- There’s
just something inherently wrong with a man openly proclaiming that, "My
business is being homeless." However, when you find out that this man
resides in the fiscal abyss of America that is Detroit, that comment makes more
sense even if it is still totally jacked up. Abe Hagenston is a man who is
trying to take the ages-old dilemma of having no home, no money and no job and
put a modern spin on it by incorporating technology into his game. Hagenston,
who is homeless, can often be seen working the corner of Woodward Avenue and 8
Mile Road in Detroit. It’s a rough stretch along one of the most infamous roads
in the United States and yet, this guy is out on the corner doing business like
he owns a normal business. Having heard the oft-cited (and increasingly true in
this era of a largely cash-free society) that people from whom he begs for
money simply don’t have any actual change or paper money to spare, Hagenston
decided to upgrade his plan of attack by using a Square credit card reader to
accept donations. Hell, this itinerant man even has a website through which people
can make contributions to a collection of homeless people, hire them for odd
jobs or even report fake panhandlers who drive from the suburbs. "I'm
trying to turn this situation into something that will not only help me but
help others," Hagenston said. "I've rebuilt my life a few times but
this time I'm not getting it. People don't realize how tough it is to come from
nothing when you don't have any family or any friends." It is a touching
plight and it’s also difficult to begrudge someone trying to rise from such a
tough station in life, but even a homeless man nicknamed "Honest Abe”
still feels like he should be trying to do more than just profit from being
homeless……..
- We
can all relax and be reassured, world. Russia might be a rogue nation with a
vain, despotic leader hellbent on antagonizing the West at every turn and it
might be a country with a pronounced, recent history of doping amongst its
international athletes, but there is absolutely nothing to worry about going
forward. That’s because every member of Russia's track and field team will have
to sign an anti-doping pledge as the country tries to restore its sporting
reputation, a move that surely means no cheating will go on because no one
signs a document promising not to do something only to go right back to doing
it. Due to a World Anti-Doping Agency commission's report accusing the country
of operating a systematic, state-sponsored doping program, Russia's track team
was banned from international competition, including the Olympics, in November.
In order to be reinstated, Russia must investigate past abuses and create a
strong anti-doping culture among its athletes, according to conditions set by
the sport's governing body. According to the Russian track federation, all
athletes and coaches, whether on the national team or at local competitions,
must sign a declaration detailing "the obligation to abide by anti-doping
rules and the unacceptability of breaching them, and also cooperation in
unearthing similar abuses." Anyone who believes such a pledge means
anything at all probably deserves to be taken advantage of, so go ahead and
feel good about this alleged step forward in the process if you want………
- Next
cultural trend set to sweep from Asia to America or merely a bunch of weird
Thai people with a creepy toy fixation? Both may be true for so-called “child
angel” dolls, which are the latest craze in
Thailand and a bizarre combination of superstition, fashion, celebrity worship
and hype. The dolls are legitimately beloved by adults who believe that their
doll will bring them good luck if only they treat the inanimate object like
their own living child, taking them on trips, treating them to meals and
praying together at the temple. The "luk thep" dolls, as they are
known in Thai, began as so many trendy objects do, as an object enjoyed by a
small circle of devoted collectors. That all changed when a leaked memo from
budget airline Thai Smile instructed staff to treat the dolls like human
passengers as long as the dolls had a kook, er, owner, willing to pay for a
ticket for a piece of plastic. To its credit, the airline did note the
creepiness factor of this arrangement and suggested that he dolls be seated out
of sight as much as possible. Much like the insipid sheep they are, several
restaurants soon announced similar doll-friendly policies. The dolls’
reputation took a bit of a hit when police warned they could be used to smuggle
drugs and busted one with 200 hidden methamphetamine tablets, but no doubt the
doll will have the best lawyer its owner’s money can buy. Hell, these dolls
have even been specially blessed by some Buddhist monks, who apply sacral
markings to them. What’s funny about all of this is that the dolls are mostly
imported and they cost anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred dollars and
getting them blessed and customized costs even more. It all reeks of
tacky items like Furbies, Giga Pets and other absurd trinkets that have
temporarily enraptured adults of questionable mental competency and
self-respect over the years……….
- It
was a cult favorite show for eight seasons and when it was unfortunately ended
by the fledgling CW network in 2007, “Gilmore Girls” certainly seemed to have
many more stories to tell. The drama, which was set in the sleepy Connecticut
town of Stars Hollow and populated by all manner of quirky and endearing
characters, was the brainchild of creator Amy
Sherman-Palladino and starred Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as a mother and
daughter at the center of the story. Rumors of a feature film to revive the
series have swirled for nearly a decade and Sherman-Palladino has always teased
that she knows the exact line she would use if there was ever a movie or other
return of the show to bring it to a better conclusion. The cast - sans the late
Edward Hermann, who passed away early last year - reunited last year at an
industry event and that only fueled speculation that the show would somehow
make a comeback. Those rumors became legit last week when Netflix confirmed that
there would be a small number of new episodes. The film and TV streaming
service also confirmed that Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel Palladino
would be back, along with Bledel (Rory Gilmore), Graham (Lorelai Gilmore),
Scott Paterson (Luke Danes) and Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Sean Gunn (Kirk
Gleason) and Keiko Agena (Lane Kim). The fate of other fan favorites such as Melissa
McCarthy, who played chef Sookie St. James, Jared Padelecki (Dean) and Matt
Czuchry (Logan) is unclear, as all have full-time projects they may not be able
to free themselves up from. Graham responded to the news on Twitter, writing, "I
CAN NOW CONFIRM: it's time for me, and this jacket I stole in 2007, to return
to work. @netflix #GilmoreGirls." Time to head back to Stars Hollow and
grab a cup of coffee at Luke’s Diner, all………..
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