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?
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.
North Korea…are you kidding me?
I know this is serious and the prospect of any country making nuclear threats is dangerous. The UN and the US are not dealing easily with North Korea and they shouldn’t. I don’t care how imperialistic the US has become in it’s dealings with other countries, there is no room in our world for a country like North Korea. These statements are not going to make people happy who may be of North Korean origin, simply I don’t give a crap.
This is 2009 and the people of North Korea are trapped in a madman’s grip. Relinquish this country of its governments brainwashing and free these people into the modern world. They are one of the few entirely state run economic systems, which means they are very isolated and restrictive in how they deal with international trade. The country has numerous resources for agriculture, however, their economic growth is small and stagnant due to being a complete totalitarian, government controlled economy.
The Korean War ended in the late 50’s , however, North and South Korea have never officially “not” been at war. Tourism for South Korean and US residents is severely restricted as well. (pretty country but would you want to go now?) Tourists are accompanied by a state provided “chaperone” and there are few areas for tourist to roam free in the country.
A country that stifles its citizens and media the right to protected free speech, even though it’s stated in their constitution. Good news is the only news allowed when referring to the current regime. People starve in what is an ongoing famine, but this is never allowed to be discussed. China and Japan have been providing aid to the country for years.
Health care is free but grossly inadequate due to limitation of funds and outside influence. The mortality rate in this ocuntry is one of the highest in the world. They have been called the “most brutalized people in the world” because of strict government influence and punishment (work camps, capital punishment, etc).
I know there are “more visible” regions in Africa worse than North Korea when it comes to famine and lack of medicinal resources, but North Korea is a self containing government which has great potential to be a productive, thriving country in the modern era. The capacity for great economic, industrial growth, and a thriving agricultural foundation because of vast natural resources. However, military and regime come first.
So…why does this seem like old news and now suddenly it means something to me? Because, on the surface, the tactics of this country are laughable. They play manipulative games of “give me what I want or else” with the world. North Korea in the news didn’t interest me, it was just another reference to a country that meant nothing to me.
What used to be a cat and mouse game is now a regime who seems to have the balls (or foolishness) to bark with the big dogs. I once laugh now I worry. I hear nuclear come up in conversations I start to listen. I now know how bad these people have it and they truly don’t know it, because they know no other way of life.
I am sure someone is thinking “Hell, having Bush as President was just as bad and our country is the most crooked in the world” Well, you go ahead and think that as you sip your latte, browse your blog of the morning in the corner coffee shop, bagging on your chosen politican of the month. Meanwhile, there is a little country out east that wants to blow up the world and doesn’t feed its people.
Dunk that in your hot cocoa next time you think the US is a rotten place to be.
With car dealerships going bye bye…do we all start walking now?
The news is bleak and and what is being touted as a cost cutting measure is going to royally screw us. Chrysler announced yetserday that nearly 800 dealership franschises agreements would be ending. This doesnt mean that all dealers who sell Chryslers will close, it simply means they wont be selling you one anymore.
Bigger dealerships will feel the pain but won’t all together die because of this decisions. Smaller family owened businesses that only sell Chryslers are finito.
Just today GM has announced a similar kick in the ass. So where does that leave us? Not sure considering that nobody is buying cars or else these closures would not be occuring and GM would not be about one month from bankruptcy protection.
I have this fear that the car buying experience is going to get worse rather than better. I mean worse in the sense that so many other outlets are opening up for people to buy cars that the process of buying one is going to change.
But that’s is a good thing right? Well yes and no…depends on who you are. I like the advent of online car buying but like I have mentioned in other posts, some buyers don’t. Dealerships suck that’s a given, but it’s hard to throw down cash on a vehicle you cant plop your ass into.
This is a sickening feeling watching these dealerships go up in smoke. Lost jobs, lost profits, loss of competitive advantage pricing, what else?
I’ll be anxious to see what the 2009 Auto Shows will be like this year. Will that many people get all giddied up over $250, 000 concept cars when they can’t afford to visit a dealer and buy a sedan for $15000? Enough with the hype of super, jetsetting sports cars and uber tekky, GPS synched computers on wheels. How about coming out with affordable, eco friendly cars which don’t break the bank of the manufactures (thank you UAW!!!!!!) and…do not put the average car buyer into a high percentage loan they can’t afford.
Have you noticed a lot of people riding busses and buzzing around on scooters? So have I.
As big as the industry is, it’s hard to gauge how all of us will truly feel the effect but we will soon, before the summer is over I bet.
Facebook’s approach to “hateful” content…
Where is the line drawn?
The social networking giant has been taking heat on its willingness to allow specific hate related “Groups” to post pages on its site while the same time removing others.
Recently, a KKK group was removed by Facebook for violating it’s “hateful content” policy, however, it has not made any type actions towards a couple of pages which propagate that the Holocaust never happened.
The primary opponent of this allowance is Brian Cuban, attorney brother of Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban. Cuban has published an open letter stating his utter disapproval and distaste for Facebook’s unwillingness to remove these two pages.
I have varying views on this. I whole heartily agree that the Web should remain a free, open forum for the world in which viewpoints can be equally shared. On the flipside, I do not think the message of hate should be allowed to randomly propagate on websites in which advertisers, sponsors, and millions of general innocent users interact with on a daily basis. What I find ironic is that advertisers would not dare associate their service or products on TV stations or printed media for groups that preach hate, but essentially are doing that very thing by pimping ads on Facebook. If Facebook continues to expand its acceptance of all genres and types of users, including those who preach hateful, disrespectful messages, then what happens to the credibility of the site? Facebook stated in the article that it repeatedly reviews these issues and takes the necessary steps to hold the website to a standard.
As sick and disgusting as some of these groups can be; the web is still their best medium to enlist followers and spread these messages. I am also a firm believer that social networking sites, like Facebook, need to do the right thing.
Verdict is in…too much food will make you a pudge!
Read the surprising new study! This also just in to the Heard it in a bar news desk: The sky is blue and Elvis is alive.
Thanks again for your continued support.
Manny Ramirez…scratch another tally mark on the “why baseball disappoints” board
Manny Ramirez will be having a true summer break now that he will be sitting out for 50 games, yep 50, for testing positive for a performance enhancing drug.
Ramirez recently signed a $45 million dollar deal with LA and has led them to 20 wins already. He’ll now be taking a break.
According to the Ramirez camp, he visited his personal doctor for another health related issue and was prescribed a drug of which neither he nor the doc knew was banned. Bullcrap!
If there is a banned list of substances, then every damn baseball player and their respective physicians should know what they are.
Either the league does a crappy job of passing out that little leaflet that says: “Here are things you can’t swallow”…or the players are arrogant, self-serving bastards that push the boundaries of league rules over and over and over and over again.
There is a lot of competition to be a performer in MLB, but jesus christ this is getting old.
Miss USA pageants: I have an idea…how about no more questions????
Apparently, the Miss USA competition could care less if you answer a question from your heart. Instead, the better answer is one that is politically correct and is satisfactory in the eyes of Perez Hilton?
This pageant is now complete garbage and a waste of time. I feel sorry for these bright, young ladies who suffer through the embarassment and pressure to engage in this horse crap of a competition.
Forget your beauty, forget your education, forget your viewpoint, and forget the fact that someone just asked you a question and expects an honest answer…the truth is not the truth but rather the truth is that you better lie and tell them what “they” want to hear or you can kiss your crown goodbye.
Kudos to Carrie Prejean for speaking her mind even if it wasn’t “the” answer. Anti gay marriage or pro gay marriage, this is a joke of a contest. However, for the sake of TV ratings – I’ll still watch it.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling March 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 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 9, 2010
