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Preventing Future Security Breaches

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Birmingham Times
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Wayne Curtis  Millions of people have been affected by the massive data breach that occurred at Target and other merchants. And if future security breaches are not prevented, the problem will get worse.
The primary reason for the security breach lies in the credit card technology used in this country. The U.S. is far behind the rest of the world in this regard, employing 20th century technology against 21st century hackers.
Credit and debit cards rely on easy-to-copy magnetic strips on the back of each card.  The strip contains the cardholder’s name, account number, card expiration date, and a code.  When a card is swiped at a store, communication begins between the financial institutions of the cardholder and the store.
During this brief interval, as information flows through a communications network, an opportunity exists for hackers to capture it. Stolen data can be turned into phony cards and sold to others.
Within recent years, people in countries outside the United States carry cards that have their personal information in an embedded microchip rather than a magnetic strip. The chip-based technology is called Europay – Mastercard and Visa (EMV).
With EMV, the type of security breach that recently occurred in this nation is virtually impossible. The chips are hard to clone, reducing the likelihood of fraud.  And hacking into this type of system and creating a counterfeit card using similar technology is too complicated.
American card companies have been slow to adopt EMV technology.  Estimates are that only 10 to 15 million cards – less than 1 percent of the total in circulation –have this type of technology.
The primary reason for the lack of EMV cards is cost.  Credit card companies, financial institutions, and merchants are reluctant to spend the funds necessary to convert to the chip system. About 1.5 billion cards are being used by Americans.
According to industry sources, card companies plan to replace the magnetic strips with digital chips by October 2015. Once this occurs, they plan to change the rules regarding liability for fraudulent purchases caused by security breaches. The entity in the payment system – credit card company, bank, merchant — deemed to have the weakest security will be liable.
It would seem to be advantageous to adopt the chip technology as soon as possible.

Curtis, Ph.D., is a former superintendent of Alabama banks and Troy University business school dean. He is retired from the board of directors of First United Security Bank. Email him at wccurtis39@gmail.com.

Economic Opportunity is best served with Self-Determination

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Birmingham Times
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NO ExcusesDear Hilary O. Shelton,
Senior VP of Advocacy, Director of the Washington Bureau
NAACP:

Someone once said that if you want to get something done you should do it yourself.
African Americans have depended on others to provide us with jobs, housing, education, security and a plethora of other needs and wants. As a result, we have the highest unemployment rate, the worst graduation rate, the poorest housing, the least secure neighborhoods and the lowest asset base than any group of people in the United States.
The old method of depending on others to provide for us has failed. We need to provide for ourselves.
We can accomplish this by pooling our resources (currently at over 500 billion) and build our way out of poverty.
I have outlined how this can be done in my book “No Excuses – A Guide Out Of Poverty” found on Amazon.com.
Let us stop asking for help and start providing help.

Elie V. Parker
San Leandro, CA

St. Paul AME Church Spring Bazaar

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Birmingham Times
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CHERYL'S CHURCHYou are cordially invited to a  Spring bazaar. Come join us on  on Saturday, March 8  from 9 a.m. until 5p.m. at St. Paul AME Church in Smithfield, 300- 4th Court North Birmingham, Alabama 35204.There will be a Bake sale, clothes, jewelry, misc. goods, music, food,  and fun for all.  For more information contact the church at (205) 251-9438.

Birmingham Water Works And HomeServe Partner to Offer Birmingham Area Homeowners Water Line Coverage

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Birmingham Times
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wwb“HomeServe Cares” announced to assist residents in need
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – HomeServe USA (HomeServe), a leading provider of emergency repair service plans, has announced it will begin offering water line repair service plans to more than 190,000 homeowners in Birmingham under a new program with the Birmingham Water Works (BWW). The new service plan will provide protection against the expense and inconvenience of water service line leaks and breaks, which often require prompt attention and are costly to repair. Initially, two service plans will be offered, one for the exterior water line, which extends from the BWW’s water main to the shut-off valve inside the customer’s home and another for the sewer/septic line. Consideration for additional service plans, such as in-home plumbing repairs and more will be discussed after the initial launch.
“We’re pleased to partner with the Birmingham Water Works to help protect their customers from the headache and often high costs of service line and other household repairs,” said Tom Rusin, CEO of HomeServe USA. “Through this program, Birmingham homeowners will now have expanded access to HomeServe’s affordable protection plans and our network of locally-based, licensed and qualified service contractors to make repairs.”
HomeServe is already established in Birmingham, protecting 1,300 homeowners; however, the new partnership will expand available services and provide improved coverage. Customers of the BWW will receive information about the optional coverage plans through a postcard announcement, which will be mailed to area homes next week. Letters offering customers a chance to sign-up for service line coverage will be disbursed in early March.
“In this economy, many people don’t have thousands of dollars set aside for surprise repair expenses,” said Mac Underwood, General Manager of the BWW. “The partnership with HomeServe gives our customers an affordable solution to the expensive problem of emergency service line repairs.”
As part of the program launch, HomeServe is also announcing its “HomeServe Cares” initiative, which aids homeowners in need. The initiative helps homeowners who are without a service plan and lack the funds to cover an emergency repair. On February 21st, local resident Robert Elliott will receive HomeServe Cares’ assistance in replacing his home’s water service line. The Elliott family was recently notified that they needed to replace the service line under their home due to burst pipes and weather conditions, which also caused a continuously high water bill. As part of the program, HomeServe will work with one of its Birmingham area contractors to provide the repairs at no cost to the family.
Serving more than 1.5 million customers in the U.S. and Canada, HomeServe offers access to a Repair Hotline that is staffed and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With the optional coverage a local, licensed, and insured Birmingham-based contractor will go right to a customer’s home for repairs
The water line protection plan HomeServe is offering to Birmingham homeowners is available for $4.99 a month, and costs $7.99 a month for sewer/septic line repairs. Birmingham homeowners can learn more by calling HomeServe toll-free at 1-855-709-6268 or visiting www.BWWBCoveragePlans.com.

Dr. Cason

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Birmingham Times
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Dr. CasonAD

Spotlight on the Communion of Saints

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Birmingham Times
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Local author Myrna J. Pittman spoke in Homewood at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church Adult Education: Year of Faith & Beyond on February 16 at 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall. She is the author of the book How to Lead in the Workplace with Godly Principles. Her topic was Godly Principles in the Workplace.

Teaching Explained at OLS

“I think all of us can deepen our awareness of the Church’s teaching on this beautiful, beautiful … reality of the communion of saints,” said Sister Karen Ann Lortscher, OSB as she began The Communion of Saints and Mary during Adult Education: Year of Faith & Beyond at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood.
In her talk on February 9 Sister Karen Ann, a Benedictine Sister of Cullman, referred to several sources including the Acts of the Apostles, letters of St. Paul, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium, and Catholic.org. She noted that the communion of saints is mentioned in the Apostles Creed. She said the term ‘communion of saints’ was coined in the fifth century.
Sister Karen Ann, spoke of a communion of spiritual goods in the church and the communion of faith. “Not only do we share faith because it helps to build the other, but we share our faith because it enriches us. It helps to build our faith,” she stated.
She said Pope Leo XIII stated that the communion of saints is the mutual sharing of help, atonement, prayers, and benefits among all the faithful. In other words, she explained, the communion of saints is comprised of people on earth, people in heaven and people in purgatory. She said for those who have loved ones who have died it’s “a comfort…I’m sure everyone here has a story of someone or someones that they feel close to because of our belief in the communion of saints.”
Sister said we are all called to imitate Christ and knowing the lives of saints can be inspirational. “These folks are people who lived, tried their hardest to live in imitation of Christ and the ways in which they did it can inspire and help us on our journey in trying to do the same.” As for statues, pictures, and relics of saints, Sister said of course such things have no power in and of themselves, “These are just things that remind us of these people.”
Sister shared words of St. Dominic and St. Thérèse about interceding for others after death. “So, we ask the saints to pray for us as we might ask someone here on earth for his or her prayers and that’s usually the explanation that I give to my non-Catholic friends who wonder why we pray to saints,” she said adding that the church teaches that a prayer can end only with God. “Devotion to the saints is an optional practice in Catholicism,” she explained.
Sister encouraged reading well-written, modern books on the lives of saints. “They can be a help and a spur to the better practice of your own faith because they’ve been … through the struggle,” she said.
Turning to Mary, Sister Karen Ann said, “What Catholics believe about Mary is based on what we believe about Christ. And Catholic teaching about Mary illumines or shines a light on or enhances our faith in Christ. ”
Sister said that God willed that the Incarnation be preceded by Mary’s free cooperation. “That’s really awesome when you think about it. God could have just done it,” she said, “but in His plan He willed that our redemption, our salvation, would depend on her pre-assent.”
Sister Karen Ann offered several reasons why Mary is honored including: 1. God the Father honored her by sending the angel Gabriel to tell her that she has found favor with God; 2. Jesus honors Mary at the beginning of his public life; 3. the early Christian church honored her; and 4. St. Luke honored her by putting so much about her in his Gospel. “Mary is the saint par excellence for us,” she asserted.
Sister Karen Ann said we honor Mary in the same way we honor statesmen. “Think of government buildings named after famous politicians or we make statues in their likeness. So, we name churches in Mary’s honor and display statues and pictures of Mary, Our Beloved Mother. We don’t do this to adore or worship Mary. She’s a creature and a servant of God,” she said. “But Mary is part of the Communion of Saints.”

World Impacters Church International Celebrates First Church Anniversary

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Birmingham Times
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First Church AnniversaryWorld Impacters Church International, Pastor James Martin Jr., located at 3725 Vanderbilt Road, Birmingham, Ala. 35217, will celebrate our First Church Anniversary, February 23rd, 5 p.m. Guest Speaker will be Apostle Joseph Hamilton of New Zion Bible Way Church, and special Guest bringing greetings from the City of Birmingham, Councilman William Parker, District 4. Please come out and worship with us. Regular Sunday services begin at 10 a.m.

“Kidney Sundays” Reaches African American Faith Communities During National Kidney Month

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Birmingham Times
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Kidney Sundays– National Kidney Disease Education Program Hosts Third Annual Nationwide Event –

(BLACK PR WIRE) – 6.2 million African American adults in the United States have signs of kidney disease – equal to the population of Tennessee. 

African Americans experience the highest rates of kidney failure – rates approximately 3.4 times greater than whites. Two major causes of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure. In fact, 80 percent of new cases of kidney failure among African Americans are due to one of these conditions. 

In recognition of National Kidney Month, the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), along with the American Diabetes Association’s Live Empowered initiative and Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., a national nursing sorority, will host the third annual Kidney Sundays event on March 2. Together with more than 85 African-American congregations nationwide, NKDEP and Kidney Sundays aim to: 

• Help African Americans to gain a better understanding of why kidney disease is a major health concern, 
• Encourage people at risk to get their kidneys tested, and 
• Support conversations about kidney disease among families and faith communities. 

“Kidney Sundays goes beyond March 2,” said Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). “Throughout National Kidney Month, we hope to educate people on the importance of kidney testing and the link between kidney disease and diabetes and high blood pressure. Our goal is to create healthy, lifelong habits and behavior change, particularly among African Americans.”

Kidney Sundays provides African American congregations with tools and materials, such as an event checklist and health ministry talking points, to help elevate kidney disease as a health issue requiring attention. Congregations will conduct kidney health education sessions and provide blood pressure screenings. 

“We are thrilled to partner with NKDEP on this important initiative,” said Priscilla Murphy, 1st Vice-President of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. “Kidney Sundays is an opportunity for our nurses to directly affect the health of their communities. Through blood pressure screenings and kidney health presentations, we open the door to a discussion on kidney disease and raise awareness about risk factors.”

NKDEP is a program of the National Institutes of Health. For more information, visit www.nkdep.nih.gov. To download a copy of the image below, visit http://nkdep.nih.gov/pdf/national-kidney-disease-508.pdf.

Governor Bentley Recognizes Local Minister

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Birmingham Times
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Rev. Caldwell with representatives from the Russell County Crisis Center in Phenix City, AL during conference. 
Rev. Caldwell with representatives from the Russell County Crisis Center in Phenix City, AL during conference. 
Rev. Caldwell with representatives from the Russell County Crisis Center in Phenix City, AL during conference.

Governor Robert Bentley recently recognized Rev. J. Andrew Caldwell for organizing and presenting a conference on the family, that was held in Phenix City, Alabama during the month of September.
Rev. Caldwell, founder of Faith Outreach Ministry, presented a two day seminar titled: “The Time Is Now,” where he shared information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on HIV/AIDS education statistics; Domestic Violence, where Alabama leads number two in the nation; bullying / suicide among gays and lesbians; alcohol and drug addiction; and the alarming rate of incarceration of youth and young adults across the state and nation. “I have heard the voices of so many groups from various walks of life and different cultures, that are hurting, and in a state of despair but feel their cries are not being heard.” “Many feel they have no hope”, he said.
Rev. Caldwell stated he was overwhelmed with a spirit of urgency to organize and present this two day event and to start in his hometown where he was a pastor for many years before relocating to the city of Birmingham through the African Methodist Episcopal Church. “It is my desire to educate and motivate families across this state and this county, on the need to become more involved in the lives of our children and learn what we can do before these situations become an epidemic.”
Also present was the Russell County Crisis Center and information was shared from representatives from Columbus, and Fort Benning, Georgia, on Domestic Violence and other community services.
Rev. Caldwell is an ordained minister and has served the communities of Russell County, Randolph County, Lee County and Jefferson County for more than thirty-five years. He is a motivational speaker, group facilitator for domestic violence and a member of the Alabama Justice Network Ministry, where he teaches and counsels prison inmates.

A Foundation for LIving

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Birmingham Times
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Rev. Reid
Rev. Reid
Rev. Reid

Understanding the Eleventh Commandment

One man went to St. Augustine, one of the fathers of the Christian church and asks, ‘Just in short, give me the very essence of religion. I am not a learned man; don’t make it very complicated and don’t give me many commandments, because I will get confused. You simply say one thing to me, just a key word.’ St. Augustine said, ‘Then that word is ‘love’. You love and don’t be bothered by anything else.’
I call this commandment the Eleventh Commandment. This is the only commandment we need to follow absolutely. Unconditional love is what God is all about. But many of us get lost concerning the real message of Jesus in arguments like the disciples did over who will be the greatest when Jesus left the earth. We, too, argue over what religious laws to obey and who is worthy to be saved. There are 1001 discussions, debates, theologies, dogmas, creeds, and conflicting philosophies on these subjects. Many of them leading to wars in the name of Christ and love.
If we don’t learn the eleventh commandment and practice it, we will live a miserable life and may miss heaven. I think there is a way to avoid this. We avoid the most miserable state of life not being able to love unconditionally by understanding the essential message of Christ Jesus. That message is Christ came, lived and died for the eleventh commandment of unconditional Love. This point is explained by a short story. One day a little boy asked his parents ‘how do wars break out? He was reading a book on history. Much of history is about wars, ugly wars. The boy became worried and anxious. How do wars start?’ he asked his parents. So the father, who was very learned in political and economic affairs, started talking about the economic causes of wars. But the mother thought that the little boy was too small to understand such complicated things and she said, ‘Let me explain it.’ The mother began to explain and the father became angry. He grew very annoyed and hostile, because he was going to teach the child and the mother jumped in. A great argument developed. The little boy became very frightened, and held up his hands and cried loudly, ‘Stop, stop! Now I know how wars start.” No one wants to be wrong! Everyone wants to be right and when we form an opinion about something, anything, we have to be right; and if anyone says we are wrong, we immediately go on the “warpath.” If there is dogma attached to what we believe, there is going to be a fight.  There are people, who want the world to be without war, but they have ideologies and their beliefs create war. As Americans, we know what’s good for everyone in the world. So anyone who opposes us, our competitive nature is to fight. We have to be right and we got the guns and world ending weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to back us up!
During the Olympics we watch to see who wins the most gold medals or leads in the medal count. That seems to be what the Olympics is all about for us? Our weekends are full with competitive sports. To us winning is everything! And we love a winner and hate a loser.  There are communists who go on arranging peace conferences because they say they know how the society should be. There are Catholics and Protestants talking about peace while hating each other. There are thousands of churches, hundreds of denominations and scores of religious beliefs. They all have a point of view about God and if you don’t like it they are ready to fight.  A world without war is a world without ideologies. A world without war is based on unconditional love. Love is not an ideology, it is not a theology, and it is not a philosophy. This, Jesus says, “is my new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. This love is the eleventh commandment.

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