Glenn Close image from Wikimedia.

Some celebrities, or pseudo-celebrities like Adam Jasinski, choose to use their money for destructive purposes such as drugs and material excess. However, I am encouraged today to see that famous actress Glenn Close is using her extensive wealth for good.

Glenn Close this morning appeared on “Good Morning America” to talk about her new mental illness awareness campaign, Bring Change 2 Mind. Glenn Close, with the help of her sister Jessie Close, has started a national campaign to bring mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia.

Why mental illness, why Glenn Close?

People who have been to war have a lot more to worry about than paying off their military personal loans. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disease just as cancer or diabetes is a disease, says Glenn Close regarding mental illness. She was inspired to start the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign because of her sister, Jessie, who is diagnosed as bipolar.

Jessie’s son, Calen, has been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder, which is both schizophrenic and bipolar at once. Glenn Close says all the people in her Bring Change 2 Mind commercials are real people with real disorders and the people they rely on to help them. In videos on the Bring Change 2 Mind web site, the people who appear in the Grand Central Station commercial, which you can also watch on the site, talk about their specific illnesses.

Seeking help

On Good Morning America, Jessie Close talked about struggling with her disorder all her life. She didn’t officially find out she was bipolar until she was 47. She talked about the struggle with the decision to take medication.

The bottom line is, through the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign the Close sisters want to spread awareness about mental illness to diminish the stigma that surrounds it. They also want people who have mental illness to get help and support.

“We’re getting more and more sophisticated medication,” Glenn Close said. “We need to keep people with mental illness living full and productive and creative lives.”

Pictured: Reproduction of a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. Image from Flikr.

Until now, “Profile of the Bella Principessa” was considered just another 18th century German painting. However, thanks to the work of a team of investigators, many people now believe “Profile of the Bella Principessa” was created by none other than Leonardo da Vinci.

The owner of the painting, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought “Profile of the Bella Principessa” for about $19,000 through an art dealer in 2007. However, if this painting is, in fact, by the same artist who created the “Mona Lisa,” “The Last Supper” and “Truvian Man,” it is valued at $150 million.

Evidence supports da Vinci theory

So, what are the chances the owner of “Profile of the Bella Principessa” will never need debt relief or any type of income again? Not bad at all. A forensic art expert from the Lumiere Technology laboratory in Paris believes a fingerprint on “Profile of the Bella Principessa” matches a fingerprint on another da Vinci painting, the portrait of St. Jerome in the Vatican.

Investigators first started analyzing the painting simply because they noticed stylistic elements similar to other da Vinci paintings. It has been compared to the “Mona Lisa,” and the artist was left handed, as was da Vinci. The canvas used for “Profile of the Bella Principessa” has been carbon dated to between 1440 and 1650.

Rate of return

If the anonymous Swiss owner of “Profile of the Bella Prinicipessa” does sell the piece for $150 million, that would be nearly 10,000 times what the owner paid for it. ABC News reports that some suspect Peter Silverman, the art collector and dealer who purchased the painting from the Ganz gallery in New York, is actually the owner.

However, Silverman says he bought the painting on behalf of a wealthy Swiss art collector. Silverman is from Canada and says he thought “Profile of the Bella Principessa” was stylistically similar to da Vinci’s work the moment he laid eyes on it. Check out video of interviews with the investigators and photos of “Profile of the Bella Principessa” on Good Morning America.

ABC News building. Image from Flikr.com.

Jon Gosselin’s attempt on “Good Morning America” to show the world that he is “a real person with feelings” appears to have possibly backfired. “ABC News” reporter Chris Cuomo said during Jon Gosselin’s interview that Kate has been painted as a victim in the tabloids while Jon Gosselin has been portrayed as the enemy or even “the evil empire.”

Cuomo held up magazine covers calling Jon a “dirt-bag” and saying Kate “strikes back” as evidence. Jon Gosselin on “Good Morning America” says that Kate was abusive, that he’s trying to move on with life and that he wants everyone to see that he has feelings. Unfortunately, he also said — twice — that he “despises” Kate. Oops. That, of course, is the quote that made all of the headlines today.

Maintaining dirt-bag status

Alarm bells obviously went off in Cuomo’s head when Jon Gosselin on “Good Morning America” said he and Kate have separate film crews because Jon can’t sit on a couch with someone he despises. Cuomo said “you gotta be careful about how you talk about Kate, as the mother of your kids.” But the damage was already done.

Pay day loans have gotten bad publicity in the past because of a few bad comments, and now it’s Jon Gosselin’s turn. Only in Jon Gosselin’s case, it’s his own comments that might earn him bad press. True to her more polished public persona, Kate said there are aspects of their divorce that should remain private and wouldn’t comment any further. If Jon Gosselin’s interview on “Good Morning America” was a cry for attention, it certainly worked. But is this really the type of attention Jon Gosselin was aiming for? Some people, particularly Richard Huff from the Daily News, believe it’s all about the money.

Coincidences or publicity stunts

In his article, Huff points out that both Jon and Kate have fed into and capitalized on the paparazzi and tabloid frenzy that has been following them around for months. He even goes so far as to imply that Jon and Kate timed their divorce announcement on “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ for when it would get the most publicity. Huff writes:

Since their marriage fell apart on TV, which coincidentally and sadly happened at a time when the rest of the celebrity world was in hibernation, the couple have generated more online clicks and sold more magazines than anyone.

That’s a pretty harsh accusation, but one that is tough to argue with. I have been following the Jon and Kate saga since rumors began flying that the two were having affairs, and the big breaks in their story do seem to be so perfectly timed that it’s hard not to think they might be publicity stunts.

More suspicious activity

A strange part of the Jon Gosselin on “Good Morning America” interview was the part near the end where he says Kate took his wedding ring. It’s clear from the interview that he doesn’t know for sure that she took it, he is assuming she took it.

Airing your assumptions on “Good Morning America,” one of the most-watched shows in the country? Not a great idea. Especially not if you want people to see you as a good guy.

Watch Jon Gosselin on ‘Good Morning America’ video

Watch the Jon Gosselin on “Good Morning America” segment:

Image from amazon.com

Whitney Houston may have disappeared for a while, but her fans sure didn’t. Thousands gathered in Central Park to watch Whitney Houston on “Good Morning America.”

Whitney Houston went on “Good Morning America” to promote her new album, “I Look to You.” It has been seven years since she released an album, and the audience at Whitney Houston’s performance on “Good Morning America” showed fans were willing to wait.

Another platinum album for Whitney?

To hear ABC tell it, her fans would have taken out a no fax cash advance to go see Whitney Houston on “Good Morning America,” but I think ABC News’ report on Whitney Houston on “Good Morning America” might be slightly exaggerated, especially considering that it says she is 44, but she is really 46.

The pressure is on for “I Look to You,” Whitney Houston’s sixth studio album. Every single Whitney Houston album has gone multi-platinum, including her greatest hits album and the two movie soundtracks that she contributed to heavily. “I Look to You” came out a couple of days ago, and I am curious to see whether the advances in digital music over the past seven years will make a difference in Whitney Houston’s album sales.

Diamonds are Whitney’s best friends

Long before Whitney Houston was on “Good Morning America,” she released her very first album, “Whitney Houston.” To be precise, this was 24 years before Whitney Houston performed on “Good Morning America.”

“Whitney Houston” went gold, then platinum, then diamond in the U.S. That means it sold more than 10 million copies. In fact, it sold 13 million copies nationwide. Worldwide, “Whitney Houston” sold 25 million copies.

What’s in a name?

Apparently selling 25 million copies of an album is hard or something because it has all been downhill since then. After “Whitney Houston,” Whitney Houston released “Whitney,” not to be confused with her 2002 album “Just Whitney.”

Though she didn’t achieve diamond status with the four albums that followed “Whitney Houston,” she didn’t do too badly. “Whitney” sold 9 million copies in the U.S., and both “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “My Love is Your Love” sold 4 million.

Making movies

Of course, all of Whitney’s paychecks don’t come from her record company. She has also been in a few movies, including “The Bodyguard” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”

Her singing greatly contributed to both soundtracks. “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, featuring “I Will Always Love You,” sold 42 million copies worldwide and 17 million in the U.S. Sheesh. “The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack was no small potatoes, either. That album sold 6 million copies worldwide and 3 million in the U.S.

After these messages, she’ll be right back

So, is Whitney Houston on the path to a career comeback? Yes, definitely. People don’t just put out nothing but multi-platinum albums and then go away. I think “I Look to You” will make her buckets of money, and she’ll make more albums after this.

Even though many sources report that Whitney Houston on “Good Morning America” had a raspy voice, I think she will keep singing and people will keep buying concert tickets and albums until she has no voice at all.

What if way too much food was still not enough?

Good Morning America today featured a story about a woman with a very rare and peculiar disease. It’s called Prader Willi Syndrome, and it’s a condition that affects the part of your brain that lets you know when you’re full or when you’re not hungry.

Imagine always feeling hungry. Imagine you’ve already had a full meal, with steak, potatoes, vegetables, bread and even dessert, and you still feel hungry. That’s what happens to people with Prader Willi Syndrome. Reports say that people who have Prader Willi Syndrome will get food any way they can, including stealing, and that their families have to keep all of the food in the house locked up

Prader Willi Syndrome could be deadly

Good Morning America says that an estimated 45,000 Americans have Prader Willi Syndrome, but that 25,000 could be undiagnosed. This is not a disease that can be solved with payday loans to pay for medication. Some of the drugs that are prescribed to help compulsive disorders, depression and addiction can help with Prader Willi Syndrome somewhat, but carriers still feels hungry, they just act on it a little bit less.

Kate Kane, the woman who was featured on Good Morning America, has lost weight and been able to control her Prader Willi Syndrome by living in a group home with others who suffer from the same condition. The food is locked up, the residents have a strict schedule and do an hours of exercise every day. Because there is no cure, Kate Kane will likely have to live in this home for the rest of her life. However, Kate has lost 150 pounds since moving into the home.

Prader Willi Syndrome symptoms implications

I have definitely gone through times when I had a hefty appetite for no good reason, and I think most other people have, too. I have also gone through times, though, when I didn’t have much of an appetite at all. And I have never felt like no matter how much I ate I couldn’t get full.

But that’s what people with Prader Willi Syndrome go through every day. It explains many cases of extreme obesity, and when people don’t get help they can die from Prader Willi. Good Morning America reports:

Kane, 26, feels so hungry that she begs, steals and even eats out of the garbage to get to food. And if someone didn’t stop her, the consequences could be tragic.
“I could eat until I die, basically,” she said. “Or I was — got really sick.”

More Prader Willi Syndrome symptoms

Hunger isn’t where the Prader Willi Sydrome symptoms stop. GMA says this genetic disease, caused by a chromosomal flaw, also causes muscle weakness and learning disabilities.

Kate Kane has nearly been arrested multiple times and lost jobs because she stole food. The group home is the only solution that works for her, but her parents have donated to Prader Willi Syndrome research. Scientists hope that studying Prader-Willi will offer insight into what controls appetites and the causes of obesity.

Love chooses us (or we chose love) with the best of intentions. I figured I’d be married for the rest of my life; now I’m almost done with a divorce. While I shall forever be an idealist with cynical tendencies, I have to chalk up my naivete to the brain chemicals. They also made me take out personal loans and cash advances to ensure that the bills wouldn’t prevent me from getting my ex her birthday, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day present on time. So the chemicals were good for my health. They’ll be good for me again someday, too.

Some people aren’t quite so hopeful (they say “more realistic”) as I. Perhaps they’ve been burned before. Perhaps they don’t want to have to eat most of the cost of that engagement ring. Perhaps they’ve never heard about I Do, Now I Don’t.

As seen on Good Morning America

That’s exactly what happened to Josh Opperman. He had pumped years worth of savings into an engagement ring. One day, after returning home from work, he discovered that his lovely woman had left with everything but a table and the engagement ring she’d left on it. Opperman had been dumped like graying bathwater.

“It’s a terrible story,” he said.

The first thing he did was attempt to recoup his losses on the engagement ring. Unfortunately, the jeweler who’d sold it to him was only willing to give him 35 percent of what he had paid. In a flourish of greed, the avaricious peddler claimed the amount was so little because he was “trying to protect profit margin.” Needless to say, Opperman was up a creek without a paddle – or boat. His only flotation device was a diamond ring he couldn’t sell back.

But calamity can lead to prosperity

“I was saving for it for a few years. I was putting money away from my paycheck every month,” he said. Now he needed a way to try to get his head back above water.

And he found it. An “A-ha!” moment with his sister gave Opperman the idea to start a Web site called www.idonowidont.com. On his Web site, he would be the financial healer that helps people in the exact same situation he’d suffered through before. People could sell their engagement rings at 65 percent to 70 percent of their cost. Furthermore, engagement ring shoppers could find bargains on the site.

“On our site, we are basically skipping the middle man,” Opperman said.

Sellers can tell their stories, too

This is where the real healing begins. Money is one thing, but being able to unlock the heartache from our guarded hearts and set it free is a big step toward recovery. Sharing the pain also lends a poignancy that subconsciously acts as a sales pitch. As a guy, what would you rather buy: jewelry that comes from a place of strong emotion, which moves you in your desire to share your heart with the one you love… or a cold new piece of gold and diamond that has never felt the fires of love? OK, I know I’m stretching it a bit here… the real attraction is that they’re cheaper. Let it be your little secret, though.

Here’s a sample story: “We were never married nor engaged, but I purchased this ring in hopes of that commitment. Sadly, it never materialized,” one man wrote. “I got this ring from my ‘fiance’ at the time. He paid half cash and half with my credit card. I’m no longer wearing the ring, but I’m still stuck paying for it,” a woman wrote.

A simple recipe for engagement ring transactions

Idonowidont.com is very different from your standard jeweler in that once a buyer and seller come to an agreement on a ring’s sale, both the money and the ring are sent to I Do, Now I Don’t for safekeeping. While the money is held in escrow, a gemologist with prerequisite certifications appraises the ring’s value.

Mark Yakubov of Accredited Gemological Institute looks to be fair. “My job is to be very independent. I don’t know what the buyer wants or what the seller wants. I give my own independent opinion, and if it satisfies both parties, they take it from there.”

That’s exactly what engagement ring shoppers and sellers are doing during this difficult economy. They’re looking for convenience and good deals, which Idonowidont.com has proven itself capable of offering. Opperman was one of the first to test out his service, and he is a happy customer. As he is now married to someone else, hopefully he won’t need his Web site’s services again. But the option is there. Personal loans and cash advances are there too for when he needs to pay for that surprise ER bill in the middle of the night. If he has children, it’ll happen.

Related  Video:

John Legend performs next in the GMA Summer Concert Series.

If you’re really lucky, your trip to gmaconcerts.com could land you a trip to New York to see one of the concerts that’s part of the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series.

Good Morning America today announced people can enter to win their Summer Concert Series Sweepstakes. Four lucky grand-prize winners will get to attend a GMA Summer Concert Series performance of their choice in New York, roundtrip airfare for two to New York, 3-nights’ hotel accommodations and $500 cash.

Against the odds

Of course, hundreds of thousands of people will enter the sweepstakes, so if you really want to go to one of the concerts listed at gmaconcerts.com, you’ll likely have to fork up some dough.

A little tidbit of advice: concerts aren’t a necessity, so you shouldn’t pay for your trip to New York with secured loans. But if you do have a little money to play with this summer, make sure you use it wisely. If you want to spend your play money on going to one of the concerts at gmaconcerts.com, make sure you choose the right concert.

Entertainment at the best price

Unless, of course, you live in New York. The beautiful thing about the Good Morning America Concert Series is that all of the shows are free, so you don’t need tickets. Well, you don’t need tickets except, of course, for the Jonas Brothers concert, but tickets for that are long gone anyway.

Good Morning America and Walgreens are sponsoring the free performances in Central Park, so if you find some cheap plane tickets, you might be able to take a trip to the Big Apple and take in a good concert for minimal expense. Here are some of the musical acts in the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series that are already listed at gmaconcerts.com.

John Legend

Soul singer John Legend will perform tomorrow on Good Morning America. Legend has had substantial success in his so-far-short career. His first album, “Get Lifted,” released in 2004, sold 3 million copies worldwide. His 2006 release “Once Again” sold 2.5 million.

Last year’s release “Evolver” hasn’t broken the million-copy mark yet, but his performance tomorrow on Good Morning America will probably lead to a spike in album sales.

Jonas Brothers

June 12 is the magical Jonas Brothers date. Although you can’t attend the concert unless you already have a ticket, you can catch the performance on Good Morning America.

Their GMA appearance conveniently falls just a few days before the release of the Jonas Brothers’ new album, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times.” The Jonas Brothers’ last album, “A Little Bit Longer,” hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts last year, and it sold more than 2.3 million copies.

Jaime Foxx

A man better known for his acting and comedy, Jaime Foxx will share his music with the Good Morning America audience June 19.

Jaime Foxx’s 2005 release “Unpredictable” sold 2 million copies, and 2008’s “Intuition” sold 1 million. However, Foxx has made most of his money on big-time blockbuster movies such as “Dreamgirls” and “Ray.”

“Hair” cast

Cast members from the Broadway play “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” will perform songs from the play.

Enter to win

That gets us through June in the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series. To save some dough — and maybe even come home with some extra, thanks to that $500 cash — head to gmaconcerts.com to enter for your chance to win.

Grocery stores and other retailers have made saving money easier on customers by issuing loyalty cards and eliminating the need to clip coupons. However, those of us who use those cards know that they add up quickly.

That’s where Key Ring Thing comes in. It lets you combine your Ace Hardware card and grocery store card and whatever else you have.

Spreading your loyalty around

You can combine up to six different cards on your Key Ring Thing. All you have to do is sign up online. Gather your cards, and you can enter in your various bar codes at the company’s web site.

The site also says you are entitled to a free gift with your Key Ring Thing. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it is not a free cash advance.

Common sense

I tried a little experiment to find out which pieces of plastic in my wallet could be converted onto a Key Ring Thing. As expected, it accepted my Safeway and Albertsons cards. It said it could not find “Subway” or my library card in its database. But, hey, I had to try.

No charge?

Well, of course you have to pay for shipping and handling if you want the company to mail your Key Ring Thing. However, you can print out temporary cards for free and use them as you need them. You can also save your Key Ring Thing information to your iPhone.

Other features

Besides getting your current loyalty cards bundled into one, you can also sign up for new programs through the Key Ring Thing web site. If you need  to be loyal to more than six retailers, you can order multiple cards.

One last piece of advice: If you want to take advantage of Key Ring Thing, wait until tomorrow. This little device made it onto Good Morning America, so the web site is “experiencing an unusually high number of requests.”

It’s a good morning for America, Britney Spears, and payday loans. Just when you thought the pop princess had dropped off the charts and the face of the planet for good, think again. Britney Spears has been in the public spotlight since her introduction to Hollywood and the pop music world. Unfortunately, the past few years have been hard on Ms. Spears. Spears endured a nasty divorce with ex Kevin Federline, she suffered through a very public and humiliating custody battle, and has been a constant target for media scrutiny. No longer famous for her music and enthralling dance performances, Spears became famous for her hospitalizations, trips to rehab, and crazy antics like shaving her head and assaulting the paparazzi. However, after a few embarrassing years, the pop princess is regaining control of her life and inching her way back up the charts and into the hearts of Americans.

Happy Birthday, Britney!

Britney is back. Today marks Spears’ 27th birthday, and she celebrated in style; Britney performed the hit songs “Womanizer” and “Circus” from her new CD “Circus” on Good Morning America. While the live performance was a real treat for Britney fans, the best part of the morning was Britney’s announcement that she will be going on a world tour next year. That is great news for fans that have been anxiously waiting for five long years for Britney to go back on tour. Britney’s tour begins March 3rd, 2009 in her home state of Louisiana—New Orleans, to be precise. For all you die hard Britney fans, tickets for her new world tour go on sale in just a few days—December 6th.

Hit Me Baby One More Time

Britney Spears' "Circus" album was released December 2, 2008

Britney’s new CD is titled “Circus”, and Britney’s life has pretty much been a circus since she first came on the pop scene in 1999 with her song “Baby One More Time.” Ten years later and Britney is still making music and still making headlines; Britney Spears was the most searched celebrity on the internet this year. People still have a genuine interest in the pop princess’ life. As noted, Britney’s life has been tumultuous over the past couple years, but with the help of medical professionals, lawyers, agents, personal trainers, friends, and family, Britney is prepared to stage a legitimate comeback in the music industry.

Today is a New Day

Britney Spears is the perfect example of how quickly one can rise to and fall from success. Life is a huge roller coaster of personal successes and failures. For Britney, today is a new day. Britney has learned from her mistakes, picked up the pieces, and is on her way back to stardom. There is no doubt that your life, along with your finances, has been a roller coaster of small successes and failures. Spears hasn’t always been the best role model, but you can follow in her footsteps when it comes to regaining control of your life. If your finances have spiraled out of control like Britney’s life did, it’s plain to see that there is hope. Britney is making a fresh start for herself, and you and your finances can make a comeback, as well. Britney got professional help to get her life back on track, and you can get help from payday loans to regain control of your finances. Today is a new day, and payday loans can start you in the right direction.