Windows Live Messenger App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Review

[caption id="attachment_3952" align="alignleft" width="208" caption="Live Messenger App, Photo Courtesy Microsoft Corporation"][/caption]

The Windows Live Messenger app for the iPod touch and iPhone gets off to a great start by being absolutely free! No longer will regular Windows Live Mail users, especially those new to apple’s portable touchscreen devices, have to put up with apple’s pre-installed ‘mail’ app which has no Windows Live support.

From the initial start-up the app is gorgeous to look at – bright, fluid visuals are faithful to Windows Live’s well known and recognised look and there is no jerky movement when scrolling through conversations or emails, everything runs very smoothly.

Once you have input your mail details into the app, they are saved – you do not have to re-enter them every time you wish to check your email or go on Messenger, which is a plus. There are four main ‘tabs’ on the app; social, friends, chats and photos.

The social section is the equivalent of Facebook’s ‘live feed’, where all of your friend’s status updates and photos etc. appear for you to view. This section is also where you can open your email account to view your inbox and write and send new messages. You can search for individual messages and delete any if you wish.

The friends section lists all of your contacts, showing who is online and offline and offers a search bar to quickly find who you’re looking for. You can also create categories to place your contacts in, for example family members. The whole interface is clean and crisp, making it easy to see what’s going on.

By tapping on a contact you wish to have a conversation with, the app flicks to the third section – chats. All of your current conversations are located here, and you can easily switch between them at the tap of a button. The conversation interface itself is very well implemented, with speech bubbles popping up when you or your contact says something, a dedicated smiley section and a photo sharing section to boot. It even plays the classic MSN jingle when you receive a message, which is incredibly useful if you are constantly switching between conversations. One fantastic feature is that even if you minimize the app, as long as you remain connected to the internet your conversations will stay open and the jingle will play when you receive a message. By turning your device on its side you can rotate the app to increase the size of the keyboard and make typing a breeze.

The final section is photos. In this section you can view any photos you have uploaded to your Windows Live blog, or you can upload them straight from your device and sort them into albums.

Overall, the Windows Live Messenger app is absolutely fantastic and perfectly implemented. Finally the wait is over for an official, working Windows Live Messenger app and whether your main focus is checking your email on the go or chatting to your friends online whenever you like, this is definitely the app for you.

[rating: 4/5]

CB Wealth Formula Review - Anik Singal & Saj P Join Forces To Take Over Clickbank

[caption id="attachment_3933" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="CB Wealth Formula"][/caption]

Saj P and Anik Singal created a new money making system called CB Wealth Formula.

Anik Singal is the man that created Affiliate Classroom, which is a coaching program that turned regular people into six figure earners for six years. Anik Singal is considered one of the leading experts in the affiliate training industry.

Anik has never before launched a product on Clickbank. Therfore, he partnered with Saj P, who is an expert on Clickbank launches.

Anik Singal has created $15.2 million in sales within the last six years, and extracted a formula that is easy to follow, and that allows the average Joe to duplicate his system and built his or her own online money making machine.

The CB Wealth Formula is limited to 500 students, as they want to make sure that each student gets the attention that is needed. That also means that there is only a limited time that you can enroll in CB Wealth Formula.

The CB Wealth Formula is a secret Clickbank System that’s making them over $104,567 a month on autopilot. The system is independent from Google. That means that virtually nobody can stop you from making money once the system is set up.

It basically consists of building a website every month, and then setting up autoresponders for 1 year. They give you the websites and all the follow up messages. All the necessary research has been done for you.

The traffic that you need will come from three free sources. You have to set it up once, and then everything is automated.

The entire course is VIDEO based – LOTS of great video content. They’ll have Transcriptions of the videos for you also.

Table of Contents of CB Wealth Formula:
This is the exact outline that was used to create the videos. There is easily over 7 hours of video in this course!

Module 1: Getting Started the “3 Day Way”’
Module 2: The Easy Mechanics You Need…
Module 3: Picking the Most Powerful Niche
Module 4: The Fastest & Shocking Website Process
Module 5: Creating Your Automated Sales Machine
Module 6: Lock and Load- Make Money!
Module 7: Using Words to Sell (A LOT!)
Module 8: Making $15,000 in 24 Hours
Module 9: Starting Massive Traffic in Just Days!
Module 10: Instant 238% Increase in Income

You can see exactly what is in the box here.

Get CB Wealth Formula now, before it closes.

Paranormal Activity 2 Trailer Fails to Impress

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: crimsong19"][/caption]

For one reason or another, the release of the first trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 is receiving a lot of attention on the Internet.

The first clip from the movie was released early this morning, and has already become one of the top searched items on Google.

After watching the clip I cannot say that I am even remotely interested in going to see the film when it is released this Halloween.

For starters, I am not really big on horror movies. Beyond that, I have never really gotten into the low budget, scary movie phenomenon that the first Paranormal Activity, much like the older Blair Witch Project, is based on.

The new movie is aimed at staying true to the unique camera angles and shooting styles that were distinct to the first movie. There will be a few differences from the original; for instance, Tod “Kip” Williams is replacing the first movie’s director, Oren Peli, since he was busy directing another horror flick, Area 51. Additionally, the first movie’s ‘success’ means that this film will have a much larger budget than the first Paranormal.

There will always be fans that love to follow franchises such as these. I am personally of the opinion that when I spend the time and money to go see a movie, I want to get a little more out of it than a few cheap thrills and nightmares for a week after it ends.

There seems to be a lot more flicks in the works that have more potential than Paranormal Activity 2.

Some interesting looking titles that are releasing around the same time include 'Never Let Me Go', and 'The Social Network', the movie that chronicles Mark Zuckerbergs launch of Facebook.

More Speculation About Verizon and the iPhone

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: William Hook"][/caption]

The latest release of the 4^th generation iPhone has caused even more people than usual to question when Apple lovers will have an option other than AT&T as a service provider.

A lot of people cite AT&T’s poor service as the main reason they do not own an iPhone, even though they would really like to.

It has been rumored for years that Verizon will eventually have the rights to provide service for the popular iPhones.

Reports were released yesterday that Verizon will be ending AT&T’s monopoly over the device next year. There has not been an official statement from anyone at Apple, Verizon, or AT&T that confirms this. At the moment there are only unofficial reports coming from sources inside the companies; these unofficial sources do not want to be credited, since the information has obviously not been cleared to go public.

This is not the first time that there have been reports about Verizon adding the iPhone to the devices that they cover. Some customers are annoyed that it has not happened yet, considering the fact that AT&T's service is not as good as Verizon’s.

Some trend spotting analysts believe that once Verizon gets permission to sell the iPhone, other mobile service providers will follow suit; a lot of people think that T-Mobile will be the second service provider in the US to pick up a contract.

There are some rumors that Apple will be creating a Verizon version of the phone that will differ slightly from the AT&T iPhone.

While the prospect of Verizon covering the phone is reasonable, the idea that Apple will be creating a device specifically for the purpose seems pretty unrealistic.

Until there is an official announcement we will all be stuck guessing as to when someone other than AT&T will finally be able to carry iPhones.

Eclipse Surprises Skeptical Critics

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Thomas Duchnicki :: Location Scout"][/caption]

The latest movie in the Twilight series has received glowing reviews from viewers who attended its first night in theaters.

Twi-hards have been anticipating the release of 'Eclipse' since 'New Moon' was released last year.

There were reports of fans camping out in front of theaters to make sure they got tickets to the first showings of the new film.

Critics who gave the first two movies negative reviews were skeptical that the third would be any better. Despite their original cynicism about the movie, a lot of reviewers were pleasantly surprised by 'Eclipse'.

Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “It took three films, but The Twilight Saga finally nails just the right tone in Eclipse.”

A lot of critics are giving all of the credit for Eclipse’s success to the fact this movie the franchise brought in David Slade to direct the flick.

Betsy Sharkey of the LA Times comments on Slade’s directing skills by saying, “No doubt the thanks in large part should go to David Slade, the latest director in the hot seat and just what the soap opera doctor ordered.”

This movie continues where the last one left off, and goes more in depth into exploring the struggle between Bella, Edward and Jacob.

The larger plot of the movie concerns the growing threat of a vampire army in Seattle.

Finally we are getting more into a heart of the fantastic and exciting story that Stephanie Meyer created, now that all the moody and moping misery from 'New Moon' is over.

Hopefully the momentum from this movie will carry into the final installment of the series, 'Breaking Dawn', which will be released in November of 2011.

The news is that the final movie will be split into two parts, with the second part being released sometime in the summer of 2012.

World’s First Flying Car Gets FAA Approval

[caption id="attachment_3901" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: MarkWarren"][/caption]

Sounding like something straight out of a science fiction movie, the Terrafugia Transition defies reality as it becomes the world’s first flying car, Motor Trend Magazine reported.

The FAA recently approved this incredible vehicle for flight in the “light sport” category. Pilots flying in this category only have to have 20 hours of flight time before getting their light sport pilot’s license.

The flying car had to get a special exemption from the FAA to be able to be in this category, since the plane is about 120 pounds heavier than it should be.

The vehicle’s creators claim that it can be driven on any surface, and has folding wings that can turn it into an airplane without too much effort.

The flying car needs about one third of a mile to get ready for take off. The price tag for this unique invention will be just under $200,000; owners of these new cars/planes will end up spending a lot more to keep this interesting vehicle gassed up.

This interesting new vehicle was designed - and originally built - by graduates of MIT.

Now that the FAA has give their approval, the manufacturers are starting full scale production, and expect for their invention to hit the market sometime next year.

People interested in owning one of these should know that the inventors claim that it gets 30 mpg if you are driving around. They have not said how fast it can go on the ground, but the top air speed is 115 mph, and can travel as far as 460 miles.

The Creeping Balkanization Of America

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Fibonacci Blue"][/caption]

There is a creeping, ominous balkanization in America taking place, and I am afraid we are heading the way of the Balkans.

The immigrants of  the past tried their best to assimilate into the existing culture, but today, in most quarters, this is frowned upon, and is replaced with some perverted belief in placing ones ethnic group customs above the established American way.

We have seen some who have come here insisting on flying their flag above that of Old Glory; we have seen some immigrants insist that they speak their native language in schools, or have all those who opeate the social infrastructures, which are in place to assist the public, speak a spate of languages.

One dares not bring up the fact that this travesty of insisting that the immigrants dictate to the host country would not be tolerated in the countries whence they came. Pick up your telephone, or if you frequent a bank machine, you will see and hear what I am speaking about.

You might say that it makes good business sense to cater to all ethnic groups, but respect for the institutions immigrants set in place when they came here should take precedence.

The tail is wagging the dog, and in major enclaves the immigrant is dictating and changing the established way of life.

I am not saying that we are close to the situation we had in the Balkans, with the internecine blood letting among the various ethnic groups. But listen to our discourse and you’ll realize that we are getting there.

No one is saying that you must lose your ethnicity completely; as a matter of fact, America welcomes your keeping many aspects of your ethnic heritage, provided that it causes no cancerous effects. We cater to many ethnic groups, and are sensitive - it is why we have so many ethnic parades right here in New York.

On the opposite spectrum, take a look at what is happening in England; see what is happening in Minnesota; and remember the images we saw during the heat of the debate on the Arizona immigration law.

I once saw in New York City, during the Christmas season, in the public square supposedly the representations of the season: there was a Crescent Moon and a Menorah, but the baby Jesus was excluded.

Where The Jobs Are For Young Professionals?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: TheTruthAbout..."][/caption]

For the graduates that are coming out of college this summer, the job market hunt is daunting.

But all is not lost, because according to Forbes Magazine, there are three cities - Washington D.C; Houston, Texas; and Minneapolis, Minnesota - where there are jobs to be had.

Forbes fourth annual list of best cities for young professionals says that that these three cities provide the best prospects for affordability, good jobs, better than average salaries and the best chance for upward mobility.

Houston was top among the three for the best prospects; with the 'black gold' money and business friendly environs, the lone star state city attracts graduating professionals not only from Rice, but from the top colleges.

Houston also can boast that it has high average salaries, as well as having only a 7% unemployment rate…way below that of the national average.

In Washington D.C., the government is on a hiring spree, and many grads are taking advantage of the job prospects. D.C also ranked second, according to Forbes, among the cities with low unemployment.

Another positive aspect of choosing DC is the fact that it is the seat of power and networking in this land of influence, and power bodes well for potential graduates.

The one pronounced negative in living and working in D.C. is the cost of living, but the hefty salaries, even for government jobs, offset the cost of housing.

Minneapolis offers the best prospects for jobs for the newly minted graduates; it has a cost of living below the national average and like Houston, it too provides business friendly environs. These businesses located in Minneapolis include Travelers, US Bancorp, and Medtronic.

The obvious negative for the mid-western Twin Cities is the cold weather, but I supposed the job security, good salaries, and affordable housing go along way to combat the often inclement weather in Minneapolis.

Forbes mentioned Atlanta, Georgia, which is among the fastest growing city for professionals, especially for African Americans.

The Forbes list surprised me when New York City did not play a more prominent role for the new professionals. It must be a result of the doldrums currently plaguing Wall Street

Cisco Will Soon Challenge Apple’s iPad With Its' Own “Cius”

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: David Jones"][/caption]

You didn’t expect the competitors to sit idly by and let Apple get all the “shine” from its iPad, especially when it is a lucrative venture, did you?

As a matter of full disclosure, I do not own any of Apple’s technology, but I am always fascinated with the advent of new technologies and how they affect our way of life. For example, I would watch a movie and picture how the script would have been different, just a few years ago, without the advents like Apple’s iPhone.

To get back on point, the Associated Press is reporting that Cisco Systems, the net-working equipment behemoth, has announced that it has been building its version of a tablet, the Cius, to rival Apple’s iPad.

Cisco said that it has been working on the Cius for over a year, and that there are going to be marked differences from Apple’s iPad. The Cius will have a 7-inch screen, making it smaller and lighter than the iPad; two cameras, facing both toward and away from the user; and an exciting videoconferencing feature.

The Cius will run Google Inc.'s Android software competing with Apple's iPhone. Android phones haven't been embraced by corporations, which usually prefer the security offered by Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry.

According to Barry O'Sullivan, senior vice president of Cisco's Voice Technology, Cisco's goal is to make the Cius as "IT friendly" as possible, giving information technology departments wide control over what applications get installed on the devices.

The tablet will come with the ability to connect to Wi-Fi hot spots and cellular broadband networks. Cisco is also in the early stages of procuring the services of six phone companies around the world, who could provide service for the Cius.

The Cius is expected to be sold for less than a $1,000.

Pursuing such an endeavor seems to be a seamless symmetry, and if Cisco, with its Cius, could secure a percentage of Apple’s sales in this niche area, it would be yet another revenue stream for the networking company.

What Is The Truth About The Economy?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="328" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Speaker Pelosi"][/caption]

I am becoming a schizophrenic, reporting on the travails of our economy – one day, a given report will tell us that there are seeds of recovery. Then, the next day, some report comes out to dash cold water on those sapling seeds, preventing them from growing.

Yesterday, the stock market lost steam, because consumer confidence tanked. In addition to this, there are worries by the market players that we may be heading into a double-dip recession.

It did not help matters that China did not have the growth the market was looking for – all these variables, we are told, working in tandem caused the market to lose points.

This is why the fortunes of the economy are fickle; because there are so many variables to consider, which affect prognosticators from coming up with a definitive answer as to the economic prognosis.

I know that we are supposed to look at major indices – employment figures, consumer outlook, and our savings and spending rate - to determine our economic outlook. But they are so many more, which makes predicting fraught with danger.

To complicate matters, many of the economists are not objective, but parrot a particular political party’s line. You have heard the mantra by my Republican brothers on how President Ronald Reagan cut taxes and created some 15 million jobs, while my Democrats brother retort that President Clinton did the same… only, he created 20 million jobs.

At this juncture, I do not care; all I know is that where I live the stores are empty, half my church is out of work, even the cinema is uninhabited.

Those of us out here in the mire know the truth and no suit can tell us "in theory" what we know is taking place in reality.

Find a New Home for Your Unwanted Items with Freecycle

Freecycle.org is taking the “reuse” part of the green mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” literally. The site has created a large network of groups and members - specifically 4,810 groups and 7,245,000 members - from around the world, that are dedicated to finding a new home for tons of items that they no longer have a need for.

The best part about this project is that everything is given away, and received, for free. A quote from the site describes Freecycle’s mission the best: “It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.”

The site works by recruiting local people to volunteer to moderate small groups of members who are located near each other, such as a small town or urban area. Individual members can sign up and find the appropriate community by searching for their local area, or selecting “browse groups”.

Once you have signed up and found a community near you it is really easy to make a post about whatever item you want to get rid of, or to browse through items that others no longer have a use for.

This grassroots effort at finding new homes for used goods is definitely catching on, and making a name for itself in the green/eco-friendly movement.

Members like that it is easy to find people willing to take their gently used items, as well as the fact that there is no limit to the kinds of things that people want to get rid of.

The only rules for the site is that nothing can be sold for a profit, it has to be completely free, and the content must be legal and appropriate for people of all ages.

You should check out the Freecycle community for your area to see if there are any kinds goods that you want to save from cluttering up a landfill.

Megan Fox Marries Brian Austin Green

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Saad Baig"][/caption]

Teenage boys - and probably most grown men  - died a little today, when Access Hollywood confirmed that Megan Fox,the gorgeous hottie that plays alongside Shia LaBeouf in the Transformers movies, got married yesterday. Megan married her long time boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, in Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort, on the main island.

News about the marriage is just coming out now due to the small, intimate ceremony that the couple decided to have; they only invited a very small number of guests to witness them make the commitment.

The two actors met in 2004 and have been dating ever since. Evidently, the couple was engaged and planning on tying the knot in 2007, but the engagement was broken off.

There were recent reports that the two were engaged again in early June 2010, and were excited for what was to come, but no one really expected that the couple would take the plunge this quickly.

This is the first marriage for both Green and Fox. Green does have an 8 year old boy from a previous relationship, who was in attendance for the wedding ceremony.

You will probably recognize Green from his lengthy stint as one of the hot Beverly Hills, 90210 stars from the 90’s. More recently, Green played in the Terminator series on FOX, 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'.

Fox has become considerably famous since playing in the show that let her meet Green in the first place, 'Hope and Faith'. She is most well known as the incredibly hot girlfriend of Shia LeBeouf’s character in the recent Transformer movies.

Her image as a sex symbol led her to star in Jennifer’s Body, an embarrassing flop of a sexploitation horror movie.

Sexy Russian Spy Arrested Along With Couples in FBI Raid

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: AndYaDontStop"][/caption]

This sounds like something directly out of a Tom Clancy novel. Intelligent, well off, and gorgeous young woman, Anna Chapman, was arrested on charges that she has participated in espionage activity for Russia.

At worst this sounds like an elaborate hoax; at best it means that we can add a little more credit to the James Bond movie franchise.  News reports are coming in that the Russian born, 28-year-old was arrested, along with 10 other Russian spies.

The FBI is claiming that the pretty spy (who happens to have a masters degree in economics), her own real estate business, and was residing in a lovely New York apartment in the Financial District, has been passing information to the Russian government since January.

The Feds supposedly infiltrated the “spy ring” by having one agent pose as a Russian official who corresponded with Chapman by email, and eventually asked her to complete a “mission” by delivering a fake passport to another female in the spy ring.

Other individuals in this ring include some normal seeming middle aged couples who were evidently ordered by Russian officials to become “Americanized”, and to report back to Russia with any information they can gather, after infiltrating policy-making circles and making friends with important individuals in the United States.

It is nice to see that the FBI is finally doing their job by successfully recognizing a threat against America, building a case against the individuals, and shutting down the operation without any apparent mishaps.

It looks like the Feds have been watching these individuals for a while, and have a lengthy list of espionage activities that the people arrested committed over the past few years. It will be interesting to see how the court case against the Russian spies develops in the coming months.

Renowned Economist Paul Krugman Says We Are Heading For A Depression

We have seen Paul Krugman’s face everywhere, especially in these times of economic hardship, opining on all matters concerning our economy. Krugman, a famous Economics professor that teaches his craft at Princeton University, also won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics.

He, like President Obama, believes that America needs to spend us out of the recession, and then when we regain our economic footing, engage in the spending cuts advocated by Germany and the Republicans. CTV reported on his criticism about the G20 spending cuts.

Krugman, reading the Political tea leaves here and in Europe, has thrown in the proverbial towel and predicted that America is heading into a Depression to rival the one we had in 1937. An avid proponent of Keynesian Economics, he believes that, like in the 30's, the United States mistakenly thought that it was out of the Depression and engaged in massive spending cuts, which exacerbated the economic woes.

Professor Krugman is not getting much love in the economic sphere because. As a vocal proponent of the much maligned stimulus, the projected jobs and economic upturn have not manifested. He has said that we have not given the stimulus enough time to work; or moreover, we have not spent enough to see the positives that he predicted.

Opposing Krugman is Neil Ferguson, who sees things economically from a polar opposite point of view. Both economic savants vehemently disagree on how to cure our financial ills.

Both Krugman and Ferguson agree that we are in quite mess, but disagree on when to implement austere measures, like massive cuts and savings, as opposed to massive spending and tax increases.

I have no dog in this fight. In fact, I worry about our country because either cure posited by both Krugman and Ferguson compel us to eat bitter herbs. I hope we can adjust our palates.

Tesla Motors: An IPO For Those Who Believe In “Green” Investing

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Atelier US"][/caption]

Those who believe in an environmentally and a socially responsible way of investing will get a chance to put their money where their ideology is.

Telsa, the brain child of PayPal founder Elon Musk, is a seven-year-old electric car company, and they will be offering an initial public offering (IPO) to potential investors.

Although the company has lost money since its inception, Telsa Motors will offer its' shares - some 13.3 million - for purchase on the stock exchange.

Musk has said that he has invested his entire fortune into Tesla Motors, a testament of his faith and the courage of his conviction, as he dedicated himself to proving that there are viable alternatives to the gas guzzlers out there on our roads.

Telsa Motors operates out of Palo Alto, and the mood is that investors are giddy over the proposed IPO…so much so that the 13.3 millions shares is an increas from what was initially offered, CNN reported.

The company will be traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “TSLA,” with an offering price of $14-$16 dollars. This IPO is expected to raise $185,000,000, and gives Tesla Motors a market value of almost $1.5 billion.

The problem in the past with electric cars was that they were too expensive; case in point, Tesla’s Roadster sports car was priced at a whopping $100,000. But the new Model S, an electrical sedan, will be sold for $50,000, a marked difference in price that will be more financially reasonable to the average consumer.

The sedan will give an owners between 160 miles and 300 miles per charge, a fantastic capability for an electric running vehicle.

But the problem facing Telsa Motors is that it only has one prototype, and the plant's need to build its' projected 20,000 sedans in 2012 is not yet realized. Therefore, the logistics of having electrical stations strategically placed to charge the cars, and the coming competition in this niche area by more established car companies like Toyota, are giving a few headaches to the company.

Although Telsa Motors is only in the process of procuring a plant to build its projected 20,000 Model S sedans, this bodes well, as it shows that there is an over abundance of good will towards Telsa. This is because it would create “green” jobs, and said jobs will be located in America.

Telsa’s benefactors have been the federal government, through the Department of Energy, which has loaned it some $465 million; and Toyota, which has invested $50 million.

I hope that Mr. Musk's vision of an affordable, environmentally conscious transport comes to fruition, and will be part of the lexicon of the new industrial revolution waiting to be born.

Why Do We Put Up With Violent Thugs That Attend the G20 Meetings?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: HARHANJAM www.jeffdenberg.com"][/caption]

The first time I was conscious of these anarchists creating problems was in graduate school. A class member of mine was worried, as both of her sons were ‘demonstrating’ at the G-8 meetings being held in Seattle, Washington.

I asked myself - then, and now - what was with the black masks and the wanton violence? In my hometown in the Caribbean, my grandmother had a saying: “Monkey knows what limb to jump on.”

I hope that the next G-20 meeting is held in Moscow - I wonder if these idiots would show up in their sack-cloth colored masks, destroying property like they did in Canada? The Canadians were left with property damages in the ten of millions.

These idiots should be arrested - no one can justify to me why the burning of property, the attendant damage, and the placement of peoples lives in jeopardy are warranted.

Our media is culpable, too, because instead of calling them out as the dangerous criminals they are, it coddles them and saves all its' biased vitriol for the relatively peaceful (if controversial) Tea Party.

We are told that these masked protesters are mad with the disparity of economic riches that most of the members of the G20 have, as opposed to that of the developing countries.

So, this anti social violent behavior justifies the bedlam and mayhem we have witnessed in Canada and the past countries, which have hosted these meetings? Again, it is that social engineering crap which posits that nothing is anyone’s fault.

Let us take this to the logical end:

Because I am black, and I am intimately aware of what happened to my kind during the dreaded triangle crossing to the Americas during the era of slavery, should I then go out and kill my white brothers and sisters? Should the white person, who has had violence done to him by a minority, then go out and wreak havoc on innocent members of the perpetrator’s ethnic group?

This is the bogus, specious reasons given by these masked protesters for their actions. Tell me how burning and destroying infrastructures speak to the disparity of economic prosperity suffered by the developing countries?

When I first moved to New York, I saw on the Television someone from the  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) throwing blood on the comedienne Joan Rivers.  The explanation that PETA gave was that Joan Rivers deserved this, because she was wearing fur.

I wished that my wife and I happened to be there…I would have had a few things to say to that idiot, but as I have said: Monkey knows which limb to jump on.

Vince Neil Arrested for DUI Just Days After Proclaiming His Sobriety

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: mikesalibaphoto"][/caption]

Vince Neil, front man for the 80’s rock band Motley Crue, made headlines across gossip pages and internet blogs this morning, after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Las Vegas.

Evidently, the former rock star was seen right before his arrest at his Las Vegas Restaurant named 'Vince Neil’s Tres Rios Cantina'.

His wife reportedly made plans to fly to Vegas to bail our Vince out after hearing the reports of his arrest; his bail was set at $2,000.

This is not Neil’s first run-in with law enforcement officials. He has a record that includes a guilty plea on charges that he assaulted a music producer in 2002. He also entered a plea of no contest in 2003 when he was arrested after attacking a prostitute at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada.

This is not even Neil’s first drunk driving arrest; he killed the passenger in his car in a collision he caused in 1984; Neil ended up paying 2.5$ million in damages to the family, and spent 20 days in jail.

The DUI arrest comes a week after Neil declared his sobriety, and announced the release of his biographical tell-all book that details his long time struggle with alcohol and drugs.

His recent announcement angered a lot of individuals who take the sobriety process seriously. This arrest makes a mockery of Vince Neil’s supposed efforts to take sober up after his longtime struggle.

This continues the trend of current - and previously famous - stars driving under the influence, and endangering the general public. These individuals’ fame status does not give them the right to get behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcoholic beverages.

Hopefully, Vince Neil will be held accountable for his poor judgment and dangerous actions, which will send a signal to the rest of the famous community: their status does not give them the right to ignore the law.

Some More Good Economic News For President Barack Obama

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="307" caption="Econ Team Press Conference 2 Creative Commons License photo credit: Obama-Biden Transition Project"][/caption]

Today, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that spending and savings grew in May.

It was only yesterday during the G20 Summit meeting in Toronto, Canada, the United States was being admonished on our prodigal spending by leaders from throughout the world.

The Bureau highlighted that income grew more than consumer expenditures; in essence, the American people have more income to spend, rather than relying on credit as they have been.

President Obama was asking his G20 counterparts to encourage their country's people to spend more, in an attempt to stimulate economic growth.

This May's results are showing just a start of what will hopefully be a recovery, and we are going to need a steady trend of this economic good news to have the confidence in our economic growth, which has been projected by President Obama.

Personal income grew by 0.4 and 0.5%, depicting a steady but modest growth for the last three months, and over the same quarterly period the disposable income grew 0.5%. This disposable income is the key, and is an important economic barometer, giving us clues as to the health of our economy.

The Bureau of Economic analysis report also showed that not only was the American public saving, but that they were spending too.

Americans saved an annual 6.3% in April, and while this might please the fiscal hawks, we must engage in spendin, according to President Obama and Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geitner, in order to spur longtime and lasting growth.

The ratio of spending to saving was 4% in May… the highest since 2009, and no matter the overall positive impact on our economy, it has to start somewhere.

Consensus Of G-20 Leaders: Cut Their Respective Country's Deficits

The Washington Post is reporting that among the protests up in Canada, the G-20 leaders agreed on deficit cutting for their respective countries.

Some leaders were more vocal about utilizing the fiscal scalpels, while others, like President Obama wanted a mixture of stimulus spending and cuts.

In the end, the G-20 leaders, knowing of the failure of Greece and those countries on the brink (Portugal and Spain), decided on curtailing their spending. They have gone so far as to pledge to cut their respective deficits in half.

German and Canadian leaders were the most vocal in their support to undertake massive spending cuts, and urging their people about the benefits of savings.

With all the promise of prudent spending by the G-20 leaders, President Obama still warned that too much cutting might slow down the fledgling world economic recovery.

The G-20 also urged developing countries like China and India to have their people spend more, and that these countries must provide living wages and adequate benefits for their workers.

In addition, leaders agreed that their banks should have more capital stored up as a safety net if there are financial woes. This safety net for the banks is a positive consequence of the banking failures, which took place mostly in the United States.

Unlike most of the G-20 countries who waxed eloquent about implementing financial changes in their institutions, President Obama can boast about actual legislation moving through the legislative process to address the U.S. financial shortcomings, which resulted in our recession.

President Obama also warned that too much spending might cause what it is deemed as a double dip recession.

Monday, the markets will show if they agree or place any credence into the promises made by the G-20 leaders.

Supreme Court Nominee Kagan To Face The Opening Confirmation Fire Today

I once saw a cartoon, which depicted a child in grade school refusing to answer a question from the teacher. The child, who had aspirations of becoming a member of the Supreme Court, was afraid that the answer to the question would come back to haunt him during the confirming hearings.

Since the unsuccessful attempt to elevate Robert Bork to the Supreme Court – a failure blamed on the fact that Bork had too much of a paper trail where he opined on many controversial issues – potential nominees, like the child in the cartoon discussed above, try to avoid leaving a paper trail. And even if they do leave this paper trail, it is void of controversy, or is articulated in benign judicial prose.

As for Elena Kagan, her record seems to be in the middle of the road… you know this when there are left wing and right wing groups opposing her nomination.

The only serious hurdle Miss Kagan must overcome is the stance she took at Harvard, where she tried to prevent the Armed Forces from recruiting on the Harvard campus because of its “don’t ask don’t tell” policy on gays in the Military. Ironically, it was President Clinton, who hired Kagan as White House Counsel, who implemented the Armed Forces “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The consensus of the pundits is that Kagan will sail through the confirmation hearings. The Republicans will put up a fight because that is the process… but Kagan, from her past writings and opinions on Constitutional matters, doesn’t seem to be so off kilter to warrant a spirited fight like those we have witnessed with Clarence Thomas or Robert Bork.

The Supreme Court in many cases has a majority of five, with Justice Kennedy often being the deciding fifth vote. If Kagan can convince Kennedy on any issue, the Democrats may even win some victories on controversial Constitutional issues before the Supreme Court.

The fight for Kagan’s nomination is seen as less combative because she is replacing a Liberal justice, and the powers that be see merit in maintaining that delicate balance.

Honoring Prince at the 2010 BET Awards Show

[caption id="attachment_3794" align="alignleft" width="292" caption="Prince, Photo Credit nicogenin"][/caption]

Joining the ranks of timeless artists such as Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and James Brown, Prince received the Lifetime Achievement Award during last night’s BET Awards Show for 2010. Prince, now 52 years old, has been making music, and a considerable name for himself, for more than three decades. Some of his classic hits include my personal favorite Prince song, “Raspberry Beret”, and other amazing songs such as “Kiss”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Little Red Corvette.”

Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson and has been known by various names throughout his career. Some readers will remember the time from 1993 to 2000 that he was known in his professional career by an unpronounceable symbol causing the media and fans to dub him “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.”  While his singing career made him famous and is what he is most well known for today, he also dabbled in songwriting and acting. Some of his accomplishments include being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as winning 7 Grammys, 1 Golden Globe, and 1 Academy Award.

Prince was in attendance last night as BET decided to give further recognition to Prince’s career and impact in the entertainment industry. The artist took to the stage to receive the award after several singers performed a tribute in his honor. Alicia Keys sang “Adore” while Pattie Labelle chose to perform “Purple Rain;” Janelle Monae and Esparanza Spaulding also performed numbers during the Prince tribute. While accepting his award, Prince gave recognition to his fellow artists and remarked on the current state of the music industry by saying “I do believe the future is in good hands.” Prince looked visibly touched as he emotionally accepted the award he was honored with.

Ultimate CPA Blueprint Review - So, What is It?

The Ultimate CPA Blueprint is a course that is based on real live experience. The course shows how to quickly and easily create automated income streams. You will learn how to create an autopilot cash system.

CPA stands for Cost Per Acquisition. This means you get paid if the visitor to a website performs a certain action. Very often these action do not involve any payment. That mean, you get paid for example if the user simply submits their email address or requests more information.

It is written in plain English, and easy to understand. A simple step-by-step system takes you by the hand and shows you the way to building a set & forget income system.  It takes about 1 hour to set up one campaign which can bring in income over a very long period of time.

The system explains exactly what CPA campaigns are, and shows all the details to generate huge commissions using easy to follow techniques. The system uses CPALead as a base. You can learn everything that you need in order to eventually quit your day job and replace it with CPA income.

As the creators states it:

Seriously..

This course shows you exactly how we built this income, with step
by step walkthrough videos and detailed instructions..

A child under 10 years old could follow this stuff.. really.. its so simple
yet so effective...

This product is going to make our customers ALOT of money...

Launch date of the Ultimate CPA Blueprint is Thursday, July 8th, 11 AM EST. You can get the whole package for $77 instead of the regular $477, as a special launch price.

BET Awards Show 2010

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="153" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: forcefulally"][/caption]

Queen Latifah will be emceeing the 2010 BET Awards tonight.

The show award show is being held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and will be aired live from the event starting at 8 pm (EST).

Some of the artists who will be performing at the show include Nicki Minaj, Trey Songz, Alicia Keys and more. Prince will be recognized for his amazing career in entertainment with the Lifetime Achievement Award. There will also be a Michael Jackson tribute to pay homage to the late King of Pop who is still dearly missed one year after his passing.

Kayne West, who has been laying low after all the bad press he received from the Taylor Swift incident last year, is expected to perform his new song 'Power'. West is up for two awards. He has been nominated for Video of the Year, and he will be competing against Jay-Z and Rihanna for the title.

He is also up for an award for this collaboration with Lil Wayne and Eminem. Hopefully the award show will pass without West causing another scene.

Justin Beiber was surprisingly nominated for Best New Artist, along with rising stars like Young Money and Wale. Unfortunately due to prior concert tour commitments he will be unable to attend the award show in person.

He took to Twitter to let his fans know he is honored by the nomination and would love to attend, but would never consider cancelling a show he was scheduled to perform at unless it was an emergency.

Viewer’s choice nominees include Beyonce, Jay-Z, Trey Songz, Young Money, Rihanna, and Monica.

There is fierce competition for best female R&B artist with Rihanna, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, and Melanie Fiona in the running to take this year’s title.

Tonight’s show promises to feature a lot of great performers in addition to recognizing all of the work that these artists have put into the past year.

Kellogg's Cereal Recall

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Morning Flavor - Fruit Loops"] photo credit: XNAHandkor[/caption]

Well-respected household brand Kellogg’s has issued a consumer alert to let their customers know that company is recalling certain products, due to concerns that they do not meet quality standards.

This giant cereal producer is recalling a variety of their cereals that can be easily recognized by consumers via their UPC codes and expiration dates. The specific cereals that are being recalled are Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, and Honey Smacks.

One comforting thing about the recall is that it is voluntary. The company does not believe that there is a large potential for health problems as a result of consuming the products.

Another comforting note for parents whose children often eat these cereals is that it is not the actual cereals themselves that are the concern. The company released a statement saying that the reason for the recall is because of an “uncharacteristic off-flavor smell coming from the liner of the package.”

The company decided to go ahead with the recall after some preliminary reports of nausea and diarrhea from people who ate the affected products. There have not been any reports of individuals having any other kinds of adverse reactions from these breakfast cereals. The company wants to stress the fact that no other Kellogg’s products besides those mentioned in the recall pose any kind of threat to consumers.

In a statement released to the public, Kellogg’s apologizes to their customers, and stresses the fact that they are doing absolutely everything they can to make this situation better.

If you have any questions or concerns about the recall you can contact the Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 888-880-4163. The Center is open from 8 am to 8 pm (EST) every day; alternatively you can visit their website for more information about the recall.

Tropical Storm Alex Threatens the Gulf, BP Clean Effort

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="202" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: robstephaustralia"][/caption]

Given the current situation going on in the Gulf of Mexico, with everyone trying desperately to contain and clean up the British Petroleum oil spill, the last thing anyone needs is a tropical storm.

Unfortunately, it appears that Tropical Storm Alex is headed right for the areas affected by the disaster. Federal officials, the Coast Guard, and BP officials are trying to assemble a contingency plan that would map out what workers in the area need to do to limit the damage of the storm as much as possible.

Alex is currently near the Yucatan Peninsula, and weather officials are not able to accurately predict which path the storm will take, and whether or not it will form into a hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicted that the storm has an 80% chance of tropical cyclone formation, Business Week said last week.

Currently the storm has been measured to have maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. The NHC is estimating that the storm could take approximately 3 paths: turning west into central Mexico, hitting the very bottom of Texas, or heading straight for the oil spill area around the northwestern top of Florida.

Since it is too early to tell where the storm will actually hit, some officials think that all of the media hype and “what if?” scenarios being played out in regards to the storm affecting the oil spill containment are somewhat pointless.

Other interested individuals point out that the storm would make it impossible for the smaller boating vessels to continue their efforts, and that the containment vessel located above the spill itself would have to be moved during the storm.

This would leave the gushing oil well to continue spewing oil into the Gulf for the duration of the storm. Only time will tell which direction Tropical Storm Alex decides to take.

What If BP Filed For Bankruptcy?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: The Sierra Club"][/caption]

President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, may want to keep his boots on BP’s neck. But BP has legal options which may provide it some refuge.

I am certain that BP has a legion of lawyers working on its' behalf, and somewhere along the way the discussion must have come up about how long can BP sustains its' liability beyond the $20 billion it agreed to place in escrow for all the potential victims of the spill.

With many experts voicing that the $20 billion is merely a drop in the bucket for what will be needed to compensate the citizens of the Gulf States, we must be mindful that there are legal remedies to be had for BP to seek refuge from liabilities.

We all remember how OJ Simpson was living large, even when the Goldmans had won civilly against him, right? This was because the laws in Florida, where OJ had his home, were exempted from the civil liability, preventing the Goldmans from attacking his home and NFL pension.

What if BP does something similar? Say, file for Bankruptcy to protect itself from the future liabilities that are projected it will sustain from the spill?

For BP to file Bankruptcy, it must be done in “good faith,” which means that there are objective reasons to do so. This good faith clause is mandated, acting as a deterrent and preventing bogus filings. Bankruptcy without this good faith criterion would result in the court denying the Bankruptcy petition.

We must be conscious of the fact that a solvent company like BP can take refuge under the United States Bankruptcy laws. If this happens, we all may cry foul, but know that it is a legal strategy at BP’s disposal. And remember that BP is also a British company and it might file under British laws.

If you think that this remedy for BP hasn’t crossed anyone’s mind, you would be mistaken.

House Judiciary Chairman, John Conyers, has introduced legislation to prevent BP from taking refuge in the British bankruptcy laws.

First, the UK’s courts might be more lenient to BP in light of the fact that it is one of its' own – and the fact there is riff between President Obama and 10 Downing Street - stemming from his stinging criticism of BP. This should give us cause that BP might just seek refuge under the UK’s laws.

The fact that the U.K. courts are not known to dole out the kind of civil monetary damages that our courts provide is another reason for BP to seek a legal remedy in the United Kingdom.

You might think the strategy laid out above might be fraught with danger for BP from a public relations’ point of view, but can the PR for BP get any worse? Knowing the mentality of a typical board and shareholder of a conglomerate like BP, which is in the business to maximize profits, it is prudent to think that Chapter 11 Bankruptcy might be in the near future for BP. Via Bloomberg.

The Unabated, Lingering Hatred For Michael Vick

[caption id="attachment_3749" align="alignleft" width="220" caption="Michael Vick, Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon"][/caption]

A recent Forbes magazine survey showed that Michael Vick was the most hated athlete out there. After a year or so, there are those who will still want to punish Vick further, even though he has served his time.

The Vick hatred phenomenon displays how much our values have changed, specifically equating the rights afforded to humans to that of animals.

I am not here to condone what Vick did to the dogs in his charge, but the outrage by some of us was comparatively overboard and unwarranted.

Where is the outrage over the ongoing slaughter of the innocents under the guise of Abortion Rights? How many of us would and have criticized those pro-life supporters who display pictures of actual, gruesome aborted fetuses?

In contrast, we extol the virtues of those who have abortions, not undertaken because of rape, incest, or a threat to the mother, but for the simple, venerated sake of God choosing the female species to replenish the human race.

No doubt that there are still going to be protests and influence brought to bare on football teams, if they could not to let Vick enjoy the vocation he loves, while some of us will engage in our Constitutional right of moral indolence by walking past our shame, (abortion clinics with the innocuous Monika, "family planning") on our way to wax poetic about the spotted owl, or to boast about how “green” we are in our support of the much maligned environment.

I used to be cavalier on the abortion issue until I saw my daughter in my wife’s womb. I then pondered how deluded one must have to be to have looked at an ultra sound and go home and chalk it up to just “globs of tissue,” which happens to have the DNA of his or her parents.

While many of us are still hurting and harboring rank hatred for Vick over what happened to the dogs under his charge, let me digress a little:

I heard about a couple residing in Hawaii who had many problems - the least of which was the interracial nature of their relationship. In the middle of the chaotic relationship, a child was sired - no one knows if sometime during the pregnancy, the mother contemplated an abortion.

However, the child that was born in the midst of all that chaos made Epochal history by becoming the first African American President of these United States.

I wonder what would have been the destinies of those dogs Michael Vick had killed. I wonder if their lives would have mirrored that of our first Black President.

Update:

Freep.com reported, that Michael Vick was not involved or present when a shooting took place outside a nightclub where he had celebrated his birthday. This statement came supposedly from his lawyer.

"Larry Woodward, one of Vick's attorneys in his federal dogfighting case, said Vick wasn't at the club when the shooting took place about 2 a.m. Friday, outside the Guadalajara at Virginia Beach, Va."

Dueling Restraining Orders Filed on Behalf Of Mel Gibson And Russian Girlfriend

[caption id="attachment_3747" align="alignleft" width="241" caption="Mel Gibson"][/caption]

Relationships in Hollywood are fleeting, like feathers blowing in the wind, and not even someone as grounded like Mel Gibson has escaped this glittering mercurial atmosphere.

It was only a year or so ago that we heard Mel Gibson, the “Lethal Weapon” Hollywood heavy weight, speaking in heady loving terms about his then Russian girlfriend, Oksana Griegorieva, who has a seven month baby girl, Lucia, for the Aussie/American actor.

I recall even seeing Mr. Gibson saying that Oksana had contributed her music to one of his films, and that he was also looking forward to her scoring many of his movies.

It must also be noted that it was reported that Oksana was the cause of Gibson’s divorce from his wife of over thirty years, with whom he fathered seven children.

No one knows what took place between Mr. Gibson and Oksana, but months ago, there was an announcement addressing their so-called amicable split.

Apparently, the split wasn’t as amicable as we were told, because both People magazine and TMZ are reporting that there are dueling restraining orders filed respectively by Gibson - who filed his first – and Oksana who followed with hers.

Oksana in her restraining order is charging violence, but Gibson’s simply want Oksana to stay away, and to give him access to see their daughter.

Gibson who had a stellar record, has been in bad PR situations recently: from his Anti Semitic remarks, to being busted for driving while intoxicated, divorcing his wife of several years, and now this latest incident.

He has asked the courts to prevent Oksana from speaking to the public, and to wait until the matter is legally settled.

Kellogg's Cereal Recall: Smell Coming from the Liner in the Package

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: get directly down"][/caption]

Kellogg Co. announced that they are voluntarily recalling over 28 million boxes of certain breakfast cereals, due to an uncharacteristic smell coming from the liner in the package.

While this recall affects different products, it has also been called the Froot Loops® recall. Other products affected are Apple Jacks®, Corn Pops® and Honey Smacks®.

Products that fall under this recall carry the designation "KN". Products that are labeled "KM" are not included in the recall. The recall is only for products that were or are sold in the US. Canadian cereals are not affected.

The company considers the potential risk for health problems very low and said that only consumers that are very sensitive to smell can have adverse reactions including nausea and diarrhea.

Here are the products and their UPS codes:

Kellogg's® Apple Jacks®

• UPC 3800039136 1: 17 ounce package with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 10 2011 and JUN 22 2011


• UPC 3800039132 3: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between JUN 03 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg's® Corn Pops®

• UPC 3800039109 5: 12.5 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011


• UPC 3800039111 8: 17.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011


• UPC 3800039116 3: 9.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 05 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg's® Froot Loops®

• UPC 3800039118 7: 12.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011


• UPC 3800039120 0: 17 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011


• UPC 3800039125 5: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg's® Honey Smacks®

• UPC 3800039103 3: 15.3 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

The Kellogg's products listed above were distributed nationwide. As the company said, no other products are affected at this time. Consumers can contact the the Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 888-801-4163 from 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time.

"We apologize to our consumers and our customers and are working diligently to ensure that the affected products are rapidly removed from the marketplace," said David Mackay, president and chief executive officer, Kellogg Company.

The products involved in the recall were shipped throughout the U.S.  and the company said that all retailers that received these products are being notified.

Germany’s President Merkel and US's President Obama Disagree On Economic Policy

The G20 meeting, where all the leaders of the major world economies met to discuss economic matters, may be the  focus on the growing difference of opinions between Germany and the United States over which path to take to cure the world’s ailing economies.

German leader Angela Merkel believes that the massive spending President Barack Obama is advocating is not right for her country to undertake.

Merkel - parroting the familiar refrain of most Conservatives - is a proponent, at this juncture, of curtailing spending, and sees merit in Germans engaging in more savings.

President Obama, on the other hand, wants the major economies like that of Germany (ranked number 4) to emulate the profligate spending he and U.S. lawmakers - at least the Democrats – have contributed to the world money supply.

Obama also wants Germany to curtail its' forays into exports, and focus its' fiscal policies on consumer spending, so as to spur economic growth.

Merkel may not be operating on her own accord concerning the fiscal policies that she is currently championing like any astute politician; she may be listening to her people’s voice on this matter. Many of the German people did not support the bailout (110 billion Euros) provided for Greece, or the 750 billion for the European safety net.

This posture by the German people of disagreeing on their version of bailouts mirrors the anger felt by the Tea Partiers in America.

Germany and China find themselves allies on the issue of exports, while the United States, Japan, France and England are in lock-step with President Obama’s spending policies to get the world’s economies out of their doldrums.

Merkel has said that the German people should  realize that if they cut their budgets, then they will be secured in knowing that there will be funds in the future to support pension, health and elderly care.

Only time will tell whose version on the respective economies will prevail. But as of now, both Merkel and Obama are sticking with their cure for the ailing economies.

Condom Give-Away to Six-Year-Olds and Up In Massachusetts

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Creative Commons License photo credit: Tomizak"][/caption]

You must have done a double take when you read this blog’s title, and if you didn’t do so, shame on you. I am accustomed to the crazy legislation emanating from the loons in California, but their lunacy is spreading, and Massachusetts has eaten of the bedlam pie.

The school board in Massachusetts has enacted a rule whereby if a first grader- which is a six-year-old - asked for a condom, he or she must be given one without the consent of the parents.

These were educated people who signed off on this rule and they are now rationalizing their decision. Someone explain to me why the Massachusetts School Board's decision on any matter concerning children should trump that of the parents?

When the children are in need of necessities, aren’t the parents responsible for such provisions - and if they failed to provide said necessities, aren’t they culpable?

But to make such an important decision on whether a child should be given condoms, the school board has the final say without the parents’ permission.

The world is becoming upside down, and decisions like giving condoms to kids as young as six years old, without parental consent, is a manifestation of this lunacy.

Let us not stop at condoms, why not weed, crack, meth, or heroin? I am certain that the local drug dealers in Massachusetts can rationalize a reason for the kids to do lines of cocaine. I wonder if I can go into these respective board members homes and dictate to their children about my brand of Social Engineering.

These board members would have me tarred and feathered because of my traditional Christian take on the issues. You must know that this policy of condom giving to six-year- old's and older is bad when the most liberal of Governors, Deval Patrick, is advocating for its repeal – of course, the good governor is coming up for re-election shortly.

Via LA Times.

Financial Reform For Wall Street?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Wall Street"]
photo credit: Sparkly Kate[/caption]

The angel of compromise did yeoman’s work to fashion a financial reform bill. All this came about because of the recent crash of the banking system, which required much assistance from Washington DC.

It is the old tug of war between those who want regulation, and those who want to leave the market to its own policing.

The Republicans favor the Wall Street folks to their own policing, while the Democrats prefer more formal regulation from Washington. The problem is that both sides know that there is a need for regulation, but disagree on how entangled the government should be in policing and enforcing laws designed to combat financial wrong doings.

The compromise financial reform bill's most pertinentissues include: erecting a consumer protection agency, providing an early warning system to alert the public that danger is imminent for institutions deemed too big to fail, lowering credit card charges, and directing the secretive derivatives trading through exchanges and clearing houses.

The area of finance getting the most attention for reform is the much maligned and secretive derivatives market. These derivatives were the root cause of our financial woes, and because it is a $600 trillion industry, and the fact that many of the wonks could not explain to the average senator what the derivatives actually were, it made the reform in this area academic.

Because the financial institutions make a killing from these derivatives, their lobbyists will do anything to water down the legislation – the lobbyists’ efforts may fail because the public and the politicians from either side of the aisle are clamoring for reform in this particular area of finance. The final bill was voted on in conference and passed by a 27 to 16 margin, and now its goes to the house and senate for final passing.

Via Christian Science Monitor.

Bernadette Peters Continues her Illustrious Career on Broadway

[caption id="attachment_3700" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Bernadette Peters, Photo Credit: David Shankbone"][/caption]

Bernadette Peters has made a pretty impressive career for herself over the past 40 years. You may not be able to recall the name, but one look at a picture and you will be able to recognize her by her signature curly head of bright red hair.

She has guest starred on many popular TV shows such as Ugly Betty, Will and Grace, Boston Legal, and Ally McBeal. You may also remember her from her appearances in the 1982 remake of the popular Annie as well as her role in The Jerk, co-starring alongside Steve Martin.

While Bernadette Peters has racked up an impressive career in her more mainstream movie and TV show appearances, she is slightly better known by people who follow today’s theatre.

She is particularly well known for her work in musical theatre productions. From her work in musical and normal theatrical productions she has become a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, who is very well respected in her field.

Her accomplishments are as impressive as winning 2 of the 7 Tony awards that she has been nominated for ,as well as being able to be part of Broadway cast albums that have won 4 Grammy Awards.

News has recently been released that Peters will be taking over for Catherine Zeta-Jones in the role of Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music.

Peters will be starring in the play alongside the well-respected Elaine Stritch. The two will be taking the stage as a mother-daughter duo that is already getting theatre critics excited for re-opening night since the new cast adjustments.

The production starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury was schedule to wrap up in June of this year, but with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch taking over the Broadway production, it will continue well into next year.

Twilight Fans Thrilled by Eclipse Premier

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="159" caption="Twilight Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer; Photo Credit: andrewrennie"][/caption]

Twi-hards have been going crazy waiting for the next installment of the Twilight movies to be released.

Eclipse promises to outshine the first two movies of the amazing series based on the books by Stephanie Meyer. Fans have been dying with anticipation over the next movie in the series since New Moon was premiered last year, and had an amazing reception from the fan base absolutely obsessed with the Twilight phenomenon.

The latest movie in the series, Eclipse, premiered last night in LA with a star-studded attendance. The cast of the Twilight series attended in full force stunning fans that cannot seem to get enough of the young stars.

Fans traveled from around the country and camped out for days in hopes that they could get a glimpse of their favorite Twilight actors including Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene. Even Dakota Fanning, who was introduced in New Moon as an evil Volturi vampire, was in attendance for the premier night.

The cast looked stunning and clearly awed the crowd as they walked the red carpet before the premier started.

It was not only the now-famous cast of the movie in attendance on the red carpet, other well-known celebs made an appearance to celebrate the premier of the new movie.

Reality TV stars Kim and Kourtney Kardashian walked the carpet with their two younger sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner. Jennifer Love Hewitt, who now has her own TV show, was photographed making an appearance at the premier as well.

Unless you were one of the lucky few to attend the premier of Eclipse you will have to wait until June 30^th for the new movie to be released in theaters around the country.

There have been tons of teasers and trailers released to build hype for this movie making fans around the world ready for their chance to see Eclipse.

Baby Got Back: Kim Kardashian Said To Be Dating Dallas Cowboy Receiver

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="186" caption="Kim Kardashian poses for a fan during an autograph signing; Photo Credit: www.chicagofabulousblog.com"][/caption]

I do not really care about who “Baby Got Back” Kim Kardashian is currently dating, I am simply looking for the silver lining for her choice of allegedly “hooking-up” with Dallas wide receiver, Miles Austin.

Look at my take on the matter and follow my logic on Kim Kardashian’s dating of a cowboy receiver as an act, which may pay dividends for my long suffering Dallas Cowboys fans.

I was minty fresh out of law school when I realized that my first boss, James, had been suffering and salivating for years… in the hopes that his beloved Cowboys would make it to - and win - the Super Bowl.

Now he has a powerful tool to help him realize his dreams. As a brilliant lawyer, James too must see the pattern of Kim Kardashian dating a Cowboy, which bodes well for his team.

I know that Tony Romo’s dating of Jessica Simpson did not pan out, and many Cowboys fans believed to this day that Jessica was an incubus on Tony Romo’s performance, which infected the team in its entirety.

To James and the rest of the Cowboys fans, Kim Karsdashian dated Reggie Bush, running back for the current Super Bowl Champions, New Orleans Saints. Now she is said to be dating one of your wide receivers, which may bring the same fortunes.

Granted, I always hated the arrogance of my friends, who are Dallas Cowboy fans, especially the Dallas franchise being anointed as America’s team. But I will forego my bitching for now because, believe it or not, I want the Cowboys to succeed.

For if they do, it proves my theory, which says that there is some sort of Irish luck brought to a football team if “ Baby Got Back” Kardashian is dating one of its principal players.

My first boss, James, knows that I too am a long suffering fan of my Oakland Raiders. So I am hoping when the Cowboys win the Super Bowl due to Kim’s love mojo, then she can move on to date one of my Raiders.

It has been a long time since my silver and black been to the Super Bowl.

I have a question for Kim: does her mojo only works on football teams? Because if it works on all professional sport franchises, can I plead for the New York’s Knicks?

But Kim Kardashian must also be advised that there are some danger in dating a Dallas Cowboy… just ask Jessica Simpson.