Pros and Cons of Pay Day Loans

Short-term loans have been known to be the financial tools utilized by many individuals at some point of their life. And pay day loans are a great avenue to pursue in order to fulfill one’s emergency cash needs in one way or the other. Pay day loans like installment  loans are one type that can provide an individual with quick money when he/she is short on cash. These loans are also called short term loans because the repayment of the loan proceeds occur only after a short interval that is within a few weeks of borrowing the money.

Since pay day loans are not hefty loans and the amount borrowed is usually not much, the fees attached to the money lent is very reasonable. In any case, if the borrower does not pay back the loan amount when it is due, the fee will continue to accrue. However, before opting for any type of loan, it is very important to put some time and effort into getting at least a brief overview of the loan type in order to understand the pros and cons that may come with it.

Pros: How can you benefit from such a loan? Is it really convenient?

There are many positive points in support of opting for pay day loans. The foremost being that pay day loans are a quick way of providing money which may serve a useful purpose for individuals who need cash in an emergency situation. Some examples in support of the viewpoint that pay day loans come in handy include your emergency medical bills, your monthly utility bills, car repair expense, etc. This type of loan is a convenient way to get financial support if an individual needs money in an unexpected emergency and is sure that he/she will be able to pay back the loan amount in the near future.

One more positive point to note in favor of pay day loans is that the loan amount borrowed is not huge in nature. This is what makes it more convenient to opt for such a loan as it can be paid back in the near future and there is no fear of having the interest fees accrue over a long period of time due to temporary non payment of the loan amount on the due date.

Cons: Some negative aspects of pay day loans.

Along with so many benefits there are also a couple of cons associated with pay day loans that one should be aware of before choosing such a loan. As compared to other loan types, the fees or interest attached to the amount of money borrowed is high. Let’s say for example you have borrowed $500 as the loan amount then the fee attached to it could be as high as $50 which is quite pricey I would say. Also this fee amount will continue to accrue if the borrower is unable to repay the loan amount right away when it is due.
Also the amount of money that one can obtain by picking this type of loan is not all that high. These loans are meant to be short term small loans for your cash needs and one cannot acquire a large amount of money. A person can acquire $300 or $1,500 as a loan amount and thus this type of loan cannot be the complete solution to the borrower’s entire financial problem. Therefore, if one is in need of more than that amount, a Pay Day loan may not be helpful in this regard.

If you’ve decided the Pros outweigh the Cons, Apply HERE for Pay Day Loans!

Brian Urlacher will not see the field again in 2009. (Photo: commons.wikimedia.org)

The NFL season is now underway. Hope springs eternal and all that jazz for teams with hopes of the postseason, and the Chicago Bears were clearly in that race. I hope you didn’t do something silly, like taking out pay day loans to plunk money down on the Bears going all the way in 2009.

They WERE in the race? Isn’t this only Week 1?

The Green Bay Packers may have triumphed over the Chicago Bears 21-15, in no small part due to four interceptions by new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. However, the Bears held a lead until the second half of that game. The real problem came from a Brian Urlacher injury. That’s a major blow at any time during the season, but ESPN has reported that it will officially end the season for the All-Pro linebacker.

He dislocated his right wrist

Bears spokesman Jim Christman confirmed the sentence the Chicago Tribune had already handed down to Bears fans: “Brian did have surgery this morning and he is out for the remainder of the season.” Urlacher himself backed this up in a text to the Tribune. A first quarter play where he tackled Bears running back Ryan Grant is what did him in; we was unable to return to the game.

Was he on the cover of Madden NFL or something?

Well, not this season. He’s certainly a big enough star in the National Football League to warrant the exposure. However, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals are this season’s cover boys. The “Madden curse” has already hit Polamalu this season, and the countdown has begun for Fitzgerald. Urlacher has done plenty of promotions for other products and services, however. Maybe there’s another curse I’m unaware of that has struck. If I believed in curses, that would actually mean something to me.

A season-ending injury is certainly not the norm for Urlacher. The six-time Pro Bowler had made 49 starts in a row during his 10-year career. Overall, he’s only missed seven games. Those came due to a hamstring injury in 2004. So the Bears are looking for a replacement free agent help to fill the position, if not the on-field leadership role Brian Urlacher will leave behind. ESPN indicates Derrick Brooks could be an option the Bears would be able to sign quickly.

What losing a leader means

“It’s always tough to have your leader go down,” Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said to the Tribune. “He knows the defense better than anybody and he communicates everything to everyone else.”

Having a leader around makes a big difference in the team dynamic. Think of it in terms of relationships. The leader takes the disparate elements and helps meld them together into a functioning whole. That’s why the Brian Urlacher injury is such a blow to the Bears: it’s because he performed that role for them on the field. A real world example would be a relationship where one partner was in charge of the personal finances. If that partner goes down or becomes unavailable for whatever reason, issues in the budget can manifest. Short-term recovery is attainable through the use of pay day loans, but long-term success requires a leader to make the elements of the budget work as a team.

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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:

Be an adult and make up your mind, Brett. (Photo: flickr.com)

When it comes to making plans for what to do with the rest of your life, a little bit of flexibility is important. Sure, you don’t want to lock yourself into something if your situation changes. For instance, if your budget is rigid each month, how are you going to handle the financial shocks that life will inevitably throw your way like a rocket pass from a rifle-armed NFL quarterback? It pays to have a supple-handed budget that leaves room for the unexpected. Unsecured loans and pay day loans can make you look like an All-Pro wide receiver… at least for a little while. You have to fix the big problems eventually.

And Brett Favre? He’s a big problem

Here he comes again, like the little boy who cried wolf. Brett Favre to the Vikings speculation is heating up the sports airwaves once more… if you consider lukewarm disbelief any kind of heat. According to Michael David Smith on NFL Fanhouse, two reporters close to the confused old quarterback say that Favre to the Vikings may be a “distinct possibility” for 2009.

But can he help them win?

Perhaps he can. If that doesn’t speak to the state of quarterbacking in the NFL these days, nothing does. Considering the interest in Michael Vick, there’s an even bigger problem with backup quarterbacks in the league, but that’s another story.

Wishy-washy types like Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress claim that would “still like to have Favre” at starting quarterback, which doesn’t help this non-committal quagmire at all. Sure, Viking quarterback hopefuls like Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels may struggle, facilitating the transition back to an old guard like Favre. But at some point, doesn’t youth need to be thrown into the fire and learn to sink or swim? I believe that’s the best way to acclimate yourself to a challenge like playing quarterback in the National Football League, but most fan bases don’t have the patience to last through the growing pains. Most fans think it’s OK to sign Michael Vick, too, so I have no respect for their cognitive abilities or grasp of morality.

Desperation city

Peter King of Sports Illustrated puts it this way: “I think the Minnesota Vikings, should they struggle at quarterback, will call Brett Favre. It’s a pretty strong feeling, based on knowing the people involved and based on the desperation of the Vikings to do more than win a division this year.”
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports takes the thinking one step farther. He believes that the decision has already been made – that Favre to Vikings is already a done deal and that he’ll take the reins after August training camp. In Glazer’s words, “When I say nearly everyone I talked to on the team is convinced he’s coming, that is not an exaggeration. People from all walks of life within the organization talk about it as if it’s no secret, almost an afterthought.”

An afterthought… that’s Favre, baby

Fine. I’ll admit he’s had a great career and is headed for the National Football League Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio some day. But his on again, off again retirement talk, as well as his obvious need to be connected to the game regardless of how the uncertainty affects the team he may or may not play for is disruptive. Brett Favre needs to make up his mind if he doesn’t want to be viewed as a laughing stock by football fans.

Favre has remained silent on the matter

This is because he loves the attention. He wants people fawning over him and he wants to feel wanted because he’s a big baby who has never entered the adult world. He is another coddled athlete who feels no compulsion to operate by the rules under which rest of the world is required to play.

Yes, both King and Glazer could be way off base here with the Favre to the Vikings story. But both have known Brett Favre for years and have broken news on the quarterback in the past. But if Brett doesn’t stop playing with the public, they will eventually turn their back on him. Even Green Bay fans who remember the glory days will pull the cheese out of their ears and hear the tune he’s been playing on their emotions for years.

What do you think?

Will Brett Favre return to football? Would you be willing to put down unsecured loans or pay day loans over the outcome? On second thought, please don’t do that. When it comes to that product here at Personal Money Store, we’d hope you’d take it much more seriously than something that can be gambled with. There’s no gamble when it comes to protecting your finances during a short-term emergency. Don’t be a Favre and play around. Make up your mind and apply for a loan here if you need one.

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(Image: power-showcase.com)

So, what do you know about payday loans or installment loans? Chances are you’ve heard about them in some way, shape or form, as television, radio and online advertising sings their praises. Not only has advertising been a big part of the public’s awareness of the short term consumer loan products, however; the news media has taken it upon itself to be a mouthpiece for supposed “consumer” activist groups like the Center For Responsible Lending, who decry payday loans and installment loans while looking to profit off the backs of the same customers with their own comparable loan products (offered through affiliated financial institutions like Self-Help Credit Union).

Beneficial as a whole

If you buy into the anti-payday loan hype, you believe that there are scores of “average consumers” being trapped in vicious cycles of debt because of being unable to pay back their loans on time. Ultimately, this makes their previous financial situation so much worse, and the media seizes upon such opportunities to tell supposed horror stories. Yet those who actually do default are in the minority. The truth is that the industry as a whole presents consumers with viable choice. Handled responsibly, payday loans and installment loans can be useful tools. They are much more of a gift than a curse and Personal Money Store would like to prove it to you.

Here’s the pitch

Personal Money Store is here for you when you’re yearning for a brighter financial future, with the installment loans, payday loans, unsecured loans, pay day loans and more that you need to get back on track during a temporary financial dust up. We take your application to a network of lenders, saving you the legwork of having to check out the rates and policies of different lenders. If we find a match, we refer you to the lender who can help you best. Chances are there’s someone willing to help you. However, you won’t know unless you apply.

Swung on and belted… deep…

Installment loans, payday loans, unsecured loans and pay day loans are great options when you need money in the short run to make up for a budget hiccup, but you may have additional concerns. For instance, perhaps you may be concerned about whether your good name will be protected during the application and (if approved) repayment process. You don’t want to lock yourself out of a future financing opportunity.

It’s out of the park!

You can rest easy. By choosing Personal Money Store, or any lenders who accepts your application through our Web site, you’re taking a safe step toward knocking financial hardship out of the ballpark.

How can we say this?

It’s because all of our customers’ sensitive pieces of information are handled in the same fashion as the most secure online merchants, in the interest of preventing their shoppers from being put in harm’s way. To put it another way, you really won’t regret coming to us when cheap payday loans, no fax payday loans or fast payday loans could be just the thing you need to bring your pocket book back to its happy place.

Now, keep in mind that while Personal Money Store does not make any guarantees that applying through us will result in you obtaining installment loans, payday loans, unsecured loans or pay day loans, we are able to help a lot of people. Are you next? Apply and find out!

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She just got a bid on a pair of Reggie's man panties (Photo: sonsofsimmons.com)

Ray J is gone, but the sex tape remains. Reggie Bush came across as slightly more savory, if you ignore the obvious monetary improprieties that went on when he was a star back at USC. But now, the horrible news has come down: the Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush break up is a reality. The curvy Armenian and the cut football star have called it quits, not long after it was rumored that they were going to get married.

Hollie McKay reports for Fox News that there’s another side to this beyond the tears and the Twitters: “Will Kim Kardashian Still Auction Off Reggie Bush’s Clothes?” That’s what McKay and the rest of the civilized world want to know.

Selling clothes? Does he need pay day loans?

Or perhaps secured loans? Perhaps not. But I’ll get to the clothing sale in a moment.

This amicable split did not come as a surprise to those close to both parties. A Fox News insider claims “It’s been rocky for a little while now. They both have contracts on separate sides of the country and it was too much. They used to see each other every couple of weeks, but Kim’s brand is much bigger than it was last season.”

Yes, a growing brand can be a problem:

Pumped up about having a family

“Having six kids would be amazing; it’s exactly what I want. It’s what I grew up with, so I can’t imagine anything less,” Kardashian recently told Pop Tarts. “It is something Reggie and I have talked about. When you’re that close to someone, it’s always going to come up.”

Now, the clothing thing

If one person has to do all the heavy lifting in a relationship, you know there's going to be trouble. (Photo: mikastefano.wordpress.com)

Apparently, Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush (pre-break up) worked together in a business venture where they auctioned clothing for charity. In the case of Kim, there was an entire line of clothing. From Reggie, there were football jerseys, shoes and custom suits and shirts. But now Reggie’s name no longer appears on Kim’s eBay auction site.

It isn’t clear if that means that Bush will no longer do business with Kardashian, but it seems that way. But Kim will continue to sell her items for her charity that benefits terminally ill adults. She formed the organization to honor the memory of her father Robert Kardashian, a lawyer who was famously a part of the O.J. Simpson defense team. Robert Kardashian died due to complications of esophageal cancer in 2003.

In other Kardashian beau news

Pop Tarts spotted Kourtney Kardashian’s once ex but now on again fiance Scott Disick at the Silver Spoon Malibu Beach House. This is apparently a place where pseudo-stars like Lindsay Lohan go to have their pictures taken and be able to spill their hot mess all over everyone in a safe environment. Disick, who aspires to Kato Kaelin star cred, had some things to say about how he’s going to be on his best behavior from now on. That’s right, Scott. Otherwise, you’re just a piece of driftwood. Without a Kardashian riding you, you’re nothing but a twig the seagulls do their business on.

When you say things like “I could puke on myself and still be good-looking,” you do yourself no favors. Keep the puke where it belongs and focus on being a model boy toy. And stay out of Kim’s way as she wrestles with the same decision Diana Ross had to make in the movie “Mahogany” – a fashion career, or Billy Dee Williams? In Kim Kardashian’s case, I think she should become a spokeswoman for pay day loans and secured loans. You’d see her commercial, then you’d apply here.

How exciting!

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Morgan Haley, aka Bikini Bandit (Photo: commercialappeal.com)

It takes enterprise to make it in the world today. With such a tight economy, whatever you can bring to the table that sets you apart from the competition is necessary. People are more hesitant than ever to fork over their money freely, and as it is there are many who are looking to services like pay day loans and secured loans for assistance in making ends meet when calamity strikes.

Apparently, even people who have decided that obtaining material wealth via illegal means (which I definitely do not endorse) is a good course of action have taken to trying to stand apart from the maddening crowd. Morgan Haley attempted a carjacking with a natural weapon she must have figured would disarm drivers and help her keep her cool during the summer heat of Memphis, Tennessee. Her weapon was… a bikini.

But the driver was… a woman

It didn’t matter, however. Yolanda Jones reports for Commercialappeal.com that Morgan Haley, 24, has been arrested and taken to jail. Her bond was set at $6,000. Her crime consisted of forcing a female driver from her car, then she used that car to drive to an RV dealership, where she attempted a robbery of the business. The charges include carjacking charges and “two counts of assault by physical fear,” according to Jones.

What, no gun or knife?

As it turns out, the owner of the vehicle did not see a weapon. “The suspect, wearing only a bikini, approached and threatened her to get out of her car,” said Southaven Police Chief Tom Long. “Fearing for her children, she got out of the car with her kids, and then the suspect left the scene in the car.” I’d say the car itself could have been used as a self-defense weapon, but perhaps I’ve got a bit too much Mad Max in me.

Don't stop, dude! She may want to hijack your vehicle! (Photo: PBase.com)

As stated, Morgan Haley promptly drove a few blocks to the Southhaven RV Center. “Once inside the RV center, she approached employees with something under a towel resembling a weapon and told them it was a robbery,” said Long Apparently she hadn’t made the “weapon” visible during the actual carjacking.

What’s that under the towel?

Haley wasted no time in attempting to take control of the situation, however. I say attempt because she was eventually restrained by employees. You see, Morgan Haley had ordered everyone onto the floor with her supposed weapon (it was unclear at the time exactly what it was that Haley had under that towel, although it isn’t surprising that most responded as if she had a gun. Honestly, is that a chance that’s wise to take, particularly if you aren’t trained in subduing suspects and you have a family at home that depends on you?

Yet one person decided to call Morgan Haley’s bluff. This prompted her to assault the male employee. In the ensuing scuffle, however, Haley was restrained long enough for police to arrive. No weapon was found, yet the authorities have said that Morgan Haley “may face additional charges as the investigation continues.”

Desperate times don’t always require desperate measures

For instance, if you simply need short term cash and want to keep it legal and safe, pay day loans and secured loans are a good way to go. You can even apply here!

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Scott and Anabela Janke (Photo: apakistannews.com)

Jobs are scarce these days as the economy remains challenged by restricted credit markets and consumers who either can’t spend more or are afraid to do so. People look to pay day loans and secured loans to get by in the short run, but they need to retain their jobs in order to do that. Let’s not wish joblessness on anybody these days who doesn’t deserve it, OK? Try to get along out there, people.

But what about Fort Myers Beach Town Manager Scott Janke? The Florida resident has lost his job, and it had nothing to do with cutbacks of his performance. It’s because his wife Anabela Mota Janke is a porn star!

Excuse me?

The couple recently appeared on the CBS television program “The Early Show” so that the public at large could be made aware of this travesty. Scott Janke married Anabela Mota (stage name Jazella Moore) in October of 2008, and things have apparently been going well for them ever since. However, that was until the mayor of Fort Myers Beach and the town council found out what Anabela Janke does for a living. They unanimously decided to vote Scott Janke out of office. He was given six months of pay as severance.

Nope. Nope. Way too distracting.

According to Fort Myers Beach Mayor Larry Kiker, “Our issue is the situation town was put in in terms of how effective we can govern and whether or not it this was going to serve as a distraction for that, and we felt like it would.” Clearly, that’s ridiculous. Scott Janke was a valued member of the town council. Fort Myers Beach isn’t even a sleepy town like some would try to make it out to be, blogs Kyle Munzenrieder for the Miami New Times, so where’s the real problem. It’s not like the money shot would suddenly be taught in area schools. People are way too uptight.

OK, so southwest Florida may be clenching. Lee County, in which Fort Myers Beach is located, once ticketed a man for wearing a Speedo on the beach. But according to Munzenrieder, Fort Myers Beach sports “a strip club, a Hooters, nightclubs, tattoo parlors and head shops.” There’s room for Anabela Janke in town.

Scott Janke was even cooperative

He truly didn’t want there to be any difficulty:

When this story began to break, I was actually called by a local reporter, who also called the mayor about a day before he was going to actually print these articles. And the mayor and I chatted on the phone. Because of my ethics, I said, “I’m willing to resign with compensation if the town council thinks it will help the community not be so distracted.”

"Please don't let my Fort Myers Beach town council member husband be tempted by Anabela's boobies! Please, fire her husband!" (Photo: weblog.timoregan.com)

But that doesn’t mean that Scott and Anabela Janke weren’t treated unfairly. If I were to wager a guess as to what’s going on here, I’d say that the stench of religio-sexual repression is ripe within the town council of Fort Myers Beach, Florida.

People are stepping up with support

According to “The Early Show,” Scott and Anabela Janke have received “hundreds of E-mails from people saying the town shouldn’t have fired him.” You think? If the man was doing his job and nobody was in any danger, why was he fired? Was it just too difficult for the other male council members to do their jobs without drooling? Did they fear the wrath of an imaginary being? Were their wives ramping up the “sleep on the couch the rest of your life” pressure? I don’t know, but I do know that this stinks.

Munzenrieder nails this to the wall, as far as I’m concerned:

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The reporter, the woman and the Holy Hot Viral (Photo: Wheelsports.wordpress.com)

This concludes today’s article trinity on the Church of the Erin Andrews video peep pictures (aka viral topics I exploit for this blog). But I doubt you’ll find a take like mine on the matter, so you’ve come to the right place! CLICK HERE if you missed the second part; if you missed the BEGINNING, go there!

***

Recently, the old 1984 Pepsi commercial where Michael’s head went up in a blaze of Jerri Curl came back into the news. Michael’s death had everything to do with that, as people close to the situation were looking to lay blame and found the media circus to be a perfect soapbox. Plus they want money. Why don’t they use pay day loans and secured loans instead, I ask you!

But here’s where Belew takes it. He references the Pepsi incident as the time when pain killers became a regular part of Michael’s life and led him down a path of self-destruction. Perhaps it did. But here’s the point of comparison Belew makes: he compares Michael with Jeremiah:

Jeremiah the prophet speaks of having fire in his bones. Jeremiah 20:9 – “But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

Michael, writes Belew, was burning to share his unique artistry with the people of the world. Jeremiah wanted to share a gift as well… “the gift of life,” Belew writes, punctuating the thought with “big difference.”

Wrong again, Bill

There is a difference, but not in the way you’re thinking. Art (from high art to the consumable) is vital to human existence. Without it, we stagnate. The creativity that is the hallmark of the human condition goes out like a light and we find little inspiration to live. Erin Andrews herself is a marvelous expression of the human genome. In a sense, that is art, founded upon millions of years of combinations to find the ones that are the most surviving. Hers just happens to be a good one.

Now, the Erin Andrews video peep pictures are just a pale representation of that. Yes, some might say it’s the closest they’ll ever get, which would be true. However, the film itself is not the art that makes life worth living. Life is the art that makes life worth living. Jeremiah’s gift pales by comparison, in that it is founded upon the will of a being who is possessive, jealous, violent and childish. By act two, the Greeks write the script and it comes across as more presentable, but not if you’re a gentile.

All I am saying is give Erin Andrews a chance, Bill

And by that, I mean watch ESPN game broadcasts. Don’t ogle Erin Andrews video peep pictures. Appreciate her for what she brings to the world. That includes well-delivered sideline commentary. Oh, and next time, bring a different book to the party. Don’t be a Buzz Killington, unless you have Erin Andrews etchings…

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Talk about the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault story? OK, if you twist my arm... (Photo: wikimedia)

It’s another ugly story from the world of sports involving sexual assault, and possibly mental illness. Why coverage has been this late to develop is because there is racial bias in media coverage. Ben Roethlisberger is white. If he were black, he’d have been crucified almost immediately. That’s the truth, no matter how much the media denies it. Plus there’s a bias against average Janes vs. superstar male athletes. It’s automatically assumed that the Ben Roethlisberger accuser (Andrea McNulty; see Andrea McNulty photos here) is mentally ill or a gold digger (at least Big Ben’s people are trying to prove the former).

Where’s the truth? We’ll never know for sure

If McNulty has a legitimate case, she deserves justice. However, she isn’t filing a criminal case. She’s filing a civil case against the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Why is that?

According to Yahoo! Sports by way of the Associated Press, McNulty feared her employer at the time (Harrah’s) would take Ben’s side and fire her. Then she wouldn’t be eligible to receive Pay day loans or secured loans. The incident between herself and Roethlisberger is said to have occurred at the Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Various reports (including TMZ) indicate that Roethlisberger has acknowledged having “consensual” sex with McNulty.

And where are all the stories?

Particularly out of the Steelers camp and on ESPN.com. What? There’s little or no coverage? I wonder how the Steelers’ golden boy with the big arm could avoid suspicion? I wonder why ESPN is chasing this like they did the Michael Vick dog-fighting story? It’s as clear as black and white, I believe. Try to color in some gray where you please, but I’ll call a spade a spade.

This will take months to sort out

Scott Sonner’s Associated Press report indicates that Andrea McNulty has filed a civil suit against Ben Roethlisberger for “raping her last summer in his penthouse hotel room at a casino in Lake Tahoe during a celebrity golf tournament.” Roethlisberger’s attorney denied McNulty’s allegations, but as I’ve said, there are reports that Big Ben has acknowledged a past relationship between the two that may have included consensual sex.

“Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct,” said his attorney, David Cornwell. “If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.”

Exonerated of what, exactly?

Exactly? I don’t know. But here’s what has been reported.

Roethlisberger was at Harrah’s in 2008 for a golf tournament. Allegedly, he lured McNulty to his room with a request for her to fix a problem with the television in his room. After determining that the television was working properly, she attempted to leave the room but he blocked her exit. Restraint and uninvited kisses followed according to McNulty, who feared he’d harm her if she fought back. Then the situation escalated to fondling and either rape or consensual sex, depending upon who you ask. McNulty’s hospitalization, according to the suit, was a direct result of the attack.

How much is this kind of pain and suffering truly worth?

Yes, it’s a crass question. There is no dollar amount that’s worth experiencing a sexual assault – if that is indeed what happened here.

In the civil suit, McNulty accuses Harrah’s of trying to cover up the incident. Allegedly, Harrah’s security chief Guy Hyder entered McNulty’s home after obtaining a key from Andrea’s parents while Andrea was hospitalized for either depression or schizophrenia (also alleged). Whether or not this came as the result of a sexual assault is unclear. Andrea McNulty accuses Hyder of erasing information (evidence?) from her computer. Supposedly, Hyder also told her that “most girls would feel lucky to get to have sex with someone like Ben Roethlisberger.”

In total, Ben Roethlisberger’s accuser is seeking at least $440,000 in damages from the quarterback and $50,000 from Harrah’s, as well as unspecified punitive damages “sufficient to deter” Roethlisberger and the others “from engaging in such conduct in the future,” writes Sonner. I wonder how Ben Roethlisberger’s girlfriend is going to take this (Missy Peregrym, who starred in gymnastics film comedy “Stick It”)?

If you’re Ben Roethlisberger and you find you need pay day loans or secured loans (stranger things have happened), you can apply right here. Even if you aren’t Ben, you can apply if you need quick cash in a jiffy!

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(Photo: kiiitv.com)

(CLICK HERE if you missed the beginning of this article)

Michelle Garcia reports for Advocate.com that Sen. Sessions has attempted to attach three amendments to the Matthew Shepard Act that effectively “limit the extension of the federal hate-crimes law” that the Senate has passed. He even took it upon himself to speak on why current hate crime laws shouldn’t include safeguards for gender identity and sexual orientation. Sessions is the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee. The Matthew Shepard Act has passed Congress, but Sessions’ amendments are attached so that President Obama will see them when he decides whether or not to give the bill his signature.

According to Joe Openshaw, an Examiner.com Birmingham Gay Community reporter, “these amendments are unnecessary and are designed to diminish support for the bill.”

What are Sessions’ arguments?

His first amendment opens the floodgates for the death penalty to be applied as punishment for hate crimes in some instances. This hot button could be a huge problem that prevents the Matthew Shepard Act bill’s approval in its current form. Openshaw recognizes the irony of the fact that “the very Senators who have falsely argued that this bill would put clergy in jail because of their beliefs think that those same clergy should be subject to the death penalty.” It comes across as an intentional deal-breaker, thanks to a group of Republican senators which Sessions represents.

Next, make unnecessary changes

Sen. Sessions also wants the Justice Department to change their own procedural guidelines for handling hate crimes. In this case, it may be a case of don’t fix what isn’t broken. Openshaw believes that the guidelines already in place are “well-established, clear and precise” when it comes to how to deal with violent hate crimes.

Finally, be vague and hope for loopholes

Session’s final amendment appears to be designed to muddy the waters by tugging at the heart strings of the country by invoking the possibility of crimes against military members and their families. In particular, Sessions wants there to be added penalties on top of already augmented penalties in place. This comes across as grandstanding, but what Openshaw considers “vague wording” could be a red flag when the president reviews the proposed legislation. What does it mean when Sessions asks for “additional penalties for injuring the property of a serviceman or immediate family member?” How is “family member” being defined, and what exactly does “injury to their property” mean? Sessions is a political veteran, so he likely knows that loopholes this kind of language could create.

What do you really think about the Matthew Shepard Act, Mr. Sessions?

“We need to be careful that statutes that become permanent parts of our criminal code are supported by evidence and principle,” Sessions said. “I don’t think that our focus here is to deal with symbolic legislation that’s broad and could expand federal criminal jurisdiction beyond its historic role and where the facts do not support the need.”

Seems to me the principles are as clear as day. As for evidence, it also exists. There’s nothing symbolic about protecting Americans against hate crimes. There is a need to end senseless hate. The only broad thing here is the sense of your arguments in the matter. Specifically, they couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. If you need lessons in being a decent senator, there are unsecured loans and pay day loans that can fund your trip back to school for sensitivity training.

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Sen. Jeff Sessions, the shame of Alabama (Photo: Thatsmycongress.com)

Lots of things divide us in society. Many of them are manufactured or artificial. Money is one of these. While it is definitely true that some people have more money than others, it doesn’t mean that people in upper income brackets have a greater “human currency” than those who depend upon government assistance or those who may look to unsecured loans or pay day loans for help when the budget can stretch no more. People are people; their actions define them, not the contents of their bank accounts.

We don’t have room for all of the ill will

In order for people to get along, barriers need to be minimized, rather than encouraged. Hate crimes are a special kind of barrier that a healthy society simply has no room for. There are many different kinds of hate crimes, most of which are dealt with harshly by America’s laws. However, when it comes to the Matthew Shepard Act, it appears there are still some lawmakers in this country who want to divide and tread upon the backs of the defeated.

That would be you, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama

To fully understand what Sessions has done, let’s first take a look at what the Matthew Shepard Act (aka the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, or LLEHCPA) does. According to Wikipedia,

This bill is named in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was brutally murdered ten years ago in Laramie, Wyoming, in a case that shocked the nation. Matthew Shepard was murdered by two men, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, who set out on the night of October 6, 1998, to rob a gay man. After going to a gay bar and pretending to befriend him, the killers offered their young victim a ride home, but instead drove him away from the bar, repeatedly pistol-whipped him in his head and face, and then tied him to a fence and left him to die. The passerby who found Shepard the next morning, tied to the fence and struggling to survive, initially thought that Matthew was a scarecrow. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died on October 12 from massive head injuries. At the defendants’ murder trial, Henderson and McKinney initially tried to use a “gay panic” defense, claiming that they killed Shepard in an insane rage after he approached them sexually. At another point, they claimed that they intended only to rob Shepard, but not to kill him. Both men were sentenced to serve two consecutive life terms in prison.

Sexual orientation-based crime is a real problem

What Matthew Shepard suffered has been suffered by many Americans, some to a lesser extent and others to the same point of death. That’s why – at least initially – Congress was behind legislation that would protect people from such heinous treatment. The following is direct from the Congressional testimony:

Currently the main Federal hate crimes law, 18 U.S.C. § 245, does not cover hate crimes committed because of the victim’s sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Yet we know that violent acts are committed based on these biases every day. For example, according to 2007 statistics published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 16.6 percent of hate crimes were motivated by sexual-orientation bias (exceeded only by racial bias, 50.8 percent, and religious bias, 18.4 percent). S. 909 would allow the Federal government to help protect all Americans from such violence.

CLICK HERE to continue reading and see how Senator Sessions has shamed Alabama and freedom-loving people.

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All too often in recent years, much of what passes for great music in the hip hop arena is the Johnny-come-lately kind of stuff. It goes in one ear, you dance, then the noise goes out the other. Song will get tons of radio play for a short while, then disappear into the annals of time. They lose their mansions, their gold chains and their gold teeth. Then they turn to pay day loans and secured loans when they need a shot of budget help.

The exact opposite of this hip hop career arc has been the trail blazed by the Beastie Boys. They’ve been together for about 30 years, and they’re still going strong. Ever since their hip hop debut album in 1986 (they used to be a punk outfit), they’ve been at the forefront in musical skill, taste, and panache. They put on a good show, whether it’s live, on album or in their music videos, which typically offer special retro treats for fans.

But the machine has come to a halt

Adam "MCA" Yauch -Buddhist vegan who fights for his right to party (Photo: BrooklynVegan.com)

At least for a while. Adam “MCA” Yauch has a parotid gland tumor, reports BrooklynVegan.com. The result of this is that an upcoming album release (”Hot Sauce Committee Part 1″) has been postponed, as have all of their scheduled tour dates. Yes, there will be sleep ’til Brooklyn – for now.

Caught at an early stage

The tumorous mass is cancerous and is localized in one area of his parotid gland. Even though that gland is near to the vocal cords, it was caught early enough to be operable and is not expected to hamper his vocal cords to a significant degree. Following surgery, several weeks of additional treatment will be necessary. In response to their friend in need, the Beastie Boys have canceled all of their upcoming appearances.

I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we’ll release the record and play some shows. It’s a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later.

Do you know MCA?

The Beastie Boys, 1980s (Photo: Stephinthecity.com)

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1964, Adam “MCA” Yauch is an only child of Jewish descent. His first instrument is the bass, and he played his first professional show with his friends as the Beastie Boys: Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and DJ Michael “Mix Master Mike” Schwartz (who joined later).

Stemming from his religious beliefs, Yauch is a social activist who actively supports the Free Tibet movement. Royalties from the Beastie Boys track “Bodhisattva Vow” went toward the cause, and Yauch was one of the organizers of the first Tibetan Freedom Concert, which kicked off in San Francisco, California.

In his spare time, Yauch enjoys snowboarding and skating. To give you an idea of his pop culture status and love of skating, Yauch appeared in the video game “Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground” as an unlockable character.

There’ll be no sabotage in the Boys future

All are hopefully that things will go well and they wish Yauch a safe, speedy recovery. Considering that the band appears to have invested their money wisely over time, it doesn’t appear that pay day loans or secured loans will be necessary for MCA to get his doc some green.

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Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevenwilke/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

I’m all for members of a society being able to make fun of themselves. The human condition is filled with such anguish and strife that a bit of self-deprecating humor can do wonders at the right time. Making fun of others is also necessary in a civilized society, so long as the killer instinct isn’t allowed to dine on too much fresh blood.

But whoever said that it was OK for young athletes who sell their social conscience for fat salaries to pass off racist jokes that a Caucasian would have been strung up for uttering clearly doesn’t know their humor from a Pat Buchanan diatribe.

And the Dallas Cowboys want Martellus Bennett to understand the difference. Or he can take a job flipping burgers. He’d need pay day loans for quick cash, considering the amount of Kleenex that would be necessary to mop up his crocodile tears.

That’s eye black, not blackface…

Sean Leahy blogs for USAToday.com that Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett is incredulous. He says he was “just having fun” when he and his brother Michael posted a “Black Olympics” video on their YouTube channel (there’s even a Martellus Bennett rap video). He also doesn’t think his team should discipline him. See the video in question below.

Martellus is being roasted in print media for this. In the video, he and his brother Michael compete in such Sambo-esque feats of athletic prowess as friend chicken consumption, watermelon eating and Kool-Aid chugging. There might be a Martin Lawrence or Dave Chapelle joke waiting in there, but I’ll take a pass.

I’m innocent, Mr. Irvin

“The Michael Irvin Show” extended a platform to Marcellus, because that’s what former players who were pillars of the community do for current players who think social mores should revolve around their impulses.

“I don’t really think it’s offensive,” Bennett told Irvin. “It depends on your sense of humor and how you look at things. We were just having fun and it was very funny for me and my brothers, when I look at it I just can’t stop laughing. If someone takes offense, I apologize. That wasn’t my intention. It was just us having fun.”

Bennett told Irvin he would not have a problem with a white person acting out something like the “Black Olympics.” Is that considered a white lie, Martellus? Or is it something worse?

Yes, but…

EPIC FAIL

“There’s white comedians that do stuff like that all the time,” he said. “I think it’s funny to attack stereotypes. It’s funny how people just put people in a certain light and say that’s what all the people do of a certain race or particular person, so it’s fun to attack those stereotypes.”

So far, the Cowboys are playing the no comment card. Interestingly, they’d already fined him $22,000 for “insulting blacks and gays” in a YouTube video. And Martellus doesn’t think the team is going to do anything?

“Not really,” he told USA Today.

“The first time I got in trouble because I was cursing and I had the Cowboys helmet on. Now it’s just me doing me. It’s no different if I was being a stand-up comedian at a show.”

Keep it up, Martellus

The world needs more people who don’t give a frosty crank. Makes America appear intelligent and enlightened. Pay day loans for quick cash help repair personal credit, not a damaged rep.

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OK, so you’re probably heard the story about Milwaukee Bucks small forward Richard Jefferson and his fianceé, former New Jersey Nets dancer Kesha Ni’cole Nichols. Supposedly it was the day of their wedding, and Jefferson E-mailed Nichols (at the altar, no less) to inform her that the wedding was off. A more memorable case of runaway husband cannot be found in recent memory. If the setup was as expensive as some people claim ($2 million), I wonder if somebody needed pay day loans or some other form of secured loans…

But you want the TRUTH!

And you may just be sadly disappointed, as only Jefferson has made much in the way of public comment. I envision a “he said, she said” coming down the turnpike, but let’s wait and see. The stories Jefferson has attempted to play down include the “dumping,” a Black AMEX, lots of payoff money and lots of gayness (hey, it’s someone else’s allegation, not mine).

Setting the ignoble scene

Richard and Kesha Ni'Cole (Photo: InsideHoops.com)

The New York Post’s coverage implied that Jefferson left Kesha Ni’Cole at the altar in her dress while he skipped town with friends. Most of the guests were already in attendance at the church. Then another story surfaced that claimed Jefferson had E-mailed her of the change in plans as she was flying to New York for the wedding. However, on “The Dan Patrick Show” and “Howard Stern” radio programs, Jefferson has said that the couple broke up the week before the wedding because of irreconcilable differences. The E-mail he sent her was “merely an attempt to clarify my feelings,” he said.

But what about letting the guests know?

Or was there even a congregation of people, waiting patiently at a church? It isn’t entirely clear. But what is clear is that this is a mess that Richard Jefferson won’t live down anytime soon, innocent or guilty.

There was no wild black AMEX shopping spree with the boys while the bride waited at the altar, says Jefferson. It cost “way less” than $2 million and there “was no six-figure payoff” to make Kesha Ni’Cole Nichols disappear from sight. Jefferson has admitted to giving her “move on with your life” money, however.

Is Richard Jefferson gay?

That’s been thrown around for a while, but no credible information has been uncovered to affirm that statement. According to Deadspin at http://deadspin.com/5316089/not-gay-richard-jefferson-let-his-girl-down-easy?skyline=true&s=x, there was past speculation about there being a “gay New Jersey Net” (Jefferson’s former team), but that doesn’t appear on its own to be any reason to accuse him. Yet that’s exactly what the New York Post is doing… raising the question.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to get married after all

Possibly, although you’d think he could have controlled the situation much better. Angela Boatright-Spencer writes for the Charlotte Episcopal Examiner that “E-mail is convenient, but not the kindest way to communicate bad news to anyone, least of all the person with whom you had planned to spend the rest of your life.” However, the former couple have discussed the matter at some length since the E-mail was sent. Written words may help the writer clarify his thoughts, but they don’t address the perceptions and emotions of the receiver as clearly as face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication.

Perhaps he could have used some help?

Boatright-Spencer suggests a book by John Sanford entitled “Between People” for Jefferson’s communication issues. Sanford sees conversation as “playing a game of catch: You want your partner to receive what you’re sending them, and you want the partner to send something back to you. What you don’t want is to get hit in a way that causes pain.”

Make your feelings known, Richard (Photo: trueball.wordpress.com)

Three basic tips from Sanford are as follows:

• Avoid making sweeping generalizations, such as “you always say….” or statements that just make the other person feel guilty (even if the person has in fact done whatever it is that upsets you.) Sanford suggests talking about how you feel when the person says or does whatever hurts you. “An opening statement that expresses a person’s feeling is more likely to receive a positive and helpful response than an opening statement that engenders guilt.” (p.8) Guilt builds barriers between people.
• “Communication is not a matter of being right, but of starting a flow of energy between two people that can result in mutual understanding. …It is helpful if we say things so they will be able to receive them.” (p.9)
• “It is essential for all persons who want to communicate to listen…” (p.11) Take time to really hear what your partner tells you. Many times, we only half-listen to the other person, devoting the other half to thinking about what we should say next. You will have plenty of time to offer your response. Make sure you understand where your partner is coming from first; repeat back what he or she has said. Remember, this is the person who wants to spend a lifetime with you. Take a deep breath, relax in the love you share, and hear what your beloved is saying to you.

Love hurts… but that hurt doesn’t have to last

Making a commitment to be with someone for the rest of your life is a major undertaking that should not be taken lightly. Even though it appears there were hiccups in the communication process, perhaps Richard Jefferson and Kesha Ni’Cole Nichols have made the responsible decision here. We’ll have to wait and see what develops as more details are released. However, we should all know that multi-million dollar weddings, while within reach of the rich and famous, are also a sign that perhaps ostentation is getting in the way. This economy requires us to be more careful with our money. Perhaps the decisions we make are more conservative. Pay day loans and secured loans can help in a pinch, but the real trick is making your budget work, day in and day out.

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President Obama will throw the first pitch tonight at the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Throwing the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game is a dizzying experience for the uninitiated. Countless celebrities of local, regional, national and international vintage have trotted out to the mound for the photo opportunity, and the vast majority of them have managed to embarrass themselves with heaves that travel anywhere from just a few feet to an area code away. No pay day loans or cheap loans can buy a shovel big enough to dig the size hole the chucker needs to hide in that situation.

And nobody wants to repeat the Mark Wahlberg first pitch

That includes President Barack Obama, who is slated to toe the mound this evening in St. Louis for the first pitch of the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The president has thrown out first pitches before, as you can see in the photo, but each time is something new. There will be about 50,000 fans in attendance at the game, a virtual sea of media with popping flashbulbs, well-wishers and scores of hangers-on nearby, each of them wondering if the president will join the list of those who have first pitched their way into immortality.

So the president will take time to warm up first

Certainly, the crowd doesn’t expect the person throwing the first pitch to pump a 95 mile per hour fastball into a teacup at the knees. It’s a ceremonial thing, and the thrower is given some leeway. But the president doesn’t want that slack to be enough rope to hang himself with.

“Well, I think it’s fair to say that I want to loosen up my arm a little bit,” Obama said.

Just in case, there is backup

Considering he is the man of the decade when it comes to baseball in St. Louis, it’s no surprise that Albert Pujols will be the man behind the plate to receive the First Pitch. And he has some good advice for Obama.

“He says he wants to warm up before. So I’m just going to tell him, ‘Just lob it up there and don’t try to be a perfect throw,’ ” said Pujols.

Throws of presidents past

According to a story by ESPN.com, presidential first pitches do seem to “carry more weight” than those of non-presidents. Perhaps this is because, as leader of the free world, the President of the United States is for better or worse viewed as being more than human. Considering Obama’s popularity, it’s possible that his supporters believe he can crack a 12-to-6 curve over the outside corner and at the knees with his eyes closed. But realistically, we know Barack Obama is a human being who can fail.

Obama does have a recent legacy to live up to, however. Former President George W. Bush, who used to be the owner of the Texas Rangers Major League franchise, cut the strike zone before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium. This was just weeks after 9/11, and America was looking for real leadership. In the minds of some, Bush provided it with his Texas fastball.

But please, please… no Mark Wahlberg first pitch

If the president needs a relief pitcher, Obama Girl will no doubt oblige.

I feel bad for the man, even though he used to run with the Funky Bunch and started in the M. Night film “The Happening.” The Bostonian made his way to the mound with a water bottle in one hand and the ball in this other. Once the southpaw wound and fired, it was clear that he should stick to acting. As you’ll see in the video below, the ball dipsey-doodled wide right, took a bounce and settled into a distracted hanger-on’s backside. Considering how disillusioned the American people are over the recession and the state of healthcare in this great nation, it would behoove Mr. Obama to find the leather of Pujols’ glove, rather than Erin Andrews’ chin or a working man’s butt. They’re already taking it hard as it is…

Pujols is excited

“Obviously it’s an honor to catch the first pitch from the president, as our leader,” he said. “[Tuesday] I think it’s going to get to me. As a little boy when I was my son’s age, I would never have thought I was going to be on this stage.”

After his pitch, President Obama will join Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in the Fox Sports broadcasting booth, no doubt to talk about the game and chastise Buck for his ill-advised attempt at becoming a talk-show host. Rumors are that the president will be on the air with the crew during the bottom half of the second inning, so set your TiVos for posterity. If you must rectify that situation, consider the budget control pay day loans and cheap loans can give you. They’re not out of the ballpark.

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(Photo Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Did you see the Sarah Palin Runner’s World interview? It may give us some idea of what she’s running for, but is the real question that we should be asking “What’s she running from?”

Where’s Sarah Palin headed these days?

That’s a question that has the Republican party stumped. Is she going to run for president in 2012? Are the financial scandals in Alaska too hot for her to handle? Is she leaving politics behind to care for her family? Who knows. Some would argue that even Sarah Palin doesn’t know the answers to these questions.

What are her issues?

Yet legal bills are definitely an issue for the Palin family these days, so how they’re doing financially could be an issue. Do the Palins need unsecured loans or some other form of pay day loans? Do they even need money at all to deal with their current issues?

Whatever the case, Palin’s running

Pam Platt writes in the Louisville Courier-Journal that Sarah Palin was featured in two  “splashy magazine pieces,” one in Vanity Fair and the other in Runner’s World. Both stories predated Palin’s shocking public announcement, and both were damaging.

In Vanity Fair, Palin is portrayed as a “diva-licious, self-serving loose cannon,” says Platt. Sarah Palin in Runner’s World didn’t receive the same amount of attention, but her commentary is telling of her state of mind.

The runner cries

“You don’t complain when something’s hurting because no one wants to hear it. You get bummed and burned out sometimes in running and in politics, but if you’re in for the long haul and you’re in it because you know that it is a good thing, then you get out there and you do it anyway.”

That sounds like a devoted runner who takes care of things, doesn’t it? If that’s so, who is the “victim” Sarah Palin we heard at the press conference? After the David Letterman media gaffe? She cries victimization, which is quite different than the image of a long-distance runner who faces the flames. Did John McCain do his research before he chose her for the ticket?

Love of the outdoors

Palin actually told Runner’s World, “Alaska would be hard to give up because it is such a part of who I am. So much of my life revolves around the great outdoors that that would be kind of tough.”

Is that why you’re quitting, Sarah? Because being a governor or president takes you away from the outdoors for too long? Perhaps Ahmadinejad would agree to meet you at the duck blind? Wouldn’t that just be peachy?

Oh wait, she changes her mind. Is she a flip-flopper?

“On the other hand, I think of being in D.C. and in a position to promote physical fitness and the benefits of making good decisions health-wise and being an example for others, and I know that could do some good for our country.”

OK, so she wants to be health czar?

Palin should know about czars, because they’re from Russia. And she can see Russia from… you know the rest. What I found most disturbing about Palin’s televised press conference is that it was as scatter-shot as her views in these two magazine articles. This woman is the governor of one of our 50 United States? This woman has delusions of presidential grandeur. Being a “maverick” has lost all of its currency thanks to you, Mrs. Palin. Why couldn’t you tell Katie Couric what magazines you read? In all honestly, where is the “Department of Law” located in the White House and who works there? Madlock?

Sweat is her sanity?

It’s healthy to sweat, so I think I’m on to something with the health czar idea. “Sweat is my sanity,” she told Runner’s World. Yet she sounded almost the opposite in her press conference. As Platt puts it, “Palin has a hot mess… As birds quacked in the background, she gulped for air and clutched at several competing metaphors to describe her own fabulousness as she tried again to burnish her rep as a maverick who sticks even as she showed herself to be a lame duck who wouldn’t.”

She could have been a heartbeat away

Remember that. Palin supporters see her as a breath of fresh air, but the more she speaks, the more breathless she appears when it comes to dealing with the intense scrutiny that is part and parcel of being a high-ranking politician. If she knows that she can’t handle that anymore and wants to do what’s best for her family, she should strap on her running shoes and try to be what Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be for the presidency, long ago: a health adviser. Palin should run away from the political spotlight and settle into a lower-stress job. She needs to sweat to remain sane. And try unsecured loans and pay day loans if she needs them.

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Wait, wait, wait. This isn’t THAT kind of article. It’s THIS kind of article…

Whether you’re straight, gay, bi or asexual, it’s your own business. No one else’s. And your sexual orientation has absolutely no bearing on whether you can obtain pay day loans for quick cash.

But since everyone and their sex therapist is feeding upon the flesh of the media image that has been created for Michael Jackson, let’s talk about the significance of being asexual. According to Brooke Shields, she and Michael “instantly became friends” when he was 19 and she was 13. The reason for this, she claims, is that there was no sexual tension to get in the way.

Who’s on first? What’s second base?

The child stars spent a lot of time together, but instead of developing a sexual attraction, the relationship took a different course. Shields said he became “more asexual” as they grew. Yet he was curious about her previous relationships.

“He was like a little kid who talked about the bases – what first base was, what second base was,” Shields said. “It sounded very odd to the outside, I can imagine, but to the inside, to someone who’s never really left his bubble, you can understand how he would be curious.”

Is that as far as it went for him?

Nobody knows for sure, or if they do, they aren’t telling. I believe that is as it should be, considering how personal one’s sexuality is. But putting Michael aside for the moment, here’s an interesting question: What’s so great about sex?

Think about it. Think of the sum total of humanity’s visual arts, stories, poems, songs, dances, from the sublime to the crass. Look at science, evolution, our emotions and everything in-between. Even the Songs of Solomon or similar ancient literature. Sex is integral to who we are.

Science Daily suggests that the answer isn’t as evolutionarily obvious as it would seem. They refer to a recent article from American Naturalist magazine that sex evolved as a defense against parasites.

When ultra-efficiency = danger

The human race is still learning about sexuality. However, from an evolutionary standpoint, it is crystal clear that reproduction is necessary to ensure the survival of a species. Asexual reproduction seems quite efficient, in that it doesn’t require a partner. Furthermore, if an entire species has this ability, the odds of survival would seem great based upon the sheer math.

Why don’t the birds and bees take care of things before leaving home, then? Many scientists believe that asexual organisms are particularly susceptible to parasites. This susceptibility leads to a thinning of the herd, because perfect copies will all have the same vulnerability. If an enterprising young parasite or fatal disease strikes pay dirt and finds this opening, an entire species can be lost.

But what do you get when two crazy kids of any species get together and exchange genes (and jeans, if they’re into that)? You get genetically unique, genetically diverse offspring, often with different vulnerabilities. So parasites can’t Jonestown a carbon copy race formed via asexual budding.

Does diversity work?

When it comes to reproduction, yes, although more studies would be helpful. Scientists Jukka Jokela, Mark Dybdahl and Curtis Lively observed Potamopyrgus antipodarum (freshwater New Zealand lake snails) for 10 years, beginning with 1994. It’s one of those rare species that feature some populations that reproduce sexually and others that are asexual.

What did they find? Clones plentiful in the beginning were more frequently brought down by parasites over time. Some of these types became completely extinct. But the sexual snail populations remained stable. They lived to couple another day.

“The rise and fall of these female-only lineages was surprisingly fast and consistent with the prediction of the parasite hypothesis for sex,” Jokela said. “These results suggest that sexual reproduction provides an evolutionary advantage in parasite rich environments.”

Oh, don’t forget that pay day loans and quick cash can diversify your budget when short-term troubles come to call. Diversity is good that way, too.

We live in a parasite-rich environment, don’t we?

As great an entertainer and kind heart as he may have been, a race of Michael Jacksons would not have survived. The TMZs, Stars and Enquirers of the parasite kingdom would have burned out the gene pool. But I digress. It isn’t a fact that Michael Jackson was asexual. I tend to believe that he was extremely repressed and never grew out of childhood as a defense mechanism against abuse. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.

I wish Michael Jackson the peace he may have found only rarely in life.

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Robert McNamara, once president of Ford Motors and World Bank and Secretary of Defense under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, has died in his sleep. He was 93 years old.

He did not describe himself as being rich, but McNamara did say that he “didn’t have to do things” he didn’t want to do. Thus, it seems unlikely that he didn’t utilize unsecured loans and pay day loans to aid his personal budget. However, he was once the president of Ford. For most of us, $100 to $1,500 in a pinch can go a long way.

In his obituary, the Washington Post calls upon the harsh analysis of David Halberstam from his book “The Best and the Brightest”:

A prisoner of his own background… unable, as indeed was the country which sponsored him, to adapt his values and his terms to Vietnamese realities. Since any real indices and truly factual estimates of the war would immediately have shown its bankruptcy, the McNamara trips became part of a vast unwitting and elaborate charade, the institutionalizing and legitimizing of a hopeless lie…

(McNamara) did not serve himself or his country well. He was, there is no kinder or gentler word for it, a fool.

The smartest fool in the room

Thomas Lippman writes for the Post that McNamara was a “brilliant student, compulsive worker and skillful planner and organizer.” Despite his business success, concern for the financial well-being of developing nations and stance against nuclear proliferation, McNamara will always be remembered for “McNamara’s War,” complete with the deaths of over 58,000 American lives. The country has still not fully healed from those wounds, and we may just be repeating the same tragedy for future generations. McNamara’s legacy has been carried on in the work of former Sec. Donald Rumsfeld. The mistakes are too large to ignore.

McNamara was a key figure in such major American crises as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis. During the Cold War, he advised the development of the multiple-warhead missile. This helped drive a firm wedge through foreign relations between the United States and Communist nations and created the arms race… and yet McNamara himself said that it was “a gross oversimplification to regard Communism as the central factor in every conflict throughout the underdeveloped word… The United States has no mandate from on high to police the world and no inclination to do so.”

Not even in Vietnam?

Many Americans held McNamara responsible for the military quagmire in Vietnam. Despite revealing in his reports – backed up by meticulous charts and graphs – that “every quantitative measurement we have shows we’re winning this war,” there was a disconnect between numbers and reality. In a sick form of denial, participants in Washington briefings at the time refused to grasp what was happening in the jungles and rice paddies. Once news of the 1968 Tet Offensive hit America’s airwaves, people began to see that what the government was trying to feed them was a lie.  McNamara was no longer in office, but it didn’t matter to the angry masses.

“I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And awake in the dawn’s early light
But much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise.”

- From “The Great Compromise” by John Prine

It was not until his 1996 Vietnam memoir “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam” that McNamara admitted it was “wrong, terribly wrong” to conduct the war as they did. In particular, the fact that the war went on long after McNamara realized it was futile because he couldn’t change President Johnson’s mind weights heavily in America’s assessment of McNamara.

Advancements in military bureaucracy

Once President Kennedy named then Ford Motors President Robert McNamara the Secretary of Defense, McNamara immediately set to work. According to a Washington Post account in 1961,

He shook all five floors of the Pentagon in his search for the tools he needed to get a firm grip on the biggest military establishment in the world… McNamara brought in computers to help with the spade work, hired systems analysts to comb through the technical points and then list the pros and cons for the generalists, reassessed the war plans, regrouped weapons into programs.

What he did was no doubt revolutionary, and it changed the way the Pentagon operates. But again, what good he did tends to be forgotten. Unfortunately, there’s good reason for that.

See “The Fog of War”

Robert McNamara is survived by his second wife Diana and three children: Craig and Kathleen McNamara and Margaret Pastor. For more information on Robert McNamara and his involvement in the Vietnam War, check out the brilliant film documentary by director Errol Morris entitled “The Fog of War.” It’s not hard to find and isn’t so expensive that unsecured loans or pay day loans are necessary. If you want to understand the politics of American war, it’s a must-see.

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My maternal great grandmother (my mother’s mother’s mother) was a spiritualist minister. I know very little of her history, but I remember that my grandmother once told me that she summoned spirits to ask questions and gather information. Her faith ventured into the realm of what we know as parapsychology. Spiritualists of that nature tend to believe in the Christian God, but in this case the spirits of the dead don’t wait for the call from the bullpen before they come out of their memorial tombs. That’s apparently where the spiritualist ministers came in, as medium guides (or is it shameless hucksters). If a medium “reveals” that your dear Aunt Gladys wants you to apply for pay day loans and put that fast cash on the collection plate, let rational sense prevail and look at your budget. If you need the money to help pay an important bill that’s late, let that be your guide.

The American psychic tradition is closely tied to spiritualist belief. Without the 19^th century showmen (and women) who tripped the spirit lights fantastic, there would be no Edgar Cayce, no Uri Geller and definitely no John Edward, psychic. Sometimes his name is misspelled Edwards, but psychic he is, nevertheless. And now he wants to bring you his special brand of quality psychic chicanery, courtesy of a new Web site called Infinite Quest.

Run by a team of psychic showpeople

Germain Lussier blogs on Twirlit that there are differing schools of thought on this popular psychic. Is he a genius? A fraud? Or something in between? Ask the people who appear in the studio audience of his television program and they’ll say that the connections Edward is able to make – the “psychic” inferences – are surprising. I say he knows how to manipulate the emotions of his audience and knows enough about human psychology to ask the kind of questions that make people think he’s forming a deep connection with them.

Your spiritual mulligan

In addition to the ability to access the help of real, honest-to-goodness circus performers and gerbil whisperers, there are sections on Infinite Quest that explain what the uninitiated need to know about the afterlife, positive and negative energy, the tarot, spiritual health and reincarnation (for your spiritual mulligan). Some of the information is free, but the “money shot” is reserved for paying customers.

Speaking of the money shot, John Edward recently appeared on Sean Hannity’s television spectacle on Fox News. According to Lussier, here’s what Edward had to say about the importance of Infinite Quest:

“I’ve been doing this work for 25 years. And I’ve been involved with astrology, numerology, you know, energy, alternative belief philosophy, reincarnation. And I want to give people the opportunity to say maybe,” he said.

Until the birds begin to nest in my skull and use my brain like a beanbag chair, I’ll say no. Since John Edward must know when I’m going to die, I’m sure he’ll be camped outside my house. If he hassles me before then, I’ll untie his laces with the power of my mind. If he needs new eyelets and aglets for his designer shoes, he can send the ghost of Elvis out for pay day loans and fast cash. That’ll be an infinite quest, all right…

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