Saturday, July 16, 2011

The 1st Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota Michele Bachmann


Michele Bachmann is running for president to bring a new voice to the White House¬ a voice of constitutional conservatism, limited government, and a safe and secure America.

Elected in 2006, Michele is the 1st Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota. From the beginning, she has demonstrated bold reform, pushing to fix Washington's broken ways.

Michele is a leading advocate for tax reform, a staunch opponent of wasteful government spending, and a strong proponent of adherence to the Constitution, as intended by the Founding Fathers. She believes government has grown exponentially, with Obamacare being the most recent example of its uninhibited growth. Michele wants government to make the kind of serious spending decisions that many families and small businesses have been forced to make. She is a champion of free markets and she believes in the vitality of the family as the 1st unit of government. She is also a defender of the unborn and staunchly stands for religious liberties.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, Michele was elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 2000 where she championed the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Before that, she spent 5 years as a federal tax litigation attorney, working on hundreds of civil and criminal cases. That experience solidified her strong support for efforts to simplify the Tax Code and reduce tax burdens on family and small business budgets. Michele also led the charge on education issues in Minnesota calling for the abolishment of Goals 2000 and the Profiles of Learning in its school. She recognized the need for quality schools and subsequently started a charter school for at risk kids in Minnesota.

Michele sits on the Financial Services Committee (FSC) and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This experience has given her keen insight into the housing crisis and credit crunch, leading Michele to be a staunch opponent of the taxpayer funded bailout of Wall Street and the Dodd Frank legislation. Serving on the Intelligence Committee, she has consistently advocated peace through strength to ensure America's national security. She has proudly taken a vow to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.




In July 2010, Michele hosted the 1st Tea Party Caucus meeting. She is seen as a champion of Tea Party values including the call for lower taxes, renewed focus on the Constitution and the need to shrink the size of government.

Michele is a graduate of Anoka High School and Winona State University. She received her J.D. at the O.W. Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University and an L.L.M. in Tax Law at the College of William and Mary. She has been married to Marcus for more than thirty years and they live in Stillwater where they own a small business mental health care practice that employs nearly 50 people. Michele and Marcus have five children, Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia. In addition, the Bachmann family has opened their home to 23 foster children, which has inspired Michele to become one of Congress' leading advocates for foster and adopted children, earning her bipartisan praise for her efforts.

"My Soulmate" of Courtney Stodden, 16 & Husband Doug Hutchison, 51

Lost's Doug Hutchison and his wife Courtney Stodden faced a great deal of criticism for their marriage in May. Hutchison, 51, is 35 years older than his 16 year old wife.

The Green Mile star met Stodden, an aspiring actress and pop singer, when she signed up for his acting workshop online. After a four months courtship over the internet, Hutchison learned that the attractive blonde he'd been flirting with was still just a teenager.

"My world turned upside down," he admitted in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America. "[Online communication] is a really unique and beautiful way to get to know someone," he gushed. "We didn't have the distraction of the physical."

Stoddard's mother monitored her daughter's exchanges with the actor, and was "fully aware" of their staggering age difference.

Hutchison said, "I said [that] if you and [Courtney's father] have any misgivings whatsoever about this, if you are uncomfortable with it, I will respect you, and Courtney will respect you, and we will step back."

Stodden's mother and father trusted their daughter's judgment and ultimately gave parental consent for her to marry her much older beau. It was actually Stodden's mom who first suggested the duo get married in a state that would allow it.

So how the 51 year old did's relationship with an underage girl not break any laws? Up until their marriage, they were never physically intimate.

Stodden said, "I was a virgin. I knew that if I kept that, I would be blessed with a beautiful gift. And God did! He blessed me with my soulmate."

But not everyone is okay with this May December romance. Hutchison's agent and manager dropped him, and his own mother cut ties with him. He said, "We knew this was gonna happen. We knew we were gonna have to weather the repercussions of our decision and our union. This is just the beginning. It brought us closer together."

Friday, July 15, 2011

February 2010 Top Internet Stocks

The month of February brought a much needed rally to the markets following the sell off us saw in January. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained nearly 258 points in February or 2.6 percent. The technology focused NASDAQ gained 4.2 percent. Although the major indexes are still down for the year, strong earnings results helped to lift February’s performance.

Of the 38 internet stocks that we follow, 22 stocks posted gains for the month versus only 15 losers (eBay (EBAY: 32.19 0.00 percent) was unchanged for the month).
Here is a look at the performances of the top internet stocks in February.


Open Table

Open Table shares soared 37 percent in February and were by far the top internet stock of the month. The stock jumped 23 percent following better than expected earnings results on February 9th and has been trending higher ever since.


Shutterfly


Shutterfly (SFLY: 59.33 0.00 percent) stock gained 21.3 percent for the month. The company handily beat fourth quarter consensus earnings estimates and provided 2010 guidance that was above Wall Street’s expectations.


zipRealty

zipRealty’s 20.2 percent increase last month is positive news for real estate investors. ZIPR’s big gain can’t be attributed to company specific events, but rather in increasing optimism that the housing market is beginning to recover.


Drugstore.com


Solid earnings results on February 9th sent Drugstore.com’s (DSCM: 0.00 N/A) shares up 16 percent the next day and drove the stocks impressive monthly performance.


Priceline


Over the past few months, few stocks have been hotter than Priceline (PCLN: 519.72 0.00 percent). So it’s probably no surprise that the internet travel stock was one of February’s top performers. Price line's stock jumped 16 percent for the month following tremendous quarterly results that saw their gross bookings accelerate to 53 percent y/y growth.

July 15 2011 Announcement DV 2012 Green Card Lottery Results

The DV 2012 green card lottery winners were announced in May for the lottery that was held online from October to November in 2009. As we did last year we thought we do a general announcement posts as well answer a couple of common questions we received over the past twelve months.

However soon following the results the State Department announced that due to a technology glitch, the winners would have to be redrawn as the announced winners were not random and purely just the 1st people who entered. This is obviously very unfortunate for those who thought they had won but of course completely unfair to those that entered properly but never really had a chance.

Ultimately the fair result is happening and every who entered last year still has a chance when the new winners are announced for the fifty five thousand lucky Green Cards on or around July 15, 2011.

You should note that being selected as a winner does not guarantee you a green card as you must pass some additional criteria as well in the application process. The actual DV 2012 visas will be issued between the period of October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2011. Applicants must obtain the diversity visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year.

Unfortunately those who missed out on the green card and permanent residency will NOT receive any notification but for the third year running, you will be able to check the status of their entry through the E-DV website.

You must have kept the confirmation page information from when you entered the DV Lottery between October and December 2010.

The results should be sent out to the lucky applicants with an official letter from the U.S. Department of State Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky. All notifications are by mail to your nominated address and you should note that there is not any email notification. It seems like already people have started receiving their winning letters so hopefully this will be the case for all of you that read this post and applied!

The notification letters will have additional instructions, including information about additional forms and other documentation required as well as immigrant visa application fees.

The Interviews for the DV 2010 visa lottery program begin in October 2009 and foreigners who applied overseas will receive an appointment letter from the Kentucky Consular Center about five weeks before the scheduled appointment.

A couple of additional points to note.
1. Be patient with receiving the second letter if you have received the first as sometime the mail is slow. The only person that you can contact that will give you any insightful information if you are a winner and received the first letter is the KCC.

2. Check the US government websites to see the current dates for your number if you are a winner

3. If you were a child on a winner’s application and since turned 21 after being 20 at the time of application, you are still eligible as your age is frozen. However you must take up the green card within a year as otherwise you will be ineligible

4. High School education or its equivalent as per the requirements of the primary applicant means the successful completion of a 12 years course of elementary/primary and secondary education in the U.S. or successful completion in another county of a formal course of elementary/primary and secondary education that is comparable to the US twelve years education system.

5. If you are currently residing in the US on another non-immigrant visa, you are able to adjust your status within the US if you are a winner

Also FYI, the Green Card Lottery (DV 2012) will begin in October 2009 for those wanting to enter this year with more information about this lottery due by September.


Good Luck

Thursday, July 14, 2011

In San Francisco Saggy pants arrest decried by protestors

Outrage erupted on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday as nearly two hundred people called for charges to be dropped against college football player Deshon Marman, a San Francisco native who is accused of resisting arrest after a confrontation over his sagging pants on a US Airways flight last month.

Speakers said while the protest was not meant to endorse low hanging pants as a fashion choice, they believe the 20 year old Marman was targeted because he is a young black man. That contention is underscored, speakers said, because a white man was previously allowed to travel on US Airways wearing purple lingerie.

The Rev. Amos Brown said from the podium, “You say you want the pants pulled up, we say, pull up justice in America.”

Donna Doyle, Marman’s mother, said she was contacted by US Airways and offered a free flight to see her son, but she declined. Doyle said she was offended that the company did not apologize.

US Airways spokesman Andrew Christie said the company is in open communication with Brown and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People regarding the case, but declined to elaborate. Christie said US Airways wants to do what it can to help Marman “land on his feet” and maintain his full football and academic scholarship at the University of New Mexico.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Tuesday he would possibly make a decision today on whether he will file charges against Marman. One report said no charges will be filed.

Marman was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and trespassing June 15 after a member of the flight crew at San Francisco International Airport asked him to pull up his pajama pants. According to Marman’s attorney, he told the fight attendant his hands were full and he would take care of it when he got to his seat on the Albuquerque, N.M.bound flight.

When he sat down, police said the flight captain argued with Marman for ten minutes about the pants and told him to leave the plane. When Marman was arrested, he allegedly scuffled with San Francisco police officers and injured one of them.

After Tuesday’s rally, protesters attended the Board of Supervisors meeting where Supervisor Malia Cohen introduced a resolution to address the incident and ask for US Airways to apologize.

Cohen said after the rally, “It is bulls--, and you can quote me on that.”

Christie said if The City decides to ask for an official apology, none will be offered.

“Pixie” for ‘Now Is Good’ Role Goes by Dakota Fanning



Twilight Saga actress Dakota Fanning is sporting a dramatic new look for her forthcoming movie project, “Now Is Good.”

Fanning, the 17 year old star who began acting at the age of 5, swapped her normally long, blonde locks for a super short pixie cut to more accurately portray her character.

In the Ol Parker directed film, which also features Jeremy Irvine and Kaya Scodelario, Fanning takes on the role of a leukemia patient who compiles a list of things that she wants to complete before she dies.

In addition to the Now is Good gig, Dakota also has several other new projects in the works. She will play one of the 2 teen girls who decide to lose their virginity after they graduate from high school in another drama “Very Good Girls”, and will also portray a girlfriend of a diamond thief in “Mississippi Wild”.

Chime in with your thoughts. While Fanning is sporting the dramatic new look for professional reasons, do you think she will keep the do now that it seems to be a trending style?

In case you forgot (or even care) how long her hair used to be, check out this video clip of Dakota’s appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wednesday for final season again "Rescue Me"

"Rescue Me," the Denis Leary starring show about a New York City firefighter, begins its final season Wednesday night.

Over the years, the show has been praised for its treatment of Sept. 11, for its examination of alcoholism and for the cast's performances. It is also been criticized for all those things.

The critics are taking to the Interwebs to weigh in on this last run. James Poniewozik in Time hopes "getting a final season will free the show from having to spin out the same stories and focus it in its closing episodes, a la FX's 'The Shield.'"

Mike Thomas of the Chicago Sun-Times writes in the no mystery here titled "'Rescue Me' is going out strong," "Not since 'MASH' has a show been so adept (albeit in an edgier and more graphic way) at eliciting belly laughs and tears, shocked amusement and unsettling horror."

In the New York Times, Alessandra Stanley writes, "The FX show is a well made, enjoyable series that was created with the best of intentions but somehow never quite rose to greatness. That could be because, for all the show's earthy candor and scathing wit, it is a soap opera at heart."

What do you think of "Rescue Me"? Will you watch the final season?

"The Dark Knight Rises" Leaks Online Trailer

A teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was leaked online earlier today, but has already disappeared from the Internet. The video, which appeared to have been shot by a moviegoer, provided the 1st shaky glimpse of the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, due out next summer.

And although Warner Bros. has been asking bloggers to take the video offline, the trailer is already generating hype for a movie that’s been teasing fans and planting cryptic clues for months. Despite the video’s evaporation, there’s still plenty of available material for fan boys and girls to pore over in their search for plot clues. Impatient viewers might start with this blog entry on Collider.com, which details a message sent by a fan claiming to have seen the trailer. We watched the illicit clip before it was yanked, and many of the writer’s details match up with what we remember seeing:

There’s footage from the previous two installments in the Nolan franchise, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. These include an epic shot of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) trekking through the mountains where he eventually meets Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), his teacher turned nemesis.

Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) is confined to a hospital bed, lying on his side and speaking through a breathing mask. The Collider viewer transcribed Gordon’s words thusly: “We were in this together,” he says. “Then you were gone. … Now this evil rises. The Batman … has to come back.”

Christian Bale’s voice is then heard saying, “What if he does not exist anymore?”

We also see some buildings crumble, which fits with the film poster released earlier this week at DarkKnightRises.com

We see flashes of Bane, the new installment’s hotly anticipated villain.

>> Take all these clues meager as they are with a grain of salt. After all, this is not the first alleged trailer for the film to be leaked. Weeks ago, people were debating the authenticity of a teaser rumored to be showing before screenings of Green Lantern. (Meanwhile, in May, there were similar arguments about a trailer for David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)

Those desperate to see the clip on the big screen will likely have to wait until Warner Bros. releases it on YouTube. Or, they can shell out the money to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II starting tomorrow—the Dark Knight Rises teaser will likely precede the film.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Bachelorette Ultimate Getaway Sweepstakes



Welcome to The Bachelorette Ultimate Getaway Sweepstakes. This season we will be giving away 4 grand prize getaways and ten bachelorette merchandise gift bags. The gift bags are full of the same goodies the bachelors receive on the show. The clothes and accessories included in the bags will be perfect for you or the guy in your life. These bags each carry twenty four hundred fifty dollar worth of prizes. We also have 4 grand prize trips to: Fiji, Thailand, Taiwan and a trip to any Conrad Hotel around the world. Do not miss out.

Click here to check out each of the Grand Prize Destinations:


Conrad Hotels & Resorts
7-day/6-night trip to any Conrad Hotel
and Resort around the world


Taiwan
5-day/4-night trip to Taiwan


Thailand
8-day/7-night trip to Thailand


Fiji
9-day/8-night trip to Fiji


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Colorado Springs blasted Salt Lake Bees


Colorado Springs scored nine runs over the 1st 2 innings to take control, and the Sky Sox cruised to an 11-6 win over the Salt Lake Bees on Saturday night.

After the Bees took the lead in the top of the 1st on an RBI double by Paul McAnulty, the Sky Sox roared back with 5 runs in the 1st and 4 more in the 2nd, all of the runs off of Salt Lake starting pitcher Ryan Ketchner (4-5).

Former Salt Lake Stinger Alfredo Amazega led Colorado Springs with three hits, 2 double, and three RBIs.

McAnulty was the lone bright spot for the Bees, as he had three hits, including 2 doubles and a home run, with 5 runs batted in. Tyson Auer added two hits to extend his hitting streak to a season best ten games, as Salt Lake needs a win on Sunday to avoid being swept in the series at Colorado Springs.

Ketchner only lasted 1 2/3 innings before he was pulled. All of the 9 runs he allowed were earned. He recorded no strikeouts and walked 2 batters. Jeremy Berg relieved Ketchner and allwed two runs off of three hits in three innings of work.

Today's game is the Bees' final contest before the All Star break. Salt Lake will host the Triple A All Star game on Wednesday.