Visit To Ground Zero - New York City

My good friend Bill Chachkes gave me an impromptu first-time tour of Ground Zero in New York City. The site is right next to the building that employed his father for 21 of his 34 years with the New York police force.

Bill's tour is a personal one- he lost two friends in the 9/11 disaster and saw a building his father said would never come down, come down.

Panthers Sign WR Steve Smith to 3-Year Extension

Panthers Sign Smith to 3-Year Extension

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Receiver Steve Smith agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday in a deal that will keep him with the team through the 2012 season.

His agent, Derrick Fox, said he wasn't authorized to release exact figures, but said Smith's new deal makes him among the five highest-paid receivers in the NFL.

"Steve wanted to complete his career with the Panthers and bring Carolina a Super Bowl," Fox said. "This gives him peace of mind."

The 28-year-old Smith had three years left on a six-year, $27 million contract. He was scheduled to make $3.l, $3.6 and $4.2 million over the next three seasons, but now will make significantly more.

Smith had been hoping to get a new deal for some time and the Panthers had made a long-term deal one of their top priorities after they released veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson last week.

Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, led the NFL with 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005. Fox said negotiations with general manager Marty Hurney began after that season.

"When he had the Triple Crown season, Marty came to us and said he had outplayed his contract," Fox said. "But it was a hard process, because he was just two years in (to a six-year contract)."

Smith's numbers declined last season. He missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, and finished with 20 fewer catches, 400 fewer receiving yards and four fewer touchdowns and Carolina finished a disappointing 8-8.

Offensive coordinator Dan Henning was fired, and Smith said at last weekend's minicamp that he was pleased with new coordinator Jeff Davidson's offense. Davidson had said he wanted to find new ways to get Smith the ball.

Smith was Carolina's third-round pick in 2001. Used primarily as a kick returner as a rookie, Smith became Carolina's go-to receiver in their Super Bowl season in 2003.

DNC Chair Governor Howard Dean, M.D. In SF May 9th - DNC Fundraiser, Palace Hotel

Howard Dean's coming to San Francisco for a fundraiser on May 9th. Click here for more details!

Paris Hilton Supporters Have Petition To Protest Jail Term

As you may know, Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45-days in jail for violating probation. She's to appear at the LA County facility before June 5th, which gives her about a month or so.

A group of supporters is circulating an online petition to keep her out of jail. I'd wish they'd do the same for others who have less money.

You think Akon will get 45-days for what he did? Nope. Just shows you how screwed up society is.

Video - Akon Dry Humps Underage Girl In Trinidad - Acts Stupidly; Crowd Eggs Him On

There's much being made of the video that captures rapper Akon -- who I'd never heard of until now -- forceably dry humping a woman later to be identified as underage. If you've not seen the video, it's presented below. Apparently, it was on YouTube, but taken down for "copywrite violations" -- any company that would claim protection of this is nuts to begin with.

For YouTube's part, they should fight back with the claim that this is public information about a public figure and thus falls outside the copywrite argument. As to the video itself, it's caused another attack on rap, but this time I think people are missing the point. What's on display here is a mob mentality and the pornification of American culture.

Look, while Akon was certainly criminal in his behavior it's not like the young lady ran off the stage, which she should have done at first. But she would not; in the video she just lays there waiting for him at first. Both are to blame here; it's like she wanted to see how far he would go, and he decided to go as far as he thought could.

I took a video at the LL Cool J concert at the ESPN Super Bowl Party, and got a stream of emails from women who claimed they were on stage and wanted a copy of the clip. The point being they want to be seen up there, and thus put up with whatever behavior the celebrity pushes on them, which is certainly what Akon did.

Now in the video, Akon does not really dry hump the woman at first -- he's actually over her as if he's doing pushups -- but as the crowd gets excited, then he goes nuts and too far with the act, when he should have stopped a long time ago.

To the young lady's defense, she had no idea of what was about to happen. She qas quoted as saying "This whole hip hop thing is a guise and I don't want any part of it. I don't want any part of it. Look at what I have to go through with one mistake that I made. My dad warned me every time and I didn't listen. I am sorry."

She accepts that she made a mistake. But Akon has not. That's terrible.

It's Akon's responsibility to be a gentleman due to his "power position" -- but instead, he violated that rule. Moreover, the crowd itself seemed to want it. Look for yourself. But what's even more disturbing is that he just ran off stage as if he knew that what he did was wrong. He does not see to her comfort; it looks like a complete rape, so that's what we'll call it.

But my question is if he's going to be prosecuted, it's not going to change the crowd. No one. Not the handlers of Akon. Not the spectators. No one stopped him. I think everyone on stage should be sued, not just Akon.

Paris Hilton gets 45 days in jail -- Why? - BBC News

I think the judge was sending Paris a message, as she's had not one, but two chances. The judge apparently thinks that Paris is under the idea that she's above the law. Perhaps this will change things, but considering that Paris is a celebrity, placing her in the condition of a standard jail could be considered a death sentence.

That's not right at all.

Paris Hilton gets 45 days in jail


Ms Hilton must start her jail term next month

A Los Angeles judge ruled she must start her sentence on 5 June and has no prospect of an early release.

Ms Hilton told the judge she was very sorry and that she would "pay complete attention to everything" from now on.

The socialite said she did not know her licence had been suspended when caught driving without headlights in February.

According to papers filed in Los Angeles' Superior Court, Ms Hilton was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers on 15 January and informed she was driving on a suspended licence.

The 26-year-old then reportedly signed a document acknowledging she was not allowed to drive.

I'm very sorry and from now on I'm going to pay complete attention to everything
Paris Hilton

On 27 February, she was stopped by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for speeding on Sunset Boulevard with her car's headlights off and charged with violating her probation.

Although Ms Hilton maintained she was not aware her licence had been suspended, court papers said the document she signed in January was found in her car's glove compartment.

She was also accused of failing to enrol in an alcohol education programme by a court-ordered deadline.

Late entrance

Ms Hilton was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $1,150 (£582), and lost her licence at the end of January after pleading no contest to a drink driving charge in September.

Despite prosecutors saying the heiress deserved a jail sentence prior to Friday's hearing, Ms Hilton arrived at the court at least 10 minutes late.


Hilton first gained notoriety for her constant partying as a teenager
One of the world's most photographed women, her arrival attracted a swarm of paparazzi at a courthouse whose most glamorous work usually consists of dealing with parking fines.

Her mother, Kathy, laughed when the demand for a custodial sentence was made during the prosecution's closing argument and asked Judge Michael Sauer for his autograph.

"I'm very sorry and from now on I'm going to pay complete attention to everything," Ms Hilton told the court before she was sentenced.

"I'm sorry and I did not do it on purpose at all," she said. But the judge was unmoved.

The 26-year-old heiress wept when the ruling was announced, and her mother shouted at the prosecutor: "You're pathetic."

One of Ms Hilton's lawyers said the jail sentence was unfair.

"To sentence Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail to me was uncalled for, inappropriate and bordered on the ludicrous. I think she was singled out because she's who she is," Howard Weitzman said.

If Ms Hilton does not report to jail on 5 June she will face 90 days behind bars.

Ms Hilton, heiress to the Hilton Hotel fortune, first gained notoriety for her constant partying as a teenager.

The BBC's David Willis says the austere surrounding of the all-women's detention centre will be a far cry from the five-star luxury the hotel heiress has become used to.

What her fellow inmates will make of her, and she of them, remains to be seen, our correspondent says.

Barack Obama Placed Under Secret Service Watch - CNN.com

This is an example of how sick American Society is. To my knoweldge, for the first time, an American Presidential candidate has been placed under Secret Service watch, reportedly due to a threat on his life. The news came from CNN.

This is more proof that we as a society have a lot of work to do in correcting our course; it just makes me work harder to gt him elected.