WTH? California allows first-ever state recognized human-animal marriage.

What kind of report is this? Are they for real or just messing with people? According to this report, a man in San Francisco has legally married his dog in a church officiated by a priest and witnessed by family members. Read this bizarre story below culled from Nationalreport.net

        On Monday history was made at the Chapel of Our Lady at the Presidio in San Francisco as the first-ever state recognized human-animal marriage took place.

Local resident 35-year-old Paul Horner was the groom during the ceremony. Joining him was his faithful dog Mac who is 36-years-old in dog years. Mac also decided to be the groom but ended up wearing a white veil at the last moment.

Father McHale who officiated the outdoor wedding told reporters he was extremely happy to be a part of this joyous moment of life. “This is the definition of true love my friends. There is nothing more sacred than the bond between a man and his faithful dog,” McHale said. “Now, since it is recognized as a legally binding marriage in the state of California, Mr. Horner and Mac will have all the same tax benefits and everything else coming to them that a regular married couple would receive. It’s a fantastic day to be alive!”

So how could this have happened?

In the book of California’s State Laws and Regulations there is a little known law that was passed as the state was first forming in 1850. According to article 155, paragraph 10, it clearly states:

If a man and a man can get married and a woman and a woman can get married, if ever comes that day, then a human and animal will have the exact same rights to marriage in every eye of the law. God help us if this ever is to happen!

In attendance was Horner’s entire family who flew in from Hawaii to witness the event. Mac had her puppies on hand and making a special celebrity appearance was Alex from Stroh’s and Spuds Mckenzie.

“I just love my Mac so much, I can’t wait till we can finally get back to the honeymoon sweet in Montana where bestiality is legal. Gosh, get with the times California! We can marry here just fine, but love making is a big no-no,” said Horner. “People keep asking me why I wanted to marry a dog. I told them I just want the same god given rights that every person in California is allowed to have. Don’t tell me I can’t marry my dog. I don’t tell you that you can’t marry a 500 lb woman with gas issues. That’s your decision. Don’t tread on me. I love my dog and I know he loves me a hundred times more than any gay wedding out there.”

With this wedding between a man and a male dog now on the books, one can only ask what is in store next? A man marrying a toaster? A toaster marrying a dog? A toaster marrying a toaster?

America, what happened to the sanctity of marriage? Tsk. Tsk.

TEARS OF JOY As Osaze Odemwingie Donates Wheelchair To Physically Challenged Friend (PHOTOS)

Nigerian International Footballer, Osaze Peter Odemwingie has recently surprised a physically challenged friend of his with a motor wheelchair gift.

Osaze Odemwingie Osaze sent the gift which was presented to his friend and team supporter ‘New Yorker’ (as he is fondly called) by Former National team coach, Austine Eguavoen.

Receiving the wheel chair on January 29, ‘New Yorker’ couldn’t help but smile and shed tears of joy. He further prayed for Peter. Peter recently celebrated his son’s first birthday and is expecting another baby boy with wife Sarah, later in June.

See the photos below:

YOU MUST KNOW: 5 Health Reasons To Eat More Onions

Onion is a member of the Allium family and is rich in sulfur containing compounds that are responsible for its pungent odor and for many of onion’s health promoting effects.

1. Cardiovascular benefits

There is evidence that sulfur compounds found in onion work in an anti clotting capacity and help prevent the unwanted clumping together of blood platelet cells. There is also evidence showing that onion’s sulfur compounds can lower blood levels of cholesterol and improve cell membrane function in red blood cells as well. The benefits of onion in the overall dietary context extend to prevention of heart attack.

2. Bone and connective tissue benefits

Human studies have shown that onion can help increase your bone density and may have special benefit on women ofmenopausal age who are experiencing loss of bone density. Plus, there is evidence that women who have passed the age of menopause may be able to lower their risk of hip fracture through daily eating of onions. Daily consumption of onion boosts benefits for bone density. So do not skimp on onions when you are incorporating them into your diet plan.

3. Anti-inflammatory benefits

This allium vegetable has nevertheless been shown to provide important anti inflammatory response. A unique sulfur molecule found in the bulb portion of the onion has been shown to inhibit the activity of macrophages-specific white blood cells that play a major role in your immune system and one of their defense activities is the triggering of large scale inflammatory responses. Onion’s antioxidants provide you with anti inflammatory sources.

4. Cancer protection

Onion has been shown to lower the risk of several cancers, even when you consume it in only moderate amounts. Colorectal, laryngeal and ovarian cancers are the types for which risk is reduced along with moderate amounts of dietary onion. Do not err on the side of small onion servings or infrequent onion intake if you want to obtain the full cancer related benefits of this veggie. Try to include at least one whole onion in the recipe. In terms of individual portion sizes when you sit down to eat, try to consume the equivalent of half onion.

5. Other health benefits

Onions have shown potential for improvement of blood sugar balance, help prevent bacterial infection. Some studies suggest that length of storage for onion that has been chopped but not cooked and duration of heat exposure in this case involving exposure to steam for ten minutes can affect some of onion’s health benefits. For these reasons, special care is needed in the storage, handling and cooking of this vegetable.

5 Tips On Becoming A Leader People Want to Follow

By Jay Mitchell


As we meet with candidates, we inevitably end up talking about leadership. Both the leadership skills they possess and value, as well as the kind of leadership they’ve experienced in their organizations. Some have developed their leadership skills because of the leadership under which they’ve been serving and some have developed their gifts in spite of that leadership. It’s not hard to figure out which approach is more effective. People perform more effectively, grow more quickly, become more motivated, and become more effective leaders in their own right when they have a leader that they want to follow. What are some of the common characteristics of the leaders that people want to follow?

1. Integrity

The leaders that others want to follow walk their talk. They don’t say one thing and do another. They don’t talk negatively about members of their team behind their backs. They don’t blur ethical boundaries when it comes to how they handle their money, their family, or their workweek. They are exactly who they present themselves to be. Don’t be fooled – your people are watching you and they ARE evaluating you. Is this person someone I can trust? Will they keep their word? Will they have my back when they say they will?  When the answer to those questions is YES, your team will follow you to the end of the world and back.

2. Initiate

As a leader, you may not be aware of how intimidating you might seem to your team. Just saying, “My door is always open,” will make you feel better, but it won’t inspire your team to take you up on it. The truth is “Open Door” policies just don’t work.  The best leaders, the leaders that people want to follow, are initiators. They leave their office and visit with their team members one on one or in groups. They don’t just ask, “How’s the project going?” They ask, “How are YOU doing?” and then really listen to the answer. Now, not all of us are naturally relational leaders, and we all have a lot on our plates. But great leaders that others want to follow will schedule time to intentionally care and connect with their team.

3. Seek Feedback

Great leaders not only ask, “How are you doing?” They ask, “How am I doing?” and “How are WE doing as a team?” If you want to be a leader that people want to follow, take time to sit down with your team members, both individually and as a team, and ask them to evaluate how you are doing as a leader. Are you giving them what they need? Do you have any blind spots that need to be addressed? What are you doing that is helping them be successful? What are you doing that might be getting in the way of them being successful? How are we doing as a team? Are the goals we’ve set for the year realistic? Do they have what they need to achieve those goals? How’s morale? What can you do to improve? Of course, you’ll want to weigh the feedback you receive and run it past your key circle of advisors to get some clarity. It’s a scary proposition because you may actually hear the truth, and the truth might hurt. But it will make you a better leader. It will also make your people want to run through a wall for you because you’ve shown humility and respect for them.

4. Celebrate Success & Respect Failure

What do you do when God uses your team to accomplish something great? Or when one of your team does something exceptional that reflects your core values? Do you celebrate it? It might be as simple as a quick email that says you noticed and appreciate them. It might be something you talk about at a staff meeting or a team gathering. It might be a gift card for a lunch or coffee. Success needs to be celebrated! Perhaps even more important than how you celebrate success is how you show honor and respect when someone on your team tries something great that fails. In our interviews with candidates, I’m usually far more interested in how a person talks about their failures than in what they have accomplished.  What did they learn from it? How did it change them or cause them to grow? What do they do differently now? If you want to be a leader that people want to follow, celebrate the successes of your team but also honor and respect failure. Rather than simply chastising your team for something that didn’t work, use it as a teachable moment. Sit down with them and talk about what went wrong. What can you learn from it? What are ways that it can be redeemed?

5. Invest in their team members’ futures, even if it means they may leave your team one day.

In our work as search consultants, we often hear that “loyalty” is one of the character qualities our clients are looking for in their new team members. But loyalty is not just a character quality – it’s also earned by the way you invest in your team. Great leaders that people want to follow want the best for their team members – they invest time, energy, and money into helping their people reach their potential as leaders in their own right. When you look at your team members, always ask the question: What is their next area of growth? What would help them get there? What can I as a leader, or we as an organization, provide for them to help them realize their potential? Do we need to get them more training? Do they need to be mentored? Do they need more opportunities to try some things outside of their current role? That investment may ultimately lead to a team member leaving to join another ministry, but it won’t be because they don’t want to follow your leadership. It will be because you prepared them to serve the Kingdom in new ways. What do you think? What are some characteristics that make people a leader worth following?

Keshi Still Best Coach In Africa — Ghana Coach

Coach Maxwell Konadu of Ghana says Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, is still the best coach in Africa.

This he noted was in spite of the defeat of the Super Eagles, 4-1 on penalties, by his team in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) semi final match.

With the defeat, Ghana would now meet Libya which qualified at the expense of Zimbabwe while Nigeria would have to fight for the third place with the Zimbabweans that had earlier lost to Libya.

Konadu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Bloemfontein, South Africa, that Keshi had achieved a good record of nurturing local players and exposing them to international match situations.

“I do not think this game will change his status in Africa. I know Nigerians are behind him. They all respect him and what he has done with the local team.

“We know how African football is and I had said that he (Keshi) is the kind of man we need in African football.

“We all follow his steps and we are all learning from him as well. This is just but one match, I do not think, the outcome has changed his status,’’ he said.

Keshi also said that his players did very well, in spite of losing to Ghana in the semifinals.
“This team has only been together for about six weeks. I am beginning to fall in love with them. And I know if I stay six months with them, they will become what I want them to be.

“I salute them for what they did for Nigeria and for themselves. They have been able to express themselves.”

Speaking on the semi final clash, Konadu said that “we purposely stretched the match into penalty shootout because we knew that Nigeria did not know how to play penalty.

Konadu said that although the Eagles were better tactically, the team lacked penalty shootout scoring skill.

According to him, the Eagles would have scored within the 90 minutes time of the match but his boys matched them one on one to stretch the match to the penalty shootout.

NAN reports that the forcefully contested match was marred with several yellow cards and one red card against the Stars with many players on each side seriously injured.

The Eagles, however, failed to utilise the 11 players against 10 for about 70 minutes to score during the match.

Coach Stephen Keshi said that he was looking forward for the third place match on Saturday against Zimbabwe.

The third and the final matches will be played at Cape Township Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.

Ramsey injury blow to Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be unavailable for up to six weeks after suffering a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury, manager Arsene Wenger revealed on Friday.

The 23-year-old Wales international has been one of the London club’s star performers this season, but he has not played since December 26 due to the problem.

He returned to full training earlier this week, only to aggravate the injury, which prevented him from making a comeback in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Southampton on Tuesday.

As a result, and with Arsenal having conceded top spot in the Premier League table to Manchester City, Wenger has revealed that he will try to sign a new midfielder before the January transfer window closes later on Friday.

“Aaron Ramsey will be out for four to six weeks. I count six weeks,” Wenger said, in quotes published on Arsenal’s official Twitter account.

“We are still trying to bring one body in because of Ramsey’s setback and (Mathieu) Flamini’s suspension."                                                                                                                                                                 

  

Wande Coal reveals he has a five year old son

          

In a new interview with  P.M News, Wande Coal reveals he has a secret love child who is 5 years old.


"Nobody is going to surprise me anymore. Let me then announce to the whole world that I already have a five-year old son. I had the boy since 2008 before I released my debut album,‘Mushin 2 Mo’Hits’. I have been keeping it secret ever since then but think it’s high time people should know,” Wande Coal tells P.M.News.

Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

 Two Norwegian politicians say NSA whistleblower's actions have led to a 'more stable and peaceful world order'

     

 Two Norwegian politicians say they have jointly nominated the former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel peace prize.

The Socialist Left party politicians Baard Vegar Solhjell, a former environment minister, and Snorre Valen said the public debate and policy changes in the wake of Snowden's whistleblowing had "contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order".

Being nominated means Snowden will be one of scores of names that the Nobel committee will consider for the prestigious award.

The five-member panel will not confirm who has been nominated but those who submit nominations sometimes make them public.

Nominators, including members of national parliaments and governments, university professors and previous laureates, must enter their submissions by 1 February.

The prize committee members can add their own candidates at their first meeting after that deadline.

S Sudan frees seven detainees accused of coup

The prisoners, who were part of a group of 11 men accused of plotting a coup, have been handed to neighboring Kenya.

             

South Sudan has freed seven political figures who had been arrested on suspicion of plotting a coup, partially meeting a rebel demand made at peace talks focused on ending weeks of fighting.

The seven, who were handed over to neighbouring Kenya, were among a group of 11 detained after fighting broke out in Juma, the capital, in mid-December and spread across the world's newest country.

At a news conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Wednesday, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta stood beside the freed men and called on South Sudan's rival sides to end a dispute that has killed thousands of civilians.

Follow our in-depth coverage of South Sudan

"We don't feel bitter, we don't feel the president is our enemy," one of the freed men, South Sudan's former justice minister John Luk Jok, told reporters in Nairobi.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir accused his former Vice President Riek Machar of starting the fighting in a bid to seize power.

Kiir and Riek's factions signed a ceasefire deal last week.

Machar, who is in hiding, denies the charge and accuses Kiir of using an outburst of violence in the presidential guard to round up his political rivals.

Kiir has since been under intense pressure from regional powers, Washington and the United Nations to respond to Machar's demand to free all 11 detainees to push forward shaky peace talks taking place in Ethiopia.

Justice Minister Paulino Wanawilla Unago said the detainees would be in Kenya for the duration of the investigation "for their own safety" but will return to face trial.

In a separate development, a ceasefire agreement is to be signed in Ethiopia between the government and another rebel leader, David Yau Yau, sources said. According to government officials, Yau Yau has a 15,000-strong militia.

Government officials told Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid that the agreement would be another piece of the puzzle towards a comprehensive agreement and political reconciliation.

GENIUS: Man Used 1st Class Airplane Ticket to Eat Free For Year

Airports are often terrible places to be. There are too many people rushing somewhere combined with too many cranky folks leaving somewhere mixed with annoying obstacles in the form of TSA (Transportation Security Administration) security and rolling luggage's

               

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     But it's just like that for us normal folk. For first class flyers? It's like being a rock star.
One genius man took advantage of his rock star status and used one single first class airplane ticket to eat food for free for an entire year. It's an absolutely brilliant ploy.

You see, when you have a first class ticket, you can stroll into the fanciest VIP airport lounge and grab whatever you want because once you're inside that VIP lounge, anything you want—yes, including food—is free.
News.com.au relays a report from Kwong Wah Yit Poh of a genius man in China who took advantage of the free perks of those airport lounges.

He booked a first class ticket on China Eastern Airlines and went to the VIP airport lounge at the Xi'an airport in Shaanxi, China and ate a delicious meal before his flight. Just like any first class traveler would.
Except he never takes the flight. After he finished eating, the man changed his flight's departure for another day and went back home.

Until tomorrow. Armed with a brand new first class ticket for a new day, he comes back to the airport lounge, eats another fantastic free meal and after he finishes up, yep, pushes his flight back again. Lather. Eat. Repeat. For free.
In fact, he pretty much got a year of free meals out of this trick because he changed his flight itinerary over 300 times in the same year.

The man sure knows how to work a loophole.
The best part though? When China Eastern Airlines started investigating this heroic man for changing his flights too many times, he simply canceled his airplane ticket and got a full refund.
Well done, sir. Well done.

       

         

See Barcelona's Response To Signing Messi Off To French Club

Barcelona FC has put their foot down on the letting Messi leave the club.

     

They have made it clear that they would do anything to retain the very valuable player.
"Lionel Messi is not for sale".

That was the defiant message from Barcelona’s new president, who is adamant that the club’s all-time leading goalscorer is going nowhere.

This statement was triggered by reports that French club, Paris St Germain, want to sign the Argentine.
Josep Maria Bartomeu will sit down with the four-time World Player of the Year to write up a new contract which will see him remain as most highly-paid at the Camp Nou.

“We want to sit down, without any rush, with Leo’s father — it’s not something that’s happening tomorrow.
"we have plenty of time, but we will do what we have to to ensure he’s the best paid player,” said Josep Maria Bartomeu, who assumed control at Barca after Sandro Rosell’s resignation last week.