Saturday, October 2, 2010

Kody Brown and Sister Wives cast encounters bigamy investigation

Nigerian music superstar Fela Kuti let desire usurp logic when he married 27 women 40 years ago. Later he switched to a 12-woman rotation, but the need for money was nevertheless tremendous. Polygamy on such a scale is difficult to maintain, even for those with champagne wishes and caviar dreams. It is also illegal, as Lehi, Utah’s Brown – star bigamist of “Sister Wives” – has come to discover. Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn are under investigation for bigamy by Utah authorities, reports CBS News Crimewatch.

Exactly what is the large deal about bigamy, wonder ‘Sister Wives’

According to reports, TLC consulted with the Utah Attorney General’s office before producing “Sister Wives”. It was a reasonable inquiry. Scott Troxel, a spokesman for the attorney general, told TLC that when bigamy merits third-degree felony charges in Utah, it is not something they would typically investigate without more severe issues in play. Police manpower and their need for cash now makes examination an iffy process, unless child abuse or trafficking are involved. Radar Online speculates that “Sister Wives” is under investigation because it is a victim of its own fame.

Despite the unfavorable publicity, Kody Brown and his four wives see nothing wrong with bigamy.

“If we raise productive, contributing members of society who are moral and ethical, that’s our final goal, whichever their path is,” claims wife Janelle, 40, who has borne six of Kody Brown’s 13 kids under the current marriage arrangement. Three stepchildren also factor to the Brownian equation.

TLC premiered ‘Sister Wives on September 27

Dubbed a “docu-series,” “Sister Wives” premiered Monday with an hour-long special. In the first episode, Kody Brown announced plans to take on one more wife, Robyn, and her three children, claims People. Six more bigamy-packed shows are on the TLC docket, however police force might change that to a court docket.

“Right now, it is not in our hands, but we’re not closing the door,” Troxel stated in a statement to the media.

Articles cited

CBS News

cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20017861-504083.html

People

people.com/people/article/,,20429667,00.html?cnn=yes

Radar Online

radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/09/stars-sister-wives-investigated-felony-bigamy

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti



Federal Trade Commission suing POM Wonderful for unverified health statements

Everybody knows that there isn’t much truth when it comes to advertising. Businesses will often get in trouble for the statements they make about products in marketing. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States Federal Trade Commission has prosecuted POM Wonderful LLC of Los Angeles, makers of a popular pomegranate juice drink. The FTC suit is all about what is in the POM Wonderful products. Evidently the juice and POMx supplements have “false and unsubstantiated claims that their products will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.” Source of article – FTC suing POM Wonderful for unsubstantiated health claims by Personal Money Store.

FTC taking on POM Wonderful

The WSJ argues that POM Wonderful products aren’t that bad. They have been “proven to fight for cardiovascular, prostate and erectile health,” supposedly. The company is told by the FTC that its advertising is false. There is not enough proof from claims like a "30 percent decrease in arterial plaque” and "17 percent improved blood flow.”. The statements are backed by "unprecedented scientific research,” which is what POM Wonderful claims although it is not quite legitimate.

As outlined by David Vladeck of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, “Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled.”.

After that, one more suit arrives from POM Wonderful towards the Federal Trade Commission

POM Wonderful thinks that the requirements the Federal Trade Commission puts out aren’t possible to follow. The FTC hadn’t even filed the lawsuit when POM Wonderful said the requirements weren’t fair. POM Wonderful claims its free-speech rights within the First Amendment are being hurt with the requirements. While the FTC hasn’t played the previous Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes card of falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater as an illustration of the limits of free speech, POM Wonderful’s wellness claims – if indeed the claims are unsubstantiated – do raise reasonable questions, considering their specificity. POM Wonderful even put out some ads once stating that its pomegranate juice will protect against PSA’s which are prostate! -specific antigens. This has not been proven in a scientifically rigorous manner, as outlined by the WSJ. Claims that haven’t been proven cause issues. Consumers may buy based upon off the false fact.

Find more information on this subject

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704654004575517871757238034.html?KEYWORDS=POM Wonderful

Protesting POM Wonderful’s animal testing (Warning: Some NSFW language is audible)

youtube.com/watch?v=htxIpHbl4lA



Emanuel to leave the White House

Emanuel makes headlines, but this time not for cussing somebody out. Soon, Obama will need a new Chief of Staff as Rahm Emanuel is leaving for greener pastures. He will be leaving the White House running for mayor of Chicago. Current Mayor Richard Daley is retiring at the end of this term. The possibility was brought up the second Daley announced it, as Rahm is recognized to want the spot.

Rahm towards the hillsides

Many have seen and heard the rumors about Rahm Emanuel leaving his position. He was expected to become part of the Chicago mayor election. Nobody has heard if he is running for sure yet. It nevertheless isn't official. However, there are numerous reports coming from Washington D.C. that he is. According to the Washington Post, an official announcement is due out soon from the White House. President Obama will address the issue in a later press conference. There has been an announcement that there will be a press conference in the White House within the near future as a result of personnel changes, and this originated from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Labeling it a Daley

This year surprising news came as Chicago Mayor Richard Daley decided not to run again. He plans on retiring after the term he is in. Daley thinks it is time to move on, says the New York Times. His retirement is the end of a Chicago dynasty. His father, also named Richard Daley, was also a long time Democratic mayor of Chicago. From 1995 to 1976, Daley's father was the mayor. He wasn't willing to quit until he perished in 1976. The younger Mayor Daley was elected in 1989, and has been the mayor ever since. Except for 11 years, within the last 55 years Daley's are charge of Chicago as mayor.

Rahm hoping to get the job

Rahm Emanuel has wanted the position for a when, and has made it clear. The city has been really democrat for a long time. That means Emanuel may just be the person the city needs.

Data from

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/30/AR2010093004061.html

NY Times

nytimes.com/2010/09/08/us/politics/08daley.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1



Friday, October 1, 2010

The Nissan Leaf is nearly out of stock presently

Pre-sales orders already maxed out for Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt are the hot automobile releases this year. The Leaf is the more exciting of the two, as it’s an all electric car. The vehicle definitely won’t be at dealerships until December of 2010. Nissan, like Toyota does for the Prius, begun taking advance orders. However, the advance purchases are already full. That said, the vehicle isn’t really going to be accessible everywhere. The initial launch is only in a few states.

Nearly sold out before it is out

The Nissan Leaf has been hotly predicted, as the first all-electric automobile from a major automaker. Each and every other green automobile offered by a major automobile maker is a hybrid. Toyota, Honda, etc., are all devoid of all electric models. According to the NY Times, Nissan offered consumers the chance to reserve a car in advance. That was in April. Nissan has put available a demonstration test fleet. The goal was to spread word of mouth, and get the reservations maxed out by December. However, all 20,000 reservation slots have already been booked. That shows the opportunity for electric vehicles, as Nissan has met its goal three months faster than predicted or hoped for.

Leaf nothing un-turned

The intent was to get 20,000 orders in by spreading word of mouth with demonstrations. Currently, there is a demonstration tour going around, and Nissan wanted this tour of the zero-emissions automobile to result in at least 20,000 reservations by the time of the first launch in December 2010. In December, the Leaf will only be launched in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington State. After the very first release, Texas and Hawaii get the vehicles in January 2011. Full national sales could be underway by the end of next year.

Nissan must be happy

There is no use in denying it. Hybrids and electric vehicles are what can be the way from the future. The supply of oil on the Earth will eventually run out. More people want to cut their emissions and gas consumption while driving. Vehicles such as the Leaf will become the rule, instead of the exception.

Discover more details on this subject

NY Times

wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/thinking-of-buying-a-nissan-leaf-get-in-line/



Gay sex tape prompts Rutgers frosh Clementi to committing suicide

ABC News reports that Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University in New Jersey, has committed suicide after learning that what he thought was a private homosexual encounter in his dorm room was broadcast live online. According to reports, fellow students Ravi and Molly Wei were responsible for secretly monitoring Clementi with a webcam during a same-sex intimate encounter and transmitting the encounter live on the Internet. Soon after his horrific online outing, Tyler Clementi signed off on Facebook and signed out of life by jumping off a bridge.

A warning of a upcoming death originated from Tyler Clementi

At 8:42 p.m., a Facebook post was put up by Tyler Clementi expressing, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry" on September 22. The body of Clementi hasn't been found yet, however there was a body discovered just north of the bridge on the Hudson River. New Jersey authorities were the ones to discover the body. Clementi's Rutgers University ID was found in a wallet nearby. There was also his driver's license contained within the wallet.

Tyler Clementi's death was verified by Paul Mainardi who’s the Clementi family attorney. This statement said that Tyler Clementi was a wonderful person that was really great with music as well.

‘I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.’

2 counts of invasion of privacy are being imposed to both Dharun Ravi and Wei as Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Bruce Kaplan explained, as the prosecuting attorney, that this is because they put on iChat the homosexual encounter that Tyler Clementi had. On September 19, Ravi tweeted a comment declaring:

“Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.”

Ravi had another tweet to post two days after the broadcast:

“Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it is happening again.”

Ravi and Wei have to go with the police

Ravi and Wei both turned themselves in to the newest Jersey police. Neither remains in police custody anymore though. Because of her recognizance, Molly Wei was able to be released from jail, reports ABC News. On the other hand, Ravi had to pay a $25,000 bail to get out. More details can be released as the investigation continues.

Info from

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716



Meg Whitman campaign spins allegations from her unlawful maid

Meg Whitman’s house maid faked her identification to get hired and she said her boss knew over it. The accusation causes uproar as the California Republican gubernatorial nominee campaigns for the upcoming November election. The allegations starkly contrast with Whitman’s campaign rhetoric about imposing harsh consequences for corporations that are caught with illegal immigrants on the payroll.

Whitman’s house maid: illegal for nine years

Nicky Diaz Santillan, as Meg Whitman’s Mexican house maid, went with her celeb attorney Gloria Allred to a press conference Wednesday to spread the news. Whitman fired her maid after realizing possessing an unlawful worker would hurt her campaign, reports the newest York Daily News. {Allred said Whitman knew Diaz Santillan was an illegal immigrant all along, yet turned a blind eye because the housekeeper provided cheap labor|The housekeeper provided cheap labor to Whitman which is why, claims Allred, she continued to employ Diaz Santillan although she knew the maid was an illegal immigrant|Whitman was not ignorant to the fact that Diaz Santillan was an unlawful immigrant, reports Allred. She wanted the cheap labor the maid provided and so pretended to know nothing. Allred went on to say her client was “disrespected, humiliated and e! motionally and financially abused.” Diaz wants unpaid wages and mileage reimbursement so she is suing Whitman.

A few say ‘a political stunt’ is at hand

Allred said Whitman received a letter from the Social Security Administration in 2003 saying the Social Security number provided by Diaz Santillan did not match the name on file. As outlined by the Houston Chronicle, Whitman had something to state regarding this. She stated there was not ever a letter like this sent to her. The Whitman campaign said in a statement that Diaz Santillan confessed to Whitman in June 2009 — five months after Whitman formed an exploratory committee to run for governor– that she had used her sister’s documents to get hired . Whitman’s campaign said Allred’s news conference was a political stunt timed to influence the November election. Whitman said, after an even in San Jose, California, “I feel terrible for Nicky. … She’s being manipulated.”.

Being hypocritical of illegal immigration

A talking point during Whitman’s campaign for governor of California has been tougher sanctions against employers who hire illegal immigrants, starting with fines. The Washington Independent reports that some political analysts think Allred’s allegations will hinder her campaign’s efforts to reach out to California’s large Latino population. Numerous will call her a hypocrite too.

Citations

New York Daily News

nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_meg_whitman_gop_nominee_for_ca_governor_fired_maid_and_treated_her_like_garbage_.html?r=news/politics

Houston Chronicle

chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7223716.html

Washington Independent

washingtonindependent.com/99106/whitman-accused-of-hiring-mistreating-an-undocumented-housekeeper



You'll need a Roth IRA to get a wholesome pension

Saving for retirement makes sense in this world gone crazy, particularly when the shortcomings of Social Security are taken into account. Here are the top five reasons a Roth IRA retirement account is for you, courtesy of Smart Money.

Roth IRA actually leaves money tax-free for pension

Roth IRA's makes it possible to put cash in. This money has already been taxed. There is no reason to pay taxes on this cash whenever you withdraw it for pension. This is because it has already been taxed. More cash is always helpful. You cannot plan on retirement on pay day loans. They are good for emergencies but not for a lifelong plan.

Social Security probably won't be around too much longer. Everybody has heard the debates on this. But let’s assume that it sticks around, and also you believe it will cover you post-retirement. The government is not going to leave you hanging.

That is not true at all. Social Security statements like this are way too common: “You can retire on the princely sum of $2,000 per month. You may already be a $24,000 winner!”

401k mutual funds are not as effective as Roth IRA

Two mutual fund opportunities are available with a 401k. These can be offered when choosing. Choices appear to be limited. Sometimes you wish you had more. Roth IRAs aren't managed as much by other individuals. They are more for your own management.

Roth IRAs make it easier to manage the funds in it, Smart Money explains to us. If there is need, one can take out contributions. A Roth IRA can be used for other things too. One example is saving for your children's' education. Other benefits are accessible still. Your financial adviser can help you with this.

Figures will vary from person to person

Putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea, and this old saying holds true with your next egg. Many make the decision to put cash into a Roth IRA and a 401k. This is to keep themselves from getting in trouble with changing tax rates. Your financial adviser is the first person to talk to about this because it isn't for everyone. Be prepared and minimize your need for short term loans.

Articles cited

Smart Money

smartonmoney.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-never-open-a-roth-ira/

Smart Money

smartonmoney.com/roth-ira-basics/

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_fund

When former news anchors hawk IRAs

youtube.com/watch?v=Wkvn-Vgg-8o