Al Gore to divorce his wife? huh?

Al and Tipper Gore Separate After 40-Year Marriage

This morning as I was looking through my Yahoo! News I came across this article. I was shocked when I read the headline. After 40 years of marriage  the Gore’s are deciding to divorce?  I just couldn’t believe my eyes. I had to open the article to see what was going on.

I am a big fan of Al Gore, so I was shocked to hear the news. I, like so many others, thought he was and still is happily married to his wife. Apparently, that is not the case anymore. According to the article, the couple has been growing apart over the last ten or so years. Even though the couple appeared to be happily married in public and such, it was not exactly the case.

They had sent an e-mail out to friends and family that they plan on getting a divorce. Though, don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to be one of those nasty [celebrity] divorces. It was mutually agreed upon, and each of them support each other.

Personally, I have slowly begun to hate the word “divorce.” It has gotten so bad, that I get a bad taste in my mouth every time I hear a couple is getting a divorce. Sometimes, I feel like getting divorced is “the thing to do” and something people are doing to “follow the crowd.” It may sound crazy, but think about it. It seems everyone is getting divorce nowadays. I can’t look at a magazine like People, or OK! Magazine without reading something, anything, related to a couple getting divorced soon, or has recently gotten a divorce (for whatever reason).

When are more people going to start stopping the trend of getting a divorce … and, actually stay happily married for the rest of their lives? Is that really so rare nowadays? <Sigh>

One Young Hollywood Star Dies … Then Her Husband Follows?

Brittany Murphy\’s Husband is Found Dead at Home

So, I just learned yesterday (and today in slightly more detail) that Brittany Murphy’s husband died on Sunday, in his Hollywood hills home. According to sources, Brittany Murphy’s husband was found “unresponsive” when his mother-in-law came to visit the home. She had then called the paramedics. Shortly after the paramedics arrived, Simon Monjack (Murphy’s husband) was pronounced dead.

In December 2009, Brittany Murphy had died of a heart attack and prescription overdose. When she had died, the report was that she had died of “natural causes,” which is exactly how they are presuming the cause of Monjack’s death as well.

Reports also said that paramedics had found a prescription written out to Monjack, but that it didn’t seem to be any drug overdose. There also seemed to be no physical harm done to the body.

Call me crazy, but I think Monjack’s heart failed on him partially because he was still coping with the heartbreak of the recent death of his wife. In short, dying of a broken heart.

It really is such a shame that a husband and wife, who were under the age of 50, died within six months of each other. The families were still getting over the death of one, and now have to also deal with the death of the other. I think of it as adding two very heavy layers to a person’s heart, and it can only get lighter the longer time passes and the more proactive each person is.

Even in death, there can be new life :)

John Travolta & Kelly Preston Expecting \”New Addition\” to The Family

John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston tragically lost their son, Jett, New Year’s Eve of 2009.

Now, about 1 year later, the couple is expecting to add a new addition to their family. Kelly, John Travolta’s wife, is 3 months pregnant. Congratulations to them!

I knew a family where a similar circumstances took place. However, they only had one son, whereas Travolta and Preston also have a daughter. Their son died in a horrible car accident at the age of 17. They were devastated. But, a year later they had a baby girl.

So, even in death, there can be new life

Infamous Man Among Zionists Passes Away

PASSING’S: Moshe Hirsch

On Sunday, Moshe Hirsch died at the age of 86 in Jerusalem, Israel. When I first heard the name, I had no clue who the Los Angeles Times was referring to. But, I read the brief article on who he was and what he has done, and it dawned on me all of a sudden where I had heard the name before and what group he supported and was a part of.

Personally, I am a Zionist. My parents are Zionists, my sister is, every member (that I know of) in my extended family is as well, my Jewish friends are, and my boyfriend and his family are Zionists as well. So, when I read an article about an anti-Zionist rabbi that died … I completely hesitate on mourning his death in any fashion.

Not only was he an anti-Zionist rabbi. He was an adviser to Yasser Arafat and is part of the small sect of Jews that were made known by their trip to Iran, where they literally embraced President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a Holocaust denying conference.

So, he is allied with a Jews biggest modern day enemies … and still call themselves observant Jews.

Personally, as horrible as this sounds, I wish those people who are members of that ultra Orthodox sect of Judiasm (I am talking about Neturei Karta members, only!) all died out within the next year.

Jews themselves, denying the Holocaust? Not believing or supporting their own country? Going against AND embarrassing the Jewish Nation as a whole, publicly (as well as privately)?

That is worse than a hypocrite. For all intensive purposes, it even puts a bad taste in my mouth to call them Jews … Because, even though they are Jewish by birth, they don’t do much to back it up. From how they make themselves look in the media, they look more like a religious Arab than a religious Jew.

I don’t mean to offend anyone … but, if I did, I’m sorry =/

Topics like this are very sensitive ones with me.

Car used in Times Square Bomb sold, where?

SUV In Times Square Bomb Inquiry Bought For Cash

In this article, it explains that the SUV vehicle that was used in the alleged car bomb stunt in Times Square, on Saturday, was originally sold on Craigslist, a well known site used by many people sell, buy, or hire.

The seller agreed to sell the SUV for $1800, cash. However, there was no paperwork exchanged.

Thankfully, the car bomb attempt was a fail. The bomb did not go off, and no was hurt or killed.

The man who originally set the bomb and tried to set it off is still being searched for, by police investigators.
They say they have some leads on who it may have been, but nothing for certain yet.

The investigators know it was not any Al Queda related bomber, since the bomb was not well made. Since it was not well made, it was a big reason why it did not go off when it was supposed to.

Call me silly or naive for asking the following … but, who in their right mind would try to do something like that (with the exception of terrorists, of course)?

Who ever did it was obviously not trying to target a specific person to harm or kill, obviously. They put the SUV in Time’s Square … one of the busiest places you can find in New York, if not the entire United States. Foot traffic like you can’t believe … and the car traffic, don’t even get me started! I have been to Time’s Square, so believe me when I say that if that bomb would have gone off … a lot of people would have been hurt and/or killed.

I am thankful that it did not end up that way

Just after filing for divorce … adoption papers?

Sandra Bullock Reveals She Secretly Adopted Baby Boy

Right after Bullock received buckets of media attention because of her husbands cheating, and Bullock filing for divorce … she announces that she adopted a baby Boy.

This all happened within a  span of 4 months.

In January, according to the article in People, was when Bullock and (her soon to be ex-husband) Jesse James had brought home their new adopted son. However, they decided to keep the news quiet until the Oscar hype was gone …

In February, Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for Best Actress in the “Blind Side.” I am sure that was  a very proud moment for her, in her acting career.

Soon after her Oscar win, news of her husband’s cheating came out of in the tabloids, and was splashed all over the magazine covers. Part of her private life was being very much exposed to the public. It wasn’t only in magazines, but didn’t TV Shows were bringing Sandra Bullock up in conversation, talking about her past, her career, her husband, her Oscar win, etc.

Then, news of Bullock’s preparations to divorce her husband came out into the tabloids. The question of Bullocks stepchildren (Jesse James’ children) and which parent they would live with came up … but, still no news of an adoption of  a baby …

Now, almost out of the blue, she announces that she has adopted a child in January, and that the baby is now 3 months old. It’s like … wow, when did this happen? Lol

Don’t get me wrong, though. I am so happy for Sandra Bullock because she really gets to be a mom. I don’t mean any offense towards Jesse James’ children, I am sure that she loves being their mother. But, to me, it makes a difference in experiences when you raise a child starting from an infant to adulthood vs. child to adulthood.

I wish her the best of luck.

It May Not Be a Top Priority With People, But …

50 Secrets From Real Dentists

I found this article on Yahoo! News. I didn’t expect  to see such an article, but I am glad I did. It is 50 tips for a healthy mouoth, given by about 22 dentists (certified DDS) from around the country.

It’s funny how the simplest things, people just don’t pay attention to. I, for one, didn’t start caring more about my teeth until about 3 months ago, when my dentists said my gums were so bad, I may one day end up with a permanent irreversible gum problem if I didn’t start working on it now.

I am trying to get myself into the mentality to brush my teeth twice a day, and floss once a day. I use mouthwash as well, once to twice a day. Since I am still used to my old ways … I slack off often, and so my best to get on track.

According to this article, what I did to take care of my teeth before was a great reason why my teeth were going bad so fast, as well as my gums. Someone has to take care of their teeth. If they don’t they won’t be able to eat, and will suffer health problems that won’t stay within the confines of your mouth.

You must brush and floss a minimum total of about 10 minutes per day. If I keep to my schedule and brush for at least 2 minutes (what my dentists told me to do) twice a day, floss in between all my teeth at least once a day, and use my mouthwash (optional) … my teeth should be healthy. If I don’t … a very big uh-oh!

READ THIS ARTICLE. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW IMPORTANT IT CAN BE FOR YOU AND YOUR DENTAL HEALTH. EASY TIPS YOU CAN FOLLOW.

Earthquake Hits Indonesia

7.7 Magnitude Quake Strikes Indonesia

I heard this story on ABC7 News this afternoon when I was home. Also heard that there would be a potential Tsunami because of this high magnitude earthquake on the coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

I just find it a little worrisome that so many earthquakes are happening around the same time.

There were two earthquakes just two days ago in Baja California … one that was a 5.5 magnitude, and the other was 7.2 (non-respectively).

I am now getting worried if this is all leading to the “big one” which was supposed to come, I believe, in 2008. But, it never came …

Many people are speculating if this earthquake is just a coincidence, or not. I would love to be able to live in ignorance and say it is just a coincidence … but, in all reality, I don’t really believe that.

I am now scared for when the “big one” does come … How big will it be? How long will it last? How much will be damaged? Will people die or not? If yes, a great number or a small one?

So many unanswered questions … and not much to help answer them any faster … =/

Student Loan Reform – FAQ

FAQs About Student Loan Reform

According to this article from CNN.com, President Obama signed into law a student loan reform bill (which obviously did not close to the amount of attention that Health Reform bill did). This bill will take the private banks who are presently administering these student loans, and allow for the federal government to be the only lender to students.

** It will take affect this summer (July 2010).

** Student’s will have lower interest rates, and it also lowers the cap on monthly payments.

** It will not negatively affect the Pell Grant, it will actually give it more money to give student’s in the long run.                                — Without the reform, the amount of Pell Grants would have decreased. With it, it will continue to increase.

The only major critics of this law are that many people in the private student banking industry will lose their jobs. Some even dislike the plain fact that the government is taking over student loans completely, saying that they will not do a good job of it (to say the least).

Personally, I think this is not a bad idea. I’m not saying it’s a godsend … but, I do see it as a tiny improvement in education spending.

For one thing, it will save the government money … which, it turn will be used to compensate student’s education.

I know that people in the industry will lose their jobs … but, use your skill to help give people loans that they also need (for example: car loan, house loan, business loan, etc).

I think education is very, very important aspect of society … and if a law is passed to make it even slightly more accessible and affordable for students, then I am all for it.

Is Lady Gaga bringing a new medium to Ads? (Music Videos?)

Is Lady Gaga\’s Video for \”Telephone\” Just One Big AD?

In this article, it talks about whether or not Lady Gaga’s (ft. Beyonce) music video is really more of an advertisement, or if it’s just another music video. In this article it explicitly states that the music video in fact “is one big advertisement.” It shows examples of where in the video the ads show up.

In the beginning of the video, before any music is played yet, there are already four products. The first are Heartbeats Headphones, showing up at about 1:34 in the  video. You probably won’t notice them the first time you watch the video, but if you watch it again and really look for products potentially being sold, you will see them.

As an example, with the headphones, if you are really not paying attention, you won’t see the them ….

Next comes the Virgin Mobile phone at about 2:07 in the video. This is a lot more noticeable than the headphones, and they show the phone itself at least twice during the video.

Next, Diet Coke. Again, you probably won’t notice this the first time you see the video. You’ll probably ignore it, but if you see it a second time, you will see it clearly being curled up into Lady Gaga’s hair, in place of rollers. It comes at about 2:22 in the video (probably even before that).

At the same time you see the Diet Coke, you should also see that Lady Gaga is wearing Chanel sunglasses. This comes at about 2:17 in the video.

After the first portion of singing is over in the video, and there is another pause … you see a Hewlett Packard HP Laptop in the video, and right after you see that the guard on the computer goes onto to PlentyofFish.com to sign into her profile …

About two minutes before the video is over, when Lady Gaga is making her famous sandwiches, you notice that Gaga is using Wonder-bread and Miracle Whip in her sandwiches. More product placement…

Of course, this is nothing new for Lady Gaga. In her music video for “Bad Romance,” she also had five major advertisers in that video (though, I didn’t recognize them, so I cannot name them here).

I guess the boundaries of product placement are being widened. Companies will now probably be able to sell their products in music videos, and sell their products that way … ? Interesting …