(AP) A lawyer for a 12-year-old girl said Friday that she was raped in a YMCA sauna by a day camp counselor, became pregnant and contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
The girl was assaulted twice by the 17-year-old camp counselor last July when she was 11, attorney John Elmore said. She gave birth to a son in March.
The family's civil lawsuit in state Supreme Court claims the Y was negligent, especially because the second assault was witnessed and reported by a co-worker, who worked as a lifeguard.
"The lifeguard reported it to management. The management did not report it to police," said Elmore, who didn't name the girl. "They believed the perpetrator, who claimed he didn't do it."
A statement from the YMCA to WIVB-TV, which first reported the case, said an employee was removed because of inappropriate conduct between a camper and the worker.
"There was no report of rape or pregnancy to the YMCA until late April 2011 upon the arrival of a summons from the law firm," the statement said.
The YMCA didn't immediately return a message left after hours Friday.
Elmore said a criminal case is pending against the counselor, whom he declined to identify. He referred a reporter to the Erie County district attorney's office, which didn't return a message left after 5 p.m. Friday, when the WIVB report on the lawsuit aired.
Elmore said the girl's parents were only told by the Y that there had been an incident but did not know it involved sexual contact.
"Her mother did not know she was pregnant until December, when she noticed her stomach was large," the attorney said.
Elmore said the girl went months without prenatal care and contracted a sexually transmitted disease, which also went untreated.
*This is a Hot "A** Mess! A twelve year old gets raped and the "Y" basically says nothing happened! That is not right! It seems to me like, the "Y" is try to protect their image more so than the girl who is only twelve. Even if their was no report of a pregancy, it doesnt mean the girl wasn't raped. She was probably scared to tell anyone, especially her parents. The "Y" should be ashamed of themselves and the parents should sue the pants off of them for failing to protect their daughter!*
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Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Avaya planning a $1 billion IPO filing: report
(Reuters) Private equity-backed Avaya Inc plans to file for a $1 billion initial public offering as early as this week, marking the latest in a rash of technology sector IPOs, according to a Wall Street Journal story.
The offering could value the maker of telecommunications equipment at $5 billion or more, according to the Tuesday story which cited unnamed people familiar with the matter. A spokesman for Avaya declined to comment.
Avaya was taken private in 2007 through a $8.3 billion purchase by a private equity firms Silver Lake Partners (SILAK.UL) and TPG Inc. Silver Lake and TPG were not immediately available for comment.
Underwriters involved in the IPO are Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse Group, according to the story.
Barclays, JP Morgan, Citigroup and Credit Suisse declined to comment while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were not immediately available for comment.
In 2000, Avaya was spun off from Lucent Technologies and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange until its 2007 takeover. Lucent, itself a spin-off from AT&T Inc (T.N), is now a part of Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA).
If the Avaya IPO does go ahead it would follow a host of technology companies that have filed to go public recently or have gone public.
Chip maker Freescale Semiconductor Holdings (FSL.N) had a weaker than expected debut when it went public late last month but LinkedIn (LNKD.N) shares more than doubled on their first day of trading on May 19, surpassing many expectations.
High-profile daily deals site Groupon Inc filed for an IPO just last week.
*Get your paper ready folks you might want to get in while you can.*
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The offering could value the maker of telecommunications equipment at $5 billion or more, according to the Tuesday story which cited unnamed people familiar with the matter. A spokesman for Avaya declined to comment.
Avaya was taken private in 2007 through a $8.3 billion purchase by a private equity firms Silver Lake Partners (SILAK.UL) and TPG Inc. Silver Lake and TPG were not immediately available for comment.
Underwriters involved in the IPO are Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse Group, according to the story.
Barclays, JP Morgan, Citigroup and Credit Suisse declined to comment while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley were not immediately available for comment.
In 2000, Avaya was spun off from Lucent Technologies and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange until its 2007 takeover. Lucent, itself a spin-off from AT&T Inc (T.N), is now a part of Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA).
If the Avaya IPO does go ahead it would follow a host of technology companies that have filed to go public recently or have gone public.
Chip maker Freescale Semiconductor Holdings (FSL.N) had a weaker than expected debut when it went public late last month but LinkedIn (LNKD.N) shares more than doubled on their first day of trading on May 19, surpassing many expectations.
High-profile daily deals site Groupon Inc filed for an IPO just last week.
*Get your paper ready folks you might want to get in while you can.*
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Rapper Ja Rule due to go to prison in NYC gun case
(AP) Multiplatinum-selling rapper Ja Rule is set to go to prison, but he's leaving fans with an album on the way.
The rapper-actor — whose gravelly voice, thuggish tough talk and duets with R&B divas made him one of rap's stars in the early 2000s — is set to be sentenced Wednesday to two years in a New York prison.
"My last day out," he Tweeted Tuesday afternoon, adding that he was spending it at the movies with his family.
Ja Rule, 35, pleaded guilty in December to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, resolving a nearly four-year-old case.
Police said they found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in a rear door of his $250,000-plus Maybach sports car, which they'd said they'd stopped for speeding as he left a star-laden concert at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre on July 22, 2007. Rap superstar Lil Wayne was arrested separately after headlining the same show. He later pleaded guilty to the same charge, spending about eight months in a city jail last year.
"Laws are laws," Ja Rule said Monday on "Good Day New York," which airs on New York's Fox 5 TV station. "There's nothing I could really do but own up to the situation."
"You know, I try not to regret anything I do in life, because you go through life and you do things, and you man up to them. You own them," he added.
Born Jeffrey Atkins, Ja Rule emerged as a hardcore rapper in the late 1990s but then became known for his collaborations with female pop singers, including Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti. He scored a best rap album Grammy Award nomination in 2002 with "Pain Is Love." He also has appeared in movies, including the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious" and 2003's "Scary Movie 3."
He's recently been wrapping up a new album, "Pain Is Love 2," but he told "Good Day New York" he's also been trying to prepare himself mentally for prison. He lives in Upper Saddle River, N.J., with his wife and three children.
Meanwhile, he also pleaded guilty in a New Jersey federal court in March to failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in income. He faces up to three years in prison in that case, though his lawyers are expected to try to arrange for his sentences to be served at the same time.
Ja Rule had some previous brushes with the law, including pleading guilty to assault for punching someone at a Toronto nightclub in 2004. He was fined $1,200.
He recently told TMZ.com he plans to keep busy behind bars by writing a book, getting his GED and possibly taking up the guitar.
"I'm gonna try to make good of my time while I'm inside," he said.
His expected sentence will make him the latest in a long line of rappers to do time. Hip-hop stars including
Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Shyne, Mystikal, Gucci Mane and T.I. have been in jail or prison for periods ranging from months to years.
Under state prison policies, Ja Rule might be able to shave up to six months off his sentence by meeting requirements for good behavior and other standards.
*Not surprised another hip hop star is headed to prison for doing something so stupid in the first place. When you think about all the things that rappers (entertainers) sing about it's a bunch of mess. However, then they try to live what they are singing about.
On top of that, Ja Rule is successful and had mega opportunity to do the right thing. Now it's bye bye behind the prison gates. How dumb can you be? When will these rappers learn that just because you rap about it, it doesn't mean you have to go and live it.
All in all reading this article, it seems like Ja Rule may be reflecting before he gets behind bars; interms of writing a book or taking up guitar lessons. One would of thought he would of been working on those things before going to prison. That just goes to show that most people don't think about how valuable their lives are until their freedom is taken away from them; ie...Ja Rule.
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Join The Conversation*
The rapper-actor — whose gravelly voice, thuggish tough talk and duets with R&B divas made him one of rap's stars in the early 2000s — is set to be sentenced Wednesday to two years in a New York prison.
"My last day out," he Tweeted Tuesday afternoon, adding that he was spending it at the movies with his family.
Ja Rule, 35, pleaded guilty in December to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, resolving a nearly four-year-old case.
Police said they found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in a rear door of his $250,000-plus Maybach sports car, which they'd said they'd stopped for speeding as he left a star-laden concert at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre on July 22, 2007. Rap superstar Lil Wayne was arrested separately after headlining the same show. He later pleaded guilty to the same charge, spending about eight months in a city jail last year.
"Laws are laws," Ja Rule said Monday on "Good Day New York," which airs on New York's Fox 5 TV station. "There's nothing I could really do but own up to the situation."
"You know, I try not to regret anything I do in life, because you go through life and you do things, and you man up to them. You own them," he added.
Born Jeffrey Atkins, Ja Rule emerged as a hardcore rapper in the late 1990s but then became known for his collaborations with female pop singers, including Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti. He scored a best rap album Grammy Award nomination in 2002 with "Pain Is Love." He also has appeared in movies, including the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious" and 2003's "Scary Movie 3."
He's recently been wrapping up a new album, "Pain Is Love 2," but he told "Good Day New York" he's also been trying to prepare himself mentally for prison. He lives in Upper Saddle River, N.J., with his wife and three children.
Meanwhile, he also pleaded guilty in a New Jersey federal court in March to failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in income. He faces up to three years in prison in that case, though his lawyers are expected to try to arrange for his sentences to be served at the same time.
Ja Rule had some previous brushes with the law, including pleading guilty to assault for punching someone at a Toronto nightclub in 2004. He was fined $1,200.
He recently told TMZ.com he plans to keep busy behind bars by writing a book, getting his GED and possibly taking up the guitar.
"I'm gonna try to make good of my time while I'm inside," he said.
His expected sentence will make him the latest in a long line of rappers to do time. Hip-hop stars including
Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Shyne, Mystikal, Gucci Mane and T.I. have been in jail or prison for periods ranging from months to years.
Under state prison policies, Ja Rule might be able to shave up to six months off his sentence by meeting requirements for good behavior and other standards.
*Not surprised another hip hop star is headed to prison for doing something so stupid in the first place. When you think about all the things that rappers (entertainers) sing about it's a bunch of mess. However, then they try to live what they are singing about.
On top of that, Ja Rule is successful and had mega opportunity to do the right thing. Now it's bye bye behind the prison gates. How dumb can you be? When will these rappers learn that just because you rap about it, it doesn't mean you have to go and live it.
All in all reading this article, it seems like Ja Rule may be reflecting before he gets behind bars; interms of writing a book or taking up guitar lessons. One would of thought he would of been working on those things before going to prison. That just goes to show that most people don't think about how valuable their lives are until their freedom is taken away from them; ie...Ja Rule.
*Diva's Nation*
Join The Conversation*
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
ALL THAT SWAGGER BY: Miles Franklin!
The novel's hero, Irish immigrant Danny Delacy, is modelled upon Miles Franklin's paternal grandfather, Joseph Franklin, and the exploits and adventures of four generations of Delacys on the land around the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee River follow roughly the fortunes of the Franklin family from 1833 to 1933. 'Fearless Danny's' story begins in 1833 by the Shannon in County Clare when he and his Johanna elope and take ship for the Antipodes. In Sydney, discovering that land grants had ceased in 1831, Danny sets out as a hired man for Bandalong, one of the most remote stations, far beyond the already-populated Goulburn plains, past Lake George, Gounderu (Gundaroo) and the Limestone Plains. Always the mountains further south beckon Danny 'as the Lorelei', so after a spell of hired labour to accumulate fifty head of cattle and a dozen horses he finally makes his way to a valley that the Aborigines call Burrabinga. As the seasons pass, the station, Burrabinga, is carved out of virgin land and Johanna produces sons and daughters who go to school in Sydney and become the second Delacy generation. Significant Australian events dot the narrative, conveying a sense of historical continuity - the gold rushes, the Robertson and Duffy Land Acts, free selection, self-government, the Boer War. From its cohesive opening the narrative falls away (especially after the first generation) into a discursive series of episodes and events, broken only by the favourite Miles Franklin device of 'possuming' or yarning - meandering, conversational reflections on the rapidly changing scene. Generations merge, each leaving its imprint on the others. Themes become interwoven, the focus of attention shifting easily from one to another. The novel's canvas becomes crowded with more and more participants as the century gradually moves to its ending in the modern day (1933) when the fourth generation Brian Delacy, aviator, lifting his plane into the Murrumbidgee sky, glimpses in his mind's eye 'the spectral forms of bullock transport and receding Delacys moving against ancient unfamiliar apparitions on the palimpsest of Time'.
(Diva's House of Literary Coffee Blog) *This book is a must read! It shows how generations can be caught up in living life that's much more full of this is and that than what their parents had. Note the characers in each generation as they move away the normal way of life into and into a life of having more and being more. Get this book today and see why we here at Diva's House of Literary Coffee really love this story.*
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Sunday, June 5, 2011
First man ‘functionally cured’ of HIV
(The Lookout-Y News Blog) Since the HIV virus was discovered 30 years ago this week, 30 million people have died from the disease, and it continues to spread at the rate of 7,000 people per day globally, the UN says.
There's not much good news when it comes to this devastating disease. But that is perhaps why the story of the man scientists call the "Berlin patient" is so remarkable and has generated so much excitement among the HIV advocacy community.
Timothy Ray Brown suffered from both leukemia and HIV when he received a bone marrow stem cell transplant in Berlin, Germany in 2007. The transplant came from a man who was immune to HIV, which scientists say about 1 percent of Caucasians are. (According to San Francisco's CBS affiliate, the trait may be passed down from ancestors who became immune to the plague centuries ago.)
What happened next has stunned the dozens of scientists who are closely monitoring Brown: His HIV went away.
"He has no replicating virus and he isn't taking any medication. And he will now probably never have any problems with HIV," his doctor Gero Huetter told Reuters. Brown now lives in the Bay Area, and suffers from some mild neurological difficulties after the operation. "It makes me very happy," he says of the incredible cure.
The development of anti-retroviral drugs in the 1990s was the first sign of hope in the epidemic, transforming the disease from a sudden killer to a more manageable illness that could be lived with for decades. But still, the miraculous cocktail of drugs is expensive, costing $13 billion a year in developing countries alone, according to Reuters. That figure is expected to triple in 20 years--raising the worry that more sick people will not be able to afford treatment.
Although Brown's story is remarkable, scientists were quick to point out that bone marrow transplants can be fatal, and there's no way Brown's treatment could be applied to the 33.3 million people around the world living with HIV. The discovery does encourage "cure research," according to Dr. Jay Levy, who co-discovered HIV thirty years ago, something that many people did not even think was possible years ago.
*This is great to hear! However many of the people that have HIV will not have a chance like this guy. Taking care of yourself is key when infected with HIV. Always know what's going on with your health even if it's a little cough. Also keeping up with modern medicine and technology doesn't hurt, as it could help you and your status.
All in all stay protected and take care of yourself.*
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
There's not much good news when it comes to this devastating disease. But that is perhaps why the story of the man scientists call the "Berlin patient" is so remarkable and has generated so much excitement among the HIV advocacy community.
Timothy Ray Brown suffered from both leukemia and HIV when he received a bone marrow stem cell transplant in Berlin, Germany in 2007. The transplant came from a man who was immune to HIV, which scientists say about 1 percent of Caucasians are. (According to San Francisco's CBS affiliate, the trait may be passed down from ancestors who became immune to the plague centuries ago.)
What happened next has stunned the dozens of scientists who are closely monitoring Brown: His HIV went away.
"He has no replicating virus and he isn't taking any medication. And he will now probably never have any problems with HIV," his doctor Gero Huetter told Reuters. Brown now lives in the Bay Area, and suffers from some mild neurological difficulties after the operation. "It makes me very happy," he says of the incredible cure.
The development of anti-retroviral drugs in the 1990s was the first sign of hope in the epidemic, transforming the disease from a sudden killer to a more manageable illness that could be lived with for decades. But still, the miraculous cocktail of drugs is expensive, costing $13 billion a year in developing countries alone, according to Reuters. That figure is expected to triple in 20 years--raising the worry that more sick people will not be able to afford treatment.
Although Brown's story is remarkable, scientists were quick to point out that bone marrow transplants can be fatal, and there's no way Brown's treatment could be applied to the 33.3 million people around the world living with HIV. The discovery does encourage "cure research," according to Dr. Jay Levy, who co-discovered HIV thirty years ago, something that many people did not even think was possible years ago.
*This is great to hear! However many of the people that have HIV will not have a chance like this guy. Taking care of yourself is key when infected with HIV. Always know what's going on with your health even if it's a little cough. Also keeping up with modern medicine and technology doesn't hurt, as it could help you and your status.
All in all stay protected and take care of yourself.*
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
Friday, June 3, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
‘Dark Girls’ Share Their Misery in America (Video)
(J.C. Brooks for www.eurthisnthat.com) There has always been a racial bias between dark women and light or white women. Hell! The racial playground of America has always pitted white against black. But, when it comes to the women or shall I say mothers, something totally different happens. The bias in America of course leans toward white women or what reminds America of white women…light women. And if we’re going to have an honest conversation about this dilemma, there is a documentary waiting for you.
“Dark Girls” is a documentary directed by the legendary Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, that touches the heart of, not just dark women, but the country that built the perception that dark African American women had nothing to offer in their wombs. A dark woman in the documentary talked about how hurtful it was when her close girlfriend had a baby and she came to see her and the friend said, “I’m so glad she didn’t come out dark!” Self-hate. Self-hate shared with a friend that is a dark woman, who wants someone to celebrate her darkness not look at it as a curse and thought that was understood. But self-hatred is blinding and bold and debilitating to everything it touches.
There are numerous stories in the documentary that will hopefully educate everyone, of all races. It shows a much deeper perspective; the penetrating effects of dark women being hurt at home. It tells the story beyond the black men that only want to be with the light woman or (for those who don’t mind bringing her home) the white woman. It tells the story of dark women who weren’t celebrated by their own mothers. The self-hatred these women experienced is profound and their eyes tell thousands of stories from around the world that their mouths could never speak.
This documentary will finally say what Spike Lee attempted time and time again to expose in 1988′s ground-breaking “School Daze” and his instrumental 1991 film, “Jungle Fever.” Watch for the movie in Fall/Winter 2011. Check out this monumental piece here and prepare to finally have the conversation.
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
“Dark Girls” is a documentary directed by the legendary Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry, that touches the heart of, not just dark women, but the country that built the perception that dark African American women had nothing to offer in their wombs. A dark woman in the documentary talked about how hurtful it was when her close girlfriend had a baby and she came to see her and the friend said, “I’m so glad she didn’t come out dark!” Self-hate. Self-hate shared with a friend that is a dark woman, who wants someone to celebrate her darkness not look at it as a curse and thought that was understood. But self-hatred is blinding and bold and debilitating to everything it touches.
There are numerous stories in the documentary that will hopefully educate everyone, of all races. It shows a much deeper perspective; the penetrating effects of dark women being hurt at home. It tells the story beyond the black men that only want to be with the light woman or (for those who don’t mind bringing her home) the white woman. It tells the story of dark women who weren’t celebrated by their own mothers. The self-hatred these women experienced is profound and their eyes tell thousands of stories from around the world that their mouths could never speak.
This documentary will finally say what Spike Lee attempted time and time again to expose in 1988′s ground-breaking “School Daze” and his instrumental 1991 film, “Jungle Fever.” Watch for the movie in Fall/Winter 2011. Check out this monumental piece here and prepare to finally have the conversation.
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sean Kingston still critical after weekend crash
(AP) A publicist for Sean Kingston is offering the latest on the hip-hop singer who's been hospitalized since crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge over the weekend.
Joseph Carozza said Tuesday that Kingston remains in critical but stable condition. He says the singer's family is asking for privacy while acknowledging how grateful they are for the prayers and support from Kingston's fans.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says the 21-year-old singer and a female passenger were injured Sunday afternoon when their watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge.
Both were hospitalized at Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.
A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over Memorial Day weekend for Urban Beach Week.
*Diva's Nation thoughts and prayers are with Sean Kingston and his family. We hope and pray that he pulls through and keep bringing us wonderful music.*
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Joseph Carozza said Tuesday that Kingston remains in critical but stable condition. He says the singer's family is asking for privacy while acknowledging how grateful they are for the prayers and support from Kingston's fans.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino says the 21-year-old singer and a female passenger were injured Sunday afternoon when their watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge.
Both were hospitalized at Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.
A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over Memorial Day weekend for Urban Beach Week.
*Diva's Nation thoughts and prayers are with Sean Kingston and his family. We hope and pray that he pulls through and keep bringing us wonderful music.*
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