Obama Rocks, Mitt Romney is a Rock, Sam Jackson is Hot and TSA needs to STOP! #WeeklyRecap

POLITICS

1. Newton Leroy Gingrich is FINALLY calling it quits.

2. Ron Paul is not.

3. Mitt Romney is still awkward and out of touch although he has initiated a ”timely” attempt to move toward the center. Recently he changed his tune (surprise) and now says he supports efforts “to extend the low interest rate on student loans” AND he has also expressed his support for extending the Violence Against Women Act which was initially held up in the Senate and will now face hurdles in the House “where Republican leaders plan to offer an alternative proposal.” Of course they will. #Haters

4. Obama is still “Da Boss”! He went road tripping this week, visiting campuses in Colorado, Iowa and North Carolina speaking primarily about the student loan interest rate debate and relaying his own tales of paying off student loans (JUST paid them off 8 yrs ago). It was in North Carolina where he appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and slow jammed the news. Seriously, that guy is on fire. Mitt who?? #Obama2012

5. Disgruntled douchebag of the week award goes to Speaker John Boehner calling Obama’s travels to promote the student loan bill “pathetic” AND he believes that the Obama campaign should reimburse the treasury for the trip:  “This is the biggest job in the world, and I’ve never seen a president make it smaller…” Smaller?? He diminished the Presidency by visiting college campuses? By engaging with America’s youth? By speaking directly to them about an issue that will severely affect their financial well-being? Poppycock, balderdash and hogwash! Boehner HAS to be smoking something. What an a*shole. #ElectionyearBS

DEBTOR’S PRISON

I bet you thought the days of going to jail for failing to pay a debt were long behind us as a nation. I know that’s what I thought. Unfortunately some unscrupulous shady a*s debt collectors are “exploiting legal loopholes” in several states (Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Washington) and are actually throwing people in jail over unpaid bills.

Debtor’s prisons were outlawed in 1833 so debtors aren’t actually arrested for nonpayment, instead they are arrested for missing court hearings which results in a contempt of court charge. Then a police arrest warrant is issued for “failure to appear”, the debtor is found, sent to jail and can only be released if the set bail bond is paid which just so happens to match the amount owed. Viola!

Some state legislatures are examining ways to change the law. Currently, Illinois has legislation pending in the state senate. One Illinois resident’s story made headlines:

A breast cancer survivor who was sent to prison over a mistaken $280 medical bill has highlighted the return of debtor’s prisons in the U.S.

Illinois resident Lisa Lindsay had received the medical bill in error and was told she did not have to pay up.

However, the bill was turned over to a collection agency and state troopers arrived at her home and took her away in handcuffs.

The Illinois teaching assistant eventually had to pay more than $600 to escape prison, as legal fees were added to the bill.

‘I paid it in full so they couldn’t do it to me again,’ said Lindsay… (DailyMail)

This is completely preposterous on so many levels. I’m not saying people should be able to easily get out of paying their debts – bankruptcy is not a pleasurable experience – however sending people to jail for an unpaid debt is, in my opinion, short-sighted. It is the same way I feel about sending (primarily) fathers to jail for unpaid child support which is technically the same issue – sending people to jail for a debt. Tell me how you expect to get ANY money from someone who is locked up????????? Utterly ridiculous.

*Click here for sound (and much calmer) advice from a guy who was knee deep in it.

IF YOU THOUGHT GOOGLE WAS THE PROBLEM…

Wait until the government starts legally mining your online footprint. Cybersecurity Legislation was approved in the House yesterday that would allow internet service providers (ISPs) to share information with the government (yes like the Department of Homeland Security & the National Security Agency) about cybersecurity threats found on the internet:

An ISP would not be required to shield any personally identifying data of its customers when it believes it has detected threats, which include attack signatures, malicious code, phishing sites or botnets. In short, the measure seeks to undo privacy laws that generally forbid ISPs from disclosing customer communications with anybody else unless with a court order.

Further,

 The bill immunizes ISPs from privacy lawsuits for voluntarily disclosing customer information thought to be a security threat. Internet companies are also granted anti-trust protection to immunize them against allegations of colluding on cybersecurity issues. The measure is not solely limited to cybersecurity, and includes the catchall phrase “national security” as a valid reason for turning over the data. (Wired)

The law would also shield ISPs from privacy laws and allow them to share information with other ISPs to quickly stop a possible cyberattack. Curious about who is supporting this bill? Let me list a few companies for ya:  Microsoft, Facebook, AT&T, Verizon and Oracle.

Nervous yet?

STRANGER DANGER!!

One little girl was paying close attention to that lesson in class and unfortunately found herself in what she rightly saw as a scary situation. Yep, this is another TSA fail.

A 4-year-old girl had already passed through security without any drama when her grandmother (Lori Croft) tripped the alarm and was waiting to be groped by the TSA. The little girl ran over to briefly hug her grandmother and that is when all ish hit the fan. Apparently TSA thought Granny had slipped the 4-year-old the concealed weapon/drugs/liquid acid she was hiding and now insisted that the little girl undergo a physical pat-down.

With the “Stranger Danger” lesson fresh in her mind and unsure of what was going on, the youngster started crying and saying “No I don’t want to”. She tried to make a break for it (I don’t blame her) to which TSA responded by yelling:  “We are going to shut down the airport if you don’t grab her.” Boy oh boy, they are on it aren’t they? #TopFlightSecurity

The girl’s mother (Michelle Brademeyer) said she asked TSA to use a wand or allow her to walk through the metal detector again but nope, naaaah, nada – she’s a legit suspect now. Get this, the agents wanted to screen the youngster ALONE in a separate room. WTF??!? Maaaaannnnn, I might STILL be in airport jail right now. Brademeyer posted an account of the ordeal on facebook.

“She was kicking and screaming and fighting and in hysterics,” Croft said. “At that point my daughter ran up to her against TSA’s orders because she said, ‘My daughter is terrified, I can’t leave her.’”

The incident went on for maybe 10 minutes, until a manager came in and allowed agents to pat the girl down while she was screaming but being held by her mother. The family was then allowed to go to their next gate with a TSA agent following them.

Croft said that for the first few nights after coming home, Isabelle had nightmares and talked about kidnappers. She said TSA agents had shouted at the girl, telling her to calm down and saying the suspect wasn’t cooperating.

“To a 4-year-old’s perspective that’s what it was to her because they didn’t explain anything and she did not know what was going on,” Croft said. “She saw people grabbing at her and raising their voices. To her, someone was trying to kidnap her or harm her in some way.” (Google News/AP)

Everyone understands that post 9/11, TSA has become one of those necessary nuisances that one must endure at the airport AND it is possible that the little one may have been a bit high strung BUT seriously was this the way to handle the situation?? And high strung or not, she’s 4 for crying out loud – FOUR! Like I said, “I” might still be in airport jail…

SPORTS

The NFL draft was yesterday. I used to date a professional football player. I don’t anymore. I did not pay attention to the draft. Good luck ladies.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON

The NYTimes did an awesome feature on Sam Jackson yesterday. I’ve met him once on a set, he was intense but in a good way. He is the ultimate professional, focused, committed and completely serious about his work. He is fully prepared at all times and he just might know your lines as well. During the break, he was relaxed, smiling, laughing and chatting with the crew and when it was time to start shooting again he went right back into work mode – I loved it.

He was raised primarily by his grandfather and it was an Aunt that got him into acting as a toddler. He met his wife at Morehouse (AND THEY ARE STILL TOGETHER) and became a damn good theater dude running around New York with Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman and Wesley Snipes. (Whew! Can you imagine a film with all of those cats in it??) For a long time his routine was work, take care of his family, drink and do drugs – that is until the drugs took over. Did you know he was finishing up a stint in rehab when Spike called wanting him for the role of Gator Purify (“Jungle Fever”)?? Talk about timing. His response:  “Why not? I already researched the part.” Good ole Sammy J!! I can’t WAIT to read his memoirs.

KUNG FU HAMSTER!

It was an unexpected encounter. One creature cautiously approaching another creature, curious, friendly, just trying to see what this wee furry thing in the grass was all about:

And for Milt the Hamster this is what all the training, all the hard work, the blood, the sweat, the tears had been for – this moment right here:  “Hiiiiiiiiiii YA!!”

Who needs a watch dog when you could just collect an army of Kung Fu Hamsters?

OMG! THIS LITTLE BOY IS THE TRUTH!!

Woooooow! I just might end up in Church again this weekend. And on that note, I’m out.

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!!