TMZ.com and The Huffington Post are reporting tonight that the legal talks
between the Miss California Pageant and  former Miss California Carrie Prejean
are over.

The negotiations over a million-dollar settlement reportedly came to a
screeching halt when the organization's lawyer unveiled a sex tape of Prejean
masturbating on a home video.

Prejean, who was fired from the crown last June, had sued the pageant for libel,
slander and religious discrimination and was seeking a settlement in excess of 1
million dollars. But when the video - which had been sent to TMZ months ago, but
never aired - was presented at the negotiating table, Prejean reportedly fled
from the table and the negotiations ended right then and there.

As a member of San Diego's "The Rock" Chuch, Carrie Prejean gave people high
hopes that her story would be a triumph of Christian values over pop-culture
political pressure (hello, Perez Hilton.) But she's been nothing short of a
disappointment.

First, she denied taking topless photos (which ultimately surfaced); she
downplayed lingerie videos (which promoted one of the seven deadly sins: Lust);
she was involved in a breast implant 'ownership' argument; she was exposed for
her alleged failure to fulfill her contractual obligations, on not one, but
several occasions (otherwise known as a failure to live up to one's word); and
now, it turns out she starred in a sex tape during which she masturbates to the
camera.  All the while taking a "holier than thou" attitude at every step of the
way, surely knowing these embarrassing issues remained and could take down she
and the people she aligned herself with at any moment.

Now that the case is settled, I hope this silly woman goes away and stops
embarrassing her supporters once and for all.

As for the rest of us, let this be a "teachable moment" to Christians, Elected
Officials who claim to be "family values" advocates, and young ladies who are in
the public eye from Politics to the Public stage. The time-tested saying is
true: It takes a lifetime to build an honorable reputation, but only 15 minutes
(pun intended) to destroy it.

Let this serve as a reminder of how important it is not to just "Talk the Talk,"
but to truly "Walk the Walk" in our our public lives.