Has it been 24 months already!?
‘Till death do us part…unless of course two years down the road we decide to call it quits.’ That could very well be the attitude of citizens in Mexico who are talking marriage if the proposed legislation passes that will allow married couples the option to sign a marriage contract that is only valid for two years. With almost 50% of couples in Mexico City ending in divorce, and a large majority of these divorces happening within the first 24 months, this seems like a fairly logical solution. Why continue to put money in the pockets of divorce lawyers who feed off of the failed marriages of others? But on the flip side, with divorce rates so high, why would a country want to almost encourage the idea that marriage is no longer a lifelong commitment and divorce truly is the norm.
Call me crazy, but I was raised to believe that marriage was a sacred union between two people who planned on spending the rest of their lives together. Now, I understand that times have changed and that the US divorce rate is frequently reported at around 50%, yet I still cannot fathom a law being passed that gives people a cop out after just two years. True, this contract would almost wipe out the ‘messy’ parts of a divorce. Predetermining who gets the kids, the house, the car, etc. would take out a lot of the heartache and unnecessary fighting that so often comes with splitting up, but that still doesn’t make it right.
Thankfully, this legislation is only being discussed in Mexico, but the United States isn’t one shy away from adopting a law from another country that seems to be working. So, that leaves us with this question – if this legislation was being proposed in America, would we pass it?
All Martin Kessman wants to do is enjoy his White Castle burgers in the comfort of a booth at the fast-food joint. The 64-year-old stockbroker from Nanuet, NY is devoted to his White Castle burgers, but has become increasingly mad at the fast-food chain for repeatedly ignoring his complaints about the seating arrangements that don’t seem to support a person of his stature. Weighing in at 290-pounds, Kessman doesn’t think of himself as an exceptionally large man, and claims he hasn’t had any problems finding comfortable seating in other fast-food chains, but White Castle burgers are what his heart desires.
No White Castle for you!
Kessman’s first complaint against the company came in April 2009 when he hit his knee against a table’s metal support. This prompted him to write a letter to White Castle’s headquarters to make it known that there weren’t tables and chairs to accommodate a person of his size. White Castle responded to three of Kessman’s letters, each enclosed with coupons for free hamburgers and a promise to expand the seating.
Apparently enough was enough for Kessman, who is now claiming that the uncomfortable booths that have yet to be fixed are a violation of the civil rights of fat people. Not to be confused with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. So, who is in the right? Should Kessman and others of his size be allowed to use the judicial system to acquire larger booths at fast-food chains, furthering their waistlines? Or, should fast-food chains own up to the fact that it’s their food that is contributing to the ever-growing waistlines of their devoted customers? Either way, White Castle should have at least thrown in a few coupons for hamburgers with cheese.
Is a life without mail any life at all? This is a question you may have to ask yourself after the USPS announced that given the rate of declining first-class mail volume it will be broke by early next year. According to the NY Times, since mail volume has dropped 22% from five years ago, the Postal Service is lobbying Congress for multiple cuts and program changes; among these is the approval to discontinue Saturday mail delivery. The USPS once had pride in their service and adopted the phrase, “neither snow, nor rain, not heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”, originally coined by Herodotus, to describe their commitment to delivery. However, these days it seems that a little bit of snow and ice can stop delivery, and mail was once delivered twice a day, or a dozen times a week, back before the 1950s.
The Postal Service’s current fiscal year ends on September 30, so unless Congress enacts legislation this month to eliminate programs to save the USPS $5.5 billion annually and allow them to cut back on deliveries, then a world without your friendly neighborhood mailman is fast approaching.
So, what does this really mean? These days most packages are being delivered by UPS or FedEx, and many people are receiving their bills online. Does the idea of the USPS going under really raise concerns with a large number of people, or are people more concerned with the ease in which companies and organizations are asking the government for a bailout?
It might be time to say 'adios' to your neighborhood mailman
What happens when one of today’s most controversial clothing companies takes on a star from one of the most controversial television shows on the air? A situation. And that is exactly what Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino has found himself in with Abercrombie & Fitch. Abercrombie is not new to making headlines, except this one comes as a shock since the clothing company is not on the defense for what seems like the first time.
Mike Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame is commonly spotted on the streets and on camera wearing Abercrombie clothes, and what would seem like a match made in heaven has actually become quite the opposite for A&F. A rep for the company commented that they are “…deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image.” It is hard to take a statement like this seriously from anyone associated with a company that parades shirtless male models aro
Now That's a Situation!
und stores, sells thongs to pre-teen girls and had a line of T-shirts sporting what Asian-Americans believe are racial slurs against them, yet someone at A&F thought that being associated with the Jersey Shore phenomenon was bad PR.
I admittedly have caught quite a few episodes of Jersey Shore and can see where a brand such as The Limited might not want to be associated with the likes of Snooki or JWOWW, but I cannot imagine a better spokesperson for Abercrombie than ‘The Situation’. Apparently MTV feels the same and stated that they believe “it’s a clever PR stunt and we’d love to work with them on other ways they can leverage Jersey Shore to reach the largest youth audience on television.”
So put away your guns Abercrombie, taking on the Jersey Shore itself was dumb enough, but with the MTV empire backing ‘The Situation’ you have no chance. Instead, take the cash you were willing to pay ‘The Situation’ to stop wearing your brand and start cranking out more Jersey Shore inspired T-shirts!
Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum minutes after their engagement
As reality TV continues to take the nation by storm and capture the attention of the young and old, season 7 of ABC’s The Bachelorette still manages to reign supreme and tug on our heartstrings. Despite this season’s Bachelorette finale coming in as the lowest-rated Bachelorette finale ever, the show still managed to pull in 9.5 million viewers and win the night for ABC.
Just like any good reality show finale in the past, the August 1 Bachelorette finale was packed with heartache, heartbreak and a happy ending. Millions tuned in to see whether or not Ashley Hebert, previously seen on Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor, would choose 34-year-old construction manager J.P. Rosenbaum or 28-year-old winemaker Ben Flajnik.
Hearts raced and palms were sweaty after Herbert’s sister Chrystie boldly announced that she did not see a future between Ashley and J.P., yet it was the proposal scene between Ashley and Ben that was the real tearjerker. Fans watched as Ben brought chivalry back and got down on one knee to propose before Hebert could upright him and inform him that he was not the one. While many thought this was a slap in Ben’s face, fans could not argue that the proposal scene between Ashley and J.P. was one for the record books, and we said goodbye to yet another season of The Bachelorette as the pair rejoiced on the beach over their engagement.
Fast forward to today, and the duo is still riding the waves of their 15 minutes of fame, appearing on television shows like Good Morning America and Live! with Regis and Kelly. While many couples that are products of this ABC phenomenon have not quite seen much success, Ashley and J.P. seem to be going strong. Who knows, we might just get to see them make it to the alter on an ABC wedding special!
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