Wednesday, July 07, 2010

AC Transit: Mary King explains why union asked to take cut

AC Transit Zero Emission Bus 
In Monday's Bay Area News Group websites The San Jose Mercury News and the Tri Valley Herald
in San Jose, California and Southern Alameda County, AC Transit Interim General Manager Mary King explained why the East Bay California public transit service provider is asking the 1,750 member Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) to accept a contract it imposed on them.

King starts by explaining that "Our future — and the future of affordable and environmentally sound transportation for Alameda and Contra Costa counties' riders — is in jeopardy," then tells the reader what this space has been trying to drill into the collective heads of many for some time: revenue froms sales and property taxes has decreased.

But what King does not explain in numbers is that AC Transit's total operating revenues have dropped by $12 million in one year, and all one has to do to understand this is download and read the AC Transit budget here: BUDGET.

Only service cut-backs and labor costs reductions can make up the $56 million deficit this revenue problem has, in part, caused.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Terrance Candell crushes Jean Quan, he says

Terrance Candell
Oaklander and St. Mary's graduate, Director of Candell's College Preparatory Academy, and CNN Roland Martin look-alike Dr. Terrance Candell, smarting from what he views as an apparent slight on the part of The Oakland Tribune, and regarding the Oakland Seen-produced Mayoral Forum of three weeks ago, issued a provocative video entitled "Candell Crushes Quan & Kaplan At Mayoral Forum pt.1."

While this blogger attended the San Francisco Dress for Success event that evening, there was a hired video spy in the building. From the video of the forum, Terrance Candell was the crowd favorite, even as the Oakland Tribune failed to note that fact until down in the depths of the page, and even then giving the appearance that it wasn't real but planted by him.

So, since Candell and company thinks he wasn't well-reported by the Oakland Tribune, they issued this video:



Candell's style is a crowd pleaser if you're looking for spice in the Oakland Mayor's Race. At turns pleading to make a better Oakland in an emotive style that reminds this blogger of one of those YouTube Hitler parodies, and at other times rightly chiding Oakland's current leadership, Candell is the cattle prod Oakland politics needs. Say what you will, Candell's energy and his hands on commitment to Oakland's youth is to be noted and praised, even by the media.

On the Oakland media, it must be said that it's really shameful that some blogs and Oakland news websites try to ignore candidates like Candell, in effect trying to pick who wins the Mayor's race. It's also idiotic, because the organizations that do it don't have enough juice to make their efforts stick. But mostly, it's unfair to Oaklanders, who deserve a place to go to be able to evaluate the candidates in a way that's fair.

Video's the best tool to use, yet the vast majority of media organizations are still totally out to lunch in its use.  Waaaayyy out to lunch.

Oakland Journalists pride themselves on the self-absorbed idea that they "can write," but who the hell cares if few see the finished work?

The Oakland Mayor's Race and the City Council race, too, deserves better, and this space is going to give it to both and to Oakland.

Stay tuned.

Carlos Boozer to Chicago Bulls cloud LeBron James to Knicks leaks

Carlos Boozer
The Chicago Bulls, who looked all but out of the running for LeBron James, have just improved their stock in the arms race to land The Chosen One. While Phoenix Suns Forward Jared Dudley's Twitter tweet sends James to the New York Knicks, much of that idea was supported by the fact that the Knicks got Amare Stoudemire for $100 million over five years.

Moreover, Amare was told the Knicks would work to add the one player he wanted to be with, LeBron James, if he joined the Knicks. He did.

But that was before Carlos Boozer joined the Chicago Bulls for $80 million Wednesday. And the fact the Cleveland Cavaliers let the now-ex Utah Jazz star get away means they're not as into the arms race for their own player as one would think.

Now, it's the Bulls, who reportedly still have enough cap space to sign James, who have the star power. Boozer teams with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to provide a forward-point guard-center combination that's formidable. Adding James could produce the championship stew the Chicago Bulls have been trying to mix since the Michael Jordan years.

Stay tuned. This is fun.

World Cup Soccer 2010: Spain beats Germany 1-0, World happy

Calming fears of a Germany World Cup Soccer victory and possible rekindled urges toward World domination, Spain beat Germany 1-0 in semi-finals match competition Wednesday.

Now, Spain will play The Netherlands as for the first time, two European countries play for, the Cup outside Europe; in this the 2010 World Cup.

Germany's athletic prowess was no match for the precision passing of Spain. But with that, Germany's smothering defense kept it close until the 73rd minute, when Spain's Carles Puyol hit goal paydirt:



Still, Germany pressed and pressed, but lacking their scoring star Thomas Muller, who was banned from play for penalties in the previous two matches, failed to break the Spain defense.

Some of Germany's players fail to sing anthem

A small controversy started when it was noted that not all of Germany's ethnically-diverse squad sang the German National Anthem.

German and World Cup soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, who's called "The Emperor" in Germany, or "Der Kaiser", which conjures up visions of Star Wars in this space...



Got drunk with nationalistic pride and said "All of them should sing the anthem. It can't be that the fans in the stands or watching at home sing along but those on the field don't."

It was really cool to witness the obvious ethnic diversity of German fans in watching Germany pley World Cup Soccer. Though, this space did wonder if some of the black Germans not far from Chancellor Angela Merkel during their victory against Argentina were specially, er, planted there not far from Merkel, but the preference is to give Germany's first female leader and Germany itself credit.

After all, you've got to love a country that turned out 200,000 strong in Berlin for then-Senator Barack Obama, as he ran for President of The United States.



Ok. Germany's back. Spain won today. But Germany...the country...is back and better than ever in the way that's most important: harmony with the rest of the World. Let's hope it stays that way.

LeBron James to Knicks: Chad Ochocinco twitter matches Jared Dudley leak

Beating the Jared Dudley Twitter leak by three hours, Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco also tweeted that Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Star LeBron James was headed to the New York Knicks. Here's his tweet:



#OCNNBREAKINGNEWS *Empire State of Mind* *wink* *wink*only the smart folk will put this together and figure out what i am talking about #6
about 7 hours ago via web


This space thinks Chad Ochocinco's leak would have more legs if he used "New York State of Mind" and included a link to this Billy Joel song:



At any rate, the Internet's hot with the idea that The Chosen One is headed for The Big Apple. But the one caveat is that LRMR Marketing head and LeBron James' friend Maverick Carter did not have kind words about the New York Knicks, reportedly saying he wanted nothing to do with them. Here's the quote from New York Newsday:



If you ask those close to James ' inner circle, the Knicks need to be aware that they shouldn't spend too much time trying to convince the two-time MVP to leave Cleveland for the big city. One person with close ties to James ' "team" said the person with the most influence on James - his longtime friend and business manager, Maverick Carter - wants nothing to do with the Knicks and views remaining with the Cavs or going to Chicago to join Derrick Rose as the better options.

The Knicks have been desperately working William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, a well-connected NBA (man) who has close ties to James but doesn't nearly have the influence that Carter does.


Still here's the problem: LRMR Marketing is reportedly financially floundering as LeBron was its only client according to Yahoo! Sports, and just signed NBA 1st Round Pick John Wall. A move to New York City for LeBron could mean a new home for LRMR and a new start at landing high-profile athletic clients in the World's largest media market outside LA.

So, Carter should think twice before dissing the New York Knicks, if the story is true. Personally it seems questionable that Carter would turn away New York.

Stay tuned.

Jared Dudley on Twitter: LeBron James to NY Knicks

LeBron James 
Phoenix Suns Forward Jared Dudley got on Twitter to announce that LeBron James would elect to go to the NY Knicks! That's right. The Chosen One, called "King James" by some and "Queen James" by others is reportedly set to become a New York Knicks player. Here's Jared Dudley on Twitter:

Breaking News!!! My sources tell me Lebron will announce that he will be goin to the NY KNICKS tomorrow on ESPN.. This is serious.. WOW!!!!
about 4 hours ago via Echofon

Then Jared followed that up with this tweet:

That's what I'm hearing.. I don't care where he goes lol.. I personally thought he would stay in Cleveland..
about 4 hours ago via Echofon

That LeBron would pick the Knicks over his current team the Cleveland Cavaliers comes as no surprise since the NY Knicks added Amare Stoudemire Monday. Stoudemire, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal, is a now-former teammate with Jared Dudley and may have been his source for the LeBron to New York news.

But the Knicks having Amare Stoudemire would seem to cancel the need for LeBron. Indeed, according to ESPN, James' representatives were seeking "clarity" on what the Knicks intended to do just before they signed Amare. Last Thursday, the Knicks told LeBron James he could pick the big man he wanted to team with should he come to New York; one of those players was LeBron James.

Whatever the case, LeBron James will make an announcement Thursday.  Stay tuned.

Lindsey Lohan in denial by Suzannah B. Troy

I find myself tuning in to TMZ and Harry Levin's insight and I have to go with him saying she is in denial.

I find myself describing many NY politicos as in denial -- in fact I say something like...denial is the new crack cocaine for corrupt politicians and I include Bloomberg's money manager Steve Rattner who may be banned by the SEC for 3 years.

Lindsey Lohan does according to TMZ have drugs in her system but she says she has been on them always...something like that.

I do write about celebrities and people like to hear what I have to say but I don't find them interesting and I am far more concerned about the oil spill that is killing off innocent sea life and destroying lives and in some ways we yet don't understand our future on this planet.

Back to celebrity train wrecks because I guess they are a vacation from real world problems.

Lindsey Lohan burst in to tears when she was sentenced to jail for 90 days.   I guess the judge did not notice her nails were painted with a message "F" you.  Here is ABC news coverage on Lindsey's FU message.

I do think she has talent but she has bigger problems including denial and an attitude problem.  Her father is a cross between a walking disaster and her stalker.   For more information,  I recommend tooling around TMZ and by the way, when she gets done with jail and rehab she will begin work on the film about Linda Lovelace the porn star who had a hellish life.  She claimed she was beaten and brutalized and made to perform in porn films.