The Expendables and Sylvester Stallone reach Twitter top trends

Image by zennie62 via Flickr

Stallone at Comic Con

Proving that even old guys still rock the house, the action movie The Expendables staring Sylvester Stallone is on the Twitter top trends list as of this writing.

The movie, which this blogger's chomping at the bit to see, starts today, Friday, and features Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lungren, Steve Austin, Randy Couture, and Terry Crews. All established actors and not what geek culture's into, right? Well, no.

The marketers of The Expendables threw out convention and went right after the very market a 20th Century thinker would have scoffed at: young adults and teens. From a giant YouTube presence to a successful Comic Con debut this blogger attended...



...The Expendables targeted the online and offline Mecca's of pop culture and emerged having successfully captured the attention and admiration of many.

What The Expendables producers and Lionsgate have done is genius marketing and digital marketing work that should be studied by anyone in the business of marketing film. It can't work for every movie, but intelligent variations on the approach will be effective, for sure.

Now, let's see how the movie performs against Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Jean Quan, there are no "minor" candidates

Get it?  Huh?  

Now that the Oakland Mayor's Race has reached its second season and is heading toward the November election, we have candidates and groups trying to push what they see as "minor candidates" as Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan said Wednesday, out of the way.

 But Councilmember Quan is really wrong, and this blogger's disappointed that she made the statement because with New Media and IRV, there are no minor candidates.

This blogger is consistently disappointed at the display of the amazing levels of both hubris and, frankly, stupidity that have come to mark the media strategy in the Oakland Mayor's Race.

Newspapers are not the number one source of information today in politics: the Internet is. But the people who run their election campaigns in Oakland, as well as those producing the forums, don't seem to get that. They think that by their actions in excluding talking to all of the candidates, or by some campaigners raising a lot of money, or by calling an editor at a print newspaper, they automatically will be the "major candidate."

No.

Here's an example, as of 8:16 AM PDT. Go to Google.com and type "don perata oakland," then scroll down. Now, the fourth result is a website called "Anybody But Perata for Mayor of Oakland." And the first blog post asks if The San Francisco Chronicle is promoting Don Perata "on the sly," because Perata's photo was right at the top of the article.

To be fair, the reason why I've used Oakland Mayoral Candidate Dr. Terrance Candell's photo on my last blogs is that he's not getting the coverage some of the other candidates have received.  Joe Tuman, who I personally think has a good shot at this thing, has media friends to help him, like at Channel 2 and at KPIX where he worked.   Someone has to serve as the leveler, and Iv'e worked to play that role.

Money does not equal internet exposure

The point is, even with all the money Perata's spent on staff and to some degree the Internet, this problem in online reputation management that's presented by the ease of finding a websire like Anybody But Perata for Mayor of Oakland is the result. Just because Don, Jean, and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan raise money, don't think it's necessary to win a campaign. It's not, nor is the impact of print media as important because it's almost non-existent.

The rule of the Internet as the source of information today is matched by the use of Instant Runoff Voting to create a brand new playing field. There are no minor candidates here and anyone can beat the other person.

The key is in how often the candidate appears online. I say that to each and every one of the people running for Mayor of Oakland, but save for a few of them, it goes into one ear and out of the other and I just laugh.

The other candidates want to leave it to the media, and then try to influence the media. You know what I mean; like making a call or email to the Chronicle about "that Zennie" or something.

Think I don't know, huh.

The bottom line is this: as long as both the candidates and print media insist on living in the 20th Century and not the 21st Century, who wins the Oakland Mayor's Race will shock them.

Paying attention, Jean?  There are no minor candidates in Oakland.

Stay tuned.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World - OK, I can't wait to see this film

Image via Wikipedia

Is it the Star Wars of our time? 

Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a movie this blogger wants to see because its different.

It's not just that it's a 21st Century graphic novel come to life on the big screen, it's also a different kind of movie. It appears to skillfully blend real and fantasy Worlds in a way that's not been done before.  It could be the Star Wars of our time, except that it's not in space.

OK. You're probably thinking of the video where I ask if there's any black people in Scott Pilgrim vs the World. This video:



I still stand by what was said in the video, because this blogger never dissed the movie, but just said I'd like to see some black folks in it. But that's not what this blog post is about. It's about the pure excitement and interest this simple movie with major hype has sparked.

Normally, one's supposed to become jaded after, let's see, Jaws, Star Wars, Star Trek The Motion Picture, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of The Jedi, and so on. And because those are Sci-Fi movies, this blogger had to see them.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World is more earthbound, but still a fantasy. And maybe that's the reason it's interesting to me; the presentation of that neat alternative universe of someone's dream state.

Ah. Bong-induced views aside, I'm going to see the flick and take my Blackometer with me.

Meteor shower tonight v. Oakland Double Rainbow in spiritual meaning

Image by jdnx via Flickr

This blogger has discovered the reason why there's a spiritual meaning attached to the siting of a Double Rainbow versus seeing a Meteor shower, as has been the case for the 2010 Perseid meteor shower, which is supposed to peak tonight according to reports.

If you review the video above, which was created last year, it's of a unique Double Rainbow over Oakland. The meaning of the Double Rainbow is that you're blessed. By contrast, the viewing of a meteor shower is not seen as a blessing directly; more like a happening produced by God.

The reason why this is, from observation, is the Double Rainbow is awesome before us on Earth. It dwarfs us and yet is not threatening.

If you look at the view, people come out of ZZA's Restaurant and Sidebar Restaurant just to see the great sight that looms over Lake Merritt and Oakland; that can't be easily done with a meteor shower.

You need a clear night sky, patience, and the right location. Rainbows are just there, and Double Rainbows are so rare and large, that people feel they must be blessed by them.

So far, my life since the Oakland Double Rainbow has been pretty good.

2010 Perseid meteor shower time lapse video

Image via Wikipedia

The 2010 Perseid meteor shower - which happens every year about this time for 2000 years and occurs in the constellation Perseus the Breaker, hence its name - wowed that part of the World that stayed up to see it; not this blogger. Fortunately, YouTuber alatafelis in Japan was up and captured the spectacular time lapse video, then set it to mood music.

2010 Perseid meteor shower wows the World.

According to SPACE.com, the 2010 Perseid meteor shower was seen around the World:

Iran: "In Iran, the Perseid meteor shower was great," said Mohammad Reza Zaman Sani.

USA - Florida: "There would be a few minutes of nothing, then 1, 2, 3 in a row," explained Anthony at the website Meteorobs.

Norway - "We had a nice show in Norway even though the sky was still not completely dark," explained Runar Sandnes for Spaceweather.com.

Robert Roy Britt, SPACE.com editor in chief, said "I counted 20 Perseids in a 20-minute period starting at 4:10 a.m. Most were faint, but two were as bright as Jupiter, leaving brief vapor trails that marked their path."

2010 Perseid meteor shower and God

The 2010 Perseid meteor shower has some spiritual meaning, because when I happened to Google "meteor shower God" what came up were recent references to the 2010 Perseid meteor shower. A number of search results where people said that the planet was made by God, or variations of that, or someone writing "God knows," and so on.

But it's hard to find a definitive spiritual meaning of a meteor shower. Dreamsmeaning.com explains that "Seeing a meteor shower in your dream indicates romantic thoughts," but does that mean seeing one in person is the best time to get it on?

When it comes to meteor showers, they're tied to events in religion, but, and unlike the Double Rainbow, which has meaning and says that you're blessed by God, the meteor shower doesn't seem to have one that is accepted by many.

If you find something, send an email to zennie@zennie62.com

NYU the evil empire by Suzannah B. Troy

NYU's president John Sexton was reported in the NY Post to earn 1.8 million dollars and that doesn't include plush real estate he must enjoy courtesy of NYU. NYU spends big money beating down our communities law suits. Look at 120 East 12st. You will see the facade of St. Ann's from 1847 hanging like an Albatross around the newest hideous NYU mega dorm. NYU mega dormed the East Village and king Mike Bloomberg, Amanda Burden a socialite mega millionaire we call the wicked witch of the East Village and the people's Burden are responsible for mass displacement of an entire neighborhood called Manhattan-ville for Columbia University uptown. Downtown, Mike, Amanda and John Sexton have done everything but NYU buses and trolleys and trains to move long term community members out to make room for the unwanted expansion of NYU. NYU's greed to shove as many NYU students in to CITY is like a drunk driver behind the wheel of car. Enough is enough!!!!

Go to my blog search engine to read more about the illegal air sale over St. Ann's by the USPS to NYU and the USPS is above the law ditto for NYU -- they got away with it and you can figure out  NYU's motive to push the air sale through without the State of NY examining is this in the best interest of the community.  NYU's attitude is screw the community and their needs we need more and more real estate for our mega dorms.

No wonder John Sexton ran down to City Hall to testify king Mike Bloomberg must have a third term.   Mike Bloomberg is a real estate developer mayor and NYU is a real estate magnate.

Lindsay Lohan may get out of rehab early by Suzannah B. Troy

The New York Post reports Lindsey Lohan may get sprung early from rehab.  Why use the word "sprung"?  To underscore she was not there of her own choice.  Lindsay Lohan had not hit bottom and decided she must enter rehab.  It was part of a prison sentence of which she did not have to fully serve and if she gets out early with rehab there is not doubt she will fall back to her old destructive ways.  Why?  She continues to get the message she is special and therefore does not have to talk responsibility.

Besides the many legally prescribed drugs she is alleged to be taking she has been abusing other substances at least according to rumors as well as booze.   Who knows if she was allowed to take prescription drugs in rehab?  Who cares?  Well her family and friends will if she ends up being another young celebrity that dies of a drug over dose or accidentally murders an innocent person while driving drunk.

Lindsay Lohan getting out early for a rehab she was sentenced to is a wrong message to send out to the public and most of all it is the wrong message to be sending to Lindsay Lohan herself.  Keeping her there is the right thing to do.  First it was part of her sentence and secondly doing so may say her life and innocent lives of potential victims she could kill accidentally of course while driving drunk.

Bloomberg vs. Liu $176 million renewal CityTime by Suzannah B. Troy

Juan Gonzalez should win an award for his reporting on CityTime. http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2010/05/mike-bloombergs-citytime-is-tax-payers.html Read my first post which will give you an link to SAIC and federal scandals so why where they called in.

My newest question is why has Bloomberg pushed expansion of this Orwellian Time clock that does not work when he should not have allowed any expansion until the bugs are ironed out and they are many.  CityTime should not be expanded, renewed in Sept. but investigated because of all the convenient consultants w/close to half a million dollar paychecks or more A MILLION dollars for consulting. CityTime is the tax payers Titanic!!!!

Dear Blog Readers:  I have done a long series on CityTime.  You have to go to my blog search engine to read all the postings.  www.suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com

CityTime must not be expanded and yet they have been stealthily do so all summer even though the program does not work.  There are so many glitches that the disaster causes more work and has cost NYC a mega fortune when it was suppose to save money.  Even mayor Bloomberg admits CityTime is a disaster.

Why would Bloomberg and pals not want to stop the bleeding and expansion until this Tax Payers Titanic can be investigated?  Because they are way too many fat cats with deep pockets making big bucks off of this disaster.   CityTime may have set a NYC record for the most highly paid consultants ever and for a failed project.

The mayor would say we have invested so much money we can't back out right now but than I would respond YOU CAN'T EXPAND A PROGRAM that does not work and is gobbling up more of city workers time and is a black hole to the tax payers especially when NYC is heading for tougher economic times.   Bloomberg brings in a republican deputy mayor Stephen Goldsmith to save us money but yet Bloomberg has been pushing the wrongful expansion of citytime all summer further entrenching the program making it even harder for the right thing to be done which is no to a renewal and yes to an investigation of CityTime.

Please make sure to go to my blog to see my many blog postings and also The New York Daily News to read the many articles all excellent investigative reporting by Juan Gonzalez.  In my postings you will find a link to a very important piece by Ali Winston from City Limits which exposes SAIC and federal level scandals leaving me to wonder why they were called in in the first place.

No to an extension of CityTime and yes to an investigation.

Question:  Does it make sense to pay $176 million dollars for 3 more years work when next year NYC government may be laying off workers and closing more fire houses?

Dallas Cowboys Offense scoreless for second preseason game

Image via Wikipedia

Tony Romo and Miles Austin (19) 

For the second time in as many 2010 NFL Preseason games, the Dallas Cowboys go without a touchdown.

The Cowboys have failed to get into the end zone against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Hall of Fame Game Sunday evening, and again against the Oakland Raiders Thursday night. This even as the team's been able to move the ball smartly between the 20s; but once in the red zone, the Cowboys can't pull it together to score.

Why?

Because the Dallas Cowboys passing game is sloppy.

That's not blogged for shock value; it's a fact. The Cowboys, regardless of quarterback, coach their passers such that they throw the short flare passes to the backs out of the backfield well, as well as throws to fade patterns.

But when the quarterback's called to read a defense downfield, where the passer has to look to find the open receiver, that's where the Cowboys fall apart. The quarterbacks, and especially Tony Romo, seem to have tunnel vision.

It's as if they're told to wait for a certain receiver the clear a level of the defense before throwing to that person.

That explains the "happy feet" that Romo exhibits during downfield throws calling for him to survey the middle of the field. That's also why the passes are almost always late, or rushed. That is the reason why the Cowboys don't get into the end zone.

Jason Garrett needs to go short

This blogger has never been a fan of Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett, but was pleased when Garrett exhibited more play design imagination and flexibility in 2009 than ever before.

But variety and cosmetics aside, the basic approach of the Cowboys passing game just isn't sound. The Cowboys must have more timed passes and get out of the habit of "levels" passing. It ends with Tony Romo and Dallas quarterbacks looking as if they've got tunnel vision, when it's all by design.

If the Cowboys don't adjust their passing game, and soon, it's going to be a long year. Their running game might save them, but I doubt it.

Oakland Raiders finally show timed passing game

This blog post was written in the head of this blogger before it was obvious the Oakland Raiders were going to win their first 2010 NFL Preseason game, 17 to 9, against the Dallas Cowboys under the Hue Jackson / Jason Campbell offensive regime. Because, even with dropped and tipped passes, what was most interesting and pleasing about the Oakland Raiders, was the real, timed, precision passing attack.

What was impressive was that from the snap of the football, to the quarterback's footwork, to the quarterback's hitch step, to the throw, to the receiver's routes, the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks are obviously drilled in the classic Bill Walsh fashion, with the objective of getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands and to the receiver as quickly as possible as part of a timed set of movements between passer and catcher.

Yes, Jason Campbell completed 7 of 13 passes. Yes, Darrius Heyward-Bey didn't have a catch. But the passes got out of the quarterback's hands with remarkable quickness, and little wasted movement.

It didn't matter if it was Campbell or Carrie Prejean's husband Kyle Boller at the helm, the passing personality was the same. Once the little things like the kind of pass thrown and how high it's delivered are worked out, the Raiders will be ready for what's going to be a good year.

Jamarcus Russell's not the issue

But the entire difference in the Oakland Raiders offense is that it's the most efficient in the passing game it's been since the John Gruden / Bill Callahan era. It's not that Jamarcus Russell isn't there, because if Russell's head was in the game, as some claim it was not, he too would have been part of this new approach for the Oakland Raiders' offense.

What you will pay attention to is what happens when the ball gets to the receiver; what I'm paying attention to is what happens to cause the ball to get to the receiver; that's the big difference in this 2010 team.

Oakland Raiders fans should be excited for what's to come, because with more practice and a clear offensive game plan (it was preseason) the Raiders' passing game will be so hard to defense, it will be lethal.

Indeed, it already is.

The Wizard of OZ, San Francisco Sunday Event: Help Is On The Way

Image via Wikipedia

For some reason, these events go together: today's the 71st Anniversary of The Wizard of OZ and on Sunday, August 15th, at 7:30 PM PDT at The Herbst Theater in San Francisco, REAF, The Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation holds its 16th annual presentation of "Help Is On The Way" called Help Is On The Way XVI.

Melissa Manchester

It's hard to believe The Wizard of OZ is a full 71 years young.  In fact, it seems timeless.  Music and songs from The Wizard of OZ are etched into my brain, in part because one of my favorite songs to sing at The Alley in Oakland, is If I Only Had A Brain.

 But it is 71 years yound, so it's important to stop
and consider the impact this awesome musical movie has had on American Culture. It has been translated in 40 languages, and been the basis for scores of reinterpretations, including the popular musical, The Wiz.

Which reminds this blogger why the link with Help Is On The Way XVI was made in my pea brain!

Over it history, REAF's Help Is On The Way has featured performers from plays, movies, and musicals like The Wiz.

Here's a video from 2008's pre-event, which includes an auction. But the real story is of the performers and character that are part of Help Is On The Way:



This year Leanne Borghesi, Carol Channing, Davis Gaines, La Toya London, Carole Cook, James Darren, Paula West, Bruce Vilanch, Kimberley Locke, and Melissa Manchester headline the performers as of this writing. And that list expands as we get closer to Sunday.

You can get tickets for Help Is On The Way XVI at 415-273-1620.

Mitrice Richardson found dead near Malibu by Nikky Raney

Mitrice Richardson went missing nearly a year ago. A skull and bones were found near Malibu and are the remains of Mitrice according to officials.

The 25-year-old's father, Michael Richardson, is displeased with the way the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials handled his daughter's case.

Mitrice was arrested a year ago after she was unable to pay $89 for her dinner at a restaurant. She was released September 17, 2010 without a car, purse or cell phone. She later went missing, and speculations on her mental health have been made.

Mitrice's mother Latice Sutton along with Michael have filed separate lawsuits against the Sheriff's Department alleging negligence.

Her father is still fighting for her according to LA Times Blog:

"This book is not close. More chapters need to be written. We are going to hold people accountable.… I will continue to fight for her."

The actions taken when releasing Mitrice seem very questionable - only time will tell what happens next.

Photo courtesy of JasmyneCannick.com