GOOGLE, YOUTUBE & FACEBOOK POWERFUL THAN FEDS (1ST AMEND CENSORSHIP)

GOOGLE, YOUTUBE & FACEBOOK MORE POWERFUL THAN FEDS:

INTERNET GIANTS STILL CENSOR VIEWS OPPOSING OBAMA & SOROS' AGENDA AS EXTREMIST.

WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST AMENDMENT?

IS CONGRESS AFRAID OF GOOGLE, YOUTUBE & FACEBOOK?

IS OBAMA STILL PRESIDENT OF THE US?


Sources: Infowars, Jihad Watch, YouTube


******* YOUTUBE DECLARES WAR ON POLITICALLY INCORRECT OPINIONS

Google-owned platform demonetizes "controversial" content


A new “advertiser friendly” policy introduced by YouTube will punish those who express politically incorrect opinions or dare to offend viewers by de-monetizing their content.

The new rules have sparked an outcry from the YouTube community because they are so incredibly restrictive.

YouTube will now retain the right to demonetize any videos that contain, “Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown.”

“Inappropriate language, including harassment, profanity and vulgar language,” is also being demonetized.

YouTube’s new policy will completely disincentivize YouTubers from discussing politically incorrect topics or expressing controversial opinions because they know they will be punished for doing so.

Many YouTubers make a living off their channel and will therefore be walking on eggshells to avoid the company’s stringent new rules.

The new policy bears some hallmarks of the Communist Chinese government’s “social credit score system,” whereby Internet users are punished by private companies and their peers for expressing unpopular views on social media.

The move is primarily designed to scare away YouTubers from making anti-establishment political content, but prominent YouTubers are already reporting that videos on everything from acne solutions to tips on combating depression are being demonetized because they are not “advertiser friendly”.

“The channels that self-identify as vulnerable by these advertising guidelines seem to be news channels covering sensitive real-world topics,”reports Kotaku.

Prominent YouTuber Philip DeFranco responded to the controversy by vowing, “I’m not going to censor myself,” despite the fact that dozens of his videos have already been demonetized.

Google-owned YouTube is of course a private company and can enforce any rules it likes, but with the advent of such corporations becoming so large (more powerful than countries in some cases), in addition to them insisting on being treated as a public utility, the move is a massive stab in the back for the content creators who helped build the platform in the first place.

As Matt Drudge warned about when he appeared on the Alex Jones Show nearly a year ago, creators allowing their content to be swallowed up by social media ghettos was always going to lead to this outcome.

“I don’t know why they’ve been successful in pushing everybody into these little ghettos, these Facebooks, these Tweets, these Instagrams,” Drudge told Jones. “This is ghetto, this is corporate; they’re taking your energy and you’re getting nothing in return.”

The video below sums up the impact the new rules will have on YouTube unless they are reversed.

TaxMasters Files For Bankruptcy! Company's Advertising Success Proves U.S. Tax Code Reform Badly Needed

TaxMasters Files for Bankruptcy


The well-known and controversial tax advisory firm, TaxMasters Inc., filed for bankruptcy this morning, just as it was preparing to head to court to defend itself from charges of deceptive practices leveled by the Texas attorney general.

The Houston-based company, best known for a national advertising campaign that made company's bearded, red-haired founder Patrick Cox a recognizable figure, was the subject of an ABC News investigation in April, in which customers had alleged that the company persuaded them to pay large upfront fees, but never delivered on promises of helping them resolve their tax problems.

The commercials boast that the company's staff of former IRS agents and tax professionals "have helped many good people just like you."

But Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said the ads have been misleading. He filed a multi-count civil case against TaxMasters, accusing it of deceiving its customers and violating the state's debt collection laws.

"In the midst of a national economic downturn, TaxMasters used a nationwide marketing campaign to offer services for distressed taxpayers who needed help dealing with the IRS," Abbott said. "A state investigation and nearly 1,000 customer complaints indicate that the defendants routinely misled customers about the nature of their tax resolution service agreements – and worse, attempted to enforce those improper agreements through unlawful debt collection tactics."

ABC News made repeated attempts to contact the company and its founder last week, as word began circulating that it was in financial distress.

TaxMasters' customers had reported to KTRK, the owned-and-operated ABC News station in Houston, that they were not able to get responses when calling about their tax filings, and one described visiting the company's office, only to find the doors locked. A telephone sales agent told an ABC News reporter that the company "was not taking any new sales," but would not discuss the company's dire finances any further.

Within the past month, the landlord that owns the building where the company is headquartered sued alleging that Taxmasters failed to pay its January rent. A contracting firm handling construction work at the office also sued the company alleging it had not been paying its bills. Videos on the company's website displaying the well known TaxMasters advertisements featuring Cox were no longer working. Recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission carry a warning that the company's earlier financial statements are being amended and should no longer be relied upon.

A spokesman for the Texas Attorney General told ABC News the state was preparing to head to court this morning in its civil case, but had not heard anything specific about TaxMasters' financial status. Court papers filed Monday morning indicate that TaxMasters has filed for bankruptcy with between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities.

TaxMasters Ad Blitz Increased Sales Volume, Says Company

The TaxMasters ad blitz has been a driving force in the company's soaring corporate revenues. The company, which went public in 2010, brought in $45.7 million, a three-fold increase in two years, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company linked "an increase in advertising expense" to "increased sales volume" in its year-end filing.

The Minnesota attorney general's office, which has also been investigating the firm, told ABC News that many of the company's employees are skilled tele-marketers who have little knowledge of the complicated tax issues faced by people who have fallen behind in filing their returns or making tax payments.

"This is a company which is taking advantage of people, and unfortunately when people see it on TV, they do believe in it," Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson told ABC News. "When you call, you think you're talking to a tax professional. You're really talking to just a salesperson who's trying to get you to sign up."

Cox declined to be interviewed by ABC News, and in a written statement he did not address the specific allegations in the two states' lawsuits. TaxMasters has denied the allegations in the lawsuits and Cox said the company "prides itself on honest customer service, a transparent process with our customer, and seeking fair treatment from the IRS."

At the heart of the problem, says Attorney General Swanson, is a requirement that customers pay an upfront fee ranging between $2000 and $8000.

"When you pay these upfront, advanced fees, now you're signed up, you're stuck, and the promised help doesn't materialize," she told ABC News.

Audio tapes of some sales calls, turned over to the attorney general by TaxMasters, prove the point, she says.

Salespeople tell potential customers TaxMasters is 97 or 98 percent successful in reducing the amount of taxes owed.

"You're owing $19,000," the TaxMasters salesman tells a customer on a recording provided to ABC News by the attorney general.

"I mean we can get you down to basically next to nothing," he continues. "I think we are the most successful tax resolution company. We're 97 percent successful," the salesman says.

"Not true," said Attorney General Swanson. "It's another falsehood of this company. These salesmen tell people that to sign them up, but they don't deliver on those promises."

The IRS says only a small number of taxpayers ever qualify for such a substantial reduction in taxes owed.


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Sources: ABC News, CNN, Google Maps

"The Road We've Traveled" Pres. Obama's 17-Minute Campaign Documentary

Sources: Barack Obama.com, Youtube

Careerbuilder.com Is Posting Discriminatory Employment Ads: Chicago-Based Company

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Most American Employers know it is Illegal & a Violation of Federal Law to Discriminate against Job Applicants based on Ethnicity, Race, Gender, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Faith, Appearance & Disability.

So how are they bypassing Federal Law while still practicing Employment Discrimination?

Via Employment Recruiting Websites such as “Careerbuilder.com & Monster.com" By listing Unfair JOB REQUIREMENTS!

For Example:
“Must have 3 Years Experience” (Entry Level Jobs)
“Must have 5 Years Experience” (Entry Level Jobs)
Or…..
“Must be Currently Employed to Apply”

So what is Pres. Obama’s Administration & Congress doing to STOP this Unfair Practice which continues to keep Millions of American Citizens, mostly BLACKS & Latinos, out of the 21st Century Workforce? Including College Graduates!

What's even worse is that most of the Companies practicing Widespread National Employment Discrimination via Unfair JOB REQUIREMENTS, are Still receiving Government Subsidies & Tax Breaks!!!





Careerbuilder.com Posts New Wave Of Discriminatory Job Ads


A recent survey of online job sites has shown that CareerBuilder.com continues to post numerous new ads that discriminate against unemployed job-seekers.

The latest examples appear two months after the National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a report detailing similarly exclusionary job postings this spring.

Since then, federal legislation has been introduced that would ban hiring practices, including job ads, that discriminate against unemployed workers by excluding them from consideration for employment opportunities.

As these harmful practices have attracted growing attention, one leading job site -- Indeed.com -- recently announced it would no longer post such exclusionary ads.

President Obama has recently said he backs legislation to end such discriminatory practices that serve to lock-out unemployed job-seekers from job opportunities, and has included such a federal ban in the proposed American Jobs Act.

In the last month, however, CareerBuilder.com has continued to post new ads like this one for a Medical Pharma Sales Rep in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which not only says applicants "MUST BE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED" -- it also says:


Reminds me of "No soup for you!" But I digress.

Another recent example is this September 5 posting for Restaurant Managers Upscale AGM Needed!! in Louisville, Kentucky. To qualify -- you guessed it -- you "must be currently employed."

Then there's this CareerBuilder.com job posting from September 16 for a Corrugated Packing sales rep in Lima, Ohio which requires applicants to be "currently employed within the Distribution Packaging Jan/san industry."

And then there's this ad on CareerBuilder.com from The Porter Group, posted September 15, looking for a Sales Executive for an interesting firm:

Nice, huh? Oh, well, that probably wasn't something you'd enjoy anyway.

How about the food service industry or the restaurant business? Take a look at this posting from last month from Martin Recruiting Partners for Kitchen Managers in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the required qualifications it says you must be "currently working with a quick casual or full service restaurant manager background."

Sometimes, a limited acceptable duration of unemployment is specified, as in this Restaurant Management, Long Island, NY posting from Gecko Hospitality last month which specifies candidates "must be currently employed or not out of the restaurant business for more than 3 months."

Enough already. This has to stop. And it's not just these pernicious ads -- it's the full range exclusionary practices that discriminate against unemployed job-seekers. If employers, recruiters, staffing firms and online job posting sites like CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com will not voluntarily do the right thing and end the lockout against unemployed workers in the job market -- as Indeed.com has taken steps to do -- then new federal legislation is clearly needed.

Call your U.S. Representative and Senators and tell them to support and pass the Fair Employment Opportunity Act to end discrimination against unemployed workers in hiring. You can call 202-224-3121 for the Senate and 202-224-3121 for the House, or reach the Capitol switchboard toll-free at 877-851-6437 or 877-210-5351.




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Sources: Careerbuilder.com, CNN, MSNBC, Youtube, Google Maps

Shark Burgers Come To Brooklyn, NY! *Island Burger: 915 Utica Ave, Bklyn -718.495.2474

Shark burgers at Trini-flavored Island Burger in East Flatbush, Brooklyn


For $9.50, their shark burger will make you feel like you’re on vacation in Trinidad.

That’s what the two sisters who own Island Burger had in mind when they opened the East Flatbush fast-food restaurant at 915 Utica Ave. 18 months ago.

Picture Maracas Beach, where shark sandwiches are sold in huts right on the sand. Or Port of Spain, where sidewalk vendors serve hamburgers with a slice of pineapple, garlic sauce and cole slaw heaped on top.

“Shark is beach food,” said Linette Beckles, 34, who with her big sister Tracy Agarrat, 40 owns the takeout joint and six-seat eatery that dishes up a boneless filet of the fearsome fish.

The restaurant’s three chefs turn the terror of the deep into a tasty morsel by seasoning it for 12 hours before frying it and topping it with chadon beni — a sauce made of a pungent herb, culantro — tamarind sauce, cole slaw, lettuce and tomato.

After Beckles and her boyfriend were wowed by burgers they bought at a street stand during a visit to Port of Spain, she returned home to Mill Basin and told her sister to forget about the clothing store they’d talked about opening.

“Let’s sell burgers and fast food made the Trini way,” she said to Agarrat of Crown Heights.

There are scads of West Indian restaurants in Central Brooklyn competing for customers with roti and peas and rice.

But the sibs couldn’t find anyone doing Trini burgers, and thought they could make a go of it.

To save money, they rented a storefront with a stove and other restaurant equipment the previous tenant left behind.

They’d worked in Manhattan food businesses — including a decade Agarrat spent as a restaurant manager for food-industry bigwig Stephen Hanson’s BR Guest.

But to get their seasonings just right, they consulted with a Trini chef before opening Island Burger. A Hispanic chef who has been with them since day one, Humberto Dominguez, 26, has since made valuable tweaks to the recipes.

They’re so proud of their $8.50 Trini-style hamburger that Agarrat tries to talk customers out of ordering the plain American version.

“When they come back and bring a friend, we know the pineapple is a hit,” she said.

The London-born sisters, who lived in Port of Spain for many years, lined up part-time waitressing jobs to generate cash during their restaurant startup.

It’s done well enough that Beckles has quit her gig and Agarrat is working one day a week.

“We were fortunate — we had enough customers to pay our bills from the start,” she said.

Customers drive from Bedford-Stuyvesant and Fort Greene, Queens and even Connecticut to chow down.

“They’re missing Trinidad,” Agarrat said.

Beckles’ boyfriend and restaurant co-owner, Joel Brizan, 44, won them customers by telling colleagues at Verizon, where he works, about Island Burger. The eatery has won customers who live in East Flatbush, many of whom call for delivery.

The sisters pack the takeout orders in white paper boxes, like the kind used back home in Trinidad. They want to do everything possible to live up to Trini standards.

“With a Trinidadian customer, we have one shot to get it right,” Beckles said.


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Sources: Island Burger, NY Daily News, Yelp, Google Maps

"Old Spice" Guy Isaiah Mustafa Advises Pres. Obama (Videos)

Sources: ABC News, Youtube

Political Campaign Fundraising 101 (Video)

Sources: Watch Mojo.com

Eclipse: Twilight Saga Trailer (Video)

Sources: Summit Entertainment, Youtube

James Sanders' Craigslist Ad Leads To His Death

3 Plead Not Guilty In Deadly Home Invasion Linked To James Sanders' Craigslist Ad


Three men accused of killing a Washington state man in a home invasion after the victim posted an internet ad were arraigned Monday, with all three pleading not guilty.

Clabon Terrel Bernaird, 23; Kiyoshi A. Higashi, 22; and Joshua N. Reese, 20, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, robbery and assault, Pierce County, Washington, prosecutor Mark Lindquist said. If convicted, they face potential sentences of around 70 years in prison, Lindquist said.

A fourth suspect in the case, Amanda C. Knight, 21, pleaded not guilty to the same charges last week, Lindquist said. He added that the four defendants are each being held on $2 million bail at the Pierce County jail. Their next court appearance is scheduled for June 9.

The four are charged with killing James Sanders on April 28 after he and his wife posted an ad on the online classified ad site Craigslist offering a diamond ring for $1,050, Lindquist said.

Lindquist said the Sanders agreed to meet prospective buyers of the ring at their home in Edgewood, Washington, outside Tacoma.

"Two people show up and act like a couple looking for a ring for the mother-in-law," Lindquist said. But once they entered the house, he said, the man posing as the husband pulled out a handgun.

The victim, his wife, and their sons, ages 14 and 10, were restrained with plastic handcuffs, Lindquist said. Two other suspects then entered the home. One pistol-whipped the older son, he said.

Sanders broke out of his restraints and attempted to defend the 14-year-old, and was shot three times, the prosecutor said. "While this is going on," Lindquist said, "other bad guys are kicking Mom in the head while she's lying on the floor."

Lindquist said of the slaying, "this is a cautionary tale."

"You hate to tell people to be wary of your fellow citizens, but the reality is you've got to be wary when you are doing something when interacting with strangers on Craigslist."


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Sources: CNN, Craigslist, Google Maps

Not Voting? Don't Complain! Voters Have Power! (Videos)

Sources: Youtube

"Did You Learn Anything?" Tiger Woods' New Nike Ad Featuring Earl Woods' Voice

Tiger Woods' Father Asks In Nike ad, "Did You Learn Anything?"


Tiger Woods - who brought along his mom when he apologized to the nation for his tomcatting ways - Wednesday night turned to his dead dad to polish his image.

On the eve of his return to competitive golf, Woods starred in an eerie new Nike ad invoking the haunting voice of his father.

The 30-second spot began airing last night on ESPN and the Golf Channel and is expected to be repeated Thursday as the girl-crazy golfer tees up for his first round at the Masters.

In the stark, black-and-white commercial, a camera zooms in on Woods' solemn face as he stands on a golf course wearing the famous Nike swoosh on his hat and dark pullover sweater vest.

Woods doesn't say a word in the ad, but in a voice-over his father, Earl, who died of prostate cancer in 2006, asks his troubled son, "Did you learn anything?"

While the ad does not specifically address Tiger's serial infidelity, it harkens to his marital woes in the tone of his father's deep husky voice from the grave.

"Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion," Earl Woods says. "I wanna find out what your thinking was. I wanna find out what your feelings are, and, did you learn anything."

Nike officials said the ad will only run until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

"We support Tiger and his family. As he returns to competitive golf, the ad addresses his time away from the game using the powerful words of his father," Nike officials said in a statement.

It was not clear when the recording of Earl Woods was made or in what context.

The ad marks Woods' first return to the airwaves as a pitchman, albeit one missing the charismatic smile that once earned him multimillions from sponsors.

But it wasn't the first time he relied on his folks to help make him look more sympathetic.

His mom, Kutilda Woods, sat stoically in the audience and gave her son a big hug when he gave a teary mea culpa in February for cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren.

The Nike commercial aired on a day Woods received an unprecedented verbal spanking from the boss of the Masters tourney for his "egregious" conduct.

Masters Chairman Billy Payne blasted Woods' behavior, even as a new tabloid report added a nubile neighbor to the golf great's parade of porn stars and party girls.

"It's not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here," Payne said in his annual pre-Masters talk in Augusta. "Our hero did not live up to the expectations as a role model that we sought for our children."

Payne said Woods' golf game makes him "worthy" of being mentioned in the same breath as Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer.

"But as he now says himself, he forgot in the process to remember that with fame and fortune comes responsibility, not invisibility," he said.

It was a stunning rebuke for Woods, who had been treated with kid gloves by Masters officials bent on getting golf's biggest moneymaker back on the links.

Woods took his medicine from Payne without a murmur.

Nor did Team Tiger respond to a National Enquirer report that Woods had a two-hour romp with 22-year-old neighbor Raychel Coudriet last May on a couch in his office - near a crib for one of the golfer's kids.

"I felt used and violated, like I meant nothing to him but a night of casual sex," Coudriet told her friend afterward, the tab says. "I just wanted to dig a big hole, crawl in and die."


Sources: Nike, NY Daily News, CBS News, Youtube

Richard Burr Raises $5.3 M To Whip Democrat Challengers, Releases His First TV Ad

Burr Says He Has $5.3 Million In Campaign Account


Sen. Richard Burr reported having $5.3 million in his campaign coffers at the end of first quarter of the year.

The Winston-Salem Republican said he raised $1.5 million during the first three months of year, Rob Christensen reports.

"This strong support from thousands of North Carolina shows growing enthusiasm for Senator Burr's stance against the Democrats' misguided liberal agenda in Washington," Mark Braden, Burr's deputy campaign manager, said in a statement.

Burr's fundraising is slightly behind his last campaign but is ahead of the pace of his former seat mate Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who lost her re-election bid in 2008.

Burr had $5.7 million in his campaign kitty at his juncture in his 2004 Senate campaign.

Dole had $3.1 million on hand at the close of the first period of 2008. She had raised $1.7 million during the first three months of 2008.

Candidates in the race have until April 15 to file campaign finance reports for the first quarter of 2010.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, C-Span, Youtube, Google Maps

China Shuns Arrogant Americans; Not Wanted For IT Job

"Arrogant Americans" Need Not Apply



Looking for a job? Well, if you're an "arrogant American," you had better search elsewhere.

An information technology staffing firm based in Rolling Meadows, Ill., posted an advertisement for a technical writer that warned that an "Arrogant American" would not flourish in the position.

"Exelon is looking to provide these proposals to Chinese businesses, so someone who is respectful and understands Chinese culture is preferred. An arrogant American will not work well in this role," the listing read.

The ad, posted by Viva USA, an information technology consulting firm, has since been removed. Varuna Singh, the company's development manager, told FoxNews.com it received the language from its client, Exelon Nuclear Partners, and the wording somehow got past a "junior recruiter" who posted the advertisement on CareerBuilder.com.

"We are taking it down immediately, this was a mistake," Singh said. "This was not wordage by Viva. This was sent into us by the client, but we, as the staffing company, should have looked into it before posting."

Singh apologized for the error, citing "negligence" on the company's behalf.

Judith Rader, a spokeswoman for Exelon, said the company apologizes for the "offensive and inappropriate" language contained in the job posting.

"Exelon was surprised and very disappointed to see this job posting including this offensive and inappropriate language," a statement to FoxNews.com read. "This statement was not approved by Exelon and in no way reflects the company’s policies and values. We regret that this language appeared in recruiting materials that were prepared by a third party and not approved by Exelon. We apologize for this error and the offense it has caused. We are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again. Exelon is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, and we make every effort to attract and retain talent of all backgrounds."

Diana Johnston, an attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said a hiring decision based on national origin would be a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

"You always have to look at the whole thing in context, but certainly it does violate Title VII to discriminate based on national origin," she said. "If you make a hiring decision based on national origin, including it based on somebody being American, that would be a violation."

Rose Valenta, of Chalfont, Pa., said she received the job description via e-mail from Viva on Tuesday.

"I was OK with the first paragraph, but when I got to the second, I was floored," she told FoxNews.com. "It made me furious. People need to know about this. There's a lot of things here that need to be looked into."

Ferne Wolf, a St. Louis-based employment law attorney, said the posting "sounds like national origin discrimination" and suggested the advertisement be brought to the attention of EEOC officials.

"I think a jury could reasonably conclude that there's already a predisposition [by the firm] that Americans are arrogant," she said. "That's like saying ditzy blondes need not apply."

Wolf continued, "You'd think they would know better. Maybe they need a lawyer. There's plenty of good defense attorneys in Chicago."


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Sources: Fox News, Viva USA, Google Maps

11 Best, Funniest 2010 Superbowl Commercials

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=116f413e-e1fc-4b09-80e9-2c29009d76a8&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Snickers: Betty White">Video: Snickers: Betty White</a>



2010 Super Bowl Commercials: 10 Best


Snickers -- Betty White

Any commercial with Betty White and Abe Vigoda is a winner in our book no matter what it’s about. In this case, the spunky Golden Girl is playing pickup football with the guys, though she’s struggling. “Man, you’ve been riding me all day,” she says before eating a Snickers bar that not only transforms her into a regular guy but also raises Vigoda from the dead. What, “Fish” is still alive? Twenty-eight years after People Magazine erroneously reported his demise, the answer is yes!


CBS' Late Show--Oprah, David Letterman, Jay Leno

Late night fans got the surprise of a lifetime during the second quarter of the Super Bowl tonight when they saw Jay Leno sitting side-by-side with David Letterman in a promo for CBS’ Late Show. Appearing with Oprah Winfrey, Letterman laments about how bad the party is, and Leno retorts “he’s just saying that because I’m here.” Minutes after the spot, CBS sent out word that the two late night stars taped the spot last Tuesday at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. The spot was a revisit, of sorts, to a 2007 Super Bowl spot that featured Letterman and Winfrey. A Late Show spokesman said the spot was Letterman’s idea, and Leno and Winfrey were willing participants.

Coca Cola -- The Simpsons

The Simpson and Coke. Perfect together. Who wouldn’t like to see Monty Burns lose all his money? But the goodness of Coke makes for feel-good ending for all. Big props for a Spider-pig cameo on the swings.


Hyundai -- Brett Favre

OK, Hyundai’s commercials are getting better (with as many as they’re running, the odds are at least ONE had to be good). As much as we’re all getting sick of Brett Favre’s indecision every year, obviously he has a sense of humor about. I thought it was funny when he was saying most of the fans are younger than him, and that was before I noticed it was the 2020 MVP award he was winning. I thought he was talking about the current season. Because he’s already old.


TruTV -- Punxatawney Polamalu

Punxsutawney Polamalu. Awesome. So much better than a commercial about his hair. Let’s see PETA complain about THIS one. Unfortunately, there won’t really be six more weeks of football.


FloTV -- Spineless man

We all know this spineless male. Some of us know him all too well. Yeah, watching TV on a little screen can save some male dignity. But good luck getting your girlfriend to allow that.


Bud Light -- Stranded on an island

Passengers from an airplane crash are moping around on a desert island until the beverage cart full of Bud Lights washes up on shore. That’s when the party begins! Maybe the pilot had a few too many before he crashed the plane -- who knows? But the commercial proves that Homer Simpson was right: Beer truly is the cause of -- and solution to -- all of life’s problems.


Kia -- Toys fantasy

A life-sized sock monkey, a robot and a red monster you’ll recognize if you have kids all experience a wild weekend in a Hyundai. Not sure why this was funny, but it was.


HomeAway.com -- The Griswolds

Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprise their roles as quirky parents from the classic “Vacation” movies, except this time they’re exasperated travelers getting screwed by extra hotel charges. The solution, says the ad, is to rent a house. It’s a pretty good spot, but we were hoping Christie Brinkley would make an appearance at the hotel pool. This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy!


Google -- French love story

Really clever commercial showing only the Google searches of a traveler in Paris as he tries to find the Louvre, then a cafe, then woos a French woman, then finds a job in France, then gets instructions on how to assemble a crib for their child. It shows how Google can help create a happy life instead of being used just for finding naked pictures of celebrities.


Audi -- Green Police

Funny. Sure, we all need to be more environmentally conscious. But it’s always funny when stuff like that is taken to the extreme. If a car could allow you to go around real police checkpoints like the one in the commercial, it’d be well worth it. Until that day, I’ll try to avoid a ticket for recycling.


Sources: Fox Sports, MSNBC, CBS, Entertainment Weekly, Youtube

Tim Tebow's Ad vs Planned Parenthood & Mancrunch (Videos)

CBS Reacts To Controversial Tebow Super Bowl Ad







CBS responded to complaints over a conservative group's planned Super Bowl ad featuring football star Tim Tebow by saying that it had eased restrictions on advocacy ads and would consider "responsibly produced" ones for open spots in its Feb. 7 broadcast.

CBS said Tuesday it had received numerous e-mails -- both critical and supportive -- since a coalition of women's groups began a protest campaign Monday against the ad, which the critics say will use Tebow and his mother to convey an anti-abortion message.

Funded by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, the 30-second ad is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow's pregnancy in 1987. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child. She later gave birth to Tim, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and helped his Florida team win two BCS championships.

CBS said Tuesday that the decision to air the Tebow ad reflected a change in its policies toward advocacy ads that has evolved over the past several years.

"We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms," said spokesman Dana McClintock. "In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time."

He said CBS "will continue to consider responsibly produced ads from all groups for the few remaining spots in Super Bowl XLIV."

In 2004, CBS was criticized by many liberal organizations for rejecting an ad by the United Church of Christ highlighting the UCC's welcoming stance toward gays and others who might feel shunned by more conservative churches.

CBS said Tuesday that, under its new policies, the UCC ad would have been accepted for airing. The network said that it has run ads in the past year or so with divergent views on topics such as the health care overhaul, climate change and energy policy.

Thirty-second commercials during the Super Bowl are selling for $2.5 million to $2.8 million.

On Monday, a coalition led by the New York-based Women's Media Center, with backing from the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority Foundation and other groups, urged CBS to scrap the Tebow ad.

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," said Jehmu Greene, president of the media center.






Tebow versus Mancrunch


Today will see the New Orleans Saints, an American football team famed for its past haplessness, take on the Indianapolis Colts, a longtime powerhouse, in the Super Bowl. The on-field action should keep most fans glued to their couches, unless it's a blowout.

This year, political junkies will be on the edge of their seats for something else: a political controversy over the ads. Focus on the Family is running a spot about Tim Tebow—one of the best two or three players in college football, and a highly-touted future professional. Mr Tebow, with the biblical verses he wears on the black glare-protectors under his eyes, and his public promise to save his virginity for marriage, is probably the most outspokenly Christian sporting star in the country.

The ad will feature Mr Tebow and his mother, who was a missionary in the Philippines when he was born. She became ill and her placenta partially detached. Doctors, fearing for her health, counselled abortion. Insead, Ms Tebow will say, she prayed, and her superstar son was born healthy. Abortion-rights groups are furious. The Super Bowl's producers have, by tradition, rejected advocacy ads during the game.

CBS, the network airing the Super Bowl, then added fuel to the controversey by turning down, as "not within the network’s broadcast standards", a lighthearted ad for a gay dating site called ManCrunch. What was so offensive that CBS could not bring itself to air it? Two manly fans' hands meet in a bowl of crisps as they watch the game at home; humorously exaggerated passions ensue. We don't even see the men's lips meet, since one has practically tackled the other on the couch. A slightly stunned friend watches from the next chair.

CBS's decision to air the Tebow ad has gotten most of the attention, but it is the rejection of the ManCrunch ad that rankles me. America's first-amendment tradition is so robust that even though no one has a constitutional right to have their views disseminated by CBS, we understandably expect those who sell advertising space to sell it fairly.

And the decision not to air the ManCrunch ad can only be due to rank homophobia—the family-friendliness of past Super Bowl ads has allowed for bikini waxes, dogs attacking crotches, farting horses, erectile-dysfunction drug pitches and more, and that in just one typical year. One year, a Snickers bar, being eaten from its two ends, results in two sweaty non-gay males horrified to find themselves accidentally kissing. Acceptable, of course—becasue the joke is on the gays.

It's often said that outrageous ads are made to be rejected by the networks at Super Bowl time, for free publicity, and some think that this is what ManCrunch did.

But to believe that, you have to find the idea of two men kissing outrageous. Increasingly, Americans don't—we've just had the first gay love scene on a daytime soap opera. CBS is simply thinking as Bill Kristol does about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"—even if people's prejudices are unjustifiable, they must be deferred to. Shame on CBS, for making a decision both controversial and cowardly at the same time.






ManCrunch SuperBowl Ad REJECTED: Gay Dating Site Ad Denied By CBS


CBS has rejected an ad from gay dating site ManCrunch, telling the site that the ad "is not within the Network's Broadcast Standards for Super Bowl Sunday.", James Hibberd reports at The Live Feed.

CBS released the following statement:

"After reviewing the ad - which is entirely commercial in nature - our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot. As always, we are open to working with the client on alternative submissions."

Hibberd reports that CBS believed ManCrunch was trying to generate free publicity by submitting an ad that was likely to be rejected.

"We're 100% serious," ManCrunch spokesperson Elissa Buchter said. "We have the money to pay for it. If the ad showed a man and woman kissing it would have been accepted. You see ads for erectile dysfunction morning, noon and night. It's discriminatory that they wont show this....They should call our bluff. If the ad doesn't air on the Super Bowl, it will air on another network. It's not like it plays like Adam Lambert [kissing another man on the AMAs]."

Original Post: CBS is considering airing an ad for gay dating site ManCrunch, Fox News reports.

On the heels of the network's decision that advocacy ads are acceptable, ManCrunch says CBS has not rejected its ad — which includes two male football fans making out.

A rep for ManCrunch told Fox News that CBS said "the spot hadn't been officially approved yet" as of last week, but "all the Super Bowl spots were sold out."

"ManCrunch requested the spot get reviewed anyway just in case another advertiser drops out and a spot becomes available, as often happens, and CBS agreed," the rep said.

A CBS rep told Fox News that "the ad is still under review, the process takes a little while....We still have a lot of ads we have yet to review."


Sources: CBS, Fox Sports, Fox News, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Economist.com, Democracy In America, Wikipedia, Planned Parenthood, Mancrunch, Youtube

Gay Super Bowl Commercial Nixed By CBS (Video)

Gay Dating Site's Super Bowl Ad Rejected By CBS



Super Bowl network CBS rejected an ad Friday from ManCrunch.com, a gay dating Web site.

"After reviewing the ad, which is entirely commercial in nature, our standards and practices department decided not to accept this particular spot," said CBS spokeswoman Shannon Jacobs. "We are always open to working with a client on alternative submissions."

CBS (CBS, Fortune 500) said it turned down the ad partly for financial reasons, but ManCrunch believes that there's more to it than that.

"It's straight-up discrimination," said Elissa Buchter, spokeswoman for the Toronto-based dating site.

Jacobs of CBS declined to comment on the charge of discrimination.

Buchter provided a copy of the CBS rejection letter to CNNMoney, which states that the ad "is not within the Network's broadcast standards for Super Bowl Sunday."

The letter also states that the CBS sales department "has had difficulty verifying [ManCrunch's] credit status."

Buchter said that basing the rejection on credit status doesn't make sense because "we offered to pay cash." But Jacobs said CBS has no record of any such offer.

CBS is charging up to $3 million for 30-second spots. Buchter said ManCrunch would have been charged $2.5 million for its ad and would have had no trouble paying it, since the newly formed company recently raised $40 million from investors.

Shortly before ManCrunch announced the rejection, Jacobs of CBS said her company was reviewing the ad and it was "just one of many."

Jacobs also said the spots were "virtually sold out. We have one, maybe two spots left."

ManCrunch's ad, which can be viewed on its Web site, shows two men watching the Super Bowl. Their hands brush each other in the potato chip bowl, which inspires a passionate, male-on-male make-out session.

ManCrunch is not alone. Godaddy, an online retailer of Web site domain names, is running an ad in the Super Bowl this year but it had another ad rejected by CBS in the process. The rejected ad features a man named Lola.

This year's Super Bowl, between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, will be played Feb. 7 at Sun Life Stadium near Miami. The facility in Miami Gardens, Fla., formerly called Dolphin Stadium, was recently renamed. To top of page


Sources: CNN, CBS, ManCrunch, Youtube

Massachusetts Needs New Blood, "Momentum"..Scott Brown

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Sources: Youtube, Google Maps

Jay Leno Trumps Conan O'Brien Again

NBC Plan Would Move Leno Back to Late Nights


Pressed by affiliates and shrinking ratings, NBC has a plan in the works to radically alter its late-night television lineup, restoring Jay Leno to his old spot at 11:35 each weeknight, while pushing the man who replaced him, Conan O’Brien, to a starting time of 12:05 a.m.

NBC executives held extensive discussions with Mr. Leno and Mr. O’Brien on Thursday about the future of the network’s late-night lineup.

And while NBC officially said no final decision on the plan had been made, two senior NBC executives who had talked to the top management about the moves said that under the plan being discussed, Mr. Leno would definitely shift back to 11:35 but in a half-hour format, while Mr. O’Brien would slide back his start time by a half hour and then produce an hourlong show.

“We remain committed to keeping Conan O’Brien on NBC,” the network said in a statement Thursday evening. “He is a valued part of our late-night lineup, as he has been for more than 16 years, and is one of the most respected entertainers on television.”

The third NBC late-night star, Jimmy Fallon, would then begin his show at 1:05 a.m., the executives said. The revised lineup would go into effect after NBC concludes its coverage of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 28. NBC will pre-empt its prime-time and late-night lineup for more than two weeks to cover the Olympics, creating a natural break in which to put the late-night changes into effect.




NBC Shakeup -- Jay Leno Comes Out on Top

Earlier today TMZ learned Jay's 10:00 PM show will go on hiatus February 1. After the Olympics, Jay will take back his 11:30 PM time slot. What has not been decided -- whether Jay's show will be a half hour, followed by Conan, or whether Jay's show will be an hour and NBC says sayonara to Mr. O'Brien.

Jay and Conan have both been told of the changes. As for Jay, interestingly, he'll get what he always wanted -- his 11:30 PM time slot.



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Sources: NY Times, TMZ, CNN, NBC, Youtube, Google Maps

The Birthers Are Back With A Wacky New Ad...They Won't Quit

Obama's Lack of Constitutional Eligibility-The 3 Enablers-20091130 Issue Wash Times Natl Wkly-pg 9







Oh, those Wacky Birthers



The Birthers may be shut out of most media outlets -- it's a conspiracy! -- but the Washington Times is apparently still happy to take their money, even if it means running erroneous advertisements that barely even flirt with the borders of reality. Monday's Times, for instance, featured a Birther ad (an image of it accompanies this post) that declares President Obama ineligible for his job not because of where he was born, but to whom.

The ad depicts three monkeys ignoring what some Birthers believe are the facts of the situation; Congress is seeing no evil, the courts are hearing none, and the media is speaking none. It declares "Obama is NOT an Article II Natural Born Citizen and therefore is NOT Eligible to be President," and asks for plaintiffs to join in lawsuits spearheaded by the people who took out the ad.

The problem? Beyond the fact that "Article II Natural Born Citizen" appears to be a term made up out of thin air, those responsible for the ad don't have a leg to stand on, legally. First off, they can get as many plaintiffs as they want; they still won't be able to show standing -- a particularized injury, basically -- and that means the suit will get tossed, and fast. Second, the Birthers have just decided that their interpretation of what the Founding Fathers meant when they said in the Constitution the president had to be a natural born citizen is the correct one, courts be damned. And they're wrong.

I've gone into this before, so to make a long story short: The Birthers believe that, in order to be a "natural born citizen," you have to be born in the U.S. to two citizen parents. Obama's father was a British citizen. As a result, Obama was a dual citizen at birth, and that, according to the Birthers, makes him ineligible for the presidency. They have seized upon "The Law of Nations," a text by Swiss philosopher Emerich de Vattel that appears to agree with their interpretation, and decided that its word is law. There are some issues with that -- first of all, they're relying on a translation produced after the Constitution was written. Before that, de Vattel's work didn't support the Birthers -- it didn't even contain the term "natural born citizen."

Beyond that, books by Swiss philosophers aren't binding upon U.S. courts. British common law, however, is an important source of American law, and it indicates that if your parents are residing in the U.S., just being born here to is enough to make you a natural born citizen. That, at least, is the view the Supreme Court took in the 1898 case of U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark. Because the case wasn't really about that issue, and the discussion of natural born citizenship was a digression, today's courts wouldn't be bound by that opinion -- but they'd certainly give it quite a bit of weight, more than any ad in the Times would get.






Washington Times Runs Anti-Obama Birther Ad Featuring Racial Undertones


This latest national edition of the Washington Times features a full-page ad that claims that President Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States. The ad was purchased by the anti-Obama website ProtectOurLiberty.org

While the group has placed several birther ads in the Washington Times in recent months, the version that ran this morning contains far more inflammatory imagery — three monkeys, apparently intended to represent the U.S. Congress, courts, and the media:

The hardly intelligible ad copy claims that under a 60-year-old British law, President Obama is a citizen of Britain and “is currently also a British protected person and/or a British citizen to this day.” The Center for American Progress’ Ian Millhiser points out that if this rule were actually applied to the presidency, every foreign nation would have the power to remove the President of the United States simply by granting the president citizenship.

The website promoted by the ad is run by Charles F. Kerchner, Jr., a plaintiff in a birther lawsuit filed against President Obama in New Jersey.



Sources: Salon.com, Washington Times, Think Progress, TPM, Protect Our Liberty.org