Hollywood Hate & Prejudice

"Kramer's racist tirade" left Hollywood gasping in disgust and displeasure. Yet it also revealed some underlying hate within the Hollywood community that has been buried deep within obviously for quite some time.

Michael Richards ("Kramer" on Seinfield) exploded in anger as he performed at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday, hurling racial epithets that left the crowd gasping. Richards appeared onstage at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. Kyle Doss, an African-American, told TMZ he and some friends were in the cheap seats and he was playfully heckling Richards when suddenly, the comedian lost it.

The camera started rolling just as Richards began his attack, screaming at one of the men, "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down ...."

Richards continued, "You can talk, you can talk...."

The crowd was visibly and audibly confused and upset. Richards responds by saying, "They're going to arrest me for calling a black man a nigger."

One of the men who was the object of Richard's tirade was outraged, shouting back "That's uncalled for, ain't necessary."

After the three-minute tirade, it appears the majority of the audience members got up and left in disgust.

Richards is not alone when it comes to verbalizing hate. Consider some others well-known names in Hollywood.

Mel Gibson unleashed an infamous anti-semitic tirade after he was busted for driving drunk in Malibu, California. It was a sad day for Christians as Mr. Gibson had brilliantly produced a beautiful film "The Passion," which captured the passion and life of Christ. Jesus Christ was a Jew Himself. Apparently Gibson's Roman Catholic Priest never taught him as to the historical and geneological roots of Jesus.

Marlin Brando's outspokenness often got him in trouble. On "Larry King Live," he spoke about the "Jews" who ran Hollywood. Brando later made an appearance at the Museum of Tolerance to apologize.

Like it or not, anyone wanting to have a career in Hollywood must respect the Jewish community that runs show business. Influence and power is always something people get embittered and jealous about regardless of who has it.

Paris Hilton found herself in hot water when a tape allegedly surfaced, featuring her using the n-word. I guess it is hard to hide your heart isn't it? From the overflow of the heart eventually comes the words of the mouth. Undoubtedly one's upbringing and the opinions therein have a lot to do with the star's sentiments pertaining to certain racial groups.

Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's controversial alter ego fears Jews, women and homosexuals. He says: "The Jews started all wars. We also have proof that they were responsible for killing off all the dinosaurs. And Hurricane Katrina - they did it."

Personal opinions prefaced with attempted humor and playful rhetoric certainly does not diminish the content of what one is saying. Sacha Baron Cohen has certainly revealed his anti-semitic heart.

California governor and film star Arnold Schwarzenegger was caught on tape calling Cubans and Puerto Ricans naturally feisty and temperamental because of their mix of "black blood" and "Latino blood". Arnold certainly didn't learn how to be politically correct with this comment. I guess it doesn't matter to him seeing how a non-born U.S. citizen cannot run for the office of President anyhow. Who knows? Maybe the Mexicans in California agree with him.

Frank Carlton Ferrano a.k.a. Nikki Sixx, a member of the Montley Crue band was arrested for allegedly provoking a crowd to attack an African American security guard at a concert after Sixx directed racial slurs at the man and poured liquor on his head.

You would think an entertainer who gets paid to connect with his audience would not be endeavoring to alienate them with such racial remarks and actions. Nevertheless rock'n roll stars never have been known for their intelligence. I do hope local police prosecute such offenders as Ferrano to the full extent of the law and don't let them off the hook because of their star status. Ferrano certainly isn't shining with the African American community.

A Beverly Hills parking attendant accused 73-year-old "Dr. Zhivago" star Omar Sharif of beating him in a drunken rage and calling him "a stupid Mexican" after the valet refused to accept euros as payment.

I guess when in America buddy, pay in American currency yeah! Otherwise go exchange your own currency before paying for services rendered. Just because the Euro is stronger than the dollar doesn't mean people want to take time out of their precious schedule to stand in line at the nearest bank to exchange it. Now who's "stupid" pal? Perhaps if you'd be a bit more courteous and explained the power of the Euro, the valet attendant might have actually taken it.

You reap what you sow. What comes around goes around. Treating people disrespectfully and harshly is by no means helping you personally nor professionally. You'd think the stars would realize the power of the media and negative publicity. Apparently many are too mesmerized by their own stardom and fame, which has darkened their understanding to the reality that without the support and backing of the people they are out of show business. Some self-absorbed tirades and "shows" just aren't worth listening to or watching.

It is time people learned some manners. We should endeavor to respect all human beings despite our differences and disagreements. Uphold all humanity in dignity despite how they choose to believe and live their lives. Do unto others and you'd have them to do unto you.

Malice toward none. Charity for all.

Paul Davis is author of several books including Adultery: 101 Reasons; Are You Ready for True Love?; and Breakthrough for a Broken Heart a book telling us "How to overcome disappointments and blossom into your dreams!" He is a minister, life coach (relational & professional), dating expert, popular worldwide keynote speaker, creative consultant, mediator, liberator and dream-maker.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served many in war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His organization Dream-Maker Ministries is building dreams, breaking limitations, and reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Paul can be contacted at: RevivingNations@yahoo.com - 407-967-7553 or 407-284-1705.

For additional info: http://www.CreativeCommunications.TV, http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

Are Your Health Insurance Premiums to High? Your Controller or CFO is Most Likely to Blame!

Many consumers spend a considerable amount of time in researching the best options available to them for buying a new flat-screen television. However when faced with their annual health insurance renewal, they fail miserably!

Is it your fault? Depending upon your situation it could be, but if you are participating in an employer sponsored group health insurance planYour Controller or CFO is most likely to blame.

Employees that go to work every day struggling to live paycheck to paycheck are placing a substantial portion of their money and trust in the hands of their very own Controller or CFO.

The people assigned to these executive positions are most likely considered highly compensated. They dont place as much emphasis into researching their options for a new television as diligently as a rank-and-file employee would, yet they are the decision makers for their companys health insurance program and are allowing their programs to spiral out of control.

Here is how the process works: Executives typically entrust their annual health insurance renewal to an insurance broker. The broker will compile the necessary information regarding this employer and send to the insurance marketplace in order to attain bid offerings. This is also known as shopping the case.

Where the travesty occurs in the insurance business is that most brokers merely show these executives the proposals they received from each carrier, period. That is ittheir job is done!

Now I realize I am over-simplifying the process as well as the value of a competent insurance broker or agent because I am one myself. Brokers may align all the quotes they receive on a pretty spreadsheet to ensure the review process is more efficient. Sometimes they will assist in the enrollment process, but for the most part handing off the proposal is all they do and they receive compensation for doing this.

The Controller or CFO at your company feels that they have a solid relationship with their respective insurance broker and this may very well be true, but what they are getting paid handsomely to do and are not doing is SHOPPING THEIR BROKER.

Fact: Some athletes are better than others Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, and Cal Ripken to name a few.

Fact: There are insurance brokers that are better than others.

My high hopes of becoming an insurance representative was to help employers improve their bottom-line, save their employees money, enhance benefits, improve moral, as well as generate an increased understanding of their benefit offerings. This can be attainable without a doubt at virtually every prospect I have ever visited.

Our agency was established in 1969. We have over six hundred clients and have implemented medical expense reimbursement plans and other consumer directed programs since the early 1970s. We have literally rescued employers from the health insurance death spirals they were facing.

The programs we recommend allow for employees to pay substantial less in premiums, receive reimbursements for their co-payments, co-insurance, and amounts spent towards their deductibles. Employers significantly improve their bottom-line via premium savings and tax deduction as well as inject additional budget dollars to attract and retain quality employees.

The associates in our agency are revered for their extraordinary level of service. They have received hugs during enrollments, cards on the holidays, and invitations to employees weddings. There are no compliments higher than these.

The disturbing trend we seem to be witnessing though is a false security that upper management executives have in their existing brokers. Please understand that not all executives are in this category. There are some very brilliant people in these roles, but a majority of them are not doing their job when it pertains to health insurance.

The unwillingness of your executives to explore other insurance avenues stems from several possible reasons: 1) Lack of education regarding health insurance which an executive is most likely not going to admit, 2) Poor perception of insurance agents. A great deal of brokers say they have the bigger better deal, and 3) Change. Implementing new programs are viewed as more work for the human resources department and possible strife relayed back to the decision maker. Should you entrust your health insurance needs to a professional full-service insurance brokerage, this should not occur.

We are coming up on a Presidential election which will hold our nations health insurance as a highly debated topic. I am vehemently against our government intervening in our ability to make health insurance decisions, but unfortunately it is the Controllers or CFOs in a multitude of group sizes and industries that are failing you!

Ask your Controller of CFO the last time they were open to new health insurance ideas and actually SHOPPED THEIR BROKER? After all, it is your money too.

Diversified Benefits is an affiliated agency with Diversified Insurance Brokerage Services established in 1969. Proud member of the Murphy Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Association of Health Underwriters, National Association of Alternative Benefit Consultants, and holds the Advance Insurance Designation as a Chartered Benefit Consultant (CBC). http://www.diversifiedbenefits.org

The Lemon Motor Home - Lots of Misery, Damn Little Recreation

Youve heard the expression, "Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong, it did." This is too often the case with motor home lemon vehicles. Its a problem of multiple manufacturers being responsible for what is finally delivered to the customer. When Ford or GM builds and sells an automobile, generally they take responsibility - as much as they take responsibility for anything - for the whole vehicle. With a motor home this is not the case.

Heres a possible list of major components built and separately warranted by different manufacturers:

- Engine Cummins Diesel
- Transmission Allison/GM
- Chassis Freightliner
- Coach Fleetwood (and many others)

Various components of the finished product have their own warranties. Appliances are a good example. GE might make the refrigerator and Sears the stove. These manufacturers warrant their own products.

Many of the components, large and small, are in some way interconnected mechanically, electrically, even electronically. The transmission connects to the Engine. The engine is mounted on the chassis, the coach is mounted to the chassis and covers the engine and around and around we go. The hipbone is connected to the thighbone, the thighbone is connected to the leg bone, and the leg bone is connected to the anklebone, so goes the old song.

What happens when something goes wrong? What happens when one or more of these interconnected components has a malfunction? Who is responsible? Who steps forward? In an ethical world, a world where honesty is the rule, mechanics and manufacturers representatives of the various components would figure it out and the maker of the malfunctioning part would step forward. The responsible person would say, "Its my component that failed, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Well get right on it and fix it."

This isnt the way of the world. If you, as an owner of a motor home, find yourself in this situation, you will get to watch a lot of company representatives behave very badly indeed. Nowhere outside of a police holding cell will you see greater efforts by the various manufacturers representatives to blame each other. Responsibility among the various manufacturers is as foreign as political integrity in Washington D.C.

Motor homes are susceptible to the same problems experienced in automobiles and also problems that are uniquely found in motor homes. Like the modern automobile, motor homes make use of computers to control the various vehicle systems. The difference is that a motor home is a combination truck, (chassis and diesel engine), residence (has many of the qualities of a home such as rooms, showers, appliances, walls, decorative elements, etc.) and its a lot like a bus. Its big!

There are also special characteristics unique to RVs. Think about rooms that extend out of the side of the coach, and portable bathrooms. The possibility for really unpleasant problems abound.

We see it happen time and time again. The manufacturer does the right business thing. They innovate; they put their creative people to work developing neat things to catch the buyers interest. This is a good business approach to take. It is how American businesses stay ahead of the competitive curve. They send out their survey people to discover what the consumer wants and then do their damndest to provide it. Now, with the latest innovation in hand, the designers meet the production people. Often these meetings resemble, human meets bug-eyed alien. The innovators are high on how cool it all is, and production is thinking, "How in Gods name can we build that! Its going to cost a fortune."

A good example in the motor home world is the "slide out". A slide out is essentially a electro-mechanical method whereby a room in the RV is made bigger by extending it out from the side of the vehicle. See Figure 1 for an example of a typical slide out. Its a great idea that loses much in the translation from design to production. Very, very few slide outs are without some sort of problem.

We have seen in previous articles that many of the problems were related to electric/electronic systems. In the motor home we see all of the electrical and electronic problems plus the mechanical. This is not surprising. Remember the motor home is a vehicle trying to be a house. Workmanship comes up over an over in the defects listed. Generally, if you buy a new sedan you are not worried that it will leak like a sieve in the first rain shower. Motor homes frequently have problems with leaks, especially around and in the slide out.

At least when you buy a house, barring earthquakes and tornadoes, it is meant to stay in one place. Anyone who lives in California knows what happens to the house when the earth begins to shake. The house is twisted in all sorts of directions. Afterward, cracks appear, doors are out of plumb, plaster falls, foundations warp and maybe the roof develops a leak.

When you drive an motor home all over the country, over roads in various states of disrepair, you are creating a kind of continuous earthquake effect on the vehicle, on your portable house. We see the results in lemon motor homes all the time. Those that were designed with these effects in mind, come through none the worse for the wear. Others, where the driving force in production and they did everything as cheap as possible, manifest all the problems youd expect after an earthquake and some that are unique to motor homes.

The following is a list of typical problems from RV Owners. I have not included the name of the Manufacturers, as this is being written after the fact, and who knows, maybe they have gotten their act together (skeptical look). In one year an owner reported the following problems with his 32-foot class C deluxe 5th wheel RV: - Electrical outlets pop out of the wall

- Two entire panels pull away from their frames due to inferior thickness of the substrate and the necessary spacers to hold them together in the range of humidity that any trailer experiences.

- Panels bowed for the same reason

- The slideouts have pulled the paneling away from the face wall when the slideout is pulled in, because ragged sheet metal edges of the slideout have dug into the panel due to mismatched surfaces

- After extending the slide out, couldnt get it back in, had to pry it back in with a 2 X 4 plank

- Easy chair replaced because the upholstery separated from the frame and allowed the padding to slip down.

- The center slider section of the screen door will not stay in, due to poor quality control of the space in the center of the door.

- The water pump which comes standard on this 32 foot trailer puts out 20 lbs of pressure which isn't enough to get water out of a PUR faucet filter less than 20 feet away.

- Necessary to supplement the heat in the upper bedroom with a space heater because the blower and ductwork is inadequate to get enough heat to the room.

- The shower cracked, the roof leaked, the canopy broke,

- The toilet lid has broken off

- Electrical problems and on and on

And after all this, you have the things people say about the quality of service from so-called authorized dealers. I cant say them here and have this article remain "G" rated.

One aspect of lemon law is how many days the vehicle must remain at the shop for repairs during the warranty period. Thirty days is the standard in the statute for a lemon vehicle. It is not unusual for lemon motor homes to be in the shop for two and three months, even longer during the warranty period.

Heres the key language. It defines a lemon as:

Vehicles that continue to have a defect(s) that substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle after a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle 4 attempts in California for non-safety related issues - or after the vehicle has been out of service for a particular number of days. Substantial is from the viewpoint of the owner, not the manufacturer.

Having the slideout extend in traffic while some speed-crazed Peterbilt driver bears down on you is not safe. Bailing water out of your vehicle after every rain shower is not considered the best use of the vehicle. This might also be thought to decrease the value of the vehicle. If the weight distribution toward the rear of the vehicle is so poor it feels like the front end is a foot off ground, this seems substantial to us. This is very definitely a safety issue. I could go on for a long time.

What is the bottom line? Dont put up with it. Get legal assistance. The law allows you to get a refund or a replacement. Although after your experiences with your lemon RV, you may want to buy an M1A1 Abrams tank and pay a visit to the manufacturer.

Donald Ladew, Staff Writer for Norman Taylor & Associates, is a professional writer and author of numerous articles on quality,customer service issues and many other subjects. This article approved by Norman F. Taylor Esq. For more information about this most important subject, please read Lemon Law - The Standard Reference Guide, Norman F. Taylor Esq. ISBN 0-9760058-0-8 http://www.lemonattorneys.com or http://www.normantaylor.com For further inquiries, Mr. Ladew may be reached at: donald@normantaylor.com Phone: 818-244-3905.

Outside Of Children, Real Estate Is The Largest Issue For Those Facing Divorce

Although it is a topic that most people don't want to talk about or even consider, divorce has a tremendous impact on real estate and financial holdings. Real Estate may represent the largest asset that is being considered within the divorce proceeding, therefore it is something that should be considered when a separation or divorce are on the horizon. Consider that there are over 1.4 million divorces in the US ever year. Here are some tips and strategies on how to maintain your lifestyle after a divorce and how to evaluate various real estate and financial settlement options prior to a separation & divorce:

You should research and understand the options related to disbursement of your real estate properties, including homes, condos, vacation properties, investment properties, timeshares, etc. prior to the divorce settlement. This could include an evaluation of whether you work out an agreement to:

o Sell your property or refinance your your primary house or other real estate assets in order to buy-out an ex-spouse

o Accept or pay spousal support, child support or a higher cash flow payment versus a lump sum distribution involving the real estate holdings. You should evaluate the cash flow and protection implications of various financial decisions involved with the divorce proceedings and the eventually agreement. This enables you to:

o Maintain your lifestyle

o Keep your little ones in the same school system as a single parent

o Live in the home that meets your needs without breaking your budget

You should look to enhance your liquidity and protect your the real estate holdings from legal liability prior to going through a separation & divorce by working together with your CPA, CFP, attorney, Real Estate Team and other advisors.

Don't settle for an undesirable financial strategy or short-term fix if you failed to plan properly during a divorce situation. You can minimize the impact by implementing a structured plan for how to re-establish your financial footing after going through a financial rough spot. This may involve:

o A staged approach to financing - a refinancing or debt restructuring plan that takes place over time

o Sale/Leaseback or Rent-to-Own strategy - a way to keep or buy a home, townhouse, or condo for sale or when you can't qualify for traditional financing options.

o Seek out Affordable Single Family Homes for Sale

You worked hard to develop the assets and real estate holdings involved. You should consider all of your options to create an environment that works to protect those assets.

The Earl of Real Estate - Robert Earl is a Top Producing Real Estate Agent & Real Estate Coach with Keller Williams - Northern Virginia Real Estate. Robert has compiled a list of 77 Bank Owned / Foreclosure Homes for Sale in Northern Virginia as a free service to Northern Virginia Real Estate Buyers & Seller.

Three Reasons Court Records Are Necessary!

The availability of court documents is essential to all honest and law abiding citizens. These records enable those of us wanting to know, some of the most intimate secrets that others would not like to be public knowledge. The information I refer to can be accessed 24 hour a day 7 days a week via the internet. It might take as long as three days to get the same information from a court record retriever in some office.

The first and most important reason for the records is personal safety. You can find out if the person in question has ever been arrested or imprisoned. Court records reveal the nature of the crime, whether it be, weapons, drugs, immigration, child molesting, or you name it. I am not generally nosy, but some things need to be known.

Secondly, have you or someone you know ever wanted to do a partnership in business. Court records can tell you whether or not the individual has a sound financial background. Any lawsuits, liens, or judgments that the person has against them. This knowledge is priceless and can help you decide if you want to do business with them or not.

Lastly, but by no means less important, are the social benefits you receive from court records. Ever heard of love gone bad. Court records cannot eliminate this from happening, but knowing whether or not your new acquaintance is being honest from the start will sure help. Learn about divorces, support payments and even alimony from court records.

You will be amazed by the knowledge gained from public court records. Help keep your family and neighborhood a little safer by knowing who is there.

Hi my name is Dan Stewart. I dont claim to be an expert on much but have knowledge in many areas. I enjoy helping others and get satisfaction from keeping others informed. http://shortpines.wordpress.com