More on Alexis Goggins « no snow here

More on Alexis Goggins « no snow here: "DETROIT — A 7-year-old-girl is being hailed as an “angel from heaven” and a hero for jumping in front of an enraged gunman, who pumped six bullets into the child as she used her body as a shield to save her mother’s life. Alexis Goggins, a first-grader at Campbell Elementary School, is in stable condition at Children’s Hospital in Detroit recovering from gunshot wounds to the eye, left temple, chin, cheek, chest and right arm."

Huckabee's Comments About AIDS Offends Ryan White's Mother

Some people need to be careful what they say.

Tribute to Cynteria Phillips

Cynteria Kimberly Phillips lived from 1986-2000. She was murdered in 2000, and her case has not been solved to date. Her case has been championed by Keona Wright due to the fact that she was failed by the system that was supposed to protect her in the first place. The background song is "IF" by Bread. This is for you, Cynteria, with love -- from KWH

Chilli of TLC

Chilli by Stephanie B.

All About Chilli

Chilli has always been my favorite TLC singer. She is also the cutest of the TLC girls. I consider her very attractive because of the way she carry herself and that she has an outgoing personality. She resembles the Capri girl, Rosina Ferrara, whom was described by painter John Singer Sargent as a handsome Arab/Greek girl of nut brown complexion. She was painted so many times by various 19th Century artists, most notably, John Singer Sargent. I can see why Chilli was named the 50 most beautiful people of the world in May 1996 issue of People magazine. She is amazingly beautiful. She has been on the covers of major magazines (Young and Modern, Vibe, Esquire, Mademoiselle, Sister 2 Sister). She was also in the editorial section of the May 2000 issue of Allure magazine, was on the cover of February 2001 Ebony magazine and is currently the subject in the October issue of Maxim.

Chilli has a melodic voice. You can hear her on songs such as "No Scrubs," "Come Down," "Unpretty", "Good at Being Bad," "His Story," "Miss You," and "Hat to the Back." Chilli was the main singer on TLC's "Fanmail . " She had collaborated with the now defunct Detroit group, Vega, with the song, "Spread My Wings." Her upcoming album is mainly R&B, with collaborations from various artists and producers such as her former beau, Dallas Austin. 98 Degrees contributed a tract to her album in the late 2000. Unfortunately, her project is still on hold . My hope still is for her to finish her upcoming album. She, T-Boz, and Left Eye worked on their fourth album that was released in 2002, the year Left Eye died in a car accident. Around that time, Chilli had a relationship with Usher and has appeared in his two videos. Her relationship with Dallas didn't worked out. They are still friends however. Chilli has a lovely son named Tron, who is eight years old. She's raising him by herself without nannies and that she doesn't want her son to grow up in public view.

Chilli's Bio

All her life her own face had been a mystery. The almond eyes, straight ebony hair and voluptuous lips were a striking, but mysterious, mosaic: neither black nor white, neither Asian nor Hispanic. It made for a tough childhood for Rozonda Thomas, better known as Chilli, the melodic voice of the Grammy-winning R&B group TLC. Miss Rozanda Ocelean Thomas was born on February 27, 1971 in Atlanta to a 17 year old girl named Ava Thomas. Ava had an fling with a soldier stationed in Fort Benning,GA. His name is Abdul Ali. He's of East Indian and Middle Eastern descent. He left Ava without noticing that she was pregnant with Rozanda.This reminds me of a romantic story written by a French author, Alphonse de Lamartine. Lamartine's was about a Neapolitan fisher girl named Graziella, who had fallen in love with a sophisticated Frenchman who eventually abandons her in order to marry someone of his class. Chilli's mother didn't want to raise her lovely child on welfare, so she had her mother and extended family members to raise her daugther so she could finish high school on time. Her family lived in the projects in Atlanta. Her mother eventually married. Chilli's first words to her mother were "I love you." Later on, she credited her mother for keeping her out of trouble. Speaking of her mother, she told an interviewer: "Mom had me when she was 17. She could have easily said, 'Let me get on welfare.'" Her proudest accomplishments were to be levelheaded and successful. Again, she credited her mother for helping her toughen up because, according to Chilli: "I'm extremely sensitive and would cry at the drop of the hat."

While growing up, Chilli had experienced racism first hand. She had fights with her fellow students, was harassed by neighbors at the housing project while growing up, and was discriminated against by strangers because of her multiracial heritage. She had a hard time telling them because she never knew her father. She said, "When you look different, it's a big deal." She didn't allow racism to affect her while she was attending school. She graduated from high school in 1989. She enrolled in college soon after.

Originally, she wanted to become a fashion designer. Instead, she became a dancer for the late hip hop/rapper, Damian Dame. In less than two years, she joined Pebbles' up and coming hip hop group, TLC after Crystal dropped out . Pebbles had an obstacle. Chilli's first name is Rozonda. Pebbles nicknamed her Chilli so it would sound right for her first girl group. It would have been a total disaster had she not come up with new nickname for Rozonda. Pebbles also said the Chilli adds all the hot sauce and she did delivered it to her devoted fans.

In 1992, TLC were on a roll with top 40 hits such as "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "Baby Baby Baby," and "What About Your Friends?" They also generated a lot of controversy due to their dress and music. They toured with MC Hammer in '92. In '94, they achieve even more with their second album. "Creep" was in the top 10 as was "Waterfalls" and "Diggin on You". Soon after their second album release, group had to file for bankruptcy in 1995. the In the same year, Chilli had pleaded on Sally Jessy Raphael to locate her absentee father. Ali Abdul of Atlantic City NJ, came on the show to reveal that he was her father . Her father also brough his children to the show. It made her very happy that she found her father. The following year, she was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the annual People magazine issue.

In 1997, she gave birth to her son, Tron. She said that he was her "perfect life." She had always wanted to be a mother since she was nineteen. In recent years, she had been on the modeling scene. In the same year, she started a publishing company called T-Ron, after her son. In 1998, she signed a contract with Coach leather. She has been a model for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

In 1999, TLC released their third album, Fanmail, with Chilli predominating the vocals . They toured around the world and performed at various award shows, most notably, the 1999 VH-1 Fashion Awards. During the same time period, the group was the focus of VH-1's "Behind the Music" special. Several years ago there were rumors that TLC would break up. Chilli denied those reports, but she said that she is spending less time with the group so she could be with her son, Tron. Recently, she was number two in VH-1's top 25 sexiest people of R&B. In June 2000, she attended the wedding of her bandmate T-Boz. Her other bandmate, Left Eye didn't show up. Later that year, her bandmate, T-Boz, gave birth to her daughter, Chase. During the same year, she has done two made for TV movies. She worked with Vanessa L. Williams in "A Diva's Christmas Carol," a modern update of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." She played a ghost who constantly haunts Vanessa's character because of her ruthlessness. She told her former bandmate to change her greedy, wicked ways or else. Chilli also played the guidance counselor for troubled black girls on "Love Song,"which featured singer and native Atlantan, Monica. She was also featured in a straight to video movie in late 2001.

Politically, Chilli is a liberal. In the most contested presidential election in the history of the nation, Chilli had criticized the conservatism of George W. Bush.

My hope for Chilli right now is for her to continue to develop her God-given talents. I was very disappointed that Chilli had a cameo role in Love Song. However, she performed well in her role of ghost Marli on A Diva's Christmas Carol last month. Vannesa L. Williams and Chilli have done a duet song for that movie. Last March, she appeared in the Outkast video, "So Fresh, So Clean." At the end of the video, Big Boi kissed Chilli. In her second video apperance, "You Remind Me," she appeared with Usher, wearing a very scanty outfit. She was also in Usher's video, "You've Got it Bad, " in 2001. In the same year, she showed up at the wedding of Toni Braxton with Usher. Their photo was in the June 2001 issue of Ebony Magazine. In April, 2002, TLC lost a very dear bandmate, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras. She would have been 31 years old this year. Ms. Lopes had a lot going for her. She was working at the herbal institute in that country as well as helping out with needy children at a daycare center there. We will always remember her in our hearts. In late 2002, Chilli and T-Boz went ahead and release their forth album. That album is dedicated to the late Lisa Lopes. In that album, it's a sampling of R&B, latin, rap, hip hop, and pop. It's definitely a crowd pleaser album. Chilli and T-Boz were on the cover of December's Honey Magazine. People magazine once again honor Chilli with the 50 Most Beautiful People along with her beau, Usher Raymond in early May of 2003. Unfortunately, the couple broke up in early 2004, citing incompatibility. At the time of his breakup, he released his latest CD entitled "Confessions." Chilli moved on.

In 2005, she and T-Boz starred in a reality show for the UPN network. It was a talent search to find a replacement for the late Lisa Lopes. They were featured in the August 8, 2005 issue of People Magazine. Chilli was also featured in a four-page spread in October 2005 issue of Maxim Magazine and was named one of the Hot 100 women of 2006. She have her own website at Myspace.com and is working to release her first CD.

Video: Oprah campaigning for Obama in Iowa

Check out this great video of Oprah Winfrey campaigning for Barack Obama on 12/08/07 in Iowa. Looks like the Double "O" ( Oprah & Obama ) could be very formidable. Click the link below to watch the video:

http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html

Latasha Norman (RIP)

In Memory Latasha Norman

Latasha Norman

Latasha Norman Funeral

Service held for slain student
Overflow crowd told to express forgiveness
Richard Lake

Those who knew Latasha Norman and those who did not squeezed themselves into the aisles and onto the stairways of Rose E. McCoy Auditorium Monday to hear this:

No one should have to leave as she did, allegedly at the hands of a man.

She will leave at Jackson State University, where she was a junior accounting major, a legacy that will make a difference.

And the right thing to do now, with her gone and the man accused of killing her charged with murder, is to forgive.

These messages came from some who spoke at the campus memorial service for the 20-year-old Greenville native - 20 days after she went missing and four days after her body was found.

Her ex-boyfriend, fellow JSU student Stanley Cole, 24, also of Greenville, was charged with her death on Thursday. Her body was found in a wooded area in northwest Jackson.

Norman's pastor, the Rev. John Evans of Cathedral AME Zion Church in Jackson, fired up a crowd of students, faculty and family members on Monday. There were so many people in the 1,500-seat auditorium that they lined the walls and spilled out the doorways.

Evans urged them to forgive the person who killed her, which gave her uncle pause.
"God will handle all of that," the uncle, Matthew Norman, said after the service. "He will handle it. We're going to leave it in the hands of God."

The service took on an unusual tone, with frank talk about domestic violence - not just from clergy but also from university officials.

Norman had dated Cole for two to three years before breaking up several months ago, according to friends and family. In addition to the murder charge, Cole has been accused of assaulting her in October.

He was in Pearl Municipal Court to make an initial appearance on the assault charge when he was arrested. He is now being held without bond in the Hinds County Detention Center.

JSU President Ronald Mason spoke of what an intelligent woman Norman was said to be. He called what happened to her "nonsensical violence."

"Latasha's death was a case of a social ill in this country: relationship violence," Mason said. Police, however, have not provided a motive for her death nor discussed the circumstances leading up to her disappearance.

Mason implored any woman who suffered abuse to "get the help that you need."
"Get out now," he said. If you don't, "It will lead to you getting hurt - or worse."

Mason announced that the university's center for social and clinical counseling would be renamed after Norman.

The announcement was paired with a similar one by Glenda Glover, the dean of JSU's College of Business, that the university would establish a symposium on domestic violence in Norman's name.

"If even one is saved, then her death will not have been in vain," Mason said.
Lafreda Lockridge, 22, a friend of Norman's from Greenville, described Norman as "destined to be somebody."

It was Evans who delivered the message loudest. He urged young women who are being abused to put an immediate stop to it.

"That ain't love. That's slavery. Yes, it is. That's slavery. I thought we got out of that," he said.

Link:

The Latasha Norman Memorial

P a l e s t i n e F r e e V o i c e©: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job

P a l e s t i n e F r e e V o i c e©: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job

Man who set up Operation Gladio tells Italy's largest newspaper "attacks were run by CIA and Mossad".

Paul Joseph Watson - Prison Planet Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Former Italian President and the man who revealed the existence of Operation Gladio Francesco Cossiga has gone public on 9/11, telling Italy's most respected newspaper that the attacks were run by the CIA and Mossad and that this was common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies.Cossiga was elected President of the Italian Senate in July 1983 before winning a landslide 1985 election to become President of the country in 1985.

Cossiga gained respect from opposition parties as one of a rare breed - an honest politician - and led the country for seven years until April 1992.Cossiga's tendency to be outspoken upset the Italian political establishment and he was forced to resign after revealing the existence of, and his part in setting up, Operation Gladio - a rogue intelligence network under NATO auspices that carried out bombings across Europe in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

Gladio's specialty was to carry out what they coined "false flag operations," terror attacks that were blamed on their domestic and geopolitical opposition.Cossiga's revelations contributed to an Italian parliamentary investigation of Gladio in 2000, during which evidence was unearthed that the attacks were being overseen by the U.S. intelligence apparatus.In March 2001, Gladio agent Vincenzo Vinciguerra stated, in sworn testimony, "You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game.

The Audacity of Oprah

The Audacity of Oprah: "I say all this because I'm intrigued by the brouhaha attending Oprah Winfrey's decision to endorse Barack Obama's candidacy. The Internet is positively foaming at her decision to campaign for him. Celebrities--from Toby Keith to Sammy Davis Jr., from Barbra Streisand to Jon Bon Jovi--have always stumped for candidates, but a lot of people seem to feel that Oprah is different. She's not a background singer; she is no mere decorative backdrop. Oprah can turn a book into a bestseller!, fume the blogs. When she lends her magic touch, it's somehow complicated or even unfair. I suspect that some of the controversy comes from those who like Obama and don't relate to Oprah's television persona, or vice versa. But it's interesting to contemplate: what does it mean that some people are so concerned about whether this particular celebrity ought to express herself in the political realm?"

afro presencia: New Stem Cells Reverse Sickle Cell Anemia in Mice

afro presencia: "'Scientists have succeeded in using cells virtually identical to embryonic stem cells to 'correct' sickle cell anemia in mice,' Amanda Gardner reports in the Washington Post. By using a new technique that takes skin cells and grows them so that they can be used in place of stem cells, scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research 'have cured sickle cell anemia in mice by rewinding their skin cells to an embryonic state and manipulating them to create healthy, genetically matched replacement tissue,' adds Karen Kaplan in the Los Angeles Times."

Black women missing, who would know?

MISSING BLACK WOMEN, who would know??????
By George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

I'm sure by now most of you may have heard of the case of Latasha Norman a Jackson State University student who was recently reported missing and found dead.

You are also probably aware of the lack of media attention the case got. What's especially galling in the case of Latasha Norman is that she was everything a parent could ask for.

She was a college student, active in the church, and working a job. She was the type of daughter any parent would want and if she had been white we would have inundated with stories about her constantly. Hell they may have put up a statue by now.

But that of course is not the case. Latasha Norman was black and could barely get five minutes of air time. Natalee Holloway who did not deserve whatever happened to her was out partying, drinking, and having sex with a guy she just met and two years later she can still be the #1 news story on cable news. Not only does she still get air time but there are panels of legal "experts" discussing her case ,TWO YEARS LATER!

There is the case of Emily Sander a young white women better known as Zoey Zane. Zoey Zane was her porn name. Sadly she went missing and was later found dead. She led a life that sadly may have lead to her death and set a bad example for young girls but she still got more coverage than Latasha Norman.

What kind of message are we sending when one girl who is doing everything society ask of her and can't get coverage for her case and another who was doing things we don't want minors to do can dominate the news headlines?

There are more current cases of missing black women:

Denise Hart of Schenectady NY

Elmora Charles of Tucson Arizona.

Celcila Engrums- Fayetteville NC

Sadly there are many more and to find out more and I would suggest an excellent blog on this subject Black & Missing but not Forgotten. You can check it out at:

blackandmissing.blogspot.com/

It's obvious that the main stream media is not going to cover these cases with the attention they deserve. I think it's time we ask black radio, newspapers, web sites, television , and magazines to step up and aggressively cover these cases. We have to help our OWN! No one else is going to do it.

George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com