Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Marcus Jordan: Following In His Father's Footsteps




Marcus Jordan has been dominating as a sophomore at UCF.  On Tuesday Marcus Jordan intercepted a pass against his schools rival Stetson and leaped over a defending opponent to dunk the ball ala mode of Michael Jordan.





Marcus Jordan is averaging 16.5 points per game in his sophomore year.  The young college star is definitely filling the very big shoes that his father has left behind.

John Bobst aka The Force of Nature

www.doyouseewhatyouget.com
www.theforceofnature.net








Media Take Out is a Joke




Does anyone actually take MediaTakeOut.com seriously?
Well here are some comments that seemed screenshot-worthy in response to one of the posts on that site that suggested that Nicki Minaj was not liked by Katy Perry, Rihanna and Ke$ha.  The site is a joke - the way the posts are written there is no way that anyone could possibly use that site as a credible news source. Look forward to more criticism of MediaTakeOut from yours truly.


Dennis Rodman Gets It From Teresa While Jorge Sedano Interviews Him

This is but one reason why former Chicago Bulls NBA Star Dennis Rodman has his well-earned reputation as a bad-boy on and off the court.

While being interviewed by Miami's 790 the Ticket, which Rodman called, Dennis' girlfriend decides she's going to "play with him" while he's on the phone and live on the radio with Jorge Sedano.

 The result is this totally funny audio of the conversation:



Lost in the sensational storyline is a valuable observation by Rodman about the "Big Three" of the 8 and 6 (as of this writing) Miami Heat: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. Rodman said they don't get along, whereas Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, and he got along very well on the Chicago Bulls championship teams of the 90s.

The "Big Three" is not performing well, and there may be a coaching change.

Stay tuned.

Dancing With The Stars Lacey Schwimmer Tweets Kyke Massey Snores On Twitter

This is an example of how Twitter can be used to "out" a friend's bad habits.

Professional Dancer Lacey Schwimmer (in photo at left), who partnered with Kyle Massey of The Disney Channel to take second place in Dancing With The Stars 2010, got on Twitter and let lose with a hilarious tweet about him, just after they flew to New York City for appearances on Good Morning America and on The View:

LaceySchwimmer Lacey Mae Schwimmer
Omg @kylemassey1991 snores so loud! Me Derek Tony mark Kyle had a rap battle on the plane!

The others Lacie mentions are Derek Hough, Mark Ballas, who partnered with Bristol Palin, and Tony Dovolani.

Lacey Schwimmer just appeared on Good Morning America and tweets she's on the set of The View as of this writing.

Couples influence each others happiness by Dr. Christina Villarreal


In my practice as a clinical psychologist in the Bay Area, I've seen many individuals who come in for therapy complaining of their spouses' negative influence upon their mood. In these instances, the person seeking treatment is looking for ways to improve their own mental health, though their spouse could clearly also benefit from treatment. Further, couples appear to influence each others level of happiness as well.

New research supports the notion that a person’s happiness is closely tied to the happiness of their spouse.


According to a study in the latest issue of the American Psychological Association’s journal Developmental Psychology, a person’s individual happiness appears to be linked to their spouse — in the case of long-term, married couples.

“What we saw over a long period of time is that if one spouse changed in terms of increasing happiness, the other spouse’s happiness would go up,” says Christiane Hoppmann, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and lead author of the study. “And if there was a dip in happiness, this dip would also affect the respective spouse."

Data for the happiness study was gleaned from the Seattle Longitudinal Study which, since 1956, has followed more than 6,000 individuals, tapping them for insights into their life satisfaction, personality, and health issues. Researchers at UBC, the University of Washington and Penn State analyzed data of 178 married couples and compared their happiness ratings.

Overall, results supported the notion that couples' happiness is reciprocal, that is, when one person in the couple is happy, there is a higher likelihood of their spouses' level of happiness matching theirs.

Hoppmann says this new research could help future studies better comprehend the varied influences upon what actually makes a person happy.

For professional referrals, contact Dr. Christina Villarreal at christina.villarreal@gmail.com

Chalmers Johnson Passed: Wrote MITI and The Japanese Miracle


UC Berkeley Professor Chalmers Johnson passed away four days ago and reportedly of complications due to rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Johnson was one of this blogger's intellectual heros and a main reason why I applied to Cal's graduate school of city planning. Yes, City Planning.

Berkeley's graduate school is an intellectual smorgasbord where, beyond your first semester, you can mix classes from various departments, and design a program for your own interests.   Mine was cities and industrial policy.

At the time I was there in 1985, Chalmers was basking in the glow from the success of his then-still-hot book MITI and The Japanese Miracle. As Industrial Policy and its impact on urban economic development was my central focus, I'd not just read, but devoured MITI and The Japanese Miracle.

In it, Professor Johnson not only explained how Japanese Government, via MITI, or what is called The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, skillfully picked key industries to assist via subsidies, but focused on the culture of business in Japan.

His central contribution to the American Zeitgeist, aside from MITI and The Japanese Miracle, was the American use of the term "Keiretsu," or a quasi cartel of business and government organizations in Japan. This grouping made the sharing of production resources more efficient, and blurred the lines between business and government such that implementing an overall industrial strategy or policy was easier to do than in America.

With all of this, you'd think Chalmers Johnson was a raging conservative capitalist. Hell no! Professor Johnson was a ragging liberal who was massively fun to talk to at Friday meetups at Barrows Hall at UC Bekerley.

At the time, and presumably still today, Thursday and Friday beer busts between students and professors in various departments and by groups were common.  Then, Barrows Hall was the home of the UC Berkeley Business School and business classes, and that was before the construction of the lovely compound called The Haas Business School.

In this one case from my memory, Professor Johnson was at one held by the then-new Berkeley Roundtable On The International Economy (BRIE), and in conversation with me just hauled off on what a stupid idiot he thought President Reagan was. Chalmers had little good to say about Ronald Reagan as president, wishing the former actor had returned to Hollywood, where he felt Reagan belonged.   Professor Johnson was someone I always sought out at events because he was a terrific conversationalist who would leave you in stitches.

Professor Johnson was also a major help in providing direction for the completion of my thesis, a work I entitled A Theory Of Decline, The American Institution In The World Economy.

But Chalmers real legacy, one not appreciated today, when it should be reconsidered, is the idea that American government can have an impact on industrial growth in a coordinated fashion, what we call "Industrial Policy."   Liberals and progressives should buy a copy of "MITI" and really understand how Japan became "Japan Inc." and also how America can dig itself out its economic problems today.

Professor Chalmers Johnson: a great man who will be missed.  RIP.

Oakland News: Parkway Theater Back? New Group Needs $200K

The latest Oakland News is good for an old friend.  The Parkway Theater building at 1836 Park Blvd off E. 18th here in Oakland, California, has been unused for over a year now, and the neighborhood before it an empty representation of its once lively self.

But all that could change if J Moses Ceaser and the New Parkway Theater Group can raise $200,000 within the next six weeks to reestablish the popular "Speakeasy" theater in the space.

 This email sent to this blogger and posted below tells the whole story:


Hi Parkway Lovers:

Big news! The Parkway will be reopening at its rightful home on Park Blvd! We don’t have a signed lease yet but we’re very close to the finish line and absolutely expect to get something done shortly. Please read on for all the details about the impending lease, other Parkway-related developments, and an amazing Quote of the Week:

Negotiations with the Chengs—the Chengs notified us a few weeks back that they would prefer to lease the building than to sell it, and so we’ve been trying to hammer out lease terms that suit both parties. And the negotiations have moved along to the point where Mr. Cheng has said that he is “confident that we can work out something that we can both be satisfied with”, and we agree. We are very happy that the Chengs are prepared to invest money—with help from the City of Oakland—to fix up the theater. We’ve also made our absolute best financial offer and are ready to invest money in the kitchen, lobby, theater spaces, and projection room to bring the Parkway back to life. I expect that we’ll have a lease in place in the next week or two and that we’ll be able to reopen the Parkway in roughly six months time, give or take a few permits and a beer and wine license. How’s that for happy Thanksgiving news!! Please help spread the happy news, and read on since this deal will only move forward if we raise the necessary start-up funds.

We’re Done with Phase One!—I’m very happy to report that we’ve successfully completed Phase 1 of fundraising for the theater’s reopening. Having this first core group of equity investors in place is critical since it’s this group that assumes the most risk and responsibility for the venture. Now we’ve got to raise another $200-300K in Phase 2 and hope to do it over the next six weeks.

Only 10 More Days for Kickstarter—we’ve only got ten more days for our Kickstarter campaign, and it’s not looking good, sort of like the Raiders and 49ers games this past Sunday. “Bleak” might be a better descriptor. But, I’ve been told that deadlines bring out the best in some, and we’re hoping for a last-minute rush on the small donation aisle. Please do your part, and remember that you’ve got nothing to lose, your donations are not cashed until we reach the magical $50K goal. Help make the comeback story of the year possible. Help do what the Raiders and 49ers couldn’t. Help us reach our goal against all odds. Here’s the link: http://kck.st/cPGq5y.

Pizza, Sodas, and Cake, Oh My!—the first dishes out of the New Parkway “test kitchen” are getting rave reviews. We served some pizza at our investor meetings that made guests exclaim, “if the pizza is this good, the Parkway will definitely be successful.” We also made a flourless chipotle chocolate cake on another night, which I think could find its way onto the menu, along with a savory wild mushroom bread pudding, and a few wintry soups. Lastly, we’re looking into making our own fountain drinks so as to avoid the high-fructose corn syrup-filled crap that’s commonly distributed. Could you live without your high-fructose Coke at the theater if we’ve got some tasty alternatives?

December Investor Meetings—we’ll be holding a few more meetings for investors and potential investors in December. These are a chance to learn more about the business plan behind the New Parkway, the risks and benefits involved, and how you can help to bring Oakland’s favorite theater back to life. If you’re interested in learning more about investing your $5,000+, you should email invest@thenewparkway.com to request an investor packet, and then aim to attend one of the following two meetings:
Sunday, December 12th, 6-8PM
Thursday, December 16th, 7-9PM
Both of these meetings will be held in Berkeley and require an RSVP so that we can be sure to have enough food and drink on hand. That’s right, free pizza and beer for all potential investors. So reserve your spot soon, and more importantly, own a piece of a theater you love.

Quote of the Week—I know that this section is called “Quote of the Week”, but this one could be the “Quote of the Year” or even better. Here it is, from Mark Lynn:

“Let me start by saying I hate movie theaters. I hate folks who talk. I hate not being able to get a man drink. I hate the temperature. I hate food munchers, wrapper manglers, and drink slurpers. I hate shitty candy. I hate cell phones. I hate sticky floors. I hate sitting by people I don't know, much less like. Simply abhor theaters.

But…

I love movies. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Parkway Theater. I was crestfallen when it closed. It's seriously the ONLY theater I like and I truly love it! I can't describe with words current in the Oxford dictionary how happy I would be if the theater reopened. I haven't been to a movie since it closed. Not kidding.”

Join the Mailing List—in addition to supporting the Parkway financially, we’d love to get more and more folks on the mailing list so that you can hear directly about what’s going on and send us your thoughts. Please help us double, triple, quadruple the mailing list. Steer people towards http://thenewparkway.com/mailinglist.html .


If you're new to the Parkway Theater issue, here's a playlist of videos that cover its closing, community meetings on saving the facility, and an interview with the previous owners, Katherine and Kyle Fisher: