'Mad Men' Season-Five Premiere: The Reviews Are In!

After a 17-month break, "Mad Men" finally returns Sunday night to begin its fifth season. Its return, however, is being met with mixed reviews — well, mixed reviews for "Mad Men," that is, which would be considered raves if they were for any other series.

The devil is in the details when you're a four-time Emmy Winner for Outstanding Drama Series. After all, when you are arguably the most critically beloved series on television, you are always being compared to yourself. So now, as the cracks start to show — like they do for every series this far into its run — critics can't resist pointing them out alongside the expected raves about the show's cast and film-level production.

"The two-hour premiere feels long and is a little dreary, repeating many of the same themes that were so new and unexpected when the series first began," The New York Times writes. "Certain genres have inherent limits, and just as there are only so many ways zombies can storm a stalled car on 'The Walking Dead,' there are only so many jokes to be had from an adult's cradling an infant in one hand and a cigarette in the other on 'Mad Men.' "

This season, the show is set to tackle the social movements that began in the 1960s, in particular the civil rights movement, but having been off the air for so long, it has some catching up to do. There are loose ends from season four that need to be tied up before the show can move forward, and with race riots and picketing beginning in the streets in earnest as the season kicks off, the show works hard to get everyone up to speed so it can move forward. "The two-hour premiere ticks by mainly as a series of vignettes where familiar characters strut their familiar stuff and talk about work that no one ever seems to do," the Wall Street Journal says. "When it's over, fans will have gotten their 'Mad Men' fix, if not much of a high."

In a three (out of four) star review, Slant writes, "As is usually the case with a landmark show's return, the two-part opener, 'A Little Kiss,' is primarily concerned with establishing mood and with dropping hints as to where the narrative may lead us. [The episode] is ultimately a haunting character study that's slower and more melancholy than perhaps any episode of 'Mad Men' that's preceded it. There's a Cheever quality to 'A Little Kiss,' an unsettling sense that every inhabitant of the show is reaching a moral stasis and crisis simultaneously and exactly at the same time."

That sentiment is echoed by Variety: "Series creator Matthew Weiner resists rushing into anything, easing into a reset of where players currently stand in a manner — especially given the protracted absence — that should leave all but the most ardent fans trying to putty-in the gaps. Each time-lapse introduces more wrinkles in the show's world, but the premiere offers a sketchy road map of what's to come, and won't expand 'Men's' footprint beyond its solid arthouse niche."

To be clear, the above reviews are generally positive, talking about the show's "deserved accolades" and especially about Jon Hamm's performance, but "Mad Men" has moved beyond the point of "is it good?" criticism and deep into the land of near-doctoral study of its intricate plotting and how its dealings with the rebellious '60s symbolize what's going on in our current world. When critics are simply asked to assign it a grade, they are, like Newsday, mostly offering up A's.

In its rave review, Newsday declares, " 'Mad Men' is back and back in all the right ways — the humor, the writing, the period details, and best of all, the flawless attention to these characters and their cluttered interior worlds."

Assigning the season-five debut four stars (out of four), USA Today praises the show's "meticulous" attention to detail and goes on to cheer, "No series sets a higher, more consistent level of excellence, a level sustained, fans will be pleased to hear, as 'Mad Men' returns after a 17-month absence. ... That high level of achievement extends to the cast, led by the shockingly under-Emmyed Jon Hamm, playing a man who is his own deeply flawed invention and letting us see the effort and pain behind the charade. But there's not a weak performer on view Sunday, from the preternaturally assured Kiernan Shipka as Sally to old pro Robert Morse as Bert."

So it seems fans will not be disappointed by Sunday's episode. Consensus opinion seems to be that while it might not rank as one of the series' best, it does a good job of catching everyone up and setting the tone for what will surely be a riveting season of highbrow television.

Will you be watching "Mad Men" on Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.

Game Says He Would Love To Hear A Rick Ross, Dr. Dre Collaboration

While speaking with MTV News, rapper Game revealed that he’s quite intrigued by the possibility of a collaboration between Rick Ross and iconic producer Dr. Dre on Ross’ upcoming album God Forgives, I Don’t.  The Compton rapper revealed that with Rick Ross being at the height of his career and Dr. Dre’s strength as a producer a song between the two artists would make for a “dope collaboration.” "I mean I don't know, that's kinda crazy. I think that Dre know what he doin' and Ross his career just hit a launchpad and then went to the moon. So I think it’ll be a dope collaboration,” Game explained to MTV News. As far as Dr. Dre working with an artist who’s considered a rival of 50 Cent, Game didn’t have too much to say in regards to that situation.  “I would love to hear Rick Ross over Dr. Dre's production,” said Game. “Can’t too much speak for 50 Cent or Dre's intentions, but yeah, I don't know." God Forgives, I Don’t is expected to be released sometime this spring.  RELATED: Rick Ross Confirms Working With Dr. Dre For "Detox" & "God Forgives, I Don't"

While speaking with MTV News, rapper Game revealed that he’s quite intrigued by the possibility of a collaboration between Rick Ross and iconic producer Dr. Dre on Ross’ upcoming album God Forgives, I Don’t. 

The Compton rapper revealed that with Rick Ross being at the height of his career and Dr. Dre’s strength as a producer a song between the two artists would make for a “dope collaboration.”

"I mean I don't know, that's kinda crazy. I think that Dre know what he doin' and Ross his career just hit a launchpad and then went to the moon. So I think it’ll be a dope collaboration,” Game explained to MTV News.

As far as Dr. Dre working with an artist who’s considered a rival of 50 Cent, Game didn’t have too much to say in regards to that situation. 

“I would love to hear Rick Ross over Dr. Dre's production,” said Game. “Can’t too much speak for 50 Cent or Dre's intentions, but yeah, I don't know."

God Forgives, I Don’t is expected to be released sometime this spring.

Bomb scare in American embassy in Abuja

The staff of  the United States' embassy in Abuja and people around its vicinity were thrown into pandemonium after the heard a bang which they assumed to be a bomb blast on Monday afternoon. 

But eyewitnesses said they saw teenagers set off fireworks on an undeveloped plot located a few metres from the well-guarded American embassy.

Also, some policemen at the Diplomatic zone, which houses several embassies, told NAN that the ``panic and confusion’’ was started after fireworks went off.

A petty trader at the location told NAN that although he was not sure what the thunderous noise he heard was, he thought it was fireworks and only ran because everyone else did.  

``I hear noise and see smoke; people dey run and I think say na knock out and people say na gun shot, naim I pick my egg roll and Kunu and run too,'' he said

In an e-mail to reporters, Deb MacLean, the Information Officer at the U.S. embassy said ``We believe there were shots fired in the vicinity of the U.S. embassy. The Nigerian authorities have two individuals in custody. We refer you to the Nigeria police for further information.''

Mr. Jimoh Moshood, the FCT Police Command spokesman, confirmed that the police received a report of an incident near the U.S. embassy.

``We immediately sent in a patrol van and personnel to the scene but there was no shooting,’’ he said. However, Mr. Moshood  said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident.

Rihanna: Getting Naked Boosted My Body Image

Still scratching your head at that topless Pebbles Fintstone picture Rihanna posted on Twitter? Apparently the singer was just in the need of a little confidence boost (and felt the need to share it with her fans).

In the latest issue of Britain's Women's Fitness magazine, Rihanna explains her penchant for pantslessness. "The more I got naked, the more comfortable I felt," she says. "I just had to face my fear. You always find something wrong, you always find something you’re uncomfortable with, and one thing turns into another and you get embarrassed and self-conscious about it. After a while, it was like, 'What’s the worst that can happen?' I just started being a little more daring with it. It was just knowing my body … is what it is under clothes or outside of clothes."

That definitely sounds a lot better than years of therapy, but RiRi warns you shouldn't try this at home. "My way probably won't work for most people," she admits.

James Cameron Dives to Ocean's Deepest Point to Explore and Film the Marianas Trench

James Cameron has just made contact with the real-life abyss.

The King of the World can now crown himself the King of the Deep as he matched the 35,756 foot world record earlier today at 5:52 PM ET for the deepest dive ever with a solo excursion into the Western Pacific's famed Marianas Trench. The filmmaker even took to Twitter to share the excitement, writing, "Just arrived at the ocean's deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good. Can't wait to share what I'm seeing w/ you @DeepChallenge."

And just as you'd expect, he's filming the historic dive—in 3D no less!

To paraphrase a line from Aliens, Cameron was on an express elevator 7 miles down to a place only two other humans have gone previously. To put that in perspective, the director-turned-deep sea explorer plunged for two hours to the equivalent of where commercial airliners fly in the sky—or a point that's more than 6,000 feet lower than Mt. Everest at its peak if you flipped it upside down and stuck it in the Pacific.

Cameron's historic expedition to the bottom-most point of the Marianas Trench, aptly named the Challenger Deep, equaled the plunge taken a half century ago in 1960 by a U.S. Navy lieutenant and a Swiss oceanographer.

But unlike the former team who stayed on the bottom for only 20 minutes and reported seeing mostly murky clouds of sediment kicked up by their craft, the Titanic filmmaker plans to remain down in the frigid watery tundra in his Deepsea Challenger submersible for approximately 6 hours. He is only able to communicate with mission control above at that depth via text message.

For those thinking he might run into some xenomorphs (read Aliens), sorry to disappoint.

But with the aid of LED lights to illuminate the pitch black darkness, two 3-D cameras encased in titanium pressure casings mounted outside the sub and an Imax-quality HD camera mounted in the sub's interior by the small viewport, Cameron will record footage that no human has ever seen before.

After touring the bottom, the director will unload more than 1,000 pounds of iron ballast weights to the ocean floor and start the two-hour ascent back to the surface.

The dive is being sponsored by Cameron, Rolex and the National Geographic Society, where the filmmaker is an explorer-in-residence; the team has been chronicling the journey on its Website, deepseachallenge.com.

Not only will the vast amount of scientific data collected be put to good use, but Cameron plans turn the footage into a 3D Imax movie that will be released to theaters as well as a Nat Geographic special.

And no doubt, the experience will inspire him when he finally starts production on Avatar 2 and 3.

Have a safe journey, Mr. Cameron.

Hunger Games’ Breaks Records with $155 Million Opening Weekend

“The Hunger Games” hit the box-office bull’s-eye over the weekend, taking in a record $155 million in North America and setting up what promises to be one of the biggest film franchises of this decade.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as a teenage survivalist in a recycled American frontier myth in “The Hunger Games,” a film adaptation of the Suzanne Collins novel.
Movie Overview | Trailers | Rate and Review

‘Hunger Games’ Brings Out Legions of Fans, and Inflatable Mattresses (March 21, 2012)
How ‘Hunger Games’ Built Up Must-See Fever (March 19, 2012)
Peer Pressure? How About, Like, Fighting to Death? (March 11, 2012)

Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games."
Backed by a meticulously executed marketing campaign from Lionsgate, “The Hunger Games” was a gigantic No. 1 and set multiple sales records, including the strongest opening weekend total for a spring release, not accounting for inflation. The previous record holder, “Alice in Wonderland,” directed by Tim Burton, took in $116.1 million over its first three days in March 2010 and went on to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales at the global box office.

Nobody is predicting that kind of worldwide total for “The Hunger Games,” partly because, unlike “Alice in Wonderland,” it was not made available in 3-D, which costs $3 to $5 more per ticket to see. But “The Hunger Games” could easily take in $500 million to $700 million, depending on overseas interest, box-office analysts said. Lionsgate said international ticket sales for the weekend were estimated at $59.3 million.

“It proves that distributors don’t have to wait until the summer or the holiday season to release tent poles,” said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com, using Hollywood slang for broad event films. “If a movie looks intriguing, customers will show up, no matter what the calendar reads.”

He added: “This opening is a passing of the baton. The end of ‘Harry Potter’ and the impending ‘Twilight’ finale resulted in a marketplace that was hungry for a new, popular franchise to cling to.” The roughly $155 million for “The Hunger Games” opening weekend is the third biggest in Hollywood history, not accounting for inflation, behind only “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “The Dark Knight,” according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data.

“The Hunger Games,” directed by Gary Ross (“Seabiscuit”), stars Jennifer Lawrence as a 16-year-old who is forced to battle other children to the death for a futuristic society’s televised amusement. Lionsgate and Nina Jacobson’s Color Force Productions adapted the movie from Suzanne Collins’s best-selling novel of the same name for about $80 million.

Three more films, based on the remaining two books in Ms. Collins’s “Hunger Games” trilogy, are planned. More than 24 million copies of the trilogy are in print in the United States alone, according to Scholastic, the books’ publisher.

“The Hunger Games,” rated PG-13, represents the kind of out-of-the-park successes that can transform a studio. The release represents a stunning reversal for Lionsgate, which has been struggling mightily of late, with flops over the last two years like “Killers,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Warrior.”

Lionsgate, until now mostly known for the defunct “Saw” franchise and for distributing Tyler Perry’s movies, pursued “The Hunger Games” as part of a strategy — set by its former movie chief, Joe Drake — of taking on more ambitious films for bigger box-office payoffs. Mr. Drake, who was replaced at the studio in January but has remained to see “The Hunger Games” to fruition, was understandably ebullient over the weekend as ticket results trickled in.

He wrote of the Lionsgate team in an e-mail: “I’m watching the looks on their faces as the numbers come in and they realize what they’ve accomplished — the greatest joy in the business!!!”

Another Lionsgate executive who was crucial to “The Hunger Games,” Alli Shearmur, was also replaced in recent months, a result of the studio’s acquisition of Summit Entertainment. The runaway success of “The Hunger Games” puts pressure on Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate’s chief executive, to prevent even more of the people responsible for the biggest success in his company’s history from leaving.

Hollywood and some Wall Street investors are closely watching to see if Lionsgate can retain its chief marketing officer, Tim Palen. Mr. Palen, whose departure could prompt others to leave, has formed close ties to Ms. Collins.

“The Hunger Games” received strong critical reaction, and audiences in exit polls gave it an A score, which means the movie will probably play well in the weekends ahead. Lionsgate said the audience was 39 percent male, which is another sign of a cultural juggernaut. In comparison, the “Twilight” movies have been mostly a female phenomenon; the audience for “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part I” was only 20 percent male, for instance.

People interested in going to the movies over the weekend would have had a hard time escaping “The Hunger Games,” which played in 4,137 locations, including 268 Imax theaters. Greg Foster, president of Imax Filmed Entertainment, credited a “flawless” marketing campaign by Mr. Palen and “an incredibly satisfying film.”

The second-biggest film in North America was “21 Jump Street,” which took in about $21.3 million for Sony and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, lifting its two-week total to a robust $71.1 million. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” (Universal) was third, selling about $13.1 million in tickets for a four-week total of $177.3 million. “John Carter” was fourth, taking in $5 million (for a four-week total of $62.3 million), while Relativity Media’s “Act of Valor” was fifth, taking in $2.1 million (for a five-week total of $65.9 million).

Despite experiencing one of the biggest flops in memory, “John Carter,” which forced Disney to take a $200 million write down, Hollywood has sharply improved its performance over last year. Even before “The Hunger Games” arrived, attendance for the year was 18 percent higher than the same period in 2011, fueled by hits like “The Lorax” and “The Vow.” Now attendance is now up 22 percent

26 years old University of Benin graduate marries 63 years old American Grandma

Hello readers, here’s another trending topic for you today,economic situation has made Nigerian men desperate this 26 years old graduate of University of Benin Daniel Ukoko tied the knot with Cynthia, an American who is old enough to be his mother at the Warri South Local Government registry. man must survive, any way is a way! Ain’t this a nice one? Hahhaha see what naija youths are turning into now? God i just can’t say this is what they’re turning into, I think the life of old oyinbo women are getting solve now, the government should think of taxing this women because it will generate alot of income.

Florida shooting of black teenager by white vigilant(, Trayvon Martin Police Investigation Shows ‘Racial Bias’ Says Civil Rights Group)

The way Sanford, Florida police handled the shooting of an unarmed teenager by a neighborhood watch volunteer has caused outrage from civil rights groups, who have demanded a federal investigation, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. "temporarily" stepped down from his position on Thursday in the wake of public outcry over the department’s lack of action after Trayvon Martin was tragically killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, while he was walking home carrying only a bag of Skittles and a bottle of ice tea.

On Thursday evening, thousands of supporters attended a rally in 17-year-old Martin’s home town, where the Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to the crowd while flanked by Trayvon’s parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

"We are tired of going to jail for nothing and others going home for something. Zimmerman should have been arrested that night ... you cannot defend yourself against a pack of Skittles and iced tea,” said Sharpton.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believes that the outpouring of support shows the deep impact of the shocking case.

“It was inspiring to see so many people out calling for justice, but given the gravity of the issues involved, we weren’t surprised by the responce,” Baylor Johnson, spokesperson for the ACLU of Florida, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview.

“This is an issue that has been under the surface for so long and it is sad that this kind of tragedy has to happen for us to have a serious conversation about race in America.

“In order to understand why so many people from Sanford across Florida and across the country came out, we have to look at how we got here,” he went on to explain.

“There is a tragic hateful history of crimes with clear and undeniable racial motives that have been overlooked or swept under the rug.

“It is clear to us that when the police chief said there was no reason to dispute George Zimmerman’s claim that he was acting in self defense that he had already made his mind up about the matter,” Johnson told RadarOnline.com.


The ACLU and other civil rights groups took action and called for other law enforcement and federal investigators to look over the shoulder of the Sanford police and examine what happened that day – not just the shooting itself but the police department's response to it.

“We want these outside investigators to look into any deviances from standard police procedure, as well as the attitudes and any possible bias of the police officers.”

When it comes to whether he believes charges should be brought against the shooter, Zimmerman, 28, Johnson said that is up to law enforcement to come to what conclusions they think are fitting.

“We want the justice system to arrive at a just conclusion – we haven’t specifically called for an arrest, but if it results in that then it is the right conclusion,” said Johnson

Over Zealous Fan Breaks Into Simon Cowell’s Home And Confronts Him!!

Simon Cowell came face-to-face with a female intruder who broke into his $14 million London home Saturday night, a Scotland Yard spokesman has confirmed.

The British music mogul was watching TV at 10 pm when he was confronted by over-zealous fan, Leanne Zaloumis.

"It was absolutely terrifying," the 52-year-old told the Daily Mirror. "She could have had a gun."

The woman is believed to have evaded the security and gained access to The X Factor host's luxury pad through a downstairs window.

Zaloumis was eventually detained by Cowell's staff and she was arrested when police arrived.

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed the incident and said: "Police were called....to reports of a disturbance. Officers attended the address and found a woman had forced entry to the premises. She was arrested and taken to a west London police station where she remains.

Timbaland Gives Story Behind Making Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody"

Producer Timbaland decided to give us a trip down memory lane via Twitter tonight by telling a story about making the 1998 hit single "Are You That Somebody" with the late R&B icon Aaliyah.

Check out the video below to see him talk about making the beat with late producer Static Major, Aaliyah's reaction to the famous baby cooing in the background, and how the song—the 3rd most played video on MTV in 1998—actually almost didn't happen.

Madrid Sex Trafficking Arrests Reveal Pimps Tattooed Bar Codes On Prostitutes

Spanish Police investigating a prostitution ring in Madrid have freed a woman who had been beaten, tied, and had a bar code tattooed on her wrist.

The 19-year-old Spanish woman had been held against her will and had a tattoo on her wrist as a sign of ownership, as well as a money figure showing how much she owed her ‘pimp’ bosses.

The woman had also been whipped, chained to a radiator and had her hair and eyebrows shaved off by the ‘bar code pimps’ as part of the ring in central Madrid, officials said.

Spanish police have since arrested 22 suspected pimps who allegedly used violence to force women into prostitution and tattooed them with barcodes.

All those arrested were of Romanian nationality and had forced the women to hand over part of their earnings, the statement said.

The women were tattooed on their wrists if they tried to escape, the statement said. Police also seized guns and ammunition. It was not immediately clear when the raids took place.

Police seized 140,000 euros in cash, which had been hidden in a false ceiling, a large amount of gold jewelry and five vehicles, three of which were described as luxury cars.

The gang was made up of two separate groups, referred to as ‘clans’ in the statement, each dedicated to controlling prostitution along fixed stretches of a street in downtown Madrid.

Prostitutes in the ring were referred to as ‘packages’, ‘suitcases’, or ‘bicycles’, police said.

One of the alleged ringleaders who was identified only by the initials ‘I.T.’ is wanted by authorities in Romania for crimes linked to prostitution, the statement said.

The women were controlled at all times to ensure ‘money was taken off them immediately,’ the statement said.

Sex is a multibillion-dollar industry in Spain, with colorfully lit brothels staffed mainly by poor immigrant women from Latin America, Africa and eastern Europe lining highways throughout the country.

Police Inspector Sets Wife Ablaze

What would make a man empty a gallon of fuel on his wife in the kitchen without regard for his 18-month-old son by the woman? That was the question on the lips of stunned patients and visitors at the Leverage Hospital, Igbo-Elerin, Okokomaiko, a suburb of Lagos State, where the doctor and his retinue of nurses are battling to save the life of a woman whose husband, a police inspector, set ablaze on Friday after a squabble.

The victim, Augustina, hails from Anambra State while her husband, Wasiu Jimoh, is from Kwara State. With burns all over her body, fluid mixed with human fat dripped ike a fountain from her face down her chest to her fingertips. Writhing in pains, the medics, Dr Bayo and the nurses, battled to give Augustina some relief as her peeling skin glued her to the hospital bed. The doctor said she had suffered second-degree burns.



Initially, she hardly uttered a word except some feeble words expressing regrets over a marriage that has gone sour barely two years after it was contracted.

How it started
The residents of 7 Tunde Lawal Street, Okokomaiko, woke up on Friday to witness a more dangerous fight between the couple said to be notorious for constantly quarreling.
According to Augustina, trouble started on Thursday when she reported to the husband that a certain lady sent her an irritating text massage warning her to leave Wasiu alone, claiming that the police officer was her man.
The victim, who claimed that her husband had the habit of keeping relationship with other women, said Inspector Jimoh flared up and started beating her. On Friday morning, he reportedly told her that since she was stubborn, he was going to deal with her.

She also claimed that he had constantly quarrelled with her over her demand for feeding money, adding that he frequently assaults her on the slightest provocation.According to the victim, as he was pounding her, a neighbor came to her rescue and facilitated her escape to another neighbour’s kitchen, who was cooking at that time, only for the husband to rush in and emptied a gallon of fuel upon her by the fire place. But police officer, said to be serving at the Ifako Police Station, Bariga, told the doctor that it was his wife that was bearing the keg of fuel in her hand as she made her escape into the neighbour’s kitchen. Unfortunately, he explained, the fuel exploded upon her leaving the whole place on fire.

Scared neighbours
When our correspondent visited the couple’s residence, neighbors talked about the incident in hushed tones as if all were mindful of an uncertain fate that might befall them if they said anything. Sunday Sun gathered that the victim was the fifth woman in the officer’s home, as four other women that lived with him had ran away for their dear lives. A reliable source disclosed that his first wife escaped when she realized that the man was like a time bomb that could explode on her. She is said to be presently living abroad.
It was gathered that until Augustina came, no woman could live with Jimoh. But the victim, according to a close associate of the husband, believed she could change the man for good.

Augustina’s shocker
Asked if she would return to the marriage after her ordeal, Augustina reluctantly told our correspondent that she would wait for her family’s decision. According to her, she cannot give a definite response until she had heard from her family and that her mind was not made up.

Our correspondent also gathered that when the incident happened, the woman ran to her Pentecostal church pastor to show him what was left of her burnt skin before the pastor instructed her to proceed to the hospital for medical intervention. Her decision to rush to her pastor, it was explained, was because the man of God had been advising her to pray that the man could change since there is no situation too difficult for God to handle.
The woman has however appealed for assistance from government and non-governmental organizations.
The police officer was arrested on Friday but it was gathered that he had been granted conditional bail at press time.

Culled from The Sun News Online

Iraqi mother of five found severely beaten in California home dies

A 32-year-old woman from Iraq who was found severely beaten next to a threatening note saying "go back to your country" died on Saturday.

Hanif Mohebi, the director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he met with Shaima Alawadi's family members in the morning and was told that she was taken off life support around 3 p.m.

"The family is in shock at the moment. They're still trying to deal with what happened," Mohebi said.


Alawadi, a mother of five, had been hospitalized since her 17-year-old daughter found her unconscious Wednesday in the family's house in El Cajon, police Lt. Steve Shakowski said.

The daughter, Fatima Al Himidi, told KUSI-TV her mother had been beaten on the head repeatedly with a tire iron, and that the note said "go back to your country, you terrorist."

Addressing the camera, the tearful daughter asked: "You took my mother away from me. You took my best friend away from me. Why? Why did you do it?"

Police said the family had found a similar note earlier this month but did not report it to authorities.

Al Himidi told KGTV-TV her mother dismissed the first note, found outside the home, as a child's prank.

A family friend, Sura Alzaidy, told UT San Diego that the attack apparently occurred after the father took the younger children to school. Alzaidy told the newspaper the family is from Iraq, and that Alawadi is a "respectful modest muhajiba," meaning she wears the traditional hijab, a head scarf.

Investigators said they believe the assault is an isolated incident.

"A hate crime is one of the possibilities, and we will be looking at that," Lt. Mark Coit said. "We don't want to focus on only one issue and miss something else."

The family had lived in the house in San Diego County for only a few weeks, after moving from Michigan, Alzaidy said. Alzaidy told the newspaper her father and Alawadi's husband had previously worked together in San Diego as private contractors for the U.S. Army, serving as cultural advisers to train soldiers who were going to be deployed to the Middle East.

Mohebi said the family had been in the United States since the mid-1990s.

He said it was unfortunate that the family didn't report the initial threatening note.

"Our community does face a lot of discriminatory, hate incidents and don't always report them," Mohebi said. "They should take these threats seriously and definitely call local law enforcement."

El Cajon, northeast of downtown San Diego, is home to some 40,000 Iraqi immigrants, the second largest such community in the U.S. after Detroit

The Moral Question: Prostitution & Lesbianism-Which One Would You Prefer At Gun Point?

The purpose of this is to establish which of the above is seen by many as less of a pain, sin or an immoral act.
It is not time to preach to you about moral uprightness but the Holy Bible which serves as a guide for many frowns on immoral activities. The same bible teaches that, all sins are somehow carry equal weight, there is no big sin and there is no small sin.
We will dwell much on prostitution and lesbianism which is the reason for this post. From ‘Ghanaian Christian’ standings, both prostitution and lesbianism are sinful and against the doctrines of Christianity.


Why, this is the dawn of the "Power Lesbians" They've taken feminism to a whole new extreme. Sistahs are only riding on what they perceive to be the 'popular trend'
I know first hand of the Naija one though, like you mentioned. Chicks who've been hurt by men run off with women in the hopes of never getting hurt. Aside from the going-to-hell ramifications of their acts, they're simply women seeking an escape from the reality they've refused to confront; the possibility that they could spend thier lives spouseless. Though I may be wrong about that diagnosis. What is it about lonelines that scares people so much?

Do I need to explain who a prostitute or a lesbian is? Here we go – when two rational females decide to have sexual intercourse with each other, they are ‘Lesbians’. ‘Prostitution’ is the practice where sex is exchanged for payment. It is also referred to as the oldest profession.

The new trend in Nigerian and in London for single women, especially those who are either divorced or have had kids outside of wedlock and even some singles is lesbianisim
Men are dogs they cheat all the time
Men do not understand us
Women know exactly what they need (physically)
women get on more with women so more lasting relationship

In my perspective i believe women cheat as well so going off with a woman is not going to guarantee no heartbreak. I am also not sure on the take that they are better lovers than men, which is possible as some men are into hit and run
I can however say that i believe that you are just as likely to get hurt with a woman as with a man. Its all about the individual rather than the gender
Money is used to lure women to either become prostitutes or lesbians. Most Ghanaian ladies become lesbians because of the financial gains. Others have also come out to say their unfortunate encounters with men are also a contributory fact.

But it still doesn’t make it right to bonk your fellow woman because you couldn’t grab a man on your own or because you have had multiple break-ups or heart breaks right?. Some reasons why some ladies continue to practice the oldest profession is closely related to the above.
I think most people want to try it out, then some stay in the life for reasons unknown to us until we ask one or two of them. From what I gathered from 2 of my friends one who was a lesbian for 15 years all of the sudden decided she was getting older and wanted to have children. she now started dating men and is getting marriend to a Naija man after only knowing him for 3 months. They just moved in together.

I was confused as to how she could be a lebian for over 15 years and then wake up one day and date men.
I have another friend who is lesbian, has a daughter from when she was 20, she is 28 now and has been living as a lesbian on and off for like 8 years. But, she lovesssss the attention she gets from men. She is now a Muslim and only covers herself when she feels like and still lives with her partner/wife and raises her daughter. So, I am confused as to weather these women are "true lesbians".

The moral maze is not about judgement or religion but about our moral standings on issues and how we view things, especially when we are desperate.

Now the moral maze is; which would you go for at a gun point, when you have no choice than to make a choice? Let’s hear you.

Aretha Franklin celebrates 70th birthday, talks new musical collaboration with Clive Davis

- Aretha Franklin has a lot more than her 70th birthday to celebrate: She's reuniting with one of her musical mentors, Clive Davis, for a new album.

In an interview at her swanky birthday party on Saturday, Franklin said she and Davis, who helped engineer her comeback in the 1980s, would be working on new music.

"I have re-signed with Clive Davis, so I'm recording with Clive again," said Franklin of the music mogul, who is associated with Sony Music Entertainment.

Franklin said that after Davis' birthday next month, "we're going to sit together and decide what it is we're going to record."

Davis sat next to Franklin for most of the night at the soiree at the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, which included a sit-down dinner, a dance performance and a mini-concert that featured rising jazz pianist Kris Bowers.

Other guests included Diane Sawyer, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Willie Wilkerson, Franklin's longtime companion and briefly this year her fiance.

Wilkerson stood by Franklin's side as she cut her three-tier, lime-green birthday cake while the crowd serenaded her with Stevie Wonder's version of "Happy Birthday."

When asked whether marriage might once again be in her future, the Queen of Soul simply said: "We'll see what happens."

As far as future work-related plans, she was looking forward to performances in California and said she was helping negotiate a record contract for her grandson. Her planned biopic is on hold. "It's in a limbo position," she said. "It's just a lot going on."

Franklin said she planned to spend her actual birthday — Sunday — relaxing with a paper, her feet up and watching TV.

But Saturday night, she hung out with friends long after the party's designated end time.

At one point, she joked that she was turning back the hands of time.

"I was wondering, 'What is it going to be like to be 50?' I can tell you now it feels like 40," she said as the crowd laughed.

She then made reference to the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," about a man who gets younger as he ages.

"So remember Benjamin Buttons?" she said. "Ree Ree Buttons!"