Target lawsuit illegal waste 2011, A California judge ordered Target Corp. to pay $22.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the retailer illegally disposed hazardous waste at hundreds of stores throughout the state, prosecutors said Thursday.
Target violated procedures for handling toxic waste from 2002 until a few months after authorities filed the civil lawsuit in June 2009, said Tim Patterson, supervising deputy state attorney general.
Alameda Superior Court Judge Steven Brick ordered the settlement Wednesday with the state, 21 county district attorneys and city attorneys for San Diego and Los Angeles. It puts Target under tight scrutiny to ensure that it properly disposes waste at its nearly 300 stores in California.
Authorities said the Minneapolis-based retailer had no special procedures to dispose of goods such as oven cleaners, aerosols, paint and fertilizers. Companies are required to separate such hazardous items from regular waste.
"Today we are saying that a corporate giant is being held accountable for its actions," said San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. "Target is finally cleaning up its act."
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Target official apology many products carry the manatee gray label
Target official apology many products carry the manatee gray label, Target apologized on Thursday after shoppers noticed that some plus-sized dresses sold on its website were labeled as “manatee gray.”“What the. Plus sized women get ‘Manatee Grey’ while standard sizes are ‘Dark Heather Grey,’” Susan Clemens tweeted to Target’s twitter account.
Later that night, Target sent out an apology for the dress label.
“We apologize for this unintentional oversight & never intend to offend our guests. We’ve heard you, and we’re working to fix it ASAP,” the company tweeted back to Clemens.
Joshua Thomas, a spokesman with Target, told Forbes that “manatee gray” is a color used by Target for many of its products.
“We apologize for any discomfort this might have caused and are working to update the name of the dress to reflect Dark Heather Gray,” he said. “This was an unfortunate oversight and we’ll take it into consideration moving forward.”
And a company spokeswoman, Jessica Deede, elaborated to Fox News that the shade of gray “is actually a seasonal color that is used across product categories on Target.com, from apparel items to home items.”
Deede also told NBC’s “Today” show that “we never want to offend any of our guests. We apologize for any discomfort that we may have caused.”
RECOMMENDED: Florida Woman Arrested for Riding a Manatee
Later, Clemens said that there was no outrage generated over the name, as reported by some media outlets.
“Would be great if the media (and the provoked), before re-reporting a story, would read a feed to see there’s no real outrage expressed,” she tweeted.
The item, Mossimo Women’s Plus-Size Kimono Maxi Dress, was removed from the company’s website.
It was not the first time a retailer generated controversy over a color name.
Shanna Moakler travis barker on again off again
Shanna Moakler travis barker on again off again, After a series of on-again, off-again reports, Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler have split up again, his rep confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (April 1).
The couple divorced in 2006, but reunited after Barker survived a plane crash last year. Unidentified sources told UsMagazine.com that the couple just couldn't make it work.
According to the magazine's sources, they decided to break up again "after a nasty fight broke out at his house last night and cops were called...[when] Shanna started freaking out and acting irrational."
Although no charges were filed, the source adds that "Travis confronted Shanna about her having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was in the hospital recovering." Last October, the rumor mill sped up when it was reported that Moakler was seen with Butler at the Hollywood opening of Shin Korean BBQ.
The source added that Barker "just wants to focus on his music and his children right now. He is done with her drama. The babies are the most important thing right now." Another insider said, "Shanna cheated on him and then told everyone they were in love again while she was having an affair and he was recovering from the accident."
Another friend of the former "Meet the Barkers" stars said, "It's over now and he just wants to move on."
Reps for both Barker and Moakler gave statements to US Magazine. "After surviving the plane crash, his driving force in life is the love he has for his kids. He is tired of all other drama and is ready to move on," his rep said. Moakler and Barker have two children together, Landon Asher and Alabama Luella. Moakler has a daughter with Oscar de la Hoya.
In a statement, Moakler's rep said, "They did break up but Shanna never cheated on Travis while he was in the hospital. Furthermore, Shanna is tired of playing out their personal relationship in the press."
Blink-182, the band with which Barker made his name, recently announced they are reuniting for an album and tour.
The couple divorced in 2006, but reunited after Barker survived a plane crash last year. Unidentified sources told UsMagazine.com that the couple just couldn't make it work.
According to the magazine's sources, they decided to break up again "after a nasty fight broke out at his house last night and cops were called...[when] Shanna started freaking out and acting irrational."
Although no charges were filed, the source adds that "Travis confronted Shanna about her having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was in the hospital recovering." Last October, the rumor mill sped up when it was reported that Moakler was seen with Butler at the Hollywood opening of Shin Korean BBQ.
The source added that Barker "just wants to focus on his music and his children right now. He is done with her drama. The babies are the most important thing right now." Another insider said, "Shanna cheated on him and then told everyone they were in love again while she was having an affair and he was recovering from the accident."
Another friend of the former "Meet the Barkers" stars said, "It's over now and he just wants to move on."
Reps for both Barker and Moakler gave statements to US Magazine. "After surviving the plane crash, his driving force in life is the love he has for his kids. He is tired of all other drama and is ready to move on," his rep said. Moakler and Barker have two children together, Landon Asher and Alabama Luella. Moakler has a daughter with Oscar de la Hoya.
In a statement, Moakler's rep said, "They did break up but Shanna never cheated on Travis while he was in the hospital. Furthermore, Shanna is tired of playing out their personal relationship in the press."
Blink-182, the band with which Barker made his name, recently announced they are reuniting for an album and tour.
Kardashian responded by saying she didn't even know Moakler
Kardashian responded by saying she didn't even know Moakler, Shanna Moakler and Kim Kardashian are involved in a high school level feud over whether Kim had an affair with Travis Barker, Shanna’s on-off-on-probably-off ex-husband.It gives me a headache just to read the drivel they’re hurling back and forth, but Kardashian’s response seems to make the most sense and sum up the issue best: Moakler accused Kardashian of having an affair with Barker, which would mean she cheated on her boyfriend, Reggie Bush. Kardashian was a model for Barker’s clothing line and says their relationship was purely professional. Plus, she says Travis isn’t her type anyway. Here’s Kardashian’s response to Moakler:
“I was a model for Famous Stars and Straps clothing line owned by Travis Barker. I ONLY had a professional relationship with Travis, in which he hired me to represent his brand for one season, which was a year and a half ago.”
While Kardashian’s response may be more measured and easier to follow, we shouldn’t pass up Moakler’s priceless interviews and MySpace entries, which make her sound clearly in the wrong, antagonistic and self-obsessed to boot. This isn’t the first rant against a perceived wrong Moakler has posted. She’s written nasty things about Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton in the past and even put up their contact information in a bid to get back at Lohan for claiming that Moakler hacked her myspace.
Apparently Kardashian and Moakler got into a fight at a barbeque in which Moakler accused Kardashian of sleeping with Barker and then proceeded to try and throw a drink at her – which landed on Kardashian’s foot instead. Moakler described the incident in an interview with TheDirty.com, and proceeded to call Kardashian fat:
Yea, we heard you had a little altercation with someone at Carmen Electra’s bbq. Is that true?
Shanna: Yea! I was at this bbq and I saw what I thought was a donkey posing on the stairs but much to my surprise, it was Kim Kardashian. No, wait, it was a donkey! She’s soooo f*cking fat! She’s 5′2″ and she’s like 140. She was wearing a sarong to cover her huge big ass! I like a nice ass but hers is not a nice ass!
The way Moakler describes it, she then talked to Reggie Jackson, Kardashian’s boyfriend, and warned him that she had cheated on him. Moakler claims to have e-mails stolen from Kardashian’s sidekick that the were sent to Travis Barker trying to get him to hook up with her. She doesn’t describe the fight in that interview.
Moakler wrote an entry on her myspace acknowledging the fight on July 24, but on July 21 she complained that Kardashian distracted some paparazzi she called and said Kardashian “could never get Travis drunk enough” to sleep with her. Then a few days later she admitted she had “a [sic] incident” with her at a party:
I absolutely had a incident at a recent BBQ, it was long over due and I don’t regret it, I had reasons and they were my own, and some of them very painful. I had a feeling the other party would run off to Perez and they did amongst some other things and so I had to go to bat, don’t be pissed cause I speak my mind and I don’t need a PR firm to blow smoke up all your asses…even thou I know you like it…I personally don’t care. I live for me and my family.
TMZ reports that Kardashian’s response to Moakler was that Barker wasn’t her type at all. Moakler then responded by saying that Kardashian has dated plenty of white guys. Maybe she doesn’t like skinny white guys who look like rats and that’s what she meant:
Come on Kim, Let the truth be told! You have dated numerous white guys. Your quote saying that you are not into white guys is a sham – not a SHIM like you! How about you just be honest Kim and say, “Shanna, I’m sorry for f’n with your man!” It’s that simple… then you can deal with the aftermath from Reggie, you know- your man that you cheated on!”
I feel like I’ve regressed just trying to follow that argument. Shanna Moakler could make anyone look like the more responsible party, and in this case Kardashian seems positively noble in comparison. If Moakler’s just trying to get press she picked a good time since it’s the middle of the summer and most celebrities are vacationing or promoting films, not picking fights online.
Shanna Moakler calls khloe kardashian donkey
Khloe was quick to response to Shanna's comment, writing on her Twitter, "Who is shana moakler??? I have no idea who this girl is but I guess she is talking about me. Talk on honey... I can care less LOL."
Besides, Khloe's publicist Jonathan Cheban also took action against Shanna. He launched attack on the 34-year-old star through his Twitter, writing "WHT A A**HOLE WHORE GET A LIFE A TALENT AJOB."
Shanna herself has since issued an apology through her Twitter account, where she wrote "@KhloeKardashian, you are right. We don't know each other personally and I apologize for my comment this morning..."
When contacted by Us Weekly to comment on the matter, Shanna says "I feel really bad. I shouldn't have said it. It was just an off-the-cuff statement." She goes on stating that she was just "being gossipy" though it's no longer a secret that she and the Kardashians don't get along very well.
Shanna Moakler actually made an appearance in "The Wendy Williams Show" to promote her new cosmetics line and to announce her official return as co-executive director of the Miss California USA pageant.
Rush limbaugh outrageous quotes
Now, how can I be anti-woman? I even judged the Miss America pageant." -Rush Limbaugh, March 14, 2012
"What does it say about the college co-ed [Sandra] Fluke who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex -- what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex." -Rush Limbaugh, referring to a Georgetown Law School student who was denied the right to speak at a congressional hearing on contraception, in which she planned to discuss a friend of hers who needed contraception to prevent the growth of cysts, February 29, 2012
"A Georgetown coed told Nancy Pelosi's hearing that the women in her law school program are having so much sex they're going broke, so you and I should have to pay for their birth control. So what would you call that? I called it what it is. So, I'm offering a compromise today: I will buy all of the women at Georgetown University as much aspirin to put between their knees as they want. ... So Miss Fluke and the rest of you feminazis, here's the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch." -Rush Limbaugh, March 1, 2012
"It doesn't look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary dietary advice. And then we hear that she's out eating ribs at 1500 calories a serving with 141 grams of fat ... No, I'm trying to say that our first lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you." –Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 21, 2011
"These were highly civil comments for crying out loud. I mean, people are going nuts. USA Today, the Politico. And some people were suggesting that my comments were below the belt. Well, take a look at some pictures. Given where she wears her belts. I mean, she wears them high up there around the bust line. Isn't just about everything about her below the belt when you look at the fashion sense she has?" –Rush Limbaugh, after being criticized for making derogatory comments about First Lady Michelle Obama's weight, Feb. 22, 2011
"What Mr. Loughner knows is that he has the full support of a major political party in this country . . . he knows that . . . the Democrat party is attempting to find anybody but him to blame. He knows if he plays his cards right, he's just a victim. . . . This guy clearly understands he’s getting all the attention and he understands he's got a political party doing everything it can, plus a local sheriff doing everything that they can to make sure he's not convicted of murder –- but something lesser." --Rush Limbaugh on Arizona shooter Jared Loughner, Jan. 11, 2011
"As far as the media's concerned, Mrs. Obama deserves this. Look at the sordid past. Look at our slave past, look at the discriminatory past. It's only fair that people of color get their taste of the wealth of America too." --Rush Limbaugh, claiming the media is allowing Michelle Obama to take a vacation as a form of reparations for "our slave past," Aug. 6, 2010
"That cracker made a lot of African-American millionaires." --Rush Limbaugh, on the death of longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, July 13, 2010
"[Obama] wouldn't have been voted president if he weren't black. Somebody asked me over the weekend why does somebody earn a lot of money have a lot of money, because she's black. It was Oprah. No, it can't be. Yes, it is. There’s a lot of guilt out there, show we're not racists, we'll make this person wealthy and big and famous and so forth.... If Obama weren't black he'd be a tour guide in Honolulu or he'd be teaching Saul Alinsky constitutional law or lecturing on it in Chicago." --Rush Limbaugh, July 6, 2010
"When do we ask the Sierra Club to pick up the tab for this leak?" --Rush Limbaugh, blaming the oil spill in the Gulf on the Sierra Club, arguing that the environmental group had driven oil producers off the land to more high-risk situations offshore, Rush Limbaugh, May 17, 2010
"The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there. It's natural. It's as natural as the ocean water is." --Rush Limbaugh, on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, May 3, 2010
"Guess what? Faisal Shahzad is a registered Democrat. I wonder if his SUV had an Obama sticker on it." --Rush Limbaugh, lying about the failed Times Square car bomber, who is not registered to vote, May 4, 2010
"What better way to head off more oil drilling, nuclear plants, than by blowing up a rig? I'm just noting the timing, here." --Rush Limbaugh, suggesting that "environmentalist whackos" deliberately blew up the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico that created one of the biggest environmental disasters in U.S. history to stop offshore oil drilling, April 29, 2010
"Our political correct society is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards...There's going to be a retard summit at the White House." --Rush Limbaugh, on his Feb. 3, 2010 radio show, referring to Chief of Staff Rham Emanuel's remark calling the idea of liberal groups running health care-related ads against Democratic lawmakers "f**king retarded". Sarah Palin called on Emanuel to resign over the comment.
"I'm a huge supporter of women. What I'm not is a supporter of liberalism. Feminism is what I oppose. Feminism has led women astray. I love the women's movement — especially when walking behind it." --Rush Limbaugh, responding to criticism that he is sexist and defending his selection as one of the judges at the 2010 Miss America Pageant, "Fox News' Fox & Friends," February 3, 2010
"We've already donated to Haiti. It's called the U.S. income tax." --Rush Limbaugh, discouraging donations to relief efforts in Haiti after the devastating earthquake, Jan. 13, 2010
"This will play right into Obama's hands. He's humanitarian, compassionate. They'll use this to burnish their, shall we say, 'credibility' with the black community -- in the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. It's made-to-order for them. That's why he couldn't wait to get out there, could not wait to get out there." --Rush Limbaugh, on Haiti earthquake relief, Jan. 13, 2010
"Obama's got a health care logo that's right out of Adolf Hitler's playbook ... Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate." --Rush Limbaugh, Aug. 6, 2009
"Exercise freaks ... are the ones putting stress on the health care system." --Rush Limbaugh, June 12, 2009
"The phony soldiers." --Rush Limbaugh, on U.S. service members who support withdrawal from Iraq (Source)
"He discusses his service in Iraq, the wounds he suffered there, and he says to me in this ad, 'Until you have the guts to call me a 'phony soldier' to my face, stop telling lies about my service.' You know, this is such a blatant use of a valiant combat veteran, lying to him about what I said, then strapping those lies to his belt, sending him out via the media in a TV ad to walk into as many people as he can walk into." --Rush Limbaugh, denouncing an ad by VoteVets.org featuring Iraq war veteran Brian McGough by likening him to a suicide bomber
"Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it." --Rush Limbaugh, Jan. 19, 2007
"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. ... This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting." --Rush Limbaugh, on an ad by Michael J. Fox endorsing Claire McCaskill for Senate for supporting embryonic stem cell research (Watch video)
"And don't forget, Sherrod Brown is black. There's a racial component here, too. And now, the newspaper that I'm reading all this from is The New York Times, and they, of course, don't mention that." --Rush Limbaugh, on the 2006 Ohio Senate primary race involving then-Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is white
"This is no different than what happens at the Skull and Bones initiation...I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of the need to blow some steam off?" --Rush Limbaugh, on the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal
"Too many whites are getting away with drug use...Too many whites are getting away with drug sales...The answer is to go out and find the ones who are getting away with it, convict them, and send them up the river, too." --Rush Limbaugh, in 1995
"I am addicted to prescription pain medication." --Rush Limbaugh, in 2003
"Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society." --Rush Limbaugh
"We're not sexists, we're chauvinists -- we're male chauvinist pigs, and we're happy to be because we think that's what men were destined to be. We think that's what women want." --Rush Limbaugh
"She comes to me when she wants to be fed. And after I feed her -- guess what -- she's off to wherever she wants to be in the house, until the next time she gets hungry. She's smart enough to know she can't feed herself. She's actually a very smart cat. She gets loved. She gets adoration. She gets petted. She gets fed. And she doesn't have to do anything for it, which is why I say this cat's taught me more about women, than anything my whole life." --Rush Limbaugh, on his cat
"She sounds like a screeching ex-wife." --Rush Limbaugh, on Sen. Hillary Clinton
"I've been racking my brain. I've been trying to figure out how Bob Dole's luggage got on my airplane...I told the doctor, I said, 'Look, I'm worried about the next election.' ... A misunderstanding." --Rush Limbaugh, after he was detained by custom officials for possessing Viagra with a prescription made out in someone else's name
"They oughtta change Black History Month to Black Progress Month and start measuring it." --Rush Limbaugh
Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go. I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They're interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there's a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn't deserve." --on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, during a September 2003 broadcast of ESPN television's Sunday NFL Countdown program. The controversy generated by the remark prompted Limbaugh to resign from his position as a commentator on that show
The only way to reduce the number of nuclear weapons is to use them."
"There are more acres of forestland in America today than when Columbus discovered the continent in 1492."
"I know these people like I know every square inch of my glorious naked body." --on Democrats
"Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"
"Take that bone out of your nose and call me back." –responding to a black caller he was having a hard time understanding in the 1970s when he worked under the name "Jeff Christie" on a top-40 music program in Pittsburgh, as quoted in Newsday, Oct, 8, 1990
Rush Limbaugh comments advertisers pulled ads from his show prominent Republicans condemned his comments
Rush Limbaugh comments advertisers pulled ads from his show prominent Republicans condemned his comments, The eight (and counting) advertisers who have pulled their sponsorship from “The Rush Limbaugh Show” to protest its host’s sexist attack on a female law student are making headlines. They’re making a statement. Maybe they’re winning some new fans who admire the stand they’re taking.
What they’re not doing, more than likely, is causing Limbaugh any serious financial pain. The conservative radio star made $64 million last year, putting him at No. 23 on the FORBES Celebrity 100. The vast majority of that, more than $56 million, comes from his deal with Premiere Radio Networks, with the remainder coming from his online operations and book sales.
The complete details of Limbaugh’s eight-year, $400 million contract aren’t known, but much of it takes the form of guaranteed money, with Limbaugh having claimed publicly that he received at least $100 million as a signing bonus. Like some other top-tier radio stars, including Ryan Seacrest, Limbaugh does hold back some of the commercial time during his program and keep the revenues from it. Higher ad rates yielded Limbaugh an extra $6 million last year.
In that sense, then, a mass walkout of his advertisers could put a damper on his earnings. But the impact is likely to be minimal and short-lived, says Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, which monitors the talk radio business.
“We’ve seen this many times in the past,” says Harrison. “Some of the advertisers that left will come back, and some will be replaced. Life will go on.”
Moreover, for every sponsor that doesn’t want to get too close to controversy, there’s another one that looks at Limbaugh and sees a platform so powerful it’s capable of drawing a personal response from the President of the United States. “The fact that everything he utters has a potential for causing a national debate — it underscores his power as an attraction,” says Harrison.
The sponsors who’ve pulled out so far include Quicken Loans, Citrix Systems, Legal Zoom, Sleep Number, Sleep Train, Pro Flowers, Carbonite and AOL. Of those, the last three announced they were yanking their support after Limbaugh posted a public apology, though not a particularly repentant one. On his show Monday, Limbaugh criticized those advertisers who’d deserted him, saying, “They decided they don’t want you or your business anymore….No radio broadcast will succeed by putting business ahead of the needs of its loyal audience.”
What they’re not doing, more than likely, is causing Limbaugh any serious financial pain. The conservative radio star made $64 million last year, putting him at No. 23 on the FORBES Celebrity 100. The vast majority of that, more than $56 million, comes from his deal with Premiere Radio Networks, with the remainder coming from his online operations and book sales.
The complete details of Limbaugh’s eight-year, $400 million contract aren’t known, but much of it takes the form of guaranteed money, with Limbaugh having claimed publicly that he received at least $100 million as a signing bonus. Like some other top-tier radio stars, including Ryan Seacrest, Limbaugh does hold back some of the commercial time during his program and keep the revenues from it. Higher ad rates yielded Limbaugh an extra $6 million last year.
In that sense, then, a mass walkout of his advertisers could put a damper on his earnings. But the impact is likely to be minimal and short-lived, says Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers magazine, which monitors the talk radio business.
“We’ve seen this many times in the past,” says Harrison. “Some of the advertisers that left will come back, and some will be replaced. Life will go on.”
Moreover, for every sponsor that doesn’t want to get too close to controversy, there’s another one that looks at Limbaugh and sees a platform so powerful it’s capable of drawing a personal response from the President of the United States. “The fact that everything he utters has a potential for causing a national debate — it underscores his power as an attraction,” says Harrison.
The sponsors who’ve pulled out so far include Quicken Loans, Citrix Systems, Legal Zoom, Sleep Number, Sleep Train, Pro Flowers, Carbonite and AOL. Of those, the last three announced they were yanking their support after Limbaugh posted a public apology, though not a particularly repentant one. On his show Monday, Limbaugh criticized those advertisers who’d deserted him, saying, “They decided they don’t want you or your business anymore….No radio broadcast will succeed by putting business ahead of the needs of its loyal audience.”
Fuke testified about contraception mandates to house of representatives
Fuke testified about contraception mandates to house of representatives, Fluke Testified About Contraception Mandates To House Of Representatives, Last week Sandra Fluke became famous overnight. But the cascading sequence of events leading to Rush Limbaugh’s tirade against the 30-year-old Georgetown law student began two months ago. At a Republican presidential debate on Jan. 7, moderator George Stephanopoulus mystified Mitt Romney — and many observers — by pressing Romney about his views on contraception. Two weeks later, the Obama Administration announced it would require Catholic universities and charities to include birth control as their health coverage. Republican presidential candidates accused Obama of launching a “war on religion.”
Catholic bishops balked at the mandate. And in mid-February, around the time Obama acceded to pressure and softened the rule, GOP Representative Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, scheduled a Feb. 16 hearing entitled, “Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?”
Democrats on the committee tapped a low-level staffer to find a witness whose testimony and profile would juxtapose nicely with the tableau of white men Issa planned to call. The staffer found a video clip of Fluke speaking at the National Press Club on Feb. 9, when she was one of several Catholic students to defend the Obama Administration’s ruling. Fluke was eloquent, female and a student at a Jesuit institution to boot. “We couldn’t have picked a better witness,” says a Democratic committee staffer, who would not reveal the identify of the colleague who located Fluke.
Issa didn’t agree. He excluded Fluke, arguing that testimony on the benefits of the contraception mandate fell outside the bounds of a hearing held to scrutinize the rule. But it’s easy to see why Democrats considered Fluke (pronounced Fluck) compelling enough to hold their own hearing on Feb. 23, during a Congressional recess. Fluke is soft-spoken and earnest. She kept her poise, voice faltering only slightly, as she told the story of a gay friend who needed prescription birth control to prevent the growth of ovarian cysts. When Georgetown declined to cover the pills on the grounds that they were intended to prevent a pregnancy, Fluke said, her friend developed a cyst “the size of a tennis ball” that required the removal of her ovary. As Fluke noted, oral contraceptives, which can be costly, are often prescribed for medical issues unrelated to preventing pregnancy. “A woman’s health takes a back seat to a bureaucracy focused on policing her body,” she told the assembled members of Congress.
This was the testimony that prompted Limbaugh to insult Fluke at least 53 times over three days last week, often in vicious and vulgar terms. “She’s having so much sex it’s amazing she can still walk,” Limbaugh said, scoffing at the notion that ”she wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex” and suggesting Fluke could repay the debt by posting pornographic videos online.
Fluke was at her computer in Washington when she first heard Limbaugh’s comments. In less than 24 hours, she was engulfed by a political firestorm. “It can be overwhelming at times,” she tells TIME from Los Angeles, “but what I am trying to focus on is my main goal in the situation, and that is continuing to advocate on behalf of women affected by the contraception regulation and making sure that policy is implemented in a strong way.”
Focusing can’t be easy. A man with a giant megaphone turned her into an avatar for the depraved and entitled left, and the left returned the umbrage. President Obama called her cell phone while she was hovering outside the door of an MSNBC studio awaiting an interview. (Fluke is using a p.r. firm to help her handle the flood of media inquiries.) Republicans vying to take on Obama squirmed to address the controversy without offending Limbaugh’s millions of fans. Limbaugh’s comments spurred an exodus of advertisers and a flurry of cable news segments about whether the imbroglio would sully Republicans’ standing with female voters. Fluke, the victim of a crude personal attack, became a pawn in a political chess match.
Amid the furor triggered by Limbaugh’s remarks, one of the tropes that emerged on the right was that Fluke was a plant — not a normal third-year law student unwittingly thrust into the national spotlight, but rather a liberal activist who courted the controversy to reap its rewards. “Is Sandra Fluke a Fame-Hungry Activist?” blared a Fox News headline above a piece tracking her TV appearances. It’s hard to imagine anyone is fame-hungry enough to welcome the notoriety of being called a “slut” and a “prostitute” before a national audience. But as Fluke will tell you, she has been a women’s rights activist since college. National controversies are something new, but she is no wide-eyed naif, either.
At Cornell, where she graduated in 2003, Fluke belonged to a pro-choice organization called Students Acting for Gender Equality; a Cornell student newspaper clip from 2002 recounts her role in a counter-protest against an anti-abortion group. Before heading to Georgetown, she worked with groups that provided services to victims of rape, domestic violence and human trafficking. ”I’ve continued that type of work after coming to law school,” she says. “That’s the area my internships have focused on. That’s my career path.”
Fluke says she understands that contraception is anathema to some religious beliefs. “There are, of course, some people who legitimately disagree about the actual contraception policy, and that legitimate policy disagreement is appropriate,” she says. But she also thinks there are other motivations at play, including ”misinformation about whether this is a taxpayer subsidy.” Says Fluke: “This has been completely distorted, I believe probably intentionally, by people who are hoping to confuse the debate. And it’s just entirely inaccurate.”
Intentional or not, Limbaugh’s central point — that taxpayers shouldn’t pay the tab if students choose to use birth control — is in fact predicated on a fallacy. Republicans oppose mandates and many regulations on ideological grounds, and they also oppose taxpayer money being used to subsidize services they don’t want. (As do Democrats; as Jon Stewart quipped, “reimburse me for the Iraq war and oil subsidies and…diaphragms are on me.”) But Limbaugh has conflated the two concerns. Taxpayer dollars aren’t used for the contraception rule, which puts the burden on insurers.
“Other than that it’s popular to say the taxpayers end up paying for this, I don’t see the argument,” says Timothy Jost, a law professor who studies healthcare at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. “There’s no direct subsidy there.” In fact, as Jost notes, “there’s good evidence that contraception in fact reduces abortion and sterilization and births, and that that saves money.” A recent study published by the Brookings Institution suggests that each dollar spent to reduce unplanned pregnancies could save between two and six dollars down the line. For both insurers and the government, pregnancies are more expensive than the pill.
Catholic bishops balked at the mandate. And in mid-February, around the time Obama acceded to pressure and softened the rule, GOP Representative Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, scheduled a Feb. 16 hearing entitled, “Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?”
Democrats on the committee tapped a low-level staffer to find a witness whose testimony and profile would juxtapose nicely with the tableau of white men Issa planned to call. The staffer found a video clip of Fluke speaking at the National Press Club on Feb. 9, when she was one of several Catholic students to defend the Obama Administration’s ruling. Fluke was eloquent, female and a student at a Jesuit institution to boot. “We couldn’t have picked a better witness,” says a Democratic committee staffer, who would not reveal the identify of the colleague who located Fluke.
Issa didn’t agree. He excluded Fluke, arguing that testimony on the benefits of the contraception mandate fell outside the bounds of a hearing held to scrutinize the rule. But it’s easy to see why Democrats considered Fluke (pronounced Fluck) compelling enough to hold their own hearing on Feb. 23, during a Congressional recess. Fluke is soft-spoken and earnest. She kept her poise, voice faltering only slightly, as she told the story of a gay friend who needed prescription birth control to prevent the growth of ovarian cysts. When Georgetown declined to cover the pills on the grounds that they were intended to prevent a pregnancy, Fluke said, her friend developed a cyst “the size of a tennis ball” that required the removal of her ovary. As Fluke noted, oral contraceptives, which can be costly, are often prescribed for medical issues unrelated to preventing pregnancy. “A woman’s health takes a back seat to a bureaucracy focused on policing her body,” she told the assembled members of Congress.
This was the testimony that prompted Limbaugh to insult Fluke at least 53 times over three days last week, often in vicious and vulgar terms. “She’s having so much sex it’s amazing she can still walk,” Limbaugh said, scoffing at the notion that ”she wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex” and suggesting Fluke could repay the debt by posting pornographic videos online.
Fluke was at her computer in Washington when she first heard Limbaugh’s comments. In less than 24 hours, she was engulfed by a political firestorm. “It can be overwhelming at times,” she tells TIME from Los Angeles, “but what I am trying to focus on is my main goal in the situation, and that is continuing to advocate on behalf of women affected by the contraception regulation and making sure that policy is implemented in a strong way.”
Focusing can’t be easy. A man with a giant megaphone turned her into an avatar for the depraved and entitled left, and the left returned the umbrage. President Obama called her cell phone while she was hovering outside the door of an MSNBC studio awaiting an interview. (Fluke is using a p.r. firm to help her handle the flood of media inquiries.) Republicans vying to take on Obama squirmed to address the controversy without offending Limbaugh’s millions of fans. Limbaugh’s comments spurred an exodus of advertisers and a flurry of cable news segments about whether the imbroglio would sully Republicans’ standing with female voters. Fluke, the victim of a crude personal attack, became a pawn in a political chess match.
Amid the furor triggered by Limbaugh’s remarks, one of the tropes that emerged on the right was that Fluke was a plant — not a normal third-year law student unwittingly thrust into the national spotlight, but rather a liberal activist who courted the controversy to reap its rewards. “Is Sandra Fluke a Fame-Hungry Activist?” blared a Fox News headline above a piece tracking her TV appearances. It’s hard to imagine anyone is fame-hungry enough to welcome the notoriety of being called a “slut” and a “prostitute” before a national audience. But as Fluke will tell you, she has been a women’s rights activist since college. National controversies are something new, but she is no wide-eyed naif, either.
At Cornell, where she graduated in 2003, Fluke belonged to a pro-choice organization called Students Acting for Gender Equality; a Cornell student newspaper clip from 2002 recounts her role in a counter-protest against an anti-abortion group. Before heading to Georgetown, she worked with groups that provided services to victims of rape, domestic violence and human trafficking. ”I’ve continued that type of work after coming to law school,” she says. “That’s the area my internships have focused on. That’s my career path.”
Fluke says she understands that contraception is anathema to some religious beliefs. “There are, of course, some people who legitimately disagree about the actual contraception policy, and that legitimate policy disagreement is appropriate,” she says. But she also thinks there are other motivations at play, including ”misinformation about whether this is a taxpayer subsidy.” Says Fluke: “This has been completely distorted, I believe probably intentionally, by people who are hoping to confuse the debate. And it’s just entirely inaccurate.”
Intentional or not, Limbaugh’s central point — that taxpayers shouldn’t pay the tab if students choose to use birth control — is in fact predicated on a fallacy. Republicans oppose mandates and many regulations on ideological grounds, and they also oppose taxpayer money being used to subsidize services they don’t want. (As do Democrats; as Jon Stewart quipped, “reimburse me for the Iraq war and oil subsidies and…diaphragms are on me.”) But Limbaugh has conflated the two concerns. Taxpayer dollars aren’t used for the contraception rule, which puts the burden on insurers.
“Other than that it’s popular to say the taxpayers end up paying for this, I don’t see the argument,” says Timothy Jost, a law professor who studies healthcare at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. “There’s no direct subsidy there.” In fact, as Jost notes, “there’s good evidence that contraception in fact reduces abortion and sterilization and births, and that that saves money.” A recent study published by the Brookings Institution suggests that each dollar spent to reduce unplanned pregnancies could save between two and six dollars down the line. For both insurers and the government, pregnancies are more expensive than the pill.
Gun control united states
Gun control united states, While debates over women's reproductive rights and immigration law rage on, former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is quietly and resolutely continuing her battle for gun control.The former Congresswoman, who was shot in the head 30 months ago while at a public event in Tucson, is currently on a seven-state tour with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, and has become the public face and sometimes voice of the gun control movement.
Giffords, 43, was joined by Kelly in a Manchester, New Hampshire, restaurant Friday as part of the nationwide Rights and Responsibilities tour that has taken her some 8,000 miles in the past week, lobbying for legislation that would make it more difficult for those with mental illnesses and criminal records to get ahold of powerful firearms.
Giffords, who still travels with a speech therapist and nurses and remains partially paralyzed in her right arm and leg, read from a prepared statement, saying that it "takes courage" to do what must be done, according to the Concord Monitor.
"I've seen great courage when my life was on the line," she told the room full of reporters and law enforcement officials. "Now is the time to come together, be responsible — Democrats, Republicans and everyone. We must never stop fighting. Be bold. Be courageous. The nation is counting on you."
Giffords was one of several who were critically wounded during the 2011 attack. Six were killed in the Safeway supermarket parking lot, including a 9-year-old girl who had aspirations of becoming a politician.
In the wake of the horrific shootings at an Aurora, Colo. movie theater last summer, and last December's Sandy Hook shootings in Newtown, Conn., Giffords has become a public advocate against gun lobbying organizations, most potently, the National Rifle Association.
The nonprofit spearheaded by Giffords, Americans for Responsible Solutions, organized the trip, which has already passed through Las Vegas; Cincinnati; Anchorage; Manchester, N.H.; Portland, Maine; and Bismarck, N.D.
It will end on July 7 in Raleigh, N.C. The campaign is in part to bring pressure elected officials to deal with the issues in front of them, and is expected to raise some $20 million this summer for television spots and political appearances.
Giffords wrote in a July 1 editorial in USA Today celebrating the Second Amendment, saying: "Some might consider me an unlikely advocate for gun rights because I sustained terrible injuries in a violent shooting. But I'm a patriot, and I believe the right to bear arms is a definitive part of our American heritage."
She went on to say that with the tradition comes the need to be responsible, competent gun owners.
A May poll from the Washington Post-ABC News found that 67% of those polled felt the Senate wrongly rejected the background check bill.
A member of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, the official lobbying group for the NRA, did not immediately return calls from the Daily News.
Obama called to apologize to harris for "best-looking" comment
Obama called to apologize to harris for "best-looking" comment, President Barack Obama apologized to Calif. Attorney General Kamala Harris for remarks he made about her looks at a fundraiser in Northern California Thursday.
While the president also acknowledged Harris as being “brilliant,” “dedicated,” and “tough” during the Democratic luncheon in the Silicon Valley, he also said she was “by far, the best-looking attorney general.”
Obama talked to Harris later that night via phone, but not before the television talking heads and the blogosphere had a field day over his comments.
“It’s sexist,” said Sam Bennett. “That simple comment drops her like a stone electorally and makes voters much less likely to see her as qualified or worthy of their vote.”
Women rights attorney Gloria Allred, who was an Obama delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, said Obama’s apology was the right thing to do.
“It’s not the crime of the century,” said Allred. “On the other hand, it’s something he needed to apologize for. We just would like women to be treated seriously and have an equal shot at elected office and any job in the United States for which they are otherwise qualified.”
Political consultant Fiona Hutton agreed the remarks raise serious issues for women in politics and in the working world.
Hutton, however, doesn’t believe it will be a major political problem for the president.
“I think it’s a one or two-day flap that’ll ricochet around California. I think things move on. I think you may have certain bloggers on the conservative side who may want to continue, but I think to the real world, there are probably a lot more pressuring issues,” she said.
Willie Brown, a former state assembly speaker and San Francisco mayor, said Obama’s opponents are just looking for something to attack the president on.
“They can’t criticize him for budget, they can’t criticize him for taxes on the rich, they can’t criticize him for medical care, they got to say something,” he said.
Harris’ office released a statement that said the attorney general and the president have been friends for many years and she strongly supports him.
While the president also acknowledged Harris as being “brilliant,” “dedicated,” and “tough” during the Democratic luncheon in the Silicon Valley, he also said she was “by far, the best-looking attorney general.”
Obama talked to Harris later that night via phone, but not before the television talking heads and the blogosphere had a field day over his comments.
“It’s sexist,” said Sam Bennett. “That simple comment drops her like a stone electorally and makes voters much less likely to see her as qualified or worthy of their vote.”
Women rights attorney Gloria Allred, who was an Obama delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, said Obama’s apology was the right thing to do.
“It’s not the crime of the century,” said Allred. “On the other hand, it’s something he needed to apologize for. We just would like women to be treated seriously and have an equal shot at elected office and any job in the United States for which they are otherwise qualified.”
Political consultant Fiona Hutton agreed the remarks raise serious issues for women in politics and in the working world.
Hutton, however, doesn’t believe it will be a major political problem for the president.
“I think it’s a one or two-day flap that’ll ricochet around California. I think things move on. I think you may have certain bloggers on the conservative side who may want to continue, but I think to the real world, there are probably a lot more pressuring issues,” she said.
Willie Brown, a former state assembly speaker and San Francisco mayor, said Obama’s opponents are just looking for something to attack the president on.
“They can’t criticize him for budget, they can’t criticize him for taxes on the rich, they can’t criticize him for medical care, they got to say something,” he said.
Harris’ office released a statement that said the attorney general and the president have been friends for many years and she strongly supports him.
Robert griffin iii injury update
Robert griffin iii injury update, Robert Griffin III participated in organized team activities Thursday, at least some of the activities, some of the time. There, that’s what you really want to know, isn’t it? Isn’t everything else regarding the Redskins secondary, including the secondary? Griffin wore white leggings — man-hose? — burgundy shorts, burgundy-and-white-striped socks, a white long-sleeve shirt and his usual braids under his helmet to the steamy workout. Oh, and a big black brace on his right knee.Ah, yes, the brace. Maybe it came from his wedding registry. Does James Andrews have a gift shop?
Whatever. In any case, Griffin was on the field. There was no real trace of a limp, although there was also no real trace of the Griffin of last year, either. It’s too soon for that. But the second-year quarterback was still large and in charge; even the music blasting over the loudspeakers came from his playlist. Rap, “some of my linemen wanted some country,” and some R&B “to keep them calm.”
Music critic Niles Paul ran over and turned off a particular song — and I’m sorry I can’t identify it, since it was from this century — to the cheers of his teammates, who apparently weren’t feeling it. So Griffin ran — ran! — over to cue up a different tune.
That wasn’t the only time he ran, of course. He also said he ran two miles at Redskins Park earlier in the week, without all the media scrutiny. Next month comes the focus on the explosive sprinting and explosive cutting. Stay tuned!
No leg has been more examined and discussed than Griffin’s, at least not since Angelina Jolie struck that pose at the Academy Awards last year. Bryce Harper’s knee should send RGIII’s knee a thank you note, just for absorbing some of Washington’s knee angst.
That knee angst isn’t knee-jerk, however. Two of Washington’s brightest stars — the hope for their respective franchises — are injured. Both have shown a complete disregard for their future health, not surprising in young men of 23 and 20. One has a manager who has at least tried to curb his enthusiasm; the other one has a coach who did not, at least not last season. According to Griffin, that reining in is happening now, with his rehab. The bottom line is, neither team can afford to lose its guy. Look at the Wizards and their knee issue — John Wall missed 33 games to start the season and the Wizards fell short of the playoffs. (On the other hand, they got the No. 3 pick in next month’s draft. Still. . .)
Griffin’s knee may not be at full strength, but his sense of humor is completely intact. “I would love to answer some questions about the team today,” he deadpanned at the start of Thursday’s news conference. Apparently all that wedding registry talk has gotten old.
And he was allowed to talk about actual football, about Pierre Garcon (loves him), Chris Thompson (loves him), his other receivers (loves ’em), Alfred Morris (loves him), London Fletcher (loves him). Asked what he has learned from last season, he said, “For me, the biggest part was mastering the offense so I can continue to beat teams with my mind.” That is just awesome — until he tears a brain muscle, I guess, and then we’re right back where we started.
Griffin is not universally liked — name an athlete who is — but it is hard not to enjoy listening to a guy who’s quick with a quip. Asked if he had gotten bigger in the offseason, Griffin said, “Are you calling me fat?” Uh, fat chance.
“I don’t think I’m bigger,” he said. “I think it’s Spandex. It’s definitely the (skin-tight) shirt. . . . Around this time you do put a little bit more muscle, then you maintain the weight throughout the year. That’s why my pecs look amazing.”
At this point a team official realized that those amazing pecs — for the humor impaired, he was being sarcastic — were clad in an Adidas shirt, not the league-approved Nike apparel. Wardrobe malfunction! Folding over the collar didn’t work, so Griffin will have to pony up the fine. Likely Adidas won’t mind writing that check. Think of it as an early wedding present.
Charm aside, we’re a long way from knowing what that knee can actually do. One assumes it can get him down the aisle, but can it support him when he drops back in the pocket or takes off on a bootleg? Griffin seems sure that it can. As for Redskins fans, they are going to have to take a cue from their quarterback. “I’ve had to be patiently aggressive,” he said. Everyone else is going to have to be merely patient.
Rob parker apologizes robert griffin iii
On First Take, the reporter referred to Griffin as a "cornball brother" and said he's a pretend African-American, partly because the rookie is married to a white woman.
"I blew it and I'm sincerely sorry," Parker Tweeted today. "I completely understand how the issue of race in sports is a sensitive one and needs to be handled with great care."
Parker continued:
"This past Thursday I failed to do that. I believe the intended topic is a worthy one. Robert's thoughts about being an African-American quarterback and the impact of his phenomenal success have been discussed in other media outlets, as well as among sports fans, particularly those in the African-American community.
"The failure was in how I chose to discuss it on First Take, and in doing so, turned a productive conversation into a negative one."
Parker said he's contacting the player's agent in hopes to talk to Griffin and "will take the time to consider how I can continue to tackle difficult, important topics in a much more thoughtful manner."
Album review: 'Deceiver of the Gods' by Amon Amarth
Album review: 'Deceiver of the Gods' by Amon Amarth, For over 20 years now, Swedish metal band Amon Amarth has been faithfully dishing out riff heavy slabs of melodic death metal goodness for its legion of faithful fans. But, while remaining a popular act on the European metal festival circuit, the band never really broke through in America until the release of 2011's "Surtur Rising." Now Amon Amarth is back with a new album, "Deceiver of the Gods".There's nothing groundbreaking on "Deceiver of the Gods." Unlike many of their contemporaries in recent years, you will find no symphonies on the album, no clean vocals from Johan Hegg, and no female opera singers. Like the Norse warriors that star in many of the band's lyrics, Amon Amarth succeed through sheer berserker attack straight up the middle. While this could quickly lead to a band becoming stale, that isn't a problem with Amon Amarth. Instead, "Deceiver of the Gods" continues the work of "Surtur Rising", honing and sharpening the band's sound.
The one surprise on "Deceiver of the Gods" is a clean vocal duet from ex-Candlemass frontman Messiah Marcolin on "Hel." His wail weaves seamlessly in and out of Amon Amarth's bombast like it was always there.
Other standout tracks on "Deceiver of the Gods" include the title track, the impossibly brutal "Blood Eagle", and the album's atmospheric closer "Warriors of the North."
"Deceiver of the Gods" should cement what Amon Amarth started on "Surtur Rising." It's about as technically flawless as an Amon Amarth album can get with some crisp production work from former Sabbat guitarist Andy Sneap. With a high profile slot on this year's Rockstar Mayhem tour to showcase the new songs, Amon Amarth's American popularity should be positively affected by this stellar entry into the group's catalog.
The Bold and the Beautiful:' Liam wonders who Wyatt is
The Bold and the Beautiful:' Liam wonders who Wyatt is, On Thursday's episode of "The Bold and the Beautiful," Hope complained to Rick about Brooke sleeping with her sister's husband. Rick wondered if Liam was coming and Hope thought he would, but she was giving him all the time he needed.Rick didn't like this because he thought Hope had given Liam enough time at this point. Elsewhere, Bill and Liam discussed his affair and Liam can't wrap his head around the fact that his dad could have slept with his wife's sister. Bill reminded Liam, he knew what happened because he was there. He insisted it only happened once and stated it was over the second Katie asked for her rings back in the hospital.
Caroline reviewed Maya and Carter's scenes for "Room Eight," and she didn't believe they were sexy enough. Caroline pressed Rafael to do some editing to beef things up a little. Rafael stated he could handle that. Caroline also needed Rafael to get her to Rick's bash at Bikini so she could be there when Rick viewed Maya's scenes. A surprised Rafael wanted to take Mario to the bash, but for now, he was stuck with a determined Caroline.
Maya got to the bash and fell into Rick's arms kissing him. Carter showed up just in time to see that and Dayzee and Marcus wished he had gotten to LA just a little sooner. Carter insisted he was dealing with the fact that Maya was already taken. Maya told Rick she had invited Rafael and a guest to the party. Rick was fine with that.
Teresa showed up with Oliver while Dayzee and Hope talked about Hope deciding to give Liam more time to digest everything that happened to him. Dayzee did think Liam would have been there. Hope decided to call him and Liam told her he was with his father, but he would be there.
Hope stopped to talk to Thomas about Steffy and whether or not he thought she would be coming back. Thmomas guessed Hope wanted to know so she could have Liam for herself. Hope passed Wyatt as she went to greet Maya. Maya promised her this new series she was working on wouldn't interfere with her role at Forrester. Hope said there were no worries and everything would work out. Teresa stumbled upon Wyatt and introduced herself to him. He explained Hope had invited him. Wyatt continued gazing in Hope's direction grinning at her.
A curious Teresa wanted to know how Hope met the hot guy Wyatt. Hope told her story about him showering naked at a camp site. She detailed the fall she took after taking his photo and rushing off. Teresa thought the entire story was "crazy romantico."
Shortly thereafter, Wyatt approached Hope to thank he for the invitation. He wondered where Hope's boyfriend was, and it seemed she was wondering the same thing. Hope simply made a face.
Rafael arrived with an anxious Caroline who couldn't wait for Rick to see the footage for "Room Eight." She wasn't at all pleased when she noticed Rick and Maya all over each other. A worried Rafael noticed Rick and Maya as well, and he thought they looked way too tight. He didn't think Rick would even react to Maya kissing Carter. Caroline believed otherwise.
Carter gathered the group and made a toast to the USA. Maya thought Carter did a great job with the toast, and she told him so. He thought she seemed slightly uptight. Maya admitted still being worried about Rick's reaction to the Web series. Caroline chatted with Rick about her old friend Rafael. Maya approached and learned Rafael was planning on showing a few scenes from his show. Maya thought they could check those out at another time. She distracted Rick and pulled him away.
After confessing his blunder with Brooke, Bill and Liam hung out at the cliff house. Liam learned Bill was not about to give his family up no matter what Katie did. Liam was slightly shocked to learn about his father's night with his wife's sister. Bill wondered if Liam had heard from Steffy. Liam said he hadn't heard a word. Bill wanted Liam to call her. He thought he should focus on his own marriage.
Steffy was in Paris thinking about the devastating news Dr. Caspary gave her after that medical procedure. When Liam called she answered right away. Liam told her nothing she did made sense to him. Steffy insisted things had to remain the way they were. It was the only way it could be. Once again, Steffy told Liam to go be with Hope and live a happy life.
A rejected Liam decided to call Hope. Liam began to explain he had been held up and was sorry he was not already at the party. He said he was on his way. Hope told him not to bother because the bash would be over by the time he got there. She also said he didn't need to explain anything to her. Hope simply said good night to Liam and hung up the phone. She then tossed the phone.
Wyatt entered the cabana and realized Hope was upset about something. Hope insisted she had to leave. Wyatt kissed her cheek and talked Hope into staying. Take a look at their exchange in this CBS video clip from Thursday's episode. Keep on watching "The Bold and the Beautiful" and take a look at Friday's recap here.
Finnish baby box: 'Traditional' gift arrives for Duchess Kate's baby
Finnish baby box: 'Traditional' gift arrives for Duchess Kate's baby, A Finnish baby box has been sent to Kate Middleton and Prince William as a gift for their baby. The traditional box is filled with items such as a snowsuit and a duvet, socks and even condoms. On July 4, Mail Online reported that the gift is very useful and that the Duke and Duchess will likely be able to use of all of the contents."The kit, which is issued to every Finnish mother, contains everything a new parent could possibly need while the box it arrives in doubles as a crib," Mail Online reports. While the royal baby probably won't be sleeping in a box, the gift proves itself to be completely unique, green, and useful.
The Finnish baby box arrived just days before the impending arrival of the royal baby. Kate Middleton is due any day now with many sites focusing on July 12 as the official due date. Even still, Kate could go into labor at any time since she's at the end of her third trimester. For the past two weeks she has really taken it easy and spent time preparing for baby -- and the latest gift that she received can only help.
"We were delighted to receive the very kind gift of a maternity package from the Finnish Government. It was a very thoughtful gesture. I'm sure the Duke and Duchess will be very interested to see the contents," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.
The Finnish baby box was likely filled with gender-friendly items since Kate Middleton and Prince William do not know the sex of their baby. When do you think the little royal will be born?
'The Bold and the Beautiful': Hope and the Spencer sword
'The Bold and the Beautiful': Hope and the Spencer sword, On yesterday's episode of "The Bold and the Beautiful," everyone gathered outside Bikini to watch the fireworks. Thomas tipped Oliver off that Therese had been flirting with him all evening. Thomas said he would make a move on her if Oliver didn't. Oliver slid next to Theresa and put his arm around her. A receptive Theresa laid her head on his shoulder. Maya and Rick remained close, but Maya felt uncomfortable with Caroline watching.Caroline pressured Rafael to show his steamy scenes before everyone left. Caroline still couldn't believe she had lost Rick. She told Rafael about their past relationship and how perfect it all was. Caroline was in tears just thinking about it.
Everyone moved inside and the topic of conversation was the Web series. Rafael was ready to show footage from the best scene yet. Naturally, he selected the sauce scene where a shirtless Carter had spilled sauce on his chest and his cheek, and Maya's character was only too happy to lick it off. Rafael stopped the scene and wondered what everyone thought. Dayzee thought it was sexy and Carter said he didn't recall it being so steamy during the filming. Rick looked totally uncomfortable and he wanted to speak to Maya alone.
Rick told Maya he didn't enjoy seeing her with Carter like that. Maya explained she was an actress and this was her job. She said it didn't feel what it looked like during the filming. Rick thought Maya could have warned him before he saw what he saw. Maya thought it would come across as more innocent than it did. She did admit she should have tipped him off. Rick stated he was happy she had this acting opportunity, but he didn't like the fact that she was acting with Carter. He had to work with the guy everyday and it was going to be difficult to get that scene out of his head. Maya reminded Rick it was her character kissing Carter's character and she had honestly thought Rick understood the acting business. Rick said he needed a drink and walked away.
Back in the cabana, Hope continued to hang out with Wyatt. Suddenly, Liam entered and he wasn't exactly thrilled to see Hope with another guy. He demanded to know what was going on and asked Wyatt who he was. Wyatt introduced himself and guessed that Liam must be the guy that stood Hope up.
Hope asked Wyatt if she could have a moment alone with Liam. Wyatt moved to another corner of the cabana. Liam demanded to know if Wyatt was Hope's date. Hope told Liam she believed she had a date with him for tonight. She reminded him they had plans and pointed out he didn't show up. Hope was growing weary of Liam's need to reach out to Steffy. She told him Steffy left him and she was here. Hope was tired of Liam's expectations that she would always be there. Liam apologized for making her feel that way and suggested they go somewhere to talk.
Hope told Liam to leave because she intended to stay. Liam wondered if Hope was staying with Wyatt. Hope said they could talk about that later. An extremely confused Liam left the party. Wyatt told Hope he pretty much heard her entire conversation. He suspected she was into a deep relationship with Liam. Hope mentioned a couple of engagements and almost weddings. She also mentioned his wife in Paris and how he was still too in to her.
Wyatt believed Liam was out of his mind for not knowing what to do with a girl like Hope. Wyatt told Hope he liked her and when he kissed her, her eyes caught a glimpse of the necklace he was wearing. It was the same Spencer sword worn by Liam and Bill. Hope was stunned.
On the next episode, Donna tells Katie her marriage doesn't have to be over. Katie tells Bill she's willing to share in the blame for things that have happened in the past, but she tells Bill his actions are his actions. She reminds him he did this. Elsewhere, an anxious Hope wonders why her mother had to act on her feelings for Bill. She wants to know if it will take losing everyone close to her before she stops making bad decisions.
Don't miss Monday's episode of "The Bold and the Beautiful," and do share your thoughts on that sword necklace in the comments section below.
'Welcome to Myrtle Manor’ cast information; TLC reality show set in trailer park
'Welcome to Myrtle Manor’ cast information; TLC reality show set in trailer park, “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” is the newest reality show to join the lineup of reality shows on TLC. On Feb. 25 The Charlotte Observer published an interview with two officials of "Welcome to Myrtle Manor.," which premieres on Sunday, March 3 at 10 p.m. ET
Set in the former Patrick’s Mobile Home Park on Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” will introduce viewers to the “everyday lives” of Myrtle Manors residents as the Patrick family works to renovate the trailer park.
Alon Orstein, vice president of production and development East Coast for TLC told The Charlotte Observer that “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” is a 10-part series, but since the series has not aired yet, no decision has been made yet about a second season.
When asked why this “residential site in the heart of Myrtle Beach” was chosen as the location of this series, Orstein answered:
“The town of Myrtle Beach is a massive tourist destination. We wanted to dig deeper and learn more about the local population and the town itself. We are also intrigued by the Patrick family and waned to follow their story of running a multi-generational, family-owned trailer park."
“Welcome to Myrtle Beach” is jointly produced by The Weinstein Company and Jupiter Entertainment. For more information, follow “Welcome to Myrtle Beach” on Facebook and Twitter.
Here is a look at some of the cast members of TLC's "Welcome to Myrtle Manor":
Becky: the newest landlord of Myrtle Manor. The trailer park has been in Becky's family for years and her father has passed on the day-to-day responsibilities to Becky.
Jeana or "Miss Jeana": Becky's aunt who has moved back to the trailer park after her 20 year marriage ended in divorce.
Cecil: Becky's father who is the official owner of the Myrtle Manor.
Alyson: Becky's youngest daughter. She is currently enrolled in business school and hopes to own Myrtle Manor in the future.
Chelsey: the owner of a start-up hot dog business on wheels named Darlin' Dog. Her constant partying puts her career in jeopardy.
Lindsay: co-owner of the hot dog business with Chelsey. She would also rather party than work.
Gina: she grew up in the trailer park but has since left. She is a co-owner of the trailer park's hair salon, Tangulls.
Roy: a former drag queen and also a co-owner of Tangulls hair salon.
Taylor: a local club promoter. Although he has a live-in girlfriend, Jessica, he still enjoys being the king of the nightlife at the club.
Jessica: Taylor's girlfriend. Jessica likes to flirt and has a "unique style."
Anne: Taylor's mother who enjoys drinking and distributing her words of wisdom throughout Myrtle Manor.
Bandit: writes show tunes but his luxury trailer violates many health codes and Becky is considering evicting him.
Shellie: the resident Wiccan at Myrtle Manor. Shellie owns a metal club named the Sound Hole.
Set in the former Patrick’s Mobile Home Park on Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” will introduce viewers to the “everyday lives” of Myrtle Manors residents as the Patrick family works to renovate the trailer park.
Alon Orstein, vice president of production and development East Coast for TLC told The Charlotte Observer that “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” is a 10-part series, but since the series has not aired yet, no decision has been made yet about a second season.
When asked why this “residential site in the heart of Myrtle Beach” was chosen as the location of this series, Orstein answered:
“The town of Myrtle Beach is a massive tourist destination. We wanted to dig deeper and learn more about the local population and the town itself. We are also intrigued by the Patrick family and waned to follow their story of running a multi-generational, family-owned trailer park."
“Welcome to Myrtle Beach” is jointly produced by The Weinstein Company and Jupiter Entertainment. For more information, follow “Welcome to Myrtle Beach” on Facebook and Twitter.
Here is a look at some of the cast members of TLC's "Welcome to Myrtle Manor":
Becky: the newest landlord of Myrtle Manor. The trailer park has been in Becky's family for years and her father has passed on the day-to-day responsibilities to Becky.
Jeana or "Miss Jeana": Becky's aunt who has moved back to the trailer park after her 20 year marriage ended in divorce.
Cecil: Becky's father who is the official owner of the Myrtle Manor.
Alyson: Becky's youngest daughter. She is currently enrolled in business school and hopes to own Myrtle Manor in the future.
Chelsey: the owner of a start-up hot dog business on wheels named Darlin' Dog. Her constant partying puts her career in jeopardy.
Lindsay: co-owner of the hot dog business with Chelsey. She would also rather party than work.
Gina: she grew up in the trailer park but has since left. She is a co-owner of the trailer park's hair salon, Tangulls.
Roy: a former drag queen and also a co-owner of Tangulls hair salon.
Taylor: a local club promoter. Although he has a live-in girlfriend, Jessica, he still enjoys being the king of the nightlife at the club.
Jessica: Taylor's girlfriend. Jessica likes to flirt and has a "unique style."
Anne: Taylor's mother who enjoys drinking and distributing her words of wisdom throughout Myrtle Manor.
Bandit: writes show tunes but his luxury trailer violates many health codes and Becky is considering evicting him.
Shellie: the resident Wiccan at Myrtle Manor. Shellie owns a metal club named the Sound Hole.
Artist of the Week: Korn
Artist of the Week: Korn, When I think of the band Korn, I think of passion. Anybody who has seen them in a live setting over the years would attest to probably the same thing.Beyond the thick bass lines, heavy hitting drums, and wall of distorted guitars and the iconic growling and screaming of vocalist Jonathan Davis is a discography of lyrical genius. The energy that they put out on stage provides a great show. What they've harnessed so far when pen hits pad of paper, though, is what has separated them over the years from most of their peers from the nu-metal scene from the nineties.
Sometimes, Korn isn't the easiest thing in the world to listen to. Their music doesn't always form this smooth sounding combination that you would normally expect in this world of blues based rock.
Sometimes you are presented with a sound that just makes your head explode with a flurry of noises. That, combined with the majority of their songs' lyrical content, is part of Korn's appeal to their legion of fans worldwide. They create a sound that fits the emotions of their listeners. Anybody who can relate to what they are saying can fit in with this band. It provides an outlet; an atmosphere that is conducive to reality. Imagine that.
Reality isn't all unicorns and rainbows. Reality isn't what Hollywood and the coked out pop music industry want you to see and hear. For many people there are a lot of dark things and emotionally the outlet that Korn, and metal music in general, provides is therapeutic. If you don't get it, you never will, but sometimes to bang your head or clench your teeth and throw your fists in the air and let out a scream from the pit of your stomach is the healthiest way of coping with the not so pleasant parts of this life.
Forty plus years into this experiment called heavy metal and these artists still get a bad wrap from the mainstream media because they don't get it. Korn was no exception as they've been generalized with the same old stereotypes that have followed this genre since Black Sabbath burst onto the scene and created the first metal album. Oh, they're evil. Oh, they're violent. Guess what? This world is full of evil people and violent people. Metal music, and Korn in particular, has a way of bonding people over real world struggles. Saying its okay to be pissed off about this or pissed off about that is healthy and to be honest, there are things that shouldn't be sugarcoated.
It's not always easy to hear or to discuss, but for the "outcasts" of society, this type of music creates a brotherhood between like minded folks that have lived in the real world. It's like the Rush song "Subdivisions", but heavier. Getting that tension and frustration out through music is far healthier than burying your head in the sand. Ignorance is what truly leads to evil and violence, not open discussion about life events.
Korn may not be for everyone. Initially, they didn't do it for me. As the years have gone by, however, and you experience different things and dig deeper into the music and the songs you find things that you relate to. Love them or hate them, they've been bringing their brand of reality to us from Bakersfield, California since 1993. Twenty years later they are still headlining major festivals and carry a fan base that numbers in the millions. With a new album set to be released September 24 of this year, the stage is set for Korn to keep on bringing it for many more years to come.
The following list is my take on Korn's 25 Most Essential tracks. Click on the links to watch their videos. Agree? Disagree? Let me know below in the comment section, and as always, if you enjoy what you just read please take a moment to click the "Subscribe" link at the top of this page. It's free! Thank you.
25 Most Essential Korn Songs
1. Freak on a Leash
2. Got The Life
3. Coming Undone
4. Y'all Want a Single
5. Dead/Falling Away From Me
6. Right Now
7. Twisted Transistor
8. Did My Time
9. Thoughtless
10. Blind
11. Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 1, 2, 3)/Goodbye Cruel World
12. Here to Stay
13. Word Up!
14. Shoots and Ladders
15. Somebody Someone
16. Alone I Break
17. Make Me Bad
18. Clown
19. Trash
20. A.D.I.D.A.S.
21. Twist/Chi
22. Dead Bodies Everywhere
23. My Gift to You
24. Narcissistic Cannibal
25. It's On
Brooklyn: BAMcinematek presents Big Screen Epics on their great big new screen
Brooklyn: BAMcinematek presents Big Screen Epics on their great big new screen, The Broooklyn Academy of Music is working overtime to put their newly renovated Harvey Theater to good use. BAM Cinemafest is over, and the Hitchcock 9 have silently flickered for 3 days and now and now the massive Steinberg Screen will be featuring Big Screen Epics.Movies like Lawrence of Arabia, 2001 a Space Odyssey, and that film festival favorite (this one is playing all over NY this summer) The Godfather.
Here is a schedule with links to The BAM information pages for each film:
July 3rd to July 9th: 2001:A Space Odyssey
July 10th to 15th: Lawrence of Arabia
July 11th to 14th: Doctor Zhivago
July 17th to July 24th: The Godfather
July 18th to July 21st: The Godfather Part II
July 20th and 21st: Double Feature- The Godfather and The Godfather Part II
‘Y&R’ spoiler alerts for July 8: Cassie returns, secrets begin to unravel
‘Y&R’ spoiler alerts for July 8: Cassie returns, secrets begin to unravel, The moment “The Young and the Restless” fans have been waiting for has arrived. The secret that Nick and Phyllis have been keeping from Jack and Summer is about to be revealed.Sharon has a visitation from Cassie, according to an email from a source at “The Young and the Restless” dated July 6. Nick and Phyllis arrive in Chicago to find Summer. Jack drops by to ask Sharon if Summer said anything specific that may lead them to find her.
Sharon tells Jack that Summer did not say anything specific that would help pinpoint her location. Jack sees the photo album Sharon had been leafing through on the table and remarks how much has changed since Cassie died. Jack reminds Sharon that a parent’s live for their child is “endless, no matter what.”
After Jack leaves, Sharon receives another visitation from Cassie. In the visitation, which could be a hallucination, Cassie is a grown woman. Sharon explains to Cassie that she heard everything Nick said at Cassie’s grave.
It has not yet been revealed if Sharon is having hallucinations because she is not taking her medication or because her medication needs to be adjusted. Whatever is happening, Sharon tells Cassie that she will be for Nick when everyone turns against him
Cassie asks Sharon if she is certain that she wants to put all of her energy into comforting Nicholas. Sharon tells Cassie that she will be there for Nick when no one else will. She will be compassionate and completely understanding. Sharon believes that then their lives will go back to the way they were meant to be.
Abu Qatada To Finally Be Deported To Jordan
Abu Qatada To Finally Be Deported To Jordan, The radical cleric spends his final day on British soil before he is taken from Belmarsh prison and flown to Jordan to face trial.Abu Qatada will be moved to RAF Northolt in west London and deported to Jordan in the early hours of Sunday morning.
It marks the end of a near decade-long legal battle to remove the preacher, who the Government has described as a "truly dangerous individual" and a "key player" in al Qaeda-related terrorism.
Sky News understands the 51-year-old will be driven from Belmarsh prison in southeast London to RAF Northolt around midnight tonight.
A military aircraft will be waiting to take off around 2am on Sunday, heading for an isolated airstrip near the Jordanian capital Amman.
The cleric will be transferred to the maximum security Muwaqqar prison, which houses dozens of convicted terrorists.
It is understood that Qatada will be held in solitary confinement at the jail, until the Jordanian authorities can put him on trial.
Qatada originally fled the Middle East and arrived in the UK in 1993. He was granted asylum the following year.
His increasingly radical sermons caught the attention of the security services in Britain and in numerous other countries.
A Spanish judge described him as the "spiritual head of the mujaheddin in Britain".
A number of people arrested on terrorism offences, including British born "shoe-bomber" Richard Reid, admitted seeking religious advice from him.
His sermons were found in the Hamburg flat used by a number of the 9/11 hijackers.
In 2001, on the eve of tough new British anti-terror laws allowing for the detention without trial of foreign terror suspects, Qatada went on the run, before later being arrested and held in Belmarsh prison.
He has spent most of the last decade in detention, the last eight years while contesting efforts to deport him.
On two occasions he was granted bail, but later detained for breaching his strict bail conditions.
This weekend marks the end of a national embarrassment, which critics of European human rights legislation claim has rendered UK politicians powerless to remove someone who they believed to be a clear threat to national security.
It was revealed recently that the cost of years of legal fees from the many court proceedings stood at £1.7m - a bill which will be footed by UK taxpayers.
For Home Secretary Theresa May, there is no doubt the deportation of Qatada is a significant political victory.
But having had their fingers burnt on numerous occasions in the past, no one at the Home Office will be celebrating until the radical cleric is on that plane and out of UK airspace.
Ashley judd depression
Ashley judd depression, Actress and aspiring politician Ashley Judd, who once described herself as "absolutely certifiably crazy" and in need of a "psychological support" dog, suffers from mood-altering bipolar disorder, according to a new reportDeep in a friendly Huffington Post story which all but declared she was running against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, reporter Howard Fineman revealed: "She writes movingly and openly about the challenges she faces from her bipolar disorder."
She has often talked about her depression and troubled childhood, but the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is more blunt than the co-dependency Judd has talked about.
It's another reason for Democrats to be wary of her bid in Kentucky. Some are already concerned about her liberal Hollywood roots and comments about motherhood and men.
But the Huffington Post story draws new attention to the famed actress's depression and how she's dealt with it. Judd has said that while visiting her country-singing sister Wynona Judd at a treatment center in 2006, counselors suggested she check her self in too.
She told ABC in 2012, "What I said was, 'I'm so tired of holding up all this pain, I'm so glad to come to treatment.'"
In her biography "All That Is Bitter and Sweet" she blamed her depression on a turbulent childhood of abuse and loneliness.
In the ABC interview, she said that she kept her registered "psychological support" dog Shug at her side.
In a 2006 Today Show interview after her treatment, she told Matt Lauer that it helps for her to talk about her depression. "I was absolutely certifiably crazy and now I get to have a solution, and for those who are co-dependent or suffer from depression, there is a solution."
International concern over Egypt clashes
The United States and United Nations have expressed concern about Friday's violence in Egypt following the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, in which more than 30 people died.The US state department urged Egypt's leaders to put a stop to the violence. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for demonstrators to be protected.
The army removed Mr Morsi on Wednesday following protests by millions.
Pro-Morsi protesters were gathering on Saturday in Cairo's Nasr City area.
The ousted Islamist president's opponents have called for demonstrations against the Muslim Brotherhood, to which he belongs, on Sunday.
He is in detention, along with some senior Brotherhood figures.
Early on Saturday, state media reported the Brotherhood's deputy leader Khairat el-Shater had been arrested at his Cairo home on suspicion of incitement to violence.
Meanwhile the army issued a statement on its Facebook page denying that some of its field commanders were putting pressure on the commander-in-chief to reinstate President Morsi.
"These rumours... come within the context of the continued attempts to spread rumours and lies as one of the methods of the systematic information warfare being waged against the armed forces with the aim of dividing its ranks and striking at its strong cohesion...," the statement said.
In a separate development, former president Hosni Mubarak appeared in court on charges of corruption and involvement in the deaths of protesters during the 2011 revolution that ousted him and ultimately brought Mr Morsi to power.
The trial was adjourned until 17 August.
'Horrifying reports'
Some 36 people died and more than 1,000 were hurt in Friday's clashes, which have been condemned by the US.
"We call on all Egyptian leaders to condemn the use of force and to prevent further violence among their supporters," said state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Mr Ban's spokesman Farhan Haq said that it was for the people of Egypt to determine the way forward - and all people, including women, needed to be part of that process.
He referred to "horrifying reports of sexual violence".
"The Secretary-General believes strongly that this is a critical juncture in which it is imperative for Egyptians to work together to chart a peaceful return to civilian control, constitutional order, and democratic governance," Mr Haq said.
"Egypt's political leaders have a responsibility to signal, by their words and their actions, their commitment to a peaceful and democratic dialogue which includes all of Egypt's constituencies, including women."
The comments came as at least 12 people died and 200 were injured in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, mostly from gunshot wounds. Eight died in two separate clashes in the capital Cairo.
Four of those were killed after troops opened fire on crowds as they advanced on the headquarters of the Republican Guard, where Mr Morsi is believed to be held.
In the evening, another four died when Brotherhood supporters surged across the 6th October Bridge over the Nile river, towards Tahrir Square where anti-Morsi protesters were gathered, before tanks arrived to separate the protesters and the violence died down.
'No arbitrary measures'
There were clashes in other parts of Egypt on Friday.
Islamist attacks on the Sinai peninsula left five police and one soldier dead, security officials said, while unidentified gunmen reportedly shot dead a Coptic priest in northern Sinai on Saturday.
The Health Ministry said one protester was killed in the central city of Assiut, and one in Suez. Another three people died in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya.
The army command had said it would not take "arbitrary measures against any faction or political current" and would guarantee the right to protest, as long as demonstrations did not threaten national security.
On Thursday the head of Egypt's constitutional court, Adly Mahmud Mansour, was sworn in as interim head of state, and he promised to hold elections soon.
The next day Mr Mansour dissolved the upper house - or Shura Council - which had been dominated by Morsi supporters and had served as the sole legislative body after the lower house was dissolved last year.
The Tamarod [Rebel] movement - which organised recent anti-Morsi protests - had accused the ousted president of pursuing an Islamist agenda against the wishes of most Egyptians, and of failing to tackle economic problems.
Judd interview and a "my bad" on simmons' Global Grind website
Judd interview and a "my bad" on simmons' Global Grind website, Actress Ashley Judd has reached out to rap mogul Russell Simmons to clarify comments published in her memoir after she accused hip-hop stars Snoop Dogg and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of providing the “contemporary soundtrack of misogyny”.
The Double Jeopardy star reveals all about her child abuse hell in her autobiography, All That Is Bitter and Sweet, in which she also details her work with global health organisation YouthAids and raises concerns about the support its received from the two top rappers.
She writes, “Along with other performers, YouthAids was supported by rap and hip-hop artists like Snoop Dogg and P Diddy to spread the message.
“Those names were a red flag. As far as I’m concerned, most rap and hip-hop music – with its rape culture and insanely abusive lyrics and depictions of girls and women as ‘ho’s’ – is the contemporary soundtrack of misogyny.”
Her statements caused controversy among rap fans and artists, but the actress insists her comments have been taken out of context, and she’s adamant her only aim was to inspire rappers to use their positions as pop icons more carefully to encourage youngsters to show respect to all females.
In an interview with her close friend and fellow activist Simmons on his GlobalGrind.com blog, Judd says, “My intention was to support artists to know that they have so much power. That they make incredible life changing impressions, particularly on the young…
“What I’m being accused of is condemning rap and hip-hop as a whole… My intention was to take a stand to say the elements that are misogynistic and treat girls and women in a hyper-sexualised way are inappropriate. The male dominance that is displayed, and the reinforcement of girls’ and women value and identify as primarily sexual, is not helpful in any artistic expression, in any cultural form, whether it’s country music or in television story lines. And if they read more than one paragraph in the book, they would see that all four hundred pages are about that!”
And Judd admits it was a mistake to discuss her opinions of hip-hop and rape culture so closely together.
She continues, “I so regret that my indictment of rape culture as a whole has been, with that paragraph, interpreted as me blaming rap and hip-hop exclusively. That was absolutely not my intention, and I so regret it has had that effect on some people. That community is incredibly important to me and to the cause of social justice. It is filled with bad ass and brave activists whom I admire, who work under duress fighting epic discrimination.”
The Double Jeopardy star reveals all about her child abuse hell in her autobiography, All That Is Bitter and Sweet, in which she also details her work with global health organisation YouthAids and raises concerns about the support its received from the two top rappers.
She writes, “Along with other performers, YouthAids was supported by rap and hip-hop artists like Snoop Dogg and P Diddy to spread the message.
“Those names were a red flag. As far as I’m concerned, most rap and hip-hop music – with its rape culture and insanely abusive lyrics and depictions of girls and women as ‘ho’s’ – is the contemporary soundtrack of misogyny.”
Her statements caused controversy among rap fans and artists, but the actress insists her comments have been taken out of context, and she’s adamant her only aim was to inspire rappers to use their positions as pop icons more carefully to encourage youngsters to show respect to all females.
In an interview with her close friend and fellow activist Simmons on his GlobalGrind.com blog, Judd says, “My intention was to support artists to know that they have so much power. That they make incredible life changing impressions, particularly on the young…
“What I’m being accused of is condemning rap and hip-hop as a whole… My intention was to take a stand to say the elements that are misogynistic and treat girls and women in a hyper-sexualised way are inappropriate. The male dominance that is displayed, and the reinforcement of girls’ and women value and identify as primarily sexual, is not helpful in any artistic expression, in any cultural form, whether it’s country music or in television story lines. And if they read more than one paragraph in the book, they would see that all four hundred pages are about that!”
And Judd admits it was a mistake to discuss her opinions of hip-hop and rape culture so closely together.
She continues, “I so regret that my indictment of rape culture as a whole has been, with that paragraph, interpreted as me blaming rap and hip-hop exclusively. That was absolutely not my intention, and I so regret it has had that effect on some people. That community is incredibly important to me and to the cause of social justice. It is filled with bad ass and brave activists whom I admire, who work under duress fighting epic discrimination.”
Sports radio legend Bill Powers found dead in Calgary home
Sports radio legend Bill Powers found dead in Calgary home,Calgary’s sports community was rocked Thursday after learning Bill Powers — the man many Calgarians knew as the voice of the Stampeders — and his wife were found dead in their southwest home by police.Powers, a veteran broadcaster and sports columnist, and his wife, Donna Lee, were discovered by investigators who were led to the scene by a man now considered a suspect in the deaths.
Police are now questioning Powers’ stepson.
Investigators are questioning the man who led police to the Braeside home of Powers and his wife Donna Lee in the 1700 block of 110th Avenue S.W. this morning around 5:20 a.m., police source have confirmed.
Police kept watch over three separate scenes Thursday, including a bus shelter along Southland Drive near 14th Street S.W.
A witness who encountered the man, who sources say was seen at the Southland LRT station, called police and requested that officers check on him, said duty inspector Mike Tillotson.
After police spoke with him and were led to the two bodies in the nearby home, the man was taken into custody without incident.
“We believe there is a connection between the suspect and the two deceased,” Tillotson said.
Yellow jumpsuit-clad Calgary Search and Rescue volunteers kept busy combing nearby children’s parks, backyards and shrubs searching for evidence.
At a press conference Thursday, police were saying little about the investigation.
“It’s still very, very early,” Tillotson said.
Powers, a grandfather, had two children and three step-children.
“We’re looking at all those pieces of relationships and who is connected to who,” said Tillotson.
Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.
Investigators continue to comb the Braeside neighbourhood where the two bodies were found this morning.
It’s scary stuff. It’s so close to home
Calgary Search and Rescue are starting a grid search of a children’s park and field beside the home.
“As is common in similar investigations like this, we will do an area search looking for evidence that might be associated to that incident,” Tillotson said.
“In this case, we’re doing that and also searching between the suspect was found and the residence where the deceased people were found, and that’s quite a large area.”
A small knife was seized near the scene but it’s not known whether the weapon was used in the incident.
Neighbours drifting up to the barricaded scene looking to learn more say they’re saddened and shocked by the news of the death.
“It’s scary stuff. It’s so close to home,” said Joanne Larking, who lives a few doors down.
“It’s so peaceful here. You never hear anything,” said Larkin, who added many longtime homeowners have lived in the tree-lined neighbourhood for over 30 years.
Autopsies will be scheduled.
Powers, a longtime sports radio announcer and newspaper columnist was asked in a Calgary Herald Q and A published in November 1984 what he wanted his epitaph to say.
“Something like: ‘Here lies Billy, a friend to the end,’” he answered.
Don Imus calls obama "pimp with a limp"
Don Imus calls obama "pimp with a limp", And now for today’s most pleasant conversation about the most unpleasant topic imaginable. Yesterday morning, Don Imus welcomed Bob Beckel to the radio show and, while the conversation started off on politics, quickly strayed to their shared experiences with alcohol and drug abuse. With the holidays coming, Beckel noted that it was a particularly difficult time for people trying to sober up, while for veterans like he and Imus, the only challenge was dealing with how “obnoxious” drunk people are.
The conversation started off with Imus telling Beckel how much he loved The Five and chiding him for being uninterested in Dana Perino‘s day at the rodeo, “poor thing.” “I did make fun, but just because you’re interested in the horses and things and crap on the street, I didn’t grow up where you grew up,” Beckel offered by way of explanation. They then delved into the 2012 Republican field, where Beckel called Romney “one of the most overrated guys in the country” and joked that Imus had a “good record in picking people.” Imus, indignant, replied that he had “saved [Bill Clinton]‘s ass” and helped Chris Christie, providing Beckel with even more mockery material.
The conversation then turned to drinking, and became more grave. Asking a cohost whether he drank, Beckel made the seriously point that there were many people this holiday season who would have a hard time rehabilitating from alcohol abuse. “Hang close to the program,” he advised, “don’t go wandering into bars and Christmas parties.” He added that he, now a veteran, had no problem seeing other people drinking, but “if somebody put a big line on the street, I may jitter a little.” Imus replied with a story of going to a holiday party himself and being repulsed by the drunk people, to which Beckel replied, “I do interventions with alcoholics and they’re all jerks! and I think, ‘Was I like that?’” Imus added his experience– that he was 25 years sober of alcohol, 28 from cocaine– prompting Beckel to reply with an unexpected candor that he was very surprised at this, as “at the end, I needed seven grams a night and or about half a quart to get leveled out.”
For a conversation on such a heavy subject, Beckel and Imus speak very lightheartedly about it, but with a candidness that makes it all the more interesting to listen to. The conversation eventually turned into Imus bashing Eric Bolling– prompting Beckel’s defense– and ending with a moral from Imus’ producer: “some people don’t need alcohol to be gaping a-holes.”
The conversation started off with Imus telling Beckel how much he loved The Five and chiding him for being uninterested in Dana Perino‘s day at the rodeo, “poor thing.” “I did make fun, but just because you’re interested in the horses and things and crap on the street, I didn’t grow up where you grew up,” Beckel offered by way of explanation. They then delved into the 2012 Republican field, where Beckel called Romney “one of the most overrated guys in the country” and joked that Imus had a “good record in picking people.” Imus, indignant, replied that he had “saved [Bill Clinton]‘s ass” and helped Chris Christie, providing Beckel with even more mockery material.
The conversation then turned to drinking, and became more grave. Asking a cohost whether he drank, Beckel made the seriously point that there were many people this holiday season who would have a hard time rehabilitating from alcohol abuse. “Hang close to the program,” he advised, “don’t go wandering into bars and Christmas parties.” He added that he, now a veteran, had no problem seeing other people drinking, but “if somebody put a big line on the street, I may jitter a little.” Imus replied with a story of going to a holiday party himself and being repulsed by the drunk people, to which Beckel replied, “I do interventions with alcoholics and they’re all jerks! and I think, ‘Was I like that?’” Imus added his experience– that he was 25 years sober of alcohol, 28 from cocaine– prompting Beckel to reply with an unexpected candor that he was very surprised at this, as “at the end, I needed seven grams a night and or about half a quart to get leveled out.”
For a conversation on such a heavy subject, Beckel and Imus speak very lightheartedly about it, but with a candidness that makes it all the more interesting to listen to. The conversation eventually turned into Imus bashing Eric Bolling– prompting Beckel’s defense– and ending with a moral from Imus’ producer: “some people don’t need alcohol to be gaping a-holes.”
Girl left in car dies
Girl left in car dies, Edmonton police say they have closed their investigation into the death of a little girl found inside a car during a heat wave, ruling no crime took place.
Police say the three-year-old girl was not left in the car by a caregiver on Tuesday evening, but didn't provide any further detail about how she got there.
Officers did note that vehicle she was found in was not locked.
"The Edmonton Police Service investigation into this case is now closed," the department said in a short statement issued Thursday afternoon.
"Police will not be able to comment further on the circumstances of the death as it is non-criminal."
Both the Edmonton Journal and CBC have identified the tot as Tsi Tsi Chitekedza.
The local outlets quoted her mother, Grace Vela, as saying she doesn't know how her daughter ended up in the car Tuesday after the family had returned from a splash park.
Vela told CBC she pulled the little girl form the vehicle after finding her seemingly sleeping inside with her thumb in her mouth.
The temperature in Edmonton hit 33 C on Tuesday and humidity levels made it feel more like 43 C.
Paramedics performed CPR and provided hydration before the youngster was taken by ambulance to the Stollery Children's Hospital where she died.
Tsi Tsi is the second child to die in a hot car recently.
In Ontario, a funeral was held earlier this week for a two-year-old boy, who died after being left alone in a sweltering car outside a home in Milton, west of Toronto.
Investigators said Maximus Huyskens died after "being exposed to high-level temperatures for an extended period of time" in a sedan.
They said the child was in the care of his maternal grandmother, while his father was at work and his mother was at an appointment.
No charges have been laid. Police are waiting for the results of toxicology tests.
Another mother in Edmonton is facing charges under provincial child welfare legislation for leaving her three boys in a vehicle with the sunroof open this week.
A passerby saw the boys Tuesday in a vehicle in front of a hardware store and called 911.
The children, between two and six years old, were not hurt.
Police say the three-year-old girl was not left in the car by a caregiver on Tuesday evening, but didn't provide any further detail about how she got there.
Officers did note that vehicle she was found in was not locked.
"The Edmonton Police Service investigation into this case is now closed," the department said in a short statement issued Thursday afternoon.
"Police will not be able to comment further on the circumstances of the death as it is non-criminal."
Both the Edmonton Journal and CBC have identified the tot as Tsi Tsi Chitekedza.
The local outlets quoted her mother, Grace Vela, as saying she doesn't know how her daughter ended up in the car Tuesday after the family had returned from a splash park.
Vela told CBC she pulled the little girl form the vehicle after finding her seemingly sleeping inside with her thumb in her mouth.
The temperature in Edmonton hit 33 C on Tuesday and humidity levels made it feel more like 43 C.
Paramedics performed CPR and provided hydration before the youngster was taken by ambulance to the Stollery Children's Hospital where she died.
Tsi Tsi is the second child to die in a hot car recently.
In Ontario, a funeral was held earlier this week for a two-year-old boy, who died after being left alone in a sweltering car outside a home in Milton, west of Toronto.
Investigators said Maximus Huyskens died after "being exposed to high-level temperatures for an extended period of time" in a sedan.
They said the child was in the care of his maternal grandmother, while his father was at work and his mother was at an appointment.
No charges have been laid. Police are waiting for the results of toxicology tests.
Another mother in Edmonton is facing charges under provincial child welfare legislation for leaving her three boys in a vehicle with the sunroof open this week.
A passerby saw the boys Tuesday in a vehicle in front of a hardware store and called 911.
The children, between two and six years old, were not hurt.
Don imus calls rush limbaugh "insincere pig"
Don imus calls rush limbaugh "insincere pig", Fox Business Network host Don Imus is calling Rush Limbaugh an “insincere pig” after the conservative icon begrudgingly apologized to a Georgetown University law student for calling her a “slut” and a “prostitute.”In a statement on his website over the weekend, Limbaugh said he “sincerely” apologized to Sandra Fluke, who had testified before Congress about the need for contraception coverage at colleges and universities, even if they are owned by religious institutions.
By Sunday, at least seven businesses had suspended advertising on Limbaugh’s show.
“It was a vile personal attack on this woman and it was sustained,” Imus noted on Monday. “It was Wednesday and then come back and double down on Thursday and then come back and double down on Friday. And then, issue a lame apology on your website.”
“So were it me and I ran a radio station or whatever, I would make him go down there and apologize to her face to face. He owns a Gulfstream IV (jet). Get on it, go to Washington, take her to lunch and say, ‘Look, I’m sorry I said this stuff and I’ll never do it again. Period.’ Now, he’s an insincere pig. Pill-popping pinhead.”
Imus continued: “I mean it’s disgraceful. You got to show some guts. He has no guts. Look what I did. And what I did was a lame attempt to be funny. And it was three words and I went and met with these people after I’d been fired! You got to show guts. He has no guts. He’s a punk.”
In April of 2007, Imus was fired by MSNBC after he referred to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team with the racist term “nappy-headed hos.” The morning show host later met with members of the team at the New Jersey governor’s mansion.