Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Kendra Wilkinson Does Playboy Again
People Magazine reports that Kendra Wilkinson is back in the pages of Playboy. In the latest episode of Kendra on E! she has a deep conversation with her husband Hank Baskett where she asks him what he thinks of the idea. He voices his opinion that since he is now her husband that being able to see her naked should be a privilege for him and not something the entire world can experience. The previous Playboy she has done were all before being married to Baskett and during her time as (one of) Heff's girlfriends in the mansion.
She tells People Magazine that her December cover of Playboy was not a recent shoot, but rather photos from two years ago when she was living in the mansion.
On her blog she writes:
"Hey guys! So I wanted to clear something up really quick! A lot of you saw on my show that I was struggling to decide whether to pose for Playboy again or not. I AM on the December cover of Playboy but it wasn’t from a recent shoot. The photos are from a shoot I did 2 years ago when I was still living in the mansion. I’m flattered to be on the cover again and as you all know Playboy has a very special place in my heart! I just wanted you guys to know I didn’t recently pose."
She should probably start preparing for the backlash.
Kendra Wilkinson Does Playboy Again
People Magazine reports that Kendra Wilkinson is back in the pages of Playboy. In the latest episode of Kendra on E! she has a deep conversation with her husband Hank Baskett where she asks him what he thinks of the idea. He voices his opinion that since he is now her husband that being able to see her naked should be a privilege for him and not something the entire world can experience. The previous Playboy she has done were all before being married to Baskett and during her time as (one of) Heff's girlfriends in the mansion.
She tells People Magazine that her December cover of Playboy was not a recent shoot, but rather photos from two years ago when she was living in the mansion.
On her blog she writes:
"Hey guys! So I wanted to clear something up really quick! A lot of you saw on my show that I was struggling to decide whether to pose for Playboy again or not. I AM on the December cover of Playboy but it wasn’t from a recent shoot. The photos are from a shoot I did 2 years ago when I was still living in the mansion. I’m flattered to be on the cover again and as you all know Playboy has a very special place in my heart! I just wanted you guys to know I didn’t recently pose."
She should probably start preparing for the backlash.
Congress Returns next week: Will they pass Tier 5?
Next week, Congress will be back in session - but will they deal with extending unemployment or will they pass Tier 5 for the 99ers?
Currently, S3706 is not on the Lame Duck Senate agenda at all. Nancy Pelosi told the Huffington Post that extending UI benefits (filing dates only) is third on her priority list - yet did not mention of the coveted Tier 5. Nancy still runs the House (for now) but S3706 is a Senate bill which requires Harry Reid to put the bill on the Senate floor "Lame Duck" agenda.
Ed Schultz, staunch supporter of the 99er cause, was on The Rachel Maddow Show last night. When asked during Maddow’s new ‘Lame Duck’ segment about what the Democrats should do when they return next Monday, though Ed did mention extending unemployment benefits for those Americans who are “about to lose them” - he did NOT even mention Tier 5 for the 99ers (who have been without UI benefits now 8 months and counting). Say it isn’t so!
This omission by Schultz leads me to believe that he must know Tier 5 isn’t even on the radar when Congress returns. We all know that it is not on the official Congressional schedule, available online. Harry Reid is the one who decides what bills come to the Senate floor - and this is how he shows his gratitude for us saving his job?
My calls this week to the Senate offices of several co-authors of S3706 all had the same result. “The Americans Want to Work Act (S3706) is not scheduled to come to the floor for a vote during the remainder of this session and not likely to ever be considered even next year.”
Personal visits yesterday to the San Diego offices of CA Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstien (on behalf of the 99er community) met the same result. This is an outrage!
I say every 99er and concerned non-99er needs to contact Harry Reid via his staffers and tell them how we feel about being ignored and left to die after saving his butt:
Congressional Toll free Switchboard: 1-866-220-0044
Senator Harry Reid 202-224-3542 REID FAX 202-224-7327
Reno office:Tel 775-686-5750 Fax 775-686-5757
Reid Staffers:
Rodell_mollineau@reid.senate.gov,
Danica_daneshforouz@reid.senate.gov,
Mike_esposito@reid.senate.gov,
Mary_conelly@reid.senate.gov,
Gary_myrick@reid.senate.gov,
Robin_mccain@reid.senate.gov,
jim_manley@reid.senate.gov,
99er Nation, it is time yet again to flood the Ed show with emails http://www.bigeddieradio.com/emailEd/ saying we need his voice for the 99ers to survive! ed@edshultzshow.com
And please do not forget to keep calling the White House Comments Line 202-456-1111 - Comment line is only open 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday EST. ***REMIND the President that this is an emergency and the very survival of millions of Americans depends on Tier 5 getting passed immediately!
[See the interview with Ed Schultz at 8:25 into the clip below]
Happy Birthday Marine Corps
Today marks the 235 years of the United States Marine Corps.
"The Few, The Proud" and "Semper Fidelis" are two of the mottos that the marines live by. The Marines are the smallest branch of the U.S. armed forces.
The Washington Post recalls that Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!"
Tomorrow is Veterans day: so remember and give thanks to those who have fought overseas to protect the rights of the United States.
KPFA: Show Cancellation at Local Radio Station (Video)
The KPFA The Morning Show cancellation issue drew 200 people for a rally on Tuesday outside the KPFA studios in Berkeley. The show hosts - Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - managed to lock themselves in a third floor studio and broadcast their show. (Video courtesy of The Daily Cal.)
That went against the wishes of KPFA Executive Director Arlene Englehardt. She wanted to bring in a radio feed from the sister station in LA. But the LA producers managed to get sick. That paved the way for the guerrila show.
In the audience look for the number of people who aren't using camcorders. That's one problem with media today - it's in the hands of each of us, but we have to know to use it to make a difference.
KPFA and NPR
What is it about Liberal Media lately? Why does it seem like the one medium needed to make a difference is coming apart at the seams? NPR has the embarrassing Juan Williams issue, and KPFA has this matter, where both seem like they're being ran by Old Media thinkers.
KPFA: Show Cancellation at Local Radio Station (Video)
The KPFA The Morning Show cancellation issue drew 200 people for a rally on Tuesday outside the KPFA studios in Berkeley. The show hosts - Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - managed to lock themselves in a third floor studio and broadcast their show. (Video courtesy of The Daily Cal.)
That went against the wishes of KPFA Executive Director Arlene Englehardt. She wanted to bring in a radio feed from the sister station in LA. But the LA producers managed to get sick. That paved the way for the guerrila show.
In the audience look for the number of people who aren't using camcorders. That's one problem with media today - it's in the hands of each of us, but we have to know to use it to make a difference.
KPFA and NPR
What is it about Liberal Media lately? Why does it seem like the one medium needed to make a difference is coming apart at the seams? NPR has the embarrassing Juan Williams issue, and KPFA has this matter, where both seem like they're being ran by Old Media thinkers.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Steven Spader Sentenced To Life Without Parole
New Hampshire's Steven Spader celebrated his 19th birthday today and then he found out that he will be spending the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole following his conviction today on premeditated first degree murder.
The Union Leader reports that Judge Gillian L. Abramson sentenced Spader after finding no mitigating factors that could possibly lessen his punishment. She tells the Union Leader that during his sentencing he had threatening behavior toward witnesses in the courtroom, and that required the courts to admonish him through counsel on three occasions.
"I sentence you to the maximum, the rest of your pointless life," Abramson's exact words to Spader.
For those who are unfamiliar with Spader - he is also known as the "Machete Murderer." In October of 2009 he used a machete to hack Kimberly Cates, 42, to death, and maimed her daughter, Jaimie, who was 11 at the time, during a brutal home invasion.
The Boston Globe reports that Abramson also said:
"I could go on for days and days about the depths of your depravity. It's sufficient to say you belong in a cage."
The Boston Globe includes that the jury also convicted Spader of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with witnesses and informants, and conspiracy to commit burglary
For more in-depth or background information about this case please click the links to the articles within this post.
Pacifica's KPFA Morning Show Axed: Show Hosts Stage Locked-In Show
The question is does she care to save the show? Indeed, given Tuesday's actions by The KPFA Morning Show hosts and producers Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - with an assist from producers in Berkeley and in Los Angeles who called in "sick" to make way for The Morning Show team - they were able to host a "guerilla" show.
If you're reading this, scratching your head, and asking "why," all of this has it's roots in a long-standing disconnect between KPFA show staff, and the local board and the Pacifica Network. It's confusing that KPFA, the station that gave birth to Pacifica, would be in this position against Pacifica, but nothing about this story meets the logic test. Some back story is needed; here it is.
According to Sasha Lilley, of KPFA's Against the Grain and a critic of the management and board of KPFA, the foundation for today's unrest started in 1999, when Pacifica attempted to sell KPFA, and locked out the staff for 23-days in an effort to clear the decks. The result was a 10,000 person "Save KPFA" march in Berkeley and an end to Pacifica's lockout efforts.
In order to theoretically make a KPFA that was more responsive to its listeners and end the staff / management rancor, the organization was altered to allow board members elected by KPFA listeners, which really is anyone the board candidate could get to cast a vote. Instead of less rancor, the new system only created more arguments and power struggles.
A big reason for this was that a person can be on the KPFA Board with just 300 votes out of a listenership of around 150,000 people. So, what happens, according to Lilley, is that the board that's elected doesn't actually reflect what the listeners want, only what the individual KPFA board members want. That's the foundation for the recent problems.
Adding to that foundation is the fact that KPFA is losing money because it can't attract listeners. Arlene Engelhardt is on record as saying KPFA has lost over $1.5 million over the last two years. Moreover, from the perspective of one who's been a guest on KPFA shows several times, the organization has not learned how to master New Media to help gain more listeners.
All of that, and this bloggers observation that Liberals - and I'm Liberal - all too often eat their own for reasons of ego.
The Email In The Printer
The current controversy started when an email written by one of the KPFA managers and calling for The Morning Show hosts to be fired along with other staffers was found in a printer. According to Lilley, the misdirected email was a violation of the CWA 9415 Union contract with KPFA management.
The person targeted was Brian Edwards-Tiekert, who had the most seniority. But in order to "get him" reportedly, management had to sack the whole staff.
Brian Edwards-Tiekert A Save KPFA Enabler
According to a source via email, Brian Edwards-Tiekert's name was on a list of people to be fired that was created, reportedly, by three members of Pacifica's National Board.
The email states that Edwards-Tiekert was a "key player" in the "SaveKPFA slate" that is in power after October's KPFA Board elections.
Arlene Engelhardt Targeted As Problem
KPFA Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt was targeted by Save KPFA members as the person who made the decision to sack The Morning Show. Save KPFA reports that:
Engelhardt has rejected most of the alternative proposals put forward in a Sustainable KPFA Budget backed by workers, the local station board, and KPFA management, and refused to reveal her own salary and those of other high-level managers. While Pacifica’s plan would lay off a large portion of the union staff, the Sustainable Budget would reduce bureaucratic overhead and board expense rather than cut on-air programming.
Engelhardt planned to let go of the KPFA Morning Show staff and replace it with "piped-in" programming from Pacifica's KPFK station in Los Angeles. Instead, what she got was an on-air argument with show producer Esther Manilla on Monday...
...And a Monday show broadcast featuring Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives featuring long-time Pacifica broadcaster Larry Bensky.
Sasha Lilley said today that some KPFA managers and board members wanted a volunteer staff. That, she said, would result in a dramatic loss of listenership, and already she's received calls from long time supporters who said they would stop contributing to KPFA if The Morning Show was axed.
Missile Mystery off the California Coast
There was an apparent missile mystery off the California Coast last night and nobody seems to know who launched the projectile.
The unmistakable contrail streaking into the California sunset was captured on video last night by a KCBS news helicopter flying over Los Angeles at around 5 p.m. Pacific time.
KFMB showed video of the apparent missile to former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Robert Ellsworth, who is also a former Deputy Secretary of Defense, to get his thoughts.
A Navy spokesperson told KFMB it wasn't their missile. He said there was no Navy activity reported in the area Monday evening.
On Friday night, Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, launched a Delta II rocket, carrying an Italian satellite into orbit, but a sergeant at the base told KFMB there had been no launches since then.
Ellsworth urged American to wait for definitive answers to come from the military.
When asked, however, what he thought it might be, the former ambassador said it could possibly have been a missile test timed as a demonstration of American military might as President Obama tours Asia.
"It could be a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine … to demonstrate, mainly to Asia, that we can do that," speculated Ellsworth.
Late this morning, MSNBC was reporting that the military now states this was just a plane taking off and not a missile as previously speculated.
Common man! Clearly that is an explanation about as credible as the “weather balloon” or “swamp gas” scenarios when responding to UFO sightings. A plane? Really? If you believe that then you’ll believe anything!
San Francisco Bans Happy Meals
CNN reports that under San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar's proposal McDonalds and other restaurants would have until December 2011 to improve the nutrition of the meals offered if the restaurants want to continue offering toys tied to the latest films.
The proposal would enforce that the food and beverages contain less than 600 calories and less than 35 percent of total calories from fat. The meals will be required to contain 0.5 cups of fruit and 0.75 cups of vegetables and offer less than 640 mg of sodium and less than 0.5 mg of trans fat.
This is part of a "food justice movement" that addresses that over 50 of the restaurants in San Francisco use toys and other giveaways to sell fast food while the nutritional content of the meals is being challenged by the city.
Mar tells CNN that the ordinance would be a "tremendous victory" in fighting childhood obesity:
"I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat and calories are a major reason for the alarming rise for childhood obesity in this country. This is a very modest ordinance that is an incentive for the industry to take responsibility for healthier choices for children and parents."
Danya Proud is McDonald's spokeswoman; her response to the potential ban of happy meals is one of disappointment. She tells CNN:
"It's not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for. Public opinion continues to be overwhelmingly against this misguided legislation. Parents tell us it's their right and responsibility -- not the government's - to make their own decisions and to choose what's right for their children. We are extremely proud of our Happy Meals which give our youngest guests wholesome food and toys of the highest quality. Getting a toy with a kid's meal is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald's."
McDonald's is expected to challenge this legally once the ordinance is approved.
Unemployment News: Outsourcing - What was Obama Thinking?
In unemployment news, outsourcing has been a huge factor in American joblessness.
So what was President Obama thinking when he played down the tremendously destructive outsourcing problem recently during his trip to India? Whatever the reason for the change in Obama’s rhetoric on this subject, the progressive radio hosts are not happy about this unexpected turn of events.
The outsourcing issue is a sore point in an otherwise deepening relationship between India and the United States, which see each other as vital partners in areas like counterterrorism, defense contracts and nuclear energy.
India's outsourcing industry was shaken last year when Obama said he wanted to change "a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York."
At a Mumbai summit of top Indian and American chief executives, Obama said that in the United States a caricature exists of India as a nation filled with call centers that were taking away American jobs.
In India, Obama said, many see the arrival of American companies as a threat to the livelihood of neighborhood shopkeepers. "These old stereotypes and old concerns ignore today's reality. Trade between our countries is not just a one-way street of American jobs and companies moving to India. It is a dynamic two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth and higher standards in both our countries" the President said.
So has Obama changed his mind on protecting remaining American jobs from the scourge of outsourcing? Has the election so distressed our President that he is now touting Republican talking points to appease the GOP he will be forced to work with over the next two years?
Ed Schultz today devoted all three hours of his radio show and will likely address this same issue on his MSNBC TV show tonight. Callers on Ed’s radio show agreed that outsourcing jobs to India and other countries has been a substantial contributing component in America’s unemployment problems and most every caller expressed outrage over the issue and the President’s apparent change of heart on outsourcing.
This season NBC had the bad taste to air a comedy in their fall line up called “Outsourced” which centers around the cultural differences faced by one American who left Wisconsin to work in India. There are at least 3 Facebook pages, several other social networking sites as well as plenty of blogs condemning NBC for the concept of the show as insensitive to the plight of those (now jobless Americans) who fell victim to the reality of outsourcing.
The fact is, off-shoring American jobs to foreign lands only benefits the bottom lines of corporations, companies and the countries where those jobs are relocated. Decades worth of IRS tax breaks for those employers who ship our jobs overseas has gutted the availability of US jobs, lowered the average pay in America and continues to reward big business for this un-American activity.
Apparently, with the Republican takeover of the House, this problem will continue to plague America, as GOP politicians voted 11 times in the past 4 years to continue such corporate giveaways which only hurt our middle class citizens and cost the American people billions of dollars every year. Now that the President seems to have changed his mind on this subject, the American worker will continue to suffer the consequences.
Perhaps if the millions of American families whose lives have been devastated by the resulting reality of outsourcing jobs (and the prolonged unemployment that often follows) would contact the Whitehouse Comments Line 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 and tell him we need job here in the USA and stop rewarding those who ship jobs out of the country - perhaps he will get the message the voters actually tried to deliver a week ago: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
Conan On TBS Beats The Tonight Show With Jay Leno In Ratings
According to Zap2it.com, Nielsen Ratings from 56 "metered markets" report Conan On TBS at a 2.8 household rating share, while The Tonight Show With Jay Leno has a 2.7 ratings share.
The question is will that hold? It's logical to expect Conan to do better than The Tonight Show With Jay Leno because Monday was Conan's much hyped debut. But what happens later in the week? What about next week?
Conan Gets Good and Bad Reviews
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno's ratings aside, Conan's quirky humor returns to the screen with mostly good reviews for his first show. Still, it's great to see Conan, who was treated horribly by NBC when Jay Leno decided he wanted his Tonight Show gig back, return to late night television.
By the way, Leno's not invited on Conan on TBS.
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