Gridlock News

This recession has been dubbed as possibly one of the worst in history, maybe even worse than the recession experienced during the Great Depression in economic terms.  Therefore it is becoming more and more common for people that previously had great credit, great jobs, great income and even a great deal of savings to suddenly find themselves on the other end of a barrage of collections calls.

With collectors getting access to not only home and work number but also cell phone numbers, the calls can seem to come at 15 minute intervals all day long.  This ironically makes it very difficult to get any work done, find a job, drum up new business or even think straight....

The plant explosion has been reported to have shaken homes off their foundation in the community around the plant.  Towns from miles away felt the explosion and thought it might be an earthquake.  Police and fire officials report mass casualties.  The plant was only in a testing phase and had not opened up yet.  The coincidence of the explosion on the same day as the Super Bowl leaves much for consideration.

There were reports of “Bodies everywhere” and 20 ambulances on the scene with more rescue personnel on the way.

Between now and the end of BlogWorld in mid October, we are going to run a WordPress Theme design contest for new designers or people that want to learn how to design a WordPress theme for the first time....

Here’s a very good video that shares some insights in where social media is at today, where its been, and likely where its going.

This is probably one of those videos that you will want to watch a couple times, just to make sure you understand the insights and information within. 

This week we are kicking off two more Labs on the Lake.  This week we will hold two labs.  One today, Monday(5-18 at 2pm est), covering the topic of Blog Monetization, walking through some blog revenue sources, adding some new ones to the list and giving some advice on how to navigate these options which can be murky on a good day. [Meetup RSVP link] 

This like many of our topics will be covered several times.  Blog Monetization is definitely not something that can be covered in a single day, let alone a single lab.  Many people are looking for ways to earn extra money, raise revenue to market their companies more, or even start their own business.  We will help people get started with the process of making money with a blog (a blog is required to follow along with this lab in person or on our live show at Mogulus.com/wificove ).

Then on Thursday(5/21 2 pm est) we are going to cover the topic of building traffic through networking.  [Meetup RSVP link]

Again this is a very deep topic and one we will revisit many times in the future, but you can tune into either lab at 2 PM est or if you are in the Charlotte area, RSVP through our Meetup group (cost $5 to attend) and spend an afternoon on the lake learning some great web skills that will make you money.

We are following up on our first Lab on the Lake last week, which covered WordPress Installation, WordPress Configuration, & WordPress Theme design with our favorite WordPress Theme Generator-Artisteer.  The video from this event (our first live broadcast) didn’t take to well, but we got the bugs worked out the next night when we held our weekly WordPress Meetup in Charlotte and do expect this weeks events to go off without a hitch.

This 15 Year old girl accused but not charged with stealing an automobile is kicked then has her face bashed into a brick wall, then she is thrown to the floor by her hair.  She is punched in the back or the back of the head several times while a guard has her pinned on the floor.   She is then picked up to her feet by her hair and is taken out of the camera frame where who knows what happens next.

Surveillance footage recently made public shows a deputy roughing up a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell -- apparently striking the girl, pulling her hair and pushing her to the ground, prosecutors said. Watch Video Seattle officer charged with assault after suspect "roughed up" on camera. Assault on Camera close Deputy Paul Schene is charged with fourth-degree assault after prosecutors said the tape showed him beating a teen girl at a suburban Seattle jail last November when she was arrested for stealing a car, the Associated Press reported. "We believe this case is beyond just police misconduct, it's criminal misconduct," King County Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg told the AP. "This is clearly excessive force.

Caught on Tape: Deputy Charged with Assaulting Teen Girl | NBC Washington

By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, February 26, 2009; 2:12 PM Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today that he is lifting a 1991 ban on news coverage of the return of the remains of fallen service members to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, although he will leave the decision about press coverage up to the family of the dead. The controversial ban on photography and other media coverage of the solemn return of flag-draped coffins -- upheld by both Republican and Democratic administrations -- has generated lawsuits as well as conflicting emotions on the part of military familiies. Gates said he is asking a group of advisers to come up with a plan on how to implement the new policy.

U.S. to End Ban on Media Coverage of Returning Military Coffins - washingtonpost.com

By Anne E. Kornblut and Paul Kane Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, February 27, 2009; Page A03 President Obama sought yesterday to quell growing complaints from members of Congress about his plans for drawing down troops in Iraq, inviting lawmakers to a White House meeting on the eve of a North Carolina speech in which he is expected to announce that he will pull out many combat troops by August of 2010. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) complained that the level of troops -- 50,000 -- who would remain in Iraq is too high, other senior Democrats voiced similar concerns. Not one member of the Democratic leadership, except for Sen. Richard Durbin (Ill.), defended the new Obama plan, which will take three months longer than he promised and still leave a significant force structure on the ground.

Democrats Assail Withdrawal Plan - washingtonpost.com