United States and the United Nations disagree over the Internet

Internet governance must not be changed, according to the U.S.

In December, the UN arm of telecommunications will host a conference that should get the UN in control of the Internet. The U.S. and the UN have maintained a fairly cordial relationship over the years. A lot of the developing nations have been critical of this relationship because it is quite easy to see that that the UN will be on the side of the nations that have the most influence and power.

But is this really true? I have lived in the United States and in developing nations too and there are a lot of American citizens who are very caring and want peace and to do for people around the globe. I guess it might come down to education too as most people in the developing world are not aware of a lot of complex topics. As for my own opinion, I have felt that anything the U.S. or the UN does is for a good reason.

Anyway, getting back to the issue of the Internet, the UN wants to have more authority over the future of the Internet and how it grows in foreign markets. It is quite apparent how the Internet is changing lives and telecommunications technologies have made such a great impact on businesses and consumers around the globe. The thing about the Internet is the access that it gives people, regardless of region, to various ideas and information.

The United States wants to maintain the status quo of the Internet as it is beneficial to this country and it is going to be interesting to see what happens.

 

Viewers of the London Olympics witness Jay-Z's 'Made In America' ad

My earlier post was about LeBron James and now it is about his childhood idol, Jay-Z.

Jay Z serves as the narrator in a 'Made in America' commercial that was released by Budweiser and also aired in the London Olympics.

It was a great infomercial for the United States as the true melting pot. It was also a great promotional piece for Jay-Z himself, with him wearing the Brooklyn Nets hat as seen on the picture above.

At the end of the ‘Made in America’ commercial, we see Jay-Z in front of a huge American flag that goes a long way toward showing what a multi-faceted artist he is. All this after Jay-Z voiced his opinions in support of gay marriage that was met with applause from none other than Elton John who wanted to give the rap impresario a big hug.

Budweiser - Makers Of Tomorrow

Jay-Z is now 40-years-old and married to Beyoncé Knowles with a child too so it comes as no surprise that he would take some multi-layered roles in commercials like this. I have truly enjoyed all the albums that Jay-Z has released starting with Reasonable Doubt.

Everyday, I find myself listening to a Jay-Z track of some sort, whether it be one of his hottest ones like ‘99 Problems’ or ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ or his lesser known but still very excellent lyrical ones like ‘Regrets’ or ‘Politics as Usual.’ This ‘Made in America’ festival is definitely hot in the U.S., but I am getting back to watching the Olympic games. But it just goes to show Jay-Z's formidable appeal across cultures and borders that we no longer have to wait for the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl to catch a glimpse of his magic.

Latest cover of SLAM Magazine has LeBron James and the words 'Hi Haters!'

Do you like, love or hate this cover?

LeBron James has been creating headlines across the United States what with him not only winning that elusive first ring but also the NBA Finals MVP. King James loves the SLAM Magazine cover and has even tweeted about it.

But we saw a different LeBron all throughout this season with his bland looks during press conferences and his focus on the game and he was great at getting away from any distractions. I really enjoyed the cover and thought it was great for him to gloat after all he has been through. But I think that the type of criticism he got is typical for any athlete of his stature.

When Michael Jordan wasn’t getting it done in terms of winning a championship ring, there were many critics who stated that he could not play a team game and all he was good for were the high-flying dunks and pretty looking moves that became so common during MJ’s days with the Chicago Bulls.

But I think all the hate came from the whole “The Decision” fiasco because fans loved LeBron and people were rooting for him from day one. It was the way he handled the move with the Big Three to the Miami Heat and how he left his hometown Cleveland fans high and dry that angered many sports fans.

The bottom line is that LeBron James made the right decision for himself when he left Cleveland because he has now put himself in a position to win multiple championships. As for his legacy, only time will tell how he will remembered.

Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has defriended the United States

Almost 1800 Americans actually did the same thing in 2011.

Although the story is circulating that Saverin has decided to renounce his U.S. citizenship to go and live in Singapore for an indefinite period of time in order to save money on taxes, it may actually cost him in the long run according to other sources. Interestingly, this move may actually end up helping the United States.

Although, the number of Americans renouncing their citizenship has risen from 235 back in 2008 to almost 1800 in 2011, it is still very expensive to give up the U.S. citizenship. It’s not something I would do for sure.

And I am still trying to wrap my head around why Saverin did it because he reportedly had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to renounce his citizenship. There seems to be mixed reports, but one thing is for sure and that is that Saverin will make as much as $4 billion in the upcoming Facebook IPO.

Saverin was born in Brazil and was one of the people who helped Mark Zuckerberg to launch the social networking giant Facebook in his Harvard dorm room. Saverin’s reasons for going to Singapore don’t seem to be monetary according to some sources and he actually wants to live there to get better opportunities! He also seems to hate the rules that are imposed on Americans as it pertains to holding money abroad.

There seems to be more conflicting reports to this story even as I write up this blog post. It is definitely something that has got Americans talking.

 

Warren Buffett diagnosed with prostate cancer

One of my biggest idols and a celebrated figure in American finance has prostate cancer

Warren Buffett announced that he has prostate cancer about a week ago and this has made investors in his company Berkshire Hathaway more interested about who will be the successor. This has been speculated for a very long time too. As for the prostate cancer, it is pretty sad news but almost 80 percent of men his age have the disease.

The iconic chairman of Berkshire Hathaway has been very candid about his ailment in comparison to Apple’s Steve Jobs. But then again, this is responsible governance shown by Buffett to ensure that the investors in his company do not misinterpret any frailty they observe in the chairman as a gloomy future for the firm.

Warren Buffett has been known to play the media really well and get the message that he wants across pretty effectively. I know that Buffett has always lived well below his means and has encouraged a pretty frugal lifestyle, but then again he is already such a big celebrity that he really does not need to bring in any more media attention. It is like I told my dad, so what if he drives his own car, he already has a private jet!

Buffett is very well known for his business acumen and his investing smarts and I wonder why he has kept delaying letting the public know about the succession plan of Berkshire Hathaway. It may have something to do with David Sokol who many felt was a successor to Buffett leaving due to an insider trading scandal. Either way, naming a successor brings problems of its own to a company as large as Berkshire Hathaway.

 

Trespasser enjoys the life of a rap star in Diddy’s Hampton mansion

A man breaks in and lives it up in true bad-boy fashion!

Quamine Taylor, who is 30-years-old, was arrested a couple of weeks ago for being an intruder in rap star Sean “Diddy” Combs' mansion. He had lived it up like a rap star in Diddy’s Hampton mansion for as much as 24 hours and enjoyed himself by reportedly wearing the rap impresario’s clothes, eating the fancy food and even sleeping on one of the beds at the mansion.

The intruder has actually been a huge fan of the rap mogul and has stated that this was not the first time that he has trespassed in Diddy’s mansion. Taylor who even raided the bar at the mansion was taken away by cops on April 1 – and this is not an April Fool’s joke – after a caretaker at the house found him sleeping in a bedroom upstairs.

The police report that was filed stated that Quamine Taylor was able to get into Diddy’s mansion through a basement door that was kept unlocked and convinced the alarm company that he was part of Diddy’s entourage. Taylor told the New York Post that he had actually been doing this since the year 2001 and had grown up listening to Sean John Combs music.

The intruder’s mom was reported to have said that Quamine Taylor actually is suffering from a mental illness and is taking some medication too. After being found intoxicated in Diddy’s mansion, Taylor is now in custody for petit-larceny and trespassing.

No one from the Diddy camp made any comment regarding this very bizarre incident.

Wildcats defeat the Jayhawks 67 – 59 in NCAA Championship game

Kentucky fans go wild!

When star players like Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have the fourth and fifth most shots taken in the game, then it shows how unselfish Kentucky has been playing. Anthony Davis made just one basket, but he was the MVP of the game with six blocked shots and 16 rebounds. Davis has had a seven inch growth spurt that made him from being almost just a guard at Cleveland State to a dominant inside presence at Kentucky.

I am very happy for Coach John Calipari despite the negative comments that many people have been making about his past and the vacated championships. Dick Vitale has stated what a wonderful man Calipari actually is with the community service that he does and his coaching history in bringing what was really a mediocre program at UMass and Memphis to NCAA tournament greatness.

It was expected that Kentucky would run away with it because of their talent and the blue chip players like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but the Jayhawks fought hard to come back into the game. But Coach Cal and the Kentucky Wildcats were just too much for them. The one-and-done rule is not without controversy, but Coach Cal has been very successful in getting star recruits because of his history of getting players into the NBA.

As for the game itself, the great defense by Kentucky matched their offensive prowess and it was great to see Terrence Jones achieving his dream of winning the national championship after deciding to come back for a second season. I wonder if we will see the same starting five next season or whether it will be another set of star recruits that will get basketball fans buzzing again.

Anyway, I am very pleased that Coach Cal has won the big one at last. It was much awaited!

'The Hunger Games’ stars are becoming overnight sensations

If you haven’t heard about the new and very popular spring movie, “The Hunger Games,” chances are that you have been living under a rock. If you haven’t heard the names of the starring actors in this movie, you may also be living under a rock. Yes, the names Jennifer Lawerence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutercherson are going hand in hand with this movie. They are the actors who play the main characters in this movie. However, success can come with consequences. What are these consequences?

One major consequence is the fact that stars already have many adoring fans. Many of these fans waited patiently to see the movie premiere and after watching it, will do the same when the next editions are featured on the big screen. The next arch is entitled “Catching Fire,” and won’t be in the theatres for another 20 months. Those consequences are probably ones that the stars like. The ones they probably do not like are the ones that include the media gossip.

The latest media gossip circulates around Liam Hesworth and his girlfriend Miley Cyrus. The media wants to make Miley look as if she is jealous of all the attention Liam is suddenly getting from his starring role in “The Hunger Games.” Articles have been written in a variety of sites, including, EOnline, that makes Miley appear to be jealous enough to wear a ring on her finger and wave it around for publicity sake. Of course, the ring looks like an engagement ring. Could Miley really be doing this or could she just happen to put a ring on her finger without thinking? Only she and possibly her stylist know this answer.

However, this is just the beginning of the media craziness that Liam, Josh, and Jennifer will be facing as they begin filming new movies and as the next part of this mega movie trilogy hits the movie theatres. Hopefully, they can withstand the pressure.

OgssLmsOa2s

 

Things to Do While You Wait for The Hunger Games

Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…

Can you believe that I’m not at the theater watching The Hunger Games right now? As much as I’ve blogged about it, as much as I have been counting down the days until I get to go, here I am at home with no sitter. Why? Because everyone is at the theater!

It’s not that bad, though; I only have thirteen more hours until I get to see it. I already have my tickets purchased. I have a babysitter lined up (and a backup!). But while I wait, I am getting very, very antsy, and I keep having these passive-aggressive moments where I want to check Facebook and see all of the cool swag and the comments about the film, yet seethe that all of these people got to see it already—are, in fact, watching it now, when I introduced most of them to the series in the first place!

I know, it’s such an irrational thing to be mad about. I felt the same way during midnight Harry Potter releases. Hey, when you have a kid, that comes first.

So instead of growling for the rest of the morning, I intend to get some sleep. But I’ve done a few other things to help stave off this irritability; maybe they’re not working well for me, but they might for you!

  • Check Out Hunger Games Blogs. There are so many to follow; I know because I’ve been following them for months like a rabid teen fangirl, which is sort of embarrassing. I don’t even care anymore. Today, for example, I read that the movie out-sold the Twilight films and is now the #4 best-selling movie in most advance ticket sales, making it even bigger than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It’s actually sold out in many theaters; I am glad I bought my tickets for tomorrow early.
  • Re-Read the Book. Or books, if you have them all and you have the time; I could certainly pummel through all three between now and then (again), but I would just get even more obsessed with who the hell is going to play Finnick Odair! (I can only see Jensen Ackles as him, which is too bad because I’m about 99.999% positive that he will not be playing the role!)
  • Prepare Your Wardrobe. My sister went in her District 12 shirt, Hunger Games bag, and boots; I told her I’m too fat to be someone from District 12 and I don’t want to be a Capitol citizen, since they all make me puke (save for Cinna, of course). But I have to admit that it would be fun to plan a funky wig and some body art for the film release…

Peyton Manning is now a Bronco

"It was a pretty skeptical decision from my point of view and a lot of football experts seem to agree as well."

The greatest free agent probably in the history of the NFL Peyton Manning is now a Denver Bronco. Many analysts feel that he would have a much better chance to win the Super Bowl right away with the San Francisco 49ers. It is pretty surprising that Manning chose the Broncos, but was it the best fit?

I guess part of the reason why Peyton might have signed with the Broncos is to stay in the AFC and not have to play his brother Eli in the NFC. Actually, I am just kidding about that. It was a pretty skeptical decision from my point of view and a lot of football experts seem to agree as well. The Cardinals, Miami, the Titans, Washington Redskins, Jets and then the readiest team the Niners were all interested in a potential deal with Manning.

Deion Sanders called out Manning’s decision as a bad move. But it seems like Manning was just impressed by John Elway, executive vice president of basketball operations in Denver, and he felt that they would make a great pair along with Coach John Fox. There seems to be a comfort level with Manning and John Elway and John Fox.

Other than that, the Broncos are just a bad football team and it seemed to be all Tim Tebow last season since Tebow took it over. But Manning wants to finish his career with a Super Bowl win in all likelihood and he probably feels it will be Elway and the Broncos who give him the best chance to do this.

Anyway, the Broncos players and the fans are thrilled that Manning will suit up in a Denver uniform next season. Wide Receiver Eric Decker was very excited and so was Running Back Willis McGahee. It looks like there might be some more free agents who might decide to come and play in Denver with Manning’s teammates in Indianapolis, Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday, possibly doing so.

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