Lights Out: In honor of Fred Rogers’ 84th birthday, a look back at 33 years of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood intros.
[thanks lauren!]
Pauper Princess of the Day: 24-year-old Michigander Amanda Clayton was on welfare when she won $1 million in a state lottery last year. Today, she is still on the dole.
Tracked down by Local 4 News, Clayton explained that, after she won the money — in actuality, only half a million, since she took her winnings in a lump sum — the financial aid kept coming in, so she figured it was fine to keep it.
“I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn’t, I thought maybe it was OK because I’m not working,” said Clayton, who immediately made matters worse for herself by adding “I feel that it’s OK because, I mean, I have no income, and I have bills to pay. I have two houses.”
Michigan state Rep. Dale Zorn (R) reacted to the news that a lottery winner’s bank account was being unjustly padded with taxpayer dollars by introducing legislation that would require the state’s Department of Human Services to be notified when a resident collects more than $1,000 in lottery money so their name can be cross-checked against a list of financial aid recipients.
“Public assistance is for those people who can no longer purchase food for their families, or pay their heating bills,” said Zorn. “It’s not here to help those who win millions of dollars.”
Clayton’s mom, meanwhile, is standing by her daughter. “Until the bill’s passed, apparently it’s legal, and people need to leave her alone,” said Euline Clayton. “I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do. But it’s nobody’s business if she’s not breaking the law.”
[clickon / detnews / latimes.]
UPDATE: Michigan’s Department of Human Services confirmed this morning that Amanda Clayton is no longer receiving financial aid from the state.
A first car always holds a special place in a kid’s heart.
Solved
I took a course at Brooklyn Brainery last night.
What’s happening with Michael Beasley?
The rumors are flying that the Timberwolves are trying to unload Beasley. Right now it seems that the Lakers and Celtics are the teams they’ve been talking to.
The rumor is that the Lakers turned down an offer from the Wolves asking for their best 1st round pick this year. The Lakers could make the money work due to the Odom trade exception. However, the Lakers didn’t want to take on the additional salary (plus luxury tax).
LAKERS
There are a handful of trades I came up with that the Lakers could make.
- The Lakers could trade one of their 1st round picks for Beasley.
This is the trade that the Lakers have turned down so far but as the deadline approaches one team could lower their demands.
The biggest need for the Lakers is probably point guard.
There are possibilities to bring in a third team to get the Lakers a guard.
So the Lakers won’t give up a pick for Beasley, would they for a point?
- The Lakers could send a 1st to the Wolves with Beasley going to the Cavs and Ramon Sessions going to the Lakers.
Wouldn’t the Cavs do this?
They give up their backup point guard and get Beasley who would be their second best scorer. This would take some pressure off of Irving. Sessions would be less money on the Lakers than Beasley.
Another option is the Rockets.
- The Lakers could send a pick to the Wolves, the Wolves send Beasley to the Rockets and the Rockets send Jonny Flynn to the Lakers and Terrence Williams to the Wolves.
The Wolves will get a 1st, and Williams (a young player with upside), and money off the books. The Rockets get Beasley.
A starting lineup of Lowry, Martin, Beasley, Scola, and Dalembert would make the Rockets a decent team, not to mention the depth coming off of their bench.
Another option is the Blazers.
- Once again the Lakers send a pick to the Wolves. The Wolves send Beasley to the Blazers, and the Blazers send Felton to the Lakers.
This move would cost the Lakers a lot of money but Felton could be the top point guard available, besides Rondo.
Like before the Wolves get a pick and money off the books.
If Aldridge could start at center, the Blazers could start Beasley at either PF or SF. This would give the Wolves an athletic team but they would lack a point guard. This would take a second move to bring in someone to run the point.
- If they wanted to bring in a point, another deal with these teams could get the Lakers Felton, the Blazers would get Beasley and Ridnour, and the Wolves would get Nolan Smith and a pick from the Lakers.
- In a deal between the Wolves and Lakers, the Wolves could send Beasley and Ridnour to the Lakers for Steve Blake and a 1st round pick.
CELTICS
- If the Celtics were to make a deal for Beasley they’d have to offer O’Neal and a 1st round pick.
Like the Lakers, the Celtics also have two first-round picks. O’Neal doesn’t offer a lot, especially if he’s injured, but the Wolves would still get a pick for Beasley.
- If the Celtics also want to bring in a center they could offer O’Neal, Johnson, and a first round pick they could get back Beasley and Randolph.
Johnson was a 1st round pick this year and has shown flashes of promise in him limited minutes and the Wolves would still get a 1st.
These deals are just options if they are dealing with the Lakers or Celtics. I expect Beasley to get dealt, even if it’s for a little. Beasley could offer offense and youth to a team but not much defense. As the deadline approaches it’s interesting to see which team will bite on a player that most people consider an underachiever at this point in his career.
7 Examples of the Psychopathic Kobe Meme
Kobe Bryant now wears a mask to protect his broken nose — and transform himself into a psychopath.
IT’S HERE. Or just about here.
Welcome Canon’s newest DSLR: the Canon 5D MarkIII.
- It’s 17x faster than the MarkII thanks to a new processor.
- It has a shiny full-frame sensor that snaps more megapixels, 22.3 of them.
- It can now shoot at 60fps which makes for awesome slow-mo video.
It’s $3500, but we don’t really need this spleen anyway.
Canon’s New 5D MarkIII DSLR: Faster & More Pixely
photo by Mario Aguilar; via Gizmodo
J-Lo had a wardrobe malfunction at Sunday’s Academy Awards. Here’s the whole video for proof!
(Source: foxintwilight)
Black Kids These Days of the Day: 5-year-old up-and-coming comedian Zay Zay performs some material that his dad wrote for him.
It’s both precious and terrifying all at once.
