Goldwin

With the economy looking weaker than single-ply Dollar Store toilet paper, the price of gold hit an all-time high yesterday.......$1,600 per ounce!  Yikes!

Why, you might ask?  

Well, with President Obama attempting to negotiate with Congress on raising the U.S. government debt limit before the August 2nd deadline, it appears that Wall Street is forecasting based upon the old adage of "all that glitters isn't gold"  isn't true.  The Street is betting "gold is king".

I'm sure you were raised similarly to me, in that you were encouraged to buy land and buy gold.  Hey, if not, that's on you.  

My family was ALL about owning land and gold.  Maybe my father knew something that I didn't?

When I was 8-years-old, I wanted a "dookey" rope chain!  You know, the fat gold chain similar to those worn by all the rappers in the '80s.

I wanted to look like Run DMC, LL Cool J, but I shied away from looking like Slick Rick (Mr.T took it to the extreme).

Now, that I'm sitting on a mound of gold, I just might buy an island!  Oh, wait, I already own one!

60 Minutes: Eminem Revealed

Having watched the Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes interview, I found the behind-the-scene footage to be funny and revealing.












And here's the full interview:

Auto-Tune the News: Charlie Rangel, Weezer & President Obama

I have a little secret to tell you. Some years ago, a relative interviewed the creators of the app, I Am T-Pain, which happens to be one of the best selling mobile media applications available on iTunes.

So, when I saw the "Bed Intruder" video from The Gregory Brothers, I laughed and thought it was one of the funniest viral videos I had ever seen.

Well, leave it to The Gregory Brothers to remix and poke some fun at Charlie Rangel (Representative from NY), President Barack Obama and accompanied by Weezer.

Howard Dean: The Mosque Conversation

Howard Dean, the former Governor of Vermont has jumped in the fray regarding building the mosque in remembrance of those that died on September 11, 2001.  In an interview with the Huffington Post, the former DNC Chairman backed up his words:

The former Governor of Vermont told the Huffington Post that he "stood by" the remarks he had made earlier in the day on WABC radio in which he called the mosque plan "a real affront to people who lost their lives [on 9/11]." But in a clarification of sorts, he stressed that he would not have a problem if the proposed Islamic cultural center ultimately ended up being built in the current location.

Read the full post on Huffington Post here.

HR 5660: Internet Sales Tax Heats Up

HR 5660, a bill before Congress known as the “Main Street Fairness Act," would require online businesses and entrepreneurs to collect and remit sales taxes from each customer.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) States should be encouraged to simplify their sales and use tax systems.

(2) As a matter of economic policy and basic fairness, similar sales transactions should be treated equally, without regard to the manner in which sales are transacted, whether in person, through the mail, over the telephone, on the Internet, or by other means.

(3) Congress may facilitate such equal taxation consistent with the United States Supreme Court's decision in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota.

(4) States that voluntarily and adequately simplify their tax systems should be authorized to correct the present inequities in taxation through requiring sellers to collect taxes on sales of goods or services delivered in-state, without regard to the location of the seller.

(5) The States have experience, expertise, and a vital interest in the collection of sales and use taxes, and thus should take the lead in developing and implementing sales and use tax collection systems that are fair, efficient, and non-discriminatory in their application and that will simplify the process for both sellers and buyers.

(6) Online consumer privacy is of paramount importance to the growth of electronic commerce and must be protected.

 The debate is heating up and everyone from Amazon.com and eBay.com are fighting the Bill.  I expect the conversations to become more and more heated as November elections draw closer.

People Helping People

When I heard the news about the 10 volunteers- 6 Americans, 2 Afghans, a German and a Briton- in Afghanistan that were killed while working to help the people and, more importantly, the children who were unfamiliar with a toothbrush or crayons, it resonated with me. 

Why was this news more impactful than previous reports of volunteers killed while helping others?  I don't know what it is, but I know it has everything to do with seeing Tom Little's widow, Libby, on television speaking about their work and Tom's work in Afghanistan for more than 30-years.


The Little's had lived in Delmar, NY but had have raised three daughters in Kabul and witnessed all sorts of wars- the Soviet invasion in the '80s and the civil war of the '90s.

"The kids had never seen toothbrushes, and Tom brought thousands of them," Nedam said Sunday. "He trained them how to brush their teeth, and you should've seen the way they smiled after they learned to brush their teeth."

Second Line in LA

The traditional "Second Line" is well known throughout the world, but I bet if you mention "Second Line" to anyone, they'll quickly reply that it's a dance typically done in New Orleans.

Well, now there's a 'second line' broken in Louisiana that is gushing oil.

Worst case of NIMBY I've ever read about

In reading this article, which speaks to the homelessness issue that all states face, I wonder if Massachusetts has a budget for flying homeless people, one-way of course, to a place where the person has relatives?

I do recall that any city that has been host to the Olympics, winter or summer, has dealt with homeless people in a very unflattering ways: 

• 1988 Winter Games in Seoul, South Korea saw laws passed for the purpose of "beautification" that knocked down homes and displaced people who couldn't afford to live in the highrise apartment buildings.  

• 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA saw new laws passed to criminalize homelessness and many of those arrested, predominately African-American men, were held for trial until after the games were over.  Programs such as Traveler's Aid, a non-profit that focused on helping travelers and even relocating people, distributed one-way bus tickets to the homeless to get them out of the city and, in some cases, even the state.

Visible in America

Set to air this Sunday (25th) on NBC at 7 PM EST, Ann Curry will serve as host of the America Now: Friends & Neighbors which focuses on impoverished Americans in Southeast Ohio.

"America Now: Friends & Neighbors" was produced from nine months of original reporting in the region, documenting those who have been hardest hit by the recession. The special includes a woman who opened a food pantry, a young mother who slept in a van with her children, a laid-off father unable to heat his home, and an extended family of 14 crowded into a 4-bedroom house to survive. It also features the Ohioans' clever appeal to President Obama: making pleas for jobs and food written on thousands of paper plates.

Politics: New vs. Old

I have to tip my hat to Luke Russert for 'going there' with Congressman Charlie Rangel.

Russert posed a very good question, and in true old-school fashion, Congressman Rangel, who appears to have looked at the baby-faced Russert and immediately thought, "How dare this youngin' ask me such a question?", feels that the question he'd been asked is a dumb question.

The Millennials aren't going anywhere like P. Diddy said.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Shirley Sherrod: Me, a racist?

When the story about Shirley Sherrod, the now-former USDA Director of Rural Development in Georgia, hit CNN, I said, "Here we go, again."  This time though, I knew a little more about the story because of reports from relatives who had first-hand knowledge of the NAACP meeting, where Ms. Sherrod spoke.

I was surprised that CNN didn't do a good job of "vetting" the entire video.  Because anyone who were able to hear, would be able to tell that Ms. Sherrod was sharing a story about her own prejudices and how she had to overcome those.

Well, the story hit Fox News and was subsequently picked up by CNN and we know that Ms. Sherrod was forced to resign and the NAACP was quick to label her a "racist".

Thomas Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture, called for Ms. Sherrod to resign and to do so immediately.  Well, now he looks like an ass.



Now, the NAACP is saying that they've been "duped" by the Tea Party Movement and that the issue is really about the fighting taking place between the NAACP and the Tea Party.  Well, now NAACP President, Benjamin Jealous, looks like an ass.

So, who does that leave laughing from the sidelines?  Yep, you guessed it.........the Tea Party Movement!




Update: Vilsack apologizes to Shirley Sherrod.

Writer's Cramp: Journalism Burnout

There are people that would argue that the Internet has been nothing but a blessing for the world that we live in. Ask any newspaper or magazine editor and they'd probably smack you upside the head with either palm of their hand or a copy of Webster's Dictionary.

Journalists are finding it harder and harder to practice their craft, especially these days when newspapers that have websites are more concerned with the number of clicks an article receives.

There's no other way to say that it sucks to be a journalist. With access to information 24-hours a day and 7-days a week, anyone, albeit a good one, can be a reporter. Throw in smartphones with their 5-megapixel cameras, a FLIP pocket camcorder and what we have is guerrilla reporting or "Hybrid Journalism" at it's best.

Let's talk about the basic principles: journalism is the art and science of telling stories.  Video production is a form of journalism.  Hybrid Journalism combines these crafts- videography, producing, directing, lighting, talent and editing- and delivers a product that conveys information.


Today, the Internet is fostering a high burnout among some journalists due to the fact that some media outlets are tying pay to the number of clicks on a story. Wow!

B..........P...........

Media Changing at the Speed of Light

As the world turns, and I'm not writing about the soap opera, but with the advancements in technology, Newsweek magazine is now up for sale and its only a matter of weeks (I hope) before Allen & Company find a buyer.

I guess covers such as Palingate that I wrote about back in November 2009, in her running shorts and Joe Biden laying the smacketh down didn't do enough.

Politics: RNC Chairman, Michael Steele, "I've got five on it"

Republican National Chairman, Michael Steele, is once again in the hot seat for allowing a $2,000 bill to be expensed for a LA strip club.

I guess the scandal is so disturbing that Sarah Palin has asked the RNC to remove her name from a RNC fundraiser taking place in New Orleans this weekend.

News: Worcesterite is WIRED

Worcester native and all-around Change Agent was highlighted on Worcester Is MAJOR!, and was recently interviewed for an article titled, "Entrepreneur Aims to Overthrow TV, Not Get Rich" in WIRED magazine and the website.

Related Links:

http://participatoryculture.org/
http://www.getmiro.com/

News: A hate crime in WV?

On Wednesday (Sept. 12th) it was reported that the six white suspects accused of torturing Megan Williams for almost a week will not face federal hate crime charges. Logan County Prosecutor Brian Abraham said his office would pursue other charges first because they carry stiffer penalties. West Virginia’s hate crime law carries a sentence of up to 10 years.

It was also reported that Megan Williams dated one of her attackers, Bobby Brewster. This may undermine the hate crime law, which applies to crimes motivated by racial hatred and not by non-race-related conflicts.

It was widely reported that Williams was assaulted with a knife, while being taunted with racial slurs. So, just because she dated and knew the attackers this isn’t a hate crime? Some people are saying that this is a good/bad thing.

What do you think?

Related Links:
Hate Crimes Decision Causes Stir (ABC News)
Family Calls For Hate Crime Charges in Rape and Torture Case (WOWK-TV)