Troll comments Sept 23-29

Tonight Bristol Palin will roll around on the floor, shake her tits and dry hump Mark Ballas 

Anonymous September 24, 2012 5:21 AM

Bristol was one of the few people (I wont say star because she doesn't see herself as one and doesn't care about hollywood) who didn't act like the typical overthetop skimpy dancer. Though she has been working out so maybe she's gained the confidence to really dance. Who knows. Dancing's hard.

The producers have no say in who stays. This is one show that is a popularity contest. The judges really don't even have a say in the end. Thing is, unlike like last time, Bristol's fellow competitors are THEIR seasons faves and half are winners. Last time, most of her seasons stars were boring or had no real fanbases. It won't be shocking if she leaves tonight or next week.

And all the stars' fans are already creating their accounts to vote. Can the bots outdo them? Each person has diehards. It will be interesting. Who knows whether Kelly M has the fans, or if Pamela Lee can do better than season 10, or if things are different for Sabrina (her last elimination was dwts most shocking event EVER to date). We shall see. It truly is a tossup and that is why these specific people were selected.

Like Kirstie says, "eff my hate trolls. They're just people who need to get laid." She's right. They are the people who desperately need lives. A sane person doesn't spend their precious time hating on strangers.

I bet Sarah, Todd and Tripp were spotted around at offroad races the past weekend because they're coming to the show tonight. 

Reesa September 24, 2012 5:28 AM

Do you have a life? Do you have a heart? I suggest you grow up.It's never too late.

-Sending you nice thoughts to soothe your hateful life

Reesa

(And yes, those are my thoughts, posted by Anon. It wouldn't let me post any other way.

Reesa aka Kristy or Bristol/Willow/Sarah I have my blog set up to where Anons can post.  You should know that by now.

Anonymous September 24, 2012 5:26 AM

I love how in your attempts to attack her, you insult a number of other people on dwts and in general. Probably a good thing you're too cowardly to use your real name, as it would suck for you to be branded the nasty human being you illustrate yourself to be daily.

You've got a ton of growing up to do. I know you're young, but here's some advice. Mature adults don't trash, slander, or hate on people for differences of opinions of for any other reason. 

Sorry Bristol and Willow Tim Tebow doesn't want you

Anonymous September 25, 2012 3:05 PM

At least you have the capability of recognizing hateful posts an immaturity. Now if youll just do some self-reflection and label yourself a hater/nasty person, you can move on and be happy.

Meanwhile, Bristol's out with her friends, having girls night with her dwts pals, and you're being a bully

Anonymous September 25, 2012 3:03 PM

The fact that ANYONE believes this athlete is a virgin boggles my mind. I have seen him at parties around FL before I moved to the midwest. One of my best friends hangs with him consistently.

But It's definitely within SPHASH's character to use him to trash people she doesn't know.

I think everyone with a working brain can tell SPHASH is a bully and jealous ahole who was raised by wolves, but the immaturity in this post really set a new low even for her. Good thing the subjects sphash attacks know whats real, have people who know them, love them and doesn't attack people to feel good.

Haters never learn and their subjects only get stronger by remaining above the fray and hate.

Krusty wants Timmy T for herself.  Here are the cover photos she has on her Facebook:

 

This is why sex education is so important

Anonymous September 26, 2012 4:41 PM

You're making a huge judgment call without knowing the specifics regarding any of those cases. It's typical of small communities to WANT to start families young. There are people who only aspire to being parents, with hobbies or parttime work on the side. Don't attack a specific town when that behavior you're ridiculing isn't uncommon. Don't attack one person or one behavior until you've met those types of people. There's no wrong way to live. The only bad thing would be for people to live lives untrue to whom they are. I personally know of no one in that camp. I hope you don't either. 

Anonymous September 26, 2012 4:48 PM

Regarding Alaska since you brought it up, also keep in mind that the people there go to bat for each other and it's one big community. Look at that outreach to help the parents of that little girl was died tragically at daycare. Or the case last winter when Willow's boyfriend Andy and his friend got lost snowmachining. They were out almost a full day and when Willow wrote on facebook about it, tons of the boys peers started a search because the troopers stopped looking. A group of boys found them. Parnell honored the rescuers. THAT is Alaska and how it should be. There are far too many complainers (mostly democrats from where I stand) and not enough doers. There's no reason every single person in this country can't have everything they desire. there are reasons why people from other countries become US citizens.

It's sad foreigners continue to value the country yet some Americans cannot. It's sad we have a President who disrespects small business owners.

Oh well, just keep living YOUR life with no regrets and you shall have nothing to complain about. We all fight daily battles only we understand. Time to stop making things difficult for people just because of petty disagreements.

CNP Assurances

History
In 1959, two french companies merged to create the Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance (CNP Assurance) within the Caisse des Dépôts group.

As one of its parent companies was founded in 1848, CNP's origins date back to the beginning of the insurance market. CNP has been the leading player in personal insurance sector in France since 1991. CNP has 14 million policyholders today.

Mission
The mission of CNP Assurances is to offer to its 22 million policyholders high quality products to protect them against the risks of everyday life and to meet their savings needs in each phase in their life.

Scope of Operation

• Personal Insurance
• Savings Products
• Pension Products
• Personal Risk Assurance
• Personal Services 

Key Statistics

• Assets of $241.22 billion
• Profits of $0.85 billion in 2006
• Operations primarily in Europe
• 4,501 employees 

Organization
The organization of CNP Assurance consists of Regional Centers in:

• Paris
• Lille
• Marseille
• Nancy
• Angers
• Lyon
• Toulouse
• Clermont-Ferrand 

International Ranking

• 223rd in the world according to Forbes Magazine
• 109th in the Fortune Global 500 list

Headquarter Address

4 Place Raoul Dautry
75716 Paris Cedex 15
France
Phone: 33-1-4218-8888

Zurich Insurance Group, the world's largest insurance group

Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. (SIX: ZURN), commonly known as Zurich, is a Swiss Insurance company, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Insurance Group is Switzerland’s biggest insurer. As of 2011, Zurich was the world’s 79th largest public company according to Forbes’ Global 2000s list and ranked 94th in Interbrands top100 brands.

Zurich Insurance Group Ltd is a global insurance company which is organized into three core business segments: General Insurance, Global Life and Farmers. The company employs around 60,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries and territories across the globe.

Zurich Insurance Group Ltd is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and as of 2011 the Group’s Capital position was strong with shareholders equity of $31.6 billon.

History

The company was founded in 1872 as a marine reinsurance under the name “Versicherungs-Verein” (Insurance Association), a subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Company. In 2000, after a number of acquisitions, it was unified to form one holding company – Zurich Financial Services.

In April 2012, Zurich Financial Services Ltd changed its name to Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. The name change reflects that in recent years Zurich has streamlined its business portfolio to concentrate on insurance. In a statement the group explained the rationale behind the name change. “In recognition of this strategic focus, the reference to financial services in the company name has been replaced by indicating the insurance activity of the Group instead and to specify the purpose accordingly.

Financial performance / information
Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (“Zurich”) is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker ZURN. As of the 1st December 2010 there were 147,385,822 fully paid registered shares and 121,715 shareholders. Twenty three percent of the holding of the registered shares were private individuals (14 percent of all issued shares), seven percent were foundations and pension funds (five percent of all issued shares) and 70 percent were other legal entities (44 percent of all issued shares).

In its full year results for 2011 Zurich reported a net income after tax (attributable to shareholders) of $3.8bn[19], an increase of 10% on the previous year, and a business operating profit of $4.3bn. It declared a full year dividend of CHF 17.00, to be paid in April 2012.

The company has a robust capital position with a Solvency 1 ratio of 242% and a Swiss Solvency Test ratio of 190% as of 31 December 2011, far above the minimum capital requirements. The strength of Zurich’s balance sheet is reflected in the reports of the ratings agencies. As of 21 March 2011 Zurich Insurance Company Ltd was rated as ‘AA-/stable’ by Standard and Poor’s, ‘Aa3/stable’ by Moody’s, and A+/stable’ by A.M. Best.

Allianz, the world's largest insurance group

Allianz SE (formerly Allianz AG) is a German multinational financial services company headquartered in Munich, Germany. Its core business and focus is insurance. As of 2010, it was the world's 12th-largest financial services group and 23rd-largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine.

Its Allianz Global Investors division ranks as a top-five global active investment manager, having €1,443 billion of assets under management (AuM), of which €1,131 billion are third-party assets (as of 2010-09-30), with specialized asset managers including PIMCO (Bonds), RCM (Equities) and Degi (Real estate).

Allianz sold Dresdner Bank to Commerzbank in November 2008. As a result of this merger, Allianz gained a 14% controlling stake in the new Commerzbank Group.

History
Allianz AG was founded in Berlin on 5 February 1890 by Carl von Thieme (a native of Erfurt, whose father was the director of Thuringia) and Wilhelm von Finck (co-owner of the Merck Finck & Co bank). The first step to become an international company started with the opening of a branch office in London in the late 19th century.

Operations

Allianz has operations in over 70 countries and has around 180,000 employees. The parent company, Allianz SE, is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Allianz has more than 60 million customers worldwide and its services include property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance and asset management.

New York Life Insurance Company

The New York Life Insurance Company (NYLIC) is one of the largest mutual life-insurance companies in the United States, and one of the largest life insurers in the world, with about $287 billion in total assets under management, and more than $15 billion in surplus and AVR.

The company ranks #71 on the 2011 Fortune 100 list, making it the highest privately held insurance company on that list. In 2007, NYLIC achieved the best possible ratings by the four independent rating companies (Standard & Poor's, AM Best, Moody's and Fitch). In June 2009, the same four rating companies reaffirmed New York Life's "superior" financial strength, which became a selling point in national TV ad campaigns that same year. 

The company is now one of only three life insurers to hold the highest ratings currently awarded to any life insurer by all four rating agencies (Moody's: Aaa, A.M. Best: A++. Standards & Poor's: AA+, Fitch: AAA. All of these are for financial strength. Other New York Life affiliates provide an array of securities products and services, as well as institutional and retail mutual funds.

History

The company was founded in 1845 as the Nautilus (Capt. Nemo) Insurance Company in New York City, with assets of just $17,000. It was renamed the New York Life Insurance Company in 1849. Its first headquarters were at 112-114 Broadway; the first president was James DePeyster Ogden. The current New York Life headquarters was designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1928. The New York Life building, at 51 Madison Avenue, was constructed during the presidency of Darwin P. Kingsley. He expanded the company’s operations and developed new types of insurance. As with other early insurance companies in the U.S., in its early years the company insured the lives of slaves for their owners. In response to bills passed in California in 2001 and in Illinois in 2003, the company reported that Nautilus sold 485 slaveholder life insurance policies during a two-year period in the 1840s; they added that their trustees voted to end the sale of such policies 15 years before the Emancipation Proclamation.

The company became known for innovative business practices. In 1860, well before state laws required it, New York Life developed the non-forfeiture option, the predecessor to the guaranteed cash values of modern policies, under which a policy remains in force even if a premium payment is missed. It was also the first American life insurance company to pay a cash dividend to policyholders, and the first U.S. company to issue policies to women at the same rates as men. Susan B. Anthony was one of their first female policy holders, and her father worked for NYLIC. In 1896, New York Life became the first company to insure people with disabilities and the first to issue a policy with a disability benefit that presumes total disability to be permanent after a predetermined period.

In the late 1990s New York Life was one of several large mutual life insurers to back a bill that would allow demutualization into a structure known as a mutual holding company (MHC). CEO Sy Sternberg himself argued strongly in favor of the bill, which was ultimately defeated. The NYLIC board of directors subsequently reversed course, with the company strongly and publicly embracing their mutual nature in a series of advertisements.

ROAM (Réunion des Organismes d'Assurance Mutuelle)

ROAM (Réunion des Organismes d’Assurance Mutuelle) is an association at the service of mutual insurance companies for more that 150 years.

History

Created in 1855 by a group of directors of mutual insurance companies in order to hold exchanges regarding their status as mutual organisations and to defend the provision of insurance services in the mutual form, as an alternative to joint-stock companies.

Today, this professional French association brings together 46 companies all of whom are subject to the regulations of the Insurance Code and to the supervision of the ACAM (Insurance Supervisory Authority in France).

ROAM gathers mutual insurance companies (MIC) : an MIC is insurance company that does not have its capital divided into shares, is collectively managed by it policyholders who are also its members and which acts in their best interests.

At the international level

It is a direct member of Amice (Association of Mutual Insurers and Insurance Cooperatives in Europe) at the European level and its members participate in many of the working groups organised by AMICE (Solvency II, European Mutual, European Affairs, etc.). ROAM has also assumed responsibility for the coordination of the study on comparative law, "MIC: regulatory, financial and fiscal provisions" in five European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) and the United States

As a direct member of ICMIF, ROAM takes every opportunity to represent the interests of its members at the world level and also shares its experiences by creating links with mutuals across the world.

Challenges to be faced

Solvency II
There is a challenge regarding both Pillar I and Pillar II. Significant changes are underway with the introduction of Solvency II. Both for pillar I, quantitative requirements, and pillar II, internal control requirements, a real revolution is taking place at the European level and this will have considerable repercussions on the French market. Certain specialised French mutual insurance companies could find themselves facing an own funds requirement that is often five to ten times higher than the current requirement. The introduction and effective follow-up of a well-structured internal control system will pose problems for all small structures (in terms of cost and internal expertise). ROAM, which has been involved in this process since the project’s inception, defends its members position by contributing to the consultation process on an on-going basis and also by directly lobbying the European authorities.

Governance would also appear to be a sensitive issue for French mutualists, who have been faced with significant successive changes to their regulations (in 2002, 2003 and then again in 2005) and so have had to respond to the continual challenge regarding the recognition of their statute and of their specificities by adapting to these changes.

European Mutual
Since there is no European instrument to enable them to establish groupings at this level, then the French mutuals are at a competitive disadvantage compared to joint stock companies, since they do not have access to the same legal instruments: ROAM continues its efforts to promote the mutual status at the European level and calls for the introduction of a European Mutual status in order to allow mutuals to join forces with one another to create groupings at a cross-border level. In the context of Solvency II, this instrument becomes essential.

In 2009, ROAM's Mutual insurance companies achieved a turnover of 11 billion Euros (direct business in France + reinsurance accepted + foreign activities), meaning that they therefore hold approximately 6% of the insurance market in France, but more than 39% of the builders liability market and more than 58% of medical malpractice liability market.

ROAM 

Founder       :  Gustave Haugk
Founded      :  1855
Key people  :  Olivier Désert
Area served :  France
Members     :  46 mutual insurance companies

Thanks a lot Ronald Reagan!

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Andrew J. Engeldinger's descent into darkness began two years ago, but even as he retreated from family and bought handguns and ammunition, he kept coming to work at the Accent Signage Systems factory in Minneapolis.

Engeldinger, 36, worked his shift Thursday and was told that after a dozen years, he no longer had a job. Then he pulled out a 9mm Glock handgun and committed the largest workplace massacre in recent Minnesota history.

On Friday, the scale of the rampage came into focus: Five people were killed, including the founder of the acclaimed sign manufacturer and a visiting UPS driver. Three others were injured.

Police Chief Tim Dolan said Engeldinger apparently spared some employees in "the hellish time" as workers dialed 911 and hid in terror. It all ended in minutes, after Engeldinger went into the building's basement and fired a final bullet into his own head.

Police who searched his home across town in south Minneapolis found a second handgun and packaging for 10,000 rounds of ammunition, but no obvious answers.

"Maybe something finally snapped, but I don't know why," said his uncle Joseph Engeldinger.

The victims included company owner Reuven Rahamim, 61, of St. Louis Park; United Parcel Service driver Keith Basinski, 50, of Spring Lake Park; Rami Cooks, 62, of Minnetonka; Ronald Edberg, 58, of Brooklyn Center and Jacob Beneke, 34, of Maple Grove.

Two employees remained hospitalized at Hennepin County Medical Center late Friday afternoon. Accent's director of operations, John Souter of Wayzata, was in serious condition and production manager Eric Rivers was in critical condition.

James Honerman, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, called it the deadliest case of workplace violence in Minnesota since the department began keeping figures in 1992. In the last two decades, 95 have died, 68 from shootings.

 Engeldinger grew up in Richfield and came to work for Accent Signage in the late 1990s, where he was trained as an engraver by Barry Lawrence.

"He was real intelligent, caught on fast," said Lawrence, who left Accent Signage but stayed in touch with the company's officers.

Lawrence said Engeldinger was conscientious, and worried about his 401(k) plan and fluctuations in the stock market.

"I remember when he was hired; he was a quiet guy," he said. "I wouldn't have thought he would have done anything like this."

Meaghan Norlander, former comptroller at Accent Signage who left the company in 2008, described Engeldinger as "a loner" who seemed always under stress.

She said that he "internalized everything" and complained at times about being shifted from one job to another.

"The standards were really high," Norlander said. "Reuven was driven. If you didn't live up to his expectations, you failed."

The relationship between Engeldinger and Rahamim was a rocky one. Norlander recalled a shouting match between the two in 2007, although she could not remember the details.

In 2003, Engeldinger bought a home in the Powderhorn neighborhood. Neighbors rarely paid attention to the slight man with a ponytail who occasionally worked in the yard.

"Never met him. Never heard anything about him," said John Evans, who lives two houses north of Engeldinger.

But in recent years, Engeldinger's family began worrying about what appeared to be his paranoia and delusions. Two years ago, his parents attended a 12-week "Family to Family" class offered by the Minnesota National Alliance on Mental Illness. The class is taught by family members of mentally ill people.

His family hadn't had contact with him for about 21 months after he had shown signs of possible mental illness, said Sue Abderholden, executive director of the Minnesota National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"They were trying to get him to seek treatment; they did think something was wrong," she said. But Engeldinger didn't appear to be a threat to himself or others -- criteria for petitioning for commitment to mental health care, she said.

Abderholden said he had been paranoid with some delusions, symptoms of possible schizophrenia, but was working and able to live alone.

"He was, to the outside world, doing OK," she said.

About a year ago, he bought two handguns, including the Glock 9-millimeter, Dolan said. "Obviously, he'd been practicing how to use that gun," the chief said.

 Engeldinger worked his usual shift on Thursday, but at the end of the day he was called to the front office. He apparently walked into that meeting armed.

Dolan said Engeldinger first shot people in the front office area, then walked to the loading dock, shooting others. He singled out his targets, walking past some people. Basinski, the UPS driver, appeared to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Dolan said. Some people in the building fought back, the chief said, but he wouldn't elaborate.

 About 4:30 p.m., 911 calls from inside the building alerted police to the shooting moments after it began, Dolan said. Three officers arrived and immediately found victims inside upon entering, he said. Paramedics followed them in to treat the injured, even though it was still unclear where the shooter was or if he was still a threat, said Dolan, who praised the police and the paramedics for their bravery. He said it was the most traumatic scene that the officers had encountered; the first officers on the scene have taken temporary leave.

No shots were fired after police arrived, he said. The officers helped some people out of the building. A SWAT team arrived and began searching the building. They found Engeldinger's body in the basement.
I
n a statement, Engeldinger's parents, Charles and Carolyn, said they will cooperate with authorities, and that their son's struggles with mental illness and withdrawal from his family are "not an excuse for his actions, but sadly, may be a partial explanation."

They said their hearts go out to the victims and their families. "Nothing we can say can make up for their loss."

Engeldinger's uncle said that, along with the grief for all the families involved, they're also consumed with puzzlement.

"He wasn't a monster, he wasn't evil, he wasn't a bad guy," Joseph Engeldinger said.

This is why we need more funding more mental health care, treatment, and research.  Innocent people should not have to die because of a lunatic.  We all know Ronald Reagan slashed funding for mental health care.  He even said it was the family's problem and their responsibility.

The Affordable Health Care Act does include provisions for mental health and behaviorial disorders, and well as addictions.  Thank you President Obama!

If Reagan wasn't such an asshole six people in Minnesota, 27 in Colorado, seven in Wisconsin, 33 at Virginia Tech, and six in Tucson, AZ would still be alive.

My prayers and thoughts go out to the victims, their families, others wounded in the shooting, and the shooters family.

Mitt Romney pushed for reduced value on home so he could get a tax cut

From CBS News

As Democrats press Mitt Romney to release a more extensive picture of his tax history, a new report from the Los Angeles Times suggests that Romney and his wife Ann made multiple attempts to have the value of one of their multimillion dollar homes reassessed, which allowed them to save on property taxes on the house.

According to the Times, the Romneys paid $12 million in cash for a beach-front house in La Jolla, California, in 2008. Just seven months later, the couple appealed to San Diego County for the house to be reassessed at a value of $6.8 million. A little more than a year later, they amended that appeal to $8.9 million, after hiring an attorney. In the 2010 tax year, the Romneys requested a reduction in value to $7.5 million.

The value of the house was ultimately valued downward by the San Diego County Assessment Appeals Board, though by much less than the Romneys' initial appeal: In 2001, the board reduced the 2009 assessment to $11.4 million, according to the Times, and in 2010 its value was reduced to $10 million.
In 2011, the county automatically reassessed the house to $8.7 million.

As a result of the multiple reductions, the Romneys saved about $109,000 in taxes over four years.

At the time of the Romneys' appeals, the U.S. economy, along with the housing market, was in turmoil - and property values were dropping all over the country. It's not unusual in such cases that homeowners would request a reassessment, or that the county itself would lead the charge in doing so. According to the Times, 250,000 San Diego County homes have been reassessed since the housing market crash.
The information about the Romneys' activities in attempting to have their house reassessed sheds a glimmer of light on the couple's financial history, as Democrats continue to hammer the presidential candidate over his decision to release only two years of tax returns ahead of the November election.

The Romney campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Tips & Advice About Insurance

5 Things to Consider About Health Insurance

View of the current hospital as more and more congested. Therefore, various diseases come and go which makes people even more vulnerable to attack. Ranging from mild such as a runny nose or cough, to very risky as cancer, as more and more familiar with our society.

Therefore, the portion of medical and health care should be a priority now. Therefore, if at any time sick, sometimes the cost is not small. Moreover, if it had to do surgery or medical treatment due to a variety of dangerous diseases.

Therefore, the health insurance needs to be considered. Because, at the time of the emergency, health insurance will be the solution in terms of financing and hospital care.

However, there are some things to consider before choosing a health insurance. Here are some things that need to be understood more ..

1. Consider the track record of the insurance companies that offer health insurance. It is important to know how condition of the company, professional firms, and its services over the years. The more bona fide and good history of the company, usually the better the various types of insurance offered.

2. Learn and find out more about how the insurance company's network to hospitals there. Primarily, the pain is all around us and the hospital has facilities for serving a wide range of diseases.

3. Know what kind of health care that are covered by insurance. For example, if a critical illness cover as      heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Then, if also serves hospitalization and / or treatment of the road. Also, get also related information about the claim payment. By knowing this, we would be more assured when choosing insurance.

4. Understand all the written agreement of the policy, especially that we receive. For example, what classes will be given to us, when to begin the coverage period, and various other things that will bind us when choosing insurance. Do not hesitate ask the people who know if you do not know what is in one grain agreement. Including, for example, whether the money could be paid if in some period of time does not occur claim.

5. Health insurance is one solution. But, the real key solution is to stay fit. Therefore, The best step is to keep in shape and trying to distance themselves from a variety of sources of disease.

Mondial Assistance Group

Mondial Assistance is a leading international travel insurance, assistance and personal services company. It has a staff of 10,920 people and works throughout the world with a network of 400,000 service providers and 180 correspondents.

The Group has operations in 29 countries on 5 continents and was created in the year 2000 following the merger of Elvia (founded in Switzerland in 1950) and SACNAS-Mondial Assistance (founded in France in 1974). Mondial Assistance is part of the Allianz group, Europe’s leading insurance company.

Their U.S. operations are based in Richmond, Virginia. On Wednesday, February 1st, 2012, Mondial USA announced it would change its name to Allianz Global Assistance, in honor of its parent company.

Industry : Travel & Automotive services
Products : travel insurance, travel assistance, event ticket cancellation, roadside assistance, automotive extended warranty, CRM services to automotive manufacturers, telematics, home and property assistance, healthcare assistance, disease management and patient support.
Website : www.mondial-assistance.com

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)

AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over ... dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age," which "provides a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members."

History

Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus founded AARP in 1958. AARP evolved from the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), which Andrus had established in 1947 to promote her philosophy of productive aging, and in response to the need of health insurance for retired teachers. After ten years, Andrus opened the organization to all Americans over 50, creating AARP. Today, NRTA is a division within AARP. Dr. Andrus founded AARP while living in Ojai, California, where she had established an innovative new retirement home named Grey Gables. Ojai served as national headquarters for AARP from 1958 until the mid-1960s. Honors to Dr. Andrus include National Teacher of the Year in 1954, induction into the Women's Hall of Fame and, more recently, a medallion placed on the Points of Light Institute's "Extra Mile Pathway" in downtown Washington, D.C. According to Andy Rooney, AARP was established by Leonard Davis, founder of the Colonial Penn Group insurance companies, after he met Ethel Percy Andrus.

According to critics, until the 1980s AARP was controlled by Mr. Davis, who promoted its image as a non-profit advocate of retirees in order to sell insurance to members. After a lengthy competitive bidding process, AARP shifted the insurance contracts made available to members to Prudential in 1980. In the 1990s, the United States Senate investigated AARP's non-profit status, with Republican Senator Alan Simpson, then chairman of the United States Senate Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy, questioning the organization's tax-exempt status in congressional hearings. According to Charles Blahous, the investigations did not reveal sufficient evidence to change the organization's status, though in an interview years later by the Des Moines Register, Senator Simpson remained "troubled by AARP's practices", calling AARP "the biggest marketing operation in America and money-maker" and an organization whose practices are "the greatest abuse of American generosity I witnessed in my time in the U.S. Senate."

The organization was originally named the American Association of Retired Persons, but in 1999 it officially changed its name to "AARP" (pronounced one letter at a time, "ay ay ar pee") to reflect that its focus was no longer American retirees. AARP no longer requires that members be retired, but be at least age 50; it does not extend full membership privileges to applicants who are retired but not yet 50.

Health care

AARP has been active in health care policy debates since c. 1960 and its recent engagement is a reflection of this long-standing involvement.

AARP's public stances influenced the United States Congress' passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, which authorized the creation of Medicare Part D, in 2003, and also influenced the Congress by resisting radical changes to Social Security in 2005. AARP also addressed health care issues in their campaign targeting the 2008 elections with Divided We Fail.

Health insurance

Approximately seven million people have AARP branded health insurance, including drug coverage and Medigap, as of April 2007 and AARP earns more income from selling insurance to members than it does from membership dues. In 2008, AARP plans to begin offering several new health insurance products: an HMO for Medicare recipients, in partnership with UnitedHealth Group; and a PPO and "a high-deductible insurance policy that could be used with a health savings account" to people aged 50–64, in partnership with Aetna. AARP will likely become the largest source of health insurance for Medicare recipients, and AARP estimates the new products will increase its health insurance customers to 14 million by 2014.

AARP is not an insurer and does not pay insurance claims. Instead, AARP allows its name to be used by insurance companies in the sale of insurance products, for which it is paid a commission like an insurance agent.

Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in 2008 that the "limited benefit" insurance plans offered by AARP through UnitedHealth provided inadequate coverage and were marketed deceptively. One plan offered $5,000 for surgery that may cost two or three times that amount.

AARP does a "thriving business" in marketing branded Medigap policies. As of October 2009, Medical care reform contained a proposal to trim an associated program Medicare Advantage, which was expected to increase demand for Medigap policies. However, as cited above, AARP also brands a Medicare Advantage plan (MedicareComplete), and would also be subject to cuts under health care reform.

Report: Mitt Romney threatened to boycott the Presidential debates

From the Examiner

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has gone through its fair share of ups and downs, but now the former CEO of Bain Capital has thrown an alleged hissy fit over the 2012 presidential debates.

After last week's announcement revealed the moderators for the upcoming presidential debates, criticism and praise was expected. The biggest news coming out of the debate selections was that a woman would be moderating the historic event for the first time. CNN's Candy Crowley was given the nod to make history and the reaction was mixed. Many liberals were upset that Crowley often leans the right, but the louder attacks came from conservatives who believe Crowley is too liberal. African-American and minority groups also showed that they were upset by voicing their displeasure at the lack of ethnic diversity in the selections made.


While liberal and conservative groups aren't exactly happy over the moderators selected, the biggest outrage came from the soon to be Republican nominee himself, Mitt Romney. According to the New York Times, the Romney campaign threatened to boycott the presidential debates if any host from MSNBC was chosen. After the conservative news channel, Fox News, was told that they wouldn't be selected to host any of the debates, the backlash from the Romney campaign came fast and furious.


MSNBC is often criticized by Republicans and conservatives for being a Democratic leaning network, but there are differences between them and Fox News. MSNBC promotes itself with the slogan "lean forward" and advertise a more progressive line of thinking. Though the prime time hosts on MSNBC are "left leaning," they don't hide it and openly admit it. Not all the hosts at MSNBC lean to the political left as former Republican Representative, Joe Scarborough, hosts a three-hour show every morning and far right conservative, S.E Cupp co-hosts "The Cycle" each weekday at 3pm.


As MSNBC admits to their progressive stance, Fox News continues to promote themselves with the catch slogan, "Fair and Balanced." Despite a few centrists being promoted as "liberals," Fox News continues to showcase radical conservatives ideology through the likes Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly.


Even though he is out-raising the president through conservative super PACs and announced the young Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate, Mitt Romney is still trailing President Obama in the most recent polls. With the hope now gone that the conservative network would give him a national platform to shine, Mitt Romney and his campaign have no choice but to go back to the drawing board.

What a fucking crybaby!

Mitt the shit sounds like the kid who threatens to take his ball and go home if he can't win.  He really is spoiled isn't he?

Mitt Romney's America

This is why sex education is so important

Antonio Cromartie a football player with the NY Jets has ten kids with eight women living in six states.

His wife is expecting twins so by the end of 2012 he will have a dozen kids with eight women.

This guy has 30 kids with eleven women

This woman has had 15 abortions.

A teenage girl in the UK has had eight abortions

And the Republicans want to cut funding for sex education and birth control.

Sorry Bristol and Willow Tim Tebow doesn't want you

From Radar Online

Tim Tebow may not have a Super Bowl ring but there's no denying that the newest addition to the New York Jets has a smoking hot body!

The controversial Christian quarterback swapped talking game plans on ESPN for a sizzling photo shoot with Vogue magazine, where he showed off his killer 6'3" physique and impressive strength by pushing a tire that was bigger than he is.

Inside the glossy magazine, Tebow, 25, opened up about his picky approach to women. “I’ve been blessed to have an amazing mom and two amazing sisters—so they set a very high standard,” said the self-confessed virgin.

“Obviously looks play a big part. Being attracted to someone plays a big part, but there’s also so much more than that for me. It’s about finding someone sweet and kind—and that has a servant’s heart," he explained.

"It’s about finding a girl who likes me for me, and not because of what I do or who I am or the name."

Born in the Phillipines to Baptist missionary parents and raised in Florida, the former Gators phenomena has been open about his desire to save sex for marriage despite having a flood of beautiful women volunteering to be his first.

I have a feeling when Tim says "servant's heart" it means a submissive woman.  I think Tebow is hot and would love to roll in the hay with him, but doesn't mean I want to marry him because I will not be submissive.

Back to the Palins.  Sorry Bristol and Willow, Tebow isn't interested in you for two reasons.  One neither one of you has a servant's heart, submissive or not, and two neither one of you are virgins.

Oh and Sarah don't bother saving Piper for Tim either.  And I don't think he wants a wrinkled old hag like you.

Way to go Julianne Moore and the producers of Game Change!

From USA Today

"Wow, I feel so validated because Sarah Palin gave me a big thumbs down," said Moore with a big grin. 

Ouch!

I bet a certain refrigerator in Wasilla is gonna get it when Sarah gets home.

Game Change was also honored with the Emmy for outstanding miniseries or movie. It also won Emmys for writing for Danny Strong and directing for Jay Roach.

Did Life's a Tripp or Stars earn Stripes even get nominated?  Oh I know the answer to that one.

Tonight Bristol Palin will roll around on the floor, shake her tits and dry hump Mark Ballas

Season 15 of Dancing with the Stars premiers tonight.  For some odd reason they let Bristol back on as an "all-star".  Emmitt Smith is an all-star.  Bristol is not.

Hopefully the producers will do the world a favor and give her the bounce tomorrow.  But I doubt it.

Troll comments Sept 16-22

Ann Romney's $900 shirt Anonymous September 18, 2012 11:40 AM Stop encouraging class warfare. Remember that people who live in poverty do not run for office. One has to have money, and those people with money, REGARDLESS of how it's acquired, are no less human. Why is this a hard concept to understand? Why do liberals automatically believe that ALL wealthy people were born that way? VERY FEW wealthy people were born that way. Romney's never hidden his status. You cannot multiple wealthy by dividing it among people. You cannot give to those who don't work for money without taking from those who work for their money.

Anonymous September 18, 2012 11:45 AM You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealth out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them; and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation. - - - - Many examples of this in history. DO NOT LET THE US BE ONE THAT FOLLOWS SUIT. S

how us some examples Krusty. BTW do you have a job? I do.

What's up with all the lawsuits against the Palins getting dropped

Levi's custody case was dropped due to "inactivity"

And why is Rex Butler still Levi's spokesperson?

Stephen Hank's defamation lawsuit was dropped as well.

Who are the Palins paying off this time?

Since President Obama took office threats against Democrats have increased

A coffin was placed in front of Missouri Rep Russ Carnahan's house

New York Rep Louise Slaughter received a phone message threatening sniper attacks against lawmakers and their families. A brick was thrown through her office window in Niagara Falls.

Arizona Rep Gabby Giffords office was vandalized, then she was nearly assassinated several months later.

Virginia Rep Tom Perriello's brother had a propane line from a grill cut.

Michigan Rep Bart Stupak received several threatening phone calls.

Then there was this:

Minnesota Rep Betty McCollum received a death threat her proposal to strip Pentagon sponsorship from NASCAR teams.

My second least favorite ex-Gov Tim Pawlenty has now joined the Republican quitting team

From Yahoo! Tim Pawlenty quit as co-chair of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign on Thursday to become one of Wall Street's top lobbyists in Washington. Pawlenty, a former governor of Minnesota, will lead the Financial Services Roundtable.

The move came with Romney's campaign struggling to find its stride with just seven weeks left before Election Day. Polls show the former Massachusetts governor running neck and neck with President Barack Obama in a contest both sides predict will be very close. But Romney's campaign has been grappling with a video showing him seemingly writing off Obama supporters as having a "victim" mindset and being reliant on government handouts. And Republicans outside the campaign have been grumbling that the campaign needs a shot in the arm.

"It is an honor to call Mitt and Ann my friends," Pawlenty said in a written statement released by the Romney campaign. "As the campaign moves into the home stretch, he has my full support and continued faith in his vision and his policies." "Tim Pawlenty is a dear friend," Romney said in the same statement. "He's brought energy, intelligence and tireless dedication to every enterprise in which he's ever been engaged, and that certainly includes my presidential campaign.

"While I regret he cannot continue as co-chair of my campaign, his new position advancing the integrity of our financial system is vital to the future of our country," Romney said. "I congratulate him."

Romney passed over Pawlenty in his search for a vice presidential candidate, eventually settling on Congressman Paul Ryan. Pawlenty had been discussed as a possible running mate for Sen. John McCain in 2008, but the veteran lawmaker picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin instead.

Wish he had quit back in 2007 before the I-35W Bridge Collapse. Now that Mitty needs a co-chair, why not pick Sarah Palin? She has lots of experience you know. 

Foreign relations-she can see Russia from her house 

Military experience-her son is a non combat vet 

Very well educated-attended five different college 

A people person-was the lone member of the Welcome Glen Rice to Alaska committee 

A visionary-check out her crosshairs map! 

Financial Guru-she got the RNC to pay for her clothes and her fans to pay for her vacations 

Family values-made sure she got married before her oldest was born (snark)

Advocate for special needs kids-uses a kid as a prop

Health Insurance, solutions for the self-employed

Individual health insurance is very necessary for you as an entrepreneur, for those of you who run your own business is different from those working as employees in a company because usually employees of a company (especially a large and established companies) usually obtain health insurance from work place they work, so they are not too worried for hospital care cost problem when their health impaired, because all or most of the cost of hospital care costs will be covered by health insurance.

Moreover, an employee also has a relatively fixed income every month while you are running your own business is certainly earning his monthly erratic, sometimes a lot more can ya loads but when more slack may be ngak no income at all.

For that is where the role of "individual health insurance" should be utilized because as you know insurance is where you transfer your risk is halal including the risk in terms of your health, which means that you can set aside a small portion of your funds for the unexpected things in this case is the risk your health in the future.

You always try to maintain your health and fitness, but when health is compromised at least you got a handle "individual health insurance" that will cover all your costs start from when you are sick until you are out of the hospital, there are even insurance companies that provide all facilities cost of care after hospital discharge borne by "individual health insurance", yeah well everything fits that bill to a maximum of 90 days after hospital discharge.

Facilities provided by "individual health insurance" as it is of course very suitable for you, because it can be when you're drag income and uncertainty you have health problems? if you do not have health insurance will definitely be quite a hassle you and your family of course, and you certainly do not want to pester your wife or child is not? especially until they had plaintively ask someone for help?

How to Easily Design Your Own Retirement

What do you think about your retirement future?


Is not that age should we stay break and enjoy the old days? So how in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement so as not troubled by financial problems? And what should be done in a productive age in order to be able to retire in peace? The solution: Prepare everything from now on!

Open an account for old age / retirement is one of the solutions to anticipate the financial problems that may occur during retirement. In general, we work from the age of 25 years up to 55 years usi. Assuming we reach the age of 75 years, the life span of 50 years (75-25) must be financed from the income for 30 years (55-25) works. This means income for 1 month should be used to finance 1.7 months of life during (obtained from the 50 divided 30).

So in conclusion, on the basis of the above data we can not spend all the income in the first month. We must set aside some revenue for the "provision" in the old days later. Having investments such as pension insurance will help to realize you achieve a prosperous retirement, in addition to the pension insurance will also minimize the financial problems that may occur. Maybe you'll be wondering how it works Pension Insurance, and how to obtain such insurance.

Insurance Education a Solution for the Future of Children

Children are a priceless gift from God, and our job as parents is to give the best to him. The best gift for a child is when he earned the right as a child, the best education.

Meanwhile, the cost of education has increased an incredible height. Let us recall, some time ago, when we (the parents) are still in school, how much do we spend? Is the cost the same, are able to educate our children? Let's figure out how much you should prepare for your child. Assumption: Your child is now 1 year old, there is still 17 years until he entered college.

Do not forget to also calculate the cost of other equipment such as tuition fees, living expenses, tuition fees and other components, which have not been considered above. 

We have 3 options:

 1. You do something

 2. You do not do anything

 3. You do everything

Ann Romney channels her inner Sarah Palin

From Politico News Sept. 20, 2012 Ann Romney is showing her dark side when asked in on a radio show in Iowa and has a message for the Republican Party: “Just Stop It!!” t is quite a switch from her speech at the Republican National Convention where she appeared to our softer side, and said she was speaking from the heart. On that night, she tried to give the nation a picture of her husband as Mr. Fix it, and if anyone can fix this economy “Mitt can do it and he will not fail”. The sales pitch didn’t work very well, and critics said her speech didn’t make the sale.

Tonight, both Mitt Romney and Ann Romney are in Iowa, trying to appeal to the left over voters who haven’t already made up their minds. Within the last week, Romney’s campaign hit the rocks and sank with the release of a video tape of a private fundraiser that occurred in Boca Raton, Florida at the home of a very wealthy hedge fund manager, Marc Leder.

Ann Romney told her fellow Republicans to “Just stop it” and how lucky the party should feel that Mitt Romney is their nominee.

Peggy Noonan a long time speech writer and a woman who has been in Republican races since Reagan wrote that “it is time for an intervention” in the Romney campaign. B

illy Kristol another conservative and editor of the Weekly Standard wrote that Romney’s comments at the fundraiser were “arrogant and stupid”.

The knives have surely come out against Mitt Romney because his campaign is crashing in a downward spiral. But Ann Romney topped it off with a stern warning to the GOP and some pretty cutting remarks to conservatives:

 “Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it? Get in the ring” in a very tense, and terse tone she admonishes those who dare criticize her husband.

“This is hard and, you know, it’s an important thing that we’re doing right now and it’s an important election and it is time for all Americans to realize how significant this election is and how lucky we are to have someone with Mitt’s qualifications and experience and know-how to be able to have the opportunity to run this country.”

 How lucky we are to have Mitt Romney. “It’s nonsense and the chattering class…you hear it and then you just let it go right by,” she told Radio Iowa. “…Honestly, at this point, I’m not surprised by anything.”

The chattering class? Is that like the people who’s votes you are trying to get? Now we are in a chattering class? Exactly, how low on the class rating system is the chattering class. When we get a copy of the audio we’ll post it here, unfortunately it is not yet available.

What is it with the 2012 Rich Republican FLOTUS wanabees? Ann is a bitch. Callista Gingrich is a bitch. Anita Perry is a bitch. Marcus Bachmann is a bitch. ANNtoniette makes Barbara Bush look human. And that is no easy task. Laura Bush never acted like this. Neither did Nancy Reagan and Cindy McCain. And on the Democrats side Hillary Clinton, Tipper Gore, Teresa Kerry, and Michelle Obama were much more likeable.

Mitt the Shit's campaign is imploding

I thought he hit an all-time low with his comments about the violence in North Africa last week, but now he is in hell:

Mitt Romney was in bed with Sarah Palin

He was in bed with Sarah Palin at one point

From Huffington Post

Sarah Palin is now busting Mitt Romney's chops whenever she can for not having sufficient "conservative instincts" in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination. She also has ruffled his feathers a bit by raising the specter of a brokered GOP convention in Tampa.

But during Palin's successful 2006 gubernatorial campaign in Alaska, both Palin's and Romney's political ambitions converged while Romney was still the governor of Massachusetts and then serving as Chairman of the controversial Republican Governors Association (RGA). They were a veritable Bonnie and Clyde on the campaign trail.

During the final weeks of her campaign in September of 2006, Palin was the beneficiary of a $107,000 television advertisement campaign paid for and produced by the RGA. The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) later fined the RGA (with Romney at the helm) $26,600 for two separate activities related to Palin's gubernatorial campaign and warned that the fine could have been levied as high as $6 million. The fines levied by APOC against the RGA were for distributing campaign mailers within 30 days of the election, and because television advertisements the RGA produced featuring Palin were obviously broadcast for partisan purposes.

The RGA television ads went negative on Palin's chief opponent in the race, former Democratic governor Tony Knowles. One of them featured Knowles walking backwards in slow motion. The ad also contained footage of Palin jauntily leaving an Anchorage hotel that clearly looked staged--and that's because it apparently was, according to Palin's former director of boards and commissions, Frank Bailey, who worked closely with her on the campaign.

Such outside advertising campaigns are common, but Alaska election law strictly requires that there be no "coordination" between the candidate and their campaign with the so-called "527 group" organizing and producing the ads.

Both Palin and Romney escaped any personal accountability for the questionable activities of their respective organizations. But leaked emails from the Palin campaign reveal that there was, in fact, coordination between Palin's campaign, Romney and the RGA--which is illegal under Alaska campaign laws--though in respect to the issue of "coordination," APOC dismissed the complaint and issued no sanctions.

The tell-tale emails were originally leaked to me by a former Palin campaign adviser for my book The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power. I included excerpts from them in my Prologue in a passage that focused on Palin's "pathology of deceit." The emails were also referenced in a book by Bailey entitled Blind Allegiance.

In his book, Bailey, who was once dubbed Palin's "hatchet man," provides further corroboration of the coordination between Palin's campaign and the Romney-chaired RGA. Bailey devotes two chapters to what he concedes was an "illegal" enterprise. He acknowledges that he was first contacted by RGA go-betweens as early as August of 2006, and that he was aware that any coordination between the two organizations would be in violation of state election laws--and that he stated as much to others in the campaign. (Bailey also contends that someone who worked on the production later confided in him that coordination had taken place.)

On August 28, Palin's friend and campaign co-worker Ivy Frye sent out an email to Palin's campaign team, including Palin, that she "just got a call from the [RGA] inquiring about who our campaign legal council [sic] is? Hmmm." A meeting was scheduled between Palin and Romney the following day at the Anchorage airport, only to have it broken by Romney. But various operatives for the RGA--including Romney--continued to reach out to the Palin campaign.

On September 6, 2006, Palin's close confidante and campaign manager Kris Perry sent out an email (pdf) to Palin noting that she had spoken directly to Romney:

Had a nice conversation w/Governor Romney. He'd like to speak with you directly and we'll try to make that happen in the next day or so. He's traveling in the morning but will give me a call once he reaches his destination. Bottom line: they are very interested in this Governor's race and are supportive of your candidacy. They want to support financially and are exploring the most effective means of doing so. I explained to him what we're facing here in Alaska with our own Republican Party and $$.

According to Bailey, Palin at the time "didn't even have a clear idea" who Romney was and apparently thought that Romney's first name was "Milt," not Mitt.

Less than a half-hour later, Perry then sent out yet another email to the campaign's inner circle, also including Palin, indicating "it's important that we keep each other in the loop" about RGA activities and further indicated that she was "putting together a list of potential businesses/contacts for the RGA for the purpose of fundraising"--in other words, more coordination.

Others in Alaska were also coordinating on behalf of Romney and the RGA. Kristopher Knauss, who had worked as Frank Murkowski's policy director, emailed Bailey that "the RGA will be in Anchorage next week and a poll is going into the field in the next 48 hours," and that he wanted to give "you [Bailey] and Sarah a heads-up" about RGA activities.

Once the illegal television advertisements began to air in late September, Tim Barry, then serving as communications director for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, sent Frye and Palin a lengthy email entitled "RGA," in which he advised that Palin not engage media queries about the ad: "I strongly urge you to respond NOT by having the candidate address the issue. Someone lower down in the campaign should tell reporters that the campaign has asked the RGA to stop running the ads...while pointing out that Sarah has no control over them."

On October 4, Palin weighed in on the ads herself via an email to her campaign team. She auditioned what would be her duplicitous public response: "'I would not have mentioned Tony had this been our production. And I would have spun it all more positively.' Whaddya' think?" Then she relayed a discussion taking place in the Palin household about the ads:

Bristol and Willow are arguing it now - W [Willow] says it's totally negative and to 'delete it now, Mom!' and B [Bristol] says, 'Hey, it's free publicity.'
According to an APOC representative I spoke to prior to the release of my book, the Palin campaign emails never surfaced during their investigation. Bailey and other campaign staffers did not make them available at the time. Had they been, it might have provided a different outcome to the APOC investigation on the matter of "coordination." According to attorneys in Anchorage, the statute of limitations on Alaska campaign laws at the time of the Palin-RGA violation was one year. Today it is five.

Those working in the Knowles campaign suspected that there had been coordination between Palin and the Romney-led RGA all along. "After everything we have learned about Sarah Palin since 2008," said then-Knowles campaign manager Leslie Ridle, "I think Alaskans see this as another disappointment but certainly not a surprise. She talks a lot about 'country first,' but the more we see of Sarah Palin, the more she brands herself as 'Sarah first.' It's no surprise at all."

Mitt this is what you get when you rub elbows with Sarah.  Now your campaign is dying, your getting your ass kicked in the polls, and the public perception of you is not good.  Save face and drop out now.

Ann Romney's $900 shirt

From the Washington Post

Does Ann Romney wear her $990 designer shirt while driving one of her two Cadillacs?

The very wealthy Mitt and Ann Romney have often been painted as out of touch with average Americans.

Ann’s pricey shirt will not help her husband change those perceptions, no matter how many Laundromat photo ops are on the campaign’s daily itinerary.

On Tuesday Ann wore a colorful silk T-shirt with a large bird print by Reed Krakoff during an interview with her and her husband on CBS’s “This Morning.” Fashion blogs quickly tracked down the “The Reed Audubon Silk Shirt” and noted the whopping price tag.

A representative of the fashion house told ABC News that the shirt is off-the-rack and it had not been a gift to Ann Romney from Krakoff.

“We had nothing to do with it,” the Krakoff rep said. “She must have bought it from Saks or Bergdorf’s. We definitely didn’t send it to her.”

The rep added: “It's 100 percent a Reed Krakoff shirt, but we 100 percent didn't send it to her. We don't get involved politically.”

Ann Romney’s wardrobe choice could haunt the campaign indefinitely. If it were a solid color, the designer tee might have been forgotten after awhile. But the yellow bird print is unique enough to become emblematic of wealth that most Americans could only wish to have.

President Obama’s allies have downplayed Ann Romney’s wardrobe. choice. Bill Burton, former deputy press secretary under Obama, said, “I’m of the view that Ann Romney should be off-limits,” Burton said. “…I remember in 2007 and 2008 when people would go after Mrs. Obama. I was enraged about it.

Because you never know if they even signed up for this willingly. They may just be supportive and along for the ride.”

The Obama campaign may be playing nice, but that doesn’t mean the American people will. Will the $990 T-shirt remind people of past presidential faux pas, such as John McCain’s confusion in 2008 about how many houses he owned?

McCain’s daughter Meghan, an MSNBC contributor, said Wednesday night on host Lawrence O’Donnell’s “The Last Word,” that Ann should be a bit more careful in her choices.

 Some Americans might be thinking that the $1,000 spent on one shirt could help them out with a house payment or buy necessities at Walmart. Others are counting exactly how many T-shirts that amount would buy at Target, where first lady Michelle Obama said she often shops.

Certainly, Michelle Obama has been criticized for her wardrobe choices, from expensive sneakers to designer ball gowns at state dinners. Should she have worn those $540 sneakers to a food bank last year? Hmmm, no.
I
n any political campaign, every detail must be taken into consideration, especially when the candidate is already battling an image of a great affluence in a shaky economy. Alone, Ann Romney’s wardrobe faux pas is not monumental. But combined with previous campaign mistakes that have reinforced the Romneys’ image as wealthy patricians, it squeals of tone deafness.

Last week, Mitt Romney encouraged Ohio students to borrow from their parents to start a business. He used the Jimmy John sandwich chain founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, as an example. Liautaud had borrowed $25,000 from his father in order to get his first restaurant off the ground.

How many people have that kind of money lying around to invest in their kid’s start-up?

“She needs to be a little more cognizant of the message she’s trying to put out, just given the economic recession that we’re in and everything that’s going on,” Meghan McCain said.

Ann Romney’s cadillacs got a mention in February, when Mitt said at an event in Detroit that his wife drives “a couple” of the luxury cars.

Last December, Romney made a $10,000 bet with Texas Governor Rick Perry over a disagreement on health care policy. What a high roller that Romney is. Most Americans would make a $5 bet while enjoying a $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon, Mitt.

I’ve written before that the Romneys shouldn’t be ashamed of their wealth. It’s America, after all. Personally,

I’d like to own that Krakoff shirt to wear this weekend to an event. But when a campaign is trying to get down to the common folk level, maybe it’s time to buy something off the rack at a lower-end store.

How Mitt Romney made his fortune

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Troll comments Sept 9-15

Welcome to the world Breeze Beretta Johnston!

AnonymousSeptember 13, 2012 6:08 AM Because they're young and act married out of neediness. Remember, these are people who said months ago that things are BORING with just the two of them. That is the saddest thing imaginable, two 20 yr olds saying life is boring without a baby. And when Sunny posts screenshots of Levi writing he wants to cuddle all night may be sweet to her, but it paints a picture of a boy who seems to feel incomplete without a partner with him. No wonder he's always been the doormat and his girlfriends have been the pants-wearer. Cuddling is fun and all but even Bristol is independent and there is life outside kids. Every mother needs her hobby or resentment will germinate at some point. Levi's interesting. Typical redneck who didn't care for school growing up, always hunted and used it as escape, hasn't seemed close to mom since his sister would complain about not receiving help from him for mom's needs, probably took the divorce hard which would explain his need to lash out at others' families that are still together. He became a father right after his father walked out on his family so his identity was further tied to his girlfriend's family, despite the incessant fighting and instability of the relationship from the start. That would explain his great hurt at the inevitable breakup. He thought he could take his newborn out and be a father away from said baby's home. That illustrates naivete. 1. No new mothers let their baby out of their sight and around people easily who said mother has never gotten along with. He's just a kid so subsequent actions shouldn't be harshly judged, but they shouldn't be forgotten. I know a 3 ye old today won't see blogs from now in 18 years, which is obviously positive but I sincerely hope both parties keep both books from the kids. No kid needs to read those lies and fabrications that were meant for public manipulation. And no kid needs to know his parents are liars. Though with all the love he's shown, I doubt it will matter. Tripp will see how much he was loved from his mother's family in his first years. He will look backin pictures and see the great bond he has with his uncles, his aunts, his Nana, his Papa, his doggie, and he will no doubt construe how much emotional pain his father put his mother and maternal family through. On the contrary, I'm sure he'll see the same for his other family. Though he might wonder why his father never behaved maturely and buckled down and started living a mature life THEN, when his son needed him. Those are things Levi has to live with, knowing he chose the wrong path. But Tripp is young and just at the stage where kids start forming actual memories. All that drama won't matter, as long as no one's stupid and keeps pursuing media as an outlet

Anonymous September 13, 2012 5:53 AM Levi's bullied? Really? Because to me, NO human should ever be given a pass for wasting 3 years of their life that was spent trashing others. Objective observation. Yes, the media pitted the two against each other for headlines and THAT continued to destroy Levi's relationship with his son and Bristol, but remember, Levi did NOT have to pursue these trashy opportunities to voice hate and superficial info he admittedly knowns nothing about. And given how there was no public negative mention from the Palin about him (other than at the end of that year with Sarah saying he's lost- true), it makes him all the more ridiculous. All he had to do was get his GED THEN, get a job, and LEGALLY file to see his son. That is not hard and isn't that expensive. But he's young and shortsighted. I just hope Tripp isn't too hurt by his lies and words. Because what Tripp sees daily is NOT what Levi has described. Sure he's a typical boy (Oh how I miss those years. really) But Tripp is one of the most blessed children in the world, apart of an amazing family. And yes, Levi has grown to mirror that and will only add to it. The average judge fights hard to stop custody cases from going to trial and that is why courts highly recommend the two parties settle things without legal intervention. This is no different. This is between 2 kids, not angry, older adults with huge grudges. Both parties have said negative things to date and BOTH have some justification for such things. Neither has shown one deserves full custody over the other though. If they did do the legal route, I think it would stop at the phase where the two parents sit down and chart out a parenting plan. Tripp has a wonderful foundation already. Levi's input will only be a positive influence I imagine. Bristol needed to be reassured that Sunny personally knows that she has no say in Tripp's legal situation of life. The two girls had a civil facebook chat RIGHT BEFORE Levi saw Tripp, where Sunny gave Bristol Levi's number. This is why these things aren't meant for public discussion. Outsiders know nothing,as they're not mindreaders or a member of either party. It took Levi THREE years to START the maturation process from kid to adult. For the first full year of Tripp's life, Bristol was living privately (notice after her 2 intro interviews in Feb and May 09, she fell off grid), working steadily and trying to ignore her ex's stupidity and his path to making him an asshole. It's all there. Ever wonder why Levi says to just ignore his past and think about him now? That is why. I just hope he's being a decent role model for his sister, who could use one, as she's a sadder state of loserville (basic observation by looking at her OWN words and seeing people leave her out of frustration). To Sadie, I know you're a kid, but it is not "normal" to solely live for a nephew and niece. You need a life of your own. I don't care that you still live at home. You're 20. That isn't weird. But I sincerely hope you've stopped lying and are actively creating a life for yourself, as your brother has FINALLY done. I hope youre currently living a life opposite of what I imagine you to be. I have faith you've started to mature in the last few months. And btw, until you outsiders develop a way to read minds and know a person's feelings, please, be adults and dont write ignorant things or judge those you don't know. The world needs no more hypocrisy and double standards. I merely observe and reference people's direct comments. I don't put words in people's mouths and I don't assume stupid things out of hateful bias.

Anonymous September 13, 2012 7:48 AM Stopping pitting people you don't know against each other. That is the very reason things have escalated to where they are today. The media sought Levi's inane, superficial opinions and he stupidly answered their questions, further driving a wedge between he an Bristol and making her distrust him even more than when they were just a high school couple. The blog wars need to stop. They're more pathetic than "mom wars" I see on facebook. People are not to be judged, and parenting is not to be judged. Sunny will soon learn what it's really like to be a mother and not just a babysitter. Bristol went through that. Levi soon will too once he's around a child around the clock for the first time. Let these people live their lives and start rewriting them to erase their past negative actions. These are not your puppets to snark about and denigrate based on superficiality and ignorance. It's TELLING that 2 kids like Sunny and Bristol have a civil conversation and come to an understanding that is followed by quality time between father and son and you, adults who should know better, cannot behave with the same maturity. At the end of the day, the only two people who matter most to Tripp are his parents. Any extended family is icing on his cake. There isn't a more blessed child than Tripp, given the negative circumstances of his conception and the actions of his father that spurned the actions of his mother. But none of that matters. What matters are the irreplaceable smiles on his face daily, the bond between he and his precious uncle Trig, the love between he and "his girl" Kyla, and the first meeting of his sister Breeze. You all don't matter. So I suggest you stop hating.

First pics of Breeze Johnston

Anonymous September 13, 2012 9:33 PM

Tripp does love babies and is a protective, loving little man who's good with babies. Why wouldn't he be? His mother is constantly babysitting her niece, friends kids etc. Like old times. Some people just have it in them and love children. It's just funny how Bristol started the process of turning Levi into a father and after 3 years of jerking off in the media, Sunny cmpleted that process.

My favorite quote (screenshot) from Sunny will always be: (from last November) "I don't want kids for a couple years. Ill just enjoy everyone else's. PLus, Levi's a big baby , I have my hands full with him."

Perfect and typical.She took a risk withi BC and got pregnant. She had the foresight to know once Levi sees Tripp more, she will feel left out in the parenting worlds since Tripp isn't hers. Don't blame her. Alaska's boring and like she said, she and Levi are lost with kids.

Sad. I hope they find a hobby because no human's life should fully revolve around another person.

Krusty got a new blog but now it's set to private

 Anonymous September 15, 2012 4:26 AM

Isn't it irresponsible of you, am intellectually-limited "adult" like yourself to make up a fictional C&D order, continuously write libelous blog posts, continuously post your nonsensical and hateful opinion, and hypocritical for you to accuse others of stalking?

I never actually seen you answer these questions before given your penchant for opining on things. I've only seen you throw out the weak insult that comments like mine are written by 'bots.' I feel sorry for you.

I hope you're learning how to be a human in school. But given how your maturity doesn't seem to be improving, I will just continue to group you in with the people on my prayer list. People who need inner peace and guidance.

Bless you. From one neighbor to another.

By the way, it is comical how you reference this "Palin derangement syndrome" and write at least one post a day exuding pretty advanced symptoms yourself. You need a life and a heart.