Friday, September 24, 2010

Breaking Tier 5 news: S3706 will come to a vote next week




Rob Curtis of 99er media announced moments ago that the 99er NOVO movement, working closely with Mr. Ed Schultz of MSNBC, now have a commitment from Debbie Stabenow (D- MI) that the Americans Want to Work Act WILL be brought to the floor for debate and an attempted voice vote on the Senate floor next week.

More later as this story developes.

Hey Bishop Eddie Long You're Wrong: Local Critic Sounds Off

I’m not always one to come with the harsh language, but this sister here brought some serious heat to this Bishop Eddie Long situation where he is accused of coercing young men who at the time were minors in his church to have sex with him.
A series of pictures he supposedly sent out of himself have surfaced and have been making themselves around the net.
Long denies the allegations and was set to speak about the issue on the Tom Joyner morning show the other day but at the last minute pulled out and had a lawyer read his statement. He intends to address his congregation this Sunday at New Birth. For folks who aren’t familiar, new Birth was the church that hosted Coretta Scott’s funeral where actor/activist Harry Belafonte a long time friend and financial backer of the King family was un-invited at the last minute. Many speculated because of Belafonte’s critcisms of Bush who was in attendenace and has been friendly with the church.
She talks about the importance of us to be able to discern and warns us not to fall for some Jim Jones type character. She says ‘even with my channel shades on I can see the light.’..Not sure if she’s a member of his new Birth church or not but she definitely goes in..*Warning do not play this at work unless you have headphones. and if you’re easily offended by language don’t watch.. .
For a more indepth breakdown of this situation.. peep the Colorlines article..

AT&T and Tea Party Joining Black Leaders to End Net Neutrality? by Davey D






These are indeed strange times we live in where even when we’re repeatedly told we should not be surprised as to what goes down, especially in the world of politics-goes down. It was surprising to learn that AT&T is one of the biggest backers of the Tea Party and together they are working overtime to try to get rid of the Democratizing concept that has made the Internet so powerful called ‘Net Neutrality‘.
I guess one shouldn’t be shocked at the hypocrisy of the Tea Party which claims it takes issue with big corporation but then generously supports their agenda. I’m more upset with Apple which uses AT&T and upset that my hard-earned money which pays for this Iphone is going to uplift a political party that many of feel are racist and in opposition to many of our concerns.
As for Net Neutrality, for those who don’t know about this concept, it essentially says all data is to be treated equal. This means the little blog in the middle of Iowa can be accessed just as easily as the NY Times in NY. All websites are essentially one click away metaphorically speaking.
What telecoms have been doing to the tune of over 100 million dollars in lobbying money in 2009 alone with AT&T leading the way is try to change the basic structure of the internet and re-create the very conditions that drove us away from traditional media to the internet in the first place. Instead of everyone being ‘one click away’ they want to create a tiered system where websites and companies who pay top dollars are one click away while everyone else could be 2, 3, 4 or not even on the system at all.
This means if I am living in Oakland, California and wish to present additional information to the rest of the country about some important event like the tragic Oscar Grant shooting from 2009 I would no longer be on par with the mainstream outlets. My information could be slowed down or even blocked.
Hence, someone in NY might click on the Oakland Tribune site and get the information immediately, but it might take a couple of hours or maybe even a day or two to be visible to on my website DaveyD.com or the websites Indy media SF,Colorlines, Youth Radio or the SF Bayview. The sad part is that person in NY might not even know this additional information had been slowed down or suspended by AT&T, Comcast or some other ISP that may have a political agenda that they want to carry out that is in stark contrast with your content.
The person on the receiving end of the information will do as they’ve always done since the internet been around and click on a link expecting to move seamlessly from one site to the next. When one site is slowed down or not accessible they move onto another. So again what AT&T wants to do is make sure the NY Times loads up quickly while the small blogger comes up slowly.
When one considers how so many people have been able to come up, challenge traditional media with other facts and various narratives to a story, net neutrality has leveled the playing field. Unfortunately the big telecoms do not want this..and apprently neither do the Tea Party and several prominent gatekeeping civil rights orgs and politicians they have spent money on.

AT&T sponsored National Urban League Centennial Celebration. Was that part of their strategy to reach out to Civil Right orgs and get them to echo GOP talking points on Net Neutrality?
Initially the Net Neutrality debate was partisan with mostly conservative folks against it.AT&T decided that one of their strategies would be to use their money and influence to get key civil rights leaders to come on board. This may have included generous sponsorships they’ve given folks over the years with everyone from Jesse Jackson of Rainbow Push to Marc Morial of the National Urban League whose centennial celebration they recently sponsored. Their defection and non-commital responses to supporting net neutrality was even welcomed and celebrated by top conservative bloggers like Andrew Breibart the man behind the Shirley Sherrod controversy .
Jackson has noted both in his statement to the FCC and publicly that he and Rainbow Push give ‘voice to the voiceless’. How does one have a voice without Net Neutrality protections?
Even more troubling is seeing members of the Congressional Black Caucus standing alongside the AT&T/Tea Party. How does this happen in 2010 where CBC members were just a couple of months ago complaining about racism where they were called ‘Nigger’ and being spat upon by the Tea Party members, are walking now hand in hand? Oh yeah that happens when big time lobbying money enters the picture. I guess folks can afford to buy a clean handkerchiefs to wipe away the spit and ‘let bygones be bygones’ as far as the racial insults are concerned as they all stand under the money tree-lined umbrella of AT&T. Peep this article called ‘Hey, Capitol Hill: Who’s Your Daddy ? AT&T‘ to get a better understanding the pervasiveness of this telecom giant.

NAACP head Ben Jealous
AT&T and the telecoms even gotBen Jealous and the NAACP which relied heavily on the freedoms of the internet to launch a campaign to try to save Troy Davis from being executed to take a ‘neutral position on Net Neutrality. Remind me to let Ben know they spelled the word ‘endorse’ wrong in their clarification statement.
In recent days an online petition was put together by Color of Changepushing CBC members to step up and get on the right side of this issue.That would be away from the position of the huge telecoms.
It’s our hope that all of us stop and take a long hard look at what’s going on with Net Neutrality and not allow this important issue to get away from us the way it did when it came to media consolidation. If you recall, back in the days leading up to that landmark telecommunications bill of ’96 we heard similar arguments from the big media corps on how giving them all this power would be a good thing for consumers. We also saw there were handfuls of Black and Brown folks who tried to jump in bed with the Clear Channels of the world. They were told they would have better opportunities. Have things gotten better since the Consolidation? Turn on your local radio station and the answer is more than obvious-’Hell Naw’.
The ‘Clear Channeling of media has been horrific. Again, its the main reason so many of us fled to the Internet. We wanted something better. We wanted our individual voices to be heard. If we allow the telecoms to gut Net Neutrality with the help of the Tea Party and a handful of civil rights leaders leading the charge we will be talking about what a big mistake this was 15 years from now. Don’t let history repeat itself.
written by Davey D

Oakland Mayor's Race: LWV Forum Draws Oakland's Older Folks

Oakland Mayor's Race Forum first take. (Which means, there's going to be more of these posts on last night, because a lot was happening.)

This just in: The Oakland Tribune's out of touch with Oakland. A number of attendees of the 450 estimated said they learned of the Oakland League Of Women Voters via "the newspaper." All of the people who made that statement were over 50 years old.

Still, the forum, which attracted every candidate except Dr. Terrance Candell, was a success. The auditorium at 300 Lakeside Drive seats 380 people, so if you do the math, it was about 70 over capacity.

The crowd was a happy mix of supporters of candidates and long-time observers of the Oakland political scene. The one complaint they had was there wasn't enough time to hear what the candidates were about.

That wasn't because there were too many candidates, but due to the format. Either Oakland Tribune Editor Martin Reynolds or the League of Women Voters, or both, decided to throw every question known to Oakland-kind, from the good (Will you spend public money on an A's stadium?) to the bad (Will you commit to a smaller forum with candidates who have a "real chance"? Or words to that effect). Too many questions and not a conversational format.

Still, errors aside, the forum proves there's a keen interest in the race for the next Mayor of Oakland.

Three Events Come To One Event

As reported there were at first three events, but the one for the Calvin Simmons Theater was scrubbed when the Oakland League Of Women Voters and The Oakland Chamber of Commerce saw the light and opened the forum to all of the candidates. Then there was Dr. Candell.

My original intent was to visit his one-candidate show, but the action at the Kaiser was too good to leave. Moreover, Terrance didn't tell this blogger about his event via phone or email.

As an aside, my job as I've crafted it, is to cover the campaign and not support a candidate. I make an exception only in the case of Libby Schaaf, who I view more as family than candidate.

Other than that, this blogger calls it plain and true. No B.S. Dr. Candell is a compelling candidate and individual, but as I've explained to him he has to sell his message to all of Oakland, not just those who he's comfortable with.

Who Won The LWV Forum?

Who Won The LWV Forum? Working backward and focusing on impressions, Marcie Hodge was a disappointment because she was far less confident and self-assured than at the Oakland Jobs Forum. Hodge paused, stuttered, and in general seemed nervous.  This blogger was surprised.

Arnie Fields has to work more on specifics that concern Oakland policy.  Well-spoken and confident, Fields is, but comfortable with the technics of policy discussion he does not appear to be.  "I'm going to have a bake sale" to raise money for Oakland doesn't work with the electorate.  When Fields started his sentence with that, I expected a great follow-up but he stuck to the idea!  A bake sale?

Dude, you've got to be kidding!

Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan had that "I have to be here with these people" look on her face again, and this blogger really wishes she would stop doing that.  Jean has to erase that "What are you bitches waiting for, elect me!" attitude she carries around from time to time.

A frank aside.

Councilmember Jean Quan could have won the Oakland Mayor's Race if she were less imperious and more gracious. She's an Oakland female Asian politician who's timing is perfect, but execution is horrible.

Quan's high-handed approach is alienating, and it's borne of an insecurity Jean does not need to possess - and I know this because I have the same problem, so I can see it in others.

When Councilmember Quan is open, she's a wonderful, loving person who one wants to get behind and help. But when she goes into "Queen Iron Lady" mode, it's off-putting and not in the best sprit of The Soul Of Oakland.

My mother would say to Jean Quan what she said to me, and since I don't heed it all the time, I know what I'm talking about: read Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People.

Or, to put it another way, make people know you like them. Sometimes Jean doesn't seem as if she does. That's not true, or course, but it's an impression she gives off from time to time and many people have stated that.

Jean's very intelligent, and doesn't suffer fools gladly.  But what I've learned is that the problem in a complex society is the smartest person one encounters may not look the part, so the one who thinks they're smarter than everyone else, is often proven wrong.  One has to open up to everyone and embrace them, especially in politics.

Again, Jean's other side, if it were presented 24 and 7, would seal the deal. With that, it may be too late for her to change so dramatically.  Jean could take lessons from Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who is that warm, loving person.

But Rebecca's image, and some will take this the wrong way but it must be said in a true evaluation - the gender-bending affect - at times places her on the fringe of some voters views, and that's why Jean moves ahead but only by just a beat.

Rebecca's crowd, much younger, wasn't there in force last night.  Much more used to such an image as Rebecca's, and therefore able to see beyond it, Oakland's younger crowd could push her into City Hall.  What's great about Kaplan is her boundless sprit.

Boundless sprit also describes Larry Lionel Young, who really has a bright future in politics. If he becomes more comfortable with the discussion of Oakland policy technics, he will do well. A keen expression of understanding of policy and politics, combined with the presentation of sound judgement can at times overcome lack of political experience. That's why Joe Tuman has done so well.

Working our way along, let's move to the top and state that it was a tie between Joe Tuman and Don Perata. Green Party candidate Don Macleay and Councilmember Kaplan tied for third. Greg Harland was fourth, then Quan, Young, Fields and Hodge.

Don Macleay says he's not a politician.  But he has to make a clear case for what he stands for other than being a nice guy.   Don needs a message.  A hook that resonates.  He did much better this time than at the Jobs Forum.

Terrance Candell should have been there.  He could have sat next to Don Perata.

Senator Perata I'm certain would have liked more time. But one action which would have helped him would have been to stand up and talk. For some reason, Don on the stump presents better than Don sitting down. Of course it's all image, but as much as you may want to, you can't discount it. Don did nothing to hurt his chances to win.

Perata clearly wants to be Mayor of Oakland, and expresses that singular desire in speech and affect far more than all of the other candidates except Tuman and Kaplan. Joe Tuman's clearly taking votes away from Perata, however. They appeal to the same groups, but which candidate can get Oakland's younger voters is key.  If they don't do that, Kaplan could run away with the prize.

A New Diversity Of A Sort

The placement of three of the four white guys running - Perata, Tuman, and Harland - in a row was interesting because let's face it: Oakland's not seen that since the 1960s. It's also a sign of how Oakland has changed. In the past, Oakland had a lot of well-qualified black candidates running for office; not so today.

The reason for the change goes back to something now-former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris told me when I worked for him between 1995 and 1999. The reason there have been so many blacks in politics is that discrimination closed out other opportunities in the private sector in the past and up to around 1990. Now, with so many blacks in high-level private sector positions and running companies like American Express, it translates into fewer candidates for the Oakland Mayor's Race.

Part of me thinks that's a bad thing; part a good thing. I have a complex set of reasons for that sentence. More on that later.

Lindsay Lohan in Custody and Denied Bail by Tina








Lindsay Lohan is in custody and was denied bail! Sources said they didn't think Lindsay would be in jail for more than an hour, which is all processing time, but they were wrong! the judge did not set any bail when he ordered Lindsay in custody. That means she might be sitting there for 30 days!

Judge Fox did not hear any argument from the lawyers before making his ruling.

Lindsay was handcuffed in court before being taken into custody.

It's shocking because the underlying offense is a misdemeanor, and people connected with the case were telling us the judge had to offer Lindsay bail.

As for Lindsay's reaction ... she was shocked when the judge remanded her into custody. Lindsay looked at her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holly, before being taken out of the courtroom.


Cameras were still waiting outside the courthouse for Lindsay to exit, however she might not be exiting! I wonder what kind of insanity while ensue as Dina denies Lindsay has a problem, Michael yells from the steps and Lindsay - who knows what Lindsay is doing!

Do you think Lindsay will stay in jail for the next 30 days or so until there is a hearing? WIll it teach her a lesson? If nothing else, this should tell Paris Hilton how lucky she was to not be made an example of and that her butt is not sitting in jail somewhere because of the drug charges.

CNN's Susan Roesgen Taking On Tea Party Was Good Television

If you're wondering what ever happened to CNN Reporter Susan Roesgen, who's was famous for this April 2009 verbal joust with the nutty members of the Chicago Tea Party group, she was indeed "not renewed" and her CNN website page taken down.

That's too bad, because in retrospect, considering CNN's ratings drop, actions like brawling with Tea Party people rather than supporting them was good television.   With reporters like Susan Roesgen on the scene, it would have been worth tuning in to CNN.

This blogger can see what Susan Roesgen was trying to do: expose the Tea Party people as not having any other real agenda than being angry America has a black President. None of the statements by Tea Party People in the video below make any sense:



The Couch Potato Conservatives went nuts over Susan Roesgen's combative approach, calling her biased, unprofessional, and, oh, a "leftist cunt" in the case of a blog called "Big Dick's Place.

But Susan did America a favor by showing just how biased and stupid many of the Tea Party members can be. Whatever happened to her? She's gone into hiding it seems.

Too bad.  Bring Susan back to CNN, or at least television.

Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds' Hubby, Carrie Fisher's Father Passes

Berkeley resident Eddie Fisher passed away at the age of 82 Wednesday. Fisher, the husband of Actress Debbie Reynolds, and the father of Star Wars Legend Carrie Fisher, was a popular "Top-40s" singer. He passed away of complications due to hip surgery.



According to Reuters, the family issued this statement:






He was loved and will be missed by his four children: Carrie, Todd, Joely, and Tricia Leigh as well as his six grandchildren," read the statement, according to Reuters. "He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch."


According to MTV and the Associated Press, Eddie Fisher was the father of seven children and born to Russian-born Jewish immigrant parents in Philadelphia on August 10, 1928. He started singing as a child and eventually dropped out of high school. He was so good he eventually landed a $1 million contract to be Coca-Cola spokesperson and headline the first TV series "Coke Time With Eddie Fisher."

Fisher was first married to Debbie Reynolds, with whom he had two kids, one was Carrie Fisher. Unfortunately the marriage was interrupted when it was revealed that Fisher was having an affair with Elizabeth Taylor.

Later, Elizabeth Taylor would fool around on Eddie Fisher with Richard Burton.

Fisher later married Connie Stevens, then was associated with Marlene Dietrich, Dinah Shore, Angie Dickinson and Kim Novak.

Eddie Fisher later married twice more, and to Terry Richard and then to Betty Lin, who passed away in 2001.