Fears over Zimmerman verdict riots prove overblown

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Read Time:4 Minute, 45 Second

The predictions were dire: Black people would burn and loot America's cities if George Zimmerman was found not guilty. White people everywhere would be attacked in revenge for the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Judging from water-cooler conversations, social media and viral emails, many people took these warnings seriously — yet they proved to be largely wrong.

Community leaders and scholars say the overwhelmingly peaceful response to the Zimmerman verdict reflects increased opportunities for African-Americans, the powerful image of a black president voicing frustration with the verdict, and the modern ability to create change through activism and social media rather than a brick.

"There was the assumption that black people, Latino people, inner-city people are inherently violent, and that's the farthest thing from the truth," says Kevin Powell, whose BK Nation advocacy group helped organize peaceful marches involving thousands of people in New York City.

"They need to stop racially stereotyping people," Powell says. "It's the same thing George Zimmerman was engaging in. To automatically assume an explosion from the Zimmerman verdict — I don't think they understand black people."

The talk of violence originated long before the verdict with some conservative commentators, who said riots should be blamed on liberals who distorted facts to make Zimmerman look guilty. "Media's dishonest motives in Trayvon Martin case could end in riots," read one headline on Glenn Beck's website.

Speculation intensified when news broke that Florida police were preparing for possible unrest. Pundits highlighted dozens of tweets from average citizens threatening violence if Zimmerman was acquitted. Reminders circulated about a handful of "this is for Trayvon" assaults by black people when the case first gained national notice.

"I fully expect organized race rioting to begin in every major city to dwarf the Rodney King and the Martin Luther King riots," wrote former police officer Paul Huebl. "If you live in a large city be prepared to evacuate or put up a fight to win. You will need firearms, fire suppression equipment along with lots of food and water."

In the week after the verdict, amid peaceful protests involving tens of thousands of people across the country, there was some violence.

In Oakland, protesters broke windows, vandalized a police car and started street fires. In Los Angeles, people splintered off two peaceful protests to smash windows, set fires, attack pedestrians, and assault police with rocks and bottles. About 50 teenagers took the subway to Hollywood to rob pedestrians; 12 were arrested.

Individual attacks were reported in Mississippi, Milwaukee and Baltimore, where black people were accused of assaulting two white people and a Hispanic in Martin's name.

Overall, the response to the Zimmerman verdict was nothing like the massive 1992 Los Angeles uprising that killed 53 people, injured more than 2,000 and caused $1 billion in damage after police officers were acquitted in the Rodney King beating. And there was no comparison with the 1960s riots that struck cities across the country in response to oppression of African-Americans and the assassination of Martin Luther King.

The '60s riots sprang from a sense of deep frustration that progress was being thwarted, says Max Krochmal, a history professor at Texas Christian University.

"They saw the limits to what they could achieve," Krochmal says.

President Barack Obama, who spoke emotionally after the verdict about the frustrations many African-Americans felt over the verdict, is a reminder that limits have been lifted.

"In the '60s, there was just a lot of anger with the way things were. There was a hopelessness. When King was killed, that was the worst. It was like killing the hope," says the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, 82, who leads The House of the Lord Church in New York.

"Maybe the anger is not there like it was before," says Daughtry, who organized several peaceful rallies after the verdict.

He added that Obama's statement helped keep things calm. The president told people that "I feel pain, I've been through the same thing, I'm not distant to the pain you feel," Daughtry says. "I've got a man in the White House who knows that pain."

For many, social media has been a constructive outlet for that pain.

"I definitely think that social media has helped to defuse anything that happens out on the streets," Powell says. "Because people are able to use their voices. They can be heard."

"Imagine if there was no Twitter and Facebook and this verdict came down," he says. "Where would people go?"

"People are using social media to vent," Powell continues. "That's where all the energy is being placed. It's easy — people can click a button and say exactly what they want — like boycott Florida."

John Baick, a history professor at Western New England University, says the Zimmerman trial is another skirmish in the battles over the direction of American culture.

"Use of the word 'riot' is talking about race without talking about race," Baick says. "It's like, look at 'them.'"

"The word riot says so much about fears, about assumptions," he says. "It's deep in our culture that we are afraid of 'them.'"

___

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Indian school head arrested over poisoning

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Read Time:1 Minute, 32 Second

Police have arrested the head of a school in eastern India where 23 children died after eating a free meal laced with a lethal pesticide.

The children, aged four to 12, fell ill within minutes of eating the lunch of lentils, potatoes and rice cooked at their primary school in a poverty-stricken village in Bihar state on July 16.

"The principal surrendered… and we have arrested her for questioning," said Sujeet Kumar, police chief of Saran district where the incident occurred.

"We need to talk to her first before framing charges," the official said by telephone.

Police have been searching for the teacher, Meena Devi, who apparently fled shortly after the tragedy in Gandaman village, which also left some 30 children ill in hospital and sparked angry street protests.

Saran district administrator Abhijit Sinha says the teacher is key to resolving the issue of just how the deadly chemicals ended up in the food.

"She is the right person to explain how the poison was mixed with the cooking oil," Sinha said.

Oil used to cook the food contained an agricultural insecticide that was five times the strength sold in the marketplace, a forensic report after the tragedy found.

Police said they raided Devi's home in the village last week where ingredients for the meal and cooking oil were kept.

Anguished parents buried many of the children on a playing field next to the primary school, in protest against the tragedy.

Some of the poverty-stricken parents told how they had only sent their children to the one-room school to ensure they received at least one meal a day.

Others have said their children survived after refusing to eat the food because of its foul odour. Children started falling ill within minutes of eating the meal.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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UK Palace: Royal baby named George Alexander Louis

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Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second

LONDON —His Royal Highness has a name.

Britain's new prince has been named George Alexander Louis, royal officials said Wednesday, ending speculation over what moniker Prince William and his wife, Kate, would pick for their first child.

Kensington Palace said royals are "delighted to announce" their son's name, adding that the 2-day-old baby and third-in-line to the throne will be known as "His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge."

Noble names are steeped in history, which explains why thousands of bets rolled in to British bookmakers for the name George, the name of six previous British kings. The moniker evokes the steadfastness of the queen's father, George VI, who rallied the nation during World War II.

Meaning farmer or earth worker, George was the 12th most popular name for boys born in England and Wales in 2011. St. George, a 4th-century Christian martyr, is the patron saint of England.

The name Louis could be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947. William's father, Prince Charles, was close with Mountbatten, who was assassinated by the Irish Republican Army in 1979.

The announcement from Prince William and Kate – just two days after the baby's birth – was quick, by royal standards.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh took a month before settling on the name Charles for the Prince of Wales. Princess Diana and Prince Charles took a week before settling on William's four names.

For now, the littlest royal is expected to stay out of the spotlight after making his first "public appearance" in the arms of his parents outside of London's St. Mary's Hospital on Tuesday.

After leaving the hospital, William and Kate introduced their son Wednesday to great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who was keen to see the baby before she starts her annual summer vacation in Scotland later this week.

Then the young family headed to see Kate's parents in their village near London.

Now that Kate and William have chosen a name, they are expected to soon choose a photographer for the baby's first official portrait.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Why Anthony Weiner Can’t Move Past His Past

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Read Time:4 Minute, 6 Second

He wants to move on, and believes that he’s moved on, but can Weiner really push past his sexual misconduct? The science isn’t encouraging.

It’s not the first time New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has been caught with his pants down — in 2011, he resigned from Congress after he admitted to sending lewd pictures of himself to young women. Yesterday’s revelation that, under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger,” he again sent explicit texts and images to young women more than a year after stepping down from political life raises questions the obvious question— can Weiner’s sexual compulsion be controlled?

Weiner himself has not accepted the label of sex addict, but the candidate’s behavior meets a fundamental criterion for addiction: his exhibitionist acts continued despite negative consequences. It’s hard to imagine a better example of compulsive repetition: although he lost his job and put his marriage, family and entire political future at risk, the former Congressman nonetheless engaged again in the exact type of online behavior that brought him to public humiliation.

Even so, it’s still not clear whether sexual compulsions qualify as an addiction. The latest study argued that they don’t, because hypersexual people process sexual cues just like normal people do— and differently from the way addicts respond to drug cues. But the question is far from resolved.  And whatever you want to call the issue, Weiner still has a problem, since compulsions can be just as disruptive as addictions, and equally difficult to overcome.

Though exact statistics for hypersexual behavior are not known, relapse rates for all compulsive disorders, including gambling and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are high, and they are generally considered chronic, which means they never really go away, but can re-emerge at any time. While he would not comment on Weiner’s case, Rory Reid, research psychologist at the University of California in Los Angeles and a leading expert on hypersexuality, says “Relapse is common in recovery work. Rates appear to vary depending on a number of factors such as the severity or longevity of problem, the presence of co-occurring disorders such as depression, ADHD [attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder] and [others] and an individual’s level of motivation to change.”

Treating sexually deviant behavior also involves two challenges that don’t exist with alcohol and other drug addictions. Sexual behavior is one of the strongest forces in biology, and the need to reproduce represents a fundamental motivation. As a result, moderation, rather than abstinence, is generally the only realistic goal.

Research on substance addictions shows that while moderation is successful in less severe cases, it is often more difficult to achieve. With abstinence, there’s only one option to maintain recovery:  just saying no, every time.  But with moderation, the addict or compulsively behaving person has to figure out when it’s OK to say yes and how to deal with the craving that comes from engaging in just a little bit of the problem behavior without losing control. “When people experience problems with dysregulated behaviors such as eating or sex, it can be much more challenging because the goal is to live in harmony with the ‘substance’ rather than abstain from it,” says Reid. That’s why it’s so hard for people to alter their eating habits, since the desire to eat can’t ever be completely turned off.

And while studies show that the majority of people who suffer from alcohol and substance addictions do recover eventually, usually without formal treatment or even self-help groups, it’s not known if the same is true for sexual compulsions. “There is no published data on long-term recovery rates among hypersexual patients who have received treatment,” Reid says, “This is disconcerting given that rehabs offering treatment for ‘sex addiction’ charge thousands of dollars for their services but have no outcome research to support their claims of being helpful.”

There is also little hope that such research will be forthcoming.  Politicians aren’t eager to fund sex-related research despite the fact that such studies may be the only hope in improving outcomes for not just those with sexual compulsions but for sex offenders as well, who continue to commit sexually related crimes. In the meantime, recovery should be an on-going effort — to be addressed one day at a time — rather than a process with a finite end. Instead of thinking that “This behavior is behind me,” as Weiner said in a press conference admitting to the latest transgressions, he may have to learn to live with, rather than leave behind, his actions.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Whose Close Up smile is the best?

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Read Time:1 Minute, 37 Second

The Housemates are kept quite busy today as they received a follow up Taskfrom Biggie straight moments after they had finished with the Power of No Task. This one required the Housemates to make the best smile they’ve ever seen.

The Task: Housemates found props and material in the garden to help them create a Close up smile. Each Housemate had to make one wearable tooth costume while making use of the supplied materials. Housemates had the evening to finish their creations and had to use the reference pictures that were supplied as inspiration. They also had to work together to build an oversized toothbrush which will be used at a later stage to clean the teeth costumes prior to creating a big Close Up smile.

To add to the Task today, Big Brother and Close Up would like Housemates to forget all about their problems and just keep on smiling. The Housemates had to go out of their way to make other Housemates smile.

Needless to say, as soon as the doors were opened, the Housemates went into the garden and alas found the said material together with a lot of sponges that they needed to convert to teeth. Once they got started there was no stopping them as each one took to their project.

And as it was stated in the brief, the Housemates had to attempt making others smile while they were busy with their projects. You would’ve expected funny men Sulu andNando to have jumped at this opportunity but no they didn’t, instead they were each busy trying to get things done. This meant that there was literally no Housemates trying to make others smile, instead there was chitter chatter here and there. So we wait to see their tooth creations and a killer Close Up smile.

Who do you think has a chance of winning this Task?

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Power of No: Who will be the greatest?

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Read Time:1 Minute, 44 Second

It’s Power of No time and the Housemates were more than eager to play against each other to see who will be the next leader of the pack. HoH Bimp read the brief and the game was underway.

The Task: In the garden the Housemates found a board with each Housemate’s face and that was the target. They also found a shooting marker on the ground and a blow gun on the table. On the sound of the buzzer, one at a time, each Housemate shot one dart towards their face. The ninja showed the Housemates how to insert the dart pre-fire. The goal of the Task was to get the dart closest to the red dot in the centre of the target. If there is a tie then it would be a showdown until there is a winner.

From this week onwards the HoH will receive a special reward as a replacement for losing out on the Housemates’ swap and will have the final decision on how to divide up the House for the Airtel Arena Showdown, for the Power of No and the Airtel Arena Tasks to come.

As soon as the Task reading was done, they all flocked to the garden where the ninja was waiting for them. First up was Tanzania’s Nando who was all too confident with his target but alas he missed. Melvin went next and was lucky enough to get his dart into the red circle but still it wasn’t close enough. Emerald Housemate Alusa also got his dart in the picture but the shocker was when Little Miss Diva Busi got her dart closer than any of them put together, much to everyone’s surprise. She did a victory dance to show them she’s not just a pretty face and fashionista in the House. The rest of the Housemates did their best but fell way behind. Now they wait for Biggie’s verdict.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Emeralds starting to crack

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Read Time:2 Minute, 6 Second

The Emerald Housemates entered The Chase with the sole mission to shake things up in the House. However, with the tension growing between them they may be heading for failure.

“Cracks are beginning to show,” Jazz told Biggie in today’s Diary Session. She says some Emeralds are beginning to get on everybody’s nerves and that maybe the original Chasemates “may be starting to smell a rat”.JJ also raised some concerns after his conversation with Feza, Oneal and Bimp last night. “There was still a hint of doubt but I think they may have warmed to the idea that we are real now,” he said.

When asked if she thought the bond between the Emeralds was still strong, Busi was far from convincing. “Um…the bond exists…to a certain extent but now that there are other personalities, Sophie and I have clicked and moved away from Alusa and Jazz and JJ is on his own mission,” she told Biggie.

“Relations are not good at all,” a frank Sophie said.

She revealed that Busi and Jazz are not talking to each other and that Eveva had clashed with most of them.

In the wee hours of this morning, Eveva was up cleaning the kitchen and singing gospel music loudly. “It was so early Biggie, I’m pretty sure not even God was up at that hour,” Jazz said jokingly.

All the Housemates were highly annoyed by the Zambian’s early morning antics but she says it’s all part of her game plan. Although Jazz thought she had a great strategy, she admits that some Emeralds may not understand it as such.

This became obvious when JJ confronted her earlier today asking her to take medication if she had a problems sleeping.Earlier today, Alusa and Jazz had a conversation about how Busi does not respect people’s property and how childish her response was when she was confronted about using Jazz’s facial scrub without permission.

In her Diary Session, Busi said she found some Housemates to be selfish . “I don’t understand them, people just don’t know how to share,” she said referring, no doubt, to the facial scrub.

Will these cracks blow their entire mission out of the water?

Jazz is hopeful that they will be able to “keep our cool until the final reveal”.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Feza wants to change the world

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Read Time:1 Minute, 6 Second

“I would love to get to a place where I can change the youth of my country and the issues that we are facing and the world in general,” this was the promise for the future that Feza made during her Diary session this afternoon.

The charitable Tanzanian expressed with Biggie, her desire to raise awareness about heroin addiction. This is a cause that is very close to her heart because her 23 year old younger brother has been a heroin addict for the past seven years.

The young singer also shared her plans to get together with Nando after the show has ended, for this very cause. The Tanzanian fellow’s younger brother is also a heroin addict who has gone missing and Feza plans on using her position as a public figure to help Nando find his brother.

Feza also told Biggie that she will be sticking to her plans despite the fact that her man Oneal does not support them. She said: “I want to be the kind of performer that entertains and educates at the same time, which Oneal thinks is stupid but I am sticking to it”. Good for you girl, don’t let anyone stop you from chasing after your dreams.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Is it Mellish or the new guy?

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Read Time:2 Minute, 57 Second

She is so gorgeous, sweet as candy and pretty as a picture – that’s the dazzlingDillish. Since the beginning of The Chase, Dillish has been hot property in and out of the House and everyone wanted to know who she would get with.However, the soft-spoken Namibian made it clear that she was already taken and had no time for playing games in the House. It didn’t take her too long to declare that she was beginning to feel the void for affection and some good loving.

She later confessed to Biggie that she had the hots for some lucky lad in the House. Word around Twitterland was that Nigeria’s Melvin was the most likely chap. Dillsh wouldn’t give anything away but she and Melvin have been giving each other looks lately. Well, there’s a whole Mellish campaign going on on Twitter.

The likes of Nando have not hidden the fact that they find Dillish to be really fine and knowing Nando, he’s just after one thing. Well, it looks like JJ’s sleek moves got the best of the Namibian lass. He wouldn’t hold back as he served her breakfast before declaring his undying love for her. The two flirted up a storm, sharing endearments and somewhat getting to know each other better.The Zimbabwean hottie has been working out a storm since he entered the House; was it to impress the Namibian beauty or is it his normal routine?

With abs like that, looks like JJ’s been at it for a while and maybe, just maybe Dillish likes it too. Has Dillish finally found her match in The Chase or is it all just her usual innocent flirting?

What the Stars had to say:

We took to the Stars to find out who of the two guys is more compatible with the Namibian lass. Dillish’s birthday is on September 16, which makes her a Virgo while JJ’s is on December 27 making him a Capricorn. According to http://www.ganeshaspeaks.com, this is how compatible the two are:

“The romance will blossom like summer flower between Virgo woman and Capricorn man. The relationship is as sweet as honey. Their personalities will glow in each other’s companionship. She can feel secure in his presence and shows her love towards him. She will stand by his side in his difficulties and tries to fulfill his needs. He, on other end makes her happy with materialistic things. This zodiac signs forms one of the best love-matches”.

Meanwhile, Melvin celebrated his birthday in the House on June 28, which means he is a Cancerian. This is what the Stars had to say about Melvin and Dillish’s compatibility:

“A Virgo woman will always try to make a Cancerian man happy and gay, cuddle him whenever he needs. And, a Cancer man with his imaginative power, sharp memory and attractiveness will also allure a Virgo woman. Both, Cancer man and Virgo woman are compatible to each other because of their mutual understanding. The two zodiac signs will be strongly tied with love, affection and trust”.

So, are you team Mellish or should Dillish give the new guy a chance? Perhaps you’d rather have her stick to her original game till she returns to her man back home?

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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BBA 2013: Eveva gives Cleo a rubdown

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Read Time:56 Second

Today Eveva spent the better part of the day working her magic hands on Cleo.

The Zambian rapper looks to have hurt her knee and fortunately for her Eveva, who is a professional massage therapist, was on hand to give her a good rub down. How thoughtful!

Cleo splayed herself on the bed and quietly watched as her fellow country-mate did what she does best and showed just why she is already the owner of her own massage parlour at the age of 26. From the serious look on her face as she worked her hands on Cleo it is quite clear that when it comes to rubdowns, the ’former Emerald’ means business. It is also clear that she is not stingy with the free massages; on her first day in the Ruby House she gave a sensual massage to Sulu.

After the massage, the usually energetic Cleo retreated back into bed for some much needed rest and relaxation. Shame girl, here’s hoping that Cleo will feel right as rain in no time.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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