The last few weeks have been completely surprise-laden. It’s been a barrage one celebrity death after another. First Farrah, then Michael, then the beloved Billy Mays of “Pitchmen,” then Steve McNair. What the hell is going on?! It’s like a tidal wave of death, has engulfed the world of entertainment. Whether you’re into movies, music, TV, or sports, chances are, you miss at least one of these people. When we lose a celebrity, we lose more than a person. We lose their... more
Payday is wonderful. It’s a mini-Christmas every two weeks. Many times, it’s a complete surprise, as you’re not exactly sure what you’re going to get. Maybe you skimped on your hours, or worked a ton of overtime. Maybe you hit bonus, or just missed it. Maybe you made a ton of sales, or didn’t make any. Or maybe you’re on salary, so your pay doesn’t fluctuate at all. Whatever the case, the walk to HR or your boss’ office, is extremely exciting. I call... more
Although he’s never been elected to any office (not for lack of trying), Al Sharpton remains a permanent fixture in politics. He just never seems to go away. He continues to speak out on countless issues. And while no one seems to be listening, every network is more than willing to put him on TV. Why not, right? He’s the Don King of politics. Is it just me, or do they look alike? All he does is create controversy by crying racism over everything, so he can reap the benefits of being... more
Remember last week, when I said the “Waxman-Markey bill” has a dicey chance in the Senate? Well… maybe not as dicey as I thought. After it passed the House on Friday, I was already nervous, but now even more so. After 7 months of suspense and controversy, Al Franken has been named the winner of the 2008 U.S. Senate Race in Minnesota. Despite the fact that the entire race was marred by controversy and rigging allegations, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously rejected Norm Coleman’s... more
Today, the State of California announced that it will issue IOUs to its creditors. Those creditors range from unpaid contractors, to the federal government. California owes money to a myriad of parties, for multitude of things like infrastructure, information technology, and catering for its prison system. It owes money to the federal government, because California is supposed to contribute to its own education and healthcare costs. Call me crazy, but I think that’s reasonable. Regardless,... more
Bernie Madoff, the man who managed to cover-up a $65 billion-dollar Ponzi scheme for years, finally faced the music today. Despite his attorney’s request for a 12 year sentence (HA HA HA!), he was sentenced to 150 years in a Manhattan courtroom by U.S. District Judge, Denny Chin. Chin gave Madoff the maximum sentence for his crime, as he should have. Madoff swindled entire fortunes out of celebrities, institutional investors, and even hard-working average Joes. The worst part is, we will not... more
In November and December of 2003, the fire department of New Haven, Connecticut, administered two exams, for the purpose of promoting firefighters to the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. Both exams consisted of two parts, written and oral. The exams were designed by a company called Industrial/Organizational Solutions, Inc (ISO). ISO is a private, independent company that has no affiliation with the New Haven Fire Department or the New Haven City Government. The exams were administered to a total... more
Today, the House will vote on The American Clean Energy and Security Act, otherwise known as the “Waxman-Markey bill.” The proposed measure, would attempt to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy. The question is, how? The Waxman-Markey bill is of the “cap and trade” variety. For those of you not familiar with cap and trade, I’ll explain. Cap and trade legislation puts a cap on how much pollution companies can emit. These restrictions are applied... more
Protesters have flooded the streets of Tehran since Iran’s presidential election, on June 12th. It is alleged by the protesters, that the election was stolen by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who reportedly won 63% of the vote. Many have questioned the validity of this wide margin of victory and have demanded a recount. The demonstrations have been mostly peaceful. Even so, they have been met with much opposition from the Iranian government. At this point, no journalists are even allowed in... more
On June 2nd and 3rd, NBC enjoyed phenomenal ratings of over 9 million viewers, for both installments of “Inside the Obama White House” with Brian Williams. On June 24th, ABC will air a special of its own from the White House, detailing the Obama health care plan. The focal point will be a one-hour special in the now infamous “town hall” format, that became so popular on the 2008 campaign trail. In addition, ABC’s Good Morning America, World News, Nightline, and web news... more
