Amazon Prime takes on Netflix with internet streaming video membership

Streaming video is big entertainment business today, and Amazon Prime has gone for the brass ring with the addition of unlimited movie and TV internet streaming as part of the $ 79 annual program for two-day merchandise delivery. Amazon Prime users can enjoy the internet streaming video service on their computer or Internet-ready television. And at almost $ 20 per year less than Netflix or Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime could become a popular choice very quickly. Source of article – Amazon Prime takes on Netflix with streaming video subscription by MoneyBlogNewz.

Amazon Prime getting in your struggle with Netflix and Hulu

CNET spoke with Frost & Sullivan's Dana Rayburn who said that Amazon Prime isn't a surprise since the streaming video venture has 65 million individuals in the audience. There is a free shipping service that is already very popular. Adding to it is something Amazon Prime Vice President Robbie Schwietzer said makes sense.

“Millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy the convenience of free two-day shipping,” said Schwietzer. “Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value.”

With the online streaming movie market already taken over by Netflix, Hulu Plus and Apple TV, Amazon Prime can have a lot of competition. When it comes to purchasing things such as books, movies, and music not to mention the membership to Netflix and Hulu plus it has, Amazon.com is already well known. Hulu Plus demands that viewers watch advertisements during the videos, reports New York Magazine. Amazon Prime will not have this requirement. As Amazon.com already has a long-standing relationship with Hollywood studios for distribution of DVDs, rights to streaming video can be easy to attain.

More people considering Netflix

At the start, Netflix is already beating Amazon Prime with its movie selection. This is because Netflix already has available for internet streaming, 20,000 movies and television shows. Popular movies like "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Syriana," also as science fiction shows like "Doctor Who" and "Farscape" are on tap for Amazon Prime, but experts predict that the service must grow quickly in order to compete. The problem that Netflix had with broadband provider giants like Comcast will probably be there for Amazon also.

Citations

CNET

news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20034714-261.html

New York Magazine

nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/phase_one_of_amazons_plan_to_d.html

Amazon Prime: A ‘massive shot’ at Netflix

youtube.com/watch?v=olG4zGDWPQg

Internet community boosts funds to create Detroit RoboCop statue

The suggestion to create a Detroit RoboCop sculpture has been garnering lots of internet attention. Detroit Mayor Bing easily shot the rumors down, but the internet community has responded strongly. The grassroots initiative to put a RoboCop statue in Detroit is working well, and the sculpture is likely to become a real possibility. This sculpture could be built without anyone taking out installment loans to do it.

RoboCop sculpture won't happen in Detroit, mayor states

A while ago, the city government for Detroit started an online campaign to get citizens to submit ideas for ways to improve the town in any way possible. Building a statue of the "RoboCop" science fiction series main character was a recommendation that would improve aesthetics in Detroit which many started to like, reports MSNBC. Bing, as Detroit Mayor, explained that a statue of RoboCop wouldn't ever be constructed in support of the city government on his Twitter account.

Citizens liked the idea

The city government would never build a RoboCop sculpture with tax dollars which Mayor Bing made clear. The citizens decided to do something though. A "build a statue of RoboCop in Detroit" group was started on Facebook which then got the KickStarter website involved in the situation. Individuals are able to pledge money to nonprofit and for-profit causes such as "Detroit Needs a RoboCop Statue" with KickStarter. The goal to create the state was to get $50,000. The site has elevated $59,000 already.

Monetary gift for ‘RoboCop’ quite large

Pete Hottlett of the Omni Consumer Products Corporation is where the largest monetary gift, or $25,000, to the "Detroit Needs a RoboCop Statue" campaign came from. The "RoboCop" in the "RoboCop" series is made by the "Omni Consumer Products Corp." The real Omni Consumer Products Corp. adopted the name on purpose while making products from movies right now. The "Tru blood" drink from "True Blood" is made by Omni right now. It also makes "Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator" from "Idiocracy" also as "Stay Puft Marshmallows" from "Ghostbusters."

Citations

MSNBC

technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/11/6034591-detroit-robocop-statue-could-be-reality-thanks-to-internet

Kick Starter

kickstarter.com/projects/imaginationstation/detroit-needs-a-statue-of-robocop

Omni Consumer Products Corp

omniconsumerproductscorporation.com/

Department of Education inquiry presented into Notre Dame sex assault accusations

Notre Dame is well-known for 2 things — a Catholic identity and great education. Nonetheless, for the second time in a few months, Notre Dame has a sex assault complaint, and the families are claiming it was under-investigated. The Education Department has moved in to investigate Notre Dame's actions. There isn’t a payday loan sufficient to cover the cost of the feelings these families are going through.

Suicide occurs after Notre Dame grievance of sex assault first occurs

The police department in Notre Dame covers a huge area. It’s in Notre Dame, Indiana that is covered. You will find colleges in the city. This consists of St. Mary's University and Notre Dame University. Notre Dame was not "aggressively" pursuing the sexual assault complaint 19 year old Elizabeth Seeberg had, she said. She then committed suicide on September 10, 2010. There was an anonymous family that complained about Notre Dame also. This was the second family. The daughter's complaint was "buried," the family states. It was so Notre Dame University would be protected. The United States Department of Education has opened a query into the investigation processes of Notre Dame.

Another sex assault complaint at Notre Dame occurs

Recently there was a second complaint of sexual attack. The alleged attack took place on Sept. 4, and the victim met with police and indicated she wanted to press charges on September 11. The case wouldn’t be prosecuted in accordance with Prosecutor Michael Dvorak in an announcement made last week. There just wasn't enough evidence in accordance with Dvorak. The attacker wasn't interviewed for 2 weeks in both cases.

Sexual assault in college

Colleges and Universities have to work with sexual attack. It is a challenge though. Notre Dame’s second sex attack grievance consists of an admission that the victim had been drinking before the attack. The question of consent becomes blurred when drinking is involved. In both of the Notre Dame sex attack grievances, the alleged attacker indicated the encounters were consensual. Notre Dame released a statement saying:

“We regret that some are critical of our handling of sexual misconduct allegations, and we understand the pain these families are experiencing. At the same time, we stand behind the thoroughness, integrity and objectivity of our investigations, as well as the comprehensive services available to students who are subjected to sexual misconduct.”

Citations

Chicago Tribune

articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-17/news/ct-met-notre-dame-reaction-20110217_1_sexual-misconduct-mary-seeberg-assault-complaints

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/US/notre-dame-accused-woman-prosecuting-sex-assault-charge/story?id=12944141&page=1

Dying might not end student loan obligations

In the United States, students in college have racked up more than $885 billion in student loan debt. Students and graduates are accountable for the majority of that debt. Some households facing tragedy are also facing difficult decisions. Some banks are holding families accountable for debt, even when they are not co-signers.

Covering school with student education loans

Student loans are large business. Federal loan programs offer up to $5,000 per year per student. Much of the time, that is not enough. Books at school cost half that alone much of the time. Students that do not have credit usually have to have a cosigner in order to get private student loans that the government does not back. In many cases, getting an education loan is easier than getting a no fax payday cash advance. Since student education loans aren't impacted by bankruptcy, they’re impossible to have written off, they’re really popular.

Passing away leaving student education loans behind

Many households in the country have learned a sad truth. Student loans are not canceled by death. Paying back an education loan will be the responsibility of the co-signer. This leaves several parents who are grieving the dying of their child with the added, unexpected responsibility of paying back thousands of dollars worth of debt for their adult children.

Defaulting on loans after dying

When a loan holder dies, the loan is “in default” if there is no co-signer with the student. The loan debt has to be paid back with the estate left over. If the estate cannot pay back the loan, then the bank has to write off the debt. Due to the belief that most students use cosigners to qualify for loans, that debt is passed along.

Information from

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704741904575409510529783860.html

KCTV5

kctv5.com/news/26796636/detail.html

Rock Band might be single survivor of Guitar Hero shutdown

"Guitar Hero", designed by Activision/Blizzard, has played its last chord. The video game will be turned off by publisher Activision. Similar series "Rock Band" has not announced plans to turn off – yet.

The end of ‘Guitar Hero’

In a Thursday morning announcement, video game maker Activision declared the death of “Guitar Hero.” Everyone wanted the "casual-gamer" title before. It was a large hit among people. In January of 2009, “Guitar Hero” was the first game to hit more than $1 billion in sales. The company lost $9.36 billion past year with U.S. sales dropping over 8 percent. As of February, Activision will turn off all sales, including downloadable content, for “DJ Hero” and “Guitar Hero.”. Activision will be laying off a staff of approximately 500 people.

Success of ‘Rock Band’ likely

2 different corporations created "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero". "Rock Band" is owned by Viacom and MTV Games which makes it easier and cheaper to make deals and distribute. "Guitar Hero" controllers could be used to play "Rock Band" although the company is able to stay profitable with the more costly setup pack. “Rock Band” has maintained stronger download sales than “Guitar Hero” over time, also. It isn't true that "Rock Band" is safe though. It isn't doing super well. In 2009, “The Beatles: “Rock Band”" was anticipated to sell millions of dollars worth of product in just a few days. There was only $1.7 million of the product sold though. This was in three months time.

What is going to take place to music gaming?

The reason for the "Guitar Hero" shut down is because of the "rapid decline in the music genre" supposedly. There have always been music genres for the motion-based systems. This includes both the Kinect and the Wii. There isn't really a band gaming part of the systems though. They are about dancing. In order to stay profitable, corporations have to get lower-profit, higher-sales software so that the hardware component of sales is reduced.

Information from

Investor Place

investorplace.com/30610/activision-blizzard-atvi-guitar-hero-sales/

USA Today

content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/02/activision-dropping-new-downloads-for-guitar-hero-dj-hero/1

Bundchen declines labeling sun block poison in mistranslation

There is a 30-year-old Brazilian supermodel that is attempting to launch a skincare line. Gisele Bundchen is also married to a National Football League player. When talking about sun block, however, Bundchen was cited as calling the screen “poison”. {Gisele Bundchen denies calling sun block poison, though, claiming it was a "mistranslation."|Reps for the model, however, are stating that this was an error in interpretation.|The reps for the model are denying this statement. Instead, they’re labeling the quotation a “mistranslation." Article resource – Sun block is poison, claims Bundchen

Bundchen was promoting a skin care line at a press conference. Then, something she said caught the attention of many. Bundchen was quoted saying “I cannot put this poison on my skin. I do not use anything synthetic," after getting questioned about SPF in her product. Rumors that Bundchen stays inside between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. where UV rays are strong started to fly with investigation.

Denial from Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen said that she never called sunscreen poison a few days after the press conference. Bundchen says the quote was a mistranslation. It wasn't what she meant to say about it. There was a statement from official representatives of Bundchen released. It said: “They misquoted her due to a language barrier. Gisele would never say not to use sun block because she has family members who have had skin cancer.” Bundchen avoids being in the sun and avoids lots of chemicals that are used in most sunscreens.

The problem with sun block

Sunscreen isn’t a product without problems. Whenever you are outside, you need to protect yourself from UV radiation according to doctors and cancer experts with sunscreen. Less than 5 percent of sunscreen is safe and effective, in accordance with the Environmental Working Group. There is oxybenzone in sunscreen, which disrupts hormones, and the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate it. Cancer can get accelerated with a vitamin D deficiency also with too much sun block. It’s really bad for body to be getting too much sunscreen on it. At the very same time, it is very dangerous to stay away from protecting your skin from the sun also.

Citations

AOL News

aolnews.com/2010/05/24/study-many-sunscreens-may-be-accelerating-cancer/

Clebrifi

celebrifi.com/gossip/Gisele-Bndchen-Responds-to-Sunscreen-Controversy-4679481.html

Disney carousel fatality due to pre-existing situation

Disney has documented a fatality on one of their carousel rides. This is a part of the quarterly report on in-park injuries. The Disney carousel fatality was one of three significant injuries at the park in Oct, November and December. All three accidents that Disney documented were to elderly guests. The youngest injured individual was 71. This type of coverage might cause disney the necessity to sign up for a personal loan to spin this press. Resource for this article – Disney carousel death one of three major injuries in 4th quarter by MoneyBlogNewz.

Fatality from heart condition occurred on Disney carousel

There was a 76 year old woman who rode the Prince Charming carousel. December 2010 was when this happened. She reportedly exited the ride, collapsed and passed away. The woman had a pre-existing heart condition. The carousel made it worse. Even though the Prince Charming Regal Carousel at the park is a very tame ride, you will find warning signs posted that individuals shouldn't ride with heart conditions.

Disney injuries at the end of 2010

When it comes to the fatality at Disney World Theme Park of the 76-year old, there were two other significant accidents in the last quarter of 2010 that occurred. While on a moving platform, another 76 year old woman fell off and hurt her leg. A 71-year-old woman broke her shoulder and hip after the Prince Charming Regal Carousel was ridden. Needs about elderly people getting on rides are not there in the park.

Disney carousel death documented within safety deal

The rides at Orlando and other major theme parks are not inspected or regulated by the state of FL. Quarterly reports are submitted to the state instead that outline the accidents in the parks. In the exact same time period the Disney carousel death happened, the other major theme parks reported no injuries to guests. The Prince Charming Regal Carousel is located in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Every three months there were about 5 million visitors there. A .000059 percent injury rate was documented for Walt Disney World.

Articles cited

theme Park Insider

themeparkinsider.com/flume/201004/1895/

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020702235.html

Speed cameras costing Baltimore money

The Baltimore city council is thinking about yet another addition to the city. More speed camcorders to lower speeding. These automated speed traps have been reducing speeding but not accidents. The city does not make money on these deals. Instead, the city is practically paying out to see these speed cameras. Post resource – Baltimore doubling down on speed cameras by MoneyBlogNewz.

Speed cameras in Baltimore

Baltimore, Md., put up speed traps. Areas considered "high risk" like school zones were used for this. The tickets issued by these speeding camcorders are usually about $40 and are officially issued by the city of Baltimore. Speeding has gone down a ton due to these camcorders. Police have noticed there hasn't been a change in collisions though.

What the Baltimore speed camcorders do

Tickets have been given to people in Baltimore for a few months. These all come from the speed cameras. The City of Baltimore, however, isn’t seeing much of the money from the tickets. Having the speed cameras is more like payday loans for the city. The city has to pay more money than is received even though more money is given to the city. A private business owns, monitors and tracks the camcorders while the private contractor gets $32 of every $40. The city has to pay for the installation of the cameras, and has actually lost money on the deal thus far. Right now, the city is losing money off of the camcorders. Still, a short term personal loan for more is on the table.

A business for private companies taking over for law enforcement

Baltimore is not the only city paying private corporations to take over their work. The traffic enforcement cameras are having a difficult time legally. A defendant’s right to face their accuser has been cited multiple times by drivers who have been ticketed by a camera or automated system, and several tickets have been overturned. In general, the fact that a lot of people do not fight their traffic tickets means that private corporations are making millions of dollars by doing a city’s law enforcement work for them.

Information from

ABC 2 News

abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/baltimore_county/baltimore-county-looks-to-add-speed-cameras

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_enforcement_camera

Obama triggers blackouts, states Jones

Record cold conditions and harsh blizzards have pushed some towns in TX to institute rolling blackouts as a way to preserve power. However according to controversial talk-show host Alex Jones, this ain’t just TX toast; this comes completely from the White House. According to Jones, Obama triggers blackouts with his massive, tyrannical power: of lights, sector, the Internet (with his new kill switch) and the space-time continuum.

The real Obama account to appear

There is an "Obama activates blackouts" freak out that is currently going around. Death + Taxes explained, though, that it’s based off of a 12 second video clip. Obama is in a clip on Info-wars which is from his days as a senator of Illinois. The interviewer asks for Obama’s stance on proposed cap and trade legislation on carbon emissions and the way it would impact the coal sector, a known producer of greenhouse gases. In what Jones has dubbed the Obama administration’s industrial warfare against the United States, then Sen. Obama says the following, which is taken out of context from the rest of the 2008 conversation (the full video is accessible on YouTube):

"So, if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can, but it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted."

After watching the full version of the interview, it’s clear that Sen. Obama didn’t think the U.S. could suddenly function without coal power. He really was just talking about how the cap and trade might help coal power emissions stop simply putting carbon emission into the sky. The businesses might instead re-purpose and store them. The idea is to motivate change, not attack a sector that provides many thousands of U.S. careers.

The facts on other things also

The truth is that not only is there no cap and trade system, but President Obama’s administration doesn’t trigger blackouts. Why does Alex Jones think Obama has power since the administration has already been criticized for not being able to regulate all the energy corporations?

The lack of effective environmental legislation has led to virtually unchecked industrial carbon emissions. Climate change, which includes the recent blizzard that devastated several, is being brought on by this, according to some of the scientific community. The Arctic is being warmed by all these gases. That means colder and snowier winters are to be expected for a while.

Information from

Death + Taxes

deathandtaxesmag.com/50156/if-obama-triggers-blackouts-gop-triggers-apocalypse/

eHow

ehow.com/how-does_4566892_global-warming-work_.html

Environmental Leader

environmentalleader.com/2011/02/03/why-cap-and-trade-is-good-for-environmental-marketing/

Time

time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2039777,00.html

The out-of-context Obama proclamation that would trigger blackouts

youtube.com/watch?v=4aTf5gjvNvo

The full Obama interview

youtube.com/watch?v=DpTIhyMa-Nw

Taco Bell starts ad campaign striking back at ground beef lawsuit

Recently, a court action was submitted against Taco Bell in regards to the contents of its beef mixture. Taco Bell has lashed out with an ad strategy decrying the suit. The court action alleges that there isn’t really much beef in the ground beef mixture the restaurant sells, and thus Taco Bell has misled customers. Taco Bell replied with a full page ad in key newspapers denouncing the claims. The fast food chain possibly did not need to obtain a payday loan to do this either. Source of article – Taco Bell launches ad campaign striking back at beef lawsuit by MoneyBlogNewz.

Response from Taco Bell is ‘Thank you for suing us’

A lawsuit about ground beef was filed towards Taco Bell recently. False advertising is what the suit is about. "Thank you for suing us" was a headline in the newspaper recently, said CNN. This is what Taco Bell did in response to the suit. The business claims it’s true that ground beef isn't the only thing used within the beef. In fact, it wouldn’t "make for great-tasting tacos" had the company used ground beef that was boring. The real blend, in accordance with the Taco Bell ad, is 88 percent ground beef and 12 percent other “secret ingredients.”. In the beef, 3 percent as water while taste is improved with caramelized sugar, yeast and oats.

Taco lawsuit started

The law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, and Portis & Miles submitted the suit in CA that was about the ground beef in Taco Bell. Only 35 percent beef was found by testing the firm did with the mixture. That means the U.S. Department of Agriculture's definition of "beef" wasn't being met. MSN reports that the method of testing and facility has yet to be revealed.

Countersuit might happen

Regulation of false advertising is something the Federal Trade Commission is responsible for. This is generally the case. However, oat product is used in beef mixtures sold in grocery stores and other fast food chains. Parent business of Taco Bell, Yum Brands Inc., has been quiet on the matter, though Taco Bell executive Greg Creed called the accusations “ludicrous” and is reportedly looking into pursuing a countersuit.

Citations

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/01/28/news/companies/taco_bell_beef/index.htm

MSN

money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20110128&id=12832684

Eater.com

eater.com/archives/2011/01/28/taco-bell-ad-thanks-firm-for-law-suit.php

Dieting doesn't reduce chance of disease unless you keep it off

If you’re thinking about losing weight, you’ll probably hear this. Losing pounds reduces your chance of illness. A chance factor of disease is lots of money spent on diet programs. Reducing disease chance, though, is dependent upon more than just losing weight. Don’t just take out a payday loan and buy into these packages, do a little investigation first.

Gaining back the weight that's lost

It’s a well-known fact that losing pounds helps you be healthier. Losing pounds reduces chance of heart illness, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and even cancer. Diet packages are often touted as a way to lose weight and reduce this chance. However, the issue is that a lot of people who taken on diet programs end up putting the weight back on. In the Journal of Obesity, almost all individuals who followed a diet program lost at least some pounds — and then put it back on within a few years.

Why yo-yo dieting is bad

A number of people will lose pounds and gain it back when the diet is over. This is called yo-yo dieting. People are typically at higher risks for diseases when they try many diet programs as they typically gain more pounds than is lost. Diet programs may not help you at all. They may increase the chance that you have. An even higher risk of health problems could effortlessly happen for the whole nation since over 73 percent of Americans are considered overweight or obese.

Lowing the illness chance with a diet

The only pounds loss diet program that has any success in keeping pounds off is not a “diet program.” The diet you choose, exercise you do and environment you live in have to change. The lifestyle does it all. Lifestyle changes are the only way to do it. It’s a hard thing to encourage yourself to do though. Some diet programs can actually increase disease chance by cutting out helpful nutrients or encouraging unhealthy eating — so lifestyle changes are the only healthy way to go.

Information from

Fox News

foxnews.com/health/2011/01/26/diet-programs-help-dodge-disease-risk/