Ricky Williams Tests Positive For Pot - Again!

This was just in from a phone call from Bill Chachkes and confirmed at ESPN: Ricky Williams tested positive for pot, and his doctors are recommending that his re-entry into the NFL be delayed.

I feel sorry for Ricky, as he apparently sees nothing wrong with taking a toke or two, but can't understand that the NFL does. If he wants to play in the NFL, he's going to have to stop taking his weed. It's that simple.

But then would he be able to hang with hot women? Well, I forgot, he has a significant other, ...who's that lady?

Raiders Exec Mike Lombardi Fired; Raiders May Select Mike Mayock Or Pat Kirwan

This just happened on Wednesday:

Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on Wednesday at 12:15 pm
Personnel executive Mike Lombardi is out in Oakland, which at this point is like reporting spring will give way to summer next month.

In other words, no surprises, and also no way to know how it affects the Raiders because of their method of operation.

Lombardi joined the Raiders personnel department in 1999, eventually ascending to "senior personnel executive." He took over some of the duties of senior assistant Bruce Allen upon Allen's departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it's clear he was a valued member of the organization by Al Davis.

Exactly how good Lombardi is as a personnel man is hard to determine because when it came to speaking on the record, he adhered to Oakland's in-house policy. There are those who believe Lombardi, along with now retired Chet Franklin, were at the core of Oakland's ability to land veteran free agents at bargain prices when the team won three consecutive division titles from 2000 through 2002.

But since he was never out front and open like the 49ers Scot McCloughan, or others in the league, the credit basically went to Davis and Jon Gruden. Davis, after all, makes the final call. Only he knows how much he leaned on Lombardi, and he's not saying.

Lombardi's slow exit began the moment Bobby Petrino turned down the job as Raiders head coach. It was Lombardi who gave Davis the hard sell, with Petrino even being offered the job.

Jerry also reports that the Raiders have considered hiring Mike Mayock and Pat Kirwan of the NFL Network and NFL.com, respectively. But the real burning question is what caused the Silver and Black to start looking around, first, then dump Lombardi?

Petaluma High School My Space Threats By East Coast Teen - SF Chron

This goes to show that you can't hide, even on the Internet. They got him.

Cops say East Coast teen admits MySpace threats

Warnings about shooting people at Petaluma High School keep 2/3 of students away

Jim Herron Zamora and Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writers
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

(05-09) 19:55 PDT PETALUMA -- Petaluma police said a 17-year-old boy from the East Coast admitted to posting prank MySpace messages -- threatening to shoot people at Petaluma High School -- that caused about two thirds of students to miss classes Wednesday.
Police said that the boy, who was not named, admitted using a stolen password to hack into the MySpace page of at least one Petaluma High School student and using the account to send prank messages on Tuesday night vowing to bring a gun to school Wednesday to shoot enough people to exceed the 33 deaths at Virginia Tech last month.
Late Tuesday, investigators traced the threats to a person 3,000 miles away, but police and school officials still took the matter seriously and warned parents. Educators decided not to cancel classes but they did beef up security and lock down the campus.
The message said:"Listen up you people, I'm sick of all your s -- . Tomorrow I'm going to school strapped and none of you can do anything to stop me. I'm beating the high score of 33 thanks to you f -- ."
Police said that the prankster, who was not arrested but will likely face criminal charges, is one of several internet users who have obtained passwords "for a variety of MySpace accounts." Police said the prankster told them that a number of other internet users have used the passwords to "post inappropriate and possibly criminal data" on the popular social networking site.
The prankster's threats were posted and re-posted to about 300 other Petaluma students with MySpace accounts, school administrators said.
The East Coast boy has no connection to Petaluma, police said in a statement, "and he had no intention of carrying out any violence."
Police declined to discuss what criminal charges the youth may face. He could possibly be prosecuted under federal or state law.
School administrators said they had to take the threats seriously and enacted an emergency plan.
"The police let us know (Tuesday) night that they had some leads that linked this to the East Coast, but we had to respect the police investigation and treat this as a potentially serious threat," said Dave Rose, head of student services for Petaluma City Schools. "Had this been clearly a threat we would have closed down the school totally."
Police and school officials posted several alerts on the school's web-site on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Administrators also received nearly 400 phone calls from concerned parents before school Wednesday.
As a result, only about half of the 1,650 students showed up for first-period classes. That dwindled to about 35 percent by second period because many parents pulled their children out of school because of the threats.

Petaluma High School My Space Threats By East Coast Teen - SF Chron

This goes to show that you can't hide, even on the Internet. They got him.

Cops say East Coast teen admits MySpace threats
Warnings about shooting people at Petaluma High School keep 2/3 of students away
Jim Herron Zamora and Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writers
Wednesday, May 9, 2007

(05-09) 19:55 PDT PETALUMA -- Petaluma police said a 17-year-old boy from the East Coast admitted to posting prank MySpace messages -- threatening to shoot people at Petaluma High School -- that caused about two thirds of students to miss classes Wednesday.
Police said that the boy, who was not named, admitted using a stolen password to hack into the MySpace page of at least one Petaluma High School student and using the account to send prank messages on Tuesday night vowing to bring a gun to school Wednesday to shoot enough people to exceed the 33 deaths at Virginia Tech last month.
Late Tuesday, investigators traced the threats to a person 3,000 miles away, but police and school officials still took the matter seriously and warned parents. Educators decided not to cancel classes but they did beef up security and lock down the campus.
The message said:"Listen up you people, I'm sick of all your s -- . Tomorrow I'm going to school strapped and none of you can do anything to stop me. I'm beating the high score of 33 thanks to you f -- ."
Police said that the prankster, who was not arrested but will likely face criminal charges, is one of several internet users who have obtained passwords "for a variety of MySpace accounts." Police said the prankster told them that a number of other internet users have used the passwords to "post inappropriate and possibly criminal data" on the popular social networking site.
The prankster's threats were posted and re-posted to about 300 other Petaluma students with MySpace accounts, school administrators said.
The East Coast boy has no connection to Petaluma, police said in a statement, "and he had no intention of carrying out any violence."
Police declined to discuss what criminal charges the youth may face. He could possibly be prosecuted under federal or state law.
School administrators said they had to take the threats seriously and enacted an emergency plan.
"The police let us know (Tuesday) night that they had some leads that linked this to the East Coast, but we had to respect the police investigation and treat this as a potentially serious threat," said Dave Rose, head of student services for Petaluma City Schools. "Had this been clearly a threat we would have closed down the school totally."
Police and school officials posted several alerts on the school's web-site on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Administrators also received nearly 400 phone calls from concerned parents before school Wednesday.
As a result, only about half of the 1,650 students showed up for first-period classes. That dwindled to about 35 percent by second period because many parents pulled their children out of school because of the threats.

Peter Chernin (COO News Corp.) and Jeff Zucker (CEO NBC Universal) Can't Sink YouTube

I saw this bit of news at TechCrunch:

The rumors of a joint venture to counter the perceived Google-YouTube threat, dubbed “Clown Co.” by Google executives, are now confirmed, although the name of the new company is not yet available. In a press release, Peter Chernin (COO News Corp.) and Jeff Zucker (CEO NBC Universal) are announcing “launch the largest Internet video distribution network ever assembled with the most sought-after content from television and film.” Content from at least a dozen TV networks and two major film studios is promised. Initial distribution partners include AOL, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo.

Chernin says they will have access to “the entire U.S. audience” at launch. The service is promised for this summer, with “thousands of hours” of full length televisions shows and movies, as well as shorter clips. Users will have unlimited and free access to content on the site.

Good content lineup:

At launch, full episodes and clips from current hit shows, including Heroes, 24, House, My Name Is Earl, Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Lights, The Riches, 30 Rock, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show, Prison Break, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and Top Chef, plus hits from the studios’ vast television libraries, will be available free, on an ad-supported basis, within a rich consumer experience featuring personalized video playlists, mashups, online communities and video search. Plus, the extensive programming lineup will include fan favorite films like Borat, Little Miss Sunshine, Devil Wears Prada, The Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy with bonus materials and movie trailers. Post-launch, plans will be considered for acquiring additional content as well as producing and licensing original programming for the new site’s audience.

The content will be provided through distribution partners through a customized embeddable player.

I'm gong to call it "Clown Co" too, because these bozos think that people -- the YouTube demographic -- are going to flock to this new venture just because it exists and has TV content.

Hell no. And the simple fact that they think this is an example of how the control culture thinks. In other words, they believe you want their content so bad, you're going to avoid visting YouTube to get it. The reason this is wrong in embeded in why YouTube was started in the first place -- as a way to get personal videos -- not TV shows -- distributed.

What Clown Co's doing is fitting old wine in a new bottle and it will not sell. The reason is that the novelty and ease of user-generated content will not end. Plus, with Apple TV and its competitors, people have better ways to see their self-made TV shows, and do that as much or more than looking at Clown Co's site.

Watch. This is going to be a major embarassment for the founders of Clown Co.

Petaluma High Students Get Death Threat On MySpace

This is scary, and an example of just how sick our society has become. Virginia Tech, combined with our communications system, has produced copycats. Sick.


MySpace hacker posts menacing statements to Petaluma High students

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 9, 2007


(05-09) 09:18 PDT PETALUMA -- Someone hacked into the MySpace pages of several Petaluma High School students Tuesday night and posted statements on the networking Web site threatening to bring a gun to school today and kill people.

Police are asking parents, students and officials at Petaluma High School to help them identify the suspect today. Education officials said school remains in session, and there is extra police presence on campus.

The threats referenced April's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, and warned students to stay home from school today.

Petaluma Police Sgt. Marty Frye said police sent out a "school alert" to employees and parents detailing the threats and stating that investigators do not know if it is valid.

According to the alert, the suspect wrote, "Listen up you people, I'm sick of all your s -- . Tomorrow I'm going to school strapped and none of you can do anything to stop me. I'm beating the high score of 33 thanks to you f -- ."

The person also went on to make additional statements in which they threatened to bring a gun to school and repeatedly referenced the Virginia Tech shootings, which left 33 people, including the shooter, dead.

Frye said it appears the suspect gained access to several Petaluma High School students' MySpace pages by hacking into the accounts and sent the messages without those people's knowledge.

Internet providers are cooperating with detectives and working to track down the origin of the messages, he added.

Petaluma City Schools deputy superintendent Steve Bolman said classes are continuing as normal.

"School is in session," he said. "We do have officers on campus, and students are being encouraged to stay in class."

Visit To Ground Zero - New York City

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

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

Panthers Sign WR Steve Smith to 3-Year Extension

Panthers Sign Smith to 3-Year Extension

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paris Hilton Supporters Have Petition To Protest Jail Term

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That's not right at all.

Paris Hilton gets 45 days in jail


Ms Hilton must start her jail term next month

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Late entrance

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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