text stringlengths 9 72.5k |
|---|
Abby’s Closets donors range from regular to one-time, from medical supply companies to book clubs. Donors can use Amazon Smile or the donate button at www.abbysangelsfoundation.org, or they can directly donate by participating in Abby’s Angels fundraising events. |
“But the main thing is just making sure people know about this resource,” Bacho said. |
Copeland, who was born in Lubbock and went to Fort Worth’s Polytechnic High School, presides over a religious empire that was founded in 1967 and now extends to six continents. The more I learned about the story of this self-proclaimed billionaire and newly minted spiritual adviser to Republican presidential candidate ... |
Or shameful, depending on whom you believe. |
A Star-Telegram archive story from 1981, the first year of the Southwest Believers’ Convention, details Copeland’s rise from Poly High football player to nightclub singer (Pledge of Love made the Billboard Top 40) to Army pilot to up-and-coming evangelist. Twice divorced by age 25, he found love and spiritual salvation... |
That message remains much the same today: “KCM helps believers live the victorious life God promised by spreading ... faith, love, healing and prosperity,” according to its website. |
But Copeland’s detractors, and there are many, say he preaches the gospel of greed by asking followers to donate money in hopes that God will bless them with riches in return. Copeland and his family, many of whom hold high-paying positions in the ministry, exploit blind faith, critics say, for the sole purpose of fill... |
On Monday evening, I was talking to a minister friend of mine and mentioned that Copeland’s convention was in town and that it sure seemed to be attracting a lot of people. The usually calm and thoughtful man, who helps Hospice patients, shook his head and his voice began to rise. |
“He is the worst kind of Christian,” he said. |
For the next 15 minutes, he told me about Copeland’s opulent lakeside compound in Newark, Texas, the $20 million jet he asked followers to buy him, and the Senate Finance Committee investigation into the Copelands and other televangelists who were accused of using their tax-exempt status to defraud donors and amass per... |
“Spiritual pickpockets” is how the Copelands were described in the New York Times article he suggested I read. Charlatans is another popular label for Copeland and some of his featured speakers in Fort Worth this week. |
Like Creflo Dollar, who continues to make headlines because his Georgia-based ministry is raising money from followers to buy a $65 million Gulfstream G650 private jet. They need it, he says, to “spread God’s word,” and because his previous, 30-year-old jet was damaged in November. |
Just about every televangelist at the Believers’ convention has been accused of cashing in on the generosity and gullibility of their faithful followers. |
But none of that seemed to concern the near capacity crowd in Fort Worth on Wednesday afternoon, as they listened intently and nodded as Dollar preached about putting faith in Jesus with nearly every decision in life. |
He preached about personal responsibility, too, and wealth -- spiritual and actual. |
It’s the same basic message that’s been resonating with KCM conventioneers in Fort Worth for 35 years. |
Personally, I tend to trust my minister friend’s take on Kenneth Copeland. Any religious leader who asks people to prove their faith by paying for it in cold, hard cash, seems like a false prophet. Better yet, a for-profit prophet. |
But are Copeland and his kind spiritual pickpockets? |
I don’t see that, either. People hand over money to them willingly. You can debate whether that’s a wise thing to do, much the same way you can argue that people are wasting their money playing the lottery. |
But it’s their money. Their beliefs. And if it gives them hope -- even false hope -- that’s their business. |
Flashback! Remember this one? Last year, Apple filed a trademark lawsuit against Amazon, claiming that Amazon’s use of the term “App Store” (as in “Amazon Appstore”) could contribute to confusion among consumers as it was not, as Amazon believes, “a generic term.” Other app store providers like Microsoft and Google hav... |
The case is still underway, and in a filing on Wednesday with the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, Amazon has asked a federal judge to reject Apple’s “false advertising” claim. |
Apple is alleging that the use of the word “Appstore” in Amazon’s advertising is false advertising, Amazon explains in the filing, but that word is part of the name of Amazon’s store. “It is not a statement about the nature, characteristics, or qualities of Amazon’s store, much less a false one,” the document said. |
In short, Amazon is saying that the case needs to focus not on “false advertising claims” but on the trademark dispute itself – that is, whether or not Apple has a right to restrict other companies from using the generic term “App Store” (or apparently, any combination of those words – even when mashed up like “Appstor... |
To back up its case on the matter, Amazon has cited incidences where former Apple CEO Steve Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook referred to competitors’ stores as app stores, both during press events and on investor calls. The hearing on Amazon’s motion is scheduled for October 31st, and the trial is scheduled for August 19t... |
Yep, you’ll be hearing about this one for a long time to come. |
Your client, Mr. Seun Ogunbambo, is standing trial for subsidy fraud. Don’t you think the ground of your application to quash the case, which you referred to as “Miranda Right” is alien to our legal system? What is Miranda Right and how does it apply in this case? |
Miranda Right is applicable to Nigerians. It’s a name that derives from the American decision when Miranda, a black person, was beaten to death by the police and Miranda’s family brought an action against the state of Arizona and the Supreme Court decided that the Miranda Right is entrenched in the fifth amendment of t... |
When you read the report when I was the President of the Nigerian Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), we found out that as high as eighty percent of the people in police custody are forced to make confessions and a very sensible rule was put in place, which was called the ‘Judge’s Rule’ which requires the judge to ensu... |
All it says is that a person who is going to make a statement must receive legal advice immediately upon his arrest because it is that legal advice he receives that proves to the court that his rights have not been violated and, in particular, his statement has been voluntarily made. I have studied a number of cases, a... |
So Miranda Right in a nutshell is not alien to the Nigerian system and not likely to cause more trouble for your client? |
No, it is not alien to Nigeria. How can it cause more trouble for my client!? Rather it would establish whether his statement was made voluntarily because the caution required in the statement was not there. |
But has the Miranda law been argued in any Nigerian court before now? |
This is the first time and somebody must start something. The constitution is in the interest of Nigeria, so I’m not talking to raise my voice. |
What is your take on the operation mode of the EFCC in handling the subsidy probe? |
Not just the subsidy probe; everything. I don’t rate EFCC highly in their prosecutorial methods. I know of some of my very good colleagues in the EFCC who have performed very well and I can mention Rotimi Jacobs (SAN). But I speak generally – we are talking whether the EFCC should be restructured. Not just the EFCC, wh... |
So, a lot goes on at the level of law, whether EFCC or the police because they are not trained. If as a persecutor and I’m reading the file brought by Mr. X and EFCC investigating officer says this is a file I have investigated and I feel that you, the legal officer, will make a charge. That is how it starts. It is the... |
Who is the investigating officer? Did you check to see that all the elements that constitute murder are present? They don’t do that! They just say, ‘we don’t like him, put him in the jail. Go and get a witness. When you get it, collect and put it in proofs and when you put in the proofs, take him to court’. In one case... |
That was why Gani (Fawehinmi) challenged the principle of consent many years ago. Consent to prosecute is a serious thing. My point is that the entire chain of prosecution that begins from investigation, to prosecution, to judge’s consent is all messed up. So by the time you are in the hands of an experienced constitut... |
In that case, what is your position on the handling of the entire fuel subsidy crisis? |
Don’t blame defence lawyers who take advantage of EFCC’s weakness. Like Seun, because Seun is entitled to the presumption of innocence, so it is you who say he has done something that should make sure that the case is prosecuted because the matter is all being bungled, nobody has any clue about what has gone wrong. If ... |
That is what happens in England. In England, you have what is called the Crown Prosecution Service; it is headed by the Attorney-General. It is a highly organised and proficient prosecution service. Before they go to court, the evidence must be good. Crown Prosecution Service is no child’s play, but the ministry of jus... |
Do you think a good use can still be made of the House of Representatives report on the subsidy probe? |
The House of Representatives report on subsidy is what informed the EFCC probe, so I think they have exhausted their own part – they have done their own bit and the names they have sent to EFCC are the ones the EFCC is now required to technically examine; so you don’t waste time prosecuting a person who turns out to be... |
I have also discovered from my years of experience that there is always public sentiment in everything such that while the fuel scam was a huge thing, I was shocked to be informed, even though I still don’t believe, I thought that the entire scam was as big as ninety percent, but that should have been the first thing t... |
Nigeria has been repeatedly ranked among most corrupt nations in the world. How do you think the Federal Government can tackle corruption? |
First is the will – to have the desire inside. You must desire it from the inside. I want to be a lawyer, I must desire it. When that desire is there, then we must translate it by asking the right questions. Now, a right question will be how do we mount an effective anti–corruption campaign? What do we have as our anti... |
There is a perception that if you move about in the night, you will be attacked. You may not be. So, you will say are you going out in the night? Don’t go! So there must be a perception that engaging in corrupt practices will land you in jail. In England, it is known and the thing is not to be caught, but if you are ca... |
But if the perception is right, many people facing trial, just going around at parties, entering planes and living life as if nothing happened won’t be doing that. That is the challenge, but if that perception is there, many people who have done the wrong things would actually by now be in jail and you wouldn’t even se... |
For instance, if the EFCC is competent in their operation, they will know the right court to go. The question is, why is the EFCC prosecuting in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in a Lagos State court? And you may ask: did Lagos State take those who take money from the treasury to the Federal High Court in A... |
SAN DIEGO, California — A young Democratic congressional candidate of Latino and Arab descent is running against an incumbent in a traditionally Republican district. On Wednesday, August 3, he got a boost from his old boss, former President Obama. |
Ammar Campa-Najjar is vying to represent California’s 50th District against Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, who was first elected to the seat in 2008. |
Campa-Najjar, 29, is one of nearly 100 Democrats across the country who were endorsed Aug. 3 by Barack and Michelle Obama; the former first couple released the list of candidates and pledged to lend them their support ahead of the midterm election this November. |
The son of a Mexican American mom and Palestinian dad is trying to oust an incumbent in a traditionally Republican district. Will Obama’s endorsement help him win in November? |
Campa-Najjar cut his political teeth working in the Obama administration as an official at the Labor Department. He said his experience with the former president inspired him to run for office. |
California’s 50th Congressional District is a traditional Republican mainstay. Spanning from San Diego in the south and running off the coast and into the deserts and forest mountains of San Diego and Riverside counties, CD-50 also butts up against Camp Pendleton, the largest Marine Corps base in the country. |
About 80 percent of the district’s population is White; Latinos make up about 30 percent. |
Ammar Campa-Najjar tweets, thanking former president Obama for the endorsement. |
Hunter is currently under an FBI criminal investigation for allegations of misusing campaign funds, but he comes into a re-election race with two advantages. He’s a former Marine and his father, also named Duncan Hunter, represented the same area before him for almost 30 years. |
Campa-Najjar acknowledges that he will need to mobilize new voters, a task he says the Democrats have fallen short on in the past. |
In his time in politics, he said, he has noticed Hispanics mobilizing but not necessarily voting. |
He stressed the importance of grassroots campaigning and reaching out to voters. |
Campa-Najjar speaks easily about his background; his mother is Mexican, the daughter of a migrant farmworker, and his father is Palestinian. When he was a boy, his family lived for a time in the Palestinian territories. |
He stresses that he was not raised with any advantages and understands working families. |
“My mom made $16,000 a year raising two kids,” he said, speaking about life after his parents’ divorce. |
He described a ritual his mom performed each month, sitting on the bed. He called it”solitaire”, where she would shuffle bills around to see which one she would pay that month. |
“Sometimes the Wi-Fi went out; sometimes it was the water,” he recalled. |
Campa-Najjar is building up a political machine; he recently announced the hiring of Joe Trippi, a well-known Democratic strategist whose latest victory was helping underdog Democratic Sen. Doug Jones defeat Republican Roy Moore in Alabama. |
A recent internal poll from Campa-Najjar’s campaign shows him within nine points of Hunter and political pundits have CD50 as a “lean Republican” district; but considering that in the last midterm election, Hunter defeated his opponent 71 percent to 29 percent, a single digit race before the Obama’s endorsement is maki... |
COUNTY NEWS: Can you cook an egg outside in Sussex heatwave? |
As the heatwave continues to grip the county, I thought it was time to conduct a little eggxperiment. |
Would I be able to scramble an egg on the asphalt in the car park outside our office? |
Although the Met Office has reported temperatures reaching at least 26 degrees along the south coast, it was not quite not enough to heat up the pavement to egg-frying levels. |
Instead of a sizzle as the white hit the ground, I was met with silence. It turns out that it needs to reach 55 degrees to cook – and even then, it will take 20 minutes, according to livescience.com. |
Thankfully, the bonnet of my colleague James Connaughton’s car had heated up much quicker – and after a bit of persuasion, we were ready for take two. |
This proved much more successful, but it was still far from a delicious breakfast treat... unless you are a seagull. |
Watch the video above to see my attempt at car bonnet cookery. Nigella: eat your heart out. |
To read more stories about the current heatwave, click here. |
For advice on looking after pets in the heat, click here. |
Did Oracle hand Charles Phillips a PR written pink slip? |
Charles Phillips claims $70bn acquisitions the next five years. Oracle denies. Did he just hand himself a pink slip? |
The frenzy over Charles Phillips claim that Oracle will spend $70 billion the next five years on acquisitions is but the latest in a media driven Oracle BS campaign to proclaim dominance of the IT universe. Except it comes with an ugly twist. |
"Oracle does not have a five year acquisition budget. We don't even have a one year acquisition budget. While it is highly unlikely that we will spend anything approaching $70 billion in five years, we will be opportunistic and, if market conditions warrant, we will buy additional companies that further our strategic g... |
Was that released on the say so of Larry [Ellison]? |
So far no response. But then I don't expect one. |
Charles Phillips, ex Morgan Stanley analyst and one time darling of the quarterly earnings call had predicted that enterprise applications would be consolidated. Larry Ellison handed him a $25 billion plus cheque for all practical purposes with which to fulfill his prophecy. It was a master stroke. |
In recent times the rumor mill had it that Charles would leave Oracle to take on the top slot at CA. That was until some rather unfortunate advertising turned up on Times Square. Read into that what you will. What I read into Karen's hatchet job is that this is the closest thing I've ever seen to a PR driven pink slip. |
On a personal note I admire the way Charles has done an outstanding job in acquiring and consolidating so many lame ducks including Siebel and PeopleSoft. What I don't admire is the non value passed back to customers by way of insisting that customers continue to pay for products that are, by 21st century standards, ou... |
Perhaps Charles knows the time to go has come and has merely precipitated that departure through his ambitious claims. Only time will tell. |
Le Bear Resort is a private luxury resort located on the beaches of Lake Michigan near Glen Arbor. This residence is number 1 on the first floor complete with beautiful wrap around porch that walks directly out on to the beach. No pets have been/are allowed in this unit. Through the Registry Collection, this residence ... |
To most Americans, Adm. Hyman G. Rickover was a man who rose from humble origins to the highest levels of government to make great contributions to the nation. But to his son, he was also a man who, senile toward the end of his life, was exploited by people around him. |
Admiral Rickover, an early proponent of nuclear-generated electricity who became known as the father of the nuclear navy, died Tuesday in nearby Arglington, Va., at 86 years of age. He was buried today in a small, private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. |
In an interview Wednesday at his home in Toronto, Admiral Rickover's son, Robert M. Rickover, asserted that the admiral, while mentally incapable, was induced to support the much-disputed restarting of a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, which had been shut down after an adjoining reactor was damage... |
In return, the younger Mr. Rickover said, the company that operates the Three Mile Island reactors gave donations totaling $380,000 to an educational foundation the admiral had formed. |
The younger Mr. Rickover further said that the company, General Public Utilities, gained his father's endorsement even though the admiral had come to oppose nuclear power plants for their potential danger and the problem of disposing of nuclear waste. |
In response, General Public Utilities, the head of Admiral Rickover's foundation and a scientist who worked with the admiral at Three Mile Island all denied the son's assertions. In fact, they said, the admiral was not exploited and was not senile and remained supportive of nuclear power. |
Robert Rickover, an economist, and his wife, Jane, a writer, addressed that question in the interview. |
Alternatively, Mr. Rickover said, the admiral feared that nuclear power plant accidents would destroy the world, a concern that the younger man said he shared. It was this belief that the son said was improperly pushed aside by people who exploited his father and got him to endorse the restarting at Three Mile Island. |
That paramount issue was nuclear safety, something that Admiral Rickover bullied people over when he was a younger man but something that his son says he was not capable of assessing in his declining years. |
At the time of his involvement at Three Mile Island, Mr. Rickover asserted, his father no longer had the mental ability to assess the operation of a nuclear power plant. And, he said, after the reactor was restarted, in October 1985, the utility's contributions to his foundation ceased. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.