Friday, April 30, 2010
Miami Dolphins should fire GM Jeff Ireland
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| Jeff Ireland |
S.I.'s Jim Trotter reports the following alleged interaction between Dez Bryant and Jeff Ireland and says it comes from unnamed sources but essentially clears Jeff Ireland because Jeff claims Dez said his own father was a pimp:
"My dad was a pimp."
"What did your mom do [for a living]?"
"She worked for my dad."
"Your mom was a prostitute?"
"No, she wasn't a prostitute."
Jim Trotter didn't get the message from Dez Bryant, who calls his blog post a "lie" according to the Palm Beach Post and ESPN's Ed Werner. Dez Bryant says its not true and Pro Football Talk.com explains that ESPN failed to report Bryant's version of the story until after Miami's Jeff Ireland countered Dez Bryant in another publication.
But Jeff Ireland's out of line and should be fired, or at the very least suspended for several weeks without pay.
The NFL needs to send a message that insults that defame the character of NFL Players are not to be allowed. This message needs to be sent to NFL front-offices and Jeff Ireland should be the example Commissioner Roger Goodell uses.
Claudia Shear Restoration NY Theatre Workshop Suzannah B. Troy loved the play and of course Claudia!
Below Suzannah B. Troy's review of Restoration at New York Theatre Workshop 79 East 4th Street
I love Claudia Shear. I loved her in "Blown Sideways through Life" which I saw with my friend David Kaufman. I love her as Mae West. I loved her tonight in Restoration. I am her mother. No we are the same age (well almost). Claudia represents very passionate outspoken women, brash, intense, New York....did I say passionate? Add brazen to brash and passionate!!!!!
Tonight was no exception. Restoration was excellent, smart, fun and worth seeing so support the arts, good actors and one of my favorites Claudia Shear.
The play is about restoring Michelangelo's David and beauty and perfection in contrast to how imperfect humans are and how lonely. There are the Bill Gates of beauty and in contrast the star of Restoration although she is "rich" metaphorically - her interior life --- gifted with a good heart, a brilliant mind and a burning passion for her work. She spends a lot of time with a really handsome security guard played by Jonathan Cake who is almost a living breathing David and the supporting cast was very good with a special nod for the prof. and mentor played by Alan Mandell.
Well done and I have to say it one more time. I LOVE CLAUDIA SHEAR!!! She can play me anytime but she has to act a lot taller!!!!!
Peter Lopez, husband of Catherine Bach of "Dukes of Hazzard", dead
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| Catherine Bach and Peter Lopez |
Peter Lopez was born in San Francisco June 7th, 1949 and admitted to the California bar in 1974. Lopez received both his B.S. and his J.D from UCLA. He's a meber of the Beverly Hills and American Bar Associations, the State Bar of California and the Mexican-American Bar Association.
KLLCL's website describes Peter Lopez in this way:
Peter Lopez is one of the most respected and well known entertainment lawyers in the country. Over the past two decades, Mr. Lopez has represented some of the biggest stars in the world as well as numerous major corporate clients. He is one of the founding partners of Kleinberg Lopez Lange Cuddy & Klein, LLP.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Peter Lopez to the California State Athletic Commission in 2007, and more recently the Director of the California Exposition and State Fair Board.
With all of this success why would Lopez allegedly commit suicide? According to a number of sources like E!Online, paramedics and police responded to a 911 call at 11:30 AM today, Friday from the home of Catherine Bach. Gun shots were reported to have been fired at Bach's home and Bach told police that Lopez shot himself.
Why?
Catherine Bach and Peter Lopez married in 1990 and have two children.
Stay tuned.
Carly Fiorina just lost the Latino vote in the California Senate race
In a grilling of an interview by Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, Carly Florina, running against U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in an election battle for Boxer's California seat in The Senate, said that she understood and supports Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law.
Now the catch is Carly didn't say "I support and understand" in one sentence, she danced around the admission but then after Blitzer pressed her finally said "I understand why Arizona" passed the law and said it was because of "fear and frustration." Said she supports the law, but then quickly said the problem was the Federal Government's patrol of the boarder or lack of same.
It seemed that Carly knew she was wading into an area that would get her into trouble so she was talking carefully, but not carefully enough.
Carly should have said "I don't back Arizona."
The "fear" comment was telling. Fear of who, Carly? What kind of fear? Fear of Latinos?
Latino's make up 30 percent of Arizona's population. For Carly Fiorina to even mention that she "understands" what Arizona did and then says they're afraid calls into question if she's afraid of Latinos.
I watched Carly squirm and wondered why she felt it was so important to carry a conservative - er, Coach Potato Conservative - agenda? Somewhere along the way Florina forgot she's a Californian. Here, we expect conservatives to be inclusive and not fearful of others because of the color of their skin.
Hey, let's be honest here. The illegal immigration debate is about Latino's and not hot Irish waitresses or Swedish Au-Pair girls with expired VISAs. My guess is Carly doesn't fear them.
Stay tuned.
Ken Blackwell on Obama does Keystone Cops routine for CNN
Ken Blackwell's a patriot. Ken's the former Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, the current head of the Family Research Council, and nearly became the head of The Republican Party. But, while achieving success even though he's part of the GOP, Ken Blackwell's attack on President Obama is silly. And to go a step beyond that, Ken Blackwell just plain sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Ken's got a new book out called Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency that accuses President Obama of trying to subvert the government, which is another way of saying Obama's subversive. The definition of that word is:
tending to subvert or advocating subversion, esp. in an attempt to overthrow or cause the destruction of an established or legally constituted government.
On CNN Ken Blackwell was up against the sharp Paul Begala. Ken started by stating that Obama's health care plan was an example because it mandates a tax payment for those who chose not to have any kind of health insurance.
Begala made Blackwell look like a fool by pointing to Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution and the need to maintain the general welfare of the United States. Because President Obama's clearly operating within constitutional bounds, writing a book that tries to prove he's not is downright nuts.
Instead of sticking with his Health Care Reform example, Blackwell said "well, then how about.." and that's when any credibility Blackwell may have had flew out of the window. Ken intellectually stumbled in a way that reminded me of some of Michelle Malkin's worst rants. Blackwell's CNN performance reminded me of a Keystone Cops routine:
Get the idea? Stumbling all over himself, poor man.
Blackwell will make money from his book because there are suckers who believe this stuff, and never read one part of the U.S. Constitution. Others, like Fox News, will give Ken Blackwell a seat on TV because he's a black conservative talking against an African American President Obama. All of this will make Blackwell a little bit richer, and America a whole lot dumber.
Stay tuned.
Lookin At Lucky tops Kentucky Derby 2010 contenders
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| Lookin At Lucky |
Here's the list of contenders in the 2010 Kentucky Derby according to The Huffington Post:
1. Lookin At Lucky (Garrett Gomez)
2. Ice Box (Jose Lezcano)
3. Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez)
4. Super Saver (Calvin Borel)
5. Line of David (Rafael Bejarano)
6. Stately Victor (Alan Garcia)
7. American Lion (David Flores)
8. Dean's Kitten (Robby Albarado)
9. Make Music for Me (Joel Rosario)
10. Paddy O'Prado (Kent Desormeaux)
11. Devil May Care (John Velazquez)
12. Conveyance (Martin Garcia)
13. Jackson Bend (Mike Smith)
14. Mission Impazible (Rajiv Maragh)
15. Discreetly Mine (Javier Castellano)
16. Awesome Act (Julien Leparoux)
17. Dublin (Terry Thompson)
18. Backtalk (Miguel Mena)
19. Homeboykris (Ramon Dominguez)
20. Sidney's Candy (Joe Talamo)
The top contender is said to be "Lookin At Lucky." According to Horse Racing Nation, Lookin At Lucky has placed first in six out of eight races it has participated in over the last year. Yahoo! reports that Lookin At Lucky is a 3-1 favorite and Sidney's Candy's the runner up but neither horse has scored a favorable post position. So which horse to take?
I'm going with the horses that have 50-1 odds: Dean's Kitten, Make Music for Me, Paddy O'Prado, Backtalk, Homeboykris. That's a great payoff because I'm not sure Lookin At Lucky can overcome that terrible post position.
The post position issue will make for an exciting Kentucky Derby. Lookin At Lucky may have the stuff to overcome the problem, but I like the odds against the front-running horse.
Stay tuned.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Oakland, Alameda, Coliseum
Yesterday, this blogger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Oakland and to the following offices: The Oakland City Attorney, the City of Oakland Office of Economic Development, The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, The County of Alameda County Administrator's Office, and The City of Oakland's City Administrator's Office.
The email with letter attached stated:
I did this because with the slow death of traditional media and lack of money for investigative reporting (or in my case blogging) there was precious little information on what was going on with stadium efforts in Oakland. Moreover, there seemed to be a veil of secrecy that was first evident when Mayor's Ron Dellums Sports Task Force met.
As one may recall, I quit that Sports Task Force because I discovered there were actually four separate groups meeting on the matter of building a baseball stadium for the Oakland A's and none of them were talking to each other. Nothing against the people in the other groups, or Mayor Dellums, but I did not feel the person with the highest level of experience in these matters in Oakland was being called on.
That person is me.
When I was at The 2010 NFL Draft and for the sixth year in a row as media, I was reminded once again that, more than any other person in Oakland who's not a working sports executive, I was better able to understand and evaluate strategies and plans for building stadiums in Oakland. Working as the Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris' representative in this area and the process of working to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland, the National Football League's constant and enduring friendship, and the creation and success of my Oakland Baseball Simworld game, were the gantry upon which my expertise was built.
That's why I'm the best person to gather Oakland stadium development information and evaluate it. I want to get as much information as possible to paint a picture of where the City of Oakland and The County of Alameda are in their collective ability to establish a stadium development program in Oakland. I want to learn what budget has been set aside for related efforts. I also want to learn if the process is being done in a logical and fair way, and that women and minority firms are getting a fair shot at landing work.
I'll keep everyone posted on the FOIA progress.
Stay tuned.
The email with letter attached stated:
Pursuant to the state open records act, I request access to and copies of all emails, written letters and correspondence, and studies of any kind regarding the budget and operation and management of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, and future development plans for baseball, football, and basketball stadiums in Oakland and over the time period from today back to 1/1/2008.
I ask that the agencies wave fees for copies of studies and emails (which can be printed out from a computer) and to avoid charging greater than the the cost to make a black and white copy of a document.
If my request is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Zenophon Abraham
I did this because with the slow death of traditional media and lack of money for investigative reporting (or in my case blogging) there was precious little information on what was going on with stadium efforts in Oakland. Moreover, there seemed to be a veil of secrecy that was first evident when Mayor's Ron Dellums Sports Task Force met.
As one may recall, I quit that Sports Task Force because I discovered there were actually four separate groups meeting on the matter of building a baseball stadium for the Oakland A's and none of them were talking to each other. Nothing against the people in the other groups, or Mayor Dellums, but I did not feel the person with the highest level of experience in these matters in Oakland was being called on.
That person is me.
When I was at The 2010 NFL Draft and for the sixth year in a row as media, I was reminded once again that, more than any other person in Oakland who's not a working sports executive, I was better able to understand and evaluate strategies and plans for building stadiums in Oakland. Working as the Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris' representative in this area and the process of working to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland, the National Football League's constant and enduring friendship, and the creation and success of my Oakland Baseball Simworld game, were the gantry upon which my expertise was built.
That's why I'm the best person to gather Oakland stadium development information and evaluate it. I want to get as much information as possible to paint a picture of where the City of Oakland and The County of Alameda are in their collective ability to establish a stadium development program in Oakland. I want to learn what budget has been set aside for related efforts. I also want to learn if the process is being done in a logical and fair way, and that women and minority firms are getting a fair shot at landing work.
I'll keep everyone posted on the FOIA progress.
Stay tuned.
Nightmare On Elm Street, Iron Man 2: critics v. fans
Nightmare On Elm Street, the remake of the classic horror movie, is out today. Just one week before Iron Man 2 is released in America. But Iron Man 2 is already out in Europe, and critics are panning it, but not fans. That there was this disconnect between fans and critics did not become obvious to this blogger until the CNN review of Nightmare On Elm Street today.
The critic didn't like it. The critic said it wasn't scary. Then, in the middle of the critic's review was a link to another review by a CNN ireporter. this one:
He gave the movie an "A." And the difference revealed why movie fans don't pay attention to critics. Fans are hardwired to like movies; critics seem to think they have to find something wrong with movies. I prefer the former and not the latter.
Also, even when fanfolks don't like a movie it's for honest reasons. Some just plain say a movie was boring or in the case of the CNN ireporter, it was good.
You get a simple explanation, not the rewrite of War and Peace.
Critics take note: there's nothing wrong with being a fan.
Giuseppi Logan YouTube miracle by Suzannah B. Troy
Miracles do happen and when I filmed Giuseppi Logan on December 14, 2008 playing Begin the Beguine I became part of that miracle. I knew I had filmed something powerful. Giuseppi told me to look up his name on the internet. I found out people thought he was dead and that he was a very loved jazz composer and musician that made me two important records in the 1960's. I also immediately found another YouTube of Giuseppi with a little boy in the very same park from 1966. Two years later I would meet that little boy who is now my age and help reunite him with his father after all these years. A jazz writer Tim Madison had contacted me and told me how deeply moving my YouTube was. He told me he watched it over and over. I said I do to. He urged me to continue filming but I said I was very tired and traumatized. I had just had to sell my home of 2o years which is traumatic but it was even more so because I am an outspoken activist. I did not know if I could find the strength but I did. Peter Gershon, publisher of Signal to Noise, wrote a powerful piece on Giuseppi Logan entitled "Out From the Shadow" and Peter Gershon is one of the only people to fully acknowledge my work and contribution because usually people just help themselves and erase me. Pete's powerful piece and my YouTubes I believe helped Giuseppi and one way was generating enough interest that he was able to get back in to the studio and make his first new record from the 1960's that has been received to very positive reviews. Matt Lavelle, a musician recognized Giuseppi Logan when he came in to a store where Matt was working and ever since he plays music with Giuseppi and gets him and the group he formed gigs. This is huge for Giuseppi because it helps him earn money which he needs and of course it allows him to connect with people who still remember him and love his work. I had suggested to Giuseppi's son Jaee, also a musical genius he should make a documentary and he took my advice. He filmed the reunion and when we in the park with the camera rolling a guy came up and shook Giuseppi's hand. He said your records got me through college. Very moving in so many ways and Giuseppi Logan wants to get back in to the studio. He has new compositions including a piece he named after me, "Suzannah".
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tiger Woods Jesse James Sex Addicts? Is Sex Addiction like Big Foot? post by Suzannah B. Troy
Dr. Oz, Oprah's TV star doctor does believes that sex addiction exists although he concedes some people use it as an excuse for sexually pigging out (my term not his). In the case of Jesse James and Tiger Woods, Dr. Oz does believes it is sex addiction because these guys had so much and they threw it away which sure sounds like addictive behavior -- maybe more than one addiction in play causing a lot of destruction along the way.
I have seen many men interviewed that treat the term "sex addiction" like Big Foot or The Loch Ness Monster meaning it doesn't exist but simply said "it is a guy just being a guy". Of course it is mainly bad boys or bad boy wannabes stating sex addiction doesn't exist.
Guys have their locker room talk and so do women. The women I speak to are deeply repulsed and would have no interest in spending any time with these guys. They are also repulsed by Rachel what's her name that Tiger Woods paid 10 million dollars not to talk to the media about him. What could she share that so many of his mistresses have not already shared and some how the Derek Jeter bad dream Tiger had was already leaked, so who cares and why dole out 10 million dollars to a mistress? I think Tiger Woods took perverse pleasure in paying such a huge amount of money for silence which seems like more of the addiction in play.
Great sex is like a really good conversation you don't want to end. When you are thinking only of yourself or how much money the person has, it doesn't seem like it is about sex at all but about power....power tripping and addiction.
As much as most people may tune in to hear a sound byte on celebrity sex addicts, most people really don't care because they don't marry sex addicts. Most of us sigh with relief and say, thank goodness we aren't married to them. Despite all their sexual conquest and sex texting, they sound like some of the loneliness guys in the world.
Caleb Campbell, 2008 NFL Draft hit, returns to Detroit Lions
Campbell's an Army 1st Lt. a 7th round pick of the Detroit Lions who the U.S. Army originally allowed to delay his entry in the Army to play in the NFL, much to the delight of NFL fans at Radio City Music Hall in 2008 as the video shows.
But in July 2008 The Army reversed field and said Caleb Campbell could not as a soldier play in the NFL.
But now, Caleb's getting his chance to play in the NFL according to The Detroit Free Press. Awesome. And because Caleb's a nice very respectful person this blogger had the pleasure of meeting at the NFL Draft in 2008. The whole room at Radio City gave Caleb a standing ovation, making one of the most moving moments I've ever witnessed at The NFL Draft.
Caleb's attending the Lions Minicamp, and signed a contract with the team this week according to Pro Football Talk.com.
Best of luck to him.
Annette Edwards as Jessica Rabbit? Edwards has a long way to go
Annette Edwards is a British 57-year old great-grandmother who wants to look just like Jessica Rabbit. Who's Jessica Rabbit? She's the animated character from the 1988 hit movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit:
For some reason, Ms. Edwards wants to look like her favorite cartoon character Jessica Rabbit. So much so that she spent $16,000 on an effort to look just like her, including "curves in the right places" as she explained in the video above.
This corner says "Right on! Go for it." It's just that Annette Edwards is not quite there in her path to be the real-life Jessica Rabbit. Plus, she thinks she's got to eat like a rabbit to look like Jessica Rabbit, who's a cartoon of a human, not a rabbit.
That's the head twister.
But rather than just diet, Annette Edwards should work out to reduce the flab along her arms and get toned in that area. She should also bench press so she can have more uplifted breasts. That would go a long way toward her overall objective of looking like Jessica Rabbit.
Rock the Casbah!
Sandra Bullock Angelina Jolie adoption than divorce by Suzannah B. Troy
I had written an earlier piece questioning is Sandra Bullock becoming Angelina Jolie or something like that and now TMZ points out that both women were married to their (I injected the bad) bad boys spouses and both where in the midst of adopting when their marriages broke up and they took the single parent adoption route. I am guessing that Sandra will adopt another child ...just a guess.
Harry Levin of TMZ also pointed out, The People magazine scoop on Sandra Bullock and baby Louis shows the power of the publicist is back.
In "old" Hollywood, the studio heads controlled the stars, how they were perceived and just about everything else. There were strong actresses that were able to wrestle some control from the powerful men that ran Hollywood but now many actresses run the show, These actresses also run their own studios and do their best to control how the public perceives them. Behind Sandra's publicist is Sandra Bullock very smartly engineering her way back from a Hollywood marriage disaster where if they were giving out the Razzie Award for worst Hollywood marriage, Sandra would have won that trophy. Sandra's nightmare, other than the one she was unknowingly living with Jesse James (and I have no doubt that he was also "the Jesse Sandra knew") would be a montage of clips of Sandra praising him and images of his mistresses and unflattering photos of James in Nazi garb playing at the same time. It is shocking the disconnect between Sandra's "movie script" of her marriage to James and the truth like a special category for bad reality flicks for the AVN adult award show (and Tiger Woods would give stiff competition) ....but that is now washed away.
The public awaits the People magazine exclusive and Sandra Bullock's up coming interview later this year with her friend George Lopez.
Like the film Sandra Bullock starred in with Ben Affleck, clearly she is a "Force of Nature" and indestructible. She remains "the girl next door" and is protected writes Joanna Molloy. I do want to say "the girl next door image" always evokes Doris Day who got involved with one bad boy after another and it really took a toll on her life. No woman can live up to that "girl next door" fantasy or maybe with it comes the fantasy and reality of the "girl" being all to human. My dear friend writer and theatre critic David Kaufman, wrote the new biography on Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door and no other book could be written more lovingly put proves in my mind "the girl next door" is a Hollywood fantasy conjured up by movie moguls.
Doris Day is one of the most under rated superstars of the Hollywood machine with a stunning contribution that still entertains audiences around the world now and greatly influences the most famous celebrities in their acting and singing careers including such stars as Reese Witherspoon, Madonna, Britney Spears and perhaps Sandra Bullock who is often described with the very same phrase as Doris Day, "the girl next door". Also note that although Doris Day did not turn to adopting babies as so many celebrities. Doris did want to adopt a little boy who played a cub scout in the film, "It Happened to Jane" with co-star Jack Lemon but her husband Marty Melcher said no to the adoption. Doris turned her energies to rescuing animals. She was and remains an outstanding animal activist with her own organization to help animals to this very day!
The New York Daily News has a visual montage of celebrities adopting babies that you can flip through starting with Sandra Bullock.
Sandra Bullock made a very smart move giving People Magazine the world wide scoop with a cover that will be unforgettable with Sandra's own best kept secret and this means big sales for People. Is it any coincidence that in the top right hand corner is a small picture of Julia Roberts, the actress that turned down the role "In the Blind Side", a role that Sandra took and it won her an Oscar? Sandra Bullock has come out on top and this cover was a winner for Bullock.
Sandra's career remains intact and will be even bigger. I do not believe Jesse James career will be hurt in anyway because it falls under the mystic of his bad boy brand. I do see him married in a few years with a wife and an understanding. I see Sandra single and an adopting another child so Louis has a younger sibling. Sandra Bullock has landed on her feet and she couldn't have a more positive loving focus with Louis named for New Orleans very own, Louis Armstrong and his song, "What a wonderful world".
Harry, I don't think it was a publicist calling the shots.
Donald Trump on CNN backs Arizona's racist illegal immigration law
Trump basically went for the racist route in backing Arizona's illegal immigration law, saying that what people aren't saying is there "aren't a lot of blondes in Mexico" so it's OK to stop someone who's in Arizona who might look like they're Mexican.
This is directed to Donald Trump:
Mr. Trump. Think. Arizona's population's 30 percent Latino. What the heck is going on in your head that you think it's OK to essentially embargo one-third of a state's population? Moreover you just gave license to anyone who's blonde yet working illegally in Arizona because, well, they're blonde.
That's racist.
You say 'What to do?' Easy. If a person breaks the laws of the state, the basic ones, you take action. But let the person alone. If people want to come here, make fast track citizenship systems that take advantage of Internet technology. But this business of racial profiling must stop. Moreover, Donald, you should be smarter in your consideration of the problem.
This blogger is very disappointed in Donald Trump and sad that Trump did not exhibit more enlightened thinking.
Stay tuned.
Chevron and Richmond need to kiss, make up, and think
Chevron's part of Richmond in that it's the city's largest employer. Richmond needs Chevron to provide not just jobs but help for the many non-profit community service programs that Chevron's in position to help with. Chevron lost a court battle regarding its environmental impact report. What Chevron must do and reportedly will do is comply with the courts request to the letter.
Chevron should also stop making noises that it will leave Richmond in the city's time of need.
What certain Richmond elected officials and so-called activists need to do is stop with the emotional saber-rattling that reads like a Fox News Cable program but from the left, and start with smart deal-making that gets to a win-win for both the City of Richmond and Chevron.
That has not happened under the current political leadership in Richmond. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, while being a very nice person, is more of an activist than a deal-maker. The good Mayor does not seem interested in "getting to yes" with Richmond business.
While that's the case, Chevron has not worked to win the hearts and minds of the people Richmond at a time when such can be done. Doing so requires that Chevron continue to get personally involved in Richmond, but going a step further and working to prevent black-on-black crime, and providing business leadership for Richmond's youth.
Where Chevron does do this, it explains it on its website, but given Richmond's enormous problems, Chevron needs to talk as if it's the real Mayor of Richmond. Chevron needs to fill Richmond's leadership void and not wait to be called on. Chevron, in effect, needs to pound its giant fist and say "Enough! We're going to make this city better, and this is what we're going to do," then present and enact a business plan for Richmond.
That's what businesses do when they're sick and tired of a lack of civic direction. That's what Chicago's business leaders did in the 70s with the Chicago 21 Plan. They created the downtown Chicago of today. I know because as a small boy I wanted to be part of it. Chicago 21 was one reason why I became interested in City Planning.
Richmond activists needs to stop playing emotional games. You can't on the one hand want to support an increase in or maintenance of high utility tax rates proposed by Chevron, but then want to oppose an increase in charges for the sewer rates. It looks like emotionalism. Charge Chevron and other businesses, well, because they're business, but don't charge if it's not an obvious Chevron issue.
What good does that do?
Chevron and Richmond need to kiss, make-up, and think. Then Chevron need to take charge in Richmond.
Chevron should also stop making noises that it will leave Richmond in the city's time of need.
What certain Richmond elected officials and so-called activists need to do is stop with the emotional saber-rattling that reads like a Fox News Cable program but from the left, and start with smart deal-making that gets to a win-win for both the City of Richmond and Chevron.
That has not happened under the current political leadership in Richmond. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, while being a very nice person, is more of an activist than a deal-maker. The good Mayor does not seem interested in "getting to yes" with Richmond business.
While that's the case, Chevron has not worked to win the hearts and minds of the people Richmond at a time when such can be done. Doing so requires that Chevron continue to get personally involved in Richmond, but going a step further and working to prevent black-on-black crime, and providing business leadership for Richmond's youth.
Where Chevron does do this, it explains it on its website, but given Richmond's enormous problems, Chevron needs to talk as if it's the real Mayor of Richmond. Chevron needs to fill Richmond's leadership void and not wait to be called on. Chevron, in effect, needs to pound its giant fist and say "Enough! We're going to make this city better, and this is what we're going to do," then present and enact a business plan for Richmond.
That's what businesses do when they're sick and tired of a lack of civic direction. That's what Chicago's business leaders did in the 70s with the Chicago 21 Plan. They created the downtown Chicago of today. I know because as a small boy I wanted to be part of it. Chicago 21 was one reason why I became interested in City Planning.
Richmond activists needs to stop playing emotional games. You can't on the one hand want to support an increase in or maintenance of high utility tax rates proposed by Chevron, but then want to oppose an increase in charges for the sewer rates. It looks like emotionalism. Charge Chevron and other businesses, well, because they're business, but don't charge if it's not an obvious Chevron issue.
What good does that do?
Chevron and Richmond need to kiss, make-up, and think. Then Chevron need to take charge in Richmond.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Arizona Immigration Law called "racist", "stupid" by Arizona Sheriff
The Arizona Immigration Law has been called "racist" and "stupid" by Pima County Arizona Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who's served as a police officer for 52 years. He made this statement on video on the appropriately named KGUN9 TV news in Tuscon, Arizona and at KGUN9.com.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says that he can't enforce the Arizona Illegal Immigration law without racial profiling. In the video below, the Sheriff also said that the law is "disgusting" and "unnecessary" and "one of the worst pieces of legislation" he's ever seen in 50 years. He's expected to get sued if he doesn't enforce the law and get sued if he does enforce the law. Dupnik says Federal law supersedes state law, so he will follow federal law.
The Sheriff held a news conference to expand on his comments today. He continued to call SB 1070 racist, but added other adjectives; he said it was "unwise, stupid and it's racist."
Crazy stuff. Arizona's 30 percent Latino, so the law would basically place one-third of the state's population under siege.
The Sheriff also used the term "we" which means he's not acting alone and is not a rogue police officer. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik is a seasoned law enforcement official who knows a psychotic piece of legislation when he sees one. Dupnik says the law is fueled by "an incredible amount of hostility, anger and cynicism."
He's right. It gives license to psychotic behavior. In the last blog on this subject in this space we saw a shocking comparison between the words of an Arizona Nazi and of all people Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. It was difficult to tell them apart, and both exhibited psychotic behavior.
If Sheriff Clarence Dupnik calls the law racist and stupid, what does that say about Governor Brewer?
Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock divorces Jesse James; papers site personality conflict
Yes, Sandra Bullock lives in Austin, Texas, but she also lives in California and perhaps even New York City, so another reason for the venue selection could be that Texas divorce laws will not leave Jesse James with a good part of what Sandra Bullock owns.
(This part of the Sandra Bullock and Jesse James divorce and cheating scandal was brought to this blogger's attention by Suzannah B. Troy of New York Focus Blog.)
The papers called In The Matter of B.A.S and J.J.G were filed in the Travis County Courthouse on April 23, 2010. The document is simple. Children aren't mentioned in it, so sections that govern kids in Texas don't apply. Overall, it's remarkably simple.
It frees Sandra Bullock to start the new phase of her life with her bouncing baby boy Louis Brado Bullock and as a single parent. The divorce papers are here, below:
042910_bullock
Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock's baby "Louis" family matters -- Suzannah B. Troy
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Jesse James sad over Sandra Bullock divorce; will miss baby Louis
My whole life has been full of hard decisions. The decision to let my wife end our marriage, and continue the adoption of Louis on her own, has been the hardest. The love I have for Louis cannot be put to words. Not having him around to love and to hold has left a huge hole in my heart.
Sandy is the love of my life, but considering the pain and devastation I have caused her, it would be selfish to not let her go. Right now it is time for me to beat this addiction that has taken two of the things I love the most in life.
I have always taken great pride in proving people wrong. That time has come once again to show that I am not what everyone says I am. I know in my heart that I can be the best father possible to my four children, and the mate Sandy deserves, and realize that this is an incredible mountain to climb. But I believe that the steps I have taken in the last 30 days are the foundation for making this happen. The lifelong commitment I am making is what being a real husband and father is all about.
I ask that you please do not judge Sandy for the things I have done. She has done no wrong. She played no part in any of this. She has been an amazing wife, mother, and best friend, for the over 6 years we have been together.
Very sad to see that Jesse James and Sandra Bullock were not able to overcome his trespasses and maintain their marriage, but in some old sort of way, perhaps this is best for James.
Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock starts a new chapter in her life with baby Louis. But you've got to wonder of Ole Miss is going to come calling on him 16 years from now.
Something must be added here: Jesse James obviously has no standard racial issues if he was part of the adoption of Louis, who's black. Perhaps we can put that to rest.
And bravo to People Magazine for a brilliant Internet play!
Stay tuned.
Jeff Ireland: On Dez Bryant blast Dolphins GM called "A-list A-hole"
Dez Bryant's a Dallas Cowboys now and is able to look back on the horrible way he was treated during his path to the 2010 NFL Draft and by Jeff Ireland of the Miami Dolphins.
Just because Dez Bryant lied about his association with NFL Legend and NFL Network Analyst Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant was said to have "character issues". The media - except this blogger and a few others - picked up on it and sullied Dez Bryant. Fortunately Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones saw through the garbage to make Dez Bryant the Cowboys first round pick.
But in looking back Dez Bryant told this blogger's friend Yahoo! Sports Senior Writer Mike Silver that Jeff Ireland asked the young man if his mother was a prostitute. You read that correctly. Jeff Ireland reportedly apologized for the blast, presumably because it was made public, but the damage is just getting started in New Media. In a number of places Jeff Ireland's question would have earned a knuckle sandwich; only in an NFL interview can a person get away with that.
Mike Silver lowered the boom on Jeff Ireland calling the Miami Dolphins General Manager a "jerk" and an A-list A-hole." Silver quotes former NFL Lineman Kyle Turley:
And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should step in and stop this practice once and for all. Too many rookie players have been harmed by NFL team personnel staffers acting like knuckleheads. In an age of Twitter, YouTube, and blogs, Goodell needs to have these teams clean up their act.
Finally, was Silver within bounds? Yes. Jeff Ireland's a public figure. He's fair game. Mike Silver wasn't using a fake name either; he was rawly telling it like it is.
Good for Mike.
Just because Dez Bryant lied about his association with NFL Legend and NFL Network Analyst Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant was said to have "character issues". The media - except this blogger and a few others - picked up on it and sullied Dez Bryant. Fortunately Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones saw through the garbage to make Dez Bryant the Cowboys first round pick.
But in looking back Dez Bryant told this blogger's friend Yahoo! Sports Senior Writer Mike Silver that Jeff Ireland asked the young man if his mother was a prostitute. You read that correctly. Jeff Ireland reportedly apologized for the blast, presumably because it was made public, but the damage is just getting started in New Media. In a number of places Jeff Ireland's question would have earned a knuckle sandwich; only in an NFL interview can a person get away with that.
Mike Silver lowered the boom on Jeff Ireland calling the Miami Dolphins General Manager a "jerk" and an A-list A-hole." Silver quotes former NFL Lineman Kyle Turley:
"I don’t care who you are or who you’re talking to – that kind of question usually gets your [expletive] teeth kicked in," says former NFL lineman Kyle Turley(notes). "I mean, where do these people come from? That's just completely [expletive] classless and totally unprofessional."
And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should step in and stop this practice once and for all. Too many rookie players have been harmed by NFL team personnel staffers acting like knuckleheads. In an age of Twitter, YouTube, and blogs, Goodell needs to have these teams clean up their act.
Finally, was Silver within bounds? Yes. Jeff Ireland's a public figure. He's fair game. Mike Silver wasn't using a fake name either; he was rawly telling it like it is.
Good for Mike.
Louis Bardo Bullock - Sandra Bullock gives son Jewish circumcision
The rite of of circumcision is called brit milah and performed on the eighth day of a boy's life, according to ReligiousFacts.com, which reports:
Circumcision is commanded in Genesis 17:10-14 as an outward sign of a man's participation in Israel's covenant with God, as well as a sign that the Jewish people will perpetuate through him. The commandment is incumbent upon both father and child - fathers must see that their sons are circumcised, and uncircumcised grown men are obligated to perform the rite...During the ceremony the child is held by a person designated as the sandek, who is usually a grandparent or family rabbi. An empty chair is set aside to symbolize the presence of the prophet Elijah, who rebuked those who had forsaken the ritual. He now presides over all circumcision ceremonies to ensure the continuation of the ritual...Before the procedure, the infant may be given a couple of drops of wine to ease the pain. The mohel recites benedictions of circumcision, then the father offers the blessing.
What's interesting is that Sandra Bullock, isn't Jewish. Moreover, the mohel came to Bullock's home to perform the ceremony. (No word on the wine used.)
Sandra Bullock calls the private circumcision "the greatest moment I have ever had in my life" in People Magazine. Considering all the pain she's gone through with Jesse James in the cheating scandal, Bullock deserves more great moments.
Congratulations to her.
Sandra Bullock adoption, People Magazine, top Internet search
Sandra Bullock's adoption of 3-and-a-half-month old Louis Bullock, and People Magazine's exclusive story about it have topped Internet searches as of this hour. In fact, at this point the terms "Sandra Bullock adoption" and "People Magazine" are ranked one and two on Google Trends.
It proves that if traditional media captures an exclusive story and properly writes and installs it and distributes it online it can gain that kind of search placement.
The bet here is that People Magazine didn't deliberately know that was going to happen. But the reason it did happen, in part was that People Magazine's authors used the words "People Magazine" right in the body of the text about the Sandra Bullock adoption.
The result was to cause the name "People Magazine" to be boosted with links to the article and repeat mentions of People Magazine.
People Magazine has had exclusives on a number of hot stories, but never one where its name was ranked so high in a search.
Sandra Bullock update: Louis Bullock is adopted baby boy
Louis is a 3-and-a-half month old, round bundle of bady boy joy that Sandra Bullock, 45, and Jesse James, 41, worked to adopt under secrecy four years ago. Louis was born in New Orleans, which means he's going to be a Saints fan since LA's lacking an NFL football team. But there's no word yet on who the original mother of Louis is or how he came to be Sandra Bullock's son.
In an odd way, Sandra Bullock's decision to adopt little Louis seems to both mirror her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side and perhaps explains why she went after the role of the wealthy white Memphis business woman who takes in homeless black Michael Oher, who then becomes a football star at Ole Miss and now plays for The Baltimore Ravens.
Very interesting art-and-life intersection. Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock divorces Jesse James; has adopted baby boy
Related - sandra bullock baby, sandra bullock adoption, sandra bullock divorce, jesse james divorce, Michelle Bombshell McGee
Academy Award-winning Actress Sandra Bullock is divorcing her husband Jesse James after his alleged affairs became public, as did his interest in Nazi garb and other activities that caused some to ask if he was a closet white supremacist, as I explained in this video:
While Sandra Bullock was filming The Blind Side, for which she would win the Oscar for Best Actress, Jesse James was having an affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. When it became clear that Jesse James was not leaving Sandra Bullock, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee went to tell her story to the tabloid Star Magazine for an alleged payment of $30,000.
The publication of that story sullied Sandra Bullock's Oscar glow and plunged her life into one colored by scandal as a parade of mistresses came out to say they slept with Jesse James, from Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, Melissa Smith, Brigitte Daguerre, and a fourth and fifth woman, one who reportedly was represented by a lawyer.
While Jesse James' life was being rolled out in an array of stories about cheating and his time at a sex-addiction clinic in Arizona (of all places) kept secret was the couples adoption of Louis.
Louis Bardo Bullock is a cute, 3-and-half month bundle of baby boy joy that People Magazine reports close friends and family knew about but kept a secret. Sandra will raise Louis as a single parent.
Stay tuned.
Academy Award-winning Actress Sandra Bullock is divorcing her husband Jesse James after his alleged affairs became public, as did his interest in Nazi garb and other activities that caused some to ask if he was a closet white supremacist, as I explained in this video:
While Sandra Bullock was filming The Blind Side, for which she would win the Oscar for Best Actress, Jesse James was having an affair with Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. When it became clear that Jesse James was not leaving Sandra Bullock, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee went to tell her story to the tabloid Star Magazine for an alleged payment of $30,000.
While Jesse James' life was being rolled out in an array of stories about cheating and his time at a sex-addiction clinic in Arizona (of all places) kept secret was the couples adoption of Louis.
Louis Bardo Bullock is a cute, 3-and-half month bundle of baby boy joy that People Magazine reports close friends and family knew about but kept a secret. Sandra will raise Louis as a single parent.
Stay tuned.
Sandra Bullock has baby -- Suzannah B. Troy
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/bullock_baby_best_kept_secret_ever_jDqWqOhM5tkZWmRlWnYJgP
Folks, I found this on The New York Post and apparently she adopted a baby and it was the best kept secret yet in the Bullock -- James saga. Go to link to see Sandra with her adopted baby.
Photos and more details including Bullock filing for divorce will be on news stands Friday in People and I am sure this edition fly off news stands based on the publics' interest in the girl next store and Oscar winning actress betrayed by bad boy husband.
Is Sandra Bullock the next Angelina Jolie?
Folks, I found this on The New York Post and apparently she adopted a baby and it was the best kept secret yet in the Bullock -- James saga. Go to link to see Sandra with her adopted baby.
Photos and more details including Bullock filing for divorce will be on news stands Friday in People and I am sure this edition fly off news stands based on the publics' interest in the girl next store and Oscar winning actress betrayed by bad boy husband.
Is Sandra Bullock the next Angelina Jolie?
Greek Debt - Greece should suspend military spending
The Greek Debt Scandal is the news and Greece' economy is in trouble. The international credit crunch threw a spending choke chain around the World's 27th largest economy such that it's budget deficit and public debt have reached fantastic proportions.
A number of European countries are readying massive loan assistance programs to help in the Greek Debt problem, but given that Greece' credit rating is at a "junk" level there's no guarantee of a timely repayment
In the view of this blogger, the one best target is Greece military spending. It's 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product; it should be reduced to one percent or less through a multi-year elimination of non-essential spending. Event if Greece has to go without a military save for paid soldiers, that move would make a large dent in spending.
The process of raising taxes from people who don't have jobs should be halted. Instead, Greece should dramatically increase tariffs on good imported.
The Greek Debt Scandal is threatening to plunge that country into a state of economic collapse. Greece does not need to spend money on war. Better to drop the system before its too late for everyone.
Stay tuned.
A number of European countries are readying massive loan assistance programs to help in the Greek Debt problem, but given that Greece' credit rating is at a "junk" level there's no guarantee of a timely repayment
In the view of this blogger, the one best target is Greece military spending. It's 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product; it should be reduced to one percent or less through a multi-year elimination of non-essential spending. Event if Greece has to go without a military save for paid soldiers, that move would make a large dent in spending.
The process of raising taxes from people who don't have jobs should be halted. Instead, Greece should dramatically increase tariffs on good imported.
The Greek Debt Scandal is threatening to plunge that country into a state of economic collapse. Greece does not need to spend money on war. Better to drop the system before its too late for everyone.
Stay tuned.
Tiger Woods mistress Joslyn James claims Tito Ortiz roughed up Jenna before post by Suzannah B. Troy
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/28/2010-04-28_jenna_often_hurt_sez_tiger_gal.html
This story just gets uglier with one of Tiger Woods' porn star mistresses Joslyn James stepping forward claiming she witnessed Ortiz roughing up Jenna Jameson on several occasions. Read The New York Daily News article where Ortiz is quoted as saying he is innocent and Jenna Jameson is an addict and unstable. Ortiz states he had to call the police in December to prevent Jameson from killing herself.
Ortiz has people standing up for him including his ex-wife who he also has kids with.
http://www.tmz.com/2010/04/27/tito-ortiz-ex-wife-kristin-ortiz-jenna-jameson-domestic-violence/
TMZ has been on top of this story from the get go even supplying "he said", "she said" video tape interviews as Ortiz was lead out of his home by police and Jameson later exiting with her father.
And just to add more confusion to this story TMZ has a post of Jenna Jameson contradicting herself
giving two different accounts of what went on....
http://www.tmz.com/2010/04/27/jenna-jameson-tito-ortiz-beating-arrest-video/
If you watch the TMZ series on this you will see Ortiz at a press conference and he states he is in fact innocent. That he never laid a hand on her and in fact he has been supporting her dealing with an addiction to Oxycontin. He is compelling. Although Jenna's father is quoted in The NY Daily News article saying she is not addicted to anything but caring for her twin sons, in her book she describes what appears to be such an extreme addiction to a drug that she skin and bones and as I recall returns home to her father to be cared for by her family.
I have no idea how this story will be played out and if she was man handled or not. I am sure we will hearing a lot more on Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Oakland bar application for Golden Bear / Dapper on Grand is problem
The location at 389 Grand Avenue of what was once my favorite Oakland, California hang, The Golden Bear, has been closed for what seems to be about a year now. It was most recently called "Dapper" which was an odd name for a bar to this blogger. It was a nice place that seemed to cater to one type of young, black, Hip Hop-oriented audience.
Dapper had a weird vibe: if you weren't exactly and narrowly from that group, you could feel uncomfortable. It's almost like how Cafe Van Kleef in downtown Oakland has changed. It seems to fit a young, white grunge artist crowd and if you're not part of that group, it can feel weird.
But, I must confess to some interestingly fun one-night stands out of Cafe Van Kleef. Being bald is fun, but I digress.
Someone has filed an application to reopen Dapper bar and some residents in Oakland's Adams Point neighborhood are upset about it. One person just didn't see the reason for a bar there. I disagree.
Bars in the Grand Lake area have always served as the community gathering point. It's the one place that, if done right, can bring together young and old, and black and white and everyone in between.
The last place that did that was The Golden Bear under the legendary Cal Rugby Assistant Coach Jerry Figone. The Golden Bear served as that community gathering place, and there was no moment that more demonstrated that then after the Loma Pierata Earthquake in 1989. I was there, er, here.
I was supposed to meet a friend / client at The Golden Bear that October 17, 1989 day when I was basking in the glow of a Cal Masters Degree in City Planning and all that came with it. But on that day, degrees didn't matter. I had finally arrived at the Golden Bear after a confusing trek to get their using public transit: AC Transit.
BART was disabled due to systems checks. The earth shook, but I didn't know what happened. Some blind lady with a radio on the bus said the Bay Bridge collapsed. Of course, everyone thought she meant the whole bridge.
When I arrived at The Golden Bear, the whole neighborhood was there. Friends who lost their cars to falling bricks from who knows where. People who couldn't get to San Francisco. People laughing and crying. It was a wild scene.
In the middle of it all was Jerry Figone. Talking to everyone. Giving free drinks to those who didn't have money and encouraging others who had money to buy drinks for folks if they wanted them. But mostly people talked. And the coolest memory I have of that day is people who normally don't talk to each other as was the group nature of The Golden Bear at times - Hey, it was a Cal Bar, which is why I went there - suddenly did.
That was a great moment. For me it ended in exactly the way I wanted it to, and given my sentence about Cafe Van Kleef, you can guess what that was, stilettos and all.
Bars can bring people together. The only place that does that now is The Alley on Grand Avenue. I don't know what the person or persons has planned for The Golden Bear space, but I hope whatever it is, they bend over backwards to make it inclusive of everyone. The Golden Bear under Jerry Figone did that and Oakland needs that.
Dapper had a weird vibe: if you weren't exactly and narrowly from that group, you could feel uncomfortable. It's almost like how Cafe Van Kleef in downtown Oakland has changed. It seems to fit a young, white grunge artist crowd and if you're not part of that group, it can feel weird.
But, I must confess to some interestingly fun one-night stands out of Cafe Van Kleef. Being bald is fun, but I digress.
Someone has filed an application to reopen Dapper bar and some residents in Oakland's Adams Point neighborhood are upset about it. One person just didn't see the reason for a bar there. I disagree.
Bars in the Grand Lake area have always served as the community gathering point. It's the one place that, if done right, can bring together young and old, and black and white and everyone in between.
The last place that did that was The Golden Bear under the legendary Cal Rugby Assistant Coach Jerry Figone. The Golden Bear served as that community gathering place, and there was no moment that more demonstrated that then after the Loma Pierata Earthquake in 1989. I was there, er, here.
I was supposed to meet a friend / client at The Golden Bear that October 17, 1989 day when I was basking in the glow of a Cal Masters Degree in City Planning and all that came with it. But on that day, degrees didn't matter. I had finally arrived at the Golden Bear after a confusing trek to get their using public transit: AC Transit.
BART was disabled due to systems checks. The earth shook, but I didn't know what happened. Some blind lady with a radio on the bus said the Bay Bridge collapsed. Of course, everyone thought she meant the whole bridge.
When I arrived at The Golden Bear, the whole neighborhood was there. Friends who lost their cars to falling bricks from who knows where. People who couldn't get to San Francisco. People laughing and crying. It was a wild scene.
In the middle of it all was Jerry Figone. Talking to everyone. Giving free drinks to those who didn't have money and encouraging others who had money to buy drinks for folks if they wanted them. But mostly people talked. And the coolest memory I have of that day is people who normally don't talk to each other as was the group nature of The Golden Bear at times - Hey, it was a Cal Bar, which is why I went there - suddenly did.
That was a great moment. For me it ended in exactly the way I wanted it to, and given my sentence about Cafe Van Kleef, you can guess what that was, stilettos and all.
Bars can bring people together. The only place that does that now is The Alley on Grand Avenue. I don't know what the person or persons has planned for The Golden Bear space, but I hope whatever it is, they bend over backwards to make it inclusive of everyone. The Golden Bear under Jerry Figone did that and Oakland needs that.
Iron Man 2 reviews are out: bad reviews have wrong take
Thus, Iron Man 2 reviews are out, but while the reviews pan the movie, they are awful themselves. This blogger's never seen a set of reviews that seem so bent on finding something wrong they wind up becoming studies in nitpicking. As exhibit one, let's take The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
Kirk Honeycutt of THR does a lot of explaining that Iron Man 2 isn't logical without explaining why. We just have to understand his logic. But considering the Arizona Governor's decision to approve a horribly psychotic immigration law in that state, we have to be careful to trust anyone's logic now, even that of a movie critic.
What Kirk Honeycutt seems to miss is that Iron Man is grounded in a high level of realism. That Tony Stark is dying from his own creation has to cause some kind of emotional response from him. Trouble is Kirk Honeycutt doesn't tell us what that is. That's not right, because fans of Iron Man know the story, so it's a good idea for the reviewer to tell us what the movie is doing so we can at least know how it works. I can't tell that from Kirk Honeycutt's review.
Then there's Den of Geek, a cool-ass name for a website. But Simon Brew's review confused me. I can't determine if Simon Brew's telling me Iron Man 2 is better than the first, or the opposite.
But I'll give Den of Geek credit because, well, they're geeks. From that, Iron Man 2 seems just OK, but not at the level of The Dark Knight.
Frankly, I wasn't expecting that anyway.
Roch the Casbah
Arizona illegal immigration law invites psychotic behavior
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| Governor Brewer's creating a psychotic environment |
This is where the environment that invites psychotic behavior is created and why the law itself is psychotic. First, we must understand the definition of the word "psychotic."
To be psychotic is to have a "loss of contact with reality, usually including false ideas about what is taking place or who one is (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)" according to a definition at Google Health. What's interesting and directly apply to the Arizona illegal immigration law and its drafters and implementers are the symptoms of psychotic behavior:
Abnormal displays of emotion
Confusion
Depression and sometimes suicidal thoughts
Disorganized thought and speech
Extreme excitement (mania)
False beliefs (delusions)
Loss of touch with reality
Mistaken perceptions (illusions)
Seeing, hearing, feeling, or perceiving things that are not there (hallucinations)
Unfounded fear/suspicion
"Abnormal displays of emotion" can be seen if one visits YouTube.com and searches for "arizona illegal immigration rally." The result has the first four videos from a rally by Nazi's or the "National Socialist Movement" showing the very "Abnormal displays of emotion" of those yelling "white power" and showing "unfounded fear/suspicion" by saying "We believe they should go back to Mexico and make their own country strong. This is out country." Here's one video:
That statement reflects not just "unfounded fear/suspicion" but "mistaken perceptions", "Loss of touch with reality", and "extreme excitement." Why?
Consider that a person could be an illegal immigrant and be from, say, Ireland. That has nothing to do with Mexico, but the man in the video is so out of touch with reality that he displays his mistaken perceptions and false beliefs.
Because of this the Arizona illegal immigration law becomes a tool with which a psychotic has license to be, well, psychotic. A psychotic can pick out anyone they believe fits their race-based fantasy of what an illegal immigrant looks like, totally passing by the Irish waitress and going for any person who the psychotic thinks comes from Mexico. To take the psychotic's possible actions to their logical conclusion such a person may try to make a citizen's arrest, and that would be an "abnormal display of emotion."
Clearly Arizona's got a problem. Moreover, the problem is its number of people showing psychotic behavior in crafting and passing the illegal immigration law. Governor Jan Brewer herself said on Fox News "We can't tolerate it. It's an invasion. An invasion of our country." I next expected Governor Brewer to yell "white power." Take a look at the video below and compare it to the video above several times, and note the "abnormal display of emotion" by both the Governor and the Nazi in each video:
In the video, Governor Jan Brewer sounds less like an elected official and more like a member of The Arizona Nazis. A very scary person exhibiting psychotic behavior.
If Governor Jan Brewer doesn't scare you in that video, well, maybe you're psychotic? Just being honest. Psychotic behavior is something one should work to remedy. Thinking of someone as "the other" only causes problems for both you and the person who's the unfortunate target of your loss of contact with reality.
In my next blog post, we'll look at what remedies the Governor, and others, should use to get better.
Stay tuned.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Eric Berry on Tim Tebow and Deion Sanders at NFL Draft
This NFL Draft installment (thanks to the Inn at Irving Place, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand) comes from The NFL Draft Red Carpet - When Kansas City Chiefs NFL 1st Round Draft Pick Eric Berry was in high school he had the chance to meet NFL Legend Deion Sanders, but according to Pro Football Talk, Sanders "dissed" Berry, refusing the teenager's request.
When this blogger saw the PFT post, using video to have Eric Berry confirm or deny the claim seemed like a good idea. Eric Berry confirmed it on camera while making his way along the NFL Red Carpet before the start of The 2010 NFL Draft: "I don't want to call it dissing me or whatever. I grew up looking up to him. I just wanted an autograph. It was like 'dang'; it did hurt my feelings. I was in high school going to college and he was one of the player I loved to watch."
Berry explained that Deion Sanders has "said good things" about him on The NFL Network, but to that point had not openly apologized to him, at least there's no official record of such online. While at Radio City Music Hall, I saw a telecast of the NFL Network where Deion Sanders had mentioned Berry's complaint to fellow NFL Legend, Steeler great Rod Woodson, but there has not been a single search-friendly post to show that Deion gave Berry the "love" he deserves.
As for Tim Tebow, who Berry will face twice a year as Tebow plays for the Denver Broncos, Berry said Tebow was the player he's hit the hardest, but "I don't know what I was thinking. He definitely brings a load."
It will be a load of fun to watch them in years to come.
Rock the Casbah!
Jillian Michaels and Anthony Mackie on NFL Red Carpet
 |
| Anthony Mackie |
This video shows Jillian Michaels and her publicist having a kind of tug-of-war over whether to approach Jillians' adoring fans dressed in the latest Washington Redskins fanatic fashion. Jillian's followed by The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie, who played "Sergeant JT Sanborn."
Mackie, who's already well-recognized career got a booster with the Academy Award Best Picture win of The Hurt Locker, said that life was great: "I have a movie coming out in July called The Adjustment Bureau, and I'm on Broadway right now doing A Behanding in Spokane, so life is good."
I asked if The Hurt Locker was the kind of movie for which a sequel could be made. The ending of the Iraq War film was controversial, with "Sergeant First Class William James" (Jeremy Renner) returning to Iraq and to the same horrifying practice of bomb diffusion he presumably wanted to get away from. Mackie's answer was a definite "no:" "On no. Oh, we can. It's called 'Still Hurt'," he said with a chuckle.
Something tells me we're going for another round of The Hurt Locker.
Stay tuned.
Jenna Jameson domestic violence charge against Tito Ortiz - by Suzannah B. Troy
There is so much violence towards women and children and much goes unreported but not this story. Jenna Jameson is taking action against her boyfriend who is a professional fighter and weighs over a 100 pounds more than she does...apparently he left bruises and Jameson is pressing charges.
Jameson is a ground breaking porn star who went from super star porn star to media mogul. She sold Club Jenna to Playboy for mega-bucks although she won't disclose the exact amount.
She has twins boys with Ortiz but the bliss is over. She called 911 and is pressing domestic abuse charges against her boyfriend Tito Ortiz, a UFC fighter, and father of the twins.
Tmz provides his and hers video. Above his and here is the link to see Jenna with her Dad being interviewed by TMZ. http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=7a9733bd-fff5-41b9-b3ec-130a1bd10dc7
She has had so much plastic surgery her face is almost unrecognizable which can be called "The Michael Jackson syndrome".
She is articulate and a savvy businesswoman. I can't imagine she will be staying in this relationship.
Here is the link for information on the violent dispute.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/26/2010-04-26_jenna_jamesons_boyfriend_tito_ortiz_charged_with_beating_her_up.html
And who would not want to re-visit Oprah's interview with Jenna. Oprah is like me when addressing adult issues so here is her interview with Jenna and it states for adult audience.
http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Porn-Star-Jenna-Jamesons-Career-and-Family/print/1
I am glad Jenna Jameson is pressing charges and I hope she inspires more women to step forward as well.
Stop the violence towards women!
Jameson is a ground breaking porn star who went from super star porn star to media mogul. She sold Club Jenna to Playboy for mega-bucks although she won't disclose the exact amount.
She has twins boys with Ortiz but the bliss is over. She called 911 and is pressing domestic abuse charges against her boyfriend Tito Ortiz, a UFC fighter, and father of the twins.
Tmz provides his and hers video. Above his and here is the link to see Jenna with her Dad being interviewed by TMZ. http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=7a9733bd-fff5-41b9-b3ec-130a1bd10dc7
She has had so much plastic surgery her face is almost unrecognizable which can be called "The Michael Jackson syndrome".
She is articulate and a savvy businesswoman. I can't imagine she will be staying in this relationship.
Here is the link for information on the violent dispute.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/26/2010-04-26_jenna_jamesons_boyfriend_tito_ortiz_charged_with_beating_her_up.html
And who would not want to re-visit Oprah's interview with Jenna. Oprah is like me when addressing adult issues so here is her interview with Jenna and it states for adult audience.
http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Porn-Star-Jenna-Jamesons-Career-and-Family/print/1
I am glad Jenna Jameson is pressing charges and I hope she inspires more women to step forward as well.
Stop the violence towards women!
Melissa Rycroft gives Tye Strickland Las Vegas weekend
Las Vegas welcomes the business and the publicity. Hotel revenues have been down, as low as 4 percent at the MGM Mirage and the Las Vegas gaming business is weak, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Melissa Rycroft's a 27-year-old Entertainment Tonight correspondent and former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. When she's not on ET, she also contributes to Good Morning America.
Craigslist size makes it mirror of society for better or worse
It's often that Craigslist, the website started by my friend and fellow blogger Craig Newmark, is visited, but it's not often that Craigslist become the most searched for keyword online. Today it is, and by a bunch.
There are three stories about Craigslist, and none of them having to do with actions the website itself has taken, but what others have done on it. Craigslist has become an online city, of sorts, reflecting both the good and bad of American (primarily) society.
In one story today, from The Wall Street Journal, a father, Joshua Stagnitto of Brooklyn, NY, tried to, of all things, sell his kids on Craigslist:
In the other story today, The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that Oakland, California police are warning people about Craigslist robberies because there's been what the publication calls a "spate" of violent robberies done after someone posted an ad on the website.
This isn't something that pleases Craig Newmark, who in an interview with this blogger on the Future of Media (and worth seeing), said that Craigslist focus is customer service...
Craig doesn't like to talk about these problems on the record, but as a friend, I know off the record it bothers him and he's taken steps to curb the negative behavior that goes on in some areas of the site. Still, given the nature of the website, it's hard to perfectly manage. Craigslist draws hundreds of thousands, and at times millions of visitors a day.
But the last bit of Craigslist news of the day is that the site makes more money considering its staff size than any other site. That's not a bad thing: it means Craigslist is doing something right: being efficient.
Rock the Casbah!
There are three stories about Craigslist, and none of them having to do with actions the website itself has taken, but what others have done on it. Craigslist has become an online city, of sorts, reflecting both the good and bad of American (primarily) society.
In one story today, from The Wall Street Journal, a father, Joshua Stagnitto of Brooklyn, NY, tried to, of all things, sell his kids on Craigslist:
“Selling my kids on the Craigslist black market. I have two kids, two and one year old.”
In the other story today, The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that Oakland, California police are warning people about Craigslist robberies because there's been what the publication calls a "spate" of violent robberies done after someone posted an ad on the website.
This isn't something that pleases Craig Newmark, who in an interview with this blogger on the Future of Media (and worth seeing), said that Craigslist focus is customer service...
Craig doesn't like to talk about these problems on the record, but as a friend, I know off the record it bothers him and he's taken steps to curb the negative behavior that goes on in some areas of the site. Still, given the nature of the website, it's hard to perfectly manage. Craigslist draws hundreds of thousands, and at times millions of visitors a day.
But the last bit of Craigslist news of the day is that the site makes more money considering its staff size than any other site. That's not a bad thing: it means Craigslist is doing something right: being efficient.
Rock the Casbah!
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