Helen Thomas says Jews should get out of Palestine

Helen Thomas

The legendary Helen Thomas, who has been called everything from the Dean of The White House Press Corps, to the Queen of same, and has questioned (though some may say "bugged") American Presidents from Obama to Johnson, all but destroyed her reputation as a tough journalist as she's now seen as a bigot.

A video surfaced where Helen Thomas is asked, at of all things the White House Jewish Heritage Celebration on May 27th 2010, "any comments on Israel." Helen Thomas said "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. Not Germany. Not Poland."

When the questioner, who knew he's caught a live one, asked what Jews should so, Thomas didn't miss a beat, saying "They go home. Poland. Germany. And America and everywhere else." Here's the video:



That was just plain awful. As the video reminds us, 6 million Jews were killed in Germany and Poland. Plus Palestine includes Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. While it's possible Helen Thomas was talking about specific land disputes, she did not exclude Israel itself from her comments.

While Helen Thomas has apologized, saying "I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon," it's too late to curb the torrent of complaints from bloggers, some calling for Hearst Newspapers to drop her.  

Unfortunately, the matter has degenerated into a left / right issue from the rightwing-nut fringe. The normally baseless Michael Savage rightly commented on the issue, but then goes on a psychotic rant about liberal communists. Just because Thomas is liberal does not mean other liberals are at fault for her behavior. Some people, regardless of politics, can be just plain stupid.

For example, I was at a fund-raiser for an Oakland nonprofit last night, and this older white woman and I were talking about Israel and Gaza. Then, suddenly she said something about the oppressed being the oppressor and then African Americans having abusive families. At that point, I knew I was sitting next to a racist from the looney bin. And guess what? She's liberal like me.

But she's one of those Oakland older white and bigoted liberals who see African Americans as 'these poor, downtrodden people' she has to save, which is a kind of racist view in itself.  The reason is that people who think that way sometimes find it hard to deal with African Americans who are their financial and intellectual equals or beyond them.  I know that from experience.

But I digress. In having an out-of-body experience, I said that one could make statements like that about a number of people, but it doesn't make it true. I told her I've heard her comments before, and I don't believe them. Rather than get angry with her, I caused her to see that she made a mistake.

The positive aspect of such encounters is they do express a willingness to change. You have to give them that.

Some people can be just stupid, but overall they mean well. It would seem Helen Thomas fits into that category.

Tila Tequila Tries to Kill Herself & posts VIDEO..: Nikky Raney

Tila Tequila's "alter ego" or "multiple personality" Jane tried to kill her.

Seriously.

We just found out that celebrity rehab was just postponed.

I know I said I wouldn't post anymore about her, but this was just too much.

I also have a vlog that I will be posting.

She also posted a long blog entry about how Jane is trying to kill her.

Anyway, I saw on Twitter that apparently Tila's alter ego tried to kill her.

I think that her alter ego is also the one who thought it'd be okay to take Ambien while she was pregnant.

The tweets can be seen to the left. I took a screen shot.

(Tila posts a photo of how Jane sliced up her arm)

Anyway, Tila frequently talks about her multiple personalities; but this is just ridiculous. Why would you broadcast this to the world? Oh wait, she's going to be on CELEBRITY REHAB.

Maybe she's trying to make people believe that she really does have issues.

Tila writes on her blog (under the photo):

"I don’t know what happened. People don’t believe I have multiple personalities but this morning the last thing I remember was falling asleep cuz I was so tired. I blacked out and now that I just woke up from excruciating pains all over my body, there was blood and dope everywhere! She is evil! She single handedly smashed and broke EVERYTHING in my bedroom! Both nightstands, the bed lights, all of the surround sound system, my tv boxes and there’s glass everywhere. There’s even chunks of meet coming out of my arm from the deep slits from her slicing up my arm from all the broken glass! My arm meet from inside is starting to bubble up and seep through the cuts. This is so fucked up. Now that I’m awake, she just left but I have no recollection of what happened to me. I’m just crying right now hiding in my toilet… my entire room is in shambles. All the new furniture is broken and glass all over the bed. I don’t know whats happening! =(

Little Tila"

Why would someone post something so private and personal on twitter & on a CELEBRITY GOSSIP BLOG. How about you call up an ambulance or go out and get help. Who the hell has the time to TWEET and BLOG while they are getting CUT UP? Seriously. How the hell does someone do that? If she really wants help then she shouldn't wait for celebrity rehab. This is disgusting.

Flaunting your self injury.. er.. injury from your alter ego is just wrong. I cannot believe that she did that. That's actually crossing the line in my book. I do not know how Tila can redeem herself. If this is a ploy for help and a cry for help you may think I sound like an insensitive bitch, but I do not think that someone who was serious about getting help and honestly scared for her life would be tweeting and blogging. How about calling the police? I know I should feel bad, but I honestly believe this was another way for her to get attention.

Apparently Jane wrote the blog entry as well.

In a previous blog entry Tila writes:

Miss Tila! Yes, I like to speak of myself in the third person a lot, I don’t know why. I think it is because I do have multiple personalities so it feels fine for me to speak in 3rd person cuz you never know which “TILA” you are speaking to! There are 3 so far: Jane, Baby Tila(the innocent fun child-like one), the ADULT CONFIDENT, STRONG, AND POWERFUL TILA, and then there’s a new one named “CAROLINE” she recently just popped up

Seriously? I do not want to seem heartless, but for some reason I cannot and will not believe that someone would post photos of her bloody arm on her "CELEBRITY GOSSIP BLOG" if she was truly scared for her life.

The comments on her blog posts go from sympathy to annoyance.

Which is strange since I have been banned from posting comments on her blog, but the rest of these comments get by:

KiwiKarnie41 comments:

"YOURE NOT IN YOUR BATHROOM. YOURE ON YOUR COMPUTER TWEETING ABOUT THE BULLSHIT. cut the crap you dumb slut. get over your attention whorish antics and grow the fuck up. i feel bad for anyone that looks to you as a roll model. because youre so pathetic."

KiwiKarnie41 got 24 "thumbs up" and 21 replies.

VictoriaXVanity comments:

"You Guys Need To Really Shut The Fuck Up Before You Call Her Crazy Or A Crack Whore. Multiple Personalities Are REAL. And She Has Been Struggling With Jane For A Long Time. I Never Really Got Why All You Haters Are Her FRIENDS On Myspace. Myspace Is A Place For FRIENDS Not Haters. So Get Off Her Fucking Jock. Shes OBVIOUSLY Really Scared And Upset About This, And Going Through A Tough Time. The LAST Thing She Needs Is You Assholes Talking Shit To Her. She Posts This Stuff For People Who Actually GIVE A Shit. This Internet Shit Talking Is Getting REALLY Irritating. Dont Worry Tila, Your Fans Are Here For You, And We All Love You! And I Know You Probably Get This All The Time, But Im Here For You If You Ever Wanna Talk (:"

VictoriaXVanity got 3 "thumbs down."

What do you guys think?

Nikky Raney

The Future of Journalism

Follow me on Twitter

UPDATE:

TILA IS NOW POSTING VIDEOS OF THE EVENT

If you can stomach the video then go watch, but I would prefer not to. I cannot believe she is posting videos of this. She needs a therapist. She needs rehab. Honestly, someone get this girl some help immediately. This is not healthy behavior, at all. This is more than craving attention, this is sick and demented.

Tila's response:

"So anyone who wants to talk shit, go ahead, because you’re words means NOTHING to me compared to what the pain I feel right now. She’s gone now. I locked all the doors but who knows when she will come back. My doctor knows this so he has given me a prescription for people who suffer with this disorder. So haters talk shit, I don’t care! I’m in my fucked up bedroom now and was crying forever because this is not something to make light of at all! If you or anyone you know suffer from the same thing I have, you know it’s a serious thing."

Tila Tequila, STOP BLOGGING, STOP TWEETING, AND GO TO THE HOSPITAL.

National Donut Day 2010: Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme have deals

In the "just the thing when my doctor says I'm supposed to lose 20 pounds," department, comes the news that today, Friday, June 4th, is the 72nd annual National Donut Day. That means free donuts at every Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme locations.

According to Wikipedia, National Donut Day is held on the first Friday of June. The webpage reads:

"The holiday celebrates the doughnut (a.k.a "donut") — an edible, torus-shaped piece of dough which is deep-fried and sweetened. Many American doughnut stores offer free doughnuts on National Doughnut Day. In 2009, both independent doughnut shops[2] and large national franchises offered free doughnuts in the United States."

National Donut Day started as a fund-raiser for the Salvation Army and while it still is, just grew into a national corporate donut marketing event.

For all that, this blogger's staying miles away from any Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, or whatver free donut shop there is.

I'm ordered to lose 20 pounds.

Stephen Hill: killer porn star at large: $2,000 reward

Stephen Hill

Steven Hill, the porn star who killed one person and stabbed two others at the Ultima DVD office and distribution center in Van Nuys, California, outside Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, is said to be a "wacky guy" who was involved in an inappropriate act in a night club, according to an email tip sent to this blogger.

The email, posted in such a way as to protect the identify of the source, reads as follows:

...I saw your article on porn star killer, Stephen Hill, and just wanted too add my two cents (I've seen Stephen at different porn events). If he was going to be fired for inappropriate behavior, it had to be pretty bad, because porn company employees can get away with a great deal, especially if they also double as performers for company movies. I was at a night club party where Stephen was thrown out due to having sex acts performed on him publicly by a female in attendance. He was a wacky guy...I hope Stephen is caught soon!

Stephen Hill is a wacky guy, but a killer. And Stephen Hill's still at large and considered dangerous. Ultima DVD has a $2,000 arrest award out for Hill.

As of this writing, Hill has not been seen at large.

Stay tuned.

Oakland City Attorney John Russo on Marijuana, Oscar Grant, World Cup Soccer

On Wednesday, Oakland City Attorney John Russo sat down to talk about the need to legalize marijuana use, the Golden State Warriors, the Oakland A's, and World Cup Soccer. The result is this 14 minute video interview, the latest in a string of nine videos Russo has done with this blogger, and friend.

In this one, John Russo talks about his support for the legalization of recreational marijuana use in California. The vote to cause the legalization of marijuana use is on the November ballot in California. According to a recent poll, 37 percent of potential voters use marijuana.

John Russo is the first elected official to openly support the legalization of marijuana use in California.

Why does Russo support legalization? "Well, Russo said, first, number one I think marijuana prohibition has been a demonstrated failure at this point, no different than alcohol prohibition in the 1920s." Russo says it's also "cooler" for the young to use marijuana and that's it's time for us to get out of "this collective denial" of the situation.

Russo said the only people at parties who don't want to be around people who are using "weed" are elected officials like him, "who see someone in the back using marijuana and make up an excuse to go (leave the party)."

Russo's other "main reason" for legalization is that 60 percent of the revenue gained by drug gangs operating in America and across the boarder is from marijuana. He believes that legalization of the drug will cut off their revenue stream. "I don't understand why we would continue to give large bags of cash to those who would buy sophisticated weapons to use against our law enforcement," Russo said. The Oakland Lawyer believes legalization will lead to a drop in drug-related crimes.

On the FOIA, Oscar Grant, the Warriors, The A's and The World Cup

This blogger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the City of Oakland, and really it was at the behest of John Russo. Not suprisingly, Russo's office and the City of Oakland have been responsive for the most part - I'm still waiting for the Office of Economic Development's latest communication. But the idea really in truth came from John Russo. "We're the office that's supposed to guard transparency for the public, Russo says.

Russo just got a FOIA request from KTVU Channel Two, "extensive. Asking for my personal calendar, ..because it's budget time. That's what the press should do." (Note: His personal "city" calendar, not his actual personal calendar.)

Something else, the press is doing is covering the Oscar Grant trial. I asked Russo for his take on the trial, which is being held in Los Angeles, even though it happened in Oakland.

"Well, the officer who's being accused (Johannes Mehserle) is being defended by some very sophisticated and aggressive defense lawyers. It's Mike Raines, who was the lawyer for Barry Bonds and has been a lawyer for many police officers around the state (of California). Mike's style is to try to politicize every trial. He's very combative, and it will often work with a jury. You throw enough mud around and you can confuse the jury," Russo said.

Such confusion can cause enough doubt to prevent Johannes Mehserle from being convicted of murder in the killing of Oscar Grant. "The (Alameda County) district attorney has charged the officer with murder, Russo said, "and with murder you have to show intent." Russo says he agrees with the DA's decision, but has a tough effort in proving intent to murder. Translation: Johannes Mehserle may not be convicted of murder.

Russo says the possible protests that could happen shows that most of the people out there are concerned about the inappropriate use of police force. But he says there are a lot of "knuckleheads from San Francisco" who came to Oakland to riot last year.

On the Warriors and The Oakland A's

Russo has not been contacted by any of the competing groups interested in buying the Golden State Warriors Basketball Organization. But really it's an Oakland / Alameda County Joint Powers Authority issue. But if the ownership team wants to move the Warriors to San Francisco, they would have to pay off the remaining bonds issued to pay for the new Oracle Arena in 1998.

On the Oakland A's Russo's still looking for the report from the "Blue Ribbon Committee" that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig formed to evaluate the Oakland Athletics' stadium issue. Russo says "we're still in limbo. Why that is, I do not know." Russo speculated that perhaps the reasons are due to economics, the 49ers stadium issue, and the overall declining popularity of baseball. But whatever the case, MLB has not issued their report.

On World Cup Soccer

Russo's rooting for Italy, even though he knows they will not win. I think it could be England, but that's my head, not my heart. It would be cool to see the USA win.

SF 49ers will remain in Bay Area - Jed York

Jed York

San Francisco 49ers Team President and Owner Jed York was reported as implying that the San Francisco 49ers NFL Football Organization would move to Los Angeles if they did not win approval to build a new stadium in Santa Clara, California this Tuesday, June 8th.

This blogger had the pleasure of meeting Jed York at Former San Francisco City Hall Staffer Hala Hijazi's June Professionals VIP event last night, Thursday, at The San Francisco City Club.

Late for the event, thus missing York's presentation, I made up for it by having an informal conversation with him afterward. It was a great moment, with other event goers who also hailed from York's hometown of Youngstown, Ohio coming up to express their warm wishes. But I had to ask him if he intended to move the San Francisco 49ers to Los Angeles.

"The San Francisco 49ers will remain in the Bay Area," York said. Moreover, York said it directly, clearly, and deliberately. York told me he's open to whatever stadium deal comes up, be it San Francisco, Santa Clara, or the Oakland Coliseum. York said the Raiders are still working on their stadium feasibility study, and he's interested in what that will reveal.

Personally, I like Jed York. In online accounts, York gets a bum-rap, take the comments in this BleacherReport blog post.

The legendary San Francisco Bay Area Columnist Lowell Cohn took to writing a hot column in the San Francisco Sentinel, that includes the term "whiner" in it. To this blogger, York's not at all whining, but perhaps that's because of the way we related to each other.

Because I've seen and been a part of the business side of the NFL, and still maintain a vast set of good relationships around the league, and have an expertise in making simulations of the business of sports organizations, I have a better appreciation for York's point of view. But details aside, York wants the 49ers to remain here.

While York came to Professionals VIP to talk about the Santa Clara Stadium vote on June 8th, the simple fact is he was in San Francisco and in a room full of some of San Francisco's heaviest political hitters; from observation, Jed York has great relationships with all of them.

Does that mean San Francisco still has a chance to salvage the stadium program should the Santa Clara vote go south on York?

Yes.

McDonalds Shrek glass recall: thank Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)

Movie product tie-ins are common and many new products are aimed at kids. That's why the news of the McDonalds Shrek glass recall is so terrible. But first, thank the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier for the discovery of the problem.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle via the Associated Press, there were 12 million McDonalds Shrek glasses on the market: all of them must be recalled after a discovery by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The glasses are tainted with Cadmium, a carcinogen that can cause "long term adverse health effects." While that's in the recall notice, along with the news that the discovery came from the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier from California, that news is buried way down deep in in the Associated Press article.

The article also makes it seem as if the Consumer Product Safety Commission made the discovery. You have to read the entire, long work to see that it was Rep. Jackie Speier's office who made the find base on an anonymous tip. Spier issued this statement:

"Our children's health should not depend on the consciences of anonymous sources. Although McDonald's did the right thing by recalling these products, we need stronger testing standards to ensure that all children's products are proven safe before they hit the shelves," said Speier. "Cadmium is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children."

Here's the text from the recall notice and the link to the web page containing it:

McDonald’s Recalls Movie Themed Drinking Glasses Due to Potential Cadmium Risk

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: “Shrek Forever After 3D” Collectable Drinking Glasses

Units: About 12 million

Manufacturer: ARC International, of Millville, NJ.

Distributor: McDonald’s Corp., Oakbrook, Ill.

Hazard: The designs on the glasses contain cadmium. Long term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The “Shrek Forever After 3D” collectable drinking glass are 16 ounce glasses that came in four designs, Shrek, Fiona, Puss n’ Boots, and Donkey.

Sold exclusively at: McDonald’s restaurants nationwide from May 2010 into June 2010 for about $2.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: McDonald’s is asking consumers to immediately stop using the glass out of an abundance of caution. Visit www.mcdonalds.com/glasses for additional instructions on how to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact McDonald’s toll-free at (800) 244-6227 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.mcdonalds.com/glasses

Note: CPSC was made aware of issues with this product through the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Speier from California.

If you want to thank Rep. Jackie Speier's office, visit their website here:  http://speier.house.gov/

Juan Gonzalez CityTime Stop the Clock by Suzannah B. Troy

Juan Gonzalez has been at the forefront and mostly a soloist reporting a major scandal "CityTime" sinking tax payer dollars like the Titanic and again today his latest expose is entitled "Time to Stop Clock".  I wrote about CityTime, Mike Bloomberg's techno-dream to save the city money by making low tier workers sign in with their hand print costing close to a billion dollars and will easily bust the billion dollar mark very soon with what appears to have one really purpose and that is to make well connected "consultants" lots of money.

The renewal date is coming soon...This September and rather than renew, based on what I have read in both Juan Gonzalez's series of cutting edge investigative reporting and a piece by Ali Winston in City Limits.

I could not find this article on the front page of The New York Daily News website.  I read the article in the hard copy which I happily pay full price for at the stands but I couldn't find it on the website.

It is too bad the news did not have this front page and center because Juan Gonzalez's powerful expose on this on going money pit with a shocking number of consultants...actually hundreds of them paid a fortune deserves attention and every tax payer should know about their money filling 200 plus consultants deep pockets and some with "extremelyclose" ties to City Hall....

My comment posted on his powerful piece today in The New York Daily News:

Superb reporting. I am posting on as many blogs as possible. It is amazing that CityTime aka's the Tax Payer's Titanic is not getting more attention in the press. Great work. I have also read SAIC the company over seeing CityTime was embroiled in scandals on a federal level as well as in IRAQ. Did Bloomberg bring in SAIC because he thinks the mayor's office is his stepping stone to the White House? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tz4eMcP2LU Here is my YouTube and in the text portion is a link to a piece I wrote based on Juan Gonzalez's powerful series on this and Ali Winston's article which exposes major scandals with SAIC. There also seems to be major conflicts of interest. Great work Juan Gonzalez.

Here is my blog posting on CityTime--The mayor's techno dreams are the taxpayers Titanic

http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2010/05/mike-bloombergs-citytime-is-tax-payers.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tz4eMcP2LU

A race issue at a Rockridge, Oakland, CA restaurant

Also: city of oakland, cA, sf bay area race relations, san francisco, california, rockridge and race, black white oakland

Rockridge, Oakland, CA 

Oakland, CA - Fresh from a visit to my doctor's office that didn't go as I would have liked (I was told, really ordered, to lose 20 pounds and gave a large vial of blood with the fear of the unknown report to come), I decided that I needed to relax.

Normally, a trip to the gym would be the next stop but that's not relaxing, really. Fitness work is just that: another kind of work. The fantasy of having a glass of whiskey at a Rockridge, Oakland, California restaurant next to Rockridge BART - the owners I've known for a long time - seemed like a fun idea. Not meeting anyone; just totally spur of the moment.

So I arrived from Rockridge BART, walked in, and noticed the lower level bar area was totally redesigned. The bar itself was smaller than before and two people took up most of it. The bartender, a nice Latino man I've seen before, invited me to sit at the high table nearby.

I sat down as he brought over a glass of a great whiskey and a glass of water. I drank more of the water than the whiskey at first. Much of my time was spent using (or is it playing around with) Foursquare. The geo-location social network such that one can "check" in at places, but not at this establishment because it wasn't on it.

I asked the person who obviously was the floor waitress about this, saying "excuse me, are you on Foursquare?" She hadn't even heard of it, so I showed her how it works and said I'd tell the person who's the owner about it. Then I returned to surfing. Relaxed? Yes. For a time.

After a while I decided I wouldn't mind having another whiskey and water. Of course, I expected someone to notice my glasses were almost empty, but that didn't happen. Meanwhile, the white brunette floor waitress was literally helping every other person around me, but me.

First, I worked to ignore it, as well as the fact that no one else including the bartender, came over to ask if I wanted anything. There was no reason for that treatment at all.

After 40 or 50 minutes of that, I decided to go straight to the owner, who I know, for help. I calmly and humorously said "Great to see you. Say, you're service is terrible" (and yes, you can say that in a funny way.) Then I told her what happened and she was angry for me.

As soon as she came downstairs in front of me and it was obvious we were talking you could feel the air change. The bartender suddenly jumped up and rushed over from behind the bar to ask "Do you need anything?" I said "It took me getting her before anyone helped me? What am I a sphinx?"

Then my friend the owner introduced me to a Berkeley City Council member who walked in and we all started talking about politics. Then the wait staff realized I was "a somebody." That was awful.

At first, I was just going to forget the whole thing, but after I finished my second glass and left, it hit me that I just felt sad and depressed.

I considered contacting San Francisco Chronicle Food and Wine Editor Michael Bauer about what happened, but then I realized he would not have the same feelings for what I went through. So, I decided I didn't care if I came off as "Black Guy Complaining" because what happened to me occurred because I'm black and male. I don't care what any counter reason offered is -- and that set of responses is predictable -- after a time on this planet you know it when it happens in the Bay Area.

The one problem with the San Francisco Bay Area is that in the context of social interaction, there's a pecking order: a white person seems to expect a black person to talk to them first. And more often than not, black men fall right into this set of expectations by doing just that.

I wondered long ago what would happen if I acted just like the people who seemed to avoid saying anything first, and yes, who were white. What happened was that a lot of conversations I would have just stopped and I learned a lot about those people and Bay Area society. But I also learned who my real friends were.

This problem even extends to black women: they expect the man to talk first. So between both sets of "folks" the black man is left to do a lot of the social heavy lifting. The problem for others is they can wreck a business by bringing that "pecking order" behavior from the street into a restaurant.

That's what happened in Oakland's Rockridge restaurant on Wednesday. If I'd spoken up, I'd have been helped, but I was not supposed to. They were supposed to treat me like all the other white patrons at the place: with the respect of asking me if I wanted something else. Instead none of them made eye contact with me.

Look, I told one waitress about Foursquare, and thought I'd recognized another from somewhere else. So I wasn't being closed. But service and treatment at a place of that stature - or any place - dictate that I should be treated as a valued patron.

It's not the owner's fault. Frankly, and my feelings are still raw, I wish she'd fire the staff and start all over again. That's the only way they'd learn. I know for a fact had I been white and male that would not have happened. Oh, and I was well-dressed, too.

Enough is enough. If you're working for a restaurant, don't bring the pecking order way into it, you're hurt the establishment. That black guy you're ignoring just may be a somebody. But then, we're all somebody. That's what Dr. King was trying to tell America decades ago.

Stay tuned.

Giuseppi Logan WFMU Tompkins News by Suzannah B. Troy

Giuseppi Logan wants me to listen to him on WFMU.  I just haven't had a chance yet.  I continue to get very touching responses to my series on him including today and I haven't even had a chance to write back which I will do so shortly.  You can find my YouTube documentary series on Giuseppi Logan on YouTube and if you haven't seen it, I promise you, you will be moved.  He went from homelessness, thought dead by his many fans to my plastering him playing jazz on YouTube and cutting a new album for the first time since the 1960's with ESP.


Read the Jazz Review by Tim Madison -- the first person to contact me and explain the significance of the 1st YouTube and Tim urged me to continue filming.  I have to thank him because I had endured one of the scariest and most disturbing experiences of my life other than Sept. 11 and did not think I had the energy to do so. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTssjT9rAmQ&feature=related Giuseppi still needs your support.


His youngest son and only son from his 2nd marriage is living on the West Coast and will be back to continue his work on finding his father and that was because of my YouTubes as well as losing his son to a random act of gun violence.  Several shots to the back of the head would end Giuseppi Logan's grandson's life and Jaee, named after his Dad was an honor student and a football high school star.


Also please note,  for those following my original blog I don't have any information on a homeless woman that has lived most of her adult life -- the last 30 years mostly in and around Tompkins Square Park here in the East Village in New York City.  She wrestles with many of the problems that celebrities do as reported on TMZ but she is poverty level and I wish I could protect her from the creeps that would exploit her including a hateful blogger that follows her and has followed me as well without my knowledge, photographed me and plastered our photos -- her topless and she was drunk out of her mind; mine was an anti-semtic gay bashing.  


She has serious issues and needs help.  When I think of her,  I always think of Ozzie Osborune, although she is African American and blind in one eye because drunk she can be as bad as Ozzie and sober as sweet but she has no advocate.   She has no public relations person and this sicko stalker trashes her and of course me for defending her and pointing out he doesn't want anyone photographing him with or without his shirt and he has the luxury of a door to close and she has none.  That is me understating hateful vile the circumstances.


The NYPD has tried to help her even arranging housing for her and she has refused it. I don't know how you can help someone like her and truly sober she is a good soul.  She has told me she knows she needs rehab. If anyone reading this can say a pray for her...she needs them.

Barbara Walters out of hospital + Rest in Peace Rue McClanahan - by Suzannah B. Troy

The indestructible Barbara Walters is out of the hospital after having a faulty heart valve replaced.  She is doing quite well and there is video footage of her walking down the street here in New York City looking quite spectacular .  It  is hard to believe she just endured heart surgery!   You can get up to date info on Barbara Walters from The View website.

Rest in peace, Rue McClanahan leaving Betty White as the last living Golden Girl.   Betty White is reportedly heart broken over Rue McClanahan's passing.  Before there was The Golden Girls there was Maude.  I did love Bea Arthur and followed her from Maude to The Golden Girls which was much more light hearted but addressed serious issues as well.  I can't express how much I enjoyed these shows and there really is nothing quite like them now on TV.

It has been reported that Rue, the very loved Golden Girl has successfully battled breast cancer but died this morning of a heart attack.  She was a prolific actress and she was hoping to return to work and I am sure if she had she would have been treated with the same enthusiasm as Betty White.

Boston College Venture Competition produces Silicon Valley startups

New York, NY - (Zennie62's trip to TechCrunch was sponsored by Christine Smith Associates, Inc., the Premier Female Contractor in NYC.) The TechCrunch Disrupt Conference in New York City featured startups that were considered to have the best chance of "disrupting" or changing a given industry. Such a compartmentalized event makes it's easy to forget there are other organizations that support startups. One such organization is the Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC).

I learned about BCVC from Sophia Monroe, a volunteer at TechCrunch Disrupt. I ran into three of them multiple times each day and it was during those encounters that I learned about the Boston College Venture Competition.

As it turned out, Sophia Monroe is the Executive Director of BCVC, so I asked for an interview.

Boston College Venture Competition funds startups

The BCVC is a student run business plan competition at Boston College. "Next year, will be our fifth year anniversary," Sophia said, "We have three companies out in Silicon Valley right now. Two of which are funded and the third is looking for funding."

The best known of them is WePay, started by Boston College alumn Bill Clerico and Rich Aberman, who also founded BCVC. WePay allows groups to collect money online and for fundraisers,or events, or something like a bachelor party. Sophia said WePay "just raised $1.65 million from investors including Ron Conway (the founder of SV Angels)."

The second company is Wakemate, which was funded by Y Combinator (as was WePay). Wakemate produces a cell phone accessory that "will analyze your sleep to find the optimal time for you to wake up. You will feel refreshed and energized every time you wake, even from naps!" according to its website. It's developed by "Perfect Third, Inc."

The third one is called PIQC.net and is in search of funding. PIQC is an exciting visually-based student-run search engine that also needs some work. When I typed "zennie abraham" the largest bubble I got was listed as "Victorian Houses." Well, I must have done something wrong, but that aside, the three companies have exciting products and services.

Sophia said BCVC started to fill a void in the Boston College community. As much bad news comes out about our education system as a whole, this is a good news story. Boston College Venture Competition, and other programs like it, give students a chance to realize their dreams of starting a successful tech business.

Yes, one has to be a student at Boston Collage to benefit from BCVC, but if there's not a similar program at your college, contact BCVC for advice and guidance.

For more information visit their website here: BCVC.