From A Bloggers Perspective

The woman in the photo above is former News Anchor, Shea Allen....She and I have only one major thing in common...We both have blogs...Oh yeah and we are both American citizens,so that's two things...
She got fired from her job as a TV anchorwoman because of things she wrote on her blog.

I'm shaking my head in disbelief!!! Where is the first amendment???

I write three blogs...This one...A fiction and poetry blog called Escapades that can get pretty racy at times, though not all the time and a food blog called Good Foodie. Good Foodie is tame...But this blog and Escapades could get me fired if I worked for some companies and they discovered it!

I mean...I expouse my political views very raw in this blog...with no punches pulled and unapologetically...I believe that this is my first amendment right of free speech as an American citizen...Some companies don't feel that way.

On My blog ,Escapades...there is some slightly x-rated material from time to time...Some of my stories and poetry and art is decidedly erotic...I'm writing for an adult audience...Not children...Perhaps I'll put a disclaimer on that blog for future reference...

Here's what's got me in such a huff....A teasing TV reporter who told fans she goes bra-less on air has been fired for her candid confessions.


Shea Allen - who also revealed her best stories came from people who fancied her — was booted from WAAY in Huntsville, Ala., after posting a tell-all blog on Friday.

"I've gone bra-less during a live broadcast and no one was the wiser," she wrote underneath the "Confessions of a Red-Headed Reporter" headline.

"My best sources are the ones who secretly have a crush on me," she added.

The mom-of-one admitted that she hates positive news stories, is so scared of old people and refuses to report on the elderly, and she hinted at stealing people's mail.

It's all said on her blog... I'm guessing that like me...She writes her blog for enjoyment and relaxation...I doubt that she's getting paid any money for it.  For me it's a hobby....Just like Facebook and Twitter.


"I've mastered the ability to contort my body into a position that makes me appear much skinner [sic] in front of the camera than I actually am," she also detailed.

Her bosses at the ABC-affiliate failed to see the funny side and immediately ordered her to take the post down, according to Gawker.

Mrs.Allen, who has previously worked as anchor at the station, obliged. But after a few hours she decided to re-post the list and add "No Apologies" to the headline.

"This post was taken down because I was momentarily misguided about who I am and what I stand for," she added into the text.

It's a blog...It's her personal blog...What right does her bosses at ABC have to dictate to her what she can and can not put on her blog??

I once wanted my blogs to gain wide spread attention....Now, maybe I've changed my mind on that...I have a small fan base and perhaps it's best to keep it that way...The less people that know about your blog...the less intrusion.

 Defending her decision, Shea  Allen wrote: "It's funny, satirical and will likely offend some of the more conservative folks. But it isn't fake and its [sic] a genuine look into my slightly twisted psyche."


I totally defend her right to post whatever she wants on her private blog and not have to suffer any repercussions for it...

On Monday, however, she tweeted that her job had been "terminated without cause" as a result of the post.
WAAY TV has not yet commented on the incident. They won't...But they're wrong, they are as wrong as hell.

I'm not surprised that this took place in the enlightened state of Alabama.... Could have been any red state for that matter...And writing this post could get me fired in one of those states or in parts of this one...

Just shaking my damn head!

Don't Say Goodbye...Just Go

Guess who may be in the unemployment line next fall?  The two conservative radio talk show hosts I love to hate.  Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity...Yup, they may become part of Mitt Romney's 49 percent!!

Apparently both of their shows are carried by a company called Cumulus Media..Well, Cumulus media does not plan to renew the contracts of their of their biggest conservative radio hosts.


Both Limbaugh and Hannity have caused more than a number of controversies with their commentary, but the severance from Cumulus Media came down to simple contract negotiations. Premiere Networks, the division of Clear Channel that distributes  both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity’s shows, disagreed with the media company over the cost of distribution rights.

Still....They leavin!

A reliable source says that  Clear Channel was unlikely to lower their price to a level that worked for Cumulus, and thus the separation is likely.

Although Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity’s often controversial (as well as Racist and Sexist) comments did not cause them to lose their contracts, it has cost them something in the long run.

In addition to low nationwide approval ratings, both talk show hosts have lost a large number of advertisers over their provocative statements, especially in regard to minorities and women.

Rush Limbaugh alone has lost 140 advertisers after his “sexist attacks” on Sandra Fluke, a women’s health advocate.

The Georgetown student testified in a hearing to support healthcare that could get her birth control covered by her plan, and Limbaugh responded by calling her a “slut” and “prostitute” who was “having so much sex she couldn’t afford contraception”.

Rush Limbaugh has also openly made extremely negative comments about the Obamas, Rachel Jeantel (a prosecution witness in the George Zimmerman case), and others, which have exposed his insensitivity to issues of race and gender.

Sean Hannity, a conservative radio host and Fox News anchor, has been criticized for similar remarks of his own, and has received rebukes from some advertisers.

The move from Cumulus will remove the hosts from over 40 stations that currently broadcast their shows, including WABC New York which is the largest market in the nation.

Yayyyyyyyyyyy...I'm clapping over here...Less garbage on the airwaves....Don't say goodbye...Just Go!

The Sequester Blues

I don't know about you...but the sequester of last December, took my entire raise...a whopping twelve dollars out of my pocket....and by the time I get approved for this years raise...I will only have earned last years raise back...No real improvement...It sucks....But at least I have a job...Some people...a lot of people lost their jobs during the sequester...

Now...There is talk that this Congress ,mainly the Republicans in Congress are headed for another budget showdown with the President...

As the nation gets ready for yet another (manufactured) budget showdown..the number of Americans who say they have been negatively affected by the sequester budget cuts is on the rise, according to the latest  polls.


Twenty-two percent of Americans in the surveys saythat they have been significantly affected by the cuts, which are a product of this Congresss’ inability to reach a compromise on a broader budget deal last year. Shortly after the sequester first took place in April, just 16 percent said they had been significantly impacted by the policy.

And one specific group – Americans who earn less than $30,000 per year – say they have been the hardest hit. Among all respondents under that income level, 31 percent say they have been affected by the spending cuts, up from 24 percent in April and the most of any other income level group.

So in effect, we have a tale of two sequesters to be told... While the overall economy has weathered it relatively well, these cuts have taken the biggest toll on the nation’s most vulnerable...The Poor and the working poor...but doesn't it always? Those same Americans could face even worse circumstances if Republicans are able to make  good on their threats to extract more reductions to government spending this fall.

 "The sequester has really diminished our business,” said Boubakar Diop, a 41-year-old limousine driver in Raleigh, N.C., where he said fewer of the government employees who usually need rides have been passing through town. “We don’t get the customers like we used to.”he went on to say.


Robert Deuel, a 61-year-old man in northern Michigan, said that his son has seen his hours cut from his job at Camp Grayling because of the sequester, leaving him, with less money in his paycheck to support his spouse and two-month-old at home.

“They offered him a job on the federal payroll and now they’re only paying him for half what he works,” Deuel said.

Despite the obvious economic pain, some of the most alarming predictions about the sequester have not come to fruition. The economy has not plunged back into recession as many predicted. And while economic growth remains somewhat anemic, the economy has continued to add jobs every month since the sequester onset. You of course won't hear that on Fox News or ABC, NBC and CBS....

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner both voiced concerns about the effect of the cuts on the economy before the sequester went into effect.

But many Republicans have accused the Obama administration of being too alarmist about the overall impact. Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., told the Washington Post this month that Obama’s credibility is diminished because“they had the doomsday scenario ,” about the sequester, “and the sky didn’t fall.”
I'm betting he didn't lose any money from his check and he obviously didn't lose his job!  Newsflash Represenative Duncan....The sky did indeed fall for some Americans...What are they collateral damage?


Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Fox News on July 10: “The one lesson of the sequester is that there's a lot of fluff that can be cut out before we actually have to get to things that are important, like paying our soldiers, providing for our wounded soldiers. All of that needs to be done, and if you cut out all the extra stuff we're doing, we'd have plenty of money to take care of our soldiers.”


Yet Randi Allen, a 21-year-old student in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, said that cuts to education funding for her National Guardsman husband have become a “constant” stress for the two of them.
“The cost of schooling is already enough, when he went in they promised he’d get it paid for,” she said. “He has to pay a lot out of pocket now.”

The sequester is also making it more difficult for younger Americans – the unemployment rate for those between the ages of 20 and 24 was 13.5 percent in June – who are struggling to find their footing in an economy still recovering from the Great Recession.

I feel their pain...I was once them...Wasn't that long ago.


Ben Rhiger, a 28-year-old warehouse worker in Portland, Ore., didn’t lose his job, but said a researcher friend lost his job due to the sequester. And Rhiger voiced outrage that the spending cuts potentially set back a generation of young workers.

“In a time when we could have had more cash in the economy by having the government be a spender, be a customer to the economy, we didn’t do that. In fact, we took more money out of the economy. For that reason, there’s just less job opportunities for everybody entering the job market after college,” he said. “It just decreased any opportunity of getting more work experience, learning a trade or skill on the job, while being able to support ourselves.”

Right now, it's not known if these stories will resonate during the fall’s battles over government spending ior not.

President Barack Obama, who took his case for less severe spending cuts on the road this week, warned against repeating a similar outcome.

"Right now, what we’ve got in Washington, we've seen a sizable group of Republican lawmakers suggest that they wouldn’t vote to pay the very bills that Congress rang up. And that fiasco harmed a fragile recovery in 2011 and we can't afford to repeat that,"

President Obama warned during a speech at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. "Rather than reduce our deficits with a scalpel ... we've got folks who’ve insisted on leaving in place a meat cleaver called the sequester that's cost jobs."

Congress...Are you listening?   Probably not!

Shame On You George!

I know some people reading my blog will just think that I've got it in for George Zimmerman...Especially since I believe that he did murder Trayvon Martin and should have at least been convicted of manslaughter.
Believe me...I don't have it in for him...The jury has spoken...and while I'm not at all good with the verdict...I can live with it!

What I can't live with is phony attempts to now try to make this guy look like a hero, like a mis-understood good guy...

This story about him rescuing a family from an over turned vehicle was fishy from the start...but hey it was reported on national news on TV...I didn't get it from social media...


They showed  news reports of protesters doing thousands of dollars of damage which has now turned out to be false. The claims of separate attacks by protesters over the Zimmerman verdict turned out to be false. Now added to the list of  false news reports appears to be the story of George Zimmerman heroically rescuing a family of four from a burning SUV.

The initial report was that George Zimmerman was ‘just coincidentally’ driving by after a car accident occurred, that he leaped out of his vehicle to come to the rescue of the family of four trapped inside as the vehicle caught fire, pulling them to safety. Have you seen George lately?  I doubt that he leaped to do anything!

This was followed by the claim that the family he supposedly rescued had planned a press event to thank George Zimmerman, but that they canceled due to threats from Trayvon Martin supporters.That was a lie too.

No..It appears they may have canceled the event because they did not want to be part of the fraud of making George Zimmerman out to be a hero, when that story was not precisely true. Let's call a spade , a spade...No pun intended...The story was an outright lie!

What really happened was that an accident occurred where a car slid on it’s side into a median. People at the scene called 911, which went to the Sanford office of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. BEFORE responding to the 911 call, it was reported  that Seminole Sheriff’s Dept. Officer Patrick Rehder, a self-styled friend and supporter of George Zimmerman, contacted George Zimmerman by cell phone directing him to go to the accident so as to appear to be a hero.  Can you believe this crap??

Patric Rehder’s name appears on the accident report as the responding officer; social media shows his connection to George Zimmerman.

There were plenty of people driving by who witnessed the accident, and stopped to help the family out of the vehicle, BEFORE George Zimmerman showed up, according to the 911 calls, but no ‘thank you’ press conference mentioning anyone else by name specifically was scheduled by the family, and no mention of anyone other than George Zimmerman was made by the sheriff.

George Zimmerman showed up AFTER he was called by a  Seminole County Sheriff’s Office member according to a report at News Ball.com,  George Zimmerman then got out of his car with a fire extinguisher, and apparently left without doing anything especially heroic.  You can hear the course of events  in the 911 calls; many people who were there as the accident happened stopped to get people out, and the fire and smoke problem from the calls, appeared some time after they were out of the car.  He did not rescue anybody from any burning vehicle as was first reported...and he certainly didn't risk his life.What is with this crazy people in Sanford ,Florida???


So, here you have this obvious lie  that George Zimmerman just happened to be at the accident several days after his verdict called into question. We have established a relationship between George Zimmerman and the responding officer.

You can see the actual extraction of the people in the accident by multiple citizens coming to the rescue who witnessed the accident, according to the 911 calls, Then there is  the report in 911 calls that everyone was OUT of the vehicle for some time before there was any question of smoke or fire, and we have the sheriff and the victim ONLY mentioning George Zimmerman – by name. But there is no mention by anyone, especially the Sheriff’s office, of the  other ‘good samaritans’ who appear to have done the actual hard part of helping people out of the car lying on its side.

There is no independent verification that George Zimmerman was even at the scene of the accident, much less that he did anything, ANYTHING at all heroic.

No photos, no cell phone video, no police video, no other people who were present as indicated by the 911 calls that support that  George Zimmerman was there, or did what was claimed – that he pulled people from a flaming car wreck. You know why?  Because it never happened...

That seems distinctly odd, on top of the suspicious timing of this heroic George Zimmerman rescue.

Enough strange and implausible quirks make this SUV accident rescue appear fake.
THIS new challenge to George Zimmerman’s integrity  in addition to the misrepresentation of funds donated when bail was set, (Oh yeah, you didn't hear about that huh?) as well as the conflicting statements made to police and in court, is why protesters both distrust BOTH George Zimmerman and the local Florida Law enforcement  agencies., and are protesting the validity of the trial verdict.  It is also part of why there is opposition to the Stand Your Ground  laws that make it easier for someone to get away with murder.
Shame on You George!

Weekend Humor

A man goes into confession and says to the priest, "Father, I'm 60 years old, married, have four kids and 11 grandchildren. I started taking this new Viagra pill, and last night I had an affair and made love to two 18-year-old girls. Both of them. Twice."

 The priest said: "Well, sir, when was the last time you were in confession?" 

"Never."he said.

"So then, why are you telling me?" asked the Priest.

"Because I'm telling everybody!" he said.


Have a groovy weekend everybody!

15 Minutes for George

George Zimmerman can't stay out of the media spotlight...It's been almost two weeks since he was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin...and here he is in the news again!! Apparently...he saved a life this time, rather than take one...Or so the media is saying...

Apparently,Zimmerman or Killerman as some of my friends call him now. and another man stopped to help the four occupants of a blue Ford Explorer that flipped on its side. The occupants were identified as Mark and Dana Gerstle of Port Orange, Fla., and their two children.


The driver, Mark Gerstle, was going northbound when he lost control, causing the vehicle to go off the road and roll over, according to the accident report.
By the time a deputy arrived, Zimmerman/Killerman and another man, whose identity wasn't released, "had already helped assist the family by getting them out of the overturned vehicle," the sheriff's office said in a statement to media outlets.

George Zimmerman didn't witness the crash and left the scene after speaking with a deputy, the sheriff's office said.

I wonder what his lawyers are thinking right now?? They'll never put in print what they are really thinking...instead they'll sugar coat it and say what a great guy George really is..."See, we told you!" they'll say...But I know they told him to keep a low profile and stay off the streets...especially with tensions high and demonstrations nationwide!!

So what is he doing out and about and in the news??? How long will it be before he gets into some more trouble???  Did he learn nothing from O.J. Simpson? Apparently only Casey Anthony learned anything and she learned it from Robert Blake.

Have you seen Casey? , Heard anything from her??? No, no really...She took a note from Actor Robert Blake who was acquitted of murdering his wife....I haven't heard a peep out of Robert Blake since his trial...

O.J. Simpson and George Zimmerman didn't study him....They can't stay out of the spotlight....O.J.'s need to be in the spotlight is why he's in a western prison now!!! George Zimmerman isn't far behind him...His need to be in the spotlight will trip him up too...

15 minutes of fame is a hell of a drug!

Keith's Favorite Quotes

What If The Minimum Wage Was $12.00 or More?

Most people that I know aren't rich...Not even close...but make a little more than minimum wage...Ever wonder what it would be like if the minimum wage was $12.00 or $12.50?

Take a moment and look over these six points... I read about this in the Huffington Post yesterday...
So Check it out-


Here are some key takeaways from the report:

1. More than 700,000 American workers would be lifted out of poverty
More than 1 million retail workers and their family members live in or close to poverty. By raising the minimum wage of full-time workers to the equivalent of $12.25 per hour, 734,075 people would be lifted out of poverty and an additional 769,191 people living near the poverty line would see their incomes rise to more than 150 percent above the poverty line.
2. GDP would rise by as much as $15.2 billion
A wage increase to $12.25 an hour would impact more than 5 million workers and their families. As these families have access to more money, they will spend more, translating to as much as $15.2 billion in new economic activity, according to Demos.
3. 132,000 new jobs could be created
If the increase in economic activity reached $15.2 billion, retailers would need 132,000 new employees.
4. The wage increase would actually only cost retailers about 1 percent of total sales
Large retailers would need to absorb the higher labor cost for the 3.5 million workers earning less than $12.25 per hour. But according to Demos, most of this increase in costs would be returned to the firm in the form of productivity gains and increased revenues, amounting to only 1 percent of their total yearly sales.
5. It would generate as much as $5 billion in additional retail revenue
In fact, assuming that low-income families spend rather than save the money from the wage increase, retailers could expect at least 20 cents in new revenue for every additional payroll dollar. That would have added up to as much as $5 billion in 2012.
6. The average shopper would pay just 15 cents more per shopping trip at most
Even if the nation's largest retailers decided to pass off the cost of a $12.25 minimum wage increase entirely to customers, Demos found that an average household would spend just 7 to 15 cents more per shopping trip.

 

Why aren't politicians aware of this?  How come no one is telling you this?? Things to think about the next time you go to vote.

Keith's Music Spotlight

This is the hummer for the summer...The jam you're going to hear at every barbecue, every block party and every club or bar where they dance.... Good Job Robin Thicke, Pharrell and T.I.

Weekend Humor

A guy is sitting in a bar, absolutely drooling at a pretty young thing in her short, pink and gray striped mini-dress. The dress was hugging every curve on the girl.

Using the time honored ice breaker, he sends her a drink.

"How lucky am I," he thinks, as she gets up to come sit next to him. They strike up a wonderful conversation.

Finally the girl turns to him and says, "Look, you seem like a really nice guy, so I have to tell you that I'm a working girl. I get two hundred dollars for what you think you'll ply out of me with liquor."

He replies, "I have no problem with the money but, since you were so straight forward I must tell you that when I come, I go nuts. I bite, scratch, kick, punch, pull hair, break furniture, and just plain destroy the place."

"Oh my God! How long does that last?" she asked.


"Just until I get my two hundred bucks back," he replied...

Have a groovy weekend everybody!

Keith's Favorite Quotes

"Those who say, 'No justice, no peace; haven't been paying attention... I'm willing to settle for, 'No Just Us, no Peace' We can work on Justice later."-Ted Watkins.

Marissa!

I'll bet you don't know who this is do you? (No it's not one of my charactors from my other blog ,ESCAPADES, though she very well could be...This is Marissa Alexander...a Black woman who used the "Stand Your Ground " Law...The same law that George Zimmerman used as his defense for killing Trayvon Martin...Unfortunately for her...She did not get acquitted and is serving a 20 year sentence in this same state of Florida...Tell me how messed up that is....And get this...She didn't kill anyone!!! Didn't wound anyone...Just fired a gun...

What is it about the state of Florida??? My fellow blogger the Field Negro says and I quote-" Florida. A state full of conservative backwards thinking legislatures who pass laws out of fear and not common sense. Laws that embolden men who look like they do to act in unspeakable ways."

So let me get back to Ms. Marissa Alexander... In April 2010, Marissa Alexander, then 29, fired a warning shot to stop her abusive husband. She was a battered wife and he was coming towards again, fully intending to do her harm. She was frail at the time, having just given birth days earlier. Alexander did not fire the shot directly at her husband. The bullet ended up in the ceiling and no one was hurt. Her abusive husband even claimed he meant to 'lay hands on her' and that she did the right thing in trying to stop him. Yet, Marissa Alexander was arrested and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence. Can you believe that??

While George Zimmerman walked free a few days ago...Unbelievable!!!!

Marissa Alexander's story resurfaced because it was a Stand Your Ground kind of case, as was brought up in the George  Zimmerman case. Many protests by the public and by activists took place in Florida during Marissa Alexander's trial, and after, but were to no avail.

Now, thanks to the Zimmerman case, there is renewed attention and hope for Marissa Alexander. A group of attorneys have come together to appeal for a another trial, along with a new petition, which is gaining momentum.

It's important Marissa Alexander is released immediately for more than one reason. One would be the obvious - She is innocent and deserves to be free. Two,She was unjustly incarcerated for defending her own life. The other reason we need to see her released immediately, is because Americans are fed up and disillusioned  with the corrupt and unjust legal system in Florida and all over the country. We need to find some respite - some sense that America is still a democracy, made up of basically good people who will stand up for their rights, and the rights of others. I need to know this for my own personal peace of mind.

I heard about her case as far back as last March when the Trayvon Martin case came to light...And now, people are talking about her again... Here is a letter she wrote recently from prison-

Hello Everyone,

I want to thank each and every one of you for writing me, praying for me or even thinking of me in your heart and are continuing to do so. For the most part, I’m hanging in there, as well as one could in this environment. Prison is definitely NOT what’s happening. It’s dreadful here, but hey, it’s supposed to be, it is after all captivity.

My good days out weigh my bad days only because God is my source of strength. Please know that you all inspire me thru your communication and please know that the prayers that you offer up on my behalf are being answered. I’m so very blessed to have some of the most extraordinary people and organizations who are committed to supporting and encouraging me in every way. I will continue to believe in our justice system. I choose to do so because I have complete trust in God, and we are still a nation that has this fundamental belief embedded in our core, displayed in our courtrooms and written on our money, and more hopefully in our hearts.

Truly I couldn’t begin to express to you how much I appreciate your wonderful letters of encouragement. Please know that I do not take your time and kindness for granted. Your heart-felt concern I am most grateful for.

With all sincerity & respect,

Marissa Alexander

She is a real person, a woman, A Black woman, a victim of Florida injustice...Write letters to your represenatives and your congressmen and senators...Write that bald headed freak of a governor in Florida named Rick Scott...Demand justice for Marissa Alexander...Just like we did for the slain Trayvon...Just like we did for Angela Davis back in the 70's....She must be freed...Here is a chance to stop an injustice...while the victim is still breathing in and out!