WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

For some time now, the Holy Spirit has been saying to me, “No more pity parties!”  We are not victims.  It’s time out for feeling sorry for ourselves. Is God saying this because He has lost His compassion?  No.  God is saying “no more pity parties” because He has already released us from every trap.  We are agonizing over matters that God has already resolved. Stop It!

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God made an important promise.  He told us that we could never be backed into a corner.  In every temptation and challenge, He has already given us a way out.  That means that whatever we are facing right now, we have a righteous way out.  We are not waiting for a way out – we have the way out.   Why should we ever feel depressed or overwhelmed when God has already given us the way out? Choose Gratitude. It’s so much more empowering than feeling sorry for yourself. Chew on that one for a while!

Our problem is that we think that the world revolves around us. Well, I got some news for you. The world does not revolve around you. You are not the center of the world; you are a part of it. There are people out there who think the world revolves around them; that everything somehow ends up being about them.  They drive us nuts. Yet there are times we drive ourselves nut thinking the same thing, even if with less vanity.  We take things too personally; we don’t think about the other person, just our own part in whatever the situation, thinking it’s either all our fault, or that it has something to do with us, even when we end up finding it has nothing to do with us. Let’s call a spade a spade…. Selfishness…..that’s what having a pity party is all about…. and if you didn’t know, let me just tell you that  “Selfishness,” is the enemy of God. The enemy of God’s sovereignty and His mercy.

Listen, Jesus serves as an example of someone who if anyone could have warranted having a pity party for himself. He faced what no one will ever have to face. What no one else could bare to face….

and yet Christ went to the cross not deserving it, but taking the weight of our sin upon Himself as He was about to die an agonizing death upon the cross for which He did not deserve, but He took our place of guilt in order to remove our sins. He did not sing a song of pity words of”.. Troubles…I’ve got more than anyone.” He did not whine or complain or pout about the cross. He did not ask for…… or throw his own pity party!

The conclusion of the matter and our response is clear: We need to recognize we all are capable of self pity. We need to let adversity lead us to God and not lead us to whining, complaining , quitting or having pity parties. If you sense that you are slipping into self pity… take rest in knowing that God will lift you up if the weight of pity begins to bring you down., but  only if you  let Him. Stop wasting your time complaining. Stop throwing your pity party.  Just praise the Lord.

May the God of truth enable us to carefully and rightly dissect His precious Word, allowing God’s Word to say what it says, remembering that God says what He means and means what He says.  May we be those who tremble at His Word (Isaiah 66:1-2).  

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration continue to hear from taxpayers who have received unsolicited calls from individuals demanding payment while fraudulently claiming to be from the IRS.

Based on the 90,000 complaints that TIGTA has received through its telephone hotline, to date, TIGTA has identified approximately 1,100 victims who have lost an estimated $5 million from these scams.

“There are clear warning signs about these scams, which continue at high levels throughout the nation,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers should remember their first contact with the IRS will not be a call from out of the blue, but through official correspondence sent through the mail. A big red flag for these scams are angry, threatening calls from people who say they are from the IRS and urging immediate payment. This is not how we operate. People should hang up immediately and contact TIGTA or the IRS.”

Additionally, it is important for taxpayers to know that the IRS:

• Never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone.
• Never insists that taxpayers use a specific payment method to pay tax obligations
• Never requests immediate payment over the telephone and will not take enforcement action immediately following a phone conversation. Taxpayers usually receive prior notification of IRS enforcement action involving IRS tax liens or levies.

Potential phone scam victims may be told that they owe money that must be paid immediately to the IRS or they are entitled to big refunds. When unsuccessful the first time, sometimes phone scammers call back trying a new strategy.

Other characteristics of these scams include:

• Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
• Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number.
• Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
• Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
• Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
• After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:

• If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue, if there really is such an issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to TIGTA at 1.800.366.4484.
• If you’ve been targeted by this scam, you should also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.

Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov.

For more information or to report a scam, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.

More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.

You can reblog the IRS tax scam alert via Tumblr.

Spokesperson for Africa Magic GO, Juliet Ibrahim

Interview by Naomi K. Bonman

Africa Magic GO has recently launched in the United States. The network is similar to “Hulu”, in offering the latest film and television series from the Continent of Africa. Now Africans living in the U.S., and other African culture lovers can connect with the African culture by tuning in via their computer and mobile devices.

This new service is available at just $8 a month where customers can stream hundreds of movies and TV shows. African Magic GO also helps people tap into the prolific offerings of the world’s largest film industry, Nollywood, as well as productions from other parts of Africa. To assist in getting the word out, popular Ghanaian actress, Juliet Ibrahim, is one of the new spokespeople for the network.

In addition to acting, Miss Ibrahim is a business-oriented person who proudly owns Envoque Beauty Parlor, House of Glamour boutique, Dolfins Modeling Agency, and Jewels Productions. She also recently delved into music and is soon to debut her album. In December 2011, the actress launched her Juliet Ibrahim Foundation (JIF) to start an awareness campaign about kidney cancer. The JIF is aimed at helping Ghanaians and other West African citizens to know their status and prevent kidney cancer from getting to the incurable stage. JIF is poised to help save lives and put smiles on the faces of the less fortunate living with kidney cancer but can’t afford to handle their bills.

Question and Answer with Miss Juliet:

Naomi K. Bonman: What inspired you to become involved with Africa Magic GO?

Juliet Ibrahim: Africa Magic is a major brand in Africa. It is a privilege to be a part of their new product Africa Magic GO, which enables Africans in the Diaspora to stay in touch with their roots while living abroad. Finally, my fans living abroad can get to watch my exclusive movies, TV shows and TV series way before the movie comes out on DVD. It’s a good brand to be associated with as a celebrity from Africa. For my fans reading this article, they can log on to www.africamagicgo.com and register and watch one of my latest movies on there is called “Blurred Lines.”

Naomi K. Bonman: What projects are you currently working on?

Juliet Ibrahim: I just wrapped filming my second personal movie production called “Shattered Romance,” and it’s a project I am so proud of. It features both Nigerian and Ghanaian actors. I am also promoting my new music video “It’s Over Now,” which is enjoying a lot of airplay currently. Lastly, I’ve been on a campaign to educate the public and create awareness for my kidney cancer awareness foundation; it’s been successful so far.

Naomi K. Bonman: Do you have any upcoming plans on doing more work here in the States?

Juliet Ibrahim: Certainly! I intend to work here in the States and am very open to offers and various opportunities here. I am not limited to working only in Africa. I am currently looking for an amazing PR person and manager out here in the U.S. so we get a lot of work done. Juliet Ibrahim is a brand that I believe needs to expand and be known worldwide. I have plans of launching my NGO in the United States as well; it’s already been registered out here.

For more information on the network, visit www.africamagicgo.com. To read more on Juliet Ibrahim visit www.julietibrahim.net.

Misee Harris (left) calls out OUR GENERATION Dolls and TARGET for racism and discrimination

Media personality, Misee Harris, is calling out OUR GENERATION Doll Maker on the representation of their sole African American doll, Abrianna, and TARGET for selling the brand in its stores.

“A doll company that prides itself on representing who we are as a community and a generation has gotten it wrong’” insists Misee Harris.

OUR GENERATION Dolls offers four categories: The “Regular Doll” is simply a doll with no added accessories; the “Deluxe Doll” which comes with clothing, grooming and activity-related accessories; the “Retro Doll;” and the “Hair Play Doll” with its long, straight locks. At TARGET, which has a whole aisle dedicated to the company, The Deluxe Doll retails for $31.99 and includes a full suite of accessories. The Regular Doll retails for $29.99, and her accessories must be purchased separately. “Abrianna,” the company’s only African American doll, is sold in select TARGET stores and comes with no accessories.

“For $2.00, there is a huge difference with what you receive,” points out Harris.

There is no option in the OUR GENERATION Doll Collection for a Deluxe African American doll that includes accessories and retails for $31.99.

“After searching several TARGET stores for an African American Deluxe OUR GENERATION Doll to showcase and giveaway on my YouTube Channel,” states Harris, “I finally found “Abrianna” at a TARGET in a neighborhood with a large African American population. In order to buy all of the extras for Abrianna, which come included with each Caucasian Deluxe Doll, I had to spend an additional $60.00.”

Misee Harris has created a YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MiseeHarris, where she gives away her favorite beauty, style and collectible items to her subscribers, which her and her team curate. On her most current video, Misee used her platform to bring awareness to this issue regarding the OUR GENERATION Dolls, stating, “We are a generation of all ethnicities. As an African American woman who is a doctor, business owner, professor and outspoken advocate for the positive and accurate depiction of African American women, I can assure OUR GENERATION Dolls and TARGET that this is not a good representation of minorities.”

If OUR GENERATION is really just that, our generation, shouldn’t it reflect that? “We are a country made up of little girls and women who are Caucasian, Asian, African American, Indian, Latino and Multiracial backgrounds. That is our generation,” states Misee.

“I challenge OUR GENERATION Dolls to re-think their product and how they are represented on retail shelves, and I challenge TARGET to exhibit greater social responsibility and sensitivity with the products it carries in its stores,” concludes Misee Harris.

About Misee Harris

A pediatric dentist and professor of dentistry at Meharry School of Pediatric Dentistry by trade, Misee made waves in the media throughout the past year with her public campaign to become television’s first black Bachelorette. Appearing on HLN’s Showbiz Tonight, The Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, MSNBC’s TheGrio.com and HuffPost Liveamong other outlets, Misee has stated her case for the equality and positive depiction of African American women in the media. Misee’s platform has been dissected and written about in The New York Times and on countless blogs, including SheKnows.com. Misee is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Robin Williams

“Our hearts go out to one of the great comedians of the era”.-Ryan Beagan, Pacific Grove Hospital 

RIVERSIDE, CA- Yesterday, Robin Williams passed away of an apparent suicide. As we remember the many amazing ways in which he enriched media and culture with his comedy and acting, we should also take a look at what drove Robin’s actions to his untimely death.

Robin identified as an alcoholic early in life, all the way back to his days in his hometown. As he gained celebrity status, he also came to battle with cocaine addiction. His drug and alcohol abuse ran rampant until the death of John Belushi – also from drug addiction – in 1982, after which Robin said he remained sober for 20 years. In 2006, Robin entered rehab for drinking, and sought treatment again as recently as June of this year. Questions that come to mind to all of us:

Why did this happen, especially to someone who seems to have had everything? Alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as mood issues such as depression have genetic, physical, and environmental triggers. There is no one single cause. A core precept of alcohol recovery is that alcoholism is a disease; you are always in recovery, never cured.

Did no one see the kind of place Robin was in? He did go into treatment multiple times. This highlights the importance not only of communicating regularly and deeply with our loved ones, but being able to identify signs and symptoms that indicate the need for care. Related to this, it is critical to have a full continuum of care: from 24 / 7 help in inpatient or residential treatment environments for crises and acute situations and aftercare programs that offer ongoing support and maintain recovery.

How did the addiction and depression issues interrelate? There is concept in mental health treatment of “co-occurring disorders”. A person can have depression or anxiety issues from a young age, or develop them later in life as a result of a traumatic event. Some men and women then turn to drug abuse as a coping mechanism. That is why modern treatment focuses on addressing all elements of a person’s mental health, to get at the root of the original issues. Treating only the addiction without the mental health component leads to higher rates of relapse. Robin himself, in a 2009 interview, said he had previously failed to confront the core issues at the root of his addictions, contributing to his own return to rehab.

All mental health and addiction treatment programs offer free, confidential screenings that you should take advantage of if you feel even the slightest need, and will help you find the most appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. Inpatient programs also offer immediate services for those battling with suicidal ideations.

Our hearts go out to Robin’s family. This is a reminder to all of us to remember to communicate with our loved ones regularly, and seek professional care and support when it may be needed.

About Pacific Grove Hospital

Pacific Grove Hospital is a leading treatment center in Riverside, CA, specializing in mental health and addiction treatment for adults and seniors. Our main focus is to provide the highest quality care for all individuals that walk through our door. At Pacific Grove we provide multiple levels of care to meet our patients’ needs including psychiatric inpatient, chemical dependency inpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP) and specialty groups for alumni and family. Our goal is to create happier, healthier lives for all those in need.

Contestants and runners up gather to congratulate Jasmine Alexander, Miss Black USA 2014.
PHOTO CREDIT: Nicole L. Cvetnic/The Root

Miss Black Colorado Jasmine Alexander is named Miss Black USA

Miss Black USA Jasmine Alexander
PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Roberts/Afro American Newspaper

The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation recently announced Miss Black Colorado Jasmine Alexander as the new Miss Black USA 2014. On Sunday night at the University of the District of Columbia Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., a distinguished panel of judges chose Alexander for top honors out of 25 contestants from across the nation. Alexander is a 26-year-old Air Force Intelligence Officer stationed at Peterson Air Force Base.

In 2013, Alexander was deployed to Afghanistan on a special mission to provide pertinent information to the troops to secure their safety. Immediately after being crowned, Alexander said, “As a member of the Armed Forces and now as Miss Black USA, I can’t think of a better way to serve my country.”

The newly crowned beauty queen will use her reign to promote the Heart Truth campaign to raise awareness of heart disease. “One in every four women die of heart disease and we really need to push fitness, healthy living, and a healthy lifestyle so that will be one of the first endeavors I undertake as Miss Black USA,” explains Alexander.

Alexander’s Miss Black USA prize package included a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to Africa. She holds a B.A. in Mass Communications and a Master’s degree in Human Services and Executive Leadership from Liberty University. Alexander is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

The 2014 Miss Black USA pageant was sponsored by Arik International Airways, K. Khristian Michael, and the NYS Collection. Please contact Carita Parks at carita@parks-pr.com or 571-403-1596 for interview requests.

Top 5 Results:

Winner: Miss Black Colorado, Jasmin Alexander

1st Runner up: Miss Black Tennessee Gabrielle Lewis

2nd Runner up: Miss Black California, Jasmine Johnson

3rd Runner up: Miss Black Ohio, Terra Strong

4th Runner up: Miss Black Washington, Alexandra Morton

Founder’s Award: Miss Black Kentucky, LaPrecious Brewer

Community Service Award: Miss Black Maryland, DeJanee Fennell

Miss Congeniality: Miss Black Alabama, Jessica Alexander

Miss Talented Teen 2014: Miss Black California, Kylee Johnson

The Miss Black USA Pageant and Scholarship Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to outstanding young women of color. The Miss Black USA Pageant was founded by Karen Arrington in 1986. To date, the pageant has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships.

Michael Brown

On Saturday, August 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager was killed by a police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, MO. Eyewitnesses to the shooting reported that Brown was killed while attempting to surrender, but police say that the teen assaulted the officer before the shooting.

Immediately following the shooting, riots and looting broke out within the community where several businesses were destroyed, including a QuikTrip convenience store that was burned down due to the frustration in the community involving the killing.

There are several articles circulating the internet and other various news sites that all depict something slightly different of what happened. Some are on Brown’s side, other’s are on the police’s side, and the vast majority are stuck in the middle. However, there are a few facts that we know for sure about Michael Brown and the shooting.

What we know about Michael Brown:

• He was an 18-year-old student
• He grated from Normandy High School in St. Louis in the spring of 2014. He was scheduled to start classes at Vatterott College, a Missouri trade college, on Monday, August 11.
• On the day of his death, Brown as visiting his grandmother, Desuirea Harris, who lives in Ferguson, a working-class suburb of St. Louis.

What we know about the shooting:

• Brown was shot multiple times and killed by a Ferguson police officer in the early afternoon of Saturday, August 9, outside of an apartment complex.
• Brown was unarmed. All shell castings found at the scene were from the police officer’s gun.
• At least one shot was fired from the police car. Brown was killed while he was standing about 35 feet away from the car.
• The name of the police officer has not been released. St. Louis County police chief Jon Belmar told reporters on Sunday morning that the officer had been in the Ferguson police department for six years, and that Belmar was not aware of any problems the officer had during that time.

Source: Vox News

Other interesting and debatable articles:

• The Guardian
• The New York Times  
• International Business Times

SAN BERNARDINO, CA-Terry Boykins of Street Positive visited Empire Talks Back radio on Sunday, August 3. Justified was also a guest on the station. If you missed the discussion, you can catch a recap by clicking on to kcaaradio.celestrion.net/kcaa-podcasts/empire. 

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

I Can’t Take It Anymore!  Have you ever heard anybody say that? Have you ever said that yourself? “I’ve had enough! I can’t do this anymore.” Every day is a grind.  Every day is another battle.  Every day brings more struggles. Every day brings more stress. And just when you think all the problems are gone, then a new one pops up out of nowhere.  Talk about battles!  Talk about struggles!  Just when you feel good about yourself and your spiritual life, then Satan attacks and it seems like you can’t win for loosing.  It seems as though, “If it ain’t One Thing, It’s another!”

Well, back in the disco music time, a songwriter wrote, “Enough is enough!” Donna Summer had decided that she couldn’t go on no more. She had been in a relationship that she finally saw was going nowhere. She saw that it was time for her to move on and do better. She saw that it was time to stop putting up with all the heartache and pain; all the sorrow and wrongdoing; all the misdirection and misinformation; it was time to put her foot down and let it be known that she had had enough. “No More! Enough is enough!”

My friend, just like Donna Summer, there should come a time in our lives that we should see the Devil for who he really is. We should see that his only purpose is to steal, kill, destroy, and to convince us to go against God’s will. Even Jesus was tired of the Devil messing with Him, and He decided to put a stop to all of Satan madness and He told him, “No More… Enough is enough… Get thee behind Me Satan!”  Aren’t you tired of being tired? Aren’t you tired of the Devil messing with you?  Aren’t you tired of him stealing your joy, peace, and happiness? Aren’t you tired of him taking things from you? If so, then tell the devil, “No More! Enough is enough!” Let him know that you’re not going to take it anymore! Tell him to get out, there’s nothing left to talk about!  GET OUT and don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you!  Look him square in the eyes and simple shout, “NO MORE!  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” and proceed to put him out! To Hell with the Devil!

You know the Bible is full of men and women who display the full range of emotions that we ourselves experience, who struggle with the big questions of life. Elijah was a person just like us who reached a point where he sat down in total, abject despair and said, “No More… Enough is enough! It’s the last straw… I can’t take any more!” If you have had enough.  If you are tired and worn out from the things you have had to deal with in the last few months or year. Then let the Devil know that the buck stops here, today! Stand your ground. Don’t give up. Hit him with everything you’ve got and he will always flee from you. Remember, Satan doesn’t have any power over you; the only thing he has is ability, and that is the ability to deceive. There are a lot of people that consider Satan to be an all-powerful being, when, in fact, he’s not! He lost whatever power he had as an anointed cherub of God when he was cast out of Heaven and fell to Earth (Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12-14) He is not equal to God in any way, and he never was! We have to realize that all he is is a disenfranchised spirit that is seeking those that he might deceive. 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Note that he isn’t a roaring lion, he just acts like one! It’s important for us to realize that God is the one that has the real dynamic power, not Satan.

Listen, only you can prevent the Devil from making his permanent abode in your heart. Our struggle is against forces of evil. And yes, it is a struggle! You’ve got to put forth effort. You’ve got to try hard. Revelation 2:25 tells us to hold fast till Jesus come. That requires effort: to hold fast. You’ve got to do that. Make no mistake about it, the Devil will extract all the good he can from you and when he finally does leave, he’ll leave you in as bad a shape as he possibly can. You’ve got to ditch him by evicting him. You have the right of emanate domain over the devil. Use it!

Jesus served papers on the Devil, and He drove the him away with the sharp two edged sword called Scripture. Jesus used the pages of Scripture to add authority to this eviction. {Matthew 4:10, 11 says, Then the Devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him}.  You can ditch the Devil the same way. Pack your mind with Scripture. The pages of the Bible are powerful. {Hebrews 4:12, For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.}  So crowd him out with the Bible. Give the Devil a cold shoulder and invite Jesus in. The Devil can shoot all the arrows he wants at you but when you are inside God’s armor you are fully protected. Do it now, before the Devil attacks. Drive him out- Cut him out- Pray him out- Force him out- Crowd him out- Squeeze him out- Block him out. You can do that. We are not going to let the Devil run us from where we need to be! We have to make up our mind that we will be stead fast and unmovable always abiding in His Word!

Ditch him today and every day. “No More… Enough is enough!”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- WSS News intern, Noelle Lilley, recently interviewed Rancho Cucamonga native Joshua Robinson, 32, who is competing for $10,000 on CMT’s ‘Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull’. Robinson is a youth athletic trainer with plans of buying top of the line equipment for his youth training program if he wins.

“Slow feet, don’t eat, that’s why we compete, and I’ll be damned if I fall victim to defeat”, is the motto that Mr. Robinson lives by for the show.

During the interview, Robinson discussed how he got into sports, his future endeavors and what inspired him to get apply to be on the show. For those that are interested in watching an episode or two, Broken Skull Challenge comes on each Sunday at 8 p.m. on CMT.

To view the interview, click here.