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The Neighborhood Watch: Build It and They Will Come…

November 13th, 2017

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By Katrina Broner

Most people keep track of their lives with great memories and it’s often said, “That was the best day ever!” At times we say, “That was the worst day ever.” We count all these days as the sum of our lives but often I wonder how many days have I spent in the service of others?

Recently, I did just that!

In Tampa, there are areas that are not as developed and safe as others but there is always an effort to improve those areas. No matter what it looks like there are good people that just want to live a good life as best they can. They want a safe neighborhood and a safe place for their children to play when they come home for school. For me, it’s called the University Area.

Moonlight Feels Right: Starbuck – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 13th, 2017

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Tati’s World: Sluglife the Sequel

November 11th, 2017

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By Tatiauna Miller

My last column I discussed the “Slugging Etiquette” and shared some of the notorious slug driver’s I’ve come across such as Sir Talks a-lot, Rule Breaker and Reckless Driver. This time I’m going to share a few more of my slug stories because why the hell not!
If you remember from last time, one of the rules from the “Slugging Etiquette” was no talking on the phone and I talked being stuck in the slug car listening to a conference call. Well, it happened again! I get in the car and I hear random chatter but it didn’t sound like a conference call at first. Then I hear the “Good Morning everyone! Who’s on the line?” I guess I could’ve put my headphones on but I wanted to be nosey.

Book Review: A Sick Life by Tionne T-Boz Watkins (Rodale Books)

November 10th, 2017

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By Katrina Broner

TLC has been my favorite girl group since I was a little kid! I remember having Ain’t To Proud 2 beg on cassette tape and jamming out to it with my father. As I got older I mimicked T-Boz, my favorite member, as much as my parents would allow which was usually baggy jeans and her hairstyle. I was absolutely thrilled that she had written another book, this time about things I always wondered about my favorite group or wanted the truth about.

Once I got my hands on it, I was elated! There’s a great cover photo of T-Boz in her classic grown woman but a tomboy look, “A Sick Life” at the top in sparkly gold letters and 235 pages. Being an avid reader, I knew I would devour it; sure, enough I finished it in a day.

Everything’s Relevant: To Poop Or Not To Poop? That Is the Question!

November 10th, 2017

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By Jen Loehr

We have all been there…that moment when your stomach cramps up, you break out in a vicious sweat, your grip becomes deathly tight on whatever you may be holding on to at the moment and you realize that there is no way you can release any amount of air without a full blown catastrophe.

Several years ago this happened to me in such a manner that for the first time in my life I actually considered, seriously debated the pros and cons of literally crapping my pants. Don’t judge me, you can’t tell me with all honesty that you have never been there and had that debate with yourself. I mean the rumble starts and before you know it you are holding on for dear life and grinding your teeth together while desperately trying to use every single butt muscle to close off the inevitable. Also, just a side note…it NEVER happens when you are somewhere convenient like say HOME!

Magnum PI Co Star John Hillerman Dead at 84

November 9th, 2017

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By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt

John Hillerman, who made a living out of being a character actor, including Tom Selleck’s fastidious estate caretaker Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on Magnum, P.I., died Thursday. He was 84.

During Hillerman’s acting career he received four Emmy nominations in consecutive years for portraying Higgins and won in 1987. Hillerman, died at his home in Houston, family spokeswoman Lori De Waal told the Associated Press. She said the cause of death had not been determined.

Leading True – Crime Network ID Discovery Lifts the Veil on MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDIES IN A SMALL TOWN, “VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED”

November 9th, 2017

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Legend has it that the quiet, picturesque village of Dryden, N.Y., inspired Frank Capra’s vision of Bedford Falls in It’s a Wonderful Life. But contrary to that image, Dryden became the setting for a strange string of tragedies and murders between 1989 and 1999 that left residents wondering why death stalked their beloved town. To them it was a tragic coincidence, but outsiders gossiped about a curse, labeling Dryden as a real-life “Village of the Damned.” Residents have maintained a code of silence… until now.

Nearly two decades after Dryden’s dark years ended, America’s leading true-crime network, Investigation Discovery (ID), brings the mystery to life in a serialized format that features the town itself as the central character, as well as a Greek chorus of residents that lived through this tragic time. Each episode pries open one chapter from that era, starting with the cold-blooded execution of an entire family, followed by the murder of a beloved football coach, the untimely deaths of two beloved cheerleaders, and the tragic ripple effects that touched all corners of the community.

Delusion and Denial in America…

November 9th, 2017

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By Kimberly Palermo

Let’s make one thing clear right now…. and I mean crystal clear.

The “sanctity of life” is NOT an American value. So how about we fess up and stop the charade. Sure, we value the lives of people we know and people who are famous. But in general, it’s just not a part of our culture.

Paul Farmer said it best when he said, “The idea that some lives matter less, is the root of all that is wrong in the world.” If you give it some thought, it really rings true. In fact, it is the baseline measurement that Americans use to determines if we should get “up in arms” over an incident, or whether we should simply file it under, “status quo” and move on.

Tati’s World: Short People Problems!

November 8th, 2017

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By Tatiauna Miller

I’m an average short person. At a mere 5 feet and 1 inch, I’m shorter than the average 5th grader. Which is quiet humbling, especially when the kids from my daughter’s school keep asking me what high school I go to? In a few years, my 7 year old daughter will be looking down on me and she can’t wait. Shit, I can’t wait either! No more stepstools and catching leg cramps from over-reaching, she’s fetching everything from the top shelf and the middle shelf too!

Speaking of the top shelf, how come everything I need from Walmart is on the top shelf and pushed to the back? I always have to climb up the shelves to get what I want. Sometimes my daughter and I become a human ladder and I lift her up to reach the items. But that balancing act is always the last resort, she’s too heavy to balance and shoulder press in the air in the middle of Walmart. Plus, kids have bad balance and they don’t follow directions, she’s always grabbing everything else but what I told her to get. The human ladder was our go to move when we went apple picking, we got all the good apples! Why would any want to invite short people apple picking, anyway? How are we going to get anything good and who wants to walk around with a step ladder all around the orchard? No one, that’s who!

Who Wants To Live Forever: Queen – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 8th, 2017

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Everything’s Relevant: Miracles All Around Us

November 8th, 2017

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By Jen Loehr

As a kid I grew up in church…we were at church every Sunday (morning and evening service) and every Wednesday night. Now, my parents were not, have not ever been bible pushers or crazy people as depicted in many movies that come to mind (thank God my name is not Carrie). Nevertheless we were in church and that was just our way of life. As an adult, I don’t go to church as much as I should probably but I do have a relationship with the big man upstairs and my disclaimer will always be that I love Jesus but I cuss a lil. I have no doubt miracles happen every day/all day, that being said I just have never seen them in living form. Until December 16, 2017…and that is where my story begins.

Still Living the Horror of November 8, 2016 Almost One Year Later to the Day!

November 7th, 2017

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(Publisher Note: Not only do I FULLY CONCUR with every word Kimberly has written, I stand behind her and this article!)

By Kimberly Palermo

Almost one year ago today, on November 8th, 2016, Americans voted for our next president. I watched in horror, as my fellow Americans voted away their neighbor’s human and civil rights.

Was it all for the “promise” of a few extra bucks or was it a backlash from having had a black president for eight years in a nation that, in many parts, still proudly flies the Confederate flag? We will likely never know what caused almost solely white Americans to vote for a man with zero political experience and a background plagued with racist, bigoted ideology, litigiousness, misogyny, and elitism. I was in total shock. For me, casting a presidential vote is NOT about political party. Sure, there are big-ticket items like taxes, abortion, the death penalty, etc. But that’s never been the end all for me.

Catch Me I’m Falling: Real Life – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 6th, 2017

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Follow My Rainbow: Sheena Easton – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 5th, 2017

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Hello: Lionel Richie – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 4th, 2017

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Dunning-Kruger Strikes Again!

November 3rd, 2017

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By Kimberly Palermo

Have you ever noticed that the biggest racists and bigots in America are those with the least exposure to the group they’re maligning? As it turns out, most people who openly slander those in historically marginalized groups, do not have a single close friend who fits the category they so recklessly defame. Is this a coincidence?

I assure you it is not.

Because transgender Americans do not meet cultural expectations for gender identity, they are more likely than others to die prematurely of unnatural causes. The fact is, people who are born transgender are more likely to be murdered and more likely to attempt suicide than almost any other historically oppressed group in the nation.

Praying For Time: George Michael – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 3rd, 2017

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Kiss Me Deadly: Lita Ford – NewzBreaker Music Video of the Day

November 2nd, 2017

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Tati’s World: Interracial Dating – “The Swirl Life”

November 2nd, 2017

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By Tatiauna Miller

I’m an equal opportunity dater. I date all races, I don’t discriminate. Why not cast a wider net when there are so many fish in the sea. I won’t deny that dating interracial can be full of awkward social moments, but I’m not afraid of a challenge. I think dating interracially has allowed me to learn a lot about cultures that I would have never heard of and has given me an appreciation of my own culture as well. It’s also allowed me to see that we may have differences but we are all similar.

I’m so nervous when I meet someone’s family. I always wonder if they’ve given the folks a heads up, “Hey Mom and Dad, I’m dating a black girl!” I can’t tell you how many surprised parents I’ve met and on the receiving end of the ole “Oh, you’re not what I expected” conversation. Surprise, your son has jungle fever and you know what they say about what happens once you go black? Forget it, he’s ruined and expect to have a passel of little crinkly haired grandbabies in the near future. So let’s talk about the crinkly haired babies for a minute.

Investigation Discovery’s New 3-Part Series DEADLY DENTISTS Premieres Friday November 24th – TV News

November 2nd, 2017

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Imagine a world where your largely irrational fears of going to the dentist find basis in truth, but in ways you never expected. Investigation Discovery’s (ID) newest series DEADLY DENTISTS tells the true stories of dentists involved in murder, giving us reason to acknowledge our fears about sitting in that dreaded chair while sharp metal objects get a little too close for comfort.

Full of twists and turns, these stories of murder feature rotten characters in an industry full of money and meds, where corruption is commonplace. It’s hard to distinguish those who are honorable from the deeply distrustful when every smile is full of pearly whites. When you drill down, you reveal the decay rotting the roots of everything it touches.

Stereotyped Women As Told By Not So Stereotypical Women

November 1st, 2017

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By Arita Sysamout, Tatiauna Miller & Katrina Broner

Stereotype: Widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. As different as we all are, our stereotypes are wildly amusing. Rest is uneasy that we can’t go out the door or pick up a phone without being hit with them and we definitely can’t be the driver!

Arita:

So many stereotypes and not enough time. Firstly upon meeting me, I typically blow people away with my impeccable English. I’ve been complimented for not having an accent. What does an Arlington, VA native sound like? Sometimes I do say Ya’ll. Secondly, stereotypes suggest I can’t drive. I’ve have not yet hit anyone or anything and it’s been almost 20 years behind the wheel. My insurance company actually prefers me now. They sent a preferred customer card and everything. Stay alive. Don’t text and drive.

Everything’s Relevant: Friday Night Lights & More…

October 31st, 2017

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By Jen Loehr

I grew up the daughter of 2 amazing teachers. One of the teachers, my dad, was also a High School Football Coach for my entire life until he retired. So, not only did I grow up with underpaid and underappreciated teachers…I was also the child of an underpaid and many times unappreciated coach. Not only did my dad coach football, he also coached basketball in the winter and then either track, golf, or baseball in the spring to supplement our family income.

As a child I grew up on the football field, basketball court, etc. so I could hang out with my dad. It didn’t matter that I was a girl because I was a total tomboy! During those days as a child I never sat in the stands long enough to hear anyone talk bad about my dad or the other coaches who were also my dad’s. You see the football coaching staff my dad was a part of, was together for a good 30 years so our families were very tight knit and actually still are. During my junior high and high school years I was too busy socializing or being on the field as a football manager to hear those words of disgust towards the coaches or players.

The Mafia Chronicles: Mob Writers Debate the Kennedy Assassination

October 31st, 2017

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By Larry Henry

Two acclaimed organized-crime writers squared off in Las Vegas recently, debating whether the mob orchestrated President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

On one side was Dan E. Moldea, on the other, Gus Russo. Both are noted investigative journalists and authors.

During the debate at The Mob Museum, Moldea argued that notorious labor leader Jimmy Hoffa and two Southern organized-crime bosses, Carlos Marcello of New Orleans and Santo Trafficante of Tampa, engineered the Nov. 22, 1963, killing of the president in Dallas.

Chronicles of a Semi-Hot Mom: Growing Up & Reflecting On What Is Really Important!

October 30th, 2017

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By Arita Sysamout

Remember when we were young and in such a rush to grow up? I don’t even know why. All I wanted to do was stay up late at night, not have anyone tell me what to do and buy the whole candy aisle at 7-Eleven. This whole adulting thing doesn’t really seem like a fair trade off. Except for the candy.

Being a kid was carefree. Being a teen was just so annoying for everyone involved and now being an adult, I’m learning that every adult before me was just winging it. There are certain things we can never prepare for. Such as, our parents getting older or sick. If you have lost a parent, I’m sorry for your heartache. You are stronger than you and I know.

Something Scarier Than Monsters – Halloween Costumes in 2017 That Are Insensitive!

October 27th, 2017

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By Kimberly Palermo

I don’t know about you, but Halloween is one my favorite holidays… It’s the one holiday where parents can not only take part and dress up, but if they’re really lucky, their kids are still young enough to sneak a few treats from that candy sack… to help lighten the load, of course.

This year, Halloween has really snuck up on me… I’m not sure if it’s the erratic weather where summer was kind of fall and fall has been unseasonably warm. Maybe it’s the hellish, divisive drama that has been non-stop since the Trump regime took possession of the White House. But at least there’s Halloween, where EVERY American can forget about the hate, fear, bigotry, and racism and just get out there and have some fun, eat tons of candy, and escape the real world for one night…