The Debt Crisis

As I was preparing to blog today, I was looking up hot topics. I was sure all the trending topics would involve the impending deadline that the nation is facing. After all, everyone is talking, blogging, facebooking, and tweeting about it. Most all of us will be strongly impacted by what ever the ruling is. That is unless you are among the very wealthy. But I was wrong. According to online trends, the only topics that are trending are all about the NFL and all the trades that have taken place in the last 24 hours. Now, I am a huge sports fan and in future blogs, I will probably include a lot of sports content. But today is not the day. I was really almost sick when I saw the cover of the NY post. On the cover it depicted shirtless NY Jets receiver Santanio Holmes downing a bottle of Crystal champagne. He was celebrating his 50 million dollar contract that he just signed. So what who cares. He is among the few who will not be impacted by what's going on in Washington.

The rest of us could be literally screwed if the Nation's present AAA credit rating is downgraded. Those of us who have been trying to spend responsively since the economy shit the bed in 2008 could be in big trouble. We will end up paying for Washington's carelessness. For most of this century, Americans spent well beyond their means. They purchased the life they wanted on credit always intending to pay it back later. Once the economy collapsed after all the bets Wall Street made didn't pay off, we as Americans started spending more wisely. To our credit, we started living within our means.

Americans started honoring their obligations and paying down their debts. We did what we were supposed to do. Now we are hearing that Washington may blow off paying their debts down. How is this possible? But guess what folks it is possible!  And if it happens, we are the people that are going to end up suffering for it. But thank God NFL players won't suffer, right folks?

Another Congressman Bites The Dust

Just weeks after Weiner, another Congressman is involved in a sexual scandal. Representative David Wu, a 56 year old Congressman from Oregon is resigning. This is more disturbing than Weiner's. It involves a 18 year old female who is a friend of the Wu family. Wu released a statement sighting the reason for his resignation. He said he wants to protect the young woman and does not wish to bring attention or publicity to the young woman and her family. He is being accused of aggressive and unwanted sexual behavior. Wu asserts that anything that happened was consensual but he is leaving office to protect his kids as well.

The saddest thing about this whole scenario is that David Wu has primary custody of his children. He has been separated from his wife since 2009. He was awarded custody because his wife has documented addiction issues that have caused her to spend time in rehab. Wu is not without his own demons. He has reportedly suffered from mental issues that required prescription medicine and therapy.

In light of all these political scandals lately we have all been talking about the scorned wife. First it was Maria Schriver and then Anthony Weiner's wife. They have both garnered a lot of sympathy from the Nation. Well in this scandal, I think its appropriate to have a lot of sympathy for these poor kids. They are obviously suffering.

Congress Stalemate

Well it seems that the Congress has reached a stalemate and frankly I'm a bit troubled because between our president and speaker of the house John Boehner its like a school fight on the playground. Each will not budge. The president talks about compromise but it doesn't appear that he is open to it to the degree he needs to be. I listened to both parties and while I am not a political pundit it seems that we are far from a compromise that needs to happen within a week. Obama started his speech by giving statistics of Reaganomics. He said that the debt ceiling was always routine. He said historically, Congress has always passed it. Reagan did it 18 times. He went on to say so did George Bush Sr, as well as, Clinton.

In his address to the nation, he went onto directly intimate to our working class and seniors that if there were deep spending cuts it would affect our Social Security benefits as well as tax raises for middle class. He also stated that interest rates on credit cards, mortgages, and car loans would increase exponentially. Obama went on to say that the economic catastrophe would be all Washington's fault. First of all 6 months extension would not help. The greater danger is that the House Of Representatives will refuse to raise taxes among the wealthiest Americans. Obama said, Congress has a week. Serious debt reduction has to passs both houses of Congress. Enough members of both parties will put our differences aside. The debt is stacked against working class Americans and they are gonna pay instead of the wealthy few. He went on to say Americans didn't vote for a dysfunctional government. Americans believe in every point of view. He pontificated that from Slavery to war there was always compromise. He quoted Jefferson" Every man can not have its way". Americans, put country above self. They held us together during difficult times Obama said we need to show the world that we are united. Not just because we will keep our words and obligation but because we can come together.

It seems that this was an appeal from Obama to the American people. He is trying to put pressure on the republicans to cut a deal that will raise the debt ceiling another 1.5 trillion dollars. John Boehner speaker of the house appeared to refute the tenets of Obama's speech. We aren't living within our means. US can not default on its obligations. We need spending cuts. I made a sincere effort to work with the President. Unfortunately the President consistently maintains we need a balanced approach, Boehner asserted that the President wanted a blank check six months ago and he wants one now. He stated that we are gonna pass a bill that is based on bi partisanship. That is the bill we are sending to the President. Spending will be cut by a billion dollars. Boehner doesn't talk about the fact that that will include cutting SS and other governmental funded programs as well as raising taxes on the hard working. He states the same old rich adage Bigger the government the smaller the people. If your spending more money than your taking in, u need to spend less. The one distinct difference between Obama and Boehner that is clear is that the one in the White House clearly cares about the American Citizens. All the American citizens and not just the wealthy few.

NFL ends Lock Out

Sports talk is all the buzz today, July 25th. Everyone has been stressing about an NFL lock out. Did folks really believe this would happen.? Not!!! This has been the NFL's own version of Days of our Lives. This lock out has all been about a disconnect between the owners and the players. I have not taken it as serious as most folks even though I am an avid sports fan. When they made the announcement in March that there may not be a 2011 NFL season I never broke my stride. After all, this is about so much more than the players and the owners. Its about money you all. Its about the networks, advertising, and continuing to pay these highly talented athletes.

I understand this all about protecting the players as well. I like some of the key points. For example, in case of a catastrophic injury the players will be compensated half their salary. Also, free agency will be structured a little differently to give free agents another year which could mean more security for them. I have to admit the best thing about the new deal is that rookies will be compensated based on their performance. So there will be many performance clauses built in a foot ball players contract. In other words, the concept prevents players that have never played a down from being paid enormous amounts of money without performing. If they prove to be a legitimate star then they will be paid appropriately.

In other NFL news, Brett Farvre is in the rumor mill again of a possibile come back. I love him and think he is probably among top 15 players to ever play but its time to hang up the cleats for real this time. Especially since all the buzz is he would be a back up quarterback. Enough is enough Brett. Your a grandfather for God's sake. With that all said I can't wait til I hear all those country artists proclaim on Monday night..."Are you ready for some football" Yay!!!

Entourage The Final Season

For seven seasons, Entourage fans have followed the trials and tribulations of a group of friends navigating life in Hollywood. At the helm of the dramedy is Vince played by Adrien Grenier. We have watched how Vince along with his cohorts have for the most part lived the good life. In season seven, things took a sharp turn for Vince. He got addicted to porn and cocaine. It is Hollywood after all and he is a good looking actor so I guess no big surprise there right?

When the season premiers tonight, July 23rd, Vince is ending his 90 day rehab stint. There is good comedy to be had when Kevin Dillion's character Drama is trying to rid the mansion of all the booze and marijuana. If you have watched, you know that this may be a difficult task. After all, this show was always about booze and boobs.

Vince isn't the only one who has had a personal upheaval. Eric is newly single after his engagement is broken off with Sloane. Rumor is that she mails him the engagement ring valued at $30,000. Wow, that's cold. They are not even on speaking terms. Jeremy Pivens character is also having some marital problems which points to an emotional ending I bet.

This won't be the last we will see of the boys though. Yes this is the last season but all indications are pointing to a reprise on the big screen. Rumor is there will be a movie and it will be big. Probably starring executive producer, Mark Whalberg playing himself. But until then get your tissues ready. It's probably going to be a transformational ending to a great show. Save me a seat.

Amy Adams Looking For Deceased Amy Winehouse

Amy Adams is alive and kicking folks. Why is she trending? I started to look into whether there was some hot news on Amy Adams until one of my sources reminded me it must be all the web searches people are doing for Amy Winehouse. I am sure it won't be the only time Amy Adams will trend as hot topics. But not today. She is a brilliant actress but I am pretty sure she only shares the first name in common with Amy Whinehouse. We will miss Amy Winehouse. What an ironic name for a person who struggled with addiction.

RIP Amy Winehouse Dead At 27

Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and now Amy Winehouse. What do all of these rockers have in common? They all gave us hours of entertainment and all also died very sad and tragic deaths at the age of 27. Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment this afternoon, July 23, 2011. Ambulances were dispatched but when they arrived they found the young rocker already gone.

Winehouse was last seen at the iTunes festival where her protoge and God Daughter was performing. Witnesses said she stumbled on stage and implored everyone to buy her protege's CD. She didn't sing but she was seen dancing and stumbling around on stage. Before that appearance, the last sighting of her was at her own concert where she appeared to be visibly intoxicated. She fell twice and couldn't recall the lyrics to her own songs. At one point she even asked one of her back up singers to take the lead because she could no longer perform. She eventually stumbled off stage and the remainder of her concert tour was cancelled.

Winehouse's rise to fame has always been dogged by her well documented struggles with substance abuse. Her struggles included not only alcohol but heroin and cocaine. Prior to beginning her last tour, she spent a week in yet another rehab facility... Yeah Yeah Yeah. Though she constantly dealt with personal obstacles, she always believed she would beat her demons. "If you can't sort something out for yourself, No one can".

Winehouse released her second album in 2006 featuring the single "Rehab" which Time Magazine named the best song of 2007 and Rolling Stone espoused it as the 8th best song of the 2000's. Before her Grammy award album was released, she began showing up to rehearsals and gigs highly under the influence. Her management company suggested she try rehab. She fired the company and channeled her feelings into her hit single Rehab. I guess in the end she got her wish. Nobody is gonna be trying to get you back in rehab Amy. Rest in peace talented one. Peace and Love. Amy is survived by her parents and two siblings.

RIP Borders - Borders Closing Its Doors

After a great 40 year run, Borders Books and Music is closing their doors. I never worked at Borders but it was the first book store I would visit on my own. I would sit there and coo at the enormity of the written word. It is very sad to hear this news. I know we all saw it coming but it really is still shocking that this is the end of Borders. I suppose it's a lot more shocking and sad for the 1100 employees that are about to lose their job. I remember back in the 90's when Border's became popular when it was putting the so called smaller boutique shops out of business. I remember the disdain I had for this and I promised I wouldn't frequent Border's. I would only patronize the local mom and pop book stores. However, in the end, Border's won because they had a much larger selection of magazines and most importantly the introduction of the coffee cafe. I loved to sit and drink coffee and read the periodicals.

In the end, the demise of Border's will be blamed on the fact that they denied and ignored the power of the Internet. They literally had the same frame of mind as folks that would say the Internet won't last. I remember saying to my friend, 17 years ago, do you have an email address?  She then proclaimed, "NO, and I'm never getting one." Today that same friend is a Facebook addict and I remind her all the time the ridiculousness of her past statement. It was pretty much the same attitude Border's asserted when Amazon was born. They waited too long to catch up to technology.

The other thing that was great about Border's was they were the first ones to carry music as well as books. You could always pick up the latest record from your favorite artist and also discover new ones. I bought so much independent music at Border's back when people still purchased music. It was also very typical for an artist to have Border's on their list of tour dates. And Border's supported artistry so much they would allow the artist to sell their Cd's and allow them to keep 100 percent of the profit. Rest in Peace Border's. I will miss you.

Casey Anthony Verdict

I am listening to the pundits discussing and trying to surmise as to what the fate of Casey Anthony will be. It really strikes me how no one really has a clue. Will it be death for the tot-mom? I certainly hope not because I really think that the much maligned defense poked holes in the prosecutions theories. This was a circumstantial case. Wow! Not guilty on all counts. I certainly didn't see that coming. I can't believe Caylee's death will not be avenged. The prosecution did have some credible evidence. How could the jury do this? I hate to say that the system doesn't work but how could they set this woman free. She will probably get time served for lying and that's it.

I have been following this case for three years since the 911 call came in and Nancy Grace started covering it on a daily basis. We learned that she was a pathological lier. That the truth was not in her. That she told one lie on top of the other. It was obvious to me back then that she had something to do with the disappearance of her child. How could someone not report their own flesh and blood missing. It is just too much to swallow. But our justice system says that you have to believe the person is guilty beyond all exclusions. I agree that there was doubt raised but again what happened to Caylee? Does the jury really believe that it was a drowning gone wrong? An accident that snowballed out of control? That just lacks common sense in my opinion. I believe what most people believe that she chloroformed Caylee to go and party and that went terribly wrong. The only thing I can ascertain from today's verdict is that it is a function of the jury being sequestered and not having access to all the media who had already tried and convicted her.

Now, that being said my stomach does turn to think that Casey will become a celebrity and millionaire at the expense of her child. I am predicting that she will be selling her story and making the rounds on all the talk shows. That is the most sickening thing about all of this. She lied about having a job and now she will probably never have to get one. Caylee's life never avenged reminds you that sometimes life just isn't fair. God Bless Caylee! As one of my friends said. Well at least Caylee is in a better place and not with that monster.

Beyonce On Good Morning America

I started off the day a little grumpy.   My loud puppy woke me at 6:30AM. I quickly got over it however, because thanks to the relentless advertising by Good Morning America. I remembered that Beyonce was going to be performing in Central America on Good Morning America. So even though it was my day off, I got up and got my coffee and prepared to be thoroughly entertained.  Now I wasn't a fan of Destiny Child's music at all, but I always admired Beyonce. This woman is amazing. She is beautiful inside and out. Every time I see and hear her I am blown away.

Well today was no exception. She looked sexy, elegant, and stunning. But today what I loved the most is she wore her divaness out and proud. She is not afraid to be called a diva and it is apparent in every move she makes on stage. While her record is not getting the best reviews, I loved what she said. I wanted to make a record that had chords, changes, and bridges regardless if it's radio friendly or not. I was also amazed that she managed to have an all woman band playing live. She had a horn section Y'all!!! Loved It!

I was also so excited to hear that she will be starring in the remake of a A Star is Born with Clint Eastwood directing the film.  Robin Roberts from GMA asked her about it and she was so humble in her response.  Saying she was so honored to be cast in the role that originally starred Barbara Streisand.  Those are huge shoes to fill.  I'm sure the remake will be very different given the genius of Clint Eastwood but you could clearly see that she was genuinely thrilled.  She told Robin that she was even more honored being selected as an African American.  Can't say it enough. I love her!  I haven't bought a record in over 15 years but next time I'm in Target I will be picking it up.