Cheddar Bay Biscuits or healthcare? Red Lobster And Olive Garden Profits Down Ever since Darden Restaurants — the owner of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains — first announced its anti-Obamacare campaign, the company has had a tough couple of months. Via ThinkProgress : Darden admitted as much when it revised its predictions for latest quarterly earnings down in December, attributing the drop to “recent negative media coverage on Darden and how we might accommodate healthcare reform.” The decline in traffic comes despite the company’s efforts to revamp the menus and marketing for its flagship chains. At Olive Garden, the company rolled out an updated advertising campaign and introduced more light and affordable dishes. At Red Lobster, it added options for people who don’t like seafood. The negative press led the company to reverse course on its threat to shift employees to part-time status to avoid covering them under Obamacare. The latest report on Darden’s earnings prove that was a good move, since the restaurants did take a turn for the worse as a result of their bad publicity. Its net income fell 37 percent Well, if around half of Americans support the president, including Obamacare, then it makes sense that being a greedy azzhole about it will potentially annoy half your customers. Annoying half your customers isn’t a good business decision.
Black Communities Not Getting Same Reaction To Gun Violence As Whites Gun violence isn’t that big of a deal when black people are the victims/shooters? According to Washington Post Blog: Young black men kill each other every day. The problem is particularly acute in cities like Chicago, President Barack Obama’s hometown. Yet, I haven’t seen the president or the mainstream media shed a tear over the fact more than 50 percent of America’s murder victims are black and nearly all of those blacks killed – 85 percent- are young men. Nor do we see media or presidential outrage or calls for more rigid gun control laws when young black kids are heinously murdered like we do when the victims are mostly white. Neither words nor God can explain the horrific mass slayings that occurred at Sandy Brook Elementary, Columbine, Virginia Tech University, Aurora and those to come in our future. But why don’t we hear the same pain or calls for tougher gun laws from the mainstream press when Trayvon Martin was killed? Instead, the media immediately turned it into a racially motivated killing of a black boy by a white man. Yet there is often little horror over the alarming rate of young black men who are both perpetrators and victims of these homicides. For years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the homicide rate among blacks is beyond epidemic proportions. The CDC found as of 2007, “black males age 15-34 were at the greatest risk of death by homicide.” Where’s the societal outrage over the reality that 55 percent of all federal prisoners are black though blacks only account for 12 percent of the population, as Shelby Steele noted here. The double standard the mainstream media shows toward its coverage of black vs. white homicides is beyond irresponsible and dishonest. When black Kansas City Chiefs football player Javon Belcher shot his wife Kassandra Perkins and then killed himself with the same gun, I don’t remember the news media calling for tougher gun laws. Why? Is it okay for blacks to kill? Discuss and read article in its entirety HERE Shutterstock
Team iPhone or Team Galaxy???? Via USA Today: A federal judge late Monday dealt Apple a major blow in its landmark battle with Samsung, denying the company’s request to ban U.S. sales of smartphones from the South Korean electronics giant. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh rejected Apple’s request, stating that the Cupertino, Calif., computer maker has not been able to show that Samsung’s actions support an injunction. “Apple’s evidence does not establish that any of Apple’s three design patents covers a particular feature that actually drives consumer demand,” Judge Koh wrote in the order. A San Jose jury in August found Samsung violated six of Apple’s patents and awarded a whopping $1 billion in damages. Jurors had sided with Apple in deciding that Samsung had violated key designs covering iPads and iPhones. Three of the patents at issue were ones familiar to most consumers. The patents cover familiar touch functions that allow Apple device users to easily scroll pages, zoom out on images or tap to enlarge text, all with fingers. On the heels of the jury ruling, Apple had sought the ban of 26 Samsung devices from U.S. stores. Judge Koh did not issue an order on the amount of damages by late Monday. Apple had sought them increased by as much as $500 million and Samsung had sought them greatly reduced. Separately, Judge Koh issued an order denying Samsung’s motion for a new trial. In its request for a new trial, Samsung had argued that jury foreman Velvin Hogan had been involved in a lawsuit years ago with Seagate. Sorry, Apple!
They couldn’t cut that poor boy’s hair? Fantasia And Family Celebrate Son’s Birthday Fantasia Barrino and her family threw a beautiful birthday party this week for her and Antwuan Cook‘s son, Dallas Xavier Barrino. Dallas turned one on the 13th so Fanny held a party at her home, but waited until the weekend so that they could enjoy the day with all of her entire family and friends at Monkey Joe’s in North Carolina. The ain’t isht daddy and Fantasia seemed to be able to put their differences aside for the celebration, unlike some other celebrity parents out there … Check out more photo from the party below. Instagram
For real tho…how many times did you wish you had a non-girly version for that special little man in your life?? Lot’s of people have 13-year-old McKenna Pope to thank after she launched a petition after shopping for an Easy-Bake for her four-year-old brother and finding them only in purple and pink. It was her call for gender-neutral toys that got more than 40,000 supporters, including celebrity chefs Michael Lomonaco, Manuel Trevino, and Bobby Flay, and inevitably changed Hasbro’s opinion of just who deserves to bake a dry azz piece of yellow cake! According to The Daily Mail , Hasbro says it will soon reveal a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven after meeting with a New Jersey girl who started a campaign calling on the toy maker to make one that appeals to all kids. McKenna Pope,13, of Garfield, New Jersey, got more than 40,000 signatures on her online petition at Change.org and the support of celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay, who backed her call for Hasbro to make a gender-neutral oven and to include boys in the ads. She was prompted to start the petition after shopping for an Easy-Bake as a Christmas present for her four-year-old brother, Gavyn Boscio, and finding them only in purple and pink. Hasbro invited McKenna and her family to its Pawtucket, Rhode Island, headquarters to meet with its Easy-Bake team today. During the meeting, Hasbro executives showed off a prototype of their newest Easy-Bake: one that’s black, silver and blue. Hasbro has been working on the new color scheme and design for about 18 months, and decided to invite McKenna to see it and offer her thoughts, said John Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer. McKenna said the company is doing everything she asked, including putting boys in the ads. ‘I think that they really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me,’ she said, adding that Gavyn thought the new design was ‘awesome.’ Frascotti pointed out that the classic toy has had about a dozen different color schemes, from yellow to green to teal to silver, since first being introduced in 1963. The most recent iteration, introduced in 2011, is mostly purple with pink accents. He said it’s sold well since then, and that prompted the company to look for a way to update it and to broaden the consumer base by doing it in different colors. ‘It’s actually a product that’s played with by both boys and girls,’ he said. ‘We will continue to offer the existing product too because it’s so popular.’ Hasbro plans to introduce the new color scheme at the industry’s Toy Fair in New York in February. Frascotti said people are likely to see it on store shelves next summer. As for McKenna’s Christmas present for her brother, she said the TV show Inside Edition gave the family an Easy-Bake Oven after learning of her campaign. For Christmas, she said, she’ll probably buy him some mixes to bake in it. What do you think about Hasbro’s decision? Images via AP
Despite the circumstances and Jerry Brown’s mother’s requests, was it still appropriate to let Josh Brent join the team on Sunday ?? Via USA Today: On a day the Dallas Cowboys honored the late Jerry Brown with a moment of silence and a No. 53 decal on their helmets, Josh Brent was welcomed on the team’s sideline for the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brent, a third-year defensive tackle, was the driver in the alcohol-related, one-car accident that resulted in Brown’s death. Brent is facing intoxication manslaughter charges. According to The Dallas Morning News, Brent registered a blood alcohol level of 0.18 — more than twice the legal limit — after the accident last weekend. The team’s decision to allow Brent on the sidelines created a stir on Twitter, including from CBS studio analyst Boomer Esiason. “Am I the only one that is wondering what in the world the Cowboysare thinking with Josh Brent on the sideline?,” Esiason tweeted. Brown, who was a member of the team’s practice squad and Brent’s college teammate at Illinois, was buried Saturday in St. Louis. The Cowboys, who placed Brent on the non-football illness list this week, have pledged to continue to support him as he moves through the legal process. He was at the team’s headquarters during the week and has been engaged with the Cowboys’ counseling staff. His presence on the sideline, wearing a sweatshirt and Cowboys ball cap, was another demonstration of the team’s support. At a memorial service Tuesday in Dallas, Brent accompanied Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson, who asked players to forgive Brent as she has for her son’s death. This is certainly a touchy topic, what are your thoughts???
Looks like Domino’s Pizza is pulling a Papa John’s … Domino’s Pizza Founder Sues Federal Government Over Obamacare Via Gawker reports: Joining his Obama-fearing, crappy-pizza making brethren at Papa John’s, Domino’s Pizza’s founder is suing the federal government over Obamacare’s contraception coverage. Tom Monaghan, who is a devout Catholic, filed the lawsuit Friday, claiming that contraception isn’t related to health because it’s a “gravely immoral” act. In addition to himself, Monaghan named Domino’s Farms, an office park he owns, as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise considering Monaghan’s previous support of pro-life and conservative causes. In the past, he’s backed groups such as Operation Rescue, Right to Life, Priests for Life, and the Committee to End State-Funded Abortion in Michigan. Domino’s, however, has made it a point to stay out of politics, despite the activities of its founder. According to Snopes, the pizza chain once addressed the issue on their website’s FAQ section: “Domino’s Pizza LLC has never supported organizations on either side of the reproductive rights issue. The corporation and its 1,825 independent franchise owners across the world have one goal: to sell pizzas and grow our market share. We can’t accomplish that goal if we alienate potential customers, as this issue certainly would.” If all this sounds familiar, it sort of is; the day after Obama’s reelection, Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter threatened to cut employees hours so he could avoid paying for their Obamacare-mandated health insurance. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that paying for birth control is more cost effective than the health care of all the babies that would exist without it. Not counting all the women who need the pill for non-contraceptive needs…
The winner gets a chance to meet her old luscious cakes in person! According to The Huffington Post , she’s asking for at least $1 from her fans and proceeds will be split between three charities: Jennifer López is feeling charitable. In a new video published on her official website, the singer asks her followers to donate…and help give the biggest Christmas gift ever. “For the 12 days of Christmas I want to do something special with you guys. Let’s be part of the biggest Christmas gift ever,” López says in the video. “If each one of you guys who follow me on Twitter and Facebook can give at least one dollar, five dollars would be ideal, we can do something that has never been done before. We could collect millions of dollars.” But the best part of the two-minute home video is the adorable cameo of her children with her ex-husband, salsa singer, Mark Anthony, Emme and Max, who run into the camera and mami’s arms to scream “Marry Christmas, everybody!” and “Give, give, give!” The amount collected will be split between The American Red Cross and hurricane Sandy’s victims, Boys & Girls Club of America, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As if the simple act of giving weren’t enough, those who donate to the cause will automatically enter into a contest where you could win a trip to Puerto Rico to attend JLo’s last concert from her “Dance Again World Tour” on December 21 and 22. The winner will also be able to meet the singer backstage. Lopez already donates 10% a year of her annual income to her own Lopez Family Foundation (which mainly helps inner-city children), but she’s catchin’ a lot of ish from haters on this one. What do you think? Good deed in the spirit of giving or another ‘celeb’ pushing their own agenda? Images via youtube/tumblr
These girls are serving Malibu Barbie realness… Valeria Lukyanova Has Twin Sister Via RadarOnline : Human Barbie’ Valeria Lukyanova has a new sidekick and the freaky looking doll-like pair is proving that together they truly have twice the plastic power! The Ukrainian model’s doppleganger calls herself Dominika but her birth name is Olga Oleynik and she comes from Odessa, the same town as her mentor. “We met on the Internet five years ago,” explained 21-year-old Valeria. “We were curious about our similarities. We had the same hairstyle, make-up, and even dressed in a similar way. Our friends were sure that we were blood sisters. “We are really sisters — but only in spiritual way,” she went on to say. “We have the same outlook and lifestyle.” The plastic — and reportedly surgically-enhanced pair — has been holding lectures on spirituality for around $100 a session and say they use their unique looks to lure in participants. “We are planning to move to America soon. Dominika’s boyfriend is living in the U.S. and my husband wants to start a business there too,” said Valeria. “I am not going to be bored abroad, I’m often invited to photo-shoots and parties.” East2WestNews
Are people born gay?? Scientists Uncover Possible Source Of Homosexuality Ever wonder why some lesbians like to dress like men? Or why some gay men love wigs, makeup and high heels? Well, scientists claim the answer may lie answer in the genetics, or how the expression genes are controlled by “temporary switches” known as epi-marks… Via NY Daily News reports: “Transmission of sexually antagonistic epi-marks between generations is the most plausible evolutionary mechanism of the phenomenon of human homosexuality,” Sergey Gavrilets, the study’s co-author, said in a release. Researchers have long believed that sexual orientation had some hereditary component. However, scientists say that homosexuality, in terms of evolution, cannot be solely genetic, because the trait would eventually disappear given that homosexuals aren’t expected to reproduce. Epi-marks, on the other hand, are thought to have an evolutionary advantage that keeps them within the population. For instance, some epi-marks work to protect a female fetus from becoming too masculine if testosterone spikes in late pregnancy. “These epi-marks protect fathers and mothers from excess or underexposure to testosterone — when they carry over to opposite-sex offspring, it can cause the masculinization of females or the feminization of males,” William Rice, the study’s lead author, told U.S. News & World Report. Rice said that epi-marks are “highly variable” and only those that are especially strong would potentially lead to homosexual children. The evolutionary biologist said that while his theory still needs to be tested on parents and their children, it is the most plausible explanation so far. Basically sex-specific epi-marks are usually “erased” from generation to generation. So, a mother’s gender specific characteristics can be passed to a son. Thus, his love for everything pink, glittery and attached to a peen. What do you think of this latest findings? Are people really born gay?
