fact-finding. That was a mistake on our part."

So why did the Ravens defer action until completion of the court proceedings? Why the paralysis?

The charge against Rice was elevated. It had been simple assault, which is often related to an altercation and charged as a misdemeanor. It turned into aggravated assault, which is classified in all states as a felony and often involves a deadly weapon or a serious injury.

Is it a guilty verdict? No. But it certainly is a tell that something terrible happened in the elevator at that casino. Goodell told CBS' Norah O'Donnell that that Rice's version of the events in the elevator was "ambiguous." This elevation of a charge is not ambiguous. It means something potentially felonious happened to Palmer. That should have been enough reason to take a precautionary step: keep the arrested player off the field without cutting him or his pay. In the post-Ray Rice world, that’s a step that teams like the Panthers should be taking.

Instead, nothing was done in Baltimore, and nothing has been done in Charlotte. It can seem prudent to those who want to respect due process. But it looks callous and calculating to victims, and to fans who are now watching these decisions more closely than ever.

We're two years removed from a woman being killed by an NFL player in an episode of domestic violence. In December of 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then killed himself at the team facility. That was the alarm that should have led to the six-game suspension now instituted by Goodell for domestic violence.

It didn't. And even though the Rice incident has the nation talking, the inaction continues at both the league and team level. Domestic violence matters will be reviewed on a case by case basis, says the league. That leads to more paralysis. And more of the judging Richardson fears.

So we have Greg Hardy likely playing on Sunday. And we have Ray McDonald likely playing on Sunday, despite being arrested for allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.

It's one thing if there is exculpatory evidence. If the 49ers or Panthers have reason to believe violence did not occur at the hands of players on their teams, that's a valid reason to wait. But a player being a nice guy is not reason to wait. A player's role in the community is not a reason to wait. A player's value to his team on the field is not reason to wait.

There has been plenty of hand-wringing over Ray Rice that was presented to the public. Bisciotti called him "a model citizen in the community and terrific teammate for six seasons."

That is not evidence that should be used to keep a player on the field after an arrest for domestic violence. There's always a fear of punishing a player for one bad decision, but that gives offenders way too much credit. To say that an offender acted completely out of character is an easy answer. It's more likely they acted completely out of the character they portray to the public.

And the public has a major stake in this. As the Charlotte Observer points out, $87 million in taxpayer money went into the stadium where Hardy will be featured on Sunday. The newspaper's editorial board is calling for fans to turn their backs on Sunday if Hardy plays.

"The Panthers can say they are letting the legal process play out," the Observer states, "but it appears they just want to bulk up their pass rush."

The Panthers owner abhors that kind of thinking. But letting the legal process play out after a judge has ruled looks like a transparent effort to make it all go away. He can’t afford that perception any more than Roger Goodell can. This problem is not going away in society, and it is not going away in football. It might be showing up Sunday in Charlotte.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl-s-n...033425803.html

Domestic Violence......how quickly we forget
 

In case you need a reminder, here is a little refresher course on ten celebrities who’ve admitted to partner abuse or faced serious charges of it, and gone right on working.

1. Mel Gibson

You might have noticed in the last few days that when a wealthy man is caught beating a woman he purportedly loves, a lot of people want to talk about her love of money.

Not about the fact that even your average, middle- and lower-class abusers routinely control household finances, to keep their partners dependent on them. And not about the fact that wealthy, famous men can, in most cases, use money to make charges of violence against women go away.

No, people want to talk about how women like Janay Palmer must be gold-digging ninnies to stay with men who beat them—even though there are endless reasons why victims stay, including that leaving is when they’re most likely to be killed. And even though actual gold-digging ninnies also do not deserve to be punched out, or beaten with baseball bats, or shot in their own homes.

If you’ve said or thought something along those lines recently—that she must see the money as a decent trade-off for the occasional broken bone or concussion—I want you to do me a favor. Go listen to the second audiotape Mel Gibson’s ex made of him screaming, growling, and panting at her like a rabid dog, from 6:30–6:50. Listen to her say, as calmly as possible, “I don’t give a damn if you don’t spend another penny on me. I’m just fearing for the life of my daughter.” And then listen to Gibson positively roar, “Cunt, bitch, golddigger, cunt, whore!” in response.

Keep hearing that voice in your head every time you’re tempted to diagnose an abuse victim with gold-lust. Every time you’re tempted to say she must love money more than she hates being beaten—or worse, that she’s lying about the abuse to extract money from her spouse. Remember Mel Gibson’s explosive rage, and know that you’re making the same argument he is. Cunt, bitch, golddigger, cunt, whore.

The Expendables 3, featuring Mel Gibson, is currently in theaters. The successful movie franchise has also starred Mickey Rourke, who was charged with spousal abuse in 1994; Wesley Snipes, who allegedly beat one of his girlfriends until she was mostly deaf in one ear; Sylvester Stallone, whose late half-sister accused him of abuse; Stone Cold Steve Austin, accused more than once of assaulting an intimate partner; Eric Roberts, ditto; Jean-Claude Van Damme, whose third wife charged him with spousal abuse; and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, as governor of California, repeatedly blocked spending on domestic-violence programs and shelters. Just in case you were tempted to think of Gibson as some kind of anomaly.



2. Sean Penn

In 1987, the actor reportedly hit his then-wife, Madonna, with a baseball bat, sending her to the hospital. He was charged with felony domestic assault. In 2003 he won his first Academy Award for best actor. In 2008, he won another.

In 2014, he made the news for donating 65 guns he personally owned to artist Jeff Koons, who would melt them down and make a sculpture of them, at the behest of Penn’s new girlfriend, Charlize Theron. Theron’s father was shot to death by her mother one night after the father came home firing a gun and screaming that he would kill them both. (Although there have so far been no reports of violence in this relationship, it’s worth noting that girls who grow up in violent households often choose abusive partners.) Sean Penn is widely respected as an exceptionally talented actor and activist for various humanitarian causes.



3. Charlie Sheen

In 1990, his fiancée, Kelly Preston, found herself shot by Sheen’s gun, supposedly by accident, although she broke up with him immediately thereafter. (One of Mickey Rourke’s exes was shot by a gun belonging to him in a very similar manner.) Five women with whom Sheen had intimate relationships subsequently made formal complaints of abuse against him. His latest television show, Anger Management, broke a ratings record when it debuted.



4. Chris Brown

'Member when he beat the shit out of his girlfriend, Rihanna, in 2009, and pictures of her bruised, bloody face were all over the internet? 'Member when he won a Grammy, in 2012? 'Member when the news came out this week that he’ll soon be on Dancing With the Stars and Saturday Night Live, in support of his sixth studio album? He's 25.



5. Josh Brolin

Arrested for spousal battery in 2004. Widely lauded a few years later for his performances in No Country for Old Men, W., and Milk. Still working plenty.



6. Axl Rose

Accused of domestic violence enough times that his Wikipedia page has a whole section on it. Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with two other apparent abusers from the original line-up of Guns N’ Roses, in 2012.



7. Michael Fassbender

Accused by an ex of breaking her nose and dragging her alongside a car, among other things. Widely perceived as the thinking woman’s sex symbol, owing to his European accent(s) and large, frequently filmed wang.



8. Nicolas Cage

Ruined his first chance at marrying wife number one, Patricia Arquette, by “throwing an almighty tantrum at the airport.” Eventually reconciled with her, but then divorced and moved on to an “explosive” marriage to his second wife, Lisa Marie Presley, featuring fights after which he’d call his wife and say, according to her, “he was sorry, wish he hadn't done it, things like that.“ Arrested for assaulting his third wife, Alice Kim, in 2011. Finally seems to have worn out his Hollywood welcome, but he’s still working. There’s probably a role for him in Expendables 4.



9. Terrence Howard

Accused of assaulting six different women between 2000 and 2013. Nominated for an Academy Award in 2005. Defended Chris Brown in 2009, then took it back when he realized people weren’t cool with that. Will soon be seen in the acclaimed St. Vincent.



10. John Lennon

The man composed tender love songs, opposed war, imagined peace, and wrote the lyric, "I used to be cruel to my woman/ I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved." He meant it. The late Beatle told Playboy in 1980, “I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically—any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace.”

- See more at: http://www.damemagazine.com/2014/09/....Q75hRQmN.dpuf

From the Advocate:
 

NFL's Adrian Peterson charged with child abuse
 

Reuters) - Police were seeking on Friday to arrest Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson on a charge of child abuse, a Texas sheriff's office said, while Peterson's attorney said the incident resulted from him "using a switch to spank his son."

The National Football League's Vikings also said in a statement they will drop Peterson from the team's roster for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots as the team looks into the matter.

Peterson, a Texas native, was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, north of Houston, on a charge of injury to a child, and an arrest warrant was issued on Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

As of Friday evening, Peterson was not in custody, said Montgomery County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brady Fitzgerald. Also, a $15,000 bond was attached to the arrest warrant, he added.

The report comes on the heels of the NFL indefinitely suspending Baltimore Ravens three-time Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice for domestic violence.

"The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son," Peterson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said in a statement, adding the running back testified before a grand jury for "several hours" and was fully cooperating with authorities.

"Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son," Hardin said. "Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury."

Hardin added that the discipline mirrored the treatment Peterson experienced growing up in east Texas.

A local CBS broadcaster in Houston cited law enforcement sources in reporting that Peterson told police he used a tree branch in a "whooping" on his 4-year-old son in Spring, Texas, in May as punishment for pushing another one of the athlete's children.

The boy suffered cuts and bruises to areas including his back, buttocks, ankles and legs, the station reported.

Afterward, when the boy returned home to Minnesota, his mother took him to a doctor who determined the injuries were consistent with child abuse and that it appeared the child had injuries from one incident involving a “switch” and another incident, possibly involving a cord, the station reported.

"The Vikings are in the process of gathering information regarding the legal situation involving Adrian Peterson," the team said in a statement.

Peterson, 29, a six-time Pro Bowl running back and a former NFL Most Valuable Player, is in his eighth season in the league, all with the Vikings. He has rushed for 10,190 yards and scored 91 touchdowns, 86 on the ground, in his career.

In 2012, Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards, the second-most in a single season in NFL history, trailing only Eric Dickerson's 2,105 in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

Peterson's 2-year-old son died in October 2013 after being allegedly assaulted by his mother's boyfriend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The man, Joseph R. Patterson, was indicted on second-degree murder charges.

Peterson told reporters at that time that he had learned about the child only two months before and had been preparing to provide financial assistance to his son and the child's mother.

http://news.yahoo.com/nfls-adrian-pe...9477--nfl.html

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Let's just call it what it is....another example of male violence.....this time toward a child.

I was switched as a child because my Mom and her brothers were switched by their father. Switched, is a great deal different then winding up with cuts and bruises, and i have to say that there is not much a baby of 4 could even be switched for!

And before they give the excuse of "it was done to him", i never switched my child or even hit her for that matter.

These men need to be held accountable for the violence happening in their families, no excuses, treatment and/or jail and termination from a position that children and adults look up to. Although why sports figures are held in such esteem is beyond all reason! But, that's a discussion for another day.

A hideous week, but don't expect change
 

During a week filled with a hideous hodgepodge of racism, domestic violence and homicide, sports offered little escape and even less accountability.

Danny Ferry was still hanging onto his job, despite disparaging comments about an African player.

Ray Rice was out of a job, but only after we all saw the video of him actually delivering a knockout blow to the woman who is now his wife.

Oscar Pistorius was back home and buoyed by the prospect of not spending a lick of time behind bars, even after shooting his girlfriend to death.

No one has any real desire to clean up our games.

And we — the gullible masses — are willing to look the other way if someone pays a small price here and there.

Turns out, they're absolutely right.

"As long as we give athletes hero status and throw money their way to the point that they feel invincible, we will continue to shake our heads about their behavior when they get into trouble," said Eric A. Zillmer, the athletic director at Drexel University.

So far, a little head-shaking is about as far as anyone is willing to go — unless they have a video or audio tape.

The corporate sponsors might be in the best position to demand change, considering all the billions they stuff into the pockets of the owners and their employees. But the only time they get riled up is when it affects their bottom line. Even then, it's rarely very long before they're pulling out their checkbooks again.

Congress pipes up from time to time, threatening to take on the herculean task of cleaning up our games but never doing much more than grandstanding.

Finally, we come to the fans, who'll tell you over the water cooler that they're fed up with all the corruption and the cover-ups. Then, they'll paint their faces, put on their team jerseys, and plunk down hundreds of dollars to cheer on those guys they just griped about.

There was certainly plenty to complain about in the week that was:

— Ferry, the Atlanta Hawks' general manager, with his racially disparaging assessment that potential free-agent signee Luol Deng has "a little African in him," then going on the explain that meant the player was like a store owner whose business looks legit from the front window, but is selling counterfeit goods out back. Laughingly, Ferry claimed he was merely repeating what others had said about Deng, as if racism is OK as long as you didn't say it first.

— Rice, the Baltimore Ravens' star running back, hastily being released by the same team that had called him a good guy after he was shown on a video a few months ago dragging his unconscious then-fiancee out of an elevator. Most of us didn't need to see evidence of Rice having knocked her out, but that turned up, too, uncovered by the sleuths at TMZ, not the mighty NFL. And Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press delivered a further bombshell with his report that a law enforcement source had actually sent the really incriminating video to the league, but never heard anything more.

— Pistorius, the celebrated "Blade Runner," beating the most serious charges in the fatal shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp after an O.J.-like trial in South Africa. The Olympic sprinter said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder hiding behind a bathroom door, a rather far-fetched scenario at best. He was found guilty of negligent homicide, which makes him eligible for a suspended sentence.

"People think he got away with murder," said Veronica Nyathi, a Johannesburg resident reminding us that this sort of coddled behavior extends far beyond American shores. "Most people want to see him go to jail. If he was poor, he would definitely be in jail. But if you are rich, your life can go on as normal."

If there was any justice, Ferry would be fired immediately, Rice would never touch another football in the NFL, and Pistorius would receive the maximum sentence.

But that's not the reality.

Ferry took a leave of absence Friday, but made it clear he somehow hopes to hold on to his job. He'll go to diversity training and try to sort out why those vile words rolled off his lips with such ease. His enablers — Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver — have said Ferry deserves to keep his job. That's a particularly indefensible stance in Silver's case, given he just ran Donald Sterling out of the league for racist blather.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who initially just out an embarrassing two-game suspension to Rice, left the door open for the player's return from a now-indefinite suspension as long as, "We are fully confident that he is addressing this issue." What the commish left unsaid, of course, was, "Hey, this guy is really good at running the football, so we'd be foolish to banish him forever. And everyone will forget what he did soon enough."

Pistorius may never again compete at the Olympics, but he'll at least be able to go on with some semblance of his life. That's more than we can say for his girlfriend.

As if that wasn't enough, we got word late Friday that Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings' star running back, was indicted on a charge of child abuse for using a branch to spank his son. The team benched him for this weekend's game, though we know he'll be back on the field soon enough.

The games go on.

Nothing really changes.

http://news.yahoo.com/column-hideous...8324--spt.html

I have a feeling the Adrian Peterson case will take no time in finding the truth, but we may never really know. He has no clue what the boys down in Texas, will do to him, if he is found guilty and put in general population.

Adrian Peterson Turns Himself In
 

Thankfully Radisson Hotels have had the good sense to pull their ads/support from the Minnesota Viking, now if only others would follow their lead!!!!

Vikings place Adrian Peterson on exempt list
 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- After a day of public pressure from angry fans and concerned sponsors, the Minnesota Vikings have reversed course and placed star running back Adrian Peterson on the exempt-commissioner's permission list, a move that will require him to stay away from the team while he addresses child abuse charges in Texas.

The Vikings made the announcement early Wednesday morning, about a day and a half after initially deciding that Peterson could play with the team while the legal process played out. Peterson is charged with a felony for using a wooden switch to spank his 4-year-old son.

The Vikings came under heavy criticism for their initial stance. Several sponsors responded by either suspending their deals with the Vikings or severing ties with Peterson.

''While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian,'' owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said in a statement. ''We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this community.''

The stunning reversal comes after a harrowing day on Tuesday that included the Radisson hotel chains suspending its sponsorship with the Vikings.

Castrol Motor Oil, Special Olympics Minnesota and Mylan Inc. all severed ties with Peterson, and Twin Cities Nike stores pulled Peterson's jerseys from its shelves.

In addition, Anheuser-Busch issued a strongly worded statement that said it was disappointed in the way the NFL was handling all of the negative attention surrounding former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice's assault of his then-fiancee, and Peterson's arrest for child abuse.

Peterson has said he was disciplining his son and didn't intend to hurt him.

''This is the best possible outcome given the circumstances,'' Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, told The Associated Press. ''Adrian understands the gravity of the situation and this enables him to take care of his personal situation. We fully support Adrian and he looks forward to watching his teammates and coaches being successful during his absence.''

The Vikings said they had deliberations with the NFL over the previous two days and informed the league they were revisiting the situation.

''After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian,'' the Wilfs said. ''We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an organization.

''We embrace our role - and the responsibilities that go with it - as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region. We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners and the community.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/vikings...1877--nfl.html

--------------------------------------


I look forward to the day when the NFL and team owners do the right thing for the right reasons at the right time.

I also look forward to other male athletes not feeling the need to support their troubled brothers cuz they are "good guys". Good guys dont knock out their girlfriends or beat their child or rape. Those behaviors are not the behaviors of "good guys".

Adrian Peterson needs some big time help in learning about the cycle of violence. He already had 1 child killed at the hands of another "good guy" when he was 2 years old. I'm sure that "good guy" didnt mean any harm either, even tho that child paid for that with his life. Now 2 more of his kids have been subjected to violent behavior, at his hands, simply for being kids who have a "good guy" for a father.

I look forward to the day when men understand, recognize, and take responsibility for their propensity of using violence against women and children.

eBay redirect attack puts buyers' credentials at risk
 

17 September 2014 Last updated at 10:32 ET

By Leo Kelion
Technology desk editor

A listing for an iPhone 5S contained code that resulted in users being sent to a scam site

eBay faces investigation over breach

EBay has been compromised so that people who clicked on some of its links were automatically diverted to a site designed to steal their credentials.

The spoof site had been set up to look like the online marketplace's welcome page.

The US firm was alerted to the hack on Wednesday night but removed the listings only after a follow-up call from the BBC more than 12 hours later.

One security expert said he was surprised by the length of time taken.

"EBay is a large company and it should have a 24/7 response team to deal with this - and this case is unambiguously bad," said Dr Steven Murdoch from University College London's Information Security Research Group.

The security researcher was able to analyse the listing involved before eBay removed it.

He said that the technique used was known as a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack.

It involved the attackers placing malicious Javascript code within product listing pages. This code in turn automatically redirected affected users through a series of other websites, so that they ended up at the page asking for their eBay log-in and password.

Users only had to click the original listing to have their browser hijacked.

"The websites the user is being redirected to are almost certainly compromised by the attacker to hide his or her traces," Dr Murdoch explained.

Users who clicked on the affected listings were sent to a fake eBay welcome screen
He added that the fake page the users were ultimately delivered to contained code that had the potential to carry out further malicious actions.

"EBay is pretty competent, but obviously it has been caught out here," he said.

"Cross-site scripting is well within the top 10 vulnerabilities that website owners should be concerned about."

A spokesman for eBay played down the scope of the attack.

"This report relates only to a 'single item listing' on eBay.co.uk whereby the user has included a link which redirects users away from the listing page," he said.

"We take the safety of our marketplace very seriously and are removing the listing as it is in violation of our policy on third-party links."

However, the BBC identified that a total of three listings had been posted by the same account involved.

At least two of them produced the same redirect behaviour. The third was removed by eBay, along with the other two, before it could be checked.

Delayed reaction

The issue was originally identified by Paul Kerr, an IT worker from Alloa in Clackmannanshire who is also an "eBay PowerSeller".

He called the firm shortly after he had clicked on a listing for an iPhone and been redirected.

The eBay site has experienced several glitches over recent weeks
"The advert had been up for 35 minutes," he told the BBC.

"When I spoke to the lassie on the phone, she said: 'I'm going to report that to the highest level of security to get it looked into.' And she did emphasise that.

"They should have nailed that straight away, and they didn't."

Mr Kerr identified the problem because the web address of the page he was sent to was unusual. He screen-grabbed a video of the attack, which he uploaded to YouTube as evidence.

He added that other less tech-aware users might not have realised the danger they were in.

"It's guaranteed - you can bet your bottom dollar that somebody's going to click on that and be redirected to a third-party site and they're going to enter their details and be compromised," he said.

"You don't know how many of the hundreds of thousands of people who use eBay will have done that."

This is not the first technical setback eBay has suffered in recent months.

The site has experienced several periods when members have been unable to sign into their accounts and have received incorrect password alerts.

In May, the firm made users change their passwords after revealing that a database containing encrypted passwords and other non-financial data had been compromised.

In addition, it announced in July that 1,600 accounts on its StubHub ticket resale site had been broken into resulting in a scam that defrauded the service of about $1m (£600,000).

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29241563

Domestic violence and the NFL ......the story continues
 

Aside from Ray Rice punching his wife, and Adrian Peterson swatching his kid, the list of domestic violence incidents by NFL players continues to find their way to the light of day.

Ray McDonald and Chris Cook of the San Francsico 49ers,

Tony McDaniel and Kevin Williams of the Seattle Seahawks,

Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes of the Chicago Bears,

Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers,

Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys,

Erik Walden of the Indianapolis Colts,

Donte Whitner of the Cleveland Browns,

Randy Starks of the Miami Dolphins,

Frostee Rucker of the Arizona Cardinals;

have all been arrested for domestic violence or related charges since 2005, according to a USA Today database that tracks players' arrests since 2000.

Domestic violence and related incidents rank among the NFL’s biggest off-the-field problems, with 87 arrests involving 80 players over the last 14 years. The only other crime category with a larger number of arrests involving NFL players is DUI.

The team with the most arrests of players for domestic violence and related charges is the Denver Broncos, with 12. But it hasn't had one since 2010, when linebacker Kevin Alexander was cut a day after he was accused of hitting his girlfriend (the charges were later dropped).

Of the 12 active players with domestic violence-related arrests, the one with the most is Brandon Marshall, who has three. He’s never been convicted, but he served a three-game suspension in 2008 for personal conduct violations. But from there his story changes. He’s sought treatment, become an outspoken voice against domestic violence and is now considered a success, on and off the field.

Another player who has turned his career around is Bryant, a wide receiver for the Cowboys. In 2012, he was accused of hitting his mother, and agreed to anger counseling in exchange for having the charge dismissed.

Then there’s Walden, a linebacker who was suspended by the Green Bay Packers for one game in 2011 after being jailed for an alleged assault against his live-in girlfriend. In court, he submitted to a deferred judgment agreement that allowed him to avoid pleading guilty while receiving counseling. He’s since landed with the Colts.

Cook, a cornerback, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in October 2011. He sat out most of the season for the Minnesota Vikings, but was later acquitted of all charges. The Vikings reinstated him, and he now is a teammate of McDonald’s in San Francisco.

McDaniel, a defensive tackle, was on the Miami Dolphins in 2010 when he was arrested for shoving his girlfriend, whose head hit the pavement. He pleaded no contest, was put on probation, and the league suspended him one game. He is now playing in Seattle.

Whitner, a safety then with the Buffalo Bills, was accused of harassment in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in 2006. The charges were later dropped, and the NFL imposed no punishment. He’s now playing in his native Cleveland.

Cook, a cornerback, was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in October 2011. He sat out most of the season for the Minnesota Vikings, but was later acquitted of all charges. The Vikings reinstated him, and he now is a teammate of McDonald’s in San Francisco.

McDaniel, a defensive tackle, was on the Miami Dolphins in 2010 when he was arrested for shoving his girlfriend, whose head hit the pavement. He pleaded no contest, was put on probation, and the league suspended him one game. He is now playing in Seattle.

Whitner, a safety then with the Buffalo Bills, was accused of harassment in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in 2006. The charges were later dropped, and the NFL imposed no punishment. He’s now playing in his native Cleveland.

Holmes, a wide receiver, has a long list of run-ins with the law. His domestic violence arrest came in 2006, when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the mother of his children accused him of choking her and slamming her into a door. But she later was reluctant to testify, and the charges were dropped. Holmes’ lawyers promised he’d participate in counseling through the NFL. He now plays with Marshall in Chicago.

Williams, a defensive tackle with a lengthy history of legal troubles, was on the Vikings in 2005 when he was accused of domestic assault for a fight with his wife at home. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was put on probation, but the NFL didn’t suspended him. In 2011, however, Williams was suspended for using performance enhancing drugs. He now plays in Seattle.

Greg Hardy of the Panthers, today, asked for and was granted a leave of absence to deal with his domestic violence conviction and appeal.

Ray McDonald, the 49er defensive end who was arrested Aug. 31 for allegedly assaulting his pregnant fiancée at his 30th birthday party in San Jose. Free on bail, McDonald has not missed a game. Advocates for domestic abuse victims, along with public officials, including California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, have urged the 49ers to bench McDonald.

And just when you thought it might be settling down........

The Arizona Cardinals can apparently be added to the list of teams with problems with domestic violence. It is being reported by 3TV reporter Tyler Baldwin (in Phoenix) that Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested by Phoenix Police for domestic violence in connection with two domestic violence incidents that occurred over the summer. The Cardinals have deactivated Dwyer from all team activities.

Of course, if the Cardinals do cut Dwyer, the next man up on the roster would likely be practice squad running back Chris Rainey — who has had two separate domestic violence incidents, one in college that got him kicked off the team at Florida, and one in the NFL that got him cut by the Steelers.

Arizona has already had to deal with linebacker Daryl Washington. He is currently suspended, but under the league's substance abuse policy, but gave a guilty plea to aggravated assault on the mother of his child. He has yet to be punished by the league for the assault.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nfl...rrests-n204831

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jonatha...214855457.html

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...artner=ya5nbcs

Dez Bryant had his day in court, I think there needs to be a separation between the law and football politics. I do not condone DV, as I was a victim of such, but as an avid football watching fan, I want to see more games played and less politics thrown into said game.

But it is hard to find a happy medium.

How about adding that women need to learn to do the same and take responsibility as well for their part in violence. MY attacker was a female.

I'd like to see the law and football politics separated, too. Such that football players committing crimes are tried and sentenced appropriately rather than with the judge and jury thinking about how it's going to mess up their Sunday entertainment.

In the specific cases where a woman is the perpetrator (like in your relationship), this might be an appropriate thing to say. However, even with rising numbers of female perpetrators it's still a minority of cases, and the high-profile cases that have come up recently aren't cases in which a woman was the perpetrator.

Granted, as Kobi said, this is a thread for breaking news events. I'd love to get into my crazy ideas about violence and the meaning of increasing incidences of female perpetrators and possibly also our national bad habit of putting our entertainment before everything else, but I should probably not derail the thread any further than it has already been derailed.

San Diego High School hires first female head football coach in the state
 

Yay San Diego! (And she's nice to look at too! Lol)

http://www.10news.com/sports/san-die...-football-team

Scotland votes no on independance!

Wow

This simply blows my mind
 

Pennsylvania woman blamed for her own rape in state response to lawsuit

By Sara Ganim, CNN
updated 10:51 AM EDT, Thu September 25, 2014
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Omar Best, a convicted rapist, was allowed close contact with typist at prison
Typist, 24, complained about unsupervised access
Best eventually raped typist and was convicted; the typist filed a federal suit
"It's an attempt to embarrass the victim," victim's lawyer says of state response to federal suit

(CNN) -- The Pennsylvania attorney general's office is blaming a former state prison clerk for her own rape, in response to a federal lawsuit the woman filed.

The 24-year-old typist was working at the state prison at Rockview in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, when she was attacked in 2013. She was choked unconscious and raped for 27 minutes by inmate Omar Best, who had been convicted three times previously of sex-related crimes, and then been transferred from a different state prison for assaulting a female assistant there.

"Despite this knowledge, defendants ... still allowed Omar Best to have unsupervised access to the offices of female employees," according to the lawsuit, which also blames the state for the rape.

In fact, the lawsuit says that the prison superintendent actually moved the clerk offices from a secure floor where there was no inmate contact to a location that was on a cell block.

"There were no locked doors between the offices and cell blocks, including Block C where (the victim) worked, except for the copy room," the lawsuit states.

Even though Best was convicted of the rape in May and a review of the prison found multiple failings and led to the superintendent's removal, a senior deputy attorney general wrote that the woman "acted in a manner which in whole or in part contributed to the events" in his response to her lawsuit.

It's victim shaming at its worst, the woman's lawyer told CNN. "Worse than that, it's an attempt to embarrass the victim," said Clifford Rieders, a Williamsport, Pennsylvania, attorney.

The state attorney general's office at first declined to comment when the matter was reported by the Centre Daily Times, in State College, Pennsylvania. Wednesday, the office released a statement saying that it is required to present all possible defenses and "contributory negligence is one such defense."

In the statement provided to CNN, the attorney general's office said, "This initial filing should not necessarily be interpreted as meaning this defense will be pursued throughout the entire case," adding that elected Attorney General Kathleen Kane was not aware her senior deputy included that defense in his filing.

"Attorney General Kane is disappointed that she was not made aware of this matter prior to the filing, and was saddened to learn that the filing implied that the victim somehow contributed to this crime."

Best is serving a life sentence for the woman's rape. The Pennsylvania state victim advocate said it's hypocritical to use victim-blaming as a defense for the prison.

"I think it's absolutely deplorable to blame the victim in this case," Jennifer Storm told CNN.

"It's not common legalese in rape cases," Storm said of the AG's defense. "And it shows a significant lack of sensitivity to not understand the harm this has done to the young woman and the re-victimization she's going through today.

"In a rape case, this is plain victim-blaming."

Storm and Rieter both pointed out that the local district attorney, Stacy Parks Miller, who prosecuted Best, whole-heartedly believed the victim. And so did a jury.

"The DA went to bat 100% for this victim," Storm said. "To then backtrack ... it's despicable, I'm disgusted.".

"It's obviously completely inconsistent with the criminal trial," Rieter said. "I think it's bad lawyering. It's what some lawyers do. I don't think it's right, or just, and has no basis here ... There are some people in this day and age who will still do that even though there is no factual or legal basis for it."

According to the suit, Best had been convicted three times prior of sex-related offenses. In 2010, DNA testing linked him to the 1999 abduction and rape of an 18-year-old woman in Philadelphia, and he was sentenced to 7 to 15 years in prison for it. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to rape and robbery in another Philadelphia case and was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.

In a 1996 case, he pleaded guilty to indecent assault, after being charged with attempted rape, the lawsuit says.

Then, while imprisoned at another facility called Graterford, Best assaulted a female assistant, according to the lawsuit, and was transferred to the state prison at Rockview in Bellefonte, where this victim worked.

The victim had complained twice to her boss -- about a week before the attack -- that she felt uncomfortable and unsafe with Best coming into her office. She was assured Best would no longer have access to her office, the lawsuit states.
But on July 25, around 8:30 a.m., Best went to her office under the guise of taking out her trash, and grabbed the woman from behind, choking her until she passed out. She tried to blow a distress whistle she carried, but no one heard it. Her lawsuit also claims the prison was understaffed.

A prison investigation led to the firing of the superintendent, Marirosa Lamas, the hiring of 70 new corrections officers, and the moving of those offices where she had worked to a more secure space, away from inmates.
In the state's response, it denied that the internal investigation was the reason for Lamas leaving.

The victim is suing the state Department of Corrections, her former supervisor, the block manager, and the former superintendent, Lamas.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/24/justic...iref=allsearch

Blood Moon Total Eclipse

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...tober-science/


Viewing Guide: Watch Blood Moon During Total Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday

The second in a rare set of four lunar eclipses will be visible across most of North America.
.




http://www.pachamama.org/wp-content/...07-d6qttxx.jpg

Poor infection control practices? Is the US really ready for these patients?
 

OCT 12, 2014, 7:36 AM

by DR. RICHARD BESSER; GEETIKA RUDRA; BEN CANDEA
@bencandea

A health care worker who treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States who later died, has preliminarily tested positive for the deadly virus, Texas officials said today.

The health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been isolated since reporting a low-grade fever Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct further testing to confirm the diagnosis.

If test results hold, it would be the first case of Ebola contracted in the U.S.

"We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said in a statement. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the health care worker's family asked that the patient's identity not be released, calling the worker a "heroic person."

The health care worker, who's in stable condition, had been taking his temperature twice daily under the CDC's self-monitoring regimen since treating Duncan, said Dr. Daniel Varga with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

The health care worker's apartment complex was being decontaminated Sunday, said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. Officials also went door-to-door in the neighborhood and distributed leaflets about the virus.

A pet found inside the health care worker's apartment is also being monitored, Rawlings said. A hazmat crew will clean the interior of the apartment later today.

Anyone who had contact with the health care worker after the person began showing symptoms, including other hospital staff members involved in Duncan's care, will be monitored.

"We are confident that the precautions we have put in place will protect our health care workers," Varga said.

But on CBS' "Face the Nation," Dr. Tom Friedan, head of the CDC, said that the second Ebola diagnosis indicates a clear breach of safety protocol, The Associated Press reported. He said the health care worker had treated Duncan several times after his diagnosis.

ABC News chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser called the health care worker's case concerning, adding that public health officials will need to investigate how the exposure occurred.

While the CDC has said that any hospital is capable of safely treating Ebola, Besser said health care workers need training and practice using protective equipment to do so successfully.

"I would never have gone into an Ebola ward in Africa without being dressed and decontaminated by experts," he said. "Health care workers here should expect no less."

The CDC has not said if the second Ebola patient will be transferred to a specialized isolation facility, like the one at Emory University in Atlanta where two American missionaries who contracted Ebola in Liberia were treated.

"I would hope they are considering that," Besser said.

Varga didn't say whether the health care worker was among 48 people who may have had contact with Duncan after he began showing symptoms. Varga said the worker was considered "low-risk" to contract the virus.

Duncan died Wednesday at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he had been isolated during his treatment. His medical records show he had a 103-degree fever when he initially went to the hospital, but was sent home with antibiotics and Tylenol.

He returned to the hospital two days later when his symptoms worsened.

Duncan, who hails from Liberia, had arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 20 to visit family members in Dallas.

His neighbors in Monrovia told ABC News that he had helped carry a vomiting pregnant woman to get help, but his records revealed that he told the hospital he hadn't been in contact with anyone who was sick, according to The Associated Press.

Doctors and nurses at the hospital were aware Duncan had recently been in Africa.

While the health care worker undergoes treatment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, the hospital will divert its emergency care services to surrounding hospitals, Varga said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-h...ry?id=26135108

They are now saying on a Dallas News station this Sunday morning, that the nurse is a woman that is the one that treated Duncan while he was in isolation at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
They also mentioned a report of a healthcare worker that contracted Ebola in another country had a dog and that dogs can be carriers for the Ebola virus but it is NOT known if they can infect humans by transmission, so that dog was euthanized as a precaution.
It is not known the fate of this current healthcare worker's animal or if that animal is a dog or cat.