So you're sitting there watching the incredible production that is the X Factor, and while immersed in the drama of this so called vocal competition you think to yourself, "Wait a minute, are they lip syncing?"
Yes, they are. And it's shameful, childish, and embarrassing to reality television. X Factor should be ashamed of running a vocal competition only to put those hopefuls out there like puppets for a dog and pony show with fake animals.
For some reason, during group numbers and many other performances they have the contestants sing in the studio, and use all the studio trickery in the world to optimize their voice, and then play it back on TV while they act like they are singing live.
Come on X Factor, loose the tracks, loose the lip syncing, and replace the host while you're at it. The rest of the show's content and production is way too top notch to stoop to such ridiculousness like lip syncing.
If I was going to grade Herman Cain's response to his accuser's allegations on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give him a 9. He came across very strong in his press conference today. But for a quick recap, let's review the key statements so far.
Sharon Bialek says, "He suddenly reached over... put his hand on my leg, under my skirt, and toward my genitals." She then says that Cain added, "You want the job, right?"
Herman Cain spoke today in a press conference and stated with confidence that Bialek is lying. Three times he said, "I have never been inappropriate with a woman." I do find it interesting that in his language he repeatedly "rejects these claims." For better or worse, the words reject and deny are two different words in my book. I reject gas prices, but they are what they are. But seriously, I knew lots of people in college that viewed their actions as appropriate, when many would easily argue the same actions inappropriate. The choice of words was to grey for the subject at hand.
Still, at this point I error on the side of his innocence. There are just a few things I would have had him say had I been on his team.
At length, Cain described how he and his team watched the allegations on TV "over and over, over and over, and over and over." During that time he says, "I tried to remember, if I recognize her, and I didn't. I tried to remember if I remembered that name, and I didn't."
Now wait a minute. You mean to tell me a woman has come forward and accused him of putting his hand on her leg, up her skirt and then some... and he his racking his brain trying to think, do I know this woman? Have a seen this woman? Do I recognize her? Do I recognize her name?" Really?!
Let me say this. If you're a guy, and you were in a car, and you've been married for 30 years, and you put your hand up another woman's skirt where Sharon says you did.... you're going to remember that. So his thoughts racing to, "do I recognize her" and "do I remember that name" is really something else. Certainly any man, including Cain, can think to himself, "I either did, or did not sit in a car with a woman that I was not married to, and put my hand up her skirt." That either happened, or it didn't. Who cares if you recognize the woman? Who cares if you remember her name? It's the primary allegation that needs refuting.
Why couldn't he have just said, "This claim of me sitting in a car with this woman and putting my hand up her skirt is the dumbest thing I've heard since Obamacare. That never happened. I don't know this woman, and I'm pretty sure I've never even seen her in my life."
It's a tough call to judge at this point. I do think he came off real strong in his press conference, much stronger than I expected. What he said and the certainty in which he said it were very compelling. His strength in answering the reporter's questions was exceptionally strong. But still, at its core, I think he must emphatically deny the actions that he has been accused of. That has to be in addition to him not recognizing her. Without doing that, he isn't slamming the case shut. He's closed the door, but there's still a draft coming in, and it doesn't smell quite right.
What do you think?
Are you one of the thousands of people who can't upload your mobile photos to Facebook through the iPhone app? Rest easy, the fix is here.
The iPhone Facebook app has had a bug for sometime now that yields an annoying error every time you try to upload photos through the app. Error: Your photo could not be uploaded at this time. You can save this photo and try to upload it again later.
However, you can save and try later, but it still won't take it. Until Facebook fixes their iPhone app, you'll have to use the work around fix.
Go to www.Facebook.com/mobile from your iPhone browser. Log in. On the landing screen you will see a link near the bottom left that speaks to uploading photos via email. They will assign you a random email address like blabla123blabla@m.facebook.com. Add a contact in your phone named Facebook and type the assigned email address in as the contact's email. Now, when you view your pictures on the iPhone picture viewer you have the option to email that photo to someone. Email it to your Facebook contact and just put your comment/caption in the subject line and wa-la, it will show up on your wall lickity split.
If you haven't seen these things yet, go ahead and learn what they are and how to use them, because they are the next big thing. These two-dimensional barcodes can be read by a number of devices, but most importantly smart phones like the iPhone and Blackberry. A phone can quickly scan the QR Code (QR = Quick Response) with its internal camera, and that might translate into plain text or take the phone's web browser directly to a URL.
Why is this so important? For one, these square-shaped QR Codes are going to start showing up everywhere. Two, they are free to use and store a LOT more data than the typical bar code. Three, they can be used in so many different ways. Imagine watching a commercial and seeing a QR Code in the bottom corner of your TV. While watching, you might let your phone scan the code from where you're sitting and it could take your phone's browser to a web page with more information about the product, or directly to a screen to buy what you just saw. Or the QR Code could automatically have your phone call a certain number. No typing, just a quick scan and you're off. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of different applications for these things and ease of use and probable adoption by many industries will make it as common as displaying a phone number in the years to come.
Want to try it out? First, download a QR Reader for your smart phone (I use QR App on the iPhone). Then try these below.
Since only a small handful of people have actually read the 2074 page health care reform bill, allow me to paraphrase some of the points given in recent speeches and combine them with the facts of today.
1. Our health care is a broken system and it's bankrupting the American citizen.
Are you sure? I'll give that a maybe, but is it health care that is bankrupting America, or is it the effects of frivolous lawsuits on health care providers? Oh, so it's complicated. Well then if that's the case, let's not throw out broad statements just to make a great sound bite.
But let's assume it is bankrupting America. Does that mean the answer is a government takeover? We all know how good the government is at running things. They couldn't run a small business for 2 months without driving it so far into the ground it would come out on the other side.
2. If you like your current health care plan, you can keep it.
So what I'm being sold is: health care is broken, but if we want to keep our broken health care plan, yes we can. That's about as desperate of a sales speech as I've ever heard. Basically it means they'll spend a ton of money trying to fix something, and if it doesn't work, the people can just stay the course, only with $940 billion less. Now that is an attractive offer... for a MORON.
3. Health care reform will save $1.2 trillion dollars in its second ten years.
Please, please, try not to laugh. In all seriousness, all who believe that raise your hand. What's that? Not raising your hand? I'm shocked. If the government has an example of anything they have done on at least half this scale that saved the money they said it initially would, a bogus pledge like that might actually carry water. But really, $1.2 Trillion dollars? I would love to meet one person who sincerely believes the government can do something this drastic that will save $1.2 trillion dollars. Now keep in mind, $1.2 trillion right now is about $2.4 trillion in 20 years at the current inflation rate. So if in 20 years it saved us $1.2 trillion that's 600 billion in today's terms. So how much is it going to save? I mean since we're lying about numbers anyway, how much is it? $600 billion? $2.4 Trillion? What's it going to be? The government doesn't know what something is going to cost NEXT YEAR, much less at the end of the "second ten years". Who speaks like that anyways? I'm offended that the government treats the people like a bunch of sheep, who can't possibly know what's best for them.
Realistically, this reform will not save the country money. What's that? How do I know? You need proof? Let's take a look at government experience:
The U.S. Post Office was formed 235 years ago. It's broke, subsidized, and can't compete with private UPS and FedEx.
Social Security was formed 75 years ago. It's broke & failing worse each year.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - 72 and 42 years old respectively. They are broke, failing, corrupt, and caused the housing crash and credit melt down of 2008.
Medicare and Medicaid formed 45 years ago and the government has been trying to sweep them under the rug ever since. They are bankrupt failures.
Amtrak was formed 40 years ago. Guess what? It runs at a loss and it was bailed out less than 2 years ago.
So wait, maybe the government has turned over a new leaf. I mean, that's all old stuff right? Maybe we should talk about the $787 billion dollar Stimulus Bill of 2009 which has and will continue to primarily benefit the recipients of non-bid government contracts. And how about Cash for Clunkers? You know, the catch phrase program that stimulated the economy of Japan? Those are all screaming successes right? The stimulus bill fixed unemployment right? What's that, it's worse now? Even worse than Obama said it would be if they didn't pass the stimulus bill? Oh, did anyone tell the government?
Anyone with an IQ over 7 should see a pattern here. Please forgive me if I hear the government say they will spend $940 Billion and save $1.2 trillion while making my health care better when their track record is a resume full of failure.
