What would you do if you won the Powerball Jackpot?

Long lines are becoming the norm in many parts of the country these past few days, as the Powerball Jackpot has swelled to a plump $600 million prize.  It will be the highest payout in Powerball history.  The largest overall jackpot was last year’s Mega Millions Jackpot at $656 million.  I predict this jackpot will exceed that record because of the hype and because unlike the Mega Millions lottery each line of numbers costs $2.  Therefore, the grand total increases that much more dramatically,

Analysts predict that if in the off-chance no one wins tomorrow’s jackpot, the next drawing (Wednesday) could topple $1 billion.  The chances of course are rather minute; but then again so are the chances of the winning to begin with, so anything can happen.

This question of what would you do if you won the jackpot has certainly been a topic greatly discussed at work this week.  I don’t think we are the only ones talking about the possibilities.  We all know we probably won’t win, but it really doesn’t hurt to dream.

Jimmy Kimmel Presents “The Baby Bachelor”

Regular subscribers to Real Talk by now know that I am a fan of late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel.  I think he is funny and I regularly watch his show.  A segment from last night’s show was especially funny.  Jimmy’s brother, Jonathan,  thought of a great spin-off to the popular ABC Bachelor series.

Click “Read More” to watch the video. 

Abercrombie & Fitch Thinks It’s “Too Cool” for “Large Girls” #FitchTheHomeless

This week’s viral video of the week will also serve as my rant of the week.  Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries has caused a stir with his recent, dim-witted comments.  In response to why he the store doesn’t carry a size larger than 10 for women the CEO said it’s because he doesn’t want “fat women” wearing his clothes.  In addition, he thinks only “cool people” should wear his clothes.  Here is an articulate and quite funny video explaining the situation.

Should preventative procedures such as a double mastectomy be covered by health insurance companies?

English: Angelina Jolie at the Cannes film festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As many of you known fame actress Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed in the New York Times discussing her decision to undergo a double mastectomy with an immediate reconstruction.  The news of her elective and proactive procedure opened the dialogue on the subject with a greater intensity than witnessed when previous celebrities discussed the same measure.  Most recently, Giuliana Rancic shared her story of undergoing a double mastectomy after testing positive for breast cancer while undergoing testing for an in-vitro procedure.

Unlike Giuliana, Jolie’s decision stemmed from an entirely preventative positioning.  Her mother died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56.  Angelina tested positive for the BRCA1 gene.  The BRCA1 gene increases the likelihood of the carrier of getting breast cancer up to 70% and ovarian cancer up to 50%.  Jolie stated in her op-ed that she elected to remove her breast tissue so that she could significantly reduce her risk of contracting the disease and potentially dying at a young age.  At least for the sake of her children she wanted to do whatever she could to ensure longevity.  Jolie will soon undergo a procedure to remove her ovaries.

Should Congress enact an “Amazon Tax?”

On May 5^th, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill which would enable states to collect sales taxes due for online purchases.  The bill is facing great resistance from U.S. House Representatives who have vowed to defeat the Marketplace Fairness Act.  New Hampshire and Montana oppose the bill because those states do not impose a sales tax (isn’t that nice).  Most online merchants, except most noticeably eBay and OverStock.com, oppose the bill.

The Senate bill exempts online merchants with annual revenues of less than $1 million.  Some have advocated for the exemption to be raised to $10 million.  Advocates of the bill argue that the current tax structure creates an inherent disadvantage for “brick and mortar” stores.

Charles Ramsey is a hero

Earlier this week, three Cleveland-area women were rescued from their kidnappers.  Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had thought to have been killed by their abductors.  What their families didn’t know was that sick and perverted individuals were keeping the girls hostage for about a decade long.  Charles Ramsey, a neighbor to the resident scumbag who kidnapped the girls, rescued the girls.

Ramsey and Berry called law enforcement.  The other girls were safely removed from the premises and the child molester and his brothers were arrested.  As I have mentioned many times in previous posts I refuse to give these evil-doers anymore publicity.  I am a bit ticked that not only are their names repeatedly mentioned in the media but so are their pictures.  Personally, I don’t need to see their ugly faces one more time.  Our focus should be on the victims and how to prevent these situations in the future.  The unfortunate fact is that there are so many girls in this country that are held against their wills. 

Jeff Bliss, Texas high school student, rant at teacher goes viral

A student rant against his teacher in Texas has gone viral.  Duncanville high school student Jeff Bliss was frustrated with his history teacher’s method of instructing.  As he was being told to leave the classroom Jeff had a few choice words for his teacher.

Justin Kievit, Middle School Wrestler, Lets Boy with Cerebral Palsy Win Match

This week’s viral video is something I saw late last year that I thought was so tremendous that it warranted a posting almost 5 months later.  Justin Kievit is a middle school wrestler.  In a selfless act, Justin let his opponent win his match.  His opponent, Jared Stevens, has cerebral palsy. 

Passion for sports, but where’s our passion for everything else in life?

(Photo by Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)

The above photo is from last night’s game at the American Airlines Arena after Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls was ejected. The Miami Heat defeated the Bulls 115-78 to even up their Eastern Conference semifinals series 1-1.

First off, let me start by saying that I don’t understand this blatant display of tactlessness whatsoever. If this man and woman were my parents I would be so ashamed of them. I would be furious that they acted that way in public towards a professional athlete and I would not hesitate to hit them upside the head. I understand how extremely emotional people get when it comes to sports and cheering on their favorite teams. I’m guilty of getting a bit carried away myself. However, the kind of garbage behavior in the above photo is unnecessary. It’s one thing to boo and heckle at players. People should not think it’s okay to stick their finger in their face; that’s not just limited to professional athletes, you just shouldn’t do that to anyone in general.

Greg Hicks testifies before Congress on behalf of the Benghazi terrorist attack

On September 11^th of last year, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya  was attacked by a terrorist group.  Since the tragedy there have been many different versions of events.  Some politicians have tried to capitalize on the terrorist attack.  Others seek only the truth.  I have closely followed the reports that have emerged through Congress since last year.  I have attempted to share as adequate a picture of the timeline as possible, while maintaining a balanced and fair presentation of the facts.

I have always maintained that I am very hesitant to insinuate the Obama administration of a “cover-up.”  Such an accusation is serious in nature.  I have however, brought forward numerous questions that still almost 8 months later have yet to be announced.  We do know from Congressional testimony from State Department officials that Ambassador Christopher Stevens was denied additional security in the weeks leading up to the attack.