WebProNews

Author: Val Powell

  • Obamacare Starting To Look Like A Failure

    Obamacare Starting To Look Like A Failure

    Obamacare is starting to look like a big failure thanks to his own administration glitches and overblown promises.  The latest embarrassment  to the Obama administration came on Friday when 39 house Democrats sided with the Republicans to vote for a proposed fix to canceled insurance policies under Obamacare.

    The ‘fix‘ is seen by many analysts as a temporary solution to a problem that is bound to end in disaster. The Obama administration will now  allow insurers a one year extension to health care policies they had canceled for failing to meet the new healthcare law.

    President Obama has long insisted that, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.” However, this assurance is now becoming ‘a lie’ with each passing day and many people now think that the president may have made promises he couldn’t keep.

    As things are turning out, Americans will have to wait longer (or possibly never) to enjoy ‘The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’ that is meant to ensure that over 94% Americans have access to quality and affordable healthcare that is fully paid for. Already, many are pessimistic. “I think people have lost confidence in the ability of this working,” said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger.

    Although it is all gloom and doom, Obama is the last person to give up hope of turning things around. At a news conference Thursday, Obama said, “I’m somebody who, if I fumbled the ball, I’m going to wait until I get the next play, and then I’m going to try to run as hard as I can and do right by the team.”

    Perhaps making sure that the shambled Obamacare website is up and running is Obama’s priority at the moment.

    (image via YouTube)

  • Boeing 777X Contract Rejected By Machinists Union

    Boeing has said that it has no plans to re-open talks with a union representing Washington state machinists after they soundly rejected an eight-year labor contract extension on Wednesday that would have seen the company’s newest jetliner built in Washington.

    The company has however vowed not to re-open talks with the defiant workers and has said it will look very broadly at where to build the aircraft and will offer a statement in the coming months. “Boeing is keeping all options open” Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Ray Conner told a news conference on Saturday

    The contract offered last week would have kept the production of Boeing profitable while raising the health care costs of the workers. Although the deal would have resulted in 20 years of work building Boeing 777x, the international Association of Machinists members voted 67% against the deal. The union mall was charged with cheers when the vote was announced. The union members may have given up their chance for the Boeing jobs, but they said that the contract was too grave to accept.

    One of the plans is for Boeing to consider building key parts of the 777X jetliner, including wings, outside a US state or in Japan, where it has already received an offer.

    Boeing said that they needed to strike a balance between the desire to build the jet in the state while working under a ‘competitive cost structure’.  “We are very disappointed in the outcome of the union vote,” read the Boeing statement that followed the vote.  “Without the terms of this contract extension, we’re left with no choice but to open the process competitively and pursue all options for the 777X.”

    Reacting to the vote, the president of the international Association of Machinists District 751 congratulated the members by saying they had “preserved something sacred” by voting down the contract.

    Although the company has said it is looking broadly and has already started listening to offers from other states, it hasn’t officially stated that the offer was ‘take it or leave it’ for Washington.

    (image via Wikipedia)

  • Tonya Graddy Dies In Pascagoula Refinery Explosion

    An Alabama Woman was killed on Friday morning at Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Abc News reports. The Chevron factory operator was identified as  49-year-old Tonya Graddy (known as ‘Toni’ by friends and co-workers). Her job as the factory operator was to manage the flow of crude through the plant.

    The authorities are now investigating the cause of the explosion and fire at the Southern Mississippi refinery. The company released a statement which said, “We have begun the process of investigating this incident and are cooperating with appropriate regulatory agencies.”

    Official reports indicates that the 49-year old woman died after something detonated inside the furnace and sparked a fire.  The fire was contained in a small area and other operators were outside the furnace at the time.

    “Graddy had worked as an operator at Chevron for about five years and she was among about a dozen workers in the area when the explosion happened,” said Chevron Mississippi general manager, Tom Kovar. The victim was from Semmes, Alabama according to Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus. Like other operators, her job was to manage the flow of crude and other feedstock through the plant. About one-third of the plant’s 1,500 employees are operators.

    The “cracking area” of the refinery is the first step in breaking down the crude oil in the process of turning it into gasoline or coke. The use of hot furnaces and hot processes are involved in the process. Experts speculate that the explosion might have started from the cracking area.

    “The most important thing now is that we keep the refinery running securely and deal with the investigation … to get to the root cause of the event,” Kovar said. The fire was in fact, contained by the crew and the refinery was kept running.

    This is the third incident in about a decade at the Pascagoula refinery, two of which have resulted in death. A refinery worker was killed in 2003 when he fell from Scaffolding. Another one died in 2007 when fire ignited in one of the crude processing units.

    (image via Wikipedia)

  • One-Child Policy To Be Relaxed By China Amid Labor Force Concerns

    China seems to be loosening on its One-Child policy as part of economic reforms. Other Communist party plans are re-education through labor policy and increased mobility for the rural population. This was announced by Chinese state media on Friday, days after the conclusion of a meeting of top Communist party leaders in Beijing.

    The reforms were arrived at after four days of closed door meetings where about 400 top party leaders resolved to design China’s development blueprint over the next decade. Under the new policy, couples in which one member is an only child will be allowed to have two children.

    Currently, couples can only have two children if and only if they are both only children. Other groups who are allowed to have two children include ethnic minorities, and disabled people. According to the Independent, the one-child policy was introduced in 1979 to control the country’s huge population which now stands at 1.4 billion people. The policy was also put in place to bolster China’s economic growth and improve social welfare.

    http://youtu.be/bszyNiBa2yM

    Chinese Officials say that the policy has so far been a success by claiming that the Chinese population would have been about 400 million more people than it is today. However, human rights activists have argued that the policy has led to high number of abortions. Consequently, more baby girls than boys are aborted due to the traditional preference for boys. As a result, there are about 6 males born for every 1 female newborn.

    The unpopular law also led to a shortage of working age people who can care for the aging population.  Professor Steve Tsang, from the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at Nottingham University, said: “This move is primarily to deal with the demographic deficit, which has huge economic implications, particularly over growth and stability.”

    Although details of the re-education through labor programs are still unclear, a document from the communist party shows that the reforms will lead to improved social welfare programs, and ease migration restrictions for millions of rural residents who wish to move to the cities.

    (image via YouTube)

  • 12 Years A Slave: Will It Win Best Picture For 2013?

    “12 Years A Slave” has come with a bang, and is receiving rave reviews online. Indeed, Vulture movies editor Kyle Buchanan has already awarded “12 Years A Slave” this year’s Best Picture trophy in his review. Already, the film has won the top award at the Toronto Film Festival. “Suspend the betting, close the books and notify the engraver,” wrote Kyle Buchanan after the film’s first Toronto screening, on Sept. 7. “I’ve just seen what will surely be this year’s Best Picture winner.”

    However, in September Steve Pond, The Wrap’s  Awards expert, thought that “12 Years A Slave” still had a long way to go because “the Oscar race is a marathon, not a sprint.”

    “It will likely win a number of critics’ awards, and it will be impossible for any serious voter to ignore when Oscar ballots become available in December. But does that make it an automatic winner? Not now. Not yet.” Says Steve Pond.  There are certainly valid points for and against the “12 Years A Slave” winning the grand trophy, but until then, we are better off concentration on the content of the masterpiece.

    Well, it’s now mid November and the film seems more like a shoo-in for The Academy’s Best Picture Award, but of course we have to wait and see.

    “12 Years A Slave” has been heralded as very emotional and a true picture of what it was like to be a slave in pre-civil war America. The film features Chiwetel Ejiofor acting as a free black man from New York who gets abducted and sold into slavery. The story, which moved Oprah Winfrey into tears while discussing it, is based on a true story of a man named Solomon Northup. Northup compiled his autobiography which was published in 1853, although many thought that it was fiction.

    12 Years a Slave was released in the US on October 13th and has been called a must-see by critics.

    (image via Wikipedia)

  • Michael Phelps: Getting Ready For Rio?

    On Thursday, the sporting world was awash with the news that Michael Phelps rejoined the US Anti-Doping Agency where he underwent doping tests, the strongest indication that he is returning for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Phelps underwent the drug testing twice between July 1 and September 30 of this year. His Coach Bob Bowman has actually confirmed that Phelps rejoined the testing pool late in the second quarter, meaning that the American champion would be eligible to compete again as early as March 2014. Last month, Bowman wrote to the Associated Press where he said, “He is occasionally training with the group to get back in shape.”

    However, the coach still remains non-committal on the subject by repeatedly saying that Phelps’ return to training is only for fitness purposes “to get in shape.” When asked to respond to the speculations, Phelps said, “Nothing is set in stone. If I decide to keep going and swim again, then I’ll compete…If I don’t, I guess I’ll re-retire. Just don’t compare me to Brett Favre [who made several comebacks].”

    FINA, the world governing body for swimming, requires one to be tested for at least 9 months before taking part in competitive swimming activities. This also gives him plenty of time to prepare for the 2015 world championships in Russia where top swimmers are expected to take part as a stepping stone to the 2016  Rio games.

    This is not the first time that Michael has been dropping subtle hints about a comeback, yet it has only been about a year since he retired from the sport.  The 28-year-old American retired from the competition after winning his 18th Olympic gold medal during the London 2012.  And now Phelps has returned to training under his coach Bowman at North Baltimore. Phelps holds an impressive collection of 58 gold medals, 11 silver gold medals and 3 bronze medals in his swimming career so far.

    This speculation has led many to compare Phelps to Brett Favre because Phelps had earlier announced that his goal was to retire before he turned 30. Last December, the retired swimmer had said that “there is no point in coming back” having done everything he wanted to do.

    (image via YouTube)

  • Cheater: Jillian Michaels Gives Team Caffeine Supplement

    “The Biggest Loser” fans were shocked by Tuesday night’s episode. It turned out that fitness coach Jillian Michaels broke house rules by giving caffeine supplements to her team. It now seems that Jillian will be the biggest loser after all.  This unprecedented breaching of the house rules led to the return of the famed former American Idol winner, Ruben Studdard.  The American idol had been eliminated from the show last week for failing to lose the required minimum weight.

    Jillian’s actions could be damaging to her reputation and the integrity of the show. However, she insisted that there was nothing wrong with issuing the caffeine supplements because they are completely safe, although she said she was sorry that her team members would have to suffer because of her actions. “I stand by my opinion. A caffeine supplement is significantly healthier than unlimited amounts of coffee,” she said. “My only regret is that my team, they’re the ones suffering the consequences of my professional opinion.” As a result of her action, the team will suffer a 4 pound penalty.

    Here’s what happened.

    Interestingly, there is a conspiracy theory going around suggesting that the mistake was a deliberate one, devised to bring back Ruben in order to boost the show’s ratings. The organizers of the show have not made any comment regarding the conspiracy claims.

    Jillian herself has added fuel to the conspiracy claims when she responded with “you’re spot on,” to a tweet that suggested Jillian was being used to bring a famous contestant back. However, many argue that the response was a sarcastic response considering that her reputation as a fitness coach is at stake. Nothing had been said publicly about the cheating dilemma until the weigh-in began, when the host, Alison Sweeney announced: “Last week Jillian broke the rules and gave caffeine supplements to each member of her team without a doctor’s permission. What will happen next week?

    See the sneak peek 

    (main photo via Wikipedia)

  • Redskins: Obama Thinks Team Should Change Its Name

    President Obama’s comments against the Washington Redskins received much approval from Native American leaders led by Ray Halbritter of the Oneida Nation. The tribe leaders used the meeting at White House on Tuesday to express their gratitude for Obama’s stand against the team’s controversial name.

    Obama’s meeting with the tribal leaders was closed to reporters. The developments in the meeting were recounted by a tribal representative who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the leaders. The issues discussed included economic development issues affecting Native Americans, capital jurisdictional challenges, job creations and of course the issue of the “Redskins” name was brought up too.

    In October Obama had an interview with The Associated Press, in which he had said that if he was the owner of the Redskins he would consider changing the name because the name is offensive to some people. “I don’t know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,” Obama said. The President’s remarks sparked increased public debate with many Native American groups and the greater public.

    Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskin team had earlier said that he would not consider changing the name.

    “We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder had told USA TODAY Sports.  “As a lifelong Redskins fan, I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season”.

    Meanwhile, the Redskins attorney, Lanny Davis rebutted Obama’s comments with a statement highlighting opinion polls in which the majority of respondents said they were not bothered by the team’s name and did not think it should be changed.

    Here Are Some Opinions

     

    The Ed Show

    http://youtu.be/HUEDPPOnN54

    ESPN

    http://youtu.be/ljbcRR-fk5Y

    Kat Williams

    http://youtu.be/DmMu03RsQCU

    (main image via YouTube)

  • Is Lily Allen’s “Hard Out Here” Video Racist ?

    Is Lily Allen’s “Hard Out Here” Video Racist ?

    Lily Allen’s New Music Video has been branded racist by some fans and bloggers. As reported by MTV , the twerking scenes in the video have come under scrutiny for racism. The video features fancy cars, fake liposuction, champagne, and twerking galore and it seems that some people were less than impressed with the explosive video’s portrayal of black women as predominantly ‘sex objects’.

    Lily has however hit back at the critics who savaged the promo for the new release and says the video is meant to deliver a feminist messages against misogyny and sexism in pop culture. The video and the song lyrics are taken from her original single in 2009. She pokes fun at Robin Thicke’s controversial Blurred Lines video when she dances in front of inflatables that say,  ‘Lily Allen has a baggy pu**y’. Robin Thicke, on the other hand, dances in front of a message that says, “Robin Thicke has a big d**k.”

    And in a response to the criticisms directed to her new release, Lily has released a twitter statement called “Privilege, Superiority and Misconceptions” which seeks to clarify, but mostly hit back at the suggestions that her music video is racist. Here are some of her comments:

    • “If anyone thinks for a second that I requested specific ethnicities for the video, they’re wrong.”
    • “If anyone thinks that after asking the girls to audition, I was going to send any of them away because of the color of their skin, they’re wrong.”
    • “The message is clear. Whilst I don’t want to offend anyone. I do strive to provoke thought and conversation.”
    • “The video is meant to be a lighthearted satirical video that deals with objectification of women within modern pop culture. It has nothing to do with race, at all.”

    Here’s the Video. Is it Racist?

    (main image via YouTube)

  • John “Junior” Gotti Gets Stabbed In Fight

    John “Junior” Gotti Gets Stabbed In Fight

    Nassau County police and prosecutors are investigating the alleged stabbing of John Gotti Jr, but the Washington Post reports that Gotti is not cooperating with the police.  The authorities say that Gotti has refused to divulge information to the police regarding what happened on Sunday night when he was stabbed in the parking lot of CVS store in Syosset. All he says is that he was stabbed while trying to break up a fight between two strangers in the parking lot.

    “He’s being very uncooperative,” a source told ABC News. “He says these guys were fighting and he jumps in as this big savior and he gets stabbed in the stomach.”

    His narrative of trying to separate two fighting strangers is not being bought by the police either as one police source said, “It’s hard to believe he would break up a fight between two strangers.”

    Gotti arrived in Syosset Hospital on Sunday at around 10 p.m. seeking medical attention for the stab wound. Due to hospital protocol, the authorities were informed and Nassau police responded and attempted to interrogate him without much success. The wound was reportedly serious and he was transported to North Shore University Hospital where he was treated and later discharged.

    When Gotti’s lawyer, Charles Carnesi, was contacted, he said that he had been told that his client was ok, although he had not spoken to him personally.

    Gotti is the son of the late John Joseph Gotti Jr, the reputed former boss of the infamous Gambino Crime syndicate in New York. Junior’s father died of cancer in 2002 while in prison. He has since maintained that he had put his crime days behind him. The last time Gotti was sentenced for a crime was in 1999 when he pleaded guilty to racketeering and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.

    (image via youtube.com)

  • Troy Polamalu Cuts Locks In Support Of Veterans

    The last time Troy Polamalu’s hair touched a Barber’s tool was more than 11 years ago, but Troy was ready to let go of his treasured hair (at least a little bit) to support the veterans.  USA today reported that the footballer will have his wife Theodora trim off one lock of his hair which will be auctioned to support the 7 week cause aimed at raising awareness for veterans’ issues.

    “I understand the issues that veterans and their families face while serving our country, and I am honored to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars Mane Event, encouraging the nation to unite for veterans for a second year,” said Polamalu. “By getting my hair cut on Veterans Day, I am showing my commitment to the men and women who served our country – the real heroes.”

    http://youtu.be/HsSAlVki6hw

    Polamalu and his wife Theodora founded the Harry Panos Fund for veterans to support charities that support the military. “I started working with the VFW a couple years ago and have always had a lot of compassion for what veterans go through because of my wife’s grandfather, who I was close with.” Polamalu said.  Polamalu has been a longtime supporter of the veterans but he became a VFW ambassador last year.

    2013 VFW Year in Review

    (main image via YouTube.com)

  • Uma Thurman Red Hot In 2014 Campari Calendar

    Uma Thurman was in sizzling shape and style on Sunday when she attended the launch presentation of the 2014 Campari Calendar in Milan, Italy.

    The unveiling of the full range of highly anticipated imagery of the 2014 Campari calendar featuring Uma Thurman and photographed by the famous photographer Koto Bolofo was themed “Worldwide Celebrations,” and it marked the 15th edition of the prestigious calendar collection.

    About The Photographer

    The 43 year old Hollywood actress looked quite sophisticated in creations by fashion houses such as Versace, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood. “Each image reflects a different moment and culture,” Thurman remarked. “One of my aspirations in life is to travel the world. Each place has an energy.”

    Making of the Campari Calendar 2014

    The 2014 calendar is simply awesome as it paints a stunning portrait of various global cultures and invites its fans to engage in a global journey of discovery. Uma Thurman makes her mark as Campari’s glamorous heroin decorated in a collection of adorable and fashionable dresses, and other forms of clothing from the world’s top fashion designers.

     “The 2014 Campari Calendar is a stunning piece of artwork. It conveys the positive energy and pleasure that Campari lovers around the world enjoy through worldwide celebrations of culture in such a striking and powerful fashion,” Thurman said.

    Others who have graced the traditional calendar in the past include Penelope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba. Most of the calendar’s past beauties have been brunettes but 2014 will be different with blond stunner Uma Thurman.

    (main photo via YouTube.com)

  • Miss Teen USA: ‘SEXtortionist’ Pleads Guilty

    NBC News reports that a computer science student pleaded guilty today to three counts of extortion and one count of unauthorized access into Miss Teen USA and other young women’s computers. Charges were brought against the hacker because he allegedly threatened to  post nude photographs of the women online.

    The 19-year-old Jared James Abrahams of Temecula, California, was released on bond until his sentencing, which is scheduled for March 17th, 2014. At the hearing, Abrahams is expected to enter a guilty plea, defense attorney Alan Eisner said. The teenager faces possible imprisonment of up to 11 years and fines amounting to $1 million.

    Abrahams is alleged to have hacked into Cassidy Wolf’s computer as well as that of of seven other women from various states and counties, authorities said.  Miss Cassidy Wolf is the current Miss Teen USA. For four years she attended the same school as Abrahams in Temecula, just southeast of Los Angeles, and graduated in 2012.

    A plea statement filed last month gives details from last year until June of this year. The computer science student hacked into computers,  social media accounts, and emails accounts belonging to the victims. He was then able to control webcams and surreptitiously photograph the unsuspecting women, the FBI reported. Abraham was said to have sent anonymous emails to the victims,  informing them that he was in possession of their nude photos and would publish them online if they failed to send him additional pictures or undress for him. He promised to destroy the images only if they complied with his demands.

    Wolf did not comply with Abraham’s demands and called the investigators after receiving threatening emails containing her nude photos. However, according to police, at least two of the other victims went along with his demands.

    A Florida man accused of employing similar tactics was sentenced to ten years in prison for hacking into Scarlett Johansson and Christina Aguilera’s online accounts, and publicly revealing their nude photos.

    (main photo via YouTube.com)

  • USS Gerald Ford Gets Christened By Navy

    USS Gerald Ford Gets Christened By Navy

    The Navy christened its newest, most efficient carrier which will join the fleet in 2016. The USS Gerald R. Ford is the prime ship in the next fleet of aircraft carriers in the Navy. This represents the first new aircraft carrier design in more than four decades.

    (image)

    image via Wikipedia

    The USS Gerald R. Ford is named after President Gerald R. Ford, who served on the carrier USS Monterey during World War II. Gerald R. Ford later became president of the US after President Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of Watergate scandal.

    According to CNN, one of the things the ship will be able to do is to launch jets faster than previous carriers and will need fewer crew members. This will save the country about $4 billion over the next 50 years (the Ford is expected to survive until 2057).

    (image)

     image via Wikipedia

    “She will carry unmanned aircraft, joint strike fighters, and she will deploy lasers.” Said Jonathan Greenert, who is Chief of Naval Operations Administration in a webcast ceremony at the Newport, “She is truly a technological marvel.”

     

    Layout Of USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier

    (image)

    image via militaryphotos.net

    The ship is indeed a classic example of a technological marvel as it features state-of-the-art naval architecture and is nuclear powered. The ship will use electromagnetic force to propel planes off the deck instead of the pressurized steam used in today’s fleet. It also features an arresting gear that grabs planes when they land. Moreover, the gear will be software controlled so as to prevent wear and tear on the planes.

    The sponsor of the ship is the former Ford’s president daughter, Susan Bales Ford. She also had the duty of performing the ceremonial breaking of the bottle of American sparkling wine into the ship.

    In her speech, the daughter of the former president said that she hopes that future sailors will show the integrity her father showed in his time of public office. “Dad, their message fills this shipyard. You kept your promise. You healed the nation. You gave the American people a president that was a shining beacon of integrity at the helm,” she said. The keynote speech was delivered by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

    (main image via militaryphotos.net)

  • Sam Donaldson’s DUI Case Dropped

    Sam Donaldson’s DUI Case Dropped

    The veteran ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson has been acquitted for lack of evidence. On Friday, a judge dismissed the charge facing Donaldson saying that he was arrested and charged without a “probable cause”.

    The judge, while dismissing the charge, said that the arresting officer’s report was incomplete and improperly administered. Referring to the records from the traffic stop, the judge noted that the records “give the court pause as to the accuracy of the information the court has received.”

    This comes as great relief to the 79- year-old Donaldson who was seen profusely writing notes during the hearing. At the end of the hearing, the jubilant former anchor said that he was “clearly happy it turned out this way.” He said, “I’ve never been a defendant in a case before.” Donaldson was pulled over on December 1, 2012.

    During the witness testimony presented by arresting officer Katie Couchman of Lewes Police Department, the court heard that Donaldson was driving on the shoulder of the road, to the right of the westbound lane, and when approached, he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, and glassy. But when Donaldson was asked why he was not driving on the roadway, he said that he thought he was. However, many inconsistencies were noted in the report leading to the dismissal.

    Donaldson worked as ABC White House reporter between 1977 and 1989 and then again from 1997 to 1999.  Donaldson has had career in broadcasting dating back from 1952.

    (image via Wikipedia)

    source delawareonline.com

  • Jennifer Lawrence Explains Reason For Haircut

    The Hunger Games fans will have to be content without Jennifer Lawrence’s signature brunet braid. The reason why Jennifer’s hair had to face the cut was as a result of over styling, but the other more elaborate explanation came from Jennifer herself when she quipped on Thursday, Nov.7. “I don’t know; I cut it earlier, and it was just kind of like [shoulder-length] and it grew to that awkward, gross length,” said the actress to Marissa Mayer during a Yahoo interview on Thursday.

    Jennifer, who wore a chic black and white ensemble paired with a spike lariat necklace by Sydney Evan for the occasion said that she “just kept pulling it back in a bun” and said, “Well I don’t want to do this, so I just cut it off….it just couldn’t get any uglier.”

    Earlier on Wednesday, Nov. 6, the trend-setting star had explained in a Google + hangout that her trademark hair had been fried from being dried too much. However, she went on to assure her fans “This isn’t how Katniss is going to look in the next movies,” she said. “I’m actually wearing a wig (in the films).”

    Moments later, the actress was responding to an audience member who had sought advice on body image in regards to people who disparage others on their appearances. Jennifer’s response was, “Well, screw those people it’s something that everybody experiences. I experienced it in school. The world has a certain ideal — we see this airbrushed perfect model image … you just have to look past it. You look how you look and be comfortable. What are you gonna do, be hungry every single day to make other people happy? That’s just dumb.”

    (image via us magazine)

  • Obama Apologizes To Americans Losing Their Health Insurance

    Obama Apologizes To Americans Losing Their Health Insurance

    President Obama on Thursday apologized to all Americans who are now receiving cancellation notices from their health insurers. His apology comes after his assurances that no one would have to give up a health plan they like.

    President Obama told NBC news that he failed to do enough to ensure that the law did not force the termination of insurance policies that people like because they do not meet the requirements. “But obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job in terms of how we crafted the law,” Obama said. “And, you know, that’s something that I regret. That’s something that we’re going to do everything we can to get fixed.”

    Millions of Americans who had purchased health coverage on their own have been receiving cancellation notices from their insurers. Health insurers are now cancelling customer plans because they no longer meet the new minimum standards set under the Affordable Care Act. This comes days after NBC News’ Lisa Myers had reported the Obama administration knew that about 5% of Americans could lose their insurance under the new law, Affordable Care Act. Despite that, Obama has repeatedly told people that they can keep their health plan if they like it.

    Obama said that he regretted any confusion that resulted from the roll-out and said that, “we weren’t as clear as we needed to be in terms of the changes that were taking place. And I want to do everything we can to make sure that people are finding themselves in a good position, a better position than before this law happened.”

    In the NBC News Interview, Obama said that he did not purposely mislead people because it was his intention that no one should lose a plan they like. However, he assured those who had lost their plans that they could find better insurance cover that was cheaper and provided better coverage than what they had before.

    The president has come under increasing pressure from the public, including members from his own party to address the situation. Earlier in the week, he met senate democrats who also vented their frustrations on problems that are plaguing the ObamaCare website.

    (image via NBC)

  • Virtual Kidnapping: Four Charged in Virtual Scam

    It seems that virtual kidnappings are on the rise. Recent investigations led to the arrest of four virtual kidnappers from Mexico.  According to a federal indictment unsealed on Friday 8, the kidnappers were using telecommunication tactics to collect money from the people they could pick under the guise that loved ones had been kidnapped while crossing to US illegally.

    In reality, no one had been kidnapped and the ‘virtual’ kidnappers did not even know whom they were calling. But the kidnappers figured out that if they made enough calls, a few would result in a hit. When someone took the bait, they usually paid between $1,000 and $3,000. But in a small percentage of successes since 2007, the “virtual kidnappers” collected at least $500,000, federal investigators said.

    According to Business Insider, the kidnappers targeted families in WashingtonDC because a large number of people residing there are immigrants and their migrant relatives are often out of contact during the long journey north.

    It is reported that the kidnappers picked people to call at random. “They would just randomly run through a sequence of numbers, like 1 to 100,” said Daniel Page, assistant special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit in San Diego. “They’re just like your professional telemarketer. They have a script. ‘You need to pay this money. If you don’t, something’s going to happen.’”

    The callers from Tijuana, Mexico used about 30 different San Diego phone numbers to make the calls, sometimes up to 5,000 calls a day demanding that money be wired. Most payments were made in San Diego area and taken to Tijuana, Mexico.

    Virtual crime is very common on Latin America, particularly in Brazil, Mexico and Guatemala. It is the high crime rates in those countries that lead people to believe it when a stranger calls them to inform them that a loved one has been kidnapped.  Many calls are often placed by inmates in prison and they use social networking to convince the family members that indeed their family members have been kidnapped.

    (image via Wikimedia)

  • Andy Murray Gun Scare: 4 Arrested In London

    As reported by the Huffington Post, four men were arrested in West London after they were suspected of brandishing a “gun” at Wimbledon champion Andy Murray only to realize that the four men were Andy’s fans hunting for an autograph with a tennis racket.

    The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 5 PM. The two men supposedly stepped out of their car and knocked on the window of Murray’s car. They attempted to ask him to sign a tennis racket, but Murray swiftly drove off.

    As if that was not enough disappointment for the autograph hunters, a member of the public mistakably believed that the men were holding a gun and phoned the police.

    A Scotland Yard police spokesman confirmed they received a report of a man with a firearm in a Mercedes car in Swiss Cottage, Avenue road. The search for the car started immediately, and the car was stopped on Tadema Road in Chelsea. “A search of the car was conducted, and no trace of a firearm was found.” Said the Spokesman.

    Nonetheless, the four men aged 21, 26, 27 and 31 were arrested on suspicion that they were carrying firearms and taken into custody. The men were later bailed until late January pending further inquiries.

    Murray, who is currently recovering from back surgery, is the first British man to win the Wimbledon for 77 years. Unfortunately, he missed the better part of the season due to the surgery.

    See Andy Murray win Wimbledon 2013

    (image via Wikimedia)

  • Kat Von D’s “Celebutard” Lipstick Seen As Offensive

    The cosmetic giant Sephora had to pull down Kat Von D’s “Celebutard” lipstick from its shelves this week after it received numerous complaints from disability advocates and upset consumers. The name is said to refer to bland celebrities in reality TV shows, and it also references ‘retard’.

    Over the past week, there have been several blogs and social media messages demanding that the lipstick from the 31-year old tattoo artists be removed from the shelves.

    Faith Bodnar, who is the executive director of Inclusion BC, an organization that promotes inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life said that the word ‘retard’ is plain offensive. “It should have never been on the shelves to begin with,” Bodnar said in a statement. “It’s degrading, and there’s no place for it.”

    Following the new development, Sephora jumped into control the damage and issued an apology, “It has come to our attention that the name of one shade of lipstick we carry has caused offense to some of our clients and others,” Sephora said on Wednesday in a statement sent to CTV News  “We are deeply sorry for that.”

    The company also confirmed that the lipstick has been discontinued from distribution.

    It is possible that Kat and Sephora meant no harm in releasing the controversial lipstick, but the offensive name was obviously not going to gel well with the consumers.

    And Kat Von D seemed unapologetic when she tweeted moments later, “At the end of the day, it’s just a *** lipstick.” The tweet was later deleted.

    (image via Wikipedia)

  • Frantic Home Depot Apology Prompted By Racist Tweet

    A racist tweet sent by a social media contractor of Home Depot has generated large unprecedented online outrage. The tweet which originated from Depot’s official Twitter handle, @HomeDepot, was part of a college football game promotion by ESPN. Although it was quickly deleted, many people had already taken screenshots of it and widely circulated it on the social media.

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    The tweet showed a picture of two African Americans drummers and one person in a gorilla mask seated between them and asked “which drummer is not like the others?”

    Home Depot has already issued a statement condemning the act, and apologizing for it. “We have zero tolerance for anything so stupid and offensive,” read Home Depot tweet. It also says that it has fired the individual who was responsible for the tweet, but it has not indicated who the individual is.

    Depot says that it is closely reviewing its social media procedures in order to determine how this could have happened and ensure that the same never happens again. Since Thursday, Home Depot has been frantically sending the same apology in its twitter account bearing the same message, “we have zero tolerance for anything so stupid and offensive. Deeply sorry. We terminated the agency and individual who posted it.”

    It remains to be seen to what extent this unfortunate incident will damage the home improvement retailer’s brand. Home Depot is not the first company to be involved in racist Twitter comments. In 2012, KitchenAid also received public backlash after one of its employees posted a tweet about President Obama’s grandmother’s death.

    (image via today.com)