Hot Celebrity Kids Making Big Bucks

Did you ever stop and estimate how much money you could make in your lifetime? Yes, success is a combination of talent, hard work and just old fashion luck. Sometimes it means being in the right place at the right time. Take a look at 10 highly paid young stars under the ripe old age of 20 who are cashing in on their television, movie and movie careers. Ages listed are as of October 2011.

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Wage Gap Crushing African American Women

There's so much negative trash being written in this country's media about African American women that it allows many Americans, Black and White, to look down their noses at my sisters of color. You've all heard the hype about the "angry Black woman" who's undesirable to most men. You've been told that Black women are lazy, promiscuous, and failures as parents. All in all, there's some efforts afoot to paint all of society's ills on the backs of African American women. Unfortunately, the propaganda has taken root in the psyche of some Black women, lowered their self esteem and wounded them deep within their souls. In view of all of this, I'm not sure whether to be violently mad or soulfully sad about this month's analysis on African American Women and the Wage Gap from the The National Partnership for Women and Families.

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Three Steps To Better Dietary Choices- A Thinner Me in 2012

Are you sure you realize the connection between what you eat and your overall health? At a recent doctor's visit, a patient reviewed his diabetes medication with his doctor. He was surprised when he was told that if he lost weight he could be taken off the drugs he was taking. He told his doctor that he'd been overweight for 20 years and had only known of his diabetes for two years. He told the doctor that this was the first time anyone had told him that his diabetes was related to his weight.

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Letters From Melissa-Politics by MH-P

For those who don't know her, Melissa Harris-Perry (MH-P) is an American author, television host and political commentator with a focus on African American politics. She is a professor of political science at Tulane University. Prior to this position, Melissa was an associate professor of politics and African American Studies at Princeton University (2006-2010) and taught political science at the University of Chicago from 1999 to 2005.

Currently, MH-P hosts a weekend news and opinion television show on MSNBC. I watch the show faithfully every Saturday and Sunday. It's a source of information and amazing data on current events, issues, and historical trends. The show serves as an avenue for me to discover new faces and spend time with a variety of folks from the media and political arenas.

In a recurring segment of the Melissa Harris-Perry Show, the host delivers an open letter to prominent figures in the news about vital issues of the day. I find the segment compelling, focused, and down to the nitty-gritty. When she begins, saying "it's Melissa", one who doesn't know better is caught off guard, maybe even disarmed. By the time time she signs off as "Melissa", she has made her point and shook out the truth with wit, candor and grace.

One example is Melissa's open letter to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal about his refusal to set -up a state-run insurance exchange required by the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare).

Take a look at some of the content:


"Bobby, you're the governor of a poor state," Harris-Perry, a Louisiana resident said. "Being a governor of a state with this much poverty and inequality ought to give you a certain sense of urgency—but you don't seem to give a damn. What you do care about is reaching higher office. And why not? You're term limited in Louisiana and the White House will have an opening in four years."

Harris-Perry charged that Jindal has made a number of national political moves recently, and that it "looks like [his] 2016 machine is raring to go."

She later added, "Tell you what governor, if you're bored with dealing with the real problems that face us in Louisiana; if you want to move on to the national stage, don't wait until the end of your term. Pull a Palin, quit now. We'll find somebody else."
 
 


Melissa has written to Justice Clarence Thomas, George Will and New Jersey Govenor Chris Christie. I particularly liked her letters to my state's senator Majority leader Harry Reid telling him "get tough on assault weapons, Harry Reid". Her letter to Indiana's G.O.P. failed senatorial candidate Richard Murdock addressed  his controversial comments on rape. 

"You see, Mr. Mourdock, the violation of rape is more than physical. Rapists strip women of our right to choose, of our right to say no, of our right to control what is happening to our bodies. Most assailants tell us it is our fault. They tell us to be silent. Sometimes they even tell us it’s God’s will," she said. "That is the core violation of rape– it takes away choice. Richard, you believe it is fine to ignore a women’s right to choose because of your interpretation of divinity. Sound familiar?"

I love the show overall and particularly the "Letters from Melissa" segment and highly recommend it to you and yours.

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Confessions of a Fast Food Junkie: Watching My Weight

Up until joining Weight Watchers last July, I had never really thought about how I had gotten to be a fast food junkie. Sure, I've always been a "big guy". I've been 6'5" tall since graduating High School and the all you can eat meal plan at Trueblood Cafeteria at Southern Illinois University helped me solidify my status as "Big Man on Campus". However, since earning my Bachelor's Degree and moving on to the "real world", I was able to maintain a reasonable weight for a person of my size.

Don't get me wrong, I've never fit into that "healthy weight range" suggested on the BMI chart. But, in the sixteen years that have passed since my college years, I don't remember ever feeling "fat". That was until August of 2011 when I was invited to a friend's wedding. It was as if overnight, all of my old clothes stopped fitting and I was forced to buy bigger sizes.

It was strange because 12 months earlier, in 2010, I had been working out and losing weight and dropping pounds by controlling my diet and exercise. All of a sudden, I became extremely ill and ended up having a major surgery due to a blood infection that developed from a diabetic ulcer.

There I was two and a half years prior, feeling great about myself and making true progress in becoming more active. However, the unfortunate surgery that left me with a permanent disability (along with depression), played an instrumental part in gaining about 100 lbs in a two year period.

Of course, it would have been a lot easier for me to explore this series of events in my own spare time. I could have used this topic for one of my blogs or maybe just had a few moments of personal self reflection. That's what any normal person would do.

So, there I was at my second weekly Weight Watchers meeting. Shocked by the fact that I was able to lose 6.2 lbs in my first week (a major achievement for a skeptic like me). As I was asked to share my experiences and feelings about the program thus far, something inside me decided that now would be the perfect time to have an emotional breakdown smack dab in the middle of the weekly meeting.

Now, I not one of those guys that believe that "boys don't cry" or that "real men don't shed tears". However, I was awfully embarrassed by the fact that I was only in my second week of the program... down a mere 6.2 lbs... and here I am crying like a teething toddler with a toothache.

Luckily for me, my tears were not of sorrow. I was overwhelmed with joy and elated because of the small amount of progress that I had made in the short amount of time that I had tried to lose weight. I had spent that past year saying "I'm going to lose weight" and in seven simple days I had lost more weight that I had in the past two years.

Now that I have been a part of the Weight Watchers program for six months, I'm healthier by almost 30 lbs. I'm way more active than I used to be and I'm doing better at controlling my fast food habit. I know that I still have a long way to go to reach my ultimate goal. Fortunately for me, my Weight Watchers group, along with my family, has been such a positive influence and system of support that it has been a lot easier for me to succeed than if I was trying to do it by myself.

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Riding the Economic Storm: Food For Thought

The economy is growing again. But if things are looking better, why are we feeling worse? You have to agree that the past few years of bad economic news has colored our thinking. We tend to gloss over any positive news while focusing on gloomier headlines. It's time to get in touch with a "better reality' and take actions that will improve our financial situation.

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A Thinner Me in 2013-A Personal Journey

Like many of you, I've struggled with my weight for years and years.  I've tried every imaginable diet-high carb, low carb, high protein, low fat.Yes, I've tried Jenny Craig, Nutri-System and Weight Watchers.  I've lost a few pounds on each one, but fell off the diet, resumed my old eating and wound up heavier than when I started. But along the way, I learned a thing or two that helped me make important changes.

I'm lucky. About three weeks ago, I celebrated my 70th birthday surrounded by family and friends. My efforts over the past several years have resulted in a weight loss of eighty pounds. Now, I'm just "overweight" and no longer "obese". Ain't that grand.  I still have twenty more pounds to lose to reach my personal goal. I'm not alone...my entire family is committed to losing weight. It's not that we just want to look better, although that would be nice. We all want to be more healthy and avoid complications that accompany being overweight. Some family members have diabetes, and one has survived breast cancer. Some struggle with Lupus and others just feel the burden of carrying extra weight around every day. Some are young, or middle age or seniors...all of us plan to make dietary and lifestyle changes this new year.

Let's sift through some well-known and lesser know facts about obesity. Did you know that 70 percent of the over 60 population in America is overweight?  More than 40 percent of those 65 to 74 are classified as obese. Complications from obesity cost the United States $190 billion dollars in medical expenses every year. We all know that obesity shortens lives: An Oxford University study found that an obese person's life span is three to ten years shorter than that of someone age weight.about the same loss of life associated with smoking. Knowing all these things should give motivation to resolve to  the problem.

We know that losing weight gets harder as we grow older. Slowing metabolism, a loss in muscle mass and declining hormones...all of these things cause your body to store fat more easily. Did you know that adding to the challenge, our body actually sabotages our efforts to lose weight and keep it off. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study examined overweight adults who lost an average of thirty pounds by reducing the number of calories they consumed. Here's what they found. Two hormones that suppress appetite, Leptin and peptide YY, dropped significantly  after the weight loss and stayed low for a year. This isn't good- we need more leptin and peptide YY so we don't get hungry. Researchers found also that ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger, rose and remained high for up to a year. Decline in appetite suppression and and an increase in hunger...talk about making things harder.

So what's a midlife dieter to do? Personally, I say forget about dieting and focus on changing your dietary and lifestyle choices. The thought of dieting makes one feel that this is something you'll do for a while, achieve your goal and return to past habits. I had to realize that I needed to make changes that I would embrace for a lifetime. In short, we need to know how certain food choices affect our bodies, so we can adjust our dietary choices accordingly to stay healthy and lose weight.

I'm looking forward to sharing information in future posts that will help steer us all to making better choices and lead us to a thinner me" in 2013. I hope my family will join in with personal stories that might prove helpful. If you have a story to tell, feel free to jump in and share your journey with us.
Watch for posts that continue my personal journey.

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Movie Money Madness-Top 20 in 2012

The movie industry is making money, including a donation from Congress during the fiscal cliff psycho-drama.  The list of the highest grossing movies of 2012 held a few surprises.Despite the fact that certain movies won the disdain of critics, they won a spot in the top twenty money makers of 2012:

• "Promethus" (20)        $126,477,084
• "Lincoln"     (19)         $132,039,000
• "21 Jump Street" (18)  $138,447,667
• "Taken 2" (17)             $138,594,063
• "Hotel Transylvania" (16) $143,923,820
• "Snow White and the Huntsman" (15) $155,136,755
• "Ice Age-Continental Drift" (14) $161,075,066
• "Wreck It Ralph" (13) $175,665,000
• "Men in Black 3" (12) $179,020,854
• "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" (11) $214,030,500

The top ten highest grossing films are a bit more predictable:

"Madagascar 3 -Europe's Most Wanted"" ranked number 10 grossing $216,319,482, followed by "Ted" at number 9, which pulled in $218,665,740. "The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey", newly released in December, garnered the number eight spot with $222,703,000. Based on the record box office attendance, many more dollars are expected to boost the film's ranking in 2013. Many failed to notice the potential of the computer-animated film "Brave", produced by Pixar and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It took the number seven spot, grossing $237,236,938 in 2012. "The Amazing Spider-Man" tells a different side of the story of superhero Peter Parker. In this film, the Marvel Comics character wowed the audience and took spot number six with box office receipts of $262,030,663.

Now, with all that information behind us, I'm sure you've been waiting for the top five grossing films of 2012. I thought four of the five were already expected and only one surprise in the bunch.  Here's how they shook out:


Some say that "Breaking Dawn-Pt. 2" could be the worst movie of 2012 and the film made the worst picture list for the Razzies. The romantic fantasy tells the story of Bella beginning a new life after being brought back from near-death after the birth of their daughter. The film ranks number five on the highest grossing list with $283,023,753 in receipts. Not to shabby, for a worst picture candidate.

To my surprise the latest installment in the James Bond franchise "Skyfall" ranked number four on the list,  $289,600,000. The movie is the twenty third film in the series and stars Daniel Craig in his third role as Bond. Despite criticism from "Pulp Fiction" Director Quentin Tarrintino, Rumors of an Oscar nomination abounded and adding receipts from early 2013, the film has exceeded the billion dollar threshold. Adele's "Skyfall" is the critics choice for best song. "Skyfall" was nominated for five Oscars by the Motion Picture Academy.

"The Hunger Games", based on a New York Times Best selling trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, landed the number three spot. The science adventure blockbuster was victorious at the People's Choice Awards winning favorite movie, action movie, and movie franchise, along with favorite movie actress and favorite on screen chemistry awards. The film grossed $408,010,092 and the second book Catching Fire is scheduled for release in November 2013.

As expected, "The Dark Knight Rises" won high honors, taking the number two spot by banking $448,139,099 in receipts. It's eight years after Batman has been branded an enemy of Gotham, that he returns to face a new terrorist leader, the evil Bane, and save the city from doom. The movie is the final installment of the three part

Marvel's "The Avengers" took the number one spot in the race for highest grossing movie of 2012, raking in $623,357,910. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film showcases Marvel Comics superheroes Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America who come together to save the earth.

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Entertainers: January Birthday Babies

 

What do country music matriarch Naomi Judd, record breaking NFL quarterback Drew Brees, Pro Golfer Alfonso Soriano, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart have in common? These A-1 Entertainers have birthdays in the first month of the New Year.


Naomi Judd

Drew Brees


 

Mel Gibson

 

Actor/Director Mel Gibson (1/3), seasoned actresses Diane Keaton (1/5) and Betty White (1/17), singers Mary J. Blige (1/11) and Alicia Keys (1/25), all celebrate heir special day in January.








Nigella Lawson




Guy Fieri

Famous Celebrity Chefs Guy Fieri (1/22), Nigella Lawson (1/6), and Paula Deen (1/19) join this January birthdays'  list. Each has a television show on Food Network and/or The Cooking Channel, along with cookbooks in print and cooking related products on the market.

Portia and Ellen

 Power couple Ellen De Generes (1/26) and Portia di Rossi (1/31) share their lives and January birthdays. They wed in 2008 and still seem as happy as ever. Ellen hired a sky writer to mark the couples' fourth anniversary by writing "four in the sky".

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Republican State Senator Attacks Kwanzaa Holiday

Kwanzaa Symbols

Kwanzaa is a week-long Afrocentric holiday which is observed from December 26th through today, January 1st. It was created in 1966 by black radical Maulana Karenga. It is observed by an estimated 2 million Americans.

Wisconsin Republican Glenn Grothman recently attacked the holiday of Kwanzaa, claiming “almost no black people” care about it.

The state senator put out a controversial press release recently in which he asked rhetorically, “Why must we still hear about Kwanzaa?”
“Why are hard-core left wingers still trying to talk about Kwanzaa — the supposed African-American holiday celebration between Christmas and New Year’s?” Grothman wrote.

“Of course, almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa — just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people’s throats in an effort to divide Americans,” Grothman said. “Irresponsible public school districts such as Green Bay and Madison … try to tell a new generation that blacks have a separate holiday than Christians.”

Grothman went on to personally criticize the rhetoric of Karenga and called for the holiday to be “slapped down.”

“Senator Grothman seems to outdo himself every time he opens his mouth,” said local Democratic treasurer Meg Moen. “That press release is absolutely disgusting and drips with disdain for African-Americans and, therefore, I am calling on him to retract his statements,” she added.

I was amazed when I read the account in the Grio. This politician seems to think that he can say anything without being called on his racist words. We as a people must stay vigilant and respond to these type attacks on our traditions and customs. Our best weapons are the power of the pen and the might of our vote.

Grothman is regarded as one of the most conservative state legislators in the entire country. Recently, Grothman earned national attention when he proposed a bill that would formally deem single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse. Grothman sponsored the legislation that repealed the state's 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which made it easier for victims of wage discrimination to have their day in court. In an interview with the Daily Beast, he dismissed the notion that the wage gap between men and women is due to workplace discrimination, instead stating, "You could argue that money is more important for men." Women, he said, were often more focused on raising children than earning money.

Is there any wonder that he was chased and heckled by Wisconsin voters outside the State House?

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Word By Word: Misused, Overused, and Uselessness

Michigan's Lake Superior State University released this year's picks of words to banish from the Queen's English. Nominations were submitted mostly on Facebook by folks from the U. S., Canada, and beyond. The 38th Annual List identifes word choices wich were labeled as misused, overused, or useless. First and foremost is "fiscal cliff" and after the past month and the last few days, I wholeheartedly agree. Other political terms to bite the dust are "kick the can down the road" and "job creators".

The "List" has included 900 words/phrases over the years.  "Spoiler alert" was one of the top picks.This year's nominations also included "YOLO", you only live once, boneless wings, passion/passionate, superfood, guru, trending, and double down. "At the end of the day" found a place on the List, along with baby bump, leveraged, viral, epic, and "rocks" as in rocks a dress. Folks also nominated "Baby Mama" again (which is about to become the name of a reality show).

 

What's on your "list" of misused, overused, and useless words that need to be banished from the Queen's English?

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