Do Wedding Coordinators Overcharge?

Have you seen the reality show on VH1 called, "My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding"?

In my search for something interesting to watch this is what I found. Basically, the show is geared towards really rich people who have incredibly lavish weddings. Dina (seen above) from the reality show 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey', had a wedding extravaganza so I watched because I was familiar with who she is. 

Dina's wedding was huge, I mean HUGE! There were 602 guests on her list and she admitted that she only knew about 20 people there. A buffet of food and deserts adorned the hall where she had her reception, and she even had the music group 'The Stylistics' personally perform for them.

This entire event didn't have a wedding party; not one bridesmaid, flower girl, groomsman, nada. However, Dina did have her daughter by her side. The wedding was well over one million dollars. 

The second hour of lavish weddings introduced a Japanese bride named Mina, who was marrying Leroy an African American medical sales associate. 

Although Mina was adorable, it was obvious that material things were the center of her world. She had to have the absolute best of everything, nothing more, nothing less. But I guess when you have a wealthy father you can afford to have anything you want. 

This bride wanted a wedding coordinator to the stars, she wanted an eight foot wedding cake designed by famous cake baker Sylvia Weinstock worth fifteen thousand dollars, and the cake was being flown in from New York City -- with two first class seats of its own!

She only wanted a gown by celebrity designer Vera Wang, and throughout the whole show she bragged to everybody about how much she paid for everything. Talk about not eating enough of humble pie.

After the bride paid a retainer fee of $20,000 dollars to meet with celebrity wedding coordinator Preston Bailey, she was charged a little over $500,000 dollars and that total didn't even include the flowers! My mouth dropped open for about three minutes.

The price included special pink screens, lighting, crystal chandeliers, table linens, twenty-four centerpieces (which were $50,000 dollars a piece), and extra decor and labor.

If you pay a wedding coordinator over half a million dollars for your wedding, basically everything you paid for you bought, right? After the wedding is over everything you paid for you should own, correct? 

Because after paying that much money I'd be walking out with those crystal chandeliers, linens, centerpieces, and the lighting! The crazy part is, people actually spend that kind of money to rent these items. 

But if you spend that much money you're not renting, you paid for those items and if not, the wedding coordinator is allowed to keep everything only to charge the next client a lot of money for something the previous client already paid for!? All I can say is WOW!

At the end of the show, Mina was disappointed that her dear wedding coordinator Preston Bailey, wouldn't be able to attend her wedding personally due to a "family emergency." Ha! I guess she didn't have enough celebrity status to get him there in the flesh?

The grand total for Mina's wedding was two million dollars! My mouth dropped open again for another three minutes. For that much money they better stay married FOREVER!

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

New Credit Card Regulations Thanks to President Obama

Did you know new credit card regulations are currently in full effect? Below are three key important factors about the new rules.

1. When you sign-up for a credit card, the interest rates will never change.

2. When your signing up for a credit card be aware of how much your monthly payments will be, and you should receive monthly statements showing how long it will take you to pay it off, like a car note or mortgage payment.

3. The last and my personal favorite, if a person is under the age of 21, you must have a co-signer before you are allowed to receive a credit card.

When I was 18 years old and in college I was given all type of credit card applications, which later added to my future debt.  

President Obama believes a teenager should have a co-signer because at the age of 18, you're not mature enough to handle debt. 

Since it's obvious that credit card companies prey on young college students, I wonder if student credit card debt can be forgiven since it's considered predatory lending? 

Can you imagine if Obama's new policy was in full effect from the time you were 18 up until 20 years of age? That sure would've helped a lot of young people not fall into debt at an early age.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Why Is Killing So Easy?

Why is it that human life means nothing to some people? 

An innocent taxi driver was shot in the head, than robbed of the few dollars he had in his pocket. An innocent bartender was killed and robbed. A woman going for a morning jog was shot in the back, but wasn't robbed. Three people were killed in a movie theater. A mother suffocated her one year old son, brought him back to life using CPR and then suffocated him again until he died, then buried his body at a playground.

Two Georgia Tech students were shot and robbed, but luckily they survived to tell their stories. A mother picking up her son was allegedly shot by her mother-in-law. A doctor who was selling her condo invited the wrong person in to look at her home and was shot to death and robbed.

All day everyday killing is indeed a fact of life. It's something that's guaranteed to happen whether we want it to or not. It's a constant routine, much like us waking up every morning and brushing our teeth is routine. No one knows how to stop it and there are never enough eyes to properly protect people from harm. Everyday you walk out the door you have no clue if it will be your last day on earth. All you can do is hope and pray for the best.

Most people assume that killers are cold-hearted individuals either born crazy or raised evil. 

But what happened to these people that caused them to snap? What pushed their buttons to the point of no return? Does no feeling of empathy reside within them, from the moment they point the gun to the moment they pull the trigger, releasing death in a capsule and ending a life that had no right to be taken? 

I wish weapons weren't so easy to purchase. There should be restrictions put in place and thorough background checks issued. Like comedian Chris Rock once said, "Charge $5000 dollars for one bullet, that way there won't be anymore innocent bystanders." 

That sure makes sense doesn't it?

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Why Are Certain Men Praised Like God?

I have an honest question. I'm not trying to offend anyone or be disrespectful. This question is out of sheer curiosity. 

For those that believe in God we all know that God is love, God is perfect, God is the creator, and ruler of all things. No one can compare to God because God is the highest of the high; are you with me so far?

If you agree with the latter, then why do we praise the Pope as if he's God? The Pope is a mortal man just like any other man, so what is it about the Pope that makes him holier than others? I'm not comparing the Pope to pastors, ministers, rabbi's, or reverends, but many of these same "holy people" have proven themselves to not be as holy as we thought.

I've seen priests and pastors on the news pleading guilty to child molestation charges, fornication, and even the siphoning of church funds for their own personal gain. And only when they're caught do they cry out that they're "only human," and human beings make mistakes when most of them lived as if they were above all men. And as we all know, God doesn't make mistakes.

All I'm saying is we need to be mindful of who we put on pedestals, and make sure not to confuse men with the creator of all. We also need to take more responsibility in seeking truths that are kept from us, other wise we stand to be brainwashed forever.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Where Do Drugs Go After Confiscation?

When drug dealers are busted by police or the FBI, after everything is confiscated where do the drugs go?

If drugs are illegal and harmful why would the government want to hold on to illegal and harmful products? Why not take pictures of the evidence as well as the perpetrators for proof, and then discard the goods by burning them? 

Where are the drugs stored after confiscation and what happens to it afterwards? Does it just sit in storage forever? Or is there some kind of corrupt activity involved that takes place within the government to redistribute the drugs for a price?

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA

Where Do Movies Come From?

Have you ever had a dream and woke up saying to yourself, "Damn that would've been a great movie!?"

I believe great movies come from real life situations and weird dreams. Only in your dreams can you imagine the impossible happening.

When you look at films such as 'I Am Legend' by Will Smith, or 'Kill Bill' by Quentin Tarantino, there had to be some kind of twisted dreaming going on for these guys to even think of writing stories such as these. Or maybe they took from real life situations as "art" usually imitates "life."

If you find yourself having a "movie dream," it may help to keep a pad and pen by your bedside so you can jump up and write down what you saw before it goes away. 

For a screenwriter dreams could be the next big thing. You could literally make your dreams a reality!

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

 2009 LA

CEO Paul Levy Takes an "Obama" Approach

CEO Paul Levy (seen above) of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, has recently stepped up to the plate.

Understanding the repercussions of the failing economy Levy realized his low wage workers, would be hit the hardest which prompted him to try a new idea. He gathered all his employees in the medical center auditorium and said, "I want to run an idea by you that I think is important, and I'd like to get your reaction to it," Levy began. 

"I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners, the transporters, the housekeepers, the food service people. A lot of these people work really hard, and I don't want to put an additional burden on them. Now, if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice, he continued. "It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits." 

Mr. Levy had barely gotten the words out of his mouth, when Sherman Auditorium erupted in applause. Thunderous and heartfelt applause.

This is the kind of heartfelt and generous approach that President Obama speaks of, and with so many arguments taking place about Obama wanting to redistribute the wealth to help the less fortunate, when you think about it -- what Obama wants to do is no different from what Paul Levy is doing. 

Those who are more fortunate should help thy neighbor; it's called having a heart. I commend Mr. Levy for his actions, and if more CEO's and other fortunate people did more of the same thing the world would be a better place to live in.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

  2009 LA

To read more on Paul Levy click here.

Japanese Scientist Creates First Teacher Robot

This is the type of thing I've only seen in movies, but apparently the movies is playing out across the world!

It took Japanese scientists fifteen years of research to develop a woman robot that speaks different languages, organizes tasks, disciplines students, and makes several facial expressions. The robot was designed to replace office workers in order to cut costs.

I think these creations are pretty cool however, I don't agree with robots replacing humans when it comes to the classroom. I feel strongly about children having someone they can relate to, and you can't relate to a robot. 

If robots are going to replace human beings in the work place, then where does that leave humans? Unemployed indefinitely?

Robots can be created to do other things useful like building machines but in the end, robots simply can not offer what a human being can offer; a heart.

The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...

2009 LA