Child maid trafficking spreads from Africa to US

Shyima was 10 when a wealthy Egyptian couple brought her from a poor village in northern Egypt to work in their California home. She awoke before dawn and often worked past midnight to iron their clothes, mop the marble floors and dust the family's crystal. She earned $45 a month working up to 20 hours a day. She had no breaks during the day and no days off.

The trafficking of children for domestic labor in the U.S. is an extension of an illegal but common practice in Africa. Families in remote villages send their daughters to work in cities for extra money and the opportunity to escape a dead-end life. Some girls work for free on the understanding that they will at least be better fed in the home of their employer.

The custom has led to the spread of trafficking, as well-to-do Africans accustomed to employing children immigrate to the U.S. Around one-third of the estimated 10,000 forced laborers in the United States are servants trapped behind the curtains of suburban homes, according to a study by the National Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley and Free the Slaves, a nonprofit group. No one can say how many are children, especially since their work can so easily be masked as chores.

Once behind the walls of gated communities like this one, these children never go to school. Unbeknownst to their neighbors, they live as modern-day slaves, just like Shyima.

Source:www.google.com/hostednews

Fasano scores seventh TD of season

Anthony Fasano caught three passes for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins' Week 17 victory.
Fasano made an outstanding, backpedaling adjustment for his score in the third quarter. Though he managed only 34 catches for 454 yards in the regular season, the Fins frequently called red-zone plays for Fasano and he finished the year with seven scores, tying him with Dallas Clark behind Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates for third most among AFC tight ends.

Original source: www.rotoworld.com

RNC chairman candidate defends 'Barack the Magic Negro' song

(CNN) -- A candidate for the Republican National Committee chairmanship said Friday the CD he sent committee members for Christmas -- which included a song titled "Barack the Magic Negro" -- was clearly intended as a joke.


The title of the song about President-elect Barack Obama was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column.

"I think most people recognize political satire when they see it," Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman told CNN. "I think RNC members understand that."

The song, set to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon," was first played on conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh's radio show in 2007.

Its title was drawn from a Los Angeles Times column that suggested President-elect Barack Obama appealed to those who feel guilty about the nation's history of mistreatment of African-Americans. Saltsman said the song, penned by his longtime friend Paul Shanklin, should be easily recognized as satire directed at the Times.

The CD sent to RNC members, first reported by The Hill on Friday, is titled "We Hate the USA" and also includes songs referencing former presidential candidate John Edwards and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, among other targets.

According to The Hill, other song titles, some of which were in bold font, were: "John Edwards' Poverty Tour," "Wright place, wrong pastor," "Love Client #9," "Ivory and Ebony" and "The Star Spanglish Banner."

Saltsman was national campaign manager for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential bid in 2007 and 2008. Before that, he held a variety of posts, including a number of positions under former Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee.

Original Source: CNN

Is Michael Jackson Dying?

Pop music icon Michael Jackson is near death, suffering from a potentially fatal genetic disease that has affected his lungs and stripped him of vitality, Jackson-biographer Ian Halperin has claimed in a recent interview.

Speaking with the UK Sun, Halperin has been quoted saying, 'He needs a lung transplant, but may be too weak to go through with it. He also has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping. It's the bleeding that's the most problematic part. It could kill him.'

Specifically, Halperin claims that Jackson, now 50 years old, has developed a rare alpha-1 anti-trypsin protein deficiency, leaving his lungs unable to protect themselves. He also claimed Jackson, who was photographed in a wheelchair earlier this year, had been battling the disease for several years.'He can barely speak. The vision in his left eye is 95 percent gone. For years, Michael has been working with his doctors to make sure (the disease) doesn't progress.Jackson's usually outspoken and stridently defensive publicist and family members have not moved to deny the claim, which in turn has only fueled speculation.

Original Source of this article: www.inhome.rediff.com

5 Films That Could Bring Eddie Murphy Back

5 Films That Could Bring Eddie Murphy Back

Like most ’80s babies, we’ve got a love/hate relationship with Eddie Murphy. We loved everything he did up until Boomerang and we pretty much hate everything he’s made after 2001. So imagine our surprise when we read a rumor this morning that Eddie Murphy was being considered for the role of The Riddler in the next Batman installment. Word? Eddie Murphy? As the Riddler? We’d rather watch The Rock try to do Shakespeare.

Regardless, it’s obvious that Eddie is trying to revitalize his career. There seem to be no fat suits or pantyhoses in any of his upcoming flicks (a definite plus) and there was a rumor going around that he was trying to make a Beverly Hills Cop 4 (eh, not so much). That may work, but we’ve come up with a couple movie ideas that we think would get him on some sort of track…check ‘em out below…

COMING TO AMERICA 2: THE RETURN OF PRINCE AKEEM

• Plot: After returning to his kindgom with his bride, fast food heiress Lisa McDowell, Akeem learns that his Princess has been sleeping with the son of an opposition leader. His trusty sidekick Semmi suggests that he return to America to once again find love. Only this time, instead of searching the streets of NYC, they hit up the modern day chocolate city, Atlanta!
• Why He Should Do It: We all want to see Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall on screen together again. We can really care less what the movie is.

EDDIE MURPHY AUDACITY HBO STAND UP SPECIAL

• Plot: In the vein of his previous two classic stand up specials (Raw & Delirious), Eddie Murphy returns to the stage to air out the critics and to give his side of the story on all the tabloid and gossip magazine stories we’ve read about, including his baby with Scary Spice, why he did Pluto Nash, why he can’t and won’t stop wearing fat suits and wigs.
• Why He Should Do It: Like every other comedian, Eddie went after that family movie money and never looked back. It’s time for him to drop the Madea act and return to his raw stand up roots, if for only one night. His fans will thank him.

THE PJ’s MOVIE

• Plot: Due to the current economic and housing fiasco, the housing projects that Thurgood Stubbs calls home is scheduled to be torn down. In order to stop the destruction of their longtime residence, Thurgood, along with the other tenets, must come up with a plan to save their beloved PJ’s.
• Why He Should Do It: The PJ’s was before its time—the show won three Emmy’s during its three year run. Satirical animated humor is in and profitable. Also, Eddie Murphy’s lazy ass bragged about being able to record his part for Shrek in his home studio, so he can do the same here. Only this time he’s not being a jackass.

STAR TREK: THE JOURNEY OF GEORDI LA FORGE

• Plot: In this Star Trek spin off, Eddie Murphy assumes the role of the most famous black guy on the Star Ship Enterprise, Geordi La Forge. After his tour of duty with the Star Ship comes to a close, La Forge attempts to rebuild a life for himself back on Earth. Through meetings with old friends and visits to past residences, we learn who La Forge really is and why he left his entire life behind to boldly go where no man has gone before.
• Why He Should Do It: After the embarrassingly bad Pluto Nash, Eddie needs to redeem himself in the realm of space films. If the all-new Star Trek film that’s coming out is any good, this sequel would be the perfect vehicle into the great beyond for Mr. Murphy.

YOU & I: THE RICK JAMES STORY

• Plot: One of the biggest pop stars in history, Rick James ushered his own brand of funk into the homes of millions. The Rick James Story takes you on a journey for from his humble beginnings in New York to his explosion on Motown to his destructive fall.
• Why He Should Do It: Eddie’s second love was always music. Hence why he felt the need to bless us with those two gems “Party All the Time” and “Put Your Mouth on Me.” But besides a successful music career, another goal that has eluded Eddie has been the winning of an Oscar. After his Academy Award nominated role in DreamGirls, this would be the perfect Oscar bait. Musical biopics are pretty money in the bank. If this doesn’t work, then fuck it, go back to the fat suit.

The original source of this article: www.complex.com/blogs