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.
Complaints flooded in from celebs, bloggers, and the every day user. And according to CNN , Instagram was real quick to shut down the ‘confusing language’: (CNN) — Faced with a loud and angry backlash from some of its most active users, photo-sharing app Instagram backtracked Tuesday on new language that appeared to give the company ownership of their images. “The language we proposed … raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement,” Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom wrote in a blog post. “We do not have plans for anything like this and because of that we’re going to remove the language that raised the question.” An update Monday to Instagram’s terms of service had stated that data collected through the app can be shared with Facebook. That’s not a surprising move, considering Facebook paid an estimated $1 billion for the photo-sharing service earlier this year. But the language that upset some of the app’s more than 100 million users said that “a business or other entity may pay” Instagram for the use of user images and may do so “without any compensation to you.” Even CNN’s own Anderson Cooper was expressing some concern on the site. “#Instagram will now be able to use anyone’s photos in ads? Without consent?” he wrote on Twitter. “Come on! Is there another photo app people recommend?” Cooper wasn’t the only one considering his options. Bloggers also were spotlighting tools like Hipstamatic and Camera Awesome, as well as Twitter’s own new photo service that includes Instagram-like filters. A year-and-a-half-old blog post from photo-sharing site Flickr was also making the rounds. In it, Yahoo, which owns Flickr, uses language, perhaps aimed at Facebook, that says “(w)e feel very strongly that sharing online shouldn’t mean giving up rights to your photos.” Systrom said Instagram agrees. “Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos,” he wrote. “Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period.” It is, of course, too early to know how many people were fleeing Instagram on Tuesday. But anecdotal evidence suggested a movement was afoot. Instaport, a tool that lets users export and and download their Instagram images, was reporting overtaxed servers Tuesday morning. “Our servers are very busy right now, so it may show you some errors,” the company wrote to a user on its Twitter feed. “Please try again later or tomorrow.” So basically, they’ll still use your info and photos to target ads specifically towards you and your followers…and for now, they’re not going to sell your images to anyone, for free. Question is, do you care? Images via Instagram
This bitter lunatic had her 13-year-old son tie the poor puppy up… after he gifted the lil’ guy to her 5-year-old daughter. According to The Daily Mail , Trooper is recovering after being dragged down the highway: A woman has been charged with felony animal cruelty after she allegedly tied a pit bull puppy behind her ex-husband’s car before he unwittingly dragged the dog behind him for a mile along a highway. Benetta Johnson, 41, is accused of instructing her 13-year-old son to tie the puppy behind the truck in a bid to secretly return the dog the man had given to her 5-year-old daughter as a present. Victor Washington, 39, of St Louis, Missouri, has said that he didn’t know the puppy – now named Trooper – was attached to his vehicle on the morning of November 21 before he drove off – a claim St Louis police say is supported by surveillance footage outside his home. Heading into work that morning, Mr Washington was on I-55 when a woman frantically signaled for him to stop. Once he pulled over, he made a discovery so horrifying that he fled about 100 yards to escape its sight. Crumpled and bloody, he said the dog never made a sound while lying limp on the roadway. I was just so devastated by what I saw,’ Mr Washington told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. ‘It still makes me emotional just thinking about it.’ He initially told police he had never seen the dog before, not realizing it as the puppy he had given to Johnson’s daughter several months earlier. It was a gift Johnson had tried to return to him before. Washington said it was only after a flurry of media attention to capture the culprit – with rewards doubling to $5,000 – that he texted Johnson, asking: ‘Please tell me you still have that dog.’ ‘She told me she did,’ he told the paper. But weeks before the incident, he said Johnson called him complaining about the puppy, saying the animal was sick and too timid. She wanted him to take the dog back but he admits having been upset by the request and brushed it off. Footage taken outside Washington’s apartment complex on the night of November 20 shows a car pull up to his truck around 10pm. He recognized it as his ex-wife’s. Her son can then be seen leading the animal to the back of the truck, attaching him to the hitch of the trailer, and walking away. Mr Washington said that he likely did not see the canine because it was either hiding or taking a snooze under the truck. ‘He must have been asleep,’ Mr Washington said. ‘She said he was a really shy dog, so maybe he didn’t want to come out if he saw me.’ Johnson was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of felony animal abuse. Mr Washington doesn’t think Johnson intended for him to take off with the dog tied to his truck. He told the Post-Dispatch: ‘This whole situation is just so sad. Sad for the dog. Sad for my ex-wife. I mean, just because she’s my ex-wife I don’t want to see her go to jail. She has kids,’ he said. ‘It was an ignorant mistake she made. But she is a sweet person, and I don’t think she would just leave him there thinking this would happen,’ he said after her arrest. Today, the golden pit bull once bandaged from his ears down to his toes, is recuperating under close watch at the Humane Society of Missouri after his harrowing rescue. Seen today with two leg casts, a raw right ear and a soft knit jersey made for a baby over his body for warmth, Trooper’s status has largely improved. The puppy, which doctors feared may not survive, was admitted with exposed tissue and bone. The humane society reports that along with numerous treats, cards and donations coming in, they have had ‘overwhelming’ interest to adopt the dog. They say that due to the extent of his injuries, however, they expect a still long road to recovery before he is able to leave veterinarians’ care. That’s an opportunity Mr Washington hopes he’s equally entitled to. ‘I owe that much to that puppy,’ he told the Post-Dispatch, promising he’d give it a good home. ‘Because I gave it to the wrong people.’ Do you think she knew what she was doin’ and just didn’t give an ish? Images via Missouri Humane Society/facebook
SMH !!!!! Utah Boy Brings Gun To School Following Newtown Tragedy A 6th grade student brought an unloaded handgun to West Kearns Elementary School Monday. Via Fox 13 reports: The 11-year-old boy allegedly told other students his parents encouraged him to bring a gun to school for protection following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. The boy reportedly pulled the gun, a .22-caliber pistol, out of his backpack during recess Monday morning. “At recess, he pointed a gun to my head and said he was going to kill me,” said Isabel Rios, one of the boy’s fellow 6th grade students. Granite School District officials say students didn’t notify teachers about the weapon until 3 p.m. “Once the teacher knew there was a weapon in the classroom, the student was apprehended in 30 to 45 seconds and immediately brought down to the office and the police were on site within five to 10 minutes,” said Granite School District Spokesman Ben Horsley. Granite School District sent a pre-recorded message via telephone to the parents of West Kearns Elementary students at 5:30 p.m. By then, some of those parents had already heard about the incident from their children. “There was no lockdown. No one was called. Nothing was done. And then we had to hear it from our kids,” said John Klaus, the father of a student at West Kearns Elementary. School administrators said they didn’t lock the school down because the gun was taken into possession quickly and they felt a lockdown would have scared the students. Jesus take the guns!!!!!
So basically, what you’re sayin’ is… According to Politico , the NRA made an announcement, just so they could announce that they’ll hold a press conference Friday: The National Rifle Association is promising to make “meaningful contributions” as the debate surrounding gun violence in the United States rages, the group announced Tuesday. Breaking the NRA’s five days of silence after the deadly shootings in Newtown, Conn., the largest gun rights group in the country announced a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday to address the issue. “The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters – and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown,” the statement said. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting.” The group’s statement continued: “The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again” Do they really think a week after this tragedy is still a good time to have a cotdayum press conference?? SMH. We can’t wait to hear what these cowboys have to say. Images via tumblr
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
Damn…we’re keepin’ this dude in our prayers . This doesn’t sound good at all and, according to The Daily Mail , the news of his disappearance has a lot of people worried: NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, one of the most prominent and accomplished international correspondents in the world, is reportedly missing in Syria. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reports that Engel, together with Turkish journalist Aziz Akyavaş, were last known to be in Syria and haven’t been in contact with NBC News since Thursday morning. While the Turkish media have been circulating the report for several days, American outlets had been operating under a news blackout requested by NBC until today. NBC colleague David Schuster is amongst those to have tweeted their concern about the missing journalist and author. Engels, who is divorced and doesn’t have children, was promoted to NBC News’s chief foreign correspondent in 2008. He runs NBC’s Middle East bureau and has been reporting on the ongoing conflict between rebels and forces backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He last reported from inside Syria on December 11. He is also known as a regular Twitter user, but hasn’t tweeted since Dec 1. Engel is widely regarded for his coverage of wars, revolutions and political transitions around the world over the last 15 years. Most recently, he was recognized for his outstanding reporting on the 2011 revolution in Egypt, the conflict in Libya and unrest throughout the Arab world. We hope Engel and Akyavaş are ok. Images via tumblr
Awwwwww, isht! Looks like Geritol Greg has made his way to LA to shop it up with NeNe Leakes and their son Brentt and a little dog, too. Peep more pics of the family below: GSI Media
Who do you believe?? Esther Baxter Denies Taking Bow Wow’s Virginity Mr. 106 & Park sure is keeping himself busy these days. Recently, a video of him and the infamous Superhead in his house bathroom spending some time together made its rounds around the web. As if that didn’t expose Bow’s attentions sloring, news from an interview with Sway In The Morning that he lost his virginity to Esther Baxter surfaced… Well, it looks like Ms. Baxter is shutting down those rumors quick, fast and in a major hurry: Who is telling the truth? Did Esther really chop down Bow Wow when he was just a teen??? Twitter
Trey wasn’t acting very gentlemanly at the gentleman’s club! Via TMZ reports : Throwing dollar bills at a woman (aka MAKING IT RAIN!!!) seems harmless, but it got Trey Songz arrested for assault in New York recently … TMZ has learned. Songz (real name Tremaine Neverson) had an album release party on August 21 at a gentleman’s club in Queens. According to police, somewhere between 4:00 and 4:15 AM on the 22nd, Trey became involved in an altercation inside the club. Cops described the incident this way in the criminal complaint: “Tremaine Neverson, did throw a sum of United States currency at the complainant and said sum of United States currency struck the complainant’s left eye causing substantial pain to her left eye.” It is unclear if the woman in question was … how do we say this nicely … a dancer. Songz was not arrested that night, but rather a month later for misdemeanor assault. Songz had a court date in NY on November 1 and an order of protection was issued. He is due back in court in February. Sounds like Tremaine got confused. Doesn’t he know you’re supposed to slap the dancer on the azz with the money? Wrong end honey! This sure ain’t gonna help those gay rumors go away.
