A Vaccine That Can Cut The Risk Of Getting HIV Has Been Developed!

A medical breakthrough has been achieved in Thailand! Researchers have created a vaccine that cuts the risk of getting HIV by 32%.Scientists hope to improve on the results of this "historic milestone".We are getting one step closer to developing an HIV vaccine that could help stop the spread of AIDS.

Here's more from the Telegraph:

"The combination of two vaccines that has previously failed to produce a response on their own has cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 per cent.

It is the first time in human trials that a vaccine has protected against the virus which leads to Aids.

The trial was conducted in 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, with half receiving the combination of the two vaccines and the other half receiving dummy jabs.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned the development was "not the end of the road," but said he was surprised and very pleased by the outcome.

"It gives me cautious optimism about the possibility of improving this result" and developing a more effective Aids vaccine, he said. "This is something that we can do."

The trial was carried out by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health.

Seth Berkley, chief executive and president of The International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) said: “The outcome is very exciting news and a significant scientific achievement.

“It’s the first demonstration that a candidate Aids vaccine provides benefit in humans. Until now, we’ve had evidence of feasibility for an AIDS vaccine in animal models. Now, we’ve got a vaccine candidate that appears to show a protective effect in humans, albeit partially.”

The challenge will now to be improve the efficiacy of the vaccines to a level which clear protection so it can be licensed for widespread use.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of the National Aids Trust, said: "These vaccine trial results are very good news - ultimately vaccines are the most effective way by far of tackling serious infectious disease. And with over two million new HIV infections a year this option is desperately needed.

"Obviously there is much more work to do with these promising findings, but they justify the continuing investments and efforts of the international community, including the UK Government, to develop a vaccine."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

There Will Be No "District 9" In Nigeria!!!

The very popular movie "District 9" has been banned in Nigeria.Apparently,the Nigerian government views the movie as an insult to Nigerians.The Nigerian Information Minister does not like the way that her fellow countrymen were depicted in the film about otherworldly creatures who are stranded in Africa.Some Nigerians feel the film's premise is nothing but a "loose allegory about apartheid."

Here's more from BBC:

"Information Minister Dora Akunyili told the BBC's Network Africa programme that she had asked the makers of the film, Sony, for an apology.

She says the film portrays Nigerians as cannibals, criminals and prostitutes.

An actor from the film said that it was not just Nigerians who were portrayed as villains.

The Malawian actor, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, plays a gang leader with the nickname of Obasanjo, also the surname of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The film is about alien refugees who set up home in a South African shanty town called District Nine.

It is a loose allegory about apartheid and recent violence by South Africans against foreigners.

It's not like Nigerians do eat aliens
Actor Eugene Khumbanyiwa

Ms Akunyili said it clearly took aim at Nigerians.

"We feel very bad about this because the film clearly denigrated Nigeria's image by portraying us as if we are cannibals, we are criminals," she said.

"The name our former president was clearly spelt out as the head of the criminal gang and our ladies shown like prostitutes sleeping with extra-terrestrial beings." (END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

Tasha Hill Was The Victim Of A Vicious Hate Crime At Cracker Barrel!!!!

Tasha Hill is the beautiful black Army reservist who was brutally beaten by a white man that was twice her size at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia.As if being the victim of a racial beating wasn't enough,poor Tasha Hill was brutalized in front of her 7-yr. old daughter.How traumatic for both of them!

Did you know that only two women in that Cracker Barrel helped Tasha Hill,even though there were plenty of onlookers?!! What the hell is wrong with people?!!!

I hope the perpetrator of the crime,Troy Dale West,suffers a beating that is 100 times worse than what he dished out.What an ignorant,cowardly redneck!

Tasha Hill is a true soldier!!!

Here's more from wsbtv:

"The FBI is investigating the beating of an African-American woman by a white man at a Cracker Barrel restaurant as a possible hate crime.

Morrow police said they arrested Troy Dale West, of Poulan, Ga. after he attacked Tasha Hill after she asked him to "be careful" at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

Morrow police were called to the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Southlake Plaza Drive in Morrow Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers said they located the female victim and called for EMTs and Fire Department officials to assist. At the same time, the alleged offender in the case, Troy West, was detained at the scene, police said.

Police said an investigation revealed that the female victim, identified as Tasha Hill, was entering the Cracker Barrel with her 7-year-old daughter as West was leaving the restaurant. As West was leaving, the exit door came close to striking the 7-year-old daughter of the victim, police said. Hill, by all witness accounts, politely asked West to be careful, officials said.

"The man slung open the door pretty hard and fast and I had to push my daughter out of the way. I turned to the man and I just said, 'Excuse me sir, you need to watch yourself you almost hit my daughter in the face.' And from there it just went downhill," said Hill.

At that point, West became enraged and began to beat the victim in front of her 7-year-old daughter, according to police. Hill said she told West she was an Army servicemember and she did not want any trouble.

West threw her to the ground and hit her in the head with his fists and feet, police said. During the exchange, witnesses said West could be heard screaming racial slurs at the victim.

"Then he punched me in my face," said Hill. "And I fell to the ground and he proceeded to punch in my head and face." (END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

Connie Rhodes "Frivolous" Lawsuit Gets Thrown Out!!

Capt.Connie Rhodes is yet another "birther". She just can't accept the facts,folks!!! President Obama is a U.S. citizen who is of African heritage.That makes him an African-American just like so many other black folks across America.His dad was born in Kenya,not him.

But,Connie Rhodes has decided that she should file a lawsuit in order to avoid being deployed to Afghanistan.Her complaint is that Barack Obama is not a legitimate president.So,she claims that she should not have to serve in the military under him.

Since her "frivolous" lawsuit got thrown out by a judge because her allegations were unsubstantiated,Connie Rhodes will have to find another reason not to obey orders.For all of the "birthers" out there,that means there was no proof.

The "birther" movement is a joke that should have never been told.And the attorney who represents her,Orly Taitz should not even be allowed to practice law.She is making a mockery out of the justice system.

Here's more on Capt.Rhodes from The Huffington Post:

"U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land has thrown out a complaint questioning the president's birth from an Army captain fighting deployment to Iraq and gave a warning to her lawyer, birther maven Orly Taitz.

Land also put attorney Orly Taitz, who represents Capt. Connie Rhodes and is a leader in the national "birther" movement, on notice by stating that she could face sanctions if she ever files a similar "frivolous" lawsuit in his court.


"(Rhodes) has presented no credible evidence and has made no reliable factual allegations to support her unsubstantiated, conclusory allegations and conjecture that President Obama is ineligible to serve as president of the United States," Land states in his order. "Instead, she uses her complaint as a platform for spouting political rhetoric, such as her claims that the president is 'an illegal usurper, an unlawful pretender, [and] an unqualified imposter.'"

In an interview with Talking Points Memo, Taitz said she would keep fighting if Rhodes wanted to, despite the judge's threat. "Listen, Nelson Mandela stayed in prison for years in order to get to the truth and justice," she said."(END OF EXCERPT)Read more here.

Even President Obama Thinks That Kanye West Is A "Jackass"!!!!

Kanye West is nothing but an attention-seeking publicity whore! I'm sure that he knew that he was not receiving a video music award from MTV.So,he decided to use Taylor Swift's win as his moment.Because,ultimately,it's all about Kanye West in his twisted mind.He could give a damn about Beyonce or anybody else.He just made her the focus of his rant so that he could gain more brownie points with Jay-Z.

Kanye West said that President Bush doesn't like blacks.Well, President Obama doesn't like one obnoxious black man named Kanye West!Even he thinks that this guy is a total "jackass"!!And I don't think that there are very many folks who will beg to differ with the president on his opinion of Kanye West.

President Obama:"If You Misrepresent This Plan,We Will Call You Out"!!!!

President Obama was in full form tonight when he gave his formal address to Congress!!He made it clear that he will call the Republicans & anyone else out who tries to "misrepresent this plan."

Our president sounded quite serious tonight.All of those who have been obstructionists up to this point should really take heed.Because President Obama means business!At least,it sounded like he did.Whether or not America's health care will be reformed still remains to be seen.I hope that President Obama's speech changed some minds out there.Everyone deserves health care in this country.

Caster Semenya Is Out To Prove That She Is No Man!

Caster Semenya took some glamour shots that had her looking like she could be related to Serena or Venus Williams.Although she's not as pretty as either one of the tennis superstars,Caster Semenya looks like a real woman on the cover of You magazine.I guess she got tired of being called a man.This magazine spread is proof of her femininity!!!

Van Jones Is No Longer President Obama's "Green Jobs" Adviser!

I know Glen Beck is somewhere kicking up his fat heels! After the relentless campaign against the very controversial Van Jones over at Fox News,President Obama's "green jobs" adviser is no more!! He has resigned amid the controversy.

When Van Jones was likened to Rev. Wright,I knew his time in the Obama administration would be cut short.His statements & beliefs really came back to bite him something fierce.The media has dug up & picked apart every statement that he has ever made.I'm just wondering how he passed muster in the first place.

Didn't the Obama administration know about these remarks before they gave him the job?!!

What the hell were they thinking?

Here's more from The AP:

"President Barack Obama's adviser Van Jones has resigned amid controversy over past inflammatory statements, the White House said early Sunday.

Jones, an administration official specializing in environmentally friendly "green jobs" with the White House Council on Environmental Quality was linked to efforts suggesting a government role in the 2001 terror attacks and to derogatory comments about Republicans.

The resignation comes as Obama is working to regain his footing in the contentious health care debate.

Jones issued an apology on Thursday for his past statements. When asked the next day whether Obama still had confidence in him, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said only that Jones "continues to work in the administration."

The matter surfaced after news reports of a derogatory comment Jones made in the past about Republicans, and separately, of Jones' name appearing on a petition connected to the events surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. That 2004 petition had asked for congressional hearings and other investigations into whether high-level government officials had allowed the attacks to occur.

"On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me," Jones said in his resignation statement. "They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide."

Jones said he has been "inundated with calls from across the political spectrum urging me to stay and fight."

But he said he cannot in good conscience ask his colleagues to spend time and energy defending or explaining his past.

Jones flatly said in an earlier statement that he did not agree with the petition's stand on the 9/11 attacks and that "it certainly does not reflect my views, now or ever."

As for his other comments he made before joining Obama's team, Jones said, "If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize."

Despite his apologies, Republicans demanded Jones quit.

Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana said in a statement, "His extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration or the public debate." Missouri Sen. Christopher Bonds said Congress should investigate Jones's fitness the job.

Fox News Channel host Glenn Beck repeatedly denounced Jones after a group the adviser co-founded, ColorofChange.org, led an advertising boycott against Beck's show to protest his claim that Obama is a racist.

James Rucker, the organization's executive director, has said Jones had nothing to do with ColorofChange.org now and didn't even know about the campaign before it started."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here.

Back From A Bout Of Swine Flu,Rachel Maddow Interviews Tom Ridge!

Rachel Maddow,of the MSNBC show that bears her name,has done some reporting on the swine flu.Now,she has her own personal experience to add to her reports.She was out sick with the virus for a week.

But,I'm sure glad that she recovered because she conducted one helluva interview with Tom Ridge on the politicization of national security.Watch him looking very ill at ease when she asks the former Homeland Security Secretary to justify the war in Iraq.Even though she was as sweet as pie during the whole interview.

Tom Ridge commented on how civil the interview went considering the fact that he is a Republican & Maddow is a liberal.He said that he wished that the rest of the country could discuss differing viewpoints in the same manner.That is the only thing that Tom Ridge said that I could agree with.