WebProNews

Author: Lacy Langley

  • Huguette Clark Art Collection to be Auctioned

    An incredibly impressive art collection, owned by the mysterious late Huguette Clark, is set to be auctioned this summer after a tour to show the art, much of which hasn’t been seen in public for almost a century, according to NBC.

    Tour dates include London with viewing now through Feb. 4. Next is Hong Kong on April 4-9. Then in Tokyo, April 10-12, and finally in New York. Once they reach New York, some of the peices will be available view later in April, but the exact dates are not yet set in stone.

    Among the (almost) priceless pieces are a beautiful Monet from his “Water Lilies” series. It was purchased by Clark in 1930 in New York and has an estimated value of $25 million to $35 million by itself. There is also a Renoir trio which includes “Girls Playing Battledore and Shuttlecock,” “Chrysanthemums,” and “Woman with Umbrella”, which together are expected to bring $16.5 million to $25.5 million.

    Among the vast collection of famous paintings are some lovely works by Huguette Clark, herself, who was quite a talented artist. These will not be on the auction block, but will go to the new Bellosguardo Foundation for the arts and will be displayed at her estate in Santa Barbara, California. The foundation also was given her $85 million dollar oceanfront property in her will.

    Paintings aren’t the only things that will be sold at auction. There will also be rare musical instruments, such as a Stradivarius violin, called “the Kreutzer” from 1731, as well as rare books.

    These books will include wonderful pieces, like her first edition of Baudelaire’s “Les fleurs du mal,” and a Book of Hours from the 16th century with pages decorated with liquid gold. There will also be a rare first edition of Walt Whitman’s classic, “Leaves of Grass”.

    The layers of priceless treasure, shut away in Huguette Clark’s numerous estates for almost a century, continue to come to light and continue to add a little more to the fascinating story of the reclusive heiress each time they are revealed.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Caffeine Use Disorder: It’s a Thing

    Caffeine Use Disorder: It’s a Thing

    Coffee addicts, listen up! Caffeine has now been categorized as a drug in the DSM-5. Need help quitting? That may be coming soon, according to Yahoo.

    “Caffeine is a drug, a mild stimulant which is used by almost everybody on a daily basis,” said Charles O’Brien, chair of the Substance-Related Disorders Work Group. “Normally, there’s no problem with that. But it does have a letdown afterwards,” he added. “If you drink a lot of coffee, usually two or three cups at a time, there will be a rebound or withdrawal effect.”

    In a new study from researchers at American University in Washington, D.C., it is found that drinking several cups of coffee each day can become habit-forming, and when a person tries to quit, they can experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue. If you’ve ever tried to quit, as I have, you might agree there is also a good amount of crankiness.

    “The negative effects of caffeine are often not recognized as such because it is a socially acceptable and widely consumed drug that is well integrated into our customs and routines,” said the study’s co-author and American University psychology professor Laura Juliano, reported by Post Media News. “And while many people can consume caffeine without harm, for some it produces negative effects, physical dependence, interferes with daily functioning, and can be difficult to give up.”

    This new study could possibly result in greater clarity in labeling of products containing caffeine and the amounts they contain, according to Juliano.

    “At this time, manufacturers are not required to label caffeine amounts, and some products such as energy drinks do not have regulated limits on caffeine,” Juliano said. “Through our research, we have observed that people who have been unable to quit or cut back on caffeine on their own would be interested in receiving formal treatment — similar to the outside assistance people can turn to if they want to quit smoking or tobacco use.”

    It would be interesting to see what some of those treatments would be. It is a fairly hard habit to kick, but if you can’t, you should at least try to reduce your intake to 2-3 8oz. cups of coffee per day (or 400 mg caffeine) to avoid withdrawal symptoms, according to Juliano.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Heroin Happy Meals: Twice In One Month

    Heroin Happy Meals: Twice In One Month

    Heroin is not exactly what you’d like to see when you open your kid’s Happy Meal box from McDonald’s, but apparently, that is what was being used to sell the drug out of a McDonald’s drive-thru in Pittsburg, PA.

    Shania Dennis, 26, was busted by undercover agents for selling heroin at work, where she would instruct her “customers” to say, “I would like to order a toy” while she was working her shift at the drive-thru, and she would then pass them the drugs in the Happy Meal boxes.

    Dennis then proceeded to deny any wrong doing to gathering reporters as she was led away in handcuffs. Police say they found 10 bags of heroin in a Happy Meal box and got another 50 bags of the drug off of the suspect.

    According to the AP, the owner of the restaurant didn’t have any idea what was going on and wasn’t involved.

    “We have no indication the owner knew of this and neither suspect has, to this point, implicated the owner or anyone else at either restaurant,” said Mike Manko, who is a spokesman for the Allegheny County district attorney’s office in Pennsylvania.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EZ7C9QbwYk

    This is the second time this month that a McDonald’s employee in Pennsylvania has been busted for selling drugs at work. According to ABC, Theodore Levon Upshaw, 28, was also arrested when an informant bought drugs from him at the restaurant just off of Route 22 in Murrysville.

    Upshaw was fresh off an early release from a three-year prison sentence after he was convicted of possession with intent to deliver. He was living in an alternative housing facility.

    The same man, Iftikhar Malik, owns both of the stores busted for heroin sales. He has issued a statement saying,

    “As an employer and a member of the community, the safety of our guests and employees is our first priority. The allegations related to this employee do not represent acceptable behaviors and are not consistent with my values. As such, we take these charges very seriously and we are fully cooperating with the authorities. We are also conducting our own thorough internal investigation.”

    Investigators don’t, however, believe the drugs sold at either of Malik’s restaurants are linked to fentanyl-laced heroin that are being blamed for 22 fatal overdoses in Pennsylvania in recent weeks.

    Image via youtube

  • Monica Lewinsky: A Political Card 20 Years Later

    Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton are in the news! No, this isn’t a 90s flashback.

    Thanks to Rand Paul, their shenanigens really are back in the headlines. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, he declared that Hillary’s possible occupation of the White House in 2016 would give ol’ Bill a means to take up his old rascally ways.

    This was in agreement with Sen. Paul’s wife, Kelley, who is quoted in an interview with Vogue, as saying:

    “Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky should complicate his return to the White House, even as first spouse. I would say his behavior was predatory, offensive to women.”

    He also said that electing Hillary would basically nullify The Left’s claim that Republicans are waging a so-called “War on Women”.

    “One of the workplace laws and rules that I think are good is that bosses should not prey on young interns in their office. And I think really the media seems to have given President Clinton a pass on this. He took advantage of a girl that was 20 years old and an intern in his office. There is no excuse for that, and that is predatory behavior….. Then they (the Democrats) have the gall to stand up and say, ‘Republicans are having a war on women.’ ”

    He then added, “It’s not Hillary’s fault, but it is a factor in judging Bill Clinton in history.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udIAtACo1HY

    He also stated, “in my state, you know, people tend to sort of frown upon that. You know, if there were someone in my community who did that, they would be socially — we would dissociate from somebody who would take advantage of a young women in the workplace.”

    Paul, a likely frontrunner for the GOP nomination for President in 2016, was quicky refuted in his claim that media gave Bill a pass when it came to coverage of the scandal in the 90s.

    Senate Majority Whip Sen Dick Durbin swiftly rebutted that claim and addressed the fact that we all remember Bill Clinton’s sexual behavior being “litigated in the public square for over a decade” and the Lewinsky situation is over and done with. He said America has shifted their focus to other matters.

    This is true. Monica Lewinsky-type scandals and Bill’s wiley ways are really the least of our concerns if Hillary wins.

    “Let’s judge Hillary Clinton based on her talents and her vision of America should she choose to run for president,” Durbin said.

    That’s what we should be concerned about.

    image via youtube

  • Health Insurance: Reimbursement to Cause Bailout?

    Health insurance is taking a mighty turn for the worse after this ill-fated attempt at “affordable care” by the Obama administration.

    Things are looking very bleak indeed after Thursday’s Moody’s rating downgrade of the outlook for inurance industry from “stable” to “negative”.

    The downgrade was put in effect because of “ongoing unstable and evolving environment,” as the Obama administration fumbles and flails, imposing “new regulations and announcements that impose operational changes well after product and pricing decisions were finalized,” according to the New York Post.

    This is due to the slow implosion of Obamacare and its ravaging of the health care industry, as well as the recently revealed Section 1342 of the Affordable Care Act, which demands the federal government (read: taxpayers) reimburse losses suffered by the insurance companies that are written into the Act and selling their policies cheaply through Obamacare.

    Section 1342 will reimburse losses accrued through 2016. You know, the date of the next election. This is what Sen. Marco Rubio so accurately described as the law’s “dirty little secret”. This thing didn’t come to light until the outrage last fall over Obama’s “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” fiasco. It most likely wasn’t intended to come to light at all. Until 2016.

    Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius then grudgingly revealed that the Obama administration had never once tried to estimate what the guarantee to insurance companies on the Obamacare train could cost us, the taxpayers. How considerate! Basically, unless at least section 1342 is done away with, we could be on the hook for a bailout of Obama’s own giant failure.

    This will keep Obamacare going long enough for the free market to die out, leaving healthcare in the feeble hands of our government with no other option to be had and stranded way beyond the turning point.

    This downgrade is coming on the heels of the latest of many snafus with Obamacare, which has parents and children separated, as parents qualify for plans through the market place, but children are automatically shuffled to medicaid programs. There is no way to get them back, either, according to the AP.

    “The children are getting stuck in this spot where we’ve enrolled the parent, but we can’t bring the children back on the family plan,” Maria Proulx, who is the senior legal counsel for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire said.

    This was the experience of Russel Clouden of North Port, FL, “Based on your income, they’ll separate your kids from your primary policy and they shift them off to Medicaid or Healthy Kids and there’s no way you can bring them back. I’m kind of in limbo with her because I’m just hoping she doesn’t get injured or sick.”

    Yeah, we’re all kind of in limbo here, hoping this gigantic mess doesn’t bring complete ruin on us and our children. Time will tell.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Quit Smoking: Cold Turkey Better Than E-Cig?

    Quitting smoking is hard, always has been and always will be. No matter how much additional tax is levied on each pack or how many videos go up on youtube to discourage smoking, there will be people who struggle to kick the habit.

    Right now, these e-cigarettes are all the rage, with signs going up in liquor stores and convienience stores, as well as bars. Some have opened bars themed around the e-cigarette. But, is it the best way to quit, a safer alternative, or simply another set of problems?

    According to the New York Times, it could be the third. In case you’re unfamiliar with the e-cigarette, it looks like a normal cigarette, but instead of emitting the nicotine as a nasty smoke, it heats it up and emits it as a clear vapor.

    The e-cigarette was invented in 2003 by a chinese scientist, but has only recently caught on in the US as a means to help smokers resist cigarettes, which they need to do, as we all know, for health reasons. Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, remarked,

    “Even 50 years after the first surgeon general’s report on smoking and health, we’re still finding out new ways that tobacco kills and maims people. It’s astonishing how bad it is.”

    However, there are a few kinks in the e-cigarette that are worth looking into before you go out and buy one of the 200 brands that are on the market right now.

    For example, Dr. Frieden said that these e-cigarettes admittedly “have the potential to help some people quit,” but, the method could possibly backfire “if it gets kids to start smoking, gets smokers who would have quit to continue to smoke, gets ex-smokers to go back to smoking, or re-glamorizes smoking.”

    Also, he adds that e-cigarettes produce 30 known carcinogens, and the long-term effects just haven’t been studied. Therefore, it’s probably safer just to go “cold turkey” when trying to kick the habit. You would be in good company.

    There was a Gallup Poll last year in the US which found that only 8 percent of ex-smokers attributed their success to patches, gum or prescribed drugs, while 48 percent attributed their success to quitting ‘cold turkey’ and 8 percent to willpower and commitment.

    Something to think about.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Pipeline Explosion Leaves Many Without Heat

    The Pipeline explosion that rocked southern Manitoba on Saturday is to blame for nearly 4,000 dealing with the extremely cold temperatures sans heat. Many of theses residents have alternate sources of heat to fall back on, according to Chambers Ewen, spokesperson for the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

    “Given the area we live in, there’s a lot of people that have an alternative source of heat,” she said, and added that many who don’t are staying with friends and family to ride out the disaster until TransCanada can supply gas again to Manitoba Hydro, which provides heat to the area.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35WuVpezu3w

    According to the Globe and Mail, Manitoba Hydro has warned their customers to prepare for an outage that could last several days and be an immediate danger in temperatures that drop to around -20 degrees C and snow blowing so hard it causes visibility issues and closes many roads.

    According to Yahoo, Emergency Measures spokesperson Nicki Albus confirms that it is going to be a cold, nasty ordeal but assures the public that they are doing everything they can to help those affected.

    “We know it’s cold and people may be concerned about that but we are on the job here. Everyone here’s communicating well. We have a great group of people at the site and in the communities who have set up their emergency operation centres to handle this dilemma.”​

    TransCanada stated in a press release yesterday that they are working vigorously on the issues and hope to resolve them as soon as possibe.

    “TransCanada wants Manitoba Hydro customers affected by the natural gas outage to know that our staff are doing everything possible to determine the cause of the fire and get the pipeline repaired and regular natural gas service restored quickly, safely and in accordance with regulations.”

    Community Warming Centers were quickly set up for those who might need a place to stay, and as for those who are using alternate heat, they were reminded not to use kerosene heaters, barbeques, or temporary space heaters as they could be unsafe. Only approved space heaters should be used.

    Image via youtube

  • Kamala Harris Against Corporate Religious Claims

    Attorney General Kamala Harris is in the middle of the battle between corporations and their religious freedoms, and the administration and its Affordable Care act. She previously filed a request for the Supreme Court to review whether for-profit businesses can deny coverage for contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The cases of such businesses as Hobby Lobby, a biblically-founded family business, could have a huge impact on the course in which Obamacare continues to go.

    Approximately 40 companies have sued, according to Fox News, stating that covering all or even some forms of birth control would violate their religious freedom rights. The issue has completely divided the lower courts, and caused a huge bump in the road for the new healthcare law. A decision could be made as early as Tuesday after closed-door meetings between the justices take place to decide whether or not to take on the controversial topic.

    Should they decide to move forward with it, arguments could begin as early as March with a decision being made in June.

    The Obama administration is worried that the victory for businesses like Hobby Lobby, could be used as “a sword used to deny employees of for-profit commercial enterprises the benefits and protections of generally applicable laws.” Kamala Harris has been a major voice in the fight against employers who claim religious freedom violations in the new Affordable Care Act. She to Twitter last week to express her disdain for the situation.

    Four years ago, the Supreme Court expanded the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to enable corporations to invoke the same rights as individuals in religious freedom matters. Time will tell if that argument can stand up against the Obama administration.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Paul Crouch, Controversial TV Preacher, Dead at 79

    Paul Crouch, the founder of the incredibly successful Trinity Broadcasting Network died yesterday at the age of 79, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was reportedly admitted to a Dallas area hospital for heart issues in October while on a visit to the Colleyville, Texas TBN facilities. He was later taken back to his hometown of Orange, California for further treatment.

    Crouch moved to California in the early 60’s to mangage the media unit of the Assembies of God. It was there that he claimed a message from God provoked him to start buying up small television stations, cable stations, and satellites. He transformed the smattering of small units into enough religious content to run a 24-hour cable network, Trinity Broadcasting Network.

    TBN went on to become “the country’s most-watched religious network,” according to J. Gordon Melton and Jon R. Stone in their book “Prime-Time Religion: An Encyclopedia of Religious Broadcasting”, by the mid 80’s. The franchise accrued 84 satellite channels and more than 18,000 television and cable affiliates as well as a Christian amusement park in Orlando. It also quickly became the center of controversy after Crouch’s business practices came under fire.

    He and his pink-haired wife were famous for promoting the “Gospel of Prosperity”, wherein Crouch encouraged people to give to God’s work, and help move God’s message with a sizeable contribution. In return, he promised God would “bless” contributors with help in their own pocketbooks. This message became questionable when Crouch and his wife began to lead an obviously extravagant lifestyle.

    Critics of this so-called Prosperity gospel complained that his jets, mansions and expense-account meals were paid by tax-exempt donations from TBN’s legion of “prayer partners”, not by any earnings that Crouch, himself, had accrued. According to Fox News, last year the couple’s granddaughter filed a lawsuit claiming that $50 million dollars had been misappropriated for private jets and 13 mansions around the US for the Crouch’s private use.

    The Crouches and their attorney dismissed the allegations. They said those things were used in line with spreading God’s message. While this mess has yet to be resolved, the network continues to mourn the loss of it’s founding father with the words, “We mourn Paul’s passing and he will be greatly missed. But we know, as the old hymn reminds us, soon enough we will see him again in that great `meeting in the air.”

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Misty Copeland: Unlikely Ballerina

    Misty Copeland has made quite a name for herself in the world of ballet. She is a self-proclaimed traditionalist and purist when it comes to ballet, and she has contributed a new face to the art, as a biracial woman in her company, the American Ballet Theatre. She joined the theatre at the age of 16, only 3 years after beginning her study at 13, and is now one of only six female soloists in the company, and the only African-American, according to Yahoo.

    The American Ballet Theatre recently opened for the fall season. Copeland is performing in “Theme and Variations,” among several other ballets. When asked about her dream roles, she said they would likely include Kitri in “Don Quixote,” “Giselle” and Odette in “Swan Lake.” Two years ago, she danced the role of Gamzatti in “La Bayadere,” a role she would like to reprise as a “more experienced and mature dancer.”

    She has accomplished some pretty impressive things in her short career, and has done some outstanding and unusual things with ballet. For example, she performed with Prince at a concert at Madison Square Garden, a performance she had to think long and hard about.

    “When I first was in touch with him, I thought very carefully about why,” she said. “I don’t want to ever do anything to sacrifice my art form. What will my art form benefit from working with him? What I wanted was for more people to see ballet.”

    The result? It made ballet “cool”, she said.

    Copeland has not always had a picture perfect life. Her single-parent household of six children was “barely scraping by,” when she first thought about studying ballet. However, in her family, extracurricular activities were a luxury that were not to be even thought of. But the challenges were overcome, and when she was 13, the age most ballerinas have been studying ballet for a decade already, she stepped up to the barre in gym clothes, and was an instant prodigy.

    “I know that ballet was the light that came into my life that I always say saved me,” said Copeland. “It made me who I am, as well as those struggles.”

    It is in this spirit, that she helped form ABT’s new initiative “Project Plie”, which offers scholarships and teacher training. The program aims to increase ethnic and racial representation in both the American Ballet Theatre and other companies, and includes a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club.

    “I think a lot of people don’t understand how separated we are from the rest of the world in terms of arts and in terms of athleticism,” said Copeland. “It doesn’t matter that other art forms are more diverse or that we have a black president and we have a Tiger Woods and a Venus and Serena Williams. Ballet is so separate from all of that and slower to evolve.

    “I think we’re at the point now where classical ballet has to evolve with the rest of world or it’s not going to last,” Copeland continued. “And so we have to diversify it, diversify the people on the stage as well as the people in the audience.”

    Misty Copeland is the author of a memoir called, “Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.” She said of the writing process, “it’s been hard to go back and revisit some of the situations I was put in as a child.” However, she credits her experiences as a child for making her a strong woman. She said the advice she would impart to children who are suffering through a custody battle would be to “know that it’s not your fault” and to be forgiving.

    She said her family has overcome their earlier struggles and are now in a good place. They are now able to be proud of each other for having the will to see her succeed. “Our daily life was surviving,” recalled Copeland. “So for me to become sort of the focal point of my family and this career that none of us knew anything about, it was really hard for [my mom] to accept that and to put that as a priority. None of her children were ever more of a priority than another. But then realizing how special a case I was, and how gifted I was, we all made sacrifices.”

    Her memoir will be published in March.

    Image via youtube

  • Kyra Sedgwick’s Daughter is Miss Golden Globe 2014

    Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon have a new reason to be proud of their daughter, Sosie Bacon. The aspiring actress was crowned Miss Golden Globe 2014, officially kicking off Golden Globe season. The Miss Golden Globe title is one that is given each year to a girl with celebrity parents.

    She then assists and appears at Globe events, according to Fox News.

    According to Access Hollywood, when asked about her biggest Globe night fear, she said, “Falling on my heels. I’m so bad at walking in heels. I’ve literally been practicing, not as much as I probably should because I always just wear flats. I can’t handle wearing heels… I’m afraid I’m gonna trip on my dress. I’m afraid I’m gonna fall on my face and it’s like not even my moment, so it would just be so awkward.”

    Sosie was crowned by last year’s Miss Golden Globe Francesca Eastwood, daughter of Clint Eastwood and Francis Fisher. “As a young actress who is just beginning my career, it is truly an honor to be a part of such a special night in film and television,” said Sosie Bacon in a statement.

    The crowning event was held at a star-packed gathering at the Fig Tree and Olive restaurant in West Hollywood.

    Sosie Bacon has great talent, but has had a little help from mom and dad. She made her acting debut in 2005’s “Loverboy,” which was directed by her dad, Kevin Bacon. She has also appeared with her mom, Kyra Sedgwick on her show, “The Closer.”

    However, when it comes to her parents’ long history of impressive work, she doesn’t seem all that interested. “I don’t really watch their movies that much. I haven’t seen ‘Footloose’ all the way through… I’ve watched like moments of it on TV and stuff… ‘Apollo 13,’ never saw it.”

    Ouch, that’s gotta hurt a little bit.

    Image via youtube

  • Zumba Instructor Released From Prison

    The Zumba Instructor whose prostitution scandal shook a quaint seaside town on the east coast, Alexis Wright, was released from prison yesterday after serving 6 months of her 10 months sentence. She was released early due to good behavior and her participation in a work program.

    “I have no comment”, she said as she walked past reporters wearing a gray suit dress and carrying an armload of large envelopes. She was convicted for engaging in and promoting prostitution, as well as several welfare- and tax-related charges, according to the AP.

    It’s amazing to think that only a year ago, the scandal fell upon the small town of Kennebunk, Maine near Kennebunkport, Maine. After complaints of groaning, loud music and a continuous stream of men in and out of the office she rented near to her Zumba studio, police began to watch her more closely. Soon it was discovered that her business partner, Mark Strong, watched several sexual encounters of Wright’s unsuspecting clients in real time from his office 100 miles away.

    Strong, a 58-year-old married father of two, admitted to having an affair with Wright and said he helped her start her Zumba business, but insisted that he didn’t profit from the prostitution business. Wright, on the other hand, made $150,000, and collected more than $40,000 in welfare benefits. Strong was convicted of 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution and sentenced to only 20 days in jail.

    Wright insisted that he had a bigger role than that. In a surprise move during her trial, she said that Strong had convinced her that she was an undercover agent, investigating allegations of sexual deviance. However, the court decided she was a willing participant.

    The two co-conspirators kept a list of about 150 men that were clients of her protitution ring as a security measure, according to Reuters. The reason her sentence was longer than his, is because she also pleaded guilty to collecting public assistance illegally, not paying taxes on the cash her prostitution business brought in and illegally collecting unearned tax refunds.

    Image via youtube

  • Willie Nelson Postpones Tour After Crash

    Willie Nelson Postpones Tour After Crash

    Willie Nelson and Family are postponing their remaining November tour stops due to the bush crash that injured three out of five band members. The bus was in an accident late Saturday night caused by icy conditions on the road about 80 miles east of Dallas, Texas, according to CNN.

    The bus driver was trying to negotiate heavy rains and winds and crashed at about 3:30 am, said Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sylvia Jennings.

    “The driver stated that he had been driving through heavy, heavy rains and high winds and was having a difficult time driving,” Jennings said. “I guess at some point he lost control, went off the road and hit one of the columns of one of the overpasses.”

    Willie Nelson, himself, wasn’t on the bus, according to Reuters. It was earlier reported that drummer Billy English had a broken hip, but that was later corrected. Two of the other bandmates, English’s brother, Billy, and Thomas Ray Hawkins, had bumps and bruises, Jennings said. They were all taken to Hopkins County Memorial Hospital after the accident.

    “No one suffered serious injuries. Paul English injured his ankle, Billy English suffered a bruised hip and crew member Tom Hawkins has a cracked rib. The other family members on the bus are sore but everyone is expected to recover fully,” Nelson’s website said.

    The band had been scheduled to play the Horseshoe Tunica Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, on Saturday night and then be in Jackson, Mississippi on Sunday night. They will resume tour dates in December.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Thanksgiving Recipe Last Minute Search

    Thanksgiving Recipe Last Minute Search

    The time to give thanks is swiftly approaching, and with it, the frenzy that comes when you realize you have 6 DAYS to get ready! I know I am starting to feel the heat.

    Whether you are looking for traditional fare, like green bean casserole and sweet potato recipes, or something a little different (thai steamed pumpkin custard? Yes, please!), if you haven’t found it by now, you had better get started!

    Gone are the days of cracking open that new cookbook full of holiday recipes or getting down that box of grandma’s best hits from above the fridge, where it’s been since last year. These days, women are taking to the web and searching for new holiday greatness, as well as long forgotten favorites. They are pinning to boards and adding to interactive recipe collections.

    Here are a few places to get started this weekend in your search for the next family favorite for your table!

    Of course, I’m just gonna get it over with and start with pinterest. If you’re Iooking for a one-stop shop, this is it. I mean, come on. Recipes, advice, even crafts for you and the kids. What more could you ask for? It’s just beautiful. Find your meal, decorations, ideas, and inspiration in one site.

    If you want more, head over to Martha Stewart’s Everything Thanksgiving page, and find solid advice and videos on how to do just about everything that you would need to know how to do in your lifetime, turkey-wise. Need to know how to do this brining thing everyone is talking about? Got it. Need ideas for turkey leftovers? Done. Need to know what in the world spatchcock is? So do I. They’ve got it! What about ideas for a meatless Thanksgiving? Yep. It’s there.

    For all things turkey, try Epicurious, where they have set up an incredible variety of articles and turkey recipes the likes of which you have probably never seen before in your life. Think Mole-Roasted Turkey with Masa Stuffing and Chile gravy, for those who like to get adventurous.

    Hope this helps in your last-minute searching this weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!

    Image via youtube

  • Macy’s Parade Under Fire. Again.

    Remember when the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a whimsical trip for the imaginations of generations of childhood viewers who loved to watch giant Snoopy and giant Charlie Brown float down 34th St.?

    Remember when people didn’t have time on their hands to throw a fit about every detail of life that happens to bump up against their feelings?

    Well, those days are officially over. Sorry, guys.

    While the Macy’s parade has been at the center of controversy before, this year seems especially spectacular in the offense department.

    First there was the Joan Jett debacle over her singing on the float representing South Dakota. Turns out, she is a PETA-supporting vegetarian, and South Dakota’s main industry is beef. Not a good match, obviously, but in the grand scheme, it’s just a float in a parade, right? Or does Joan Jett suddenly become ambassador of South Dakota to the world in its entirety?

    Well, South Dakota seemed to take it pretty seriously, demanding that she be given the boot. Fine, Jett was moved to another, as of yet unspecified float. Now, according to the AP, Sea World is in hot water with PETA over their float for the parade. PETA’s minions plan to line the route of next week’s parade to protest the float over some accusations in a new documentary, called “Blackfish”, which asserts that the popular theme parks treat whales badly, and also that said bad treatment is what caused the death of a trainer last year.

    Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, wrote last week that SeaWorld was a “cruel prison for whales” and that the parks “should not be celebrated with a giant Shamu float parading down 34th Street.” They are supporting PETA, who sent Macy’s more than 80,000 emails from animal lovers demanding that the store drop the float.

    SeaWorld, however, says the accusations have “absolutely no basis”. They say that “the men and women who care for these animals at SeaWorld are dedicated in every respect to their health and well-being.”

    Here is a bit of nostalgia, you’re welcome:

    Unfortunately, Macy’s is caught in the middle of this mess, which is in danger of ruining what the company stands for, as far as it’s intention for the parade originally was.

    “The parade has never taken on, promoted or otherwise engaged in social commentary, political debate or other forms of advocacy,” Cincinnati-based Macy’s Inc. said in a statement this week.

    Parade executive producer Amy Kule said on Tuesday that the SeaWorld float is staying, in standing strong with the above-mentioned intent. “There is no controversy,” she said. “Our goal is to entertain and that is their goal as well.”

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Wild Turkey Revenge: Flocks Crowd NYC Neighborhood

    Wild turkeys have been flocking to Staten Island for years, where residents are having to go out of their way to avoid encounters. Some residents are fed up, while others welcome the whimsy of the impromptu natural attraction. However, the differences of opinion are getting heated, as the city has begun rounding up masses of turkeys and having them slaughtered.

    The solution appears to be the only one for now, as everything from setting off fireworks to unsuccessfully oiling to outside of eggs to prevent embryo development, has been tried and failed.

    In August, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture captured some of the estimated 80 birds at a state-run psychiatric hospital and took them to be slaughtered, with state Department of Environmental Conservation approval, the droppings hit the fan, according to the AP, sparking outrage and protests from those who don’t want harm to come to the feral birds.

    Reactions range from concern to sheer outrage.

    “We don’t want to kill them. We just want them to leave us alone,” says Barbara Laing, who watched as at least 50 turkeys converged outside her house, to which her next door neighbor and sister added, “They really are a beautiful bird … but they ruined our property.”

    “It’s a horrible thing. You take animals and just kill them? What kind of world are we living in?” says Joe McAllister, a local neighborhood association president.

    McAllister joined dozens of people at an August protest against mass turkey slaughters.

    The roundup happened again last month at the same psychiatric hospital because the flock was launching “attacks on patients, employees and visitors” and raising sanitation concerns among officials.

    This reignited the debate, but people seemed a little more accepting, probably due to the destruction the birds have been responsible for over the past months, including droppings all over yards, devoured gardens, and not to mention the squawking of early morning mating sessions.

    “If the birds can’t be released in the wild, “I would rather see them slaughtered than see them cause an automobile accident,” says Staten Island Borough President James Molinari. “They’re not made for a city.”

    “It’s very interesting to watch them. It really is. You learn a lot from it,” Froese says, but “now it’s time for them to move out.”

    Officials had hoped that the slaughtered, now-frozen birds could become a turkey dinner for needy families, but they’re awaiting test results for pesticides and other chemicals the birds might have inadvertently gobbled. Unfortunately, those turkeys won’t be put to good use, as those results aren’t expected before Thanksgiving.

    Image via youtube

  • Eddie Murphy: No Remake of “Coming to America”

    This is the 25th year anniversary for the 80’s classic, “Coming to America”, and sometimes, on special anniversaries, there’s talk of a sequel or remake. But not this time, sorry fans.

    According to People, the problem is not lack of motivation, it could be fear of the lawsuit. When Eddie Murphy went on Arsenio Hall’s show on Tuesday night, the pair, neither of which has aged at all since the making of the iconic movie, discussed the aftermath of the film.

    “When Coming to America came out it was a bunch of lawsuits.”, Murphy said, adding,”There was some dude who was claiming he was the prince. I’d be out in the club and this African dude would roll up and say, ‘I am the real prince! You stole my life from me! And I want my money! I’ll kill you!’ ”

    Yep, that would be enough to put the kabash on a sequel idea. But what about this feud that, well, no one knew or cared about? According to E!, there were rumors of a massive feud between Murphy, who played African Prince Akeem, and Hall, who was his sometimes-trusty sidekick, Semmi (Remember the hot tub scene?)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av_vg9WaW18

    Stories began surfacing in March, apparently, that the two had suffered a grand falling-out. But the rumors were not true, if the two themselves are to be believed.

    Right at the beginning of the interview, Hall addressed the rumors, “We stopped our bitter feud, just for tonight.”, he said. Murphy seemed confused about what he was talking about, or was probably just playing along.

    Hall informed him that the the tabliods had printed the stories, and said, “Yes, the tabloids said we’re having a bitter feud.”

    “Oh, I don’t read the tabloids. I really don’t, I don’t read any of that s–t,” Murphy simply said. I guess that’s how one would keep their confidence up as an actor!

    Image via youtube

  • George P. Bush: Beacon For Latino Voters?

    George P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and nephew and grandson of presidents, has put his hat in the political ring as a candidate for Texas Land Comissioner. What’s so special about that? Well, besides being the latest Bush to boldly step into the political arena, Bush is of mixed race. His father, Jeb is married to a hispanic woman named Columba, according to Reuters.

    Some are hoping that this will help draw more latino voters to support the Republican party. “This certainly helps the Republican Party present an image of a party that not only seeks Hispanic votes but is running Hispanics for office,” Mark P. Jones, a political analyst at Rice University in Houston.

    “This is clearly beneficial in Texas, because every other Republican candidate for a non-judicial statewide race in 2014 will be a white male,” Jones said.

    Bush, a lawyer and co-founder and chairman of the Hispanic Republicans of Texas, is active in the latino community, and would be good for the image white male-dominated party. According to CBS, he speaks Spanish and has worked to stifle the expectations caused by his family’s standing, but he is still being spotlighted by the Republican party, in order to garner attention from an increasingly influential latino community.

    However, the question is, when will we stop assuming that people are so, um, unintelligent that they will vote for a candidate or a party simply based on the color of the candidate’s skin? Do people really do that? Well, apparently a few, but not enough to make broad assumptions.

    State Representative Jose Menendez, a Democrat, said he considers the assumption “insulting”, as he should. “I think the Hispanic community is not a monolithic community, it is a community that is independent.”, he said.

    Menendez pointed out that he believes Hispanics support “policies over personalities” just like anyone else, and Cal Jillson, a political analyst at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, agrees with that sentiment.

    “There will be a few people who are attracted to Bush personally due to his connection to Hispanic Texas, but there will be just a few,” Jillson said.

    Surely we don’t think that little of our fellow man, to assume he will blindly follow someone else’s ideals because his skin is the same color? I know that a few will, but surely not the majority.

    What do you think? Would you vote for a candidate simply based on ethnicity?

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Costco Bibles: Pastor Glad for Label Conversation

    Costco has apologized for labeling some Bibles as “fiction”. Amidst the uproar in the community and Christians in general, and threats to boycott Costco, the company assured the public that it was a mistake made by the distributor, and that it would be corrected, according to L.A. Times.

    The pastor who found the Bibles was invited to appear on Fox News for a talk with Elizabeth Hasselback, which led Costco to scramble and release a statement.

    “We deeply regret the mislabeling of the Bible and meant no offense to anyone,” the company wrote in an email received by several customers. “The buyer has let us know that this was an error and the books are being pulled off the shelves to be re-marked.”

    “However, we take responsibility and should have caught the mistake. We are correcting this with them for future distribution,” Costco said.

    Caleb Kaltenbach, the pastor who found the bibles, tweeted this picture that started it all, only after he couldn’t get an employee to assist him with his inquiry, according to Fox News.

    As for the outcry and threats to boycott Costco, Kaltenbach doesn’t think that is the answer, and he is appreciating the talk that the snafu has encouraged, in his community and around the country.

    “On the one hand Christians should not yell out ‘persecution’,” he said. “We aren’t living in Iraq or Iran. But on the other hand, I believe that we do need to stand up for our faith and we need to be vocal about our concerns.” said Kaltenbach.

    Author Robert Jeffress agrees with Kaltenbach’s sentiment, “Christians need to call out organizations like Costco whose actions undermine Christianity – regardless of whether those actions are accidental or intentional.”

    Costco has assured the public that it is correcting the mistake, and relabeling the “small percentage” of Bibles that were labelled “fiction”, but is it enough to satisfy a Christian public that may hopefully be fairly forgiving? Time will tell.

    Image via Twitter

  • Casey Kasem’s Children May See Him Soon

    Casey Kasem’s Children May See Him Soon

    Casey Kasem’s children may be drawing near the end of their battle with Casey’s wife, and may finallly be able to see him soon, according to People. Kerri, 41, Julie, 38, and Mike, 40 have been at odds with his wife, Jean, since this summer when they staged peaceful protests outside the home she shares with Casey, and claimed that she would not allow them to see their father.

    “There is no communication between Jean and us and his daughters,” brother Mouner Kasem said Saturday. “We have no knowledge of how he is, what he’s doing, if he’s better, if he’s worse, and we’re scared that we’ll never see him again.”

    This led to suspicions that he was not being properly cared for in the advanced stages of his Parkinson’s disease. In addition to suffering from Parkinson’s disease, he “may have early onset Parkinson’s dementia.”, according to CNN. Kasem has the “ability to shuffle short distances, but is mainly bedridden and requires the assistance of a wheelchair to move any distance,” a court document said.

    However, Don Pitts, Casey’s agent of over 35 years and close friend said Casey is still of sound mind. “He has Parkinson’s, has it very bad. It took his speech, and for somebody who made millions of dollars using his voice — for him to lose that gift, that beautiful instrument — it must be frustrating. But he’s handling it very well,” Pitts said. “His mind is very sharp, his brain works well. You can tell in his eyes he understands everything you’re saying. He just has trouble translating it from the brain to his vocal cords.”

    Julie filed for temporary control of his health care after suspicions were raised, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lesley C. Green denied her petition. “He’s receiving either good to excellent care,” Judge Green stated. “I find no good cause for a temporary conservatorship.”

    Andrew Katzenstein, the attorney for Julie said that “they were happy that the judge focused her attention on the important issue of visitation,” he said. “Mr. Kasem has a long strong and loving relationship with his adult children and we are continuing to try and reach resolution with the other side so visits can begin again.”

    He also said, “We’re happy to know Casey Kasem is well cared for, and we’re thrilled the judge addressed the issue of visitation. Mr. Kasem very much wants to see his children. We’re now going to see if we can make that happen.”

    A court appointed physician that was looking into Kasem’s health care status, said that Casey had expressed a desire to him for seeing his children. “I’m going to push you to work on this,” said Judge Green.

    The two parties have been trying to reach an agreement, but the attorney for Jean said they have put two visitation proposals on the table, and both have been rejected by the kids. The attorney, Marshall Grossman, said the proposal included individual visits with Kasem every third Sunday for one hour, including major holidays and Kasem’s birthday. But there was a catch. He said that there must be a security guard present “to ensure there is decorum.”

    Hmmm. One hour a month with a guard hovering around. I wonder why that one was rejected?

    Grossman assured the judge that, “We’re not looking to provide a piecemeal solution, we’re looking to bring peace to this matter.” Negotiations will continue next week, and despite the two rejections, Grossman is optimistic that an agreement can be reached by the two parties.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • U.S., Afghanistan Agree to Terms For Security Pact

    A deal has been tentatively reached between U.S. and Afghanistan for a security pact, according to the New York Times.

    Reports say that the Afghan leader would accept wording allowing American-led raids on Afghan homes under “extraordinary circumstances”, or in order to save the lives of American soldiers. The breakthrough came during a phone call by Secretary of State John Kerry to President Karzai today.

    Karzai said he will make the way clear for a deal to insure a long-term security pact under one condition. Basically, Obama has to apologize. Karzai wants a letter from President Obama acknowledging American military mistakes in Afghanistan and promising not to make those mistakes again.

    Mr. Karzai’s spokesman, Mr. Faizi said, “The idea was to indeed mention that there were mistakes made in the conduct of military operations in the past, in the conduct of military operations by United States forces in the last decade, and that Afghans have suffered, and that we understand the pain and therefore we give assurances and make sure those mistakes are not repeated.”, which pretty much outlines what they want Obama’s letter to read like.

    Kerry agreed to the letter, but White House spokesperson Jay Carney doesn’t know if the President is on board. “I don’t have any specifics on any language of a letter that has not been written.” he said, according to AFP.

    The deal is not sealed, yet, however, as the terms must pass approval by a loya jirga, which is a grand council of Afghan elders. The bad thing is, that any wording that allows raids on Afghan homes is likely to be met with resistance at the meeting.

    Mr. Carney seemed to acknowledge the council’s potential deal-breaking role on Tuesday. “There are ongoing negotiations,” he said. “I would simply say this agreement is not reached until it goes through the loya jirga.”

    This was the last remaining issue in the talks, which included President Karzai with the American ambassador James B. Cunningham, and the American military commander, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. This was the last day to wrap up the talks before the loya jirga will meet. “The rest, everything is solved,” Mr. Faizi said.

    The BSA (Bilateral Security Treaty) will determine the terms of home searches, but another key factor agreed on will determine how many US soldiers stay in Afghanistan when most of NATO’s troops deployed in the country since 2001, which currently number 75,000, leave at the end of 2014.

    Now, whether the loya jirga goes well or not, Afghan officials have another problem to worry about. The Taliban have claimed that the loya jirga meeting a US-designed plot. They are therefore vowing to pursue and punish its delegates as traitors if they approve the BSA.

    I suppose we will have to wait to see what happens after the loya jirga meets to see what our future in Afghanistan will look like.

    Image via wikimedia commons