The Obama health care reform bill: pass it now

As the U.S. House of Representatives lines up on the "up or down" vote on Health Care Reform, it's important to remind everyone of where we are today, and why it's important to pass this bill. There are not only an estimated 31 million without health insurance, but the number may very well have grown when the current and seemingly never ending wave of job losses is considered.

It's not a static number.

To go over to a health care facility like Oakland's Highland Hospital's Emergency Room, or San Francisco General's or any similar place in many large American cities and see upwards of 200 people packed, standing-room only is heart-breaking. To see so many people turned away from badly needed health care is not a practice America should be known for, but it is.

Every time Health Care Reform is talked about, someone issues the words "government control" even when the public option's not in the bill. What that means is some people who want to be couch potato Conservatives don't want to pay attention to substance and are only comfortable with fluff. With anger. With maintenance of the status quo for reasons even they aren't sure of when pressed.

Some of the protesters against Health Care Reform are down right mean. Take this video of a crowd who jeered a man suffering from Parkinson's Disease on Tuesday:



When people say that America's educational system has declined, it's obvious from the behavior of the people in that video. They can't have a reasonable conversation because they don't study. Detail is lost on them.

For example, there's no evidence that the bill will be more costly for small business. In fact, if one reads the part of the information website that concerns small businesses, it provides tax credits to help small businesses afford health care, if they choose to provide it. Business taxes will not go up.

There are some Conservatives who don't want Health Care Reform to pass just because it's connected to President Obama and he's black. As pointed out by blogger Oliver Willis and Talking Points Memo, Rep David Scott (D-GA), received racist hate mail where President Obama was painted as The Joker and with a Swastika on his forehead:



Crazy behavior designed to scare people. But it's also a symbol of a time where America has two Worlds: educated and not. What's happening is those who aren't well-educated refuse to hear anyone else talk. There's an element of, yes, bitterness, here. But the end result is to only hurt themselves. Health Care Reform will help those who don't have health insurance, including many of those who protest against it.

The bottom line is the following Democratic House Members must fall in line and back Heath Care Reform: John Barrow (D- GA), John Adler (D - N.J.), Harry Teague (D-N.M.), John Tanner (D- TENN.), Brian Baird (D- WASH.) and Bart Gordon (D- TENN.). That would produce enough votes for passage of the bill.

Democrats must wake up an not side with those who refuse to educate themselves and represent hate and racism. That clouds the real issue, which is making our health care system better for all Americans.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Georgia. This blogger celebrated St. Patrick, called the champion of Irish Christianity and the symbol of Irish culture, in a bit of a different way. My Mother's husband and my stepfather Chester Yerger passed away on March 17th, 2005 of complications generated from the spread of prostate cancer. So, every year my Mom's done something to remember him by, generally traveling to some place they used to go to.

But this year, she elected to stay home, so I joined her so she would not be alone. I've spent most of this day in the air to be here. As I get older, spending as much quality time with my Mother, who's my only remaining direct family person - and I'm the only child - means a lot. The same year, 2005, that January, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. But thanks to early detection, radiation, and a then-new drug called Femara, she beat it and was declared cancer-free April 17th of 2005.

That same year, I lost my biological father, Zenophon Abraham,Sr., to prostate cancer, October 16th. That was a hard, life changing year.

So, today, I did finally wear my green today and so did my Mom. I'm glad she's here and I'm able to do that with her.

Chris Dodd's financial reform package is not the right step

Retiring Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has presented what's called a "sweeping financial regulatory reform bill" by The Huffington Post, that's designed to prevent future Wall Street bailouts from occurring. But Senator Dodd's bill, while pointing to America's displeasure with Wall Street, is not the tonic that will help the country.

What's forgotten in all of this well-needed rush to reform the financial industry, is that the weak economy created this mess. Simple logic dictates that having good, well-paying jobs in many sectors, not just a few, will allow American workers to pay their loans. The popular idea is that sub-prime mortgages caused the economic problem the Obama Administration is working to get Americans out of. But that's not the problem, poor new job production has been the issue challenging America for most of the first decade of the 21st Century.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in February there were 1.2 million "discouraged workers" or people who could not find a job, and that was up 476,000 from a year earlier (2009). And that's one of a number of measures that show jobs are still the number one problem.

The best solution is one that the Obama Administration seems loath to adopt but right for its time: Economic Nationalism. The idea that domestic policies should cause the development of American-controlled production with the objective of increasing the jobs base. Economic Nationalism has been the basis for the growth of economies in Japan, Taiwan, China, and The European Union. The United States economy has been picked apart by worldwide economic nationalist policies.

The only way America will have a fighting chance to revive its economy is by replicating the economic policies and corporate strategies used against it for so many decades. Maintaining a healthly jobs-producing economy must be the first priority.

Corey Haim - Corey Feldman skips Haim's funeral, issues new statement

Corey Feldman, the best friend and fellow 80s child star with the late Corey Haim did not attend Haim's funeral today, Tuesday, according to TMZ.com, but Corey Feldman did not attend. The funeral was held at Steeles Memorial Chapel in Thornhill, Toronto, Canada. Corey Feldman did issue this new statement on his blog:

A LETTER FOR THE GRAVE… (an open letter to Corey Haim)

Dear Corey.,

This is for you on the day of your funeral. First off I am so sorry I am not there with you today. By that I mean my physical body is not with your physical body. However you know that my heart is right at your side. You also know the only reason I am truly not there is out of respect for your mother and her wishes to minimize the media attention as much as possible. I want your family to have a calm peaceful day. Hopefully we will not see one shot of the funeral on the news. Just know I am at home today projecting positive energy for you and your passing.

I miss you so much already. When I think of something funny I don’t know who to tell it to. I find myself trying to call you but then remember your not there. I think about the new movies we will soon be doing together and then suddenly realise that the dream is over. I always feared this day would come, and often rehearsed how to face it. But once confronted with the reality of it, it’s so much more painful than I could have ever imagined. Nobody will ever understand the brotherhood we shared. Nobody will ever get the inside jokes we told. Nobody will understand the magic of 22/222 . Nobody will ever know how to do the secret Corey handshake. Nobody will ever make me laugh as hard as you did. Nobody will ever make me fight as hard as you did. Nobody will ever challenge me the way you did. Nobody will ever need me the way you did.

My mission in life became saving yours...more at Corey Feldman's blog.

It's a hard note to read. Losing friends is awful and it's compounded by the impact Corye Haim had on the World. As this blogger has been a palbearer too many times to think of, my sympathies go out to Corey Feldman and the family and friends of Corey Haim.

Earthquakes in Los Angeles, Oregon, and Alaska all 4 on Richter

Media attention has been on the Tuesday Los Angeles Earthquake that was 4.4 on the Richter scale, but there were earthquakes in Los Angeles and in Oregon and Alaska and all at or over 4 on the Richter Scale over the last two days.

According to the USGS, the Los Angeles Earthquake was located 18.9 miles below Pico Rivera, CA. But it wasn't the only quake over 4 to hit the West Coast over the past two days.

A larger earthquake, at 4.6, was located at Bandon, Oregon, a town of just over 2,800 people. While that quake hit on March 15th, it went largely unreported.

And Alaska has been the epicenter of eight earthquakes in the past two days and all over 3 on the Richter Scale - this too was largely unreported. The largest quake was today, Tuesday, and just after the LA quake. It was located in Rampart, AK and was 4 on the Richter Scale.

If your curious, check the information yourself here: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/quakes_big.php. It's rather alarming.

The Alaska region has faced 245 earthquakes over the last week alone; see: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/special/Alaska.php. If I'm reading the data correctly, Alaska's the most active area in the World over the last week, as of this writing.

Stay tuned.

Erin Andrews peephole video searched for all over again

In the wake of the news that Michael David Barnett, Erin Andrews' stalker, was sentenced to 30 months in jail, Erin Andrews peephole video is searched for all over again. As of this writing, the term is number five on Google Trends. With that, we have two problems, for every Michael David Barnett who would stalk Erin Andrews to make the videos, it seems there are thousands of people would support the action via search.

Fame is a double-edged sword. As Days of Our Lives star David Leisure said at Ed Lozzi's Night of 100 Stars Party in Beverly Hills on Oscar Sunday, fame can draw some creepy people and episodes...



As David Leisure said, "It took some time for me to get used to that everyone thought they knew who I was, even though I didn't know who they were."

Erin Andrews has seen this first hand.

With all of the revealing photos and videos of women who want to be seen naked running around the Internet on Playboy.com, why search for the video of someone who doesn't want to be seen?

Wild.

Stay tuned.

David Beckham's injury blocks MLS LA Galaxy and World Cup in 2010

When it was announced in 2007, the deal that sent World Super Star Soccer Player David Beckham - The Tiger Woods of Soccer without the scandal - to the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer seemed like a good one.

But since then, Milan's annual "borrowing" of David Beckham and his other flirtations have arguably reduced his value both as a player and a marketing draw in America.

This time, a injury to Becks left Achilles' tendon on Sunday, and while playing for AC Milan in its 1-0 victory over Chievo Verona was the culprit.

The Milan injury will keep Beckham out for six months, and will not return to action until September at best.

Why the LA Galaxy and the MLS allowed David Beckham, their biggest draw and 'six million dollar man', to be essentially a Worldwide soccer tool is beyond comprehension. But what's done is done; Becks is out for much of 2010.

That includes The World Cup, sort of. The Telegraph UK reports that Fabio Capello, manager of the English National Soccer Team, has made an offer for Beckham to be part of his World Cup backroom staff.

Erin Andrews - ESPN Reporter's stalker Barrett gets 30 months in jail

Michael David Barrett, who thought it was OK to stalk ESPN Reporter and Dancing With The Stars contestant Erin Andrews and secretly make videos of her as she changed clothes in her hotel room and then posted them on the Internet, was sentenced to 30 months in jail Monday, according to the LA Times.

Michael David Barrett pled guilty to having the intent to "harass or to cause substantial emotional distress" to Andrews. Barrett tried to sell his photos to the website TMZ.com and to other online publications. And when the Erin Andrews videos hit the Internet, CBS News and Bill O'Reilly had either actual or still frame photos from the videos as part of their telecasts!



Barrett shot video of Erin Andrews in hotel rooms in three states as she traveled for ESPN. Barrett would book a room next to Andrews and do his work from there. Why the hotels would give a room to a person who asked to be next to Erin Andrews is one for the books.

Andrews thinks her stalker's 30-month sentence is "not enough" and said she's at "the angry stage." I really don't blame her. Stalking of celebrities either online via email or in the way Erin Andrews was is just plain evil. The trouble is law enforcement doesn't do enough to make hard examples of the criminals who engage in such practices.

Even if a person doesn't like Erin Andrews or me, it doesn't give them the right to bother us. Frankly, this is where I do admire Rush Limbaugh (Did I say that?). Rush certainly gets a lot of the same kind of treatment (Well, OK. Except for the video camera thing) that celebrities get. But Limbaugh manages to roll on; Rush's $400 million Clear Channel contract buys him a lot of security and legal projection, too.

Stay tuned.

FBI should arrest cyberstalker with email address topprofster@gmail.com

The one thing that this blogger can't stand are cyberstalkers. There's one person in particular who's really not taking the fact that his actions are against the law seriously.

Whoever the person is and wherever they are, they reportedly have the time waste. They've informed me they're at some office. They think it's funny.

What I did was file a cyberstalking complaint with the FBI today. But even with my emails asking the person to stop, they persist. Simply because they think nothing's going to happen to them.

Really not a smart person, or a good person for that matter.

Hopefully the FBI sees this and takes action. The only information I have is the person's email:

topprofster@gmail.com

I just want the person to go away; preferably to jail.

Rielle Hunter hates GQ photos of Rielle Hunter

After agreeing to be interviewed by and pose for GQ Magazine, Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' mistress and mother to his new daughter, is letting the World know she hates her photos. According to Cristina Everett in the New York Daily News, Rielle Hunter "cried for two hours" when she saw what she says are repulsive photos in the GQ spread.

Wow, what's going on with Rielle Hunter? She agreed, obviously, to dress a certain way for the photo shoot. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the photos are going to turn out in a way that's sexually suggestive. What Rielle Hunter's doing is playing the old publicists trick of doing something outlandish, or racist, or in this case just plain awful, then saying 'I didn't know,' or 'It was misunderstood.' It's a ploy borne of celebs reacting to rapid Internet exposure and public comment. If they don't like the action, they say what Rielle Hunter's saying.

Don't believe it.

While this may work for other celebrities in helping their image - Rielle Hunter's just that now, a celebrity - it's not going to help with her public image, which is already in the tank. Again, Rielle Hunter's known for taking up with a married John Edwards, while his wife is battling cancer, then having a kid with her.

That's not something to be proud of.

Rielle Hunter interview in GQ about John Edwards affair is smarmy

The title above, Rielle Hunter interviewed in GQ about John Edwards affair , plays the story straight, but the real non-Internet title should be "Rielle Hunter makes it to the top of public fame on John Edwards back". Which, if you think of Rielle Hunter as being with "Johnny", as she calls him in the GQ interview, while he's on his back, has some ring of possible truth to it.

It's impossible to clearly view Rielle Hunter as a sympathetic character. Rielle has damaged the lives of four people - John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, and Andrew Young and his wife - and not to mention high-roller political donors and Edwards campaign staffers, just by getting sexually involved with John Edwards, not refusing to do so with a married man who has a cancer-stricken wife, and then having his love-child.

Yikes!

Somewhere along the way, America forgot about that, it seems, that she took up with a a married man who has a cancer-stricken wife. For Rielle Hunter to even want to bear her soul to any publication, pay or not, is shameful. For Rielle Hunter to then take a photo that shows her with bare abs and untied sweatpants is also shameful, but it tells the story of what Rielle will use to achieve fame.

It does not matter that John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, and Andrew Young and his wife have had their say. She's the hub in the wheel of controversy that was created. No Rielle Hunter, and no John Edwards affair. Regardless of Edwards' character, Hunter just plain could have said "no, Johnny"; instead she followed that famous song and said "Opps, Johnny."

What's weird about all of this is John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, and Andrew Young and his wife have all suffered, while Rielle Hunter rises to a such a level that she's earned a "Q rating."

As Don King would say, only in America!

Variety Mag picked apart by online media's fragmentation process

In the story of trade magazine Variety's release of Film Critic Todd McCarthy and Theater Critic David Rooney, the real issue is that the mag is being picked apart by online media's fragmentation process. And within that is a terrible misunderstanding of how media works in the 21st Century.

As blogs like TMZ.com and Variety's real competitor Nikke Finke's Deadline.com become more popular and abundant in number, Variety loses, or has lost, its exclusivity. That has not been replaced by a good technical understanding of how to get its news seen online over its competitors.

Variety is dying as its downsizing. Variety's laid off eight staff members including McCarthy and Rooney, and is stuck within an old media model. It's using the new standard for any old media company that wants to make sure it's seen as "getting" new media: a Facebook and YouTube accounts, and a @Variety Twitter account. But it lacks the full, interconnected and monetized social network platform and its obvious the newspaper's managers don't spend time growing their online system.

Variety's YouTube channel does not help its website. And some of the videos have been blocked by studios like Fox because the videos featured Fox content. Moreover, the Variety YouTube channel lacks ads of its own, and its obvious that Variety has done nothing to take advantage of the revenue-generating possibilities of becoming a YouTube Partner. And that's just for starters.

If Variety understood the idea of making sure its brand was on every platform imaginable, it would have avoided sacking its key employees. But what's happening is Variety, to be frank, obviously does not know what it's doing in the New Media space. A pay space, or velvet rope, will not work because Variety's content is not unique enough to demand such a pay system. It will not work.

Stay tuned.