Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
TSP Information Hacked...Are You Secured?
123,000 Thrift Savings Plan accounts hacked
Posted : Friday May 25, 2012 13:02:41 EDT
Social security numbers and other personal data for 123,000 Thrift Savings Plan account holders were stolen from a contractor’s computer last year, a TSP spokeswoman said Friday.
Names, addresses, and financial account and routing numbers of some accounts were also compromised.
Kim Weaver, spokeswoman for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which manages the TSP program, said the hacking incident targeted a computer operated by contractor Serco Inc., which provides record-keeping services for 4.5 million federal employees, service members and beneficiaries with TSP accounts.
“It was a sophisticated attack that overcame the defenses [Serco] had in place,” Weaver said.
Weaver said both TSP and Serco have enhanced their cybersecurity. “We have monitored our TSP accounts, [and] we have no reason to believe that the data was misused in any way.”
The attack occurred in July, but the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and Serco were not aware of it until they were notified last month by the FBI, Weaver said. The infected computer was immediately shut down and the security of all TSP and Serco systems was reviewed.
FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire said because the investigation is ongoing she could not say when the FBI knew about the attack or why it took nearly a year to notify TSP officials and Serco.
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board notified affected TSP account holders Friday and detailed in a letter how to connect with a call center for support and services, including free credit monitoring. Account holders were not notified until the board determined who was affected.
Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/05/federal-tsp-accounts-hacked-last-year-052512/
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Amber Bullock “Lord You’ve Been So Good” [NEW MUSIC]
posted by elev8.com
Amber Bullock became nationally known after winning season four of BET’s “Sunday Best,” and now she has another song for you to love called “Lord You’ve Been So Good.” This brand new single is produced by PJ Morton–the man responsible for “Over & Over” by Trin-i-tee 5:7, who is also the son of Bishop Paul S. Morton, the keyboardist of Pop group Maroon 5, and an extremely gifted solo artist.
Do you want to hear “Lord You’ve Been So Good” by Amber Bullock on “The Yolanda Adams Morning Show“? Take a listen to it below, and let us know what you think in our poll!
Daily Bread: Pride And Prejudice
Posted by odb.org
Back in the 1930s, my childhood home was loving and happy, but my parents were often away. On those occasions, the center of warmth in our home was the kitchen and our tiny, joyous housekeeper named Annie.
I spent many hours with Annie, sitting at our kitchen table reading books or playing with toys and listening to her sing and hum spirituals and hymns. From her heart sprang a continual flow of wisdom, cheerfulness, and song.
One morning, with childish exuberance, I used a racial slur I had heard. “Oh my, no,” she said, and then proceeded to pour out her heart in a gentle lecture on the harm and hurt in that, accompanied by a terrible sadness in her eyes. I never used that word again.
I learned that we cause unfathomable sorrow when we dishonor and debase others through bigotry. Every human being is created in the image of God—more like God than any other creature and worthy of honor. To demean that image is to wound another human being at the deepest level.
There is but one race: the human race. God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). We are of the same family, made to be treasured and cherished by one another.
Of all creation’s treasures rare,
Not one compares in worth with man,
In God’s own image he was made
To fill a place in His great plan. —D. De Haan
Not one compares in worth with man,
In God’s own image he was made
To fill a place in His great plan. —D. De Haan
God desires that we show respect to all people, because everyone bears His image.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
MTV's Reality Show about Losing Virginity... Too Much or Not?
Really? MTV Wants Virgins Who Are Willing To Lose Virginity For New TV Show!
MTV is casting for a new project. They want young people who are about to lose their virginity to come and film the before and the results! Really???
Here is the advertisement:
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL? LIKE, ARE YOU READY TO HAND OVER YOUR V CARD? OR DO YOU HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS READY TO LOSE IT? Young adulthood is a time for exploration. New relationships, fresh experiences and sexual firsts…Now MTV is looking to frankly capture that journey in a new series called My First…We’re looking for adults who are ready to go all the way. Let MTV come along on your journey… as you try to lose your virginity! (Note: We will be filming whether or not you accomplish this goal… but NOT the act itself. Duh.) If you are 18 years or older and are willing to candidly allow MTV to accompany you on the journey toward “losing it,” please send us an email.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Is The Internet Hurting Children?
updated 10:04 AM EDT, Mon May 21, 2012
Editor's note: Chelsea Clinton is a board member of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on media and technology's effects on children and teens, and wrote the foreword to "Talking Back to Facebook." James P. Steyer is founder and CEO of Common Sense Media and the author of "Talking Back to Facebook."
(CNN) -- Amid the buzz over the Facebook IPO, the ever-evolving theories about how Twitter is reshaping our communications and speculation about where the next social media-enabled protest or revolution will occur, there is an important question we've largely ignored. What are the real effects of all this on the huge segment of the population most affected by social media themselves: our children and our teens?
The explosive growth of social media, smartphones and digital devices is transforming our kids' lives, in school and at home. Research tells us that even the youngest of our children are migrating online, using tablets and smartphones, downloading apps. Consumer Reports reported last year that more than 7.5 million American kids under the age of 13 have joined Facebook, which technically requires users to be 13 years old to open an account. No one has any idea of what all of this media and technology use will mean for our kids as they grow up.
By the time they're 2 years old, more than 90% of all American children have an online history. At 5, more than 50% regularly interact with a computer or tablet device, and by 7 or 8, many kids regularly play video games. Teenagers text an average of 3,400 times a month. The fact is, by middle school, our kids today are spending more time with media than with their parents or teachers, and the challenges are vast: from the millions of young people who regret by high school what they've already posted about themselves online to the widely documented rise in cyberbullying to the hypersexualization of female characters in video games.
These challenges also include traditional media and the phenomenon of "ratings creep" in the movies that our kids consume. Movies today -- even G-rated ones -- contain significantly more sex and violence, on average, than movies with the same rating 10 or 20 years ago.
The impact of heavy media and technology use on kids' social, emotional and cognitive development is only beginning to be studied, and the emergent results are serious. While the research is still in its early stages, it suggests that the Internet may actually be changing how our brains work. Too much hypertext and multimedia content has been linked in some kids to limited attention span, lower comprehension, poor focus, greater risk for depression and diminished long-term memory.
Our new world of digital immersion and multitasking has affected virtually everything from our thought processes and work habits to our capacity for linear thinking and how we feel about ourselves, our friends and even strangers. And it has all happened virtually overnight.
It goes without saying that digital media have also altered our fundamental notions of and respect for privacy. Young people now routinely post and share private, personal information and opinions on social media platforms without fully considering the potential consequences.
The immediacy of social media platforms, coupled with vulnerable youngsters who are socially inexperienced and not fully developed emotionally, can create a combustible mix. Kids often self-reveal before they reflect, and millions of kids say and do things they later regret. The permanence of what anyone posts online and the absence of an "eraser" button mean that the embarrassment and potential damage can last forever.
We urgently need a public conversation in our country among key stakeholders: parents, educators, technology innovators, policymakers and young people themselves. The dialogue must focus on the ways social media and technology enable our kids to give up their privacy before they fully understand what privacy is and why it's important to all of us. We should also discuss how social media can help empower kids to find their voice, find their purpose and potentially create the next technology revolution.
All adults know that the teen years are a critical time for identity exploration and experimentation. Yet this important developmental phase can be dramatically twisted when that identity experimentation, however personal and private, appears permanently on one's digital record for all to see.
In the 1990s, as a reaction to an explosion of television programming of increasingly questionable quality for kids, Congress passed the Children's Television Act. There was universal recognition that given all the time kids were spending in front of the television, the nation had a collective responsibility to offer positive, educational programming with limited commercials. We are at, arguably, an even more important crossroads when it comes to digital media and technology.
Howard Gardner, a professor and researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who developed the concept of multiple intelligences, calls kids' use of digital media and technology "epochal change." He compares the revolution in digital media to the invention of the printing press because of its extraordinary impact on the way we communicate, share information and interact with one another. As a society, we have no choice but to engage with this new reality and work to ensure that it affects our kids in healthy, responsible ways.
The promise of digital media to transform our lives in positive ways is enormous. If managed well, technology can improve our schools and education, deepen social connectedness, expand civic engagement and even help advance our democracy. But for these positive outcomes to occur, we as a society must confront the challenges endemic in our 24/7 digital world.
We need legislation, educational efforts and norms that reflect 21st-century realities to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks for our kids. Only then will we be able to give them the safe, healthy childhood and adolescence they deserve.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Pastor Marvin Winans Carjacked and Robbed
Detroit pastor and renowned gospel singer Marvin Winans was mugged, robbed and carjacked Wednesday afternoon while pumping gas at a Citgo station on the city’s west side. As of Thursday morning, his pricey SUV has not been recovered. The 54-year-old pastor is also founder of Detroit’s Perfecting Church, which now has about 4,500 members. Recently, Pastor Winans gave the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral. At about 3:20 PM yesterday afternoon, the pastor stopped for gas at a Citgo station near the intersection of Linwood and Davison. When he went inside to pre-pay for the gas, he noticed perhaps a dozen young men in the station not buying anything. Winans was suspicious but went about his business. But about four young people followed him out of the station and to pump one where his vehicle waited. Winans was on alert as he pumped gas. Suddenly, one of the four men approached and sucker-punched Winans in the head, knocking him down. Then all four were on him, punching and kicking him as he lay on the ground. They ripped away his pants looking for money. Then the men were gone. But when Winans got up, his SUV was also gone.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Daily Bread: Seeing Near And Far
posted by odb.org
Having two healthy eyes is not enough to see clearly. I know this from experience. After a series of eye surgeries for a torn retina, both eyes could see well but they refused to cooperate with each other. One eye saw things far away and the other saw things close up. But instead of working together, they fought for supremacy. Until I could get new prescription glasses 3 months later, my eyes remained unfocused.
Something similar happens in our view of God. Some people focus better on God when they see Him as “close up”—when they think of Him as intimately present in their daily life. Other Christians see God more clearly as “far away” or far beyond anything we can imagine, ruling the universe in power and majesty.
While people disagree about which view is best, the Bible works like a prescription lens helping us to see that both are correct. King David presents both views in Psalm 145: “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him” (v.18) and “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable” (v.3).
Thankfully, our Father in heaven is near to hear our prayers yet so far above us in power that He can meet every need.
Lord, You’re the high and lofty One,
Yet close enough to hear our voice;
You’re powerful, yet personal;
Your love for us makes us rejoice. —Sper
Yet close enough to hear our voice;
You’re powerful, yet personal;
Your love for us makes us rejoice. —Sper
God is big enough to care for the smallest needs.
Right or Wrong? 1st Grader Suspended For Singing ‘I’m Sexy and I Know It’
posted by elev8.com
When 6-year-old D’Avonte Meadows was suspended for three days from his Aurora, Colorado elementary school for singing the lyrics to LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” his mother didn’t find it funny it all, reports Denver’s ABC 7.
“I could understand if he was fondling her, looking up her skirt, trying to look in her shirt. That, to me, is sexual harassment,” said Stephanie Meadows. “I’m just, I’m floored. They’re going to look at him like he’s a pervert. And it’s like, that’s not fair to him.”
When 6-year-old D’Avonte Meadows was suspended for three days from his Aurora, Colorado elementary school for singing the lyrics to LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” his mother didn’t find it funny it all, reports Denver’s ABC 7.
“I could understand if he was fondling her, looking up her skirt, trying to look in her shirt. That, to me, is sexual harassment,” said Stephanie Meadows. “I’m just, I’m floored. They’re going to look at him like he’s a pervert. And it’s like, that’s not fair to him.”
“Aurora Public Schools is committed to providing equitable learning for all students. We have policies and protocol in place to prevent any disruption to the learning environment. Due to privacy laws, we are unable to discuss appropriate disciplinary consequences about a specific student.”
Ms. Meadows had no such qualms about privacy, revealing to 7 News that D’Avonte got in trouble for the same thing last month. — with the same girl. This time, though, he added a “little booty shake” for good measure:
“[I told] my son not to shake anything in the girl’s face again,” said Meadows after a meeting with an assistant principle. “I’m going to definitely have to sit with him and see if he understands exactly what the song means.”
While it’s easy to say that the punishment was excessive, what about the little girl? She was obviously uncomfortable with the attention to the point of reporting it to someone. What message would a lighter punishment have sent to her? Perhaps that a learning environment free from “booty shakes” and “sexy” lyrics is not in the cards for her? Should she also expect and accept similar actions as an adult in the workplace?
It’s true that D’Avonte is a young child; however, he received a fair warning — more importantly, so did his mother. At some point, he has to learn that there are consequences for his actions — and 6-years-old doesn’t seem too young to start.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Deion Sanders Pleads: “I Pray To God They Don’t Allow Her Back In.”
Deion Sanders Pleads: “I Pray To God They Don’t Allow Her Back In.” [VIDEO]
When NFL legend Deion Sanders made headlines last month it was not for setting any type of football record, but for the way he put his children in the center of a domestic dispute between him and their mother, his estranged wife, Pilar. Now Deion is pleading that his wife be barred from their home for her volatile behavior.
Now the former Dallas Cowboys star says he did what he had to do – including tweeting pictures of him and his sons filing out police reports – in order to protect his very public, all-star image.
“I can’t be alleged the guy that’s lost his mind. That’s not who I am or what I am. I’m opening up schools. I’m doing many things for the community. I have endorsements. I pray to God that they don’t allow her back in the home because it’s not a safe environment for me or as well as the kids.“But I can assure you one thing, she was never touched and thank God I have two witnesses that happen to be my children that saw the whole incident. No. We can’t. That can’t happen. It’s already volatile.”
Sanders, who was referring to his charity work as co-founder of the charter school Prime Prep Academy, was cited late last month by police in the couple’s hometown of Prosper, Texas, for misdemeanor simple assault one day after an alleged altercation with Pilar. As a result, his wife was arrested and held overnight in jail for misdemeanor family violence. The altercation occurred in the mansion where the couple still live together with their children, despite their increasingly messy divorce.
The couple have been embroiled a “War of Roses” divorce drama since Deion filed for divorce against Pilar last year after 13 years of marriage. Both partners have chosen to continue living together in the couple’s lavish Texas mansion on the outskirts of Dallas where Sanders, nicknamed “Primetime,” became an icon during his five seasons as a cornerback with the Cowboys.
“The home is in my name and my name only,” he said. “It’s a wonderful haven for the kids. They’ve been raised here. That’s why I choose to stay in the home.”
Sanders now works as an analyst for the NFL Network. The couple starred in a 2008 reality show, “Deion & Pilar Prime Time Love,” that aired on the Oxygen network.
Watch his plea below:
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A New Website For Dating Prisoners?
Love Behind Bars: There’s A New Website For Dating Hot Prisoners?!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Daily Bread: Here I Am
posted by odb.org
In the courtroom while waiting for his case to come before the judge, Gary heard story after sad story of people who were losing their homes. Many went through the procedure as if it were familiar to them. But one woman named Leslie seemed bewildered. Gary sensed that she didn’t know what to do or where to turn.
He tried to silence the quiet voice inside him that was urging him to help, but he couldn’t. He thought of many reasons not to get involved. First, engaging strangers in conversation is not one of his strengths; second, he was afraid of being misunderstood. But he thought that the prompting was from God, and he didn’t want to risk being disobedient.
When Gary saw Leslie leaving the courthouse, he spoke to her. “Ma’am,” he said, “I heard your testimony inside the courtroom, and I believe God wants me to help you.”
At first Leslie was suspicious, but Gary assured her of his sincerity. He made some phone calls and got her connected with people in a local church who provided the help she needed to keep her house.
God has called us to active duty (1 John 3:18). When we sense His prompting to help someone, we should be willing to say, “I believe God wants me to help you.”
God calls into action today
All those who are children of light;
Whatever our hand finds to do,
Let’s do it with all of our might. —Hess
All those who are children of light;
Whatever our hand finds to do,
Let’s do it with all of our might. —Hess
We are at our best when we are serving others.
Kirk Franklin’s ‘The King’s Men’ Gospel Tour Dates
posted by elev8.com
PraiseCleveland.com – Today, the Live Nation announced that they will be bringing four of the most successful gospel artists of all time – Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin and Israel Houghton, collectively known as “The King’s Men” – to the same stage for the very first time with a fall tour that will run from Phoenix, AZ September 16 to Brooklyn’s brand new Barclay’s Center October 14. The quartet can collectively boast over 100 major awards – Grammy, Dove, Soul Train, BET, NAACP, Stellar, and American Music Awards – and have sold out concerts all over the world.
“The opportunity to partner with Live Nation is a GREAT honor and responsibility,” said Franklin in a statement. “The genre of gospel music having this kind of massive marketing support is monumental, and the talent on this tour makes it a must-see event! I’m very proud of this relationship and I expect it to be a new groundbreaking platform for inspirational entertainment.”
Tickets will be available through Live Nation at ticketmaster.com beginning Friday, May 11, while Citi card members have access to a presale beginning Tuesday, May 8. “In the Gospel world, this is like Springsteen, McCartney, Prince and Elton hitting the road together,” said Kevin Morrow, Senior Vice President of Touring at Live Nation, in a statement. “It’s going to be a once in a lifetime event for music fans.” CLICK HERE to see all tour date in your city.
Rapper Mase Regrets Becoming A Pastor!
posted by elev8.com
Mason Betha, also known as Mase, a multi-platinum-selling rapper from the late 1990s, who retired from the industry 13 years ago to become a pastor, is returning to the hip-hop scene once again. He is now looking back with regret at his faith formation and ordination.
In a TBN interview, Betha, 34, first tried to re-emerge from his initial retirement back into a rap career, he spoke about the people who worried about a return to hip-hop pulling the pastor away from his Christian calling.
“Why is it Christians are more confident in the Devil taking me more than Christ keeping me,” Betha questions. “What I have inside of me is more powerful than anything the world could ever offer me.”
Betha asked hip-hop radio DJ Funkmaster Flex for help with a comeback in a radio interview last month where he spoke about his initial choice to leave the rap industry alone to honor God as a preacher.
“I thought I could do more than rap and I just so happen to be right. I see different artists making clothing lines and people respected it,” Betha said in the interview last month. “Rap has always been about using your talents for doing more. I’m just the one that got criticized for doing more than was unexpected. I think I overachieved.”
Still, Betha, pastor and founder of El Elyon International Church and Mason Betha Ministries, said he regretted transition from a rapper to pastor.
“I didn’t give myself any room to grow, I went from one extreme to another extreme, I was just so gung ho about what I was learning, that’s all I wanted.”I went so hard in one direction that people had things to say and rightfully so,” Betha told Flex. “I don’t blame them for that [but] it’s been 13 years, let’s move on.”
Although Betha admitted that people had the right to judge his decisions, he said they should move on since so much time has passed.
The young pastor said he would pick God over music if given the choice again, he asked for prayers while entering back into the rap world with no restrictions.
“I’m taking all the limitations off, they’re gonna have to pray for me,” Betha told the Hot 97 radio personality.”If I had to pick the two I’d still pick God over music any day.
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