Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling
Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right.
It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type!
It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription drugs in a never ending spiral of adding another and another to the mix. All the while not realizing that these too are toxic substances if used in excess or used in the wrong combination.
I hope Miss Murphy did not have an underlying heart condition which went undetected, only time and further medical examination will determine that.
I also hope her death is not overshadowed by news of bedside drugs and eating disorders. Already, the media is jumping all over the story that an assortment of prescription drugs were discovered in her room and she recently appeared stick thin. So I ask…
Hollywood…why must you render this life on your victims?
Hollywood…how come you don’t protect your own?
Hollywood…is the almighty dollar and image always going to trump human decency, compassion, and care?
Hollywood…why do you bless us with talented and energetic individuals only to extinguish their light and take them away just as fast?
Hollywood…does anyone ever hold you accountable?
We can’t help these troubled souls because you keep us away with your body guards, iron fences, and tinted windows.
Whether it be meds or an eating disorder…they both are a result of pain. The outside world sits idle and watches you eat up and spit out those who chase your dream.
They have the courage to leave their live’s behind in order to chase your dream. At least offer them a life afterwards if the chase falls short.
So why are more companies not yet hiring?
U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area.
Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase in the labor market stability.
The gripping effects of the recession have no indications of going into a double dip as economist like to call it, trade gaps are narrowing, imports and exports are up, and yet bottom line profits are not improving.
Where are the jobs going and why even after the influx of billions of dollars in stimulus funds…the unemployment rate still hovers around 9-10%?
Wow! Those facebook pics sure got some attention!
Interesting story out of Quebec, if you haven’t read the article, do so. Once again, a story comes along that just sends my editorial neurons out of whack.
So, you go to the doctor and are diagnosed with severe depression…so severe that she is forced to go on short term disability for a year from her employer…all the while receiving payments from her employer’s insurance carrier.
All of this sounds normal to me, except for one thing…the diagnosis of the depression. I am not a shrink and I don’t hob nob in the circles of shrinkdom and psychiatric medicine, but I am curious as to how “definitive” a diagnosis of clinical depression really is.
She was seen by a doctor, she was told she was depressed, she was also told to see friends as a way to get herself better…still sounds relatively normal to me….but…..
In my blogging view, if you can jump around the beach, visit your friends, smile for random party pics, and post them on your facebook account…how come you can’t wake up and go to work?
Insurance companies use these tactics all the time to avoid fraud and in many opinions other then mine, this woman committed insurance fraud, or at least in the eyes of the insurance carrier.
There are issues with what happened here. It is sad that insurance carriers are forced to take these measures because there is so much fraud in the claims arena, what other option do they have? Video taping customers is common practice especially when money is involved, money that ultimately is funded by you and I.
The insurance companies definition of “depressed” obviously differs from the doctor’s. All the while, Miss Blanchard fell victim to her own social networking profile (tch tch tch)….and her decision to post them was a costly one. (Oh and for all those “right to privacy” fanatics out there please shush yourself…the Internet isn’t private but you already knew that)
In the end, with a slick attorney, she will probably get her money back…but ask yourself something…after seeing an incident like this…are you sure you want to post some of those pics?
Palin…go away!
Seriously, I don’t care that you have a new book….I don’t care that you have a tattered relationship with your daughter’s “baby daddy“…and I find absolutely nothing of this fascinating in the least. It’s all over TV, she’s been on every talk show on earth….all for what? To increase exposure for a possible presidential run in 2012?
People, the woman quit her job as governor of Alaska…and she is now suddenly viable to be President? I typically love juicy stories in the media but this woman, no matter left or right wing, just doesn’t do it for me. The circumstances are boring and it’s just another public person with a normal dysfuctional family (we all have dysfunction).
I just don’t find her’s real interesting…
Obama wins a Nobel Peace Prize…?
The news was announced that Barack Obama has been selected by the Norweigian Nobel Committee as a winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
My first reaction is congratulations as this is a nice honor for our Prez to win, on the other hand I am concerned. First let me declare that I am a fan of Obama and I voted for him. Funny coming from someone who has voted the Republican ticket since I was eligible to vote, but something was different this year.
I liked the message of change, I had hope in the messages of health care reform, improvement of foreign relations, and an overall changing of the guard per se. The stance on the wars seemed to be a stand still, troops dying in large numbers and seemingly no direction of our executive leadership to change the course.
I’m just at odds with him actually winning the award right now, almost as if the committee felt bad that his bid for the Chicago 2016 Summer games bombed. Granted, Obama is a true statesman of what is just and right, but so are a lot of other Presidents, the problem is convincing Washington lawmakers to get on board with your thinking.
Yes, he is an advocate of sweeping reform and change, but that is the stance of all politicians and only a few economically viable programs actually see the light of day.
Yes, he is making great strides to reach out to other nations and mend wounds that were seen caused by the last admin. However, the differences in cultures, values, and religion go back thousands of years and it’s not like other administrations weren’t trying to win over the Middle East.
I guess my issue is that I want to see Obama hit hard times and I want to see him tested. I don’t want purely the flash of fancy speeches, the well crafted delivery to world leaders, or the public view that words equate to action, they don’t.
The Peace prize is not only an accolade but now might become a burden. A burden to perform. The award places him in a position which requires even more expectation to lead but also to achieve. Not all goals in politics are reachable, there are accommodations, backdoors, and alternative approaches.
My fear is that too much God like treatment will tarnish the underlying truth, the truth being that Obama is at a very critical crossroads of his tenure and the moment of truth is starting to peak. The world will inevitably be watching now.
Glad the government planned Cash for Clunkers so well !
Little did the gub no that nearly 180,000 cars would be involved in the CARS program. They ran out of money after only one week of the program, people were getting cheated because the minimum MPG ratings changes mid-stream, and just what the hell happens to all those vehicles that are turned in?
Here are some tidbits of the program I question.:
There are several requirements (but you also have to meet certain conditions for the car or truck you wish to buy). Your dealer can help you determine whether you have an eligible trade in vehicle.
Your trade-in vehicle must
- Have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in
- have a “new” combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less
- be in drivable condition
- be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in
- The trade-in vehicle must have been manufactured not earlier than 25 years before the date of trade in and, in the case of a category 3 vehicle, must also have been manufactured not later than model year 2001
Note that work trucks (i.e., very large pickup trucks and cargo vans) have different requirements
There are several requirements (but you also have to meet certain conditions for the car or truck you wish to buy). Your dealer can help you determine whether you have an eligible trade in vehicle.
Isn’t a car more than 25 years old (if it even ran) be considered one hell of a clunker and omission spitting beast? So all those cars stay on the road.
Has to be in drivable condition? Of course it needs to be drivable so the dealer can either put the piece of crap back on the lot, or sell it at auction, which once again, will end up on some other lot and sold to someone else. I thought the whole gist of the plan was to encourage people to trade a car and purchase a more ECO friendly vehicle? Car dealerships now have hundreds of used cars on their lots that initially met the standard of horribleness to be traded in…..ummm..then will be sold? That goal sounds foiled to me.
So, we just removed these cars and put them back on the road again? I guarantee you the dealers won’t have all these thousands of trade in’s smashed into tiny little , shiny metal sauce pans. They make money by moving the car through the system and they get re-imbursed by Uncle Sam for that hefty allowance they just gave you!! This is isn’t a movement to eliminate these cars, we all know it’s more of a push to get dealers making money again. The auto industry still makes the same ECO disaster models so we are just making our roads temporarily more healthy?
The worst joke would be if people are working that $4500 credit into their loan! No No No…you need to ask for cash in your grubby hand! NEVER have a rebate or cash allowance worked into the loan to ease the payment or bring down the balance. If a program offers cash back, then get the cash back and if they don’t offer that option, walk out the door!
Happy car trading and don’t bank on CARS being your answer. As always, buy a car you can afford to pay off in 5 years ! Here that? 5 years ! Or do not buy the car because you can’t afford the lien.
Kisses !
The Russians may have discovered the vaccine for Swine Flu!
The Russians may be on to something. Drink plenty of Welsh whiskey and you will be protected from the Swine flu! The VOB, which is the soccer organization in Russia, is urging it’s fans to load up on plenty of the liquor when they head to Wales for next month’s World Cup qualifying games.
Alexander Shprygin, the head of the VOB, ”We urge our fans to drink a lot of Welsh whiskey as a form of disinfection, this should cure all symptoms of the disease.” He also added that Russian soccer fans have no fear and no virus is going to stop them from travelling to Great Britain to cheer on their team.
Well…raise a bottle and “Na zdorovje!”
Clinton’s still working their magic!
Look into my eyes and tell me I am the greatest! Now let's go have sushi!
Bill Clinton is no longer charming interns but he still has a keen way of becoming a political pawn and ship himself to North Korea. Thankfully, there was a bigger calling and that was the release of two US journalists who have been imprisoned since March.
Still, I dont like to see our government bow to this man. Didnt we have a policy of never negotiate with terrorists? This country was considered an axis of evil, wasnt it?
Oh wait, that was the ole’ Texan’s administration…by the way 33% of Americans still trust GW as an ambassador to other countries. He isn’t doing it (and actually I am glad he isnt) but still…a pretty high rating considering Clinton is around 39% approval for his ambassadorism (a word?)
Kudos to you Bill and Hillary, you caved a bit (semi-admirable), said you were sorry, and best of all two young women are back home with their families.
Keep your chin up America!!!
Something I’ve Observed: The Henry Gates Incident
I am really tired of the racial profile circus. I am a white guy and I will never know what it’s like to be racially profiled by law enforcement and I will admit that. I don’t always like police officers, in fact, sometimes they have big heads and macho attitudes. I see it, I am not blind…but will I argue with them for simply doing their jobs based on a reasonable suspicion? NO!
Being a white guy…I too feel the pinch of discrimination that goes subtly undetected in the opposite direction as well. I can be called a honkie’ but I can’t call someone the N word…I can’t march down the street with a million other white men, but others can…I can’t wear a white T-shirt with a Swastika but others can wear a huge FUBU jacket…on and on.
I am not a racist, I think it’s disgusting, I wasn’t raised in a family that thought that way, and I won’t raise my kids that way either. None the less, if two legitimate, no good prowlers were actually breaking into Mr. Gates’ home, damn right he would want the cops called! Wouldn’t you?
Thank god there are people, like his neighbor, who had the gut feeling to call the police because something looked suspicious. On the flip side, I have lived around people who were absolute paranoid cop callers and would call the police to report that the mail carrier didn’t have his shirt tucked in…or try to bust an 8 year old kid selling cookies because he looked Mexican. There is a balance that has to be stricken, but two men ramming a door with shoulders and backpacks? Looks like a break in to me folks!
Shame on you Dr. Gates for throwing an adult, racially charged temper tantrum because the police questioned you on your front porch. I would have thrown your ass in the handcuffs too. If the same thing happened in my neighborhood I would want the cops to do the same damn thing, even if I was the one being questioned. In fact, I have had contractors walk up to my house for professional service apprasials and neighbors have called the police because they “just weren’t sure”. It had nothing to do with race, because these contractors were all skinny WHITE dudes !!
They didnt bitch, they didnt throw out an accusation of racial profiling claiming the police labeled them “dirty construction workers”. They didn’t end up in handcuffs for being questioned….no…they cooperated and laughed it off after the fact. In fact, one gentlemen told me he gets the police called on him all the time because he replaces driveways and frequently walks around people’s front yards!!
Shame on you Mr. Obama as well, I like your fresh face of change, but do not accuse police officers of acting “stupidly”. This was not Rodney King and these weren’t the riots of 1992. Not every cop is a Mark Fuhrman.
The officer in question for the Gate’s case, for all accounts and purposes, is a decent family man who is caught in a fire storm. This same cop has received honors from top ranking BLACK officers within the same department. I am pretty confident without actually standing on the porch and witnessing the whole thing that Dr. Gates and his driver brought this on themselves.
I don’t want the cops to feel like they can’t respond to a call in fear of the racial backlash.
Dispatcher: “911, what’s your emergency?”
Caller: “I need to report a suspected break-in”
Dispatcher: “Sir, are the subjects white or black?”
Caller: “Well, one looks black, a male..and there appears to be a white female too”
Dispatcher: “Hmm, okay…can you describe the black male…does he have a key or do you think he may actually live there and is just trying to jimmy his door?”
Caller: “Can’t you just send an officer out here to check it out?”
Dispatcher: “Well, we have to be very careful about who we approach…we have sent an officer out to investigate the female suspect.”
I sure as hell hope it does not come to this for the sake of my family’s safety and others out there. Let the police do their job and trust that black, white, hispanic, or whatever color of police officer…is there for your protection and if you abuse them, they will only protect themselves…and abuse you back.
Shame on FOX news too, they are having a field day with this story !
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 13, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
- Internet fun for the weekend… March 13, 2010By far one of my favorite websites of late is called GraphJam.com. Essentially, the website attempts to break down the world and how we interact with it in a series of graphs. It is hilarious when you see how the world around us can be so easily summed up in a pie or bar chart. [...] […]kansasview
- So why are more companies not yet hiring? March 13, 2010U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area. Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase [...] […]kansasview
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- Hot new golfer to challenge Tiger’s limelight March 13, 2010It’s tough not to hear Tiger Woods’ name in the media of late with all this marital infedelity hoopla and now text messages coming out from his brood of women across the country. Frankly, it’s getting old and let’s focus our attention on those athletes who don’t get all the attention. Especially those golfers who shy away [... […]kansasview
- Eight years of success turns into one year of demise for Kansas coach Mark Mangino March 13, 2010The story and the jokes can finally come to an end. Sports fans throughout the midwest have been following the fate of KU head football coach Mark Mangino and allegations that he verbally and physically abused his players. Well fans, now that he has resigned and the weeks of rumors and headlines about his coaching future [...] […]kansasview
- Tiger’s “cat” is almost out of the bag March 13, 2010Of course we couldn’t wait too long before throwing in our own two cents about the Woods story, it wouldn’t be American! I’m getting to the point where I’m getting angry because this is now a public issue. It’s private until Tiger hopped behind the wheel and crashed his vehicle. It’s private until the police are called a […]kansasview
- Come on ABC…Lambert only kissed another guy, big deal March 13, 2010What’s wrong ABC? You can’t allow a very flamboyant and talented singer on GMA? However, you have prime time shows that openly display homosexual men/women and sometimes they kiss! Brothers and Sisters, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, they all have gay characters who quite frequently engaged in PDA. Granted, these are actors but there is […]kansasview
- Wow! Those facebook pics sure got some attention! March 13, 2010Interesting story out of Quebec, if you haven’t read the article, do so. Once again, a story comes along that just sends my editorial neurons out of whack. So, you go to the doctor and are diagnosed with severe depression…so severe that she is forced to go on short term disability for a year from her [...] […]kansasview
- Palin…go away! March 13, 2010Seriously, I don’t care that you have a new book….I don’t care that you have a tattered relationship with your daughter’s “baby daddy“…and I find absolutely nothing of this fascinating in the least. It’s all over TV, she’s been on every talk show on earth….all for what? To increase exposure for a […]kansasview
- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 13, 2010
