Prince Malachi The First's Posts (11698)

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EJ Manuel knew that Florida State's offense had a tough job to do, keeping pace with Clemson's face-paced and potent attack.

Slowed by a costly fumble and two missed field goals in the first half, the fourth-ranked Seminoles used a 35-3 run in a 20-minute span of the second half Saturday night to remain unbeaten with a 49-37 over 10th-ranked Clemson.
"We just knew we had to keep scoring points to help our defense out," Manuel said. "Those guys (Clemson), they could throw up 50 points easily."
The biggest Atlantic Coast Conference game in years was a wild one for a while before Manuel put the Seminoles' offense into high gear to away.
Seminoles (4-0, 2-0) emerged as national contenders for the first time in a long time, since Bobby Bowden was directing Florida State in the early 2000s, and Manuel will likely start showing up prominently on more than a few Heisman Trophy watch lists.
Clemson (3-1, 0-1) built a 28-14 lead early in the third quarter on a 52-yard pass from All-American receiver Sammy Watkins to Andre Ellington before the Seminole explosion.
"The game got away from us.... We have to stay focused," Clemson's Andre Ellington said.
The two teams combined for 1,093 yards offense as Clemson put up 426 yards against the nation's top-ranked defense.
Manuel was brilliant, completing 27 of 35 passes for a career-high 380 yards while rushing for another 102 to become the first Seminole quarterback since Charlie Ward in 1992 to pass for more than 300 yards and run for over 100 in a game.
"They were mixing up looks and bringing in blitzes from everywhere and he made plays when he had to," said Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, in his third season as Bowden's successor. "I don't remember him making a bad decision all night."
Manuel got plenty of help from the tailback tandem of Chris Thompson and James Wilder Jr., who each scored twice and accounted for 168 more rushing yards with Thompson's 103 giving him 300 in two ACC games.
"We couldn't stop the run," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "Right there at the end, the momentum change late in the third quarter going into the fourth quarter, we just weren't able to turn it back."
Florida State trailed until late in the third quarter, taking its first lead at 35-31 on Manuel's 29-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Smith. The Seminoles, who finished with 667 yards, built a 49-31 lead before Clemson scored late.
Florida State had another 211 yards in punt and kickoff returns, including a 90-yard kickoff return by Lamarcus Joyner that set up Manuel's touchdown throw to Rashad Greene that brought the Seminoles to within 31-28.
"That was two very good football teams throwing haymakers at each other right from the opening bell," Fisher said. "I can't say enough about our player's ability to overcome adversity."
Florida State, which just missed scoring 50 or more points for a fourth straight game, is averaging 56.2 points and 574.5 yards offense a game as it prepares to step out of conference play next weekend at South Florida.
The first half was eerily similar to last year's game at Clemson when the Tigers rolled up 443 yards and 26 first downs in a 35-30 win when Manuel was sidelined with a shoulder injury.
The two teams combined for 361 yards offense in a wild first quarter Saturday.
The Tigers needed just 86 seconds to reach the end zone as DeAndre Hopkins blew past Florida State safety Terrence Brooks on a 60-yard scoring bomb from Tajh Boyd - the first touchdown scored against the Seminole defense this season. But more were to come.
A trick play set up Clemson's second TD, a 6-yard run by Ellington. Darrell Smith got a yard on a shovel pass from holder Spencer Benton on a fake field goal from the Florida State 15 two plays earlier.
Yet another trick play gave Clemson its 28-14 lead when Watkins took a lateral from Boyd and then threw back across the field to Ellington on a 52-yard scoring play. Although Watkins had 109 all-purpose yards, he was kept out of the end zone.
But Florida State responded quickly, sandwiching a pair of TDs around a 50-yard field goal by Clemson's Chandler Catanzaro.
Clemson led 21-14 at the half, capitalizing on a fumble by Greene to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 17-yard pass from Boyd to Brandon Ford.
Boyd completed 20 of 36 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns for Clemson.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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While promoting his upcoming film opposite Lena Headey and Karl Urban in “Dred 3-D” actor Wood Harris mentioned to Blackfilm.com that he’s set to play Malcolm X in the Lifetime film, “Betty and Coretta.”

Harris joins a cast that includes Angela Bassett, Ruby Dee, Mary J. Blige, and Malik Yoba.

The tells the dual stories of Coretta Scott King andDr. Betty Shabazz as they carry on as single mothers following the assassinations of their husbands, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Bassett will play King opposite Mary J. Blige, who co-stars as Shabazz. Dee will appear onscreen as a historical witness to narrate the duo’s story as someone familiar with the events of both their lives. Yoba plays Martin Luther King Jr.

Larry Stanitsky, Blige, Jaja Johnson and Polly Anthony are on board to executive produce the project, with Shem Bitterman and Ron Hutchinson attached to pen the project; Yves Simoneau will direct.

 

 

Read Original Article At Black Blue Dog

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RG3 Says He Took Cheap Shots from Rams

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Pushed and shoved throughout a game he felt was "unprofessional" and "dirty," Robert Griffin III finally heard the obvious from one of the St. Louis Rams defensive players.

"I remember one play," the Washington Redskins quarterback said. "After the play, the guy said: 'We're going to hit you every play.'
"I said: 'Isn't this football?' It's nothing that I'm not used to. It was extremely weird the way they went about it, though."
Sunday's 31-28 loss was barely over when the Redskins starting talking about replacement officials who had lost control and Rams players who were engaged in too much rough stuff after the whistle.
A few days have gone by, but it's still too raw to let it rest. Griffin is going to handle the ball a lot this year -- he already had 20 rushes in addition to 55 pass attempts -- so the Redskins don't want him taking any extra hits, especially ones he feels aren't clean.
"There was some extracurricular stuff going on after the plays," Griffin said. "They were doing a lot of dirty things. I still think they have an extremely good team, that doesn't take anything away from them, but the game was unprofessional. Who am I to talk? I've barely been a pro for very long, but from what I experienced against the Saints compared to that game, it was definitely unprofessional and it does need to be cleaned up."
Griffin was sacked only once by the Rams, but he was knocked down several times.
"I don't want to tip-toe the lines of anything that's happened with bounties or anything like that, but they were definitely going after me," Griffin said. "They made it a point, obviously, all week to hit me. Some of the shots were cheap of that nature. But it's nothing I can control. Teams are going to try to hit me because they don't think I can take a hit. I think I've proved over my career that I can."
It's something the Redskins have to watch as they prepare for this week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The replacement officials are getting a reputation for letting players get away with more.
"You have to have people take control," coach Mike Shanahan said. "And there wasn't any control in that game. Hopefully officials next week will take control. That's what you have to do as an official."
If the first couple of weeks are any indication, the Redskins (1-1) are going to have to rely on Griffin more than planned this season. Traditionally, rookie quarterbacks succeed when they're surrounded by a solid running game and good defense, but Washington has already allowed 63 points and has lost injured defensive starters Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker for the season.
Click here to read more.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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Kim Kardashian may be one of the most popular reality television stars, but the 31-year-old said she would like the opportunity to walk in the shoes of Jesus Christ for a day.

Kardashian made a recent promotional stop in Sydney, Australia where she answered questions for News.com.au. When asked who she would swap her life with for one day, the Son of God was the first choice for the reality television star.
"Jesus," Kardashian answered. "Because I think it would be pretty fascinating to see the power that he had."
Kardashian has been vocal about being a Christian in previous interviews, including one with Oprah Winfrey in June.
"I hardly drink, I go to church on Sundays," Kardashian told Winfrey during part two of her interview on "Oprah's Next Chapter." "I'm so far removed from my image."
While many remember the reality television star for coming into the spotlight after being featured in a pornographic tape, the reality television star has indeed been spending 2012 in church. Kardashian has been pictured attending services at Life Change Community Church in Agoura Hills, Calif., this year, and even spoke about starting her own Bible study.
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SOURCE: Christian Post
Christine Thomasos
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Wal-Mart Stops Selling Amazon Kindles


 

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Wal-Mart Stores Inc will no longer sell Amazon.com Inc's Kindle eReaders and tablets, severing its relationship with a major competitor and placing a bet that consumers are more interested in Apple's iPad and other gadgets.
The world's largest retailer, which has been trying to catch up to Amazon in online sales, said the decision was consistent with its overall merchandising strategy.
Owners of Kindle tablets such as the new Kindle Fire HD can shop on the devices for millions of items beyond digital books. This allows Amazon to compete with stores on more lines of merchandise. This spring, Target Corp stopped selling the products.
Amazon has already tested physical stores for other goods. Now, with two large chains no longer selling Kindle, speculation has grown that the dominant online retailer could open its stores where shoppers could try out and buy Kindles.
Amazon "is a little bit of a Trojan horse" when the Kindle is sold in other stores, said Sucharita Mulpuru, retail analyst at Forrester Research. "They should have made this decision to not carry the Kindle a long time ago."
The timing of the decision to pull the plug on Kindles, which was reported first by Reuters, means that Wal-Mart will miss out on holiday season sales of the newest Kindle tablets, which range in price from $159 to $599.
"We have recently made the business decision to not carry Amazon tablets and eReaders beyond our existing inventory and purchase commitments," Wal-Mart said in a memo sent to store managers on Wednesday. "This includes all Amazon Kindle models current and recently announced."
A Wal-Mart spokeswoman confirmed the decision and said the company would keep selling "a broad assortment" of other tablets, eReaders and accessories. Amazon declined to comment.
Best Buy Co Inc and RadioShack Corp, meanwhile, said they would keep selling Kindle products.
Amazon wants to get its tablet into the hands of consumers to make it a cash register of sorts, said Scott Tilghman, an analyst at Caris & Company. The case could be made that if Wal-Mart and Target are cannibalizing their own sales by selling Kindle tablets, which allow Amazon to compete with them.
Amazon's margins on selling Kindle are believed to be thinner than those of other gadget makers, in particular Apple Inc. As a result, Amazon may not have much in the way of profits to share with retailers.
"I think part of it could be margin, though the bigger point is that Wal-Mart and Target view Amazon as a competitor," Tilghman said.
Amazon does not disclose the margins on the devices, nor has it said how many it sells versus how many retailers sell.
Amazon's eReaders are the best-selling electronic readers, with the first version of the Kindle Fire tablet grabbing about a fifth of the U.S. tablet market. Amazon launched a range of new tablets earlier this month, some aimed at the top end of the market to compete with Apple's more expensive iPad.
Wal-Mart continues to sell iPads, Barnes & Noble Inc's Nook, Google Inc's Nexus 7, Samsung's Galaxy Tab and other tablets and eReaders.
Tablet owners are most satisfied with Apple's iPad, followed closely by Amazon's products, according to a J.D. Power and Associates tablet satisfaction study released last week.
Searches for "Kindle" on the websites of Walmart and the company's Sam's Club warehouse chain on Thursday brought up items such as cases and screen protectors used with the Kindle, as well as gadgets from other companies.
Shares of Wal-Mart were up 0.5 percent at $74.74 on Thursday afternoon, while shares of Amazon.com were down 0.9 percent at $259.33.
 
SOURCE: Reuters
(Additional reporting by Alistair Barr in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Steve Orlofsky and David Gregorio)
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Extreme Couponing - Some Information

 

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Most of us have been attached to our seats watching The Learning Channel (TLC) Program 'Extreme Couponing', since it is an exciting and fascinating program for most of us, who enjoy saving some amount of money with the help of coupons. However, most of you might have got a doubt whether the program is based on fiction or whether it is based on facts. In an interview, the program organizer said that when the program was first aired in the television, his inbox was filled with lots of mails from the viewers asking a wide range of questions about becoming an extreme couponer. The concept behind the show is purchasing a room of personal products and groceries without spending any huge sums of money.

But, unluckily for the most part, the scenarios that we saw are tough to duplicate in many of the land stores where we shop for our requirements. Here is the reason for the same:

Many stores have a restriction on the number of discount vouchers to be used for purchasing a single product at one time. For instance, visiting a store with 100 coupons for procuring six cases of a single product is not permitted by most of the stores. Another reason is that the increasing number of policies printed on discount vouchers. For instance, the coupon might read that you can only cash in only up to ten coupons for ten of the products at one time.

Another reason is that most of the stores doubling coupons generally place a limit on the number of coupons that can be redeemed per day. Even though, this policy is not followed by all stores, nowadays, there is an increase in this kind of restriction policy as the stores are absorbing the cost of doubling discount vouchers. One more reason is that most of the grocery stores will be doubling a discount voucher up to the cost of the product. For instance, if you have a discount voucher for $2.00 off an item that is being sold at the cost of $2.50, most of the stores will give only double the coupon maximum to $2.50. Even though, this is a fantastic deal, it will not pay for the streaks in the basket of the purchaser.

Nowadays, there are good websites offering effective tips for people looking for extreme couponing in such a way that they can save a huge sum of money on purchase of groceries and other important items. With the help of the tips offered by these sites, purchasers can save huge sum of money.

We provide an extreme couponing services for people who are looking for specific coupons or a LOT of them. affordable extreme couponing services offer the possibility of online grocery coupons.

 

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U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in Schiller Park on September 17, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images North America)
President Obama's approval rating is back above 50 percent for the first time since May.
A new Associated Press-GfK poll found that Americans are feeling better about the country's future and the president's job performance.
But the poll also shows that Republican challenger Mitt Romney remains neck-and-neck with the president in the race for the White House.
Obama is supported by 47 percent of likely voters and Romney by 46 percent.
Meanwhile, Romney has continued to take heat over his remarks that most Obama supporters see themselves as 'victims' who rely on government support.
But the president is coming under fire for comments he made in 1998 saying that he supports re-distribution of wealth.
"I think the trick is figuring out, how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution -- at least at a certain level -- to make sure that everybody's got a shot," he said.
Romney said this comment shows that Obama thinks the government should take from some to give to others.
Click here to view video report.
SOURCE: CBN News
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Who says you should never discuss religion and politics?
They're two big topics Denzel Washington, who grew up surrounded by religion as the son of a Pentacostal preacher, touches on in a new interview with GQ. He also talks about his troubled relationship with his father, his thoughts on Whitney Houston's death, and why Mitt Romney seems so uncomfortable all the time.
"I read from the Bible every day, and I read my Daily Word," the actor says in magazine's October issue, when asked if there's a code he currently lives by. He also reveals the memorable spiritual experience he had 30 years ago, at the church he still attends. "The minister was preaching, 'Just let it go.' I said, 'I'm going to go with it.' And I had this tremendous physical and spiritual experience. It did frighten me. I was slobbering, crying, sweating. My cheeks blew up. I was purging. It was too intense. It almost drove me away. I called my mother, and she said I was being filled with the Holy Spirit. I was like, 'Does that mean I can never have wine again?'"
After Washington's parents separated when he was 14, his relationship with his father crumbled. "It was a different time. Once they were separated, I was in school. So 70 percent of the year, I was away. In the summer, I wasn't looking to track him down. I was ready to hit the streets. So you just kind of fade.... Not to say that I didn't love him like a dad. But we didn't play ball, those types of things," Washington shares. When he was 18 he tried living with his dad, but the elder Washington kicked him out, explaining, "You're just bad." He died when Washington began shooting "Malcolm X" in 1991. "I never shed a tear for my father. That sounds like a book or a song. I never did all through the funeral and all that. There was no connection," the dad of four tells GQ.
Another death he recently had to come to terms with was that of Whitney Houston, whom he calls "his girl" but "not talk every month friends."
"That was a monster drug that got ahold of her, it was a mean one. You can't go back to that one. Nobody beats that. I look at people -- and I don't think I'm speaking out of line -- Sam Jackson, I've known for thirty-some-odd years, he was down at the bottom. And he came all the way back. And when he cleaned up, he never looked back. But he can't have that beer, because it might lead to the tough thing." Washington continues: "You know, they made her this thing. She had a voice, obviously, but they packaged her into this whole whatever, but she was really just this humble, sweet girl ... and then the next thing you know, her body was betraying her. She didn't know that her body was aging quickly. She couldn't take it. Your body can only take so much. Some people survive [Hollywood and fame], and some people don't."
Click here to read more.
 
SOURCE: omg! Yahoo!
Lizbeth Scordo | The Juice
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If you go into shock after seeing the grocery bill, change your habits. There are ways to fill the shopping cart with groceries while avoiding the need to work a second job to afford them. Follow these tips when grocery shopping and the household budget will remain intact without anyone resorting to eating popcorn for every meal. Whether shopping for one or an entire family, use these guidelines to save the most money.

The Frugal Shopping Process

Review supermarket ads, comparing prices to find the best deals on needed items. Look for produce sales and purchase vegetables and fruits when they are in season because they are least expensive then. If there are farm or produce markets in the area, stop there to compare prices. These are sometimes cheaper than chain grocery stores. Purchase as many grocery items in bulk as possible, especially dry goods like pasta, cereal, sugar, rice, beans, and flour that have long shelf lives.

To extend its lifetime, store food in airtight storage containers or plastic freezer bags. Convenience foods like prewashed greens and bags of sliced vegetables typically cost more. so avoid them. Also, stay away from prepared entrees like storemade dinners because these are usually much more expensive than the cost of purchasing and preparing the individual components, which also yields more food. When shopping for packaged items, compare the cost per volume rather than focusing on the final price.

Keeping Meat Costs Low

Meat can be a very expensive item on the grocery list. By purchasing a less expensive cut of meat, shoppers can get the same flavorful results if they have enough time to cook or marinate. Larger cuts of meat are usually sold at lower prices per pound. Portions that are not immediately used can be labeled and frozen.

With less tender meats, select bone-in versions like lamb shanks, veal breast, and chuck blade steaks. These tend to be less costly and the bone provides additional flavoring to soups and stews. Do not avoid fat because it makes meat less expensive. Skim off excess fat after cooking and enjoy cheaper braised beef chuck, ham, and pot roast.

These are just a few ways to keep grocery shopping bills low while enjoying favorite foods. Taking a frugal approach to grocery shopping without making sacrifices gives the household budget some breathing room. The family will enjoy delicious, healthy meals without any additional strain on living expenses.

If you found these grocery shopping tips useful, you will love our online shopping tips as well! PupusBlog.com is a website devoted to shopping tips and budget-friendly ideas. If you want to save money on your next trip to the store, visit our website first!

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New Pictures Of iPad Mini Surface?

New Pictures Of iPad Mini Surface?

With the iPhone 5 launch now appearing in the rear view mirror, it’s time to turn our attention to another one of Apple’s upcoming big launches and this time it has to do with their tablet. With other companies showing considerable success with smaller form factor tablets, Apple is planning on following suit with the release of one of their own.

(...)
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America's greatest crisis today is not economic, nor is it political, social or military. To be sure, we are a nation that is terribly divided, both politically and socially, while our economy continues to reel and anti-American riots continue to grow worldwide. 
 
 
But our greatest crisis goes deeper. It is a spiritual crisis, and because it is a spiritual crisis, it is a moral crisis. The light within us has become dark (see Matt. 6:23) and the salt has lost its saltiness (see Matt. 5:13). The Church of Jesus, which is called to be the spiritual lamp and the moral preservative of society, has fallen asleep. The awakening must begin with us.
This is not to minimize the many acute problems we face in our country today. Abortion on demand still takes more than a million lives a year. The family unit continues to erode. Gay activism continues to challenge our biblical values and freedoms. Human trafficking, gang violence, teen drug use, and a host of other social ills stare us in the face. But our problem is not so much the presence of darkness as it is the absence of light. The finger must first be pointed at us.
You see, it is to be expected that sinful people do sinful things and that worldly people do worldly things. But it is unexpected when those called to be righteous live just like the world, when the sins of the society become the sins of the church, when it is the world that changes the church rather than the church that changes the world. Can anyone really dispute that for the last generation this is exactly what has happened?
It was Dr. Martin Luther King who noted that, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool." This certainly cuts to the core of the never-ending debate about the meaning of the separation of church and state. But King also issued this warning: "If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."
What an indictment of the American church today. Having lost our prophetic zeal--our consciousness of God, our conviction of sin, our brokenness for the lost, our courage to go against the grain and challenge the status quo, our moral imperative--we have become, in all too many cases, an irrelevant social club. In fact, it would not be that far out of line for many of our religious assemblies to change their marquees to read, "Irrelevant Social Club: Meets Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights."
Source: Charisma News
Michael Brown is the author of The Real Kosher Jesus and the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience.
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Peyton Manning kept throwing up wobbly passes. 
The Atlanta Falcons kept picking them off.
Taking advantage of a stunning three interceptions in the first quarter, Matt Ryan and the Falcons built a big lead and held on for a 27-21 victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday night, an erratic effort by Manning that showed his comeback in the Mile High City is still a work in progress.
Ryan threw the 100th touchdown pass of his career, Roddy White had 102 yards receiving and the Falcons (2-0) made a 20-0 lead stand up, if just barely.
Willis McGahee scored on two 2-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to give the Broncos (1-1) late hope. But, on third down, Ryan connected with Julio Jones on a 6-yard pass that gave Atlanta a crucial first down with less than 2 minutes to go.
They managed to run out the clock from there.
For Manning and the Broncos, it's back to the drawing board.
Even though his velocity is supposed to be nearly the same as it was before four neck surgeries and missing his entire final season in Indianapolis, Manning threw a number of passes that seemed to just hang in the air long enough for the Falcons to step in front of them. Other times, it looked as though he had to put everything he had on the ball to get it where he wanted, even if it wasn't necessarily a deep route.
He finished 24 of 37 for 241 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas just before halftime.
The only other time Manning was picked off three times in the opening quarter was with the Colts in a 2007 game at San Diego.
Ryan was much more efficient than the four-time MVP, completing 24 of 36 for 219 yards. He hooked up with Tony Gonzalez for a 1-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, then went to White on a 4-yard score in the third period.
Michael Turner scored Atlanta's first TD on a 1-yard run, the play set up by the first of Manning's picks. Matt Bryant kicked two field goals for the Falcons.
McGahee finished with 113 yards on 22 carries.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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The Rev. A. R. Bernard leads the Christian Cultural Center in East New York. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
Some black clergy, seeing no good presidential choice between a Mormon candidate and one who supports gay marriage, are telling their flocks to stay home on Election Day, a worrisome message in a tight race.
The pastors say their congregants are asking how a true Christian could back same-sex marriage, as President Barack Obama did in May. As for Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon nominee from a major party, congregants are questioning the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its former ban on men of African descent in the priesthood.
There's no question which candidate is expected to win the black vote. In 2008, Obama won 95 percent of black voters and is likely to get an overwhelming majority again. But the nation's first African-American president can't afford to lose any voters from his base.
"When President Obama made the public statement on gay marriage, I think it put a question in our minds as to what direction he's taking the nation," said the Rev. A.R. Bernard, founder of the predominantly African-American Christian Cultural Center in New York. Bernard, whose endorsement is much sought-after in New York and beyond, voted for Obama in 2008. He said he's unsure how he'll vote this year.
It's unclear just how widespread the sentiment is that African-American Christians would be better off not voting at all. Many pastors have said that despite their misgivings about the candidates, blacks have fought too hard for the vote to ever stay away from the polls.
Black church leaders have begun get-out-the-vote efforts on a wide range of issues, including the proliferation of state voter identification laws, which critics say discriminate against minorities. Last Easter Sunday, a month before Obama's gay marriage announcement, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant of Baltimore formed the Empowerment Network, a national coalition of about 30 denominations working to register congregants and provide them with background on health care, the economy, education and other policy issues.
Yet, Bryant last month told The Washington Informer, an African-American newsweekly, "This is the first time in black church history that I'm aware of that black pastors have encouraged their parishioners not to vote." Bryant, who opposes gay marriage, said the president's position on marriage is "at the heart" of the problem.
Bryant was traveling and could not be reached for additional comment, his spokeswoman said.
The circumstances of the 2012 campaign have led to complex conversations about faith, politics and voting.
The Rev. George Nelson Jr., senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, participated in a conference call with other African-American pastors the day after Obama's announcement during which the ministers resolved to oppose gay marriage. Nelson said Obama's statement had caused a "storm" in the African-American community.
Still, he said "I would never vote for a man like Romney," because Nelson has been taught in the Southern Baptist Convention that Mormonism is a cult.
As recently as the 2008 GOP primaries, the SBC's Baptist Press ran articles calling the LDS church a cult. This year, however, prominent Southern Baptists have discouraged use of the term when addressing theological differences with Mormonism. Many Southern Baptist leaders have emphasized there are no religious obstacles to voting for a Mormon.
Nelson planned to vote and has told others to do the same. He declined to say which candidate he would support.
"Because of those that made sacrifices in days gone by and some greater than others with their lives. It would be totally foolish for me to mention staying away from the polls," he said in an email exchange.
Romney has pledged to uphold conservative positions on social issues, including opposing abortion and gay marriage. But many black pastors worry about his Mormon beliefs. Christians generally do not see Mormonism as part of historic Christianity, although Mormons do.
African-Americans generally still view the church as racist. When LDS leaders lifted the ban on blacks in the priesthood in 1978, church authorities never said why. The Mormon community has grown more diverse, and the church has repeatedly condemned racism. However, while most Christian denominations have publicly repented for past discrimination, Latter-day Saints never formally apologized.
Bernard is among the traditional Christians who voted for Obama in 2008 and are now undecided because of the president's support for gay marriage. But Bernard is also troubled by Romney's faith.
"To say you have a value for human life and exclude African-American human life, that's problematic," Bernard said, about the priesthood ban. "How can I judge the degree to which candidate Romney is going to allow his Mormonism to influence his policies? I don't know. I can't."
Romney said in a 2007 speech that LDS authorities would have no influence on his policies as president. He also said he wept when he learned that the priesthood ban had been abolished because he was anxious for it to be lifted. But that has done little to change perceptions among African-Americans and others.
"Obama was supposed to answer for the things that Rev. Wright said," said the Rev. Floyd James of the Greater Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, at a recent meeting of the historically black National Baptist Convention. "Yet here's a guy (Romney) who was a leader in his own church that has that kind of history, and he isn't held to some kind of account? I have a problem with that."
Obama broke in 2008 with his longtime Chicago pastor, Jeremiah Wright, after videos of his incendiary sermons were broadcast.
Many Democrats and Republicans have argued that Romney's faith should be off limits. The Rev. Derrick Harkins, faith outreach director for the Democratic National Committee, travels around the country speaking to African-American pastors and other clergy. He said concerns over gay marriage have receded as other issues take precedence, and no pastors have raised Mormonism in their conversations with him about the two candidates.
"There's just no space in this campaign for casting aspersions on anyone's faith," Harkins said in a phone interview. "It's not morally upright. It's not ethically appropriate."
The Rev. Howard-John Wesley, who leads the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., said he is telling his congregants, "Let's not make the election a decision about someone's salvation." Last spring, when it became clear that Romney would be the GOP nominee, congregants starting asking about Mormonism, so Wesley organized a class on the faith. He said congregants ultimately decided that "we could not put Mormons under the boundaries of orthodox Christianity."
But Wesley said, "I don't want Gov. Romney to have to defend the Mormon church, the way President Obama had to defend Jeremiah Wright." Wesley, whose congregation has more than 5,000 members, said he will be voting for Obama.
The Rev. Lin Hill, an associate pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Va., said in a phone interview that he plans to travel with other local pastors to about 50 congregations over two weeks to hold discussions and distribute voter guides that will include a contrast between historic Christianity and Mormonism, and educate congregants about the former priesthood ban.
Hill is active in his local Democratic Party but said he's acting independently of the campaign. He said Mormon theology becomes relevant when congregants argue that they can't vote for Obama because, as a Christian, he should have opposed gay marriage.
"If you're going to take a tenet of a religion and let that dissuade you from voting, then we have to," discuss Mormon doctrine, Hill said. "We want folks to have a balanced view of both parties, but we can't do that without the facts."
The Rev. Dwight McKissic, a prominent Southern Baptist and black preacher, describes himself as a political independent who didn't support Obama in 2008 because of his position on social issues. McKissic said Obama's support for same-gender marriage "betrayed the Bible and the black church." Around the same time, McKissic was researching Mormonism for a sermon and decided to propose a resolution to the annual Southern Baptist Convention that would have condemned Mormon "racist teachings."
McKissic's Mormon resolution failed.
On Election Day, McKissic said, "I plan to go fishing."
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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TobyMac, pictured, and Lecrae lead a new wave of Christian music mainstream success. (LEE STEFFEN)
 
Christian Music's Moment: How TobyMac and Lecrae Conquered the Countdown
For the first time in 15 years, a Christian album is No. 1. TIME examines how Christian music hit the mainstream and why it's here to stay
There's a whole lot of Jesus running through Americans' earbuds, at least according to the latest Billboard and iTunes numbers. In back-to-back weeks Christian artists TobyMac and Lecrae released new albums that made even mainstream artists listen up as they both stormed up the charts.
Earlier this month TobyMac jumped to the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart with Eye On It, the first Christian album to reach the No. 1 spot since Bob Carlisle's Adult Contemporary hit Butterfly Kisses 15 years ago. But TobyMac isn't exactly AC. His blend of rock/pop/hip-hop--"schizophrenic pop" he jokes to TIME--is a new sound to reach such levels of success: an overtly Christian artist who sings, talks and raps about Jesus.
And if you want to hear something else as different from Christian AC as you can get, then take Lecrae, a hip-hop artist debuting at No. 3 on this week's Billboard Top 200 chart with Gravity. He has already claimed the top overall spot on iTunes, including concurrently owning the first, second and seventh slots on iTunes' hip-hop chart for the deluxe and regular versions of Gravity and his album Church Clothes. Just like TobyMac, whom he collaborated with on Eye On It, there's no sidestepping what drives him: Lecrae tells TIME he wants his album to "change the way people see the world and let my faith bleed out in my music."
In an industry not exactly known for its embracing of a Christian worldview, Lecrae has made his Christian perspective paramount, calling out those making masochistic, violent, self-centered music ("I'm passionate about my faith and want to create great music that provides an alternative perspective," he tells TIME).
The fresh faces emerging these days prove that "Christian music" doesn't have to mean an old-school sound. "That wall is coming down between Christian music and Christians making music," TobyMac says. And this, he says, "is a beautiful thing."
Lecrae explains how he bridges this former divide. He says first and foremost he's a hip-hop artist. But faith defines who he is as a person, so his music naturally tackles a variety of issues from that worldview. "You have to look at Christian as a noun in terms of a person," he says. "I'm a Christian; hip-hop is a culture. You have a Christian within a culture doing hip-hop music."
He says that artists within his culture understand that viewpoint and appreciate his authenticity. "I'm not some rapper trying to cash in, trying to call myself a Christian," Lecrae says. "I'm not some church boy trying to do rap music."
Al Branch, general manager of Blueprint Management Group and Geffen Records (affiliated with Interscope), who has worked with Kanye West, agree. He credits the rise of Lecrae and TobyMac to their artistic genuineness and dependability. "They have created their own niche and nurtured that," he says. "You have to be consistent. That is the key."
And beyond that, Branch credits the artists with getting their names out to build the curiosity that leads to album listens among traditionally secular audiences, even with extremely limited airplay. Lecrae, for example, performed at SXSW 2012 and the 2011 BET Awards, which Branch calls a "pivotal point in his career."
"[Lecrae] has been at places that most Christian rappers don't go," says Branch. "He's not afraid to get out there and let his light shine. I'm not saying he should be at a strip club, but just be yourself."
Christian musicians have always sought crossover success, explains Rod Riley, CEO of Word, Warner Music's Christian label, as a way to spread the message, and what we're seeing could be just the tip of the iceberg. TobyMac may be the first Christian artist besides Carlisle and LeAnn Rimes to take the top spot on the charts, but in recent years, as the artists, writers and producers have all grown in talent, according to Riley, the popularity of Christian music has grown. In 2011, Christian artists Casting Crowns and Red both debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and earlier this year David Crowder Band, a rock-worship group, moved into the No. 2 slot. And increased success on the Billboard charts falls in line with increased touring and fes draws. Winter Jam, a Christian tour, has been rated as the top-grossing tour in recent years.
"If you look at the progression of the scene, I put the artistry talent right up there with what is happening elsewhere," Riley says. "The message is about hope and love, which is universal."
Lecrae says he's glad to see a growing audience. "I'm sure there are people who respect me, but not enjoy me," he says. "They respect my perspective and quality of the music, but don't enjoy the challenge to be responsible. Some people don't want to hear that. But I think a more mature listenership is being developed."
Click here to read more.
 
SOURCE: TIME Magazine
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Gemstones used to be signed to 1st & 15th Entertainment  and roll with Lupe Fiasco. But then he got saved. Now he's ready to hit you with his  second free album since leaving Lupe's label. The free album is entitled 'Elephant In The Room,' and will be available in October 2012. The album could be a lead up to his first major album 'Blind Elephant' coming February 2013.
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You have to respect artists who are seeking to break the trend and do something a little bit different.  The Christian rapper Lecrae is doing just that. It appears that the brother is really doing serious numbers, enough to get the attention of the industry.  Let’s see where this goes, but it looks like he’s trying to make a difference.  Good for him.

Some are saying that Christian rap is a fad that will disappear as quickly as it arrived.   Some are saying that it’s a wave of the future.  Well, with all the gangsta rap that’s taken over during the past two decades, it might be time to go after something difference.  Maybe Lecrae should change his name to “The Answer.”

Read Original Article At Reason 4 Rhymes

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Apple has finally unveiled the massively anticipated iPhone 5.


Photos: Apple


CEO Tim Cook taking the stage in San Francisco, said 'Apple has never been stronger' as the new handset was revealed.
It has a larger 4" screen, along with a new dock connector and headphone design.
The phone will go on sale on September 21st, and will cost the same as the previous version, the 4S.
With a casing made from glass and aluminium, is it also the thinnest iPhone ever made, at just 7.6mm thick
It also contains an eight-megapixel camera which can take 28-megapixel panoramic shots.
Apple confirmed the phone, available in black and white, has a four-inch display, - 1136x640 - which is the same width as previous models but taller.
It uses a new display which is 30 per cent thinner that previous handsets.
Schiller, vice president of marketing, said: 'It is designed to fit in the hand, and all of our software is being updated to take advantage of this display.'
The handset also has a new chip, the Apple A6, which is twice as fast as previous versions but 22% smaller.
The iPhone is expected to be the biggest selling in Apple's history, with an estimated 8m set to be sold according to some estimates.
The battle for domination of the mobile market has become increasingly heated recently with Apple's competitors taking it on with a series of new products.
The firm boasted the new handset has eight hours of 3G talk time, and a 225 hour standby time.
It also has an eight megapixel camera with a 3264x2448 sensor, and has improved its performance in low light, and a lens made from sapphire crystal.
The handset also now has a panorama mode to create wide shots. 'The ocean looks bluer, kids look happier,' joked Schiller. 
Click here to read more.
SOURCE: DailyMail
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President Barack Obama says the U.S. is safer and its people resilient on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama laid a wreath at the Pentagon, one of several official observances marking the suicide hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001.
Aided by a Marine honor guard, Obama placed a white floral wreath on a metal stand above a concrete slab that said "Sept. 11, 2001 - 9:37 am." A moment of silence began at precisely 9:37 a.m.
In remarks at the Pentagon, Obama recalled a day "when grief crashed over us like an awful wave."
Later Tuesday, the president was to visit wounded soldiers and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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Florida A&M University, which has been rocked by a hazing scandal for nearly a year, insists in legal papers filed Monday that it is not to blame for the tragic death last year of drum major Robert Champion.

 
The university maintained that it was Champion, not the school, who bears the ultimate responsibility for his death. Champion died last November after he was beaten by fellow members of the famed Marching 100 band aboard a charter bus parked outside an Orlando hotel.
The university asserts that the 26-year-old Champion was a top leader in the band and he should have refused to take part in the hazing ritual.
"No public university or college has a legal duty to protect an adult student from the result of their own decision to participate in a dangerous activity while off-campus and after retiring from university-sponsored events," states the lengthy filing by Richard Mitchell, an attorney with the GrayRobinson law firm hired by FAMU.
Instead, the university maintains that Champion -- who it says witnessed others being hazed that night on the bus -- consented to the hazing ritual in order to gain respect among fellow band members.
Because of that, FAMU wants a judge to throw out the lawsuit filed against the university by Champion's family or at least delay action on it until criminal charges against Marching 100 band members are resolved. The family also sued the owner and driver of the charter bus where the ritual took place.
"Under these circumstances, Florida's taxpayers should not be held financially liable to Mr. Champion's estate for the ultimate result of his own imprudent, avoidable and tragic decision and death," states the motion filed by the university.
The legal filing represents the first formal response that the university has made in the wake of Champion's death, which led to arrests of band members, the suspension of the famed band for this football season and the resignation of the school's president. Twelve former members have pleaded not guilty to charges of felony hazing.
The suit was brought by Champion's parents, Robert and Pamela Champion of Decatur, Ga. University trustees had discussed trying to mediate the lawsuit, but FAMU's response may have doomed that effort.
Chris Chestnut, the attorney representing the Champion family, said the lawsuit needs to go forward so that the university is held accountable for tolerating a culture of hazing that went unchecked for years.
"Someone has got to hold FAMU accountable," Chestnut said Monday. "We are now more committed than ever to litigate this case to clear Robert's name and eradicate the culture of hazing for the safety of future students."
The Champions claim university officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean proposed suspending the band because of hazing three days before their son died. In its response the university denied that any specific proposal or recommendation was made regarding suspending the band prior to Champion's death.
The Champion lawsuit also noted that school officials allowed nonstudents to play in the band and asserts that school officials fell short in enforcing anti-hazing policies and did not keep a close eye on band members to prevent hazing.
The university in the last several months has instituted a long list of new policies, including limiting the Marching 100 to just FAMU students and putting in new academic policies. Beginning in spring 2013, students will be required to sign an anti-hazing pledge before they're allowed to register for classes.
The State University System of Florida still has a pending probe into whether university officials had ignored past warnings about problems with hazing at FAMU.
Hundreds of pages of records reviewed earlier this year by the Associated Press showed years of repeated warnings about brutal hazing passed without any serious response from the school's leadership until Champion died.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
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