Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A Giant Statement

A Giant Statement
By Jon Wagner-Sr. Writer at Large-Football Reporters Online

With their 2009 season teetering on the brink of finishing without playoff football, the New York Giants (8-6) couldn’t afford yet another slip-up.

They ensured that wouldn’t happen, and then some.

Not only did Big Blue come away with the road victory they so desperately needed to remain a factor in the NFC playoff race, but the Giants served notice that if other conference contenders allow New York to crash the NFC postseason party, the Giants might still be dangerous enough to make the most of such an opportunity.

The G-Men made that type of statement with a thorough 45-12 thrashing of the Washington Redskins (4-10) before a national television audience in the nation’s capital on Monday Night Football.
It was the type of effort that was a lot more reminiscent of the Giants’ 5-0 start to the season while making the Giants temporarily forget their subsequent 2-6 mark leading into Monday night’s contest.

A day after the Redskins’ stadium crew had to remove an estimated 25 million pounds of snow from the stadium and their parking lots just so the game could be played after a big northeast snowstorm, it was the Giants who took the Redskins by storm.

The Giants sent an early message that they would return to their former dominating selves right from the outset, as they took the opening drive 80 yards in 16 plays, consuming 9:13, to lead 7-0 on a three-yard touchdown run by running back Ahmad Bradshaw (9 carries, 61 yards, 2 TD).

And, there was no looking back from there.
“We felt we can play at that caliber that we were playing at the beginning of the year. We came out fired up,” Bradshaw said. “This was a must-win. I told everybody before we went out, I need the whole team to come with us. And that’s how we played… together.”

The Giants scored on their first four possessions, and on six of nine times overall, punting just twice and simply running out the clock the final time they had the ball.
Meanwhile, the Redskins couldn’t get anything going offensively in that half while the Giants continued to move the ball and put points on the board.

The one saving grace for Washington might have been its defense, but even the Redskins’ biggest strength failed them against a determined Giants team.
Coming into the game, New York ranked 26th in red zone offense and was going against the NFL's top red zone defense. Yet, the Giants scored on all four trips into the red zone, getting touchdowns on three occasions.
The Giants forced a three and out on Washington’s first possession, which included a third-down sack by defensive end Justin Tuck, the first of five different New York sacks which were recorded by five different Giants.
Big Blue then drove right down the field again, going 63 yards on 11 plays in 5 minutes, for 14-0 lead, as Bradshaw scored again, on a four-yard touchdown run 39 seconds into the second quarter.
The Giants then went 27 yards, settling for a 38-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal, and on their next possession, they struck quickly, going 56 yards on just four plays in 2:05, scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning (19-26, 268 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) to wide receiver Steve Smith, to take a commanding 24-0 lead with 4:36 left in the first half.
With 1:55 left in the half and each team having had for possessions, the Giants had run 40 plays to the Redskins’ 15, and New York had outgained Washington 226-6.
Though he certainly did his own part, Manning gave credit to the Giants’ defense for contributing to the Giants’ offensive success. “They came out ready, and played awesome,” he said. “They kept giving us the ball and we kept going down and scoring. We just set the mood for the night very early.”
Washington finally looked good at the start of the third quarter, taking the opening possession of the period 86 yards on eight plays, in 4:20, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Campbell (15-28, 192 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) to tight end Fred Davis 4½ minutes into the quarter.
The extra point was missed however, the Redskins still trailed 24-6, and the Giants weren’t through lighting up the scoreboard themselves.
New York answered Washington’s first score of the game with a seven-play, 77-yard drive in 4:08, capped by a 23-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to wide receiver Derek Hagan, to lead 31-6, with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Just fourteen seconds later, it started to get embarrassingly bad for the Redskins.
Cornerback Terrell Thomas intercepted Campbell and scored on a 14-yard return to make the score 38-6, and made Giants fans think back to the first five weeks of the season when Big Blue was considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender prior to its mid-season swoon.
Redskins’ running back Quentin Ganther scored on a one-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the third quarter to at least get Washington to double digits, but an ensuing two-point try failed, and the Giants maintained a healthy 38-12 lead heading into the final quarter.
Before taking the bench later in the fourth quarter, Manning led one more scoring drive, taking the Giants 64 yards on five plays, in 2:14, finding wide receiver Mario Manningham on a 25-yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring with 12:48 left in the game.
Most importantly, the win keeps New York one game behind Dallas and Green Bay -- who are each 9-5 overall -- in the race for the two NFC wild-card playoff spots, with two weeks remaining in the regular season. The Cowboys and Packers are each 7-3 in NFC games, while the Giants improved to 6-4 within the conference. However, based on their season sweep over Dallas, the Giants need only to tie (not pass) the Cowboys in a potential two-team tie involving New York and Dallas. The Giants and Packers have not met this season, and do not play each other over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Secondarily, should the Giants find their way into the playoffs, and do so by playing in the next two weeks they way they played in Washington, they may look back to their victory over the Redskins as another crucial turning point in their season, and something on which to build a successful playoff run the way the 2007 Giants rode a 10-6 regular season to a Super Bowl title.
Thus, as Giants head coach Tom Coughlin pointed out, a greater sense of urgency such as the one on display in D.C., will be needed henceforth from the Giants this season.
“We were the team that had more at stake, obviously, and [we] played that way,” Coughlin said. “We always talk about being the team that demonstrates greater purpose. And we did… we ascended tonight, and we have to continue to do that.”

AFC South Week 15 Wrap up

      AFC South Week 15 Wrap Up
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
Tennessee 27 Miami 24
It was a cold day in Nashville as the game began and the Titans started the same, as Vince Young’s first pass, on the first play of day was picked off. It set off a chorus of boos from the crowd that knew how important this game was. These were two teams playing for the playoffs and the Dolphins had been on a roll lately. Miami stood at 7-6 and Tennessee at 6-7 with the loser falling another notch in the wild-card race. So on the possession set up by the interception, the Dolphins were able to get a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Now it was time for Young to make up for that mistake. The thing that has been so noticeable about Young has been the improvement in his decision-making. Last year and before he would quickly throw the ball away or run when it was not beneficial to his team. He was unable to find the consistency to keep defenses honest. This year he was put in a situation unlike he ever faced in his life on the football field. He had to prove himself and earn the trust of those around him. So the Titans found themselves needing to win out and needing Young to continue his evolution into an NFL quarterback. What he showed on this Sunday was just that as he made some of the prettiest throws of his career. He hit Justin Gage on touchdown passes of 22 and 21 yards that were unlike any he has ever thrown. His third touchdown pass was another beauty to Nate Washington but the 24-6 lead from that play would not hold up. Now critics will come up with reasons as to why they let the Fins back in the game, but it was simply because they took their foot off the gas pedal. They got complacent with the lead and let Miami back in and tie the score when Ricky Williams ran in the two-point conversion. So it was 24-24 and the Titans got the ball back but had to punt it after a three-and-out. Punter Brett Kern came in did his job putting the ball on the two-yard line with little time for the Dolphins to get down the field. What they did was run the ball so they could run out the clock. At that point the Titans had three time outs and the fans let the boos fly as Fisher allowed the clock to run. He said it was a gut feeling of his not to use the timeouts. Lucky for him he was right or the media would have eaten him alive this week. In the game Chris Johnson’s pursuit of 2,000 yards took a hit as he once again had a tough second half. Last week he had 16 carries for 30 yards and this week had 15 for 33 in the second half.  Teams are keying hard on him now but he said that he might have a 200 or 300-yard game left in him. He will have to average 135 yards per in the last two to get to that elusive mark (2,000) and needs 376 yards to pass Eric Dickerson’s NFL mark of 2,105 yards. He wound up with 104 yards on 29 carries. He will continue to get the ball in the last two games so hang on for the ride. In the game the Titans lost the heart and soul of their defense when Keith Bullock hurt his knee and he must now have season ending surgery. Also gone for the year is LB David Thornton, as he will go under the knife for a shoulder problem he has had. So there are two more games left and Tennessee needs a lot of help from other teams. They must also win out as well. One thing ought to be a sure thing and that would be votes for Jeff Fisher for coach of the year. No matter how the season ends you have to give credit to this coach and team for coming out of a 0-6 hole to .500 after week 15.
 
Indianapolis 35 Jacksonville 31
Even when it looks like the Colts are going down in defeat, they find a way to win. Peyton Manning continued to stake his claim for MVP as he went 23-30 for 308 yards and four touchdowns. He started early on this night as he hit Dallas Clark and Austin Collie in the second quarter for a 21-17 halftime lead. It was a first half that also saw Maurice Jones-Drew score twice, when he caught one from nine yards out and ran another in from three in that second quarter. The teams had traded scores in the first half and the theme would continue in the second. Jacksonville was sharp as was QB David Garrard and they came out and scored at the 8:32 mark of the third to take the lead back. Just like the sun rising is a sure thing so is Manning as he directed his team down the field and hit Clark again for a 27-yard touchdown. That made it 28-24 and it looked like that would all the Jags could handle. Well they forgot to tell Jacksonville and they answered the Colts right back when Mike Thomas pulled in a 13-yard pass from Garrard to make it 31-28 Jags with 47 seconds left in the third. Jacksonville just wishes there was that much time left in the game because a whole quarter is too much time for Manning to do damage. So the fourth quarter got underway and two teams that had not punted in the first half punted five times. No one could get the advantage until Manning finally put the dagger in the Jags when he hit Reggie Wayne down the left sideline for 65-yards and the winning score. So now the Colts are 14-0 and the only undefeated team in the league after the Saints lost to Dallas. Manning now has thrown for 4,000 yards or more in a season 10 times. The closest one to him is the great Dan Marino with six. As for the Jags, well they have now lost control of their destiny and will need help to get into the postseason. At 7-7 they find themselves in the pack with other 7-7 teams. Jones-Drew finished with 110 yards on 27 carries and Garrard was 23-40 for 223 yards, three scores and a pick. They are still in it but have to hit the road for their last two games of the year. They will first go to New England where the Pats are fighting for their division crown and playoff positioning. Then they finish at Cleveland against a Browns team that has been playing inspired ball and just come off two of the best single-game performances in NFL history. Kick returner Josh Cribbs returned two kicks for touchdowns and running back Jerome Harrison ran for the third best total in history with 286 yards and three touchdowns. The Colts finish by hosting the Jets and then going to Buffalo so their chances at 16-0 look good.
 
Houston 16 St. Louis 13
In a season that has basically gone bad the Texans found a way to keep the Rams in the game. They drove down the field at times but had to settle for three Kris Brown field goals and one touchdown pass from Matt Schaub. Though they had to struggle, Schaub had 367 yards passing giving him eight games with at least 300 yards and his fifth game with at least 350. Andre Johnson had another great game with nine catches for 196 yards but became the second player in the last 10 years to have that many yards and not catch a touchdown pass. The running game on the other hand was anemic gaining just 52 yards total and they were 5-14 on third down. They lost two fumbles as well but the defense did hold the Rams to 237 total yards. So no Houston is at 7-7 and they go to Miami next week in a key battle of 7-7 teams. They finish the season at home but that will be a tall task as the will be hosting the Patriots. There is still shot at the playoffs but hopes are dimming. In the next few weeks we will also get a clearer picture on the fate of head coach Gary Kubiak.

JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS 10-7

JETS LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY, FALL TO FALCONS  10-7 
by TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online

If you've been around Gang Green nation long enough, then Sunday's 10-7 loss to Atlanta in the game's final minutes should come as no surprise. No franchise in the NFL snatches defeat from the claws of victory with it all on the line (The Houston Texans haven't been around long enough but their resume IS growing) more often, year in year out, than the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS. Need proof? Please. It would be like reading you the Dead Sea Scrolls. We'd be a light year into the future by the time we were done with THAT laundry list.

Recent debacles in the past twenty odd years include 1986, when the Jets went from  from 10-1 to just a 10-6 wildcard entry. Then falling at Cleveland during the divisional playoffs in OT thanks to Mark Gastineau's idiotic late hit on Bernie Kosar . The 1994 Dan Marino fake spike play, and ensuing tailspin that sent the first place Jets led by  Pete Carroll, to oblivion.USC would soon follow for the guy who during the "milk it, milk it" Bruce Coslet era, motioned to Pete Stoyanovich the choke sign after a miss. The Dolphins star kicker then hit a game winning bomb moments later. The Jets were up 10-0 in Denver in the AFC Championship under Bill Parcells in 1999, only to watch John Elway rally the Broncos to their first world title. 

How about 2008? The Jets were 8-3 and alone in first, until Brett Favre started throwing the ball like Pat Ryan. The 9-7 finish ended the bizarre Favre- Eric Mangini marriage. Now this. A chance to control destiny vanishing into the the endless Meadowlands swamp. This after fighting for a month to get back into the AFC playoff hunt. The Jets botching three field goals were the culprit. Three! They held the struggling Atlanta offense to 3 points all day, only to allow a Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez TD with 1:15 left. Mark Sanchez? The rookie made some timely plays in his return from two knee injuries that have him resembling Joe Namath in the knee brace department. However, three more interceptions helped lead to another crushing loss that now leaves the Jets needing a win against the undefeated Colts in order to have life during the final week. Yikes.

It didn't have to be this way. The 7-6 Jaguars lost on Thursday. The 7-6 Dolphins lost on Sunday. The Jets were right there. Safety Kerry Rhodes symbolized the team's frustration." This (bleep) is crazy, man. We (bleeping) got exactly what we wanted and we couldn't get it done." 

When Sanchez (18-32 226 1TD 1int) hooked up with WR Braylon Edwards for a 65 yard TD pass, the Jets took 7-3 lead.  It stayed that way until the final minute. The Jets vaunted ground game however was bottled up for most of the day as the Jets had trouble adding to the lead,. Thomas Jones managed just 52 yards, as the Jets tried to attack one of the leagues worst pass defenses. The plan backfired. That's because three FG attempts were wasted. One because of a high snap, the other a Kellen Clemens drop, the third was on Feely. 

The inability by the Jets to tack on more, gave life to an Atlanta team that was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday night, thanks to the Dallas win over the then 13-0 Saints. Falcons QB Matt Ryan, back from a toe injury that had kept him out two games, engineered a drive that left the Falcons with a fourth down inside the ten with just over a minute left. The whole stadium knew where the ball was going, to soon to be hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez. It did, as a zone full of Jets encircled him, too far to disrupt the first TD in 34 possession against the Jets. What a time to let that happen. Sanchez threw an interception shortly after that sealed the Jets fate. 10-7 was the final.

The Jets defense has now had the lead three times going into the game's final five minutes. The result has been 0 for 3. Losses to Miami on Monday night, Jacksonville and the Jones Drew kneel, and now Atlanta. Two for three would have equalled a first place tie with the now not so unbeatable New England Patriots. One win would mean an 8-6 record and control of their own destiny. 
Instead it's win and get help. The 7-7 record is not all the defense's fault. Maybe
 too much was expected of Sanchez too early. The interceptions have been piling up since September. Signs of a rookie QB's growing pains that the Jets may have tried to will away by all of the preseason talk about a killer defense and run first approach to the year.

Nonetheless, the recent three game win streak that left the Jets first in rushing and defensive yards allowed, regenerated hope that seemed lost during the mid season swoon that saw the once 3-0 Jets fall to 4-6.. Now hope is fleeting again. If you follow the Jets, you are well accustomed to watching a team that loses the game BEFORE the big game. Yet it's in the club's DNA to both tank in an Atlanta type game, yet show up and steal the Indy one. Rex Ryan who said "we're out of the playoffs after the loss retracted his statement , admitting on Monday that he was "dead wrong." Ryan's no math major but who could blame the single minded focus that comes with gearing up to run the table. 

Now there's a new table to run. A two game table. It's now over. However, because of the tragic loss to Atlanta, the final run will have to start with 14-0 Indy, if the Jets want to still be talking about 2009, not 2010 next Monday. A tall order. As Jet fans fasten their seat belts once again this Sunday, they know that in all likelihood, Peyton Manning and co. will ensure that it will be for the last time in '09. Then again, if you follow the Jets, you have been witness countless times to the fact 
that nothing EVER goes as planned.

A LOOK BACK AT THE THREE KEYS TO ATLANTA:

JET D FORCING TURNOVERS:  Jet D was hot coming in, but forced the big goose egg. Atlanta picked off Sanchise 3 times.

THROW IT SMART NOT SCARED:  We asked for 50 percent completion , we got it at 18-32. We asked for 200 yards and got that at 232. Smart? Three picks for Sanchez, again. Some timely throws but in all, too many mistakes. The missed FG"s exposed the Int's.

WATCH WOODHEAD: We felt that the Jets super conservative passing game would be aided by the emerging Wes Welker, Wayne Chrebet type. Rookie slot WR/RB Danny Woodhead DID get more involved but the opportunities missed in the kicking game again nullifies the good what  Woodhead's increased role could provided.

follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter @ thejetreport

Brittany Murphy's autopsy report leaked - LA Coroner furious

In my last blog post on actress Brittany Murphy, I reported TMZ.com's discovery of an LA County Coroner's report that contains details of the prescription drugs she used and that may have triggered the heart attack that ended her life Sunday morning.

Now, the LA County Coroner says Brittany Murphy's autopsy report was leaked.

According to MSNBC.com, Ed Winter, LA County Chief Coroner, is "furious". “We don’t normally release partial information. If partial information goes out, it of course makes us look bad. Everybody ought to get it at the same time.”

Ed Winter said he contacted TMZ's Managing Editor Harvey Levin, who declined to say how the report was obtained. TMZ gave the name of an "Investigator Blacklock", but did not say that person was the one who provided the documents to TMZ.

Moreover, TMZ has not produce new content on this story since the first one today.

Stay tuned.

Tiger Woods still in sponsor Accenture ads in airports



UPDATE From O'Hare Aiport: Not reporting another Tiger Woods Accenture siting yet, but did receive the actual (not reported) statement from Accenture regarding their desire to end their sponsor relationship with Tiger Woods. It reads:

For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship arrangement and his achievements on the golf course have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture’s advertising. However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising. Accenture said that it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family.

This means that Accenture faces a long and possibly costly road in erasing their association with Tiger Woods. What they should have done was taken the ads down first, then annouced the decision. As it stands, Accenture's relationship with Tiger Woods is confused by the existence of the aiport ads, and they're spread around the country.

Tiger Woods is still in sponsor Accenture ads in airports. This comes as media outlets like HLN's Nancy Grace continue to say Woods has lost Accenture as a sponsor and his wife Elin Nordegren is seeking a divorce, when there's no evidence to solidly back those claims.

While some reports at ESPN have the consulting giant Accenture dumping Tiger Woods, my video which features current ads at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International and San Francisco International airports show that Tiger Woods is still the featured athlete image of the firm.




Tiger Woods still with Elin ..and Accenture in airports 



If Accenture were so eager to make a clean break with Tiger Woods, I'd think they would have yanked all of these ads down. But as of December 22nd, 2009, both shown are still up.   The last segment of the video was created this morning in San Francisco at SFO Airport.  

The ads are in United Airlines terminal areas in Atlanta and San Francisco. If you spot a Tiger Woods / Accenture ad, please drop me a line with a photo of it and noting its location.

Brittany Murphy died apparently from reaction to medicine

An investigator with the LA County Coroner's Office has left the first clues as to how the heart attack talented actress Brittany Murphy died of Sunday morning may have been triggered.





Brittany Murphy

Notes written by a person identified as "Investigator Blacklock" were reviewed by TMZ.com. Blacklock's notes revealed that Murphy "had been complaining of shortness of breath and severe abdominal pain" for 7 to 10 days before she died. Murphy walked into the bathroom "around 7:30 AM" Sunday and closed the door.

TMZ explains that Brittany Murphy's mother Sharon Murphy went to knock on the bathroom door to check on her a half-hour later. She opened the door, found Murphy reportedly "lying on the floor unresponsive", and yelled for help. Brittany's husband Simon Monjack ran to the bathroom.

In a reversal of the first information on the sequence of events, Murphy's Mom called 911 and Simon worked to revive her by using running shower water. At first TMZ reported that Simon Monjack made the 911 call; not it's Brittany's mother who did it.

Sadly, Brittany Murphy had died by the time paramedics arrived.

The investigator found a lot of prescription drugs allegedly used by Murphy, as well as a number of empty vials. TMZ reports the meds listed were:

Topamax (anti-seizure meds also to prevent migraines), Methylprednisolone (anti-inflammatory), Fluoxetine (depression med), Klonopin (anxiety med), Carbamazepine (treats Diabetic symptoms and is also a bipolar med), Ativan (anxiety med), Vicoprofen (pain reliever), Propranolol (hypertension, used to prevent heart attacks), Biaxin (antibiotic), Hydrocodone (pain med) and miscellaneous vitamins.

My first reponse is "What the heck's she taking all those meds for?" Her illness is an answer. Brittany reportedly had a history of hypoglycemia, which is what happens when the body experiences low blood sugar. It generally occurs in patients who are receiving treatment for diabetes (either type 1 or type 2); Brittany Murphy's mother said Brittany was a diabetic.

Again, foul play and / or illegal drug use was not suspected in her death.

The Daily Mail Online, UK, reports that Simon Monjack is to be questioned by the authorities, but no word on when that was to take place.


Stay tuned.

San Diego Earthquake 3.6 on Richter Scale

A relatively small 3.6 on the Richter Scale earthquake struck at 4 PM PST, off the coast of San Diego, California with an epicenter five miles below the ocean floor.

The US Geological Survey reports the quake was felt in Anaheim, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, and San Diego.

Question is, is the Bay Area next?

Monday, December 21, 2009

Homeless Gift Guide 2009

[Republished from Doc Gurley's blog on SF Gate's City Brights]



This time of year, no matter what your worldview, religion or culture, it's hard, as you hurry past the homeless huddled on the street, to not feel like Scrooge. Whether you're taking your family to the Nutcracker, or pounding the pavement for a job yourself, walking past so many shivering mounds of human misery takes a toll on the psyche. Maybe your kids are tugging on your arm, asking why can't something be done? Maybe you (like so many of us) just don't feel comfortable handing out bits, or even wads, of cash. So what can YOU do to make a small difference? Here, folks, is the 3rd Annual Doc Gurley Homeless Gift Guide, with tips for how you too can safely give an affordable, life-saving gift to the neediest among us. Because when it comes to the homeless, that's when, truly, The Giving Is Easy. And once you see how simple and rewarding it can be to drop a gift with a homeless person, be sure to pass the word along. Email friends, post your efforts on Facebook or MySpace. Put together gifts to have in your car for those awkward moments when you're waiting at an intersection, staring at a scrawled "anything helps, even a smile" cardboard sign. It will change the whole tenor of your life.



At this festive time of year, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute.<br />Ebenezer: Are there no prisons?

At this festive time of year, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute.
Ebenezer: Are there no prisons?



Still feeling reluctant to throw together a homeless gift? Keep in mind that, when it comes to your health, studies show that acts of altruism benefit YOU - your life satisfaction, your overall level of contentment, and even how long you live. If altruism was a drug, it would outsell Viagra.



Still not convinced? Channel some of your Niner frustration into a slightly different competitive arena. Hey, we've got to do something to redeem our city's good name - in the compassion-for-the-homeless nationwide stakes, San Francisco and Berkeley won top slots for Meanest Cities in America.



Still not convinced? Well, when it comes to gifts for the homeless, I'm not exaggerating about that life-saving part. How often can you give a simple gift, for less than 5 bucks, that can actually save the life of someone you pass each day? Now that's effective gifting. Life on the streets takes a lethal toll, and many people die unacknowledged. If you have a moment to spare in memory of the destitute, head over to City Hall as you leave work tonight at 5:30pm for our city's Solstice Homeless Death Memorial. Light a candle against the darkness tonight if you can, because each person deserves a moment to honor their passing.



How To Give:


Safety first - for you and your gift recipient. While many of us realize that giving an obvious gift to a street person might attract unwanted attention to yourself, you may not be aware that you could also be making your gift-recipient a target for assault later. When it comes to handing out a gift, here's what you mutter to yourself as you do it (hey, you'll blend in even more!): Discreet, discreet - the motto on the street. The safest and best way to gift a street person is to do what you already do - give small gifts to the folks you predictably pass on your usual routes, whether you're going to work, going out to dinner, or heading to a movie. Keep a gift handy and, instead of bending over to drop a buck in a cup, put your bag on the ground and keep going. Don't break stride, avoid getting into long conversations. Don't make a show of giving gifts around a large area and certainly don't go into areas your don't know. I'd say don't gift alone, or in isolated areas, and don't give gifts to crowds. Gift should be given in plain bags - no bows, no garish colors, no Tiffany sacks. It's nice, though, to tuck inside a small bow or giftcard ("From Me, To You"). You wouldn't wave money around, and the same applies to your gift. Anytime you might consider handing someone a dollar, hand him/her a gift instead. And do it as discreetly, and with as little fanfare.



What To Give:


Oooh (rubs hands together), now's the fun part! You can give hope, joy and inspiration with ANY small gift, including that old standby, money. But if you're looking for some practical tips, here's a few ideas.

1) Give warmth - you can find nice knit watch caps for as little as a dollar at many stores, including Target. Tips: try to stick to gender-neutral colors, although brights like red are nice. Women and transgender people forced to live on the street are often targets of sexual violence, and tend to dress to stay under-the-radar. If you give a hot pink pom-pom hat to the homeless woman on your corner to brighten her day, don't get your feelings hurt if it seems to have quickly disappeared. Same holds true for mittens and scarves. Darker colors are also nice because they don't show wear so quickly. Heat-shield blankets (also widely available in camping sections, for approx. $3 each at Target) can save a life - especially now with winter settling in with a vengeance.

2) Give protection - If you're considering gifting an umbrella, don't go buy one! Instead, buy (for about the same price) a sturdy plastic poncho. Umbrellas are bulky for homeless people, and, frankly, too frail. Umbrellas rarely withstand continuous rain. You can also consider giving a nice Intruder Alarm, like the one I found. It combines a piercing alarm-lock to protect valuables, and an LED light, all into one small key-chain-sized device. Consider making your gift-bag a gift too. Street people struggle to carry belongings in those thin white plastic bags. A sturdy cloth bag, or a reusable heavy-plastic rain-proof one, with a small treat inside, is a gift all by itself.

3) Give health - Footcare is a huge deal if you're exposed to constant rain, have no reliable access to a bathroom, and spend all day on your feet. Two pairs of sturdy new socks (two pairs so you can swap them out when one pair gets wet), a washcloth for drying between toes, and a toiletry-sized bottle of lotion make a great theme gift, especially now when continuous rains can actually cause homeless people to suffer from that World War I horror - trench foot. You can also gift a small first aid kit, or hygiene items. If you're gifting toiletries, however, keep in mind that everything has to be carried at all times, so travel-sized is MUCH better than Costco-sized. It's hard to give nourishing food, but giftcards of all types (food, transit, drugstore) make a nice gift. Be sure, however, to buy cards for locations that are very close by, and ones where a street person, maybe if not exactly welcomed, can at least reliably enter the premises.

4) Give joy - I personally think every present should have a little treat in it. Say, one high-quality, individually-wrapped chocolate, or a small fluffy whimsical item that would make anyone smile. When you buy these in packs, you can get them at very affordable prices to split among many homeless gift-bags. You can even combine joy and practicality by gifting a Santa-hat - it will keep a head warm, and help with panhandling.

5) Give understanding - with the economy so dire, many people may not be able to afford buying anything new. Giving a gift of something you already own (but rarely use), is fine. Maybe you have some old polartec throws, or a blanket or two that no one uses. You can also gift a street person with a BIG used item, like that old sleeping bag, or a coat, or even a tent. If you do gift a used item, be sure it's obviously freshly laundered and mended. Homeless people are often victimized by receiving "free," second-hand stuff that is infested with lice or scabies. It is an awful form of torture to have a warm item you're afraid to use - so be sure YOUR gift smells laundry fresh!

Brittney Murphy death cause report delayed "5-6 weeks"

Now it's reported that the cause of Britney Murphy's death may not be known for some time. RadarOnline.com explains that the autopsy was finished Monday afternoon but an unidentified source within the LA County Coroner's Office told the online publication that it "will be 5-6 weeks for test results to come through."




Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy was a popular and talented actress, writer, and producer who passed away of a heart attack Sunday morning at her Hollywood Hills home. She was found in her bathroom by her mother. Murphy's husband Simon Monjack then called 911. According to TMZ.com, Simon Monjack had asked that an autopsy not be performed, but the LA County Coroner's office ignored the request.

Foul play has been ruled out as a possible cause.

John Russo on Oakland, Oakland A's, Oakland City Attorney's office

John Russo: Part One:



John Russo: Part Two:



On Friday December 18th 2009 I sat down to talk with Oakland City Attorney John Russo and produce a vlog (video-blog) of our conversation. The result is a wide-rannging, 32-minute interview that essentially divides into three parts: the Oakland City Attorney's Office in the Economy, the Oakland A's, and the Oakland Mayor's race and Oakland politics. Here are some highlights from the videos:



Oakland City Attorney John Russo

The Oakland City Attorney's Office


Russo says that he has to cut a total 11 of a staff of 40 attorneys, or about 25 percent of his staff. He's already lost seven attorney positions this year, will lose another four, and is expected to cut another million from his budget during the next fiscal cycle. "Everybody works a little harder," Russo said. But he offered that when you lose that much of your core staff you're just not going to get as much done. As Russo pointed out, no one's yelling "save the lawyers."

"The City has to respond to lawsuits," he said. That means outsourcing, which is more expensive than having staff because the work needs to get done. "We're going to do the best we can," Russo said.

The Oakland A's


This conversation was covered extensively in my blog posting of Friday, December 18th. I wrote this:


Our conversation on the Oakland Athletics started because I asked John what he thought of San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera's letter to Major League Baseball. The letter, released on Thursday and I have (and will post for review) a copy of, states at length that the City of San Francisco is concerned with the potential negative financial impacts on that San Francisco if the Oakland A's are allowed to move into the San Francisco Giants 'territorial rights' area as established by the current Major League Agreement...


On the matter of the letter, Russo said "I think its an interesting letter. I spoke to Dennis today. I told him I think its an interesting theory. I can see where his concerns are; I understand it." Russo says that he can see where San Francisco taxpayers are a third-party beneficiary of those territorial rights given to the SF Giants...


"I do know that over the years, the Giants relied upon that territory in creating their ballpark, Russo said. "I also know that here in Oakland we relied on certain representations by the A's in signing a very flexible and advantageous lease with them. And I'm looking into whether or not their clear, and very clear attempt to move to San Jose - and San Jose's attempts to lure the A's - whether or not those are interfering with our rights under the lease."


In other words the City of Oakland's considering suing both the Oakland Athletics and the City of San Jose.

The City of Oakland


Russo explained why the City settled for $1.75 millionin the legal tussle with the Oakland Policewhere 500 officers successfully claimed they went without pay for pre-shift and post-shift activities. "As a matter of law, the City miscalculated over time...Once the court held as a matter of law we violated federal labor law standards in the calculation of overtime, that meant the party plaintiffs were guaranteed to get their attorney's fees for the case." Russo said that the City of Oakland has had 10 years of personnel problems in this area.

Russo didn't like the case but the city was legally bound. Russo said it was important to get the case "off the table" because the City of Oakland has a great relationship with the current new leadership of the Oakland Police Officer's Association. The lawsuit was filed under the OPOAs old regime.

The Race for Mayor Of Oakland


Russo said that there are really only two well-known mayoral candidates as of this writing: Oakland City Councilwoman Jean Quan and Former California State Senator Don Perata. John made an interesting observation in saying that the the executive power had leaked out and away from the Mayor's Office and to the City Council, and both can and need to spend time getting it back. That's a way of saying the Mayor's Office has not taken the lead in running the city, an observation that's become standard among Oakland insiders.

Follow-up coming


I decided to, as they say, eek this out in a series of posts rather than just one. This one introduces the videos but there's a lot Russo said that I will focus more on in blog posts leading up to Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren not divorcing - confirmed

Two days ago I wrote that Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren was not divorcing Woods before Christmas, if at all in the future. My assertion was based on pure lack of evidence. That's confirmed by TMZ.com today, Monday.

TMZ reports that Elin Nordegren is upset with Woods to be sure, but can't figure out what to do. The sheer number of alleged affairs has her questioning if she can ever trust Tiger Woods again.

But as of this writing just four days before Christmas, they're still together.

I have to mention that HLN's Nancy Grace's show last night reported wrongly that Elin Nordegren was seeking a divorce. Nancy Grace did not hedge her words. She had Elin in Sweden - not true. The result was one of the most awful shows I've seen from someone who's work effort I like.

Reporting an opinion is one thing, but facts are something else. Hey, I get things wrong but I take steps to make it right. Nancy Grace should do the same.

Brittany Murphy death predicted by Perez Hilton on radio show

Not only is Brittany Murphy's death not a hoax, as some are blogging for some reason, it was predicted by Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira) this month. The death hoax claims are cruel and unnecessary, just to get that out of the way.



Perez Hilton

Some may find Perez Hilton infuriating - and he bills himself as having Hollywood's most hated website - but Perez Hilton does know Hollywood and the players within it. Including Brittany Murphy.

According to NBC San Diego, Perez Hilton appeared on the morning radio show AJ in the Morning earlier in December. Hilton was asked if there would be another celebrity death "headed in the same path" as Michael Jackson.

His response was "Brittany Murphy, maybe."

According to the same NBC source, Murphy was said to have an eating disorder earlier in he career and that some believed it was tied to an alleged cocaine habit. Murphy denied these allegations in 2005.

On his blog, Hilton hinted at this with his first post on Murphy:

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton wrote:

Absolutely devastating. Especially because this comes as no surprise! We, and those who knew Brittany personally, saw this coming. That does not make this any less horrible.

Stay tuned.