Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

John Oliver Makes History Giving Away Almost $15 Million

On Sunday night’s edition of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver explored and explained the ugly world of debt of debt-buying.

And to really get a firm grasp of the industry, he and his team formed their own debt-buying company (Central Asset Recover Professionals, short for, “C.A.R.P., after the bottom-feeding fish.)”

And then CARP spent $60,000 buying almost $15 million in old medical debt.

Why? So Oliver could then forgive all that debt, thereby becoming the biggest giveaway in the history of television beating even Oprah Winfrey herself.

Watch the segment below.

Posted on

CNN’s Jake Tapper Asks Donald Trump 23 Times If Attack On Trump University Judge Was “Racist”

You gotta give it to CNN’s Jake Tapper.

He asks Donald Trump about his recent public attacks on the judge presiding over his Trump University lawsuit. Trump has accused the judge of having a conflict of interest because The Donald plans to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. According to Trump, the judge is biased because he’s “Mexican.”

Note: the judge was born in Indiana.

Twenty-three times Tapper tries to get an answer as to why the judge can’t be impartial. Twenty-three times the Trumpster deflects.

Check Tapper’s face in the image above from the interview. Tells the tale.

In related news, on CBS’s Face the Nation today, Trump said it “would be possible, absolutely” that  a Muslim judge would be too biased against him to preside over a lawsuit over him due to his insistence that Muslims be banned from the U.S.

Posted on

Commercial: Ann-Margret For Canada Dry Soft Drinks

In 1968, Canada Dry paid to produce this, at the time, unheard of two and a half minute commercial. The spot only aired once during an episode of The Ann-Margret Show.

I think there must have been an assumption that the viewers had all dropped acid prior to viewing.

The very definition of ‘camp.’ I love it.

Posted on

Today Marks 35 Years Of HIV/AIDS

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the first report of documented cases of what would later be known as the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The White House issued this statement:

On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on what would later be understood as the first documented cases of AIDS. The past 35 years tell a story that bends from uncertainty, fear, and loss toward resilience, innovation, and hope.

We’ve learned that stigma and silence don’t just fuel ignorance, they foster transmission and give life to a plague. We’ve seen that testing, treatment, education, and acceptance can not only save and extend lives, but fight the discrimination that halted progress for too long. And we’ve reaffirmed that most American of ideas – that ordinary citizens can speak out, band ourselves together like a breathtaking quilt, and change the course of our communities and our nation for the better.

Over these 35 years, American ingenuity and leadership has shaped the world’s response to this crisis. From the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we’ve saved millions of lives at home and around the world. My administration implemented our nation’s first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and we’ve updated it through 2020.

We’ve invested in research and evidence-based practices that have given us revolutionary tools like treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis. We’ve made critical investments to help eliminate waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. We’ve continued efforts to support the promise of a vaccine. And the Affordable Care Act has resulted in millions of individuals gaining affordable, high-quality health coverage – all without denial for pre-existing conditions like HIV.

While there is more work to do – the economically disadvantaged; gay and bisexual men, especially those who are young and Black; women of color; and transgender women all continue to face huge disparities – I’m confident that if we build upon the steps we’ve taken, we can finish the job.

Nearly five years ago, I said that an AIDS-free generation is within reach, and today, the global community is committed to ending this epidemic by 2030. This will take American leadership, smart investments, and a commitment to ensure that all communities are heard and included as we move forward.

So today, let’s call the names. Let’s remember those we lost too soon. And let’s rededicate ourselves to ending this epidemic once and for all.

Posted on

Bernie Sanders Predicts Contested Democratic Convention

Sen. Bernie Sanders, speaking in Los Angeles this week, announced that after the California Democratic primary former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not have enough “pledged delegates” to clinch the nomination for president, and thus, there will be a contested convention for the Dems this summer.

Noting that she leads in pledged delegates and superdelegates, what Sanders appears to be arguing is that you need 2,326 pledged delegates to cross the finish line. However, the process for Democrats combines pledged delegates AND superdelegates. Those are the rules.

Eight years ago, when then-Senator Obama won the nomination it was also with a mix of pledged and superdelegates. Sanders says this is unfair, but it’s how the rules work today.

If you don’t like the rules, change them for next time. But the rules today utilize superdelegates.

Plus, I should add, Sanders also like to insinuate that without superdelegates he might be in the lead. He would not.

The above graphic was being shared around the interwebs a couple of weeks ago.

If you strip out superdelegates, Sanders still trails Clinton by more than 200 delegates. If you were to assign all delegates proportionally from all contests, Clinton would still have a healthy lead.

The rhetoric on superdelegates doesn’t add up to any kind of Sanders win at this point.

Just keeping that straight here, ok?

Posted on

Hillary Clinton Is Within Striking Distance Of Democratic Nomination

Heading into today’s Democratic primary in Puerto Rico, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is within 57 delegates of clinching the presidential nomination.

There are 67 delegates up for grabs today, and then six states get their chance on Tuesday including California and New Jersey.

Last night, Clinton won the Virgin Islands Democratic caucuses. With 7 pledged delegates coming from the Virgin Islands, Clinton received 1,308 votes to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 190.

Posted on

Hillary Clinton Wins Virgin Islands Democratic Caucus

Even though there’s only 7 delegates up for grabs, it looks like former Secretsry it State Hillary Clinton has won the Virgin Islands Democratic caucus. Numbers to be announced soon.
Tomorrow, the two Dem candidates head into Puerto Rico’s primary where Hillary Clinton is also favored with 60 delegates at stake.

Posted on

Music Video: Shura “What’s It Gonna Be?”

UK pop-singer Shura brings just a bit of high school angst to her new music video for “What’s It Gonna Be?” (from her upcoming album Nothing’s Real) reminding us when best friends help each in the realm of crushes.

About the video, Shura writes:

“What’s It Gonna Be?’ is about having a massive crush on someone, so it made sense to go back where to school, where it all began. But it was important for us to explore those archetypal characters – The Jock, The Nerd, The Dork, The Popular Kid – and then flip expectations.

‘What’s It Gonna Be?’ is based on my personal experience as a kid; thinking you’re in love but then realising that’s maybe just because you feel you should be (and ending up with someone totally unexpected).”