I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Bren-2007

Venzuela sounds like a good bet. 

Bren-2007

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=639694&GT1=28103

Glenn Beck's daily Fox show coming to an end!

Rumors have been swirling about Beck's television contract with FOX months -- and his ratings have been fizzling for some time now. Overall, Beck's show is down 35 percent in total viewers in 2011 (averaging 1.9 million over the first seven weeks, compared to 2.93 million last year) and 44 percent in the demo (447,000 vs. 793,000 a year ago). And it has seen nine consecutive month-over-month declines in total viewers, and seven among 25- to 54-year-olds.

Beck's ratings slump was caused by a combination of factors, including a post-election hangover, a cyclical shift to harder news and his absurd views (even for conservatives) on Egypt and the Middle East.

I love the last paragraph!  "... and his absurd views (even for conservatives) ..."

Bren

bluedahlia

He's a nutjob!  So much so that he isn't even good for a laugh anymore.

Bren-2007

I agree Blue .. I don't even get a passing chuckle from him anymore.  Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Bren

covertanjou

Oh dear!  What will we do for fun?  I heard he is going to have his own network.  Here is the info:

 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/26/opinion/26opchart.html

bluedahlia

HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Bren-2007

OMG Mary .. that is so funny!

I read an article that said even his coworkers were making fun of him now.  That's pretty bad when your own kind think you're a joke!

Bren

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/megyn-kelly-glenn-beck-fox-news-baier_n_845684.html

covertanjou

Bren, that is so funny!  Didn't take long for his colleagues to throw him under a bus. 

bluedahlia

I wonder if Angelina is supporting her dad?  I doubt it!

crazy4carrots

Bristol Palin Responds: Legally Required Nonprofit Disclosure Part Of An Anti-Palin Conspiracy

Yesterday, several major news outlets reported that Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin’s celebrity daughter, was paid $262,500 for work at an abstinence nonprofit called the Candie’s Foundation. ThinkProgress reviewed the Candie’s Foundation 990 forms and found that the nonprofit spent only $35,000 in grants to health clinics and teen counseling organizations — meaning that Bristol’s salary from the nonprofit was seven times the amount spent on actual teen pregnancy prevention.

Speaking with E! Online, anonymous representatives for Bristol responded to the story. A spokesperson claimed that the Candie’s Foundation disclosure was somehow engineered by an “anti-Palin organization that says Trigg isn’t Sarah Palin’s son”:

“She shot PSAs, print and Internet ads and did town hall meetings, as well, and the money she made was an accumulation of all of that. This is not out of the ordinary for a celebrity to make an income off of a charity they represent. “If you do your research you’ll find that most nonprofits compensate their celebrity spokespeople and Bristol’s no different.” Furthermore, our Bristol source says, “this is clearly something that was leaked by the same anti-Palin organization that says Trigg isn’t Sarah Palin’s son.”

The spokesperson appears to be referring to the blog “Palingates,” which posted a link to the Candie’s Foundation 990 forms yesterday. However, the 990 form for the Candie’s Foundation is widely available with the IRS, or any charitable foundation database website. For instance, the form can be downloaded by anyone within minutes from websites like Guidestar.com.

A someone who has spent her entire career in the healthcare fundraising arena, I am so, so offended by this.  The Candie's Foundation should have its charitable registration number revoked.   It is INDEED out of the ordinary for celebrities to be paid in this manner and tends to reflect badly on other charities who actually DO expend their donations on the very causes for which they raise funds.

Bren-2007

Linda .. I read an article about this earlier today.  I was stunned to say the least.  And that is the least I can say about this without getting my comment reported.

Bren

konakat

She hardly seems to be an appropriate spokesperson for abstinence!!  And she was paid?!?  A major WTF moment.

crazy4carrots

Is there such a thing as a born-again virgin?

BarbaraA

I think we should be more outraged at Candie's foundation itself. The 3 main officers (between the foundation and related businesses) pulled in > 12M a year. Ridiculous.

http://blogs.forbes.com/elisadoucette/2011/04/06/bristol-palins-compensation-seven-times-candies-foundation-donations-to-charities/

Bren-2007

Morning Barbara .. I read the article you posted.  Apparently Candies is not a charitable foundation at all, but an information foundation.  And Palin delivered the information about teen pregnancy.

I was amazed at how much the big wigs paid themselves from donations.  I guess the only reason they donated $35K to charity is that was all that was left over after salaries. 

From the article:

Also revealed in this document is their reported compensation. Between the organization's compensation, related organizations compensation and estimated compensation these three "pulled in" $12,835,605.

Donations and grants are notably NOT the focus of The Candie's Foundation. The mission statement of the organization, as stated on their filed tax documents, is "to educate America's youth about the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy through celebrity PSA campaigns and initiatives." In the About Us section of their website they write "We are an operating foundation rather than a grant-making foundation."

Palin's pay is an actual business expense IN LINE with the mission of The Candie's Foundation!

Bren

BarbaraA

Yes, appalling. Ms. Palin should have researched her employer. But maybe she needed money to pay for the house she bought in Phoenix. Sickening.

Enjoyful

Hmmmmm well, I guess there's not much we can say about Candies or Ms. Palin then.  If they followed their published mission statement, and they complied with IRS rules re: charitable organizations, then it's a case of "let the donor beware."  As far as Ms. Palin goes, she's just taking advantage of her elongated 15 minutes of fame. 

However, Ms. Palin should not be whining about public information being made more public.  And I certainly won't be donating to Candies.  

Hmmph!  ;-)

E

Anonymous

If you didn't donate to The Candies's Foundation thinking that the money was going to fund clinics and direct teen counseling organizations, why are you "outraged" at how they spend the money that people have donated to have celebrities spread a specific message? 

How have the Palins ever hurt any of you to deserve such venom being flung at them?  How dare they be imperfect?  How dare they learn from their mistakes?  How dare they think to share what they've learned?  How dare they not get beaten down? 

If it is acceptable for a recovering drug addict to warn teens away from using illegal drugs, why is it not acceptable to you for someone who became a teenage mother to speak out about the negative consequences of engaging in sexual activity as a teenager?

Enjoyful

Which venom is that, Pat?  I see no venom, just honest criticism of a "charitable" organization.  And surely you can't be defending Palin's whining?  For a family that champions personal responsibility and big-girl-panty-wearin', they sure do whine a lot.

bluedahlia

That was a nice chunk of change she got for her mistake!

BarbaraA

Yeah, why can't I get a gig like that?

Wabbit

Looks to me like the Candies folks have little more than a scam going.

They draw huge salaries off their foundation ... the public service announcements double as advertisements for their company ... and they can take tax deductions for the whole farce because it's a 'charity'. 

Bristol knows firsthand that just preaching 'don't do that' is a waste of time.  I don't hate her for it but she is just cashing in on her unwed motherhood and her family name any way she can.

The big problem I see here is that her $262,000 is excessive and it stinks of being payola to win political favor(s) for the company.            

Wonder if their donors knew they were really just funneling money to the company and the Palins? 

crazy4carrots

Weren't there sandals called "candies" way back when?  I guess this is the same company.

rosemary-b

I don"t know what to say that won't get me deleted by the moderators, except that there are a lot of different ways to make money...

Enjoyful

I don't think there's anything wrong with what she's doing, but I'm glad I know more so that I don't donate to the Candies Foundation.  Like I said, let the donor beware!

crazy4carrots

Just to set the record straight here: I'm disgusted by the actions of the Candies Foundation.  While I continue to be amazed by the ability of people with no discernable talent to become celebrities by virtue of their parentage, and not their own efforts, it certainly isn't their own fault.  Rather, it's the society we live in.

covertanjou

How can a young girl learn that there are real repurcussions to having a child as a teenager when they see Bristol Palin getting over $200 000, and when the teenage moms of that  reality TV show (I don't even know what it's called) are on the covers of magazines?  The reality is that most children born to teenage mom tend to be poor, not on TV or getting $200 0000.  

Making lots of  money because you got pregnant is not a good example to give young girls. IMO Palin and the other mothers on the reality tv show are bad role models since they show that there is money out there if you "sell" --in many different ways-- your story. Very sad.

rosemary-b

True, Linda. Ratings are what count and if enough people chose to ignore or turn off the tv or not buy the tabloids or not click on internet articles about certain people their fame would be fleeting.

covertanjou

How about the mothers of these young girls telling  their daughters they can't take advantage of this situation?  That making money BECAUSE you are a teenage mom is wrong?  Obviously the moms don't seem to mind how their daughters are making money.

3monstmama

I have big issues with any "charitable" organization or non-profit paying giant salaries to its workers.  I have big issues with any celebrity who demands or accepts big payments in exchange for an appearence.

I agree wholeheartedly that Ms. Palin is an illogical choice for establishing the bad side of premarital sex and single parenting for any young girl-----any young woman who looks at her will only see the jackpot--hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, living independant of family, no having to go to school, running your own life, baby to "love" and who will love you.---whats the downside of getting pregnant?

Most recovering drug addicts or alcoholics who act as spokepeople are not compensated in such a fashion nor do they have luxury lifestyles.