Digits Up

...FDA

2012-02-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

So we all know that the FDA(Food and Drug Administration) allows food makers to feed us some pretty gross things. I do not approve of that, but it is something I live with. However today while looking at my Yahoo homepage I came across an article titles "The 5 Grossest Things You're Eating" and it shed a light on some new gross things. The one that really caught my eye was "grain product". Here is how the article put it:

Why it’s gross: Many packaged breads and baked goods contain L-cysteine—a non-essential amino acid made from dissolved human hair (often from China) or duck feathers (mmmm). Food manufacturers use the ingredient as a commercial dough conditioner, meant to improve the texture of breads and baked goods.Why it’s bad: Eating something derived from the human body violates the religious and ethical beliefs of Muslims and vegans. Plus, eew! If you want to avoid ingesting hair and feathers—and really, who doesn’t?—try eating unprocessed whole grains like oats and brown rice, and make your own baked goods whenever possible.

Just for fun here are the other 4.

Shrimp
Why it’s gross: Depending on where your shrimp comes from, it could be tainted with chemicals used to clean filthy shrimp-farm pens. Just as disgusting, farmed shrimp from overseas is often full of antibiotics, mouse and rat hair, and pieces of insects (yummy!).Why it’s bad: Only about 2 percent of all imported seafood is inspected, meaning this nasty stuff is making its way onto your plate. Contaminated shrimp tends to come from critters imported from overseas shrimp farms, so if you’re looking for safer—and more appetizing—options, choose domestic shrimp.

Salad dressing
Why it’s gross: Big food corporations often add the chemical titanium dioxide—commonly found in paints and sunscreens—to processed foods like salad dressing, coffee creamers, and canned icing to make them appear whiter. Why it’s bad: Titanium dioxide is a component of the metallic element titanium, a mined substance that's sometimes contaminated with toxic lead. Plus, most white dressings (like cream-based ranch) aren’t great for you anyway. Both your health and your waistline will fare better if you go with an olive oil- or vinegar-based salad topper instead. Or, better yet, make your dressing at home.

Jelly beans
Why it's gross: Many artificial food dyes—found in hundreds of everyday foods—are made from petroleum-derived materials. Food producers use these chemical dyes in cereals and candy to make them more “fun” for kids, in pickles to make them appear fresher, and in place of real ingredients in a variety of other packaged foods. Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix, for example, is actually a carrot-free product, with “carrot flavored pieces” cooked up from corn syrup and artificial colors Yellow 6 and Red 40.
Why it’s bad: Orange and purple food dyes have been shown to impair brain function, and other dyes have been linked to ADHD and behavioral problems in kids, as well as brain-cell toxicity. And not only are these additives potentially hazardous, but they’re also a rip-off! It’s cheaper for food companies to use fake dyes in place of real ingredients, so you end up with food frauds like Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast, a “juice” product without a trace of cherry or berry juice. Get your brightly colored foods from the produce aisle only!

Mushrooms

Why it’s gross: The FDA legally allows 19 maggots—tiny, rice-shaped fly larvae that feast on rotting foods—and 74 mites in every 3.5-ounce can of mushrooms. Bon appetit!Why it’s bad: While maggots do have their place in the medical world—they can help heal ulcers and other wounds—most of us would agree that they don’t have a place in our mouths. Opt for fresh mushrooms instead, and if you need another reason to ditch canned goods, consider this: Most are lined with bisphenol A (or BPA), a plastic chemical that causes unnatural hormonal changes linked to heart attacks, obesity, and certain cancers.

So what should be done? What can be done? Not much. I have a theory that I would like to see put to the test. If the FDA forced food makers to take out a lot, if not all, of these additives and chemicals, body parts, insects and whatnot, I believe people would be MUCH healthier. They would say that food prices would go up. I would say, invest in your health now and pay less for medicines when you're older. That sounds like a fair trade to me. I am giving the FDA 2 Digits Down, and I will probably continue to give them 2 Digits Down until the day I die.

...Cindy Crawford

2012-02-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Cindy Crawford has decided to put an end to her daughter's modeling career...temporarily at least. Last month many people were talking about Cindy's 10 year old daughter Kaia Gerber modeling for Versace's new children's clothing line. Nothing was racy or edgy about the shoot, but many were wondering if she would allow her daughter to start modeling full time at such a young age. Well Cindy has decided to put that off, at least until she is 17. Cindy told a magazine, At this point, she's too young to pursue a career. There aren't even a handful of jobs for a 10-year-old girl." Her daughter is not too bummed though, reportedly telling her mother, "I might model first because you don't have to know how to do anything, but then I want to be a baby nurse." Recently The Council of American Fashion Designers asked its members to only use models over the age of 16 to strut the catwalks at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. After his show on Monday, February 13, 2012, designer Marc Jacobs was slammed in the press for knowingly sending a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old down the runway. Concerns range from younger girls being more susceptible to eating disorders to having their photographs taken while they change clothing for a photo shoot or fashion show. Cindy is a former model and is still a major player in the fashion world. When and if her daughter is ready to model again there is no better teacher to have and no better mother to watch over you. I am giving Cindy Crawford a Digit Up for putting her duty as a mother first. Dina and Kris should take a page from her book, and tattoo it all over their body.

...Social Media

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

What is the point?

Why?

I am over it.

Digit Down.

...Oprah

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oprah Winfrey is taking heat over...a Tweet. Sunday Oprah Tweeted to her followers, "Every 1 who can please turn to OWN especially if u have a Nielsen box." She followed up by adding, "Commercial Grammy people..u can turn to OWN." Seems harmless right? Well you are wrong.

Issue number one; you are not allowed to lobby Nielsen families directly in any way. A rep. for Nielsen stated, "In accordance with our policies and procedures, Nielsen is reviewing this incident with our clients and we may withhold, breakout and/or make a note in the ratings. We take any violation of our policy seriously and will work with clients to resolve the situation." I am sure Oprah did not know this, I did not know this until now. Oprah later released this statement: "I removed the tweet at the request of Nielsen. I intended no harm and apologize for the reference." A rare apology from Oprah, this is a situation that she is rarely ever put in.

Issue number two; some of her fans and followers accused Oprah of "begging" and "being desperate" for viewers. Oprah took time to respond to those Tweets by saying, "The word 'please' is used as courtesy not a beg ... 'desperate' not ever a part of my vocab ... 'unethical' a little harsh don't u think? Seemed like it made sense to me. Sorry if u're offended." Oh snap! This is a new thing for Oprah. She is in a place where she may not be failing, but she is not succeeding, so by her standards she is failing. From the start of her network there has rarely been any good press about it. Who knows what will become of OWN. Though it is only a little over a year old, in this modern world, that is more than long enough to have made a splash by now. I am giving Oprah a Digit Down for making two mistakes; not knowing the Nielsen rules and for responding back to those accusations of her being desperate and whatnot directly. I will applaud her for Tweeting her own Tweets though.

...Chipotle

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

So if you watched the Grammys last night, the whole thing, you might have caught Chipotle's commercial, their 1st commercial. I watched the entire thing and I thought, wow. From the song "The Scientist" covered by Willie Nelson to the message of the commercial about the dangers to our people and our environment by over producing chemically enhanced food for the people...I loved it. I am not a hippie and I do love capitalism, but this commercial totally reminded me of Food Inc. I am giving this commercial 2 Digits Up and I would have loved to see this commercial in the Super Bowl, it would have been great.

...The 54th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Dressed

2012-02-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

Adele
If only it were Chanel. HA!

Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz
Possibly the best dressed couple of the night.

David Guetta & Cathy Guetta
A cute couple!

Giuliana Rancic
Her look worked at the Grammys.

Ice Cube & Coco
She may have gone crazy with the bronzer, but it was tastefully tacky, and I liked it.

Jane Seymour
She may not sing, but she does wow.

Jessie J
I loved this look, even with the bangs.

Joy Williams
Very proper.

Kathy Griffin
D-List star, A-List look.

Kelly Osbourne
Another hit Kelly.

Kelly Rowland
One of the best dressed of the night.

Marsha Ambrosius
For some reason I liked this.

Melanie Fiona
Busy dress, simple hair, great combo.

Mika Newton
She looks like a doll.

Rebecca Black

Very nice and age appropriate

Rihanna

Even with the 80's coke hair this worked at the Grammys.

Sasha Gradiva

This was just amazing to look at.

...The 54th Annual Grammy Awards: Worst Dressed

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Adam Levine & Anne
Since they are a couple, they must go down together. Anne tried a little too hard to have a J.Lo moment.

Alicia Arden
White dress obviously, but those shoes look SO cheap!!!

Corinne Bailey Rae
The hair, and to a lesser extent, the shoes ruined this for her.

Cyndi Lauper
Typical Cyndi.

Deana Carter
Not a nice look on her, on most women actually.

Diana Ross
She is still alive. That is the only nice thing you can say about this.

Esperanza Spaulding
Too much going on.

Fergie
You and Tia need to dress like grown-ups.

Greta Bech
I guess she wanted to remind Taylor Swift what she usually looks like.

Jamie Grace
We all know why she is on this list.

Julianne Hough
Your hair is always boring.

Katy Perry
A nice try, but a something(hair and waist) were off.

Linda Ramone
Not today, not ever.

Nicki Minaj
I do not understand what she was going for here.

Paris Hilton

If this were a different color she would be on the best dressed list. Still a good look for her.

Robyn
She does not care anyway. By the way, how big are her feet???

Carrie Underwood
Beyond the obvious white after Labor Day issue, this is a boring look from head to floor.

Skylar Grey
This almost could have worked...somewhere else.

Snooki

I am sure she would rather be on this list.

Tammi Haddon
No explanation needed.

Taylor Swift

She looks like she got this from Nicole Kidman's closet. Horrible hair!

Tia Carrere

You're getting too old for that look.

...Whitney Houston

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wow... At the age of 48 Whitney Houston has died. So far it is unclear what she died from but they ruled out foul play and they said there was no sign of drug use in her hotel. She was getting ready for the annual pre Grammy party at Clive Davis' and for the Grammys tomorrow, but she did not make it. We are saddened by this news and we can only hope that she went peacefully. I am giving this news 2 Digits Down. Let us remember the good times, with her great music.

...Madonna

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

After days of people, fans and critics around the world talking about the M.I.A. middle finger during the halftime show at this past Sunday's Super Bowl, Madonna has finally responded. She told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, "I was really surprised. I didn't know anything about it. I understand it's punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative. It's such a teenager-irrelevant thing to do. There was such a feeling of love and unity there, what was the point? It was just out of place." As we know Madonna demands perfection from her dancers, handlers and basically anyone around her when she is working, so this was like a coffee stain her her crisp white button up. I understand why she would have been upset, what was the point? Though M.I.A. ha apologized, a true explanation would be better. Though to be honest I do not care that she did it or what he reason for it was, it is just a finger. Still I am giving Madonna a Digit(Thumb) Up for just because I am a fan.

...Kylie Bisutti

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Victoria's Secret supermodel Kylie Bisutti has decided to leave the company that made her famous due to her Christian values and her husband. She recently said in an interview:

“Victoria's Secret was my absolutely biggest goal in life, and it was all I ever wanted career-wise. I actually loved it while I was there, it was so much fun and I had a blast. But the more I was modeling lingerie, and lingerie isn't clothing, I just started becoming more uncomfortable with it because of my faith. I'm Christian, and reading the Bible more, I was becoming more convicted about it. My body should only be for my husband and it's just a sacred thing. I didn't really want to be that kind of role model for younger girls because I had a lot of younger Christian girls that were looking up to me and then thinking that it was okay for them to walk around and show their bodies in lingerie to guys. It was pretty crazy because I finally achieved my biggest dream, the dream that I always wanted, but when I finally got it, it wasn't all that I thought it would be. Especially being married I just wanted to keep my marriage sacred because divorce rates now in America are pretty high, and I just want to do everything I can to keep my marriage special. It is a very hard industry to be in without falling into things you don't want to do. I've fallen into many things that I wouldn't have wanted to do, it's a very tempting industry.”

Kylie Bisutti hit the big time age of 19 when she beat out 10,000 bikini beauties to win the 2009 Victoria’s Secret Model Search. Bisutti also got married just before winning the modeling competition. Though she has given up racy modeling at the age of 21, she is not done with the entertainment industry altogether. She appears with Jennifer Lopez in a new Kohl’s commercial, and she'll be working on a new show set to air on the CW channel in September. She ends the interview by saying:

“My goal is just to be a better role model for the youth, I just want them to see me as somebody that they can look up to and somebody that's going to be dressing appropriately and I'm not going to get into things that I wouldn't want them to be getting into. I want to go over the top because I don't think enough people go over the top about how serious all this is. I just want people to see something different about me because I have that faith and I think it's so important for everyone to have.”

At the age of 21 she could have gone with the flow of things and made as much money as possible and then repented later for what she had done in order to make said money, but she did not. I find this admirable and this could be inspirational for young girls out there looking to break into the industry. She will most likely become an instant role model. I am giving Kylie a Digit Up.

...House

2012-02-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

After 8 seasons and over 150 episodes Fox's popular, or once popular, television drama House is coming to an end. The show which stars Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but troubled physician with a gift for unraveling medical mysteries, has been a hit basically since it first aired. The producers admitted that it was a tough decision but it was time for the show to come to an end. I guess they wanted to go out on top or they were running out of mystery illnesses to cure. A lot of fans will miss this show, but they would rather it go out this way than fade into obscurity and then be cancelled. I am giving this news a Digit Up. I never got into the show so I kind of thought it was going to end 2 seasons ago.

...Twitter

2012-02-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

I fear I may have to join Twitter to advance my career. Odd. I still feel like Twitter is a place for celebrities and only celebrities benefit from it. Facebook is the mature Myspace of the web and non celebrities should stick to that. However as I have been playing around with my friend's Twitter account I find it easier to contact celebs there, the ones that are not A-List celebs and have large followings but are not in the high 5 or even low 6 figure follower category. Still I have already shunned Twitter and I would feel like a major hypocrite if I joined, especially so late to the party. Still I am growing tired of Facebook and its privacy issues and ever changing pages. Now that they are going public if you are not owning a piece of it then you are really just a pawn, now just a slightly more valuable pawn than before. I am so unsure about this all. I wish I could just do away with all social media platforms, but it seems like everyone jumps on the latest and "greatest" tech fad out of fear of not being noticed and missing out on something. What? I do not know. I have to give this a Digit Down, though it is more so of a Digit Down on myself for thinking about Twitter so hard.

...Joan Rivers

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Joan Rivers is one of the funniest women int he world. Besides comedy she is known for...cosmetic surgery! Joan recently said she has had about 739 procedures done. Amazing and awesome! She said, “Every weekend I just go in and I do something new. I get a 10th one free. It’s a little like coffee you just keep going.” Melissa Rivers, Joan’s daughter, said that the family had a semi intervention to get Joan to stop getting work done. Melissa said, “At one point I start to think the risk outweighs the reward, so I wanted my mom to know how I felt about it and I think I made myself fairly clear.” I am all about cosmetic surgery and no matter what people may say about her she looks great. I am giving Joan Rivers 2 Digits Up.

...Madonna

2012-02-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

I love sports. I really love football. I really love Madonna. So when I heard that she would be performing at the halftime show of the Super Bowl I almost exploded. The Green Bay Packers did not make it as I hoped, so my head did not explode. The game was good, great in the 2nd half, good int he 1st. The commercials were less than stellar, but oh well. I am glad the NFC won again and that the Giants gave the Patriots another loss int he big game. However Madonna did something that had not been done in a while. She brought a huge buzz tot he halftime show and she nailed it. Last year the Back Eyed Peas failed to deliver in a big way. The seizure inducing suits and horrible audio ruined it for everyone. This year however Madonna made us remember how Grande, with an E, these things could be. In doing so she told Lady Gaga to chill out, I am still the Queen bitch. She proved that she may be over the hill, but she will be around long after these other girl's careers are under it. Ha! I am giving her 2 Digits Up. One for putting on a great show and the other for being Madonna of course. Watch and enjoy, before the video is removed.

...Mike Rowe

2012-02-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

The Super Bowl is tonight. Besides watching the big game, many will be watching the commercials. So I thought I would talk about a commercial that has been on my mind for a while. In one of Mike Rowe's commercials for Viva Paper Towels he recognizes the fact that people want to know are the two people claiming to be his parents in the commercials really his parent. The commercial is below.

As you see he said the other man in the commercial was his father, but he never said that was his mother. Who was that lady Mike? Was that you mother? Was that your step-mother? Was that your aunt? Was that an actress? I do not know what to believe. Is Mike Rowe a manly man or is he an actor pretending to be a manly man, like Larry the Cable Guy pretends to have an accent. I have never heard anyone from Nebraska with a Southern accent like that! Who is that women Mike Rowe?!?!?! I am giving you a Digit Down until you answer that question.

...Susan G. Komen

2012-02-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

After day of bad press and pressure from both sides to stand their ground and to be ashamed of what they have done, Susan G. Komen has decided to cancel its original plans of not funding Planned Parenthood through grants. As you may know by ow Susan G. Komen decided to cancel its funding for Planned Parenthood stating that it was doing so because Planned Parenthood was under investigation by the government for using government money to fund abortions and because under their new grant rules other foundations would also stop receiving money from them as well. That did not go to well with the public and many in the media who claimed that Komen was doing this because of political pressure. Many said that Planed Parenthood did much more than abortions such as providing low income women with breast cancer screenings and other medical needs. Susan G. Komen's founder Nancy Brinker is a noted Republican, but swears her political views had nothing to do with her decision. Komen then backtracked and said the reason they were cutting of their funds was because Planned Parenthood did not own a most of the breast cancer equipment they used. Thy also said that they would That did not sit well either. So after three days of complaints, rants and raves all over the media, news, and social media, Susan G. Komen decided to reverse its decision and continue funding Planned Parenthood. In a statement Komen said:

"We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants"

I am going to give Susan G. Komen a Digit Down. Why? Because they reversed their decision. I do not care if they wanted to make a political statement that is pro life or pro choice. I do care that they caved in to pressure. If you say something, own it. A decision was made and they should have stuck to it no matter what. They give Planned Parenthood $600,000 in grants a year. This week alone Planned Parenthood raised $3 million in donations form people who were upset with what Komen did. Obviously they would find a way to make it with out Komen's money. I think that Nancy Brinker may have to take a lesser role at Komen after this public relations nightmare. I would not be surprised if their donations go down by a noticeable amount this year either. Stick to your guns and eventually this would have blown over.

...John Goodman

2012-02-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

John Goodman (Not the actor) is a 48 year old multi-millionaire who lives in Palm Beach, Florida and is the founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. In 2010 he happened to be driving while drunk, ran a stop sign, and slammed his Bentley into the car of Scott Patrick Wilson, who come home from college for his sister's birthday. Scott's car flipped into a water filled ditch and he drowned. Goodman did not call police or an ambulance, and left the crash scene on foot. It was determined that Goodman's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. Goodman is being sued by Lili and William Wilson for the wrongful death of their son. Goodman's civil trial is set for March 27 and his criminal trial for charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash is on March 6. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. So what does John do? He adopts his girlfriend Heather Laruso Hutchins. Sounds odd I know. Add in the fact that she is 42 and it gets a little odder. Some think that he is doing this to protect his assets from the lawsuit. The court had previously ruled that the assets owned by Goodman's children could not be considered part of his net worth in the calculations for assessing punitive damages for the Wilson family. None of Goodman's biological children have reached the age of 35, the pre-determined age at which they can control their trust funds. Since Hutchins is over the age of 35, her adoption entitles her immediately to a one-third beneficiary interest in the trust. The Wilson's attorney believes this is a tricky way of Goodman trying to control his assets no matter what. If the adoption is allowed she will be able to cash out her share of the trust set aside for his kids and share the money with him, if she wants to. She could also take the money and run. They have been dating since 2009 so I guess she is in it for the long haul. If allowed this case will be studied for years at law schools across the country, maybe even world. I am intrigued by this case, I hope it is shown on Tru Tv. I am giving John Goodman a Digit Up for this. Not because of him or the life he took, but for the interesting move he just made.

...Don Cornelius

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Legendary Soul Train creator, host and producer Don Cornelius has died of an apparent suicide. Police found Cornelius at his Mulholland Drive home at around 4 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 4:56 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, he was 75. Most remembered for Soul Train, the show introduced television audiences to such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Barry White and brought the best R&B, soul and later hip-hop acts to TV and had teenagers dance to them. It was one of the first shows to showcase African-Americans prominently, although the dance group was racially mixed. Cornelius was the first host and executive producer. The series spawned a franchise that includes the Soul Train Music Awards, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest. In his later years, Cornelius had a troubled marriage. In 2009, he was sentenced to three years' probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor spousal battery. In his divorce case that year, he also mentioned having significant health issues. TMZ reported that Cornelius said he wanted to be completely divorced before he died. His divorce was finalized last year. What drove him to do this? I am not sure. This is a death that will be int he news for a while and will take a while for many to understand. I am giving this news a Digit Down.

...X Factor

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Simon wants higher ratings and he is willing to do whatever it takes to get them. Simon Cowell has fired 3 of the regular faces of X Factor; host Steve Jones, judge Nicole Scherzinger and judge Paula Abdul. It came as no surprise that Nicole was fired, she was the least favorite judge on the show from the moment she became a judge. Steve, eh. I did not have a problem with him, but apparently people did not like his attitude, they took it as rude. Paula, how dare he fire Paula!!!? Everyone loves the chemistry between Simon and Paula and they have since the original Idol days. For whatever reason Simon let her go leaving Simon and L.A. Reid, who quit his job at Island Def Jam to join X Factor, now heads the "X"-affiliated label Epic Records has signed his three protégés: Chris Rene, Marcus Canty, and Astro. Apparently Paula and Simon are still on good terms and hope to work on future projects together. There s still an open judging seat for her on "So You Think You Can Dance?" The ratings were high, but not high enough for Simon or what many industry expert were expecting. There are rumors that the show is trying to get Mariah Carey as a judge for net season, that would be interesting. I guess Simon wants more big time artist to make the show seem more legitimate and bring in higher ratings. I will wait and see what becomes of the show. All I know is that the last time Paula left Simon on a show he followed a year later. I am giving this a Digit Up though, a little controversy beats blandness.

...Eye Surgery

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Would you or would you not change your eye color permanently to blue? Somehow I totally missed this surgery, but here it is. Dr. Gregg Homer in California believes that his procedure will be able to turn brown eyes int blue. He says that under every eye is a blue eye. His laser procedure takes 20 seconds and basically prevents the brown pigment cells from growing back and in two to three weeks you will have blue eyes. I have rad about colored disk being inserted over the iris to change its color. However it looked dangerous and many people who got it deeply regretted this. I have also heard about women putting orange and lemon oils into their eyes over a long period of time to change them to an olive, grey, orange color. Apparently this is popular in the Middle East, but I am not sure if this is true. Dr. Homer believes this procedure is safe and he believes it will be available outside of America in about 18 months and in the states in about three years. I would like to know if anyone would get this surgery or if anyone has gotten this surgery. I am thinking about this, but I do not want blue, a nice green or hazel will do just fine for me. I am going to give this a Digit Up. I am for changing what you do not like about yourself though cosmetic surgery and risky experimental procedures.

...Napoleon Dynamite

2012-01-30T00:00:00.004-05:00

I previously posted about the new animated FOX show Napoleon Dynamite. The show follows the characters from the movie as they get into random things. I, like many others, was hoping the show would be funny and popular and bring back those feelings we had when we saw the movie. Sadly I regret to inform you that the show is just dull. The characters do not translate well in animation form. It is so bad that I find myself not liking Napoleon at all. He seems annoying and silly and like someone you want to see fail. The voice acting seems overacted, dull and vague. This show should have come out many many years ago, maybe in 2008. This show should have gone no further than Adult Swim, and even there it would only be a hit if late night pot smoking college students forgot where the remote was. If this show were to get cancelled, no one would miss it. I previously gave this show a Digit Up, but after actually watching it I have to give it 2 Digits Down and hope that FOX removes it from its Animation Domination lineup.

...The Weekend

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend is not so great. Friday felt like Thursday or Wednesday. Saturday felt like Sunday and Sunday will probably feel like Monday. There is no football on, college or pro, and there is only meaningless basketball on, but no good games, just meaningless games. Next weekend I will watch the Super Bowl and then wait for the season to kickoff again. However Nascar will be back on soon so that will help. I can live without baseball but that will give me something to nap to. Also, why is Saturday Night Live a rerun...again!?!? There is no need for a break, especially with the GOP debates and current events happening all around us. Oh well, I am giving the weekend a Digit Down.

...Facebook

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Could the rumors be true? Could Facebook be filing for its long-awaited initial public offering this Wednesday? I kind of hope it is true, but I kinda do not as well because I have not put away any money in the proper accounts to handle this type of trade. The reports said Facebook is expected to pick Morgan Stanley as the lead underwriter for the IPO. The company is currently looking at a valuation of $75 billion to $100 billion, according to the report. The impending IPO expected to raise $10 billion. I am not sure what Wall Street would do if this was true. I am not sure what I and other investors would do if it were to happen. Facebook is already, in some ways, becoming last week's news, so by cashing in now they may or may not get that $100 billion value. If they do however it will fall fast, so they should cash in now before it is too late. I am giving this news a Digit Up though. i will just have to figure out a way to move the money around.

...NBC

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I wrote about NBC, and this week I am doing it again. It seems like NBC wants to take a once popular show, that is now sinking, and spin it off. It has been reported that NBC is developing a spin off for The Office staring Dwight Schrute. The series, which would tentatively launch in early 2013, would follow Dwight's life outside of Dunder Mifflin at his family's beet farm and bed and breakfast. The beet farm has been featured in several episodes stemming back to Season 2, with The Office and Parks and Recreation executive producer Mike Schur playing the role of Dwight's business partner and oddball cousin Mose. The potential spin off will be introduced later this season in an Office episode set at Schrute Farms. Since Steve Carell left the show it has seen its ratings fall. Some have speculated that NBC may even end The Office. However if they keep it Dwight will be featured on the show for the first half of season 9 before leaving for his own show. I am not a fan of The Office and I am not a fan of this idea. I have watched 3 episodes of The Office and I did not find it funny in any way, and I have worked in an office so...yeah. NBC had great luck with Fraiser, a spin off of Cheers, but let us not forget that horrible spin off known as Joey, a spin off of FRIENDS. I am giving NBC a Digit Down for his idea. It will happen, and it will be an embarrassment.

...Tim Gunn

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Tim Gunn is everyone's favorite, minus Anna Wintour, style critic on Project Runway and now on the new show The Revolution. Tim is 58 years old and openly gay. But did you know that for the last 29 years Tim has been celibate? Yes that is correct people, 29 years, no sex. Tim explained that he is human and he has emotions and urges, but he lives a perfectly full, happy and healthy life. In the video below he will go into more detail about it. I do not find this strange or unusual. He is almost A-Sexual, and I find nothing wrong with that. I would like to see more people find ways to express their feelings for another person without using sex, and then wonder why they are constantly in and out of relationships or "relationships". I am glad Tim was open and willing to share this with us. The only bad thing about it is that it will not be enough to save his shotty show. Still I am giving Tim Gunn a Digit Up.

...Demi Moore

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Demi Moore was rushed to the hospital after 911 was called to her home. According to many sources she was rushed tot he hospital because of exhaustion and the stresses of her life. However TMZ says their sources told them it is because of substance abuse.
Recently Moore split with her husband Ashton Kutcher after many claims came out about him having multiple affairs throughout their marriage. Moore's rep released this statement regarding the situation:

"Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."

Now substance abuse does not automatically mean drugs, illegal or prescription, but it could mean alcohol as well. I do believe that this hospital incident came from substance abuses, probably sleeping pills or something depression related. I would not be surprised if she checks herself into some sort of rehab soon. Until we see her in public doing well again I am giving this news a Digit Down.

...Kristin Cavallari & Jay Cutler

2012-01-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

Well it seems that whether Kristin Cavallari & Jay Cutler get married or not, they will always be together in some way. The couple announced that they are expecting their 1st child. Wow. The on again off again couple released this statement, "We are thrilled to announce we are expecting our first child together. It's an amazing time in our life and we can't wait to meet the new addition to our growing family." This baby will probably be born before the start oft he next NFL season, so this could become a minor distraction for Jay...doubt it. I am going to give this news a Digit Up because although they are not married, and part of me does not like that, I am sure this will be a relationship full of drama and television worthy events.

...Aretha Franklin

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

Aretha Franklin has called off her engagement...sort of. She and her fiance Willie Wilkerson have decided to cool it down for now. In a statement Aretha said:

"Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast, and there were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly. There will be no wedding at this time. We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends."

Aretha has said before that Willie is the one for her because they had such a strong friendship before they decided to get engaged. At the age of 69 I am not sure what she is slowing things down for, get a prenup and get down the aisle. I am giving this news a Digit Down. I was looking forward to what interesting and maybe even outlandish wedding she was going to throw. I guess I will have to wait a little while longer.

...Simon Cowell

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

It seems like Simon Cowell may not be getting married after all. The ever so single Cowell got engaged nearly 2 years ago and ever since then he and his fiancee seemed like an odd couple that were never going to make it down the aisle. Now according to Cowell they are together but not together and they are still god friends... His exact quote was:

"It's quite a complicated relationship. We have had a break from each other, and we are still incredibly close. I’m vulnerable. It’s not on, it’s not off, it’s somewhere in the middle. I don’t know if I will ever get married, but I am happy."

Simon was spotted earlier this month in St. Barts with several women on a boat, however none of them were his fiance Mezhgan Hussainy. Simon is known for taking his ex girlfriend(s) and his current girlfriend(s) with him on vacations. What women is going to put up with this? A gold digger for sure, but I am sure he can spot those. He is generous though. He bought his ex girlfriend of several years Terri Seymour a nearly $5 million mansion after they split. Oddly enough he bought his pop star Leona Lewis a house of the same amount when she reached #1 in the UK and the US. So will Simon and Mezhgan get married? I highly doubt it. They do not even seem like they would hang out with each other, so marriage... HA. I am giving this story a Digit Down. Move on.

...Baltimore Ravens

2012-01-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

What happened? A touchdown away from a win. A field goal away from a tie and overtime. Somehow New England got extra lucky and won. I could see the hurt and pain int he eyes of the Raven's players on the sideline as the 39 year field goal attempt went wide right or left, I guess it depends on whee you were sitting. The Patriots won and are going back to the Super Bowl, Brady's 5th. Overall though... I feel like there may be a jobless kicker after this game. Digit Down.

...Gabrielle Giffords

2012-01-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona has decided to step down from Congress later this week to focus on recovering from her wounds. On her Facebook page she posted this message:

"I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. I'm getting better. Every day my spirit is high. I have more work to do on my recovery. So to do what's best for Arizona, I will step down this week."

I am sure this is the best thing she could do for herself, her district, her state and her country. This does not mean that she could not come back a few years later after she has fully recovered, as best she can, and make another run for Congress. President Obama had this to say, "Gabby's cheerful presence will be missed in Washington, but she will remain an inspiration to all whose lives she touched — myself included. And I'm confident that we haven't seen the last of this extraordinary American." House Speaker John Boehner said he saluted Giffords "for her service and for the courage and perseverance she has shown in the face of tragedy. She will be missed." Nancy Pelosi said that "since the tragic events one year ago, Gabby has been an inspiring symbol of determination and courage to millions of Americans." No matter what political party you align yourself with I can say that we all wish Gabrielle a speedy recovery and full and happy life. I ma giving her and this news a Digit Up because I think the less stress she has on her shoulders, the better she will feel and the faster she will heal.

...Joe Paterno

2012-01-22T10:39:00.009-05:00

Sad news to report. Joe Paterno has passed away at the age of 85 Sunday morning. Though he may have technically died of cancer, I think fans know that he died of a broken heart, he lost his will to live. Brent Musbusburger once asked him what is the real reason he has not retired. Joe told him he feared he would not live long after, using Bear Bryant as an example. The way he was treated by the school over the last few months and the toll it took on him, he just could not fight anymore. The family's spokesperson released this statement;

"It is with great sadness that we announce that Joe Paterno passed away earlier today. His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled. He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

No matter what happened over the past year Joe Paterno should be remembered for the good he did for Penn State. The millions he and his family gladly donated tot he school, the way he turned the school into a major institution, not just on the football field. Penn State has lost the face of their school for good now. He will be missed by millions of fans across the nation. I am giving this news 2 Digits Down.

...Heidi Klum & Seal

2012-01-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

On the heels on the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant divorce there seems to be another divorce taking place. Sources are saying the Heidi Klum and Seal are headed for divorce. Heidi is the one filing for divorce under irreconcilable differences, but not much has been added to that. What went wrong? While Heidi is set to file, another source said that may not be the case. The source told US Weekly, "Nothing is finalized or for sure. Seal flew back from the UK yesterday and he and Heidi are in the house together now. They've had a very rough road lately. They're either madly in love or having crazy fights." The source also said that their recent trip to Aspen was full of tension and lots of fighting. It has been said that they love each other very much but over the last year they have had a rough time. To that I say wow. What happened to marriage? Why are people giving up so easily? Unless there is physical or extreme mental and verbal abuse they need to fix this. After six years of marriage, they can make this work. They also have three biological children, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2, plus Klum's 7-year-old daughter from her previous marriage, Leni, whom Seal adopted in 2009. I am giving this news a Digit Down because I do believe that they can work this out. Even Arnold and Maria are finding a way to work things out, so I know that these two lusty eyed folks can do ti as well.

...Kobe Bryant

2012-01-21T00:00:00.003-05:00

Wow
Wow
Wow
That is how you start this off. Kobe Bryant and his wife had a quickie divorce, and she walked away with a lot more than him. Due to the facts that there was no prenup, they were married for almost 11 years and that they had 2 kids together in the state of California you knew he was going to pay. In the divorce settlement it is being reported that Vanessa Bryant walked away with $75 million( roughly half of Kobe's earnings) and three...THREE "mansions" in the Newport Beach area. First, I thought Kobe had earned much more than $150 million in his career by now. Secondly, three homes!?!? Major. In fact one of the homes is not even complete yet. So why did she get so much? Simply put, Kobe saw what happened to Tiger Woods and decided it was easier to shut her up and give her everything she wants rather than drag this divorce out, have all of his personal business thrusted into the spotlight, and then have sponsors leave him left and right. Apparently Vanessa has over 140 recorded accounts of Kobe cheating on her. Players go home and tell their wives what happened on the road and then those women told Vanessa. I am sure she did her own research and found out what was true and what was false. Kobe and the Lakers are not doing that great this year, this news will not help. However there is some lucky realtor out there about to get a major commission when Kobe buys his next home. I am giving Kobe Bryant 2 Digits Down. My goodness... A prenup would have prevented all of this from happening. Take note LeBron!

...Etta James

2012-01-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

As you all may know by now, Etta James has died from complications of leukemia, with her husband and sons at her side. She was 73 years old. No need to be sad though. While I am giving this news a Digit Down, just enjoy the music.

...Corner Canyon High

2012-01-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

I know that school are becoming more and more politically correct, butt his one is a bit much. Corner Canyon High is located in Draper, Utah. The school is new and they let the students choose their mascot. The students chose a cougar as their mascot. The reason why the future student body gravitated toward Cougars is pretty clear: Area collegiate power BYU uses the Cougar as its mascot and enjoys an enormous fan base of area residents and those who follow the Mormon faith (BYU is a Mormon institution). However the Canyons School Board refused to accept the Cougar as a mascot out of fear that it might offend older women. In the current edition of the Webster Dictionary, the second definition for cougar sights a slang terminology that refers to "a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man." Are you kidding me? This is so silly on the board's part. No one wold have even thought about this unless you brought it up, as the board did. Now the school's sport's teams will be known as "Chargers". I hope that stands because I would hate for them to somehow relate chargers to vibrators that run off of rechargeable lithium ion batteries. This story gets a Digit Down.

...NBC

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

What is up with NBC? I am a fan on Whitney Cummings and I enjoy Chelsea Handler at times. Both of them now have shows on NBC. This may or may not be due to the merger between NBC and Comcast and Chelsea's past relationship with a Comcast executive. However that is whatever at this moment. When I was watching the Golden Globes this past Sunday I noticed that a lot of shows were nominated, and only a baby sized handful were NBC shows. Now back to Whitney and Chelsea's shows. These are two funny women with edgier comedy styles, yet now that they are on network television during primetime they have become a shell of themselves. Why? Is the money that great? NBC's formula for television shows has not worked for decades. They are still trying got ride the dried up wave of success they had with Seinfeld, FRIENDS, Frasier and to a lesser extent Will & Grace and E.R. Even their fan favorite shows have taken a ratings hit, I am talking about the Law and Order franchise and to a lesser extent The Office. I remember when CBS was the but of jokes because their average viewing age was like 64 years old. Now they are leading he comedy way. ABC has also become a powerhouse of comedy and drama. NBC has lost its way and they do not seem in anyway ready to find it. Laugh tracks? Tame comedy shows with predictable outcomes? Now they have a Wednesday night lineup that was already going against he powerful ABC lineup, but now that American Idol is back on it seems almost as bad as having a show on at 10PM on a Friday. Basically those shows are sitting ducks and will not last much longer. I am sure they probably have a two season deal worked out, but not even that will work, look at what they did to Community. By the way FRIENDS and Seinfeld were not automatic hits. Networks today will give you 3 episodes if you are lucky, after that you are gone. I am giving NBC 2 Digits Down because their decision making process is way too corporate and way too New York and L.A. Give the little guys and unknowns a chance and stop putting on shitty, tone down comedies and over produced and yet still cheap looking game shows.

...Young Lee

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Young Lee is the co-founder of frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry. He was also recently arrested for beating a homeless man with a tire iron. He is accused of chasing down a homeless man who approached his car in downtown Los Angeles asking for money on June 15, 2011. Lee and another individual beat the homeless man with a tire iron, according to police. The man was hospitalized for treatment. Witnesses reported the incident to police, including the license plate of the vehicle, a Range Rover, which was rented in Lee's name. Police seized the tire iron from the vehicle, police said. Witnesses also helped police identify Lee from a photo display, allowing police to obtain a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested at the airport. A federal database alerted LAPD detectives that Lee was aboard an inbound flight from Korea to Los Angeles Airport on Monday. Bail was set at $60,000 and he remains in custody, police said. Before starting Pinkberry Lee was a former kick boxer and bouncer. He became the architect responsible for the chain's bright colored walls and sleek furniture. I am sure this will not damage the Pinkberry name in any way, however I am not sure what he will do or what we will do to him. Will we kick him out of the country? I doubt it. Until more is done I am giving Young Lee 2 Digits Down.

...Chewing Gum

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

A new study finds that chewing gum may make you smarter. This makes me a genius. One thing that I learned that has nothing to do with the study is that people have been chewing gum for over 9,000 years. As Miley Cyrus would say, Pretty Cool. The study shows results from 159 undergraduate students. Half chewed gum before a test and the other half did not. Those who chewed gum five minutes before the tests significantly outperformed non chewers on five out of six of the tests. However, the benefits only lasted for the first 15 to 20 minutes of the test and chewing during the tests was not helpful, probably because it distracted the students. The sugar content of the gum had no impact on the test performance. The researchers found that students who chewed gum during math tests, and while doing their math homework, had a 3% rise in standardized math scores and higher final grades, compared to non chewers. Chewing gum also improves your memory. One theory is that the physical act of chewing increases blood flow to the brain, a phenomenon the St. Lawrence researchers call “mastication-induced arousal.” They speculate that munching perks up attention but, since the effect is temporary, chewing gum may be most helpful before tackling the toughest questions on a test. Also it seems that mint gum is the new coffee, minus the side effects. Study participants were randomly divided into three groups. A third of the participants chewed gum, one-third “sham chewing” (making chewing motions with no actual gum in their mouth) and the rest not chewing as they underwent a pupillographic sleepiness test (measuring the diameter of the eye’s pupils for 11 minutes while the person sits in a darkened room). The researchers theorize that the higher alertness of the gum chewers may be due to the arousing effects of the mint flavor or increased brain activity during chewing. Basically the conclusion is gum chewers were smarter, happier and less stressed. They do not know why, but I will buy it. My mom says chewing too much gum will ruin my TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and I will have pain and hear clicking. Either way I will be happy, smart and stress free when I receive that news. I am giving chewing gum 2 Digits Up.

...Golden Globes: Worst Dressed

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Busy Phillips
No White After Labor Day!

Calre Danes
This did not work for her or my eyes.

Emma Stone
That belt looked cheap. The dress was too mature for her as well.

Evan Rachel Wood
Someone with dark hair would have rocked this wonderfully.

Freida Pinto
Not flattering for to her body at all.

Giuliana Rancic
She tried a bit too hard to be elegant.

Heidi Klum
The dress was good but paired with the hair and make up, or lack there of, it did not work. Maybe this look would have worked at a gala.

Jessica Chastain
No White After Labor Day.

Julianna Marguiles
This was not flattering on her.

Julie Bowen
A little too 13 year old father daughter dance-ish for me.

Kate Winslet
This seemed like it was a bit too casual.

Katherine McPhee
Hopefully if her new show is a hit she will be able to dress like a nominee instead of a seat filler.

Kathleen Robertson
No White After Labor Day!

Kelly McDonald
This would have worked on an older woman... Maybe.

Kyle Richards
Why was she even there?

Mary J. Blige

This seemed to miss the mark completely. Maybe if it were black.

Maya Rudolph
The dress seemed badly tailored. The pink lipstick did not work either.

Michelle Williams
The material and print was not doing it for me.

Nancy O'Dell
Nancy... Why? This is an Oscar gown, though I do not know what year those Oscars would be.

Natalie Portman
This dress is meant for someone with curves, thus why that bow looks so awkward.

Naya Rivera
The seem in the front down the middle ruined it.

Salma Hayek & Husband
The dress reminded me of a disco party. I wish it would have been a solid design from top to bottom.

Sarah Paulson
This just did not seem...right.

Sharon Osbourne
Next time get advice from your daughter.

Tina Fey
Wrong dress, wrong time. Maybe last year, but not this year.

Viola Davis
The slit and shoes were not doing it for me.

Zooey Deschanel
The top and bottom did not go together at all. The hair and make up was good though.

...Golden Globes: Best Dressed

2012-01-16T00:00:00.002-05:00

Amy Poehler
This Dress looked great on her and it hides Spanks well.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Even Jennifer Aniston has to admit this is a beautiful couple.

Charlize Theron
She took a risk and it paid off well.

Connie Nielsen
I think this was just enough to be considered good.

Debra Messing

She is doing the red hair thing right; black dress and emerald jewelry.

Dianna Agron

This reminds me of China. I like that she did not mess it up with a lot of jewelry.

Elle MacPherson
The hair was a bit much but it flowed nicely into the dress.

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler

I hope Stacey is taking this all in. She only gets one more of these until they "mutually' split up.

Helen Mirren
Ever so elegant.

Jane Lynch

Good for you Jane.

Jessica Alba
She has not wowed me in a while. I am glad to see she got my memo.

Jessica Biel
If this dress would have had puffy princess sleeves this would have been a disaster.

Jodie Foster
I was not expecting her to look this good. I was not expecting her at all.

Julianne Moore

Again a red head doing it right. (See Debra Messing)

Kate Beckinsale

Though the shoes were awful, the dress saved her.

Kelly Osbourne

I like the many risk she took tonight. They paid off in my eyes.

Laura Linney

Normally I would say the slit was to much, but it was not too much this time.

Lea Michele

I am not a fan of hers, but as my mother would say, "The heffer does dress well".

Madonna

The dress was impressive.

Maria Menounos
Though the Miss America pageant was last night, she looked much better than usual.

Mila Kunis
As the new face of Dior she is showing us how she got the job. Loved her make up.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

Kidman looked amazing in this form fitting gown.

Nicole Richie

This dressed looked perfect on her. So does her bra.

Paula Patton

This may be the best look of the night.

Reese Witherspoon

Marriage looks good on her. Her hair could have been better though.

Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng
Keep your enemies closer...

Shailene Woodley

This looked really good on her.

Sofia Vergara
Honestly... I did not even notice the $5 million worth of jewelry she had on.

Tilda Swinton

Some may hate this but I though this looked very forward thinking on her.

...Saturday

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Lazy day.

Good game for the 49ers.

Horrible game for the Broncos.

I cannot blame Tebow for it all, his O-Line was crappy.

I will watch Saturday Night Live and rock out until I sleep.

Digit Down.

...Madonna

2012-01-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

Queen of Pop Mamadonna AKA Madonna has some words, belated words, for projected future Queen of Pop Lady Gaga(for now). Before I tell you what Madonna said let me just address the future Queen of Pop talk; she does not exist yet! Britney Spears was supposed to be the new Queen of Pop, we see what happened there. She still cranks out hits but I do not see her doing this for another 20 years. Jennifer Lopez...pass. Many more in the middle...and now Lady Gaga. One awesome album and a better than average 2nd album does not make you the Queen. I think Katy Perry and Rihanna have some records and are as viable in the music scene as Lady Gaga, though Gaga clearly has the gay vote. Madonna said in the upcoming issue of Newsweek that she thought Lady Gaga's Born This Way sounded familiar... "I thought, this is a wonderful way to redo my song ["Express Yourself"]. I mean, I recognized the chord changes. I thought it was... interesting." Thought Madonna is late with this, we all would agree. Gaga has denied this since the song came out last year saying that she is an artist who does not need to plagiarize anyone or anything, etc. Then on ABC's 20/20 Madonna answered a question on what she thought about Lady Gaga. Her response was, "I certainly think she references me a lot in her work. And sometimes I think it's amusing and flattering and well done. There's a lot of ways to look at it. I can't really be annoyed by it...because obviously, I've influenced her."Again she was asked about the song Born This Way and this time she said, "When I heard it on the radio I said that sounds very familiar." When asked if that felt annoying, Madonna responded, "It felt reductive." Pressed by ABC interviewer Cynthia McFadden whether that was a good or bad thing, Madonna replied "look it up". Madonna has a new album coming out, a new movie coming out and she will be performing this year's Super Bowl halftime show, so expect to see and hear a lot more of her. I am a huge Madonna fan, number one favorite artist. Now with all of that being said, Elvis is still the King of Rock-n-Roll, somehow. Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. James Brown is the Godfather of Soul. Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul. Mary J. Blige is the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, and Madonna is the Queen of Pop. These titles will hold whether they are alive or dead. I am giving Madonna a Digit Up, why not. These two Italian women can handle things on their own. They both have respect for each other and I am sure we will see the two of them coming together in the future even if it is just for lunch.

...Extreme Makeover Home Edition

2012-01-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

After 9 seasons of renovating rundown homes across the country Extreme Makeover Home Edition is coming to an end tonight. To be honest I thought the show should have ended years ago, especially in 2008 when former makeover homeowners were losing their homes due to refinancing. The show then came up with a plan that let them basically pay off the home for the owners buy leasing or renting the home from them for a few months....something like that, very technical. This show is actually a spin off of the popular, at the time, Extreme Makeover Body Edition. If you remember this is when The Swan was airing as well on FOX and they both dealt with giving people cosmetic surgery. For a while the show was getting huge ratings, which allowed for the Home Edition to be aired. Then the backlash from people came and Body Edition was cancelled, but Home Edition survived. I used to watch this show at one point. I liked how they built a whole home in a week or less. But then it became stale, same sad story, new location, but the show chugged on. Finally ABC moved it to Friday, which was a sign it was coming to an end. Then ABC cancelled it, and here we are, the final episode in Joplin, Missouri. The final episode of the show will include Extreme Makeover's biggest rebuild ever, 7 homes in 7 days for tornado victims of Joplin. I know fans of the show will be sad to see it go but you will be able to catch numerous reruns of the show on CMT, TV Land, and probably other stations later to come. And for all of you Ty Pennington fans you can catch him on his new show The Revolution on ABC which just happens to be airing its 1st episode Monday... I doubt it will be a good show, but somehow it will survive for a while like The Chew... I am giving this news a Digit Up.

...Hostess

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hostess, the maker of iconic food brands like Twinkies, Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos has filed for bankruptcy. This is what happens when Americans go on diets... Last year, 36% of Americans ate white bread in their homes, down from 54% in 2000, according to NPD Group. Meanwhile, about 54% ate wheat bread, up from 43% in 2000. About 32% of Americans ate yogurt at least once in two weeks in 2011, for instance, up from 18% in 2000. Twinkies, a snack cake with a mysterious cream filling that epitomizes empty calories, has 150 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. Meanwhile, a Ding Dong chocolate cake with filling has 368 calories and 19.4 grams of fat. Hostess has introduced some healthier options in recent years, including 100 calorie packs of cupcakes and Twinkies. The company also is working on lowering sodium in some products, but those efforts have not helped the company's junk food status. Hostess is a privately held company so they do not have to release their financial records. In its filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Hostess listed about $860 million in debt. The company's biggest unsecured creditor is the Bakery & Confectionary Union & Industry International Pension Fund, which it owes about $944.2 million. In the filing, Hostess also listed its estimated assets between $500 million and $1 billion and its estimated liabilities at more than $1 billion. The Irving, Texas based company said that it will be able to maintain routine operations thanks to a $75 million financing commitment from a group of lenders led by Silver Point Capital LP. Hostess employ 19,000 people and operate in 48 states. Some say that the pensions they have to pay out and insurance plans are not helping the company out at all. CEO Brian Driscoll said Hostess is working to reach a consensual agreement with its unions to modify its collective bargaining agreements. Hostess also hopes to modernize its systems, fleets and plants to keep pace with customer needs. The Teamsters Union, which represents about 7,500 of Hostess' delivery drivers and merchandisers, said in a statement on Wednesday that it is also committed to working toward a solution. This is interesting. I wonder if Bain Capital would be interesting in buying Hostess... Just a thought. Still I doubt that Twinkies will go away. Even if Hostess goes away I can see Twinkies being sold off to another company, maybe even a Chinese company. I am giving this news a Digit Up. Why? Because I think this is a sign of the times and this will make Hostess and other snack companies look at their products and come out with healthier versions. Though the healthier versions will be full of cancer causing chemicals and fattening oils, but it is the thought that counts... Right?

...Halle Berry

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Halle Berry is ready to get married, again. Her boyfriend of almost 2 years,Olivier Martinez, proposed to her with an emerald and diamond ring from Gurhan. She dated the father of her child Aubry for almost 5 years before splitting in 2010. Before him she was married twice before to former baseball player David Justice in 1993, divorced four years later and R&B singer Eric Benet in 2001, only to separate in 2003 and finalize their divorce in 2005. Halle and Oliver met on the set of their movie Dark Tide. They became a public couple in October 2010, and now they are engaged. I remember Halle on Oprah in 2007...2008, maybe earlier or later, telling Oprah that she never wanted to get married again and that it was not going to happen. Oprah pressed her on it and she assured Oprah that it was not going to happen. Well I guess Oprah is going to have to keep her promise and go up to Halle and she her the interview. Hopefully this works out well for both of them and they make it work. I am giving Halle and Oliver a Digit Up.

...Gas Prices

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

So oil prices are over $100 again, what is new right... Oil prices were up and down in November and December, but prices at the pump were pretty low. They were around $3 a gallon, in some places under $3 by a quarter or more. Now that the new year has come, oil prices are over $100 a gain, but this time we are seeing it at the pump. In the last week I saw the price of regular gas go from $3.16 to $3.27 and today to $3.32. Why? I will start with Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. The threat alone could send oil prices up because the volatility index will rise thanks to the speculators. But that alone is not the reason why oil is up. So far Iran has not done anything, we have their number and they secretly know this. So why are oil prices up and why are gas prices up? Simple, the holidays are over. How do you get people to spend more money? Let them keep some. If gas were $3.50 or more from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, how many people would have travelled? More importantly how many people would have shopped? It was reported that this shopping season was more profitable than last years, and though gas prices were up from last year, they were still much lower than the month before November. So mentally Americans thought they were "saving" money and that they were going to have more to spend. Add int he many temporary jobs int he month of December, and you have a little extra pocket change to spend. Sadly this end in January. Those temporary jobs will come to an end, oil and gas prices will rise and Americans will be complaining about how much they spend on gas, and food and debt, the debt they partially created in December. For now we will deal with the high prices. Maybe close tot he election in November we will see them fall sharply again... Think about that, an election and another holiday season, sounds like a reason to lower gas prices. If it is rue that consumer spending accounts for 70% of the nations economy, then they will do WHATEVER it takes to keep you coming back, even creating a special name for you people called "Middle Class". But that is another topic for another day. until then I am giving Oil 2 Digits Down.

...Ford Fusion

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ford was the only American car maker not to take government money in a bailout about 3 years ago. Ford struck gold with the 1st Ford Fusion and again with the 2nd generation propelling it to become America's most popular American built car. Now they are moving on to their 3rd generation of said popular car with 2013 model. This model has a new body and comes in a hybrid and a plug in hybrid. The new look is very different, it has a grille that remind me of an Aston Martin. Under the hood you can choose the base 2-liter four with 170 hp and 170 lb.-ft. of torque, the 1.6-liter EcoBoost turbo capable of 179 hp and 172 lb.-ft. of torque or the 2-liter EcoBoost turbocharged plant with 237 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. The 1.6 liter engine is expected to get 26 mpg in the city and 37 mpg . The hybrid on the other hand is expected to get 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway. Those numbers would put it over its main hybrid rivals the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. The version, named the Fusion Energi, drawing much of the attention is the plug in hybrid which claims it can get 100 mpg on a single charge. That is 8 more than the Chevy Volt, and 13 more than the Toyota Prius plug in hybrid. This number will definitely have to be tested, we all know how car makers like to over inflate their mpg numbers these days and how those numbers to not translate well into everyday driving. The price for the all electric Fusion has not been revealed yet but most expect it to be around $40,000. No matter what the car looks great and it sounds like it will be another hit for Ford. They sold 248,067 Fusions last year, just over 10,000 were hybrids. Maybe they can top that this year or next. I am giving Ford 2 Digits Up for going there, there being the future of American auto making.

...Jeff Jordan

2012-01-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Jeff Jordan, oldest son of Michael Jordan, has decided not to return to UCF this semester for personal reasons. Some are saying this will most likely be the end of his basketball career. He turned down scholarship offers from several mid-major schools to walk on at Illinois out of high school. He eventually earned a scholarship and some playing time as a result of his hustle, but lacked the size and talent to consistently make coach Bruce Weber's rotation. Then in May 2010 he decided to transfer to Central Florida hoping to play alongside his younger brother Marcus and receiving more consistent playing time. In a statement Jeff said, "I thank coach Jones for the opportunity to be a part of the UCF basketball family. I wish the team and coaching staff much continued success." He only averaged 2.7 points, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 13 games this season. This brings me to the big question, did he even want to play basketball? The pressure to be as good as his father was always put on him, probably from birth, and as soon as he started to play it became greater. We all know the Michael Jordan was a one of a kind talent, but when his children decided to lay basketball it seems like most people forgot that from time to time. If Jeff would have picked any other sport the pressure would not have been on him to live up to such high standards. I think he will finish college, somewhere, and then do whatever he wants. Maybe he will be a great business man or something. Heck, maybe he does not even like playing basketball and just did it to get eh attention of his father, who knows. I am giving Jeff Jordan a Digit Up. Go find yourself and do what you like, as long as it is legal.

...Beyonce & Jay-Z

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

So the most anticipated baby since the Brangelina twins has arrived. Saturday Beyonce gave birth via C-Section to a baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter. Soon after their friends Tweeted their congratulations. Gwyneth Paltrow Tweeted, "Welcome to the world, Blue, We love you already." A fan Tweeted her about the name asking if it was "Ivy Blue or Blue Ivy" in which Gweneth Tweeted, "It's Blue Ivy!'' Rihanna Tweeted, "Welcome to the world princess Carter! Love Aunty Rih." and Russell Simmons Tweeted, "Congrats to my good friends Beyonce and Jay-Z." For those wondering about the name apparently the couple chose "Ivy" because of the significance of the number "4" or "IV". Beyonce and Jay-Z were born on September 4th and December 4th and were married on April 4th, 2008, and Beyonce's latest album is entitled 4. Many questions surrounded this pregnancy. Was she really pregnant? We may never know. Was the bump real? Again we may never know. Did she have the baby before Saturday? See answers to questions one and two. No matter what they have a child now and we will see it eventually. I am giving Beyonce and Jay-Z a Digit Up.

...Bristol Palin

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

It seems like Bristol Palin has had enough of Hollywood. After spending a little over a year trying to fit in she has packed up and moved back to her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. She told In Touch magazine, "I wasn't really into the Hollywood thing," she says. "After that, I just realized that I was over it. I was ready to come home." She wanted to raise her son in Alaska as well adding, "When we're here, Tripp is outside all the time ... his cheeks are always bright red!" Bristol's change of heart was due mostly in part to a confrontation she had with a man while riding a mechanical bull at the Saddle Ranch bar in L.A. He verbally attacked her because he had an issue with her mother's politics. Now back in Alaska Bristol is currently working as a receptionist at a dermatologist's office in Anchorage. She and her son are living at home with her mother and father. Sarah told In Touch "It's great having Bristol here. She makes good decisions, and she's always thinking long-term about her and Tripp's future." All seems to be going okay for Bristol. I am sure she has money saved up and she will always have her parents around to help her. I am going to give Bristol a Digit Up. It is a soft news day...

...Zooey Deschanel

2012-01-07T00:00:00.003-05:00

Zooey Deschanel is a breakout star this year with her hit show "New Girl". Unfortunately she is getting a divorce form her Death Cab for Cutie husband Ben Gibbard. In their divorce papers something unusual for Hollywood was in there, financial information. Now Zooey is cute, but this information made her even more attractive, sexy even? Maybe. She is very financially responsible.

Salary from TV show "New Girl" -- $95,000 per month
Dining-out expenses -- $500 per month
Clothing expenses -- $2,000 per month
Laundry/cleaning expenses -- $600 per month
Cell phone and email expenses --- $300 per month
Charitable donations -- $1,500 per month
Credit card debt -- $0

She also has over $1.5 million in the bank, and about $1.6 million in stocks and other investments. and owns property worth close to $700,000. This solid. She is saving for the future. Who knows how long she will want to act or sing or how long people will want to see her act and sing. Some current stars live and spend freely, as if they are never going to be yesterday's news. Take a page from Zooey Deschanel and you too can earn 2 Digits Up.

...Newt Gingrich

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Recently Newt Gingrich made a speech and in his speech he made a statement about the NAACP and food stamps that seemed to ruffle the feathers of a few. The statement was:

"And so I'm prepared if the NAACP invites me, I'll go to their convention and talk about why the African American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps."

Soon after online blogs and newspapers has headlines such as; "Gingrich Singles Out Blacks in Food Stamp Remark," "Newt: Informs African Americans They Should Not Want Food Stamps," and "Gingrich to Blacks: Demand Jobs Not Food Stamps." Is this a bad thing? DO you want food stamps or paychecks? Newt said he is willing to go into any ethnic community and listen to any of their ideas. He has always been willing to acknowledge the black and Latino community. He was critical of George W. Bush for not addressing the NAACP and he was also critical of the 2008 Republican nominees or skipping out on a forum hosted by Travis Smiley, which focused on the issues of black voters. Living in Atlanta I find it easy to believe that Newt really does have a place in his heart and mind for the African American community and I believe he would do a lot to help them in a way that is equal to that of other races. So why is this a big deal? Well...he is a Republican talking about black people, a Republican whose own party could take or leave him talking about black people. Let us not look too much into this. I am giving Newt Gingrich a Digit Up for saying something that millions across the nation are thinking.

...Darth Vador Burger

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Star Wars is...still profitable, no kidding. Belgian fast food chain Quick is releasing two new burgers to coincide with the release of the Phantom Menace in 3D. The burgers will debut in Quick restaurants throughout France on January 31, just before the film's February release in the country. The limited edition burgers come in three flavors: the Dark Burger - a double cheeseburger on a seeded bun with some kind of creamy mayo spread, the Jedi Burger - a double-patty cheeseburger, this time inspired by the cryptic genius Yoda and The Dark Vador - a double beef patty with cheese and a light salad topping served on a pitch-black bun. Yes it is misspelled, though I chose to spell it correctly in the heading, The Dark Vador is how Quick chose to spell it. The bun is what makes this whole thing worth talking about. It makes you wonder if the buns were photoshoped for the promotional pictures or if the buns will really be pitch black. I am sure with enough food coloring they can get they color every time. Still I am giving this a Digit Down because...Star Wars has been done to death, TO DEATH! Let it go people.

...Fifth & Pacific Cos. Inc.

2012-01-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of Fifth & Pacific Cos. Inc? Maybe you know it better as its former name Liz Claiborne. You still have time though because the name does not officially change until May. Liz Claiborne decided to change its name of 26 years after selling the Liz Vlaiborne brand to J.C. Penny. Their new plan is to focus on their other brands such as Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, and Lucky Brand. CEO William L. McComb told Women's Wear Daily "We wanted a name that somehow captured the intrinsically American element of what we do, even though these are global brands... we talked about the lurking drama of New York and Los Angeles really being a defining element of what we are as a company." For all of you wondering about the history of Liz Claiborne here you go:

Anne Elisabeth Jane "Liz" Claiborne was a Belgian-born American who won a Harper's Bazaar-sponsored design contest and moved to New York. She started Liz Claiborne Inc. in 1976 and it was an instant success. Ten years later her company became the first one founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500 with retail sales of $1.2 billion. Claiborne was also the first woman to serve as chairperson and CEO of a Fortune 500. Claiborne insisted that her entire collection be placed together in a department store, instead of in separate clothing categories. This ultimately changed the way all major department stores are arranged and allowed us to shop in a more creative way, mixing and matching items to create outfits. Apparently Claiborne would sometimes pose as a saleswoman to see what consumers really thought of her clothing. She died in 2007 at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer. That same year, Isaac Mizrahi became the brand's designer and tried to revamp the line under "Project Runway" star Tim Gunn, who served as chief creative officer, but it was ultimately a failure. J.C. Penney bought the brand in 2009 for a contract that could last up to 10 years. Liz Claiborne Inc. sold off Monet, kensie, kensiegirl, Mac & Jac, Dana Buchman, and Mexx last year, but they still own many profitable brands as well as holding the license to the DKNY Jeans and DKNY Active brands.

So there you have it. To be clear Liz Claiborne will be around as a brand, but as a company they are going bye bye. I am giving this news a Digit Up. If they were killing off the name and brand things would be different, but I can live with this.

...Iowa

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Breaking News...Iowa does not matter. Though once every four years Iowa gets a ton of attention and potential presidential candidates travel there to campaign and spend millions of dollars, Iowa does not matter. I am not the first to say this. For weeks many have said that Iowa is too white, too religious, too simple. I do not think that Iowa matter anymore. They do not represent America in anyway other than just being a state. I my be a homer by saying this but Florida represents America better than Iowa. They have a Northern, Central and Southern area that represents America pretty well. From the country gun toting hunters, the beach loving fast living city dwellers, and everyone in between. Plus they have a hefty population of white, black and Latinos that the both parties would like to capture. So when I look at these results from Iowa tonight I will not be moved. I doubt anyone will drop out, maybe after New Hampshire, but tonight is just a wild card playoff game, or the opener to the season. I am giving Iowa a Digit Down.

...Aretha Franklin

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

As I said before, it is the time and season for engagements and love. There are two new members to add to that club, Aretha Franklin and William "Willie" Wilkerson. William "Willie" Wilkerson is Aretha's longtime friend. She joked that she is "not pregnant", hahaha. Aretha has been married twice before. The two of them are considering getting married this Spring or Summer in Miami Beach, Florida. After the ceremony they plan on having a private reception on a yacht. Aretha also added that she is considering Vera Wang, Valentino and Donna Karan to design her dress. I am sure this one will make it to the alter, and more than likely it will last, older people tend to find a way to make it work. Good luck to the both of them. Digit Up.

...LeBron James

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

No this does not have anything really to do about basketball, this is about something else. While partying and celebrating his birthday and New Year's Eve at SL Nightclub in Miami when he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson. The couple has been together since LeBron played at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, OH. That would be over 10 years...wow. Savannah and LeBron have two children together, LeBron Jr., age seven, and Bryce, age four. I am going to give them a Digit Up and I hope this does not change their relationship at all.

...Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2012!!!

Do not drink and drive

and

Do not get married tonight

...OWN

2012-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Happy One Year Anniversary OWN

I hope 2012 is 100 times better than 2011

...Katy Perry & Russell Brand

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

After only 14 months of marriage Katy Perry & Russell Brand are getting a divorce. Russell is the one who actually filed for divorce. He told the Associated Press "Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends." Though they seemed like a happy couple there were obvious signs that their marriage was not going to last form the start. Russell is clean and sober after battling for years with his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He sobered up and tends not to be a wild part man. Katy is younger than Russell and lives the pop star life. She travels all over the world performing and tends to spend her nights out drinking at clubs and bars and smoking cigars from time to time, something that Russell did not approve of. Still they gave it a college try, but in the end their differences were just to much. I do believe they will re main friends and I think their divorce will be over fast because I do not thinkt hey ever had enough time to become one, a true married couple. I am giving this news a Digit Down.

...Engagements

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

So many celebrities are getting engaged this time of the year. I know that when the temperature outside drops the cuddling and whatnot can heat things up. There are two celebrities that got engaged this week alone.

John Legend is engaged to his longtime model girlfriend Christine Teigen. He is 33 and she is 26. They have been dating since 2007. He popped the question while the two were vacationing int he Maldives.

Country singing legend Wynonna Judd is engaged to her drummer boyfriend Cactus Moser. Judd divorced her second husband in 2007 after four years of marriage and shortly after he was accused of aggravated sexual battery against a minor. She is 47 and Moser, a drummer for the band Highway 101, is 54.

Steven Tyler has also popped the question to his girlfriend of almost 6 years Erin Brady. Rumors were swirling after she was spotted wearing a ring on her ring finger while the duo were in Maui for Christmas. Tyler is 63 and Brady is 38. There is also talk that his children are not to fawn of Brady. They think she is too young and immature for their father. No matter what though it seems like Steven plans to walk his way to the beat of his own drum, as always.

Finally there is basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jordan is engaged to his Cuban born model girlfriend of three years Yvette Prieto. I guess when you move to South Florida you get used to the Latino heat. Haha. Jordan divorced his ex wife in 2006 and reportedly had to shell out $168 million. I am sure this time there will be a prenup. Jordan is 48 and Prieto is 32. I am sure there will be children in their future, because he needs more bodies to fill his new 20,000+ sq. ft. mansion he is building in Jupiter, Florida.

I wish all of these couples luck and I hope that they make it to the alter and all the way til death due them part. Digit Up.

...Kim Jong-Il

2011-12-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il's funeral was held today. It seems as if almost all of North Korea came to catch a glimpse of his hearse and casket. As the hearse carried his body through the snowy streets one thing was noticeable, it was an American car. The hearse was a 1976 Lincoln Continental, vintage indeed. The car is actually older than North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-Un who is 23. Kim, like many dictators around the world,seem to hate American and the Western world in general,but love our food, movies, and education system. Kim was a big fan of Hollywood movies. He supposedly owned a collection of over 20,000 films, many of which starred Sylvester Stallone and his favorite actress Elizabeth Taylor. He was also a big NBA fan. One of his most prized possessions was said to be an autographed Michael Jordan basketball, given to him by then Secretary of State Madeline Albright. So why the hypocrisy? Who knows. Maybe he liked America in 1976. I guess an American car beats the Hyundai's and Kia's of South Korea. I am giving this news a Digit Up. Maybe in the future we will give them cars and they will give us nukes.

...Sinead O'Connor

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you thought 72 days was short, try 18. Sinead O'Connor has ended her marriage to Barry Herridge after only 18 days. She explained why on her site.

"Within three hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behavior of certain people in my husband's life... [There was] a wild ride I took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for my wedding night as I don't drink... My husband was enormously wounded and very badly affected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage. It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear... A woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So you love someone? Set them free"

She also said that he is a "wonderful man" and that she still loves him". This has been an interesting year for Sinead. She married Herridge, her 4th husband, on her 45th birthday at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, the she went on a public search for a new man on her website, wrote a series of suicidal tweets that alarmed her fans and revealed plans to release a new album next year. Let us hope that 2012 will be a much better year for her. I am giving this news a Digit Down. Also, how random is it that she is still in the news?

...Jennifer Hudson

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Hudson has a new book out, and it has an interesting fact in it, she declined to play the role of Precious in the movie Precious. In her book, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, she said she declined the role because she did not want to gain weight. She says, "I had [gained weight] with Effie [in Dreamgirls], and as much as I was moved by this film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight." With her decline the role went to the unknown actress Gabourey Sidibe. I am sure Gabourey is very happy that Jennifer declined the role. Jennifer has lost 80 pounds and even opened the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers Center in Chicago. This is a good thing and I am sure she will keep the weight off for as long as she can. I am giving Jennifer Hudson a Digit Up for choosing a healthy lifestyle over a potential Academy Award. Could you imagine how many award this movie would have won if she starred in it? We will never know.

...IKEA

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

IKEA, the Swedish home goods retailer, is planning to build an entire neighborhood in Stratford, East London, just south of the Olympic Park, where the 2012 Olympics will take place. The 26 acre neighborhood will include 1,200 homes, of which about 40 percent will have three or more bedrooms. Strand East will also have a 350-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel, 480,000 square feet of offices, shops, cafes, restaurants, a school, a nursery, and a health-care facility, allowing residents to accomplish daily errands and needs without having to drive. The Daily Mail speculates the land alone cost £25 million (about $39 million), though 2 of the big pieces of land were foreclosed so the price was lower than usual. The project will be constructed by Landprop, a unit of Inter IKEA. Although some planning approvals are pending, construction is planned to begin in 2013, post the Olympics, and is expected to take about five years. This is interesting and I am sure most of the buildings will be eco-friendly modern urban chic. Though IKEA is over this, the building do not come pre-furnished, go figure. This is going to be an interesting project and I hope it goes well for them. Digit Up.

...Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

...Donald Trump

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Donald Trump has yet again sparked rumors that he may run for president. He has quit the Republican Party and is now an Independent. ABC News reported that he could run as a candidate with Americans Elect, an online convention to nominate an independent candidate. It is not a party, but an alternative vehicle for getting a non-Democrat or Republican presidential candidate on the ballot. Though he said he would consider running if the right Republican candidate was not selected, I still doubt he will. If he or any other current politician running to become the Republican presidential candidate decided to run as a 3rd party member it would most likely steal votes form the Republican party and hurt heir chances at winning. However I think if there were a legitimate 3rd party candidate then they could gain a lit of attention and takes voters from both sides. Still Trump is in the news again and that is always a plus for him. I guess I will give him a Digit Up.

...John Boehner

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I usually approve of the moves that Speaker of the House John Boehner makes, but this latest one I am not a fan of. With headlines stating that he "bowed" or "caved" to political pressure, Boehner told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid he would set a vote in the House on a Senate-passed two-month extension of the payroll tax cut. In a news conference he said, "We have fought the good fight. Why not do the right thing for the American people even though it's not exactly what we want." The House could hold a simple "voice vote" on Friday that requires only a few members to be present and frees Republicans from having to cast politically difficult recorded votes. The Senate would also vote on Friday. That allows Boehner to push through the bill despite opposition from his often fractious caucus. Many see this as a win for the Democrats and the President. I am wondering why? Under a deal agreed to by Boehner and Reid, both parties will immediately appoint negotiators to forge the full-year deal sought originally by Obama and most recently also by House Republicans who said a two-month fix created uncertainty. I think that eventually the Democrats would have agreed to do whatever to get the bill passed, but now we will never know. In the back of my mind I wonder if the Republicans are preparing for the 2012 election... If they were to let the cuts expire, the Democrats would have had a lot of ammo against them, but this now allows them to hold that attack off for a little while. Still, we say what happened the last time Congress was given a deadline to make cuts to a short-term budget that affect everyone...they failed, the Super Committee failed. So what makes this different? Not much at all. I think Boehner should have stuck to his grounds and unless this helps his party in the long run I will not reverse his Digit Down.

...FOX News

2011-12-22T00:06:00.001-05:00

Fox News has one of the best Christmas cards of the year. Every year they send out a card that pokes fun at their competition by stating the fact that they(Fox) are the #1 cable news channel and the others are trying to catch up. This year they took it a step further by saying that they are in a different league, they are now ready to take on the big 3 networks. Inside the card was a poem, (to be sung to the tune of "Joy to the World"):

Joy to the world for Fox News Channel
Consistently number one
We are the network viewers choose
Fair and balanced news
See our ratings we don't lose
Beating the rest in TV news

Also partaking int he fun was Fox Business which took a swipe at CNBC. No matter how much people protest about the way FOX News operates and delvers news, they remain #1. Young people do not watch news, and it seems like people in general do not watch CNN, what is up with that? I am giving FOX News a Digit Up.

...David Dopp

2011-12-21T00:04:00.000-05:00

David Dopp is a Utah Frito-Lay tuck driver. He won something that many of people dream about and some people with the means to get it do not even have. He won a Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 Roadster which can retail around $200,000. Of course he was happy and wanted to test it. He took the car for a spin. For some reason he decided to test the car on the icey roads around his home in Santaquin, Utah. A few hours after winning the car he crashed it. He had apparently already taken one call from the local police about taking it easy. Dopp says he was going about 40 mph to 50 mph on a 35-mph road when he hit a patch of what he called black ice or gravel. The police report says the car went over a curb, off the road and 75 feet into the field, calling the accident "speed related." The car is now headed to Las Vegas where mechanics will calculate a repair estimate on the busted oil pan and damaged bumper. Dopp says the day was an emotional roller coaster. I think it was rather dumb. I doubt he could actually afford the car to start with so he should have sold it or at least taken it somewhere flat and dry to test it. I have to give David Dopp a Digit Down. Expensive car wrecks are sometimes funny and sometimes painful.

...Ekaterina Rybolovleva

2011-12-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

Who is Ekaterina Rybolovleva? Well hold on and I will tell you. If you may remember earlier this year Petra Ecclestone bought Spelling Manor for a reported $85 million. For that price she got a 56,500-square foot mansion, the largest in L.A. County. Now back to Ekaterina. She is the 22 year old daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitriy Rybolovlev, who sold his stake in Uralkali, the fertilizer business that made him rich, for $6.5 billion in 2010. How does that make Ekaterina relevant? Well she just "bought" a New York City condo for a record setting $88 million. The 6,744-sq-ft apartment at 15 Central Park West was listed by former Citigroup chairman chairman Sandy Weill. When he listed the apartment in November he promised to donate the proceeds to charity... We shall soon see if he keeps that promise. The purchase of this apartment sets a record for highest individual transaction in New York City history. The previous New York City record had been set back before the market crash when investor Christopher Flowers paid $53 million for a townhouse at 4 east 75th Street. He resold the property on August 15 for just over $36 million. Ekaterina's representative put out a statement that read:

"A company associated with Ekaterina Rybolovleva, daughter of a well-known businessman Dmitriy Rybolovlev, has signed a contract to purchase an apartment at 15 Central Park West, New York. The apartment is a condominium currently owned by the Sanford Weill Family.

Ms. Rybolovleva is currently studying at a US university. She plans to stay in the apartment when visiting New York. Ms. Rybolovleva was born in Russia, is a resident of Monaco and has resided in Monaco and Switzerland for the past 15 years.”

She obviously gets he expensive real estate taste from her father. He purchased Donald Trump’s Palm Beach mansion, Maison de L’Amitie for $95 million in cash, $25 million less than what Trump had originally asked. It was apparently the largest single residence price concession of all time, though with his wife filing for divorce in 2009 and asking for the home he may not own it for much longer. Still this is something major. European and Russian heirs coming to America and buying the American Dream... I am okay with this. I cannot wait until we start returning the favor, again. I am giving Ekaterina Rybolovleva a Digit Up for buying the most expensive college apartment she will probably end up spending less than 6 months a year in and selling for a lot than what she paid for.

...Deon Sanders

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Deon Sanders and his wife Pilar are getting a divorce. While that is somewhat upsetting, though this was rumored months ago, the shocking part is a certain clause in their prenuptial agreement. The provision in the prenup states that Deon Sanders has to provide his wife Pilar with a home equal to half the value of his current home. Since Sanders currently lives in a huge mansion in Prosper, TX that is worth about $21 million, Pilar is looking at a home in the $10-12 million range. Pilar has been looking for homes in the Dallas area since Thanksgiving. On Deon's Facebook page he released this statement:

“Pilar and I have decided to end our marriage and move on to the next phase of our individual lives with mutual respect. We are friends and our top priority has and will continue to be the well-being of our children. We arrived at this decision prayerfully and carefully in order to be able to pursue what is in both of our best personal interests. Neither Pilar or I will be discussing this any further and thank you in advance for respecting the privacy of our family. Truth”

Again, the divorce is not great, but how did she get that clause? I am sure a lot of women will be looking to add something like this in their future prenups. I am giving Deon a Digit Down because though he did make a lot of money as a football player and baseball player, and he currently makes money as an announcer and TV.Radio personality, I do not know how either of them will be able to sustain their lifestyles for the next 2-3 decades, though I think he will do better than her unless she marries another wealthy guy. I like them both, but gosh, bad moves.

...Twitter

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Twitter received another large investment from a very wealthy man. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bought a stake in Twitter for $300 million, gaining another foothold in the global media industry. Alwaleed is the nephew of Saudi Arabia's king who was estimated by Forbes magazine this year to have a fortune of over $19 billion. He already owns a 7% stake in News Corp and plans to start a cable news channel. The investment was a secondary market transaction, meaning that Alwaleed and Kingdom Holding bought the Twitter shares from existing shareholders, rather than making a direct investment. Co-founder of analysis and advisory firm Social Media Influence Bernhard Warner said, "The Arab world, of course, knows full well the value of Twitter. In the past year, it has been a force in politics, in regime change, so there is not a single person in that region in a position of influence who is not following the increasing power of Twitter. (Alwaleed) must see Twitter as something that is going to be a really powerful broadcast channel." Twitter was a key means of communication for protesters in the Arab Spring revolts this year, violence that threatened Saudi Arabia until the kingdom unveiled a populist $130 billion social spending package. Alwaleed, 26th on the Forbes list of billionaires with a sizable stake in Citigroup Inc, has spoken in favor of broader political participation, fair elections and effective job creation across the Arab world. Many wonder if he plans on using this investment to influence Twitter's plans in any way. Others just think it was an opportunity to make money and nothing more. Either way Twitter is valued between $8-$9 billion, though with the debut of Zynga Inc faltering as badly as it did many are questiongint o true value of many of these online social sites. Twitter currently has no plans on going public so Alwaleed may have to wait a while to see his return. No matter what Twitter gained a large sum of money and can hold off on going public a few more month or so. Digit Up to Twitter.

...Qutoes of 2011

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, the quotes for 2011 are nothing special at all. Here is the top 10 list as chosen by Fred Shapiro, associate librarian at Yale Law School.

1. "We are the 99 percent." — slogan of Occupy movement.

2. "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there — good for you! But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for." — U.S. Sen. candidate Elizabeth Warren, speaking in Andover, Mass., in August.

3. "My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress." — Billionaire Warren Buffett, in a New York Times op-ed on Aug. 15.

4. "I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy." — Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman in an Aug. 18 tweet.

5. "Oops." — Presidential candidate Rick Perry after unsuccessfully attempting to remember the third federal agency he would eliminate during a Nov. 9 debate.

6. "When they ask me, 'Who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan?' I'm going to say, 'You know, I don't know. Do you know?'" — Then-presidential candidate Herman Cain in an interview by Christian Broadcasting Network on Oct. 7.

7. "I am on a drug. It's called 'Charlie Sheen.' It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body." — Actor Charlie Sheen in a February interview with ABC News.

8. "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow." — Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' last words on Oct. 5, as reported by his sister Mona Simpson in her eulogy.

9. "I can't say with certitude." — Then-U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner on June 1 when he was asked whether a lewd photograph was in fact him.

10. "Instead of receiving the help that she had hoped for, Mr. Cain instead decided to provide her with his idea of a stimulus package." — Lawyer Gloria Allred on Nov. 7 discussing Herman Cain's alleged sexual harassment of her client.

I feel like this year was wasted if that is the best we have. Most of these seem to have been made recently, so I guess the year starts after July. Digit Down.

...Greg Davis

2011-12-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

Who is Greg Davis? He is the Republican mayor of Southhaven, Mississippi. Why am I writing about him? Because he was just outed in an interesting way. After an audit showed he had the city pay for a wide range of personal expenses, including a visit to a gay sex store in Canada, he admitted that he was gay. He said he has struggled to keep his sexuality from affecting his public role as mayor of Mississippi’s 3rd largest city. Davis told Tennessee based publication Commercial Appeal,
“At this point in my life and in my career, while I have tried to maintain separation between my personal and public life, it is obvious that this can no longer remain the case. While I have performed my job as mayor, in my opinion, as a very conservative, progressive individual — and still continue to be a very conservative individual — I think that it is important that I discuss the struggles I have had over the last few years when I came to the realization that I am gay.”
Davis has been under criminal investigation for allegedly misusing $170,000 in city funds on both his city-issued and personal credit cards. The audit revealed he used city money to pay for thousands of dollars worth of liquor, expensive dinners, and a $67 charge at Priape, a Toronto store described by its website as “Canada’s premiere gay lifestyle store and sex shop.” He said he does not remember what he purchased at the store, but said he visited it on a recruitment trip for the city. Davis is divorced with 3 daughters. He plans on taking time off through the holidays to spend time with his family. It is not clear whether he will resign or not. Davis added, “The only apology I would make to my supporters if they are upset is the fact that I was not honest enough with myself to be honest with them. But I have lived my life in public service for 20-plus years, and in order for me to remain sane and move on, I have got to start being honest about who I am.”
I am giving Mayor Greg Davis a Digit Down. I am not giving it to him for being gay, that would be harsh. I am giving it to him for using city money, tax payer's money to buy personal things such as liquor and sex toys. I doubt he would have come out this year or next, but now he has been forced to come out in a somewhat embarrassing manor. Will he resign? Probably. If he wanted to do some illegal things as mayor he should have moved to Chicago.

Southaven Mayor Greg Davis Ordered to Repay over $170K: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

...Kobe & Vanessa Bryant

2011-12-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

After 10 1/2 years of marriage and that infamous Colorado sexual assault case, it seems like the marriage of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant is coming to an end. Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce on December 1st citing irreconcilable differences, and Kobe signed his response on December 7th. Many believe it is because she has had enough with Kobe cheating on her, something or someone has finally pushed her to file. They released a joint statement saying they "have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012." They also "ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time." With Kobe's net worth estimated to be around $369 million this could be a long drawn out divorce, or a simple one like Kelsey and Camille Grammar's. Sources close to the couple say Kobe desperately wants to win Vanessa back and will do whatever it takes to save their 10 1/2 year marriage. The fun part is, there is no pre-nup! Vanessa has hired mega attorney Laura Wasser to represent her so no matter what she will get a large lump sum of money, probably more than Elin Nordegren. According to the legal docs, Vanessa is asking for joint custody of their 2 daughters(8-year-old Natalia and 5-year-old Giana), but Vanessa is asking that Kobe get visitation rights, which means she wants the kids in her care most of the time. As the Lakers prepare for a season full of new things, players, coaches, office people, and the fans deal with last season's early exit for the playoffs and the loss of Chris Paul in that trade debacle, their star player getting divorced is not what they needed in the short 66 game season. On the other hand for the reality TV junkies out there I am sure they are wondering if Vanessa will become a Real Housewife or a Basketball Wife... Either way I am giving this news a Digit Down.

...The Green Bay Packers

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Did the Green Bay Packers do something to make Ndamukong Suh stomp a player? If you recall that was the play on Thanksgiving that got him suspended 2 games. What did they do, if they did anything...untie his shoes. Former Packer Matt Brock told KXTG in Portland, Or what possibly could have happened:

The center, or one of his guards, he's had like one or two starts in his career and he's got to play against Suh. So he's pretty puckered, right? So, he talking to James, the offensive line coach, going, "What do I do? What do I do?"

James is just in his mind going, "This guy is going to get killed. I got to take his mind off it, give him something else to do." So he says, "Ok, every time you're in a pile, I want you to focus on something. I want you to untie his shoes."

He goes, "What?"

"Anytime you can, just reach in, he's got floppy shoe laces, he doesn't spat or anything, just untie his shoes. It will irritate him."

He untied his shoes three times in the game. That's why he stomped him. That's why he banged his head on the ground and he stomped him. When (Suh) went to the sideline it looked like he was telling the coach, "I didn't do anything" and he put his foot up like, "I didn't stomp him. I didn't do anything." He was actually going, "The damn guy keeps untying my shoes."

If you know football or sports period then you know that this might be 110% true. I sort of hope it is true, though if it is Brock just spilled a team secret, a good team secret at that. Still I am giving the Green Bay Packers a Digit Up because if true it totally work. Suh will learn to fight against the tricks of his opponents and learn how to create a few of his own.

...Sam Hurd

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sam Hurd is a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. In July he signed a 3 year $5.1 million deal. It seems like that was not nearly enough for Hurd. So what did he do to earn extra money? Sell drugs. Makes sense to me... Seriously though, he sold drugs. Not just a little here and there, but large amounts. He was busted Wednesday night by undercover Homeland Security agents. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Hurd met with an undercover Homeland Security agent on Wednesday and attempted to set up a system by which he would purchase 5-10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week to distribute in Chicago. Here's the real kicker — according to the complaint, Hurd said that he was already distributing four kilos of cocaine per week in the greater Chicago area with a co-conspirator, but that this amount wasn't enough. Hurd was willing to pay $25,000 per kilogram of cocaine and $450 per pound of marijuana. Hurd then asked the agent if Mexican cellular phones could be provided for future deals, as Hurd believed that "law enforcement did not have the capacity of 'listening to' Mexican telephones. Hurd then said that he was a member of the Chicago Bears, that his practice ended at 5:30 p.m., and that he could make arrangements to make payment for one kilogram of cocaine that the agent gave him upon completion of negotiations. When Hurd walked away with the coke, he was taken into custody. Players from his current and former team, the Dallas Cowboys, were in shock when they heard the news. I am not sure what provoked him to do this at all. He has a family and he has enough money to support them, more than the national average. There is no excuse for it at all. I am okay with kicking a man when they are down, but I am sure that my foot will not be the biggest. I am giving Sam Hurd 2 Digits Down for this stupid decision.

...Today

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Just a horible day. Taking a looooooooong nap ro day of rest as I prepare for my last day of work for a long time. Two Digits Down.

...Donald Trump

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Donald Trump has steeped down as moderator of an upcoming Iowa debate between Republican candidates because he wants to protect his possible run for the presidency as an independent. It probably also helped that only 2 candidates (Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum) agreed to the debate. Many within the Republican party worried that Trump would make the debate all about him and that the image of Trump would not bode well for the Republican Party. Trump's statement read, "I am not willing to give up my right to run as an Independent candidate. Therefore, so that there is no conflict of interest within the Republican Party, I have decided not to be the moderator of the Newsmax debate. I would like to thank Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum for having the courage, conviction, and confidence to immediately accept being a part of the Newsmax debate. I believe this would not only have been the most watched debate, but also the most substantive and interesting debate!"
If you may recall Trump flirted with the idea of running for the Republican nomination, but no one really supported him enough for him to join. Even after his attacks on China, Iran and questioning if Obama was born in America, he only received a minor bump in the polls. This debate was destined to fail and I believe the only reason Gingrich and Santorum agreed to the debate is because they want is support, as do a few others including Bachman and Romney. Still this is a good thing for the Republicans. They are doing well without trump and they will do well without him. I am not anti Trump, but I do think that this is just not an arena he can do well in. I am giving Donald Trump a Digit Up for stepping down and staying in his arena.

...News

2011-12-13T00:26:00.003-05:00

Slow news day. All I could think about was whether 3G was that bad. Is 4G that much better? I am not sure and I can live with either. That sums up the day. Digit Down.

...Me

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

This is why I gave Gary Marshall a Digit Down about a month ago. His movie New Year's Eve topped the box offices this week, but the total was weak, and I am sure it peaked. The movie made $13.7 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters and added added $12.9 million from international markets, for a combined global debut of $26.6 million. I am sure the movie did not cost much to make, but I ma sure the studio wanted to do more than just break even. As for me, I am giving myself a Digit Up for calling and obvious flop. Yay me.

...Heisman Trophy Award

2011-12-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

In a win that no one could have predicted at the start of the college football year, Robert Griffin III has wont he 2011 Heisman Trophy Award. He is the 1st player in Baylor's history to win the prestigious award. While this is great news for him and the school, what does this mean for Andrew Luck? While many still predict he may be the 1st pick in the NFL Draft next year, does not winning hurt him? Maybe not, but it leaves me with this question: was it worth it Andrew Luck? After passing on automatic millions by skipping the NFL Draft last year and returning to play at Stanford for his senior year and to finish his degree in architecture, many were puzzled. The new rules for NFL rookies do not allow them to make as much money as they used to when they 1st sign with teams anymore, so it is no guaranteed he is going to make as much throughout his future NFL career. After starting his senior year 9-0 people all but handed him the Heisman Trophy and even a shot at the BCS National Championship game. But then he lost to Oregon and that was that. Though it was not a horrible season, it was not the season many would have passed up millions for. So what is next for Andrew Luck? He has to go through the combine stuff and he may do well or he may do horribly. We shall find out soon. Back tot Robert Griffin III, the winner. He won over a lot of people tonight with his charm and his poised demeanor. What will become of him? If he enters the draft he could become a major contender, but it may be best if he waits another season. I do not know if he was the right choice, but there were no dominating players this year. LSU had a defensive player who really only had a couple standout games this season. That says a lot because they are in the BCS Championship Bowl game and they went undefeated and none of their offensive players made it to New York City. Any who I am giving this news a Digit Up because I did not know who was going to win until maybe 2 minutes before they announced it.

...Jennifer Aniston

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Are you kidding? Are you freaking kidding me? Seriously? Apparently in a recent poll on MensHealth.com, Jennifer Aniston was voted the "Hottest Woman of All Time", that includes past and present women. She beat out Raquel Welch (#2), Marilyn Monroe (#3), Britney Spears (#4) and Madonna (#5), and I know you are wondering where Angelina Jolie landed, she was good ole #10. The site explains why Aniston won by saying, "Funny is sexy, and Jennifer Aniston is funny. Her down-to-earth persona makes her seem attainable. . . And her all-too-human love life off screen inspires sympathy that not even a string of bland romantic comedies can diminish. Other sex symbols drift toward one-dimensionality, becoming flat icons in the process, but throughout her career Aniston has remained sexy, funny, and unmistakably real." May I say that the bull is shitting? She is not the "Hottest" of all time. I can only imagine who actually voted for this! One of the sexiest men in the world, according to another magazine, left her for a woman that many believe is the hottest woman alive. This is almost as bad as Bradley Cooper being named sexist man alive...almost. Jennifer is just okay, not too much, not too little, just okay. Something about her is off, and I do not think it has anything to do with her looks, but it contributes to her looks. To me she always seems to be more of a California Beach WASP, if there is such a thing. I cannot agree with this at all and I do not think sympathy and pity votes should never count for anything. I am giving this news 2 Digits Down.

...The X Factor

2011-12-09T00:00:00.003-05:00

Well I normally do not care enough to write about The X Factor, but the elimination of Rachel Crow has brought up a few issues I have with the show. First off I do not care that she was eliminated. I am not a fan of children in the entertainment industry and though she was talented, she was talented for a 13 year old girl. not an adult. X Factor has a minimum age limit of 12. While Disney and Nickelodeon are famous for thrusting child stars into the spotlight and turning them into overnight celebrities, I think that it is way too much pressure on them and it robs them of a normal life as a child and as an adult. The feeling of rejection, I assume, was way too much to handle for Rachel because she broke down in a way that made many uncomfortable to watch. Now a lot of fans are calling for Nicole Scherzinger to be removed from the show. I think that is as dumb as the death threats some of the judges received after eliminating Drew last week. Nicole did not want to vote, which put the bottom two singers, Rachel and Marcus, fates in the hands of America's vote. Rachel lost, done deal. Those who are calling for the show to remove Nicole probably did not vote at all. I think that a lot of these singers are not as good as Simon would have hoped for, but this is what he has and he is working with it. The show will return for a 2nd season for sure, but I do hope they raise the age limit so that we do not have to see another outrageous emotional outburst like this again. Next week I wonder if Nicole's final contestant, Josh Krajcik, will make it to the final 3. America may vote against him just to try to "hurt" Nicole. Dumb. I am giving the X Factor a Digit Down for not making the age limit a little higher, the maturity is just not there yet. Again, I could care less that Rachel Crow was eliminated or that Nicole did not vote.

...Brigham Young University-Idaho

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Brigham Young University-Idaho is part of the Brigham Young schools based in Utah. They are a Mormon run school with Mormon values. They famously suspended Brandon Davies from their basketball team after they found out he had sex, which is against the school's honor code. Now the school seems to have an issue with skinny jeans saying they are too risqué for campus wear. Students wearing them are not allowed in the Test Center going as far as posting a sign that read "No Skinny Jeans". Rachel Vermillion, a student at BYU-Idaho said, "I got in line, and the guy said that I couldn't take a test because my pants were too tight. I thought he was joking at first." The university has no official policy concerning skinny jeans, but form-fitting clothing is generally off limits. The university has not introduced any new policies to crack down on skinny jeans specifically. The No Skinny Jeans sign was a watered-down version of a series of anti-skinny jeans flyers the Test Center had posted since last month, according to the Scroll. In November a sign posted on the center's door warned potential violators of the dress code to wear looser pants: "If your pants are tight enough to see the shape of your leg, your pants are too tight." I can understand the frustration, but this is BYU, and it is a Mormon school. This school doe snot allow you to wear shorts or flip slops, are you THAT surprised that they do not like skinny jeans? Mormons in general do not like curse words, lots of television, coffee, soda and lots of other things. If this surprises you then you are...wasting money in college because they cannot teach you common sense. I am giving Brigham Young University-Idaho a Digit Up. Why not, they are who they are and those kids chose to go there...or their parents forced them who knows.

...Green Bay Packers

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite football team is doing something that they ave not done since 1997; selling team stock to the public. For a mere $250, plus a $25 handling fee, you can own 1 share of the Green Bay Packers. Team president Mark Murphy said the team hopes to raise $22 million from the sale, though a full order of the 250,000 shares would generate nearly $70 million. The money will help defray the cost of a $143 million renovation of Lambeau Field that calls for 6,700 new seats, high-definition screens and a new entrance. Unfortunately it is more of a novelty and a donation rather than a full own partnership.The stock does not rise or fall like something you'd buy from a broker. It brings little more than a certificate of ownership, nominal voting rights. The purchase, of course, comes with a bevy of rules and restrictions. Some of the rules would not matter to the gift-giving crowd, it is highly doubtful that anyone buying a stock certificate for a family member is going to own another professional football franchise. In the fine print are some interesting restrictions and the steep fine that could accompany them:

The NFL Rules prohibit conduct by shareholders of NFL member clubs that is detrimental to the NFL, including [...] publicly criticizing any NFL member club or its management, employees.

If the Commissioner of the NFL (the "Commissioner") decides that a shareholder of an NFL member club has been guilty of conduct detrimental to the welfare of the NFL then, among other things, the Commissioner has the authority to fine such shareholder in an amount not in excess of $500,000 and/or require such shareholder to sell his or her stock. In addition, if the Commissioner determines that a shareholder has bet on the outcome or score of any game played in the NFL, among other things, then the Commissioner may fine such shareholder in an amount not in excess of $5,000 and/or require such shareholder to sell his or her stock.

Still if you are a packer's fan this is pretty much one of the ultimate souvenirs. I already own 5 shares, given to me throughout the years by family and friends. I would buy more but I have money set aside for the real stock market. I am giving this news a Digit Up because if successful the new stadium add-ons look like they will be very nice, and with a season ticket waiting list longer than a couple of life times, much needed.

...Japanese Car Wreck

2011-12-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is about to make me think that stereotype about Asian drivers is true... In Japan there was a massive pile up that involved some very expensive cars. Eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and two Mercedes likely worth more than $1 million altogether. Even a used Ferrari in Japan can fetch $100,000 or more, meaning the total damage may be $1 million or more, some estimating up to $4 million, but I highly doubt that. Not only were the cars in the accident, but police said that they are all beyond repair. No one was seriously injured, but police in Yamaguchi prefecture said 10 people were treated for bruises and cuts. Police say 14 cars were involved altogether. Why were all of the cars on the highway at once? They were being driven by a group of automobile enthusiasts on their way to nearby Hiroshima. Hiroshima... What good has come out of Hiroshima...really! I am giving this news 2 Digits Down. The car lover in me is not pleased with this news.