Courtney Love on Letterman
We love them, we love to hate them, or we just plain hate them, celebrities are a part of life for anyone who has ever turned on a television, gone to the movies, or picked up a magazine. Along with moving and life-changing performances, these celebs have also gone on to meltdowns of varying degrees and thanks to the paparazzi and internet, they can be seen with the click of a mouse. Below are the top ten celebrity meltdowns caught on video from the what-where-they-thinking? to the heart breaking.
Anna Nicole Smith at The American Music Awards
Ever since her days as a model for Guess jeans, she made headlines for her movies, marriage, settlement, and behavior. After a reality show on the E! Network, questions about Anna Nicole’s drug use arose. In 2004, she made this presentation at the American Music Awards that was more a cry for help than anything else. Sadly, help came too late, and a few years later, she was found dead in a hotel room at the age of 39.
The Baby on The Balcony
With the nickname of “Whacko Jacko,” Michael Jackson gave the vigilant paparazzi many bizarre moments before his tragic death in 2009. Seven years earlier, he dangled his own son over the balcony of a Berlin hotel for a few seconds, causing a massive controversy. It also brought into light the sort of “yes” environment he surrounded himself in that allowed this sort of behavior without any criticism.
Kanye West – Too Many to Count
Although his interruption of Taylor Swift’s first MTV award is the most recent, this rant backstage during the 2007 MTV awards makes one wonder why they ever had him back. It is full of inappropriate language, and his entourage can even be seen holding him back. Other notable meltdowns include going off-book during a Red Cross fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina to indulge in a personal rant, a couple of botched interviews, and even another stage crash after losing an award.
Amy Winehouse Punches Fan
With a sordid history of drugs and illicit behavior, Amy is ironically best known for her hit “Rehab.” In 2008, during a performance in Glastonbury, England she can clearly be seen punching a fan in the audience. In addition to stints in and out of rehab, she has also had several photographs taken of her not looking well and has even been caught on video snorting coke.
The Secret Life of Whitney Houston
She had it all including hit records and films. In 2002, she spent an entire hour of broadcast time speaking with Diane Sawyer for an exclusive interview. In it, she discussed her private life, why she is so thin, and the infamous “crack is whack” line that gave an eerie picture of things to come.
Courtney Love on Letterman
With a long history of antics, it is no surprise that Courtney Love made this list. In March of 2004, she made a not-so-sober appearance on “The David Letterman Show” where she slurred her words and flashed herself repeatedly. Shortly after, she was arrested on misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and third-degree assault for allegedly striking a man in a New York City nightclub. Her appearance on the show in its entirety can be seen on the link.
Michael Richards at The Laugh Factory
Best known for his quirky role as Kramer on the hit show “Seinfeld,” Michael spent time before and after as a stand up comedian with varying success. In November of 2006, things came to a halt when Michael lost it on stage and took poking fun at hecklers to an astounding level. He hurled several profanities, including racially themed ones, at audience members and brought the evening’s performance to a halt. Explicit language follows.
2009 U.S. Open Women’s Semi-Finals
John McEnroe may be the king of meltdowns in the tennis arena, but he had nothing on Serena Williams when she told a lines woman she would “shove the ball down her f–king throat!” During a match against Kim Clijsters, Williams was called for a foot fault, awarding her opponent two match points, and it went downhill from there. Williams would be disqualified and fined for her behavior and was even heard to say “I would kill you.”
Britney Spears Goes Ballistic
No stranger to meltdowns, she has been hospitalized several times. In 2007, she had had it with the paparazzi following her and attacked one of their vehicles with an umbrella. It also didn’t help that she had just shaven her head a short time before.
Lindsey Lohan Car Chase
Just like Britney before her, Lindsey also achieved fame, controversy, and meltdown at a young age. In July of 2007, she engaged in an illegal car chase involving a former assistant. This is the entire 911 call from the victim. Lindsey would also be arrested for DUI, possession of cocaine, and other charges.
Although the achievements of the above are admirable, the actions found in these top ten celebrity meltdowns are clearly not. In fact in most cases, they can be seen as cries for help. If you notice a friend or family member behaving in the same manner, please seek a professional’s help.
Consumer reviews make purchasing products or services much easier. Unfortunately, you can’t always find an honest review for everything you need, but you can check these 10 websites to see if the product or service does have a consumer review listed somewhere online. Check these free consumer review websites before making big purchases like appliances, automobiles or electronics. Also try our number two pick, Angie’s List, to find reviews on service providers in your area.
- Better Business Bureau for Consumers: The Better Business Bureau is the best place to find consumer reviews on businesses and their products. It’s free and easy to use. The Resource Library section provides consumers with tips on how to avoid scams, find a reliable business or service and alerts on scammers, bad business practices and other consumer-related news. You can even ask the BBB a question if you can’t find the answer on its extensive site.
- Angie’s List: Angie’s List is a newcomer in consumer reviews and protections online, but it’s a great place to look for reviews on services anywhere from dentists to bricklayers. On Angie’s List, you’ll find more than 40,000 member reviews on services to help you find the best person or company for the job you need completed. This online consumer review community has received media attention from Good Morning America, U.S. News and World Report and Fox News. Don’t hire a contractor without checking it first.
- Amazon: While technically Amazon is a consumer marketplace, reviews are abundant. You can find a review on practically everything sold on Amazon. Search the Amazon departments for the product, and review the search results to see if the product is listed on Amazon. If you find it (you probably will), you only need to click the link and scroll down the product page to see if any reviews are posted. It’s simple and you’ll usually find lots of good information from other consumers just like you.
- BizRate: BizRate is a product of Shopzilla.com and posts user and consumer reviews on millions of stores and products. You can browse by departments like electronics or appliances to find exactly what you’re looking for. BizRate also allows users to compare prices online on the same or similar products from different retailers. The search bar is beyond easy to use because all you have to do is enter the product you’re shopping for and a list of pretty accurate results will appear in a matter of seconds.
- Consumer Search: On Consumer Search, users can search for reviews and get the best information through the Consumer Search process. The website will find the most reliable reviews, analyze the reviewers opinions of products and even recommend what to buy based on the reviews. Consumer Search, a product of About.com, doesn’t include press releases or advertisements in the review selection process so you get honest results.
- ConsumerREVIEW.com: At ConsumerREVIEW.com, users can browse through a list of categories to find reviews and price comparisons on products listed online. All of the reviews are generated by members of the community. The website lists many different categories, but specializes in outdoor sporting goods and consumer electronics reviews.
- Viewpoints: Viewpoints is an online review community that allows users to post advice on products, ask questions of other users about products before you buy and post reviews on products you love or hate. You’ll probably make a few friends too. Users can browse reviews by category, brand name or by product type. You can easily find consumer reviews on Viewpoints for free which is why it makes our list.
- Rate It All: At Rate It All, you can find an opinion or review on just about anything from beauty products to pets. On the main page, you’ll find some of the most current reviews and posting topics listed along with a star rating system that describes the type of review – one star being the worst and five stars being the best possible scenario. Registration is free, but you don’t have to register to read the reviews. You must register to write a review however. The only drawback is that Rate It All can be a little random in its clickable results. The best way to find what you’re looking for is to use the search tool.
- Ratings.net: Ratings.net is a free service for members that helps them find reviews on all types of products by category. Click on a category and you’ll find a mixed bundle of products with price comparisons and some consumer reviews. Not all products listed will have a rating unfortunately making this consumer review site semi-helpful, but still a good source of information for electronics reviews.
- Epinions: At Epinions, consumers can find loads of reviews on products and services by category. The home page lists a bunch of the most helpful reviews found on Epinions, but the list is random at best. By joining for free you can also post reviews for other members and potentially earn money for being a top reviewer. The drawback? The money incentive may not provide the most honest and best reviews possible.
Best Paid Site for Consumer Reviews
Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports.org is the most trusted paid resource for consumer reviews and independent analysis of products, services and businesses. Subscribe to the service for unlimited access for $26 a year or $6 a month automatically. You can find a review on just about anything from Consumer Reports.
Now that you are armed with these 10 websites to find the best products and services, hopefully you’ll never end up with a dud of a toaster again.
If anyone asked a little kid who had inclinations towards the legal field if he/she wanted to become a lawyer or a paralegal, you could bet your last dollar that the child would choose the former option. But, if the kid was really smart and aware of the situation that exists today, he/she would pick becoming a paralegal because:
- CNN Money ranks it the 27th best job in the USA.
- You get to work in the legal field without the stress associated with being a lawyer.
- Although you cannot offer legal advice or work without the supervision of a qualified attorney, you know almost as much or even more about the law as any student who graduates from law school.
- Your responsibilities depend on your employer, and you may be asked to take on administrative, research and other consolidation duties that are not too taxing when compared to a lawyer’s work.
- You don’t need any kind of formal education although a degree and/or certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants as a Certified Legal Assistant do help in securing quality employment and rapid advancement in your career.
- You earn between $35,000 and $40,000 annually.
Becoming a paralegal is not a difficult task – all you need are the desire to work in the legal field and an aptitude to learn quickly and competently. Some paralegals begin working as legal secretaries who are then promoted on the job. Others prefer to come armed with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree when they start their job hunt. And yet others grab internship positions at law firms and learn all they can on the job.
If you’ve decided to become a paralegal, it’s in your best interests to get enrolled in a school that’s accredited and has programs that are approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). You would also do well to brush up on your ability to undertake research using a computer and familiarize yourself with some of the legal software that is used in a law firm.
Some paralegals choose to specialize in one particular field of law, like family, criminal or real estate. This increases their chances of gaining and retaining employment because they are more knowledgeable – it is preferable to be as master of one than trade than a jack of all of them.
Paralegals enjoy comfortable working hours with decent salaries; they are also paid for work done outside of regular office hours; and some of them are even able to work on a freelance basis, from home or from their own offices, for lawyers who hire their services for a particular fee.
It’s true that change is inevitable; in fact, the only thing that’s certain in life is that there will be change. And so we see that all good things must come to an end, but then, on the other side of the coin, we can also take heart in the fact that it’s only a matter of time before things begin to look up when they’re really down. Yes, what goes up must come down and vice versa – that’s the law of nature. And that’s what I realized the day I read came across the news item that Polaroid was saying goodbye to the process of manufacturing films. Reading further, I discovered that the company had already stopped manufacturing its range of instant film cameras that were a rage in the 70s and 80s.
I was overcome by nostalgia, and my heart took a trip down memory lane to the time when I received my first Polaroid camera as a gift for Christmas. Sure, the pictures were a bit grainy and the colors mostly of yellow hues, but then, I took great pride in being the only kid on the block who had her own instant picture machine. And so the board above my study table began to take on the shape of a collage, one that reflected my daily, weekly, and monthly routines.
I began to hone my photography skills, amateurish though they were. I figured out the best angles and the kind of lighting needed to take the most effective and dramatic shots. I would linger and loiter on the way home from school hoping for a new photo opportunity, and would sometimes be rewarded by the sight of a bird bathing in a fresh puddle of water or a sunset so brilliant I wished my camera captured colors more effectively.
My hobby also taught me another valuable lesson, one that has stood me in good stead during various parts of my life – that of frugality. I did all the odd jobs that I could to save enough money to be able to afford the film – for an 11-year-old, it was a pretty expensive hobby. But I managed to scrape by, although I have a sneaking suspicion my indulgent mother found some way to sneak in a dollar or two into my piggy bank for no reason at all, well, other than the fact that she loved me to bits.
It’s been years now since I switched to a digital SLR, but my first camera still finds pride of place among my collectibles. I was hit by a sense of sadness by the news that Polaroid was calling it quits, but I realized that the company had to do all it could to stay out of the red. Maybe it just wasn’t possible to keep up with the likes of the most sophisticated digital cameras hitting the market with alarming regularity every now and then.
It’s been almost a year now since I saw that news item, and today, another article caught my eye, this time, one that made my heart sings with joy. Apparently Polaroid has figured out a way to keep up with the times – it seems that they’re now making digital cameras that print photos on the spot! A perfect example of the adage – If you can’t beat the crowd, join it!
It’s really ironic how there’s more than a little bit of glamour attached to this totally down-to-earth profession – photojournalism is an eclectic mixture of a majority of grit and grime and a very tiny minority of fame, but there are people who have been put on the map of the world because of their courage in bringing news and pictures from war-torn countries and other dangerous locations to the rest of the world. If you’re considering a career in photojournalism, here’s what you need to be:
- A journalist: You need to have a nose for news and the persistence to ferret out the truth, no matter how unpalatable it is. Besides being a skilled photographer, you need to be able to file copy, from remote and nearby locations using the latest technology including satellite phones.
- Totally passionate about what you do: It’s not all fun and games being a photojournalist. Yes, you do get to travel and visit places if you’re lucky, but most of the time, the work is routine and humdrum. You’re also likely to have uncertain working hours and may have to pursue news at the cost of personal interests and hobbies, which is why you have to be totally passionate about what you do to survive in this field.
- Unconcerned about the money aspect: It’s not a job that pays the big bucks, at least not initially. So be prepared to work for the satisfaction you derive from your job rather than for the pay packet you get at the end of each month. Some photojournalists freelance and sell their work to the highest bidder, and this approach pays much more than average, but you need to be really good, very experienced or garner exclusives to be able to pull this off on a regular basis.
- Insensitive to atrocities and the ravages of war, famine and other disasters: There may be times when you’re forced to report hard news like the casualties of war, famine, floods, earthquakes, terrorism and other disasters that leave thousands dead and millions wounded. Many of the victims are likely to be children, so if you’re too sensitive and cannot put aside personal feelings and sentiments in order to work effectively, you’re not likely to succeed at this job.
- Willing to travel: Though not all photojournalists travel frequently, you may be suddenly asked to go places, so it’s best to like travelling, especially to places where there are limited conveniences and modern amenities.
- Willing to put yourself in the line of danger: If you’re asked to report from war-torn countries or under any other risky circumstances, you must be prepared for injuries and even death.
- Realistic: Not all photojournalists travel to exotic places, cover important events and gain fame overnight. For all you know, you may remain at the same position, in the same place, at the same desk, all your life. So be realistic when you take on the job of a photojournalist.